AN EXPOSITION CONTINUED UPON the sixth, seventh, eighth, ninth, tenth, eleventh, twelfth, and thirteenth CHAPTERS of the Prophet EZEKIEL, WITH USEFUL OBSERVATIONS THEREUPON.  
Delivered in several LECTURES in London, By WILLIAM GREENHILL.  PROV. 4.7, 8. 
Wisdom is the principal thing, therefore get Wisdom: and with all thy getting, get understanding.  
Exalt her, and she shall promote thee: she shall bring thee to honour when thou dost embrace her.  
LONDON; Printed by M.S. for Hanna Allen, at the Crown in Popes-head-Alley. 1649.   

TO ALL LOVERS OF DIVINE TRUTHS; Especially the Undertakers for the expository Lectures in the City of LONDON.  
THe infinite and only wise GOD, hath annexed to the Ministry, Conversion, Acts 26 18. Regeneration, 1 Cor. 4.15. the addition of sinners to the Church, and to himself, Act. 2.41.47. Chap. 11.24. faith, Rom. 10.14. 1 Cor. 3.5. the perfecting of the Saints and edification of the body of Christ, Eph. 4.12. Collation of the Spirit, Gal. 3.2. Act. 10.44. yea salvation, Act. 11.14. 1 Cor. 1.21. 1 Tim 4.16. Now notwithstanding the Ministry be the great Medium and Appointment of God to effect and accomplish such needful and glorious things: yet some there be that thrust hard at it, and endeavour to throw it down. But were it removed, and the pernicious desires of men fulfilled herein, a sadder judgement could not befall the Nation. Solomon the firstborn of Wisdom saith; Where there is no Vision, the people perish, Prov. 29.18. Where the Word of God is not expounded, preached, and applied to the several conditions of the people, there they perish. Feriabitur populus, saith Montanus, they will be idle, keep holiday, cease from doing the work of the Lord, and do the works of the flesh and darkness. Piscator reads it, nudatur populus, the people is made naked; They are like men without clothing, without armour, exposed to wind and weather, to spiritual storms and temptations, having nothing to defend themselves. The Vulgar is, dissipabitur populus, lay aside preaching and expounding the Scriptures, the people will be scattered, run into errors, wander up and down as sheep without a Shepherd. Pagnine hath it, rebellis erit, the people will be rebellious, they will not be kept in order, obedience, and subjection to authority; for where means of knowledge are wanting, there must be ignorance, and ignorance is the mother of rebellion.  
When Queen Elizabeth, whose memory is precious, was instigated by some illaffected to the Ministry, to abridge the number of Preachers, E.G. Archbishop of Canterbury was much troubled at it, and wrote her a learned and serious Letter about it, out of which having the Manuscript by me, I have thought fit to transcribe and commend unto you what follows.  
I cannot marvel enough, how this strange opinion should once enter into your mind, that it should be good for the Church to have few Preachers? Alas Madam, is the Scripture more plain in any one thing, then that the Gospel of Christ should be plentifully produced? and that plenty of Labourers should be sent into the Lord's harvest, which being great and large, standeth in need of not a few but many workmen. There were appointed to the building of Solomon's material Temple an hundred and fifteen thousand artificers and labourers, besides three hundred and thirty Overseers, and shall we think that a few Preachers may suffice to build and edify the spiritual Temple of Christ, which is the Church. Christ when he sendeth forth his Apostles, saith unto them; Ite praedicate Euangelium omni creaturae. But all God's creatures cannot be instructed in the Gospel, unless all possible means be used to have a multitude of Preachers and Teachers to preach unto them. Habitet sermo Christi in vobis opulenter, saith Paul, Col. 3. And to Timothy, Praedica sermonem, insta tempestive, intempestive, argue, increpa, exhortare, which thing cannot be done without often and much preaching. To this agreeth the practice of Christ's Apostles; Qui constituebant per singulas Ecclesias presbyteros, Act. 14. Paul likewise to Titus writeth; Hujus rei gratia reliqui te in Creta, ut quae desunt pergas corrigere & constituas oppidatim presbyteros: and afterward describeth how the Presbytery should be qualified, not such as we are compelled to admit, by mere necessity, unless we should leave a great number of Churches utterly desolate, but such indeed as were able to exhort Per sanam doctrinam & contradicentes convincere. And in this place I beseech your Majesty, to note one thing necessary to be noted, which is this. If the Holy Ghost prescribe expressly that Preachers should be placed oppidatim, how can it well be thought that two or three Preachers may suffice for a Shire. Public and continual preaching of God's Word is the ordinary means and instrument of the salvation of mankind. St Paul calls it The ministry of reconciliation of man unto God. By the preaching of God's Word, the glory of God is enlarged, faith nourished, and charity increased, by it ignorance is instructed, the negligent exhorted and incited, the stubborn rebuked, the weak comforted, and to all those that sin of malicious wickedness, the wrath of God is threatened. By preaching also, due obedience to Christian Princes and Magistrates is planted in the hearts of Subjects: For obedience proceedeth of conscience, conscience is grounded upon the Word of God, and the Word of God worketh this effect by preaching, so as generally where preaching is neglected, obedience faileth. No Prince ever had more lively experience hereof then your Majesty hath had in your time, and may have daily. If your Majesty come to the City of London never so often, what great gratulation, what joy, what concourse of people is there to be seen, yea what acclamations and prayers to God for your long life, and other manifest significations of inward and unfeigned love joined with most humble and hearty obedience, are there to be heard? Whereof cometh this Madam, but of the continual preaching of God's Word in the City, whereby that people hath been plenteously instructed in their duty towards God, and towards your Majesty. On the contrary, what bred the Rebellion in the North? Was it not Papistry, and the ignorance of God's holy Word through want of preaching? And in the time of that Rebellion, were not all men of all estates that made profession of the Gospel, most ready to offer their lives for your defence? in so much that one poor Parish in Yorkshire, which by continual preaching had been better instructed then the rest, Halifax, I mean was ready to bring three or four thousand able men into the field, to serve you against the said rebels. How can your Majesty have a more lively trial and experience of the contrary effects of much preaching, and little or not preaching, the one working most unnatural disobedience and rebellion, the other most faithful obedience.  
By this part of the Letter, you see, how firm the Archbishop was for preaching, and that he hath fully confirmed that sense of the words; Where there is no vision or preaching the people will rebel, and if he would not yield to the abridging of preachers, why should any desire the abolishing of them? and so make way for the people to be idle, naked, scattered, rebellious, yea for their perishing. It was one of the saddest times that ever Israel had, when Israel was without a teaching Priest, 2 Chron. 15.3. than they had no peace within nor without, but great vexations were upon all the inhabitants of the Countries, even all the ten Tribes. This being without a Teaching Priest was such an affliction, as that the Lord promised his people afterwards, that what affliction soever befell them, this should not, Isa. 30.20. Though the Lord give you the bread of adversity, and water of affliction, yet shall not thy Teachers be removed into a corner any more: but thine eyes shall see thy Teachers. This is a gracious promise for the continuance of the Ministry. They had the law, and should have Teachers to instruct them therein. We have the Gospel, and Teachers to instruct us therein. The Church and Ministry may be hid, Rev. 12.6. but not extinct. Christ is a King, the government is upon his shoulder, he has a Kingdom, and it knows no end, Isa. 9.6, 7. Luk. 1.32, 33. his Throne is for ever, Heb. 1.8. He therefore hath promised to be with his Church, and the Ministry thereof unto the end of the world, Mat. 28.20. 
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉.  Not to the end of that age, but of the world; for so the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies, Math. 13.39, 40. the harvest is the end of the world; and so shall it be in the end of the world. Christ's Kingdom and Officers of it were not only for the Apostolical and primitive times, but for all times and ages, Eph. 3.21. 4 Chap. 11, 12. Rev. 7.14, 15: 11.19. otherwise what hope were there for Jews or Gentiles. If one should leave the Jewish Synagogue, and th'other Heathenism, whether should they come, if Christ have no true Church, no visible Kingdom. Herein himself hath satisfied us, Joh. 10.16. Other sheep I have which are not of this fold, them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice, and there shall be one fold and one Shepherd. The fold was the Church, the sheep to be brought in, the Gentiles, who were not brought in in Christ's days, nor all in the Apostles days, or Primitive times; some are yet to be brought in, and therefore there is yet a fold, and Ministers to cause them to hear the voice of Christ, that they may come into this fold. For whom he predestinates he calls, Rom. 8.30. and his calling is not immediate, but by the Ministry of the Word. And though the Ministry now be not infallible, as the Apostles were, but fallible; yet their fallibility doth not make void their calling, nor cause the Churches to be reputed false, as not having the Word of God taught in them infallibly. For those holy men who were Prophets and Apostles, you may find sometimes failing. Nathan failed when he bid David go and build the house of the Lord, 2 Sam. 7.3. David was out, when he said, he was cut off from before the Lords eyes, Psal. 31.22. and when he said, All men were liars, Psal. 116.11. Jeremy spoke like a man, when he said, I will not make mention of him, nor speak no more in his name; and especially when he cursed the day of his nativity, and the man brought tidings thereof, Chap. 20.9.14, 15, 16. Ionas spoke from himself, not from God, when he said, Take my life from me; for its better for me to die then to live; and I do well to be angry unto death, Jon. 4.3.9. And Paul professes he had no Commandment of the Lord concerning Virgins, but gave his judgement as one that had obtained mercy of the LORD to be faithful, 1 Cor. 7.25. Now though these men had such failings, spoke from their own spirits, yet were neither the Churches falsified hereby, nor their callings frustrated. That which was needful to be the Rule and Standard, was given out by an infallible Spirit. The Spirit of truth took of Christ's, showed it to them, and led them into all truth. And while the Ministers now do bring that truth unto you they are infallible. If in their constructions, interpretations, and expositions of the same, they  or be out, you ought to try the spirits, 1 Joh. 4.1. and to hold fast what is good, 1 Thess. 5.21. not despising prophesyings, lest you quench the Spirit. It's ill when any destroy commands of God to maintain their opinions. Some would have the Word only read, and that there should be no preaching, or expounding of it. It was not the Eunuches reading, but Philip's preaching that wrought faith in him, Act. 8. The spices of the Scripture send forth the strongest and sweetest smells, when they are bruised and broken. The fire of the Sanctuary yields most heat and light when stirred up and blown. It's neither fleshly, devilish, nor teason to the Father, to make constructions upon the Prophets and Apostles, and expound their meaning. If so, then Ezra and others who read the Law and gave the sense of it, Nehem. 8.8. sinned, were fleshly, devilish, and traitors to the Father. Then Paul gave ill counsel to Timothy, to divide the word of truth aright, 2 Tim. 2.15. How children should have their milk, young men their bread, old men their wine, and that only by reading, I see not. If that could be surely Christ needed not have appointed a wise and faithful servant over his household, to give them meat in due season, Mat. 24.45. If we may not expound the Word because we are fallible, then why should any translate the Word out of the Original Tongue into others, seeing they are fallible, and may, yea have mistaken therein, as well as others in expounding and preaching: and because it is so, some little regard the Scriptures, 
Vid H●n●●● 〈…〉 A●●● pro Ec●l 〈…〉.  expecting Euangelium spiritus sancti & tertium Testamentum. The Jews look for Messiah, the Papists look for Henoch and Elias, but without warrant, and so do these men for another Gospel, Gal. 1.8, 9 and extraordinary men, who may raise up Churches, and declare what is truth. I beseech you, be content with, and thankful for those precious, glorious truths the Lord hath given you in the Law and Gospel, studying to know them more fully, and endeavour to yield unto the Author of them the obedience of faith; acknowledging it an unspeakable gift, that you have them, with Preachers and Expositors amongst you, to further you in the knowledge and practice of them. If this ensuing Work shall contribute aught that way, I shall be abundantly satisfied therein. In hopes whereof I commend both it and you to the blessing of the Lord, subscribing myself  
Septemb. 28. 1649. Yours in this Work of the Lord to love and serve, W.G.   

An Exposition upon more Chapters of EZEKIEL.  

CHAP. VI  

1. And the Word of the Lord came unto me saying,  
2. Son of man, set thy face towards the mountains of Israel, and prophesy against them,  
3. And say, Ye mountains of Israel, hear the word of the Lord God, Thus saith the Lord God to the mountains and to the hills, to the Rivers and to the Valleys; Behold, I, even I, will bring a sword upon you, and I will destroy your high places.  
4. And your Altars shall be desolate, and your Images shall be broken, and I will cast down your slain men before your Idols.  
5. And I will lay the dead carcases of the Children of Israel before their Idols, and I will scatter your bones round about your Altars.  
6. In all your dwelling places the Cities shall be laid waste, and the high places shall be desolate, that your Altars may be laid waste and desolate, and your Idols may be broken and cease, and your Images may be cut down, and your works may be abolished.  
7. And the slain shall fall in the midst of you, and ye shall know that I am the Lord.  
IN this Chapter you have,  
First, a command to Prophesy, in the two first Verses.  
Secondly, the Prophecy itself; in which are three thing:  
First, A threatening of desolation to the Land of Judea, the Idols, Altars, and men thereof; in the 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, Verses.  
Secondly, a promise of mercy unto them in their scattered condition, verse 8, 9, 10. Some should escape the Judgements, repent of their evil way, and know the Lord.  
Thirdly, a prefiguration of the grief they should have for the Judgements to come upon them; which are repent, Verses 11, 12, 13, 14.  
Junius observes this Prophecy to have been on the Sabbath day, the one and twentieth of the fifth month, in the sixth year of their Captivity, and on the twenty eighth day of the same month, the Prophecy in the next Chapter, and on the fifth day of the sixth month, the Vision in the eighth Chapter.  
God honoured his own day, with giving out his Word by Revelations and Visions; that day they rested from their labour, and were fittest to hear, see, and receive divine thing. It was now above a year since Ezekiel had his first Vision; for that was in the fifth day of the fourth month, and fifth year of the Captivity, this in the sixth year and fifth month.  
The Prophets had not all communicated to them at once, but by degrees, as infinite wisdom saw best, and the Church understands not all at once what they wrote, but now a little, and then a little, as it pleases God to let in light.  


Vers. 2.  Set thy face towards the Mountains of Israel.  
Turn thee unto them, speak boldly, and freely, Prophesy their destruction. The Mountains of Israel were divers: There was Mount Ebal, and Mount Gorizzim, Deut. 27.12, 13. Mount Carmel, 1 Kings 18.19. Mount Horeb, 1 Kings 19.8. Mount Zem●raim, 2 Chron. 13.4. Mount Gilead, Cant. 4.1. Mount Ephraim, Joshua 17.15, Mount Naphtali, and Mount Judah, Joshua 20.7. Mount Hermon, 1 Chron. 5.23. Mount Lebanon, Judges 3.3. Mount Tabor, Judges, 4.6. Mount Bethel, Josh. 16.1. Mount Moriah, 2 Chron. 3.1. Mount Zion, Psal. 125.1. Mount Olivet, Luke 19.37. which is called the Mount of corruption, 2 Kings 29.13. because Solomon had built there High places for Ashtoreth, Chemosh, and Mileome; and not only in that, but divers other of these Mountains, were Altars and Images, which provoked the Lord; and therefore he bids the Prophet to prophesy against them.  
He speaks to the Mountains, Hills, Rivers, and Valleys, to hear the Word of the Lord. This kind of speaking sets out the weightiness of the Prophecy, the vehemency of affection, and seemed to convince the Jews of their insensibleness and incurableness; they were so hardened in sin, that there was as much hope of doing good to these creatures, as to them by the Word.  
Here is a Prosopopeia, attribution of sense to dumb creatures, 
Res insensibiles videbantur suo modo sentire, sensus autem compotes non sentichant.  which is frequent in Scriptures, Deut. 32.1. Give ear Oh ye Heavens and I will speak, hear Oh Earth the words of my mouth. So Jer. 2.12. Isa. 1.2. Hence the earth 'tis said to tremble, the hills to move at the wrath of God, Psal. 18.7. Psal. 76.8.114.7. Winds and Seas to obey, Matth. 8.27. All creatures are more ready to obey the will of their Creator, than man it. Apostrophees are therefore oft made from the sensible and rational Creatures, to those that are void of both; to set out the stupidity of Man, and his unworthiness of the Word. The Lord passes by the Masters, and looks to the Servants, neglects Men, and speaks to the Mountains, that so he might provoke them to consider.  
To the Rivers. The vulgar is Rupibus, to the Rocks. 
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉  Aphikim in the Hebrew doth signify Channels, Isa. 8.7. 
Psal. 18.15.  The King of Assyria shall come up over all his Channels, and go over all his banks. 2 Sam. 16.22. The Channels of the Sea appeared. It signifies also the waters that run in the Channels, Job 6.15. As the stream of brooks they pass away. And Psal. 126.4. As the streams in the South. Hence it is rendered, Rivers, Joel 3.18. Ezek. 35.8. from Aphak, which signifies to contain and corroborate, and both these the Channels do; they contain the Waters, keep them within their banks, and strengthen them being kept together, so that they run with force, and bear burdens.  
The Septuagint hath it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, which notes Thickets and woody places which use to be about waters.  
Valleys. By the water sides, and in the Valleys, they provoked God, Jer. 49.4. Why gloriest thou in the Valleys? They trusted in their flowing and fat Valleys, Isa. 57.5. They inflamed themselves with Idols under every green Tree, slaying the Children in the Valleys, under the cliffs of the Rocks. And Jer. 32.35. They built the high places of Baal, which are in the Valley of the son of Hinnon, to cause their Sons and Daughters to pass through the fire unto Molech; and this Valley was afterward called, The Valley of slaughter, Jer. 19.6. and the reason is given, Jer. 7.32, 33. they had slain their Children there, and God punished them with a great slaughter there, and defiled the place with their blood, which they had formerly defiled with their sin.  
A Sword upon you. That is, the Assyrians, armed with instruments of War, they should come and lay all waste, break down Altars, cut down Groves, dig down Hills, dry up their Channels, and let out their waters.  
The high places. They are first mentioned in Leviticus, Chap. 26.30. They were Mountains or Hills where the people worshipped, 
2 Chron. 1.3.  taken from the practice of Heathens, who chose out pleasant places, woody Hills and recesses, where they built Chapels, Temples, and Altars to their gods. Numb. 22.41. Balack brought Balaam into the high places of Baal, where there was a Temple or Chapel, for the worship of Baal, and therefore in the next Chapter, he bids him make seven Altars, that they might worship their god Baal there. Heathens had many such places, Deut. 12.23. Ye shall utterly destroy all the places wherein the Nations served their gods upon the high Mountains, the Hills, and every green Tree, you shall overthrow their Altars, break their Pillars, burn their Groves with fire, hue down the graven Images of their gods, and destroy the names of them out of that place. God would not have his people to worship him in any heathenish ways, or with heathenish Rites; but they built themselves, High places, Images, and Groves, on every high hill, and under every green Tree, 1 Kings 14.23. Jeroboam made an house of high places, 1 Kings 12.31. They were to sacrifice in the Tabernacle: when they had special and prophetical warrant, they might sacrifice any where, and after the Ark was taken, which had stood at Shiloh, 343 years, and was movable from place to place, than it was lawful for the people to offer in the high places. Before the Temple was built, notwithstanding the destruction of the High places threatened by Moses, Levit. 26.30. By Amos, Chap. 7.9. by Hosea, 10.8. and other Prophets, many of God's people sacrificed in the high places, under Trees, and elsewhere; as Gideon, Judges 16.19. Samuel, 1 Sam. 9.19. David, 2 Sam. 24.25. Solomon, 1 Kings 3.4. Manoah, Judges 13.19. Elijah, 1 Kings 18.31, 32, etc. God accepted their sacrifices, and winked at this error, but their sacrificing after, in the high places, did bitterly provoke God, and the complaint was, that the high places were not taken away, 1 Kings 22.43. 1 Kings 15.14. They continued till Hezekiah's days, who removed them, 2 Kings 18.4. But Josiah utterly destroyed them out of the Land, 2. Chron. 34.3. Yet those Kings that came after, restored them again. It is said of Jehoahaz, He did evil in the sight of the Lord, according to all that his Fathers had done, 2 Kings 23.32. 
Vers. 4. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉   
Your Images shall be broken. Hebrew Chammanechem, the Sun Images. Chammah is a name given to the Sun, Job 30.28. from Chamam calere, because of the great heat thereof, and Chammanim is Sun Images. Hence Jupiter Hammon, who had a famous Temple in Africa, wherein was the Image of the Sun, as A Lapid. in Levit. 26.30. hath it: 
Macrobius, lib. 1 Saturn. c. 23  and Macrobius shows, that Jupiter and the Sun were the same. The Idolatrous Jews were accustomed to worship the Sun, 2 Kings 23.5. 
Ovid. l. 2. Metam.  They burned incense to the Sun: And because the Heathens were wont to worship the Sun under the figure of a Chariot and four Horses: it is said, The Kings of Judah gave Horses and Chariots to the Sun, v. 2. The Rabbis think these were living Horses, which drew a Chariot daily toward the East, and some fitting in it did salute the Sun in the King's name; others more probably conceive these Horses and Chariots were portrayed Effigies, set up at the entering in at the house of the Lord, in honour of the sun, and so set above their Altars, 2 Chron. 34.4. Buxtorf, and Junius call them, Subdiales statuae, Statues that stood a broad, and were exposed to the Sun. Aben Ezra thinks they were houses, or Chapels, made for the worship of the Sun. I conceive they were Images set up for that purpose; you have mention made of them, in Isa. 27.9.17.8. Some think they were little Courts wherein were Altars and fire preserved upon them, in honour to the Sun. Calvin thinks them so called, ab aestu, because Idolaters run after them, as Adulterers do after Whores: Others from Chemab furor, 
Deod. on Levit. 26.30.  because they are carried with fury to that service. Vid. Buxtorf. in Chamam, Isa. 57.5. Inflaming yourselves with Idols.  
I will cast down the slain men. This seemeth a strange speech, slain men are not standing, 
It is also to profane, pollute.  need not casting down: The Hebrew is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which the Vulgar renders interfectos vestros. They are slain men, that fall down to Idols, that serve other Gods, men appointed to be slain, or confossos vestros, your wounded men: For Shalal is perforare, and its probable that many being wounded by the Chaldeans, would fly out of Jerusalem to the Hills, Altars, Groves, and Idols, for safety, and there the Lord would destroy them before the Idols; their enemies should find them out, and make an end of them, Hosea 10.8. They shall say to the mountains cover us, and to the Hills fall on us. They were in great fear, distress, and hid themselves, yet that prevented not their death, Jer. 12.12. The spoilers are come up upon all high places through the Wilderness: for the Sword of the Lord shall devour from the one end of the Land, even to the other end of the Land, and no flesh shall have peace. They should find no favour at their Altars, in fight of their Idols.  
Idolaters conceit, that the gods, in honour of whom they set up their Altars and Images, will relieve them in distresses, and turn aside evil from them; but it should not be, they should find no mercy: Sennacherib was slain before Nishrosh his god, Isa. 37.38.  

It is also in the 5. and 6. verses.  Before their Idols.— Gillulim, dunghill gods, excrementitious Deities, from Galal, dung: So it's rendered in the 1 Kings 14.10. Quod circumvolutions emittitur, even man's dung, which is most loathsome and unsavoury.  
This name is put upon Idols, to show how they do stink in the nostrils of God, and make the Worshippers of them filthy stinking creatures; they are like Swine, that feed upon, and wallow in dung. Idols defile the soul and body both; for usually spiritual uncleanness, and bodily, do go together: Idolatry, and Adultery, are companions, Jer. 5.7, 8. They worship other gods, and neigh after their neighbour's Wives. Idols do defile and cause defilement, Ezek. 22.3. Thou makest Idols against thyself, to defile thyself. 
V 5. Altar polluitur contactu cadaveris, Calv.   
I will lay the dead carcases of the Children of Israel, etc. They should want burial, be exposed to open shame, their Altars be defiled with blood and bones, Josiah polluted the Altar with the bones and carcases of dead men, 2 Kings 23.16, 20. And Jeremy tells of the bones of Kings, Princes, Priests, Prophets, 
Bones, blood, carcases, pollution because they are signs of death, and fruits of sin.  and Inhabitants of Jerusalem; that should be taken out of their Graves, be spread before the Sun, Moon, and host of Heaven, whom they worshipped, and not to be buried; but should be for dung upon the face of the Earth. They had served dunghill Idols, and God would make them dung; yea, in the place where they had so sinned, should they suffer this heavy judgement, even before the Idols. The Jews used to bury the bones of their Kings, with Gold, Silver, costly Garments, Crown, Sceptres, and Arms: Prophets, and other chief men, had some precious things buried with them. Josephus tells, 
Lib. 13. Antiquit. Lib. 10.  that Hyrcanus took out of David's Sepulchre, 6000 Talents. Curtius tells of Alexander the Great, that hearing there was much wealth in Cyrus' Sepulchre, he commanded it to be opened, but found none. The Chaldeans being covetous, would search their Sepulchers for wealth, scatter the bones of the dead in disgrace, and leave them as dung upon the face of the Earth; this Judgement Moses had foretold them of, Levit. 26.30. I will cast down your Images, and cast your carcases upon the carcases of your Idols. Their worship seemed holy to themselves, but God would pollute it with their own Carcases. That which is of great account among men, is an abomination unto God.  

V 6.  In all their dwelling places their Cities shall be laid waste, etc. Here is the extent of the judgement, to all their Cities, where ever they dwelled; all their Cities were defiled with Idols, and Idolatrous worship, Jer. 11.13. According to the number of thy Cities were thy gods, Oh Judah, and according to the number of the Streets of Jerusalem, have ye set up Altars to that shameful thing, even Altars to burn incense to Baal.  
Superstition and Idolatry are spreading things, they quickly get into all the Cities of a Kingdom, 
Isa. 2.8. Their Land is full of Idols.  and streets of Cities, and head of every high way, Ezek. 16.25. Therefore all the Cities of Judah are threatened, Jer. 1.15. & 9.11. I will make Jerusalem heaps, a den of Dragons, and the Cities of Judah desolate without Inhabitants.  
Observat. 1 The first Observation is, That where Idols and false Worship are got into a Church or State, they are not easily got out again. Their Cities must be destroyed, that their Altars, and Idols, may be broken and cease: After the Calves were up at Dan and Bethel, the Prophets could never get them down, till the Sword came: The high places stood many hundred years, and were not fully put down till Josiah's days, and quickly after they were up again. Hath not Antichrist and his abetters, brought in false worship, tyrannical Government into the Church, and held it in, many hundred years? What ado hath there been among us, to pluck up Popery and Prelacy, which are not yet fully done?  
Observat. 2 Secondly, See what it is that ruins Cities; Altars, Idols, false worship, mixtures of man's inventions, with the Lords pure Ordinances. These are great Cannon, that batter Cities; these are Gunpowder that blow them up; these bring the Lord of Hosts to war against them. It was the Calves that wounded Israel, and laid the Cities thereof waste. Hos. 10.5. The Inhabitants of Samaria shall fear, beoause of the Calves of Beth-aven. Hosea 13.2, 3. They had Images and Idols, kissed the Calves; therefore they should be as the morning cloud, the early dew, as chaff and smoke, vers. 9 Oh Israel thou hast destroyed thyself: thine own Idols have wrought and brought thy destruction, Isa. 10.11. Samaria and her Idols were destroyed, and such destruction threatened to Jerusalem and her Idols: And Abijah knew that the Calves would ruin Jeroboam and his great Army; and therefore saith, 2 Chron. 13.8. With you are the golden Calves.  
Observat. 3 3. Idolatry and false worship do so provoke God, that he will destroy Cities, Kingdoms, Churches, but he will have them out. Their Cities and high places must be laid waste, that their Altars, and Idols, their corrupt worship might be taken away. Sins of this nature make God jealous, furious, cloth himself with vengeance, and do terrible things, Jer. 2.11. Israel had taken in other gods, and it follows in the 15 verse, The young Lions roared upon him and made his Land waste, his Cities are burnt without Inhabitant. God looked upon them as already burnt. You have the indignation of God against Idolaters and idolatrous places, fully set out in the 13 of Deuteronomy, from the twelfth verse to the end. 
God is so incensed against Idolatry, that he will not endure the Cities & places where it is.  If the men of a City did fall to Idolatry, the Men and Cattles must be all destroyed with the edge of the sword, the City and all in it burnt with fire, and never be built again; and they must not meddle with any accursed thing: when this is done, God will turn from the fierceness of his anger: Nothing kindles God's wrath more than forsaking of, and corrupting his worship. Hath not Popery and popish inventions, cost the Christian World much blood, and the ruin of many places? Babylon must be destroyed for her whoredom; and Rev. 14.9. If any man worship the Beast and his Image, and receive his mark in his forehead, or hand, the same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture, into the cup of his indignation, and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone, & o. God is severe against false worship and worshippers. God will lay waste all places and persons rather than not have men's works out of his worship.  
Observat. 4 Fourthly, 
Ahaz would have in Altar Damascenum, and we Altar Romanum. Exod. 20.4.  That men love to have somewhat of their own in worship; they are not content with what the infinite wise God commends unto them, but will be adding: here is much of man's mentioned: your high places, your Altars, your Idols, your Images, and works. The second Commandment shows that man is prone to be meddling and making something in worship, till he mar all. The people quickly forgot God, 
Service Book was patched together by additions of men.  and made a Calf, when Moses was in the Mount; and their hearts ever hankered after Heathenish Gods, Rites, and Ceremonies. Psal. 106.29. They provoked him to anger with their inventions: They were given to changing, and adding of their own, and their additions provoked God: And why so? They were taken more with their own, then with the Lords: They went a whoring with their own inventions, 
Ver. 39  they pleased and delighted them, as Adulterers are more delighted with their whores then their Wives; but they are defiling delights, they were defiled with their own works.  
Observat. 5 5. God is not pleased with any thing in worship, which is not his own; he must prescribe what way, and wherewith he will be worshipped: it's not Altars, high places, appointed and made by men, not any of their works that are acceptable to him, not the works of their hands, nor of their heads; no devises of man, not his vestures, gestures, ceremonies, services, they all have in them, aliquid facis & terrae, they are like their Authors. That which pleases God must come from God, be set up by him and carry unto him. That which he appoints, he approves, its pure: that which man brings, he abhors; its spurious, pollutes his Ordinances, frustrates his commands, Matth. 15.6. therefore such plants God will pluck up, such works he will break down.  
Observat. 6 6. That judgements cause Idolaters to know the true God from the false: When God's hand is upon the Mountains, Hills, Valleys, Cities, High places, Altars, and their slain fallen, then shall they know that I am the Lord, Jehovah, not an Idol god, but the true, the living God, that have being of myself, that give being to my promises and threats, that take being from others; you would not believe my Prophets, but you shall know there was truth in their threats, and power in me to make them good.    

CHAP. VI  
8. Yet will I leave a remnant, that ye may have some that shall escape the Sword among the Nations, when ye shall be scattered through the countries.  
9 And they that escape of you, shall remember me among the Nations, whither they shall be carried captives, because I am broken with their whorish heart, which hath departed from me, and with their eyes which go a whoring after their Idols: and they shall loathe themselves for the evils which they have committed in all their abominations.  
10. And they shall know that I am the Lord, and that I have not said in vain, that I would do this evil unto them.  
HERE is the second part of the Prophecy, viz. A promise of mercy.  
The eighth Verse is of the nature of the third Verse in the fifth Chapter; where the Prophet was bid to bind up a few hairs in his Skirts: And here GOD would leave a remnant, the Sword, and dispersion, should not devour all.  
God's wrath is never so hot against his people, 
Obser.  but he will show mercy to some. God would bring a sweeping Judgement, lay Mountains, Hills, Rivers, Valleys, Cities, High places, Altars, Idols, Images, waste and desolate: yet he would leave a remnant, preserve some, when in the midst of their enemies, amongst Babylonians, and other Nations.  
In the fifth Chapter, verse 12, God would scatter them, and draw out a Sword after them. It was great wrath, to be driven out of their Country, to be in banishment, which Lawyers call a civil death; because men in it are divided from their friends, liberties, and comforts, which sweeten their lives; but to have the Sword at their heels, added to the weight of wrath, threatens all their lives; yet notwithstanding this condition, God reserved some from the Sword in their banishment. They might upon this severe prophecy think, what will become of the Church, shall all perish, and God's faithfulness fail? No, God would have a care of that, a remnant he would save. Storms may be so terrible and lasting, that the C urch may be brought low, not be visible, yet it shall never be extinct: when the Prophets were cut off by Jezabel, there were a hundred hid in Caves by Obadiah, 1 Kings 18. When Elijah thought himself alone, and his life at the stake too, the Lord told him there were seven thousand in Israel lay dormant, which had not bowed their knees to Baal, 1 Kings 19.18. When Herod slice all the children in Bethleem, and all the coasts thereof, from two years old and under, yet Christ escaped, he was preserved: And as in that storm God preserved the head, so in every storm he will preserve the body. At the Massacre in France, all Protestants were not cut off, and the Wars of Ireland have not devoured all. The Church shall never cease being, the gates of Hell shall never prevail against it.  


9  And they that escape of you shall remember me, etc.  
In this verse is the fruit of divine mercy towards them:  
First, They shall remember me.  
Secondly, Loath themselves for the evils they have committed.  
Thirdly the ground of both these, Because I am broken with their whorish heart, and whorish eyes.  
Fourthly, the place where they should do it, Among the Nations.  
Remember me. They shall know then that I am God, infinitely differing from the gods that they have chosen, that my worship is spiritual, and admits not mixtures of men; they shall remember my holiness, that I hate all false ways of worship; my Justice, that I have not done any wrong to them in ruining their Country and Temple, and scattering them in all quarters: they shall remember my bounty and love to them, and how they forgot me and abused all; they shall remember my mercy in preserving them from the Pestilence, the Famine, the Sword, and their taunting Adversaries; and say, we all deserved to have been destroyed and rooted out for ever; but the Lord is gracious, ha●h had compassion on us and spared our lives, we will therefore repent of our ways, return to him, trust in him, and give glory to his name; all which are employed in the word Remember. So it is used, Psal. 137.1. There is remembrance and weeping joined together. Psal. 22.27. there is remembrance and ●urning, Psal. 20 7. Remembrance is there for trusting. Psal. 63.5, 6. Praising and remembering go together; and when men fall to Idolatry, they are said to forget God, Judges 3.7. implying that remembering of God is to worship him his own way, and so to glorify his name.   

Broken with their whorish heart.  
The Vulgar reads it Actively, I have broken their heart. The word is Passive, Nishbarti, I am broken: Here is great difference, and the Vulgar is corrupt, and the Greek mistakes, which reads it, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, I have sworn to their hearts: the ground of which error is, they took it to be Nishbagnti for Nishbarti: Some would have it, I have bought their whorish hearts, that were for Idols and any thing but me: because the word is twice or thrice in the Scripture used in that sense, Gen. 41.57. All Countries came into Egypt to Joseph for to buy Corn. Hishbar. ad frangendum: Montanus reads it: 
Hammashbir faciebat, frangere, Montanus.  And 42.6. Joseph sold to all the people of the Land, and so in the fifth verse: But the common sense of the word is to break, and it's truly rendered, I am broken with their whorish heart.  
God had taken this people to be his, as a Man takes a Woman to be his Wife; but they had whorish hearts, and went out from God to Idols: they had a spirit of whoredoms in them, that caused them to err, and go a whoring from under their God, Hos. 4.12.9.1. They were not content with God's love, his Ordinances, his worship, but they would try what the gods of the Heathen were, what their way and worship was, prostitute themselves to them, and this troubled the sight of God, afflicted hi● soul, broke his heart, as a man's is by the whorish acts of his Wife. We say, a Man or Woman break much, that have much trouble, jealousy, care, sorrow: God was troubled with, jealous of, careful and sorrowful for his people above all others, and this even broke the heart of God: Their courses grieved him exceedingly: great grief vexeth the heart, and lieth like a mighty weight upon it: Hence that in Amos 2.13. Behold I am pressed under you, as a cart is pressed with sheaves: The grief God took at their courses was as a great load upon his spirit. God's eye beheld their courses, and his eye affected, yea afflicted his heart: 
Lam. 3.51.  The Vulgar reads it, Oculus meus depraedatus est animam meam, hath taken away the virtue, spirit, and life thereof.   

Whorish heart.  
A heart hankering after Idols, pleading for them, delighting in them, and prostituting itself unto them; this people was much addicted unto this sin, which is oft expressed by the name of whoredoms and whoring, Levit. 20.5.17.7. Judges 2.17.  
This sin is so called,  
First, Because it is a breach of Covenant, as whoredom is: God marries his people to himself, he is for them, and they should be for him only, Exod. 20.23. he is a Husband to them, Jerem. 2.2. Hosea 2.19. And now to leave him for Idols, is to deal treacherously with him, Jerem. 3.9.20. Deut. 31, 16.  
Secondly, It's a pleasing sin, as Whoredom is: Hence all Israel is said to go a whoring after gideon's Ephod, Judges 8.27. and Isaiah 66.3. Their soul delighteth in their abominations, they please their senses, give some satisfaction to blind consciences, help on their devotions, as they conceit, which affects much.  
Thirdly, It's a defiling sin. Whoredom is a defiling sin, and so is Idolatry, and all false worship. Exek. 22.3. Jerusalem maketh Idols against herself to defile herself. Acts 15.20. they are called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, pollutions, and pollute the persons and places where they are, Jer. 3.9. As pure worship sanctifies, so false Worship pollutes, Revel. 14.4. They were not defiled with Women: Not with false Worship, with the Whore of Babylon, or any of her inventions; but were Virgins that kept themselves chaste, not going out from God to the corruptions of any.  
Fourthly, It hardens, stupifies, makes impudent, Prov. 7.13. and so Idolatry produces such effects; hence the Jews which were given to it, are called Impudent Children, Ezek. 2.4. Hard hearted, Ezek. 3.7. Sottish Children, Jer. 4.22. Jezabel stirred up Ahab to Idolatry, they were both Idolaters, 1 Kings 21.25, 26. they were hard hearted, impudently wicked, 
Jer. 2.20. It's called playing the harlot  bloody and cruel; Naboth, and the Prophets were slain by them.  
Fifthly, It inflames, and Idolatry doth so, Isaiah 57.5. Inflaming yourselves with Idols, slaying the children in the Valleys.  
With their eyes which go a whoring after their Idols: It's evil when the heart follows the eye, worse when the eye follows the heart; this notes habitual evil, th'other but occasional. Their eyes as well as their hearts, went a whoring; they looked, and lusted; their eyes were eyes of adultery, 2 Pet. 2.14. Ahaz saw the Altar at Damascus, and he must presently have such an one up at Jerusalem, 2 Kings 16.10. Men follow the sight of their eyes, Eccles 11.9. The lust of their eyes, 
It's bad when eyes are in amore deuces, worse when in religione deuces.  as John calls it, 1 John 2.16. And sensual men are led by the eye in point of worship, as in point of Women, Ahaz was: But men's eyes and hearts are ill Factors for worship. Numbers 15.39. Remember all the Commandments of the Lord, and do them: and that ye seek not after your own heart, and your own eyes, after which ye use to go a whoring. The eyes are the spies of the body, they give information to the heart, that lusts, whoredom is committed, and God is provoked to jealousy. The eyes are called whorish, because they are Internuncii adulterii & Idololatriae; they dislike, forsake the beauty of God's worship, Truth, Ordinances, and spy beauty in corruption, in false Worship, Superstition, Idolatry, men's additions, they see a Decorum in them, are pleased with them, and draw the heart to them.   

They shall loathe themselves.  
The Vulgar read it, Displicebunt sibimet, they shall displease themselves. Calvin, pudefient, they shall be ashamed. Junius, fastidium erunt sibiipsis, they shall be a loathing to themselves; the Hebrew hath more in it: 
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Vel 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ingem scere. Septuag. is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉.  Nakottu ingemiscent, saith Montanus; they shall so sigh and groan, that you shall see it in their faces. Shindler, offensi sunt in faciebus suis ad mala; when they saw what they had done, it was offensive to them, and they smote themselves upon the face for grief: The word notes a cutting, Lavater. succidentur, Maldon. excindentur: when a man is so ashamed that he dare not behold God or Man, he is l●ke a man cut down: So it's used, Job 10.1. My soul is weary of my life; it's the same word, and rendered in the Margin, cut off: his sorrow was piercing, and cutting, such should be the condition of those here, their Idolatry and other evils should be carnifices qui corda eorum discerperent. There should be actus contritionis ex suiipsius & peccati displicentia. The meaning is, they should have much shame, sorrow, and breaking of heart for their sins.   


10.  And they shall know that I the Lord, etc.  
They shall know experimentally, that I speak and threaten not in vain, punish not unjustly, but order all things for my glory and their good.  
Obser. 1 1. God's people escaping destruction in common calamities, are mindful of God, though they suffer much hardship, as here they had lost all, their very liberty, and were Captives; yea being preserved by God among the Gentiles, they should remember God: that is, repent, return, and trust in God, honour him, praise him, and worship him the right way, Psal. 78.34, 35. When he slew them, than they sought him, they returned and enquired early after God, and remembered that God was their Rock, and the high God their Redeemer. When death devoured some, and mercy delivered others, than their hearts were affected, and God seriously thought upon. Never is the heart in a better frame towards God, then when it hath been in the jaws of death, and is set at liberty from the King of terrors. David made the sweetest Psalms when he had the greatest deliverances, Psal. 18. the 46.103. and many other; which made him say, Thou liftest me up from the gates of death, that I may show forth all thy praise in the gates of Zyon, Psal. 9.13, 14. God brings his people into trouble that he may deliver them, and that they may remember him. Psal. 50.15. I will deliver thee, and thou shalt glorify me: That is, effectually, not in a low, faint, formal degree: such great deliverances as give life, should cause those they concern, to look strongly, and live wholly unto God, to glorify him in all things, to remember him at all times, and to show forth all his praises.  
Obser. 2 2. That God is not tied to any persons, places, or times, to show mercy, but on whom he will, where he will, and when he will he showeth mercy; these persons were Idolaters in the holy Land, met with sore judgements there▪ were driven forth into Babylon, a polluted, Idolatrous, heathenish place; there the lives of some of them are preserved, they being under heavy pressures from God and man, yet they are brought to know God, to loathe themselves and their former ways: these were times wherein they had no sacrificing, little or no help for their souls, but lay in darkness, and notwithstanding all this, God shown mercy; neither their sins, nor the sins of the place, both which were great, nor the time of wrath they were under (for so it's called, Isa. 54.8.) could obstruct the free grace of God, but some he spares, some he touches with the lively sense of their sins, and puts into a state of grace in the midst of enemies, of sins, of judgements. God could show mercy in Babylon as well as Zyon: let the holy Land, holy City, holy Temple, holy Altar, holy Sacrifices, and all the holy things be laid waste, and persons be brought to the greatest improbabilities of finding mercy, be as great sinners as any living, as these were, and in Babylon; yet God is free, can, will, doth, show mercy even to such, in such a place, and at such a time, when his wrath is pouring out. Manasseh was a great sinner, a Murderer, an Idolater, a Sorcerer, carried into Babylon, and in the eye of all, in a hopeless condition; yet there God visits him, his spirit breaths and blows upon him, 
2 Chron. 33.11, 12, 13.  he humbles his soul greatly, prays effectually, is returned to Jerusalem, and knows the God of his Fathers. Nothing could keep off God from showing mercy. God took Abraham, the Father of the Faithful, from Vr of Chaldaea, he found favour among Idolaters, and God showed mercy to his Posterity, 
Gen. 6. Acts 2.  even in that Land. When all flesh had corrupted its ways, yet mercy was shown to Noah. Yea those put Christ to death had their hearts pricked: To the Gentiles that had lived in abominable Idolatries, God granted repentance unto life, Acts 11.18. There is nothing in man, in any place or time, that can impede God from showing mercy; that, is an act of his will, nothing in us moves him to it, nothing in us hinders him from it. I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion, Rom 9.15.  
Obser. 3 3. That often God shows the choicest mercy, when he hath cause to execute the sharpest judgement, they shall remember me, because I am broken with their whorish hearts: had they broken God's heart, he had cause to have broken their bones, and destroyed them utterly, but the Lord would deal graciously with them, and in stead of destruction, cause them to remember him, to loathe themselves, and to come in to fear and serve him. They would not fear, remember, and honour God in Zyon where they had the Prophets, the Ordinances of God, and mercies of all sorts, but provoked God to plague them, and when they were ripe for destruction, and nothing to be expected but severity, even than doth God deal graciously with them. Isa. 57.17, 18. saith God, For the iniquity of his covetousness was I wroth and smote him: I hide me and was wroth, and he went on frowardly in the way of his heart: He adds sin to sin; in a presumptuous manner, and what could be looked for now but destruction? Doth the great and glorious God smite, and doth man sin more? Yes: he doth, and God sees it; and what then? I have seen his ways and will heal him; Not wound him more, not destroy him, but I will heal him: I will lead him also, and restore comforts to him and to his mourners. Isaiah 43.24, 25. Thou hast made me to serve with thy sins, thou hast wearied me with thine iniquities: And what then? I, even I, am he that blotteth out thy transgressions, for mine own sake, and will not remember thy sins. God's thoughts are not as man's; that which is argument of death in man's apprehension, is argument of mercy and life in Gods. Psal. 25.11. David knew it, therefore presseth God with an argument, might have undone him in the judgement of reason. O Lord pardon mine iniquity, for it is great. God might have said, therefore will I not pardon thee, because thy sin is great: I have suffered much by thee, by thy murder and adultery, and thinkest thou that I will pardon such great sins? Is this an argument to come to me withal? I have as great wrath as thou hast sins; thou art a man of death for what thou hast done, thou shouldest die by the Law for thy murder, and die for thy adultery, and thou hast given the sentence thyself; The man that hath done this shall surely die, and bound it thou hast with an Oath, as the Lord liveth, 2 Sam. 12.5. and therefore die thou must, thou shalt. Such language as this might David have looked for; but he hears of pardon, and that from the mouth of a Prophet: and when he moved God with the argument of the greatness of his sins, he did it in the judgement of faith, knowing it would be much for the honour of God, to pardon great sins; that he was as ready to show mercy, as his sins had made him ripe for judgement, Hosea 2.13, 14. Israel followed Baalim and forgot God, had he not now cause to destroy her: It was God's way to destroy such, Psal. 73.27. Yet it follows, Therefore behold I will allure her, and bring her into the Wilderness, and speak comfortably unto her: Because she had forgot God, God would remember her, because she had been drawn away by Idols, God would allure her from Idols, because she had vexed God, he would comfort her; Here God lets out choice mercy, when he had cause to execute severe wrath. When Peter had denied Christ thrice, and forswore him and the knowledge of him, was there not cause that Christ should have renounced him, smitten him with some great Judgement, 
Matth. 26.72, 74.  and made him an example for Selfe-confiders, and Christ-denyers, to the end of the World? Surely Christ had cause enough, and the opportunity for it was fair before him; but Christ turned and looked upon Peter, and in stead of ruining him, raises him.  
Obser. 4 4. False worship doth most afflict God. I am broken with their whorish heart. Their Idolatries, Superstitions, and corruptions did not simply displease or grieve God; but oppressed, afflicted, broke the heart of God; great injuries enter deep, work strongly, eat up the spirits of any they are done unto; and what greater wrong can be done to God, then to set at naught his counsels, to forsake his Worship, to withdraw from his Government, and to proclaim to the World, that there are better ways than his, and better Gods then himself. Those are Idolatrous, and worship God a false way, they do so by God; therefore, Jer. 3.5. it's said of them, that they did speak and do evil as they could, men cannot do more to break God, then to worship Idols, wrong gods, or the true God a wrong way. Such sins break God's Covenant, Deut. 31.16. This people will go a whoring after other Gods, forsake me and break my Covenant. They break God's silence, Jer 2.12. Be astonished Oh ye Heavens, etc. They break God's patience, Isa. 43.24. Thou hast wearied me with thine iniquities: And here they break even God himself, I am broken with, etc. The heart should be only for God and his ways, as the Wife should be for the Husband and his commands, and when God sees the heart which is his by Creation, by command, by purchase, and by desert, to be after false ways, base inventions, and giving that honour to them, is only due unto himself; this pricks him at the heart, and is taken extremely evil, it makes God's soul to abhor a people, Levit. 26.30. To loath Zyon, Jer. 14.19. Bring any thing to one that hath an Antipathy against it, and that thing afflicts him grievously, it makes him fear, sweat, faint, and sometimes swoone away: God hath a true Antipathy and great, against all false ways of Worship; when any therefore is brought near him, it's that puts the Lord more to it then any thing. Levit. 26.11. I will set my Tabernacle amongst you, and my soul shall not abhor you: That is, I will delight in you, while my Tabernacle and Ordinances are with you. Amos 5.26, 27. But when the Tabernacle of Molock is amongst them, when they set up ways of their own, than God abhors them, and will send judgements upon them. Let not us retain any thing that tends that way, no Names, no Ceremonies, no Gestures.  
Obser. 5 5. The works of men in God's worship steal away the hearts of the Worshippers: They had Idols, Altars, Groves, Images, and High places, and whatever pretences they had to colour over things with, their hearts went a whoring after these, and departed from God. There is much, yea all in false worship, that suits with carnal hearts; therefore that which is of God being spiritual, above the reach of flesh, yea contrary to corruption, its burdensome and neglected; and that which is of men being suitable unto man, is closed withal: In Popery you see how their hearts are taken with that which is from Popes, Prelates, Counsels, their Music, Vestments, Perfumes, Pictures, Images, etc. have their hearts; and let them pretend they do help their Devotion with these, help up their hearts more to God, it's not so, these steale away their hearts from God; they are more delighted with these, then with the pure worship of God: Be they Idols or Images made use of in worship, it's all one, that distinction will not heal a Papists Idolatry, nor fetch back his whorish heart to God, for the Hebrew word Pesel is in Scripture used promiscuously for both, 
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉  and put for an Image, Isa. 44.9, 10. and Imagery superstition draws away the heart from God, as well as Idolatry.  
Were not men affected lately with Innovations, and that so much, that the Ordinances of God were laid by: what the heart affects that goes up, what it sleights that goes down, as in Isa 29.13. when the hearts were removed fare from God, than the precepts of men had interest in God's worship, and what men commended to them their hearts advanced.  
Obser. 6 6. That being in pure worship, is being with God: While they kept to God's Ordinances, and were hearty in them, they were with God, but when they corrupted them then they departed from God.  
Obser. 7 7. That men's eyes are Instruments of great evil: They had whorish eyes, they were the inlets of Idolatrous and sinful motions, which firing, inflamed the heart after Idols. No sense doth more mischief to the soul than the eye; it's an imperial ranging sense, and fetches in fare and near, matter of danger into the bosom, Prov. 17.24. The eyes of a fool are at the end of the Earth. The Scripture makes mention of a mocking eye, Prov. 30.17. an offensive eye, Matth. 5.29. a beamish eye, Mat. 7.3. an evil eye, Prov. 23.6. a lofty eye, Psal. 13 1.1. a wanton eye, Isa. 3.16. a painted eye, Ezek. 23.40. adulterous eyes, 2 Pet. 2.14. and here whorish eyes, they are the windows at which sin creeps in: the Prince of darkness convays many works of darkness by the eyes: the Serpent deceived Eve by the eye, Gen. 3.6. Achan saw a goodly Babylonish Garment, and a wedge of Gold, and so was snared, Josh. 7.21. Samson saw an Harlot and was taken with her, Judges 16.1. It's the colour of the Wine invites the Drunkard to excess, Prov. 23.31. Ahab saw Naboths Vineyard lay commodiously for him, and so was set on work to cover it, 1 Kings 21.2.  
The eyes open the doors first and soon to let Idols into the heart, and when they are in, the heart sets the eyes on work to delight in them, Ezek. 18.6. They lift up their eyes to behold Idols; they were delectable things to them, Isa. 44.9. Great use doth Satan make of the eye by corruption that is within us, and the Creature that is without. Job knew it, and therefore makes a Covenant with his eyes, and would, not only not see, but not think of a Maid, Job 31.1. and if he did see any object that pleased and stirred corruption, he would not let his heart walk after his eye, Verse 7. David would not set any wicked thing before his eyes, Psal. 101.3. He prays unto God to turn away his eyes from beholding vanity, Psal. 119.37. And mine eyes are ever towards the Lord, Psal. 25.15. and not only should we have care of our eyes, but of our hearts also; for such as our hearts are, such will our eyes and other senses be; if the heart be whorish, the eyes will be whorish; if the heart be covetous, the hand will be covetous; if the heart be froward, the tongue will be froward: Therefore Solomon adviseth to keep the heart with all diligence, Prov. 4.23.  
Obser. 8 8. That true penitents have their hearts affected for their sins and loath themselves for the evils of their ways: They shall remember me, 
Ut voluntatis complacentia ad peccandum, sic voluntatis displicentia ad contritionem requiritur, nam unumquodque ut ait Chrysost. per quascunque causas nascitur per easdem dissolvitur.  whom they have broken with their sins, be affected with it, and loathe themselves for the evils they have committed in all their abominations. Repentance is not a sudden or slight sorrow, but that which goes deep and enters into the heart, as the word here imports, such sorrow as should make them loathe themselves, sigh and groan, smite, yea cut their faces. The Scripture expressions touching repentance and godly sorrow, are of like nature, and show the heart is deeply wounded therein, Zach. 12.10.  
It's set out by mourning, as for an only Son, and being in bitterness, as for the loss of a first borne: its drawing of water and pouring it out before the Lord, 1 Sam. 7.6. It's the breaking of the heart, contrition of the spirit, Psal. 34.18. The rending of the heart, Joel 2.13. Ploughing up of the fallow ground, Jer. 4.3. Travelling in child birth, Jsa. 26.17. Pricking of the heart, Acts 2.37.  
All which evidences that repentance is an heart business, it works strongly upon that, and brings it up to loathing; when the heart is truly penitent, what it before loved and delighted in, it loathes and abhors; the voice of Ephraim repenting, is Hos. 14.8. What have I to do any more with Idols, I now loathe them, will not lift up mine eyes or hands unto them, nor speak a word for them, nor think of them, Jer. 31.19. After that I was turned I repent, I smote upon my thigh, I was ashamed, yea even confounded because I did bear the reproach of my youth: I had sinned in my former days with Idols, false worship, satisfied my lusts, but now I am confounded with the shame and reproach of them: Now I loathe them, and cannot endure them, Isa. 31.7. when they are turned unto God: In that day shall every man cast away his Idols of Silver and Gold: they cannot stand before Repentance, no more than Dagon before the Ark: After God had scourged and purged them with the Babilonish Captivity, it's observed that they could never abide Idols more, nor would suffer any to come up unto the Temple: When Caius Galigula sent his Statue to Pretronius Precedent of Judea, to honour it with a place in the Temple; the Jews professed they would die rather than behold that abomination in the Temple; if that came there, they would not come there; if that lived, they would die: This is the nature of true Repentance, that what ever Errors, false Worship, ways, lusts, things it delighted in before, now it loathes as dung, as filth, and abhors as Pestilential and deadly: The Jews repenting, cursed their Idols, and their own madness in running a whoring after them.  
Here be three evidences of the reality and truth of this Repentance.  
First, Their loathing themselves; it's a hard thing to bring a man to selfe-loathing, every man loves, exalts himself, and labours to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, somebody in the World. Diotrephes affects pre-eminence, but true Repentance will make the greatest loathe himself, Repentance sees what black defiled creatures they are, Ezek. 20.43. You shall remember your ways wherein you have been defiled, and shall loathe yourselves in your own sight. A repentant eye sees matter enough of selfe-abhorrence. 
Job 7.5.  When Job saw his sores, filth, and worms, in his flesh, he loathed himself, but not so much as when he saw the sins, sores, 
42.6.  and lusts of his heart; then he abhorred himself, and all had excellency in it before, he though fit to be buried under dust and ashes.  
Secondly, For the evils which they have committed, not for the evils which their sins had deserved, or God had inflicted, did they loathe themselves, but for the evil of their own ways; so that they did mourn for sin as sin, not for the evil of sin, but for the evil in sin; which is the contrariety of it to Gods will, the offence of Divine Majesty, its burdening God himself, breach of union between him and their souls, its violation of his Law, it pollutes the soul, hardens the heart, turns the Gospel of Christ, all mercies, and means of Grace to our hurt, and is a foundation of eternal Ruin: It was the evil of sin and not of punishment, that David prayed against, 2 Sam. 24.10, 17. Psal. 51.2.  
Thirdly, It's impartial and universal; They shall loathe themselves for the evils which they have committed in all their abominations: It's not one or two, but all, comes into question when the heart is in a penitent way, Ezek. 20.43. Then shall you remember your ways, and all your do wherein you have been defiled, and ye shall loathe yourselves in your own sight, for all your evils that you have committed: Sins, great or small, in any place, with any person, or thing, but especially of worship, come into, fall under censure and are abhorred: Manasseh, when he was humbled in Babylon, he loathed his practices in Zyon, and took away all the Altars that he had built in the Mount of the House of the Lord, and in Jerusalem, and cast them out of the City, 2 Chron. 33.15.  
Let us look back, see the evil of our ways, especially in worship, and loathe ourselves for the evil of them all; that we have defiled God's Name, Ordinances, ourselves, with Altars, Crucifixes, Cringing, conformity to the Impositions, Innovations of men, Subscriptions, Oaths of Canonical obedience, supporting of a false and Tyrannical Government in the Church of Christ; have been contented under a dull formal way of worship, etc. Ezek. 43.11. If they be ashamed of all that they have done, show them the form of the House, and the fashion thereof: Shame for false corrupt worship opens a door for sight of, and entrance in of true and pure worship.  
1. That before men are afflicted and humbled for their sin, 
Obser. Ver.. 10.  they refuse and sleight the Word of God, let his Prophets come and Preach powerfully and terribly unto them, lay God's Judgements before them, they mind it not, at least tremble not, but they shall know they have refused my word, and messengers; the time is coming they shall be in Babylon, be sorely afflicted, and then they shall know as for the precedent time, their hearts were stout against God, his truth, his servants, and they were secure. Who hath believed our report, saith Isaiah, 53. chap. 1.2. and Chap. 44.4. I have laboured in vain, I have spent my strength for naught; his hearers slighted his Prophecies: So in Zech. 7.11, 12. They refused to hearken, and pulled away the shoulder, and stopped their ears that they should not hear: Yea they made their hearts as an Adamant stone, lest they should hear the Law, and the words which the Lord of Hosts hath sent in his spirit by the former Prophets.  
2. That a heart under affliction broken for sin, and loathing its self for its own sins, will give due honour to the Word of God, submit to it, acknowledge him and his Prophets, Then shall they know, etc. That is, when they have smarted in the Captivity, been cut to the heart for their sins, loathed themselves for all the evils of them, even than shall they know: Affliction opens men's eyes, blows beget brains, and men come to see their Ingratitude towards God, their abuse, neglect, contempt of means, what great loss they have made thereby, and so mourn for each; prise the Word, tremble at threaten, close with promises, subject to commands, honour the Lord and his Prophets.  
The truest Penitent doth most abhor himself, his lusts, his errors, his own ways, and the more abhorrency of these, the more complacency in Truth, and the God of truth, such an one understands the deal of God, acknowledges the Majesty of God in his Ordinances, the equity of God in his Judgements, the mercies of God in his deliverances, the faithfulness of God in his Word, and his infinite love in Christ.  

3. What God doth in the world he doth to fulfil his word, the providences now extant, are accomplishments of the word of God in Prophecies & Promises.  3. The Lord will not leave his Word (what ever it be) unaccomplished. They shall know that I have not said in vain I would do this evil, that I would afflict them. A word is in vain when it's not fulfilled, inefficaciously fulfilled, or unseasonably fulfilled, none of all these befall the Word of God, threats, or promises, Isa. 55.11. The word that's gone forth of my mouth shall not return to me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it: If God give out a word for Wars, for destruction of Cities, Kingdoms, Churches, for carrying into Captivity, that word shall take place, and be effectual, Zech. 1.6. My words and my statutes, did they not take hold of your Fathes: They overtook them, and Arrested them.    

CHAP. VI  
11. Thus saith the Lord God, Smite with thine hand, and stamp with thy foot, and say, Alas, for all the evil abominations of the house of Israel: for they shall fall by the Sword, by the Famine, and by the Pestilence.  
12. He that is fare off shall die of the Pestilence, and he that is near shall fall by the Sword, and he that remaineth, and is besieged, shall die by the Famine: thus will I accomplish my fury upon them.  
13. Thou shall ye know that I am the Lord, when their slain men shall be among their Idols, round about their Altars, upon every high Hill, in all the tops of the Mountains, and under every green Tree, and under every thick Oak, the place where they did offer sweet savour to all their Idols.  
14. So will I stretch out mine hand upon them, and make the Land desolate, yea, more desolate them the Wilderness towards Diblath, in all their habitations, and they shall know that I am the LORD.  
HERE is the third part of the Prophecy, which sets out the great grief they should have for the sore Judgements of God upon them; which Judgements are again mentioned, Sword, Famine, Pestilence, Desolation.  
In the 11 Verse, their grief is set out by Symbolical expressions, as Smiting with the hand, stamping with the foot, and crying Alas: And the cause of these:  
First, their sins.  
Secondly, their punishments.  
Smite with thine hand, and stamp with thy foot, such Gestures have been used in contrary cases, as well in great Joy, as in great Grief, Ezek. 25.6. Because thou hast clapped thine hands, and stamped with thy feet, and rejoiced in heart, with all thy despite against the Land of Israel: It's spoken of Ammon, who used those Gestures in an Insulting way against the Jews; but in this place, these Gestures declare their unspeakable grief for their sins and judgements, and were usual in case of sorrow, Jer. 31.19. The Prophet brings in Ephraim repenting, and that is a Declaration of it; I smote upon my thigh, and was ashamed; and when God would bring terror upon his people he bids the Prophet Smite upon his thigh, Ezek. 21.12. Sometime in their grief they did smite upon their thigh, sometimes the breast, sometimes the other hand, Smite thine hands together: So Balack did, Numb. 24.10. sometimes the head. Homer hath it often, 
Lib. 3. Tuscul.  〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, He smote on his thigh. And Tully mentions among other kinds of mourning, their smiting of the cheeks, their breast, their thigh, their head.  
Stamp with thy foot: In cases of great and sudden grief, men use to stamp upon the Earth: 
Odyss. l. 6.  Homer speaking of Irus, about drawing of Teeth; saith, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, He stamped the earth with his foot: And Cicero in Bruto, saith, Nulla pedum supplosio, There was no stamping with the feet.  
Alas: In Hebrew, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Septuagint, and Theodotian renders it Euge, and make it a note of rejoicing and exalting, because Idols were destroyed, and Gods Judgements executed; but it's upon mistake of Ache for Heach, which is Euge, but Ache is always a note of grief, and that exposition of theirs, suits not with the subject matter, which is Sin and Judgement: It's well rendered by Jerome, Heu, and by our Translation Alas, a word constantly used to note grief, Josh. 7.7. Israel fell before Ai; Joshua rends his , fell on the earth, and cried Alas, O Lord God, etc. Joel 1.15. Amos 5.16. Revel. 18.10. In cases of great sorrow they used this word.  
These outward signs of sorrow are commended, that the people might be awakened out of their security, that they might be more affected with the calamities were coming, and their sins that hastened such calamities upon them, words are transient, and leave little impression, but visible signs work more strongly, affect more deeply, and draw the spirits of beholders into a Sympathy. 
Obser.   
God would have those are his, to mourn for the sins and judgements, are coming upon a Land and people for them; the Prophet must Smite with the hand, stamp with the foot, and cry alas, for all the evil abominations of the house of Israel, and for their calamities: Some do mourn for calamities, few for sins of the people; but here their sins come in first, and afflicts the Prophet's spirit most, the Judgements afterwards, Psal. 119.136. Rivers of water run down mine eyes because they keep not thy Law: And ver. 158. I beheld the transgressors and was grieved: It's safe, do it, Ezek. 9.4. Go through Jerusalem, and set a mark upon the foreheads of them that sigh and cry for all the abominations: 1 Cor. 5.2. The Apostle blamed them, that they did not mourn for the incestuous Corinthians. 
Ver. 12.   
Of these sore Judgements hath been formerly spoken in the fifth Chapter, that there is no escaping them, and of Gods accomplishing his fury, he would bear no longer but utterly destroy them.  
Obser. 1 1. That God doth often punish men where they sin: 
Ver. 13.  Their slain should be among their Altars, Idols, in the place where they offered their sweet savour: Sennacherib was slain in the house of his God Nisroch, as he was worshipping, Isa. 37.38.  
2. That Idolatry and false Worship is costly; They offer sweet savour every where to all their Idols, they think nothing too much for their false way, the sweet Incense was very costly, and only for God's use, not their own houses; yet their Idols shall have it; men will part with much this way, Isa. 46.6. They lavish Gold out of the Bag, etc.  
Wilderness towards Diblath: 
Vers. 14.  Some make it to be the same with Riblah, in the 2 Kings 25.6. and Jer. 34.5. Mentioned also in Numb. 34.11. This may well be, 
Munster following Rabbi, David saith is put for Riblah.  because of the likeness of ד and ד in the Hebrew tongue; and Jerome conceives it is the same with Riblah, which was a City in the Land of Hamath, where Pharaoh put Jehoahaz in bonds, 2 Kings 23.33. In the borders of the Moabites near the Wilderness spoken of in Deut. 8.15. a great and fearful Wilderness, full of fiery Serpents and Scorpions, where was drought and no water: God would make their Land not only desolate, and desolate like this Wilderness, but more desolate.  

I will stretch out my hand upon them:  
There is difference between Gods stretching out his hand to a people, and upon a people: The first notes invitation to repentance, Isa. 65.2. I have stretched out my hands all they day unto a Rebellious people: The second notes smiting, punishing, destroying, Isa. 5.25. The anger of the Lord is kindled against his people, and he hath stretched forth his hand against them, and hath smitten them. Jer. 51.25. Behold I am against thee O destroying mountain, and I will stretch out mine hand upon thee, etc. Upon and Against notes the same thing: When God's hand is upon a Land or people, it's against them, and so the phrase oft runs, Jer. 15.6. Thou art gene backward, therefore will I stretch out my hand against thee, and will destroy thee: See Exod. 3.20.  
The sins of the people lay waste the Land, they fell to Idolatry, and so God stretched out his hand upon the Land and laid it waste.  
This people were so degenerate, corrupted, besotted, with their own ways, that they understood little of Gods; they fell to the sins of the Nations, and those sins in a special manner stupefy: All sin doth it, but Idolatry and false Worship most; hence, Jer 10.14. speaking of such sinners, he saith, Every man is brutish in his knowledge: Idolaters know not God, how he is provoked by their ways: What foolish do it is to go out from God, therefore in this Chapter its four times, They shall know that I am the Lord, 7.10.13.14.     

CHAP. VII.  

1, Moreover the Word of the Lord came unto me, saying,  
2. Also thou Son of man, thus saith the Lord God unto the Land of Israel, An end, the end is come upon the four corners of the Land.  
3. Now is the end come upon thee, and I will send mine anger upon thee, and will judge thee according to thy ways, and will recompense upon thee all thy abominations.  
4. And mine eye shall not spare thee, neither will I have pity: but I will recompense thy ways upon thee, and thine abominations shall be in the midst of thee, and ye shall know that I am the LORD.  
THIS Chapter, as the former is Prophetical, of the destruction of the Jews, and of their Land.  
First, In it is a denunciation of their total Ru●●, in the 2, 3, 5, 6, 7, 10, 11, 12, 13, verses.  
Secondly, In ●he rest of the Chapters, is a Declaration of their calamities, and the causes thereof.  
Of the first Verse hath been formerly spoken, and likewise of The Son of man; and most things 〈◊〉 see Verses: In the second Verse, the Prophet is in getchell acquainted with the mind of GOD towards Israel, and in the two next more specially.  


〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Verse 2.  Also thou Son of man:  
The Hebrew is, And thou O Son of man: Here is a Nominative case absolute, without reference to any thing; the like you have Psal. 41.12. As for me thou upholdest me in mine integrity: The Hebrew is, and I, in the Nominative. Thou upholdest me: Ego in integritate supportasti me, Zech. 7.5. Did you fast at all unto me, even to me, this last me is Ego: Jeiunasti mihi ego, saith the Original: Eccles. 2.15. As it happeneth to the Fool, so it happeneth even to me, Secundum eventum stulti etiam ego eveniet mihi: Such Hebraisms you have, 1 Sam. 25.24. Gen. 27.24. and in Isa. 11.10. Psal. 11.4. you have Nominative Cases put absolute, as Thou here in the Text, and it serves to quicken up the Prophet's spirit, and to put him into a readiness of Prophesying; And then Ezekiel attend, prophecy.  
Unto the Land of Israel, or concerning the Land of Israel: It's not spoken of all the Tribes: Ten were gone long before into Captivity, but by a Synecdoche, of the Tribe of Judah, which yet remained undestroyed.  
An end, the end is come: The word End is doubled and mentioned again in the third Verse: Now is the end, repeated in the sixth Verse, An end is come, the end is come; these repetitions are not in vain, they set out, First the zeal, intention, and speed of the speaker; Secondly, the evidence, certain y, and weight of the thing spoken of: Thirdly, they serve to make the deeper impression.  
End notes destruction, yea a general destruction, Gen. 6.13. The End of all flesh is come; God would bring a Flood upon the whole Earth, take away all flesh; and this is called the End of all: So here, God had dealt mercifully with them formerly, but now he would be severe, and make an end of them.  
Upon the four Corners of the Land: Hebrew is Wings, which metaphorically expresses the parts of the Land; Wings are extensive things, and the parts of Judea that extended from Jerusalem, East, West, North, South, are called the Wings or Corners thereof; and the end should come, not only upon the extreme parts of the Land, but the whole Land: Upon all their Cities, Habitations, and Quarters, from one end to the other: What our Prophet calls here the four Corners or Wings of the Land, Christ calls, Mat. 24.31. the 4 winds, they shall gather his Elect from the four winds or quarters of the World.  
Obser. 1 That Kingdoms and Churches have their periods; they may continue for some hundreds of years, but at length they expire; the Kingdom and Church of Judah flourished many years: from Saul their first King to Zadekiah their last, were 480 years, but than you see an end is come, the end is come, an end of the State, an end of their Church, an end of all comforts, of all glory and greatness: The Assyrian, Persian, Grecian, and Roman Monarchies had their ends, their glory was laid in the dust, after it had dazzled the World's eyes a few years. Wisdom, strength, greatness, riches, were found in them, but neither any, or all of these, preserved them from seeing corruption: The seven famous Churches in Asia are gone, and since that time many other Churches and Kingdoms have been ruined: Is not an end coming, if not come upon many Kingdoms at this day, let Germany, Denmark, Ireland speak: No State, no Church, no condition under the Sun, is everlasting; all have their changes and their ends, Psal. 119.96. I have seen an end of all perfection, but thy Commandment is exceeding broad: There is nothing in the World so firm, perfect, lasting, bus its subject to corruption: Kingdoms are subject to Wars, Plagues, Famines, Treacheries, which ruin them; Churches are subject to Errors, Heresies, Schisms, corruptions, profaneness, which ruin them. And all other things have principles of destruction in themselves, which bring them to an end, within the compass of a few years, But thy Commandment is exceeding broad, it goeth beyond the term of these perishing things, it's not for a hundred or thousand years, and so to expire, but it abides for ever.  
Obser. 2 2. God will premonish before he doth punish a sinful people, he comes not upon them unwarned, he tells them before hand what they must look for: If a general destruction be decreed, ready to be executed, he will hint it to his Prophets, they shall declare it to the people, that those that are the Lords may be awakened, brought to repentance, be secured from eternal ruin, if not the temporal, and that the rest may be convinced of their own evil ways, and may justify the proceed of the Lord.  

Vers. 3.  3. Now is the end come upon thee: They having the common sickness of mankind in them, to put off judgements, and the day of evil when threatened, as if there were no such thing, or at a great distance: The Lord brings the judgement home to them, and cuts off all their shifts: Now is the end upon thee, now is the final destruction, and for Thee, not for others that live among the Nations, not for thy Posterity that comes after thee: Not for the Tribes are carried away, but for thee that art secure and fearest not. Now is the end, it's very nigh; some years were to pass before the end came; it was now the sixth year of their Captivity, and Zedekiah that succeeded Jehoiachim, was upon the sixth year of his Reign at Jerusalem, and the ninth year, the tenth month, began this final destruction, 2 Kings 25.1. Then came Nabuchadnezzar with all his Forces into the Land, and besieged Jerusalem, and in the eleventh year, the fourth and fifth months it was accomplished, Vers. 2, 3, 4, 8, 9, 10. So that here was three or four years before this end came, five and upwards before it was fulfilled, yet it's said, Now is the end come upon thee.  
Things future in Scripture are spoken of as present, or past, Isa. 1.8. The daughter of Zyon is left as a Cottage in a Vineyard, Chap. 24.10. The City of confusion is broken down: every house is shut up, that no man may come in: There is a crying for Wine in the streets: This is spoken as present, and it was yet to come: Chap. 42.22. This is a people rob and spoilt: Revel. 18.2. Babylon is fallen, is fallen, and is become the habitation of Devils: John 3.18. He that believeth not is condemned already: These Scriptures speak of things as past and were then to come, the Lord useth to speak so in his word, of things future sometimes as present, sometimes as past, because with him is no difference of times, and for that they are as certainly to take place, as if they were doing, or done.  
God looks not upon time as we do, that is future, we think to be at a great distance, that is to come, 2, 3, 7, 20, or 100 years hence, that we apprehend very remote, and hath little influence into us; or operation upon us, but God looks upon things at little, and great distances as present: Now is the end come upon thee: 70 years he calls a present little moment, Isa. 54.7, 8. & 1 Pet. 4.7. The end of all things is at hand: 1 John 2.18. It is the last hour: It is about 1600 years since the spirit of God spoke thus by Peter and John, and yet the end of all things is not come, the last hour is not out, times future are present with God, and so propounded to us that they might work the more strongly upon us, cause us to fear God more, to be sober and watch unto Prayer.  
I will send mine anger upon thee: God had formerly dealt sparingly with them, now and then chastised them with rods, now he would be more severe and chasten them with Scorpions, he had kept in his wrath formerly, but now he would send it forth in strength, they should not have gentle corrections, but terrible Judgements; he would send out wrath and not mercy: Anger here is put for the effects of anger, punishments, judgements, by a metonymy of the efficient.  
Will judge thee according to thy ways: Judging is sometimes put for sentencing of persons or things, Rom. 2.16. In the day that God shall judge the secrets of men: That is, pass a sentence upon them: sometimes for punishing, Heb. 13.4. Whoremongers and Adulterers God will judge: That is, punish: And so here, I will judge thee: First I will punish, and lest it may be thought God in his anger should exceed measure in punishing, it's added.  
According to thy ways; not according to my ways, but thine, which in the judgement of any, or all, must be equal, look what thou hast done and deserved by it, that thou shalt have, the word Ways is metaphorical, and notes men's manners, actions, courses of life, Prov. 21.2. Every way of a man is right in his own eyes: so Psal. 1.1.6. men's own devises, Judges 2.19. Custom, Jer. 10.2. And in this place, their actions and conversations are called ways; because their affections, the feet of the soul are in them, and they lead unto some place as ways do, all actions have a tendency to Heaven or Hell. This phrase is expounded by that in Hos. 4.9. I will punish them for their ways: They have done evil and shall suffer for it.   

And will recompense upon thee all thine abominations.  
The Hebrew is, I will give, or put upon thee, etc. The Vulgar is, 
Ponam costra te.  I will put against thee all; and others have it, I will repose or turn back upon thee all thine abominations; hitherto thou hast put them upon me, 
Reponam, Juni.  and I have borne them, now I will return them and lay them upon thyself: God would now reward them for their abominations, Hos. 4.9. I will punish them for their ways, and reward them for their do: Their reward should return upon their own head, Obad. 15.  
Obser. God's Judgements prevent sinners expectations, they are nearer men than they conceive: Now is the end come, the Prophet in Babylon sees it, but they at Jerusalem apprehended it not, none would believe that destruction should come upon Jerusalem, Lam. 4.12. Ye put fare away the evil day, Amos 6.3. they put it fare from their thoughts, hearts, if it came in at all, they look upon it as coming in after Generations, and not in theirs, Ezek. 12.22. It was come to a Proverb in Israel, the days are prolonged, and every vision faileth, Vers. 27. The vision that he seethe is for many days to come, and he prophesieth of the times that are afar of: they grew secure, feared not the threaten put upon them at a great distance, and what lay in them, nuled the Prophecies, and therefore in the 28 Verse, God saith, There shall none of my words be prolonged any more; God would hasten the punishment of them, and they should suddenly overtake them: Isa 29.1, 5, 6. Woe to Ariel, to Ariel, the City where David dwelled. Ariel is Jerusalem, so called, because there was the Mountain, Temple, and Altar of God; so it is in Ezek. 43.15. The Altar shall be four Cubits; the Hebrew is, Harel, the Mountain of God, where the Temple and Altar was, but the word is Ariel, not Harel, and signifies the Lion of God; not because Jerusalem was in the form of a Lion, but for that it was a strong City, thought to be impregnable, and God threatens ruin against it: and Vers. 5. It shall be at an instant suddenly, when men have no thoughts thereof; it should be as sudden as Thunder, Earthquakes, and Tempests are, Vers. 6. Hab. 1.7. Shall they not rise up suddenly that shall kill thee; Yes, they should, the Northern Army was upon them before they looked for them, they cried Peace, Peace, and when it is so then sudden destruction is at hand, 1 Thes. 5.3. The old World was secure, until the day that Noah entered into the Ark, Luke 17.27. and then the Flood came presently and destroyed them all; they believed neither Noah's Preaching, nor his preparations for himself and Children: So in Sodom, they were not awakened out of their security till the fire and brimstone was felt, Gen. 19.28, 29. Agag thought the bitterness of death past, when he was going to execution, 1 Sam. 15.32. While Belshazzer is drinking healths, God sends a hand to write a sentence of death against him and his Kingdom, Dan. 5.4, 5, 30. In a morning shall the King of Israel be utterly cut off; ere he can get out of his Bed God would let out his blood, Hos. 10.15. What ever men think, the Judge and Judgement is at the door, its near: Germany, Denmark, Ireland, England, did not think that such sad bloody destroying Judgements were so near as now they find them: Let us not be secure but fear, pass the time of our sojourning here in fear, remembering Solomon's happiness, Prov. 28.14. Happy is the man that feareth always; and Jobs practice, The thing which I greatly feared is come upon me, Job 3.25. Let God's Judgements come sooner or later, it's duty, wisdom, in us, to fear, to prepare for them; its folly to sleep when thiefs are about the house, and may prove death to do it, when a fire is kindled in the habitation.  
2. No people sinning grievously against God are exempted from desolating judgements, this people was God's people more peculiarly than any people in the World besides, Deut. 7.6. A people near unto God: Psal. 148.14. Wise and understanding: Deut. 4.6. They were the Redeemed ones, Isa. 62.12. The holy people, Dan. 8.24. that knew God's name, Isa. 52.6. That had God's Law in their hearts, Isa. 51.7. That were blessed above all, Deut. 7.14. They had the holy Land, the Temple, Worship, Ordinances, Oracles of God, the Prophets, and presence of God only: All the World besides lay in darkness, were without God; but these were his strength, his glory, Psal. 78.61. As dear to him as the apple of his eye, Zech. 2.8. Yet when these people sinned and rebelled against God, destructive judgements came upon them: An end is come upon Thee; Upon thee Jerusalem, upon thee my people: They were honoured with many titles, were God's Church, yet when they sinned against God, cast off his Yo●k, none of them, not all their privileges would protect them from desolation.  
God's Judgements are Gods messengers sent forth at his pleasure, I will send mine anger upon thee; God hath the command of judgements, as any man hath of his servants; the Centurion had not so much power over his Soldiers, as the Lord hath over punishments, calamities, and ruins of Kingdoms, be they public or private judgements, they are at the beck of the Lord: What was the anger and judgement here, the sending of Nabuchadnezzar with his hasty and bitter Chaldeans to destroy the Jewish Nation; God had that King and all Forces at command to send out of Babylon about his service, to make War upon his people that were Idolatrous: God hath his four sore judgements to send upon a Land when he pleases, Ezek. 14.21. He can send Hornets among people to sting them to death, Deut. 7.20. If he do but hisse for the Fly of Egypt, and the Bee of Assyria, they shall come and do their office, Isa. 7.18, 19 If God call for any evil upon Kingdoms, Cities, Churches, Families, Persons, they come presently and accomplish the message they are sent for, when God spoke by Moses, and said, Let there be Frogs, Flies, Lice, Murrain, Hail, Locusts, Blood, Darkness, Death, they came immediately: God hath called for a Sword upon most part of the Christian world, and is it not at work? Doth it not eat flesh and drink blood? May we not say, O thou Sword of the Lord, how long will it be ere thou be quiet, put up thyself into thy Scabbard, rest and be still: How can it be quiet seeing the Lord hath given it a charge against Ashkelon, and against the Sea shore, there hath he appointed it, Jer. 47.6, 7.  
God hath command of Wars, gives charge to the Sword against Ireland, England, other places, there hath he appointed it; and how can it be quiet? no, till Gods will and work be accomplished, there is no quiet.  
4. God's proceed with a guilty Nation are just and equal, his judgements are without reproof, I will judge thee according to thy ways, not as I will, but as thou hast done; not after my ways, or the ways of other people, but after thine own ways; how just is it that a man should reap what he sows: If men have the Law pass upon them according to the nature and merit of their facts, what wrong is done to any, who hath cause to complain of the Judge; God knows the nature and merits of a Nations sins, and proceeds in his judgements accordingly: He is a righteous Judge, and no man hath just cause to complain; he stops the mouth of iniquity, Lament. 3.39. Wherefore doth a living man complain, a man for the punishment of his sins: he should not do it. It's just, equal, that if a man sin against God, he should suffer from God; if God bear his sins, he must bear God's punishments; let Kingdoms suffer dreadful things from Heaven, Wars, Famine, Pestilence, what ever is destructive, God is to be justified by all, he deals with you according to your ways; let the most carping Momus, the severest Critic, let Satan himself, God's greatest enemy, examine his judgements, upon Kingdoms, Churches, together with their sins, and he shall justify God, and pronounce him clear, equal, righteous; in his ways, God deals not otherwise with men then their ways require, Zech. 1.6. According to our ways, and according to our do, so hath the Lord dealt with us: Therefore justify God and be patiented.  
5. It's men's own ways which bring ruin upon them: I will judge thee according to thy ways; Thy ways bring my judgements, Proverbs 1.31. They shall eat of the fruit of their own ways, and be filled with their own devices: What fruit do men's sinful ways bring forth, even sour and bitter fruit; guilt, fears, sorrows, afflictions, ruin, upon such fruit they must feed, with such fruit they shall be filled, Hos. 13.9. O Israel thou hast destroyed thyself; Israel's sins were her wounds, they were the Plague, Famine, and Sword, that ruined them; the iniquities of a Kingdom are the deaths of a Kingdom, their sins will find them out, Numb. 32.23. They are like Bloodhounds that hunt out the Authors of them, and cease upon them, hence Isa. 59.12. It's said, Our transgressions are with us, to weary us, to wound us, to destroy us; men cannot shake off their sins they have committed, they will follow them, seize upon them, hold them fast, Prov. 5.22. His own iniquities shall take the wicked himself, and he shall be holden with the Cords of his sins; he shall die without instruction; wicked men's sins may take others, and sometimes do, but they certainly take themselves; they twist Cords to bind, but it is themselves, it's to make themselves burnt sacrifices for Hell.  
6. When God comes in judgement upon a Nation, he will deal throughly with it, visit for all sins, I will recompense upon thee all thine abominations; God took notice of what was done in the dark, in the light, upon Mountains, in Valleys, under every green Tree, no Idols, false Worship, inventions of theirs, but the Lord observed them, reserved them in mind, and rendered unto them answerable for them; before he had dealt with them for some, now he would deal with them for all their abominations, and bring them as an unsupportable burden upon them.   


Vers. 4.  And mine eye shall not spare, etc.  
Much is said in the sacred Scriptures, of the great and tender mercies of the Lord, and many patterns of his mercies are to be found therein, and the sinners in Zyon conceited God to be all mercy, sinned securely, and feared no judgements; upon this great abuse of Divine mercy, saith the Lord, Mine eye shall not spare, neither will I have pity; you shall find me all justice, consuming fire, without any sparing or pitying: judgement after judgement shall come upon you, till you are destroyed, you think to go on in your sinful ways, and find me merciful; but I am provoked and you shall feel me dreadful; nothing shall prevail to draw me to any remorse or pity, the consideration you are my people, not reproach of Heathens round about you, not your prayers, tears, sufferings, blood, not that you are abraham's and David's posterity, not the dishonour my Name shall have by you, I am now hardened against you, and will punish thee openly according to thy abominations; thou shalt have great punishments in the midst of thee, which will evidence the greatness of thy sins, and cause thee to acknowledge me to be a just God; of the words in this Vers. have been spoken, Chap. 5.11. & 8. Vers. & Chap. 6.7. and in the precedent Verse of this Chapter.    

CHAP. VII.  
5. Thus saith the Lord God, An evil, an only evil, behold, it is come.  
6. An end is come, the end is come, it watcheth for thee, behold, it is come.  
7. The morning is come unto thee, O thou that dwellest in the Land; the time is come, the day of the trouble is near, and not the sounding again of the Mountains.  
8. Now will I shortly pour out my fury upon thee, and accomplish mine anger upon thee: and I will judge thee according to thy ways, and will recompense thee for all thine abominations.  
9 And mine eye shall not spare, neither will I have pity: I will recompense thee according to thy ways, and thine abominations that are in the midst of thee, and ye shall know that I am the Lord that smiteth.  
SOMETHING I shall open in these Verses, not much:  
In the 5. An only evil. Evil befell them before, but none like this, none so great, so destructive to the Jewish Church and State; it hath reference to that in the 5. Chap. 9 Verse. I will do in thee that which I have not done, and whereunto I will not do any more the like; No such extreme and deadly destruction shall befall thee, I have one evil now left for thee, which shall be without all comparison; there shall need none after this to make a full Ruin of thee; God hath evils to do his will at once, and so it may be called an only evil: 1 Sam. 26.8. saith Abishai to David, Let me smite Saul with the spear even to the Earth at once, and I will not smite him the second time. 
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉   
At once, it's the same word with only in this Verse: he would utterly slay Saul at one stroke, and God with one judgement would utterly destroy the Jews; such a phrase you have in Nahum 1.9. He will make an utter end, affliction shall not rise up the second time; God would bring such a judgement upon Niniveh, that at once it should be destroyed, a second affliction should not be needful, the evil of that day should be sufficient: 
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉  The Caldee reads it otherwise, Evil after evil; showing the succession of evils that should follow one after another, till they were destroyed: as wave follows wave, one cloud another, etc. so affliction should come after affliction; sins go linked together, and so do afflictions, Levit. 26.18, 21, 24, 28. they go by sevens. God can at one judgement at once, destroy sinners, 
Hosea 5.  Kingdoms, Cities, he can at pleasure bring many, one after another, destroy by degrees, be a moth, rottenness, a Lion to Israel and Judah, we should take heed how we offend such a God.  


Verse 6.  It watcheth for thee:  
Thou thoughtest judgement slept, but it is awake, and waits for, or against thee, thou thoughtest it a dead thing, but it is alive and making haste towards thee: The Hebrew word signifies to be weary, 
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉  as if judgement were weary with staying so long, or God weary with deferring it; now there should be no more delay; it notes also to excite a man asleep, one dead, as in the 2 Kings 4.31. The Child is not awaked; that is, not raised from the dead: So here, God had threatened them by his Prophets, Isaiah, Jeremiah, others, many years, and they thought the Prophet's words wind, because nothing was done, at least that such a judgement would not befall them in these days, as they had foretold. Ezek. 12.21, 27. as if the judgement they spoke of was asleep, or as a thing dead, therefore it's said, it lives, is awake, and watcheth as a thief to spoil, as a Lion for a prey; and hereby is pointed out the suddenness of its coming, and intention of God to destroy them.  
This Verse, the former, and that follows, are full of Divine Rhetoric, Asyndeton, Anadiplosis, Epanalepsis, Metaphoraes, Paronomasia, Apostrophe, and others, are evident in them, the Scripture hath as great Elegancy as any Authors whatsoever.  
Obser. 1 1. In case of people's security, repetition of the same thing is necessary; they were fearless of judgements, secure of their Estates, put fare off the evil day, and see how the Lord doubles and trebles his threats, An evil, an only evil, an end, the end is come, is come, is come, is come, is come, is come, six times, and further, behold, behold it's come; the several expressions of the season, the morning, the time, the day of trouble, and then it watcheth, is come, is near, why doth the spirit of God repeat all those, even to awaken them out of their security, to convince them, as of the certainty, so the suddenness of the judgement, and to make the greater, and deeper impression upon them, things once spoken, pass away, but being iterated, are like to take some hold of men's ears, and affections, this Prophet is very repetitious of Threats and Judgements, and presseth them frequently, they were near final destruction, and therefore the spirit of God urgeth such things oft in the mouth of this Prophet, that so no means being left unattempted, he might awaken all and gain some; Christ pronounces the same words eight times in one Chapter, Woe unto you Scribes Pharises, Hypocrites, Matth. 23.13, 14, 15, 16, 23, 25, 27, 29. to affect them with the eminency of their danger, and others with the evil of their ways.  
Obser. 2 2. God's judgements may seem to linger, but they do not slumber, wicked men God bears with, and forbears long, even so long that they think his judgements are laid to sleep, or dead; as in the 2 Pet. 3.4. Where is the promise of his coming: For since the Fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the Creation: There is no Christ to Reign or Judge; the Flood is dried up, and the fire to consume the World is not yet kindled; but Verse 10. The day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night, in the which the Heavens shall pass away with great noise, and the Element shall melt with fervent heat: Chap. 2. Ver. 3. Whose judgement lingereth not, and their damnation slumbereth not.  
God's judgements, what ever sinners think are awake, and footing of it, and hastening to their Ruin: That which the wicked call a linger, and slumbering judgement: God's spirit calls in the 1. verse. Swift destruction: it will be upon them before they see their do, or repent of their Sin, Revel. 6.2, 4, 8. you shall find that judgements come riding in, they make haste.  
Obser. 3 3. That God keeps judgements quiet till he please: It may watch, but cannot walk, or work, till he seal a Commission; God hath variety of judgements, creatures in a readiness to do him service, he hath Angels, Stars, Winds, Waters, Sword, Famine, Pestilence, etc. but no one stirs, till he say go, they watch to hear his voice, to do his will; they move not at the call of man, their motion is only at the appointment of their great Creator; If he bid Nabuchadnezzar, Nebuzaradan, with thousands of Babylonians to arise, and hasten to the Ruin of Jerusalem, they are watchful, swift, and active to execute his commands: All creatures are God's Army, and have cause sufficient to watch for the Ruin of man, because man's sin hath subjected them to ruin, and imbondaged them to corruption; but here is the wisdom, power, and mercy of God, he keeps all in their banks, and without warrant from the great General the Lord of Hosts, no attempt is made against any.   

The morning is come unto thee:  
That they might be affected, he tells them, the Day is broke, the morning is come, and the day of trouble beginneth; he would have them be no longer in the dark, but to look abroad to see how providences were working to fulfil Proph●si●●: The Original word is diversely rendered, 
Some think he alludes to the practice of the Jews who executed Delinquents in the morning, according to that in Jer. 21.12. & Psal. 101.8. God would early bring the Sword upon them, and there is an emphasis in the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that Morning, which was the most observable and deplorable morning that ever they had; such a morning was Sodoms, when fire and brimstone reigned upon it, Gen. 19.23, 24. Such a morning was the King of Israel's, Hos. 10.15.  it comes from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Maturare, mane surgere, and signifies Matutinum quid, some morning, some early thing: Ex usu Chaldaeo, and Alapide interprets it Primum germane, the first bud that is upon any tree, the early the morning bud: and so the sense is, Judgements are budding, breaking forth, appearing, and as near as Spring and Summer is when a Tree buds and blossoms; or as the word is, The morning is come; you have thought judgement slept, that it was still evening, not past midnight, but the morning is come, judgement not only watcheth, but is rising, risen, coming forth, and it will be early upon thee.  
The Septuagint implies there was a connexion and series of evils coming upon them; Aquila hath it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, 
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉. Nexus, complicatio.  prospectionem, as if the evil they had foreseen and feared, were now coming upon them; the Chalde Coronam, diadema, so the word is used in Isa. 28.5. and because it notes Royal power, it's thought the King of Babylon is here meant; the Vulgar is Contritio, breaking into pieces, 
La sentence du matin, in the margin of the French.  grinding to dust is come upon thee: Maldonat, Contractio, besieging is come, and thou must be in a narrow compass: Shindler, Revolutio ad te, Nabuchadnezzar shall return, compass thee about as a Crown, and carry thee into Captivity.   

The day of trouble is near.  
The Hebrew word notes great trouble, vexation, with tumult and destruction, Haiom Mebumah, or a day of sore trouble; you may hear the Prophet Isaiah describing such a day, Chap. 22.5. It is a day of trouble, and of treading down, of perplexety by the Lord God of Hosts in the Valley of vision, breaking down the Walls, and of crying to the Mountains. God hath days of trouble for Kingdoms, and when they come there is great distress and great destruction, 2 Chron. 15.5, 6. In those times there was no peace to him that went out, nor to him that came in, but great vexations were upon all the Inhabitants of the Countries, and Nation was destroyed of Nation, and City of City, for God did vex them with all adversity: This was a time or day of trouble for Israel: In Scripture is mentioned a day of Calamity, Psal. 18.18. a day of Wrath, Job 20.28. a day of Battle, Psal. 140.7. a day of Vengeance, Jer. 46.10. a day of evil, Prov. 16.4. of Rebuke, Hos. 5.9. of Slaughter, Jer. 12.3. of Burning, Mal. 4.1. of Destruction, Job 21.30. And all these may be in a day of trouble.  
You shall find many of them together in the 1 Zeph. 14▪ 15, 16, 17. where he speaks of the day that Ezekiel doth: The great day of the Lord is near, it is near, and hasteth greatly, even the voice of the day of the Lord; the mighty man shall cry there bitterly: That day is a day of wrath, a day of trouble and distress, a day of wasting and desolation, a day of darkness and gloominess, a day of Clouds and thick darkness, a day of the Trumpet and Alarm against the fenced Cities, and against the high Towers, and I will bring distress upon men, that they shall walk like blind men, etc.   


Non gloriae montium. Vulgar. Non repercussio montium. Montan. Non Echus montium. Jun.  Not the sounding again of the Mountains.  
The Land of Israel was full of Mountains, Psal. 125.2. As the Mountains are round about Jerusalem, and Judah was a Hill Country, Luke 1.39. About these hills were their Vines planted, and it was a Land of Vines, Deut. 8.8. Isa. 7.23. and at their Vintage, when they gathered their Grapes, they had many Labourers, who to sweeten and facilitate their pains, made great shoutings, 
Jer. 35.30. An Echo is a reflection of sounds, and is made upon walls, woods, banks, rocks, hills.  Isa. 16.10. which made the Mountains to Echo and resound, but now there should be no joyful sound, but the rattling of Arms, noise of Charets, neighing of Horses, cry of Soldiers, these should be heard in the Mountains: Or thus, upon the Hills and Mountains they had their Idols and Altars, Chap. 6.13. and where Idolaters sacrificed, there they had their Music, Songs, and Dances, which made the Mountains to ring, and were as the glory of them, but now, there should be a day of slaughter, and dreadful clamour of enemies should be in the Mountains, the glory of them stained with the blood of men slain, there should be groaning, mourning, howling, schreeking of men and women wounded and wronged.  
Or thus, you think all threats empty sounds, as an Echo from a Mountain, which presently vanisheth, but you shall find the day of trouble no Echo work, it will be real, and make you in the bitterness of your spirits cry to Rocks and Mountains, and seek to hid yourselves in the cliffs of them.  

Ver. 8.  The eighth Verse hath formerly been opened, only you have Pouring out of Fury, for accomplishing fury, Chap. 5.13. and it is the same for substance; God would not hold in his fury any longer, he would give full scope unto it, freely, fully, strongly would he proceed in his fury against them, all which are included in the word Pour out.  
So for the ninth Verse, I am the Lord that smiteth: You think it is the Chaldeans the second cause, but ye shall know that it is the Lord himself.    

CHAP. VII.  
10. Behold the day, behold, it is come, behold it is come, the morning is gone forth, the Rod hath blossomed, Pride hath budded.  
11. Violence is risen up into a rod of wickedness: none of them shall remain, nor of their multitude, nor of any of theirs, neither shall there be wailing for them.  
IN these Verses he goes on to show the approach and extent of their Ruin, it was at hand, and none of them should remain, and likewise the causes thereof, Pride and Violence: Of morning was spoken in the sixth Verse, but I must open something here, for the words are difficult.  

The Rod hath blossomed.  
By Rod, sundry Interpreters understand Nabuchadnezzar, whom they conceive so called, Jer. 1.11. and that in Isa. 10.5. O Assyrian the Rod of mine anger, refers not only to Senacherib, but also to Nabuchadnezzar:  
A Rod in the Scripture sense denotes,  
First, Power, strength, Psal. 2.9. a Rod of Iron.  
Secondly, Afflictions, heavy Judgements, Psal. 89.32. I will visit your transgressions with a Rod. 
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Thirdly, Rigid and harsh Government, Isa. 14.5. The Lord hath broken the staff, or Rod of the wicked: That is, their rigorous and cruel Government; Nabuchadnezzar had great strength, sorely afflicted the Land of Judah, he was an Iron Rod that broke them in pieces, and ruled them rigidly in Babylon, Jehoiakim was kept 37. years in prison, Jer. 52.31. The rod blossometh: That is, was in a readiness to come and smite Jerusalem; after blossoming comes fruit, and the fruit that this Rod bare, was fruit unto death.   

Pride hath budded.  
This King and people lifted up themselves above others, 
Vir Superbiae Vatablus turns it, and means it of Nabuchadnezzar.  and prided themselves in their greatness, strength, riches and victories, Jer. 50.31. God saith of Babylon, I am against thee O thou most proud. The Hebrew is, I am 'gainst thee Pride. These Babylonians were pride itself; in Dan. 4.30. You may hear the King priding himself in this language; Is not this great Babylon that I have built for the house of the Kingdom, by the might of my power, and for the honour of my Majesty?  
Both King and people were proud, and their pride budded forth and appeared to all, when they put out Zedekiah's eyes, slew his sons before his face, and said, sing us one of the songs of Zion, Psal. 137.3.  
Others by Rod understand the state of Judah and Jerusalem: so the word Rod is used in Scripture, Jer. 48.17. How is the strong staff broken, and the beautiful Rod: That is, the state and dignity of Moab, and thus we may understand it.  
The word for Rod signifies a Tribe, as in Num. 1.4.16.21. 
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉  Either because they grew out of the stock of Jacob, as branches do out of a Tree, or because the names of the 12. Tribes were written upon rods, Num. 17.2. and the word being Hammatteh, the Tribe, the rod carries me to conceive its meant of Judah, rather than of Nebuchadnezar: And the sense runs in a continued allegory, Judah is compared to a tree that blossoms, buds, and brings forth its fruit, it had blossomed or flourished: so the word is, Psalm 90.6. And now the fruit was growing ripe, their sins were great, the measure of them almost full, and punishment grew near and weighty.  
The sins mentioned are, 1. Pride. 
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉   
That pride: So the Hebrew is, there was eminency in it, Judah was grown very proud, Jer. 13.9. 
The Rulers were score full. Isa. 28.14.  I will mar the pride of Judah & the great pride of Jerusalem. And wherein appeared this great pride, vers. 10. They refuse to hear God's word, they walked in the imaginations of their own hearts after other Gods, to serve and worship them, the proud men told Jeremiah be spoke falsely, Jer. 43.25:  
This sin reigned among men and women also, Isa. 3.16. The daughters of Zion are haughty, and walk with stretched forth necks and wanton eyes, walking and mincing as they go, making a tinckeling with their feet; They had great bravery, tinkling ornaments, Cawls, round moon tires, chains, bracelets, muflers, bonnets, leg-ornaments, headbands, rings, earrings, nose-jewels, changeable suits of apparel, mantles, crisping pins, glasses, fine linen, hoods and veils. They were clothed with pride, their children carried themselves proudly against the Ancients, and the base against the honourable; so great and general was the pride of Jerusalem, that it made the Prophet weep in secret places, Jer. 13.17. Their pride budded and blossomed, so that the Prophet's eye seeing it, affected his heart, fetched rivers of tears from him, seeing their destruction now at hand.  

〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉.  The Septuagint renders this place of our prophet thus; Injury hath risen up, pride is an injurious thing to God and man, it rises up against him, and thrusts him out of his worship, Ordinances, ways; it disquiets Kingdoms, and the meek of the earth: It's injury itself.   


〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉  Budds;  
That is, puts forth, is green and growing, as a tree, Cant. 7.12. Puts out buds, in every part of it in the Spring, so as a foul puts out feathers all over: so did Judah's pride bud forth in all ranks and conditions of people.  

2. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉  The other sin is violence. The vulgar translates it iniquity, the Greeks, unrighteousness; others, rapine, injury: but the Hebrew is emphatical, 
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉.  that violence, that iniquity, etc. It signifies open wrong, as Mercer observes upon Gen. 6.11. This sin was in strength among this people, Isa. 59.6. Their works are works of iniquity, and the act of violence is in their hands, they oppress the poor, they rob and spoil them, and that openly. The act, even the things they have taken from them are in their hands, Amos 3.10. They know not to do right, who store up violence and robbery in their palaces: The Rulers and great men that dwelled in palaces, they oppressed, they rob, and stored up what they got in their palaces, that it was known to all, and cried out of by the Prophet, Mic. 3.1, 2, 3. He tells you of the Heads and Princes do, who above others should have seen to the execution of justice: and they were the men plucked off the skin from the people, and their flesh from their bones; they flaied, brake, chopped them in pieces as for the pot.  
The people's estates and livelihoods were as their skin, flesh, bones unto them, but the great ones wrung them from the people, and did live upon the spoil: They eaten the bread of wickedness, and drank the wine of violence, Prov. 4.17. And this sin stayed not in the heads, but descended to the body; the people generally, they that were rich oppressed the poor, Amos 8.4. They swallowed up the needy, they made the Epha small, and the Sheckle great, they falsified the Balances, sold the poor for silver, and the needy for shoes, vers. 5, 6. Men endued with immortal souls, worth all the world, they sold for old shoes, and filled the land with violence, Ezek. 8.17.   

Risen up into a rod of wickedness.  
The phrase imports thus much, that their injustice and oppression had prepared and brought forth Judgement.  
A rod of wickedness, that is a rod, the fruit of wickedness, out of their great sins hath sprung up this rod, or thus, a rod of wickedness; that is, a rod to correct and punish wickedness withal; in both senses it may be called a rod of wickedness, both because it buds from wickedness, and serves to beat wickedness. If we refer violence to Nebuchadnezar, than the meaning is, God will raise up him to be the rod of his anger to beat the Jews for their iniquity; he shall rise up into a rod of wickedness. If we refer it to the Jews, than the meaning is, their own wickedness is risen up into a rod, into judgement, and that rod will be their ruin; such a phrase there is in Pro. 14.3. In the mouth of the foolish is a rod of pride. That is, the proud speeches in the mouths of fools, offend others, provoke God, produce shame, trouble, danger to themselves, and so their own sin is a rod to themselves.  
Obser. 1 That pride is a forerunner of destruction; Judgement, utter ruin was coming upon them: but pride had budded, they were grown exceeding proud and haughty, their pride testified to their faces, as the phrase is, Hos. 5.5. Therefore shall Israel and Ephraim fall in their iniquity, Judah also shall fall with them.  
Is Israel proud, so is Judah? must Israel fall, so must Judah? Pride struts before, and ruin follows at the heels, Prov. 16.18. Pride goeth before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall. Haman was haughty, he thought scorn to lay hands on Mordecai alone, he will have the blood and bones of all the Jews to satisfy his pride, Est. 3.6. And quickly after he was hanged, Est. 7.10. Before the worms did eat Herod, his heart was swollen with pride, Acts 12 23. Nebuchadnezar, Dan. 4.30, 31. David in the pride of his hear● numbers the people, and the plague sweeps away 70000. of them presently after. Absolom, Adonijah aspire, but destruction was their end. Pride affects to go before; but it's before a fall, before destruction: If you find pride in the premises, you shall certainly find destruction in the conclusion; pride preceded the grand fall of our first Parents, they would be like to Gods knowing good and evil, Gen. 3.5. And pride preceded the Angels fall in Heaven; some gather from that in 1 Tim. 3.6. It was so from the beginning, and will be a truth to the end, Luke 14.11. Whosoever exalteth himself shall be abased, & he that humbleth himself shall be exalted: Be they particular persons, Cities, or Kingdoms; if they exalt themselves through pride, God will throw them down, Jer. 50.29, 30. Babylon hath been proud against the Lord, against the holy one of Israel, and therefore she should be ruined. I believe the Kingdoms that are ruining now, have been proud against the Lord and his worship; they have provoked God with that sin, and he will plague them with his Judgements; God threatened Jerusalem for this sin, Jer. 13.9. I'll mar the pride of Judah, and the great pride of Jerusalem. And how, you may see in Isa. 3.24. Instead of sweet smells there shall be a stink, and instead of a girdle, a rent: Instead of well-set hair, baldness: Instead of a stomacher, a girding with sackcloth, and burning instead of beauty: Thus God would mar it, Isa. 23.9. The Lord of Hosts hath purposed to stain the pride of all glory, and to bring into contempt all the honourable of the earth: He hath purposed, and is powerful to do it.  
Obser. 2 The ruin of persons and Kingdoms is from themselves, violence is risen up into a Rod of wickedness, their own injustice, oppression, and iniquities brought forth that which was their destruction, a rod of wickedness; David's sin was a rod to himself, 2 Sam. 12.9, 10, 11. Thou hast killed Vriah, defiled Bathsheba, now therefore the sword shall never departed from thine house, I will raise up evil against thee out of thine own bowels. The Sin and Rod grew out of one stock; men's sins prove their rods. joseph's Brethren sinned in Ganaan, and their sin was a rod to them in Egypt, Gen. 42.21. Judas treason became the halter that hanged him, Matth. 27.25. Adam's eating the forbidden fruit, prepared birch for his own back, and all ours; he world is whipped with the Rod of his Sin; Sin in the Scripture is called a burden, weight, Gal. 6.5. It's that sinks into misery, thorns, briars, Heb. 6.8. It pricks and scratches, Nahum 1.10. It's a sling, 1 Cor. 15.59. It's that brings terrible pangs and pains to all; a snare, Psalm 9.16. and that will take him, makes and sets it, and here a Rod that caused fear, smart, wounds, death. The tree bears a helm for the Axe that cuts itself down, the Garment breeds the moth that devours it, and Judah planted the Rod broke its self in pieces; while Judah is sinning, God's wrath is growing; Nebuchadnezar's coming, the Rod of his indignation. It was Israel's Idolatrity that ruin'd Her, Hos. 13.1. And Judah's injustice, oppression, that ruin'd her, Jer. 5.1. Isa. 5.7.   

None of them shall remain.  
God would make a general destruction, yet not so general as not any to escape; we know divers did, and some returned, who had seen the glory of the former Temple. Shall Remain, is not in the Original, it's only none of them, a defective speech, and refers to the Rod of wickedness, and may thus be supplied, none of them shall go unpunished; they have all sinned, and shall one way or other smart all of them: and so they did, though all of them were not carried away, or cut off. 
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉    

Nor of their multitude.  

〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉  The Hebrew is, Tumult, sound, or company making a noise; Where there is a great number, there is tumultuousness, let their number be never so great, none of them shall escape the Rod; if it destroy them not, it shall wound them, if not wound them, it shall affright them.  
Others interpret it of their wealth: None of their wealth, that is, none of it shall do them good, or go unplundered.   

Nor any of theirs.  
The Hebrew is considerable two ways, either from Him, and that doubled Mehemehem of them, of them, and then the sense is, none of them, I say none of them that have thus sinned, dishonoured me before the Nations, shall go unpunished; Or thus, none of them, of them, none of their seed, none come from such a race shall escape the smart of that Rod is now growing up. All their Posterity were not quite ruined, but they all smarted.  
Or the Hebrew may be considerable from Hamab, which is to make a noise: and then the meaning is, none of those men that make a noise shall go unbeaten with this Rod; none of the great men that with their honour, wealth, train, make such stirs in the City and Land; none of them that think themselves through their greatness exempt from all Courts, all accounts, all corrections, shall be free from the strokes of this Rod, be they never so great, be they Priests, Prophets, Nobles, Princes, Kings, they shall come under the lash, neither multitude, riches, nor greatness, will privilege sinners when the Rod comes. The old world's multitude, Damascus' riches, Jerusalem's sons of pride, men of noise, could not protect them from the wrath of God or man.   

Neither shall there be wailing for them.  
Though men of quality, yet shall not their friends bewail them in any solemn manner, the destructions, miseries, fears, through power and insolency of the enemy shall be such, that they shall not dare to lament the dead openly, nor much mind their death. Jeremiah speaks of this evil, Chap. 16.4. & 25.33. Their slain should be so many, death so common, that they should lie unburied, unbemoaned.    

CHAP. VII.  
12. The time is come, the day draweth near, let not the buyer rejoice, nor the seller mourn: for wrath is upon all the multitude thereof.  
13. For the seller shall not return to that which is sold, although they were yet alive: for the vision is touching the whole multitude thereof, which shall not return, neither shall any strengthen himself in the iniquity of his life.  
IN these two verses our Prophet sets down what the condition of their temporal estates should be, subject to spoil and loss, If the buyer bought a great pennyworth, he should have little cause to rejoice, it should be suddenly taken from him, house, land, cattles, goods. The time was even at hand; and so if the seller had sold his estate not for half the worth, and parced with his inheritance which was dear to him, he should not mourn, had he not taken a little for the present, within a few days he should have had nothing, all should have been taken from him, and he separated from his Inheritance; Judgement is coming, and so dreadful, that there shall be no leisure to look at what is sold or bought.  

For wrath is upon all the multitude thereof.  
The Hebrew word will bear it, upon all the wealth thereof, 
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉  and some Interpreters so read it; H●mon, signifies plenty of riches, and also of other things.  
Jerusalem and Judah were rich wealthy places, Psalms 66.12. Thou hast brought us into a wealthy place; and the●e they became great, waxed rich, Jer. 5.27. and gloried in their riches, Jer. 9.23. But God's wrath was upon their riches, he would bring the Chaldeans upon them, plunder and spoil them of all, and neither buyer or seller should have any advantage.   

Upon all the multitude thereof;  
Upon all, not any one condition singled out, but upon all, upon sellers, upon buyers, upon poor, upon rich; all that are in Jerusalem, and Judea, of what condition soever, wrath is come upon them, they shall be spoiled and carried captive.   

For the seller shall not return to that which is sold.  
To understand these words we must have recourse to the year of Jubilee.  
1. Levit. 25.10.13. Wherein first they were to sound Trumpets.  
2. Secondly, to proclaim and give liberty to all that were restrained.  
3. Thirdly, to release all lands and tenements, and those had sold, or mortgaged them, were to return and enjoy them: To this last our Prophet speaks, and certifies them, that their condition should be such, that when the joyful year of Jubilee should come for releasing of Lands, and reinhabiting of what was sold, the seller should have no benefit by that year, they should be carried into a strange Land, and lose that privilege; they should die there, or be detained that they could not come, or if they did get away, they should find their possession in their hands, that would not regard the Jubilean law. This was great comfort to poor men, and those were necessitated to sell their estates, that at such a time they would come in freely again, but this hope is here taken away.   

Although they were yet alive.  
Though their life were yet in the living: So is the Hebrew. If sorrow, exile, miseries did not consume them, but they should live to the year of Jubilee, it should be no advantage to them.  

Quest.  But why did Jeremy purchase land after this time. In Jer. 32. you shall find he bought land, in the tenth year of Zedekiah, when Jerusalem was besieged, when himself was in prison, vers. 2. He bought, Hanameell sold, subscribed and sealed the evidences, which Baruch put into an earthen vessel, and hid for many days.  
Answ. 1 1. The right of Redemption belonged to him, he being the nearest kinsman was to do it, see Levit. 25.24. Ruth. 4.4. But there were Wars in the gate, and when Wars are awake, 
Inter arma silent leges.  the Laws do sleep.  
2. He had special warrant for it, vers. 8. He saith, than I knew that this was the Word of the Lord, that Hanameel came to him, and bade him buy his field; he knew that it came from God, and it had been sin in him not to have done it.  
3. He purchased this Land by faith, knowing that the Captivity should not exceed 70. years; and that there should be a repossession of houses, fields, & Vineyards after the captivity, ver. 15. and believed that the holy seed should return: Ezekiel spoke of those present in Jerusalem, that should be carried away, perish, and not return.  
For the Vision is touching the multitude thereof, which shall not return.  
These words must be cautiously observed, the multitudes returning must not here be understood; but the vision shall not return. The Hebrew is, the vision to the multitude thereof shall not return, or the vision shall not return to the multitude thereof; there is not which in the Hebrew, which makes the doubt in the English, and altars the sense. The vision shall not return; that is, the prophetical threatening I have had touching the besieging and destroying of Jerusalem, and the whole Land shall not be in vain, the Prophecy denounced against them shall not return void, be without success; it shall not be recalled, but stand firm, not be reiterated, once shall suffice, by that time the truth of this prophecy is executed, and weight of it fallen upon you, there will be no thought of possessions, or place of inheriting lands.  
Some read it, the vision to all the wealth, making the sense to be a threatening of their estates to be plundered and spoilt, which they trusted so much unto; this is supposed in the other, for the Prophecy taking hold upon them, their estates could not be safe.   

Neither shall any strengthen himself in the iniquity of his life.  
The Hebrew is, a man in his iniquity of his life shall not strengthen: or thus, a man shall not strengthen himself, whose life is in his iniquity; it's so in the Margin: Not comfort saith the Vulgar; where there is comfort, there is some strengthening; men have thoughts to strengthen themselves in their wicked ways: but it shall not be, not their Counsels, not their multitudes, not their riches, not their privileges, not their confederacies with others, not their Military preparations, not their serving of false Gods; nothing shall strengthen them against the Chaldeans, to withstand them: The iniquity of their lives is stronger to ruin them, than all the strength they have besides can make to defend them; It's not their art, policy, power, that shall deliver them from the Judgement decreed and threatened; sometimes men's iniquities, their malice, violence, blasphemies, stubborness, makes others forbear them, and lose their right rather than they will meddle with them: But here it shall not be so, the greater their Iniquities, the rather, the sooner would God punish them. Or thus; you have heard many threats and heavy judgements against the City and Land: but you are secure, you repent not, you go on justifying your ways, thinking all well, that we the Prophets are liars, that there is no danger or fear; but you shall know that your ways are sinful, and will not afford comfort or strength to stand it out in the evil day, no man ever got strength by, or in Iniquity.  
Observe. 1 That the things of this life are little to be valued, we should not be solicitous about them; for the time may come that wrath may be upon them, and what are they then, worthless, comfortless, vexing things; it vexed many of them that their estates should fall into Chaldeans hands: and the price of desirable things was abated, the buyer was not to rejoice, nor the seller to mourn, for neither the one or the other had got or lost much, and what ever they had should come to nothing. If men magnify temporals, and exalt the price of them, God will vilify them, and make them at a low rate, all the wealth of Judah and Jerusalem was now to be a prey to the Adversary; yea, their Gardens, Orchards, Vineyards, Lands, Houses, Wives, Children, and what ever was considerable amongst them, should be taken from them: Now there was not Terra firma in that Kingdom, all things were movable, in flux, upon the wing, and little cause had they to laugh or weep for those things; the like is our condition at this present, all uncertain, much in the Enemy's hand, therefore as the Apostle, 1 Cor. 7.29. Let them that have wives, be as though they had none; they that weep, as though they wept not, they that rejoice, as though they rejoiced not, and thou that buy as though they possessed not. Now let men's hearts be off from all, so look upon all conditions, all possessions, as uncertain, as nothing, as taken from you, as departing from them. Let your thoughts be upon the inheritance that is incorruptible, undefiled, and that fadeth not away, which is reserved in heaven, 1 Pet. 1.4.  
Observe. 2 2. Covetous men are glad of good bargains, though wrath be upon them; they look at the gains, not the wrath; necessity, danger, made men sell all, and covetousness made others buy all, and because they had much for a little, they rejoiced: but little cause had they, for the wrath of God was upon all they bought. Covetousness is watchful for advantages of gain, but blind in discerning wrath accompanying that gain. 
Josh. 7.  Achans covetousness caused him to take the Garment, the shackles of Silver, and wedge of Gold: But it blinded him so, that he saw not the cursedness of them, nor the stony death that followed them. In Lot's days there was buying and selling, till the fire consumed what was bought & sold, together with the buyer and seller, Luke 17.28, 29. Covetousness is greedy of its prey, even when death is in it, it will buy houses when fire is kindled in them and land when the curse of God is upon it; beware therefore of this sin saith he, Luke 12.15. For a man's life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth, his death and his destruction may be in them, they cannot add to his life, or the true comfort of it, but they may take away from it, James 5.3. The rust of their gold and silver shall witness against them, and eat their flesh as fire.  
Observe. 3 3. God's wrath sometimes is so hot, that it takes not only away the present comfort, but even the future hope of temporal things, they should have no benefit of the year of Jubilee when it came, they should not return again, although they should suffer much, & long, be alive at a time when men's hopes were wont to be fully answered for their lands and houses, yet they should be without hope: they dealt hypocritically with God, they were an hypocritical nation, Isa. 10.6. And the hope of hypocrites shall perish, be cut off, be a spider's web, job 8.13, 14. They grow great and green, but God hath judgements to cut them down, they are fastened to the walls of the house as the Spider's web: but God hath a besom of destruction to sweep them away; what ever wicked men's hopes are of greatness here, and happiness hereafter, yet God in his wrath can, and oft doth blast them altogether, job 14.9. Thou washest away the things which grow out of the dust of the earth, and thou destroyest the hope of man.  
Observe. 4 4. The judgements decreed, and given forth by the Ministers of God, shall certainly take place. The vision shall not return, without its accomplishment, efficacy, and fruit; God foreknows all emergents, oppositions, events, & nothing can withstand, or finally impede the execution of his decrees and threats, he is wise in appointing them, faithful to perform them, and mighty in the execution of them, Isa. 43.13. I will work, and who shall let it. When God hath not promised, or threatened, none can let his working, much less when the word is gone forth of his mouth, and himself is engaged to make it good, see Isa. 55.11. My word shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please. God will see to it constantly, that it be so; and seeing it's so, and God now working in his judgements. Let all the earth fear the Lord, let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of him, for he spoke, and it was done, Psal. 33.8, 9:  
Observe. 5 men's sins do not strengthen them, but weaken them. No man shall strengthen himself in the iniquity of his life; there is no strength comes in by sin, it deprives us of our strength, it blinds the mind, prejudices the strength of reason, it wounds the spirit, guiltieth the conscience, which accusing causeth despondency, and makes ashamed, it adds weight to all afflictions, fills with fears, and so produceth discouragements; it keeps out the comfort, benefit of the Ordinances, makes God out with us, all creatures against us, brings a curse upon our undertake, subjects us to the curse of the Law, and sentence of Condemnation; any of these will weaken the heart of a sinner, much more all. In Ezek. 16.8. Jerusalem's sins are reckoned up: and vers. 30. How weak is thine heart, seeing thou dost all these things. They do not strengthen, but sink thee; Innocency, Righteousness, strengthens, Prov. 28.1.  
Observe. 6 6. Sin is the life of a wicked man, as blood is the life of all flesh, Levit. 17.14. It maintains and strengthens the life: so iniquity is the life of all sinful flesh, wicked men live upon wicked ways, It's pastime to a fool to do wickedly, Prov. 10.23. There is a life of sin in the soul, and things of Iniquity maintain that life: Christ lives in, and by the Father, John 6.57. A godly man lives in Christ, 2 Tim. 3.12. And a wicked lives in sin, delights in it, feeds upon it, 1 Tim. 5.6. She that liveth in pleasure is dead.  
Observe. 7 7. When God comes in judgement, there is nothing can strengthen or secure a sinful people against the punishment of their Iniquity, no power, no policy, no privilege, no wealth: Jerusalem had as much to plead as any place in the World, and those people had the choicest privileges of all others, Amos 3.2. You only have I known of all the families of the Earth, therefore will I punish you for all your Iniquities. They were known above others, none had so many miracles, special providences, blessings, truths, Prophets, ordinances; none were seated better, oftener delivered, honoured with such Titles as they were, and no people sinned as they sinned, their sins exceeded the Heathens, Ezek. 5.6. And now neither their privileges nor their sins could exempt them from, or relieve them under their sufferings. Their iniquities hastened the Enemies, sharpened their swords, and armed them with severity to their utter destruction; there is nothing in creatures in the ways of wickedness to help in the day of wrath, Amos 2.13, 14, 15, 16.    

CHAP. VII.  14. They have blown the Trumpet even to make all ready, but none goeth to the battle, for my wrath is upon all the Multitude thereof. 
IN this Verse is set down one of the most grievous calamities that could befall them, namely despondency of mind; they were called upon to Battle, but none had a heart to go forth to it, and the cause is given, my wrath is upon them all.  
Some conceive these words to be spoken Ironically, and read them thus: Blow the trumpet, let all be in a readiness, O ye Jews call forth, call together your strong Soldiers, let all arm, and hasten to meet the Enemy, he is come into your Quarters, ready to assault you in your Cities. Where are you? why do you not appear in the open fields, or stand upon your Guard to defend your Country and Cities, you are cowardly spiritless men.  

There is none goeth to the Battle.  
Such Ironies and Sarcasmes the Scripture sometimes hath, Isa. 8.9. Associate yourselves O ye people, and ye shall be broken in pieces, Isa. 21.5. Arise ye Princes, and anoint the Shield.  
Belshazar and his Nobles were voluptuous, the Medes were coming to his destruction, undermyning the walls of Babylon, and here the Spirit of God upbraided him and his Princes for their effeminacy and cowardliness.  
We may take them literally; They have blown the trumpet, given public notice to City and Country, to make ready for War; but none stirs, none go forth, they are without spirit. The first mention of Trumpets we find in Scripture, is Exod. 19.16. And there they were used at the giving and promulgation of the Law, and to this day in many places Laws are proclaimed with the sound of Trumpets: They were also used to proclaim Fasts, and convocate solemn Assemblies, Joel 2.15. Blow the trumpet in Zion, sanctsie a Fast, call a solemn Assembly, and solemn Feasts, Psal. 81.3. In worship, 2 Chron. 5.12, 13. In the journeying of their camps, Numb. 10.2. For then the cloud that used to be over them removed, Numb. 9.22. Then Moses prayed, Numb. 10.35. And then the Trumpet sounded, vers. 5, 6. It was also used to warn the people against the danger of War, Ezek. 33.3. And in their Wars, Josh. 6.9. Here they blow the Trumpet to warn them of the danger, to quicken them up to prepare against it; There was loud sounding, and vehement crying, arm, arm, arm, and none went out to the Battle; they wanted not Men, Means, Munition, Horses, Chariots, Spears, Shields they had, but hearts they had not, no courage to fight with their Adversaries, to stand for Religion, their Country, liberty or lives.  
Observe. 1 That when God is wrath, all preparations and attempts are in vain: They blow the Trumpet, make ready for War, and none stirs to go forth; and what is the reason, the wrath of God is upon the whole multitude. God was not with them to counsel, to encourage them, to prosper their attempts, and so nothing came of all.  
Humane endeavours sink, when they are not seconded by God; aeconomical, and political affairs fall to the earth when they are not upheld by heaven, Psal. 127.1. Except the Lord build the house, they labour in vain that build it. 'Tis not man and wife can build up a family without God: This the Elders knew that said to Boaz, Ruth 4.11. The Lord make the woman that is come into thine house like Rachel, and like Leah, which two did build the house of Israel. So except the Lord keep the City, the watchmen watch but in vain. Let Cities, States, kingdoms have many watchmen, let them be faithful and industrious, yet if God watch not more than they do, more than they, all is lost. Cities have been suddenly surprised, Kingdoms overrun, notwithstanding all the art, vigilancy, and industry of men. It's not the Counsel, Militia, Magistracy, Ministry of a City or Kingdom that can secure them, if God's wrath be upon them.  
Observe. 2 2. That it's a dreadful evil when the heart and spirit of a people is taken away. Here was danger calling to arm and go forth; but none went forth, they were heartless unspirited men.  
It's a great mercy among other necessaries to War, to have men of valour; If there be money, arms, skill, men, and not courage, all is nothing. When Goliath defied the Armies of Israel, 1 Sam. 17.10, 11. They were dismayed, their hearts failed within them, and had not God put courage into David, all Israel had lain under the reproach of one Philistine.  
It's observable in Scripture, that in Judah were many valiant men, 2 Sam. 24.9. There were 500000. such in David's days. In Abijahs days there was an Army of 400000. valiant chosen men, 1 Chron. 13.3. In Asa's days was an Army of 580000. out of Judah and Benjamine, and all of them were mighty men of valour, 2 Chron. 14.8. In Ahaz days were 120000. valiant men of Judah slain in one day, 2 Chron 28.6. The men of Judah were famous for their valour, yet now there were no valiant men left, there were none had hearts to go forth and give the enemy battle. The promise was, that one of them should chase a thousand, and two put ten thousand to flight, Deut. 32.30. The meaning is, they should mightily prevail in battle; this was in case they provoked not God against them. And therefore it follows; except their Rock had sold them, and the Lord had shut them up, if it were come to that, than they should be faint-hearted and feeble: and so was it now, God their Rock was against them, he had sold them into the hands of the Chaldeans, and shut up their spirits, and the strong were become as tow, Isa. 1.31. They were heartless, headless, armlesse, none durst oppose the stout and proud adversary. God hath variety of ways to frustrate the endeavours of men, and one among other, and of the saddest nature is, to unspirit men. It's a wonderful judgement, when the wisdom of the wise doth perish, when the understanding of the prudent is hid, Isa. 29.14. And it's as heavy, strange a judgement, when the mettle and courage of valiant Soldiers in time of need is not to be found.  
The Germans were a warlike people, and Lavat observes, that after the Council of Constance their spirits failed them, there they dealt unfaithfully with hus, and after cruelly and shamefully they put him to death, and attempting to bring the Bohemians to the old way of worship; they were easily overcome, and sometimes fled at the sight of their enemies.  
Observe. 3 3. Apprehension of Divine wrath discerned and approaching, dispirits strong men: there were without doubt many strongmen in Judah as at other times, but they were without spirit, their sins had stirred up God to bring the Northern Force upon them; Nabuchadnezzar with all his Forces, they were now entering their land, ready to sit down before Jerusalem, and they saw now the sad threats of the Prophet's fulfilling, God even fight against them, and this sunk their guilty hearts, Deut. 32.25. Terror within shall destroy the young man: The young men that are full of blood, spirits, lively, even terror within shall destroy them. Their guilt will not only unspirit them, but unlife them, Job 15.20. The wicked man travaileth with pain all his days. He hath prickings, stingings within. And vers. 24. Trouble and anguish shall make him afraid, they shall prevail against him as a King ready to the battle: There is power in these to destroy a sinner, as in a King armed, attended with a multitude of Soldiers, to ruin his wounded, his flying adversaries. Jeremy knew the power of Divine wrath, and therefore prays, Chap. 17.17. Be not thou a terror unto me, thou art my hope in the day of evil. He feared left he that was his hope should be his terror; the day of evil awakens sleepy, guilty, dead works, and then God before trusted in, becomes dreadful; look well to your hearts and consciences, get off the guilt upon them, and get out the filth in them, Heb. 9.14. The blood of Christ doth purge the conscience from dead works. That is, all sins, and all guilt which works death, and binds over to death; but that's not all, they lie as dead things in the soul, and upon occasion revive, have their resurrection, and slay us anew.    

CHAP. VII.  15. The sword is without, and the pestilence, and the famine within: he that is in the field shall die with the sword, and he that is in the City, famine and pestilence shall devour him. 
OF Sword, Famine, Pestilence I have formerly spoken, God hath these Judgements in his hand, and can let them out when and where he pleases: and when Gods public Judgements are abroad, there is no safety for sinners in their Cities, in the Fields, God will pursue them though they fly, and slay them though they be never so stout. He will not only scare them with these, but he will destroy them by these.   

CHAP. VII.  
16. But they that esacaped of them, shall escape, and shall be on the mountains like doves of the valleys, all of them mourning every one for his iniquity.  
17. All hands shall be feeble, and all knees shall be weak as water.  
18. They shall also gird themselves with sackcloth, and horror shall cover them, and shame shall be upon all faces, and baldness upon all their heads.  
19 They shall cast their silver in the streets, and their gold shall be removed: their silver and their gold shall not be able to deliver them in the day of the wrath of the Lord: they shall not satisfy their souls, neither fill their bowels, because it is the stumbling block of their iniquity.  
SUNDRY Calamities are set down before, he persists in the addition of more, every verse hath his peculiar calamity. In the 16. is contained their flight; In the 17. their feebleness; In the 18. their sorrow and shame, and in the 19 ver. the insufficiency of the creature to help in the time of trouble.  
I begin with the 16. It's misery to be in danger, especially of life, and to be put to fly for it, as these were, when the Enemy came to their walls and gates: some fled and escaped to the mountains. The Original is, their escapers shall escape; those I have appointed to famine, sword, pestilence shall be consumed by them: but those I have appointed to escape they shall escape, and get to the mountains, where they shall be like doves of the valleys.  

〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉  The Hebrew, Root, whence Doves comes, signifies to pray upon, to oppress, circumvent, make sad: and the Dove is subject to prey, oppression, circumvention and mourning, as much as any Fowl.  
Hence two things in the Dove are aimed at, Fearfulness and Mourning.  
First, the Dove is a trembling, fearful creature, any little noise makes it fly, Hos. 11.11. They shall tremble as a Dove. The sight of the Hawk, the noise of her bells, or wings, doth multiply fears in a Dove, and so should those Jews that escaped be full of fears, fly to rocks and mountains as Doves, for fear of hawks, and dare not stir; they should hid themselves there, and be afraid to speak, to groan out their grief, lest they should be discovered, and die for it.  
2. It's a mourning creature, Isa. 38.14. I did mourn as a dove saith Hezekiah. And Isa. 59.11. We mourn sore like Doves.  
Doves sit solitary, and mourn when they have lost their young, their mates, are wounded by any means; yea, it's their nature as to tremble, so to mourn, and so should these Jews sit and mourn, they should have no joy of their lives; their losses, the place they should be in, yea, the thought of life should be matter of mourning unto them.  

Of the valleys.  
There were not Doves of mountains, and Doves of valleys, but they are so called, either because they did oft feed and appear there; as Fowls of the Air are so called, because they are oft in the Air, or for that being pursued by Fowlers, they fled to the valleys and hid themselves there, not enduring to be in open places; or because they did breed in the holes of rocks, which were towards the valleys. In Job you have mention of cliffs of the valleys, Job 30.6. Or because they mourned in the valleys, there they made a mourning, or doleful noise.   

All of them mourning, every man for his Iniquity.  
Here is the cause of their calamity, viz. their iniquity; this was a Serpent in the bosom, and gave them no rest; had there been no Enemies at their gates, at their heels, their own sins besieged, pursued them.  
Observe. 1 In common calamities, when danger is abroad, those that have escaped, and got hiding places, think not themselves secure; these were in the mountains, in the holes of the rocks, and yet as fearful as Doves, trembling that the Babylonians were so nigh, fearing discovery and death every moment; a spirit of fear ceases upon sinners at such times, that imprisons reason, and holds them in bondage.  
They are fallen into the hands of Divine judgements, which are dreadful; those were like Lions before, were as silly Doves, Jer. 48.28.  
Observe. 2 2. That the fruit of sin is sorrow; every one of them shall mourn for his iniquity: before they sported in their sins, now they should sigh for them; their consciences were asleep through custom of sinning, God's judgements had now awakened them, and they brought their sins so to mind, that they wept and sorrowed sorely for them; they had gone on in their idolatrous, oppressing, and provoking ways long, they saw no cause to be sorry, all was well with them; but when trouble came, their sins appeared, their souls were sad and filled with apprehensions, that drew bitter tears from them.  
What is the fruit of wantonness, whoredom, Prov. 5.11. Solomon tells you that such a sinner shall mourn at last, when his flesh and his body are consumed. That of Job is suitable for him; his flesh upon him shall have pain, and his soul within him shall mourn, Job 14.22, Eves sin had sorrow, and sorrow multiplied, greatly multipied, Gen. 3.16. God told them, Levit. 26.14.16. That if they sinned, they should have sorrow of heart. And Deut. 28.65. Sorrow of mind. And they had that plentifully, Isa. 65.14. Ye shall cry for sorrow of heart, and shall howl for vexation of spirit. Sin causes howling & mourning: David when he had sinned, it made him to roar, Psalm 32.3. only his terrors were penitential; these unprofitable, shown their misery, but made no way to mercy.  
This sorrow was the fruit of sin, godly sorrow is the fruit of the spirit; that looks at the punishment, which removed, the guilt and filth of sin still abides, this at the sin, and would have that destroyed, though the judgements never be taken away, Hos. 14.2.  
2. This changes the mind, not that, its 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, the Prophet's Sermons could not draw tears from them while there was hope, God's judgements did it when it was too late.   


Vers. 17.  All hands shall be feeble.  
Fear made them fly, and fear made them feeble; where great fear falls upon any, there the hands grow weak, and are not able to do their office; the spirits retire to the heart, to relieve that, lest life should fail, and thereupon the hands become weak. The trumpet was blown, all called upon to make ready; but none went out to Battle: and why, their hands were feeble, they could not hold and handle their weapons to defend themselves; their knees were feeble, they could not fly to save themselves.  
There is a triple feebleness of hands, one natural, as when a man hath naturally a weakness, lameness in his hands.  
2. There is one accidental, as when a man's hands are by some stroke, fall, wound, made feeble: but such feebleness is not here meant.  
3. There is a metaphorical weakness which ariseth from despondency of mind through fear and fearful apprehensions.  
In this sense we are to take it, & so it's oft used in the Scripture, Jer. 6.24. The report of the Northern Forces was come to them, and what then; Our hands wax feeble, anguish hath taken hold of us, Jer. 50.43. 2 Sam. 4.1. Job. 4.3. Ezek. 21.7. Isa. 13.7. Je. 47.3. In all these places is mention of weakness, feebleness of hands, which is to be taken in the metaphorical sense, their hands were not able to do what they should, and formerly could have done, and here when they had most need of their hands, they had least use of them.   

All knees shall be weak as water.  
These words are in Chap. 21.7. The same they are here: and the Original is, shall go into water, or fl●w with water.  
Some interpret it of sweeting; but in great pains, not fears do the lower parts of the body sweat. Others expound it of urine and seed that in their fears should flow from them, pollute and enfeeble them more with misgiving thoughts; this might be, but I take the sense to lie in this; That their knees should be as water: which is a fluid, and weak thing, their legs should not be serviceable unto them. It's a proverbial kind of speech, weak as water, and when applied to any thing, or part of man, sets out great feebleness; they would attempt to fly, and fear would loosen the joints of their knees, so that they should have no strength, nor stand them in any stead: and it was not the knees of some few or aged; but all knees, even of youth, and the stoutest ones, Isa. 40.30. Even the youths shall faint, and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall. Their knees and legs should fail them; as waters are driven this way and that way with the winds, so should they with their fears.  
Obser. 1 That humane strength is not to be confided in; let a State have multitudes of men, and all those, men of arms, men of legs, of great strength, in a time of most need and use of such, their hands may become feeble, and their knees be weak as water, they may prove unserviceable altogether to the State where they are. Strong men have fainted in the day of adversity, 
Prov. 24.10.  been without hearts when they have come to battle, Isa. 33.7. The valiant ones shall cry without, and Ambassadors of peace shall weep bitterly. When Senacherib was before Jerusalem, their valiant ones were so afraid that they cried: The Hebrew word, some interpret their Seers, that is, their Prophets; others their Soldiers that were their watchmen, their hearts melted, and tears flowed from them: and those that were sent to treat with Senacherib, now when they should have been fullest of courage, they had none, they made good what Abishai said, 2 Sam. 17.10. He that is valiant, whose heart is as the heart of a Lion, shall utterly melt. Their hearts melted away, and their hands became feeble, and knees weak. God cares not for the arms or legs of men, Psal. 37.17.147.10. He broke the arms of Pharaoh, Ezek. 30.22. And caused the sword to fall out of his hands. He loosed the joints of Belshazars' loins, and made his knees war one against the other, Dan. 5.6. So Ninevehs heart melted, and knees knocked together, Nabum. 2.10. Let none confide in an arm of flesh, see Jer. 17.5. and Isa. 31.1, 2, 3. They sent to Egypt for help, and relied too much upon horses, men, Chariots, because they were many and strong, and looked not to the holy one of Israel; whereupon the Lord tells them, that the Egyptians are men, and not Gods, their horse's flesh, and not spirit. And when he should stretch out his hand, both the helper and helped should fall and fail together.  
Obser. 2 2. That true valour lies not in a natural boldness, or habits gotten by man's industry; We conceive that if men have spirits, and by their actions and experience in the world, have acquired strength to their spirits, so that they are resolute fearless, we conceive they are the valiant men, but we are mistaken. Natural abilities, and habits purchased with our endeavours, are quickly separated; their hands were feeble, their knees weak, because their hearts and all in them failed. Kings, chief Captains, great, rich, mighty men feared, and hid themselves in dens and rocks, Revel. 6.15. True valour is the gift of God, that greatens men's spirits, and lifts them up above fears; Moses feared not the wrath of the King, Heb. 11.27. He had more than his natural courage, or acquired habits, he had a principle of grace given, continued, preserved, and that made him truly valorous.  
The truest valour is ever in a gracious heart that fears God, and so all other fears are swallowed up, that enjoys God, and hath divine influence to uphold it in all conditions, Josh. 1.5.6, 9 I will be with thee, be strong and of a good courage, be not afraid nor dismayed, for the Lord thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest. His courage, strength, was upon Divine promise and presence.   


Vers. 18.  They shall also gird themselves with sackcloth.  
The first mention we have of sackcloth, is in Gen. 37.34. where Jacob upon the misapprehension of joseph's death, put sachcloath upon his loins, this was an indicium of great misery and sorrow, when the famine was in Samaria, and death ready to eat up them had nothing to eat. The King had sackcloth within upon his flesh, under his royal garments, next his skin was course rough sackcloth, 2 Kings 6.30. When Ahab King of Israel had beaten & sore distressed the Assyrians, they put on sackcloth, and sued to him for pardon and the life of Benhadad, 1 Kings 20.32. Testifying hereby their misery, sorrow, humility, & it's sometimes joined with other signs of sorrow, as Est. ●. 1. when the writings were sealed and sent out by Haman for destruction of the Jews, Mordecai rend his , put on sacke-cloath, with ashes. That is, he sprinkled the sackcloth with ashes, and then put it on. So in Nehem. 9.1. you have sackcloth and earth joined together; this was at a Fast, and they were tokens of godly sorrow, they professed they were not worthy of any good , sackcloth was too good for them, only somewhat they must have to cover their nakedness: and they had earth upon them, intimating they deserved to be buried alive; but frequently sackcloth set out their common sorrow for calamities, and so it is here, they should be a miserable mourning people, not for a few days, but many years. If they escaped death, they should be girt with sackcloth, Job 16.15. I have sowed sackcloth upon my skin. There was no removing of it, he continued in his doleful condition; God's hand was upon him, and his sackcloth abode with him as a thing sowed to him.   

Horror shall cover them.  
The word for horror notes great trembling that comes from fear, Job 21.6. I am afraid, and trembling taketh hold of my flesh. 
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉  It's such trembling as is in Earthquakes, Job 9.6. Which shaketh the earth out of her place, and the pillars thereof tremble. Such an horror, or trembling should be upon them as should hazard their beings, lives, wits, Isa. 21.4. Fearfulness affrights me. It's the same word with our Prophets, and affrightments are dangerous, and sometimes deadly, and probably the meaning here for it was such horror as should cover them, oppress them, and hid them from the living.  
But there is another sense of the word cover; horror shall cover them, that is, compass them about; so the word cover is used, Job 21.26. The worms shall cover them. And Psal. 109.29. Let them cover themselves with their own confusion. Psal. 44.19. Lam. 3.43. In these places covering notes compassing: And Jon 2.5. compassing is the same with covering; the floods and waters compassed me about, they did compass and cover him. And here horror did cover them as a Garment, and beset, compass every part of them; neither hands, arms, body, legs were free.   

Shame shall be upon all faces.  
Shame is the blushing of the face upon the sight, hearing, 
Pudor a rebus putidis Scal.  apprehension, or doing of something unseemly, dishonest, or filthy, as Rom. 6.21. Luke 14.9. 2 Cor. 4.2. Phil. 3.19. Shame notes two things.  
1. Disappointment, Psal. 119.116. Let me not be ashamed of my hope.  
2. Confusion, Psalm 35.4. Job 6.20. They were confounded because they had hoped, they came thither and were ashamed. And here disappointment and confusion were upon their faces, their expectations were disappointed, and hopes confounded.  
Shame was upon their faces, that they could not look up to God whom they had provoked against them; this shaming of sinners is expressed in the Word divers ways, Job 8.22. They shall be clothed with shame. That is the garment they shall wear, Psal. 44.7. Be put to shame, brought to shame, Psal. 71.24. Have their faces filled with shame, Psal. 83.16. Lie down in shame, Jer. 3.25. Be covered with shame, Obad. 10. Bear it, Ezek. 16.52. Be consumed with it, Jer. 20 18. All these were made good upon these Jews, they were clothed, put too, and filled with shame; they bore their shame upon their faces, lay down in it, were covered and consumed with it.   

Baldness upon all their heads.  
Their miseries and griefs should be so great, that they should pluck off the hair of their heads and beards, though it were against rule, Deut. 14.1. God provided for the comeliness of their heads and faces, yet in their sorrows they would disfigure themselves as the Heathens did, and add to their own misery.  

Vid. Q. Curt. lib. 1. Hom. l. 1. Iliad Agam: Vellentem capili●s in dolore indu●ie.  They deformed themselves, Jer. 47.5. and 48.37. Mica 1.16. Amos 8.10. Isa 15.2. Hair was an ornament, and baldness a reproach, 2 Kings 2.23. Come up thou bald head.  
It was said in the 11. vers. there should be no wailing for them, and here is mention of sackcloth and baldness, signs of common and great sorrow: There was no public wailing and solemn mourning at their burials; but privately they bewailed their friends, mourned for the evils upon them, or some few did appear that were not considerable.  
I●'s questionable whether baldness were upon all their heads, did all tear off their hair, and make themselves unsightly? Doubtless many of them did, and all had cause to do it. The Prophet speaks not what every one should do, but what their condition required; their calamity was such as called for all signs of sorrow, sackcloth, horror, shame, baldness.  
Obser. 1 The equity of Gods dealing with sinners, he punisheth them in the thing wherein they have sinned, they had ruffled it in their silks, scarlets, and fine linen, now God brought them to sackcloth made of hair and course materials that was as harsh to their flesh as the other was delightful. The scarlet men were brought to dunghills, Lam. 4.5. They that were confident themselves of their strength, now trembled; they were proud of their beauty, had haughty eyes, painted faces, etc. now were filled with shame, and they that gloried in their hair, now were made bald, here was the just hand of God, Isa. 3.24. In stead of sweet smells, there shall be a stink, and instead of a girdle, a rent, and instead of wel-set hair, baldness, and instead of a stomacher, a girding of sackcloth, and burning instead of beauty. Wherein they sinned, there God smote them, Psalm. 68.21. God shall wound the hairy scalp of such an one as goeth on still in his trespasses. They gloried in their hair then, as too many do now, and God would wound them in that, their hairy scalps should suffer; the Hebrew is, the Crowns of hair walking in its own wickedness.  
The hair holds forth the pride and vanity of the Master thereof, & God would wound it, and the head bore it; the word for wound, Muscu: & Moller: interpret, shall make bloody, or dip in blood; they have oft powdered their hair, to dry and sweeten it, and God would die it in their own blood.   

They shall cast their silver in the streets. 
Verse 19   
That which had been much desired, was gotten with great pains, they should throw into the open streets for any to take up, they were flying for their lives, and their bags of silver were burdensome: or they were faint with famine, so that silver would not relieve, or purchase relief for them, and therefore must throw it into the streets as dung and filth; there was an insufficiency in the creature to advantage them in this great distress, and thereupon despairing, they threw away that they had formerly so prized, so laboured for, and safely kept a long time. When Seamen are in storms and hazard of their lives, they will throw over board things precious, and this was the case here. By silver and gold understand not only coin, but place, and all things made thereof.   

Their gold shall be removed.  

〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Procul amovit.  The Hebrew is, for a removal, the Chaldeans shall take it away and carry it into Babylon, a far off: so much the Original root signifies, to carry it far from the place where it was; They had hoarded it up in Zion, and now it should be carried to Babylon. 
In sterquilinium.  The vulgar reads it, their gold shall be for a dunghill, their great heaps of gold made dunghills, and the word doth something countenance it, which signifies separation, ob immunditiam, such as is in a menstruous cloth which is thrown out to the dunghill. Their gold was the gold of their covetousness and oppression, polluted with Idolatry, and so matter fit to be separated from them, to the dunghill, that had lain so long by them, and was thought should never be stirred, that shall be for removal, either themselves shall throw it out upon, or hid it in the earth, or dunghill, or the barbarous enemies shall carry it into far countries'.   

Their Silver and their Gold shall not be able to deliver them.  
They had conceits of, and confidence in their riches, that they would benefit them one way or other; if Chaldeans came, they would hire them to be gone, if they took the City, they would buy out their lives and liberties, they dreamed that money could do any thing with any sort of men, but it was otherwise. If by gold and silver we understand their gold and silver Gods, they hoped for help from them; but they being without life, had neither counsel, power, or any blessing for them.   

They shall not satisfy their souls, nor fill their bellies.  
Such shall be the famine and want of bread, that all their wealth shall not purchase bread enough to relieve and satisfy them; though they have houses full of all wealth, yet their bellies shall have want, and souls faint for hunger. Soul here is put for the appetitive virtue, as in Math. 6.25. Take no care for the life what ye shall eat or drink. The word is for the Soul, that is for the appetite, God will provide. Here they took care for their bellies and appetites, and had little or nothing.   

Because it is the stumbling block of their iniquity.  
They had no use or benefit of their estates, when they had most need of them: and why? here is the cause, they were the stumbling blocks of their iniquity. By Iniquity, some Expositors understand punishment, and then the sense is, That their silver and gold were the occasion of these sad judgements fell upon them: Their Wars, firing of the City and Temple, and their leading into Captivity. The former translation hath it; For this ruin is for their iniquity; it renders stumbling block, ruin, and shows the cause, it's for their iniquity, and so iniquity is taken properly for sin, not punishment. They had sinned, and this ruin or judgement of casting away their silver and gold, of finding no help, of being hungry and unsatisfied was upon them for their sin.  
This sense is truth, but the Hebrew being thus, because it hath been the stumbling block of your iniquity. It leads to this sense, that their wealth was the matter and occasion of their sin, their silver, gold, and great estates occasioned them to sin more fully, and more foully, and therefore these judgements came upon them, their estates bred their sins, and brought their judgements.  
That wealth is the occasion and fuel of sin appears thus. Rich men in Scripture are set out as apt to trust in their estates, to be highminded, 1 Tim. 6.17. To glory in what they have, Jer. 9.23. They are liberal to their own backs and bellies, but hard hearted to the poor, Luke 16.19, 20, etc. They answer roughly, Prov. 18.23. They scorn others, Psalm 123.4. They are covetous, deceitful, having treasures of wickedness in their houses, Mica 6.10. They oppress the poor, corrupt Justice, and fill all with violence, vers. 12. They keep bacl the wages of Servants and Labourers; they live in pleasures wantonly, securely, James 5.4, 5. They little mind Christ and his ways, John 7.48. Matth. 19.23, 24. When Christ calls, they have their yokes of Oxen, which draw them so fast from Christ, that all his sweet invitations prevail not, they are prone to, and prodigal in false Idolatrous worship, Isa. 46.6. What wickedness doth not wealth prompt men unto, Jer. 5.27, 28. They are waxen rich, and what then, they are fat & shining, their faces, their apparel glisters; but it follows, they overpasse the deeds of the wicked, the richer they are, the worse they do; their riches are fuel to their lusts, and cause them to act with more heat and strength. Hence Christ calls them unrighteous Mammon, Lu. 16.9.13. Riches are men's Mammon's, gods that open the door wide for, and strongly entice to unrighteous and wicked things, therefore wealth is called wickedness, Psalm 52.7. Speaking of a wicked rich man, he strengthens himself in his wickedness. In the margin, its substance, and notes wealth gotten by a man's labour. Wealth gotten most honestly hath somewhat in it, which through our weakness and corruption may draw us to wickedness, and therefore here it falls under that notion.  
Obser. 1 That the creatures which promise the most help, and raise expectation highest in times of trouble, can do little or nothing for us. Their silver and their gold shall not be able to deliver them in the day of the wrath of the Lord: Things precious and powerful can do nothing for the owners in the day of distress, Zeph. 1.18. Prov. 11.4. They cannot deliver, they cannot profit in the day of man's jealousy; wealth will not profit, much less in the day of God's wrath.  
But it's said, Eccles. 7.12. Money is a defence. And Chap. 10.19. Money answereth all things. Money may defend from poverty, humane wrongs, but not from sickness, death, or the wrath of God: and it may answer for all our debts to men, but not for our debts to heaven. It's not the fruit of your body can answer for the sin of your soul, Mica 6.7. much less the fruit of your purse.  
The profit men labour for in their health, will not profit in the day of God's wrath. Judas 30. pieces could not still one throb of his Conscience. Herod's royal Robes, Sceptre, Crown, greatness, could not protect him from the teeth of a few feeble worms; nor all Jerusalem's gold and silver the Jews from the fury of the M●des, Isa. 13 17, 18. It's not all your wealth can keep the plague out of the City, or secure your lives when it's come.  
In a Famine, is not one loaf of bread more satisfying than all the gold of the earth. Silver and gold are not eatable, green herbs are more serviceable in such a case than they are; Let the counsel of God's Spirit therefore prevail with you, Pro. 23.4, 5. Labour not to be rich; cease from thine own wisdom. Wilt, thou set thine eyes upon that which is not? for riches certainly make themselves wings, they fly away as an Eagle towards heaven. Here are 3. arguments against it.  
1. It's humane wisdom, not divine to do so.  
2. They are inconsiderable things, they have no being in them, they are not sufficient to help and deliver you in your straits.  
3. They are uncertain things, they make wings to themselves and fl●e away, they are like birds in the nest that seem to dwell there, but presently their feathers grow, and they are gone, and their wings are Eagles wings, they fly swiftly, strongly from you: A fire in a night, & ●. therefore set not your hearts to get riches; or if they be gotten, set not your hearts upon them.  
2. That wealth in the day of God's wrath, when he deals with sinners, i● so far from advantaging, that it prejudiceth and wounds: They shall cast their gold in the streets, etc. They found it did them hurt; In prosperity they plead prerogative, and must have their will: and in adversity they have their prerogative above others, but it is a prerogative of woes. If any suffer, go into captivity, they do it first, Amos 6.7. N●buz●radan took the rich and fat ones with him, and left the poor that had nothing, to dress the Vine-yards, and possess the Land, Jer. 39.10. These had the privilege of safety, when others had a prerogative of misery: The wealth of these men did multiply their woes.  
1. One wound to them was, that they had not believed the Prophets threatening the ruin of their estates.  
2. That they had gotten their estates by unlawful means.  
3. That they had done little good, but much hurt by them.  
4. That they were disappointed now, and could not bribe the Chaldeans with all their Estates to spare them, they regarded not Gold, Isa. 13.7. Hence the Chaldee renders that in Prov. 11.4. Riches profit not; A Lie profits not; Riches are lying and deceitful things, they disappoint, and this wounded them.  
5. They were so smitten with fear, distraction, and blindness, that they saw not what to do with their Wealth, but threw it away, they do not carry it away.  
6. That what they had laboured hard for, kept with difficulty, prized so high, must now in a moment be parted with and thrown away.  
7. That all opportunities were now lost of doing good to their friends or others with their Estates.  
8. That they should be exposed to more shame, scorn, misery, and be more sensible of the same than those that never had any Estates, like one that hath warm , and being stripped of them is more affected with the cold than Beggars that feels it every day.  
9 That they had not sought the eternal good of their souls with their Estates, but sinned with them, and made way for a dreadful account.  
10. And lastly, that their lives were in the greater danger the more wealthy they were; Riches invite enemies to plunder, Jerem. 49.31. Fat Cattles are nearest the slaughter; Wealthy men are called Fat men, they are filled and fatted with their great Estates, and the wrath of God came first upon them, Psal. 78.31. Judges 3.29. It was their Gold that caused the Jews bellies to be ripped, when the Romans took Jerusalem.  
Obser. 3 3. Note here the folly of covetousness, men tainted with that sin lay up wealth for they know not whom, for their Enemies; the Jews were a covetous people, Mich. 2.2. Isa. 57.17.  
They were generally given to covetousness, even great and small, Jer. 6.13. & 8.10. Their eyes and hearts were for nought but Covetousness, Jer. 22.17. Wealth was the only object of their eyes, and Idols of their hearts; they had treasures, but God could give tbem away to Spoilers, Jer. 15.13. Yea all their Treasures, Jer. 17.3. Little did these covetous Jews think that the Babylonians should be enriched with their l●bours, wealth and treasures; they had vexed their heads, hearts, and hands to get Houses and Vineyards, banks of Silver and Gold, and now mere strangers, men their souls hated must possess their desirable things, and fill their pockets with their Treasures; this misery is upon all men, that they cannot foresee who shall enjoy what they get, and therefore it should prevail with men to labour less for the creature, seeing they work for they know not whom: It may be a Babylonian, some bloody Cavalier, Idolatrous Papist, or bitter Enemy to God and his Saints, some one he never saw, exchanged a word with, had any reference unto; and what thou hast been twenty or thirty years in gathering, he shall possess in one hour: David, Psal. 39.6. brands this practice with vanity and disquietment of spirit: Surely every man disquiets himself in vain; and why? He lays up riches, and knows not who shall gather them, who shall be owner and take them into his custody; Solomon upon this ground hated his labour in pursuit of the creature, because he knew not whether the man came after him should be a wise man or a fool, Eccles. 2.18, 19 You know neither the man nor his qualities who shall come after you, and why will you disquiet yourselves, for you know not whom, wise men or fools, Saints or Devils,  
You will say its for your Children:  
If so, they are either godly or ungodly; if godly, they have wealth enough, God is their portion, he will bless their endeavours, and provide sufficiencies; if ungodly, a little is enough, if not too much for them: But you are not sure to leave your estates to your Children, nor to keep them yourselves; remember Thiefs and Robbers are in the Land, and if you labour all day for Thiefs at night what folly, will this be.  
4. Abuse of our Estates, defiles them, and brings the wrath of God upon them, their Silver and Gold they had hoarded up, confided in, maintained their pride, lusts, Idolatry withal, that must be separated as an unclean thing, Levit. 14.55. The Leprosy defiled Garments, Houses; and sin defiles persons, whole Estates; when men divert their Estates otherwise, and to other ends than God hath appointed them, they wrong the creature, embodage it to their own lusts, they defile it, and bring the curse of God upon it, Isa. 24.5, 6. The earth is defiled under the Inhabitants thereof, because they have transgressed the Laws, changed the Ordinances, broken the everlasting Covenant: Therefore hath the curse devoured the earth, and they that dwell therein are dosolate: Their sin defiled the Land and fruit of it, and brought the curse of God upon all: When Adam and Eve put the fruit of the Tree to another use than God appointed, they then brought the curse upon themselves and the whole Earth, Jer. 15.13. Thy Substance and thy Treasures will I give to the spoil, and that for all thy sins: If you would not have your substance defiled, and cursed, take heed of abusing it.  
1. First, acknowledge all you have to be the Lords, you are Stewards, not Owners, Hos. 2.9. God calls it his Corn and Wine, etc. not only receive them as from God, but acknowledge them to be the Lords.  
2. Labour to see much of God in your Estates, most look at the outside, the glass, the galley-pot, not at what is within: God is in the creatures, Rom. 1.20.  
3. Make use of all truths you hear about the insufficiency and emptiness of the Creatures, say here is much Silver, Gold, Bread, but I live not by these, but the blessing of God, these are nothing without him.  
4. Work up your hearts nearer to God by them, Estates should be as Ladders and Mountains, when you are on them you go up towards Heaven, and when at the top you are nearest Heaven.  
5. Have your eyes ever upon some thing better than your Estates, unto which make your Estates serviceable.  
6. Lay out your Estates for God, his Worship, Cause, the Public, the Spiritual good of your Families and Friends, relief of the poor; It's Christ's direction, Lay not up Treasures, but lay out, give and it shall be given you, etc.  
7. Meditate oft upon that Scripture, Come give account of thy Stewardship, Luke 16.2. as you do of your Silver and Gold.    

CHAP. VII.  
20. As for the beauty of his ornament, he set it in Majesty: but they made the Images of their abominations, and of their detestable things therein: therefore have I set it fare from them.  
21. And I will give it into the hand of the stranger for a prey, and to the wicked of the Earth for a spoil, and they shall pollute it.  
22. My face will I turn also from them. and they shall pollute my secret place: for the Robbers shall enter into it and defile it.  
IN these Verses comes the Temple into consideration, and the calamity befell them in regard thereof, with the cause of it: The Temple here is described;  
First, by its appellation, It's his Ornament.  
Secondly, by its qualification: It's Beautiful.  
Thirdly, From its end, set for Majesty, or from the manner set in Majesty.  
Fourthly, The Author, He set it.  
The calamities befell it, and them, are  
First, Rejection, or separation of it, I have set it fare from them.  
Secondly, Tradition of it into hands of others: And they are set out to be; 

First, Strangers.  
Secondly, The wicked of the Earth, v. 21.    
Thirdly, Depredation, It shall be for a prey, and for a spoil, Ibid.  
Fourthly, Profanation, They shall pollute it, Ibid.  
Fifthly, Aversion, and that of the face of God, v. 22. My face will I turn also from them.  
Sixthly, Contamination of the Sanctum Sanctorum, They shall pollute my secret place.  
The cause of all these evils is set down in the 20 Verse, They made the Images of their abominations, and of their detestable things therein.  

As for the beauty of his Ornament he set it in Majesty.  
Some Expositors interpret these words, not of the Temple, but of their Silver, Gold, Jewels, and such like precious things, with which they were decked as a Bride, for which they should have been dutiful and thankful, but they abused all to Idolatry, pride, and service of their lusts, and so provoked God to take all from them.  
Others expound them only of the Temple, 
Jonathas, & Rabbi David de Templo interpretantur, Maldonat.  to whose judgement I incline, and that upon these considerations.  
First, It's said, He set it, which takes off the conection of this Verse with the former; had it been meant of their Gold, Silver, etc. it should have run Plurally, They cast their Silver in the streets, they shall not be satisfied; and so they set the beauty of their Ornament for pride; whereas its He set, not the people, but God.  
And if it be urged, He set their Gold, Silver, the beauty and Ornament of his people in Majesty, or for Excellency, it suits not with what follows; They made Images of their abominations, and detestable things therein, it should have been thereof, 
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in e● Montan. Piscat. Jun. Polan.  if that had been the sense; but it's therein, agreeable with the Original, and so choice Expositors render it.  
Secondly, Those words in the 21 Verse refer more properly to the Temple, then to their Silver and Gold, holy things are subject to pollution more than common: Some to help this, Interpret the word for pollute, to kill and make the sense; 
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉  They shall kill their Captives, and so refer it to the men, not their Wealth; or if to Wealth, than they render it vilify, they shall vilify their Silver and Gold, they have made their beauty and ornament; but I see no cause why the sense of the word should be changed in this verse. When it's taken for polluting in the next verse, they shall pollute my secret place.  
4. In this 22. verse, he speaks of the secret place, the holy of holies which was in the Temple, and hence to me is an argument that he spoke of the Temple.   

The beauty of his Ornament.  
These words are a metaphorical description of the Temple, whereby it's likened to a beautiful garment, which becomes the party wears it, or to any precious thing that adorns the body, Exod. 33.4. No man did put on him his ornament. That is, his chief apparel, and other precious things which might adorn the body. Ornaments were choice things, 2 Sam. 1.24. Judges 8.26. The Hebrew word signifies choice robes, silken veils, costly chains, crowns, etc. What ever excellency may be fastened to the body or garments of a man, such an ornament was the Temple, to God, and to the Jews.  
First to God, It was his dwelling place, Psalm 74.7. And no mean one, Isa. 60.7. He calls it the house of his glory: So great was the glory of it, that in comparison thereof the second Temple was nothing, Hag. 2.3. There multitudes of his people met, prayed, whence it's named an house of prayer, Isa. 56.7. There they sang praises, Psal. 150.1. and God there inhabited the praises of Israel, Psal. 22.3. There they sacrificed, 2 Chr. 11.16. And it was an house of sacrifice, thither did Kings bring presents unto the Lord, Ps. 68.29. Kings did honour the place, & garnished the Temple with great gifts: Selucus King of Asia of his own revenues bore all the costs belonging to the service of the sacrifice, 2 Mach. 3.2, 3. By his worship there he was distinguished and made known from all false Gods: there the Saints desired to dwell to behold the Lords beauty, Psal. 27.4. And see his power, Psal. 63.2. There every one speaks of his glory, Psal. 29.9. The earth is full of the glory of God, but the Temple is fuller; there is the chief & brightest glory, glory that affects every eye, heart, and tongue, all these are ornaments and honour to God.  
2. To the Jews: If we should look at the structure only, it was one of the stateliest and most magnificent buildings that ever the world had, there were 150000. workmen employed about it, 1 Kings 5.15, 16. And 7. years in building, Chap. 6.37, 38. The Apostles wondered at the goodly stones and glory of the second Temple, Luke 21.5. which were inconsiderable to those of the first, Hag. 2.3. In this respect it was a great ornament to Jerusalem, and the Jewish Nation: But it was the house of the great God, Ezra 5.8. The house called by his name, Jer. 7.11. Th●re he made his people joyful, and accepted their offerings, Isa. 56.7. There they had fatness, Psal. 36.8. loving-kindness, Psal. 48.9. Help in their distresses, Psal. 20.2. In Ezek. 24 21.25. you have these expressions.  

1. It's called their strength.  
2. The excellency of their strength.  
3. The desire of their eyes.  
4. That which their souls pitied (lest it should be destroyed.)  
5. Their glory.  
6. The joy of their glory; all which show the Temple was an ornament to them.    

The beauty of his Ornament.  
The Temple was beautiful, Isa. 64.11. Our holy and beautiful house is burnt up with fire. There was a material beauty in it, as you may read, 1 Kings 6. and 2 Chron. 3.6.8. He garnished the house with precious stones for beauty, and the gold was gold of Parvaim, all was overlaid with fine gold, which made it glorious, there was a spiritual beauty in it, Psal. 96.6. Strength and beauty are in his Sanctuary: There was the beauty of holiness, Psal. 29.2. There was beautiful order, beautiful worship, beautiful ordinances, and a most beauteous God, Psal. 27.4. Whose glorious presence and lovely truths drew the eyes and hearts of the godly thither, Isa. 2.3. Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, and he will teach us of his ways.  
Hence Zion the Mount, where the Temple was, 
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉  is called the perfection, or universality of beauty, Psalm 50.2. There was all beauty.   


〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉  He set it in Majesty.  
In magnificent pomp, or for Majesty, Glory, and Excellency; God set the Temple among the Jews, that it might be their glory, excellency, and make them glorious and excellent among all Nations, Isa. 60.15. is the same word, and it's rendered an excellency; it might well be, for so ל is rendered thrice in one vers. Exod. 28.2. Thou shalt make holy garments for Aaron, for glory, for beauty.  
Or he set it into Majesty, into excellency; the majesty and excellency of the Temple, was not only the stateliness of the structure, the strength, and situation of it on a hill; but in that it was sanctified and bare God's name, 1 Kings 9.7. Chap. 8.29. It was a type of Christ, and the Church, a part of their worship; in it their gifts and sacrifices were sanctified and accepted, Matth. 23.19. 2 Chron. 7.1. Fire came down from heaven, and consumed the  offering and the sacrifice. There was the Ark of the Covenant, a sign of God's presence, 1 Kings 8.6. In it were glorious visions of God, Isa. 6.1. Filled with glory, 2 Chron. 7.1. The people prayed towards the same, 1 Kings 8.38. The eye and heart of God was there perpetually, 1 Kings 9.3. It was exceeding magnifical of fame and of glory throughout all Countries, 1 Chron. 22.5. In these and such things consisted the Majesty, glory, and excellency of the Temple, and therefore it's called their excellency, Ezek. 24.21. The excellency of Jacob, Amos 6.8.  

Vide Drus. in locum.  Some refer it to the holy land, to their own habitations, to the City: If these, any, or all of them were the excellency of Jacob, much more the Temple, Psalm. 47.4. The Temple and worship of it distinguished them from, and made them excel all others.   

But they made the Images of their Abominations, and of their detestable things therein.  
Here is the cause of all their miseries; God had dealt bountifully with them, set his Ornaments amongst them, put glory upon them, and distinguished them from all Nations; but they forgot God, proved ungrateful, and polluted their glory, even the Temple, with superstition and Idolatry. These words, Abominations and Detestable things have been opened before.   

Therefore have I set it fare from them.  
Here is one part of their Calamity, God had set the Temple amongst them, a Divine Ornament for his own honour, their good and glory; but they corruptd themselves, dishonoured God, and defiled his worship, his holy place with their own inventions, abominations, and detestable things, and therefore I have set it far from them: or as the Hebrew is, I have made it to them an unclean thing, or given it to them for separation, it shall now be for their reproach, rejection, and destruction; it shall be taken from them, and destroyed out of my sight as a polluted thing.  
Obser. 1 The chief ornaments and glory of a people are the ordinances of God, and his presence. The Temple where God manifested himself, and the Divine Ordinances were to be performed, was their beauty, their glory, Zech. 2.5. I will be the glory in the midst of her, meaning Jerusalem. Other things may be some ornament to a people, as riches, peace, liberty, Cities well built, peopled, and fortified; Arts and Sciences, wise Counselors, strong Soldiers, just Judges, good Laws, prudent Governors, these adorn a people, but their chief Ornament is true Religion, and divine presence. The Gentiles had those  ornaments; yet because they had not the true God, and true worship of his amongst them, they were unlovely, accounted of as dogs, Mat. 15.26. An unhappy, a hopeless people, Ephes. 2.12. Without Christ, without God. David tells you what people is happy; even that people whose God is the Lord. Not those have a false God, and false worship among them: but they have Jehovah, his Temple and Ordinances with them. Moses knew that the presence of God and his Ordinances were the honour and chief ornament of a Nation, and therefore makes a challenge, Deut. 4.7. What nation is there so great, who hath God so nigh unto them as the Lord our God is. God was nigh them in the pillar of fire, in the Cloud, in the Tabernacle, in the Ark and other ordinances, and no Nation under heaven had God so near them, and gloriously amongst them as the Jews had. No nation though never so wise, wealthy or honourable had such statutes and righteous judgements as they had.  
Moses tells God that his presence would be an argument they had found favour in his sight, and were a people separated from all people on the earth, Exod. 33.16.  
Divine ordinances and God in them is the glory of any people, Jer. 2.11. Psal. 106.20. Therefore when the Ark was taken a symbol of Gods being amongst them, and before which they worshipped, Phineas wife said, the glory is departed from Israel, 1 Sam. 4.22. But when God manifests his presence with a people, then are they glorious, Isa. 59.21. He speaks of his Covenant with them, and Spirit upon them: And Chap. 60.1. He saith, Arise, shine, for the light is come, and the glory of the Lord is risen upon thee. Darkness shall cover the earth, and gross darkness the people; but the Lord shall arise upon thee, and his glory shall be seen upon thee. Others had darkness, but the people where God and his ways were, had light and glory; when new Jerusalem comes down from heaven, she is said to have the glory of God, Revel. 21.10, 11. Pray that New Jerusalem may come among us, that so glory may dwell in our Land, Psalm 85.9.  
2. It belongs to God to appoint worship, and the beauty of it; he set the ornament and beauty of it, not Moses in the Tabernacle, nor Solomon in the Temple might prescribe any substantial or ceremonial worship, Exod. 35.10. Every  among you shall come and make all that the Lord hath commanded: not what I have commanded, but what the Lord hath commanded; though they were wise, yet they might not do aught after their own hearts or heads, no not Solomon the wisest of men, 2 Chron 3.3. He was instructed for the building of the house of God. 
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉  The Hebrew is, founded; he had a foundation laid in him by the Spirit of God, before he laid the foundation of the Temple, or did any of the work thereof.  
What God appoints is an Ornament, hath beauty, is for glory; but let men set up aught in the worship of God, it hath no beauty but blackness, no holiness, but iniquity, and God must be worshipped in the beauty of holiness, 1 Chron. 16.29. Not in the blackness of Iniquity; men think that Ceremonies do decore the worship of God, that Pictures, Altars, golden Vessels do make it glorious; but all is deformity which God hath not set up, and set up for glory.  
3. The people to whom God vouchsafeth his presence, his ordinances, they are his glory above all others, 1 Cor. 11.7. It is said, that woman is the glory of man, especially when she is adorned with many Jewels, and more virtues; the Church is compared to a Bride, Isa. 61.10.62.5. And when she is decked with God's ordinances, and beautified with the graces of his Spirit, how doth he rejoice over her, delight in her, what a glory is she unto him; the Church is God's glory, Isa. 4.5. As the wife is man's, and being under Covert-baron, he will protect her, and esteems her as his glory. Hence he calls his people his peculiar treasure, Exod. 19.5. His portion, Deut. 32.9. His Jewels, M●l. 3.12. His Anointed, Psal. 105.15. An holy Temple, the Habitation of God, Ephes. 2.21, 22. The fullness of God, the body of Christ, Eph. 1.23. And Christ calls the Church his Love, his Sister, his Spouse, a Garden enclosed, a Spring shut up, a fountain sealed, Cant. 4.10.12. The fairest among women, Cant. 5.9. Fair as the moon, clear as the Sun, Chap. 6.10. And pleasant for delights, Chap. 7.6. The Church is very beautiful and glorious, a Crown of Glory in the hand of the Lord, and a Royal Diadem in the hand of her God, Isa. 62.3. The world hath base and low thoughts of the Church and people of God, but they are his glory, and glory in his hand.  
4. That Images in the places of God's worship are unwarrantable, sinful. Here God complains, that they made Images, and set them in the Temple; the Hebrew signifies an Image, 
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉.  shape of things corporeal, or incorporeal, and its the same with that in Gen. 1.27. God created man in his own Image, 
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉.  and this word includes all Images, 2 Kings 11.18. They broke Baal's Images: be they Images of Creatures, or Creator, they may not come into the place where God hath set his Name, and meets his people. The Cherubims were by Divine appointment, 
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉  Exod. 25.18. others were forbidden, Exo. 20.4. Thou shalt not make to thee any graven image. The Targum hath the same word is here, and if no Images may be made for holy places and uses, they may not be brought into them, 
Protrept. ad Gent.  being made: Clemens Alexandrinus calls it a deceitful art to make pictures, and saith we are forbidden to exercise it. The Emperor Adrian commanded Temples to be made in all Cities without Images, bare Temples without such ornaments; 
Lamprid. in vita Adriani. Idem in vita Alexand. Seu.  whence came the proverb, Adriani Templum, when the Gentiles built them bare Temples, and when Adrian made such Temples, it was conceived they were for Christ; the Gentiles demanding of the Christians why they had no known Images, 
Minute: Foelix in vit. Octa. De fug. seculi.  it was answered, what Image shall be made to God, when man himself is God's Image. Ambrose saith, our Church knoweth no such thing as pictures. Jerome upon Ezek. 4. saith, we worship one Image only, and that is Christ, the express Image of the Father; no other Image ought to be in the Assemblies but Christ, and what he appoints. It was a Canon of the Eliberine Council about the time of Constantine the Great, 
Concil. Elib. c. 36.  It is our mind that pictures ought not to be in the Church, lest that which is worshipped, should be painted on the walls. There is great danger in them, as you may read at large in the Homily of the peril of Idolatry, and bitter contention they caused among the Eastern and Western Christians heretofore, and still great strife and offence is between Papiste, Lutherans, and others about them; the Lord convince all of their unlawfulness, throw out all such abominations and detestable things.  
5. Such is the corruption of man, that it is ingrateful for, and abusive of the choifest mercies; God had set his Temple and pure worship amongst them in much beauty, for glory to them, and to himself: But they forgetting what a high favour this was in stead of honouring God in his Temple, & preserving his worship entire and pure, they bring in the images of their Abominations, their detestable things, and so blemish their beauty, defile their ornament, and slain their glory, it was wicked to corrupt themselves with strange marriages, Ezra 10.2. By dealing treacherously with their lawful wives, Mal. 2.15.16. By making a Calf to worship, Exod. 32.7, 8. But worse to bring their detestable things into the Temple, into God's presence and ordinances; when they made the Calf, Moses was in the Mount receiving instructions for worship, yet they had no place fixed for worship, nor the way of worship clearly opened unto them; but when God had set his Temple in Zion, they had a fixed place, a settled way of worship, and the most glorious beautiful worship in the world; yet they corrupt themselves herein. The Majesty of God's presence there, his glory, his commands did not awe them, they were not content with what his infinite wisdom had prescribed, the abomination and detestableness of their Images was not seen; but they being blinded with their own conceits, and hardened with their sins, proceeded to corrupt God's worship, Zephaniab saith of them, that they corrupted all their do, Chap. 3.7. Even when they had to do with God in matters of Religion and their Salvation, even there they were corrupters, a corrupt spring, Prov. 25.26.  
6. The Church's unthankfulness for choice mercies, causeth upbraiding Butts from God; he set his Temple, the greatest ornament and blessing they could have; But they made the Images, etc. Nothing exasperates God more than wretched unkindness after great mercies, Ps. 106. he reckons up God's great mercies to them, and they being ingrateful, ever and anon comes in a But, vers. 7.14.25.43. He did deliver them, do great things for them; But they provoked him, lusted, murmured. Ingratitude is a kicking the Benefactor, Deut. 32.15. Jeshurun waxed fat and kicked: The Scripture hath observable expressions touching this sin, Deut. 32.6, 7. Do you thus requite the Lord O foolish people and unwise? Is he not thy Father that hath bought thee, hath he not made thee and established thee? How did they requite the Lord, they corrupted and spotted themselves with the sins of the times and places: They were a perverse people towards God, and therefore saith Moses, do you thus requi●e? etc. It's folly and madness in you, Isa. 5.2. God repeats the kindnesses vouchsafed the house of Israel: and vers. 3. He calls the Inhabitants of Jerusalem and men of Judah to judge between him and his Vine-yard. God refers it to men to judge how kind and bountiful he had been, how base and ingrateful they, and therefore he would break down the wall thereof, and lay it waste; in such a case as this he was willing to be judged by men, they could not but see the great wrong done to God, and justify him in righting himself. Ingratitude makes the Author worse, and the Benefactor angry and wary.  
Angry, for God denounces fix woes against them in the Chapter afterwards.  
Wary, he would take heed how he bestowed his choice mercies upon such people, others that would be more fruitful and thankful should have them, Mat. 21.43. The Kingdom of heaven shall be taken from you, and given to another Nation bringing forth the fruits thereof. Not their own fruits, but such as Christ and the Gospel appointed. 
Alap. in Es.   
This sin was so prodigious that Lycurgus would make no law against it; but God hath made a law, Psal. 9.17. The wicked shall be turned into hell, and all the Nations that forget God. Ingratitude is the greatest and worst forgetfulness: Judas forgot the kindness and bounty of Christ, he betrayed him, and therefore was turned into hell.   


Verse 21.  And I will give it into the hands of strangers for a prey, etc.  
They had sinned shamefully, and God would punish them severely. Strangers, that is, Chaldeans should come and have Temple, City, them, and all they had in their hands, and God whom they flattered themselves in, thought still to be their friend, their help, even he would give all into their hands.  
These Chaldeans he calls the wicked of the earth: David calls such men of the world, Psal. 17.14. Men of the earth, Psal. 10.18. That is, base and vile men, as it's in Job: Children of base men, 
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉.  viler than the earth, fit for any cruel and bloody designs. The Septuagint hath it, pestilentiis terrae, the plagues of the Earth.  
The King of Babylon and his cursed crow went up and down in the world plundering Nations, shaking Kingdoms, and laying all waist, Isa. 14.16, 17. They were the pests and vipers of the earth, and into their hands must the Jews, God's own people fall; they must spoil the Temple, have all the ornaments vessels and treasures in it, all the pictures of silver and gold.   

They shall pollute it.  
The Temple was an holy place, the habitation of the holy God, had in much reverence by all sorts of people; but now they should see it not regarded as a thing consecrate to God; now Heathens, uncircumcised ones should enter it, which was against law, Ezek. 44.7. Now their blood should be spilt in it, now it should be made a prison, a stews, a stable; the Jews had polluted it with Images, and these Barbarians should pollute it many other ways.  
Obser. 1 The abuse of spiritual mercies causeth God to take them a-away, Jer. 11.15. Their lewdness caused the holy flesh to pass from them: they had the Temple, the beauty, and worship of it for their glory, to make them glorious within, as well as glorious without; but they abused their mercies, polluted Gods Ordinances, and therefore he removed the Temple fare from them.  
He took it away; the Lord had set his Name at Shilo, pitched his Tabernacle there, Josh. 18.1. and they abused his name and worship as you may see, Psal. 78.58. Then he was wrath, and greatly abhorred Israel. Then he forsook the Tabernacle of Shilo, and delivered his strength into captivity, and his glory into the enemy's hands, vers. 59.60, 61. which some interpret of the Ark taken by the Philistines, 1 Sam. 4.11. And in Jer. 7. when they lived loosely, and blessed themselves with their carnal confidence in the Temple, and worship of it, vers. 4.9, 10, 11. God sends them to Shilo, and bids them search and see what he did there for the wickedness of his people, and threatens to do so by them, even destroy their Temple, worship, them and their seed; they sinned in special things, and God punished them in that wherein they sinned; they pollute the Temple, and God causes the Chaldeans to pollute it; they confide in the Temple, and God lays it wast; they make an Idol of it, and set it near their hearts, and God removes it far off; they look upon it as clean, as their glory, and God removes it as vomit, as a polluted loathsome thing.  
It's a dreadful thing when God gives up a Church, a State, either or both to the wills of wicked men.   

I will give it into the hands, etc.  

Vers. 21.  I have set it far from them: If evil come to the gates of Jerusalem, and doors of the Temple, it's from the Lord, Mica. 1.12. And it's very grievous when God judges Kingdoms and Churches.  
First, They fall into the hands of men, strangers they know not, the wicked of the earth, such as neither fear God, nor regard Men, Bulls, Lions, Dogs, Psal. 22.12, 13.16.  
2. They are for a prey and spoil, their names, estates, habitations, chastity, children, limbs, consciences, lives, are preyed upon, they eat up God's people as they eat bread, Psal. 14.4. They make them meat to the fowls of heaven, and beasts of the field. They crush their bones, and shed their blood like water, Ps. 79.2, 3.  
3. Profaning and polluting of holy things; They shall pollute it. God's holy name is blasphemed, Psalm 79.10. Where is their God? why doth he not now help them? they have prayed, fasted, hoped in him, made lheir boast of him, why comes he not to help them, all holy things are defiled: and therefore Asaph in that 79. Psal. vers. 1. made upon the destruction of Jerusalem, cries out, O God the heathen are come into thine Inheritance, thy holy Temple have they defiled. This came first, and struck deepest into the heart of this holy man, that heathenish, idolatrous, bloody, profane persons should come and pollute the holy ordinances of God: The Church laments this as a dreadful evil, Lam. 1.10. The adversary hath spread out his hand upon all her pleasant things; for she hath seen that the Heathen entered into her Sanctuary, whom thou didst command that they should not enter into thy Congregation.  
4. Removal of all true worship, Divine ordinances, I will set it far from them. Now they should be without God, the means to know him, and way to worship him; Now God would have no Oblationt, Incense, new Moons, Sabbaths, solemn Feasts, or any worship at Jerusalem: There only was he known, worshipped, and now Temple, Ordinances, and all must down, be taken away, & God be unknown, unworshipped in the world, no public place for him left. Isaiah foreseeing this, saith, Chap. 42. This is a people rob, spoiled, and hereupon having a special quere to make, he calls for attention: Who among you will give ear to this, and hearken for the time to come, 
Ver. 23.  and make use of it, will any of you do it? Then thus, Jacob is spoiled; but who gave Jacob for a spoil, and Israel to the robbers? Was not Jacob the beloved of God, his excellency, his glory, etc. Did not the Lord do it? he against whom we have sinned; for they would not walk in his ways, nor be obedient to his laws, therefore he hath poured upon him the fury of his anger, and the strength of battle, and it hath set him on fire round about, yet he knew not, it burned him round about, yet he laid it not to heart. And is it not so with England? we had need to cry with David, Psal. 79.8, 9 O remember not against us former iniquities, let thy tender mercies speedily prevent us, for we are brought very low. Help us O God of our salvation, for the glory of thy name deliver us, and purge away our sins for thy name's sake.   

My face will I turn also from them, 
Ver. 22.  and they shall pollute my secret place, etc.  
This verse is a continuation of their calamities, and hath in it two grievous ones.  

1. The aversion of God's face.  
2. The pollution of the secret place.   
Concerning the first, it's questionable from whom he would turn his face, from the Chaldeans, or from the Jews. Some carry it from the Chaldeans, and so the sense is this: Though they be a barbarous people, and do unheard of things, pollute my holy place, sack my holy City, burn all to the ground, slay and captive my people, yet I will turn my face from them, I will not restrain them at all, but let them go on freely and fully in such ways, and take no notice of any thing done against me or my worship.  
Others to whom I incline, expound it of the Jews, that God would turn his face from them: and then the meaning is, that God would afford them neither his presence, counsel, comfort, nor deliverance; but he would leave them to shift for themselves and take no further care of them. God's face in the Scripture signifies;  
1. His presence, Psalm 51.11. Cast me not away from thy presence. The Hebrew is, from thy face.  

〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉  2. Counsel, 2 Sam. 21.1. David enquired of the Lord. Hebrew, sought the face of the Lord: that is, sought counsel of him.  
3. Comfort, Psalm 69.17. Hid not thy face from thy servant, for I am in trouble, shine upon me and comfort me. So Psalm 31.16. Make thy face to shine upon thy servant: That is, favour, comfort, make him glad.  
4. Deliverance, Psalm 31.1. How long wilt thou hid thy face from me: That is, deny to deliver me.  
There is mention of hiding his face, turning away his face, and setting his face against.  
The first befalls the godly, Psalm. 88.14. and 30.7. The other two the wicked, as here in our Prophet, they were a wicked Generation, and God turned his face away from them, and set his face against them, Ezek. 15.7.   

They shall pollute my secret place.  
That is, the Sanctum Sanctorum, the most holy place, where the Ark was, which had the two tables of stone, 1 Kings 8.9. Into this only came the High Priest, and but once in the year, and that upon the days of expiation, in which day he expiated the sins of the whole year by blood, for blood and Incense he carried in with him, Heb. 9.7. And some think the smoke of the Incense darkened the holy place, because no man can see God and live.  
At first it was filled with a cloud, and God was in that cloud, 1 Kings 8.10.12. God's nature is invisible, and inaccessible, but in the cloud & smoke he did manifest his glorious presence to the high Priest, who consulted with the Lord for the good of the people. 
The place was called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉.  The Sept. render it, my visitation, because there God and the high Priest visited one another. It's observed in Histories, that Pompey went into this secret place, and being asked what he saw, said a Cloud, and hereupon it was given out, that the Jews were Cloud-worshippers. One Heliodorus also thrust into this holiest of places, 
Cunaeus de republs. Jud. Weems.  who afterwards was struck with madness.   

Robbers shall enter into it. 
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉   
The Septuagint hath it, They shall enter without restraint, 
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉.  without any keeping them back: Theodot. Plague's shall enter, men that will be a plague, infecting and destroying all. The Hebrew notes such Robbers, as do make a violent entrance into the houses and possessions of others.  
Your margins express it, Burglers; and Burglary in the acceptance of Law, is a felonious entering into another man's house wherein some person is, or into a Church in the night time, with intent to steal, or do some felonious act there, albeit the act be not done: But in the natural signification of the word, burglary is a robbing of an house whither by night or day, and these Chaldeans were Burglers, men that should break into the Sanctuary and secret place, Ezek. 18.10. There is the same word, and it's joined with blood: If he beget a son a Robber, that is a shedder of blood, a house-breaker, a murderer, which shows there is violence joined with it, which regards not Laws and rights.  
Obser. 1 That judgements succeed one another upon a guilty people: Also I will turn away my face. He had spoken of sad judgements, some 11. or 12. and yet he comes in with more: There was a succession of sins, and answerably a succession of Judgements.  
Obser. 2 2. They are a miserable people from whom God turns his face; where his face is, there is happiness: When Aaron and the Priests prayed for a blessing upon the people, Numb. 6 25, 26. this was the chief Petition of it, The Lord make his face shine upon thee: The Lord lift up his countenance upon thee. Intimating that if they had these, no comforts or blessings would be wanting, Psal. 44.23. The destruction of the Canaanites, the implantation of the Israelites and their salvation, is attributed to the light of God's countenance, as well as to his right hand and arm, because if they have God's face and favour, they shall have his hand and arm to do anything for them; therefore Asaph in Psalm 80. three times prays thus; Cause thy face to shine, and we shall be saved, verse. 3.7.19. He knew if God's face were towards them, God's power would work for them, and they should have salvation of all sorts, salvation from enemies, which there he speaks of, and from errors, Psal. 67.1, 2. If God's face did but shine upon them, than his way would be known upon earth, if not, they should mistake and fall into errors and foul ways, Prov. 16.15. In the light of the King's countenance ●s life, much more in the light of God's countenance is life, the life of Kingdoms, Churches, Families, which Daniel knew, and therefore prayed, Chap. 9.17. That God would make his face to shine upon the Sanctuary which was desolate, the turning his face to them would quickly re-edify it, as the turning it from them had made it desolate. When the Lord doth turn away his face nothing but misery attends a people, Gen. 4.14. saith Cain, from thy face shall I be hid. Thy favour will not be towards me, no shine shall I have, but all shade: and what then, I shall be a vagabond upon the earth, and fear death by every one that meeteth me. When God takes away his face from any, the face of calamity and destruction is towards them, nay destruction is upon them: No sooner doth God turn away from a Nation, but destruction steps into that Nation, Deu. 31.17. I will hid my face from them, & they shall be devoured, many evils and troubles shall befall them, so that they will say in that day, Are not these evils come upon us because our God is not amongst us? Where you may see that Gods hiding his face is departing from them, and his departing lets in all miseries; when God is gone, nothing is left but sin and judgement, and they make fearful work in all places.  
If God would pity people under destruction, it were something; but he will not pity them then, not hear their groans, receive their prayers, or mind their tears, wounds, blood, death, Jer. 18.17. I will show them the back, & not the face. And when? In the day of their calamity, when they are in their greatest distresses, necessities, without council, help, comfort, even at the height of misery, I will not vouchsafe them one look, but go away from them in fury, leave them without hope, my back shall be toward them, and not my face, Jer. 14.12.  
3. When the holy God goes away from his holy places, then profane polluting wretches come into them: I will turn away my face, and robbers shall pollute my secret place: Thither should they come, whether none but the holy God and High Priest were to come: and whereas before it was filled with a Cloud, with Incense, with Glory, and the presence of God, now it should be filled with Burglers, Idolaters, oaths, and all profaneness, which could not but affect the Jews that were so zealous of preserving the Temple unpolluted by strangers, Acts 21.27, 28. A great stir was made against Paul by the Jews, because he had brought Greeks into the Temple, and polluted it. 
Joseph l. 7. de Bell. c. 4. and in his 5. book of Anti. c. 14. he saith; capitale erat Gentili ingredi Templum.  And when the Jews were under the Roman Emperors, they obtained of them, that none, no not a Roman should enter into the Temple under pain of death; yet themselves polluted it with false worship, drove God out of it, and of the holiest of holies, and made way for the worst of men to come in and defile the same.    

CHAP. VII.  23. Make a chain, for the Land is full of bloody crimes, and the City is full of violence. 
IN this Verse is another calamity, and the cause of it laid down. The calamity is a chain, the cause blood, violence.  


〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉  Make a Chain.  
Trouble, saith the Sept. a Conclusion, the vulgar, the Hebrew is, a Chain, and so it's rendered in 1 Kings 6.21. Chains, and so the Rabbis take it here; we may extend it to a roap, a with, a chain, any thing that a man may be bound with  
A chain is an emblem of bondage, Nabum 3.10. Her great ones shall be bound in chains, Psalms 107.10. Acts 12.6. & Jerem. 28.13, 14. The yoke of Iron that the Prophet was to make noted the imbondaging of the Nations unto Nabuchadnezzar King of Babylon.  
Whether by the Chain be prefigured the siege of Jerusalem as some interpret it, or leading into captivity as others will have it: Bondage is included in both: Some think the Lord here alludes to Malefactors, that in chains answered at the Bar of Justice as Paul did, Acts 26.29. They had freely and fully run out in vicious courses, but now they were to answer it to God who was set in judgement, and sentencing them to suffer heavy things: This also notes bondage, which is the sense of the Prophet.  
In a Chain 4 things are considerable.  
First, It's burdensome, heavy, 1 Kings 12.10. Thy father made our yoke heavy. And yokes, chains, fetters about necks, arms, legs, are grievous; when Peter was bound with two chains, Acts 12.6. it was troublesome unto him, and so was the condition of these Jews, the siege, their captivity was very burdensome; therefore Lam. 3.7. the Church saith, he hath made my chain heavy. She calls her bondage a chain, and a heavy one.  
2. It's restrictive, a man's liberty of going and doing is taken away by a chain, Acts 21.23. When Paul was bound with chains, whither could he go, what could he do, and bondage by a siege, captivity, Imprisonment, sickness, or otherwise, is a restraint of a man, which are threatened here: Jehoahaz was put in bands at Riblath, that he might not reign in Jerusalem, 2 Kings 23.33.  
3. Reproachful, 2 Tim. 1.16. Onesiphorus was not ashamed of my chain. There is shame and reproach attending chain●, and therefore Paul at the Bar, when he wished Agrippa and others were such as he was, excepted his bonds as reproachful things, Acts 26.29. This is threatened here, and was made good, Jerem. 39.7. Zedekiah had his eyes put out, and was bound with two brazen chains, and so the thing he feared came upon him, mocking and reproach, Jer. 38.19. And not only he, but all of them should be for a curse, an astonishment, an hissing, and a reproach among all Nations, Jer. 29.18.  
4. Tendency to further punishment: Paul was bound, Acts 21.33. with two chains. And Acts 24.27. two years he lay in bonds, and to what end, that he might come to judgement, and have further punishment, and he was to that purpose brought before Agrippa and Festus, Acts 26.29. and that in bonds, they tend to other and sorer judgements: Hence the Devils are said to be in chains of darkness reserved unto judgement, 2 Pet. 2.4. Judas 6. They have not their full damnation, they are semi-damnati, half condemned, and kept in chains for the rest, and here God would chain up these jew with bondage, and rese ve them in bondage to further punishment, even eternal destruction, Job 21.30. The wicked are reserved to the day of destruction, they shall be brought forth to the day of wrath.   

The Land is full of bloody crimes.  
The Hebrew is, the judgement of bloods, they gave out unjust sentences that had power, and condemned the innocent; guilty men were spared, and the good suffered, 2 King. 21.16. Manasses filled Jerusalem with innocent blood, Athaliah slew all the Royal seed, 2 Kings 11.1. Naboth is falsely condemned & stoned to death, 1 King. 21.13. Zechariah is slain by an unjust sentence, 2 Chron. 24.21. Joash the King was slain by his servants, vers. 25. Hence it's said, Isa. 59.3. That their hands were defiled with blood, that they were full of blood, Isa. 1.15. And here, that the land is full of bloody crimes, Ezek. 22.6. Every Prince in Israel to his power did shed blood.  
By bloody crimes some understand heinous sins, capital offences, such as deserved death, and the shedding of men's blood as Idolatry, Deut. 13.6.9. Blasphemy, Levit. 24.16. Witchery, sorcery, Leu. 20.27. Buggery, Levit. 20.15, 16. Sodomy, vers. 13. Adultery, vers. 10. Rapes, Deut. 22.25. False witnessing, to take away a man's life, Deut. 19.16.18, 19.21. Stealing, any man, woman, or child, Exod. 21.16. These, with murder and treason were bloody sins. So that the meaning may be, the Land was so full of these crimes, that it could not escape severe punishment, Hosea 4.25. By swearing, lying, kill, stealing, and committing Adultery, they break out, and blood touches blood, therefore shall the Land mourn; etc.   

The City is full of violence.  
This holy City was now so corrupted, that whereas God and men expected Justice and Righteousness at Jerusalem above all places in the world, there was violence; yea, a fullness of violence.  
By violence, understand what ever was contrary to justice and equity, as fraud in bargaining, Thefts, oppression, usury, withholding of rights and wages from the owners thereof, pillaging men of their estates, etc. Ezek. 22.7. In thee, that is Jerusalem, have they set light by Father and Mother. oppressed the Stranger, vexed the Fatherless and Widows.  
Obser. 1 That blood and violence, the sparing of the guilty, and condemning of the innocent, do bring Lands and Cities into bondage, such sins put them into chains, which are burdensome, reproachful, restrictive, and tending to further miseries, Ezek. 12.19. They shall eat their bread with carefulness, and drink their water with astonishment, that her Land may be desolate from all that is therein, because of the violence of all them that dwell therein. It's spoken of Jerusalem, Ezek. 22.4. Thou art become guilty in thy blood that thou hast shed, and hast defiled thyself in thine Idols which thou hast made, and thou hast caused thy days to draw near, and art come even unto thy years: therefore have I made thee a reproach unto the Heathen, and a mocking to all Countries.  
Jerusalem's sins brought reproaching chains upon her, which grieved and much vexed her, vers. 5. Zephaniah 3.3. Woe to her that is filthy & polluted, to the oppressing City. And why woe to her, which includes all miseries, all judgements, her Princes within her are roaring Lions, her Judges are evening wolves, they suck the blood, eat the flesh, and gnawed the bones of the people, and therefore woe to them, Jer. 6.6, 7, 8. Hue ye down trees, cast a mount against Jerusalem, this is the City to be visited, she is wholly oppression in the midst of her. As a fountain casteth out her waters, so she casteth out her wickedness: violence and spoil is heard in her, before me continually is grief and wounds. Be thou instructed O Jerusalem, lest my soul departed from thee, lest I make thee desolate, a Land not inhabited. She refused instruction, and was made desolate, let us be instructed now we look to have our chains broken, etc. Jer. 22.15, 16. when Josiah judged the cause of the poor and needy, than it was well with him and the Land. But when Jehoiakims eyes and heart were for covetousness, blood, oppression, violence, than God threatened that he should be cast out, and buried with the burial of an Ass, vers. 17.19. Isa. 10.1. Woe unto them that decree unrighteous decrees, and that writ grievousness which they have prescribed; To turn aside the needy from judgement, and to take away the right from the poor of my people, that widows may be their prey, and that they may rob the fatherless, and what will ye do in the day of visitation, to whom will ye flee for help, and where will you have your glory. Let Magistrates, Judges, men in place take heed what decrees they make, what sentences they pronounce in judgement, they may make our chain heavy, etc. Let people pray earnestly that God would assist them, guide them by his Spirit, that they may judge righteous judgement, execute justice upon Delinquents, and keep the Land from blood and violence. Of Edom it's said, for thy violence against thy brother Jacob shame shall cover thee, and thou shalt be cut off for ever, Obad. vers. 10.    

CHAP. VII.  24. Wherefore I will bring the worst of the Heathen, and they shall possess their houses. I will also make the pomp of the strong to cease, and their holy places shall be defiled. 
IN this Verse he shows what instruments God would use, and they were the Chaldeans, whose Title is, The worst of the heathen, and they should, 

1. Possess their houses.  
2. Destroy the pomp of the Jews, etc.  
3. Defile the holy places, and so lay waste both Civil and Ecclesiastical State.    

Worst of the Heathen.  
The root whence the word worst comes, signifies to be wicked, 
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 malum vel malignum esse.  to be a Malignant, to do evil, Jer. 4.22. They are wise to do evil. The Septuagint render it here, The wicked of the Heathen: 
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉.  And it's the same word is given to the Devil, 
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Les plus manvais in the French.  1 John 3.12. Of that wicked one, the great Malignant of heaven and earth. The Chaldeans are here called the worst of Nations, or Heathens, as the Hebrew i●, their wickedness appears in these things: They were a thievish people, they robbed Job of his Camels, and slew his servants, Job 1.17. They were great Sorcerers, Dan. 2.2.10. Great Oppressors, Isa. 14.4.17. Very cruel, therefore compared to Lions, Isa. 5.29. To a Razor, Isa. 7.20. To Cockatrices and Serpents, Jer. 8.17. They were Idolatrous, Ezek. 23.14. A Bitter and hasty Nation, Hab. 1.6. Terrible and dreadful, vers. 7. All for violence and spoil, vers. 9 Chap. 2.8. They were drunkards, Hab. 2.15. 
See Deut. 28.49, 50, 51.  Proud and unsufferably covetous, vers. 5. and Ezek. 23.25. It's said they shall deal furiously with thee, they shall take away thy nose, and thine ears, and deal hatefully with thee, vers. 29. They should stone them, dispatch them with swords, and burn up their houses with fire, vers. 47. These were the worst of Nations, or the worst of that Nation should come.   

They shall possess their houses.  
These wicked and mercil sse wretches, sparing neither man, woman nor child, should take all into their possession.  

〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉  The word for possess hath a contrary signification, to inherit, possess, Deut. 4.1. and to disinherit, dispossess, Zech. 9.4. The Lord will cast her out. 
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉  It's the same root▪ and you have both significations in one verse, Josh. 23.5. The Lord shall drive them out of your sight, and ye shall possess the Land. It's the same root for driving out, and for possessing, this is rare, and for the learned to observe that a word signifies contrary things.  
It's frequent signification is to possess by hereditary right, to succeed; but it's used sometimes more largely to possess any way as in 1 Kings 21.15. Deut. 2.24. Ahab took possession of Naboths Vineyard, and Moses of the King of Heshbons' land, which was not by succession: and so it's to be taken in this place, they should come in by force and possess their habitations. And there is something more in this phrase, possessing notes continuance of habitation in their hands, as being their own, 1 Cor. 7.30. Let them that buy be as if they possessed not. Possessors look upon things as their own, and to continue with them; here by the Chaldeans possessing their houses, is closely pointed out the 70. year's captivity, all which time the land and habitations left should be in the Chaldeans power.   

I will also make the pomp of the strong to cease.  
What ever lifts up, and causes the spirits of men to swell, it is Pomp, so the word is used, Jer. 12.5. In the swelling of Jordan, when the waters increased, and made the River swell over its banks, which Jordan always did in harvest time, Josh. 3.15.  
Strong or Potent m●n, whence great ones are called Potentates, their riches, attendance, honours, places, allyances, and the like, do make them proud, stately, selfe-confident; but their pomp, power, magnificence, excellency shall all cease and come to nothing. It's not their Arms, or Armour, their big looks, insolent speeches, rich attire, honourable Titles, or any thing wherein they glory that shall advantage them, be it their Soldiery, their strong and stout men, their pomp shall cease, I will crush their Crests, and bring them low. Pintus understands it of Zedekiah, and the Nobles of Jerusalem.   

Their holy places shall be defiled.  
The holy places were the Court, the Temple, and the holiest of all: some refer these words to person●, and not to places, and read them thus. They shall see profaned, defiled, which sanctify them: noting the Priests who sanctified the people by their offerings, and prayers for them, they shuld not be regarded as Priests of the highest God; but because they had dealt deceitfully with the people, corrupted the Covenant of Levi, therefore they should be slain as other persons, or led into captivity with them.  
Others read the words thus: They shall inherit their holy places, the Chaldeans shall come and take possession of them, because it's said here, Their holy places, and not Mine. 
Theod. Lavat.  It's conceived by some that these were Chapels, or oratory's, which they had made in several places in or near to their houses, and consecrated to God.  
Obser. 1 That God can use the worst of men to accomplish his holy designs, and execute his righteous judgements. The Chaldeans he brings to afflict, chain, and captive the Jews; Wicked men have wicked ends, answerable principles, and mediums to attain those ends, Isa. 10.7. But they are as staves and road in the hand of God, with which he corrects hypocritical Nations, vers. 5.6. They are God's sword, God's hand, Psalm. 17.13, 14. and he knows how to use both to effect his own pleasure, and to execute judgements upon sinners, and that without sin. Hath not God brought in, and set on work the worst of men among us? What Miscreants, Blasphemers, Plagues, Vermine, what Egyptians, Chaldeans, and bloody merciless wretches have we doing mischief in this Land, men that justify Chaldeans, that are skilful to shed blood, to cheat a Nation of its God and Religion, to betray and undo Kingdoms, many wonder such vile wretches should live and have a being upon the earth; many are troubled that God uses such filth and scum to do him any service; but we must know that there is use of Thistles, Scorpions, and Serpents, and God would not use such men, if there were not good to be done by them, Isa. 10.12. It shall come to pass that when the Lord hath performed his whole work upon Mount Zion, & on Jerusalem, I will punish the fruit of the stout heart of the King of Assyria, and the glory of his high looks.  
2. That houses, lands, and good things of this world we should not much seek after, seeing they may fall into the hands of the worst men. I will bring the worst of the Heathen, and they shall possess your houses. All they had gotten fell into the hands of Chaldeans.  
3. That no external excellency or pomp is to be confided in, God will make the pomp of the strong to cease; policy, power, riches, honours, strength of Armies, are not pillars of brass to confide in, they are glass, mettle soon broken, and blown away by the breath of the Lord, when he is in a way of wrath. Nabuchadnezzar was a proud Tyrant, that with his plundering made the world a wilderness, Isa. 14.17. That exceeded most Princes of the world in greatness, in Kingdoms, tributary Princes, honour, strength of Soldiers, etc. See in vers. 11. what is said of him: Thy pomp is brought down to the grave, 12. How art thou fallen from heaven O Lucifer son of the morning, how art thou cut down to the ground which didst weaken the Nations. So for Egypt that abounded in horses, Isa. 31.1. and trusted in their strength, Ezek. 30.18. The pomp of her strength shall cease in her: And Chap. 32.12. By the swords of the mighty will I cause thy multitude to fall. They shall spoil the pomp of Egypt, and all the multitude thereof shall be destroyed; God would destroy them with a great destruction, and then mercy should come in, than neither the foot of man nor beast should trouble them any more, than would the Lord make their waters deep, and make their rivers run like oil, ver. 13.14. Neither Babylonish nor Egyptian pomp endure long. God makes the arrogancy of the proud to cease, and lays low the haughtiness of the terrible, Isa. 13.11.  
This God hath done lately before our eyes, 
Victory at York 2. of July, 1644.  he hath made the pomp of the strong to cease, there were the Potentates of the Earth, Honours, Riches, Strength, Arms, Horses, & what ever might make them pompous, was with them, great hopes and hearts they had, they looked for the day, and thought not only the North but the South should be theirs: not York, but London, yea England to be theirs; but they are disappointed, their honour is laid in the dust, their pomp ceaseth. We may say according to that in Zech. 11.2.3. Howle Fir-tree, for the Cedars are fallen, the mighty are spoiled, howl O ye Oaks of Bashan, for the forest of the vintage is come down, their strength and comforts are abated: There is a voice of the howling of the Shepherds, (that is, Princes which should feed and seek the good of the people) for their glory is spoiled, a voice of the roaring of young lions, for the pride of Jordan is spoilt.  
The ceasing of their pomp should be the beginning of our praise, Psal. 98.1. O sing unto the Lord a new song, for he hath done marvellous things, his right hand and his holy arm hath gotten him the victory. We may sing with Moses, Exo. 15.6, 7. Thy right hand O Lord is become glorious in power, thy right hand O Lord hath dashed in pieces the enemy, and in the greatness of thine excellency thou hast overthrown them that risen up against thee: Thou sentest forth thy wrath, which consumed them as stubble. And with David, Ps. 136.1, 2, 3, 4. O give thanks unto the Lord for he is good, for his mercy endureth for ever, etc. And Psal. 107.8. O that men would praise the Lord for his goodness, and for his wonderful works to the children of men.  
4. unspiritual worship pleases not God, neither profits the worshippers, they had the Temple, ordinances of it, appeared oft before God, brought their Sacrifices; but God threatens them, and all their worship, their Civil estate, and Ecclesiastical also should be ruined; God in worship looks at the hearts and spirits of men, if they be absent from, but half, or in part in the worship, God regards it not. Their oblations are vain oblations, Isa. 1.13. Their fasts and prayers are a trouble, a weariness to God. v. 14. And he tells them that he had mouth-neerness, & heart-farnesse, lip labour, & heart-dishonour, Isa. 29.13. yea Ezek. 33.31. He had mouth-love, mouth-worship, when their silver and gold had heart-love, 
Cor est principium vitae, cogitationis omnis voluntatis & actionis.  heart-worship. It's the heart is the principal thing in God's eye. My son give me thy heart, Prov. 23.26. If that be not given him in worship, nothing is given, nothing is accepted that we think given. David therefore prays, Ps. 119.80. Let my heart be sound in thy statutes, that I be not ashamed. If a man have a deceitful spirit, a rotten heart, he will be ashamed when he shall find that all his prayers, fasts, services, shall be thrown back as dung in his face: Oain gave the fruit of the earth, not the fruit of his heart, and it was not accepted; neither do they gain aught at God's hands who worsh p him carnally, 1 Tim. 4.8. Bodily exercise profits little.  
5. Men are apt to rest in outside worship, & bless themselves for it, they cried the Temple of the Lord, the Temple of the Lord, etc. Jer. 7.4. They look at the Temple and worship of it, and hence concluded safety to themselves, they thought it not probable that ever destruction should come to them, their City, State, & Church; they looked upon their Temple as a glorious thing, and that worship therein would secure them from all; but God oft threatens the defilement, removal, and destruction of it from this 20. vers. to the 25. The Pharisee went up to the Temple, he fasted, prayed, gave tithes of all, and in such outside services did he rest. Men now have their Chapels and Chaplains, and think that by the prayers of the one, and holiness of the other, they shall be fitted for heaven.    

CHAP. VII.  25. Destruction cometh, they shall seek peace, and there shall be none. 
HE told them before, that the worst of the Heathen should come, and now that destruction was coming, and annexeth a new calamity, their vain expectation, and real disappointment of peace.  

Destruction.  
The Sept. is quite out in rendering it mercy, 
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Praecisio venit.  propitiation cometh. Others read it thus, A strait grief cometh. The Heb. signifies more, a breaking, a cutting off: so the word is used, Isa. 38.12. The Chaldee hath it, precision or forecutting. Piscator excisor, The cutter up, the destroyer, or man of destruction cometh: and he proves it must be taken so, because it's joined with a verb masculine, and so the sense is, Nebuchadnezar the destroyer, the man that cuts down Nations, that breaks Kingdoms in pieces, is coming upon you, even Nabuchadnezzar, who is destruction itself.   

They shall seek peace.  
God had threatened by his Prophets the utter ruin of Jerusalem which they would not believe; the false Prophets suggested the contrary, they cried peace, peace, Jer. 8.11. Ezek. 13.10. Seduced the people, so that they feared not, they considered the strength of their Situation, Tower, Temple, Soldiers, and what these Prophets had said, and would not believe that Enemies should come within their gates, Lam. 4.12. But when the Enemy was come, they sought for peace and safety, but found it not. 
Ezek. 38.22.  They excused Zedekiah that he broke with Nabuchadnezzar in the point of Tribute; they tendered silver and gold to buy a peace, and that would not do it, Isa. 13.17. Ezek. 7.19. They conceived that men come fare could not lie long before their Walls and Gates, but that they would be consumed, or glad to retire with shame, so they should be safe: Or if things came to the worst, that the City must be yielded, yet it should be upon good and honourable terms, at least with security of life and liberty; but neither their money, their policy, their prayers, or aught else could prevail for peace or safety, they had found them perfidious, & would hearken to no terms of peace; the Chaldeans were Cockatrices, and would not be charmed, Jer. 8.17. Therefore it's said, v. 15. We looked for peace, but no good came, and for a time of healing, but behold trouble.  
Some refer this seeking of peace, to God, they should in their straits, at the destruction by Nabuchadnezzar cry to God, make many fasts and prayers in the time of the siege, and seek for peace with God whom they had offended with their grievous sins, and he would not hear them, peace they should not find, Jer. 14.12. Ezek. 14.17, 18.  
Obser. 1 That wicked men in time of Divine judgements, when they come upon them, are peaceless; destruction cometh, and they should seek peace, they had neither peace within, nor peace without, wars were in their gates, and wars in their hearts, their own consciences did accuse, smite, condemn them. Common calamities roused their sleepy consciences, they saw themselves in ill case from Nabuchadnezzar, in worse by reason of God, the one threatening their lives, the other their souls. So that which way soever they looked, peace they saw none: The winds of affliction stirred the waves of their corruption, Isa. 57.20, 21. The wicked are like the troubled sea when it cannot rest, whose waters cast up mire and dirt.  
When the great winds are abroad, the Sea hath no rest, it cannot rest, it rages, and throws up and out, mire and dirt: So when great and death-threatning calamities are abroad, wicked men rest not, they cannot rest, they are mire, Isa. 10.6. And their expressions are miry, and what's the conclusion, there is no peace to the wicked saith the Lord. They may say they have peace, others may confirm their assertion, but God saith they have none, nothing of that is included within the sweet name of peace is to be found in them. You may find Satan there, a hellish conscience there, sinful lusts there fears, sorrows, terrors there, but no peace there. The way of peace they know not, there is no judgement in their go, they have made them crooked paths, whosoever goeth therein shall not know peace, Isa. 59.8.  
2. Great necessities and straits cause sinners to seek for that they formerly neglected, violated, viz. peace with God, and peace with man; Zedekiah, these Jews had broken the Covenant made with Nabuchadnezzar, they provoked God, 2 Chron. 36.12, 13. And now when destruction was upon them, they seek peace from heaven and earth; in their prosperity they regarded neither God nor man; but when both were against them, than they sue, they seek for peace at their hands. Wen Herod's displeasure was upon the Tyrians and Sidonians, they sought for peace at his hands, Acts 12.20. and Hos. 5. In their afflictions they will seek meearly, and earnestly too, Jer. 11.14. They cry in their trouble: and saith the Lord, I will not hear them in the time that they cry unto me for their trouble.  
3. That States may seek too late for peace with God & man, they may defer so long, that their seeking may be in vain, their endeavours frustrate, and hopes disappointed, they shall seek peace, and there shall be none, neither God nor man will give in any peace.  
The date of mercy was out, & the door of hope that, therefore Jer. 12.12. God tells them the spoilers were come, the sword devouring, and no flesh should have peace, neither young nor old, though they sought it earnestly. In stead of peace they should be in travel as one with child, their hands should be upon their loins, their faces pale, and cry out, Alas for that day, Jer. 30.5, 6, 7. The time was come, that God had taken peace from the Land, Jer. 16.5. I have taken away my peace from this people, even loving kindness and mercies. God had taken it away, and now it was too late for them to seek after it, too hard for them to bring back, or any friend they had. If they looked that Jeremy, who was a Prophet, acquainted with, & interessed in God should do it, he was forbidden to pray for them, Jer. 14.11. Pray not for this people for their good. If he prayed against them, God would hear him, but not if for them. It would be sin in him so to do, if they looked for others that they had better thoughts of then jeremy. God's tells them that if they had as good men as Noah, Daniel, & job who were acquainted with great afflictions, could pray very powerfully, & being precious men, righteous, perfect, desirable, as God's testimony is of them, yet they should not help them with their prayers at all, Ezek. 14.14. Nay if they should set upon fasting and praying themselves, God would not hear, or give in any peace, jer. 14.12. When they fast I will not hear their cry, and when they offer burnt offerings and an oblation, I will not accept them, but I will consume them. They beg peace, I will send the sword: They ask bread, I will send a famine: They desire health, I will bring the pestilence, and these shall consume them.  
It's dreadful when any come too late unto God, then in stead of mercy, they meet with judgements. Hence jer. 8.15. We looked for peace, but no good came, and for a time of health, but behold trouble. When it will be thus with a Land, see Ezek. 14.13. Prov. 1.24, etc. Matth. 23.37, 38.    

CHAP. VII.  26. Mischief shall come upon mischief, and rumour shall be upon rumour, then shall they seek a vision of the Prophet, but the law shall perish from the Priest, and counsel from the Ancients. 
HERE is more woe yet discovered, not single, but maltiplyed woes, one mischief at the heels of another; no sooner shall one be over, but they shall hear of another: one mischief in the morning, and presently news of another before noon-tide, or evening, and after that, another by midnight, and so they were never free from feeling and fearing miseries.  
News they should have of the Chaldeans coming with fury and for spoil, beset they should be with mischiefs, and when they looked for comfort and counsel from the Prophets, Priests, and Ancients, there should be no vision, no law, no counsel, These who had helped them in former times should now fail them.  

Mischief.  
Contrition, trouble, woe, 
Montanus.  this word mischief sometimes notes sin, as Psalm 36.4. and 140.2. Acts 13.10. Sometimes an ill accident befalling one, 2 Kings 7.9. If we tarry till morning some mischief will befall us. Sometimes judgement, Isa. 47.11. Mischief shall fall upon thee, and thou shalt not be able to put it off. The stroke of God shall come unavoidably, they were a people set on mischief, Exod. 32.22 Set upon sinning, and God told them he would be set upon punishing, Deut. 32.23. I will heap mischiefs upon them. Which here in the Text were coming one after another, and crowding in upon them.  
Mischief upon mischief notes multiplicity and coherence of Judgements, Sword, Plague, Famine, and those evils attend them, which are not a few, Job 19.12. You have a like phrase, his troops came together. There was a multiplicity of calamities, troops and coherency, they came together.   

Rumour shall be upon rumour.  
The news shall be brought them of the Chaldeans coming from several quarters, and by several messengers to their City, their ears shall be filled with tidings and reports of their drawing near. It's conceived the Jews had their Scouts and Spies abroad that watched on the tops of mountains, and places suspected, and when any danger appeared, they gave notice thereof, and so Rumour was upon Rumour; one brought news that the King of Babylon was in Arms such a day with so many thousands; a second, that he had marched so far; a third, that he had invaded the borders of their Land; a fourth, that he had taken some Towns, put most to the sword, and burned the Towns, etc. Another, that they would presently be at the gates of Jerusalem.   

Then shall they seek a vision of the Prophet.  
Finding no peace, seeing mischiefs multiply, and hearing sad Rumours from all parts, they had one refuge left, and that they make use of, viz. They seek to the Prophet for a vision, surely thought they we shall have some good tidings from heaven when we have none from earth; the Prophet will help us, when all others fail us. In our great straits we shall have some Counsel or Comfort.  
But either there was no vision, or such as was in no stead to them: The false Prophets had nothing to say, the true they hated, and what they said would not be believed, or practised, Jer. 38.14. etc. Zedekiah speaks to Jeremiah for a vision, he makes known the mind of the Lord, tells him what he must do to save himself and the City, yield up himself into the hand of the King of Babylon's Princes, and then he should live, and the City be unburnt; this vision was sad, not entertained, and so as none. Zedekiah and the rest would have had a vision, that is, 
Ver. 27.  a word of God by the Prophets to have freed them from the misery and straits they were in, and there was no such vision.   

But the law shall perish from the Priest.  
And the law shall perish, many read it so, noting out a further degree of their misery: Prophecy shall not only fail them, which is extraordinary, but even that which was ordinary, the preaching and expounding of the Law, the Priests should have no sound or true knowledge of it.  
Read it But the law, etc. The sense will not much differ, they look for visions from Prophets, But they shall not have the law from Priests, vision and Preaching both shall fail them.  
This phrase To perish from is an Hebreisme, and noteth not abolition, but absence; the law should not be dissolved, lost, But taken from those Priests, they should be without the law. Take some places where you have the like speeches, Psal. 142.4. Refuge failed me. The Hebrew is, perished from me. I was without refuge, Amos 2.14. Flight shall perish from the swift. Power of flying shall be absent. And Joel 1.5. Howle ye drunkards because of the new wine, for it is cut off from your mouth: That is, there is none for you; and so here, The law shall perish from the Priests: That is, the sound knowledge, and true interpretation of the law shall be absent from them, their lips shall preserve no knowledge.   

Counsel from the Ancient.  
Elders, some refer these to Church-officers, 
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Isa. 37.2. Elders of Priests  the Prophets were to teach them, the Priests to offer sacrifices, and the Elders to order and discipline them, which required wisdom and Counsel.  
Others refer them to State-Elders, in which sense the word is frequently used, Gen. 50.7. Exod. 17.5. Psal. 105.22. and is there translated Senators: Take it in which sense you will, Counsel should perish from them, they should not be able to advise for the welfare of Church or State.  
Obser. 1 When a people is under Divine displeasure, there is a succession of evils for them, mischief after mischief, they may not expect a few, but many. Saul after he had sinned in sacrificing, rejected God, Samuel tells him that his Kingdom should not continue, 1 Sam. 13.14. Then 3. Companies of spoilers came. Mischief from the Philistines, vers. 17.18. Then had they no Smith in all Israel, v. 19 After, Chap. 15.23. He hears God had rejected him from being King, that he had rend the Kingdom from him, v. 28. After this he was troubled with an evil spirit from the Lord, Chap. 6.14. In the 17.10. Goliath defies the Armies of Israel, Chap. 18.7, 8. David is magnified above Saul, which vexed him to the heart, and filled him with fear, vers. 29. He is disappointed of David, whom he attempts to kill, Chap. 19 He distrusts his servants, and complains of their unfaithfulness, Ch. 22. The Philistims invade his Land, being in pursuit of David, Chap. 23. David & Abishai came upon Saul sleeping, and could have killed him, Chap. 26. Being sore distressed, he seeketh to the Witch of Endor. When God was departed, no answer by Prophets, and the Philistims were upon him; the Witch raises the Devil, who tells him of nothing but his own, and Israel's ruin, Chap. 28.19. These tidings struck him half dead, v. 20. After this, his sons are slain, his Army is routed, he and his Armour bearer kill themselves, Chap. 31. here mischief followed upon mischief.  
Pharaoh had ten plagues one after another, and in the Revelations you read of 7. Trumpets, 7. Vials, they came not single, but by seven, and brought in mischief after mischief, and judgement after judgement, Jer. 51.31, 32. One Post shall run to meet another, and one messenger to meet another, to show the King of Babylon that his City is taken at one end, that the passages are stopped, the reeds burnt, and the men of War affrighted.  
Many evils and troubles do befall States and Churches when they are under God's wrath, Deuteronomie 31.17. Then my anger shall be kindled against them in that day, and I will forsake them, and I will hid my face from them, and they shall be devoured, and many evils and troubles shall befall them, so that they will say in that day, are not these evils come upon us because our God is not amongst us.  
When God is in a way of revenge, he is continually at his work, so that one misery is but the messenger of another: and here is the misery of the wicked, they shall perish rather an hundred times over, then go unpunished.  
2. God proceeds by degrees and steps to severity of judgements; though people be exceeding guilty, deserve as much wrath as is in all the vials of God, yet he pours not out all his wrath at once, mischief comes after mischief, and rumour after rumour.  
First, Some drops of a vial, than some little streams, 
Mansuetudo iram Clementia paenam moderatur.  after that the strength: God hath clemency in him, moderating his punishments. If little ones will prevail with sinners, he will withhold the greater: Sometimes though he see no amendment in the Creature, his own goodness, bowels and compassion do cause him to forbear, Psalm 78.38. He did not stir up all his wrath: He had cause to have done it, they flattered with him, lied unto him, their heart was not right, they broke Covenant, vers. 36.37. And yet he stirred not up all his wrath: he kindled not the fire so hot as utterly to consume them: Nay, that wrath which was up, and coming out, he turned away: And why? He was full of compassion, and remembered they were but flesh: Yet because they were a stubborn people, profited neither by mercies nor judgements, but fell to Idolatry, its said vers. 9 He greatly abhorred Israel, and then the consuming fire was kindled, vers. 63. At first God's wrath is little, Psal. 2.12. I was a little displeased, Z●ch. 1.15. But if sin grow, God's wrath grows, as Ahab's cloud, at first little as a hand, but quickly it covered the face of heaven, it was black with clouds and winds, and there was a great rain. How little soever God's wrath be in the rise, it can suddenly cover the face of heaven, & cause a great rain, a rain of fire and brimstone, an horrible tempest, Psalm 11.6. God hath great wrath, and fierceness of wrath, 2 Kings 23.26. He hath a little finger, a hand, an arm, and loins to be heavy upon sinners: He gins with the little finger, if that do good he will stop, if not, you shall feel his hand, his arm, and weight of his loins, he hath wrath reserved, Nahum. 1.2. Wrath to come, 1 Thess. 1.10.  
3. Wicked men in great straits will sue to them for help, whom before they hated, they should seek for a vision from the Prophet now they were in extremities, and they run from Prophet to Prophet to get some Counsel and Comfort. The false Prophets who had been countenanced by them, had deceived them, the true were hateful to them: Jeremiah, Zephaniah, Baruch were left, and now they sue unto them for visions, see Jer. 37.17. and 38.14.27. and 42.1, 2, 3. There the King, Princes, and people being distressed, seek to Jeremy, yet he was cursed by them, Jer. 15.10. Beaten and put into prison, Chap. 37.15. Ahab sends for, and consults with Micaiah, whom he hated, when he was to go out to War, and in a straight what would be the issue of it, 1 Kings 22.8. When the Plagues were upon Pharaoh, than he sends for Moses and Aaron, Exod. 8.8.25. and 9.27. and 10.8.16.24. He sends for them in haste, and in the night, Chap. 12.31. Seven times he did it: Prophets are precious in times of trouble; when men's liberties, estates, and lives are in question, than they are glad to have help from Prophets, their Counsel, Prayers, holiness, they think may do them good. Abimilech took away Abraham's Wife, but what said God to him, Gen. 20.7. Restore the man his wife, for he is a Prophet, and he shall pray for thee, and thou shalt live: If not, thou shalt surely die, and all thine.  
Take heed how you abuse, and ill-intreat the Prophets, the time may come, you may have need of them, and be glad to hid yourselves under their wings, ask their Counsels, importune their prayers.  
4. They that will not hear God's servants when they are at ease, shall not have help from them in time of their distress; they refused to hearken to Jeremiah, Chap. 44.16. As for the word that thou hast spoken to us in the name of the Lord, we will not hearken unto thee: And now they seek unto him for a vision, and there is none for them, or that afflicted them more than if they had none. It's just with God to withhold visions from the Prophets when people desire them, who slighted them when God gave them. If people stop thei● ears, and will not hear, God will stop the Prophet's mouths, they shall not speak, Lam. 2.9. Her Prophets find no vision from the Lord. They sought to the Prophets, the Prophets to the Lord, but neither found any vision, night and darkness was upon them, and there was no answer of God, Mica. 3.6.7.  
5. That it's a dreadful evil when God takes away the signs of his presence, visions among the Prophets, the law sound interpreted by the Priests, and seasonable Counsel from the Elders, were evident tokens of God's presence amongst them; when these failed, they were demonstrations of his absence; here they should all perish, from the Prophet, the Priest, and the Ancient; now they should neither have extraordinary, nor ordinary help, as it was with Saul, 1 Sam. 28.15. God answered him neither by Prophets nor by Dreams, which was an argument he was departed, and hereupon he was in great distress. Micah was troubled greatly, when the Danites took away his Idols, Judges 18.23, 24. He thought that a great evil, that the signs of his God's presence were gone: But how much greater evil is it, when the signs of the true God's presence are taken away, 1 Sam. 4. When the Philistims had routed the Israelites, and taken the Ark, and a Benjamite brought news of it to the City, and all the City cried out, vers. 13. Great and small were afflicted at this, that the Ark, the pledge of Divine presence was gone, and Eli was not so much strucken at the death of his 2. sons, as at the taking of the Ark; when he heard that was gone, he could live no longer, he fell backward, vers. 18. broke his neck, and died. So Phineas wife upon this occasion falls into Travel, and names her Child Ichobod, vers. 21. which is, where is the glory. The Ark is gone, God is gone, Israel hath now no more glory: so here, the tokens of Gods being among them were removing, vision failing, the law perishing, etc. and where these go away, it's night, Ignorance comes in, Errors increase, and all woes are at hand: While God is present by h●s Word and Ministers, what evils soever fall out, there is relief in the Word and Ordinances against them, thence arguments are fetched patiently to bear them. But if they be gone, that evil may sink the heart without others: and when seas of Vinegar, and floods of bitter wa●er compass you about, you have no oil to allay them, nor sugar to sweeten them.  
6. That truths are not confined to any sort of men, not to Prophets, Priests, or Ministers in these or any days, the Prophets should be without vision, the Law should perish from the Priests, and Counsel from the Elders. It was a conceit of old that this rank of men should not be without knowledge & truth, Jer. 18.18. Come let us devise devices against Jeremy, for the Law shall not perish from the Priest, nor counsel from the wise, nor the word from the Prophet, come let us smite him with the tongue, etc. Let us accuse him to be a false Prophet, get him silenced, imprisoned, put to death. All in authority in the Church, the Prophets, the Priests, the Elders, are against him, & you need not fear if he be taken of out the way, though a Priest, a Prophet, full of wisdom and counsel, there will be others as good as he, more mild and sweet; it will be no considerable loss, for the law shall not perish from the Priest.  
They were possessed with this apprehension, that truth, knowledge, counsel, and the Spirit of God was peculiar to them, and should not be removed from them; but the Lord confutes them, and confounds their conceit, there shall be no Vision, no Law, no Counsel. Aaron had neither Vision nor Law when he said, These are thy Gods O Israel, Exod. 32.4. Ahab had 400 Prophets, but no vision amongst them. Had there been a Council of these Priests and Prophets gathered to Counsel and determine for the good of the Church, what Canons and Conclusions would they have made: The Papists and some others stick much to Counsels, and challenge knowledge, truth, and God's Spirit to be amongst them; they are the representative Church, and where should light and counsel be, if not amongst them: Let them and all consider that the Lord is not tied to men, that truth is not the Inheritance of Priests, Prophets, Popes, Counsels, more than others: The law shall perish from the Priests. And Mar. 14.53. There was a grand Council, the High Priest, and with him were assembled all the chief Priests, the Elders, and the Scribes: And vers. 34. you have the result of this Council, they all vote Christ to be a blasphemer, and condemn him to be guilty of death, whereupon he was spit on, buffeted, and greatly abused. If a whole Council have condemned Christ the Head, its like they have condemned many of the members since.  
The great Council of Nyce had erred in point of Minister's marriage, if Paphnutius had not prevented. That of Arminum held rebaptication of those, heretics had baptised. That of Constance denied one of the Elements in the Supper of the Lord to the people. God is not tied to Counsels, 
Aretius' de util. Script. in l. Com. Tertul. in exhort. ad castitatem.  to Prophets or Priests, but is free to be where he please, and to impart truth to whom he please, and to as few as he please: Vbi tres, sunt ecclesia est, licet laici fuerint, said Tertullian long since: And if they be a Church, they may have truth amongst them, and more given in unto them as well as others.  
God gives Vision, Law, Counsel, and takes them away at his pleasure, he creates light and darkness. They shall seek vision of the Prophets, and there shall be none. Prophet's could not prophesy at pleasure: But when God gave in visions, than they gave out light. Nathan had no vision, no word from heaven to encourage David to build, he had one to take him off, 2 Sam. 7. Neither had the Priests the knowledge of the Law always, Hosea 4.6. Mal. 2.8. Neither is counsel always with the Ancient, Isa. 29.14. You that have Vision, th● Law and Gospel, the Counsel of the Ancient, how soon God may remove it, is a secret, the light was extinguishing lately, there were many extinguishers, Jesuitical, Prelatical, and others. Be not unthankful for the light you have, sin not against light by disgracing that as New light which suits not with your spirits: It was in the womb of the Sc iptures, though not brought forth till of late. If you spurn a any light, any truths of God, you may lose what you have; If you receive not the truth with love, God will send you strong delusions. If you hate those that bring you light, you are in darkness, notwithstanding all the light that shines amongst you, 1 John 2.9, 10. He that saith he is in the light, and hates his brother, is in darkness until now. He that loves his brother abideth in the light, and there is no occasion of stumbling in him. Let me say to you as Isa. Chap. 2.5. O house of Jacob, come ye & let us walk in the light of the Lord. And as Christ to the people, Yet a little while is the light with you, walk while ye have the light, least darkness come upon you, John. 12.35. Acts 26.19. Paul was not disobedient to the heavenly visions he had; be not you, but walk in the light and warmth of them, and then see what a blessing you shall have, 1 John 1.7. If we walk in the light as he is in the light, we have fellowsh p one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.  
8. Those will not do what they know, shall not know what to do: Zedekiah and the rest would not do what they knew, Jeremy bade them go forth, yield themselves, and it should be well with them and the City; but they did it not, and quickly after they knew not what to do, no Vision, no Law, no Counsel; in a straight, and knew not which way to turn them. Adam knew what to do, but did it not, and presently after his head is in the thicket, and he knows not what to do. Saul knew that he should not offer sacrifice, that he should have slain Agag, spared neither man nor beast, he did it not: and how oft he was in straits, and knew not what to do, you may observe in the story, especially in that famous place, 1 Sam. 28.15. When the Witch had raised the Devil in samuel's likeness and mantle, he tells him why he had called him, I know not what to do, but I have called thee that thou mayest make known unto me what I shall do.    

CHAP. VII.  26. The King shall mourn, and the Prince shall be clothed with desolation, and the hands of the people of the Land shall be troubled: I will do unto them after their way, and according to their deserts will I judge them, and they shall know that I am the LORD. 
HAving spoken of the Ecclesiastical estate in the former Verse, in this he comes to the Civil estate, and shows that the judgements should light upon all sorts, King, Prince, and People; mourning, desolation, and trouble, shall be upon them; he names the subjects of misery, and the miseries; then he lays down the causes, the efficient, God, the material and meritorious, their ways, deserts, than the end of all these Judgements, That they may know-&c.  

The King shall mourn:  
Hebrew is ijthabbal, the word being in Hithpael, 
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Sept. is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, Which denotes a great measure of sorrow, and expressions of it outwardly.  notes continuation of mourning; some therefore render it, He shall pine away, or kill himself with mourning: Its mourning with sighing, and sighs are wasting; and surely Zedekiah had cause of constant mourning, even to his death; he lost the Kingdom, his Sons, and his eyes at once, which were dear things unto him; and some observe when the word is referred to Men, it notes mourning for dear things.   

The Prince:  
That is, Princes, the Singular Number for the P● 〈…〉 ●●●phet for prophets.   

Shall be clothed with desolation:  
It's metaphorical, from Garments, which do cover and compass about, so Desolation should compass the Princes and Nobles on every side: The word notes such Desolation as breeds amazement in the beholders; which was here when they saw the City, 
Moller. Psal. 143.4.  the Temple, the Kingdom laid waste, all things in them desolated; they were clothed with desolation, and amazed at so strange a Garment upon them.   

The hands of the people of the Land shall be troubled.  
When the people should see their King mourning, their Nobles desolate, no heart or spirit in them for the Church and State, for their Liberties or Lives, their hearts and hands were troubled.  
But he expresses it by their hands, because it was more visible by them, and set out the greatness of their misery, they had no hands through fear and faintness, to follow their Callings, no hands to take up Arms to defend themselves; no hands to lift up in prayer.   

According to their deserts.  
The Hebrew is, According to their judgements, they have made ill Judgements of persons and things, and deserve my judgements for them, and answerably I will deal with them: They have oppressed, they shall be oppressed, they have not heard the cry of others, 
Ex judiciis peccatoris judicat peccantem Deus Orig.  they shall not be heard crying; they have rejected me, and they shall be rejected by me; they have killed, and they shall be killed; they have spoiled, and they shall be spoilt; and so that of Christ, in Matth. 7.2. is made good, With what judgement ye judge ye shall be judged, and with what measure you meat, it shall be measured to you again: In the 3, 4, 8, & 9 Verses of this Chapter hath been spoken of Judging and recompensing them according to their ways.  

Obser. 1.  That God hath times for Kings and Courtiers to mourn in; greatness exempts not from God's hand, if great ones sin, they shall smart for their sins: The King shall mourn, etc. God takes off Royal Robes, and puts sackcloth upon King's loins that sin against him; heavy judgements he brings upon Kings; Zedekiahs' sins were great:  
First. He was false, a thing too incident to Kings, 2 Chro. 36.13. he violated the Oath he had taken.  
Secondly, Idolatrous; Heathenish Idolatry was practised in his days, Verse 14. the Temple and worship of it were polluted.  
Thirdly, Trusted too, and sent for Egyptians to help him, Jer. 37.7. he would not hearken to God's counsel, to the true Prophets, to those advised him well, Jer. 36.25. Chap. 37.2. but to false Prophets, and wicked Counsellors.  
Fourthly, He hated, imprisoned, and persecuted the Prophets, 2 Chron. 36.16. Jer. 37.21.  
Fifthly, Injust and cruel, let Jeremy be put to death say the Princes: Jer. 38.4. Then Zedekiah said, He is in your hands, the King can do nothing against you, etc. verse 5. He was overpowred by the Princes, and durst not displease them, but it cost dear at last.  
Look upon other Kings, they had their sins and their sorrows; Rehoboham hearkens to ill Counsel, oppresses his people; and loses ten Trib●s at once for it: Jeroboam upon wicked advice, sets up Calves, restrains the people from the true worship at Jerusalem, & Gods sends him a dreadful message by Ahij●h 1 King. 14.6, 7, 8, etc. Ahab did not execute Justice upon Benhadad, a man appointed to death; and therefore saith the Prophet, Thy life shall go for his life, and thy people for his people, 1 Kings 20.42. The Court was very wicked then, Jezabell had the greatest power in it. she stirred up Ahab to work wickedness, she set the Elders and Nobles a-work, to accuse, and stone Naboth to death; but there was a time of mourning for them, 1 Kings 21.23, 24, 27.  
Ahaz, was wicked, and the worse for his affl ctions, but God had a sad day for him, when he lost 120000 valiant men in one day, and had 200000 Women carried away Captives, 2 Chro. 28. Asa who was a good King, yet he is branded with trusting in an arm of flesh, 2 Chron. 16.7. With oppression of some of the people, Verse 10. and therefore Hanani tells him he should have Wars; and besides he was greatly diseased in his feet, Vers. 9.12. Manasses was the great oppressing King, he shed and filled Jerusalem with innocent blood, 2 Kings 21.16. and as he sound times to shed blood, so God found times to have him in the thorns, in Fetters, in Captivity, in mourning and humbling himself: Oppression is the common sin of Princes, because they have greatness and power in their hands, they think its warrantable for them to do what they list, Ephraim loveth to oppress, Hos. 12.7. The Kine of Bashan, the great ones that were strong and fat, that had horns and hoofs, they oppressed the poor, and crushed the needy, a man and his house, a man and his heritage, Micha 2.2. Naboth and his Vineyard went both at once; Hence the Princes of Jerusalem are called, Roaring Lions, Zeph. 3.3. they are greedy of their prey, they scare, scatter, and devour the flock, but God will hunt these Lions, and judge these men of the Earth, Psal. 10.18. whose trade is oppression, and hath promised a time when his Princes shall oppress no more, Ezek. 45.8. My Princes shall oppress no more: Either this Prophecy is not fulfilled, or the oppressed in these days are not God's people, or the Princes who oppress are not Gods Princes; and if so, say to the oppressing Kings and Queens of the Earth, Humble yourselves, sit down, for your Principalities shall come down, even the Crown of your glory, Jer. 13.18. See Acts 12.23. Rev. 6.15.  
Secondly, That God hath apparel for Princes and Nobles, and what is it? Desolation, The Prince shall be clothed with desolation; God had an eye to the clothing of the Great ones, and their sin about the same, and fits Garments for them, such as they were not formerly used unto; Great ones sin in their variety of Garments, they have many lie spoiling by them, when the nakedness of others is seen for want of , therefore God threats to take away their changeable Suits of Apparel, Isa. 3.22. They sin in the strangeness of them, they will have strange fashions; therefore, Zeph. 1.8. God threatens to Punish the Princes and Kings Children, and all such as are clothed with strange Apparel: The Jews had peculiar Garments appointed them, Numb. 15.38. Deut. 22.12. but they fetched in Foreign garments, made after the manner of the Heathens and Nations about them: The Courtiers and great ones then as now, affected strange and costly apparel, were prodigal of their estates that way, had their chests and wardrobes filled with rich garments, which at pleasure they put on to draw respect from men; but wrath from God who clothed himself with vengeance, that he might  them with desolation, which was a strange Garment, never put upon their backs before, 
Isa. 59.17.  an unchangeable garment which lasted to their death; God stripped them by the Chaldeans of their proud attire, rich suits, yea of all they had, and clothed them with desolation; hence Lam. 4.5. They that did feed delicately are desolate in the streets, and they that were brought up in scarlet embrace the dunghill.  
3. Wheresoever is a generality of sinning, there shall be a generality of suffering. The King shall mourn, the Prince shall be clothed with desolation, and the hands of the people of the Land shall be troubled. The whole Nation was rebellious, Ezek. 2.3. From the greatest to the least they were guilty, Jer. 6.13. and therefore they should die from the least to the greatest, Jer. 44.12. God is impartial in his judgements, he will not spare Kings, Princes, Nobles, people; but if their hearts, heads, hands be joined in wickedness, they shall be joined in punishment. All flesh had corrupted its ways, Gen. 6. and all flesh was drowned in the floods of God's wrath, Gen. 7. The Sodomites were all guilty, and none escaped the vengeance of eternal fire, Judas 7. And here having all sinned, the wrath of God seized upon them all, Isa. 65.12. You shall all bow down to the slaughter, because when I called ye did not answer, when I spoke ye did not hear, but did evil before mine eyes, and did choose that wherein I delighted not.  
4. That God smites sinners in that they have much offended with, and should stand them in most stead in times of affliction, The hands of the people, etc. They had sinned with their hands several ways, in making Idols, Isa. 2.9. Hosea 14.3. In shedding blood, Isa. 59.3. In acts of violence, vers. 6. They did evil with both hands earnestly, Mich. 7.3. Even Princes and Judges had covetous hands, God therefore smites them in their hands: and whereas they should have been serviceable unto them, now in their distress they were troubled, faint, unuseful. Before they had hands for the Queen of heaven, Jer. 44.25 but now they had none for the God of heaven. They had hands for the service of Egyptians and Assyrians, Lam. 5.6. But now they had none to serve themselves in their personal callings, or military affairs.  
5. The Lord observes the ways and works of all, no Church, no State, no Person; but what ever they do, comes under Divine cognizance, their ways and deserts were known to the Lord: Some are so profane and atheistical, that they think God sees, regards not the things done here below, Psal. 94.5, 6, 7. They break in pieces God's people, afflict his heritage, slay, murder widows and fatherless ones, yet say, the Lord shall neither see nor regard it. And in Psal. 10.11. He saith, God hath forgotten, he hideth his face, and will never see it, and not only Gods actual seeing, but his power of seeing and knowing things here is denied, Jab 22.13. How doth God know, can he judge through the dark clouds? Some have confidence to say God sees no sin in his children, and others blush not to say he sees not the sins of, and in the wicked, and so God shall see no sin at all, they make him an unseeing and unknowing God. David calls this brutishness, Ps. 94.8, 9, 10, 11. He that made the eye shall not be see? He that teacheth man knowledge shall not be know? Yea saith he, the Lord knoweth the thoughts of men, and that their thoughts are vanity. What is most remote from man's eye and knowledge, that God knows exactly & afar off, Psal. 139.2. And denounceth a woe to men of such thoughts and practices, Isa. 29.15. Woe to them that seek deep to bide their counsel from the Lord, and their works are in the dark, and they say, who seethe us, and who knoweth us. God seethe them, God knows them, and pronounceth a dreadful woe against them: because men's lives do proclaim that they believe not God's Omnisciency, therefore God professeth it openly, Isa. 66.18. I know their works and their thoughts. He had observed all within and without, & therefore they should be consumed. God's eye is upon all our ways and works, let us every day do as God did, review them, and see that they be good.  
6. God in his judgements will proceed with sinners according to their ways and deserts, Job 34.10, 11, 12. Elihu proves there that God will not do wickedly, nor pervert judgement, and why? for the work of a man shall be rendered unto him, and cause every man to find according to his ways. God is most just, & therefore takes notice of all thoughts, counsels, projects, attempts and actions, that so he may deal answerably with men, Jer. 32.19. His eyes are open upon all the ways of the sons of men, to give every one according to his ways.  
That in Revel. 18.6. seems to cross this truth; when God will judge Babylon, she must have double punishment, her cup must be doubled: God doth not command here that Babylon should be twice punished for the same sin, that were not according to the rules of Divine Justice. Double here hath, reference to Babylon's deal with the Church; She did greatly afflict Zion, and now God would have Babylon to have double afflion to that, Babylon did injustly in oppressing Zion, Zion should do righteously in destroying Babylon, and observe the word double, render unto her double according to her works. If she have twice as many strokes, judgements, twice as much blood shed as Zion had, its according to her works, she deserves it, and nothing can be too much for her; therefore Jer. 51.49. As Babylon hath caused the slain of Israel to fall, so at Babylon shall fall the slain of all the earth. The Babylonian Empire was a little world to Israel, and called its self the universal Empire, and Babylon said she was the Queen and the only City of all others, Isa. 47.7, 8. The golden City, Isa. 14.4. But now when God would punish Babylon for her bloodiness against Zion: not only should Babylon's chldrens that dwell in her be destroyed, but all her Subjects in her, great Territories should be slain for her sake, 
Alapid. understands it of Rome heathenish.  or together with her, which sets out the greatness of her punishment suitable to her deserts, and is well called double, for the death of one Israelite deserves the death of two Babylonians.  
7. They that will not know God in the way of his mercies, they shall know him in the way of his judgements. God had walked in paths of mercy amongst this people many years, and they minded not God, honoured him not in the midst of mercies, but fed according to their pastures, and forgot God, therefore he brought heavy judgements upon them, and saith, They shall know that I am the Lord. This phrase is used above 50. times in this Prophet, and assures us that God will be known, and that amidst his enemies, and with an experimental knowledge; for that is the meaning of the words, not a literal and brain knowledge, Isa. 26.11. When thy hand is lifted up they will not see: But they shall see. They will not see to fear, to repent: but they shall see; that is, have experience of the strength of his hand to their shame and destruction.  
The phrase of knowing I am the Lord, sometimes refers to mercies, as Exod. 6.6, 7. God would bring them out from the burdens and bondage of Egypt, take them for his people, & then they should know him to be the Lord. So in Exod. 16.12. 1 Kings 20.28. God would give them Manna, deliver up enemies into their hands, And they should know, etc. That is, have experience of his mercy, truth, and loving kindness. Sometimes, and mostly it refers to Divine judgement, especially in this our Prophet, God would bring in the Chaldeans with the sword, and those grievous calamities attend it, and they should know that he was the Lord, that is, they should have real experience of his Authority and power over them, they should feel the bitter fruits of his displeasure in them.     

CHAP. VIII.  

VERSE 1.  
And it came to pass in the sixth year, in the sixth month, in the fifth day of the month, as I sat in mine house; and the Elders of Judah sat before me, that the hand of the Lord God fell there upon me.  
IN this, and the three next Chapters you have the grievous sins, and answerable punishments of the Jews at Jerusalem laid down, with some other things considerable.  
This eighth Chapter hath three things in it:  
1. An Introduction to a new Vision, vers. 1.  
2. The Vision itself, from the beginning of vers. 2. to the end of vers. 17.  
3. A Declaration of God's severe deal with them, vers. 18.  
In the Introduction to this Vision you have these particulars.  
1. The time exactly set down when it was, in the 6. year, the 6. month, the 5. day.  
2. The place where it was, As he sat in his house.  
3. The persons before whom it was, The Elders of Judah sat before me.  
4. The cause of it, The hand of the LORD fell there upon me.  
For the time; It was now the sixth year of Jehoiachins cptivity, and in the sixth month.  
The Jews first month is Nisan, the second Jiar, the third Sivan, the fourth, Thamuz, the fifth Abbess, and the sixth Elul, and answereth to that is called August: The fifth day of this month had he this vision, which Junius saith was the Sabbath day, which was a day fitting for visions of God. It was now a year, two months, and upwards, since he had his first vision.  

As I sat in my house.  
Having been now six years in Captivity, the Prophet and others had hired, or builded themselves houses. This was a house of some capatiousnesse, the Elders of Judah sat before him in it: That is, the chief of those that were brought with Jehoiachin into Babylon, 2 Kings 24 12. And why they should come & sit there is inquirable: It was not to catch advantages against the Prophet as some fancy; Not to consult of their Civil affairs in Babylon, others were more fit for such things than Prophets; but it was to bear of the Prophet what the Lord intended to do with Jerusalem and the Jews there, what the meaning of the types and visions he had was, whether he had any word of their returning from that condition they were in, or they came to see if he had any word to speak unto them being the Sabbath day; for on those days it was ordinary for the people to go to the Prophets, 2 Kings 4.23. And Ezekiel sat composed and disposed to speak the Word of God to those came to him.   

The hand of the Lord God fell there upon me.  
The powerful operation of the Spirit of Christ seized upon him, and was as a hand carrying him on to that work he was appointed unto; he had a mighty impulse of the Spirit, and was at a man wrapped ou● of himself, wholly acted by the Spirit, See Chap. 1.3. where hath been spoken of the hand of the Lord.  
That the Lord takes special notice of the times in which he gives out truths and visions to Prophets and people, 
Obser. 1.  he keeps an exact account of those years, months, and days; In the sixth year, the sixth month, and fifth day, etc. So in the first Chapter, In the thirtieth year, the fourth month, the fifth day, the word of the Lord came unto him; You have the time mentioned in the 20. Chap. vers. 1. The seventh year, and the fifth month, the tenth day of the month: So in 26.1.29.1.31.1.32.1.40.1. In these places, there is special notice and account set down of the time, wherein God gave out his truth and visions to the Prophet, and by him to the people: In the 24. Chap. 1.2. the year, month, day, and name of the day, are written down, when Jerusalem was besieged, and a parable put into the Prophet's mouth; and not only was it thus in Ezekiels, but also in other Prophet's days, Zech. 1.1. Chap. 7.1. Hag. 1.1. Chap. 2.1.10. What ever men's thoughts are of truths, when they are tendered unto them, the Lord looks upon it as a work of great concernment, and registers the time when it's done; in such a year, the City, Land, had Fasts every month, and the Prophets Preached such Truths, and Texts unto them, such a month they had a thanksgiving day, and the Text was, etc.  
Especially in times of Affliction, God takes notice what truths are commended by the Prophets unto men, and therefore the time in Ezekiel is more particularised then any where else, because many were now in Captivity, the rest were coming, and of all truths, those will cost dearest that are preached unto us in our afflictions and not improved.  
2. That great ones in times of afflictions will seek unto the Prophets, and prise vision when its rare: The Elders they came to his house, sat there expecting some word from him; Ezekiel was a Priest and a Prophet, Chap. 1.3. and Priests did teach as well as Sacrifice, 2 Chron. 15.3. Israel was without a teaching Priest, Levit. 10.8, 9, 10, 11. & Mal. 2.7. The Priest's lips should keep knowledge, and they should seek the Law at his mouth.  
These Elders, the Princes and chief ones were come to seek it at Ezekiel's mouth, now they were in captivity, now Priests and Prophets were scarce, and now great ones, that before, little regarded the Prophets and Priests, that mocked them, despised and misused them, 2 Chron. 36.16. Now they get to Ezekiel's house, wait upon him, and long to hear a word from him.  
Afflictions abate the pride of great men's spirits, remove prejudice, awaken conscience, convince of sin, God's greatness and Authority over the highest, the shortness of life, of judgement, and that eternal condition is coming: and when it's so with great ones, they will be glad to go to a poor Prophet's house, and hear a word from him.  
Jeroboam when his son was sick, sends to Ahijab the Prophet to know what should become of him, 1 Kings 14.2, 3.  
Naaman in his leprosy goeth to the Prophet Elisha for help, 1 Kings 5. see Isa. 37.2. Jer. 37.3. There you shall find great ones, even the greatest, seeking to the Prophets in their troubles.  
3. Meeting in private houses to enjoy God's Ordinances, is ancient & warrantable: The Elders came to the Prophet's house, sat there to hear the Word of the Lord, this was above 2000 years ago, therefore ancient, and the Prophet taught them in private; they worshipped God in a house, they kept the Sabbath there, and therefore not unlawful, this was frequent in Christ's, and the Apostles days, Luke 10.38, 39 In Martha's house Christ preached, Acts 20.7. The Disciples met every first day, in houses and chambers, and when they were so met, Paul preached to them. And Acts 2.46. They broke bread from house to house. That is, privately, in opposition to the public, saith De. Dieu. And Acts 5.42. In every house they ceased not to teach and preach Jesus Christ. In Cornelius house they did it, Act. 10.33, 34. In the Jailor's h●use they did it, Acts 16.32. The high Priests cried out of such meetings, and thought the Temple and Synagogues which were allowed by Authority were sufficient. But this would not suffice the Apostles, they preached in public to convert the Jews, in private to strengthen the Christians; they would not be tied to places, when Christ by his Doctrine and practice had warranted them to preach and worship any where. 
John 4.20, 21. 1 Tim. 2.8.   
In Tertullia's time such meetings were counted factious and schismatical: But he vindicates the same, saying, 
Hoc sumus congregati quod et dispersi, hoc universi quod et singuli, neminem laedentes, neminem contri●lantes quum probi, quum boni coeunt, cum pii, cum ca●ti congregantur, non est factio dicenda▪ sed curia: at e contrario illis nomen factionum accommodandum est, qui in odium bonorum et proborum conspirant, etc. in Apologet.  We are the same congregated, and together, as we are asunder, we hurt, we grieve none. When good and godly men meet together, it's no conventicle, but a Court. They are a Conventicle, a Faction, that in hatred of Good men, meet and plot against them, pretending they are the cause of all evils and disturbances.  
In the Prelates days there was much rigour and severity used against godly meetings of this nature, more than ever we read of formerly: It can hardly be shown in Scripture, ●hat ever any met together in private to worship the Lord, were surprised, molested, taken, or imprisoned. For their public preaching they were frequently questioned, and suffered; It's not so evident that they did for their private meetings.  
These they had in Babylon without imputation or molestation, and shall not Zion be as indulgent to her children as Babylon was to her enemies? If not, Babylon will rise up in judgement against such sons of Zion.  
4. God honours holy meetings, though they be private, the hand of the Lord fell there and then upon the Prophet. Where two or 3. meet together in a sacred manner, God will be in the midst of them, Matth. 18.20. He will be Precedent of that meeting, and powerful in it, not only show his presence and power in an ordinary way, but many times extraordinarily, as at this time, John 20.19. When the Disciples were assembled in private, Jesus stood in the midst of them, and said, peace be unto you. And so in the 26. v. when they were met in private Christ came amongst them, he honoured their meetings in a special manner with his presence, blessing, and miracles. The world hath prejudice against such meetings, speaks ill, and attempts the ruin of them; but Christ thinks honourably of them, putteth honour upon, and manifests his acceptance of them, Acts 2.1, 2, 3. When the Apostles were got together in a house, the cloven tongues of fire sat upon each of them, and they were filled with the holy Spirit, Acts 10.44. While Peteter was preaching in Cornelius house, the holy Ghost fell upon them. And you will scarcely find such visible signs of God's presence in public, as were then in private.  
I speak not this to disparage public meetings, God is in the solemn Assemblies, there his glory and power is seen. But to take off that Odium is in the hearts of many against all private meetings.  
5. Those wait upon God in the ways of his worship are not loser's by it. The Elders came to the Prophet, sat there, expected something from him, and they had more than ordinary. They beheld the hand of God upon the Prophet, and were made witnesses of that vision he had, and partakers of the same.  
The people that flocked after Christ into the field, had the Word, & beside that, the loaves & fishes, Joh. 6. When the Disciples were met together to worship the Lord the first day of the week, Christ came to them, breathed upon, and gave them the holy Ghost, John 20.19.22 Paul seeks God in prayer, Acts 9.11. and continued in it; behold he prays, he was at it night and day, and Ananias was sent to him to help him to his sight, and to the holy Ghost, so that he might see men, and how to save men. Old Simeon, and old Anna the Prophetess, they came into the Temple to serve the Lord, and at that time Christ is brought in, whom they see, and magnify God for, Luke 2. In Acts 16.13. You read how Paul left the City and went to a river side, where women did usually meet to pray, thither many were come, and to them Paul preaches, Lydia's heart is opened, and Christ let in, who was before a stranger unto her: and besides this she was baptised, and gained the company of the choicest Apostles, vers. 14, 15. Cornelius, Acts 10. fasts and prays, and he hath an Angel sent to him, to assure him, that all was accepted in heaven, and to help him to the speech of an Apostle, whom hearing, he received the holy Ghost, vers. 44. Men lose not, but gain greatly by waiting upon God in his Ordinances. If they have not what they expect sometimes, they have more than they look for at other times. Blessed is the man that heareth me saith Christ, Prov. 8.34. watching daily at my gates, waiting at the posts of my doors, They are blessed already, and unexpected blessings are waiting for them.  
6. That former, operations and impressions of the Spirit, suffice not the holiest of men, when new services are to be done. Ezekiel was a holy Prophet, he had the hand of God, the virtue of the Spirit falling upon him before, Chap. 1.3. entering into him, Chap. 2.2. strongly upon him, Chap 3.14. And yet all this was not sufficient, there was new work for him, new visions to be seen and given out, and the hand of the Lord fell anew upon him.  
New employments must have new influences; new trials must have new strength: If we trust to antecedent receipts, we shall miscarry. Peter failed when he came to encounter with a new trial, he leaned upon what he had, and looked not up for more. Paul he stood, when buffeted by a messenger of Satan; and why? being conscious of his own weakness, and insufficiency of what he had received, he sought to God, who told him, my grace is sufficient for thee; not the graces I have given thee, but the grace I have to give thee. If a messenger of Satan molest thee, be too strong for thee, I have a messenger, even my Spirit of grace, that shall come and comfort thee, that is stronger than all, and shall uphold thee. Paul had experience of this, and therefore counsels Timothy, 2 Tim. 2.1. To be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. Though he had unfeigned faith, knew the Scripture from a child, had a gift given him by the laying on of Paul's hands; yet he must not be strong in these, but in the grace of Christ, see his strength lie there: former impressions of Christ Spirit beware out, and received virtue is soon spent: We must look for new Influences, Impressions and Operations of the hand of Christ, else all will be too little, Cant. 4.16. Awake O North wind, and come thou South, blow upon my garden, that the spices thereof may flow. And Samson called unto the Lord, and said, O Lord God remember me, I pray thee, and strengthen me I pray thee only this once, Judges 16.28.    

VERSE. II.  
Then I beheld, and lo a likeness as the appearance of fire: from the appearance of his loins, even downward, fire: and from his loins even upward, as the appearance of brightness, as the colour of Amber.  
OUr Prophet being in an ecstasy, the Lord Jesus Christ appears unto him as a man, and is described,  
First, Generally, and that is by a likeness of fire, he seemed to him to be a man of fire, or as the appearance of fire.  
2. More particularly, and  
1. From his loins downward, and the appearance thereof was as fire.  
2. From his loins upward, the appearance whereof was, 

1. As brightness.  
2. As the colour of Amber.    
Christ being presented here as a man of fire, it's worthy consideration to examine the grounds of it.  
The Jews had sinned exceedingly, provoked God by their Idolatry to great jealousy, and being now resolved upon their destruction, he gives out a fiery vision of Christ unto the Prophet, which appearance was suitable to the work now intended.  
Appearances in fire have been formerly, Christ appeared to Moses in a flame of fire, Exod. 3.2. The Angel there, Interpreters make to be Christ: and God led the Jews in the wilderness by a pillar of fire, Exod. 13.21. And he was in that pillar, Exod. 14.24.  
Christ is likened to fire.  
1. It's a shining glorios thing, so Christ is glorious, John 1.14. We beheld his glory as the glory, etc. And Titus 2, 13. his appearing will be glorious, and so glorious as to lighten the world. When men come to judgement, they come with some glory and Majesty.  
2. He is likened to fire, to set ●ut his knowledge and discovery of things; Fire is of a discovering nature, and makes manifest, Rev. 1.14. Christ's eyes are like a flame of fire, they see into every place, and here Christ discovers to the Prophet the sins of Jerusalem, the hidden Abominations there.  
3. To show the active virtue is in Christ, fire is a lively and purging thing, separating dross from the precious metals, and Christ is of infinite virtue, he distinguisheth between the precious and the vile, Mal. 3.1, 2. He is like a refiners fire, exceeding active and discretive, he burns with zeal and jealousy.  
4. The severe punishment he would inflict upon this people, fire notes revenge, destruction, Psal. 18.8. Fire out of his mouth devoured.  
Isa. 66.15, 16. Fire there notes severe punishment and utter destruction, and Christ now would make a final end of this sinful people, he would be a fire unquencheable. If they looked to him upwards, they should find him a fire, he would plead with his Father for their destruction. If they looked downwards, they should see him kindling a consuming fire amongst them: The law was given in fire, Deut. 4.33.5.4. and therefore called a fiery law, and Christ appears in fire when he comes to revenge the breaches of the law.  
In the first Chap. vers. 27. Christ's appearance from his loins upward and downward is the same; here, downwards, he appears as fire, upwards, as brightness, fire noting his anger, brightness his clemency, as some conceive.  
The word for brightness notes such brightness as is from the morning, the Firmament, the Sun, 
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉  therefore some render it, As the appearance of the bright Sun. 
Solis rutili  Take the Sun when in its greatest lustre and glory, such was the appearance of Christ upwards, and may note the glory of Christ in execution of judgement, in giving out his threaten to the Prophets against sinners.  

As the colour of Amber.  
Of th●s hath been spoken, Chap. 1.4.27. The H●b. Chasmal signifi●● a coal intensely hot: and ●uch as a coal is, at the height of its heat, in a fiery furnace, such was the appearance of Christ, at this time he was in a way of wrath, and giving out th' eats 'gainst this people, and filled with the fire of zeal and jealousy for the L●rd.  
If the appearance of Christ be fiery & glorious, 
Obser.  the presence of him will be so much more: appearances are not perfect expressions of that they resemble. The appearance of fire upon the Tabernacle, Num. 9.15. had not that virtue and glory in it which real fire had: If real, it would have consumed the Tabernacle. The appearance of lightning, Dan. 10.6. is not so glorious as lightning itself, and what the Prophet saw here of Christ was appearance only, little to that is in Christ.  
When Christ shall really be seen not in visions, but as he is, he will be very glorious, Mar. 13.26. When Christ comes, it will be with great power and glory. Great, refers to glory as well as power, Matth. 24.30. There it's with power and great glory. And if you demand how great, even so great as cannot be greater, Matth. 16.27. He shall come in the glory of his Father, and no glory can exceed that.    

VERSE. III.  
And he put forth the form of an hand, and took me by a look of my head, and the Spirit lift me up between the earth and the heaven, and brought me in the visions of God to Jerusalem, to the door of the inner gate that looketh towards the North, where was the seat of the image of jealousy, which provoketh to jealousy.  
IN the former verse you had Christ's person described, in this are his actions commended to us, which are these; 

1. The putting forth of his hand.  
2. The employment thereof, By it he took our Prophet by a lock.  
3. The lifting him up between Heaven & Earth by his Spirit.  
4. The bringing him to JERUSALEM, where is considerable, 

1. The manner of his bringing, In the visions of God.  
2. The special place, He was brought to the door of the inner gate that looketh towards the North.  
3. The nature of this place, It was the seat of an Image, which is described, 

1. From its name, An image of jealousy.  
2. From the effect, It provokes to jealousy.        

He put forth his hand.  
He that appeared like fire, that had such brightness, and was so glorious, he put forth his hand; sent out his hand is the Original.  
Not a real hand, but the former likeness of a hand. It was the likeness and appearance of a man that he saw, and such was the hand here, not a substantial fleshy hand.   

And took me by a lock of mine head.  
By the hair, the word signifies, 
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉  that which grows out of the head & flourisheth there, as grass out of the ground, or boughs out of a tree.   

The Spirit Lift me up between, etc.  
It was said the hand took hold of him, did not the hand lift him up? If not, to what end took it hold: That hand was the holy Spirit of Christ, which in these visions of Ezek. is oft called a hand, Chap. 1.3. & 3.14. The Spirit that lifted him up is called the hand of the Lord, because Christ by his Spirit doth what ever the hand of man can do.   

And brought me in the Visions of GOD to Jerusalem.  
The Prophet thought himself like a Bird or an Angel flying through the Air, and carried to Jerusalem; this was no real elevation or corporeal transportation of the Prophet to Jerusalem, as will appear thus.  
1. It's said it was the form of a hand, the likeness of one, not a hand itself.  
2 Had be been really taken up by a lock, it would have been exceeding grievous and tormenting to him, if not deadly.  
3. He saith he was brought in the visions of God to Jerusalem, not in the reality of his person, all was done as he sat in his house, and the Elders of Judah before him: The Ancients say, it was in his spirit, not in his body that he was translated, a mental, not an ocular vision.  
Our Prophet being in a rapture, or ecstasy, seemed as a man dead, and had secret things revealed unto him, which he calls visions of God. Whether these were to his spirit in the body, or called out of it, is uncertain, 2 Cor. 8.1, 2. When Paul had his Revelation and visions, 
R●ptus est ab eo quod est secundum naturam, in id, quod est supra naturam, ex vi superioris naturae elevatis. Thom. In raptu abstrahitur anima a sensibus & phantasmatibus.  whether it was in the body or out of it, himself could not tell; visions they both had, and they were visions of God, not delusions of Satan, who can be a lying spirit in the hearts and mouths of false Prophets, 1 Kings 22. Nor were they fancies of their own; for when men are in Divine raptures, there is a cessation of all sensible and natural actions. Nature contributes nothing thereunto; In some diseases there is a stilling of all nature's Organs, and operations, as when deliquium animae siezeth upon any; but there is nothing then offered to the soul, as here; such visions had our Prophet as were clear, and without all doubt he knew them to be visions of God.   

The door of the inner Gate.  

Rev. 11.2. Mead on Rev.  The Temple was yet standing, and had two Courts, one called the outer Court, which was the place whether the Israelites assembled for Divine exercise, and an inner Court, 1 K. 6.36. which was the Priest's Court, 2 Chron. 4.9. The other was the great Court, and called Solomon's porch saith Maldonat. Into this Court was Ezekiel brought, and set at the door going into the inner Court.   

That looketh towards the North.  
In the Courts about the Temple there were gates and doors towards the four quarters of the world, which included this mystery, that in due time the partition wall should be broken down, that stood between Jews and Gentiles, and all sorts from all parts should come into the true worship of the true God, came they from East or West, South or North, there should be a door open to let them in; at this North-gate was the Image seated that the Prophet did first see.   

Image of Jealousy.  
Two things are to be opened here: 

1. What this Image was.  
2. Why called an Image of Jealousy.    
First, It's doubted amongst the Learned what Image this should be. The most agree it was the Image of Baal, it's true that Josiah had taken away Baal and his Altars, 2 Chron. 34. But Jehoiakim and Jehoiachin, and Zedekiah had restored them again, as is gathered from 2 Kings 23.37. and 24.9.19. 2 Chron. 36.1.4.  
2. Why called the Image of Jealousy. The Heathens had no Idols or Gods of that name, nor is it so called.  
In reference unto them; but,  
1. From the wicked zeal of Ahaz, who as you read, 2 K. 16. sent the pattern of an Altar at Damascus to Vriah, who set it up for the honour of Baal at the North gate of the inner Court, and to this Altar did Ahaz bring the Altar of the Lord, vers. 14. here was his zeal for Baal.  
2. Because it provoked God to Jealousy; when God saw his own Altar and Word to be so abused, subjected to Baal, that his people went a whoring from him to that shameful thing, he would bear no longer, but was jealous for his honour, discovers to the Prophet their great sin, and his jealousy burning now against them.  
This Image made the people forsake their God, commit spiritual Adultery, Jer. 7.30. and God would recompense it now unto them.   

It was seated at the gate Northward.  
Because that way was the most frequent passage to the Temple, 
Prado.  the ascent being not so steepy and difficult as other sides of the hill, on which the Temple stood, and for that Sacrifices came mostly from that side.  
The Spirit is the agent of Christ, by which he doth his works, 
Obser. 1.  He put forth his hand, and took hold of me. The hand of a man is that which doth immediately take hold of a thing: so the Spirit being the immediate agent which Christ useth, is called a hand, and doth what ever the Lord Christ will have done. If he would have men walk in his Statutes, keep his Judgements, he puts his Spirit into men, and by it causeth them to do so, Ezek. 36.27. That is the hand which over-acts them. If he would have young or old prophecy, it's done by his Spirit, Joel 2.28. And the Prophets gave out what the Spirit gave in to them, Zech. 7.12. If the Lord Christ would not have Paul preach in Asia, the holy Ghost forbids him, if he would go into Bethynia, the Spirit suffers him not, Acts 16.6, 7. If he should preach, the Spirit presseth him in his spirit, Acts 18.5. I●s Christ's Spirit that mortifies our corruptions, Rom. 8.13. which helps us to pray, vers. 26. It's the Spirit works all graces in us, Gal. 5.22. It's not by might or power, but by the Spirit Christ doth all, Zech. 4.6.  
2. That holy men must be lift up out of themselves, and above themselves, if they would participate of Divine things.  
The Spirit lift up the Prophet between earth and heaven. Paul 2 Cor. 12.4. was caught up into Paradise where he heard the unspeakable words, the Spirit of God had lifted him up above himself and all worldly things, and then God spoke such things to him as he never heard, Revel. 1.10. John was in the Spirit when he had those great and glorious Revelations, 
Extra mundem peregrinabatur cum Domino.  he was in the Spirit, that is, in the hand of the Spirit, and by the power thereof lift up and carried above, and out of himself; There was not only a pressure of the Spirit, but a comprehension, the Spirit comprehended him; he was in a manner all Spirit, and the more spiritual any is, the more fit for converse with God, and to have visions of God. The natural man receives not the things of God, 1 Cor. 2.14. It's not flesh and blood that reveals, receives, and judges of them, men must be lifted up by the Spirit from the earth, their earthly dispositions and affections, before they are fit for Divine excellency.  
Those have left the earth as Paul did, and have their Conversations in heaven as he had; they are fitted to know and partake of the great mysteries of Christ.  
Self is the great l●t● to Divine things, therefore Apostles were usually wrapped out of themselves, when they had their visions.  
3. Christ by his Spirit makes known to the Prophet the sins of men, the Spirit shown him the Image of jealousy, and the Abominations the people committed at Jerusalem. Ezekiel was in Babylon, and yet by the help of the Spirit he comes to see and know the do of sinners at Jerusalem. When they should hear Ezekiel had Prophesied or preached of their sins particularly, they would wonder who had informed him of them, as now when Ministers preach conscientiously, and meet with the particular sins of men and women, they think some or other have informed them, told tales of them, when it's only the Spirit of God hath directed them. A godly Minister was charged to be a Conjurer, because he told men in his preaching of the particular things they did.  
It's the Spirit helps in studying, and in preaching. The Spirit convinces the world of sin, John 16.9. and the Ministers of the sins of the world, that so they may abhor those sins, and denounce the judgements of God against them.  
4. Wicked men are wise, and take their advantages to promote their superstitions, they set their Images of Jealousy at the Inner gate Northward; that way was the greatest concourse of people, and so the advantage great for their worshipping of, or before this Image: Men are wise to do evil, Jer. 4.22. They set up Altars in all the streets to Jerusalem, to burn incense to Baal that shameful thing, Jer. 11.13. They could not suffer any street to be without an Altar, they were wise and zealous to promote sin. Jeroboam feared lest the people should go from him, and therefore in his witty wickedness to prevent it, sets up the Calves at Dan and Bethel, 1 Kings 12.29. The Papists have had repute for such wisdom, they had their Crosses in high ways, and in public places where people most frequented.  
5. When Images go up, than the worship of God goes down, Ahaz sets up Baal, and brought the Altar of the Lord to it, Baal was regarded, and the true God and his worship neglected, 2 Kings 16.14. Men are zealous for their own Inventions, and jealous left they should suffer.  
6. Superstition and Idolatry are provoking sins, they provoke God who is a God of patience to jealousy, Deut. 32.16. They provoked him to jealousy with strange Gods, strange inventions.  
Sins of this nature are called provocations, Nehem. 9.18. great provocations. No sins provoke God more than idolatry and false worship.  
1. It's a breaking of Covenant with God, who had taken people in to be his, as a Husband doth a Wife, and when she breaks Covenant, forsakes the guide of her youth, and is for others, this provokes the Husband more than any thing besides.  

Nos adoramus adoratione latriae imaginem Christi. Parte. 3. q. 25. a. 3.  2. Because it's a giving God's honour and glory to Idols. Aquinas saith, we adore the image of Christ with divine worship. 
* Tom. 1. Controv. 7. l. 2. c. 23.  Bellarmine with many others acknowledge that the Image of Christ may in some kind be honoured cultu la●riae: when God's glory is given to creatures, this provokes the eyes of his glory, as it is Isa. 3.8. And he will not ●ndure that his glory and praise be given to another, Isa. 42.8.  
3. They that are guilty this way hate God, Exod. 20.5. Being provoked therefore, and the spirit of Jealousy kindled in him, he will not put it up, he will not spare, according to that in Prov. 6.34. Jealousy is the rage of a man, and therefore he will not spare in the day of vengeance. And Cant. 8.6. Jealousy is cruel as the grave, no mercy will be shown, God will stir up jealousy, and prevail against his enemies, Isa. 42.13. Devour whole lands by the fire of his jealousy, Zeph. 3.8.    

VERSE. iv  
And behold the glory of the God of Israel was there according to the vision which I saw in the Plain.  
OUr Prophet being visionally brought to Jerusalem, Christ by his Spirit shows him glory, which is set forth, 

1. Absolutely; The glory of God. 
The glory of God, that is, the glorious God was there manifesting his glory to him in some visible way.   
2. Relatively; The God of Israel.  
3. The place; There at the Inner gate.  
4. The manner; According to the vision he had seen.    
In Chap. 3. vers. 23. The Prophet saith, he arose and went into the Plain, and behold the glory of the Lord stood there, as the glory which I saw by the River of Chebar. He had twice before seen the glory of God, and now here again he sees it.  
There is nothing difficult in the words, one thing is considerable in them why the Prophet had now a third time the glory of God presented to him.  
1. To keep his heart in an humble and reverential frame, that what ever God revealed to him about the utter ruin of the Jewish Nation, he should not st●ck at it, decline the revealing of it, because he saw that God was a glorious and dreadful God.  
2. To let him see what unspeakable wrong the Jews had done him, to forsake the glorious God, to serve base shameful dunghil-idols; this made God complain, Jer. 2.11. They have changed their glory for that which doth not profit, the God of Israel for the gods of the Nations.  
3. To kindle the zeal of the Prophet, when he had seen God so glorious once, twice, or thrice, and also what they had done to this God; this could not but fire his Spirit, and make him burning with zeal in justifying God, and denouncing threaten against such Idolaters.  
4. To let the Prophet see that he was going away from his Sanctuary, and from his people, and therefore it's said, the glory of the God of Israel was there, there at the inner gate looking Northward, where the Image which provoked so much was, not that the glorious God would have Communion with the Image; but to evidence, that seeing they had brought in a false god, the true God would leave them.  
5. To confirm the Prophet in the truth of this prophecy, and make way for the high esteem of it in after Ages, being brought in with so many glorious visions.  

God of Israel.  
jacob's name being changed to Israel, Gen. 32.28. in time the Jews came to be called Israelites, Exod. 9.7. The people of Israel, Exod. 19.3. And God taking them for his people, is frequently styled the God of Israel, Exo. 5.1. Josh. 7.29. And he is so styled here to put them in mind of two things.  
1. The Covenant that he made with their Fathers, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and Moses, Deut. 29.12, 13. God took them to be his people, and became their God.  
2. The great things he had done for Israel above all other people, none of the Nations had such a God as their God was, the Nations Gods were impotent, impure, perishing Gods, but the God of Israel was the Lord of Hosts, Jer. 7.3. Thus saith the Lord of Hosts, the God of Israel. He had all power, command of all creatures, and could do enough for them, he was the holy One of Israel, Isa. 5.19. and would not endure iniquity in Jacob and Israel, The excellency of Israel, 1 Sam. 15.29. and never failed, and did wonderful things for them, he brought them out of Egypt, etc. Micha 6 4, 5. He had known them above all families of the earth, Amos 3.2.  
That the true God, the God of Israel, is a glorious God, he is a glorious Essence, and essential glory, Psal. 29.3. He is the God of glory. And Psalm 24.7.9, 10. He is thrice called the King of glory Not only hath he glory to dispose of to others, but he is a King all of glory, and glorious excellencies; his Attributes are glory, his Omnipotence, Omniscience, Eternity, Immutability, Wisdom, Justice, Mercy, Holiness, are his glory, Exod. 15.11. He is glorious in holiness. It's said of Aaron he had Garments for glory, Exod. 28.2. God's Attributes are his garments for glory, and how glorious is God who hath so many glorious garments on him, there is nothing in God, or about him, but it's glorious, his eyes are eyes of Glory, Esa. 3.8. his right hand is glorious. Exod. 15.6. his Arm is glorious Esa. 63.12. His Majesty is glorious, Psal. 145.5. His works are glorious, Psalm 111.3. His works of creation, providence, redemption are so. His Name is glorious, 1 Chron. 29.13. His glory is so bright, so great, that it fills the earth, Isa. 6.3. His Spirit is glory, 1 Pet. 4.14. His son is the Lord of glory, 1 Cor. 2.8. God is not only glorious, or glory, but excellent glory, 2 Pet. 1.17. 
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉.  It excels the glory of the Sun, the glory of all Kings, of all Angels and glorious ones, of the whole Creation, yea the comprehensions of all Intelligent creatures, it's so excelling, that none but God himself can measure it.  
Let us give glory to the God of Israel who is so glorious, acknowledge what he hath done, magnify his name, multiply his praises; where praises dwells, God dwells, Psal. 22.3. He inhabits the praises of Israel. He is the God of Israel, dwells there, to counsel, comfort, deliver, sanctify and save them; they praise him, and he is there to give in daily new matter of praise.  
2. Sight of the glory of God is a great privilege, it's not for every one to see. Ezekiel he saw it, not all in Babylon, not all the Elders who were in the house with him: Ungracious, unbelieving spirits see not Divine glory, john 1.14. We beheld his glory, not others. We that received of his fullness, of his graces, we had the favour and the power to behold his glory. Many saw Christ's miracles, but not his glory h●ld out by them, john 2.11. When the water was turned into wine, Christ manifested his glory, which the Disciples saw, not others, they believed. And Christ told Martha, if she believed, she should see the glory of God, john 11.40. Faith is the eye of the soul, and God shows his glory in Christ to that eye.  
3. That whithersoever God calls a man, he can show him his glory, at the River Chebar he had seen it, in the Plain also, and now at jerusalem which abounded with Idolatry.    

VERS. 5, 6.  
Then said he unto me, son of man, lift up thine eyes now the way towards the North, so I lift up mine eyes the way towards the North, and behold Northward at the gate of the Altar, this Image of jealousy in the Entry.  
He said furthermore unto me, son of man, seest thou what they do, even the great abominations that the house of Israel committeth here, that I should go fare off from my Sanctuary, but turn thee yet again, and thou shalt see greater abominations.  
IN these and the following verses are gradually set out the great abominations of the Jews at Jerusalem. Their wickedness was not positive only, but superlative, of the highest nature. Besides the Appellation, son of man, the fifth verse hath in it, 

1. Christ's commandment, Lift up thine eyes.  
2. The Prophet's obedience, So I lift up mine eyes.  
3. The thing seen, The image of jealousy.  
4. Tha place where, At the gate of the Altar in the Entry.    

Lift up thine eyes.  
This phrase imports a through view, an exact notice of things, Gen. 13.10. Lot lifted up his eyes, and beheld all the plain of jordan, that it was well watered every where. He diligently considered the place and commodities of it, Isa. 49.18. Lift up thine eyes round about, and behold: That is, Consider well how all that gather against thee shall be for thy good. The lifting up of the eyes notes a distinct and fuller observation of things: and so here, Ezekiel, be not remiss and careless in the viewing of things, but lift up thine eyes, open them fully, observe exactly what is before thee. This you must take to be meant of the eyes of his mind, not his body; for he was in an ecstasy in the Spirit at jerusalem, not in the flesh.   

At the gate of the Altar.  
No gate was so called originally; but after Ahaz had corrupted the worship of God by his Altar from Damascus, fixed an Altar by that gate, and brought the Lords Altar thither, 2 Kin. 16.14. It's conceived here upon this gate was called the Altargate, there was an Altar for Baal, and a misplaced Altar for God.  
If we will rightly discern the corruption in worship, 
Obser. 1.  distinguish between what is humane, and what is divine; we must set the eyes of our minds a work, they must be lift up, be open, and intent to the thing: There is great difference between the external view, and judgement of the flesh, and between the internal view and judgement of the spirit. This Baaliticall Altar, doubtless, was glorious outwardly, as false worship is, (Jeroboams Calves were golden ones, 1 Kings 12.28.) and affected the eyes, stole away the hearts of many; but it was loathsome to the eye of a judicious considering mind; God's worship was hindered, defiled by it, his jealousy provoked, and their ruin procured by it.  
The Popish Religion is pompous, and to carnal eyes hath beauty in it; but to those that lift up the eyes of their mind, and well consider, it's superstitious, idolatrous, and abominable; some have called the Ceremonies used lately in our worship, Innocent: but those examine them well, found them Nocent, the seed of contention, snares to conscience, and flies in our precious ointment, John 7.24. Judge not henceforth according to outward appearance, but judge righteous judgement. See exactly into things, let the eyes be lift up, and so shall you pass a more judicious sentence.  
How pompous was our worship become lately; but since eyes have been lift up, the vanity, corruption, and superstition thereof hath appeared.  
2. They may safely observe, examine the nature and sinfulness of false worship, who have a call unto it: The Lord Christ he bids Ezekiel behold the Image of Jealousy: See what the People did there, the Prophet did not willingly lift up his eyes, but at command, and being lawfully called to it, there was no danger of being seduced, of bowing to Baal, of countenancing false worship; God keeps those are in the way he sets them. Had the Prophet out of curiosity and desire to see this Altar, this Image, gone to Jerusalem, he might have been ensnared, as too many of our Nation by going to Rome, having no better ground than an itching desire to see and know what's done there.  
Romish worship hath inveigled them, Jesuitical charms bewitched them, & lost they have both truth, and innocency, their consciences have been defiled, and their judgements prejudiced against those ways they were formerly acquainted with: If the spirits of some have been heightened against those abominations by the sight of them, this is matter for wonder, not for imitation: It's not safe entering into the Lion's den, because one Daniel was kept safe there: where one hath been preserved, scores have been corrupted, and many of them insensibly. Philosophers say, an egg wrapped up in salt, loses the good meat was in it, the shell remaining whole. And so when young ones travail into those brackish Countries, and live amongst those are salted with Popery, they lose the good savour they had of true religion, and only the shell remains whole.  
3. See here the tractableness, the obediential frame of the Prophet's spirit: Christ commands him to lift up his eyes, and so he lift up his eyes, he doubted not, disputed not, he lingered not; but the word being given out, immediately he obeys, his spirit was set towards, and suitable to the will of Christ: He might have stuck and said, it's an abominable Idol, an accursed thing that provokes thee to Jealousy, mine eyes shall never see that so pollutes thy worship, and is so contrary to thy glory; but he presently submits, and fulfils the will of Christ, which is very acceptable unto him. 
Exod. 4.14.  Moses delays made God angry, and it's the great shift of Satan to keep men off from obeying the will and voice of God by delaye●. He doth not tell men the commands in Scripture are not the commands of God; but he causeth delays, and so impedes, retards the execution of Divine commands: So that God is harkened unto, months, and years, after the command is gone forth, such obedience is not so precious and acceptable. David knew it, and therefore saith, Psalm 119.60. I made haste, and delayed not to keep thy Commandments. A lazy, lingering spirit, is a provoking spirit: David made haste and ran when God commanded, which greatly pleased God. Abraham is bidden to leave his Country, and go to an uncertain place he knew not whether, he did it presently, and it's twice recorded in Scripture, Gen. 12.1.4. and Acts 7.3.4.    

VERS. VI  
He said furthermore unto me, son of man seest thou what they do, even the great abominations that the house of Israel committeth here, that I should go fare from my Sanctuary; but turn thee yet again, and thou shalt see greater abhominatins.  
THis Verse needs little opening, it's probable that some of the Jews were worshipping before that Idol● Baal, whereupon the Lord being moved, asketh our Prophet whether he did not see what they did, even such things as would cause him to departed from them, and to leave them to the spoil of enemies.  
They intended not to drive God out of the Sanctuary, but that was the sequel and fruit of their abhomiotions;  

That I should go fare off from the Sanctuary.  
The Hebrew runs thus; To go fare from the Sanctuary, Not I should go, and so some refer it to the people that worshipped Baal, and so those pervert, corrupt the worship of God, go from the Sanctuary, they go from God, and have nothing to do with him; but I conceive it refers to God, who would leave the Sanctuary, because of the pollutions and corruptions in it.  
That where God's pure worship is, there is his presence, 
Observe. 1.  God had given them pure Ordinances in the Temple, and there he was, abode, dwelled, 2 King. 19.15. He dwelled between the Cherubins. They were upon the Ark of the Covenant in the Sanctuary where God manifested himself, and gave out oracles to those sought him; hereupon David, Psal. 27.4. desired to dwell in the house of the Lord, to behold the beauty of the Lord, and to inquire in his Temple; there he saw the beautiful face of God, and heard his sweet voice. God is in his own ordinances, when the Temple is measured out, and the holy City built according to God's mind, and then the name shall be Jehovah Shammah, 
Ezek. 48.35.  the Lord is there, and the Churches whilst golden candlesticks Christ is in the midst of them.  
2. Corruptions, Abominations in worship, cause the Lord to leave his people, to departed from his Sanctuary, they brought in heathenish Altars, set up Baal, and removed God's Altar out of its place, and hereupon, God forsakes his dwelling-place, his presence, protection, counsel, countenance, blessings are all with-drawn from them, and woe is to that people when God goeth out of the Sanctuary, if outward calamities do not ruin them, spiritual judgements undo them. But see the mischief of false worship, men's additions and mixtures with the pure Ordinances of the Lord, they are as smoak to God's eyes, vinegar and gall to his taste, abominations to his Spirit; If they must into his house, he will out of it: when the Ark comes in, Dagon goes down: and when Dagon comes in, the Ark goes out. In Christ's time, the Temple was a den of thiefs, and Jehovah was not amongst them, its needful therefore to stand contend for pure ordinances, and divine worship.  
3. Men may have ordinances, and forms of worship, without God in them; they had the Sanctuary, Altars, Sacrifices, when God was gone from them, yea fare from them; as they had corrupt ordinances, so powerlesse ordinances, there was nothing of God, Christ, or his Spirit in them: when God is out of the Sanctuary it matters not who is there, or what is done there, all is to little purpose, 1 King. 19.11, 12. There was a wind, an earthquake, a fire, but God was in neither of them: and let there be Priests and Levites, sacrifice and incense, preaching and praying, God is not in them.  
4. There are degrees of sins; abominations, great, and greater, sins of ignorance are of a low nature, sins of knowledge higher; the more of the head and heart is in a sin, the worse, the greater it is; knowledge, and will, do edify sin much. David's murder, Peter's denial of Christ, were sins more heinous than others which they committed.  
5. God discovers sins by degrees, not all at once, he had shown him great abominations, and Christ bids him turn, and he should see greater abominations. Sins are not all committed at once, nor all discovered at once, they grow by degrees, and are discovered by degrees. Abominations in Kingdoms and Churches, lie wrapped up in the mantle of secrecy and darkness; but God hath his times to discover and make them known to the sons of men, Hosea: 2.10. Now will I discover her lewdness. Ephraim had sinned, added abomination to abomination, lewdness to lewdness, and they had been covered up for a season, but now the discovering time was come, several Murders and Adulteries were brought to light. Ephraim and Samaria's sins were made known when Israel was to be healed, Hosea 7.1. When God would come and cover the wounds of his own people, than the wickedness of their enemies are laid open: It's evident in our days, God hath been upon healing England, and the sins of many have been discovered.  
Estates and Churches are like bodies full of gross and noxious humours, stir them a little, and they appear to the danger of the whole.    

VERS. 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12.  
And he brought me to the door of the Court, and when I looked, behold a hole in the wall.  
Then said he unto me, son of man, dig now in the wall: and when I had digged in the wall, behold a door.  
And he said unto me, go in, and behold the wicked abominations that they do here.  
So I went in and saw, and behold every form of creeping things, and abominable beasts, and all the Idols of the house of Israel portrayed upon the wall round about.  
And there stood before them 70. men of the Ancients of the house of Israel, and in the midst of them stood Jaazaniah the son of Shaphan with every man his censer in his hand, and a thick cloud of incense went up.  
Then said he unto me, Son of man, hast thou seen what the Ancients of the house of Israel do in the dark, every man in the chambers of his imagery: for they say the Lord seethe us not, the Lord hath forsaken the earth.  
THese verses contain the second part of the Prophet's new vision: where, 

1. You have a new discovery of more Idolatry in the 7, 8, 9, and beginning of the 10. verse.  
2. A description of it in the 10. and 11. verses.  
3. The ground of all their vile practices, vers. 12. They say, the Lord seethe not.    
I shall open what hath any difficulty, and so give you the Observations.  

The door of the Court.  
Another door then that in vers. 3. It was the door of the Levites or Priests Court, into which none might come that were not of the Tribe of Levi, and herein the sin of the Priests and people is aggravated; that the Priests suffered any to come in there who should not, and that the people durst venture into that holy place, or bring their abominations so near the Lord.   

Dig in the wall, and behold, a door.  
The door of the Court being shut, he spies a hole, and upon command, digging in that, finds another door about the gates of the wall, chambers, Ezek. 40.10. for the doorkeepers and Levites, who had their weekly courses of administration, 1 Chron. 23.28. Luke 10.8. And its likely this door in the wall was a backdoor, by which the Priests, Levites, and others entered into their chambers and Chapels of Imagery, secretly: and our Prophet entering in at this door, sees their gross and brutish Idolatry.  
There they had pictured upon the walls the forms of all things creep, and of beasts. God had forbidden the Jews to mak● themselves any Images; but now they not only had Images set them in private, but also in public and holy places, and those of the basest sort: Crocodiles, Cats, Moles, Beetles, which creatures the Egyptians worshipped, they had portrayed there.   

Abominable beasts.  
The H●br. is of animal abomination. No creatures of God are abominable in themselves; some prohibited by the law were unclean, for such and such uses; but yet good in themselves, the picturing of them and others made them abominable: and I conceive abomination refers rather to the form of the creature which they worshipped, then to the creature itself, and may be read thus, every form of creeping thing, and of beast is abomination. And secondarily the creatures abominable, for their form's sake which were worshipped.   


For the number 70. its answerable to the 70. souls went down into Egypt, Deut. 10.22. and the 70. Elders went up with Moses into the mount, Exod. 24.1.  Seventy men of the Ancients of the house of Israel.  
In Numb. 11.16. God bid Moses gather 70. of the Elders together; which done, he joined them with Moses, to help him bear the burden of the people. These seventy made a standing Senate, or their Sanedrim: There were 6. out of every Tribe, which amounted to 72. But were called the 70. as in Luke 10.1: they are called the 70. Disciples, but in the Syriac its 72. These met in a great Court near the Sanctuary called Synedrion from their sitting there, and this was the great Council, to which were admitted those that were wise, afraid to sin, meek and able, their qualifications are set down, Exod. 18.21. Deut. 1.13. and to these, hard and weighty matters were brought to judge of, as defection of Tribes, false Prophets, War, and such like. Now this Council, these 70. were so degenerate, that they were become Idolaters, and offered incense to Idols.  
Some think they were all Priests, because every man was with his Censor in his hand; but than it should have been 70. men of the Tribe of Levi, not of the Ancients of Israel: and besides its known, that the Sanedrim consisted not all of Priests, but some out of every Tribe.   

In the midst of them stood Jaazaniah the son of Shuphan.  
Whom this Jaazaniah was, is uncertain. Deodate in his notes upon the place is mistaken, he saith the name is no ●here else mentioned, whereas you shall find it twice more i●●e 2 King. 25.23. and Jer. 35.3. There were divers Jaazaniah's, this in the Prophet is said to be the son of Shaphan, who its probable was that Shaphan the Scribe in Josiah's days, 2 Kings 22.12. Grandfather or Uncle to Gedaliah, whom the King of Babylon left Governor in Judeah, Jer. 40.5.11. So that Gedaliah and Jaazaniah were near of kin, of great place, whether a Priest, or some chief Ruler. He stood in the midst of the 70. as being principal; for the chief in wisdom they set over the rest of the Sanedrim, and called him Nasi, the Prince, they sitting in the form of a half moon before him, or about him: His name signifies harkening of, or to the Lord; whom had he remembered, he would not have been found in such service.   

A thick cloud of Incense went up. 
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Marcellinus & Origines coacti sunt idolis thus offer: unde thurificati dicebantur qui metu tyrannorum idolis thus obtulissent, Polan. Prad. Thus adolere erat species abnegationis & defectionis signum, P●lid. Virg. de juv. rerum. l. 2. c. 23.   
Heh●. is, abundance of a cloud of Incense; that is, the smoke of the Incense was so thick, that it seemed a cloud.  
Incense or perfume was made of sweet and costly things, and was a token of worship; yea, chief worship saith Calvin. Anciently they burned sweet wood, and with the smoke thereof worshipped their gods. It's like the Heathens learned is from Moses, who was appointed of God to burn Incense to him, Exod. 25.6. and 30.7.8. The entrails of beasts boiled, or roast, the heathens did burn unto their Gods at first, but afterwards used Incense. Tulli● saith, that to the statues set up for Ca: Marius they burned Frankincense or Incense, and wax Candles, which were in honour thereof. In the Primitive times when they forced the Christians to Idolatry, they would have them throw a little frankincense into the fire, which was a token of worship.  
That Idolaters oft times act closely, and cover up their works from the eyes of the world; 
Obser. 1.  they had their imagery in chambers and secret places, it was walled up, and unobvious to most eyes: Some covers and pretences such persons always have for their superstitions and idolatries: they cover them with their good intentions, great devotion, religion of their forefathers, such as have some pomp and state; there be in them such objects as help their memories and affections. There is say they, some truth, some good, and the rest may be born with: Those worship so, prosper, and are at ease in their way, they meet not with those temptations and troubles others do.  
2. Such ways of wickedness cannot be carried so close, but there will be some espial of them. Let them make walls to cover them up, yet providence will order it so, that there will be a hole in the wall, some crevice to look through at, and discern their do; the mystery of iniquity could not work so closely, but it was discerned.  
Peter S●ave found a hole in the walls of Ro●●, and discovered the Pope's practices to hinder Reformation of Errors in the Council of Trent. The secret plottings and conveyances to bring in Popery amongst us by Jesuits and others, were espied, detected, and in due time disappointed.  
3. To find out exactly the great evils, abominations in State's an● Churches, much pains must be taken; the Prophet must dig and dig in the wall; their Idolatry was fortified and walled up, and clear knowledge of it could not be attained without great toil.  
The Popish Idolatry hath been so walled up by Romish champions, that it cost our Worthies and Prophets, Whitaker, Reynolds, Perkins, Ames: and others much digging to discover the illfavorednesse of their Imagery. Their strong arguments are answered, and Popery hath a black face: and not only in this particular must there be digging to find out the mischief thereof, but also in others. It hath cost this Parliament digging to find out the evil in Prelacy and Malignancy in the Land.  
4 Such is the force of Superstition and Idolatry, that men engaged therein go further, and grow worse; they were not content with the image of Jealousy, but they had forms of creeping things, and abominable beasts to worship: They multiplied abominations, Ezek. 16.51. and had painted gods upon the wall round about, 
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉  or as the Hebrew is, about and about, double ranks of gods; superstition knows no end, we were of late in this Kingdom got into the paths of superstition, and walked daily further and further therein; they had gotten all gods but the true God.  
5. Idolatry is a grievous sin, its abomination, & the Lord therefore calls the Prophet to see what they did, that he might be a witness of so great and grievous a sin as that was: and the grievousness of it lies in this; 

1. That they had forsaken the true God.  
2. Had changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into the forms of creeping things, beasts abominable.  
3. That they had brought them into the holy place, even where Gods holy ordinances ought to be.  
4. That they had driven God out of his holy place.  
5. That the chief men were drawn away, and offered Incense to those dunghill gods.  
6. That they said the Lord sees it not.  
7. That they looked for help from those helpnesse gods.    
6. Note here that Idolatry infatuates wise men, the Ancients of Israel were become Idolaters, those that were the Counsellors and Judges that should have maintained the true worship of God, encouraged others by their counsel and example not to cleave to false worship, but to the true and living God, that should have punished Idolaters with death according to the law of Moses, even they become brutish, they worship forms of creeping things; they disclaim the infinite, glorious, great, holy, and wise God, even the God of Israel, and adore Bats, Moles, etc. a just hand of God upon men, to whom, because they receive not the truth with the love of it, or the love of the truth, God sends strong delusions, that they believe lies.  
7. There is consent in wickedness and false worship, 70. of them are of one mind, they take Censors, and offer Incense to base dunghill Gods; all the people break off their earrings to make a Calf, Psal. 83.5. They have consulted together with one consent. The Heb. is, with one heart, and are confederate against thee, hearty consultation, and hearty confederation against God and his worship, Rev 13.3. And all the world wondered after the beast, and worshipped the Dragon,  
8. See the cunning of Idolaters, the Priests that most usually are first in such ways, they draw in the great ones to countenance their ways, they let them offer Incense with their own hands, which was a violence to the Priesthood, and they do all in darkness, that so objections may be prevented, some great mysticalnesse be conceited to be in those ways, which may breed reverence and esteem of them in the hearts of vulgars'.  
9 Idolatrous & superstitious persons are expensive to maintain their worship. Here was much Incense burnt to their Idols: A thick cloud went up. In Exod. 32.3. where their Idolatry first began after their coming out of Egypt, how prodigal were they of their jewels and earrings to make a false god, Egyptian jewels given them for adornation, they make an object of adoration: and when they had made them golden & silver gods, of which God complains, Ezek. 16.17. Their prodigality ceased not there, but they were at daily charges to honour and maintain them: They decked the high places with garments of divers colours, they covered the gods with broidered garments, they bestowed oil, 
Sands Europae speculum.  incense, fine flower and honey upon them; yea, they sacrificed their sons and daughters unto them, Ezek. 16.18, 19, 20.  
The Papists are profuse in their superstitious worship, the Churches of some Saints are so stuffed with vowed presents and memories, that they are fain to hang their Cloisters & Churhyards with them.  
It's the nature of Idolatry and Adultery to be prodigal. If Adulterers think nothing too much for their harlots, Idolaters think nothing too much for their false worship.  
10. God appeals to man in case of great ingratitude & wrong done unto him; they were unthankful for all the great things God had done, they gave that honour was due unto Divine Majesty unto Images & Idols, whereupon saith God to Ezekiel, Son of man, hast thou seen what the Ancients of Israel do? Judge thou of it: should not they, being aged, lift up to honour, invested with power, prevent and punish such sins in a Church and State as here are committed? should not they counsel and lead others by their example to serve me the only true living God? should it not be so, I appeal to thee to make judgement of it; but they do otherwise, are not the Ancients become Idolaters? have they not chambers of Imagery? Are there not Censors in their hands? Seest thou not the smoke of the Incense going up? what thinkest thou, are not these worthy of death themselves for these sins, who should put others to death for the like? Speak thy mind, I appeal to thee in this case; the injury is so notorious thou canst not but condemn them, & justify me. It's frequent in Scripture for God in such cases to appeal to man and other creatures, Isa. 5.3. 1 Chron. 2. Jer. 2.12. Deut. 32.1. Appeals are ease relief to the hearts of those are wronged, and grieved, and God in this case deals after the manner of men.  
11. False worship is a work of darkness: Idolaters have corners, chambers, dark places, these 70. were in the dark, and did the works of darkness. Idolatry is called a work of the flesh, Gal. 5.19, 20. and all works of the flesh are darkness.  
The Heathens had their opertanea & tenebrosa sacra, 
Junius. Polanus.  occult and dark worship.  
Truth loves the light, but error, iniquity, darkness, John 3.20. Evil doers hate the light, they sculke and hid up themselves and their ways: These 70. had power in their hand, yet durst not justify their works openly, but carried all closely; but how close soever sinners are, God sees them. Those words   

In the chambers of his Imagery.  
Some render it in the secret of their own imaginations; 
Lavater. Calvin.  which shows that what ever are the thoughts, workings, and imaginations of men's hearts, the Lord sees them, and can discover them. 
They had Idols in their chambers, and Idols in their hearts.  Idolaters have strong thoughts in their hearts of the ways they are in, of some mystery and excellency in them, which the vulgar knows not; but let men be ignorant of them, the Lord sees them, Isa. 29.15. Men think to hid their counsels, thoughts, practices from the Lord, but he sees the deceitfulness of their hearts, the wickedness in them: and because they carry things close, he searches, he tries them what they are, Jer. 17.9, 10.  
12. That atheism, unbelief, & pride, are the causes of men's going out from God, and falling to idolatrous and other sinful vile practices: For they say, the Lord seethe us not, he hath forsaken the earth. Atheism denies his presence, Infidelity his assistance, and Pride carries them out for help else where, and tacitly lays the blame upon God, he hath left the caring for us, we are in the midst of dangers, and must seek for protection from some Deity or other: and if it be a sin, he may thank himself, if he had not forsaken us, we would not have forsaken him, chosen any other; but we are necessitated to it. Here's the pride of Idolaters, and in Jer. 18.15. all these are included in one word, because my people have forgotten me, they have burnt Incense unto vanity They forgot God, and hereupon became atheistical, unbelieving, and proud.    

VERS. 13, 14.  
He said also unto me, turn thee yet again, and thou shalt see greater abbominations that they do.  
Then he brought me to the door of the gate of the Lords house, which was towards the North, and behold, there sat women weeping for Tammuz.  
HEre you have a third part of the Prophet's new Vision containing yet greater abominations than before; which is set out, 

1. From the place, the door of the gate of the Lords house. It was the Priest's Court, and at the entrance into the Lord's house, and the nearer they sinned to the Lords house, the greater was the wickedness.  
2. The nature of the abomination, women sat there weeping for Tammuz. It was not according to law for any to be in that Court, at that gate, but Priests only. Now here were women, and women sitting and weeping, and that for Tammuz, which were greater abominations than what were before.    
What or who this Tammuz was, must be opened unto you, the word is not mentioned elsewhere.  
Some Rabbis say this Tammuz was an hollow idol, with eyes of lead under which they used to put fire, 
R. David. R. Solomon  & the heat melting the leaden eyes, the idol seemed to weep, and so moving compassion in the women, they became co-weepers wi●h it; but the Text saith not the Idol wept, but that the women wept. Shindl. saith the Idols had their Prophets, and this Tammuz was vir ex prophetis idoli, one of the idolatrous Prophets, whom the King slew, in honour of him was set up an Idol, so called from his name, or because on the first day of the month Thamuz they did celebrate his festivity, the 17. day of this month they fasted for the breach of the Tables of the law, and on the first, feasted, and broke the Law itself most abominably.  
The vulgar Translation reads it, Adonis, and many Interpreters so carry it. Adonis was son of Cinara King of Cyprus, a great lover of pleasures, chief of Garden-delights, whence arose the proverb, Adonidis horti, the gardens of Adonis, which were curious and choice, but soon fading away.  
This Adonis was a great lover of Venus, and being unhappily slain by a Boar, great lamentation was made for him, and the rather because he had a sweet voice, and delighted men and women with his singing, 
Adonis' 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Canendo.  from whence his name seems to be given him, and by the lovers of music amongst them he was accounted for a God, and yearly solemnities instituted for him, in which were the weep of women.  
Lucian in his Dialogues saith, 
De dea Syria.  that yearly in memory of Adonis' death by a Boar, they did beat themselves and weep; after which, they sacrificed to Adonis as dead: and a day after, they thinking him alive; shaved their heads, and those women would not do it, were to prostitute their bodies to all strangers, for a day, and the gain gotten, was given in sacrifice to Venus. 
In vita Alcibiad. Vid. pradum.   
Plutarch saith, women did bring to the solemnities of Adonis, Images like dead bodies, and wailing, sang funeral verses.  
Maternus Firmicus tells us that an Image was put in a bed bewailed by many: and they having satisfied themselves with weeping, a light was brought in, 
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉. Theod. Scalig. de emendat temp. Lactant. divin. instit. l. 1. c. 21. Poeticum Dictionarium. In verbo Apis Plut. lib de Isid. & Osyrid.  and the faces of all that wept were anointed, and these words softly pronounced, Trust in the God, he will deliver us from our miseries, and so they unbed the Idol with much joy.  
Others make Tammuz to be Osiris husband, brother, or son of Isis (for Authors vary about it) and King of Egypt, the same with Apis or Serapis, who coming into Egypt, and teaching them civility, and how to dress Vines, was chosen their King, and having governed them well, at his death was honoured as a God under the form of a black Ox. Suidas saith, he was an Egyptian god, worshipped for the Moon's sake. The Egyptians called this god Tammuz, or Ammuz, which signifies in their language, Hidden, because the sacra of this Idol were covered and secret; those were so they called Pammelia, from her was the first and principal Priestesse; some others there were obscene and public women, carrying about signs of those parts nature abhors to discover, and they were call●d phallephori●.  
Ludovicus Vives in his notes upon August. de Civ. dei. l. 6. c. 10. tells us, that Osiris was torn in pieces by his brother Typhon, (which some say was for his whoredom with Isis, wife of Typhon, and all his members thrwone into Nilus) this fact greatly afflicted Isis, who with much search and labour, got the dispersed members of Osiris again, which caused great joy in her. Hereupon she appointed a set time for seeking of Osiris, with weeping and howling.  
Some affirm, Isis buried Osiris members, being found, in a fenny Island near Memphis, which she called Styx, whether went certain mitred persons at set times to mourn & weep: & a goodly Ox appearing unto them, they thought it Osiris, whereupon the Egyptians adore an Ox for their god, and call it Apis Osiris. This Idol being brought to the Temple, 
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉  was their Tammuz. Junius fetches it from a root, signifies to burn, inflame, and thinks thereby is meant the God of the Phaenicians, which is the god of harvest and hot weather; but we may add also, that his worshippers were inflamed with lust and heat, with the f●re of concupiscence, they forgot all bonds of modesty, and discov red their nakedness unto this Idol. He conceives it to be the same with Osiris (which signifies blessed or enlightening all things) and with Adonis.  

Women sat here:  
These women were the She Priests of Isis, and did wear linen garments, and performed many of their wretched rites, in woven houses, of which you read, 2 Kings 23.7. The word hang in the Hebrew is houses: women that lived in filthy houses, did wove those houses, or Tents, to cover the lewdness of other women when they came to honour Tammuz. There dwells near to this Idol youths, the servants of Tammuz, which were for all naughtiness, and now at the Temple was practised Sodomy and all uncleanness: There were houses of Sodomites by the house of the Lord.   

Weeping for Tammuz.  
For his death, many tears were bestowed upon this Idol, 
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉  and being the same with Adonis, is etymologized thus, the Lord or God of sorrow. 
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉.  And Theocritus calls him the God honoured with tears, and also the god worthy of threefold love, which they expressed not only in their tears, but in adoration, in handling and kissing the uncomely parts of the Idol, and offering themselves to commit filthiness with it.  
That when men leave the true God and his worship, 
Obser. 1. Judg. 5.8. They chose new gods, Micah had a house of gods, Judg. 17.5. Judah had as many gods as Cities, Jer. 2.28.  they fall upon, and fetch in any gods; inventions, abominations are increased. If they have gods of their own making, that sufficeth not, but they will have gods other Nations have made; therefore it's said, Turn thee yet again, and thou shalt see greater abominations.  
The Jews after once they fell to Idolatry were not contented with one or two gods, but had a multiplicity of gods.  
Baal Peor, Numb. 25.3. of the Moabites.  
Ashtaroth the goddess of the Sidonians, 
The Romans had a Temple called Pantheon wherein they worshipped all god, only the God of Israel they had not, neither would have, because he must be worshipped alone, and they would not reject all their other gods for one.  1 Kings 11.5.  
Chemosh the god of the Moabites, 1 King. 11.33.  
Milcom● the abomination of the Ammonites, 2 K. 23.13.  
Molech the abomination of Ammon, 1 K. 11.7.  
Baal ●bub the god of Ekron, 2 K. 1.2.  
Baal, 1 Kings 16.31.  
The gods of Syria, and the gods of the Philistines, Judges 10.6.  
The gods of the children of Seir, 2 Chron. 25.14.  
The gods of Damascus, 2 Chron. 28 23.  
These with other gods they had, yet were not content with them, but sought after more, the gods of Edom, 2 Chron. 25.20.  
Thus is it with Rome, they are not satisfied and settled in their old way, but still multiply Saints, orders of Friars, Jesuits, Articles of Faith, and an infinity of intricate dumb ceremonies. 
San●   
2. That false worship, and filthiness, do usually go together, spiritual and corporal whoredom, idolatry, and adultery, these she-servants of Isis wept for Tammuz, but were wanton, lewd with the men that looked to this Idol. Houses for all uncleanness were near the Temple, and this Idol.  
Herod: tells us that the Babylonians were wont to send their women once in their lives to Venus' Temple, called Melitta, where sitting, 
Ruffinus, l. 2. c. 25. says that one Tyrannus a Priest was wont to call out women, ad nocturum colloquium Saturni sui deastri, and then abused them shamefully.  some stranger called them out, casting money into their bosoms, & had their pleasure on them, as long as they pleased: where the worship is impure, there will be impure do.  
In Italy, where is notorious Idolatry, the Country overflows with filthiness of speech, and beastliness of actions, as Sands observes, and three great faults are charged upon the Italians; Malice, in which they are unappeasable; Cunning, by which they deceive the whole world: and Lust, in which they are unnatural.  
3. Idolatry spreads unto both sexes; not only men are drawn away to that sin, but the women also they sat before Tammuz. Idolaters fetch in many gods, he-gods, and she-gods, Ashtoreth was a Goddess, and the Grecians think Tammuz or Osiris was not a man, but their Goddess Ceres, and these gods or goddesses draw persons of all sorts and sexes unto them, Jer. 44.9. Their wives are taxed for their Idolatry,  
4. Women could weep for Tammuz. Osiris, who for his filthiness justly suffered, they supposed him wronged, and therefore laid out their hearts for him; how much more should we weep for the great and glorious God, who unjustly suffers by all sinners in the world. They wept for an Idol, for remembrance of a wicked wretch, when their tears did neither themselves, nor the Idol good: If we weep for God and his wrong, it will please him, profit us. David did so, Psal. 119.136. Rivers of water run down mine eyes, because men keep not thy law.  
5. Idolatry which is a shameful thing, makes persons shameless; these persons discovered their nakedness to the Idol, and offered themselves to commit filthiness with Tammuz; who could have believed that the Jews, instructed in the law of Moses, would have fetched in such an Idol, so beastly, from the Egyptians, and that Jewish women should so fare forget the law of God, and the law of nature, as to prostitute themselves in so obscene a manner to so filthy an Idol as this was? but Idolatry besots, and God in justice gives up to a reprobate sense, Rom. 1.25, 26.28.  
Idolatry is shameful, Hosea 9.10. 
Dominus apertionis.  They went to Baal-Peor and separated themselves to that shame. It was a shameful Idol, and made them shameless; for it's judged they did also before this Idol discover their nakedness.  
Among Papists, where Idolatry is in countenance, Modesty is in disgrace, Priests and Friars strive to exceed each other in impudence, and what elsewhere would not be tolerated, 
Sands in his Europae speculum, pag. 19  in Italy is in high honour: and what in other places, a lose person would be ashamed to confess, that Priests and Friars there refrain not openly to practise.    

VERS. 15, 16.  
Then said he unto me, hast thou seen this, O son of man i● Turn thee yet again, and thou shalt see greater abominations than these.  
And he brought me into the inner court of the Lords house, and behold, at the door of the Temple of the Lord, between the porch and the Altar we●e about 25. men with their backs towards the Temple of the Lord, and their faces towards the East, and they worshipped the Sun towards the East.  
IN the 15. verse is a transition to the last part of the vision lying in the 16. verse, and this abomination yet greater than the former of the image of Jealousy, the mixed forms of beast's and creeping things, than Tammuz is described,  
1. From the place in general, The inner court.  
More particularly, The door of the Temple.  
And yet more specially, Between the porch and the Altar.  
2. The persons with their number, 25. men.  
3. Their posture; with their backs towards the Temple, and faces towards the East.  
4. Their act, They worshipped the Sun.  
This Idolatry was in the Temple itself, and acted by the chiefest persons; It's conceived these 25. were the King and his Council, there were two Tribes left, and 12. out of each, who with the King made up that number; it's thought these 25. are mentioned again in the 11. Chap. vers. 1. where two Princes are named, and therefore probable to be the King and his Nobles, the chief and heads of the people, these stood between the porch and the Altar, which was near to the Sanctum Sanctorum, and where the Priests used to weep and pray, especially in times of common calamities, Joel 2.17.  

With their backs towards the Temple of the Lord, etc.  
The Temple was so built, that the Sanctum Sanctorum was in the western part of it, the entrance into it, in the Eastern part, and when any service was done by the people or Priests, in prayer or sacrifice, they did it with their faces westwards towards the Ark and holiest of holies, and their backs were Eastward, which the Lord in wisdom, and purposely ordered to be so, that he might prevent Eastern and Sun-worship, which was the practice of the Gentiles: whereupon saith Job, Chap. 31.26. If I beheld the sun when it shined, if I looked upon it to adore it as others did. It was the practice then. Of it speaks Mercur: 
In fine Asclepij.  Trismegristus, when the Sun risen they minded the East, but when it set they would not look Westward, lest seeing their God dying, 
Lib. de Arch. 4.  in cultu ejus tepescerent. And Vitruvius saith, their Temples were so built, that they might pray looking to the Sun rising. The learned observe, that the Sidonians, Grecians, Romans, Assyrians, Egyptians and Persians, did all worship the Sun, each giving a several name to this god of their●. The Persians especially, honoured and stood for this god, whom they called Mithra, that is, Lord or mighty; For in the year 612. when Heraclius the Emperor sent to Cosroe King of the Persians, for peace; his answer was, he would not lay down Arms till he had brought him to worship the Sun; but Heraclius prevailed in the Wars, and burned his Idol Temples of the Sun. From whomsoever the Jews learnt this custom, God had forbade them expressly to worship the Sun, Moon, and Stars, Deut. 17.3. And appointed them to worship with their faces Westward; yet they turn their backs upon God, as if he were unworthy of any respect from them, and looking towards the East, adore a creature which God had made to serve them.  
It's wisdom not to give way to any sin, 
Observe. 1.  but to stop sin in the birth, crush it in the conception; you see what abominations after abominations, greater & greater come in here. Lesser sins make way for greater, superstition for Idolatry, yea the worst of idolatry and other sins.  
2. That the nearer destruction, the worse they grow in Church and State, all was out of order, great confusion amongst them; the land was filled with corruptions, the Image of Jealousy, chambers of Imagery, houses for Stews were about the Temple: Tammuz a most abominable Idol set up, adored in it, women suffered to come there, and do shameful things; the Ancients offer Incense to those were no gods; the King and Nobles come into the Priest's Court, turn their backs upon God, no Priest had any zeal for God to reprove these things, but were deeply in themselves, the land filled with violence, their abominations greater and greater, and judgement at the door.  
3. That in corrupt times great persons are generally very profane; the 25. turn their backs upon God, slight him and his worship, disgrace, reproach the same. What greater indignity could they do to God, then to come into his Temple, to the holy place, and there turn their backs upon him, and worship the Sun in his presence; it is as if a woman should cast off her husband, and commit lewdness with another man before him.  
When Jeremiah's roll was read, the King cut, and cast it into the fire, which others consented unto, Jer. 36.23, 24. After, he and his agents cut in pieces the vessels of the house of God, shut up the doors of the Temple, and would suffer the Lord to have no sacrifice, no incense, no Priest: and when God distressed him for his wickedness, he sinned more and more, 2 Chron. 28.22.24. Belshazzar and his Princes drank wine in the sacred bowls of the Temple, and prai●e their idol gods, Dan. 5.2, 3, 4. And not only in corrupt times, are great ones profane, but even in reforming times, Nehem. 13.17. The Nob es of Judah profaned the Sabbath, and increased wrath. Such profane acts God takes very ill, and will requite in their kind. They have turned their back unto me, and not their face, Jer. 32.33. And therefore I will turn my back and not my face unto them in the day of their calamity, Jer. 18.17.  
4. That Kings and Princes are not to be patterns to us in point of Religion and worship, if we will follow them, we may suddenly be led into Idolatry. Here be 25. the chief in the City and Land, and they turn their backs upon the true God and his worship, and choose heathenish religion, and heathenish practices, the people were not bound to follow them. Great ones soon go out of God's way, 2 Chron. 24.19, 20. After Jehoiadas death, the Princes came and bowed to Joash, gave ill counsel, and with them he harkened, and they together, leave the house of the Lord, his worship, and fell to false worship. Jeroboam and all the Kings and Princes in Israel after him, went the wrong way, and never pleased or truly served God for hundreds of years together. We must not follow great ones in matters of Religion, and say we will be of that Religion the King or Parliament are of. Great ones do greatly mistake in the things of God and Religion: The Princes of this world neither know the wisdom of God, nor the Lord Christ, 1 Cor. 2.7, 8. and to this day few of them do know the truth; For not many wise, mighty, or noble are called, 1 Cor. 1.26. Therefore fetch your Religion from Christ, & the Apostles who gave out truths, came down from heaven, which embraced, will sanctify you, and fit you for heaven.  
5. That adoration towards the East was taken up from the Heathens, the Jews had it from them, and it was displeasing to God, and that practise crept in amongst Christians. Tertullian saith, 
In Apolog.  it was a known thing that the Christians prayed with their faces towards the East; but the Heathens stumbled at it, and said the Christians God was the Sun. Some Fathers held it an apostolical tradition, 
Justin. Mart. Basil. Greg.  that Christians should pray with their faces that way: but traditions of Fathers are no warrant for worship, or postures in it; we have nothing from Christ or Apostles leading us to do so, and from others we may not take up such a practice though ancient, holy, and learned; Christ and the Apostles were before them more holy, more able than they, and in their Writings and Practices we find no such thing.  
The Papists, and some among us do yet plead for Eastern Worship, and would have christian's look that way, because Paradise is that way, because Christ was crucified with his face Westward, because he is the light of the World, ascended to Heaven there, and shall come again there. These be weak grounds to draw us from that liberty the Word gives us, to a superstitious, Jewish, Heathenish practice (for deliberately and determinately to do it, in reference to Paradise or Christ, is no better) 1 Tim. 2.8. We have liberty to pray any where, and any way, so it be without wrath and doubting.  
As this facing the East sprung from them, so it's as likely that the building of Temple's East and West, that the people may sit with their faces Eastward, and burying of the dead with their heads into the West, that they may rise with their faces Eastward, came from them, however it savours strongly of Superstition, if not of Heathnisme to do so.    

VERS. 17.  
Then he said unto me, Hast thou seen this O Son of man? Is it a light thing to the house of Judah, that they commit the abominations, which they commit here? for they have filled the land with violence, and have returned to provoke me to anger: and lo, they put the branch to their nose.  
THis verse hath in it the sum of all the evils before spoken of, and an addition of some what else: an appeal to the Prophet for to be judge in it: Hast thou seen the Image of Jealousy, etc. Is it a light thing, give thy sentence supra totam materiam, that all these abominations are done in, and about the Temple: and besides, they have oppressed every where, wronged all sorts, filled the whole land with violence: and as if that were nothing to provoke to wrong, men, they return to the Temple, and provoke me, they put the branch to their nose.  

The branch to their nose.  

〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉  The Hebrew word for a branch is rendered by some a sound, or song; as if they sung, and made a noise with their nose, in disgrace or contempt of God. Some render it a stinke or ill savour, noting how unclean and loathsome Idolaters are that delight in impure sacrifices and corrupt worship, which are a stink in the nostrils of God and good men. 
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉  W● have it a branch, pulled or cut from the tree, which is the proper sense of the word, it comes from that Hebrew root, which signifies to cut, lop off: and so it's expressed, Numb. 13.24. The cluster or branch of grapes cut down.  
For the better understanding of this expression, we must know that the Heathens honoured their gods by dedicating certain trees unto them: 
Gyrald: Syntag. 2 Machab. 6, 7. the sacrifices, Arnob. l▪ 7. etiam dij sertis coronis & sloribus afficiuntur.  and when they sacrificed, they adorned their Altars & themselves with some boughs of those trees were so dedicated unto them. To Jupiter the Beech tree was sacred, to Minerva, the Olive, to Venus, the Myrtle tree, to Hercules, the Poplar, to Bacchus, the Ivy and Vine, to Apollo, the Laurel.  
Among the Thracians it was a law to wear garlands of Ivy when they sacrificed. The Egyptians wore garlands of Ivy and Bayes, and the Israelites here learning from them had branches in their hands, which either they took from the Altars or heads of the sacrifices or sacrificers: and after they had put them to the Idol, or sprinkled them with the blood of these vile sacrifices, or sweetened them with some Idolatrous perfume, they put them to their nostrils, and kissed them, in honour of the Sun. It's conceived they were branches of the Laurel which were dedicated to the Sun. And that they carried these branches to their houses, and often they put them to their nose in memory & honour of the Sun, by virtue of whose influence the Laurel did grow and receive its sweet savour.  
Some take it to be a proverbial speech, noting out they were authors of their own punishment and destruction; they sin, and put the branch to their nose, and this will be their destruction.  
The greatness or littleness of sin is to be measured, not by man's, but God's account of it. 
Observe. 1.  Is it a light thing to the house of judah? They think it so, but it's otherwise; the Intrerogation sets out the greatness of it, Is it so? No, it's not light, but grievous, this expression sets out the weightiness of a thing, 1 Sam. 18.23. Seemeth it to you a light thing to be a King's son in law? No it's a great matter for a poor man to be so advanced, what ever your thoughts are; and let men think sin a light matter, it's far otherwise, there is lead in it, and will weigh them down, 1 K. 16.31. speaking of Ahab, the Scripture saith, And it c●me to pass as if it had been a light thing for him to walk in the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, that he took to wife Jezabel. The Heb. is, was it a light thing for him to commit the sins of Jeroboam? Yes, he thought so, esteemed them light, and went to serve Baal; but they were nototious weighty sins, Kingdom and Church-destroying sins. Men pair, and lessen their sins, they make little account of them, Prov. 14.9. Fools make a mock at sin as an inconsiderable matter. And Chap. 10 23. It's a sport to a fool to do mischief, it's no heavy thing to his conscience, but a light thing like a feather, with which he can sport and play, Job 15.16. Man drinks iniquity like water, he delights himself with sin like a fish, that draws in the water, and spouts it ●ut again in a sporting way: so doth man, to him sin is sweet, delightsome, Job 20.22. not burdensome, Math. 22.5. When they refused Christ and his offers of grace, mercy, and salvation: when they sinned with a high hand, yet they made light of it, and went their ways: And in Isa. when they committed Idolatry, sell to other gods, they looked upon it as a sporting business, Isa. 57.4. Against whom do you sport yourselves? against whom do you make a wide mouth, and draw out your tongue? What men's thoughts are of their sins, you see, they weigh them in false balances, and make them light; but when they come to the balance of the Sanctuary, they will be found heavy. Is it a light thing such abominations are in our land?  
2. To sin where God manifests his presence, and vouchsafes the means of grace and choice mercies, is a great aggravation of sin and grievous provocation of Divine Majesty. Is it light that ye commit the abomination which ye commit Here, in the Temple, the place of my presence, where I have given them mine Ordinances, and do meet them for my worship, to set their Idol of Jealousy near that place, have their chambers of Imagery, their Tammuz brought into the Temple, and women weeping about that filthy Idol, and men standing with their backs towards God, and worshipping the Sun: This aggravated their sin, and provoked bitterly: here, here they do such things, Psalms 106.19. They made a Calf in Horeb. Was this more than if they had made it in Egypt, or some other place? Yes, Horeb was the same with Mount Sinai, if you compare Deut. 4.10, 11. with Exod. 19.18, It's evident, and there God appeared, gave out the Law, and made a Covenant with them, Deut. 5.2. And it was called the mount of God, 1 K. 19.8. Now here they made a Calf, here they sinned, and this was a great aggravation of their sin, insomuch, that Deut. 9.8. Moses saith, In Horeb they provoked the Lord to wrath, even destroying wrath. So touching Gilgal, the Scripture speaks of Gilgals' wickedness, Hosea 9.15. Of sacrificing Bullocks there, Hosea 12.11. And multiplying transgression there, Amos 4.4. The Lord took their sins at Gilgal very heinously, and cause he had for it. At Gilgal were the 12. memorial stones of their passing over Jordan pirched, Josh. 4.20. At Gilgal they were circumcised, and God rolled away the reproach of Egypt from them, Josh. 5.8, 9 There they had the Pass●over, vers. 10. Gilgal being a place famous for these things; their sins at Gilgal did increase their reproach, and aggravate their villainy. Where God ha●h manifested himself, and done remarkable things, sin there is double sin, Psal. 106.7. They provoked him at the sea, even at the red sea. Where God pitied them being in a great straight, where God shown his mighty power in dividing the seas, in leading the Israelites safely through, and in drowning the proud, cruel, bloody adversaries, yet there they provoked him at the sea, even the red sea. So for Canaan, which was the holy land, the land of uprightness, the land where God had shown and done great things for them, sin there hath an emphasis set upon it, Isa. 26.10. There they deal unjustly, Ezek. 20.8. When I had brought them into the the Land for which I lifted up m● hand to give it to them. Four times he accents their sin, there they offer their sacrifices, there they present the provocation of their offerings, there they made their sweet savour, there they poured out their drinke-offerings. God hath given us in this Land, in this City many choice mercies, done wonderful things for us; shall it be said, Here they commit sin, where the Gospel and means of grace are, where they have lately entered into Covenant with me, where they have seen my hand stretched out to do many great things: If it be so, there will be an accent upon our sins.  
3. Violence is a spreading sin; they have filled the Land with violence, with wrong, injustice, opp●ssion. The Princes had violent hands, they oppressed and exacted of the people, 
The Judges were evening wolves that sought prey, devoured greedily, Zep. 3.3. that oppress a man and his house, Mica. 2.2.  Ez k. 45.8, 9 The rich men, they were full of violence, Mica. 6.12. and wronged the poorer sort; servants were infected with this sin, and filled their Master's houses with violence & deceit, Zeph. 1.9. The Priests they violenced the law, Z●ph 3.4. Ezek. 22.26. They corrupted it with their glosses, forced interpretations, constructions, such as God never put into it; they set by the law, and set up their own inventions, wills, traditions, by which the law was made void. Thus violence had filled the Land, the City, the Sanctuary, and ran through all sorts of men. If freedom from this sin had been any where, it's probable in Jerusalem some should have been found free; but Zeph. 3.1. Woe to the oppressing City. And Jer. 6.6. She is wholly oppression in the midst of her. Not only oppressing, but oppression, she was throughly grown and perfect in that sin: and not only oppression, but wholly oppression, nothing remaining in her but oppression, and this evident, vibsile, in the midst of her Princes, Priests, rich, servants, poor, oppress, wrong, offer violence one to another, Jer. 5.1. Run, see, seek, if there be a man that executeth judgement. All were for violence, none for justice.  
4. Injustice is abomination unto God, and the more it spreads, the greater abomination it is; the Lord calls them abominations, for they have filled the Land with violence; violence in the Princes was abomination, violence in the Priests was abomination, oppression in the rich was abomination, injustice in their Judges was abomination, injury and wrong in their servants and officers was abomination, and all these amounted to abominations.  
Injustice and violence are crying sins, Isa. 5.7. The Lord looked for judgement, but behold oppression; for righteousness, but behold a cry. There were hundreds and thousands crying, because their Orchards and Vineyards were taken from them, their wages detained, and themselves and their houses ready to be swallowed up by the mouths of the violent. The word for oppression, Behold oppression, 
Mishphat, and behold Misphak.  in Hebrew is a scab, a wound, a leprosy, when a body is free from these, its beautiful; but when overrun with these, its loathsome. Injustice was a scab, adherent to the Jews, and made them abominable. Oppression was a wound, and made them incurable. Violence a leprosy, and caused them to be separated from the sight of God.  
Is our State free from this sin, may we not fear God looked for judgement, and behold, oppression, a scab, a wound, a leprosy. Is not truth oppressed, are not the righteous and innocent oppressed, and may not many of us take up that of Job, Chap. 19 7. Behold I cry out of wrong, but I am not heard. Let oppressors of others, be it in their names, liberties, estates, consciences, know, their sin is abomination to the Lord, and that there is a cry in heaven against them; the oppressed cry, break in pieces the oppressor, Psal. 72.4. and judge the fatherless and oppressed, that the man of the earth may no more oppress.  
5. State-oppression, and Church-corruption go together; in the Temple were pollutions, and in the Land violence: The Princes and Judges they wronged men, the Priests and Prophets they wronged God, Zeph. 3.23. There you find them linked together, Princes and Judges oppressed the State, removed the bounds, the Prophets and Priests polluted the Sanctuary, and violated the law, they broke both Tables. When one is eminently violated, breaches are quickly made upon the other. If there be violence in a Land, there will be corruptions, pollutions, abominations, in the Sanctuary. If there be superstition, Idolatry in the Church-State, there will be oppression, injustice, and spoil in the Civil-State: When the Temple is a den of Thiefs, the Land will be a den of oppressors and murderers, Jer. 7.9.11.  
6. men's intentions to please God, oft prove provocations of God; they intended not to provoke God, but returned in their apprehensions to worship God in the Temple, & to please him. Not their purpose, but the event was the provocation: So in vers. 6. Their abominations drove God fare from the Sanctuary. They did not purpose and intent to drive God away, but that was the event & issue of their actions, with which they thought they pleased God, Jer. 7.9, 10. Will ye steal, murder, commit adultery, swear falsely, burn incense to Baal, walk after other gods, whom you know not? Come and stand before me in this house, & say, we are delivered?  
They returned from their vile and sinful practices to God's house, and thought by their sacrifices and prayers to please the Lord, when as in truth they provoked him greatly, as you may see in the 12.14, 15. v. where he tells them he will destroy the Temple, as he did Shilo, cast them out, as he did their brethren, the whole seed of Ephraim, and forbids the Prophet to lift up a cry, or prayer for them, vers. 16. So in Isa. 1.13, 14. That they did to please God was vain, abomination, iniquity, trouble, hateful, such as he could not away with. Nad●h and Ahihu thought not to provoke God with their strange site, but did to their own ruin, Numb. 3.4. John 16.2. They shall put you out of their Synagogues, and think they do God good service when they kill you, saith Christ: But they provoke God against their own souls, Isa. 7.12. Ahaz thought it would please God not to ask a sign, but it was otherwise, Mat. 23.29, 30, 31. They thought they did well in building the Tombs of the Prophets, and garnishing them; but thereby they provoked God more against themselves.  
7. God sets a special mark upon those do put the branch to their nose; lo they put the branch to their nose, such are  
1. Those adorn Idols and Images: Isa. 30.22. They covered their Images, and put ornaments upon them, but they were no better than a menstruous cloth. And Ezek. 16.16, 17, 18. They decked their high places with colours, jewels, and broidered garments: This provoked the Lord, and is branded with fornication, vers. 15. and abomination, vers. 22. have not many among us gilded and adorned Crosses, Altars, Crucifixes, etc.  
2. Those find any content, delight, in superstitious and idolatrous practices, Ezek. 16.18, 19 God tells them they had set his Oil and Incense before the Image for a sweet savour; the Hebrew is, 
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉  for a savour of rest, they were pleased, and rested in what they had done, thinking also that the Idol was delighted therewith, Exod. 32.6. They took pleasure in their new God, and danced about the golden Calf, and such expressions as these you have. Their heart went after their Idols, Ezek. 20.16. Their eyes go a whoring after their Idols, Ezek. 6.9. Inflamed with Idols, Isa. 57.5. Mad upon Idols, Jer. 50.38. which do show the pleasure they had in these evils, and how God brands them for the same.  
3. Those that acknowledge any blessings to be from Saints and Images: they here adored the Sun as author of trees and fruits; and Jer. 44.17, 18. They burned incense to the Queen of heaven, and acknowledged their welfare and plenty to be from her. Papists at this day acknowledge the cure of many diseases to be from such and such Saints.  
4. Such as preserve relics in memorial of their Images and gods: they touched the Image with it, and put it to their noset in memorial of the Sun, Deut. 7.26. The silver and gold that was on the images they might not desire or take unto them, lest they should be snared therein; no relics, though never so precious, were permitted them to take, they were abomination to God, and would be snares to them; whence the Rabbins observe, that the Idol, and things serve it, offered to it, and made for it, are unlawful for any use: The Papists abound with relics, and so with abominations.  
5. Those give divine honour to creatures, Psal. 106.19. They worshipped the molten Image. Jeroboam sacrificed unto the Calves he had made, 1 Kings 12.32. And said to the people, behold thy gods O Israel which brought thee up out of the land of Egypt, v. 28. Here was divine honour given to dumb Idols, but he is branded for this frequently, Jeroboam that made Israel to sin. And 1 Kin. 13.34. It's said this thing became sin unto the house of Jeroboam, even to cut it off, and to destroy it from off the face of the earth.  
6. Idolatrous worship is stinking, and brings destruction to the Authors, vers. 10. All the Idols in the Heb. is omnia stercora, 
Col. gilluler.  all the dunghill Images, and Image-worship, are dunghill, stinking, loathsome things to God and man, and they brought destruction upon the whole seed of Ephraim, even the ten Tribes, Psal. 16.4. Their sorrows shall be multiplied that hasten after another God. Jeroboam did so, 1 Kings 12. and Chap. 13. A Prophet prophesyeth against his Altar and Calvish gods, his hand was dried up: And Ch. 14.10, 11. most grievous things are threatened against him and his, Jer. 7.18, 19▪ when they had sacrificed to the Queen of heaven, do they provoke me to anger saith the Lord? do they not provoke themselves to the confusion of their own faces?    

VERS. 18.  
Therefore will I also deal in fury, mine eye shall not spare, neither well I have pity, and though they cry in mine ears with a loud voice, yet will I not hear them.  
HEre is a sad Epiphonema or conclusion: he had oft in the Chapter called upon Ezekiel to see the do, which being shown unto him, the Lord sounds in his ears, what dreadful things he will do.  

Deal in fury, etc.  
The Scripture mentions God's anger, Psal. 30.5. his indignation, Psal. 69.24. his wrath, Isa. 54.8. and his fury, Jer. 10.25. and these exceed each the other. Anger is the displeasure of God against sin; indignation is anger more intense, therefore, Isa. 30.30. it's called indignation of his anger. Wrath is yet higher and permanent, according to that in Nahum, 1.2. He reserveth wrath for his enemies, 
Arist. 4. Ehic. c. 5.  and fury is highest, Job 20.23. The fury of his wrath. It's ira nunquam conquiescens donec sumatur vindicta. In Jer. 21.5. Fury and great wrath go together, and when God is in his fury, he rests not till he be revenged, Jer. 7.20. My fury shall be poured out upon this place, upon man and beast, upon the trees, fruit, and ground, and burn unquencheably, Ezek. 16.41, 42. When Jerusalem should be destroyed, than God would make his fury to be at rest.   

Mine eye shall not spare, neither will I have pity.  
Of these words hath been spoken before.  

Observe. 1.  There is a time when God who is patiented, gracious, and slow to wrath, will deal in fury, he that delights in exercising mercy, hath a time for fury, and trading in it; he that is patiented and long-suffering, hath times of being furious.  
When is it that God will deal in fury?  
1. When lesser judgements will not serve turn; if he threaten in anger, smite in his indignation and wrath, and there be no good use made of those strokes, then will the Lord appear in fury, Levit. 26. God threatens them with sundry inferior judgements, and if they do not work, but still walk contrary to God, vers. 28. then saith God I will walk contrary unto you also in fury. If they grew worse, God would be more violent and furious.  
2. When a reformation is offered and refused, Jer. 51.9. We would have healed Babylon, but she is not healed; forsake her, for her judgement reacheth to heaven, and is lifted up to the skies. So much fury should be poured out upon Babylon, that heaven, air, and earth should wonder at it, Ezek. 24.13, 14. Because I have purged thee, and thou wast not purged, thou shalt not be purged from thy filthiness any more till I have caused my fury to rest upon thee, I the Lord have spoken it, etc. When God tenders a Reformation to a people, it's great love, rich mercy; and mercy refused, is mercy abused, and that turns into fury: and God's fury shall not only be poured out against such a people, but rest upon them, which is much more.  
3. When men are furious against God, his servants, & ways, when they cannot endure his Prophets, Saints, and Ordinances, then is a time for God's fury to break out: When the Husbandmen in the Parable would not endure Christ's servants, nor himself, but beat and stoned them, than fury came forth, and miserable destruction was the portion of those men, Mar. 21.35, 36.38.41. When righteous Lot being abused, was got out of Sodom, than God sent fire and brimstone upon it, and poured out his fury like fire, as it is in Nahum 1.6. and 2 Chron. 36.16, 17, 18. They mocked the messengers of God, despised his words, misused his Prophets, until the wrath of the Lord arose, and it risen very high, even to the height of fury, for he brought the King of Babylon in fury upon them, who slew their young men in the Sanctuary, who had no compassion upon man or maiden, young or old, all men and things were given into his hand, all their glorious things were burnt and laid waist.  
4. When there is a general corruption in State & Church, than the fury of the Lord will appear, then will he deal in fury, Gen. 6.5, 6, 7.13. This will appear more fully in the next observation.  
2. Oppressions in a State, Superstition and Idolatry in the Church, do cause God to deal in fury; there was violence in the land, and the branch at their nose, and therefore God would deal in fury, J●r. 21.12. O house of David, thus saith the Lord, execute judgement in the morning, and deliver him that is spoiled out of the hand of the oppressor, lest my fury go out like fire, and burned that none can quench it. Where there is want of Justice, there will be plenty of Oppression, and where that is, the door is open for God's fury, it's kindled, and will break out against such a State whatever it be, and for Idolatry, see Ezek. 16.36. Because thy filthiness was poured out, and thy nakedness discovered through thy whoredoms with thy lovers, and with all th● Idols of thine abominations, Vers. 38. I will judge thee saith God, as women that break wedlock, and shed blood are judged: And how is that, Levit. 20.10. Gen. 9 6. They were without mercy to be put to death, and so God would do; I will give thee blood in fury and jealousy.  
If these sins be amongst us, we have cause to tremble, for they will cause God to deal in fury, to cast upon us the fury of his wrath, as it's Job 20.23. They will cause fury to be upon our Armies, Isa. 34.2. and Jer. 21.4, 5, 6. Behold, saith the Lord, I will turn bacl the weapons of War that are in your hands, wherewith you fight against the King of Babylon, and against the Chaldeans which beesige you without the walls, and I will assemble them into the midst of this City, and I myself will fight against you with an out stretched hand, & with a strong arm, even in anger, and in fury, and in great wrath: And I will smite the Inhabitants of this City both man and beast, and they shall die of a great pestilence: And those die not, shall be mad, when they are made to drink of the cup of God's fury, Jer. 25.15, 16. God's fury is a trampling thing, Isa. 63.3. A bloody thing, Ezek. 16.38. Fiery, and plentiful, he powers it out like fire, Lam. 2.4. therefore let us tremble, and prevent God's fury which is so terrible, and do as is written, Jer. 4.3, 4. Break up the fallow ground, sow not among thorns, circumcise yourselves to the Lord, and take away the foreskin of your hearts, ye men of Judah, and Inhabitants of Jerusalem, lest my fury come forth like fire and burn that none can quench it, because of the evil of their do.  
3. God's dealing in fury is dreadful, he will not spare, not pity, nor be moved to mercy: And is not this dreadful? You may think, it's never so with God; but the Scripture saith it here, and in other places, Ezek. 24.13, 14. Thou wilt not be purged, I will cause my fury to rest upon thee, and what ever you commit, I the LORD have spoken it, it shall come to pass, and I will do it, I will not go bacl, neither will I spare, neither will I repent, according to thy ways, and according to thy do shall they judge thee saith the Lord God. Men are apt to think GOD is all mercy, but they will find it otherwise.  
His eye that spared them in Egypt, that looked upon them, and pitied them there, his eye will not spare, himself will not pity them in Zion. Their provocations were great, he that spared Ninevites, will not spare Israelites.  
When God deals in fury, there is no dealing with him then, he is a consuming fire, and nothing will prevail with him.  
What if they cry, will not that prevail? Is not God a God hearing prayer, doth he not hear the cry of Ravens? Jer. 11.11. Though they cry unto me, I will not hearken unto them, Isa. 1.15. Mic. 3.8. Deut. 1.45.  
What if Noah, Job, and Daniel should pray, would not God be entreated, pity, and spare them? see Ezek. 14.14.18.20. God forbade Jeremiah, Chapter 7.16. to pray for them, Pray not for this people, neither lift up cry or prayer for them, neither make intercession to me, for I will not hear. His ear is deaf, his heart is hardened, when he is in fury, and deals in it: fury lies in severity, where there is no sparing; in implacability, where is no hearing.  
4. That wicked men in their straits will cry to God, and cry aloud. When Nabuchadnezzar came, besieged the City, when P●●gue and Famine increased, than they fell upon their knees & cried to God for help, as Malefactor's when the Judge is ready to give sentence, cry out, and importune him to spare their lives: Such prayers, are the voice of the flesh, not of the spirit, forced, not free, faithless and unseasonable prayers, coming too late, and therefore unacceptable. Let men therefore not defer seeking of God till necessity puts them upon it.     

CHAP. IX.  

VERSE I.  
He cried also in mine ears with a loud voice, saying, cause them that have charge over the City, to draw near, even every man that hath his destroying weapon in his hand.  
IN the eighth Chapter Ezekiel saw in a vision the sins of the City Jerusalem; here the vision proceeding, he sees the judgements of God to be executed upon them for those sins, and by whom.  
The Chapter contains, 

1. A narration of judgement to be executed upon Jerusalem in the first seven verses.  
2. The Prophet's intercession for Israel, vers. 8.  
3. An answer thereunto, vers. 9, 10.  
4. A report of what was done, vers. 11.    
In the Narration you have, 

1. A commission given to the Prophet to cause Military men to appear, vers. 1.  
2. Their number and manner of appearing, vers. 2.  
3. A mandat given, 

1. To mark the mourners, vers. 4.  
2. To slay the rest, vers. 5, 6, 7.    
4. Mention of the glory of God departing, vers. 3.    
The first verse hath in it, 

1. The author of this Commission: Herald  
2. The manner of giving it out by way of cry, and that with a loud voice.  
3. The witness before whom it was done, and that was Ezek. In mine ears.  
4. The Commission itself, Cause them that have, etc.    
Where we have, 

1. The persons specified, and they are such as have charge over the City.  
2. What they are to do; to draw near.  
3. The manner; with a destroying weapon in each hand.    

He cried.  
Not an Angel, but the Lord, whose glory he had seen at the Temple, who had shown him the several abominations ●f the people, and who had authority to call for excutioners of his fury upon these notorious delinquents.   

He cried.  
Crying in man is intense or loud speaking, when it's expressed by a loud voice: but God cryeth not as man. His crying is the efficacy of his Spirit, or force of his providence strongly moving the creature to the execution of his will, Zech. 7.7. The Lord cried by the Prophets, his Spirit moved them to cry unto the people. And 2. Sam. 16.10. God said unto Shimei, curse David; that is, Divine providence moved him to do so. God cries to the Ministers of Justice, when he moves their wills to come and do execution upon a sinful people. Here God spoke to the Prophet, not providentially, but by the inward language of his Spirit, and visionally.  
The reasons of his calling or crying aloud were,  
1. To declare the weightiness of the thing he was now about namely to bring a final destruction upon Church and State according to that Chap. 7.6. An end is come, and this was a business of high concernment, that that people which had been so beloved, so honoured, so delivered, so observed in the world, should now be utterly ruined: So when the 7. thunders were to be, the Angel, Rev. 10.3. cried with a loud voice.  
2. God's serious intentions to destroy them, he was impatient now of bearing any longer with them, he was burdened, wearied with their iniquities, therefore cried out of them, and called for destroyers, Isa. 1.14. Ah, I will ease me● of mine Adversaries.  
3. To quicken and hasten the instruments he should use in that service. When great persons are intense in their voices and commands, it edges their spirits who are employed, and makes them quick, active, loud cries leave deep impressions.  
4. In reference to the wickeds sins, and mourners prayers, the sins of the one, and prayers of the other cried aloud in God's ears, and now God cries too, and adds cry to cry: they cried for vengeance, and vengeance they shall have. Come, Ezekiel, send for such and such men which may destroy the wicked, and deliver the mourners.   

In mine ears.  
That i●, I hearing, the Lord spoke aloud, and the Prophet heard him. So the like phrase in Gen. 2.8.44.18. is to be understood. God honoured Ezekiel here with the knowledge of what he was about, and singled him out to be a witness of his proceed.   

Cause them that have charge over the City to draw near.  
The Hebrew is, the visitations of the City have drawn near; or let the visitations of the City draw near. Here is the abstract put for the concrete, Visitation for visiters, which is frequent in Scripture, as Col. 1.16. Thrones are put for Kings, Dominions for Lords, Rulers, Principalities and powers for them are in chief places, Isa. 60.17. I will make thy Officers pe●ce. The Heb. is, thy visitation in the abstract, and rendered in the concrete, officers or visiters, and so here. Some read it the men of visitation; others the visiters of the City: our translation, 
Praefecti urbin.  those have charge over the City, especially the Military affairs.  
Who these were is to be examined; not the Ancients of Israel, mentioned in the former Chapter, who were to be destroyed, and not to destroy; but they were certain Angels or Arch-Angels, to whom the Lord had committed the custody of Jerusalem; For Angels have the care of Kingdoms, Provinces, and Cities, 
Angels or Chaldeans they were such as were appointed to execute divine wrath.  and these God calls for, and employs yet to fetch in the Chaldeans for destruction of the City, and inhabitants of it.  
Angels are defenders and destroyers of Cities. Chaldie is qui constituti sunt ut perdant civitatem.   

Every man with his destroying weapon in his hand.  
A man in the Hebrew, it is not every man; but the meaning is, that not any should appear without his weapon, every one that came should bring it in his hand.   

Destroying weapon;  
Heb. Instrument of his destruction; that is, not with an instrument to destroy himself, but with an instrument to destroy othe●s, a deadly instrument.  

Observe. 1.  The Lord will not always be silent, and bear with sinners, he will cry out against them; the longer he hath been silent, the louder he will cry at last; here God held his peace long, or spoke in secret to the Prophet, showing him the sins of this City, how grievous they were, what abominations they had committed: and that being done, he cries out of them, calls for executioners to be avenged on them, Isa. 42.14. I have long time holden my peace, I have been still, and refrained myself: now will I cry like a travailing woman, I will destroy and devour at once. A travailing woman feels pain; but keeps as long as she can from discovering the same; but when her throws and pangs come strongly upon her, she cries out of her pains, and calls for help: So God had borne with their sins, restrained his fury and vengeance; but being overcome with the greatness of their sins, wearied with their iniquities, he cries out and calls for help of Angels and men to avenge him of his adversaries, Mica 6.9. The Lord's voice cryeth unto the City. He called aloud unto them, his patience was expired, Sp●ri● exasperated, his voice was now intended, as being in a straight, and decessic●●ed to proceed to judgement, Amos 2.13. Behold, I am pressed under you, as a cart is pressed that is full of sheaves. A cart is long a loading, and when it's greatly loaded, oft it break, and all is laid in the dust: So God, being pressed, breaks silence, brings in dreadful and inevitable judgements, therefore the flight shall perish from the swift, etc.  
2. The Lord usually makes known his judgements before he executes them. He cried in mine ears.  
Ezekiel shall know the Lords intendments, before he doth any thing against the City & people; before notable judgements come upon men, God's method is to reveal them: God told Noah of the flood, Gen. 6.13.17. The captivity of the ten Tribes was not hid from the Prophets, 2 Kings 17.14, 15, 16. This Babylonish captivity was known to Isaiah, Jeremiah, 
Amos 7.7, 8, 9  Ezekiel and others, 2 Chron. 36.15, 16, 17. Christ told the Apostles of the destruction of the Temple, and miseries that should befall the City, before they fell out, Mat. 24.1, 2. Luke 19.41, 42, 43, 44. Upon this ground Amos is bold, and saith, Surely the Lord God will do nothing: but he revealeth his secrets unto his servants the Prophets, Chap. 3.7. There is no necessity upon God for revealing his judgements; he doth execute many secretly, and openly, which were never heard of, till felt; but God's ordinary way with his people was, to let them hear of his judgements beforehand, he made them known to the Prophets and Prophetical men. Joseph had the 7. year's famine revealed to him, Gen. 41. And God would not hid his purpose of ruining Sadome from Abraham, Gen. 18.17. Shall I hid from Abraham that thing which I do? No, I will not, Abraham is my friend, he shall know my thoughts. Ionas is acquainted with God's intentions touching Nineveh, that great City: and the judgements now upon us were not unfore-seen; the servants of the Lord had notice of them many years since, and spoke of these tempestuous days. This God doth to stop the mouth of iniquity, that wicked men may not object God came upon them without warning. This Lion roars before he devours the prey: The Lord of Hosts sounds the Trumpet before he comes to battle; he tells his Prophets and Ministers of Justice, that they may give warning unto others, that they may prepare to meet the Lord, that they may tremble at his judgements, repent, reform, return to God, or else perish most justly: and that the godly seeing his care herein, for ye might work out your salvation with fear and trembling, draw others out of their dangerous conditions, exercise their graces more fully, and intercede earnestly with God for averting, mitigating, removing or sanctifying of his judgements. Abraham entreated for Sodom, and Jeremiah for the Jews, when they knew GOD'S mind was to destroy them.  
3. No judgements, evils, come upon any States or Churches but at the Lords call and appointment: Let the visitation of the City draw near; or, cause the visiters to come. God hath sovereign authority over all creatures, he is Lord of Hosts, and when he gives out the word, than judgements step forth, and the executioners of them appear, 2 K. 8. 1. There was a seven year's famine in the Land, and how came this? Elisha tells the Shunamite woman, that the Lord had called for it, he commanded it to come forth of his treasury of judgements. When David had sinned in numbering the people, God sent him a sad message by Gad his seer, which was this: Shall seven years' famine come unto thee in thy land? or wilt thou flee three months before thine enemies while they pursue thee? or that there be three day's pestilence in the Land▪ One of these David was to choose, and the Pestilence he chooseth, which God sent amongst them, 2 Sam. 24.12, 13.14, 15. Judgements are in God's hand, and let out at his pleasure. He calls for the sword, and gives it commission to go up and down, Ez●k. 14.17. He saith sword go through the Land. Hos. 11.6. Abide on the Cities. He causeth his sword to devour flesh, and his arrows to be drunk with blood, Deut. 32.42. Judgements come not till God call them, they go not but where he directs them, they hurt not any, or more than he appoints, nor cease till he command: There is nothing casual, accidental in them, but they are by the determinate counsel and will of God.  
4. When the Lord is in his fury, he is not only intense upon, but hastening of judgements: He cried with a loud voice, which sets out his intention; he would have executioners of his judgements draw near. 
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉  Polan: renders the word appropinquate celeriter seu omni conatu & study, make speed and hasten, Zeph. 1.14. The great day of the Lord is near: it is near, and hasteth greatly. The time was near, and all things in heaven and earth making haste to their destruction, yea great haste. God brings on judgements sooner than they are expected. Did not the Chaldeans come with speed and haste upon them, his horses were swifter than Eagles, Jer. 4.13. Then Leopards, Hob. 1.8. And are any creatures swifter for wing or foot then the Eagle or Leopard, yet the Chaldeans judgement was swifter than they. Jeremiah, Lam. 4.19. Our persecuters are swifter than the Eagles of heaven, they made great haste. Sinners are secure, and dunk judgements slumber, when they are upon their march, upon the wing, Jerem. 48.16. Moabs affl ction hasted fast, it came flying: And Isa. 5.26. God hissed for the Chaldeans, and they came with speed swiftly; God hasteneth judgement, and no marvel, he is provoked to it, as an Army is provoked sometime to fight, when there was no intention; or if intention, being stirred, falls to fight immedia lie, Isa. 5.19. Wicked men say, let him make haste, and hasten his work that we may see it, and let the Counsel of the holy one of Israel draw nigh and come, that we may know it. They mocked the Prophet that told them of judgement, captivity, and destruction. You say such things are decreed in heaven, and must take place; let us see them, let them come, Jerusalem is strong, well fortified, etc. As these provoke him by their sins, so the godly importune him by their prayers, Luke. 18.8. He will avenge them speedily.  
5. That Angels have the care of Cities, Kingdoms, & Communities committed to them. 'Cause th●se have the charge over the City: That was the Angels, say interpreters: and in the opening of the first Chapter, I shown you, that Angels were employed in the government of the world, Deut. 32.8. 
Juxta numerum Angelorum dei.  He set bounds according to the number of the children of Israel. The Sept. hath it, according to the number of the Angels of God, as if they had the land divid d first among them, and then the people were settled according to those divisions: That in Dan. 10.20. 
Per gentes & civitates divisae sunt Angelorum praefecturae. Clem. Alex. l. 6. Storm l. 7. jussu divino & antiquo per gentes sunt distributi Angeli.  is more clear and full, where the Angel tells Daniel, that he would fight with the Prince of Persia, he would prevent his hindering their return to Jerusalem, and when he should go forth and leave the care of that Country, the Prince of Greece should come, namely Al●xander the Great, and overthrow that Monarchy, Clemens saith, the charge of Angels was divided by Nations and Cities. And Epiphan. Hores. 51. regna & gentes sub Angelis posita sunt.  
6. When God calls Angels or any creatures, at his command they come, and are willing to contribute any power or strength they have, to damnify and destroy God's enemies, Psal. 78.49. 2 Chron. 32.21. 2 Sam. 24.16. It was at God's command that the waters drowned the world, that fire and brimstone consumed Sodom, that the stars fought against Sisera, and that the earth opened her mouth, and swallowed up Corah, Dathan, and Abiram.    

VERS. 2.  
And behold, six men came from the way of the higher gate which lieth toward the North, and every man a slaughter weapon in his hand, and one man among them was clothed with linen, with a writer's inkhorn by his side, and they went in and stood beside the Brazen Altar.  
IN this verse you have the effect of the former command, those had the charge of the City being called, appear, and here is considerable, 

1. How they are called, Men.  
2. Their number, 6. men.  
3. Whence they came, From the way of the higher gate, etc.  
4. The manner of their appearance, Every man with a slaughter weapon in his hand.  
5. Another man added and described, 

1. From his place, among them.  
2. From a double adjunct.  
1. Of his clothing, he was clothed with linen.  
2. Of an Inkhorn, he had a writers inkehorn by his side.    
6. What they did: They went and stood at the Brazen Altar.    

Men.  
They were Angels, but are called men, because they appeared in humane shape, which was ordinary in ancient times, Gen. 18.2, 3. Angels like 7. men appeared to Abraham; the Angels came to Lot were like men, Gen. 19.5. And Gabriel that came to Daniel, is called the man Gabriel, Dan. 9.21. They have not the true bodies of men, but are real bodies formed into the likeness of men's bodies, which are easily assumed, and easily deposed; for the union between the Angel assuming the body, and the body assumed, is not substantial, like the union between man's soul and body, nor hypostatical like the union between Christ's humane and divine nature, nor accidental, but it is assistentiall; 
Suarez. de Angel. l. 5. c. 36.  the Angel is in the body per intim●m substantialem presentiam tanqum motor ad mobile cum particulari respectu ad peculiarem usum ejus. As the body holds out something of the soul, so doth the body assumed, hold out somewhat of an Angel, and therefore when Angels appeared, they feared they knew them to be more than men.   

Six men.  
Six Devils saith Jerom, six Angels saith Theodoret, and most Interpreters go that way.  
Some think by these six, were represented the principal leaders of the Chaldean Army, mentioned, Jer. 39.3. Nergal▪ Sharezer, Samgar-Nebo, Sarsechim, Rabsaris, Nergal-Sharezer, Rabmag. But here were 7. or 8. as the Original runs, and other Princes beside.  
Others interpret these six of the Kingdoms that helped Nabuchadnezzar in this service, as the Elomites, Ammonites, Idumeans, Moabites, Midianites, and some of Palestine.  
O●hers, to whom the chief care of the War was committed. More probable it is, that six are named in reference to the three parts of Jerusalem, and the chief gates therein, 2 Kings 14.13. There you have the gate of Ephraim, and the corn gate, and these were in oppido Benjaminis, Neh. 12.39. 
Zach. 14.10.  You have the old gate, 
Jer. 1.16.  and the fish-gate, and those were in the City of David, Neh. 3.14. The dung gate, and porta gregis, and they were in oppido Judae, these were the chief gates, and led into the chief street: To these its likely do the six Angels refer, intimating that a destroyer should come in at every chief gate of Jerusalem, these six Angels should bring in the chief leaders of the Chaldean forces with their Regiments at these gates. Or by these six you may understand the whole Army of Nabuchadnezzar, a part being put for the whole.   

Came from the way of the higher gate towards the North.  
This gate was a Temple-gate, not a City-gate, 2 Chron. 27.3. Jotham built the high gate of the house of the Lord, and this was called the Newgate also, 
Je●. 20.2.  Jer. 26.10. The Princes sat down in the new gate of the Lords house. This gate looked Northward toward Chaldea, and that way these six men came, pointing out whence their misery should come, and where it should begin, Jer. 6.2. Evil appeareth out of the North, and great destruction.  

Pradus in loc.  On the Northsid Nabuchadnezzar made his entrance, and not only he, but Antiochus and Titus, as Josephus observes.   

Every one appeared with a slaughter-weapon in his hand.  

〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉  The Hebrew is, an instrument of contrition or dissipation, Prov. 25.18. It's translated a Maul, an instrument to bear out a man's brains. The Sept. renders the word here an Axe, it may be interpreted a sword, or any weapon that sufficeth to kill a man with.  

Observe. 1.  That there is power, efficacy, in the calls and commands of God. When he said, Cause them have charge over the City to draw near, you see it here fulfilled, Behold, six men came. Ezekiel called, told them the mind of God, but there was not power in him to bring these slaughter-Angels before the Lord, Divine provide● eacted, the secret virtue of the Lord did it. There is power in commands of God, and when that goeth along with his word it produceth any effects: his word and power brought the flood upon the world at first, and will bring the fire on it at last.  
2. When God is against a City, he sets Angels against it also. Here were 6. Angels that appeared at his call for the destruction of the City; those who before he had appointed to preserve it, now he calls forth to destroy it. Sin makes God our enemy, and when he is out with us, who can be friends to us; If the King frown, the Nobles and Courtiers will do it also. While God is our friend, Angels are, and all other creatures, 1 Cor. 3.21. Paul saith to the Corinthians, All things are yours, your servants, your friends for your good, and why? ye are Christ's, his friends, his servants; if they had been enemies to Christ, all things had been enemies to them: what the wise man saith of any man, Prov. 16.7. When a man's ways please the Lord, he maketh his enemies to be at peace with him. It's true of any City, when they please God, he makes their enemies to be at peace with them. Babylon was ever an enemy to Zion, but never harmed Zion, till Zion had offended, or lost her God, and when Cities have provoked God against them, he makes their friends their enemies, and their enemy's enmity unto them. Have not we kindled divine wrath by our sins, caused him to deal in fury, to set Angels and men against us; are they not abroad with slaughter-weapons? Jerusalem improved not the sword of Justice, the Magistrates were neglective of punishing Delinquents, of righting the wrongs of the oppressed, and therefore God put a sword into the hands of Angels and Chaldeans to destroy both Magistrate and Subject. Let us take heed how we make God our enemy, by all means make him your friend, Job 5.23. Stones and beasts will be at league, at peace with you, compare it with Deut. 32.13. Isa. 11.6, 7, 8.  
3. At what gate men drive God away, at the same gate they let judgement in; At what door men let in sin, at the same door they let in wrath; the destroying Angels came from the North to the North-gate, there was the Idol of Jealousy, 
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Iniquity & judgement.  Ch. 8.3. by the brazen Altar, this way came in Idolatry, this way God was driven from them, and this way came the Angels, came the Chaldeans to be avenged on them; they sinned Northward, and from thence came their judgement. At that gate was the great concourse of people, there they worshipped the Image of Jealousy, and that way came in the greatest evil they ever had, the Prophets oft mention the Northern evil, Jer. 1.14. Out of the North an evil shall break forth upon all the land. Ch. 4.6. I will bring evil from the North, & a great destruction. And Chap. 6.1.22, 23.10.22. A great commotion out of the North, to make the Cities of Judah desolate, and a den of dragons. Judgement came to that gate they sinned at; sin lay behind the door, called for, and let in the enemy. Gen. 4.7. God told Cain if he did not well, sin lay at the door. That is, punishment, judgement, lay at the door, and would quickly come in at that door sin had opened, Rom. 5.12. By sin death entered. Sin opened a door, it broke open Gods command, and so let in death, and all judgements beneath death.  
Ahaziah sends to Baalzebub the god of Ekron about his recovery, being sick; this so offended God, that an answer was returned him, that therefore he should not come down from his bed, but should surely die, 2 Kings 9.4. gideon's Ephod was a snare to him & his house, Judg. 8.27.  
4. When God comes against a people, he will surround them with judgements, at all the chief gates there should be Angels, Chaldean forces, so that if they would fly to the gates of any of the streets, to the gate of Ephraim, to the corner-gate, the old gate, or fish-gate, the dung-gate, or common-gate, or other gates whatsoever, they should find Angels with destroying weapons in their hands: And see themselves so beset with judgem n●s, that there should be no escaping, they might run from street to street, from gate to gate, and hope to get away; but Jer. 11.11. I will bring evil upon them, which they shall not be able to escape: Their hearts, heads, hands, heels, shall not avail them to an escape, if they fight or fly, if they entreat God or man, seek secretly to steal away, it's in vain, they shall not be able to ●scape.  
5. When God is upon acts of Justice, and calls for Angels or any creatures at his command, they come, and willingly contribute what power they have to damnify and destroy his enemies, every one came here with a slaughter-weapon in his hand; the creatures are ready to execute vengeance upon their fellow-creatures, when the glorious Creator being offended, calls for it, Isa. 37.36. An Angel at God's appointment went forth and slew 185000. He had his slaughter-weapon ready, and acted like an Angel, slaying so many in one night. It's said of Angels, Psalm. 103.20. that they excel in strength, that they do the commandments of the Lord, harkening unto the voice of his word: If he do once speak, they heart, yea, they put forth their great strength, and do that strongly they are sent about.   

One man among them was clothed with linen.  
Who this one man should be, is questionable. Some make him to be an Angel, and the grounds they go upon are these.  
1. He is clothed with linen, in which kind of garment Angels were wont to appear, Acts 1.10. Luke 24.4. John 20.12.  
2. In the end of this Chapter this man saith, I have done as thou commandedst me, which respect an Angel rather than Christ, who being equal from the Father, receives not commands from him, Angels being his servants, and ministering spirits, are fittest to receive commands.  
For the first of these arguments, it's true, that Angels have appeared oft in white linen, and shining garments, but not they alone, Rev. 4.4. The 24. Elders were clothed with white linen. And Chap. 9.7. A great multitude stood before the throne, and the lamb, clothed in white robes. And Christ in his transfiguration had his raiment white as the light, Math. 17.2. It is not sufficient therefore to say this man was clothed with linen, a white garment, and therefore was an Angel.  
To the 2d. That commands are unsuitable to Christ; hear what Christ saith, John 14.31. As the Father gave me commandment, even so I do. Chap. 15.10. I have kept my Father's commandments. So Chap. 12.49.10.18. He received commands from his Father, and kept them. This was no disparagement to Christ, as God, he was equal with his Father; as man himself saith, the Father is greater than I, John 14.28.  
Others by this one man understand the Lord Christ, the Angel of the Covenant, and those contend that in the letter here, is meant an Angel, and makes that Angel representative of Christ: so that the difference is not much; but I join with them that make this one man to be Christ, and that 

1. B cause he is brought in as Mediator here with an adjunct of oneness, as in 1 Tim. 2.5. One Mediator, etc. the godly Jews had no other Mediator.  
2ly. Here are employed the three offices of Christ.    
1. His Kingly office, whereby he rules and commands all creatures, 
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉  and that is couched up in those words, Among them, or in the midst of them, as King and Commander, he appears in the midst of those Angels which had the destroying weapons in their hands. He was their General, and shown himself in the midst of them, Josh. 5.14, 15. He appeared to Joshuah with a drawn sword, and told him he was Captain of the Lords boast; whereupon Joshuah fell down and worshipped, which had been sinful if it had been an Angel, not the Lord General of men and Angels.  

〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉  2. His Priestly office, employed in his linen clothing, the Heb. signifies flax, especially white flax or silk which was used in holy vestures, 1 Sam. 2.18. Samuel ministered to the Lord girded with a linen Ephod. 
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 bissum Chald. Nat. Hist. l. 19 c. 1. Vestes inde sacerdotibus Aegypti gratissimae.  That is, with an ephod of fine floxe, or silk, which grew in Egypt, and was called Shesh, Ezek. 27.7. Gossipium by Pliny, whereof he affirms were made garments for the Egyptian Priests, who, doubtless took it up from the Jewish Priests, who were appointed by God to wear such garments, Exod. 28.42, 43. Levit. 6.10.16.4. Whereby was set out the innocency and purity should be in the Priests, who were to intercede with God for the people. In such a garment doth Christ appear, a sacerdotal ga●m●nt, pointing out his holiness, innocency, and Priestly office, whereby he intercedes for sinners.  
3. His Prophetical office, shadowed out by the Inkehorn he had by his side; 
Is signator fuit omnium consensu Cristus Mediator Pareus in Rev. 7.  Prophets were to declare the mind of God by speaking and writing, to discover who were good, who bade, whose names were in the book of life, whose not, and so Christ here would make known the mind of God, and ma●k out those who were for deliverance, and those were for destruction.   

A writer's Inkhorn.  
The Sept. reads it a sapphirine girdle about his loins, mistaking Sopher for Saphir, some have it the Tables of a writer, or Table-book. Others te●me it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Calamarium, a case for pens, we an Inkhorn, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, that which contains the ink, and hath the penne-case joined with it. Some taking it for a book, conceive Christ writ in the names of those should be spared, or made known whose names were written already in this book. The Scripture mentions a book of life, Exod. 32. Psal. 69. But that Christ declared out of this book, the names of the inwritten, is groundless, we are to take it for an Inkhorn, which notes Christ giving instructions to these Agents, his observing, recording of all things, and his distinguishing between the precious and the vile, and his readiness to seal and instruct those that are the Lords. Or it notes a manifesting the decrees of God touching Jerusalem.  
It was Christ sat upon the Throne who spoke to Ezekiel, 
Quest.  and how could this one man among the Angels be Christ? This is the only difficulty against this interpretation, that the same person in the same vision should be represented diversely.  
Christ having divers offices which cannot be typified or shadowed out by any one thing, 
Answ.  it pleaseth him to represent himself variously to us in the same v●sion, as in Rev. 5.1. There is one sits upon a Throne, and this was Christ (as appears, Chap. 1.18.21.6.) he had a book in his hand sealed, which none being able to open, caused great weeping: and v. 6. there is Christ represented as a Lamb, who vers. 7. came and took the book out of the hand of him that sat upon the Throne: Here Christ is variously represented, he sat in the Throne as God, and held the book in his hand, he took it as Mediator, and opened it unto men. Christ is the Priest, the Sacr●fice, and Altar, but under a divers consideration: And so in this vision, sometimes Christ is represented as God sitting in his Throne; sometime as a Prophet, instructing Ezekiel; sometimes as Mediator, interceding for the Elect: It's not incongruous therefore to see the same person, having several offices, and conveying several benefits to his Church, represented in a v●sion several ways at the same time.   

They went in and stood beside the brazen Altar.  
The Scripture speaks of a golden Altar, 1 King. 7.22.7.48. and this was before the Oracle. There was also a brazen Altar 1 Kings 8.64. which was for holocaust as the other for Incense, and stood in the midst of the Court before the Temple; but at this time it was removed, and the Damascens Altar set in the place of it, where the Idol of Jealousy was honoured.  
Now these men came not to this idolatrous Altar, but went to the brazen Altar which was near, though out of its place. There they stood to receive answers, they would not go to the other where false worship was, lest they should seem to countenance it; but to the other deserted, despised altar, to which the sacrifices belonged, and where GOD gave them true answers.  
There they stood; which phrase implies a readiness in whomsoever, to hear, receive, and execute the commands of those they stand before. If Levites stand before the Lord, it imports a promptness in them to Minister unto the Lord, Deut. 10.8. If servants, 2 Kings 15.25. If great ones, 2 Kings 8.9. stand before others, it argues a proneness in them to hearken to what shall be given out, and imposed upon them, so here.  

Obser. 1.  Elect Jews under the law were saved by the Mediaterian work of Christ incarnate, as we are under the Gospel: Christ frequently appeared as man, intimating thereby his future incarnation, and that that nature must concur to the making up of his Mediatorship, he did not mediate for them as God, for ●● as man; but he mediated then ut homo promissus, now he mediates ut homo exhibitus. Isa. 53.5. The Prophet speaking of Christ, saith, he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities, the chastisement of our peace was upon him, and with his stripes we are healed. The Prophet's faith, and in his, the faith of the Jewish Church looked upon Christ as already wounded, slain, and fetched healing virtue from his stripes. Christ's death was their life, his Cross, their crown.  
2. That the Lord Christ is the chief Commander of all Angelical and humane forces; he was in the midst of these six military Angels that were to bring in the Chaldean forces at the several gates of the City; He was their General, from him they had their Commissions, and without a word from him they could not stir. All power in heaven and earth was given him, Math. 28. His prerogative it was and is, to call forth Angels, and send out Armies, Rev. 19.4. The Armies which were in heaven followed him; that is Christ, he was their Leader, and his name is King of Kings, and Lord of Lords, vers. 16. And certainly where Christ goes in the head of Armies, there will be great slaughter.  
3. When judgements are abroad, and the godly are in danger, Christ mediates and intercedes for them: Now the Jewish Church and State were at the door of destruction, and publ●que calamities ready to involve all; Christ he appears like a Priest with linen , to offer sacrifice on their behalf, and to mediate for them. When imminent dangers were at hand, or judgements upon the people, the Priest's were to appear, to stand between the Lord and them, making intercession for them, Num. 16.47. And so in Joel 2.17. Let the Priests, the Ministers of the Lord weep between the porch and the Altar, and say, spare thy people O Lord. And here Christ being a merc full h gh Priest, shows himself, and interposeth for the Saints, who were to meet with a terrible tempest. The like did Christ, when he was in the flesh on earth, he saw what a storm was coming upon Jerusalem, what persecution upon the Saints, and therefore John 17. he intercedes with his Father for Apostles and believers, verse 16.20. When Steven was questioned, and in jeopardy of his ●if, heaven was opened, and he saw Christ standing at the right hand of God. Christ pleaded his cause, propitiated for his sins, and encouraged him in his sufferings.  
4. Christ hath a special care of his in times of trouble, he appears with an Inkhorn to write down w●●● is said and done against them, to make known the mind of G●d to them, to seal and discriminate them from others, to giust m●●●ssi ●s to those he employs, to cut off the enemies of ●is people, Rev. 7 2, 3. There were four Angels had power given them to ha●● the earth & sea; but there was another Angel ascending from the East, having the seal of the living God, viz. Christ, for so Expositors understand it, and this Angel the Lord Christ cried with a loud voice, saying, hurt not the earth, neither the sea, nor the trees, till we have sealed the servants of God in their foreheads. Christ had great care of his Churches; for by Earth, Sea, Trees, some of the learned understand the Church in several places, by Earth, the Inland Churches, by Sea, the Maritime, and by Trees the mountain and woodland Churches, Christ would not have these hurt till all the godly in them were sealed. It's prophesied in Mal. 4.1, 2. That when it's a fiery day of the LORD, the Son of righteousness shall rise with healing in his wings to them that fear the LORD, Chap. 1.3, 4. When the locusts came out of the bottomless pit, and had power like Scorpions given them to sting and do hurt, there was a command, that they should not hurt the grass of the earth, nor any green thing, nor any tree; That is, No Christian that had life in him weak or strong, but only those had not the seal of God in their foreheads; that is, those had no life, no greenness in them, and they were subject to hurt others. Mar. 4. when the Disciples were in a grievous storm, the waves beat so into the ship, that they filled it, they were afraid, and suspected the care of Christ, and therefore said, Mr. carest thou not that we perish? Yea saith Christ, I have a special care of you, and presently you shall see it; he rebuked the winds, said to the sea, peace, he still, and immediately the wind ceased, and there was a calm. And from rebuking the winds & Seas, he falls to rebuke them for their fear and faithlesness; they perceived not yet that he cared for them aswell sleeping as waking, though his body slept, yet his spirit was awake, his care for his is constant and intense. When he was to leave the world, how full of trouble were the hearts of his Apostles, and how full of care and compassion was Christ towards them laying down several grounds of comfort for them in the 14, 15, 16, and 17. Chapt. of John.  
5. Those are upon great and public designs, should begin with God, consult with him. These 7. here go in and stand by the Altar, inquire of God what his pleasure is, whither he will send them, what he had to do for them, and what ever it was that he would counsel and prosper them. So have the Worthies of God done, Ezra 8.21. When he was to come from Babylon about the great work of the Temple, he sought God extraordinarily for direction, assistance, and protection, which he obtained of God, vers. 23. Jehoshaphat, when the Moabites, Ammonites and others came out to war against him, he began with the Lord in prayer and fasting, and from him had encouragement and success, 2 Chro. 20. So Asa, he began with God, when Zerah had a thousand thousand in the field against him, he knew that the Lord was the Lord of Hosts, and that th●●e uncircumcised ones came against him; therefore looks up to him, and saith, O Lord, thou art our God, let not man prevail against thee, and hereupon the Lord smote the Ethiopians, 2 Chron. 14.11, 12. One reason why Armies miscarry, is, because they confide in their own strength and policy, and lean not wholly upon the Lord, seeking to him in the first place. Joshuah miscaryed in a great business in making peace with the Gibeonites, Josh. 9 and the reason is given; they asked not counsel at the mouth of the Lord, vers. 14. All businesses for the right managing and success of them, depend upon the Lord, it's he blesses or curses, therefore it's wisdom, it's necessary to look up to him at the beginning, lest through neglect of Divine Majesty we lay the foundation of our erterprises in wrath: Christ being to choose Apostles, which was a great work, he prayed all night before, Luke 6.12, 13. And the Angels that were to pour out the vials of wrath, are said to come out of the Temple, they had been there before the Lord.  
6. Those are employed by the Lord, must be careful that they countenance no corruptions in worship. Neither Christ, nor the Angels would come at the false Altar, which Ahaz had caused to be set up; but they go to God's Altar, the Brazen Altar, by this they stood, not the other. Symbolising with Idolatrous worship, persons, and things, God allows not, Deut. 12.30. They must not inquire after the Nations gods, Levit. 18.3. They must not do after the do of Egyptians, or Canaanites. When God's people were in Babylon, (of their condition there the Prophet speaks) they must not touch any unclean thing, Isa. 52.11. much less may they touch any in Zion; therefore Paul presseth that phrase, 2 Cor. 6.17. upon the Corinthians, who were too forward to symbolise with corruptions, touch no unclean thing, marry not with unbelievers, be not at their feast eating idolothytes, go not to law before the Judges, u●e none of their rites, countenance nothing of their worship, you will be defiled, offend your weak brethren: Let all those things go, and what ever you lose or suffer, I will be your Father, receive you, if you be cast off or out, and make good all your losses. God would not have his touch, or countenance any corruptions in worship: The primitive Christians would not cast a little incense into the fire to countenance an Idol. You know in Tertullia's days it was counted unlawful for Christians to wear a garland, because it conformed them unto heathens: and what warrantableness hath been in our surplessing, crossing, kneeling, cringing, aloaring, observation of days, consecration of places? These have conformed us to Papists, and brought an imputation upon us, 
On Rev. 1.10.  that we have Romanized, rather than Evangelized. The Rhemists condemn the Heathenish names of the week days, Sunday, Monday, etc. because it's a countenancing of Heathen corruption; it were well that we let fall all holy days, because the keeping of them is a countenancing of their corrupt observations of them, 
In Psalm 16.4.  and Calvin saith, Fidelibus fas non est ullo symbolo ostendere sibi cum superstitiosis esse consensum, by our ceremonies and service we hardened the Papists, begat hopes in them of our return to them, and grieved, if not stumbled, wounded the godly & weak amongst us.  
7. In times of judgement, as God discountenances false worship, so he discovers and countenances his own way of worship. Christ and the six Angels here came not at the Altar and Idol of Jealousy which was now in credit, but to the brazen Altar which they had set by, and now the false worship must down, the true and good way be countenanced. Ahab maintaining Baalitish worship and Prophets, God sent a famine, 1 Kings 18. which brought them all low, and God now stirred up the spirit of Elijah to ruin the false prophets and worship, and raise up his own; therefore by sacrificing he discovers the false and true worship, the false and true God: and therefore after sacrificing, the people halted not any longer between two opinions, but their hearts were turned back to the Lord, and they cried, The Lord he is the God, the Lord he is the God, vers. 39  
In Josiah's days Gods wrath was abroad, 2 Kings 22.13. and then was the Law found, and Idolatry rooted out, Chap. 23.4.  
When God visits for errors and corruptions in worship, than he opens a door for truth, which was shut up; and there is great reason for it, that he may clear and vindicate his proceedings. When truth and Gods ways are discovered and countenanced, than stoners see they have been out, acknowledge the equity of God's judgements, if not repent of their follies.  
The axe was at the root of the tree when the Gospel came in, their corruptions of the law, false interpretations and traditions were discovered, condemned, and the glorious truths of the Gospel by degrees were let in. When Christ had the whip in his hand, and was purging the Temple, he had the truth in his mouth; My house shall be called the house of prayer, 
John 2.15, 16. Math. 21.12, 13.  and ye have made it a den of thiefs.    

VERS. 3.  
And the glory of the God of Israel was gone up from the Cherub whereupon he was, to the threshold of the house, and he called to the man clothed with linen, which had the writer's Inkhorn by his side.  
HEre our Prophet hath a sad sight, he sees the glory removed from its place, and going away, which presaged no good to Jerusalem.  
The parts of the vers are these, 

1. The subject of this glory; The God of Israel.  
2. The motion of this glory, or glorious God, he was gone, and in his going you have, 

1. Terminu●● quo, from the Cherub, etc.  
2. Terminus ad quem, to the threshold of the house.    
3. What he did, he called.  
4. To whom, to the man clothed with linen, etc.    

The glory of the God of Israel.  
For the glorious God of Israel some take it per hypallagen. I have spoken of these words before, Chap. 8.4. We may hold to the words, and understand thereby some visible sign of the gracious presence o● God. It's thought our Prophet alludes to that in Exod. 25.22. Upon the Ark were two Cherubims, between those the mercy-seat wa●, where God appeared, and from whence he gave ou● his mind to Moses and others, Numb. 7.8, 9 Moses heard God speak from the mercy-seat, and that God now had left his place he had dwelled & sat in so long; for those expressions you have, 2 K. 19.15. Psal. 99.1. now he was withdrawing his presence, and denying them assistance.  
Others think by the glory of God here, to be meant that glory which the Prophet had formerly seen, Ch. 1.28.3. Ch. 23 8.4. This visional glory, the sign● of God's presence, went away, according to that Chap. 10.4. The glory of the Lord went up from the Cherubims: Cherub being put for Cherubims, which is usual in Scripture to put one number for another. We may safely take either of these senses, because this vision Ezekiel had of Christ was a sign of D vine presence, as the mercy-seat was, the going away of it or this glory, do both clearly evidence to us that God was departing, which is the scope of the Spirit here.   

Gone up from the Cherub.  
Pradus denies that the Lord left the Cherubims, and went without them to the threshold, but together with them, and Deodate seems to be of that opinion, in his notes upon the place: but the Text itself leads us to think otherwise; for Ch. 10.18. The glory of the Lord departed from off the threshold of the house, and stood over the Cherubims, which shows that the glorious Lord returned to the Cherubims he had left.   

To the threshold of the house.  
The Sept. have it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in serenum, sub dio, th●y say the Lord went out of the Temple into the open air; b●t it's said, the glory of the Lord went to the threshold, not over it, or beyond it, and it's conceived to be the threshold of the Priests Court. The Lord went thither.  
1. To show he was now going from the Temple, where was such impure worship, and leaving his glorious high Throne, a● i●'s called, Jer. 17.12. The Jews thought the Lord was co●fi●'d to the Temple, and the Prophets to the holy land.  
2. Because he was to pronounce sentence against this wicked, idolatrous, oppressing people, which he would not do in Sancto Sanctorum, or in the Temple, which was the place of his gracious presence, and a type of Christ, and mercy by him. In the gates of the City they sat in judgement, Amos 5.15. And God here at the threshold gives sentence against them.  
3. To treat with the men stood at the braz●n Altar, and to give them commissions and instructions touching those were to be spared and destroyed.  
The Lord's way of manifesting his gracious presence in his Church, was by some notable sign or other: 
Observe. 1.  The glory was gone up, it was there before. When God was pleased with his people, he evidenced his presence by some special sign, Exod 13.21, 22. When the Church came out of Egypt, the Lord came before them by day in a pillar of a cloud to lead them the way, and by night in a pillar of fire to give them light. They had guidance and protection from the Lord Christ, whose presence was evidenced by these visible signs, out of which the Lord also spoke sometime, Psal. 99.7. After they had the Tabernable, Ark, and Mercy-seat where God met them, & communed with them, Exod. 25.22. They had the Vrim and Thummim, to inquire of God, and receive answers by, Numb. 27.21. 1 Sam. 28.6. In Solomon's days God manifested his gracious presence in the Temple by a cloud, 1 Kings 8.10. God answered Elijah by fire, and manifested with whom his presence was, 1 Kings 18.38. And so under the Gospel, Christ the Lord manifested his presence with his Church by visible signs, Acts 2.3. Cloven tongues like fire sat upon each of the Apostles. And Chap. 4.31. The place was shaken where they were, and they were filled with the holy Ghost. And Christ hath left his Word and Sacraments as signs of his presence in the Christian Church.  
2. The signs of God's presence are the glory of God: So the Text calls them, The glory of the God of Israel was gone up: All those visible signs before mentioned were the glory of the Lord, so the spirit is pleased to call the sign of God's gracious presence, 1 Kings 8.10, 11. The cloud that filled the Temple it's called the glory of the Lord index & symbolum gloriae Domini. 
A lapid.  Psalm. 29.9. In his Temple doth every one speak of his glory. The Ordinances there have much of GOD'S glory in them, and they are his glory.  
3. God's withdrawing the signs of his gracious presence from his Church & people, is a forerunner of heavy judgements. Here the glory of the God of Israel went up from the Cherub, and shortly after, the men with their slaughter-weapons are set on work to destroy. It's God's method to take away the special tokens of his presence and love from a people, and then to bring in sad judgements. People sin, and hereupon the glory removes, and jugments draw near, Exod. 32. The people made a Calf, upon which God denies to go with them as he had done, Chap. 33.3. now they should not have visible signs of h●s presence. And of them its said vers. 35. of Chap. 32. The Lord plagued the people because they made a Calf, etc. When God would not answer Saul by dreams, by Vrim or Prophets, than his destruction was near at hand.  
Among other signs of GOD'S presence, there be these;  
1. Efficacy of the word, that it works mightily in the hearts of people; The Lord was with the Apostles, and how mightily did the word work; but when the word is inefficacious & powerlesse, its evident the glory of the Lord is departing, and judgements dreadful enough at hand. The Prophet prophesied to the people, but the word wrought not, Isa. 6.9, 10. Hearing they understand not, seeing they perceive not, their hearts were fat, their ears heavy, and their eyes shut. Now the word was inefficacious to them, and how long shall this be saith Isa. Until the Cities be wasted without Inhabitant, the houses without man, & the land be utterly desolate. Six times is this Scripture quoted in the N. T.  
2. Unity and love of S●ints, Psal. 133.1. 
Isa. 19.14. A perverse spirit.  Where brethren dwelled together in unity, there the Lord commanded the blessing, verse. 3. and shown his gracious presence; where love is, God dwells, 1 John 4.16. But where bitterness and division increase, Satan hath much interest; hearts, heads, tongues, hands, are divided every where, Isa. 9.21. Manasseh is against Ephraim, Ephraim against Manasseh, and both against Judah. Mat. 24. love is grown cold. Instead of fervent love, are fervent contentions; in stead of love without dissimulation, are crafty undermine; in stead of covering infirmities, are rakings in one another's hearts.  
When the breaches were stopped in the walls of Jerusalem, the enemies were very wrath, Neh. 4.7. God hath promised to close breaches, Amos 19.11. Let us improve the promise, and importune him to fulfil it, for rich mercy depends upon is, Isa. 30.26. Unity is an humane saviour of Kingdoms and Churches, division is Abaddon, Apollyon, an hellish destroyer, Mat. 12 25. A Kingdom divided cannot stand, God is departed from it.  
Division hath turned Religion into disputation, driven God from the heart to the head: and now men are polemical, rather than practical in Divinity.  
3. Activity of men in place for God, where God is present, there is courage, Josh. 1.9. 2 Chron. 13.12. But when he withdraws, men are without spirit, divine influences cease, a numbness seizeth upon them, and they act faintly, be it in Church or State, Hos. 7.11. God was departing from Ephraim, if not departed, and Ephraim was a silly dove without heart, void of counsel and courage, and so fit for prey and spoil: Ephraim was quickly spoiled after the Lord left them.  
4. Safety, protection, Jer. 1.19. Psal. 46.5. & Isa. 27.3. 
Judges 16.20, 21. When God was departed from Samson, the Philistims took him and put out his eyes.  Lest any hurt it I will keep it night and day. Where there is keeping, watching, there is presence; but is not our safety almost, i● not altogether gone, can we challenge safety of any thing, estates, liberties, lives, religion: have not our Armies smarted, had blows, and breaches, is not our land spoiled, and under grievous pressures; Are we not for a prey, and none delivereth, Isa. 42.22.  
4. The Lord doth not willingly departed from his people when they have provoked him. He goes from the Cherub to the threshold of the house, and there stands as loath to go any further; he had rather stay with them, then depart from them, if there were any hope of amendment, Hos. 11.8. How shall I give thee up Ephraim? how shall I deliver thee, Israel? how shall I make thee as Admah? how shall I set thee as Zeboim? mine heart is turned within me, my repentings are kindled together. Ephraim had deeply corrupted herself, swearing, lying, kill, stealing, adultery, idolatry, oppression, were found in Ephraim, and yet God saith, how shall I give, etc. And further, that God is unwilling to leave his people, is evident, 

1. He desires they should prevent it, Isa. 1.2, 3, 4.16.18.  
2. Doth upon easy terms offer favour, Jer. 3.13, 14. Only acknowledge thine iniquity, for I am married unto thee  
3. Useth strong arguments to persuade his people to turn to him, Ezek. 33.11. As I live saith the Lord I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked. Turn, turn, etc. Chap. 18.31.  
4. He is troubled when it cometh to departing.    
5. When the Lord goes from a people, it's not suddenly, but by degrees; He did not here in a moment leave the Temple, but moved first to the threshold, afterwards it went up over the threshold, Chap. 10.4. then higher, towards heaven, vers. 19 then to the midst of the City, Chap. 11.23. and from thence to the mountain on the east side of the City, ibid. and so went wholly from them, thus God step by step left them.    

VERS. 4.  
And the Lord said unto him, go through the midst of the City, through the midst of Jerusalem, and set a mark upon the foreheads of the men that sigh, and that cry for all the abominations that be done in the midst thereof.  
IN this verse Divine pleasure is made known to him had the Inkehorn by his side, and it consists in a double command, 

1. He is commanded to go through the midst of the City, and find out who sighed and cried for the abominations therein.  
2. He must set a mark upon the foreheads of them who sighed and cried.    

Set a mark.  
What this was is much disputed: Popish Expositors say it was the letter Tau, which prefigured the cross of Christ. Some Heb. by that mark Tau understand those have perfect knowledge of the law: Some, those who kept the law, Tau standing for Thorah, signifying the law. Others understand believers in the Messiah, Tau noting a cross. Jerome and some with him think the Hebrew Tau was originally like the Greek Tau, representing a cross. and that Ezra returning from the captivity, found out new characters, which are those we use: and Pradus saith, Arius Montanus had a silver shekel, in which the Hebrew letters were not unlike the Greek, and this shekel himself had seen; but it is not evident saith Sanct: that the moneys or shekels which were before the captivity had any letters upon them, they were not known by any stamp, but by their weight, and it's not probable Ezra should reject the original characters of the sacred tongue, and devise new himself. 
Asconius Pedianus cited by Alapid.  Some that will have the mark Tau meant here, make it a sign of life, as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 was of death, judges marked those were condemned with a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, and those were to be freed with Tau. If conjectures might take place, thus Tau is the basis of the Hebrew Alphabet, and marking by Christ is the basis of all true comfort and sound profession: but to leave conjectures, and to feed you with truth. Set a mark refers no more to one letter then another, not to the Greek Tau, or Latin T. because the Lord spoke not in those languages, but in the Hebrew: 
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉  and he means not the letter ח there, but a sign in general, as the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not the letter ח signifies; for the original is sign, a sign: Taf signum, from Tinuah signare, and so it's used in Job, 31.35. Behold my desire is, that the Almighty would answer me. The Hebrew is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Behold my sign is, that the Almighty would answer me. So it's rendered in the margin, in this sense also the Sept. renders it, 
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉.  give or put a sign, and so Symmachus and Aquila.  
This sign was no corporal sign, as if the Lord had made some impression in their foreheads, whereby to distinguish them from others; for this was a vision, not to be taken really, but in a spiritual sense: The Lord Christ took special notice of these, and did distinguish them by special providence from those who were to perish in the destruction of the City; he did not go up and down from house to house, and set a mark in their foreheads, he applied his blood and merits, and sealed them by his Spirit; not that they were not washed in the blood of Christ before; but now there was a new and special evidence of it.   

Upon the foreheads.  
Not on their backs, breasts, arms, but on their foreheads. Some think the Prophet alludes to a practice of marking servants in the forehead, 
Rhodigim, l. 5. c. 31. Vid. Sen. l. 4 de benefic. c. 37, 38.  who had their Master's names fixed therein, whence they were called inscripti literati servi: and it's the use among us to brand some Delinquents with a T in the shoulder, hand, or forehead: and as before was said, Judges marked those who were questioned, and to be freed with Tau. Here was nothing writ upon their foreheads, but something is held out by these words unto us, Christ having intimated their election, effectual calling, 
It may be taken from the practice of Generals, who when they besiege Cities & intent to spare some, give order that they should be marked as Rahabs' house was.  justification by his blood, intercession for them, providential care over them, in the dreadful judgements coming upon them, doth by this phrase declare his public owning, and caring for them. The forehead is an open place, exposed to view of all, and what ever is there, is visible, Rev. 13.16. The mark of the beast was in the hand and forehead; one was secret, more private, the other more open. Christ would so deal by these persons, and so deliver them, that it should openly appear he had distinguished them from others.  
2. Upon their foreheads is specified to let us see here was a personal, not a family deliverance intended.  
Q. Were all delivered who were marked?  
A. It's believed that some god●y ones suffered by the sword and famine, that some also were carried away captive. Jeremy himself was not free from sufferings.  
Q. For what end were they then marked?  
A. 1. To secure them of their eternal condition, that their sins were pardoned, and persons accepted.  
2. To assure them that he was with them, and would work all things for their good, and increase of their glory▪  
3. To encourage their hearts against all opposition & hardship whatsoever.   

The men that sigh.  
The word notes sighing for grief of mind: grief is a heavy burden, and causes men to sigh as those that are burdened, Exod. 2.23. The children of Israel sighed by reason of bondage. The heavy bondage they were under made them groan and sigh, and so these here had the burden of Jerusalem's abominations upon them, and that made them sigh, Prov. 29.2. When the wicked beareth rule, the people mourn: It's the same word, they mee● with heavy pressures make them sigh. 
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Gravius sonat. quam ח & ana ק graviorem notat gemitum quam ana ח.    

That cry.  
This notes such sorrow as exceeds sighing, and must vent it self in a more full way, viz. with crying vehemently, as wounded men use to do when they breathe out their souls, Ezek. 26.15. The wounded cry when the slaughter is made. And Jer. 51.52. Through all the land her wounded shall groan or cry: It's the same word: so that the meaning is, they did sigh greatly, and cry out bitterly for the abominations were in Jerusalem.  

Obser. 1.  The Lord looks upon the world with a discriminating eye; some he looks upon to be marked, and some to be left unmarked, all are not equal in God's thoughts or eye; some from eternity he predestinated, some he passed over, and now in time some he eyes for salvation, 
Prov. 15.3. The eyes of the Lord are in every place, beholding the evil and the good.  some he sets by for perdition, his eye distinguisheth between the precious and the vile, Psal. 34.15, 16. The eyes of the Lord are upon the righteous, and the face of the Lord is against them that do evil. He beholds both, but with a different aspect; one sort he beholds to do good, the other to cut off, Psalm 11.4. His eyelids try the children of men, he looks fixedly upon them, and as they are, so he deals with them, job 36.7. It's said, he withdraws not his eyes from the righteous. They are the delight of his eyes, but the wicked are thorns, provocations to his eyes, Isa. 3.8.  
2. When the Lord proceeds to judgement of Cities, Churches, People, Kingdoms, he doth it judiciously, considerately: he doth not pour out wrath from heaven at all adventures, let it light where, and upon whom it will; but he makes enquiry who are fit to be punished, and who to be spared, Psal. 9.7. The Lord hath prepared his throne for judgement. And then vers. 8. He shall judge the world in righteousness. And vers. 12. He makes inquision for blood. The oppressed he will relieve, the oppressors he will cut off. When judgements are abroad, especially Wars, all things seem to move confusedly, and wicked men to do what they list, they will destroy all before them: but they cannot, the judgements are the Lords, and he carries them on judiciously; there be eyes in the wheels, and a Divine spirit in them, and they do not move, they cannot move otherwise than the wise God will have them.  
3. In the worst times God hath some who are faithful, and serve him. Violence had filled the land, the Idol of Jealousy was set at the Altargate, chambers of Imagery in the walls of the Temple, the Ancients of Israel worshipped the forms of creeping things and abominable beasts, the women wept for that shameful Idol Tammuz, corruptions abounded in Church and State, yet some faithful ones the Lord had, that were undefiled. The Church of God did never totally fail, nor ever shall: When all flesh had corrupted its ways, the wickedness of man was grown great: When the earth was filled with violence, Gen. 6.5.11, 12. yet then, even than was Noah untainted, He was just and perfect in his generation, and walked with God, verse. 9 In Ahabs' days, when Jezebel cut off the Prophets of the Lord, and he vexed the righteous with his will-worship, abominable idoletries, and forced them to fly to Jerusalem, and things were so extremely ill, the righteous so wasted, that Elijah a Prophet thought there was none left in Israel but himself, even then the Lord tells him there were 7000. which had not bowed their knees to Baal, nor kissed him, 1 K. 1.18. They have showed that false god no reverence, contracted no pollution by doing as the rest did: when Ahaz who is stigmatised for his wickedness, 2 Chron. 28.22. when he reigned, cut in pieces the vessels of the Temple, and shut up the door● of the Temple, and made Altars in every corner of Jerusalem, vers. 24. yet his own son Hezekiah was godly at that time, and hated the ways of his Father. When Christ came, there was a Joseph, and Mary, a Zachariah, and Elizabeth, a Simeon, and Anna, with some few others, and the times were exceeding bad then. In the depths of Popery were pauperes lugdunenses, of whom Reinerus a Popish Inquisitor writes, that they had a great show of godliness, because they lived justly before men, believed all things well concerning God and all the Articles of Faith, only they blasphemed and hated the Church of Rome. God had his Hus, Jerome of Prague, and Luther, in times bad enough.  
4. The number of men to be saved in Jerusalem is few, Commission is given to the man with the Inkhorn by his side, to go and search through Jerusalem, and where he found any mourning, sighing, to mark them, and surely this number was very few; he is not to mark stree s, families, but particular persons, which notes the paucity of those that were truly godly, and to be saved. In Egypt the blood was upon the lintel and side posts of the door, and so whole families there escaped; but here in Jerusalem the mark is not upon the door, but the forehead; many doors, whole families were passed over, here and there one found and marked; take a place or two to this purpose, Jer. 5.1. Run to and fro through the streets of Jerusalem, and see now, and know, and seek in the broad places thereof if ye can find a man, if there be any that executeth judgement, that seeketh the truth, and I will pardon it. Here God bids them search and see if they could find a man and bring forth, so that the City might be spared, but they could not find one. This satisfied not God, they might be careless in that work, overlook some man that did it, God therefore will search himself, Ezek. 22.30. I sought for a man among 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. Neither man nor God could find any, these expressions show that the number of the godly was very few; that those were so durst not appear in public, because the times were so profane and perilous, but hide themselves and mourned in secret. Few is the number of true believers, and true mourners; there were two Prophets, Jeremiah and Vriah, the Rechabites, Baruch the Scribe, Ebedmelech the Black-a-moor, with some few beside. The thought of the scant number of the good ones sadded the heart of the Prophet Micah, Chap. 7.1. Woe is me, for I am as when they have gathered the summer fruit as the grape gleaning of the Vintage, there is no cluster to eat.  
5. The Lord hath a special care of his Saints when dreadful and destroying judgements are coming upon others. Go set a mark upon them that sigh, etc. provide that they be secured, distinguish them from all the rest, and let them have mercy in the common calamity: It appears,  
1. From the person employed to do it, and that is the Lord Christ, who was the man with the Inkhorn by his side; when God shall employ not a Prophet, not an Angel, but his own dear son to do this work, to mark the godly, it's argument of tender care towards them.  
2. He must go through the midst of the City, and look into every place, make an exact search, and find them out where ever they were hid; God would not have him neglect any place, lest he should pass by any Saint. Math. 28. Herod would have the wise men make diligent search for the young child, and God would have Christ here make diligent search for mourning S 'tis. they are his treasure, and Christ would search for them, as for hid treasure.  
3. He must surely mark them, vehithvitha Taf, you shall sign them wish a sign, that is, certainly sign them; the doubling of the word notes God's intention and care to have it done; It might have sufficed to have said, you shall sign them; but he adds with a sign, to put it out of doubt.  
4. From the persons sealed,  
1. Men, it's put indefinitely, not confined to noble, wise, rich, learned, but any condition of men that were godly, any poor man, any servant, any child, any little one, let their grace be never so mean, if they had any grace at all, they should have the seal as well as the best.  
2. Mourners; when filled with sorrow for the sins of the land, with fears for the judgements were coming upon the land, all in a confusion, every one at a loss, not knowing what to do, which way to turn themselves: Liberties, Ordinances, City, Sanctuary, all comforts, all friends being upon departure, now to be marked out for life eternal, now to have the conscience sprinkled with the blood of Christ, the spirit to bear witness and seal up the soul, with assurance of God's love, this shows God hath a great care of his in time of dangers.  
Not only at this time, but in all times of judgements God hath been careful of his. Lot's righteous soul was vexed at the unclean conversation of the Sodomites: and when fire & brimstone scorched, consumed Sodom, God sent his Angels to find, 
Gen. 19  hasten, and force Lot out of that wicked place. The flood that drowned all the world, could not hurt Noah, 
Gen. 7.  God put him into the Ark, shut him in, and kept him safe there. When the destroying Angel comes forth to destroy the firstborn of Egypt, 
Exod. 12.22,  the Israelites posts were sprinkled with blood, and no blood must be shed there, they were marked for deliverance.  
When Jericho was taken and destroyed, 
Josh. 2. and 6. Chap.  the scarlet thread in the window was a sign of deliverance to her and hers, Rev. 7.2, 3, 4, 5. Christ the Angel of the East, who had the seal of the living God, viz. the Spirit, forbids the Angels to hurt any, till the 144. thousand were sealed in their foreheads. When Paul was brought before Nero, and all left him in the jaws of that roaring lion, the Lord stood by him and strengthened him: the more careless others were of Paul, the more careful was God of him. A little before Jerusalem was taken by the Romans, a voice was heard, 
Mal. 3.16, 17.  Ite Pellam; the faithful no sooner escape thither, but the City was ruined, and all the foretell woes accomplished in it.  
6. It is the Lord Christ who is the marker of the Saints, all power in heaven and earth is given to him; sealing and saving power, as well as rejecting and destroying power. He is said to have the seal of the living God, Rev. 7. and to take order for the sealing the servants of the Lord, Rev. 3.12. Him that overcometh will I make a pillar in the Temple of my God, and he shall go no more out: and I will write upon him the name of my God, and the name of the City of my God, which is new Jerusalem, which cometh down out of heaven from my God, and I will write upon him my new name. Christ makes him a pillar in the Temple, that is great honour; but that is not all, Christ writes three names upon that man; the name of his God, of new Jerusalem, and his own name; he causeth him to know he is the Son of God, a Citizen of the heavenly City, and should have interest in the glory and dignity of Christ, 
Phil. 2.9. Heb. 2.7.  which Divines call the new name given him after his passion and ascension, such marking have the Saints and faithful servants of Christ. The Scripture tells us of another marker besides Christ, and it's the Beast mentioned, Revel. 13.16, 17. who causeth all to receive a mark in their right hand & forehead. Christ had sealed his, Rev. 7. to separate them from the world and danger: and the Beast seals his, to separate them from Christ's sealed ones, & for the world, that they might buy & sell: this sealing was not for deliverance, but for destruction, Rev. 14.9, 10. If any man receive the beasts mark in his hand or forehead, the same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, and be tormented with fire and brimstone. 
Rev. 19.20. The beast with his mark ones are cast into hell.  Here was a dangerous mark, whether it was the mass, sign of the Cross, profession of Popish worship, subjection to the Pope as head of the Church, obedience to his canons & decrees, observation of his fasts, days, rite●s, whether auricular confession, Popish orders, any vows or oaths to maintain the Pope and his power, such as Otho took in the year 960.  
7. God and Christ are not ashamed of theirs in the worst times, and greatest dangers; God will have them marked, 
Rev. 22.4. His name shall be in their foreheads, the beast had marked and owned those were here, & Christ would do so by his, it was vindicationis nota.  and Christ doth mark them in the forehead. In Sodom God owned Lot, in Rome he stood by Paul, 2 Tim. 4.17. When 4. destroying Angels were come abroad, the Lord Christ seals 12000. of every Tribe in their foreheads, Revel. 7.3.5, 6, 7, 8. Christ owns his here and hereafter, see John 10.3.14.27. He calls them his sheep, his friends, Chap. 18.15. his brethren. I ascend to my father, and your father, to my God, and your God, John 20.17. When Christ was in heaven, he owned Steven being amidst his enemies, Acts 7.55.56. And he promises, Math. 10.32. to confess and own the man before his Father in heaven, who shall confess and own him here on earth. It's a great privilege to be owned by the Lord, Heb. 11.16. God is not ashamed to be called their God: Notwithstanding all the Saints sins and infirmities, God is not ashamed of them. When they were in Egypt, God owned them, Ezod. 3.6, 7. he tells Moses he was the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and that he had surely seen the affliction of his people.  
Victoria a holy Virgin under Dioclesian, being asked by the Proconsul if she would go with her brother Fortunatianus, a Heathen; answered, no, because I am a Christian, and they are my brethren which keep the commands of God.  
Let not us be ashamed of God and his cause, but openly and truly profess him and his ways, we shall lose nothing by it, 1 Sam. 2.30. Them that honour me, I will honour, and they that despise me shall be lightly esteemed. If we have shame with men, and honour with God, vilified on earth, & be accepted in heaven, we have no cause to be discouraged. It's likely the godly here were reproached, threatened, hardly used; but because they honoured God, God owned them, and who ever honoured God, and was not honoured by him? The 3. children would not obey Nebuchadnezars command, nor worship his image, 
Dan. 3.  but honour the God of Israel, trust in him for help; rather die in his cause, then dishonour him at all, and did not the Lord honour them with his presence, 
Acts 3.18, 19, 20.31.  with safety and deliverance. When Peter and John were bold in the cause of Christ, and would preach the truth notwithstanding the command of Rulers to the contrary; presently after God honoured them miraculously, shaking the house, and filling them all with the holy Ghost: and if you ask how you shall honour God; it's answered, by purging yourselves from the corruptions of the times, 2 Tim. 2.20. If a man purge himself, he shall be a vessel unto honour, and by standing for the truths of the times.  
7. Another observation is, that the faithful are so far from complying with the wickedness of the times, that they sigh and cry for the abominations thereof.  
1. They comply not; wickedness is powerful, and hath its arguments of pleasure, profit, countenance, to draw good men to side with her; but they are things intractable: How can I do this wickedness, 
Gen. 39.9.  and sin against God. David, he would not sit with the wicked, he hated the congregation of evil doers, Psalms 26.5. And see what he resolved upon, Psal. 101.4, 5, 6, 7, 8. he would rather cut them off, then countenance them. Grace is as strong in the Saints, as corruption is in the wicked. The vigour of faith, 1 John 5.4. The power of the Spirit, 1 John 4.4. And the efficacy of Christ's prayer, John 17.15.20. do keep the servants of God from complying with the wicked. When all flesh had corrupted its ways, yet Noah was incorrupt, Gen. 6.9. Noah was a just man, and perfect in his generation. Ahab could not get Micaiah to comply with the Court, and suit with the humour of the times. Godly are like fish in salt waters, they grow not brackish, they lose not of their sweetness: Zacharie and Elizabeth, in the great corruptions at Christ's coming, in the great scarcity of good men, yet they walked in all the commandments of the Lord blameless, not in the commands of the high Priests and Pharisees: 
Isa. 8.11.  God hath spoken to the righteous with a strong hand, and instructed them that they should not walk in the ways of the wicked; here the godly did not bow to the Image of Jealousy, join with the 70. Elders in offering Incense, they wept not for Tammuz, they put not the branch to their nose.  
2. They sigh and cry for the abominations are in their times, they bewail the sins of others, Psal. 119.53. Horror hath taken hold on me, because of the wicked that forsake thy law, vers. 158. I beheld the transgressors, and was grieved, because they kept not thy word.  
Lot, 2 Pet. 2.7. was vexed with the filthy conversation of the Sodomites: Yea, vexed from day to day; what he saw and heard was a continual vexation unto him. The Lord Christ, 
Mar. 8.12. He sighed deeply in his spirit, & said, why doth this generation seek after a sign.  when they honoured him with their garments cast in the way, when they acknowledged him King, and magnified him, Luke 19.36.38. even than he weeps over Jerusalem for her impenitency, others sins, and the judgements of God coming upon her, vers. 41.  
The two witnesses, Rev. 11.3. prophecy in sackcloth, which was the habit of mourners: Mordecai, Daniel, the Ninevites, and others, when they mourned, wore sackcloth: so did these witnesses bewailing the abominations and tyranny of Anti-christ, the desolations of the Church, and delusions of the people.  
2 Cor. 12.21. When I come again I fear my God will humble me among you, and that I shall bewail many which have sinned already and have not repent of the uncleanness, fornication, and lascivious- which they have committed.  
This mourning is 1. hearty real, they sigh, they groan, it's not a light matter, the abominations were weighty, and pressing upon their spirits, 2 Pet. 2.7. the word there for vexed, 
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉. apud Laert: in lycone Morbo ● confectus, debilitatus.  is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, and it's then to be rendered word for word, oppressed under the conversation of the ungodly in wantonness; the ungodlis wanton, wicked conversation is an oppressing evil unto the godly, and afflicts their hearts, as the Egyptians afflicted the Israelites Acts 7.24. Moses avenged the oppressed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, Lot's soul was vexed, vers. 8. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, he tormented, wracked his soul, a metaphor taken from engines they did torment withal, his soul was troubled as a man upon the wrack, jer. 4.19. My bowels, my bowels, I am pained at my very heart. What was the matter, there was the sound of the trumpet, and war.  
2. As it was cordial, so it was constant and great grief; they sighed and cried, a little sufficed not, it continued, jer. 9.1, 2. Oh that my head were waters, and mine eyes a fountain of tears, that I might weep day and night. The Prophet wished himself turned into waters, into a fountain, that weeping day and night, he might with a flood of tears carry down the floods of iniquity which he saw. So Ezra, 9.3. when he saw the holy seed match with strangers, the Princes and Rulers to be chief in the trespasses, he rend his garments, plucked off the hair of his head and beard, and sat down astonished; his grief was such as made him astonished.  
3. It's inward and outward; they sigh, they cry, there are expressions of their grief, it was not hidden, but evident; they declared how their souls were oppressed, how they were filled with grief, and could not forbear; Christ wept over jerusalem: Micah when he considered the sins of Samaria and jerusalem, with the heavy judgements were coming, Chap. 1.8. saith, I will wail and howl, I will go stripped and naked (as if sorrow had bereft him of his wits) I will make a wailing like the Dragons, and mourning like the Owls. Vid. a Lapid. & Sanct. what they say of the Dragon and Owls mourning; great mourning with outward expressions are set out thereby, job 30.29. I am a brother to Dragons, and a companion to Owls or Ostriches.  
4. Universal, not for some few or great abominations, but for all the abominations, Church, State, City, Family-abhominations; they laid all to heart, and left none unbewailed.   

Why do the godly sigh and cry?  
1. God is dishonoured by the sins of others, as well as by our own, and the godly are grieved when God is dishonoured by any, Psalm 119.136. Rivers of waters run down mine eyes, because they keep not thy law. David's afflictions drew not so many tears from him, as the sins of others; not his banishment by his son, as the breach of God's law by the wicked. Nothing went so to his heart as the dishonour of God, whose glory shining in his word and Ordinances, is dearer to the godly than their lives. Elijah desired to die when he saw God so dishonoured by Ahab and jezabel. The eye is for two things, for sight and tears; if we see God dishonoured, presently our eyes should be filled with tears.  
2. If we mourn not for the sins of others, we draw them upon us, we make them ours; they mourned here for all their abominations, left they should be found guilty of any: And 1 Cor. 5. The Corinthians were d filled with the sin of the incestuous person, because they did not mourn and do their duty to affect his heart, or remove him from their body: Bradford prayed the Lord to forigve him his other men's sins.  
3. It's argument we mourn for sin as sin when we mourn for it in others. Sin is the breach of the Law any where, and if I grieve, sigh, cry for it in myself, and not in others, it's some selvish respect, not the nature of sin which causeth that mourning; he hates poison as poison hates it every where, in whose handsoever it be, and he mourns for sin as sin, would neither himself, nor have others violate the law of God.  
4. The sins of others are of a destroying nature as well as our own; they may destroy Armies, States, Churches, Counsels, Eccl. 9.18. One sinner destroyeth much good. One Achan, one murderer may undo a land, he defiles it, brings peril upon it: 
2 Sam. 21. 1, 2, 3.  God appointed a special sacrifice to expiate murder, Deut. 21. and no satisfaction was to be taken for a murderer's life, Numb. 35.31. Saul slays the Gibeonites unjustly, and the 3. years' famine is upon David and his people. The death of the Levites Concubine, and Benjamins' refusal to deliver up the Delinquents to justice, caused a bloody War, and the death of above 65000. men.  
5. It argues strength of grace to mourn for others sins, censuring and reproaching of others for their sins argues strength of corruption; and mourning for them argues strength of grace, a sound spiritual constitution; such an one was in Christ, he prayed for the hardness of others hearts, Mar. 3.5.  
6. They mourn for abominations, they do great service for the places where they live, they stand in the gap, they keep off God's judgements. When the people had sinned in making a Calf, and Gods judgements were breaking in upon them, did not Moses mourn, weep, pray before the Lord, and keep off the sad things were hastening towards them, Psal. 106.23. He said he would have destroyed them, had not Moses his chosen stood before him in the breach to turn away his wrath lest he should destroy them. 
Mordecai is bitterness, he mourned for Hamans' villainy, bloodiness, evil, befalling God's people, and proved a deliverer of them, he was a son of contrition, and after a son of consolation.  The mourners tears oft quench the fire of God's wrath, divert judgements, if not, but destruction comes as here, yet the mourners have this testimony in their breast, that they drew not down the vengeance on the Church or State.  
7. They are blessed that mourn, Math. 5. These here were marked, had testimonies of Gods good will towards them: Jeremy was a mourner, Chap. 9.1. and Chap. 15.11. saith God there, I will cause the enemy to entreat thee well in the time of evil. Here was a blessing promised, and the faithful God could not but perform it: When the earth is watered by the heavens, its blessed; but when the earth waters the heavens, when we put tears into the Lord's bottle, when we mourn and weep for the abominations of the earth, there is a greater blessing, Psal. 12.5. For the sighing of the needy, I will arise and set, etc. Isa. 57.18. I will restore comfort unto him and to his mourners.  
8. Others mourn for the sins of men that are not men,: The land mourns because of swearing, jer. 23.10. The whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain, Rom. 8.22.  
For what should we mourn,  
1. For effusion of so much blood in the Kingdom, and spoiling so many Towns: when Ziklag was burnt, it's said, David and those with him wept till they had no more power to weep, 1 Sam. 30 4. What would David do, if he were now alive & amongst us, to see Countries and Kingdoms consumed with civil wars, Isa. 22.4. Look away from me, I will weep bitterly, labour not to comfort me because of the spoiling of the daughter of my people. For it is a day of trouble and treading down, 
Josh. 7.9.  and of perplexity by the Lord God of hosts in the valley of vision, breaking down the walls, and flying to the mountains, jer. 31.15. A voice was heard in Ramah, lamentation and bitter weeping, Rachel weeping for her children, refused to be comforted, because they were not. Rachel was buried in Bethlehem, Gen. 35.19. and Rama was not far from it, she is put for the Bethlemiticall women, who wept bitterly for their children were slain, and carried that way into captivity: and should not England weep because thousands of her children are not; many precious ones are gone, the sword hath drunk their blood. If Martha and Mary wept for one Lazarus, the friend of Christ, why should not all our Martha's and Mary's weep when so many Lazarusses, so many friends of Christ have been cut off, Isa. 57.1. The righteous perish, and no man layeth it to heart.  
2. That Justice takes not place, but rather injustice and oppression, Isa. 59.11. We roar all like bears, and mourn sore like doves, we look for judgement, but there is none: And vers. 14, 15. Justice stands afar off, equity cannot enter; he that departs from evil makes himself a prey: and the Lord saw it, and it displeased him that there was no judgement. The oppressed cry.  
3. For the sinful selvish policy hath been in the great businesses of the Kingdom which are to carry on Reformation; they carted the Ark, when their own shoulders should have carried it; their prudence in the things of God made way for Vzzah's sin and suffering, and hindered the progress of the work; there hath been too much of man seen in our undertake! O the policy, falsehood, treachery, that hath been among us: what was it made Jeremy weep and mourn so, Ch. 91.2. it was because they were adulterers, an assembly of treacherous men.  
4. For the great and bitter divisions are among us, 
Thou makest us a strife unto our neighbours, & our enemies laugh among themselves, Psalm 80.6.  not only among those are wicked or indifferent, but even among those are godly; they shoot their arrows one at another, even bitter words and bitter actions. Is it not sad when Christ's Disciples and Apostles fall out, Matth. 20.24. The ten were moved with indignation against the two brethren. It troubled Christ to see such variance between them, and had he not wisely and speedily taken up the matter, the issue might have been very ill; when brethren wrong one another, it will affect a Moses, Acts 7.26. Is it not to be lamented when our fountains run salt water,: When brethren speak evil one of another, and so speak evil of the law and Gospel also, Gal. 5.15. It troubled Paul's spirit to see such biting and devouring of one another. Certainly if we should see two or three dogs biting of a man, it would much work upon us, and move us to rate and beat them off: And can we see men biting men, and not be affected with it? to see men destroyed with a spirit of bitterness, when they should be restored with a spirit of meekness, is mourning to some, however it be music to others.  
5. That God's judgements have been so long upon us, and done us so little good, God hath given us much physic, and it doth not work, we may be a dying people as these Jews were, Ezra. 10.9. 
Amos 6.6. we drink wine in bowls, and anoint, etc. Intus vino, extus oleo.  It's said there that all the people sat in the street of the house of God trembling, because some were carried away captive, and for the great rain, the great showers which beat down their fruit and corn. We have had many taken prisoners, carried away captive, used barbarously; we have had great rains of blood, & have we yet trembled? have we learned righteousness, and beheld the Majesty of the Lord, Isa. 26.9, 10. may it not be said, as its Jer. 5.3. Thou hast stricken them, but they have not grieved, thou hast consumed them, but tey have refused to receive correction, they have made their faces harder than a rock.  
6. That so many thousand have perished in their sins and multitudes are in a perishing way, Rom. 9.2. I have great heaviness and continual sorrow in my heart, & I could wish myself separated from Christ, for my brethren, my kinsmen according to the flesh, he feared they would perish eternally, and therefore mourned continually. Granctensis tells of a woman that what so affected with souls miscarryings, that she besought God to stop up the passage into hell with her soul and body, that none might have entrance. Do not people perish for want of vision, and few lay it to heart.  
7. That God's name suffers so much amongst us; God's name should be dear to us, the Scripture tells us its glorious and fearful, Deut. 28.5.8. Great and terrible, Psal. 99.3. Holy and reverend, Psal. 111.9. Honourable, Psalm 66.2. And that this name of God should suffer by sinful wretched men is matter of sighing and crying: some despise his name, Mal. 1.6. some profane his name, Levit. 21.6. some blaspheme his name, Isa. 52.5. and most darken the glory of his name: and as it was to joshuah a great grief, bitter affliction when his name suffered, so it should be to us.    

VERS. 5, 6, 7.  
And to the others he said in mine hearing, Go ye after him through the City, and smite: let not your eyes spare, neither have ye pity.  
Slay utterly old and young, both maids and little children, and women: but come not near any upon whom is the mark, and begin at my Sanctuary: then they began at the ancient men which were before the house.  
And he said unto them, Defile the house, and fill the courts with the slain, go ye forth: and they went forth and slew in the City.  
THE Lord Christ having marked some for mercy; in these verses is declared, what was to be done with the rest.  
1. Here is a command to execute them.  
2. The execution itself.  
In the command you have these particulars, 

1. The party commanding; he said.  
2. The parties commanded; the others.  
3. The witness of what was commanded, and that is Ezekiel: In mine ears.  
4. The things commanded, which are these; 

1. To go; they must go after him mark's the mourners.  
2. To smite, v. 5. to slay, v. 6. to defile, to fill the courts of the Sanctuary with the slain, v. 7.      
3. A double prohibition.  

1. Of mercy to the wicked; Let not the eye spare, neither have pity, v. 6.  
2. Of meddling with the marked: Come not near any upon whom the mark is, v. 6.   
4. Whom they must smite, slay, old, young, maid's, children, women.  
5. The place where they must begin, and that is the Sanctuary, v. 6.  
6. Then the execution itself, They went forth, etc.  
I shall open the words wherein any thing seems difficult, and then give you the observation.  

The others.  
They were the 6. Angels who had the slaughter-weapons in their hands, they must now go and make use of them, they were not called for in vain.   

Let not your eyes spare.  
This phrase is sometimes referred to things without life, as Gen. 45.20. Regard not the stuff. The Heb. is, let not your eye spare your stuff. It's joseph's speech to his brethren, when he was inviting them to come to Egypt, and his meaning is this; when you shall look upon the furniture of my father's house, and see what goodly, rich, and useful stuff it is, you will be loath to leave it behind you, your eyes will be affected with it, you will say you cannot be without it, though you know not how to bring it; but let not your eyes spare it, look on it as a needless thing, regard it not, Egypt is before you, and there is enough to supply and suffice you.  
Sometimes it's referred to things with life, as men and beasts, and notes thus much, that there should be no sign of mercy in their eyes, not a look, not a favourable aspect towards those they were to execute: 
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉  their eyes must be terrible, and not spare from vengeance, they must show no pity: and the word in Scripture is so rendered, Deut. 13.8. Thine eye shall not pity him, neither shalt thou spare: That is pity here is spare in my Text, and that is spare in my Text, is pity here. And Deut. 7.16. Thine eye shall have no pity upon them. The Heb. is the same word, thou shalt not spare upon them, spare to execute vengeance upon them: so that they are used promiscuously, & one interprets the other; an eye not sparing, is to show no mercy, no pity. That in 1 Sam. 24 10. clears it, when some bade David kill Saul when he cut off the skirt of his garment, saith he, but mine eye spared thee, that is, had pity on thee, and I killed thee not; if mine eye had not spared thee, I had killed thee without pity, without mercy, Jer. 21.7. He shall not spare them, neither have pity, nor have mercy, lo jachum velo jachmol velo jerachem, the two first words are in my Text, and they are both interpreted by the last not to spare; not to pity is to have no mercy, what ever motives be thereunto.   

Slay utterly old and young.  
In the Heb. it's the old man, the young man, the maiden and little child, all in the singular number, which is put for the plural.  
Q. Here a great question is movable, how it stands with the justice of God to give charge for the destruction of little children which were innocent?  
A. The word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for little children, some take to be meant of such as could play in the streets, and were under 20. years, Gen. 47.12. Joseph nourished his Father and his brethren, and all his Father's household with bread according to their family's 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 according to the little ones; 
Ad os parvuli.  they were not sucking children, but such as could run up and down that Joseph nourished; now if the little children be taken for such, they might be guilty of great sins, as the children that mocked the Prophet, and so deserve death.  
But take little children for such as have not committed actual sin, even babes, new born, in the womb, of which sort many perished in the flood, and many in Sodom, such God may cut off without impeachment of his justice.  
1. He hath an absolute dominion over his creatures, he is the potter, and we are the clay; if he make the vessel, he may break the vessel, shall he not do with his own as he please? he gives life to babes, and he may take it from them when and how he pleases.  
2. They were defiled with original sin, and deserved death; the wages of sin, be it original or actual, is death, and it matters not whether a natural, or a violent death, therefore he forbade Jeremy to take a wife, to have sons and daughters in Jerusalem, and as for those sons and daughters should be borne there, they and their fathers and mothers should be consumed by the sword, and by famine, Jer. 16.2, 3, 4.  
3. They are parts of their parents, part of their family, part of their substance, and God may punish the sinning parent in his child, as well as in his stock.  
4. Had they lived, it's likely they would have trod in their father's steps, and sinned those great sins they did, like them in Jer. 7.18. Children gather wood, and the fathers kindle the fire, and the women knead the dough. Neither doth God punish upon prevision of future sin, but takes them away from present and future pollution.  
5. God might notwithstanding this outward temporal judgement have mercy on their souls, questionless many children die more terrible deaths then by the sword, and yet perish not eternally.   

Come not near any upon whom is the mark.  
Q. If this mark were not a visible mark, how should they know them, and spare them?  
A. The Lord knew who were his, though men knew them not, and it's probable such is the rage of the wicked against the godly, that if they had had a little distinguishing character from others, they would the rather have fallen upon them, and cut them off; but the Lord ordered the judgement so, and their spirits so, that they came not near them. The mark was inward in the foreheads of their consciences, and providence watched and wrought for them without. God might dart a fear into them, disable them from doing the marked one's any hurt, divert them to other families and persons, and this manner of speech is more than if he had said do not kill them, they might do much hurt to them, yet not kill them; but when he saith Come not near them, God doth make a fence about them, and compasseth them with this command and his favour in it, as with a shield against all evil and wrong.  
This deliverance of the marked one's from the slaughtermen, is a type of Gods preserving his in all great and general calamities, and especially of freeing his Elect ones from hell and the furies thereof. The Chaldeans must not come-neare the marked ones to destroy them, and Devils must not come near those Christ hath sprinkled with his blood, to ruin and destroy them, They are freed from the power of Satan, and eternal death.   

Begin at my Sanctuary.  
This was the holy place, the habitation of God, where his worship was, where he gave out gracious answers unto them, yet here they must begin.  
Why here,  
1. They trusted in the holiness of this place, Jer. 7.4.10. When they had sinned grievously, they thought that if they came and worshipped there, all was well, they were delivered and cried out, the Temple of the Lord; God would begin with their confidence.  
2. They had greatly polluted that holy place: there was the Idol of Jealousy, there was the form of every creeping thing, and abominable beast portrayed upon the walls, there were men offering incense to those Idols, there was the filthy Idol Tammuz, and women weeping for it; there were men with their backs towards God, the Ark, and worshipping the Sun Eastward; there they put the branch to their nose, great abominations were gotten into the Temple, they must therefore begin there.  
3. The sins of the Priests and Prophets who belonged to the Temple, were exceeding great, they were messengers of God to the people, and mouths of the people to God, and above others should have been clean, holy, gracious, free from the sins of the times; they should have been exemplary unto others; but if you observe the Scripture a little, you shall find they were patterns of all impiety to the people, they were ignorant, blind, dumb, drunken, Isa. 28.7.56.10.12. Unclean, filthy, strengthening the hands of the wicked, Jer. 23.14. Covetous & cruel, Isa. 56.11. Micah 3.5. Conceited of their own abilities, Jer. 8.8. Flatterers, and dealt falsely with the people, Jer. 6.13, 14.27.15. They perverted the word of the Lord, Jer. 23.36. They rejected his word, Jer. 8.9. They prophesied their own dreams, Jer. 23.7. and put it upon God, saying, he saith, v. 31. They ruled with rigour, Ezek. 34.4. They reproached, slandered, and complained of the true Prophets, stirring up enemies against them, and seeking their liberties and lives, Jer. 26.8, 9.11. Amos 7.10. This made Jeremy conclude, Lam. 4.13. that Jerusalem was destroyed, chief for the sins of her Prophets, and the iniquities of her Priests, that shed the blood of the just in the midst of her.  

Obser. 1.  When God is upon executing judgement, he first manifests, yea, vouchsafes mercy to his friends, before he lets out wrath upon his enemies. Go ye after him; one was sent to mark the mourners, before those with the slaughter-weapons had commission to destroy the rest. His mercy acts before his justice, he separates the righteous, 
Mal. 3.17.4.1.  before he destroys the wicked, he makes up his Jewels before the day comes that burns like an oven: He prepares an Ark for Noah, before he sends a flood upon the world; God sends an Angel to fetch Lot out of Sodom, before he raines fire and brimstone upon them: And at the last great judgement, the Sheep shall have mercy, before the Goats shall have judgement: 
Matth. 25.34.41.  Come ye blessed, that joyful sound shall be heard first, and after departed ye cursed. Mercy is God's firstborn, and visits the Saints ere judgements break out.  
2. When the godly are secured, than judgement delays not; when the mourners are near marking, than the six men follow him presently that marks them, and they do their office. When Lot is out of Sodom, fire and brimstone comes into Sodom, God could do nothing while he was there, Gen. 19.22. But when he was gone, he consumed them with the vengeance of eternal fire. Judgements sometime do linger, and what's the cause? some servants of God are not marked, secured, got into their chambers of safety; if they were, judgement would quickly be upon the backs of the wicked, Isa. 26.20, 21. Come my people, enter thou into thy chambers, and shut thy doors about thee, hid thyself as it were for a little moment, until the indignation be overpast. For behold, the Lord cometh out of his place to punish the inhabitants of the earth for their iniquity. When once they were got into safe places, than would indignation come upon the wicked. When swallows and other birds fly from us, it is a sign of Winter approaching: and when good men are removed out of places, are driven into corners, it's a sign of of judgement upon that place.  
3. Sinners may so provoke God, that he will neither show them mercy himself, nor let others do it; no pity, no mercy should they have from God or man. Go through the City, from one street to another, from gate to gate, and smite, smite every one of them, slay utterly, do not wound or weaken, but tahargu lemaschith, slay to perdition: and though they fall upon their knees, beg hard for their lives, promise you great matters, yet spare them not, neither have pity, be not affected with aught they say, do, or suffer; God hardened them here against them; but might they not find some sparing and pitying from God, if none with man, Ezek. 5.11. Mine eye shall not spare, neither will I have any pity, and he ratifies it with an oath there.  
What were their sins which made the LORD deal thus severely with them?  
1. Their defilement of the Temple with such abominations as they had done, provoked desperately, they despighted God thereinto his face; there he vouchsafed his presence, heard their prayers, accepted their sacrifices, bestowed choice mercies upon them, and yet to defile that with their abominations, this greatly provoked.  
2. Their abuse of the true and faithful Prophets, Jeremiah forbidden to prophesy left he die for it, Jer. 11.21. They laid hands on him, and said he should die, Jer. 26.8. & 2 Chron. 36.16. They mocked the messengers of God, despised his words, and misused his Prophets, until the wrath of the Lord arose against his people. These sins made it rise to a great height, even such a height, that all pity and mercy were laid aside.  
3. Their great unfruitfulness under means and mercies, Jer. 20.8, 9 They reproached and derided the word, and those that believed and obeyed it, Isa. 8.18. You know what pains God took with his Vineyard, he gathered out the stones, planted it with the choicest vine, built a tower in it, made a winepress, did all which was do able for it, and now he looked for grapes, and it brought forth wild grapes; this kindled Gods wrath, and banished pity, mercy from his heart, I will take away the hedge, break down the wall, lay it waste, it shall have no digging, pruning, clouds or rain, but it shall be trodden down, and eaten up, by whom? by Chaldeans, those briars and thorns should scratch and tear it in pieces. Man's unfruitfulness makes God merciless, Luke 13.7. when the Lord came to the Figtree, planted in his vine-yard, and found no fruit on it, what saith he, cut it down, why cumbers it the ground.  
4. Pittilesnesse to one another, Mic. 3.2, 3. The Princes & Rulers did pluck off the skin, and flesh from the bones of the people: they broke their bones, and chopped them in pieces. In their skirts was found the blood of the souls of poor innocents', Jer. 2.34. and Manasses had filled Jerusalem with innocent blood, which made the Lord to say, jer. 15.5. Who shall have pity upon thee, O jerusalem? neither God nor man  
4. Nothing will privilege sinners in the day of God's wrath; when he gives out commission to destroy, there will be a general destruction: Old, young, maid's, children, and women, they must all suffer, all dye. In their military oath this was one branch, Ne quis laedat faeminas, pueros, senes, aegrotos, even nature pleads strongly for such who are fearful and feeble, not able to help themselves, Deut. 20.14. When the jews took a City, they were to spare the women and the little ones, and when they took Midian, they spared the maids and the little ones, Numb. 31.9.18. But here neither oath nor nature should take place, neither age, sex, or condition should advantage or secure them; not the hoary head of the aged, not the beauty of the virgins, not the tears of the mothers, nor the tenderness of the babes, but all must die: So 1 Sam. 15.3. Samuel saith to Saul, go smite Amelech, utterly destroy all that they have, and spare them not, but slay both man and woman, infant and suckeling, ox and sheep, camel and ass. Amalech sought the ruin of Israel, therefore God would have him utterly ruined; when judgements are general, sins are grievous.  
5. Open sins involve not only themselves, but those are dearest to them into open destruction. The ancients offered Incense to Idols, the women wept for Tammuz, others worshipped the Sun, and these brought famine and sword not only upon themselves, but upon the young maids and little children which were free from those sins; the parents' sins ruined the children, and wrapped them up in an open and public calamity. Corah, Dathan, and Abiram rebel against Moses, and the earth swallowed up them, their houses, and all belonged to them, Numb 16.31, 32. The Sodomites sins caused themselves and their little ones to be roasted in fire and brimstone: so Princes, their sins bring down vengeance upon themselves, their posterity and Subjects. All sorts should therefore take heed of sinning against divine Majesty who is so dreadful in his judgements; If they will not pity themselves, yet they should pity those are theirs, and dear to them.  
6. The lives and comforts of all Gods marked one's are dear unto him; he gives order that they should not only not take away their lives, but also that they should not endanger their comforts: Come not near any upon whom is the mark, do not fright them with your stern looks, bitter words, rough handling, keep your distance, they are very dear to me, and I am very tender of them. The marked one's are a people near to God, Psalm 148.14. and he will not suffer them to be wronged, Psal. 105.14, 15. He suffered no man to do them wrong, he reproved Kings for their sakes, saying, touch not mine anointed. God's anointed ones are his marked ones, and they must not be touched, which is as much as come not near them. God doth not only keep the wicked from harming them, keep off judgements and blows from them, which is called sparing them, Mal. 3.17. But he makes them up as his jewels: they lie scattered as common stones here and there; but God hath his days to make them up, to set them in ranks and orders, that they may shine more gloriously, and live more comfortably: Or thus, when a house is on fire, the owners will be sure then to look after their jewels, and to take, and make them up, above all the rest: So God, when judgements are upon Cities, Towns, Kingdoms, will have special care of his jewels and peculiar treasure, Luke 17.34, 35. Two men shall be in one bed, the one shall be taken, etc.  
7. See the order of Divine judgement here; those were ringleaders to others, and drew them to sin by their place, authority, counsel, example, they must first be slain; Begin at my Sanctuary, there were the 70. Ancients of the house of Israel, mentioned, Chap. 8.11. There were the Priests, who had the charge of the holy things, and should not have suffered such corruptions, pollutions, to have come near the Temple; but both the Princes and Priests were foremost in iniquity; they should have preserved the worship of God pure, kept the people from idolatrous practices, into which they drew them, and made Isaiah say twice, that their leaders caused them to err, Isa. 3.12.9.16. there was enforcing virtue in them, constraining the people to err, & run upon their destruction, and therefore now seeing they were first and deepest in sinning, they should be first and deepest in punishment, the slaughtermen, representing the Chaldeans, must begin there, while they were fresh, strong, they must bathe their swords in the bowels and blood of Princes and Priests. Many times it's so, that those are great first in wickedness, are first smitten, Numb. 25.4. Take all the heads of the people, and hang them up before the Lord against the Sun. They had been principal actors in whoredom and idolatry, led others to those sins, and their heads must off first: 
Numb. 16.  So Corah, Dathan, and Abiram, they were prime Rebels, made seditious work amongst the people, and went not they down first alive into the earth? and did not fire from heaven consume the 250. Princes that offered Incense? It's too well known that men eminent in place, are eminent in sin, be they in the State, or in the Church; and it's just they should be eminent in punishment.  
Our Prelates who were Sanctuary-men, and pretended divine institution for their standing, declared by their fruits that they were not from above, but from beneath: an earthly generation that hath been eminent in Treasons, Conspiracies, Rebellions, seditious Innovations and corruptions of Religion as ever was; but God hath found them out, poured contempt upon them, plucked them up by the roots. Strafford and Canterbury were heads of wickedness in the Church and State, and God hath lopped off their heads. Great ones make great breaches for others to perish in, and God gins with them to stop those breaches, and prevent open ruin. The Devil carried Christ to the Temple, and the pinnacle of it, and tempted him from thence to cast himself down, knowing that the sins of those belong to the Temple are most conspicuous and beneficious to him and his Kingdom.  
8. It's not the holiness of any place can mitigate or avert the wrath of God, when those belong to it have defiled the place with their abominations. The Temple was the holiest place in the world, 2 Chron. 36.14. All the chief of the Priests and people transgressed very much, and what was their transgression, they polluted the house of the Lord which he had hallowed; not which men had hallowed, but which he had hallowed in Jerusalem: 
Judgement gins at God's house. Isa. 10.12.  No where else had he hallowed any any place, yet that holy place they polluted, and the Lord therefore bids the slaughtermen begin there, and defile it; they had defiled it with sin, and now God would have it defiled with the coming of Heathens into it, with blood, with dead corpse, etc. which made Jeremy to sigh and say, The Lord hath cast off his Altar, he hath abhorred his Sanctuary: he hath given up into the hand of the enemy the walls of her palaces, they have made a noise in the house of the Lord, as in the day of a solemn feast, Lam. 2.7. It was music to the enemy to slay them in the Temple itself, to dash out their brains against the Ark and Altar, 2 Chron 36.17. They slow their young men with the sword in the house of their Sanctuary, and had no compassion on young man or maiden, old man or him that stooped for age. As they regarded not sex or condition of men, so not the place, though holy. Holy places were wont to be refuges unto those fled to them, even heathens would spare those betook themselves to the Temples of their gods when they took the City; 
Hosts qui ceperant civitatem, parcerent eis quos ad deorum suorum Templa censugisse compererant. August. de civ. dei, l. 1. c. 2.  but in this destruction of Jerusalem, those fled to the Temple sound no favour from God or man: Slay them utterly said God, defile the Temple with their carcases, blood, dung, and they did it, and filled the Temple with such sacrifices it never had.  
9 Divine justice oft smites sinners in the place where they have sinned; they had defi'd the Temple with their abominations, with idolatry, false worship, hypocrisy & vain confidence in it, and there God commands them to be put to death. God had manifested great love, bestowed great mercies, imparted much light to them, heard their prayers, accepted their sacrifices in the Temple, and now seeing there they sinned against him, there he would have them punished. When Ahab had murdered Naboth, 1 Kings 21. this message was sent unto him: In the place where dogs licked the blood of Naboth, shall dogs lick thy blood, even thine, verse. 19 and it was made good, Chap. 22.38. 2 K. 9.26.  
10. God's judgements are as extensive as sinners sins, they must slay not only Sanctuary-sinners, but City-sinners; they had sinned every where, the Land was full of violence, and now the Land, City, Sanctuary, were full of bloody men, and bloody judgements, and as they had filled all with sin, so they must fill all with slain ones. When sins are general, judgements are answerable. Isa. 8.8. speaking of the King of Assyria, it's said, he shall pass through Judah, he shall overflow and go over, he shall reach unto the neck, and the stretching out of his wings shall fill the breadths of thy land. This is spoken of Senacherib, who like a flood over all the land came up to the neck, viz. Jerusalem; but Nabuchadnezzar came not only up to the neck to Jerusalem, but into it, and overflowed the head, he drowned all in blood; where there was no mark, there was no mercy to be showed.  
11. God after long forbearing, is intense upon, and speedy in his judgements, observe the phrases in these verses which show it; Go ye through the City, spare none, slay utterly, begin at my Sanctuary, defile the house, fill the courts with the slain, go ye forth. These expressions set out the bent and intensiveness of God's spirit in this work, he would have his executioners hasten about it, and dispatch all out of hand.  
12. God's instruments do readily obey his commands, of what nature soever they be; here they are appointed to harsh & bloody services, to destroy utterly all sorts and conditions of men, women, children, without pity, and they went forth, and slew in the City. God commanded, and they presently obeyed; not holiness of the place, multitude of persons to be destroyed, or danger of mistaking the marked ones did retard them.    

VERS. 8.  
And it came to pass while they were slaying them, and I was left, that I fell upon my face, and cried, and said, Ah Lord God, wilt thou destroy all the residue of Israel, in the pouring out of thy fury upon Jerusalem.  
THis verse is the second general head of the Chapter, and contains the Prophet's intercession for Israel, when he saw what bloody do was in the Temple and City by the slaughter-Angels, he is affected therewith, he cannot hold, but falls down, and cries out, Ah Lord God, etc.  
In the verse you may consider, 

1. The occasion of the Prophets interceding, or moving cause thereof, which is double. 

1. The people's slaughter.  
2. His own solitariness, I was left.    
2. The circumstances or adjuncts thereof, which are 

1. Falling upon his face.  
2. Crying.    
3. The intercession itself; where you have, 

1. A pathetical invocation of God: Ah Lord God.  
2. An efficatious deprecation of judgement, wilt thou destroy all the residue, etc.      
For opening of the words,  
1. We must inquire how the Prophet here saith, I was left. There were many sealed and spared, which makes the difficulty; Some think the Septuagint passed by these words, and left them out, left they should seem contrary to what went before. Theodoret adds 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, I was left alone; but the Hebrew is, I was left. 
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉  For understanding of this phrase, you may take notice that its usual in Scripture, when great destructions are, to say few or none are left, Judg. 4.16. All the host of Sisera fell upon the edge of the sword, and there was not a man left; yet Sisera, if no others was fled: So in 1 Kings 19.14. Elijah saith, They have slain thy Prophets with the sword, and I, even I only am left, when there were 7000. that bowed not their knees to Baal: If this satisfy not.  
2. I was left: That is, left with the sealed ones, all were destroyed besides: or,  
3. Of these in the Temple, or belonging to it, I was left. Our Prophet saw them all slain, and the slaughtermen were gone out into the City, and there they were destroying: and as they had spared none in the Temple, so he might fear there would be few spared in the City. and so safely say, I am left.  
That they in the Temple were not spared, appears thus, they were not sealed, and all such were to suffer; the destroyer's commission was not to come near the marked ones, but to slay without pity all others: And besides, the man that marked them was bid to go through the City and mark there, not to come at the Temple at all, there were none to be marked, there they practised & justified abominations, they did not mourn for them: Those had to do with the holy things were most unholy, and suffered in the Temple; yet it's not safe to think, or say, that all the levitical race were cut off at this time, and in this place; for Jer. 52.24. Seraiah the chief Priest, and Zephaniah the 2d Priest, and three keepers of the door, with others, were carried to the King of Babylon, and put to death in Riblath.  

I fell upon my face.  
Falling upon the face in order to prayer, notes great sorrow and humiliation, Numb. 14.5. when the people would make a Captain, and return to Egypt, Moses and Aaron fell on their faces before the Assembly; they were deeply affected with that evil. So Moses, when he heard what Corah, and those of his faction said, he fell upon his face, Numb. 16.4. And Joshuah, when Israel fell through Achans sin, he falls to the earth upon his face, & prays. Chap. 7.6. Sometimes they stood and prayed, 1 Kings 8.22. Sometimes fitting, Neh. 1.4. So Christ sitteth at the right hand of God, and makes intercession for us. Sometimes kneeling, Dan. 6.10. Sometimes prostrate upon their faces, as here; and when it comes to this posture, it argues great grief and sorrow, as in Christ, Matth. 26.38. My soul is exceeding sorrowful: And v. 39 He fell on his face and prayed. So Ezekiel being filled with sorrow that all sorts were now a slaying, that no mercy must be showed, he falls upon his face and cries out;   

Ah Lord God:  
The Hebrew, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is a token of grief, and used in such cases, as they cried out for grief, Jer. 1.6.4.10. and is sometime expressed by alas, Josh. 7.7. Judg. 6.22. Joel 1.15. Sometimes by woe, as Ezek. 30.2. Woe worth the day, where it's 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉.   

Lord God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉.  
These be two chief names of the most High, the one noting his Dominion, the other his Essence; the Prophet had an eye to these, seeing God about to destroy, as if he should have said, thou hast being of thyself, and hast given being to these; thou that art Sovereign over all, and canst call bacl the destroyers, ah Lord God do it.  
It's Jehovih, not Jehovah, and some observe that it's used so, when the servants of God were most intense and affected in prayer, as in Deut. 3.24.9.26. and Gen. 15.28. in which places its Jehovih, and both Abraham and Moses were exceeding earnest with God.   

Wilt thou destroy all the residue in Israel, etc.  
This deprecation is very argumentative, and hath many considerations to divert God from destroying of them.  
The first lieth in the word Thou; wilt thou who hast chosen Zion, and said it should be thy rest for ever, Psal. 132.13, 14. Wilt thou who hast made a Covenant with the p ople, and twearest by thy holiness to David, that his seed should endure for ever as the Sun and Moon, Psal. 89.35, 36, 37. Wilt thou who promisedst Abraham that in his seed all the nations of the earth should be blessed, wilt thou now disannul thy promises, break Covenant, and show thyself forgetful of all, yea unfaithful?  
The 2d is in the word Destroy; what? will nothing suffice but destruction? thou saidst, If they broke thy Statutes, and kept not thy commandments, that thou wouldst visit their transgression with the rod, and their iniquity with stripes, but thy loving kindness thou wouldst not utterly take from them, nor suffer thy faithfulness to fail, Psal. 89.31, 32, 33. But if thou destroy and that without pity, mercy, where is thy loving kindness, where is thy faithfulness?  
3d. Is in the word Israel, which was a moving word, and put God in mind how dear they had been unto him. Israel was his Son, his Firstborn, Exod. 4 22. His chosen ones, Isa. 44.1. His glory, Isa. 46.13. Israel he had brought out of Egypt, and done great things for, Exod. 18.1.8, 9 It's Israel is so dear to thee, whom thou hast done so much for, and wilt thou destroy Israel? Israel here is put for Judah, by a synecdoche.  
4. In the residue of Israel, there be ten tribes gone already into captivity; yea, a great part of th'other two tribes are now in Babylon, and wilt not thou have compassion on the little remnant that is remaining?  
5. All the residue: What? shall all of them be destroyed, and utterly? man, woman, child, they are all slain in the Temple, most in the City? Didst not thou bid me bind up a few hairs in my skirts, Chap. 5.3. thereby typifying out that some should be saved? Didst not thou tell me, Chap. 6.8. Yet will I leave a remnant? and what now Lord, must all the residue be cut off? I be a lying Prophet, and thou false in thy word? O do it not, do it not.  
6. In pouring out of thy fury, it notes emptying of himself, as clouds, vials, buckets, when all is in them is poured out, and the argument runs thus; Lord, must all thy fury be poured out at once? where are thy bowels, thy mercies, thou sayest thou reservest wrath for thine enemies, Nahum 1.2. wilt thou power it all out upon thy people, and reserve none for heathens, for thine adversaries, for whom properly thy fury is, Isa. 59.18. O reserve thy wrath for them, and power it not out upon us.  
7. Upon Jerusalem: This is the place thou choosest, and where thou didst set thy name, 2 Kings 23.27. This City was the perfection of beauty, and joy of the whole earth, Lam. 2.15. The City of God the great King, and Lord of Hosts, Psal. 48.1.28. The holy City, Isa. 52.1. It had the holy Temple, the holy Ark, the holy Sacrifices and Ordinances, the holy Priests and Prophets, the holy Law. Here only was God known, and his name great; Lord, wilt thou power out thy wrath upon Jerusalem, thou wilt then have no place left thee in the world to be worshipped in; what will become of thy name, thy glory, all thy holy things. Thou wilt have no Church, no people, no praise in the earth: Nay, the adversary will mock and blaspheme, and what will the marked ones think and say, when Jerusalem is laid waist, the pledge of their hope, may they not say we looked for light, but behold darkness, we expected a Messiiah, but our hopes are cut off, we have our lives for a prey, and that is all.  
The godly do sympathise with the miseries of others, 
Obser. 1.  the Prophet here is affected greatly with the judgements of God upon this people: When the Prophets told them of God's judgements coming upon them, they thought hardly of the Prophets, they could not hear them, 2 Chron. 36.16. they conceived the Prophets hated them, and meant them no good; but when the things they foretell came to pass, they pitied them, and mourned for them: Ezekiel through deep sense of their slaughter, falls down, and shed tears as they shed blood: their bodies were wounded, and his heart was wounded, wounded for their sins, wounded for God's wrath and heavy judgements were now upon them, Jer. 9.1. Oh that my head were waters, & mine eyes a fountain of tears, that I might weep day and night for the slain of the daughter of my people. Jeremiah so sympathised with them, that he had a mind neither to eat, drink, or sleep, but only to weep night and day; tears should be his meat, drink, and sleep. Such a sympathising man was Moses, Deut. 9 12, 13. When the people had sinned in making them a Calvish god, and God's wrath was coming out to their destruction, what did Moses, vers. 18. He fell down before the Lord forty days and forty nights, and did neither eat bread, nor drink water, because the people had sinned, and provoked God to anger. Here was a man affected with their miseries, (I was afraid saith he, of the anger and hot displeasure wherewith the Lord was wrath against you to destroy you.) Forty days did Moses mourn for them, and humble himself: and this kind of mourning 40. days in case of judgement, some think riseth from Gods raining upon the world 40. days, and 40. nights. Answerable to which, Moses, Eliah, and Christ fasted, mourned and prayed, and so to Nineveh 40. days was given them to prevent their destruction.  
This duty of sympathising with others in their misery, was David's practice; though they were wicked, and rewarded him evil, yet if they were in misery, Psalm 35.11. he would share in it. When they were sick, his clothing was sackcloth, he humbled his soul with fasting. Wicked men laugh and are glad at the miseries of the godly, but the godly sigh and mourn at, and for the miseries of the wicked, they remember the Apostolical command, Rom. 12.15. Weep with them that weep, that will be some ease to them to see others sensible of their condition. This makes them like to Christ himself, Heb. 4.15. He is touched with our infirmities. Judgements are upon the Kingdom: many of God's dear servants as well as others suffer hard things.  
1. Take notice of their grievances, burdens, dangers.  
2. Mind them.  
3. Be tender affectioned towards them.  
And 4. help them what you can, and this is true sympathy.  
2. The servants of God that draw near him in time of his judgements, are conscious to themselves of their own weakness, sinfulness, and unworthiness. Ezekiel falls down upon his face as unworthy to look upon the great and glorious God, his own sins and infirmities made him hid his face, & the great wrath of God against his people made him tremble. When Abraham parleyed with the Lord, being about to destroy Sodom, he remembered that he was dust and ashes, Gen. 18.27. God is terrible in judgement, & humility is the best posture an angry God can find any in; when we lie prostrate at his feet he will not destroy us.  
3. Those are faithful messengers of God will deprecate judgements when they are coming upon the people. Ah Lord God, wilt thou, etc. So did Moses that was faithful in God's house, Exod. 32.11, 12, 13.32. where he uses strong arguments to press the Lord to forgive their sins, to divert his wrath, and to spare their lives, or else to blot him out of his book. Joshuah and the Elders of Israel lie upon their faces, put dust upon their heads, and pray earnestly to God not to deliver them into the hands of the Amorites, and to remember his great name, Josh. 7.6, 7.9. Samuel thought it a sin for him not to pray for the people when they were in danger of destruction, 1 Sam. 12.19.23. God forbidden that I should sinne in ceasing to pray for you. He had done it, and would still do it, and if possible, turn away the displeasure of the most High. Jehoshaphat, when a great Army was coming upon them, and ready to over-runne all, he makes an effectual prayer, produceth strong arguments, which you may read, 2 Chron. 20.6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12. from God's power in heaven and earth, from the experience they had of him, in driving our enemies, and giving them the Land, from the Sanctuary built for honour of his Name, and his promise to hear prayer there; from the spring of the enemies when they came out of Egypt, and their intentions now to cast them out of God's possession, and then concludes with a conquering argument of faith: O our God, wilt thou not judge them? for we have not might against this great company that cometh against us: neither know we what to do, but our eyes are upon thee. He first overcame God by his mighty prayer, and then overcame the enemies. Jeremy seeing a great famine upon the people, he sees upon God, Ch. 14.7, 8.9. O Lord, though our iniquities testify against us, do thou it for thy name's sake: O the hope of Israel, the Saviour thereof in the time of trouble, why shouldst thou be as a stranger in the land, & as a wayfaring man that turns aside to tarry for a night. Why shouldst thou be as a man astonished, as a mighty man that cannot save. Yet thou O Lord art in the midst of us, and we are called by thy name, leave us not. Do not according to our sins, but thy Name, thou art the hope of Israel, and it hath been thine office, work, to save Israel, why shouldst thou be a stranger, as if thou hadst nothing to do, no right in us.  
4. God's judgements puzzle even Prophets, they see not into the equity and depths of them: Now that all were slain in the Temple, the City, and all in it ruining, the Prophet is astonished, and knows not what to make of it, that wrath should be so fully poured upon Jerusalem; that God would leave himself no people, no place to be worshipped in, frustrate the hopes of his people touching the promised seed, and make void all promises thereabout, and give up the holy land to profane uncircumcised wretches, this puzzled him.  
There is something ever in God's judgements which we cannot reach, and then because they proceed cross to our wills, expectations, desires, we are ready to think hardly of them, and boil in our spirits against heaven; but we must remember God's ways are not ours, he is ever righteous in his judgements, though we see not the reason thereof, Psal. 36.6. Thy judgements are a great deep. Some refer it to providence, thus, men's sins are a deep sea of wickedness, yet God's providence is a greater deep, which order them, sinners, and all things.  
Others take it literally; Gods judgements in punishing sins is such a depth that no humane understanding can sound: Our Prophet could not do it, neither the Apostles, and therefore cries out, how unsearchable are his judgements.  

〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉.  When States, Churches, or persons suffer hard things, let us not think them wronged, they suffer not more than they deserve, no nor so much, Ezra 9.13. Thou hast punished us less than our iniquities.    

VESS. 9, 10.  
Then said he unto me, the iniquity of the house of Israel & Judah is exceeding great, and the land is full of blood, and the City full of perverseness; for they say, the Lord hath forsaken the earth, and the Lord seethe not.  
And as for me also, mine eye shall not spare, neither will I have pity; but I will recompense their way upon their head.  
THe Prophet having pressed the Lord with many strong arguments to spare Jermsalem. In these verses he hath an answer from God, and the reasons thereof.  
The answer is negative, verse 10. Mine eye shall not spare, neither, etc.  
The reasons of this answer are in the ninth verse, which are strong and weighty.  
1. A general reason; The iniquity of the house of Israel, etc.  
2. Particular ones, which are three.  

1. The land is full of blood.  
2. The City is full of perverseness.  
3. Atheism, a ground of all the former reasons; For they say the Lord hath forsaken the earth.   

The iniquity of the house of Israel.  
By house of Israel some understand those that had be taken themselves from the ten Tribes to those of Judah, whereof was, spoken, Chap. 4.4. But I conceive we may interpret it of the 10 Tribes, whose sins contributed much to the final destruction of all. Though they were gone into captivity, yet their sins sta●d behind them, and had defiled the whole land.   


〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉  Is exceeding great.  
The Hebrews when they would make a thing superlative, express it by gemination of the word, and so it's here, their iniquity is great, in valde valde, & the vulgar hath it, nimis valde, it's come to the height, and scarcely admits of more degrees. A like phrase you have in Gen. 26.13. He grew until he became very great. So Matth. 2.10. and 2 Cor. 4.17. there is duplication of the word to set out the greatness of the thing.   

The Land is full of blood.  
Hebrew is, bloods, bloody sins, Isa. 1.15. Their hands were full of blood. And Manasses filled Jerusalem with blood, 2 Kings 21.16. And not only Kings did it, but the Prophets and Priests shed the blood of the just in the midst of Jerusalem; their preaching, prophesying, counsels and discourses tended that way, and therefore they are said to shed their blood: So Athaliah slew all the Royal seed, 2 Kings 11.1. Naboth is stoned to death for his Vineyard, 1 Kings 21.13. and Hos. 4.2. Blood toucheth blood. There were continual and daily slaughters, so that blood streamed every where.  
Blood notes also heinous sins, as oppression, cruelty, Hab. 2.12. Woe to him that buildeth a Town with blood: That is, by oppressing the hireling and labourer, by grinding the faces of the poor. In Zeph. 3.1. Jerusalem is called the oppressing City, her Princes were roaring Lions, and her Judge's evening wolves, vers. 3. see Mica. 3.2, 3. 2 Chap. 2. They did not strengthen the hands of the needy, Ezek. 16.49.  
Bloody intentions against the Prophets and others who were godly, Ezek. 22.6. Behold, the Princes of Israel, every one were in thee to their power to shed blood. They hated the Prophet Jeremiah, smote him, put him in the stocks, Jer. 20.2. into the dungeon, Jer. 37.16. They judged him worthy of death, Chap. 26.11.  
Soule-murther, Ezek. 33.8. If thou speak not to warn the wicked from his way, be shall die in his iniquity, but his blood will I require at thy hands. Here the destruction of souls is expressed by blood, as also in Ezek. 3.17. and Hos. 4.6. My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge.   

The City full of perverseness. 
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉   
The Hebrew word for perverseness is mutteh, and may be rendered perverse, a perverse thing, the City is full of that is perverse, is comes from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifieth to decline, withdraw, pervert: the vulgar reads it aversione, the City is full of turning from God.  
This City that was once called the faithful City, was now become an Harlot: Jerusalem had left God, his worship, his laws, his Ordinances, and taken in other gods, other laws, other ways of worship. Not only Israel is branded for backsliding, jer. 
Jer. 2.36. Why gaddest thou about so much to change thy ways.  3.6.8.11. But Judah was treacherous, vers. 7.11. and her backslidings many, Jer. 14.7. And being once fallen from God, she loved to wander, vers. 10. after the gods and ways of other nations. They grew worse & worse, and were perverse in their judgement of things, Isa. 5.20. They called light darkness, and darkness light: They were perverse in their practice, walked after their own thoughts, Isa. 65.2. They chose their own way, and their soul delighted in their abomination, Isa. 66.3. Here was perverseness to leave what God had chosen for them, which was their glory, and to choose that was abominable, and delight in it: and when God corrected them for such perverseness, they grew more perverse, Isa. 1.5. Why should ye be stricken any more, ye will revolt more and more.  
There is another exposition of the word, It's referred by some to lawcases, and when Saints were brought before them, they perverted judgement, Micah 3.9. The heads of Jacob, and Princes of Israel abhorred judgement, and perverted all equity. So in Amos 5.12. They afflict the just, they take a bribe, and turn aside the poor in the gate. Their cause could not be heard; or if heard, it was to their grief and prejudice, Mal. 3.5. They turn aside the stranger from his right, and fear not me saith the Lord of Hosts: No, they were turned from GOD, and turned away all equity.   

The Lord hath forsaken the earth.  
This phrase you find not elsewhere then in our Prophet, and only twice, Chap. 8.12. and here. It sets out the rank atheisticalnesse of those times, denying God's presence, counsel, blessing and assistance, they thought God was gone out of the world, that there was no God in Israel, that God left men to think, speak, and do what they listed.   

The Lord seethe not.  
This is a higher degree of impiety blasting divine omnisciency, before his omni-presence suffered, now his omni-vision; he is a blind God say they, or sees not at such a distance; he is shut up in heaven, and takes no notice of our Temple, City; or Country affairs: Such an expression you have in Psalm 10.11. He will never see. They did wickedly, and boasted, that God neither did, nor would take any notice of it. In Psalm 94.7. they proceed higher in their profaneness: The Lord shall not see, neither shall the God of Jacob regard it; as if they had power to restrain God, and shut the eye of providence, Isa. 29.15. Who seethe us? who knoweth us? Men entertain Atheistical thoughts of God, that they may go on more securely and fully in sinful courses. They filled the Temple with idolatry, the City with perverseness, the Land with blood, and say, the Lord sees not: When Atheism hath got possession of a people, that people runs riot into wickedness, fear of a Deity ceaseth, and the door is open to all profaneness. Atheism is worse than Idolatry; this robs God of his worship, that of his attributes and being.  

Obser. 1.  The Lord's readiness to give account of his judiciary proceed unto the Prophet. Then said he unto me: The Prophet had questioned God about the destruction of Jerusalem: wilt thou destroy the residue, etc. He broke in upon God, and interrupted him in his way he was in; but because it was in prayer, out of respect to his glory, and tenderness to the people, the Lord doth not reject him, but condescends and gives him an answer: and this he doth,  
1. To clear the equity of his proceed which lie in the dark, and are not apprehended by all, no not by Prophets; God will make it out that he is righteous and just in his judgements, whatever thoughts men have of them. When Abraham moved the question to God, Gen. 18.23. Wilt thou destroy the righteous with the wicked? shall not the Judge of all the earth do right? What if there be 50.40.30.20.10. righteous in it? saith God, if there be but ten righteous I will not destroy it. It's true, their cry is great, and their sin grievous, yet I am so just in my judgements, that while righteous Lot is in it I will not destroy it; but when he is gone, and none but filthy Sodomites left in Sodom, I will rain down fire and brimstone upon them.  
2. To quiet the minds of his servants which are troubled, yea perplexed at the severity of God's judgements. When our Prophet saw all slain in the Temple, and the slaughtermen gone forth, utterly to slay, without pity, old and young, maids, little children, and women, he was greatly distressed and perplexed in his spirit, and knew not what to think of such dreadful deal; therefore the Lord tells him the ground of his proceeding.  
2. Sins of people may be such as God will not hear their prayers, or others for them. Many amongst them prayed, and the Prophet prayed for them, but God had no ear to hear them.  
1. For their own prayers, Jer. 11.11. I will bring evil upon them which they shall not escape; but they will cry to God when they are in affliction, and he is merciful. What follows then? Though they shall cry unto me, I will not hearken unto them. But what if they cry aloud, will not God hearken then? Ezek. 8.18. Though they cry in mine ears with a loud voice, yet will I not hear them. But what if they fast and pray, will not the Lord hear them then? Jer. 14.12. When they fast, I will not hear their cry. But what if they spread their hands to heaven, and make many prayers? Isa. 1.15. When you spread forth your hands, I will hid mine eyes from you; yea, when ye make many prayers I will not hear. But what if they weep before God? Deut. 1.45. Ye returned and wept before the Lord, but the Lord would not hearken to your voice, nor give ear unto you.  
2. For others, Ezek. 14.14. Though these 3. men, Noah, Job, and Daniel were in it, they should deliver but their own souls. These were holy and choice men, Gen. 6.9. Noah was a just man, and perfect in his generations, and walked with God. Daniel was the wisest of men, Ezek. 28.3. It was a proverb, as wise as Daniel, and he was innocent, Dan. 6.22. A man greatly beloved, Dan. 9.23. Job he was a perfect and upright man, one that feared God, and escheated evil. There lay no exception against these m●n, they were acquainted with God and his ways, they were great sufferers, and men of prayer. Noah had prevailed for his family, Daniel for the wise men of Babylon, when they should have died for not discovering Nebuchadnezars dream: 
Dan. 2.  and Job, for his 3. friends.  
Try two more, Moses and Samuel, they were heads of the people, holy men, full of bowels, mighty in prayer, interceded with God for the people, and prevailed, Exod. 32.10. Let me alone saith God, that my wrath may wax hot against them, and that I may consume them, and I will make of thee a great Nation. But Moses would not let God alone, vers. 11, 12, 13. he presseth him with strong arguments, and told God, if he would not forgive their sins, he should blot him out of his book, vers. 32. So Samuel, 1 Sam. 7.9. when the Philistime came up against Israrael, prays, and fetcheth thunder from heaven, and ruins a whole Army of the enemies, & Ch. 12.17, 18. He prayed, and thunder and rain came in harvest, so that they word in danger of death, and sued to him to pray for them. Now Jer. 15.1. Notwithstanding these two were such powerful praying men, ye saith God there, Though Moses and Samuel stood before me, y●● my mind could not be towards this people, all their prayers could do no good.  
What if Jeremiah, who lived in those times, and was acquainted with their condition, should pray for them, he was a praying and weeping man, Jer. 9.1. Yet see Jer. 7.16.11.14.14.11. and you shall hear GOD in those 3. places forbidding him to pray for them.  
God will not hear;  
1. Because people are incurable, they reject God, Jer. 2.13. They have forsaken me the fountain of living waters. And vers. 31. We are lords, we will come no more to thee. They reject his word, Jer. 8.9. Ye reject the word of the Lord, and what wisdom is in you: and you may hear them doing it, Jer. 44.16. As for the word that thou hast spoken to us in the name of the Lord▪ we will not hearken unto thee: but we will certainly do whatsoever thing goeth forth of our own mouth. And 2 Chron. 36.16. Their sins were such, as that there was no remedy but destruction.  
2. God's heart is gone from such a people, Jer. 15.1. Though Moses and Samuel stood before me, yet my mind could not be towards this people: They are turned from me, and I am turned from them, and it's not the prayers of men and Angels can reconcile us, I am against them, Ezek. 5.8. Behold I, even I am against thee. I that have heard so many prayers, been so oft for thee; I that have done so great things, destroyed such mighty enemies of thine: I am against thee.  
3. If God should hear prayer for them and spare them, it would encourage them to go on in their sinful ways, they would presume, grow more confident and corrupt if possible, jer. 7.9, 10. Will ye steal, murder, and commit adultery, swear falsely, and burn Incense to Baal, and walk after other gods ye know not: And come and stand before me in this house which is called by my name, and say we are delivered to do all these abominations? When they were smitten they grew worse, much more would they if spared.  
4. The condition of the Church requires it, that is in imminent danger of being ruined: when the weeds overtop the corn, briars and thorns are grown great, thick, high above the Vine, the Lord must cut them down, else there will be no harvest, no vintage. When all flesh had corrupted its ways, the flood must come in, lest the corruption should infect Noah.  
5. To vindicate his name, providence, honour; when God is silent in a wicked time, and spares sinners, they think him like themselves, Psal. 50.21. Altogether such as they are; But Ezek. 6.14. I will stretch out my hand upon them, and make the land desolate; yea, more desolate than the wilderness towards Diblath in all their habitations, and they shall know that I am the Lord. Now my Name is not feared, my providence is denied, and my honour is laid in the dust, but they shall know what a God I am. So in Ezek. 28.22. Behold I am against thee O Zidon, and I will be glorfied in the midst of thee; they shall know that I am the Lord, when I have executed judgement in her.  
3. God's judgements though great, yet do not exceed men's sins; that Temple, City, Land, and those in them should be destroyed, was grievous, but their iniquity was exceeding great. If there be Nationall judgements, there be Nationall sins: The land is full of blood, and the City is full of perverseness. If judgement was in every place, sin was in every place; if there were fullness of wrath, fullness of sin proceeded. Jobs sufferings were great, & just punishments for his sins, as Zophar thought, and therefore prays, Chap. 11.5, 6. O that God would speak, and open his lips against thee, that he would show thee the secrets of wisdom, that they are double to that which is, etc. His meaning is this, Job thou justifiest thyself, thou sayest thy Doctrine is pure, and thyself clean in his eyes, and that thy sufferings are greater than thy sins; but thou art deceived: If God would be pleased to speak, and open the secrets of wisdom which are shut up from thee, thou shouldst see God just in his judgements, and merciful towards thee; for there is double to that which is, double wrath, double punishment due to thee; thou hast but a little inflicted upon thee, and there is a double portion yet behind due to thy sin, therefore do not complain of God, or justify thyself any more; for know that God exacteth of thee less than thine iniquities deserves. Though thou hast great affliction, yet he may justyl afflict thee with more, thy Doctrine is not pure, thy person is not clean, that thou thinkest is acceptable with God, that provokes him: and where thou expectest favour, there wrath is due; you shall find in sacred writ that God punishes less than men's sins deserve, but never above; according to their sins is the usual phrase, Psalm 28.4. Give them according to their deeds, and according to the wickedness of their endeavours; give them after the works of their hands, render to them their desert. All these phrases evidence, that God in the punishment of sinners exceeds not the merit of them, if he come up to that, it's all.  
The judgements now upon Germany, Ireland, England do not exceed the sins of the places: The iniquities of them are exceeding great.  
4. God's patience is exceeding great, he bears long, till sins be excessive; the iniquity of the house of Israel and Judah is exceeding great, God might have prevented the greatness of it, cut them off many years before, but he let their sins grow great, to manifest the greatness of his patience: He is oft, ten times in the Scripture said to be long-suffering. When he was provoked much by his people, and they deserved that his patience should end, and wrath begin; what saith the Text, 2 Kings 13.23. He would not destroy them, nor cast them from his presence as yet. Yet there was more patience in God, yet it was not long-suffering. So Chap. 8.19. jehoram King of judah walked in the ways of Ahab, and did evil in the sight of the Lord, yet the Lord would not destroy judah. His compassion would not suffer him to grow into passion; rather than destroy them for their sins, he would yet bear the burden of their sins. So Jer. 34.4. Yet hear the word of the Lord O Zedekiah King of Judah. God's patience is not yet worn out, it will be very shortly: O yet hear the word of the Lord, and ye shall not die by the sword; God bears long with sinners, but he will not always forbear, Psalm 37.10. Yet a little while, and the wicked shall not be, yea thou shalt diligently consider his place, and it shall not be.  
5. That Churches and States degenerating from God's ways, go on to a height of sinning, their iniquity is exceeding great, the land is full of blood, the City full of perverseness: When they fell to Idolatry, they were idolatrous to purpose; they multiplied God's Altars, sinned more than the Nations round about them, Ezek. 5.7. They fetched in the gods of all Nations to them, they had the Image of Jealousy, every form of creeping things and abominable beasts, and all the Idols of the house of Israel, Ezek. 8.5.10. They wept for Tammuz, and worshipped the Sun, and when they began to shed blood, they made progress in bloody passages, till the whole land was filled with blood: and when they began to be perverse, the City was filled with perverseness of spirit, perverseness in opinions, perverting of judgement; it's not easy to make stay in the ways of sin, its going down hill; wicked men, wicked States and Churches grow worse and worse, Ezek. 16.25. Thou hast built thy high places at every head of the way, and hast made thy beauty to be abhorred, and hast opened thy feet to every one that passed by, and multiplied thy whoredoms. Jerusalem abounded in Idolatry, and was insatiable in wickedness, v. 28, 29.  
When it's ill in the Church, it's not well with the State; If there be corruptions in the one, there will be confusion in the other. Idolatry, denial of providence, and Divine presence was in the one; and shedding of blood, and perverting of justice was in the other. When the first Table is violated, the second Table will not be preserved. If men make not conscience of sins against God, they will not make conscience of sins against men. If there be Atheism in the Church, there will be Tyranny in the State: If Idolatry in the Sanctuary, there will be perverting of equity in the City.    

VERS. 10.  
As for me also mine eye shall not spare, neither will I have pity, but I will recompense their way upon their head.  
IN this verse is presented to us: 

1. God's severity, He will not spare, he will not pity.  
2. The equity of his dealing, I will recompense their way upon their heads.    
These words have been spoken of, Chap. 5.11. & 7.4. Gods not sparing, not pitying, intimates a contrary disposition, severity, cruelty, Isa. 13.18. They should have no pity, they should not spare, but dash the young men to pieces, they should be cruel to all sorts. When God handled Job so sharply, Chap. 16.13. what said he. His archers compass me round about, he cleaveth my reins asunder, & doth not spare, he poureth out my gall upon the ground. Here was a contrary disposition to pity and sparing: And Job 30.21. he tells God that he is become cruel to him. And God professes, Jer. 30.14. that he had wounded them with the wounds of an enemy, and with the chastisement of a cruel one.  
Upon their heads, that is, upon themselves, the head is put for the whole man, 2 K. 2.3. Knowest thou that the Lord will take away thy Mr. from thy head to day, that is, from thee, Pro. 10.6. The blessing of the Lord is upon the head of the just, that is, upon the just, Psal. 66.12. Thou hast caused men to ride over our heads; that is us: Head here may be mentioned, because they devised mischief therewith.  
The sins of Gods own people fetch the greatest severity from him; 
Obser. 1.  the iniquity of the house of Israel and Judah is exceeding great, and as for me, mine eye shall not spare, etc. No people under heaven were so dear to God as the Israelites. Hence Israel is put for God's Elect ones, both Jews and Gentiles, Rom. 11.26. Gal. 6, 16. And a Jew for a true worshipper of God, Rom. 2.29. Yet when these sinned, God became more severe against them than others, Ezek. 9.8, 9 Behold I am against thee, and will execute judgements in the midst of thee, I will do in thee that which I have not done, and whereunto I will not do any more the like. No such dreadful judgements ever before any City as Jerusalem: No such wrath poured out upon any as upon the Jews: As they had more love and favour from God than others, whilst they were faithful to him, so they had more wrath and fury from him when they forsook him, Amos 3.2. You only have I known of all the families of the earth, therefore will I punish you for all your iniquities. They only were the family of his love, and they only were punished above others. They were made as evident a pattern of justice, as ever they were of mercy; for God executed judgement among them in anger, in fury, and furious rebukes, Ezek. 5.15. Yea, he set his jealousy against them, and dealt furiously with them; he delivered them up to those dealt hatefully with them, Ezek. 23.25.29. there's one passage very observable in 2 Kings 23. When Josiah had done great things, caused the people to enter into a Covenant with God, destroyed Idolatry and Sodomy out of the land, kept a solemn Passeover, such an one as had not been from the Judge's time, now in 400. years before, when he turned to the Lord with all his soul and might, and none like him risen up afterwards: would you not look now that God should be propitious to his people, and to Jerusalem? But harken what is said in vers. 26. & 27. Notwithstanding the Lord turned not from the fierceness of his great wrath, wherewith his anger was kindled against Judah because of all the provocations that Manasseh had provoked him withal: And the Lord said, I will remove judah also out of my sight, as I have removed Israel, and will cast of this City Jerusalem which I have chosen. We have done something in way of Reformation, kept Fasts, taken a solemn Covenant, etc. But may not the Lord for the blood shed in Qu. Mary's days, and of later days, say, I will remove England or London out of my sight.  
2. God deals equally with sinners, he recompenseth their own ways upon their own heads, he sets their sins in order before them, lays the burden of them upon them, and causes them to eat the fruit of their own works, and what can be more equal, Obad. 15. As thou hast done, it shall be done unto thee, thy reward shall return upon thine own head. Edom had afflicted and spoiled God's people, and the like should befall Edom, Ezek. 35.15. As thou didst rejoice at the inheritance of the house of Israel because it was desolated, so will I do unto thee; thou shalt be desolate O mount. Seir and all Idumea.   

VERS. 11.  
And behold the man clothed with linen which had the Inkeborne by his side, reported the matter, saying, I have done as thou hast commanded me.  
THese words are the fourth and last part of the Chapter, in which you have, 

1. A reporter.  
2. His report.    
The reporter is Christ, who was sent to seal the mourne●●, and is here described by two adjuncts.  

1. He is clothed with linen.  
2. Hath an Inkhorn by his side; of which hath been spoken in the 2d vers.   
The report is in these words, I have done as then hast commanded.  

Reported the matter.  
Hebrew, returned the word, or caused the word to return; that is, gave in an answer.  
Queen Why doth only Christ report what he had done, and not the other six who had commission also to slay those who were unmarked.  
A. 1. To let us understand that the Lord is more solicitous about the welfare of the godly than the ruin of the wicked; he had a tender care of his mourners and marked ones, he was desirous to hear of their safety, and acceptance of his love, and therefore Christ hastens to make report of what was done; they are all sealed, and so secured.  
2. To revive the drooping spirit of Ezek. who was perplexed and greatly cast down at the bloody slaughter of his people. He was yet in the Temple, and the report was made in his presence, that so he hearing it was well with all the godly mourning party, might be comforted. Had the other six come in and told how many thousands they had slain, this would have added affliction to him that was afflicted.  
That Christ is a faithful and forward executioner of Gods will: God bid him go and seal those mourned in Jerusalem, 
Obser. 1.  and presently he did it, comes and informs his father of it, I have done as thou hast commanded me, both what was commanded, and as it was commanded, job. 14.31. As the Father gave me commandment, even so I do. He doth the will of his Father, and no otherwise then he would have it done, he minded what was to be done, and the manner of doing it. Here is a precious pattern of obedience for us: Doth Christ do the will of his father, not his own; and shall we do our wills and not the Lords? It's argument then that we are neither of Christ, nor of God, but of ourselves. Most men when God appoints, commands, they either neglect or do it not speedily, or not in that manner they ought to do.  
2. Those that faithfully and conscientiously execute the commission given them of God, may boldly give up their accounts to God. The man here clothed with linen had done his duty, executed his Commission to the full, and he could with cheerfulness and confidence come before the Lord, and say, I have done as thou hast commanded me. When Christ was on earth, and had many commands from his Father, and great work to do, he did perform what was imposed, and so exactly, that he could at end of the day when his work was done, with confidence give up his account, give in his report, and say, I have glorified thee on earth, I have finished the work thou gavest me to do, and now O father glorify me with thyself. He did not his own will, but his Father's will, not his own works, but his Father's works. If we do the will and work of God, we shall be able to lift up our heads, and comfortably to make report of what we have done.  
The unjust Steward when called to give account, could not do it with comfort or confidence; those abide in the doctrine & work of Christ shall have confidence before Christ at his coming: You are in place look to your charge, can you say with him in the Gospel, Luke 14.22. Lord it is done as thou hast commanded.  
3. Christ delights in doing good to, and securing of those his Father affects: Mourners here pleased God; he sends Christ to seal them and comfort them, and quickly returns to satisfy the mind of his Father, and to show what delightful work that is unto him. Christ was as careful afterwards as now, john 6.39. This is the Father's will which hath sent me, that of all which he hath given me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up again at the last day.     

CHAP. X  

VERS. 1, 2, 3.  
Then I looked, and behold, in the firmament that was above the head of the Cherubims, there appeared as it were a Saphire stone, as the appearance of a throne.  
And he spoke unto the man clothed with linen, and said, Go in between the wheels, even under the Cherub, and fill thine hand with coals of fire from between the Cherubims, and scatter them over the City. And he went in my sight.  
Now the Cherubims stood on the right side of the house when the men went in, and the cloud filled the inward Court.  
OUR Prophet had already seen many visions, 
Their sins being great, as you heard, Ch. 8. and slaughter men being sent out utterly to destroy; here likewise the Lord manifests his purpose to go on in judgements, he would leave them & burn their City.  and being by the Spirit in a vision, yet at Jerusalem, Chap. 8.3. He hath in this tenth Chapter a vision much like that, mentioned in the first Chapter, yet with some difference, as will appear in the opening.  
Three things chief are observable in this Chapter.  
1. The scattering of burning coals over the City Jerusalem, which some call the vision of coals, v. 2, 3.6, 7.  
2. The Lords change of his place, 4.18, 19  
3. A description of the Cherubims in the 5.8, 9, 10, etc.  
The scattering of the coals is specified in the 2d vers, and prefigured the burning of Jerusalem, and this is set out to us, 

1. From the Author commanding, who is the Lord in the 〈◊〉, vers. 1.  
2. From the instrument acting, the man clothed with linen, vers. 2.  
3. From the command itself: where we have 

1. The place whither he was to go, in between, etc.  
2. What to do, 

1. Fill his hand with coals of fire.  
2. Scatter them over the City.      
4. The execution of the command, vers. 2.6, 7. He went; and this is illustrated, 

1. From the witness thereof, Ezekiel, in my sight.  
2. From the place where the Cherubims stood, on the right side of the house, v. 3.  
3. From the event, the cloud filled the inward Court, Ibid.  
4. From the manner of conveying of the fire, vers. 7. A Cherubin put forth his hand, took fire, and put into the hand of him clothed with linen.      
In the first vers. the Majesty and greatness of him commands is set out, 

1. By the Firmament above.  
2. By the Cherubims underneath.  
3. By a throne which was of Saphir.    
In the first Chap. 22. hath been spoken of the firmament Rachiah from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to extend, expand; expansum, because stretched out over the whole earth. The Greek is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 because of its strength and firmness, not melted or changed by its motion: This firmament the footstool of the Lord was over the head of the Cherubims.  

Cherubims.  
This word is not in the first vision, Chap. 1. there they are called the living creatures; here Cherubims, which is evidence that they are the same, and may strengthen the interpretation given to be of the Angels.  
There is a difference between the words, Chap. 1.22. where it's said, the firmament upon the heads of the living creature: And the words here which are the firmament that was above the head of the Cherubims; there its living creature and heads, here its Cherubims and head, which may mind us of their oneness and consent in judgement and operations. If there be heads, it's but as one living creature acts from those heads; if there be Cherubims, they have all but as one head.  
Why are they called Cherubims here, and not living creatures as before?  
I suppose the reason is this: The former vision was at Chebar, in the open field by a river's side, this was in the Temple where the Cherubims were, 1 Kings 8.6, 7. and so that notion suited with them there.  
2. In Babylon, a profane land, the Prophet sees living creatures, he had a general and confused apprehension of them; but when he is in the Temple, he hath a more clear and distinct knowledge of them. Hence you have this note, The Lord did more clearly make known himself and mysteries in the holy land then in other places, Psal. 76.1. In Judah is God known more fully and familiarly then elsewhere: A vision in Babylon is not so clear as a vision in Zion, Psalm 29.9. In his Temple doth every one speak of his glory.   

A saphir stone.  
Jerome derives it from shaphar pulcher, because these stones are fair and pleasant to the eyes. Coelesti Colore conspicui sunt. 
Ruens.  The Saphir notes,  
1. Liberty, Exod. 24.10. God appeared to them with a paved work of Saphir under his feet when the Israelites were going from bondage to liberty.  
2. Purity, therefore it's brought in a foundation stone of the new Jerusalem, Rev. 21.19.  
3. Of chastity, Cant. 5.14. Christ's belly is overlaid with Saphires, and his Spouse must be chaste.  
4. Glory, greatness; among the Egyptians, the chief Priests being Judges, wore a Saphir about their necks; these and some other particulars were spoken of in the first Chapter, vers. 26.   

Throne.  
A Throne is a seat of Majesty, and belonging to Kings and great Governors, John 3.6. 2 King. 11.19. Neh. 3.7. and therefore  
1. are called Kingly, Dan. 5.20. and put for Kingdom, Prov. 20.28. for government, Heb. 1.8.  
2. Glorious, Isa. 22.23. and hence are put for Angels, Col. 1.18. for heaven, Acts 7.49. for great dignity, Job 36.7. Here it notes a seat of judgement, according to that in Psalm 122.5. There are set thrones of judgement. Here was a Throne of judgement set, and that of Saphir, holding out the Majesty, power, and greatness of him sat in it, who was in a readiness to give out sentence against Jerusalem.  
The Firmament, Cherubims, Saphire, Throne, are mentioned, but not he sat in it; that one was in it, is evident from the next vers. He spoke unto the man clothed, etc. that was he in the Throne. In the first vision, one like the appearance of the Son of man was in the Throne, and because no such appearance is here, it's conceived to be Jehovah.  

Obser. 1.  The Lord is King, and hath Kingly power, he hath a throne: and Isa. 66.1. Heaven is my Throne. And he sitteth King for ever, Psal. 29.10.  
He hath a double Throne,  
1. A throne of justice, Psal. 9.7. He hath prepared his throne for judgement, and this throne is terrible, Dan. 7.9, 10. It's like a fiery flame, and sends out a fiery stream to scorch and consume delinquents. The law is called a fiery law, Deut. 33.2. and the breath of him sits in this throne; its fire, and kindles upon those appear before it unquencheablie.  
2. A throne of mercy and grace, Heb. 4.16. no sinners die before this throne, they may come boldly to it, and find, yea, obtain mercy and grace to help in time of need. Jerusalem was at the throne of justice, and coals of fire were giving out to burn her to ashes.  
2. His throne is the chiefest of thrones, it's in the Firmament, Psal. 11.4. The Lord's throne is in heaven, it's above all thrones, he hath Angels, men, and D●vils under his command; the Cherubims heads were under the firmament whereon his throne was, those immortal and glorious spirits, He is King of nations, Jer. 10.7. Of all the earth, Psal. 47.7. A great King above all gods, Psalm. 95.3. They have their expansums over their heads, of some rich stuff, which shows their subjection to some other; but it's otherwise with God, he is above the expansum. He is the blessed and only potentate, the King of Kings, and Lord of Lords, 1 Tim. 6.15.  
3. The Lord who hath so glorious a throne, is much more glorious himself; his throne is saphirine, very beautiful, like the colour of the heavens. If an earthly throne be a throne of glory, as Hannah styles it, 1 Sam. 2.8. what is this visional throne, a more perfect pattern of the throne of his glory; Surely, if such thrones be glorious, he is in them exceeds in glory; the glory of heavenly things is fare beyond the glory of terrene things, and the glory of God is infinitely beyond them both, he is not only glorious, and that in holiness, Exod. 15.11. In name, Deut. 28.5.8. Isa. 33.21. In majesty, Psal. 145.12. But he is glory itself: and therefore Acts 7.1, is called the God of glory, Psal. 24.7. The King of glory, Ephes. 1.17. The father of glory, he that creates, begets, disposeth of glory, must needs be glory itself, and not only glory, but excellent glory, 2 Pet. 1.17.  
4. Note what stones God takes pleasure in, not any stones, but in precious ones, such as Saphires are, Exod. 24.10. Under his feet was a paved work of a saphir stone. He walks among Saphires, 
The Temple was made of stones, glistering stones, all manner of precious stones, & marble stones in abundance, 1 Chron. 29.2.  sits in a sapharine throne. Stones which are beautiful, and of a heavenly colour, he affects, of such he makes his throne. Now the Church in Scripture is called the throne of God, Jer. 3.17. & Isa. 54.11, 12, 13. speaking of the Churches of the Gospel which are the thrones of God and Christ, he saith, I will lay thy stones with fair colours, and thy foundations with saphires: I will make thy windows of Agates, and thy gates of Carbuncles, and all thy borders of pleasant stones, and all thy children shall be taught of the Lord.  
You see what stones God would have in his Temples, in his Thrones; not ordinary common high way stones, 1 Pet. 2.5. As lively stones be ye built up a spiritual house. Here's a house, a spiritual one to be made, and whereof, of lively stones; there must be not only life in them, but liveliness, dead and dull stones are not so fit for that service; stones they must be, that it may be a solid building; lively, that it may be a spiritual and useful building: and saphirine, that it may be a pure and glorious building.  
5. Holy and good men are not able to bear Divine excellencies in their own nature, not capable of immediateness to God: here is a Firmament, a Saphir stone, a throne, and these but in appearance, and then a voice heard, none seen: Had the Lord shown himself as he is, Ezekiel could not have endured it, the glory and majesty of God would have confounded him. If God should not regard man's weakness, and muffle up his excellencies some way or other, we could have no communion or converse with God, Moses himself is not able to behold the glory of  
6. Angels and all creatures are in a readiness to do the will of God.  
God when he is upon judiciary designs; the Cherubims were under the Firmament near to the throne, and if the Lord did but speak the word, presently they were ready to execute his pleasure, Psal. 103.20. They do his commandment, harkening to the voice of his word: As soon as the sound comes to them, they do it; if he bid them go and stir up Nabuchadnezzar, and the Babylonian Soldiers to come, they do it.  
7. The Lord is not forward to the execution of judgement, here is the Lord sitting in judgement, but yet they were not destroyed: The Prophet hath vision after vision, eats a roll full of lamentations, mourning and woe, sits 7. days at Telabib, then is carried into the Plain, bound, dumb, must portray Jerusalem upon a tile, lay siege to it, lie upon his side 390. days, then take a razor, shave his head, beard, burn, smite, scatter, bind up a third part of the hair. After, hath a type of a chain, then is led by the Spirit to see Jerusalem's sins: After this, sees the six slaughter-like men sent out to destroy, and here the Lord is sitting in his throne, and giving out judgement still against Jerusalem, and all this time nothing is done.    

VESS. 2.  
And he spoke unto the man clothed with linen, and said, go in between the wheels, even under the Cherub, and fill thy hand with coals of fire from between the Cherubims, and scatter them over the City: And he went in my sight.  
IN this verse you have; 

1. The speaker, He; that is the Lord, Jehovah who was in the Throne, some make it Christ.  
2. The party spoken to, The man clothed with linen, and who this was, you heard opened in Chap. 9 vers. 2. namely Christ, who in regard of his offices is the servant of his father, Isa. 44.1. Behold my servant whom I uphold. He had done service in marking the mourners, and now was to do it another way.  
3. The thing spoken or Commanded.    

1. Go in between the wheels, even under the Cherub.  
The wheels have been largely opened in the first Chapter, the world and motions of it are set out thereby. There were four wheels by each Cherub; one as appears by vers. 9 Some take it thus: Conceive the form of a waggon in the mids, on each side two wheels, the Cherubims riding in it, or carrying of it, two in the former part, two in the hinder, the Ark in the midst of it, the footstool of Divine Majesty, and before this the Altar where the fire was: and you may apprehend how the man was to go between the wheels, under the Cherub; that is, per enallagen numeri, under the Cherubims, and so to reach up his hand to the Altar, and take coals. This way it's easily comprehended; but if we come up close to the examination of the wheels, we shall find they were not at such a distance as here is made; but one in another, per angulos rectos, vers. 10. a wheel seemed to be in the midst of a wheel, and how the man clothed with linen went between them I cannot express; but that he did the Text affirms, and notes Christ's interest in the wheels and Angels.   

2. Fill thy hand with coals of fire from between the Cherubims.  

The altar was near the oracle before the Cherubims, 1 King. 6.22.  The fire was between the Cherubims, and the Cherubims above, between the wheels, and the man must come between both to fill his hand with coals of fire.  
There was fire you know in the Temple on the Altar, and it never went out, Levit. 6.13. the fire shall ever be burning upon the Altar, it shall never go out. The Jews say of this fire that it was that Angel's ladder to go up to heaven by, Ezek. 9.2. The 6. man, 6. Angels stood by the brazen Altar, and Judg. 13.20. The Angel appeared to Manoah and his wife, ascended in the flame of the Altar: Whether it was a ladder for Angels may be questioned: but certainly it was a ladder to carry up their Incense and sacrifices unto God, 

Ignis altaris erat quasi anima populi.  
It might represent the Altar-fire, of which its probable the Chaldeans took and fired the Temple, if not the City. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉   whereby God was propitious unto them, and so was ignis reconciliatorius; but this fire here is mentioned in opposition to such an effect, and was ignis exitialis, a destructive fire, like that went out from the Lord, and destroyed Nadab and Abihu. It sets out God's wrath, which is frequently in Scripture expressed by fire.   

Fill thy hand.  
He must not take a coal or two, but his hand full: neither one hand, but both; for the word is in the dual number, and notes the hollow of the hands, the most capacious parts, those he must fill.   

3. And scatter them over the City.  
He must take his hands full of coals: and what then? not keep them in his hands, but scatter them; not upon a house or two, one street or two, but over the whole City: Gods intentions was to destroy the City by fire; 
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉  and here it's represented to Ezekiel: by coals, and those scattered over the City, the Hebrew is emphatical.  
This part of the vision, with that in Ezek. 9.4.15. where Christ is brought in marking the mourners, and here scatering the coals of fire over Jerusalem, seems to represent the double coming of Christ:  
1. That coming of his in mercy, when he took our nature upon him, and sought out that was lost, healed the broken hearted, preached deliverance to the Captives, set them at liberty were bruised, and refreshed those were weary and heavy laden.  
2. His coming in judgement, which will be in flames of fire to take vengeance on them that know not God; then Christ will come with both his hands full of fire, 
2 Pet. 3.10.12.  and scatter those coals all the world over, and set it on fire, and sentence the reprobate to eternal fire.  
God looks upon, and after the things of the world, 
Obser. 1.  the ways of men, what ever the thoughts of men are concerning him. In Chap. 9 vers. 9 They said the Lord had forsaken the earth, the Lord sees not; but here you may see he saw the wheels, all the motions of things in the world, and especially at Jerusalem, where they thought themselves secure, the Lord saw into their hearts, knew their thoughts, and heard their atheistical speeches.  
2. Christ receives authority and commission from the Father, for what he doth. He in the Throne said to the man clothed, go. John 5.19. The Son can do nothing of himself. And v. 22. The Father hath committed all judgement to the Son. He hath the keys of hell and death in his hand, Rev. 1.18. and they were put into his hand, Matth. 28.18. All power in heaven and earth is given unto me.  
3. The Cherubims or Angels have power over the wheels, they move not of themselves, they are under the Cherubims, under their command, at their disposing. Angels have great interest in the affairs of the world; there are scarce any natural motions, but they have influence into them, winds, tempests, thunders, earthquakes, plagues, famines: so for other wheels in Kingdoms and Churches, which have voluntary motions, as wars, tumults, divisions, changes, etc. these be not accidental, casual, but have superior agents.  
4. The Lord doth use the Ministry of Angels in the execution of his judgements, especially his fiery judgements: The fire was between the Cherubims, God had given them charge of the fire, and they were to kindle a fire in Jerusalem. You heard in Chap. 9 of the 6. Angels that had their slaughter-weapons, and were sent out of God to destroy utterly, man, woman, maid, and child, they are ready to execute his judgements, they are flames of fire, Heb. 2.7. and its suitable to them to be employed in fiery judgements.  
5. The Lord Christ hath power over the Angels and all inferior creatures, the Cherubims are over the wheels, and Christ is over them and the wheels too; he goes in between the wheels, and takes fire that is between the Cherubims. Let services of what nature soever be in the hands of the creatures, men or Angels, Christ can step in and do what the Father hath appointed, overrule the motions of the highest and lowest wheels, of the noblest or meanest creatures.  
6. Christ hath variety of dispensations, he is a dispenser of judgement as well as mercy, he dispenseth the favours of the Father, and the wrath of the Father. In Chap. 9 he marks the mourners, and here he scatters coals of fire: He represents several persons; sometimes the same man hath sat in Parliament, hath been a Warrior in the fields, a Father in the family, and acted answerably. A Steward provides for those in the family, and punisheth those are Delinquents in it. So Christ is sometimes upon the Throne, doing acts of mercy, sometimes acts of justice, and sometimes he is off the Throne, & acts as a servant.  
7. When the Lord is wrath with a people, and intends judgements, he turns those creatures have been very comfortable and useful unto them, to a terror unto them: Fire, what a necessary, what a refreshing creature is it? and now fire must be taken to fire their City, to burn down all, that through the help of fire was built; they had abused fire to maintain their gluttony, for fullness of bread was one of their sins, they burned Incense to Idiot, and abused the Altar fire, which had been the greatest refreshing to their souls; their sacrifices were by fire, and were consumed by fire, they had acceptance with God, atonement was made, and now even this fire kindled upon them.  
8. Terrible judgements are in the hand of Christ, and come out from him: Fill thy hand with coals, and scatter them over the City. This is spoken humanitus, not that Christ took coals, but he hath that is analogous unto coals, fiery virtue, creative power of any dreadful judgements. When Christ said to the man had not on the wedding garment, friend, how, etc. take him, bind him hand and foot, cast him into utter darkness, this was dreadful. In Chap. 1.27. and Chap. 8.2. Christ appeared like a man of fire. And Rev. 1.14, 15. Christ's eyes and feet were like unto fire; in the two first places he was in a way of judgement against Jerusalem, in the last, against the Churches, & had fiery judgements in his hand. They are in his power to produce, to increase, to order and moderate; he can make a judgement terrible and fiery, continue it as long as he pleases. He hath fire in his hand, and can scatter it when and where he pleases; he scattered it upon Jerusalem here, upon it afterward when Titus besieged it; he scattered fire upon the Jews, which consumes and wastes them to this day; he scattered fire upon the 7. Churches, which dissolved them: and hath he not scattered coals of contention and war among us, which burn and consume us daily, and threaten the foundations of Church and State? We may think its this man and that man that throws the coals, but its Christ doth it, Luke 12.49. I am come to send fire on the earth. 
That fire comes out from a bramble, Judg. 9.15. is not so much: but that fire should come out from the vine, from Christ, this is strange.  And Mat. 10.34. Think not that I am come to send piece on earth, I came not to send peace, but a sword; for I am come to set a man at variance against his father, and the daughter against her mother, and the daughter in law against her mother in law, and a man's foes shall be they of his own household. The coals are scattered, the fire is kindled, and who can put it out; it's Christ hath power over fire, you must sue earnestly to him to quench the violence of that fire burns amongst us.  
9 None can destroy or fire a City, unless God give command and commission for it; go, take coals, and scatter them upon the City: The Chaldeans could never have burnt Jerusalem, if the Lord had not bid them. Hence saith the Prophet, evil came down from the Lord unto the gate of Jerusalem, Mich. 1.12. It's an evil that Jerusalem shall be burnt; but this evil was determined in heaven, a commission for it came from thence, and it's the Lord sends the fire to the gates thereof. Till God give out the word, it cannot be done, how sinful soever Cities be: Jerusalem was full of pride, gluttony, oppression, blood, atheism, idolatry, etc. yet none could fire it, till God said, scatter coals upon the City: and when he saith so, nothing can privilege a City from burning. Jerusalem was the City he had chosen, 2 Kings 23.27. There was the Temple, and all the chief worship, 1 Kings 8. So famous was it for vision, that it was called the valley of vision, Isa. 22.1. The City of solempnities, Isa. 33.20. The City of God, Psalm 46.4. And the Inhabitants of this City were Abraham's seed, Mat. 3.9. God's firstborn, Exod. 4.22. & Rom. 9.4, 5. You have 8. privileges of theirs set down together; the adoption, the glory, the covenant, the law, the service, the promises, the fathers, and descent of Christ were all theirs. Yet notwithstanding the City was such, and Inhabitants so privileged, yet God would have Jerusalem burnt, he destroys the people, and their chief glory with them: Let no Cities stand upon their privileges after Jerusalem. Rome thinks she hath much to glory in; but Rev. 18.8. She shall be utterly burnt with fire, and Kings who have served her, shall see and bewail the smoke of her burning, v. 9 The coals may be now scattering in Italy, which may burn Rome and its sure, and so comfort to us, she shall be burnt, let us repent, else we may perish, Luke 13.3.  
10. Christ is obedient to the commands of his Father, even in execution of severe judgements. When the Lord bade him seal the mourners, he did it, and now he bade him take and scatter coals over the City, he went about it; he did not dispute, delay, but immediately did what his Father commanded. This should beget in us such a tractableness and conformity to Christ, that  our heavenly Father counsels or commands us, we should presently hearken thereunto, and yield obedience.  
11. God makes known to his Prophets what he will do; all was said and done in Ezekiel's presence, he was privy to, and witness of all. It's a great honour to be near, to see and hear the transactions of God and Christ: Such honour had our Prophet, other Prophets; and such honour have many of the Saints.    

VERS. 3.  
Now the Cherubims stood on the right side of the house where the man went in, and the cloud filled the inner Court.  
BEfore the accomplishment of what was commanded, some circumstantial things are premised, Christ being to go in between the wheels, and to take coals.  

1. The Cherubims stood.  
2. A cloud filled the inner Court.   

1. The Cherubims stood,  
When Christ, the man clothed with linen, came upon that great service of his Father, the Angels stood cither to receive commands from him, being supreme, and over them, or to adore him being come into the Temple, both which are testimonies of Divine Majesty.   

On the right side of the house.  
Which side this was is doubtful, some make it the North side, and so to note the Babylonians coming from the Northern parts to burn and destroy all. Others make it the South side; but when they came in at the eastern gate or door, the South was on their left hand, and North on their right. We have a place of Scripture will help us in this straight, 1 Kings 7.39. 
2 Chron. 4.10. He set the sea on the right side of the East end over against the South.  He put five bases on the right side of the house, and five on the left side of the house, and he set the sea on the right side of the house Eastward, over against the South. Hence it appears that the North part was the right side: Therefore they are out, that make the North part the left side, and say the Cherubims stood not there, because that side was defiled with Idols. The whole house was polluted where ever they stood, and on the right side they did stand, which might intimate the Lord of the Temple was there, and if any side were more honourable than other, he ought to have it.   

The cloud filled the inner Court.  
God hath often appeared in a cloud, he went before the Israelites in a cloud, Exo. 13.21. He gave the law in a cloud, Exe. 19.16. Deut. 4.12. Christ was transfigured in a cloud, Math. 17. and clouds have been symbols of divine presence, as Exod. 40.34. A cloud covered the tent of the congregation, and the glory of the Lord filled the Tabernacle. By this cloud God took possession of the Tabernacle, manifested his good pleasure towards them, in his intention to dwell among them: So Numb. 9.15. and 1 K. 8.10.12. By a cloud, God manifested his gracious presence: That here was the presence of Christ, is not doubted, but whether the gracious presene was questioned. Christ came to take fire, and scatter over the City, and the cloud here is rather a testimony of his displeasure and departure from the Temple, then of his favour and purpose graciously to be with them. The Scripture signifies Gods angry presence by a cloud or smoke, for they in Scripture language are one, Ezek. 8.11. A thick cloud of Incense went up, Isa. 6.4. When God manifested his presence, the house was filled with smoke; but this presence of God was to send out Isaiah a messenger of death unto them, Revel. 15.8. The Temple was filled with smoke from the glory of God, and from his power, and no man was able to enter into the Temple, till the 7. plagues of the 7. Angels were fulfilled. There was wrath going out from the Temple, and now Christ appeared here, the inward court, the Priest's court was filled with a cloud, intimating Divine Majesty, the Lords departure and darkness following thereupon.  

Obser. 1.  Heavenly creatures attend upon Christ: The Cherubims stood, & tendered their service, they acknowledge and adore his Majesty, and expect his will, his commands. No creatures are too great, too good, or glorious, to wait upon Christ in any ministrations of his, Heb. 1.6. Angels, and all of them wait upon and worship him, and are sent forth at his pleasure to Minister to whom he pleases, v. 4.  
2. The Angels are desirous to know the things of God and Christ in the Church; they stood, but where? in the house of God, in the Temple: They are knowing creatures, but they know not all things, there be mysteries in the ways of Christ, that they desire to look into, 1 Pet. 1.12. and Paul tells us there is wisdom made known by the Church to Principalities and powers in heavenly places, Eph. 3.10.  
3. The Lord manifests his pleasure by signs and actions, as well as by speech. They stood on the right side of the house: that side was Northward towards Babylon, and this signified that thence should come their destruction; they had seated the Image of jealousy there, which provoked God to jealousy, and he stirred up the Babylonians to come out of the North and lay them waste.  
4. christ he is Lord of the Temple, He went in, and then the Cherubims stood, than the Court was filled with a cloud, which notes a glorious Majesty and royal presence, 2 Chron. 5.13, 14. The house was filled with a cloud, so that the Priests could not stand to Minister by reason of the cloud, for the glory of the Lord had filled the house. It's Christ who hath all to do in the Temple, when he in the days of his flesh came into it, he thrust out all corrupters and corruptions, he walks in the midst of the 7. golden Candlesticks.  
5. When Christ is in the Temple, doing the will of his Father, any part of his office, then doth his glory appear; now he went into the Temple about judiciary service, and it was filled with a cloud, which sets out the Majesty and glory of Christ. When he preached in the Temple or Synagogues, his glory appeared; Never man spoke like this man, all his Ministrations were beautiful and glorious, John 1.14. We beheld his glory, his glory appeared in all his works.  
6. Divine glory is usually hidden up in cloudy darkness: when Christ came into the Temple, here was a glorious Majesty, but a cloud presently filled the Court, covered up the glory. When God came into the Temple in Solomon's days, a cloud filled and covered all: So Numb. 16.42. A cloud covered the Tabernacle, and the glory of the LORD appeared in the cloud.    

VERS. 4.  
Then the glory of the Lord went up from the Cherub, and stood over the threshold of the house, and the house was filled with the cloud, & the Court was full of the brightness of the Lords glory.  
THis verse mentions the first removal of glory, where we have, 

1. Whence the removal was, from the Cherub.  
2. Whether it was, to the threshold, it stood over, etc.  
3. The events thereupon, and they are 

1. The filling of the house with a cloud.  
2. The Court with glory.  
3. The sound of the Cherubims wings, which is in the next verse.      
God had his Temple at Jerusalem, in the most holy place of it was the Ark, and the Cherubims covering it; between these God was said to dwell or sit, because he gave out answers thence in difficult cases, and there he would be worshipped. The Jews grew proud of God's presence, and because they did not glorify him as God, but set up Idols, and provoked him many ways, therefore the Lord resolved to leave them and ruin them, and that is the scope of the vision here.  

The glory of the Lord.  
This was Christ say Expositors, who was in his glorious apparition, and now in the Temple, but going out of it. He had once before done thus, gone off from the Cherub to the threshold, Chap. 9.3. but was returned again, and here the second time doth it, he was now in a judiciary way, and would leave the Temple, if they did not presently prevent it by repentance.  
Christ standing thus upon the threshold, and being upon terms of departure, behind him was the cloud that filled the house, there was darkness: but before the Lord Christ was light and brightness, the Court which he stood looking into was full of brightness of the Lords glory: The glory was now gone out of the Sanctuary into the Court.  
Observations suitable to this verse see upon Ezek. 9.3. yet take here these following.  
When God is about to visit his Church with some sharp judgements, he gives out some evident signs and tokens thereof. 
Obser. 1.  He was now bringing in a sad judgement upon the Jews, and their glory goes up from the Cherub to the threshold, which shown God was about some great change. God testified by the Ark which Noah made, that he was about some great judgement, and alteration of things in the State.  
2. Again note, that Christ with the signs of his presence is the glory of the Temple; where Christ is, there is glory, Hagg. 2.9. The glory of this latter house shall be greater than of the former: How was that? when as, v. 3. the glory of the latter Temple in comparison of the former was as nothing, Christ should personally come into it, teach in it; this was more than all typical or visional glory, and external beauty the other had. Where Christ is, there is glory, and where his ordinances are, there is glory.  
3. When Christ leaves the Temple, nothing but darkness remains; when he was upon the threshold, there was a cloud behind him; when he goes out of the Church, glory, light, truth go, but night, darkness come in, Isa. 6.4. that he calls here a cloud, there he calls smoke: and when God leaves the Church, than smoke and little else is to be found in it; smoke of ignorance, smoke of errors, smoke of divisions, smoky and false worship, & quickly after, smoking judgements. The Churches of Asia, when Christ left walking among them, darkness overspread them, and smoky judgements consumed them.  
4. The way Christ goeth, is glory or glorious; he goeth out of the Temple, and now before his face as he stands upon the threshold in the Court is brightness of glory; his glory goeth with him, before him; he leaves darkness behind him, but hath brightness before him. His departure from his people is glorious, his ways and works of judgement are glorious.    

VERS. 5.  
And the sound of the Cherubims wings was heard, even to the utter Court, as the voice of the Almighty God when he speaketh.  
HHre is the 3d event upon the Lords coming to the threshold, and hastening to give judgement against this City, the Angels do rejoice at it, and applaud the act of Christ, which the sound of their wings imports: of this verse was spoken Chap. 1.24.  
This sound of their wings is described 2. ways, 

1. From the extent, It was heard even to the utter Court, which was a great distance.  
2. From the resemblance of it to the Lords voice, as the voice of the Almighty God when he speaketh; that is, like a mighty voice, even the voice of thunder.    

Obser. 1.  The Angels do applaud the righteous judgements of God, and Christ against sinful Cities, Churches, States, or persons.  
Here Christ was leaving the Temple, the City, this people, and ready to scatter fire among them, & the Angels made a joyful sound at it. The Temple, the inward and outward Court rang of it; their voice (which is meant by the sound of their wings) was a mighty voice like thunder, it's music to them that God hath the glory of his judgements aswell as of his mercies; that obstinate sinners be destroyed, aswell as mourners be marked. The Angel was glad when Babylon was fallen, & God's judgements executed upon her, Rev. 18.2. He cried mightily with a strong voice, Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen.   

VERS. 6, 7.  
And it came to pass, that when he had commanded the man clothed with linen, saying, Take fire from between the wheels, from between the Cherubims, than he went in and stood beside the wheels.  
And one Cherub stretched forth his hands from between the Cherubims, and took thereof, and put it into the hands of him that was clothed with linen, who took it, and went out.  
IN the sixth verse is a repetition of what was said in the 2d verse, there God spoke to the man clothed with linen, here he commanded the man, etc. there it's go in between the wheels, and fill thy hands with coals of fire from between the Cherubims: and here it's take fire from between the wheels, from between the Cherubims. Then the obedience of the man clothed with linen is set down, he went: so here, he went in. Only there is this addition, and stood beside the wheels.  
This repetition of the same matter argues not backwardness in Christ to do the commands of his Father, but sets out the earnest intention of God to have this fiery judgement accomplished; now he would not have it delayed, but hastened.  

Stood beside the wheels.  
I find not any Interpreter to touch at all upon this Christ's standing beside the wheels, and yet surely there was something in it. The Lord had bid him go in between the wheels, and take fire from between them; but Christ stood beside them, he did not neglect or cross any thing his Father commanded; he was between the wheels, when he stood beside them, or near them, juxta rotam this might be. 
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉   
1. To acquaint the Cherubims with the command the Father had given him, they were at some distance from him sat in the throne, and from the man clothed in linen, it's said he went.  
2. To try their spirits, how they affected this judgement.  
3. To consider the mutability and uncertainty of all things.  

Obser. 1.  Christ being in the form of man is under the command of his Father; he commanded the man clothed with linen. Hence he calls him his servant, Mat. 12.18. Behold my servant whom I have chosen; he was the most able, diligent, and faithful servant that ever God or man had, therefore the Lord saith of him, my beloved, in whom my soul is well pleased. God was not only contented with Christ, and what he did; but satisfied, well pleased; he being under his commands, performed them fully. John 12.49. saith Christ of his Father, He gave me commandment what I should say: and John 14.31. As the Father gave me commandment, even so I do: and Chap. 15.10. I have kept my Father's commandments. If Christ, when he appeared in the form of man, and when he was man, were under the commands of God; let not us think much to be under his commands.  
2. That judgements are in God's power, and at his dispose, he saith, go, take fire. It's the Lord that creates the fire, keeps, and gives it out, when, by whom, and where he pleaseth; he had fire in store, he bids the man clothed with linen take of it, and scatter it over the City. No judgements but are at the Lords command, Jer. 25.29. I will call for a sword upon all the inhabitants of the earth. It's at Gods call, and only his call doth it, if he say the word, there shall be wars in all kingdoms: He brings diseases and plagues upon people when he will, Deut. 28.10. he sends enemies to tread down his people like mire in the streets, Isa. 10.6. He stirs up the scourge when it comes, vers. 26. He throws down, Mal. 1.4. he powers out wrath like water, Hos. 5.10. he kindles fire to burn the green and dry tree; yea, such fire as none can quench, Ezek. 20.47. All judgements lesser or greater are at his command, and therefore he takes it to himself, Isa. 45.7. I form the light, and create darkness: I make peace, and create evil, I the Lord do all these things. Let us fear, and not provoke this God, who can command fire to burn Cities at his pleasure.  
3. Christ proceeds in execution of his Fathers will considerately; he stood by the wheels, informs the Angels, tries their spirits, and observes the motions of all things, and sees what equity there is to take fire and throw upon the City.    

VERS. 7.  
And one Cherub stretched forth his hand from between the Cherubims, etc.  
THis verse presents to us the way how the fire was conveyed to Christ. He being come to the side of the wheels, one of the Cherubims stretcheth out his hand, taketh fire, and puts it into the hand of Christ, the man clothed with linen.  
Angels have no hands, they are spirits without humane parts; visionally they had hands, they appeared so to the Prophet.  
The fire they took of we must a little inquire into; if we will refer it to material fire, it was that of the Altar, of which I spoke before, vers. 2. But we may understand by fire that active virtue and power is in the Angels; they are glorious creatures, likened to flames of fire, Heb. 1.7. and the taking fire here, and putting it into the hands of Christ, is their yielding up their strength, power, and activity to further the design, and do the will of Christ, in executing of the judgements intended. Fire hath light, heat, and activity in it, and the Angels have much knowledge, zeal, and active virtue in them, all which they tender to Christ.  

Who took it and went out.  
Here is no mention made what the man clothed with linen did with this fire, viz. their resignation of them, and their active virtue to be at his dispose.  
Some think that Christ presently executed the command of his Father, though it be not specified. In the 2d vers. he was bid to scatter the coals over the City, and now it was needless to re-mention it.  
Others are of judgement, to whom I consent, that Christ did not presently set fire on Jerusalem, or employ the Angels to the destruction of it, and the reason given is this, and hath weight in it. Our Prophet was now in a vision at Jerusalem, and as he had had many things offered to his sight, so many things were yet offering, and to be offered to his view; all which had been disturbed and prevented if there had been present execution of the command; he could not have seen what follows here in the vision, nor that in the next Chapter: Further I conceive sometime was allotted between the command and execution for repentance. 
Obser. 1.   
Angel's watch, and take opportunites to serve Christ; he comes unto them to take fire, and presently one of them takes the fire and puts it in his hand, being glad of such an opportunity to do him service. Angels are vigilant creatures, and wait for opportunities, and when they come they will not lose them, Psal. 103.20. They harken to the voice of his word, they neither slumber nor sleep, but harken constantly what the Lord will say, what opportunity there will be for action: so in Ezek. 1.11. they are described with their wings stretched upward, manifesting their watchfulness and readiness for service. When Christ was born, a multitude of them appeared and celebrated his nativity, Luke 2.13. When Christ was taken by Judas and his train, Peter drew his sword in his Master's defence; but what saith Christ, put up thy sword, it's not a time now to fight, but to suffer; thinkest thou that I cannot now pray to my Father, & he shall presently give me more than 12. legions of Angels? It's not a time now to pray for help, I must die, & Scripture must be fulfilled; but if I would, my Father would bid the Angels to aid me, and they presently would come, whole legions of them, yea all the Angels in heaven. Let us learn of Angels, watch opportunities, and take them. There be nicks of time wherein to do the works of Christ, Eccles. 3.1. To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven. It's wisdom to observe those seasons and times, Rom. 12.11. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉.  
2. Angels do honour the Lord Christ exceedingly, to their utmost; they resign up themselves and all they have to the will and command of Christ; their wings, hands, feet, faces, their natures, their knowledge, zeal, active virtue shall be all for Christ. One took fire and put into his hand. This is great honour to Christ when any creature gives up what it is, what it hath, and what it can do unto him fully. More cannot be required or expected by any superior and divine power, more cannot be performed by any creature: They are Angelical, who can resign up all into the hand of Christ. Let us learn this duty: The Scribe, Matth. 8.19. said well, Master I will follow thee whithersoever thou goest: I will trace thy steps, learn thy doctrine, do thy will, be at thy dispose: And Isa. Chap. 6.8. Here am I, send me Lord, I give up myself unto thee; all the fire in me, all my knowledge, zeal, active virtue are at thy dispose: So Paul, Acts 9.6. Lord, what wilt thou have me to do? I have been against thee, I will now be for thee, I give up myself to thee wholly. If Angels did it, whose nature Christ took not, for whom he died not; how much more should we do it, whose nature he took, for whom he did and suffered all.  
3. Things done seasonably are acceptable to Christ, the Angel observed Christ coming for fire to demand their service, and he takes fire and puts into Christ's hand, and Christ took it; which notes his acceptance. He neither reproved nor rejected the Angel or his service, but was well pleased, the putting fire into his hand was seasonable, and so acceptable: There be seasons, which if taken, sweeten actions, and open the door for their better entertainment, Prov. 25.11. A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in pictures of silver. The Heb. is, a word spoken upon its wheels. Fit times and seasons are wheels to carry words with great advantage: and so for actions; when things are done in the due time, they are beautiful, acceptable; when God gives rain to a Land in season, how acceptable is it; when a tree bears fruit in its season, its grateful: So when Angels or men do things seasonably, its pleasing to the Lord Christ: there be idonea tempora, which if we miss, actions are unlovely, and miss of their aims, Psal. 32.6. For this shall every one that is godly, pray unto thee in a time when thou mayst be found. There be times, if we have the wisdom to discern them, when prayer will be seasonable, acceptable, effectual.    

VERS. 8.  
And there appeared in the Cherubims the form of a man's hand under their wings.  
OUr Prophet having seen the Cherub stretch out a hand, take fire, and put it into the hand of the man clothed with linen, here he describes what kind of hand it was, and where it was; For the kind, it was a man's hand, there appeared the form of a man's hand; for the place, it was under their wing. I have spoken hereof, Chap. 1.8.  
There is mention of hands, here of a hand; not that they had only one hand, but under every wing was a hand; they had wings, and under them he saw the form of a hand.  
Their wings set out not only their swiftness in motion, but also their divine instinct and secret guidance of God, which carries them as wings this or that way, to this or that action, and hand imports both vigour to act, and action: active virtue, and the activity itself.  

Oeserv. 1.  Angels are furnished with abilities, and are fitted for employments, they have hands and wings; what ever the Lord calls them to do, they want not aught tending to the accomplishment thereof: If speed be required, they have wings to fly: If work be to be done, they have hands, and can do much in a little time.  
2. They do not things rashly, but advisedly, judiciously, they have the hands of a man; men's hands are ordered by judgement in their operations, and so are Angels; they do all things wisely, understandingly, they observe the best seasons, and all circumstances which may add beauty and advantage to their actions; and therefore vers. 12. it's said, their hands were full of eyes, they see into all the intrinsicals or extrinsicals of any business.  
3. The works of God are done by hidden and secret means, by ways unthought of, by hands under wings. Here a Cherub stretches out a hand from under a wing, takes fire, and puts into the hand of Christ.  
God hath secret hands to do his work; sometimes angels hands, sometime the hand of providence, sometime the hand of his spirit, Angels are invisible agents, and we have unknown mercies from their hands; an Angel rolled away the great stone from the Sepulchre, & they remove many difficulties out of our way; it was the hand of an Angel that brought the Apostles out of prison, Act. 5.19.12.9. Angels encamp round about them that fear the Lord, Psal. 34.7. They are invisible guards, and do invisible things for us, their hands work when we feel them not: so the hand of providence is doing when we slumber, and discern it not. Joseph is sold into Egypt, and it was not discerned by the sellers, or the sold, what work God was about; the hand of providence was secret, but wrought strongly for the raising of Joseph, and safety of Jacob, and many thousands besides. Mordecai will not bow to Haman; was the hand discerned here which was working haman's ruin? I believe not; Haman goes on, plots the death of all the Jews, had almost accomplished his desire, but providence acts in an unexpected way, and cuts off this bloody man. A secret hand of heaven hath done the great things in all ages, invisible virtue hath done more than all visible instruments. In our Counsels, Armies, undertake, had not God's hand of Providence wrought, we had been ruined. Was it not a strange hand of Providence that began the work in Scotland? If ought be done in the work of Reformation amongst us, is it not the hand of God rather than the hand of man? Isa. 1.25. I will turn my hand upon them, and purely purge away their dross. Math. 8.3. Jesus put forth his hand, and healed the leper. If our leprosy he healed, or healing, it's by the hand of Christ put forth. The safety of this Nation is from a secret hand, we are held and hid in the hollow and shadow of an invisible hand: So the hand of the Spirit doth secret work in Zion. Christ by the finger of God, Luk. 11.20. by the spirit of God, Mat. 12.28. cast out Devils. It's this hand that mortifies and kills the lusts, Rom. 8.13. It's this hand which quickens and brings life, Job. 6.63. It's this hand works holiness in you, that comforts and supplies you, that guides and seals you; it's this hand that brings you out of the ways of sin, error, death, into the ways of Christ, truth, and life, it's this hand makes all ordinances effectual, 2 Cor. 10.4. Our weapons are mighty through God, to the pulling down of strong holds: Through God, that is, through the spirit of God; weapons must be in some hand or other; these were spiritual weapons, and in the hand of the Spirit, as well as in the Apostles hand, else had they not been able to pull down strong holds.  
4. When Gods work is done, we should hid up our hands that do it; the Cherub stretched out his hand, took fire, put it into Christ's hand: and what then? the hand is hid under the wing. Angels are not vainglorious, they seek not themselves, but the honour of him they serve; they say not, this have I done, hath my hand wrought; they hold not forth their hand for mortals to admire or adore; but rejoice the work is done, and hid up their hands. This is a good precedent for us who are apt to be puffed up with what we do, and to expose not only the work, but the hand also too much to view. If actions be done, and others reap the good thereof, without selvish respects of ours, it is Angelical. Paul was of this judgement, and practised answerably, 1 Cor. 15.10. I laboured more abundantly than they all, yet not I See here how he hides up himself, and puts all upon God; Not I, but the grace of God which was with me. It was not Paul, but God's grace that did all the work: So Isa. 26.12. Thou hast wrought all our works in us, we have done nothing, but thou hast done all.   

VERS. 9, 10, 11, 12, 13.  
And when I looked, behold, the four wheels by the Cherubims, one wheel by one Cherub, and another wheel by another Cherub: and the appearance of the wheels was as the colour of a berill stone.  
And as for their appearances, they four had one likeness, as if a wheel had been in the midst of a wheel.  
When they went, they went upon their four sides; they turned not as they went, but to the place whether the head looked, they followed it, they turned not as they went.  
And their whole body, and their backs, and their hands, and their wings, and the wheels were full of eyes round about, even the wheels that they four had.  
As for the wheels, it was cried unto them in my hearing, O wheel.  
IN these verses, and most of the rest to the end, is a description of the wheels and Cherubims, which represent things earthly and heavenly, and both under the command and dispose of Divine Majesty; take things below in States or Churches, they pass not without the interposure of Providence; the hand of heaven acts in them; taketh things above, they are not absolute, there is one in the Throne overrules them.  
For the wheels, which are the Principal subject of these verses, and note out inferior things and causes unto us; they are, 

1. Described.  
2. Explained.    
They are described, 

1. From their number, four wheels.  
2. By their reference, dependency, or situation, they were by the Cherubims.  
3. By a particular and special distribution of one to another; the 4. wheels were not altogether by the 4. Cherubims, but one wheel by one Cherub, another wheel by another Cherub.  
4. From their appearance or likeness, which was as the colour of a berill stone, and those four are in the ninth verse.  
5. From their likeness and coherence among themselves, they 4. had one likeness, etc. vers. 9  
6. From their motion, vers. 11. They went: which is set out: 

1. From the way they went to those parts, were upon their sides, into those quarters of the world which were next them, whither the head looked.  
2. Their progress; they turned not bacl, but went on.    
7. From their eyenesse, vers. 12. Their whole body, backs, hands, wings, were full of eyes.    
2. The explication of the wheels, and that is in the 13. verse: it was cried O wheel! O world!  
I have spoken largely of the wheels in the first chapter, and therefore now shall say little of them; the most will be of those particulars wherein there is difference from what is there set down.  
In the first Chap. mention is made, 1. of the living creatures, and then of the wheels; Here the wheels are first set down, and after them the Cherubims or living creatures: Why there is a great inversion and change made in the vision, I find no reason given, neither do I conceive any satisfactory reason can be given, but the will of the Lord, it pleased him to represent the vision in that way to the Prophet, and that may suffice us. Yet if we may conjecture, the wheels are set first here, for that changes & motions of 2d causes in the world are more obvious unto our eyes, we observe them first, and that virtue acts them is more out of sight.  
In the first Chap. v. 15. there is one wheel upon the earth by the living creatures; here in the 9 vers. are 4. wheels by the Cherubims, and the assignment of one wheel to one Cherub, which makes this part of the vision more distinct and clear.  
Wheels set out all the motions and changes of things here below: and the 4. wheels, all that are in the 4. parts of the world, and a wheel is a fit instance to resemble them by, as hath been shown; and what ever appears casual, accidental, confused and contrary, comes under the notion of the wheel.  
That all things in this world have dependency upon higher causes; the wheels consist not of themselves, 
Obser. 1.  but are by the Cherubims, they have reference unto, and dependence upon them. The creatures are servants, not Masters or Lords: and how ever things seem to be carried in the world confusedly, without any respect to any superior causes, yet the wheels are regulated, they are by the Cherubims, they have influence into them, and order them.  
2. The Lord is methodical in disposing the things of the world, each one of the Angels hath his wheel; they were not all by one Angel, or all 4. promiscuously by the 4. Cherubims, but the wheels were methodically disposed of, to each Angel one, and so they acted methodically, and looked to their wheels in their several quarters. God hath set a wheel by every one of us; something he hath committed to our care and government, let us look to our wheels.  
The 10. vers. you have in Chap. 1.16. only a little alteration of the words. In the first place it's they four had one likeness, and their appearance was as it were a wheel in a wheel; in this place its, As for their appearances, they four had one likeness, as if a wheel had been in the midst of a wheel.  
They were like in figure, in colour, and equal in quantity, as if one had been made by another.  
Quest. But if the wheels prefigure the motions and changes of things in the world as is affirmed, are the motions and events of things alike every where in all quarters of the world?  
Answ. We see that otherwise; there be wars in one Kingdom, and peace in another; Riches in one City, and poverty in another; the Gospel leaving one place, and going to another, yet are they alike in that they represent.  
1. There are changes every where, good and bad, one generation goes, another cometh.  
2. There are great difficulties, perplexities in all mundane affairs, not only in one place, but in all places.  
3. In that they all work, and further Gods great designs in the world, they go on in one Kingdom as well as another.  
4. In that they are all ordered to produce that great end, God's glory, not any wheel but is productive of it.  
As if a wheel had been in the midst of a wheel; some think there were in every wheel four semicircles, or half wheels, which appeared as a wheel in the midst of a wheel, but we find no warrant for that; the Text speaks of a wheel in a wheel, it may be transverse, one crossing and cutting another, it may be comprehensive, as one Orb in another.  

Obser. 1.  That the wheels in all places are alike, they are not the same, but they are alike. Such is man's nature, that it's not long contented with its condition, but thinks that all things move better elsewhere then at home, and hereupon many have made trial of foreign Nations, remote parts of the world, and found the wheels there like the wheels in their own Country, full of changes and intricacies, so they were in Ezekiels days, so they will be in our days: so they were in Babylon, in Zion, so they are in England, and will be; we should learn to make the best of our condition; if the wheels be alike in changes & perplexities, than they are alike in furthering Gods designs, and producing God's glory, and this they may do as strongly and speedily at home as they do abroad.  
2. Man is not able to judge of God's works and ways in his administration of the world. They are so intricate and perplexed, that Ezekiel knew not what to make of them, he saw as it were a wheel in the midst of a wheel, one wheel entangled in another. The acts of Providence at this day in Churches and States are so various and dubious, that created abilities cannot comprehend Gods intentions. It's said, Zach. 14.6. In that day the light shall neither be clear nor dark: Men shall be puzzled not knowing what to judge: this day is come upon us, can you tell what to judge of the wheels and their motions amongst us, they are much entangled; we have cross motions from without, and from within; is there any great or public business in the Kingdom, but is perplexed, and the issue of it uncertain: Our Counsels are entangled, our Military affairs at Sea and Land, our City and domestics businesses are not without wheels in them.  
3. There is a coherence of the 2d causes and motions which are from them, they are knit and linked together; our Prophet saw a wheel in the midst of a wheel, one change follows upon another, and there is a concatenation of causes; and their operations. The Cherubims were by the wheels, and wheels in the wheels, Satan, Chaldeans, Sabeans, the winds and humours in Jobs body did all conspire to humble and afflict him; after these, his 3. friends tread in the same path, and add to his affliction, night and day, winter and summer have not a nearer coherence than the wheels: They so run among us, that we are necessitated to sit in Counsel, and Counsels beget actions, actions make alterations, alterations make strange impressions in men's spirits. It's easy to see the puzzling intricacies of the wheels, how crossly, perversely things move every where; but the coherence and harmonious part of them is not so quickly discerned, the lines in a globe, the roaps in a ship cross one another, which every eye seethe, but their harmony and use is not so discernible. The Bees when they swarm without, and work within, make a thousand cross motions, and yet there is sweet harmony in their Commonwealth.  
The 11th verse, which speaks of their motion, agrees in part with the 17. of the first Chap. where it's said, when they went, they went upon their four sides, and so the words are here, and they returned not when they went, here it is, they turned not as they went, and it's twice so; then here is an addition which is not there. But to the place, whither the head looked they followed it.  
The meaning of the words is, that they went to those parts of the world which were upon their sides, and their motions in those ways were like and uniform, none went backward when others went forward.  

Wither the head looked.  

Jerom refers it to the wheels, whither the head wheel went, but the wheels were equal.  What is intended by the word Head we must inquire; the Hebrew is, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 some render it the first, and so make the sense this, whether the first Cherub went, thither went all the rest; but the Text will not indulge this interpretation; for it's said, they went upon their four sides; that is, into the several ways their sides were towards, and so could not follow one another. Others understand by head the Cherub designed to each wheel, as vers. 
Caput cujusque so Pisc. renders the word.  9 the four wheels were by the Cherubims: One wheel by one Cherub, and another wheel by another Cherub, so that every wheel had his head, that is, his Cherub, and whither that head looked, thither went that wheel; but we may ascend somewhat higher, and make the head, either he sat in the Throne and spoke to the man clothed with linen, or the spirit who guided the motions both in the living creatures and the wheels, Ch. 1.12.20. whither the spirit was to go, they went: Here the Spirit was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the head or first mover, and I conceive there is no danger in putting it higher than the Cherubims.  

Obser. 1.  The motions of all inferior things are directed by a superior Head which is over them, they move not when and whether they lift, but as their Head will have them, be the Head the Cherubims, the Spirit, or Jehovah. It's the head regulates and order them, they cannot move of themselves, they go whether the Head looks, whither the Spirit will have them go, & when the Lord commands. The body of man goes that way, and then, when the head will have it, and so it's with all wheels, all creatures, their motions are at the Lord will have them. If Angels move the wheels, the Spirit and the Lord move the Angels, and they cannot but make such motions and commotions in the world. If there be great winds, tempests, wars, bitter divisions, falsehood and treachery, plundering, burning, oppression, etc. the wheels move that way their head looks, and follow their head, a superior guide leads them. If they break some, raise others, if their motions be swift, dangerous, bloody, they are moved by one is over them.  
2. That the wheels are constant in, and intent too, their motions appointed, they turn not as they go, they keep on their way, and it's twice mentioned, they turned not as they went; they followed their head, they turned not as they went. Which double mentioning of their not turning sets out their intentness upon their way and work, and that we should take special notice of it, because we think the wheels may move otherwise and other ways, but they cannot, the Lord sits in the Chariot commanding the wheels, what way, and how to move; the Spirit is in them, and carries them on, the Cherubims are by, and help forward the motions, so that the wheels must oppose the Angels, and God himself, if they move otherwise then they do, they cannot stop their motions, much less turn their motions.  
The 12. verse tells you of their eyenesse, body, backs, hands, wings, wheels.   

Body.  
In the Hebrew its flesh. Some expound, 
Vulg. corpus earum.  all said here of the wheels, both Jerome and others; by body or flesh they understand the bulk of the wheels; by backs, the rings about the wheels: so they are called, Chap. 1.18. 
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉  and the Hebrew word is backs. By hand and wings they mean the spokes of the wheels, which extend themselves like hands & feathers from the gnavestock to the circumference: By the wheel some intent the Globe or Gnavestock in the midst, in which is the Axletree; Others, the whole Chariot, and the only reason I find given is this, He had spoken immediately before of the wheels, and after in this verse is mention of them, and why the Cherubims should be brought in here, seemeth not so reasonable: But it's not so harsh as to expound flesh, hands and wings of the wheels: and we know that he had spoken not long before of the Cherubims, vers. 9 And if head refer to the Cherubims as some make it, than they are spoken of in the 11. vers. immediately before this, and if because eyes were given to the wheels in the 1. Chapter, and not to the Cherubims, therefore here they must be confined to the wheels, upon the same ground. Their hands and wings, because they are given to the Cherubims in the 1. Chapter, and not to the wheels, must here be confined to the Cherubims: I do therefore fall in with them who do refer Body, Backs, Hands, Wings unto the Cherubims, which in these visions do more properly belong to the Cherubims, then to the wheels.   

Full of eyes round about.  
Here is a difference from that in the 1. Chap. vers. 18. It's said there the Rings were full of eyes; here, that all, even wheels and Cherubims were full of eyes, and he that sat in the Throne, even the Lord, he is full of eyes.  

Obser. 1.  That the motions of causes and creatures here below, are not casual or disorderly; the wheels and Cherubims are full of eyes, they see and know their way, the work they have to do, the place they are to go unto, the eye of providence is in every creature, and every motion. Things appear to us very casual and disorderly; but there be eyes in the wheels, no motion of them is injudicious or out of course. If these eyes were blind, sleepy, vitiated, or shut, than there would be strange motions, just ground of complaint; but the eyes of Providence are ever open, they slumber not, they are not corrupted with any vicious humours, they see clearly and distinctly, and in what ever they are, as they are in all wheels, public or private, little or great, they make the motions judicious and orderly. When things fall out contrary, or besides your expectations, you say they are mischances; but you are mistaken: In Sea or Land affairs, in Marshal, Magisteriall, or Ministerial, yea domestic affairs, what ever falls out is an act of Providence; surprising or sinking of ships, disappointment of Counsels, defeating of Armies, escape of Prisoners, interception of Letters, firing of Towns, drown, selfe-murtherings, divisions of brethren, clandestine marriages, abortions, divorces, the eyes of Providence are in them all, and heavens intentions are accomplished in them.  
2. There is much glory and beauty in the works of Divine Providence, all the wheels and Cherubims are full of eyes, the wheels have eyes round about, not in one place, but in every place; the Cherubims their bodies, backs, hands and wings are full of eyes: And Rev. 4.8. They are full of eyes within, they are inwardly and outwardly glorious, beautiful. Man's eyes add not so much beauty and glory to his face, as these eyes do to the works of God in the world. The Peacock's train which is full of eyes, how beautiful and glorious is it, yet fare short of the beauty and glory is in God's government of the world. When the Queen of Sheba saw so much wisdom in a man, so much glory and beauty in the order of his house, she admired, and had no spirit left in her, 1 Kings 10.4, 5. And could we see the wisdom is in God, the glory and beauty is in his ordering the wheels, we would be so far from complaining of any wheels motion, that we would admire every wheel, the order and motion of it; but oh how blind are we, who hardly have an eye to see any of these eyes. David's eye was open and observant in the 104. Psalms, where he declares and delights himself in the wonderful providence of God, ordering all things, and hear what he saith, vers. 31. The glory of the Lord shall endure for ever: He saw glory in them, there is glory in all the works of Providence, and such glory as abides for ever to all generations; there is glory now in them, aswell as in David's days, there were changes, breaches, troubles then, as you may see, vers. 29. yet they hindered not, but rather added to the glory of providential works, and so do our changes, breaches, differences: When a man is on a high hill, there be many hedges, ditches, and separations of one piece of land from another, there be low shrubbs, and higher trees, here a hill, and there a river, yet all contribute something to make a beautiful and glorious prospect to the eye, and so it's in the works of Providence. If we were lifted up by the Spirit to view the wheels and their motions, we should find that all those things seem grievous to us; our wars, divisions, taxes, burdens, and such like do contribute much towards a glorious prospect.    

VERS. 13.  
As for the wheels, it was cried to them in my hearing. O wheel.  
THis verse is an exposisory verse, and gives light to the vision of the wheels, yet it hath need of exposition itself. In the words you have, 

1. One crying, which is employed; It was cried.  
2. The cry itself; O wheel.  
3. Unto whom or what the cry was made; it was unto the wheels.  
4. In whose presence this cry was; in Ezekiels, in my hearing.    
Who cried is not set down, some th●nk one of the Cherubims. That Cherub which stretched out his hand, and reachd the fire to the man clothed in linen, he cried O wheel, & commanded it to hasten to the destruction of Jerusalem; but that any Cherubin should cry out so, unless he had command from above, is not probable, and the Text affords us no encouragement so to conceive. Others therefore affirm it was the Lord, who sat in the Throne, who commanded the man clothed in linen to take fire, he cried unto the wheel, and his cry was  

O wheel.  
The Hebrew is, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 High orbis, this name doth the Lord give to the wheels, to instruct the Prophet, and us by him, what he meant by the wheels, viz. the world and motions in it. The vulgar renders the word volubiles, and so make it an adjective, agreeing with the substantive, wheels, rotas istas, vocabit volubiles, this will hold in the Latin, but not in the Hebrew, for it is laophannim lahem. Korah, Haggalgal, laophannim is plural, and Haggalgal is singular, a substantive, not an adjective, and is set down by way of distinction and demonstration, thus, as for these wheels would you know what they are. It was cried in mine ears Haggalgal, their name is This world, I the Lord call them so. And here you may observe how the Spirit of God leaves the word ophannim, by which only he expressed the wheels in the first Chap. and here also 'til now, and takes another word Haggalgal. Ophannim is a more common and doubtful word, Haggalgal more distinct and certain, and so the Prophet by it came to know what the vision of the wheels held out to him.  
Why the Lord should cry out thus, O wheel, is doubted: it was not the greatness, work, or use of it which could beget admiration in God. It's thought somewhat is concealed which the Lord said; probably he gave out some command to the wheeels, touching the motions and work of it: Or rather it may be a complaint! O world, how instable and changeable are thou.   

Unto them.  
He cried unto the wheels, O wheel! There were 4 wheels, v. 9 and they went into those parts of the world which were upon their 4. sides, vers. 11. and these wheels represented the world, which is one, and therefore it's cried unto them, O wheel! O world!   

In my hearing.  
There was a voice, and such as came to Ezekiel's ears, and informed him in this difficult vision. He was an eye and ear-witness of it, his eye bred admiration in him, but his ear let in the information what it was.  
The Lord speaks to all creatures, and they are under his command, they hear his voice; 
Obser. 1.  we think Angels and men only are capable of hearing God speak. There is not a creature God hath made, but hearkens to the voice of its Creator: He saith, O wheel! O world! and nothing in it acts or moves without him: If he speak, the wheels move what way he pleases; when there is thundering, lightning, earthquakes, storms, war, peace, famine, plenty, divisions, etc. God's voice hath been there, Psal. 119.91. The creatures are called Gods servants, they hear and obey his voice as servants do their Masters, Psal. 147.18. when there is ice and snow, he sends out his word and melts them: They come not without his word, they melt not away without it, the creatures hear and obey. Mar. 4. when a great storm was at Sea, and all in danger of their lives, Christ rebukes the wind, and saith unto the Sea, peace, be still, and those incontroulable creatures heard his voice, the wind ceased, and there was a great calm, which made them relent, wonder, and say, what manner of man is this, that the wind and the sea obey him.  
2. It's the Lord hath his times to make known distinct things. In the first Chap. the Prophet had this vision, without any hint or light what was meant by it: Here the Lord doth speak and instruct the Prophet something concerning the meaning thereof. He cryeth in the ears of Ezekiel, O wheel! O world! and by this he came to understand part of God's mind in it. Samson had a time to unfold his riddle, Christ his parables, and God his difficult visions. Pharaoh and Nabuchadnezzar had dark difficult dreams, and God by Joseph and Daniel interpreted them. Yea, Daniel had visions, and God sent Gabriel to him to make him to understand those visions. The Revelation hath many things beyond our reach, but God hath his times to expound the same unto us.    

VERS. 14, 15, 16, 17.  
And everyone had four faces; the first face was the face of a Cherub, and the second face was the face of a man, and the third the face of a Lion, and the fourth the face of an Eagle.  
And the Cherubims were lifted up: this is the living creature that I saw by the river of Chebar.  
And when the cherubims went, the wheels went by them: and when the cherubims lift up their wings, to mount up from the earth, the same wheels also turned not from beside them.  
When they stood, these stood, and when they were lifted up, these lift up themselves also: for the spirit of the living God was in them.  
IN these verses and those after the 18th, you have a description of the Cherubims.  

1. From their faces, vers. 14.  
2. From their actions and motions, vers. 14, 15.  
3. From the harmony between them and the wheels, vers. 16, 17.   
Of these hath been spoken in the first Chapter, what I find differing from the vision there, I shall most insist upon.  
In th' 14. verse it's said every one had 4 faces, this is the same with that in Chap. 1.6. and their faces agree with those, vers. 10. only one face is otherwise presented here, then it's there; instead of the face of an Ox, you have here the face of a Cherub, which is set first in order, whereas the other was the 3d. This alteration hath occasioned diversity of opinions among Interpreters. Some affirm, that anciently they pictured the Cherubims with the face of an Ox, and that there is no difference between their faces; but we find no proof of this, and it is as easily denied as affirmed. Others think the vision was so, that the Prophet first saw an Ox's face, which he knowing, calls the face of a Cherub. Flavius Josephus affirms the face of a Cherub to be the face of a Bird, whose likeness God shown to Moses in Mount-Horeb, but was never seen of of men. Some think, that further off, this face appeared as the face of an Ox & nearer, at the face of a Cherub. Some make this face of a Cherub to be the face of a child, 
Rabbi David pagn. in lexico. Solom:  and the common form of picturing Cherubims hath been like a young man or boy; therefore a Rabbi saith, Cherub esse puerum elegantem, and many are of that judgement. Even Lavater he makes the face of a Cherub to be the face putri alait. Cherub sounds like Recheb, a Chariot, and the Cherubims are called so, 1 Chron. 28.18. And the Angels they are the Lords Chariots, Psal. 68.17. The chariots of God are 20000. and even thousands of Angels, Psalm. 18.10. He road upon a Cherub. But if we should grant that the face of a Cherub is the face of a child, or young man, it would be the same with the face following, viz. the face of a man, whereas the vision holds out distinct faces. Some Expositors render is the face of an Ox, and their reason is this, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by a metathesis of the letters is from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, which signifieth to ride, to be carried in a Chariot, and so they will have the word Cherub to note out ageus carrum, & it being proper to an Ox or Bullock to draw, they conceive here, by Cherub, is meant an Ox, by face of a Cherub the face of an Ox. But I find no warrant given us to transpose letters in the words of sacred writ, and thereupon to make expositions. The Text saith, it was the face of a Cherub: and if the Spirit of God had meant the face of an Ox, he could have as easily said here 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I conceive therefore that here is some differing thing intended from the face of an Ox; the former vision was in Babylon, near unto the river Chebar, this was in the Temple, and that he might more fully understand the vision, that by the living creatures were meant the Angels: Here he seethe the face of a Cherub, which had more glory and Majesty in it then the other faces, and is therefore set first in order, as before man's face was set first, which was the principal: what manner of face it was is not expressed, only in general the face of a Cherub, and doubtless some special thing is in it, not only the making known the living creatures he saw before to be Angels, but to note the had a heavenly ministration, an ardent desire to do the will of God, and were restless till it were done.  
One thing lieth in our way as an objection, and must be removed, it's this, v. 15.20.22. it's said it was the living creature he saw before at Chebar, and that the likeness of their faces was the same; if this face of a Cherub differ from the face of an Ox, how is it the same living creature: how are the faces said to be like, or the same?  
The Scripture calls that sometime the same, which is near or like unto it, and tends to the same end, as 1 Cor. 10.3, 4. The fathers did all eat the same spiritual meat, & drink the same spiritual drink. Mannah was their meat, and water out of the rock was their drink, these differ from the Bread and Wine in the Supper of the Lord; yet because they tended to the same end, and had some likeness, he calls them the same: So here, there was much likeness, and they tended to the same end the former faces and living creatures did, and therefore he saith it was the living creature he saw before, and the faces the same; three differed not at all from those he saw before, only one, which made it not another creature, nor the faces other faces.  
There be divers questions movable about this face of a Cherub, as why it's put off, and the face of the Ox left out; whither the Prophet had in this vision only the appearance of the face of a Cherub, or of an Ox also; why not some other face left out, rather than that of the Ox, which are curious and needless I shall pass themby, only one question I shall answer.  
Qu. Why are they called Cherubims rather than Men, Lions, Eagles, seeing they had one face of a man, one of a lion, and one of an eagle, as well as of a Cherub?  
Answ. Every one had four faces, and the face of a Cherub was the chief, something divine and more excellent appeared in it, then in the others, and denominations are a praestantiori.  
2. It was God's Spirit directed our Prophet to call them Cherubims, what ever their faces were, v. 20.  

15.  
The 15. verse hath the Cherubims' action, and the Prophet's declaration of his judgement touching the Cherub.  
Their action is in these words, were lifted up, the English is passive; but vajerommu is interpreted by Montanus & others actively, exaltaverunt se, they lift up themselves. If the English words be taken in this sense, they were lifted up namely by their wings, it's in effect thus much, 
As it's in the 16. vers.  they lift up themselves by their wings, and seeing their Lord going away, they would follow and attend him.   

This is the living creature.  
The singular number here is put for the plural, creature for creatures, these are the living creatures which I saw at, etc. This sets out the certainty of the vision; had not the Prophet seen it again, he might have doubted whither such strange things had been real or no; but now seeing all again, he was assured of the reality of them, and therefore vers. 20. he saith, this is the living creature that I saw by the river of Chebar, and I knew that they were the Cherubims.  

Obser. 1.  To see and hear the same things again, is not damage, but advantage to the servants of God: Ezekiel seethe the same vision he saw before, the same wheels, and same Cherubims, and cometh thereby to more distinct knowledge of them, to fuller certainties of particulars; all things are not seen or understood at first, therefore a second sight and second hearing of the same thing may be needful. Man is apt to doubt, ready to mistake things, backward to practise, and therefore God gives in truths and visions double oft times, that so he may help our weakness, prevent mistakes, provoke us to practise; you have the same truths oft in the Psalms, in the Prophets, in the Gospels, which serve to strengthen and comfort. Paul tells the Philippians, that to write the same things, as it was not grievous to him, so it was safe for them, 
Chap. 3.1.  it's likely they affected variety and novelty, slighting wholesome and ordinary truths, a common disease of all times, when they had Manna, they loathed it, they would have h●d change, and something new; but Paul intimates there was danger in that novellous humour, and therefore saith it was safer for the Philippians to hear the same things again and again, to hear them preached, to have them written: and Pet. tells those he writ to, that he would not be negligent to put them always in remembrance of those things they knew, 2 Pet. 1.12.   

16.  
The 16. verse hath been spoken of, Chap. 1. vers. 19, 20, 21. where the going, lifting up, and standing of the creatures and wheels was handled. Here is a little difference from what is there, and that in two things;  
1. Is of the Cherubims, there it's said, when they were lift up from the earth; here it is, the Cherubims lift up their wings to mount up from the earth, and so by their wings were lifted up.  
The 2d difference is concerning the wheels, in the 1. Chap. It's said they were lifted up over against them; here it is the same wheels also iurned not from beside them. It's the same thing in divers phrases, when the Cherubims were lift up, the wheels that were against their sides were also lifted up, and turned not any way, but went along beside them, which way soever they went. The Cherubims had their free motions, and did the will of God readily, and the wheels followed their ducture, and went no other way than they would have them.  
Inferior causes are acted and led by the superior; when the Cherubims went, the wheels went; when they were lifted up, these attended them: No creature moves here below without a guide.   

17.  
The 17. verse you have in a manner word for word, Chap. 1. vers. 21. shows there is a dependency and conveniency of causes, one upon, and with another; the motions and stations of inferior things of all the wheels depends upon the higher, viz. the Angels, when they stand or move, so do these.  
The spirit of the living creature. Heb. The spirit of life was in them.  
The spirit of God is in all creatures, and acts in and by them, 
Obser. 1.  it doth not only support all by divine virtue, but is present in all, sets all wheels a running, stops all at its pleasure, orders and moderates all their motions and operations. The spirit of life was in the wheels, and in the Cherubims. There is no public or private agent, rational or irrational creatures used in the motions of the world; but the spirit is in them all, the spirit was at the creation of all, Gen. 1.2. Job 26.13. and the spirit is in the operations of all, 1 Cor. 12.11. What ever gifts men have, it's the spirit works them, and works in and by them: And so in the other creatures, what ever virtues, qualities, instincts, dispositions, operations they have, the spirit of life wrought them in them, and works by them. This may quiet our spirits, whatever is done in the world by the creatures; however the wheels move, they move not of themselves, but the spirit is in them moves them.  
2. The stands and motions of Cherubims and wheels are neither disorderly, nor unseasonable; they stop, they stir at the dictates of the spirit of life which is in them, and that spirit is a spirit of wisdom, appointing nothing to be done disorderly or unseasonably; When great stops are made on public or more private businesses, when they seem to us to go backward, cross, to be untimely, it's the spirit of life that is in, and acteth by the second causes, and who may with safety blame the spirit of God for stopping or turning the wheels, the times of the Spirit in all providential things are most seasonable, and act most orderly.  
3. We should not terminate our thoughts upon second causes, but look up to the supreme overruling cause; here the Prophet is led up to the spirit, he doth not look at the Cherub: & wheels standing or moving only, but his eye is higher, it's upon the spirit of life that was in them, we are apt to look at that instrument or cause is next us in present view, and there to terminate. This is a great evil to eye the creature, and forget God, it's his spirit that acts in the wheels, and if we take not notice of it, how can we be thankful, when the creature is instrumentive of good to us? how patiented when it's instrumentive of hurt to us? If the creature smite and damnify you, it's the spirit of life in that creature, which set it on work: and if it profit and please you, it was the same spirit moved it to do so. Many are so blind that they see nothing of the spirit in any wheel or in any motion.    

VERS. 18, 19  
Then the glory of the Lord departed from off the threshold of the house and stood over the Cherubims.  
And the Cherubims lift up their wings and mounted up from the earth in my sight: when they went out, the wheels also went beside them, and every one stood at the door of the East-gate of the Lords house, and the glory of the God of Israel was over above them.  
THese verses contain a farther removal of the glory in the 9 Chap. 3. verse, there was one removal from the Cherub to the threshold. A 2d is in this Chap. vers. 4. where it's said, the glory went up, and stood over the threshold. A 3d in this vers. where we have, 

1. The terminus a quo, from whence it departed, from the threshold of the house.  
2. Terminus ad quem, it stood over the Cherubims.    
The Jews thought themselves safe; while the Temple stood, God dwelled there, and would preserve it and the City from all evils, and all enemies: what could other Nations do to them, being without God, and what should they fear, seeing they had God shut up in their Temple, & were persuaded that he would never leave them. This foolish conceit undid them, for they observed not the Lord to worship him purely, and only according to his will and rules given them; but defiled the Temple with all abominations, and constrained the Lord to leave them; therefore saith the Prophet, Then the glory of the Lord departed off the threshold. When he saw their vain confidence, notwithstanding all their pollutions, that they took no warning by his Prophets, observed not his judiciary threaten and proceed, repent not of their evil ways, continued still the same, having told them of his departure from them, and begun it.  
I have spoken before oft concerning the glory of the Lord, Chap. 8.4.9.3. in the 4, vers. of this 10. Ch. and therefore now shall not need to enlarge: S●nct. thinks that the glory had not left the Cherubims, but only was hid from the eyes of the Prophet by the cloud, and that he makes the departure of the glory from the Cherub; but this is clouding of the Text, which saith, the glory of the Lord was lifted up from the Cherub, and stood over the threshold: The Cherubims were not at the threshold, but at the right side of the house, vers. 3. and here in this 18. vers. The glory departed from off the threshold of the house, and stood over the Cherubims.  
In Isa. 6.2. it's said, the Seraphims there stood above the Throne: and here, the glory and Throne were over the Cherubims. Some make these distinct visions, the one being of Seraphims, the other of Cherubims, they having six wings, these 4. and then they being above, and the Cherubims under, here is no opposition.  

〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉  Others think it the same vision, and then here is a difficulty, the Seraphims are above, the Cherubims under the throne of glory. 
Musc.  The words in Isa. above it, by the Sept. are turned 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in circuitu ejus, they compassed the Throne about. Rabbi Kimchi hath it, near him, before his face: They were not above their Lord, and Master, but seemed to stand above to the Prophet's eye, who represents them as they appeared to him. Some render the Heb. word juxta, by or nigh, as Exod. 16.3. When we sat by the fleshpots, not above, or upon them: so Psal. ●4. 2. He hath founded the earth upon the seas. It's a hard speech, nigh the seas is better. And Psal. 137.1. By the waters of Babylon we sat down: The Hebrew word is the same, juxta, not supra, they sat not upon, but by them: so here, the Seraphims were not above, but by, about the Throne.  
The glory departed from the threshold of the house, the threshold of the Priest's Court, to the door of the East-gate, where the Cherubims stood. The East-gate was the gate of the Court where the people met, the outward gate at which they came in, and prayed with their faces westward.  

Observe. 1.  How unwilling the Lord is to departed, and leave that people he hath dwelled amongst, and been engaged unto; he had taken in this people to be his, and now though they had provoked him bitterly by their Idolatry in his worship, and by oppression in the State, and had great cause to have left them utterly at once, yet see how he goes away in a gradual manner, step by step, this was the 3d or 4th step he had taken; he was before removed to the side of the Temple, and then from within the Temple to the threshold, and now he steps to the East-gate, expecting that upon every step they should have been affected, and used means to have kept the Lord from departing from them; He looked that they should have repent of their evil ways, purged their Temple from false gods and worship, have executed justice, and showed mercy to the afflicted, and walked in his ways, and then he would not have left them.  
2. No visible Church but may fall, and cease to be; Here was the only visible Church in the world, and the glory departed from it, and quickly it became no Church. The 7. Churches of Asia were famous visible Churches, and is not their glory long since departed from them: No visible Church but may cease its being; all the Churches in Judea are dead and buried in obscurity; meetings of God's people may cease, Ordinances, Ministers, and Administrations may all be taken away, and so the visibility of the Church. I do not say visible Saints shall all fail, but visible Churches may, the glory may departed from them, the signs of his presence and grace may leave them. God is not tied to any place, to any people; but if they corrupt his worship, he may withdraw; He did departed from Jerusalem, from the Temple, and they were unchurched.  
3. When the Lord goes from a people, than the protection and benefits they have by the Angels go away; when the glory departed, than the Cherubims mounted up from the earth, they would not stay to comfort, guide, protect that people which had driven away their Lord and Master, seeing he left them, they would leave them also. One evil followed another; When the Sun is in Apogaeo, gone from us, we have short days, and long nights, little light, but much darkness: and when God departs, you have much night, and little day left, your comforts fade suddenly, and miseries come upon you swiftly. When God and his Angels go from a Church, the Dragon and his angels get in; when men's inventions prevail, they are subject to all woes and miseries, Hos. 9.12. We to them when I depart from them. Let us take heed we cause not the glory to departed from us, than the Angels that are present at our solemn and public meetings will leave us, they will not pitch their Tents about us any longer, Jer. 6.7.8. As a fountain casteth out her waters, so she casteth out her wickedness, violence and spoil is heard in her, before me continually is grief and wounds. Be thou instructed O Jerusalem, lest my soul departed from thee, lest I make thee desolate, a land not inhabited. Be we instructed to cease from wickedness, violence, spoil, else God will departed from us, Angels leave us, and both be against us.  
4. God would have men take notice of his departure; the Cherubims stood at the door of the East-gate, and there the glory stood over them; that gate was so seated in Mount-Sion, that they might see the entrance by it from most parts of the City, and here the glory now stood, it was come forth from the Temple, and now exposed to public view, that they might inquire what was the matter, use all means to recover the glory was going.   

VERS. 20, 21, 22.  
This is the living creature that I saw under the God of Isral, by the river of Chebar, and I knew that they were the Cherubims.  
Every one had four faces a piece, and every one had four wings, and the likeness of the hands of a man was under their wings.  
And the likeness of their faces was the same faces which I saw by the river of Chebar, their appearances and themselves, they went every one straight forward.  
FOr the 20. verse you have heard of it in the 15. he called them living creatures in the first Chapter, not knowing them so fully at first view as afterwards. Now beholding them in the Temple, he had there more distinct and clear knowledge of them, he knew what they were, viz. Cherubims, glorious creatures, of great wisdom, strength, and agility, subservient unto the Lord, and therefore are said to be under the God of Israel. He hath Cherubims and Seraphims at his command; be creatures what they will, they are under God.  

The God of Israel.  
Because he appeared to Jacob, changed his name to Israel, whence his posterity were called Israelites, & God having made a Covenant with him and his seed, Gen. 28. & Chap. 32. hence he was called the God of Israel.  
Some have thought here were not four living creatures, but one, which in divers respects represented those four: By face they understand not the countenance, but any figure, form, aspect, or habit of the body, and thus they make it out; the creature had the face of a man, in regard of his mouth, hands, thighs, and straight body; he had the face of a Lion, in respect of his neck, shoulders and breast. Of an Eagle in respect of his wings, and of an Ox in respect of his cloven hooves; but why the word face should be so interpreted, there is no reason; besides verse 9 it's said, by each Cherub there was a wheel, noting they were several creatures, not one: and in this 20. verse, the Prophet saith, he knew they were the Cherubims, not one Cherub: And verse 7. he distinguisheth that Cherub from the rest, which took fire and put into the hands of CHRIST. And in the 21. vers. it's said, every one had 4. faces and 4. wings, therefore this could not be one living creature, it's called the living creature, per enallagen numeri— the singular number is put for the plural.   

21. Every one had four faces a piece.  
The Hebrew is four, four faces to one, which repetition expresses the force of the cardinal number among the Hebrews, when that number is repeated, it stands for the ordinal or distributive, which they want: It notes thus much, there were 4. faces to each of them.  
Vers. 22. Of this verse was spoken in the first Chapter, and thither I refer the Reader.     

CHAP. XI.  

VERS. 1, 2, 3.  
Moreover the Spirit lift me up, and brought me unto the East gate of the Lords house which looketh Eastward: and behold, at the door of the gate five and twenty men: among whom I saw Jaazaniah the son of Azure, and P●latiah the son of Benaiab, Princes of the people.  
Then said he unto me, Son of man, these are the men that devise mischief, and give wicked counsel in the City.  
Which say, it is not near, let us build houses: this City is the couldron, and we be the flesh.  
EZEKIEL as you have heard was in a vision at Jerusalem, Chap. 8.3. the 9 and 10. Chapters were parts of that vision, and so also is this Chap. In it you have two parts, 

1. A further addition to the vision our Prophet had to the 24. v.  
2. The conclusion of the vision, from the beginning of the 24. vers. to the end.    
In the first part you have these things: 

1. A manifestation unto Ezekiel of those gave ill counsel, and seduced the people in the 3. first verses.  
2. Denunciation of judgement against those evil councillors and seducers, from the 3d v. to the 13. wherein the death of one of the chief of them is laid down.  
3. The Prophet's complaint, vers. 13.  
4. The Lords answer to his complaint, vers. 14, 15.  
5. Comfort for the captives, from vers. 15. to the 22.  
6. The departure of the glory out of the City, v. 22, 23.    
In the verse read we have the manifestation of the ill counsellors and seducers to our Prophet, where these several particulars fall into consideration.  

1. The efficient cause showing the Prophet these ill Counsellors, the spirit.  
2. The place where he saw them, at the East gate, etc.  
3. The number of these men, 25.  
4. The names of two of them, described also from their parents, Jaazaniah, etc. and Pelatiah, etc.  
5. Their dignity, Princes of the people, and all these in the first verse.  
6. The complaint made against them, which is set down. 

1. In general, v. 2.  
2. Specially, v. 3.     

The Spirit lift me up.  
It pleased the spirit of God to take Ezekiel and carry him to Jerusalem, and there to remove him from place to place; he did nothing of his own head, but as the Spirit ordered him, the Spirit moved the wheels, the living creatures, and our Prophet also; it was not an Angel nor his own spirit moved him, but the Spirit of God.   

And brought me to the East-gate which looketh Eastward.  
The Hebrew is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Pol. renders it ad ortum solis. Pisc. orientalem ventum versus, towards the Sunrising saith one, towards the East wind saith the other. Sanctius thinks this gate was in the innner Court, and therefore it's called the gate of the Lords house to which the Prophet was brought; not as being out of the Temple, but removed from another place thither. But our Prophet was in the inner Court before, Chap. 8.16. and we find not that he was removed from that place till now. It's not evident therefore that this East gate should be in the inner Court, and other gates were called the gates of the Lords house, Chap. 8.14. The North-gate was called the gate of the Lords house, that is therefore no argument to prove it to be in the inner Court. Others therefore more judiciously conceive, that our Prophet having seen the slaughter of all in the Temple by the six men, Chap. 9 and heard the sentence of burning the City, by scattering of coals, chap. 10. and that in the inner Court; he was now removed out of the Temple to the East gate of the outward Courts whither the glory was gone, chap. 10.19. This gate was famous and very obvious to view Eastward, North-east & Southeast; here stood the glory of the Lord now, here were the Cherubims under the glory, here were the wheels under the Cherubims, and hither was the Prophet brought; there he seeing God going away, might shortly declare the mind of God against the Jews at Jerusalem.   

Behold at the door of the gate 25. m●n.  
Here is the number of them. In Ch. 8. v. 16. were 25. men mentioned, and the quaere is, whether these be the same. Some affirm they were the same, but I incline to think otherwise.  
1. Because our Prophet had seen them formerly, and why should he see them again.  
2. They were in the Temple, worshipping the Sun with their faces towards the East, and these were out of the Temple at the East gate: and if it be said they might return from their Idolatrous Sun-worship within to this Eastern gate where the Prophet now saw them: we must remember that the Prophet saw those in the Sanctuary slain, Chap. 9 6. the destroying Angels were to begin at the Sanctuary, and they began at the ancient men which were before the house: and though they were but visionally slain, yet that was sufficient to keep them from being presented to the Prophets view the second time.  
The ground for their opinion is this; It's conceived by some of the learned, that the Prophet had the vision of this 11. Chap. before the 9 and 10. and therefore they read the fi●st verse thus, the spirit had lift me up, and had brought me; but this is not sufficient to persuade us to be of that judgement, for,  
1. In the vision is set out to the Prophet the order of God's departure from them, Chap. 8.4. the glory of the God of Israel was there. Chap. 9.5. It went to the threshold of the house, Chap. 10.4. It went up over the threshold, then vers. 19 It departed to the East gate; after this it went to the midst of the City, and from thence to the mountain out of the City, Chap. 11.23. so that the gradual departure of the glory doth evince that this Chap. was not before the 9 and 10. but following, as in order it lies.  
2. The conclusion of the vision confutes that opinion; for vers. 24, 25. it's said that the vision went up from him, that he was carried into Chaldea, and that he spoke to the Captives what he had seen. If this Ch. were to succeed the 8. and precede, the 9 and 10. he had been excluded from a great part of the vision, and in Chaldea before those parts had been given in to him.  
These 25. men were principal men, and Pradus informs us from the Jewish writings, that Jerusalem had 24. Divisions or Wards, which were governed by 24. choice men, who are in the vers. called Princes of the people; they with the Governor of the City, who is thought to be a Prince of the house of Judah, and for the King, considered of the City, and State affairs, and these 25. were at the East gate. The Magistrates and Governors' were wont to sit in the gates, and hear causes, and consult of their weighty affairs, Jer. 26.10. When the Princes of Judah heard these things, than they came up from the King's house unto the house of the Lord, and sat down in the Entry of the new gate of the Lords house, and there they heard the accusation of Jeremiah.  
Others think they were principal men chosen out of the two remaining Tribes, 12. out of each, and a Precedent amongst them, who was Ruler of the City.   

Jaaz●niah.  
This Jaazaniah differs from him in Chap. 8.11. who was the son of Shaphan, and this was the son of Azure, whither it were that Azure mentioned, Jer. 28.1. is not known; that Azure was a Prophet, and if a true one, a helper as his name signifies.   

Pelatiah the son of Benaiah.  
The French hath it Pheltias fils de Benaiat: The Tigurine reads it Pelatiahn the son of Benaiahu most near the Hebrew. This Benaiah might be he mentioned in 2 Chron. 31.13. who was one of the overseers for the things dedicate to the house of the Lord, and so according to his name was a builder of the Lords. It's like our Prophet knew not any of the rest, and therefore mentions these only, and this last he names, because presently he was made an example of the just judgement of God, vers. 13.   

Princes of the people.  
That is, chief rulers, Numb. 7.2. The Princes of Israel, heads of the house of their Fathers, who were the Princes of the Tribes, and were ever them that were numbered: And this was a great honour to be a Prince of the people; when God will honour a man in this life, he is said to set him with Princes, even the Princes of his people, Psal. 113.8.    

VERS. 2.  
These are the men that devise mischief.  
HEre gins the complaint against these men, and the first part of it they devise mischief.  
2. They give ill counsel.  

Devise mischief.  
The Hebrew word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is not simply to think, but excogitare to set the head and heart on work to find out something, it carries the intention of the mind with it, Jer. 18.18. Come, let us devise devices against Jeremy. It's the same Heb. word, and they would set themselves wholly, fully to devise devices, they would be solicitous in it, and to find out some way to mischief Jeremiah. 
Perseras, tresmanvaises cogitations. French Bib.  So the word is used, Ezek. 38.10. Thou shalt think an evil thought. The other translation hath it, evil thoughts; it's spoken of G●g, who should have many evil thoughts against the people of God, and be set upon devising evil. It notes intention and solicitousness, 1 Cor. 7.32. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 careth for; the vulg. hath it, sollicitus est, and Cyprian, cogitat, to think of a thing with care, and with intention, this is the word here.   

Mischief.  
Junius hath it vanity; the Sept. have it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vain things, the vulgar, iniquity, and so the French, qui present iniquity: so the Tigurine, qui cogitant iniquitatem; Castalio, qui nefas cogitant; the H●b. is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which includes all these, and is well rendered mischief, which is such evil as tends to the ruin and destruction of a State or Church; such was the device of Haman against the Jews.   

And give wicked counsel.  
They do not only devise mischief, but give it out being devised; the Hebr. runs thus, and counselling ill Counsel, haioatzim atzah rahechrogn, which the Greeks render 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Castal: qui malum consilium ineunt: The vulgar, qui tractant consilium pessimum: The French, & traittant manvais conseil.    

VERS. 3.  
Which say it is not near, let us build houses.  
THese words are variously rendered and interpreted; some expound them thus, many are carried into captivity, the wrath of God is overpast, not near, let us therefore build houses. The vulgar is, nun dudum aedificatae sunt domus? were not houses built long since? and their meaning is this; why are you troubled about the ruin of the City, as if it should suddenly be as jeremy that false Prophet hath said; the City is so fare from ruining, that you see long since it hath been increased, the old houses stand, new have been added, and Jeremy is proved a liar, therefore fear not, no such evil shall come upon us. Nabuchadnezzar destroyed not the houses heretofore, and can he do it now? but this vulgar translation suits not with the Text.  
The Tigurine translation is, non est in propinquo contritio, aedificemus igitur domus: and so Vatablus, only igitur he leaves out. Contrition, destruction is not near, let us therefore build houses, this interpretation we condemn not. Montanus goeth that way, 
The Sept. have it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉.  and adds contritio in the margin. Nun neviter aedificatae sunt domus, are not houses lately, or newly built.  
The Heb. is, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it is not near to build houses, here is an infinitive put for an imperative; to build, for let us build, or let houses be built.  
It is not near: what is not near? the desolation threatened, that they said was not near. Jer. had told them of the Lords wrath, and that a sore captivity was at hand, and because God had forbade him to marry and beget children, because they should be destroyed, as you have it, Jer. 16.2, 3. Thou shalt not take thee a wife, neither shalt thou have sons or daughters in this place. For thus saith the Lord concerning the sons, and concerning the daughters that are born in this place, and concerning their mothers that bore them, and concerning their fathers that begat them in this land, they shall die of grievous deaths, they shall not be lamented, neither shall they be buried, but they shall be as dung upon the face of the earth, and they shall be consumed by the sword, and by famine, and their carcases shall be meat for the fowls of heaven, and for the beasts of the earth. These sad tidings had Jeremy made known as being given not only for himself, but others, and hereupon he writ to the captives in Babylon, that they should build houses, plant gardens, 
Non prope est construantur domus. Castal. Procul absunt qua minantur, vates. Idem.  take wives to themselves, and sons that they might increase, and not diminish, as they were like to do at Jerusalem, Jer. 29.5, 6. Because of these things the people were full of fears, refused to build and plant: hereupon these Princes of the people counselled things contrary to God and the Prophet, and said, it is not near; what Jeremy threatens, or any other Prophet those things they speak of are far off, according to that in Ezek. 12.22. The days are prolonged, and every vision faileth. And v. 27. He prophesieth of the times that are afar off, therefore fall a building, plant, multiply, and increase, there is no such danger as you dream of.  
Some carries i● thus; houses are not to be built in nearness to the City, and so make it military counsel, as if these Princes would not have any Suburbs, or neighbouring villages, which might advantage the enemy, if he should come and take them, and so shut up the City; therefore they conceive these words import thus much, houses are not to be built near; that is, they are to be pulled down, and the rubbish removed.  

This City is the cauldron, and we be the flesh.  
These words have their difficulty in them: If you take the last sense of the former words, than you may understand these thus; we are threatened to be boiled in the siege of this City by the Chaldeans, as flesh is boiled in a cauldron; but we will take a course to prevent that; we will pull down all the houses without the walls of the City, and near hand, so that the enemy shall not come near us, and then we shall see what truth is in it, that this City is the cauldron, and we the flesh. Had they such an opportunity to sit down in the houses, they would besiege us straight, press us with famine, be as a fire to this City, and consume us to nothing.  
Others think these words spoken scoffingly against Jeremiah, who Chap. 1.13. had said, I see a seething pot, it's the same word is here 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and here it's 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the cauldron, the seething pot: Jeremy had prophesied that the enemy should come from the North, and besiege them in the City, that they should be as flesh in a cauldron, boiled with the Chaldean fire till they were consumed; this they mock at; This City is the cauldron, and we are the flesh, saith that false and lying Prophet; for you see we are as before, we ne●d not fear Chaldeans.  
A cauldron, 1. is made of strong materials, as brass, or the like.  
2. It will endure the fire many years before it be consumed.  
3. It contains the flesh put into it, and that is not to be taken out till it be throughly boiled.  
Hence upon these grounds they scoffed at Jeremy: If the City be the cauldron, it's a strong City, and hath brazen walls, it will endure the fire; let the Chaldeans come as thou sayest, if we be a cauldron, their fire will not melt us: and though they do boil us, yet we shall not be taken out of this cauldron to be eaten before we are throughly boiled, till old age & death itself take us out of it. Thus did these Princes profane that Prophecy, & bred security in the hearts of the people, & fed them with hopes of liberty and long life. Or thus you may take it, if this City be the cauldron, and we the flesh, we will rather be boiled in it, then be destroyed by the sword; we will rather die in the fire, be boiled to death, then fall into the hands of our enemies; we will rather die here, then yield ourselves into their hands, be slain out of the City, or be carried into Babylon, but we fear no such thing: Thus these Princes eluded the Prophetical threats, hardened the people in their ill way, and ripened them for destruction.  
Our Prophet was acted in these visions by the Spirit; 
Obser. 1.  sometimes it entered into him, sometime it fell upon him, and sometime it lifted him up, Chap. 2.2. Chap. 3.24. The spirit entered into me. Chap. 1.3.8.1. The hand of the Lord (that is, the Spirit) came upon me, fell upon me: and Chap. 3.12. The spirit took me up: and here, the spirit lift me up. The Spirit had much to do with our Prophet, and so with all the Prophets, they were acted by the Spirit in all their visions and prophecies, they were lift up above themselves, and out of themselves, when they were to have cognizance of Divine things.  
2. The Spirit is God, it knows men and their ways, it discovered them unto the Prophet. Here the Spirit took notice of these men, what devices they had in their heads, what counsel they gave, and acquainted the Prophet with them: so before in the 8. Chap. the Spirit shown him the Image of Jealousy, the 70. men that were offering Incense to the Idols, the women that wept for Tammuz, the 25. men that worshipped the Sun, and put the branch to their nose: as it's said of the Sun, Psal. 19.6. there is nothing hid from the heat thereof. So much more of the Spirit, there is nothing hid from his knowledge, 1 Cor. 2.10. The spirit searcheth all things; all in heaven, and all in earth, all things in the closerts, in the heart, Psal. 139.7. Whither shall I go from thy Spirit. David could not hid himself from the sight and presence of God's spirit, neither can we. Let us look well therefore unto our ways, the spirit may make them known to the Prophets and servants of God.  
3. That men chief in dignity and place are for the most part corrupt: Here were the 25. who bore the sway in the City, and had great power, all confederate in wickedness, Isa. 1.10. he calls their Rulers rulers of Sodom, because of their extreme wickedness, and he excepts none, they were generally such: so Neh. 13.11. I contended with the rulers, and said, why is the house of God forsaken? They kept away the portions of the Levites, and therefore they left the house of God: so vers. 17. The Nobles of Judah they profaned the Sabbath day, and brought wrath upon Israel. 2 Chron. 24.17, 28. The Princes of Judah were all idolatrous, and led Joash into idolatrous practices, (but they were quickly after all slain for it, v. 23.) John 7.48. Have any of the Rulers believed in him: They were so wicked even all of them, that they could make their boast; have any of them believed in him? No, no, they are not for Christ and his ways, Jer. 5.5. I will get, me unto the great men, and will speak unto them, for they have known the way of the Lord, and the judgement of their God; but these have altogether broken the yoke, and burst the bonds. The Prophet thought the great ones, who had great obligations upon them to honour God, who knew what perteined to worship & justice, that they would hearken to h●m; but they cast off all respect, subjection, and obedience to the law of God; they followed their own wills, lusts, humours, they regarded neither equity nor honesty, they were fare worse than the poorer sort whom the Prophet had tried also. Luke mentions but one Judge, and he was an unjust one: Are not too many of the great ones among us corrupt, lose, and enemies to Christ and his Kingdom?  
4. It's matter of mourning when those are set over others to be punishers of the wicked, countenancers of the godly, examples of piety & virtue, and should seek the good of the public, prove clean otherwise, and are actors and patrons of wickedness; the Spirit here is affected with it, and affects the Prophet. Son of man, these are the men that do so, these pervert, obstruct justice, these encourage evil doers, these sad the hearts of the godly, these hinder good designs, these are the men that seek themselves, that cry, give, give, and love to have it so, these be the men that pretend the good of the estate and people, but are the ruin of both. This was matter of grief to heaven and earth, Isa. 1.10. when the Prophet had termed them rulers of Sodom, he complains, vers. 23. saying, Thy Princes O Jerusalem are rebellious, and companions of thiefs, every one loveth gifts, and followeth after rewards, they judge not the fatherless, neither doth the cause of the widow come unto them. They sought themselves, not the good of particulars, or the public, and this troubled the Prophet, and not only him, but the Lord also; for it follows in the next vers. Therefore saith the Lord, the Lord of hastes, the mighty one of Israel, Ah, I will ease me of mine adversaries, and avenge me of mine enemies. God had been wearied a●d grieved with them a long time, and though they were many, and mighty, yet he was the Lord of Hosts etc. This argument did affect God much, and he was oft upon it, Isa. 3.12. As for my people, children are their oppressors, and women rule over them. O my people, they which lead thee, cause thee to err, and destroy the way of thy path, they destroyed Justice and Religion.  
5. There will never be wanting in any place men to devise mis●●●●●●; In Jerusalem there were men whose hearts, heads, and tongues were at work. 
Dan. 6.7. All the Precedents of the Kingd. Governors, Princes, Councillors, Captains, devised a plot against Daniel.  In the 8. Chap. he tells you of the 70. Ancients, & of the 25. who had all devised, and were practising mischief. In Shushan was not wanting a Haman to devise mischief against the Jews, Est. 8.3. Pharaoh and his Courtiers devised mischief against the Jews, Exod. 1. There were those devised to take away David's life, Psal. 31.13. They imagined a mischievous devise, Psal. 21.11. No City, no Kingdom was ever free from men of deceitful, wicked, and mischievous devices, and no time ever abounded more with such men, and such devices, than our times: & if I should say no place more than this Kingdom, I should not much fail. Who can reckon up the mischievous devices have been against the Estates, Laws, Liberties, Religion and Consciences of the people of this Kingdom. Ship money was a cunning devise to dry up their estates: Prerogative was cried up to bring the laws and liberties of the Subject down. Innovations and new Cannons were Prelatical devices to rid you of your Religion and Consciences, to make way for Popery. What wicked devices have been against the Parliament, against this City, against this Kingdom; what ever hath been devised for the good of all, hath met with Anti-crosse devices. There be those devise as strongly and speedily to ruin us, as any do to relieve us. The device against Ireland was a bloody and mischievous device, and bloody devices are in men's heads against us: but here is the comfort, Job. 5.12. God disappointeth the devices of the crafty, so that their hands cannot perform their enterprise. They devise to undo all, but they cannot, Mic. 2.1. Woe to them that devise iniquity. God hath threatened, and though they cannot accomplish their devices, yet he will accomplish his threats, Prov. 12.2. A man of wicked devices will be condemn. Many of wicked devices have been amongst us, and hath not the Lord condemned them?  
6. Men in place being evil, they make others evil; they do not only devise mischief, but communicate mischief, they give and obtrude ill counsel upon others: These that were in place, especially Jaazaniah and Pelatiah the Princes, they gave out ill counsel to the people: They and such men do the greatest hurt, their power, honour, estates, examples, are prevalent with the people, and when they counsel corruptly, their counsel takes and infect a multitude quickly. Jeroboam tells the people it was too much for them to go up to Jerusalem, that was a long journey, would be very chargeable, and might prove dangerous, therefore he had taken a better course for them, he had made Calves, set them up for gods at Dan and Bethel, and now they should need to go no further for to worship; this counsel took. Balack being advised by Balaam, counsels the Moabitish women to entice the Israelites to folly, which took; and they drew them both to whoredom and idolatry, Numb. 25.12. with Chap. 31.16. Ill counsel from great ones doth great mischief, Nah. 1.11. There is one come out of thee that imagineth evil against the Lord, a wicked Counsellor: It's spoken of Nineveh concerning Senacherib: We have many come out of us that are wicked Councillors, and prevail with the people to do what they counsel. Did not Prelates, Judges, Nobles, Princes, lately give ill counsels, and were not the people too forward to hearken. All counsels that seem good are not always safe, men should therefore examine others counsels, whethey they be such as agree with the word of God, are really for the good of Church or State, before they approve or entertain th●m.  
Take heed what counsels you take from great ones that are corrupt; this hath endangered Cities, Churches, whole Kingdoms. Take counsel of the great God, who dasheth all wicked counsels, and establisheth his own, Psal. 33.10, 11. He brings the counsels of men to nought, but the counsel of God endures for ever.  
7. That great ones are greatly secure, they put the evil day far from them, It is not near. They are lavish to entertain thoughts that may disquiet their hearts, or shake their foundations. Honours, pleasures, secular affairs take them up so, that they fear not changes, they consider not the evil day, they are as quiet as men that are in Covenant one with another. Isa. 28, 14, 15. Those ruled the people, they said, We have made a covenant with death, and with hell are we at agreement. When the overflowing scourge shall pass through, it shall not come unto us. The great ones were Covenanters, such as ruled the City; but with whom did they covenant, with Death and Hell, and now feared not any threaten of them by the Prophets. Although the Prophet's threatened Death, Hell to them, it was as nothing, they feared not. Some think they being Idolatrous, sacrificed to Pluto, fatum Atropos, those gods they conceived had power over Death and Hell, and so had them their friends, and lived without fear, Amos 6.3. He tells you of some put fare away the evil day; but who were they? Men of place and power, they were such as caused the seat of violence to come near, that lay upon beds of Ivory, that stretched themselves upon their couches, and did eat the lambs out of the flocks, and Calves out of the midst of the stall; they were dancers, drinkers, and such as anointed themselves wi●h the chiefest ointments. These are men settled on their lees, as Zeph. speaks, Chap. 1.12. They were like wine in vessels, not emptied from vessel to vessel, but settled in their sinful security: and not only great ones are secure, but Zach. 1.11. The Angel told the man among the myrtle trees, that all the earth sat still and was at rest. Security is an epidemical disease.  
8. See the impiety and profaneness of these men:  
1. They oppose God, and give contrary counsel to what he had given by Jeremy, that they should not build houses in that place, but in Babylon, Jer. 29.5, 6. and that because of the great judgement was coming upon them; but they say it is not near, let us build houses, there is no danger: or if the enemy should come, we had need build and strengthen ourselves; thus they counsel contrary to the Prophet, and to God.  
2. Their profaneness, they scoff at the word of God: This City is the cauldron, we are the flesh. Jeremy had told them that God would bring the Chaldeans upon them, and boil them in that City like flesh in a Cauldron: This they scoff at, strengthening their malice and profaneness from abuse of the word of God. 
This made Jer. say, I am in derision daily, every one mocketh me, & the word of the Lord was made a reproach unto me, and a derision daily, Jer. 20.7, 8.  There is such corruption in the heart of man, that it turns the best things of all into bitterness. Isa. 28.14, 15. Hear the word of the Lord ye scornful men. The Hebrew is, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 viri derisionis, they mocked and scoffed at what was prophesied; what ever the Prophet threatened, they derided it, therefore vers. 22. Be not mockers, lest your bands be made strong, lest you have double fetters, double judgements, 2 Chron. 36.16. They mocked the messengers of God, and despised his words, all his threaten. And Peter, 2 Pet. 3.3, 4. tells us, there shall come scoffers, walking after their own lusts, saying, where is the promise of his coming. Those under the law scoffed at the threaten; these under the times of the Gospel's scoff at the promises. Those of Christ's coming, of the resurrection, last judgement, the end of all, and life eternal, such as these walk after their own lusts, they bring a City into a snare, Prov. 29.8. The Sept. translates the word scornful, Psal. 1.1. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 pests, 
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉  because such men are pestilent men, the very plagues of Church and State, contemners of God & men. Judas said it long since, that there should be mockers in the last time, and we have found it true; there be as profane, bitter scoffers amongst us, as ever were; even the truths of God are scorned and scofft at.  
9 No devices, counsels, attempts of men can null or frustrate the purposes of God: They devise mischief, give ill counsel, scoff at the truths of God, put the people upon contrary designs, yet all this would not do, desolation was near, the Chaldeans came, they were besieged in that City, boiled in it as flesh in a Cauldron, and Gods counsels, truths, threats took place, notwithstanding all their counsels and endeavours to the contrary. Balaam was hired by Balack to cross God's design in cursing of his people, he attempted to do it, but God overpowred him, he could not do or speak aught to their prejudice, Numb. 23.38. therefore he professed, Chap. 23.23. Surely there is no enchantment against Jacob, neither is there any divination against Israel: according to this time it shall be said of Jacob and of Israel, what hath God wrought. Man would have wrought mischief, but could not; what hath God wrought? he hath wrought, and none could hinder; therefore Isa. 14.27. it's said, the Lord of Hosts hath purposed, and who shall disannul it; not Balack or Balaam, not Jaaz●niah or Pelatiah, not the 25. Rulers in Jerusalem: his hand is stretched out, and who shall turn it back? It's not in the power of Princes, no not the Prince of darkness, to let his work, to alter his counsels, what God hath determined, shall so come to pass as he hath determined, v. 24. Surely as I have thought, so shall it come to pass, and as I have purposed, it shall stand, and all his pleasure shall be done, Isa. 46.10. so that there is no wisdom, nor understanding, nor counsel against the Lord, Prov. 21.30.    

VERS. 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12.  
Therefore prophesy against them, prophecy, O Son of man.  
And the Spirit of the Lord fell upon me, and said unto me, Speak, Thus saith the Lord: Thus have ye said, O house of Israel: for I know the things that come into your mind, every one of them.  
Ye have multiplied your slain in this City, & ye have filled the streets thereof with your slain.  
Therefore thus saith the Lord God, Your slain, whom ye have laid in the mids of it; they are the flesh, and this City is the cauldron: but I will bring you forth out of the midst of it.  
Ye have feared the sword, and I will bring a sword upon you saith the Lord God.  
And I will bring you out of the midst thereof, and deliver you into the hands of strangers, and will execute judgements among you.  
Ye shall fall by the sword, I will judge you in the border of Israel, & ye shall know that I am the Lord.  
This City shall not be your cauldron, neither shall ye be the flesh in the midst thereof, but I will judge you in the border of Israel.  
And ye shall know that I am the Lord, for ye have not walked, in my statutes, neither executed my judgements, but have done after the manners of the heathen that are round about you.  
IN these verses is contained the denunciation of judgement against these devisers of mischief, and wicked Counsellors. The parts are these.  

1. A command, Prophesy against them, vers. 4.  
2. A discovery of their thoughts and counsels, v. 5.  
3. Demonstration of their wickedness, v. 6. Those harkened not to their counsels, they slew.  
4. The death of these Counsellors, and place where it should be, not in Jerusalem, but in the borders of Israel, v. 8, 9, 10, 11.  
5. The end of God in it, v. 11, & 12.  
6. The ground of Gods proceeding thus with them, v. 12. For ye have not walked, etc.    

VERS. 4.  
Therefore prophesy against them, etc.  
THe word prophecy is twice mentioned, to set out the intention of God which was set against them, the certainty of the thing, and to prevent delay in the Prophet, he must go and tell them of heavy and sad things: God was greatly displeased with them, and therefore will have the Prophet without any delay to make known his pleasure against them; he must speak freely and boldly, and foretell them of their destruction.  
Observe. 1 That profane scoffing at the truth's and threats of God provokes him greatly: They had scoffed at Jeremy's words; This City is the cauldron, and we be the flesh, and made constructions of them to please themselves: Therefore saith God, prophesy against them. His spirit was stirred, and he stirs up the Prophet to declare his wrath against such scoffers. God's threats and judgements should make men tremble, Job 41.10 Who is able to stand before me. At his presence the mountains melt, Isa. 64.3. When he threatened, the great City Nineveh repent, Jonah 3. and Devils tremble, Jam. 2.19. Mountains, Ninevites, Devils, melt, repent, tremble, and yet Israelites scoff at the threats and judgements of God; but the Lord will not endure it, the Prophet must declare dreadful things against them.  
Men that have scoffed at the truths and ways of God, have been lashed with the judgements of God.  
John Apowel scoffing at one for praying, 
Fox in Acts & Monument.  was presently surprised with fear, and the next day found mad, crying out night and day, O the Devil, the Devil.  
Another hearing a godly Minister preaching of that Text, Prov. 10.7. The memory of the just is blessed, but the name of the wicked shall rot, scoffed at the Minister, and said, he had made a rotten Sermon; presently after hurting his tongue with a little wood which he held at his mouth, his tongue swelled, rotten, and he died of it.  
2. That servants of God having divine warrant, are forthwith to do their office, although they be messengers of sad tidings. Prophesy, prophesy against them; he hath command from God, and he must not stick now, and say, they are great men, the chief of the City, such as sought jeremy's death, and If I shall prophesy against them, they will use means to crush me; God by doubling the word, takes him off from all such reasonings, from all delays, and expected immediate performance of his commands. Let men fret at the messages of God's servants, they must respect God, and not man, they must give out what the Lord hath given in. If men be great, God is greater, we must be faithful to him, who ever suffers by it.   

VERS. 5.  
And the Spirit of the Lord fell upon me.  

Resedit super me spiritus prophetiae a fancy Domini saith the Chald. Cum in me Jehovae spiritus illapsus est, Cast. Cecidit super me, Tigur. Incidit in me. Jun. Irruit in me. Vulg. Survint en moy French.  IT The Hebrew word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 notes the falling of a thing from a high place, 
* Jerome.  cum vi & impetu: and so here the Spirit coming from above, offered not violence to the Prophet, but came upon him with might and power, and provoked him to prophesy.  

Thus have you said.  
Whether the Spirit or Prophet repeated their words, is not evident, they are not expressed; where the sense is evident from former expressions, the Scripture is frequently silent, and repeats not the words. 2 Kings 5.4. Thus and thus said the maid that is of the land of Israel. So 2 Sam. 17.15. Thus and thus did Ahitophel counsel, saith Hushai, and thus and thus did I counsel; the sense was known by what was before, and therefore the words are not repeated, the Scripture shuns the multiplying of words needlessly.   

O house of Israel.  
That is, the house of Judah, the whole being put for a part, and this is frequent.   

I know the things which come into your minds.  
The Hebrew is, 
Ascensiones spiritus vestri. Calv. Quae subeunt animum vestrum Jun. Quae ascendunt, Tig. Mentis vestrae cogitatus. Cast. Cogitationes spiritus vestri. Pol. Les choses qui montent. Fr. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉  〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which notes those things that rise up out of men's hearts, as weeds out of the earth, or leaves upon trees, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is a leaf, quia sursum crescit, what ever goes out and up from the heart or spirit of a man, that is understood by Maaloth, Matth. 15.19. ill thoughts go out from the heart, go up to the tongue, to the eyes, Luke 24.38. Why do evil thoughts or reasoning arise in your hearts.  
Obser. 1. Whom the Lord sends about his work, he enables to do it; go prophecy, prophesy, & presently the Spirit fell upon him, whereby he was furnished with prophetical matter, and enabled to deliver it. When God sent Moses, he furnished him for the great work he appointed him to; Moses pleaded his in eloquence and slowness of speech; but God said, Exod. 4.12. Go, and I will be with thy mouth, and teach thee, etc.  
2. To new acts or prophecy, new access of the Spirit is requisite; he had received the spirit before divers times, Chap. 1.3.2.2.3.14.22.24.8.1. And here again b●fore he prophesies, the Spirit falls upon him, which shows that to spiritual work antecedent receptions of the spirit sufficeth not, there must be new influx of the spirit, for new acts of prophecy: Propheta est supernaturalis quaed●m cognitio in divina revelatione fundata a quo praedictio prophetica praecedit. If the Spirit therefore do not reveal new things unto the Prophets, they could not prophesy; for prophecy is no habit which men might stir up, and use at their pleasure. Prophet's know not secret and future things, but as the Spirit reveals them. Elisha knew not the death of the Shunamites son, 2 Kings 4.27. The Lord hath hid it from me, and hath not told me, 
Hermas in his book called pastor. c. 2. mentions a book of their prophecy, & citys these words, prope est Dominus his quise ad eum converiunt sicut scriptum est in Eldad & Medad qui vaticinati sunt in solitudine populi, Alap.  and Nathan knew not the mind of God about building the Temple, 2 Sam. 7.3. There must be new acts of the Spirit revealing unto the Prophets when they give out Prophetical things; but Numb. 11.26. The spirit rested upon Eldad and Medad, and they prophesied in the Camp. Some think they continued constantly prophesying, and ceased not, but that is an opinion only. The spirit resting upon them, argues not that they did always prophesy, or had a habit of prophesying, but that they were numbered amongst the Prophets, and at what times it pleased the Spirit, had new revelations, which they declared, suitable to that in Isa. 50.4. He wakeneth morning by morning, he wakeneth mine ear to hear as the learned; the Prophet could not speak a word in season if God had not wakened him, and spoke to him every morning.  
3. Supernatural things commanded are not in vain; God bid Ezekiel prophesy, he was not able to do it; the Phlistims might more easily have interpreted Sampsons' riddle: Job might as well have answered Gods great questions, in Chap. 38, 39, 40, 41. as our Prophet have prophesied; but God commanded, and he caused the Spirit to fall upon him; as the Lord calls upon us to repent, to believe, these be supernatural works, and men may as soo●e remove mountains, pluck the Sun out of heaven, as do these; but God that commands them, giveth power & grace to do them, Phil. 1.29. 2 Tim. 2.25.  
4. The Prophets had warrant to deal particularly, even with the greatest sinners: Speak, thus have you said, how? thus, it is not near, let us build houses, this City is the cauldron, and we be the flesh. The Prophet must go and tell them what they have said, though they were the chiefest men of the City. When great ones sin, they must be told of their sins in a special manner. David he defiles his body with adultery, and the land with blood, Nathan comes to him, and tells him a parable that was so general as David took it not home to himself, thereupon the Prophet deals roundly with him, and tells him, thou art the man, 2 Sam. 12.7. And vers. 9 Thou hast killed Vriah the Hittite with the sword of Ammon, and taken his wife, now therefore the sword shall never departed from thy house. So Elijah spoke home to Ahab, and told him that it was he and his Father's house that troubled Israel, 
1 King. 18.18.  because they had forsaken the commandments of the Lord, and followed Balaam. Isaiah flattered not great nor small when he said, Chap. 1.10. Hear the word of the Lord ye rulers of Sodom, and people of Gomorrah: And Jeremy must say unto the King, and to the Queen, humble yourselves, sit down, for your principalities shall come down, even the crown of your glory, Jer. 13.18. John told Herod it was not lawful for him to have his brother's wife, Mar. 6.18. & Luke 3.19. It's said he was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he shown him the greatness, foulness, and danger of his sin, and laboured to convince him by strong arguments: so Paul dealt with Peter, and John with Diotrophes, and there is great reason that Ministers should tell men of their sins, Ezek. 3.18. If thou speakest not to warn the wicked from his wicked way, to save his life, the same wicked man shall die in his iniquity, but his blood will I require at thy hand.  
5. That what ever rise, thoughts, workings, are in men's spirits, the Lord knows them, and that exactly. I know the things come into your minds every one; there is nothing in man hid from God; a thought is a small thing, yet thoughts escape not the eye of God. Jer. 17.9, 10. The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked, who can know it? Not a man's self, not Satan, not Angels, who then? I the Lord search the heart, I try the reins. Man may know it conjecturally, Prov. 20.5. He may by his art pump out much, man may know it by revelation, 1 Sam. 9.19. So Samuel the Seer could tell Saul all that was in his heart; but to know what is in the heart of man, immediately, exactly, and certainly, can none but God, he only is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 therefore the Apostle prayed to him under that notion, Acts 1.24. Thou Lord, which knowest the hearts of all men, show which of all these thou hast chosen. There is no juggling with God, his eye beholds all, and if there could be doubt of any thing with him, he searcheth the heart, he tries the reins; this is spoken to our capacity, God needs no searching, no trying; for Psal. 119.2. Thou understandest my thoughts afar off: Not that God is at distance from us, or our thoughts, but he understands them while they are fare off from us, from our knowledge, while they are potential, as gardiner's know what weeds such ground will bring forth, when nothing appears, Deut. 31.21. I know their imagination which they go about, even now, before I have brought them into the land which I swore. God knew their thoughts before they came into Canaan, what they would be there. And how can it be, but that God should know all our thoughts, seeing he made the heart, and it's in his hand, Prov. 21.1. seeing we live, move, and have our beings in God, Acts 17.28. seeing he is through us all, and in us all, Eph. 4.6. Look well to your hearts, thoughts, rise, what ever comes into your mind; let no secret sins, corruptions, lodge there, think not to conceal any thing from the eye of God, Psal. 90.8. Thou hast set our iniquities before thee: and not only them, but our secret sins in the light of thy countenance. Thou lookest upon them fully, seest, knowest them exactly, therefore remember that, Eccl. 12.13, 14. Fear God, and keep his commandments: and why? for God shall bring every work into judgement, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil. There is no shuffling with God, men in great place, or of great parts cannot elude or evade him.    

VERS. 6.  
Ye have multiplied your slain in this City, etc.  
BEfore they had been profane, now their injustice appears. Some think the men were not actually slain, but oppressed and cruelly dealt withal; violence and oppression being counted in the Scripture sense, murder: but it's not probable that our Prophet would use such expressions, as to multiply the slain, and fill the streets with slain, if none were slain. Chap. 7.23. The land is full of bloody crimes: And Chap. 9.9. The land is full of blood. And Ezek. 22.2. It's called the bloody City. So in the 24.6. & 9 verses, the Heb. is the City of bloods. These great men who gave the ill counsel, it's likely that they crushed those opposed them, and dealt with them as seditious, as rebellious, as enemies to the City and State. Jeremy you know, they sought his life, petitioned the King that he might be put to death, Jer. 38.4. And it's probable, that many which would not conform to their idolatrous practices were cut off.  
When the Lord is about to proceed in judgement against evil doers, he declares the cause of his proceeding in such a way: 
Obser.  When God intended to destroy the world, he made known the cause thereof, Gen. 6.5, 6.11.12. When he was about to fire Sodom, he discovered to Abraham the ground of i●, Gen. 18.20.   

VERS. 7.  
The slain whom ye have laid in the midst of it, they are the flesh, and this City is the cauldron.  
HEre the Lord shows them who are the flesh in the cauldron: Not in that sense they took it; for they thought themselves should be the flesh, live till old age in the City: but the Lord tells them here that those they had slain unjustly, whose carcases lay in the streets, and consumed away, they were the flesh boiled in the cauldron. Manasses had been bloody, and Zedekiah was bloody, and the slain were the flesh, and so the City was a cauldron to them, but not to the others, I will bring them forth of the midst of it.  
God tells them they shall neither live nor die in it, he would order things so, that they should be carried out of Jerusalem: and for certainty of it the words are repeated in the beginning of the 9 vers.  
Judgements of God cannot be waved by men's wits or power, they jeered and made a construction of flesh and cauldron suitable to their own minds, 
Obser.  and conceited they should die in the City in peace; but the Lord tells them not, he would bring them forth out of the midst of it.   

VERS. 8.  
You have feared the Sword, and I will bring a Sword upon you, etc.  
IEremie had counselled them to yield themselves, Chap. 38.17. the King and rest through fear would not hearken: They feared the sword, and therefore sent to Egypt for help, Jer. 2.18. They feared the sword, but not the Babylonish captivity, the Lord brought both upon them.  
Obser. 1 Where guilt is, there is fear; they were deeply guilty of impiety and injustice, they had sinned against God by their idolatry, against their brethren by their bloodiness, against the King of Babylon by breaking oath and covenant with him, Ezek. 17.15. and now what ever they said, it's not near, yet they were full of fear; God saw what timorous spirits they had. If the horror of their wicked acts did not seize upon them, yet fear of wrath and judgement possessed them. Psal. 14.5. speaking of workers of iniquity, he saith, There they were in a great fear, Heb. is, they feared a fear; but where was it, in their consciences? When the light of nature did convince them of their wickedness, there where the conviction was they feared greatly. Prov. 28. The wicked fly when no man pursueth. They fear, and so fear, that they fly to secure themselves from imaginary dangers. Leu. 26.36. The sound of a shaken leaf shall chase them. And Job 15.21. Eliphaz speaking of the wicked, saith, A dreadful sound is in his ears: The Heb. is a sound of fears; such was in Richard the 3d whose hand was ever upon his dagger. The wicked are a restless sea, Isa. 57.20.  
2. That which sinners fear, the Lord brings upon them: Saul feared the devolution of the Kingdom to another, and it fell to David. The Jews feared lest the Romans should come, and take away their place and Nation, John 11.48. and they did do it. Prov. 10.24. The fear of the wicked it shall come upon him, it's coming towards him every day, and will be upon him ere he die.  
After the flood the people feared scattering, and therefore said, Let us build a tower, whose top may reach unto heaven, Gen. 11.4. & vers. 8. The Lord scattered them abroad from thence upon the face of all the earth. Men that fear evils usually take surer courses to prevent them, which justly brings the thing feared upon them. Richard the third feared the Kingdom would not be firm to him, his Nephews he murders for security, and this kindled fire in the Kingdom, which quickly consumed him. The Prelates feared their standing; to establish themselves, they remove from jus regium, to jus divinum; they frame a new Oath, with an etc. in it, to swear all men to put to their shoulders for support of their tottering Kingdom, but it is fallen, it is fallen.   

VERS. 9  
I will bring you out of the midst thereof.  
OF these words before in the 7. vers.  

And deliver you into the hands of strangers.  
Not of the neighbour Nations; for had they come against them, because of commerce, consultation, language, and some references to them, the Nobles and great ones might have found favour; therefore God would put them into the hands of strangers that understood not their language, that had no inducements to show favour to them, that regarded neither great nor small: They had destroyed their friends, now strangers should destroy them.   

I will execute judgements among you. Of these words I spoke, Chap. 5. vers. 8.  
The Lord can use any instruments to accomplish his judgements: strangers, heathens, profane ones, 
Obser.  it matters not what the instruments be, if the holy God use them; his usage of them is holy, and he order all their thoughts, counsels, operations, to accomplish his own ends.    

VERS. 10, 11.  
I will judge you in the border of Israel.  
THe same words are in the 11. verse. Where this was must be e●quired, it's generally thought to be at Riblath, and the Scripture is for it, 2 K. 25.6. some have thought it to be in Babylon, but without warrant, 2 Kings 23.33. Riblah was in the land of Hamath, which lay on the North part of Canaan on the East side: and Bonfrerius observes in his Onomasticon of Cities and places, that Jerome thinks it to be Antiochia, Adrichomius, some City of Syria or Judaea in the Tribe of Nepthali, and this the Scripture gives countenance unto, Numb. 34.11, 12. Others think it to be a Province in Syria, afterwards called Epiphania, from Antiochus Epiphanes. This Riblah or Epiphania was at the border of Israel, where Nabuchadnezzar was, whether Zedekiah was brought, and there God judged him and the rest, 2 Kings 25.6. They took the King, and brought him to the King of Babylon to Riblah, and gave judgement upon him. Heb. is, spoke judgement; they expostulated with him and the rest about their treachery, in breaking the oath, and revolting from the King of Babylon. And there judgement was executed, Zedakiah sees his sons slain, his eyes are put out, all the Nobles are put to death, Jer. 39.5, 6, 7.52.10.  

Obser.  God punisheth sinners in places, and by persons they think not of. These men thought they should die in Jerusalem, never fall into the hands of strangers; but God carried them to Riblah, to the borders of the land, delivered them into the hands of strangers, from whom they found no pity, no mercy: It's some comfort to men to die in their own Country among their friends, 
Oterque quaterque beati queis ante ora patrum Trojae sub maenibus altis Contigit oppetere.  that will take care of their dead corpse, see the same interred honourably after death. Hence was it that Aeneas counted them happy who died before the walls of Troy; when he was floating upon the Seas, and in danger of death among the waves. Something is in it that the Prophet saith, Jer. 22.10. Weep not for the dead, neither bemoan him: but weep sore for him that goeth away, for he shall return no more, nor see his native Country. They must not weep for the dead, but must weep, and that sorely for those lost their country; the Jews had rather die then lose their land, and be taken from Jerusalen, vers. 26. It's laid as a great judgement upon Jeconiah and his mother to be carried to another land where they should die.   

VERS. 12.  
And ye shall know that I am the Lord, etc.  
IN this verse is the end and ground of God's judgements; you have the first words of the verse oft before, especially in Chap. 6. v. 7.10.13, 14. And those words, ye have not walked in my statutes, neither executed my judgements, you had opened, Chap. 5.6. One thing in this vers. must be spoke unto: It's said, Chap. 5.7. Neither have done according to the judgement of the Nations that are round about you. And here it is, but have done after the manners of the heathen that are round about you. The difficulty is not great in the 5. Chap. they were not so righteous and just as the heathens were, and here they followed the manners of the heathen; what corrupt manners they had, those the Jews took up, their manners of worship and of life.  
Obser. 1 The scope and end of God's judgements is to convince the wicked that he is the Lord: Ye shall know that I am the Lord. You have cast me off, taken in other gods, worshipped the Sun, and forms of creeping things; but I will bring heavy judgements upon you, carry you out of this City to the borders of Israel, slay you with the sword: and when you are in the hands of your enemies, you shall know experimentally that I am the Lord, that all other gods were false and idol gods, that they were not able to save you in time of trouble, that you have done exceeding ill to provoke me, who am Jehovah the true and only God, who have all power in my hands, & will now make good my threats upon their heads and carcases, your consciences shall tell you, will you, ●ill you, that I am righteous in my proceed, and that themselves die justly by my strokes.  
2. God therefore punisheth, because men do wickedly. I will judge you in the border of Israel, and ye shall know that I am the Lord; for you have not walked in my statutes, neither executed my judgements, etc. God hath a special eye to his own statutes and judgements; when they are kept and performed, he prospers, but when they are violated, he judgeth, he destroys. God's statutes and judgements come from infinite wisdom and holiness, they are good, equal, profitable: and for the sons of men that depend upon God every moment for their lives and beings, to neglect the Lords statutes, to transgress them, and do after their own wills, humours, fancies, or others, this is unspeakable wrong to God, and he hath, doth, and will visit for such wrongs: If men would not be broken with his judgements, let them not break his statutes; if they would secure their lives, let them walk in his laws.  
3. The Lords own people are prone to take up the manners and customs of other Nations. Ye have done after the manner of the heathen: and not one heathenish nation only, but of all round about you; they observed their manners of life, and manners of worship, liked, fetched them in, and practised the same. 2 Chron. 13.9. They made them Priests after the manner of the nations of other lands. Psal. 106.35. They mingled with the heathen, and learned their works and ways. 2 Kings 16.3. Ahaz caused his son to pass through the fire, according to the abomination of the heathen: they would have a King to judge them, like all the Nations, 1 Sam 8.5.20.  
Ezek. 20.32. We will be as the heathen, as the families of the Countries. Such conformity had they with the heathen, that Moab and Seir could say, Ezek. 25.8. Behold, the house of Judah is like to all the heathen.  
4. When God's people take up the manners of heathens, and Nations hateful to God, it provokes him greatly, and aggravates the evil much.  
In this case, 1. They reject Gods statutes and ways, they laid them by, and walked not in them; yet Deut. 4.8. No nation under heaven had statutes and judgements so righteous as they. 2 Kings 17.15. They rejected his statutes, & his commandments, his testimonies; they followed vanity, and went after the heathen that were round about them. It was as if men should lay aside the Bible, and take the Turkish Koran, or Popish masse-book.  
2. There was a prohibition, that they should not do after the ways of the heathens. Deut. 12.30. Take heed thou be not snared by following them, and that thou inquire not after their gods, 
Jer. 10.2. Lerrn not the way of the heathen.  saying, how did these nations serve their gods? even so will I do, v. 31. Thou shalt not do so, etc. And 2 K. 17.15. The Lord had charged them that they should not do like the heathen.  
3. God punished the heathens for those practices they took up, see Levit. 18.24, 25, 26.28. Deut. 12.29, 30. he cast them out before their eyes, 2 K. 16.3.   

VERS. 13.  
And it came to pass that when I prophesied that Pelatiah the son of Benaiah died, then fell I down upon my face, and cried with a loud voice, & said, Ah Lord God, wilt thou make a full end of the remnant of Israel.  
THis verse presents unto us, 

1. The death of Pelatiah.  
2. The time of it, when I prophesied.  
3. The consequents of this judgement upon Pelatiah, which are, 

1. The Prophet's falling upon his face.  
2. His exclamation; he cried with a loud, etc.  
3. What he cried out, Ah Lord God, etc.      
Some doubts lie wrapped up in this verse, and must be cleared: our Prophet was in body amongst the Captives in Babylon; in spirit he was in the Temple at the East-gate of the Lords house, vers. 1. of this Chap.  
1. Q. How Ezek. saith here, when I prophesied, Pelatiah died? when as he had yet prophesied nothing, he was now in a vision, and v. 24, 25. after this he was returned by the spirit into Chaldea, and then he spoke all the things the Lord had showed him.  
Ans. 1. Some think that by prophesying here is not meant actual prophesying, as if our Prophet did prophesy, and give out what the Lord said; but the hearing of prophecy, and that place is brought to justify it, 1 Cor. 11.5. Every woman that prayeth or prophesyeth; that is say they which heareth prophesy, and so they will have our Prophet only to hear prophetical truths which the Lord gave out, and that Pelatiah should die; but this sense of the words seems harsh, and the Text saith he prophesied, he did not hear prophecy, hear Pelatiah should die; why at the hearing of these things should he fall down upon his face, and cry out as he did?  
2. The Lord had great indignation against these men gave ill counsel, and bids Ez●kiel prophesy, vers. 4. and doubles the command, prophesy, prophesy against them, and then the spirit fell upon him, v. 5. & bade him speak, thus saith the Lord, etc. therefore it might well be, that he prophesied (while he was in the vision) visionally, and so had a visional sight of Pelatiah's death: and then after when he came to them in the captivity, he spoke to the captivity all the things that the Lord had showed him, and there the real death of Pelatiah was.  
3. The Prophet wrote this story after he had prophesied in Babylon, and so might insert these words here being upon the story of these 25. men; for it is usual in Scripture to set that before which was done after.  
Q. 2. But then a second doubt arises; if Ezekiel were in Babylon, and prophesied there, how could this prophecy reach the men that were at Jerusalem to them it belonged, and the Prophet's voice could not extend to their ears?  
Ans. 1. Be it granted that the Prophet was at a distance from them at Jerusalem, yet the virtue of the prophecy, though not the words, might, and did extend to Jerusalem. When Ezekiel fell really to prophesy against these men, than Pelatiah died: When Isaiah prophesied against Babylon, Moab, Damascus, Aethiopia, and Egypt, Isa. 13.15.17, 18, 19, 20. Chapters, he was at a great distance from them, yet the prophecies were fulfilled upon them.  
2. There was intercourse between those at Jerusalem, and those in Babylon, Jer. 29.1.3. Zedekiah sent Elazah and Gemariah to Babylon, and Jeremiah sent letters to them, to acquaint them with his prophecy concerning them, and by those men or others, might ezekiel's prophesy be made known to them at Jerusalem.  
Q. 3. How knew Ezekiel that Pelatiah died at that time when he prophesied?  
Answ. 1. This he might know by comparing the tidings of his death, by messengers brought unto him, and certifying the time, day, and hour thereof, comparing the same with the time of his prophesying; for Pelatiah being a Prince of the people, great notice would be taken of his death, and the hour of it fly abroad swiftly, and that to Babylon. Ezek. 33.21. When the City was besieged, one got away, and brought tidings thereof to Ezek. much more easily might they do it before.  
2. The spirit of prophecy might certify our Prophet hereof, that when he did prophesy, Pelatiah should die at that time. Elijah could tell Ahaziah, that he should never come off the bed he lay sick upon, 2 Kings 1.4. And Abijah could tell Jeroboams wife that when her feet entered into the City, the child should die, 1 K. 14.12. and v. 17. when she came to the threshold of the door, the child died.  
Qu. 4. How comes it to pass that these 25. men, not being of the number of marked ones, Chap. 9 escaped the sword of the six slaughtermen, when they slew all unmarked ones in the Sanctuary, & in the City?  
Answ. They were visionally slain, not really, till the siege and taking of Jerusalem by Nabuchadnezzar, when also the other 24 perished, being carried thence to the borders of Israel. And whereas some think Pelatiah here died only visionally, they detract much from the words of the Prophet, who saith he died; you know he prophesied against them all, the 25. and they were all cut off afterward: and if Pelatiah's death were visional, why saw he not visionally the death of all the rest.  
The truth is, Pelatiah was made an example, to show the reality and efficacy of this prophecy; for when the Captives understood that the thing was so at Jerusalem, as Ezekiel prophesied in Babylon, that Pelatiah a Prince was strucken dead by the hand of the Lord, they began to change their thoughts of them at Jerusalem, that they had done wisely to stay it out there, and that themselves were improvident in coming into Babylon: but now they saw God was going on with his judgements against them, and that safety was on their own side.  
Of falling upon the face, and crying out, ah Lord God, see Ch. 9.8. where those expressions have been opened.  

Wilt thou make a full end of the remnant of Israel.  
Q. 5. What moved the Prophet to use these words; here was only the death of one man, and that a wicked man; had he seen thousands cut off, smitten dead by the hand of God, he might have feared all the remnant of Israel, he knew there were many marked ones, commission given to spare them, & therefore why doth he conceive the Lord would make a full end of the remnant of Israel?  
Answ. 1. Some think Pelatiah being the chief of the Princes, and bearing great sway (for Zedekiah stood in awe of them, Jer. 38.5.) among the people, that our Prophet speaks in their person, rather than his own, and thus it's carried. Pelatiah hath been our Councillor, hath great interest in us, we confide more in him than others, and now thou hast cut him off who was our support: Ah Lord, wilt thou make a full end of the remnant of Israel. That the Prophet should speak in their person, I see nothing to induce it, it's not like so wicked a people would make so gracious an use of this judgement, but rather encourage themselves in Jaazaniah and the rest.  
2. I conceive the words refer only to the Prophet, who seeing this stroke of God upon Pelatiah, cried out so,  
1. From his love to that people in general, they were Israelites, and love is full of fears.  
2. He remembered Chap. 9.5, 6. the commission given to the slaughtering Angels to be without pity, to slay old and young, maids, women, children: and now seeing the judgement begun upon Pelatiah, he knew not but that it might proceed to the destruction of all, and he therefore saith, ah Lord God, etc.  
He had received in this vision much matter for prophecy, which was not yet given out, and hereupon seeing Pelatiah smitten, he cried out so.  
Q. 6. should not Ezek. have rejoiced in the death of Pelatiah? Ps. 58.10. The righteous shall rejoice when he seethe the vengeance: Did not he neglect a duty, and so offend, seeing he wept and mourned?  
A. We are to rejoice at the ruin of the wicked. Exod. 15. when Pharaoh and his host were drowned in the red Sea, and Egypt howling for their loss, than Moses and the Israelites sang unto the Lord; when Sisera was slain, Baruch and Deborah sang to the Lord, Judg. 5. and Solomon layeth it down for a maxim, Prov. 11.10. When the wicked perish, 
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Cantus exultatio ovatio.  there is shouting & great joy. The Saints may rejoice at the deaths of wicked ones, be they natural or violent.  
1. As it sets out the glory of his justice: he hath threatened sinners in his word, & when he executes his threats upon them, giveth them according to the nature of their sin, than his justice is glorious.  
2. As way hereby is made for the spreading of truth, inlargment of the Gospel, and Kingdom of Christ.  
3. As their death tends to the clearing of the godly: David was suspected, yea accused by Nabal to be some run-agate, 1 Sam. 25.10. God smites Nabal with death, v. 38. when David heard it he blesseth God for it that he had pleaded the cause of his reproach from the hand of Nabal, and returned his wickedness upon his head, v. 39  
4. As by their de●th the godly gain liberty: so when Haman was hanged, and his 10. sons, and other enemies of the Jews put to death, they feasted and rejoiced, Est. 9.19. They were freed from their vexations, oppressions, cruelties, plots.  
5. As there is a stop made to wickedness, Prov. 21.11. When the scorner is punished, the simple is made wise. Sin ceaseth in the scorner, being cut off, and others cease their wickedness, and grow wise by their stroke. Now Pelatiah's ill counsel, example, power, and what ever he had to promote iniquity withal, ceased. So then we may rejoice upon those grounds, but not out of any private respect or revengeful apprehension.  
But there is also matter of grief and mourning: God delights not in the death of a sinner, neither should any godly man. As therefore Pelatiah was a wicked man, died in his sins, was suddenly cut off, ran a hazard of his eternal condition, so it was matter of mourning: Our Prophet therefore might rejoice upon the grounds first mentioned, and mourn upon these last named; but as I hinted in the former question, he looked beyond this one man to the state of Israel.  
Obser. 1 How dreadful God's judgements are upon evil Counsellors, and scoffers, though never so great. Pelatiah a Prince of the people gave ill counsel in the City, scoffed at the Prophecy of Jeremy, this City the cauldron, and we are the flesh, and here God smites him. The dreadfulness of the judgement is seen in four things.  
1. In that he smites his life, not his estate, not his liberty, not his near friends, not any limb, but his life; he smote him in that was dearest of all, his life; with that was most feared of all, death, the King of fears.  
2. It was sudden: When judgements are sudden, they note severity, Deut. 7.4. when God's wrath is kindled, and kindled very hot against idolatry, who expresses the heat and severity of it this way, he will destroy thee suddenly. And Pro 6.14, 15. A wicked man deviseth mischief, soweth discord, therefore shall his calamity come suddenly: 
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉  suddenly shall he be broken without remedy. Sudden judgements are unthought of, such men are unprepared for; here are two words to express suddenly, pithom & pethah quae rem maxime improvisam & subitam denotant: and therefore Isa. 29.5. God tells Jerusalem that her judgement should be at an instant, suddenly, yea as sudden as thunder and lightning, v. 6. And Chap. 30.12, 
Scoffers, despisers of God's word, shall have momentanous judgements.  13. Because they despised the word of God, he tells them their judgement should be as a swelling in a high wall, whose breaking cometh suddenly, at an instant. Magnum est subito opprimi, when judgements are gradual, they are admonitorious, and there is hope; but when they are so sudden, all hope is cut off, and remedy prevented.  
3. Immediate from God's hand, it was the immediate hand of God upon him. What ever is immediate from God, mercy or judgement, hath the more comfort or terror in it. In hell is immediate wrath from God, and therefore it's more dreadful: so when fire and brimstone came upon Sodom & Gomorrah, this made it so terrible, that it was immediately from the Lord, Gen. 19.24. When judgements come immediately from God, they come with a greater weight of wrath upon them than others.  
4. It's exemplary, a great man, a Prince of the people. Great men have great sins, and great judgements: some men are not only hanged or beheaded, but they are also quartered, their heads and quarters are set up on the gates of Cities, and made spectacles to all that pass by, so here Pelatiah is made a spectacle of divine vengeance.  
Solomon told us long since, that judgements are prepared for scorners, Prov. 19.29. and stripes for the back of fools. 
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉  The word for stripes imports graves percussiones quibus res quassatur, contunditur, such stripes as shiver and break a thing. Ahitophel caused Absolom to go in to his Father's Concubines, he gave him ill counsel against David, 1 Sam. 16.17. Chap. and you know what a sad and dreadful judgement befell him. The Captains with their fifties scoffed at Elijah, when they said, thou man of God; 
2 Kings 1.  thou sayest thou art a man of God, and the foolish people think so of thee; but we know thou art a deceiver, and the King hath sent for thee, come down or we will fetch thee down: but before they could fetch him down, he fetches down fire from heaven which consumed these scoff●rs to ashes. The children that mocked the Prophet, 42. 
2 Kings 2.  of them were torn in pieces by two she bears. Lucian falling off from Christianity, grew a scoffer, and said, se nihil habere ex christianismo quam cum antea Lucius vocatus est nunc Lucianus vocaretur, but Suidas tells us he was eaten up of dogs. Julian would take away the Christians wealth, and say that he took this, ut centuplum juxta servatoris sui doctrinam reciperent, but the Lord struck him from heaven, and he died blaspheming. The story of Nightinghale is known, which Mr. Fox relates, how abusing that Scripture, he that saith he hath no sin is a liar, and the truth is not in him, he fell out of the Pulpit & broke his neck. Another making mouths at a godly Minister preaching, had his mouth drawn greatly awry, and so died. One present in this congregation was an eyewitness of a woman scoffing at another for purity, and walking holily, had her tongue strucken immediately with the palsy, and died thereof within two days. Take heed of jeering and scoffing, the penitent Thief was admitted into Paradise, when the scoffing one was sent to hell.  
2. Princely and high conditions are quickly laid in the dust: Pelatiah a Prince of the people, in great honour, all things about him as heart could wish, likely to have continued long here, is brought in, a dead corpse; there is no certainty in any condition, 
Acts 12. Dan. 5. Exod. 14.  how suddenly was Herod eaten of worms, Nabuchadnezzar driven from his Palace, and Pharaoh drowned in the bottom of the sea.  
1 Thes. 5.3. When they shall say peace and safety, then sudden destruction, etc. And Christ said, ye know not what hour the Lord will come, watch: So we know not what hour death will come, therefore let us watch.  
The Papists call upon St. Christopher to keep them from sudden death; let us call upon Christ to prepare us for, and preserve us in death.  
3. God sometimes meets with wicked men when his Ordinances are dispensing. When I prophesied, than Pelatiah died; it was at the time of prophecy; when the word is preached, other Ordinances administered, then doth God smite sinners, sometimes present at the Ordinance, and sometimes absent, as Pelatiah was. Ezek. 37.7. As I prophesied there was a noise, and behold a shaking, and the bones came together. This was done as he prophesied, there was great virtue and efficacy in his words: so here, when he prophesied, a noise was heard, and behold, a shaking: Pelatiah shakes, and shakes to pieces, the power of Ezekiels prophesy in Babylon, slays Pelatiah at Jerusalem. There is a converting power in the Word which converts when men are present; but there is a wounding and confounding power in it also when men are absent and present. When the Apostles preached, sometimes the holy Ghost fell upon men, Acts 10.44. and sometimes heavy judgements. Elimas' the sorcerer is smitten blind; Ananias and Saphira are strucken dead, if not in the time of the Ordinance, yet immediately thereupon. Jeroboam thrusts out his hand to take hold of the Prophet which prophesied against the Altar at Bethel, and his hand was dried up, 1 K. 13. When Paul was preaching, Eurichus sleeps, falls down and is taken up dead, Acts 20.9. at that time he fell down when the ordinance was dispensing: and certainly when the servants of God do preach and prophesy against sinners present or absent, sometimes God smites them. Hos. 6.5. I have hewed them by the Prophets; the word was an axe in their mouths, and every time they prophesied judgement, they hewed the state and particular persons. 1 Kings 19.17. They escape the sword of Haz●el and Jehu, shall Elisha slay; how? by his prophesying and preaching. This God doth to put honour upon his word, that so men may fear, respect his Ordinances, and take heed how they hear.  
4. Not only judgements themselves are to be observed, but the circumstances of them also: When I prophesied, than Pelatia died; he notes the time in a special manner. Circumstances of time, place, & person do add much weight to the judgements of God, and truth of a story: here you have all, the time when Ezekiel prophesied; the place, the door of the Eastern gate of the Temple at Jerusalem, v. 1. the name, Pelatiah. These add strength to the judgements and prophecy. Circumstances commend mercies, and aggravate judgements; to be smitten when the Prophet was prophesying against him, sets out the judgement with life and terror. Circumstances help to serve the thing into the heart, and to fasten it upon the memory; the time of things is much mentioned in the word, be it of sins, Jer. 11.15. When thou dost evil, than thou rejoycest; or of mercies, when Manasseh was brought back to Jerusalem, than Manasseh knew that the Lord was God, 2 Chron. 33.13. or of judgements, Judg. 5.8. They chose new gods, than was war in the gates. Numb. 11.33. While the flesh was between their teeth, ere it was chewed, the wrath of the Lord was kindled against the people, and he smote them with a great plague. So Dan. 4.30. While the word was in the King's mouth, the voice was heard, thy Kingdom is departed from thee: And Dan. 2.5. Whiles Belshazzar tasted wine in the bowls of the Temple, in the same hour came forth fingers that writ letters of death upon the wall. And of Vzziah it's said, than he was wroth, and whiles he was so, the leprosy even risen up in his forehead, 2 Chron. 26.19. The Prophets observed the times of Gods giving out the threaten, and the times of execution.  
5. Holy and good men fear when the judgements of God fall heavily and suddenly upon wicked men. Psal. 52.6. When God's hand should fall upon Doeg, saith David, the righteous shall see and fear; what shall they see to make them fear? the glory and power of God in executing justice, in cutting off delinquents Psalm. 9.16. The Lord is known by the judgements he executeth, known to be most powerful, glorious, dreadful; he is present in them, and the godly have eyes to see much of him. When Angels appeared, Gideon a man of valour and others feared; much more when God appears in thunder & lightning, in sudden and grievous judgements there is cause of fear. When Vzzah was smitten with a sudden stroke, David was afraid of the Lord, 2 Sam. 6.9. this might occasion that in the 119. Ps. 120. My flesh trembleth for fear of thee, and I am afraid of thy judgements. God's judgements are now abroad, and not only wicked men but good also are cut down suddenly: Let us fear, and not only that, but do as the Prophet and other holy men did at such a time, Isa. 26.8, 9 Let us wait for God, let the desire of our souls be to his name, let us desire him in the night, seek him early with our spirits, for now is the time that the inhabitants of the world should learn righteousness.  
6. Sudden or great judgements do put the Saints and servants of God upon humble, earnest, and argumentative prayer; humble, Then fell I down upon my face, earnest, and cried with a loud voice, argumentative, Ah Lord God, wilt thou make a full end of the remnant of Israel. Judgements looked upon by the Saints, are of an humbling nature, prompt them with arguments to wrestle with God, and that earnestly, Josh. 7.5, 6, 7, 8, 9  
7. When God gins judgements with some are wicked among them, the godly look upon it as an inlet to public misery; wilt thou make a full end of the remnant of Israel? Joshuah when the men fell before A●, and Israel fled, looked not only at the loss of those men fell, but as the hazard of all, Josh. 7.7. Hast thou brought this people over Jordan, to deliver us into the hand of the Amorites to destroy us? So when God's wrath broke in a little upon the people in Moses days, he feared lest the sea of God's wrath should come in at once upon them, therefore he stood in the briars, Psal. 106.23. to turn away his wrath lest he should destroy them. When a cloud riseth, droppeth a little, they fear a great storm, a deluge, and therefore look at the public, they know what God hath said, when I begin I will make an end.    

VESS. 14, 15  
Again the word of the Lord came unto me, saying:  
Son of man, thy brethren, even thy brethren, the men of thy kindred, and all the house of Israel wholly are they, unto whom the inhabitants of Jerusalem have said, Get ye fare from the Lord, unto us is this land given in possession.  
THese words are an answer to the Prophet's deprecation of judgement; he had pleaded with God to spare the residue of Israel; the Lord tells him that the inhabitants of Jerusalem looked upon them as none of the Lords people, upon the Land, City, Temple, Ordinances as theirs only; they thought the captives had nothing to do with God, but were an abject people like the Babylonians and Heathens, cut off from God, the holy Land, and holy things; now saith God, see whom thou hast interceded for? are these fit to be spared? wilt thou have those that hate thee and the rest of the captives to lie at peace in Jerusalem? The Lord sets them out before the Prophet what kind of persons they were, and leaves it upon his thoughts to consider of them, and gives not in the complete answer till after in vers. 21.  
Or thus, the Prophet feared lest God would now destroy all, and so his Church perish altogether; but God here intimates to him that the residue of Israel lay not in the 25. mentioned before, nor in them that were in Jerusalem, but rather in those who were gone into captivity, thy brethren, even thy brethren, the men of thy kindred, etc. He calls his thoughts to them, & would rather have him look at them, the seed of the Church, the persons to whom the promises belonged, of whom should come the Messiah, than the others.  

Thy brethren.  
The word brethren hath divers acceptions in Scripture,  
1. It notes the common nature of man, as in Gen. 29.4. saith Jacob, Whence are ye my brethren.  
2. Those are born of the same parents, one or both, Gen. 37.11.23. Mat. 20.24.  
3. Such as are of kindred by consanguinity or affinity, so Christ's kinsmen were called his brethren, 1 Cor. 9.5.  
4. Those agree together, and are partners in any business, at Simeon and Levi were brethrens in iniquity, in murdering the Shechemites, Gen. 49.5.  
5. Those are godly true believers, that do the will of God, Mat. 12.49. Heb. 2.11. 1 Tim. 4.6. 1 Thes, 5.27.  
6. Them that are of the same calling, Numb. 18.2. Ezr. 6.20. 2 Cor. 8.23.  
Lastly, Those are of the same Country and Nation, Rom. 9.2. Paul could wish himself accursed for his brethren who were Israelites of the Jewish nation. In what sense to take brethren is doubtful, because the verse speaks afterwards of the men of his kindred, and all the house of Israel, so that hereby two acceptions of the word seem to be excluded, and the 1.2 ᵈ and 4th are not intended. We may take brethren here for those of the same calling, 
French is, lez hommes de ton parentage Cast. Tuae consanguinitatis homines. Pisc. Consanguinei tui. Vulg Propinqui tui. Jun. & tre necessarij tui. The heb. is, viri redemptionis, tui. Mont. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉  such as were Priests and Prophets, few the Levites; but because these were few, we may take in also the kindred of the Prophet, for the words are not thy brethren, and the men of thy kindred, as making a difference between these; but thus are the words, thy brethren, even thy brethren, the men of thy kindred.   

Men of thy kindred.  
Heb. is, the men of thy redemption. The law of redemption was, that if a man were waxen poor, and had sold his house, land, or any person, some kinsman was to redeem it, as you may see, Levit. 25.25. and usually the nearest K●nsman was to do it: and the words, if any of his kin come to redeem it, in the Hebr. are ubà goalo bakkarob elas & venerit redemptor ejus ille qui propinquus ad eum, he that is near to him, it lay upon him was nearest of blood to redeem house, land, or persons, and also to revenge the blood of persons if slain, Numb. 35.12. and therefore is rendered here by some viri vindiciarum tuarum, the men of thy avengements. Both these do set out near kinsmen, and therefore it's likely here are meant some special kindred of the Prophets.   

All the house of Israel.  
All that were in Babylon carried away with Jech●niah, it's spoken synechdochically, Israel for Judah.   

Are they.  
These words are not in the Original; but here are many nominative cases absolute, without any verb to refer to, or depend upon: Thy brethren, even thy brethren, the men of thy kindred and all the house of Israel wholly: This is usual in the holy writ, Psal. 11.4. The Lord in his holy Temple, the Lords throne in heaven. So Ephes. 3.1. For this cause I Paul a prisoner of Christ for you Gentiles. It's so in many places, which may be to make us heed the more what we read.   

Unto whom the inhabitants of Jerusalem have said, get ye fare from the Lord, etc.  
In this part of the verse is laid down the unjust proceed of the men at Jerusalem against those in Babylon, and it appears in these things; 

1 They judge them not the Lords people, and so deny them communion with God and his woe ship, & therefore say, Get ye far from the Lord.  
2. They arrogate God's Temple, and the worship of it to themselves, which is employed.  
3. They challenge the land and all in it to be theirs: To us is this land given in possession.  
4. They spoke those words with disdain and scorn against the captives, they said, get ye far from the Lord, ye are none of our brethren, none of the Church, ye are of Babylon, we are of Zion: ye were a foolish and timorous company, void of counsel and spirit in leaving your own Country, this City, and Temple.     

Get ye fare from the Lord.  
They deemed God was not where but in the Temple: And Chap. 8.6. their abominations had caused God to go fare from his Sanctuary; it's probable that from this phrase the Heathens took up those passages of thir● 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 procul este prophani, 
Schotti adagia sacra, p. 19 Lavat.  〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, gressus removete prophani: So those expressions, ite in malam crucem, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, the Jews at Jerusalem thought the Jews in Babylon to be cut off from their body they had unworthily left them, and were not now worthy to have any interest in their God or land.  
Obser. 1 God deals gently with his servants, notwithstanding their infirmities. Ezekiel shown some weakness in saying, wilt thou make a full end of the residue of Israel? When God in his hearing had appointed the mourners to be marked, & had answered him this question before, Chap. 9 yet God bears with his weakness, and speaks to him in a loving manner, and saith, Son of man, and he upbraids him not for any forgetfulness of what was done, for any jealousy he had of Gods failing in making good his promise. He saith not, what troublest thou me any more? thou hast had an aswer, be gone, be silent? No, the Lord knows our weakness, Psal. 103.13, 14. As a father pitieth his children, so doth the Lord them that fear him; For he knoweth our frame, because we have weaknesses, therefore doth God pity, he doth not punish, but pity the weakness of his. Deut. 1.31. In the wilderness the Lord thy God did hear thee as a man doth bear his son, in all the way that ye went. Sometimes the father carries the child in his arms, sets it upon his knee, and dandles it; the crying, peevishness, half services, cost, trouble in its education, he bears with all: and so whatever is burdensome in God's children, he suffers it, Acts 13.18.40. he suffered their manners, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 some think it put for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as a Nurse beareth her child in her womb, in her arms, feedeth it with her breasts; so God suffered them. Isa. 63.9. He bore them, and carried them all the days of old, and doth so still. The Lord Christ bears our infirmities, and puts up many a hard thing from us: Peter's denial, Paul and Barnabas contention, Thomas his unbelief; and not only the infirmities of one or two, but of all Saints, Heb. 4.15. He is touched, and touched to the quick with the feeling of our infirmities.  
2. Those have the name and show of a Church are rigid, cruel, against those are the true Church: they of Jerusalem say to th''others, get you fare from the Lord; They were in captivity, suffered hard and sore things there, yet these add afflictions to their affliction, they tell them they are none of God's people, have nothing to do with his worship; and so cut them off from all hope, Isa. 10.6. They were an hypocritical Nation, and they persecute, excommunicate those were faithful and obedient to the will of God; for those Jews were in Babylon at the command of God, and the counsel of Jeremiah, yielded themselves to Nabuchadnezzar, and were carried away; hereupon they at Jerusalem reject them, and thrust them from God and his worship. False worshippers ever hate the true. The Samaritans and those worshipped the Calves, hated the Jews that differed in their worship from them. 1 Thes. 2.14, 15. Ye brethren became followers of the Churches of God, which in Judaea are in Christ Jesus; for ye also have suffered like things of your own country men, even as they have of the Jews, who both killed the Lord Jesus and their own Prophet, and have persecuted us, forbidding us to speak to the Gentiles, v. 16. Thus the Papists and others deal with us, because they have the name of Church and some corrupt Ordinances, can plead succession of their Priests from Peter, therefore they reproach us who are justly gone from them, with the terms of Heretics, Schismatics, Synagogue of Satan, the malignant Church; that we have torn Christ's coat, ren● ourselves from his dody; that we have shaken the Church, and troubled the whole world: Thus with their virulent tongues do they asperse us; thus Ishmael dealt with Isaac, Gal. 4.29. Long ago the worse persecuted the better, thus is it now.  
3. Men of rigid and bitter spirits are puffed up and conceited of their ways and privileges; see it here, they separate the other far from God, bid them get them far off, which amounts to this, you have nothing to do with God or his ways; God is not with you, he is with us, his Ordinances are for us; you are false, erroneous, but we are orthodox, sound, and the possession and privileges of the Temple are ours; they justified and preferred themselves above, and before tho●e were in Babylon, and boasted closely of their own worth and advantages; Their malice blinded them, and m●d● them boast foolishly. Paul had a persecuting spirit at first, and how conceited was he of his own ways, Acts 26.9, 10, 11. I verily thought with myself that I ought to do many things contrary to the name of Jesus of Nazareth, and therefore he complained of the Saints, got power from Authority to punish them, 
Insinuated all arguments to make them odious.  to imprison them, to put them to death, therefore he compelled them to blaspheme, and persecuted them to strange Cities, and fulfilled that which Christ had said, John 16.2. They shall put you out of the Synagogues; yea the time cometh, that whosoever killeth you will think he doth God service. They, the Scribes and Pharisees, they would not suffer the Christians to meet in their Synagogues, and their Teachers to preach unto them; but stirred up those had power in their hand to persecute and put them to death. The Scribes and Pharisees were opinionated of their own ways, and could not endure others better than themselves. Luke 18.11, 12. saith the Pharisee, I am not as other men are. True, for he was more better conceited of his own righteousness, and further from mercy then the Publican.  
4. Men in false and corrupt ways are glad they are rid of those are conscientious, bound up by divine truths, and obedient to the will of God. Ezekiel, Daniel, and others knew, that if they had stayed in Jerusalem, and not yielded themselves to Nabuchadnezzar, they had died for it; they were acquainted with Jeremy's prophecy and counsel, which doubtless he had delivered in Jehoiachin's days, as well as in Zedechiah's, Chap. 21.9.38.2. That if they yielded themselves to the King of Babylon, they should live, which they durst not disobey: and therefore it's said, 2 Kings 24.12. that Jehoiakim King of Judah went out to the King of Babylon, 
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉.  which act of his Josephus magnifies, saying, he was so good and just, that he would not see the City to perish for his sake; that the City and Citizens might be the safer, he harkened to Jeremy's counsel. Now these men that were left at Jerusalem were glad they were gone, even Ezekiel and his brethren that were of his judgement, and differed from them, and Jeremy they were weary of, and those thought as he thought, Jer. 38.4. So that men in false ways, are desirous, and glad to be rid of those conform not to themselves. Isa. 66.5. Your brethren that hated you, that cast you out for my name's sake, said, let the Lord be glorified. Those were the godly, opposed the false ways of the rest, and laboured to reduce them to the truth, therefore they hated them, and cast them out as they pretended, for the Lords name sake, they said they had the true way and worship, that the others were erroneous, factious, proud, censorious, troublers of Church and State, and therefore in reference to God's name they cast them out, excommunicated them, the word is, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 elongantes vos, get ye fare off out of our coasts and quarters; get ye into Babylon, or to the 10. Tribes, we may not, we cannot, we will not bear you: and how did they rejoice in it, let God be glorified. It's no fault of ours, thank yourselves: you are so tenacious of your opinions, so differing from us, and so burdensome to us, that we shall do God and the Church good service to cast you out; God shall have glory, and we shall have ease; we shall go on quietly in our way. So the Jews and Pharisees cast out the blind man, when once he came to see more than themselves, John 9.34. and made an order to cast any man out that should confess Christ, and so differ from them in judgement or practice, vers. 22. This is the nature of falsehood; whereas truth is so fare from drawing men from God, that it invites them to come to God: Truth and true godliness is full of love, which beareth, hopeth, and endureth all things, 1 Cor. 13.7. and therefore the servants of God are described, 2 Tim. 2.24, 25. To be gentle to all men, patiented, in meekness instructing those that oppose, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, if at any time God, etc. They will not drive men from God, from truth, but bear and forbear, that if it be possible they may draw men to the truth. How was Ezekiel affected with their condition, how did he intercede for them?  
5. The Lord considers and takes notice of the words and ways of those which have ill will to his people, though far off from them: There were some faithful ones in Babylon, and they at Jerusalem spoke hardly of them, dealt unkindly with them; they said, get ye fare off from the Lord, ye are neither our brethren, nor the Lords children: Ye have no right to this land, nor interest in us. This the Lord laid to heart, and took notice of▪ and acquaints the Prophet with it; there is nothing thought, said, or done in the world against any of the Lords, but he hath cognizance of it, and as seems good to him, discovers the same, any bitter passages towards his he observes. Obad. v. 11. God tells Edom there of her dealing with his people; when strangers carried away my people captive, thou stoodst on the other side, and wast as one of the enemies; but thou shouldest not have looked on, rejoiced, and spoken proudly in the day of their distress; thou shouldst not have laid hands on their substance, nor have cut off those that escaped: vers. 15. As thou hast done, it shall be done to thee, thy reward shall return upon thine own head. They spoke proudly, and did cruelly against their brethren, but God observed it, and rewarded it. Psal. 50.20. Thou sittest and speakest against thy brother, thou slanderest thy own mother's son: but I will reprove thee. So in Jer. 48.30. I know his wrath saith the Lord, but it shall not be so, his lies shall not so effect it. Moab was proud and wrathful against the people of God, threatened them, plotted against them, and thought by lies and crafty carriages of things to ruin them, the Lord regarded it, and said, his lies shall not so effect it; the word for lies is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and rendered bars in the margin: 
Nugae ejus Mont.  Lies were their refuge, their strength, the bars they trusted to, and leaned on; but lies should not effect it, God would break those bars, and frustrate their lies. Zeph. 28.9. I have heard the reproach of Moab, and the revile of the children of Ammon, whereby they have reproached my people, and magnified themselves against their border. Therefore as I live saith the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, surely Moab shall be as Sodom, and the children of Ammon as Gomorrah, even the breeding of Nettles and Salt pits, and a perpetual desolation; Let men speak and plot against the servants of God, in due time Christ will come with 10000 of his Saints to convince men of all their hard speeches which ungodly sinners have spoken against him and his.  
6. Men deeply guilty, are deeply secure, they were Idolatrous in the highest degree, so oppressive that they filled the Land with bloody crimes and cries, they were profane and scoffed at the Prophets, and their Prophecies; they had seen a sudden hand of God upon Pelatiah, and yet they were secure and promised safety to themselves, the Land is ours, it's given us in possession, we shall quietly enjoy it, we fear no Captivity, loss of Country, Temple, or City. Their King was under disgrace, he had violated the oath, perjured himself, and shortly after, Mothers did eat their Children, and men in Scarlet embraced the dunghill; all was laid waist, and yet they feared not. Sometimes when their consciences were awakened, and guilt stirred, they did fear, but genarally they were secure, and dreamt of liberty and long life. The Egyptians feared not till the waters came upon them and drowned them: God plucked away the ten Tribes for their sins, and sent them into Captivity, yet Jer. 3.8. Treacherous Judah feared not, but went on in her ways of wickedness, and when the Sword was at the do●r●, they looked still for peace, Jer. 8.15, 16. Some creatures sleep most in Winter, and many are drowsy against rainy weather, wicked men are sleepy when storms are coming.  
7. Those go out from the Brethren upon just grounds, and meet with unjust censures for it, God will justify and vindicate. These captives in Babylon went forth from Jerusalem, which only was the place of God's worship, where only he had a people and that upon Jeremiahs' counsel and exhortation they went forth to save the City and their lives, for this they are censured deeply of the Inhabitants of Jerusalem; but the Lord pleads for them, and saith to the Prophet, Thy Brethren, thy Brethren, are the men spoken against: this pathetical repetition of the word brethren, notes Gods indignation against their censure they gave of them, and his calling of them, the Prophet's Brethren, argues his clearing of the Prophet, and them, in what they had done. And the next ve se clears it further, they did nothing but what God would have done; and therefore owns as his own act, I have cast them fare off among the Heathen, etc. If God's people do withdraw from others upon good grounds, what ever men object against them, yet they shall have approbation in Heaven, and in their own hearts: These were justified for going out of Zion into Babylon; surely then God will not condemn men for coming out of Babylon into Zion. When we left Rome and Romish trash, we had good warrant for it; and so Luther who took the first step thence: For indulgencies troubled Luther, ●nd when he Preached against them, the Romish Priests, d d alto fastu disdain his Preaching, he heard the way of truth blasphemed, saw men were forced to new Articles of Faith, and himself was compelled to submit to Satanical Doctrine; these were just causes to induce Luther to leave the Romish Babylon: And therefore he was unjustly excommunicated by Pope Leo, in whose Bull this is made the cause, 
Mort. Grand impost. p. 335.  because he denied the Church to have power to create new Articles of faith: But the Lord hath justified his separation from them, and ours since him; th●ir Idolatrous Mass, their corrupt Doctrines, denying of the Cup to the people, etc. are just grounds for us and others to leave them; for if Rome be a Church, 
We have not left the word of God, the Apostles of Christ, or Churches they instituted; but we are gone, ab hypocritarum contagione, Alsted.  it's not only subject to errors as other Churches are, but more subject to erring then any other Church Christian, and the most Schismatical of all Christian Churches, and the only Church against which there is a Prophecy in the Gospel, of falling from the Faith, which three last things that learned man Morton shows, and he hath a section (its the 7. of his 15. Ch.) to show what may be judged necessary causes of separation from any particular Churches, as obstinacy of error in Teachers, affected ignorance, obduration of people. Idolatry in God's worship, tyranny and persecution against the true and sincere professors; to which I conceive this may further be added, that if a Church be so defiled that the Members of it cannot partake of the Ordinances without sin, having used all means for redress, they may justly departed, so it be in a peaceable manner, and God will justify them.  
8. Where much may be pretended for truth of Churchship, there may be no Church. Same mak● notes of the true Church.  
1. Succession, 
There can be no true succession without true Doctrine. Stapleton.  those at Jerusalem in Ezekiels days Priests and people succeeded Aron, Eli, and other Priests and Levites, that were faithful, but at this time, they were, both Priests, and people become fearfully Idolatrous, Frustra allegatur successio personarum ubi non est successio formae.  
2. Carnal seed: They were of kin to Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Daniel, and other godly ones in Babylon; they were Abraham's, 
The Saracens are from Hagar and Abraham, though for honour they chose to be called from Sarah, yet these are not the true Church.  David's seed, yet this made them not a true Church, therefore Jeremiah calls Judah a harlot, Chap. 3.8.  
3. Multitudes, here were a greater multitude at J●rusalem then in Babylon, but what were they? A multitude of Idolators, oppressors, scoffers, persecutors, and such materials are fit to make a Tower of Babel, than a Temple in Zion: Multitudo vesparum non apum.  
4. They dwell at Jerusalem, in Judea the holy City, the holy Land, but they had defiled both with their abominations, and neither of those added any holiness to them: Men at Jerusalem, and of Jerusalem were worse than those in Babylon: I●s not Jerusal●m, or the local bounds of Judea can make these the true Church.  
5. Prosperity, outward pomp, greatness, glory, these men at Jerusalem had what the World and creatures could afford them, plenty, honour, liberty, 
Unity among them. Unity in idolatry oppression.  and they in Babylon were poor Captives, despised, vilified, scorned one's; the glory of the Church is internal, not external: a●d what glory had the mourners in Jerusalem.  
6. The Temple; and worship of it had these men at Jerusalem, the Captives had no Temple, no sacrifices, no prosperity, no holy Land, or City, no multitudes, no succession, yet they were the Church of God, and not those, for God is wrath with them of Jerusalem, for thinking themselves the Church, when as they were none, and un-Churching the other, when as they were the true Church, and are called by God, the house of Israel; and it further appears that those of Jerusalem were not the true Church, because they were destinated to destruction, and as sore judgements as ever people were, Chap. 5.9, 10. and six slaughtermen designed to slay them utterly, Chap. 9 The truth of Churchship is to be fetched from other things: It's Caetus fidelium, saith our Article, such as profess Christ and his Gospel, and practice answerably, such as are orderly united and observe Divine order in the things of God, 
The word may be truly Preached to those are no Church, and the seals administered to those are a false Church as at this time Circumcision and the Passover: Ordinances are food and maintenance of the Church rather than marks of it.  Ephes. 4.12. the Apostles and other Officers in the Church were given 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, for the joining together of the Saints, and putting them as members of the body in their right places,  omnia apte inter se cohaereant, Col. 2.5, 6.  
9 It's God's mind and will, that those are strong, highly favoured of God, should look at those under, beneath them as Brethren; there were many in Babylon questionless, who were mean in knowledge, low in naturals, weak in faith, tainted with some errors and corruptions of Jerusalem, if not of Babylon; yet saith God, Thy Brethren, thy Brethren: Where there is any thing of God or Christ, though many and great infirmities accompany and cloud the same, we should look upon them as Brethren. When Christ saw a little moral good in the young man, he looked upon him, and loved him, Mark 10.21. and shall we see any spiritual good in any, and not love them and use them as Brethren. Look only at the good and graces are in one another, and not at the weaknesses: You can eye a little Gold in much earth, and why not a little grace, Gal. 6.2. Bear ye one another's burdens, and so fulfil the Law of Christ.  
We must answer for stumbling at the infirmities of the godly, and also for neglect of their graces; if their corruptions do alienate, their graces should allure, it's more honourable and Christian, to love them for bearing Christ's Image, then for being of our judgement.    

VERS. 16.  
Therefore say, Thus saith the Lord God: although I have cast them fare off among the Heathen, and although I have scattered them amongst the Countries, yet will I be to them as a little Sanctuary in the Countries where they shall come.  
AT this Verse gins comfort for the Captives, they were cast out, rejected, and insulted over by their Brethren, filled with sad thoughts of their condition: but here Heaven opens and light breaks out in sweet promises, and they are these, 

1. A promise of mercy to them in Babylon, vers. 16.  
2. Of returning thence, from Babylon to Zion. v. 17.  
3. Of purifying them from their pollutions in the Land of Canaan, vers. 18.  
4. Of regeneration or conversion, vers. 19, 20.  
5. A threat to those whose hearts should cleave to their detestable things, which is comfortable to the godly.    
For the 16. Verse, the sum is this, They at Jerusalem look upon you in Babylon as a forlorn and forsaken people, without God and his worship; they exclude you from all fellowship and communion with them, yea from the Land of Canaan, and condemn your act of leaving them as illegitimate, but go Ezekiel, and tell them that it was my do to remove and scatter you, and that howsoever they look upon this act of mine, as a certain token of my vengeance upon you, and tending to your utter destruction, yet let them know that they are mistaken, and that I am a father of mercies, and will be a Sanctuary unto you in Babylon, and have deserted them at Jerusalem, that the glory is departed thence and come to you: Go declare this for their terror, and the comfort of you Captives.  
The words in the Verse are most of them plain and easy, only those must be opened, I will be a little Sanctuary; for there is some difficulty about them, being variously interpreted. Sanctuary, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The word whence Mikdas comes, is sometimes used in Scripture for cleansing and sanctifying; as 2 Sam. 11.4. She was purified from her uncleanness, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Hence some render the word here, in sanctificationem; thus, I will be to you for a little Sanctification; I will purge and cleanse them; this Captivity shall be Ignis expurgatorius unto them, seventy years they shall be in the fire, and after that they shall c●me forth, as a Refiners Vessel, well purified from its dross, be restored to their Land, have a new Temple and pure worship: So the vulgar hath it, in sanctificationem modicam, Jerome also takes it in this sense. In Babylon I will sanctify them, divorce them from their Idols, turn them from their Idolatry, that they may worship me purely; and it is observed, they never fell to Idolatry more, after their return from the Babylonish Captivity.  
In this sense it affords us this note, the Lord doth sanctify and purge his People, by sharp and long afflictions, they had greatly defiled themselves with the sins of the Nations, and especially with Idolatry, and now he threw them into the Furnace of affliction, to melt and separate the dross and tin from them, some conceive that in Is 1.25. Refers to this Babylonish captivity. 
A Lapi●.  I will turn my hand upon thee and purely purge away thy dross and take away all thy tin. Senacheribs coming did only scare them, Nebuchadnezars carrying them away and keeping them so many years in Babylon was the means through God's blessing to Sanctify them: God's hottest and fiery trials are to purge. Dan 11.35. God purges the Iniquity of Jacob by afflict on. Is 27.9. And it's all the fruit he gives in it, to take away his sin, not to take away his limbs or life but his sin: when the Seraphin touched Isaiah's lips with a burning coal, it was terrible to him; but then he said, Thy iniquity is taken away, thy sin is purged. Others take the word as here it's rendered Sanctuary and so is frequently used in the Scripture. as Jer. 17.12. Lament. 2.7. Ezek. 9.6. The Septuagint read it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, in Sanctuarium, so Kerker, not in sanctificationem; and Suidas interprets 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, Templum: And so Vatab renders it. Mickdas, and Montan. sanctuarium, so Junius, Pisc. and Polan. Castalio hath it thus, Ero eye fanum, I will be to them a Temple, a Sanctuary, and this sense fits the condition of the Captives: For,  
1. The Inhabitants of Jerusalem reproached them for going into Babylon; and looked on them as having nothing to do with the Temple, God, or his worship, get you far from the Lord: against this evil, God comforts them, and saith, I will be a Sanctuary unto you, what ever your Brethren think or say.  
2. The Captives wept to think of their condition, Ps 137.1. By the Rivers of Babylon there we sat down yea we wept when we remembered Zion. When they called to mind what a glorious Temple they had, what solemn assemblies there, what precious Ordinances, and comforts they found therein; and now saw themselv● destitute of all, they wept. For their consolation saith God, I will be a Sanctuary unto you; and what ever benefit you found by the Saints at Jerusalem, you shall find in me.  
1. The Sanctuary was a place of refuge and defence, quasi sancta tueri a place to defend holy things, for such things were laid up in Sanctuaries, the Greeks call it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, a particle privative, and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, to spoil, rob, take away, for a Sanctuary was deemed a privileged place, from whence, no thing, or person might be taken away without sacrilege; upon this ground Joab fled to the Tabernacle of the Lord, 1 K. 2.28. and took hold of the horns of the Altar. Moses had his Cities of refuge, and in reference to these, many Princes appointed Sanctuaries to be privileged places that those fled to them might be secure; and this Land heretofore abounded with such places. Churches, Churchyards, and other places were privileged, so that if felons or Traitors did fly to them, they were sheltered for 40. Days; in which time, they were to confess their fault, and to submit to banishment; taking an oath of abjuration: and during those forty days, no man might take them thence, without danger of excommunication, or irregularity; in this time any might feed them. After the forty days, if their Wives fed them, or gave them any sustenance, it was felony. 
Exposition of terms of Law Stamf.  This law was made by K. Edward the confessor, grounded upon, the Law of mercy and reverence he bore to holy places, God would be a Sanctuary to him in this sense, Isa. 8.14. Sanctify the Lord of hosts himself, let him be your fear and your dread. A d he shall be for a Sanctuary, that is, for a defence unto you. Jer 42.11. Be not afraid of the K. of Babylon of whom ye are afraid, be not afraid of him saith the Lord for I am with you to save you and to deliver you from his hand: here God was a Sanctuary unto them. The three Children, when the fiery furnace was heat so hot and cast into it, found God a Sanctuary unto them.  

Isa. 6.1. His train filled the Temple.  2. In it they had Gods special presence, hence Zion where the Temple stood was called the habition and rest of God, Ps. 132.13.14. Hence Gods go and ways are said to be in the Sanctuary, Ps. 77.13.68.24. And David professeth he had seen God in the Sanctuary, Ps. 63.2. God would be a Sanctuary to them in this sense, they should have his special presence; he had left the Temple at Jerusalem, the glory was gone; and now he was with them in Babylon: Ezekiel had the Heavens opened to him by the River Cheb●r, saw visions of God, God did manifest himself in a special manner to him, and to Daniel even in Babylon. God had no Church elsewhere, and now he was with his people there, and calls them his flock four times in one v. Ezek. 34.8. and twelve times his flock in the whole Chapter.  
3. Acceptance in the Temple and sanctuary; their persons and prayers were accepted there. Hence was it that they freequented the Temple so much for prayer, Acts, 3.1. Luke, 18.10. And that David intimates Ps. 20.3. that the Offerings and Sacrifices in the Temple were accepted, He heard my voice out of his Temple, Ps. 18.6. So Jer. 6.20. When they had corrupted the worship of God he tells them there; burnt Offerings were not acceptable, nor their Sacrifices sweet, before they were; and the Prophecy is, Isa, 60.7. That they shall come with acceptance to God's Altar. Where his Altar was settled there was the acceptance, this they had likewise in Babylon. When Daniel made his prayer to God for himself, and his People Chap. 9 Gabriel comes and tells him, he was greatly beloved of God, a man of desires. So when Mordecai and Esther fasted, their persons and prayers were regarded, accepted in Babylon.  
4. Encouragement and help, Ps. 20 2. Help came from the Sanctuary and strength from Zion, Strength and beauty are in his Sanctuary Ps. 96.6. There they had council to direct them, Ordinances to Sanctify them, and promises to comfort them. These they should not want in Babylon, God would be to them such a Sanctuary as should afford them help. Therefore he stirred up the Spirit of Jeremiah to write to the captives and to counsel them what to do. Jer 29.5 6.7. Build you houses and dwell in them, plant Gardens and eat the fruit of them take Wives beget Sons and Daughters, and take wives for your Sonn●, and give your Daughters to Husbands that they may bear Sons and Daughters, that ye may be increased there, and not diminished. And seek the peace of the City whether I have caused you to be carried away Captives, and pray unto the Lord for it, for in the peace thereof shall ye have peace. And God gave them prophets in Babylon, 
Though they had no material Temple to worship God in, yet God would sanctify them and give them grace to worship him, metu interno.  Ezekiel, and Daniel, by whom he counselled them from time to time; some Ordinances they had; what they wanted, God made up himself, being a special Sanctuary unto them: he also made Babylon an ordinance to cleanse them, and for promises they had many, divers in this Chapt. and others as the 34. the 36. Which is full of sweet, gracious, and comforting promises.  

A little Sanctuary.  
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Some take this word Adverbially, and render it Paulisper, So Polanus, Junius, and Castal. God would be a Sanctuary to them a little time; and so to point out the shortness of the time they should be in Babylon, and thereby to comfort them against their Captivity. 70 Years was not long, and all that time they should have God a Sanctuary.  
Others take the word adjectively, Sanctuarium parvum, or modicum; so Montanus, Pisc. the Vulgar, and the French. Why his expression is laid down a little Sanctuary, we must inquire.  
1. In opposition to that they had at Jerusalem; that was very beautiful, rich, and glorious, set in Ivory, Ezek. 7. ●0. eyed of all; resorted unto by all the Jews; and famous throughout the Earth. God would be a Temple to them: but not such a material, conspicuous Temple. You think upon that great glorious Temple are troubled for it, I will be a little Temple to you.  
2. Little, in regard of the paucity that were there; you are but a fe●, and a little Temple will suffice you, Vatab. hath it Templum pauc●rum, 
Here they have no great Congregations, but Exiguae domunculae supersunt in quibus congregatis adero. Aecolamp.  and Calvi●, Sanctuarium paucitatis, many fell to the ways of the Heathens; being mingled with them, they learned their ways, and served their gods; few were godly.  
3. In regard of the hidden virtue, power, and goodness conveyed unto them, which Babilonish eyes saw not; they thougth their God had wholly forsaken them, d d nothing for them: but he was an invisible, spiritual, wonderful, and strange Sanctuary unto them, all which, was little to that they had in their own Land, there they had mercy more openly, and more plentifully.   

Will be  
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Et fui, I have been a little Sanctuary, and will be, Ps. 69.11. I became a Proverb to them, the word is Vaaebi, I have been; its future, yet rendered in the preter tense; and so much it showeth here, that God had been, and would be a Sanctuary to his people in Babylon.  
Obser. 1 The harsh dealing of wicked and corrupt men with the godly, occasions God to give out comfortable truths and promises unto them: they at Jerusalem, that were very evil, said, get ye far from the Lord, unto us is this Land given in possession; therefore say, thus saith the Lord, etc. because they spoke so bitter, therefore God speaks so comfortably; because they rejected them, denied them to have to do with God, or the land; therefore God receives them, tells them he will be a Sanctuary unto them. When others beat the Child the Parent's Bowels yearn, especially if unjustly, and show the more kindness. When Rabshakeh railed against Hezekiah, God's People, and blasphemed, from thence did the Lord take occasion to signify by Isaiah to Hezekiah and the rest, things very comfortable, 2 Kings 19.6. Thus saith the Lord, Be not afraid of the words which thou hast heard, with which the servants of the King of Assyria have blasphemed me: Behold, I will send a blast upon him, and he shall hear a rumour, and return to his own Land, and I will cause him to fall by the Sword in his own Land. God took a rise from the enemy's blasphemies, and rough proceed against his people, to give in promises of mercy to his, and of destruction to them; when the enemy had dealt barbarously with Rachel, slain and captived her Children, and she refused to be comforted, because they were not; hereupon the Lord steps in, and saith, Refrain thy voice from weeping, and thine eyes from tears, for thy works shall be rewarded, and they shall come again from the Land of the enemy, because they have destroyed thy Children, therefore will I give thee Children, because they are scattered abroad, therefore they shall return. When the Pharisees had cast out the blind man, Jesus sought him out, found him, and told him who he wa●, John 9.35. and Isa. 66.5. When their Brethren that hated them, cast them out, then was the gracious promise given in; he shall appear to your joy, and they shall be ashamed: Ill manners occasion good Laws; and rough deal, have drawn forth sweet promises.  
2. Afflictions, be they of what nature soever, are the acts of God, they were deprived of their Country, all their comforts there, they were in a sad Captivity, mingled among the Heathen, but who did this? Was it their own act? The Babylonians or any others? No, the Lord takes it upon himself: I have cast them a fare off, I have scattered them; it was his counsel, power, and providence did it, who ever were the instruments: The Scripture denies afflictions to be from beneath, they spring not out of the dust, 
Job 5.6.  the root of them is not in the earth, but in Heaven; it therefore attributes all of them to God. Mich. 1.12. Evil came down from the Lord unto the Gate of Jerusalem: It's evil indefinitely, what ever evil came nigh that City, is came from the Lord, he created it, he sent it, and not only what was without the City, but all in the City, Amos 3.6. Shall there be evil in a City and the Lord hath not done it? It's an interrogation, and vehemently affirms that all is the work of God: Men take not notice of the hand of God in affliction, and therefore the Lord is oft brought in and presented as the true and only Author of them, the instruments are eyed by us, and we are vexed at them, and greatly perplex ourselves, that creatures of the same rank and condition we are in, should harm us and afflict us, but did we see the Lord in all, it would qu et and still our spirits; whatever the agents were, God would have us to take notice of this, Isa. 45.6, 7. That they may know from the rising of the Sun, and from the West, that there is none besides me, I am the Lord, and there is none else: I form the light, and create darkness: I make peace, and create evil, I the Lord do all these things: Man doth none of them.  
3. God is mindful of his threats, and faithful in performing of them: He had long before in the days of Moses told them, that if they sinned against him, they should be plucked off the Land they possessed, and be scattered awong the Heathen, Dan. 28.63.64. Levit. 26.33. and see it here performed, I have cast them out, I have scattered them among the Countries. God is not forgetful of what he hath threatened against sinners, he hath his times to fulfil his threats, though some thousand years after. There is a Prophetical threat in Hag. 2.22. which is probable that the Lord is now thinking of, and fulfilling, I will overthrow the throne of Kingdoms, and I will destroy the strength of the Kingdoms of the Heathen, I will overthrow the Chariots, and those that ride in them, the Horses, and their riders shall come down every one by the Sword of his Brother. Some interpret this place of Zerubbabel literally, and some shaking of Heaven and Earth was then, some great changes were made, but the most interpret it of Zerubbabel mystical, of Christ, and his Kingdom; so D●odate takes it. God for the advance of his Church, under the Gospel, will overthrow the throne of Kingdoms, all power and greatness that is against the Kingdom of his Son; and how shall it be done by Wars? mostly by civil Wars, Every one by the Sword of his Brother: God in his wise providence shall stir up Kingdoms and Kings one against another, and they shall break themselves and each other in pieces, that his truth and faithfulness may be seen.  
4. Afflictions are not always arguments of Divine hatred, God had cast them a far off, and scattered them among the Countries; this the Inhabitants of Jerusalem took to be an argument of God's hatred, that he had forsaken them, that now they were none of his people, they conceived such great judgements upon them, could not stand with God's love, but the Lords thoughts differ from man's, he looked upon them as his people as the true Church, as dearer to him then they at Jerusalem, as those he would be a Sanctuary unto: If great afflictions were arguments of the Lords hatred and wrath, than Noah, Job, and Daniel, were hated of God, they had exceeding great affl ction. Noah saw a World drowned, Job had all plucked from him, his Friends and Wife against him, yea God also in appearance; Daniel was a Captive, cast into the Lion's Den, yet how dear were these to the Lord: Noah, God accepted his Sacrifice, Gen 8.21. Blessed him; Chap. 9.1. made a Covenant with him, vers. 8, 9, So Job, how doth God justify him, Chap. 42.7. You have not spoken of me the thing that is right as my servant Job hath: Job was God's servant, spoke what was right of God, Job must pray for his three Friends, him God will accept, God gave Job twice as much as he had before; and Daniel was a man greatly beloved, Dan. 9.23. Christ was Virro dolorum, yet the man in whom God's soul delighted, Isa. 42.1. Afflictions are arguments of l●ve, Prov. 3 12. Whom the Lord loveth he correcteth, even as a Father the Son in whom he delighteth: God loves not affliction, but he loves his Children, and his bowels cause him to correct; it were cruelty, not love in a Father, that would suffer his Child to die for want of a little Physic; if Physic will do a Child good, a loving Parent will be at any cost that way: Take heed how you censure those that suffer; afflictions are not always wounds of an enemy, but arguments o● love, especially when they break the stubbornness and pride of our hearts, purge out our pollutions, cause us to seek the face of God, quicken our endeavours after more holiness, cause us to mind the things of Eternity more, make the Word and Christ more sweet and precious to the soul, really and seriously.  
5. What ever others think or say of God's people, whithersoever they are driven, whatsoever they lose or suffer, God will be a little Sanctuary unto them, these men were hardly thought of, yea rejected and condemned of those at Jerusalem, carried Captive into Babylon, they had lost all Countrey-comforts, City-priviledges, Temple-Ordinances, Estates, and Liberties; they had hard bondage when they were yet now in this case God was a Sanctuary unto them, he preserved them, vouchsafed them his presence, accepted their persons and prayers, gave them counsel, sanctified and comforted them, he was a special Sanctuary unto them, and in stead of all Ordinances. Take Sanctuary for the Land of Canaan as some think its taken, Exod. 15.17. God would be a Land of Canaan to them, or take it for Sanctification, as some do here, and in Psal. 114.2. God would be their Sanctification; or take it for Heaven, as it is Psal. 102.19. God would be a Heaven unto them: However the Jews in Babylon appeared in the World, either to them in Zion or Babylon, they were glorious in the eye of God, and he calls them his glory, and would be a Sanctuary unto them. This should afford comfort unto those are deprived of Ordinances, Estates, Liberties, Friends, Countries, and suffer very hard and sharp things, if they be godly, God will be a Sanctuary unto them. Our Brethren that were driven out into other parts of the World, hath not God been a Sanctuary unto them? and hath he not always been a Sanctuary unto us, 
This was the Lecture presently after Hazebie fight.  and a stone of stumbling unto others, and for a rock of offence? if God hath been a Sanctuary to defend us, to afford us his presence, to accept of our persons and prayers, to send us help, counsel, comfort, deliverance, let us sanctify this God himself in our heart, make him our dread and fear, and he will still be a Sanctuary unto us, Psal. 134 2. Lift up your hands in the Sanctuary, and bless the Lord.  
6. There is no place can hinder God from taking care of, and showing kindness unto his people; they were in Babylon, a profane, polluted Land, they were scattered up and down in the Countries thereof, and yet God was a Sanctuary unto them, and said, he would be so in the Countries where they should come; when they were in Egypt, God was a Sanctuary to them there, and now in Babylon: Acts 10.34, 35. God is no respecter of persons or places, but in every Nation, he that fears him and works righteousness is accepted with him: God's people fear him, and work righteousness where ever they are cast, if into strange Nations, as these Jews; if into the dungeon, as Jeremiah; into the bottom of the Sea as Jonah; if into the fiery Furnace, as the three Children; Lions den, as Daniel, God is a Sanctuary to them, let a man be godly, and he shall have not only protection, but praise of God, Rom. 2.29.    

VERS. 17.  
Therefore say, Thus saith the Lord GOD, I will even gather you from the People, and assemble you out of the countries where ye have been scattered, and I will give you the Land of Israel.  
THey at Jerusalem had vindicated the Land to themselves, To us is this Land given, and so cut off the Captives from hope of having any part in that Land: This was questionless a great affliction to their spirits; and therefore the Lord bids the Prophet tell them that (as he would be a Sanctuary to them in Babylon) so he would gather them out of Babylon; bring them back to Canaan and give them that Land in possession, which the others unjustly challenged to themselves. In the former verse he spoke to them at Jerusalem, in this he speaks to the Captives.  

I will even gather you.  
Cast. Convocabo, the Septuagint 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, 
je vous recueillerai de peuple. Fr.  I will receive or undertake to bring them out of the Nations, the Hebrew word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Congregabo vos, from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Which is properly spoken, de redispersa, To gather that is dispersed, men or other things; and these being dispersed among the Nations God saith he will congregate them, 
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉  The Jews prayer was in the time of their dispersion, Congrega nos de populis quo dispersisti nos, we are now no body, we have no face of a State or Church, gather us into a body, make us a common wealth, a Church again, This is the thing God hath promised them.   

Assemble you out of etc.  
The Hebrew is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I will add you out of those countries, and here it's spoken of those were scattered; which I observe because Buxtorf. showing the difference between Kabats, and Asaph, saith, Asaph is, De re non dispersa, and so doth Leigh out of him, in his Critica sa●ra: but both Kabats, and Asaph here, refer to the Jews, who where scattered amongst the Babylonians; and the Vulgar render it ad unabo, I will unite you and make you one body.   

I will give you the Land of Israel.  
The Land of Israel is not oft mentioned, save in this Prophecy, only nine times before it, and not after it at all in the old Testament; and but twice in the new, Mat. 2.20.21. In Ezekiel its mentioned 20 times: In wrath, when it refers to those were yet in it, in mercy, when it refers to those were Captives, or enemies insulting at the ruin of it, as you may see, Ezek. 12.19.36.6.25.3.6.  
Why it's said the Land of Jsrael, rather than the Land of Judah, when as it was called the Land of Judah before it was called the Land of Israel (for we read in Moses days it was called the Land of Judah, Deut, 34.2. and the Land of Israel first in samuel's days 1 Sam, 13.19.) is inquireable. The Land of Judah is a restrictive Term, and includes only what belonged to the Tribe of Judah of which you may read, Josh. 15.1.2.3.4. But the Land of Israel is a comprehensive term, containing all the Tribes which came out of the loins of Israel; so that hereby he gives them to understand, that they should not enjoy a piece of the holy Land again; but the whole, all that the twelve Tribes had.  
The Land of Israel was a choice Land; A Land that flowed with Milk and Honey. Deut 26.15. A Land of Corn, and Wine, bread, and Vineyards. Isa. 36.17. A Land of Brooks, Fountains, Springs, Vines, Figtrees, Pomgranets, Oil and Honey, a Land of plenty, wherein they should want nothing. Deut. 8.7 8.9. A Land given of God. Deut 4.1. The desire and glory of all Lands. Ezek. 20.6. Because it was the Land of Immanuel Isa. 8.8. God's holy habitation. Exod. 15.13. The type of Heaven, and therefore called the Land of the living. Psal. 27.13. This Land of Israel God puts them in mind of, the loss of which, as it begat deep sighing in their Souls, so the hope of repossessing it revived them not a little. God had given them this Land once before; through their sin they had lost it, but now God would give i● them again, and double engage them by a second deed of gift. This people were now Captives, and their sins had oft Captived them, after they had Kings. Of their first Captivity you may read, 2 Kings 15.29. which was by Tiglath Pelezer: A second by Salmanazzar, 2 K. 17.6. A third by Senacherib, 2 Kings 18.13. A fourth by the Captains of the Host of the King of Assyria, who carried Manasses into Babylon, 2 Chron. 33.11. A fifth by Pharaoh Nechob, 2 Kings 23.33, 34. A sixth and seventh, by Nabuchadnezzar, 2 Chron. 36.5, 6. 2 Kings 24.11, 10, 12. 2 Kings 25.7. Thus was this people oft brought low, carried into other Lands from that good land of Israel, as it's called, Deut. 4.21. And you shall hardly find that any of the preceding Captivities had a promise of returning them again before this, but here God graciously tells them, he would gather them out of the Countries and bring them back to Jerusalem.  
1. Quest. By whom did the Lord gather them? bring them to this Land again?  
Answ. By three men especially, whose names are very observable, Ezra, Nehemiah, and Zerubbabel; Ezra signifieth a helper, and he was a special helper of them, under God, out of Babylon, Ezra 7.6. Nehemiah is the consolation of the Lord, and he brought Divine consolation unto them, Nehem. 2.18. and was as a God amongst them in conveying and comforting them many ways, as you may observe in the Book bears his name. Zerubbabel is, as Jerome will have it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Iste princep● in Babylon●, and he that could bring this people out of such a Country and condition they were in, had need to be a mighty Prince, and so was he; therefore Zach. 4.7. no mountainous strength of Devils or wicked men could stand before him: Others interpret it, one repugnant to confusion; and so he was, he led the people orderly out of that confused place and condition they were in, even unto the holy Land, and Divine order they had formerly enjoyed there; and thus Ventilator babel, 
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ventilavit.  the fanner of confusion, or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Fluxus Babylonis, he broke down the bank of Captivity, and made way for the stream to flow from Babylon to Zion.  
2. Quest. The promise here being made to the Captives in Babylon that were brought thither with Jechoniah, whether had they any benefit of it that were now at Jerusalem, and afterwards carried Captive with Zedekiah into Babylon?  
Answ. Some think none of the Captives with Zedekiah returned, or had any benefit of this promise; and the reason I find given, is, because few returned, but there may more be said for it.  
1. The promise was not made to them at Jerusalem, but to the Captives in Babylon at that time.  
2. We find many excepted from entering into the Land of Israel after the Captivity, Ezek. 13.9. the false Prophets are excluded the Land of Israel; and Ezek. 20.38. The Rebels God saith, shall not enter into the Land of Israel; and who were the Rebels, but those refused to go with Jechoniah, who stayed at Jerusalem, and sinned greatly against God, and therefore are oft called the Rebellious house, the Rebellious Nation, Chap. 2. God saith, he would plead with them as he did with their Fathers in the Wilderness when they came out of Egypt, and there they died, only two of them entered into Canaan.  
3. That Chapter in Jeremiah of the good and bad Figs, speaks to this business; it's the 24. of Jeremiah; where the good Figs are interpreted of Jeconiah and his Captives; God saith, he will acknowledge them, set his eyes upon them for good, bring them again to the Land, and plant them in it, etc. vers. 5, 6, 7. The evil Figs are interpreted of Zedekiah and his Captives, and them God will deliver into all the Kingdom of the Earth for hurt, to be a reproach, a proverb, a taunt, and a curse in all places.  
Others conceive, that some of Zedekiahs' Captives returned to the Land of Israel, and the grounds given are these: First, in the 9 Chap. some were marked that were godly, and these being preserved and carried away, it's not probable they should be shut out from interest in that gracious promise, I will gather you, and give you the Land of Israel: whoever were denied the Land, not the godly.  
2. Cyrus' Decree was not restrictive, but any Jew might return, 2 Chron. 36.23. Who is there among you of all the Lords people, the Lord his God be with him, and let him go up: Cyrus gave liberty to any, or all to go.  
3. I shall add one thing, and it's that in Jer. 31.8. A great company shall return thither, above 40000. As you may read, Neh. 7.66.67. And it's probable that some of them were of those that Nabuchadnezzar brought with Zedekiah into Babylon.  
Quest. 3. Whether the gathering and deliverance of the Church out of Babylon, be Typical, and a resemblance of the spiritual gathering and deliverance of the Church in time of the Gospel: whether they refer to Christ or no?  
Answ. Those great deliverances out of Egypt and Babylon, had something in them representative of the Church's deliverance by Christ. Pharaoh, and Nabuchadnezzar point out Satan, that held the Gentiles; and Antichrist, ●hat held the Christians in bondage, till Christ, as Moses and Zerubbab●l did deliver them. Their coming out of Egypt refers to the time of Christ and the Gospel, if you compare Hos. 11.1. with Mat. 2.15. And for the Babylonish deliverance referring to Christ, consider, Ezek. 34.12.13.14. Where the Lord speaks of gathering and bringing his People from the Countries where they have been scattered, to the Mountains of Israel, and then in the 23. & 24. ver. I will set up one Shepherd over them, and he shall feed them, even my Servant David, he shall feed them and he their Shepherd; I the Lord will be their God, and my Servant David a Prince among them. This one shepherd, this David, this Prince, was Christ, As is generally agreed upon by interpreters, and Job. 10.11. Christ tells them he is The good Shepherd, Namely, that one and only Shepherd spoken of in Ezekiel. That of Rachel weeping for her Children, when they went into Captivity, Jer. 31.15. referred to the time of the Gospel and had its fulfilling then. Mat. 2.17.18. and why their coming out, should not also have reference to deliverances under the Gospel by Christ, I see not. Some interpret those words of Isa. 19.1.2. 
Maldon. Tollet.  The spirit of the Lord God is upon me, because the Lord hath anointed me, to preach good tidings unto the meek, he hath sent me to bind up the broken hearted, to proclaim liberty to the Captives &c. to be meant literally, of the Babylonish Captivity: And you know how the Lord Christ. Luke 4.21. saith, This day is this Scripture fulfiled in your ears.  
Obser. 1 The Lord's eye is upon his People, he takes notice of them where ever they be, let them be in Babylon in the several Countries thereof, he observes them. Father, when their Children are scattered here and there, cannon take any notice of them, they are out of their sight, it's not so with God, let his Children be among Heathens; as now the Jews were, among Lions, as Daniel was, among waters, and Fishes, as Jonah was; let them be where, or in what condition soever, he sees them, observes, considers them, Proverbs. 15.3. The eyes of the Lord are in every place; not of some one Country, as Judea, Egypt, Babylon, but in every place of the World, 2 Chron. 16.9. His eyes run to and fro, throughout the whole earth, to show himself strong in the behalf of his: Gods eyeing of his is not a bare intuition, but in order to their assistance; to do them good, to put out strength from them.  
2. In low and miserable conditions, God sends in hope and help; they were now stripped naked of all their comforts, amidst Barbarians, in a servile, sinking condition, saw no likelihood of bettering their condition, being under the hand of a potent and severe Adversary; yet now hope and help comes in: I will gather you, you that are Captives, desolate, more low and miserable then ever you were, even you will I gather; thus God lets in comfort to them in their comfortless estate, and its God's way to do so. When the Israelites cried in Egypt by reason of their bondage; when they were sorely afflicted, saith the Text, God heard them, remembered them, looked upon them, and had respect unto them, Exod, 2.24, 25. And in the next Chapter, he appears to Moses, tells him, he had seen their affliction, knew their sorrows, and was come to deliver them, vers. 7, 8. When people are outwardly or inwardly low, its God's method frequently, if not constantly, to afford relief, Psal. 116.6. I was brought low and he helped me; He was low in saul's days, low in Absoloms, but the Lord helped him. When power is gone from a people, and none to be found, in public or private to help a people, then are they in an afflicted, miserable condition, yet than God affords help, Deut. 32.56. So Nehem. 9.27. In the time of their trouble when they cried unto thee, thou heardest them from Heaven, and according to thy manifold mercies, thou gavest them Saviour's. When the Jews were brought low by Haman, and at the borders of death all of them, God appeared in Esther, Abasuerus, turned the storm upon Haman himself, and helped the Jews in that straight.  
3. Things which are hard and seem impossible to flesh a●d blood, are easy unto God: How difficult was it to the judgement of those Captives, to conceive a return; they were far from Jerusalem, the journeys long and dangerous; they at Jerusalem had rejected them, they were under a mighty Tyrant, the terror of Nations; they were scattered in several places, employed to servile work, for the profit, pleasure, of the Chaldeans; as digging in their Mines, ploughing of their Fields, dressing of their Vines; if they should stir to get away, the King had command of 127. Provinces, and could presently raise Forces to fetch them back, or cut them off, etc. These and such like thoughts, made it seem difficult, if not impossible to them, that they should ever return again to Jerusalem; but the Lord would gather them; it was an easy act to him, no more than a Shepherd gathering of his Flock into the fold, he whistles or sends out his Dog, and presently they all run into his Fold; so when God spoke the word, moved the heart of Cyrus, he made a Proclamation for the Jews to go up to Jerusalem, and presently it was done: In Ezek. 37.11. You may read the Jews apprehensions of their conditions; they say, Our bones are dried, our hope is lost, we are cut off, for our parts: They thought themselves like dead and dry bones that lie in the bowels, or on the face of the earth, without hope of life, or ever returning into their own Land; but by the Parable of the dry bones, which at a word of Prophecy were inl●ve●ed, raised, and made a great Army, God shown what he could easily do, in things seeming to man impossible; and he applies it to them, Vers. 12. Behold, O my people, I will open your graves, and cause you to come up out of your graves, and bring you into the Land of Israel: They conceived it as impossible for them to repossess their Country, as for a dead man to live; bu● it was easy with God. There is nothing too hard for God, he could bring a great Nation out of Sarahs' dead womb, Gen. 18.14. & Jer. 32.27. God tells them that he is the Lord, the God of all flesh; and then asks them this Question, Is there any thing to hard for me? Did I not bring you out of Egypt? Laed you through the red Sea, through the Wilderness, set you in the pleasant Land, and can I not bring you back into it, though scattered up and down in Babylon? Vers. 37. Behold I will gather you out of all Countries, whither I have driven you in mine anger, and will bring you to this place, and cause you to dwell safely. Luke 18.27. Things impossible with m●n, are possible with God.  
4. Lands and Countries are the Lords to dispose of to whom he pleases, I will give you the Land of Israel, the Earth is the Lords and the fullness thereof, the World and they that dwell therein, Psal. 24.1. And he disposes the Kingdoms thereof, Psal. 115.16. The Earth hath he given to the Sons of men: There is not a Son of man which hath any spot of Earth, or Kingdom in the World, but the Lord gave it him; he rules in the Kingdoms of men; he takes them away, and gives them to whom he will, Dan. 4.31, 32. He is God of all the Kingdoms of the Earth, Isa. 37.16. And Cyrus acknowledged that God had given them all to him, Ezra 1.2. Being the Lords, he may justly dispose of them as seems good to himself. This Land of Israel was possessed by Canaan the Son of Cham, and called the Land of Canaan; but his Posterity for their wickedness, were spewed out of it, Levit. 18.25. and then God gave it to the seed of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, whose name was changed to Israel, and thence his Posterity called Israelites, and so this the Land of Israel; but they through their Idolatry and oppression, forfeited this Land, and now God had given it into the hands of Nabuchadnezzar, after they had possessed it 850. years. Sin thrusts people out of their Country, and robs them of their rights and privileges, Isa. 13.22. And had not God given them this Land again, they had had little or no right to it. God gave it to Abraham when the Canaanites had it, and he gives it to the Israelites when the Chaldeans had it.  
5. The afflictions of the Church though great and grievous, yet have their period; now Israel was in Babylon, their Country, City, Temple, Ordinances, Public worship, were gone. They were amidst Idolaters, profane, blasphemous persons, in a polluted place, which was very sad; yet this condition should have an end, God would gather them out from Babylon, into the holy and pleasant Land, where they should enjoy choice mercies again. God will not always chide, 
The Greek is, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉.  neither keep his anger for ever. Psal. 103.9. Here at the beginning of their Captivity, God's heart was relenting, and he laid in this gracious promise, to refresh them. Man when he is offended, is not only angry, but bears grudges in his heart, seeks revenge, and the ruin of them have wronged him, as Haman, Mordecai, and the Jews: but it's not so with God, he may be angry for 70 years, but that is not always, for ever. Isa. 54.7.8. It was but a moment, a small moment, and the wrath was but alittle, as he calls it there; because God was a Sanctuary unto them, all the time and made them gracious promises at the beginning. So than you may answer, the question made, Jer. 35. Will he reserve his anger for ever? Will he keep it to the end? No, God is gracious, and will not always be wrath.    

VERS. 18.  
And they shall come thither, and they shall take away all the detestable things thereof, and all the abominations thereof from thence.  
GOd doth not only promise them, that they shall return to their own Land, but also tells them, what they shall do there, Take away the detestable things, and abominations thereof.  

Detestable things.  
The Septuagint renders it, and so the word for abomination, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉. Aecol●mp. spurcitias. Tig. & Lavat. contaminationes. Cast. scelera. Fr. Toutes ses in●ametes; all things make infamous, Vulgar, Omnes offensiones: Calvin, Omnia idola: And Idols are detestable things, as I shown when I opened the 5. Chap. 11. One thing I shall add, and that is, Shikku●ziru, here rendered detestable, by our Translators, is the same word in Dan. 9.27.12.11. where i●s translated Abominations: And Matth. 24.15. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, Which some interpret of the Roman Soldiers, profaning the Temple with blood, and brutish actions: Others of Antichrist, sitting in the Temple, and worshipped as God; and others of Idols, brought in, and set up there.   

Abominations.  
Flagitia; Castal. This word was largely opened in the 5. Chap. 9 Verse. Notorious sins of all kinds, are called in the Scripture sense, Abominations; things to be abhorred: So Rom. 2.22. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, Thou that abhorrest Idols. Idols and Idolatries are abominable, 1 Pet. 4.3.  

Obser. 1.  What the Lord promises that shall be performed; he had said in the former Verse. I will give them the Land of Israel: And here he saith, They shall come thither: What obstructions soever may be in the way, what power soever oppose, yet the Lord having promised it, he would make it good: God is gracious in promising, faithful in keeping promise, and powerful in performing his promises: You may see it made good, Ezra 1.2, 3. God stirred up the spirit of Cyrus to make a Proclamation, for the Jews to go to their own Land, and then he stirred up the spirits of the people to go, Vers. 5. their spirits were down, they were heartless and hopeless many of them, but God raised their spirits to go up to Jerusalem; the word is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Evigilavit suscitavit, they were asleep, and God dealt with them, as we with sleepy men; they had their objections, but God took them all away, and raised their spirits above all difficulties, and caused them to hasten to their Country, and the work he had for them: God hath promised a new Jerusalem, that he will dwell with men, and be their God, wipe away all tears from their eyes, that there shall be no more death, sorrow, crying, pain, Revel. 21.2, 3, 4. That the Nations of those are saved shall walk in the light of that City, that Kings shall bring the glory and honour of the Nations into it; that only those which are written in the Lamb's Book shall enter; this will be a glorious time, God hath promised it, he is faithful, and able to perform it.  
2. When judgements and mercies are sanctified to a people, they will produce answerable effects; they had had sore judgements in Babylon, for Seventy years, and when they were brought out of that furnace into this pleasant Land, which was a great deliverance; when they were come thither, what should they do? Take away the detestable things, the abominations therein. The fruit of that affliction, and the deliverance out of it, evidenced that their judgements and mercies were sanctified.  
1. They repent of their Idolatry and sinful practices, which had laid the Land waist; which is supposed in the words. They would never have taken away the detestable things, had not their hearts been broken for them.  
2. They reform, when they come into the Land, they take away the detestable things; they are bitter against their master-sin, and serve it as it served them; their detestable things had taken them away out of the Land, Jer. 44.22. and they fall upon the detestable things presently, and take them away, and what else they apprehended offended God; not only Idols did they take away, but reform also the marriage of strange Wives, Ezra 10. in point of Usury, Nehem. 5. and profaning of the Sabbath, Nehem. 13.  
3. They show themselves sincere in it, they spare none but take away all detestable things: all abominations, Josh, 24.14. It's sincerity to put away false Gods, and especially all of them.  
4. They endeavoured, to worship God purely, without any corruptions or mixtures of their own. They put away all detestable things, all abominations, they laboured to have only what was Divine, and so what was pleasing to God. They would not come to God with any impieties, but in pure worship, as Jacob, Gen. 35.2. When he was to go up to Bethel, he took all their strange Gods, their earrings, and what might be occasion of sinning that way, and buried them under the Oak out of sight, and cleansed himself and Family, and would serve God, not with any mongrel, but with pure worship; so was it here: when it's thus, it's an argument, judgements, and deliverances are sanctified, that mercies are well bestowed, and well enjoyed; when corrections and mercies stir us up to repent, reform, to deal sincerely with God, and to worship him purely; its evident they came from God's love, and are sanctified unto us.    

VERS. 19  
And I will give them one heart, and I will put a new spirit within you: and I will take the stony heart out of their flesh, and will give them an heart of flesh.  
IN the former Verses you heard opened sundry sweet promises of God, made to his people, he would be a Sanctuary to them in Babylon, bring them thence to Zion, purify them from the pollutions in their own Land, all which were gracious; but here he exceeds all given in before; those promises concerned their outward conditions chief, but these their inward and spiritual estate only: Some make this Verse to contain the Covenant of grace which God made with his people Israel, whom he had chosen, above any people in the World, but they forsook him, fell to Idolatry, and were now justly Captived for their sin, suffered much among their enemies; and here God enters into a gracious Covenant with them, and promises great things unto them. In the words consider, 

1. The party promising, I, I, I,  
2. The things promised 

1. One heart.  
2. A new spirit.  
3. Taking away the stony heart.  
4. Heart of flesh.    
3. The persons to whom, them,  
4. The manner of conveying these, and it is expressed by Giving, putting, taking.    

One heart.  
The Septuagint is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, another heart: They mistaking the H●brew 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 take the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and so f●ll into that error, which is not great; for one heart was another heart then that they had: The Hebrew is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 one heart.  
Heart: By it here we may understand, 

1. The judgement or understanding; so it's taken, Ephes. 4.18. heart, and understanding are the same there.  
2. For the will and affection's; so Prov. 23.26. Matth. 22.37.  
3. For the conscience; so it's taken, 1 John 3.20.    
One. Is taken in the word, 1. For likeness, 1 Sam. 6.4. One Plague was on them all. That is, a like plague.  
2. For sameness, 2 Cor. 11.2. I have espoused you, 
Rev. 21.21. Every Gate was of one pearl: that is, of the same pearl.  to one husband Heb, 10.14. By one Offering, he hath perfected for ever them that are Sanctified. One is put for the same in both places.  
3. For that is united and makes one, Gen. 11.6. Behold the People is one. They were united together as one man, in the Building of Babel. We may understand all here, that God would unite them together as one man, give them likeness, and sameness of heart.  
Some think, by one heart is meant, the mutual consent to hasten to Jerusalem to build the Temple. As they were one people of one language and Spirit in building Babel: so these should be one People, of one mind, and language, in rebuilding Jerusalem. But if it should, be confined to this sense, it were no spiritual mercy, and here God is promising spiritual mercies. Th●s sense may be included, but there is something beyond it: We will inquire what heart was antecedently in this People, which will give us light, for the better understanding of this oneness of heart.  
1. They had a backsliding, apostatising heart in them, 1 K 18.37. Elijah prays that their hearts may be turned back again. Jer. 5.23. This People hath a revolting and Rebellious heart, Ezek. 2.3. They are called A rebellious Nation, and Ezek. 6.9 God saith he was Broken with their whorish heart, which departed from him: They went out from God to Idols, and to false ways of worship: They walked after the imaginations of their hearts, after other Gods, to serrve and worship them. Jer 13.10.  
2. They had a slippery unfaithful heart, Psal. 78.8. Their spirit was not steadfast with God, they were off, and on, no certainty in them, but full of changes. Hence they are said to gad much about, to change their way. Jer. 2.36. and in Isa. 24.5. To change the Ordinances, and in, Ezek. 5.6. To change God's judgements into wickedness, more than the Nations.  
3. They had a deceitful, hypocritical heart. Isa. 44.20. A deceived heart hath turned him aside; and Chapter, 10.6. God calls them an hypocritical Nation, they pretended love and obedience to God, but Jer. 3.10. Judah served God feignedly, in falsehood is the Hebrew: their hearts were deceitful, false:  
4. They had, a divided, froward, bitter heart Hos. 10.2. Their heart is divided. God had a piece of it, and the World a piece, Ezek 33.31. and their Idols a piece, Ezek. 14.3. And it was contentious and froward, Isa. 57.17. He went on frowardly, in the way of his heart. They had divided hearts, divided tongues, and divided ways: Manasseh was against Ephraim, Ephraim against Manasseh, and both against Judah.  
Now this one heart here mentioned, is opposite to all these.  
1. God would give them one heart, and that is, an heart should be for himself, and not for Idols; an heart should not withdraw or turn back to any false ways, but cleave to himself only: After they came out of Babylon, they never could endure Idols more, God had separated their hearts from them, and therefore upon their return, God promised they should take away all detestable things, vers. 18.  
2. An heart faithful and steadfast, that should hold fast the things of God, and not be given to change. Hence Jer 32.39. God saith, I will give them one heart, and one way, that they, may fear me for ever: Their heart shall besetled, fixed in my way and never look out and wander after other ways.  
3. An honest sincere heart, free from hypocrisy, guile, and lying, Zech. 8.3. Jerusalem shall be called a City of truth. The inside and outside should be the same; intentions, words, and actions, should be correspondent.  
4. An united, loving, peaceable heart, as they shall have one God, be firm to his way, and sincere in that way: so they shall have sweet communion together; strife, bitterness, 
Isa. 11.9. They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain.  division, shall not be found amongst them, Isa. 60.18. Violence shall no more be heard in the Land. There should be much unity, much love, and mutual agreement between them, they should have but one heart.  
Vnum est ens indivisum in se: Vnius quidditas, 
Scaliger, Exercit. 65. Num. 2. Suarez in Metaph.  est essendi indivisibilitas, O●hers say, that is one which is, Indivisum a se, And divisum ab omni alio. Such an heart they should have, an heart undivided in itself, and divided from all things heterogeneal, and of a dividing nature; as God he is one simply, absolutely, individed in himself, and mostly divided from every thing differing from himself. Gal. 3.20. God is one, and one is opposed to many; so that they shall have one heart not many hearts.  
This oneness of heart may be considered.  
1. As respecting themselves: and so fi●st, as it includes the judgement and affections, they shall not descent and cross one the other, but when truth is in the understanding, the affections shall close with it; oft time there is much truth in the heads of men, but no love to truth in their hearts, 2 Thes. 2.10. They received not the love of the truth; the truth was revealed, made love to their souls, appeared very lovely and beautifully, but they had no love to it, John 3.19. Light is come into the World, and men loved darkness rather than light: their affections closed with their own lusts and errors: but it should be otherwise here, they should have a heart towards truth, not divided from truth.  
2. As it comprehends the will and conscience, they shall not be one against another; sometimes conscience dictates and tells men they must do or not do such things; and their wills carry them a wrong way, Rom. 1.32. their hearts told them that they did such things as are there mentioned, were worthy of death, yet their wills carried them to do those things, and to delight in them: So in the 18 Vers. they held the truth in unrighteousness, their consciences told them it was truth, and to be obeyed, but their wills were against obeying that truth; so that here was not one heart in them. Here the promise is Will and Conscience shall be one.  
3. As it looks at the intention and practice; many men have one heart within, and another without, fair pretences, but foul intentions; their actions and hearts laid together, would confute one another: Herod pretends to worship Christ, but intends to murder him; but these should have one heart within and without, the same they should be inwardly and outwardly, as Nathanael, no guile was in his spirit, in his lips, in his actions, but the same heart was in all. Col. 3.23. Whatsoever ye do, do it hearty.  
2. As respecting God: They should look at God, as the only and adequate object of their heart, they should be content with him alone; they should not ask counsel, confide in, fetch comfort from, or worship any other, he only had made Covenant with that people, 
Cor integrum in veritate solide adunatum Deo● & toti corpori Ecclesiae.  and they should own him only for their God. Moses told them long before, that the Lord their God was one Lord, Deut. 6.4. And Samuel told them they must serve him only, 1 Sam. 7.3. And this could not be, unless their heart was one: David who was an one-hearted man, said, Psal. 62.5. My soul wait thou only upon the Lord.  
2. One heart in regard of his worship, that should be pure, immixed, and one, Zach. 14.9. In that day shall there be one Lord, and his name one: by Name, Interpreters understand Worship, and that shall be one, and answerable shall be their hearts, Jer. 32.39.  
3. In respect of others: First the judgement shall be one, they shall agree together in fundamentals, and substantial points of faith, though there be differences in circumstantials, inferences, consequences, and points of inferior alloy, Phil. 4.2. they should 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, think the same things, be of the same mind.  
2. Their affections towards one another, Acts 4.32. The multitude of them believed, were of one heart and of one soul: By these words, One heart and one soul, Beza understands, Summa tum in doctrina tum in voluntatibus consensio; and he ●ells us, that in an old Copy he had, there were these words more added, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, there was no d●ff●rence, or controversy amongst them, they were united in judgement and affections, they had common faith, and common affection's; they believed the Gospel, and loved Christ's truth, and one another dearly.  
3. In their converse and practice together, they should be one hearted, Acts 2.46. they continued daily wi●h one accord in the Temple, and breaking bread from house to house, 
In rebus omnibus agendis. Ferus.  did eat their meat with gladness, and singleness of heart, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, Budaeus interprets of men, sine livore, their hearts were without envy, or other evils; they were single. In this sense chief, I conceive this one heartedness is to be taken, the union and harmony of their judgements, affections, and practices in spiritual things.  
Quest. When was this performed?  
Ans. Some think at their return from Babylon, they were one-hearted, and united in their judgements, affections, and practices, and some phrases in Scripture import it. Ezra. 1.5. Then risen up the chief of the Fathers of Judah and Benjamin, and the Priests, and the Levites, with all them whose spirit God had raised to go up, to build the House of the LORD, in Jerusalem. They had the same mind and affection to that good work, to build the House of the Lord, and Chap. 2.2 They came every one to his City. Chap 3.11. All the people shouted with a great shout when they praised the Lord, because the Foundation of the House of the Lord was laid. And Ch. 6.16. The children of Israel, the Priests and the Levites and the rest of the children of the Captivity kept the Dedication of the House of God with joy: These and such like passage●, give occasion to think that there was a fullfilling of this truth at that time: Others conclude it made good in the Apostles days, when the Beleivers were so united as you read of Acts. 2.42.44.46. Chap. 4.32. The Beleivers, yea the multitude of them, were of one heart and one Soul: Some are of judgement that its not yet accomplished, because there were great divisions, and contentions, among the Churches, in the Apostles times, 
The Stick of Joseph, and the Stick of Judah are not yet united, they were never yet since the division, made one Kingdom, Vers. 17, 18, 19, 21.  and therefore refer it to the calling of the Jews, when the two prophetical Mystical sticks mentioned, Ezek. 37.19.21.22.23. are united and made one Nation, and have David their King, ruling over them; then shall there be this one heartedness amongst them. If we should put it upon the times wherein those great and glorious things spoken of, Isa. 60. shall be given into the Church, we shall not much mistake: there God saith, I will make thine Officers peace, and thine exactors righteousness, violence shall no more be heard in thy Land, the Lord shall be unto them an everlasting light, and thy God, thy glory; thy people also shall be all righteous: Which time I suppose may fall in with the New Jerusalem, Deut. 21. in which should be no leanness, death, sorrow, crying, or pain; all things in it should be new, having the glory of God, Vers. 4, 5.  
Quest. 2. Whether this union, this one heartedness, be attaineable in this life? Some judge it impossible, that there should be one heartedness in judgement, affections, and practice, because of the difference of constitutions, natural abilities, corruptions, and temptations of men, and unequal dispensations of grace; and therefore refer it to our condition after this life?  
Ans. We must distinguish this one heartedness, it's either incomplete, and inchoative, which is to be had in this life, or complete and consummative, which is a piece of our happiness in Heaven; the Angels and Saints above enjoy the same perfectly; we who are here beneath, have it only in part. Though there be differences in the lesser things of Religion, yet we agree in the weighty things thereof, and are one hearted in them, and were there no possibility of being so, and being more and more so, the Lord would not here have promised it, nor the Apostle exhorted to it, 1 Pet. 3.8. Be you all of one mind, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, idem sentientes & consentientes: 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, are they qui, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, which think the same things, yea, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, comprehends as Gerard observes upon the place, Consensionem in fidei veritate & vitae sanctitate: Paul, 1 Cor. 1.10. prays, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, and to be perfectly joined together in the same mind, and in the same judgement, let there be no deficiency, no redundancy, but a sweet coherency, as in the members of the body: So Phil. 2.2. Be ye like minded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind: He would not only have them, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, not only 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, in sundry other places the Apostle exhorts unto it, 2 Cor. 13.11. Rom. 12.16. Chap, 15.5. And the Text saith Acts 4.32. That the Believers were of one heart and one soul; they were so united, that the Heathens were affected with their union, and said ordinarily of the Christians, 
Tertul. in Apol.  Vide ut se diligant, ut alter pro altero mori sunt parati: There were many bodies, not many souls, nor many hearts amongst them.  
There have been great differences and contentions amongst the Worthies of God, Paul with Peter, and Barnabas; Basil, with Eusebius; chrysostom, with Epiphanius; and Jerome with Ruffinus: But their differences have been rather in judgement, than affection; 
Incolumi amicitia.  and differences there may be without breach of friendship: Paul differed in judgement from the Jews, and other men, yet he became all things, to all, he was wonderful loving to all; or if the difference came to their wills, and affections; yet it provoked to love, rather than abated love, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, pro salute animarum, Heb. 10, 24. Neither did they differ in the great things of Religion; and had they, yet there might have been harmony in their affections and practice. The Thomists and Scotists, the Dominicans, and Jesuits, have their controversies, and differences; so the Churches of Spain, and Italy, have a great Controversy with those of France, about the infallible judgement in matters of Faith: The Italians and Spaniards affirm the Pope is that judge; the French deny it, and look upon him as liable to error, with other men; and subject to Schism, Heresy, and Deposure, by a general Council, and yet they hold together, in brotherly love and communion.  
Obser. 1 men's hearts of themselves are divided, multiplied, not one: physically, men have but one heart, morally, they have many, according to the number of their lusts in the number of their hearts; men have proud hearts, froward hearts, unclean hearts, covetous hearts, malicious hearts, bloody hearts, etc. Pliny saith, 
L. 11.37.  the Partridges of Paphlagonia have double hearts; and men have double, and triple hearts, Psal. 12.2. With a double heart do they speak: Hebrew it, with an heart and an heart, they had diversity of hearts: When the heart is separated from God, it falls upon the Creatures, and multiplies according to the objects it affects; so that no man in his natural condition, taken in a moral consideration, can have one heart, but many hearts, his heart is divided, and as he hath no agreement with God, so no●e with man, or himself.  
2. Oneness of heart is a great blessing, it's the fruit of the Covenant of grace, it's the first blessing here mentioned, it's joined with other great blessings: I will show you the good of it in some particulars.  
1. One heartedness in Christians rejoiceth the spirit of Christ, which is a spirit of love, peace, union, and is grieved with what is opposite to them, therefore Ephes. 4.30, 31. saith the Apostle, Grieve not the spirit of God: And how should that be prevented? Let all bitterness and wrath, and anger, clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice: Where these be, there are divisions, and the spirit is grieved; where these are not, there is one heartedness, and that rejoiceth the spirit: Spiritus res delicata, where tender hearts are, little breaches offend them, Isa. 63.18. They rebelled, and vexed his holy spirit.  
2. It greatly sweetens and contents the heart of man, when the will, affections, judgement, and conscience, are friendly and united the right way, 
When another's heart ●s as his own, Jonathan David, had one soul.  its heaven in the soul, Rom. 14.17. The Kingdom of Heaven is righteousness, peace, and joy: And Luke 17.21. The Kingdom of God is within you: When the heart is divided, then appear storms and troubles in the soul. When Christians are at variance, divided and not united in their judgements, affections, and practice, they have not that heavenly sweetness in them which otherwise they would have, James 3, 16. Where envy and strife is, there is confusion, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, unquietness, unheavenlinesse.  
3. It makes the Communion one w●th another delightful, acceptable, Psal. 133.1. Behold how good and how pleasant it is for Brethren to dwell together in unity: Where there is union of hearts, there is sweet communion; when the union is strongest, the communion is sweetest, as in the sacred Trinity: Acts 4.32. The Believers were of one heart, and of one soul: And Chap. 2.42. They continued steadfastly in the Apostles Doctrine, and fellowship, and breaking of bread, and prayers. Communion of those are one hearted, is a Box of precious and sweet ointment without Flies.  
4. It prevents all the evil comes by divisions, and contentions, which are great and many; I will name some few.  
1. Much time is lost, where contentions are, in janglings, brawlings and bitter expressions; we have woeful experience of it, in these days, both in men's preaching, printing, reading, conversing, and dispute. Time is precious, and the Apostle bids us redeem the time, Ephes. 5.16. Where one heartedness is, there is prevention of this great loss, Acts 2.46.47. The Christians there Continued daily with one accord in the Temple praising God.  
2. Where divisions are, there is seeking the disgrace, damage, if not the ruin of one another; there is plotting and practising to root out each other. Scribes, Pharises, high Priests, did not only disgrace Christ, and damage him several ways, but were restless till they had his blood. Gal. 5.15. Where strife is there is biteing, and devouring one another. But oneheartednesse prevents all these things, it never disgraceth, damnifieth or destroyeth any, 1 Cor. 13. It's full of love, and is kind, not envying, it doth not unseemly, it thinketh no evil, but beareth all things.  
3. They weaken much, and hinder the doing of much good; therefore it's the policy of Satan and his instruments, to make divisions in Kingdoms, Armies, Counsels, Cities, families, that so the good intended may not be accomplished. When hearts and heads are divided, hands are weakened, and the good can never be done in a contentious way, which may be done in a peaceable and loving way. When men are divided, their counsels, their motions, are oft destructive one to another. When a great River is divided into many Channels, her waters cannot carry such great vessels as before, nor be so serviceable. Where union is, there is strength; this made Antisthenes say, Fratrum inter se concordiam quovis mur● firmius esse munimentum. Agesilaus being asked why Lacedaemon had no walls, answered, pointing at the Ctizens who were unanimous and one hearted, Hi sunt Spartae maenia, intimating, that the agreement of Citizens is the greatest strength to a City. And 
In Apoptheg. regum. Vulg. Prov. 18.19. Reads it thus, Frater qui ad juvatur a fraire quasi civitas firma.  Plut: tells of old Scylurus who had 80 Sons, and he on his death bed gave them a bundle of Arrows, and bade them break them etc. If you agree you will be invincible, and do great things: if not, you will be weak and do nothing; Therefore Solomon Ecles. 4.9. saith, Two are better than one, there is more strength; and twenty are better than two, when they agree: Gen 11.6. The People is one, and nothing will be restrained from them, which they have imagined to do; being united, they were so strong to carry on that great work of building Babel, that none could hinder them, but God himself.  
4. Divisions grieve the weak, and harden the wicked, as you may observe, Rom. 14. But where oneheartednesse is, there is no grieving of the one, nor hardening of the other, that were a strange spirit, which should be offended at union, peace, and love of brethren. Psal. 133.2. The unity of Brethren, is like precious Ointment, which is pleasing to the weak, and softening to the hard heart, hence, Prov. 25.15. A soft tongue breaketh the bones.  
5. One heartedness, invites others unto that way where it is found, It's a pleasant and comely thing, to see Brethren dwell in unity. Men are affected with it, there is much beauty and mirth, in the harmony of hearts. The sweet peace and union was amongst the Christians in the primitive times, alured many to them; love unites and draws strongly. An Indian passing by the house of a Christian, where they were brawling and contending, said Habbomach dwells there, that was Satan, and wou●d not turn in: but where love, union, and peace is, there God dwells, 1 John 4.16. God is love, and dwells where love is. And that society which hath God in it hath the strongest argument to draw others to it, Zach. 8.23. Ten shall take hold of the skirt of a Jew saying, we will go with you, for we have heard that God is with you.  
6. It improves grace, and makes Christians thrive much, whereas jars, divisions, vain disputes, and wranglings, prejudice the lustre and growth of grace, if not the life; it's observed by some, that the power of godliness is greatly abated in many places, 
They give heed rather to questions, then godly difying, 1 Tim. 1.4.  and among many Christians in these divided times we live in; these waters of Marah have embittered their spirits, and quenched the graces of the spirit; so that the wholesome words of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the Doctrine which is according to godliness, are not so minded as formerly. In Winter the Trees put not forth, neither do the fruits of the Earth grow in stormy weather: In times of War things are greatly defaced, but when Winter's gone, Sun shines, then do all things flourish, and in days of peace things prosper. Where one heartedness is, this unity we speak of, there doth grace thrive among Christians. Where envyings, grudges, jealousies, strifes, oppositions, and rising, of spirits are among Christians, they are as Northern and Eastern winds to the Corn and fruits, they cause them to dwindle away, or to prove little and lank: 1 Cor. 8.1. If love edifieth, and builds up Christians, divisions pull down: when men are divided they seldom speak the truth in love, and then it doth little good; 
Acts 9.31.  when it's spoken in love, than Christians grow, and grow up into Christ, in all things, Ephes. 4.15.  
7. It furthers their Prayers; when men are all of one heart, there is much sweetness and strength in their prayers, Acts 4.24. They lift up their voice to God with one accord: all their hearts were as one heart, and Vers. 31. When they had prayed, the place was shaken, and they were all filled with the holy spirit: Here was a sweet and efficacious prayer, all their hearts were in the prayer, and all were filled with the holy spirit, Mat. 5.23, 24. If thou bring thy gift to the Altar, and there remember'st that thy brother hath aught against thee: leave thy gift, go, and fi●st be reconciled to thy brother, and then come and offer thy gift. Whilst divisions are amongst brethren, a prohibition lies against our sacrificing, but when there is peace and unity, than Heaven is open for acceptance of our prayers, 1 Cor. 7.5. Paul knew what an enemy Contention was to Divine duties; and therefore would not have married parties refrain the use of the marriage bed, without consent of each other; if it were upon will and humour, it would not further, but hinder their prayers: So in 1 Pet. 3.7. Husband's must dwell as men of knowledge with their Wives, honour them, though the weaker Vessels, look at them as coheires of the grace of life; and why? that their prayers be not hindered; if there be dissensions, their prayers will suffer; but if there be love, oneness of heart, their prayers will be more spiritual, fervent, and prevalent.  
8. It's an honour to the Lord Christ, that Christians do agree; they are members of his body, and its a disparagement to the head to have the members fall out, rend and tear one another; this makes Strangers speak, and think evil of the way of Christ; hereby he is dishonoured, but when there is one heart among his Disciples, when they love one another, and are peaceable, it's a glory to Christ, John 13.35. By this shall all men know that ye are my Disciples, if ye love one another. Christ would be known in the World, and have his Disciples known from all others; and How? By love. chrysostom observes, he saith not by Miracles and Wonders, men shall know you to be my Disciples; no, they are laid by, but by love: That is a glorious grace, it shows forth Christ, and who are his; it is not greatness of power, but greatness of love, which declares who are the Disciples of Christ, and which honour Christ, 1 John 3.10.  
9 Sympathy with each other; if there be one heartedness among men, what is the burden & comfort of the one, is the burden & comfort of the rest, as in marriage, the sorrows, are divided, and joys doubled which fall out to persons in that condition, and the reason is, because they are one flesh, & have quasi animam unam; So where there is oneness of heart, there is a choice sympathy, the blows, wounds, losses, griefs, infirmities of one, are the blows etc. of all the rest, when Peter, and John, had been imprisoned, brought before the council, threatened, they went to their one company and told them how they had been used, and they were affected with their sufferings, and fell to prayer with them, Acts. 4.23, 24. How sensible were the rich Christians of the poorers' burdens, pitying and relieving them, vers. 32. And when Peter was in Prison, the Church sympathized, Acts 12: But where this is wanting, I mean sameness or likeness of spirit, there will be a rejoicing at their sufferings, wrongs, and mournings or envying at their good: they are divided from others, too oft glory in the infirmities of others, and if God's hand be upon them or theirs, they say, it's a just judgement of God upon them for their judgements, opinions, and so add affliction, to the afflicted.  
10. What evidence of being in the covenant of grace, if their be not union of the heart within itself, union of it to God, and others? what satisfaction can a man have of his being in Covenant with God. Here this one heartedness is prefixed as the first thing we should look at; and so in Jerem. 32.39. I will give them one heart and one way. Men that want this one heartedness, cannot but suspect themselves, be jealous of their condi●ion; if it be not in some measure in us, inchoatively and te●ding to increase, we are not the Lords, 1 John 3.18, 19  
11. Makes willing to do one for another; how forward was Jonathan to speak and do, etc. Am●ntibus facile fit omne difficile; and the ground of it is, Cor est ubi amat non ubi animat.   

Helps to unite our hearts, or uniting Directions.  
1. Consider many things are darkly laid down in the Scriptures, and the scope of God and Christ therein, is not to cause contention, difference, and censuring: but to unite us more strongly in those things are clear, and to cause a forbearance of one another in things are dark and doubtful: Phil. 3.15, 16. If in any thing you be otherwise minded, God shall reveal even this unto you: Nevertheless whereto we have already attained, let us walk by the same rule, and let us mind the same thing. Saith Paul, I confide not in my own works or righteousness, but look at Christ alone; I labour to win Christ, and be found in him; I press after him and none but him, and mind nothing else at a means of Salvation; if any be otherwise minded through ignorance, or weakness of Faith (as many were, who affected Mosaical Rites and Ceremonies) God shall reveal even this unto you; he will make known the truth unto you; nevertheless, though there be differences, let us forbear one another therein, and whereto we have attained, let us walk harmoniously and peaceably together, minding the same things. 
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, notes the outward practice; 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, the consent of minds and judgements.  What is clear held out unto us in the Gospel, let us consent in, and walk answerably; in what is dark, doubtful, let us forbear each other, and stay till God reveal more. If we cannot unite in all, let us unite in what is clear. Things fundamental, and absolutely necessary, are clearlyest laid down in the Word; they are expressly commanded, or held forth in Scripture, whether they be matters of Faith or practice, they are not things drawn out by remote consequences, and strength of men's parts, but immediately from, or in, the Word, and in these most m●y, or do agree, not being many in number; so fare as we have attained in these, let us walk; and as King James saith, in other things, place may be given to Christian liberty; and let us take heed how we charge men to hold fundamental errors, when Fundamentals are few, Rom. 10.9. 1 John 4 2. and men's errors are Extrafundamentalls.  
2. Divine providence hath ordered it so, that there should be d fference and inequality in the naturals, and spirituals, of Christians, that so they may have a greater tendency and fitness for union, as in a ship, or house, all pieces of timber must not be of the same length, height, and breadth; but differing; that so they may fit their several places, and conduce to make up a more goodly fabric: so among men, some have great natural, and spiritual abilities, some lower degrees of both, some lesser than they; and this is the will and wisdom of divine providence, so to dispense, and dispose, that all may fitly fall in together, and make the more glorious structures for Heaven, John tells you Ephes 2.13. of Fathers, young men, and little children, who differed in their naturals and spirituals, yet lived lovingly and peaceably together, and made up a Church for Christ. If we quarrel because there be differences of judgement amongst us, we cross the intent of divine providence, and quarrel with that, which hath so dispensed his gifts and grace, 
Strong have need of the weak, rich of the poor, Ephes. 4.16. Every joint supplieth something.  and given them out unequally. When we see one man white, another black, one tall, another low; shall we quarrel because both are not white, both of one equal height; one hath sore eyes, another sound, the veil is fully drawn off one's heart, half way off another's; and this is the Lords doing, it is that we may the better join together.  
3. Seek the good one of another, and that indifferently, selvishnesse and partiality undo and divide; they have private ends, ways, means, and move upon sinister respects: whereas if we had more selfe-denying, impartial, and public spirits to mind the welfare of others, we should quickly attain to some good degree of this oneness of heart, 1 Cor. 10.24. Let no man seek his own, but every man another's wealth: It's not a flat prohibition from seeking a man's own good, 
Rom. 15.2. Let every one of us please his neighbour for his good.  but he should rather seek the good of others, then of himself; as Paul did, Vers. 33. I seek not mine own profit, but the profit of many: If this were in practice, it would let in our hearts and spirits into the bosoms of others, and make us one hearted with them, Phil. 2.20. Paul speaking of Timothy, who sought the good of the Philippians, saith, I have no man like minded; the word is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, which some render, Pari animo praeditum; some, Tam unanimem; but the word notes, Eum qui aequalis sit animi; so that Timothy and the Philippians were aequ●nimes; his heart, his soul was in theirs, and equal, yea one with theirs; and what then? Who will naturally care for their estate; the workings of his soul for their good, were like the workings of a Father towards his Children natural, which are most strong, constant, and delightful; when men's hearts are equal too, one with the hearts of others, they act naturally for their benefit, but when men seek the hurt of others, black their names, greaten their infirmities, catch advantages against them, they are unnatural, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, & 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, men of other, and bitter spirits.  
4. Lay aside the wisdom of the flesh, and exalt the wisdom of the spirit; fleshly wisdom makes and maintains divisions, Rom. 8.7. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉. It's enmity against God, and all the ways of God, it subjects not to them, neither can do it, but opposes continually. And as it hinders union with God and his ways, so it doth with the Children of God, it keeps them from one heartedness, it makes breaches, and maintains them made; it was such wisdom separated Paul and Barnabas, and kept them, being separated, at a distance. The flesh y mind puffes up, and so the heart cannot lie even with another's; 
Col. 2.18.  but spiritual wisdom is of another nature, Prov. 12, 18. The tongue of the wise is health, others tongues are like the peircing of a Sword, they wound: but the spiritual wise they heal wounds, make up breaches, they pacify wrath, even the wrath of great ones, Prov. 16.14. Men think themselves wise in these days, but what is the wisdom of most, is it not such James speaks of? Earthly, sensual, devilish, because it's joined with Bitterness, envying, strife, see James, 3.14.15. And then he tells you the nature of spiritual Wisdom, vers. 17. That is from abov●, first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be entreated, full of mercy, and good fruits, without partiality, and hypocrisy. There is nothing in it but what tends to oneness of heart, its Pure, there is no mixture of fleshly wisdom in it, its Peaceable, averse from contention, studious of peace, Gentle, and easy to be entreated, not harsh and self willed, but pliable to that is good, Full of mercy and good fruits, It's ready to help and do for others in their necessities, Without partiality, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉. without wrangling, judging, Without hypocrisy, its real in what it doth.  
5. Humility, where that is it draws the heart of God to it, Isa. 57.15. God dwells with the humble spirit, and surely it will gain the hearts of men to it Prov. 29.23. A man's pride will bring him low, 
Mat. 18.4. The humblest man is the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven.  it will make God and man against him, But honour shall uphold the humble in spirit, both God and man will support, speak well of, do good to and close with him: its pride only, chiefly that makes contentions, Prov. 13, 10. men's lusts lift them up, divide themselves, and cause divisions amongst others, therefore James, 4.1. From whence come Wars and fightings amongst you, Come they not hence, even of your lusts, that war in your members? Proud men have many lusts and much war▪ and when they agree not with themselves, how can they agree with others? we should therefore purify our hearts from such lusts, 
Vers. 8.10.  and humble ourselves in the sight of the Lord, and then our hearts would close better. It's men's proud lusts that dissolve union, that make War, and breed confusion, blind men's eyes, and engage them in errors: but the humble man that hath had his heart broken, and hath let them out, he is readyest to unite with others, he stands not upon his will, his credit, he hath low thoughts of himself, and high of others: Hence Paul bids the Collossians, put on bamblenesse of mind Chap. 3.12. & 1 Pet. 5.5. Peter bids them Be clothed with humility, that is the most becoming garment and least offensive of any. The man walks with that garment on will not wrong any man in thought, word, or deed; he judges not others, but himself; he bears the burden and infirmities of men, and so gains upon and gets interest in the hearts of others.  
6. Consider we are brethren, called and pressed unto peace and mutual agreement in the Gospel. Moses thought the name brethren, sufficient to reconcile the t●o struggling Hebrews, Acts 7.26. Sirs ye are Brethren, what your hearts, heads, and hands divided? think how near you are, and how dear you should be one to another. The word brethren should draw our hearts together, and make us desirous of peace. 1 Tim 6.1.2. Servants must not despise their Masters, but count them worthy of all Honour, because they are brethren. And we should not desp●se and contend one with another, because we are brethren, endued with divine nature, and brethren of Christ. Heb. 2.12. The Prince of peace, Isa 9.6. Partakers of the Gospel of peace, Ephes. 6.15. And are called of God to peace, 1 Cor. 7.15. 
Col. 3. 1●.  And its peace that we are pressed unto, Rom. 14.19. Let us follow after the things that make for peace, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, 2 Tim. 2. 2●. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, Heb. 12.14. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, We should p●rsue peace with all men, but especially with those are our brethren in Christ; they make up the body of Christ, in which the spirit of Christ lives, therefore Ephes. 4.3. Paul counsels them, to K●●pe the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace, the Spirit hath united men to Christ, and its peace, is the bond whic● keep●s the Spirit ●mo●g them: When the Corinthians broke the bond of pea●e saying, I am of Paul etc. the Apostle told them, they we●e carnal not spiritual. Chap. 3.1. There should be no strife among Brethren, but this, Viz. Who should be most loving and peaceable.   

Preservatives of One heartedness:  
1. Look much at the gifts, graces, and excellencies be in others, not their weaknesses and imperfections, let the b●ight side of the cloud be in your eyes, not the black side, and this will krepe your hearts united, Peter eyed the like precious faith which was in the Christians, with his and other Apostles, 2 Pet. 1.1. And John takes special notice of the graces were in the Fathers, young men, little children, in the elect Lady, and Gaius, and that kept his heart united to them: when men's persons, parts, or graces, are slighted, it breaks the bond of peace, divides hearts and spirits. The Apostle bids us honour all men, 1 Pet. 2.17. Esteem them if their be any worth in them, take notice of it, and honour them answerably, if there be great sins and weaknesses in th●m, are they greater than thine own, If they be or be not, grieve for them, be not angry with them.  
2. Lay aside all provoking, dividing names, terms and speeches. Those names of Petrians, Paulians, Johanites, in the primitive times did hurt; which Epiphanius observing would not give way that there should be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, any name added to the Christian name. Those names of Lutheran, Swinglian, Calvinist, bred divisions among the Protestants; and surely discriminating names have made divided hearts among us, so reproaching and bitter words have kindled a fire which might be put out, if all men had such spirits as Calvin had, who professed if Luther should call him Devil, yet would he have a dramatic esteem of him, and acknowledge him a worthy Servant of the Lords; If we would have our hearts kept in a firm union, we must use soft tongues, and gentle words, Prov. 15.1.12.25.  
3. Ever make the best construction of men's words and actions; that will preserve peace and oneness of heart; when other interpretations are put upon the words and actions of men, than were intended, this sows the seed oft times of bitter contentions, and great evils, John 2.19.20. with Mat. 26.61. Christ speaks there of the Temple of his Body, the Jews interpret it of the Temple that was 46. Years a building, and bring it in against Christ, as matter worthy of death. If we shall force the words, or acts of others, and fetch senses, intentions, out of them, which the Authors aimed not at, we shall never maintain peace with any.  
4. Get much love and excercise it; that makes hearts one, and preserves them being one, 1 Sam. 18.1. Jonathan loved David at his own Soul, so vers. 3. David loved Jonathan as his own soul; they two had as it were one heart and one soul, If there were love among us, it would cover a multitude of sins, and not discover one, it would make up breaches past, 
Ephes. 4.2. Forbear one another in love.  and prevent breaches for the future. The very nature of love consists in union, Amans est in amato, He that loves lives in the loved, the heart of the loved is his habitation: and love is very forward to do any kindness for those it relates to. That Chapter 1 Cor. 13. had need be new studied in these divided times. What ever the knowledge of faith be, if we have not love, the text saith We are nothing. He saith not, we are little, but plainly we are nothing. Many among us are very bitter, uncharitable, and go among men for some things, and some bodies, but in the judgement of God they are nothing; if you have little love, you are little ones, if great love, great ones, if no love, nothing: Its love that Christ specially looked at, and called for, in Peter, Peter lovest thou me more than these etc. Christ measures men by their love; and no marvel, love is the ful●fi●ling of the law, Gal. 5.14. And if we serve one another by love and fulfil the law where can the breach be made, how can the offence come in? love behaves not itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil; this grace binds a man to his good behaviour; and will keep peace with all men: hence is it that whereas once we are bid Above all things to take the shield of faith, we are twice bid above all things to put on love, 1 Pet. 4.8. & Col. 3.14. Which is the bond of perfectness, That is both in regard of man and G d, l●ve knits the members of Christ together, and so perfects his body, it unites us to God, and so causeth the perfecting of Divine love in us, 1 Job. 4.12. If we love one another God dwelleth in us and his love is perfected in us. v. 17.  
5. Be willing to le●rne one of another, that will endear our hear●s each to other, and keep them in oneness: The Scribes and Pharisees thought they knew the Law, better than Christ, they would not learn of him, and so never hearty closed with him, but were peremptory in their own opinions, and tenacious of traditions, and by this means were enemies to truth, and those were one-hearted in the truth, Col. 3.16. They were to teach and admonish one another, yea they must say to Archippus, take heed to the Ministry which thou hast received of the Lord, that thou fulfil it: Their willingness to learn one of another, preserved them in order; and those that do teach, should willingly and meekly instruct, those that do oppose, if God peradventure will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth, 2 Tim. 2.24.25. For the promise is, Isa. 29.24. That those have erred in spirit shall come to understanding, and they that murmured shall learn doctrine.  
6. See God's presence and nearness to us; that's a means to preserve us in an one hearted condition, when the Master is present the servants are quiet, and keep so, James, 5.9. Grudge not one against another brethren, lest ye be condemned, and what should prevent this, and keep them in brotherly love, Behold the judge standeth before the door, he is ready to come in, to examine you throughly, what the differences are, what the words, acts, thoughts are; he is in you all, through you all, observes every rising of the spirit, all workings there; and above you all; and will reckon with you.   

Inducements to Oneheartednesse, are these:  
1. That great Apostle Paul saith to the Ephes. Chap. 4.3, 4, 5, 6. Endeavour to keep the unity of the spirit: And why? There is one body, one spirit, one hope, one Lord, one Faith, one Baptism, one God and Father of all: Here be seven ones, and every one a strong argument to move to unity and oneheartednesse: One body orderly united; they were one body, Propter externam visibilem, & ordinalem conjunctionem, quam in Ecclesia sua habebant tanquam membra in corpore. Estius: One spirit, which inliven●, inlightens, strengthens, sanctifies, comforts; and this spirit is not contrary to itself, but one and the same, a spirit of love and peace; one hope among you of immortality, glory, and eternal excellencies: one Lord Christ who rules over you, whose servants you are; one Faith, one Christ, that you believe in, one rule that you walk by: one Baptism, you are all baptised in the Name of the Father, Son, and holy Ghost, one God and Father, there is but one God whom ye serve, and he is the Father, you are his Children in his Family; will you fall out? if you were of divers Families, had divers Fathers, divers Gods, that might be excusable.  
2. Christ hath taken our nature upon him, and as to unite Man and God together, so to unite Man and Man together in himself: Hence Gal. 3.28. Ye are all one in Christ Jesus: and Rom. 8.17. Joynt-heires with Christ: and Ephes. 2.6. Said to sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus: This should move us to live and love, as those have such high privileges by Christ; and it's observed, Christ being united to us, bears with more in us, than we can with one another; when we are in that condition as we can endure one another no longer, I mean dead, and must be buried out of the sight of the living, Christ then is united to our corrupt bodies; when Lazarus lay stinking in the grave, Christ loved him.  
3. If you love them be of your own opinion only, and love you, what do you more than others, than Pharisees, than Publicans, Matth. 5.46. If you love them which love you, what reward have ye? do not even Publicans, the worst of men, the same? and if you salute your Brethren only, what do you more than others? Publicans do it, all sorts will do that, and know, if you be one with men, and love them because they are of your opinion, it is the opinion, and not the men you love; if of another opinion, than you cannot close with them and love them, but Christ would have you do more than others, more than Publicans, he would have you Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them that despitefully use you and persecute you: Why can you not love men have the same graces with you, as well as the same opionions with you?  
4. It's the fulfilling of a Prophecy, Isa. 11, 6, 7, 8, 9 By Wolf, Leopard, Lion, Bear●, and Asp, are meant, Frenzy, Choleric, Strong, Rigid, and Hurtful men; by Lamb, Kid, Calf, Cow, and Ox, the weak, meek, laborious, and useful; and these should dwell together, eat together, and lie down together; their natures should be so altered by the Gospel and spirit of Christ, that the fiercest should be as meek as a Lamb, and live in peace with the rest of the Believers, they should come to the state of innocency, in which no creature should have preyed upon another, but all have lived harmoniously and sweetly together; so should it be under Christ, Vers. 9 They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy Mountain, there shall be no hurting nor destroying in the whole Church. The Jews because they see not this fulfilled among us Christians, take offence, and say, that therefore Christ is not yet come; that our Christ was not the true Christ; for yet the Lion tears, the Wolf devours, etc. A sad thing to cause Jew's to deny Christ, and to blaspheme, because we are like Lions, Bears, Wolves to one another. Let us remember the Prophecy in Z●ph. 3.9.  
5. Consider what oneness of spirit is amongst the enemies of God.  
1. Devils; Seven Devils dwelled together peaceably in Mary Magdalen, Mark 16.9. a Legion in another, Luke 8.30. The man was unquiet, but the Devils were very quiet in him; though hundreds yet there was no dissension: The Devil's Kingdom is an undivided Kingdom, Matth. 12.26. and all the Devils in the World drive on the same design unanimously, they all seek to hinder the conversion, comfort, and salvation of sinners, they all labour to draw men to perdition.  
2. Wicked men, Mahumetans are of one heart in their Mahumetanisme: Papists, what a multitude of Orders & differences among them, & yet all are onehearted in popery & superstition, Revel. 13.3, All the World wondered after the Beast, and worshipped the Dragon and the Beast: Herod, Pilate, the Gentiles, and people of Israel, were gathered together against Christ, Acts 4.27. And when they built Babel the people were one, Gen. 11.6. Read Psal. 83. from the 3. to the 9 shall wicked men and Devils be one hearted, one spirited, in sinful practices, in false ways, and shall not those be godly?  
6. Where oneness is not, there will be divisions and offences, as amongst the Corinthians, they were the most divided Church we read of, and their offences did most abound: and how sad it is to offend any belong to Christ, hear Christ himself telling you, Matth. 18.6. Who so shall offend one of these little ones, which believes in me, it were better for him that a Millstone were hanged about his neck, and that he were drowned in the depth of the Sea: So heinous a thing is it in the eye of God, that a man were better die any death then offend the godly, the meanest of the godly, what then if he offend the greatest and most of the godly; it were better a great Millstone were hanged about his neck, and he, etc. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, such a stone as Asses and Horses drew, a great Millstone.  
7. The Lord Christ may own them at last day, for sheep, whom you look upon and carry yourselves towards like goats, and those he may judge sound sheep, you have judged infected: and what shame will that be to these, have so foully mistaken; the Pharisees thought themselves skilful in the law, and judged the people cursed that followed Christ closest, Job. 7.49. but those People were dear to Christ. When the blind man saw, and saw more than the Pharisees, they cast him out, but Christ received him, Joh. 9 So, many that now are cast out, as factious, seditious, erroneous, schismatical, ere long Christ will own; and then how will they blush have reproached them, persecuted them, judged them unworthy of any liberty or being amongst them: God takes the foolish to confound the wise, the weak to confound the mighty, the base, despised, and things which are not, to bring to nought things which are: 1 Cor. 1.27.28.  
8. Where unity is amongst the Saints, there the presence of the Lord Christ is, Matth. 18.20. Where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them, Where there is most unity there God delights most to be: Jerusalem was as a City compact together, Psal. 122.3. had God's presence in a special manner, and it represented the Church under the Gospel, which when it's fitly framed together then it's an habitation for God, Ephes. 2, 21.22. The Curtains of the Tabernacle where God was present must be coupled together, Exod. 26.3. The hearts of men must be knit together, if they would have God and Christ among them. The Jews affis me, that where two sit together (that is agreed having one heart) and speak of the law, divinitas habitat inter ipsos.  
I shall end this point, with that of Paul. Phil. 2.1.2. If there be therefore any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the spirit, if any bowels and mercies, fulfil ye my joy, that ye be like minded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind.  
Obser. 3 This one heartedness is the gift of God, not the work of man, I will give them one heart, they cannot make their hearts one, but I can, it's a work not to be accomplished by force of man, but by the free grace of God: Jer. 32.38.39. They shall be my people and I will be their God, and I will give them one heart, and one way: When God, is God in covenant with a People, then will he freely give and work this oneheartednesse, he doth not force it, but freely work it. Men attempt by compulsory acts, to make men differing in principles and practices, to be one hearted, and to go one way, but such attempts seldom take any good effect; men's judgements and consciences will not be forced. Bodinus in his fourth Book of his Commonwealth, saith judiciously; If a Prince persuaded of the truth of his Religion, would draw his Subjects thereunto, being divided into Sects and Factions, he must not therein use force (for the minds of men, the more they are forced, the more froward and stubborn they are, and the greater punishments that shall be inflicted upon them, the less good is to be done; the nature of man being commonly such, as may of itself be led to like of any thing, but never be enforced so to do) but without fainting to profess his Religion, devoutly serving the Almighty God, whereby he shall turn the wills and minds of his Subjects unto the imitation and admiration of himself. Theodosius the Elder, who found all the Provinces of his Empire at the beginning of his Reign, full of Arrians, whose strength and power was so grown and increased under three or four Arrian Emperors their favourers, as that their Doctrine was not only by eight Counsels confirmed, held at Tyre, Sardis, Syrme, Milan, Seleucia, Nice, Tarsis, Ariminum, (where six hundred Bishops were of their opinion, and but three of name, which held the contrary) but that they jpunished also others their adversaries, of opinion contrary to themselves, with confiscations, proscriptions, and other most grievous punishments, yet would not this good Emperor, either force, or punish the Arrians, though he deadly hated them, but granted unto both the Arrians, and other the Catholics, their Churches, and suffered them in every Town to have two Bishops, of either Religion one, and though at the importunate suit of the Catholic Bishops, he commanded certain Edicts to be published against the Arrians, yet he was contented to have the same held in suspense, and not to be put in execution, as his Letters to Ambrose declare, Trade Arrianis Basilicam, mei namque sunt omnia juris. Theodorick King of the Goths, though favouring the Arrians, would not yet enforce the consciences of his Subjects, nor have them tormented for their Religion, lest under the pretence of impiety, he should have seemed to have taken the spoil of their goods; to bend their minds, which could by no threats or commands be constained to bend; for thus he writes unto the Senate of Rome, Religionem imperare non possumus quia nemo cogitur ut credat invitus: He saith also, No man is to be forced, the private exercise of his Religion is to be yielded, if it cannot be publicly professed without Sedition, otherwise men will become Atheists, and so having lost the fear of God, and trod under foot Laws and Magistrates, will practise all impieties and villainies. Mr. Forbes being sent for to the King of Sweden, when he was victorious, and asked by him what Government he should set over Lutherans, Calvinists, Papists, whom he had Conquered; his answer was, You have Conquered their bodies with ease, but you will find it a hard work to conquer men's judgements and consciences. What ill effects the forcing of men's spirits brought forth, you may read in that learned and judicious Treatise of Sir Simon D' Ewes, entitled, The Primitive practice for preserving Truth.  
You know who said it, in things of the mind, we look for no compulsion, bu● that of light, and reason.  
He is not a loving Father, but rather a stepfather, who will compel his Children to eat of that meat is against their stomaches, when there are variety of dishes to feed upon, which are suitable to them. Wise Physicians persuade, do not force their Patients to take Physic: It's good to cure errors be in men's minds, 
The conscience is not obstinate, which useth means to know truth. If God hid it from, it liveth under the power of conscience, and is not turbulent.  and to save their souls, but in God's way, James 5.19. by conversion, not by compulsion, by the power of the Word, not the edge of the Sword, this makes Hypocrites, that Saints.  
These things I speak, not to make way for licentiousness, that what ever opinions me● hold, think, say, or practice, they may be free: but merely, that consciences truly tender, may not be forced. It's one thing to restrain men's practices which are Idolatrous, blasphemous, against pure worship, the power of god inesse, and peace of the State; another to force men to that their judgement and consciences are against. I pleaded not ever for a Toleration of all, neither do, but only that those whose lives are holy, peaceable, and differ in judgement from others in some things, may not be forced to conform or departed.   

Ezek. 11.19. I will put a new Spirit within you.  
The word Spirit notes sometimes, the Soul, Acts 7.59. saith Stephen, Lord Jesus receive my Spirit, 2 Cor. 7.1. Let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of flesh and spirit. Sometimes for the heart and affections, 1 K. 21.5. Why is thy Spirit so sad, said Jezabel to Ahab; that is, why is thy heart so heavy, Acts. 17.16. Paul, his Spirit was stirred within him, when he saw their Idolatry, his affections moved him to speak and dispute with them. Sometimes, for the faculties of the soul, Viz. Understanding, will, and conscience, 1 Thes. 5.23. I pray God your whole Spirit and Soul, and body be preserved blameless. By whole spirit, the understanding, will and conscience, may be meant: Pro. 18.14. A wounded Spirit, who can bear, that is, a wounded conscience; Sometimes, for the gifts and graces of the spirit, Gal. 3.2. Received ye the Spirit by the works of the Law, or by the hearing of faith.   

New.  
Is in Scripture sometime, that which is totally new for matter, Deut. 20.5 A new H●use, Judges 15.13. New ways, 1 Sam. 6.7. A new cart, 1 K. 11.29. A new Garment. Sometimes, for that is renewed, 2 Chron. 20.5. Jehoshaphat stood before the new Court, that is judged to be the Priests Court renewed in its building, or use, after some public profanation; so it's called a new Shipp or Garment, that are altered and changed. Sometime, for that is excellent, and admirable, Mar. 1.27. What new Doctrine is this? its admirable and excellent doctrine, so the New Name, Rev 2.17. Chap. 3.12. That is, an excellent and admirable name. Sometimes, for that is divers from what it was before, especially in regard of qualities, Mar. 16.17. They shall speak with new tongues, which Acts. 2.4. are called other tongues, tongues which had other gifts and graces in them  
By new Spirit here is not meant a new Soul, or faculties, for substance or the inward form of it, but the same soul altered in the frame, renewed in the qualities thereof: it hath other excellent qualities in it, which it had not before; even the gifts and graces of the spirit; hence it's called the new birth, or birth of the spirit, John. 3.6. The new man, Ephes. 4.24. The new creature, Gal. 6.15. Not only faith and love mentioned, Gal. 5.6. But all divine qualities man is capable of, are included in this new spirit.  
1. The understanding is enlightened, with divine light which it had not before, Acts 26.18. To open the eyes and to turn them from darkness to light. The Gentiles were blind before God gave them this new spirit, which brought new lights unto their minds, Ephes. 4.18. Having the understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their hearts: but when they had put on the new man, vers. 24. in the next Chap. vers. 8. Paul saith of them Ye were sometimes darkness but now are light in the Lord, the Lord by his spirit had brought in marvelous light into their understandings, and scattered their darknesses; this Paul calls Gods shining into the heart, 2 Cor. 4.6. John, Christ's giving an understanding 1 John 5.20. and Luke, an opening of the understanding, Luke 24.45. all which phrases, as they suppose oldness of darkness, so a renewing of the understanding with newness of light, and this light is the light of life, John 8.12. brought into the soul by the spirit of wisdom and revelation, Ephes. 1.17, 18.  
2. This new spirit hath influence into the will, and altars that which in itself is corrupt, and carrieth the soul the wrong way, 
John 1.13. Will of the flesh is put for the whole corruption of nature.  Ephesians 2.3. Fulfilling the desires of the flesh, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, The wills of the flesh: Paul acknowledgeth nothing to be in the wills of men naturally, but fleshly corruption, and whatsoever that put them upon, that they did, and with delight, fulfilling the wills of the flesh, but when this new spirit comes, it altars the will, breaks the principle of stubbornness in it, purges the pollution and corruption out of it, and makes it pliable unto the will of God, Ezek. 36.27. I will put my spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my Statutes: God's spirit will so alter our spirits, so transform and renew them, that they shall be inclined to, and carried on, in the obeying of Divine Statutes: Before, they went on in the ways of sin, with strength, constancy, and delight; now they move with new strength, constancy and delight, in that which is good; this new spirit bows the will to the Law of righteousness; so that it obeys and commands well.  
3. The affections are renewed, Ezek. 36.26. A new heart also will I give you: That is, your affections which are now corrupt and inordinate, shall be changed and regulated; they shall of sinful, be made holy; of earthly, be made heavenly; of unrighteous, become righteous; Ephes. 5.9. The fruit of the spirit is in all goodness, righteousness, and truth: When the spirit of Christ comes and makes our spirits new, there is truth for the understanding, goodness for the will, and righteousness for the affections; and Gal. 5.22, 23. the fruits of the spirit refer most to the affections, as Love, joy, long-suffering, gentleness, meekness, temperance: Now the old affections, and lusts of the flesh are crucified, Gal. 5.24. and the new affections are set on things above, Col. 3.2.  
4. The conscience is renewed; before, it's defiled, and acts according to that false or dim light, is in the understanding; but when this new spirit comes in, the conscience is awakened, purged, and acts upon Divine grounds, Heb. 10.22. Having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience: the holy Ghost, like water which washeth away the filth of the body, cleanseth the conscience from the blindness, impurity, and deadness which are in it; so that it being endued with new qualities becomes a pure, 2 Tim. 1.3. and good conscience, 1 Tim. 1.5. and acts new, not in a natural, but sanct●fied manner.  
5. The memory is renewed and made able to retain good things before like a Streiner, it lets the Milk go, and kept the hairs and draff; like a Boulter, it let the fine flower go, and keeps the bran, but having a new quality in it, its retentive of good, 1 Cor. 15.2. Ye are saved by the Gospel if you keep in memory what I have Preached; they had memories in●bled to do it: many a poor soul that is converted, when it comes to practice, remember truths better than those of able memories.  
These renewing and refining qualities make up the new man, and here are called a new spirit.  
Spirit.  
1. Because they are from the spirit, that is the author of them, John 3.6. That which is borne of the spirit, is spirit: It hath the qualities and graces of the spirit, the spirit begets its own likeness in the soul, as a Father doth in the body.  
2. In opposition to the flesh, these new qualities are contrary to those of corrupt nature, which the Scripture calls Flesh, and therefore fitly called Spirit, Gal. 5.17. The flesh lusteth against the spirit, and the spirit against the flesh.  
3. For that they make us spiritual, they have such operations in us, and honours us with such a denomination, 1 Cor. 2.15. He that is spiritual judgeth all things.  
4. Because they are chief seated in the most spiritual part of a man, the soul and faculties of it are the subject thereof.  
New.  
1. In opposition to the old corruptions were in man before, which the Scripture calls the Old man, Ephes. 5.22. Put off the old man, which is corrupt: And Vers. 23. Be renewed in the spirit of the mind, and put on that new man which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness: Here it's called the new man (which is the same with the new spirit) in oppoisition to the old man.  
2, For that it comes a new way into man, had not Adam sinned, we should not have needed such Ordinances as now we have, to work this new spirit in us; it's not by generation but regeneration, it's not from nature, art, afflictions, Ordinances, but the spirit in Ordinances.  
3. Because it's wrought anew in us; no man hath aught of this new spirit in him naturally, but an old and contrary spirit, Rom. 8.7. The wisdom of the flesh is enmity to God: This is totally new wrought, and therefore is called a Creation, Ephes. 4.24.  
4. From the effect, it makes us new, 2 Cor. 5.17. If any man be in Christ, he is a new creature, 1 Pet 2.2. These endued with this new spirit are called new borne babes.  
5. Because it's ever vigorous, fresh and lively, not decaying, so I find the words new interpreted by a late Divine, and applied to the new man, and he thinks the new Heavens, and the new Earth spoken of, 
Mr. Balls in his Covenant of grace, p. 195.  Isa. 65.17.66.22. Rev. 21.1. (Whatsoever is meant by them) that the title new seems to import the admirable excellency and continuance thereof, never to alter or decay; but to remain before the Lord.  
Quest. Whether was this promise fulfiled among the Jews, or in times of the Gospel.  
Answ. Many of the Fathers refer the fullfilling of it unto the times of the Gospel; but it being primarily made unto the Jews, we have just cause to think that it was in part fulfiled amongst them, after their return from Babylon; so gracious a promise being given out by God, made known by Ezekiel, it's not likely they would neglect, having been so soarly afflicted in Babylon; but would improve, and press the Lord for the accomplishment of it, and without dispute, many of them had this new spirit, for after they came again to Jerusalem, they had such a hatred of Idols, and love to truth, that they stood out to death for the law, and religion of their God, as it recorded in the Maccabee.  
Quest. 2. Whither is this new Spirit given, or wrought all at once.  
Answ. This new spirit, consists in those new qualities which are put into man, and the several qualities are wrought in at once, but they are wrought up by degrees, A man hath all graces at once in semine, radice, habitu, and this grace is called The Law in the mind, Rom. 7.22, the Law written in the heart, Hebr. 8.10. The Divine nature, 2 Pet. 1.4. Christ form in us. Gal. 4.19. The inward man, Rom. 7.23. Seed. 1 Joh. 3, 9 Now this seed, this inward man, this Christ, this Divine nature, are growing, this law receives addition, 2 Pet. 3.18. Grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. 2 Cor. 4.16. The inward man is renewed day by day, There is an addition of more strength, more degrees are added to those new qualities, the inward man grows stronger and better: So Chap. 3.18. We are changed into the same image, from glory to glory: When men are changed, and this new spirit is put into them, it is glory; and there is a Progress in this glory, they go from one degree of glory to another.  
Obser. 1 1. This new spirit is a great mercy, it's a renewal of the Image of God in a man, knowledge, righteousness, 
Rom. 8 8. They that are in the flesh cannot please God.  and true holiness, Col. 3.10. Ephes. 4.24. It's that makes a man good, and acceptable to God, it was the holy Ghost and Faith, made Barnabas a good man Acts 11.24. Till a man have some new qualities in him, this new spirit, he is flesh, displeasing unto God, Joh. 3.6. That which is borne of the flesh is flesh, and that which is borne of the spirit is spirit, and so acceptable to God, than the tree is good, and the fruit good also, Matth, 7.17.18, 
It's that sets us at liberty, this new spirit is not a spirit of bondage, but of liberty, 2 Cor. 3.17. not of fear, but love, power, and of a sound mind, 2 Tim. 1.7.  It's that weakens and wastes sin in us 2 Cor. 5.17. If any man be in Christ he is a new Creature, old things are passed away. Old customs, practices, principles, corruptions, they are decaying, the old leaven is purging out: It's an argument of God's love in the Covenant of grace towards a sinner, and evidence that thou art in that Covenant, it's the promise of the new Covenant, to give this new spirit: It's that makes us honourable and glorious, When we have this new spirit we are partakers of the divine nature, and borne of God; 1 John. 3.9. And that's honourable, v. 1. and glorious, 2 Cor. 3.18. It's a choice comfort to the man that hath it, more than thousands of silver and gold, more than a world to him, no such comfort to him as this, its life, Luke, 16.24. This my Son was dead, and is alive again. The dead prodigal when he had this new spirit had a new life, and this was a sweet, a great comfort to him, to his Father, to others; It's that gives you title to the Kingdom of Heaven, John, 3.5. Verily verily I say unto you except a man be borne of water etc.  
How doth this new spirit act and discover itself in that man where it is?  
Answ. 1. It begets a noble ingenuity in the Soul, to maintain the condition it puts into, it will shun whatever is contrary to it, or offensive to the Lord who gave it, 1 John, 3.18, Whosoever is borne of God sins not, but keeps himself, and that wick-one toucheth him not, he hath a nobleness of Spirit and keeps himself from sin and Satan; the things they propound are too low for him, too base. Joseph said, How can I do this great wickedness and sin against God? Gen. 39.9. Nehemiah 6. chap. 11. Should such a man as I flee. So saith the man endued with this new Spirit, should such a man as I sin? God hath made me spiritual, and I will not embase myself to carnal things. 1 Pet. 1.14. Not fashioning yourself according to the former lusts.  
2. A strong impression made upon the soul, so that it cannot but follow after Christ; before, the heart could not but look downwards, pursue the Creature, but now it doth the contrary, Acts, 26.18. To open their eyes and to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God: when the turn is once made, they cannot but mind the light, and follow after God, and Christ, when Elijah threw his mantle upon Elishah, he had such an impress made upon his spirit, that he must leave all, and follow him. The Needle is unquiet till it come to the Northern point: so a soul t●ll it come to Christ when it's anointed with these new qualities etc.  
3. Seethe every thing with a new eye, there is divine light, the light of life in the soul, John, 8.12. And the life of God, Ephes. 4.18. Before they are alienated from it, but now having this new spirit, they partake of it and not only live the life of God but look upon things as God doth, they see sin exceeding sinful, Rom, 7.13. Grace to be free, glorious, exceeding rich, and abundant, Ephes. 1.6. Chap. 2.7.8, 1 Tim. 1.14, They beheld Christ in another manner then ever before, 2 Cor. 5.16, Henceforth know we no man after the flesh, yea though we have known Christ after the fl●sh, yet now henceforth know we him no more. Since we have had an eye to see spiritually, and the eye renewed to see more spiritually into the death of Christ, what satisfaction, peace, life, grace, Salvation, glory, it hath wrought, and brought, we know no m●n after the flesh, for their present honour, external excellencies, no not Christ: We look not upon him as poor, mean, afflicted, contemptible; but we see and judge spiritually, we look at what is divine in him, in others, in all; So for God himself, Jer. 31.34. When he should put his Law in their inward parts, than they should all know him, that is, in another manner then ever; they should see not only what an infinite excellency he was in himself, but what a father of mercies, and God of Consolations he was in Chri●t.  
4. It makes a spiritual War in the soul; this new spirit sets upon the old man the old spirit, and maintains a mighty War against the same, bringing under and captivating the fl●sh, with its lusts, members, wisdom and strong holds: There was a natural War in the man before, between sin and the conscience; but this is a spiritual War: and it's known thus.  
1. The whole frame of the soul is against sin, not the conscience alone, the understanding, will, affections, conscience, a drunken man may speak against drunkenness, and yet the frame of his heart be towards it? a covetous man, may condemn covetousness, yet the frame of his spirit may be to it. Col. 1.21. Enemies in your minds by wicked works, a man being without this new spirit is an enemy to God, Chr●st, truth in his mind by wicked works, the frame of his mind is against them, but being endued with this new spirit, he is reconciled to God, and so an enemy in his m●nd to wicked works, so for his will, Rom. 7.19. The evil which I would no● th●t I do●. His will was against evil, So for his affection vers. 15: What I hate that I do. So for conscience while its natural all it restrains a man and makes him say, I dare not do it, but when sanctified, it causes a man to fight against sin, and to say, I cannot do it, Gal. 5.17. Ye cannot do the things that ye would: The new nature is universally through a man, and where it is, it opposes. When Lot was in Sodom, he was vexed with all the sinful ways of the Sodomites, and when this new spirit is in a man, it's vexed with all the ways of the flesh.  
2. This new spirit wars against sin as sin, the unsanctified conscience never doth so, therefore is carried against sin upon consideration, it's a great sin, it brings damage, etc. Darius, when Daniel was in the Lion's den, his conscience troubled him, but if the sins be lesser, as omission of duties, vain thoughts, lusts, 
Dan. 6.48.  those motus primo primi, they are dispensed with, but this new spirit is against every sin, be it little or great, it knows its a breach of the Law, against the holy God, defiles, cost the blood of Christ.  
3. By the weapons are used, this new spirit where it is, useth spiritual arguments against sin, as God's love, God's dishonour, Christ's death, sense of pardon, the sealings and comforts of the spirit; Communion with God and Christ, love of holiness, the nature of grace, and scope of the Gospel; see Col. 3.4, 5. 1 John 3.3. 
Tit. 2.11, 12.  2 Cor. 7.1. But an unregenerate heart, a natural conscience, uses arguments fetched from the curses of the Law, terrors of death, fear of Hell, and damnation, shame of men, loss of friends, estate, the sovereignty of God over them.  
4. By the continuance of this war, an hypocrite that hath only a natural conscience, may go on skirmishing against sin a long time, but not for ever, an enlightened, unsanctified conscience will either grow weary, or be bribed, or extenuate sin, or grow hard, feared, and commit sin without reluctancy; but a man possessed with this new spirit, will hold out the war to the end of his life, he grows not faint, he will not be bribed with aught, or all, the World, flesh, and Satan have, to make a truce with sin, sin is sin to him, and shall not be lessened, he will fight it out, and die in the fight, rather than yield, Rom. 7.24. O wretched man, saith Paul, who shall deliver me, etc. 2 Tim. 4.6, 7. I am ready to be offered, I have fought a good fight.  
5. By the event; the man without this new spirit by all his combating against sin, gets it more restrained, and so more quiet, but not mortified: but where this new spirit is, there sin is wounded, crucified, Gal. 5.24. They that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts thereof.  
5. It works and acts in a new manner, Rom. 7.6. Paul speaks of serving them in the newness of the spirit, not in the oldness of the letter; when you were under the Law, that shown you your duty, provoked corruption, gave you no power to subdue the one, or do the other, and all the service than was after the old man, with much earthliness, difficulty, dullness, untowardly, inconstantly, and no better than dead work●, but now you are under the Gospel, the spirit hath begotten a new life in you, beautified you with new qualities and principles, laid in new strength, therefore now serve the Lord in newness of the spirit: and that is,  
1. In a spiritual manner; the Apostle speaks of a spiritual understanding, Col. 1.9. of a spiritual house, an holy Priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifice, 1 Pet. 2.5. They being spiritualised, served the Lord in a spiritual manner; they had more spiritual conceptions of God and his worship, and put out more spiritual acts.  
2. More readily; when this new spirit is in a man, he is like a Ship which hath all its Tackle and sails up, and is ready to sail immediately, such a man is prepared to every good work, 2 Tim. 2.21. Rom. 1.15. Paul was ready to Preach the Gospel, and ready to be bound and suffer, Acts 21.13. And the Corinthians had a ready mind, 2 Cor. 8.19. Where this spirit is, there the Wheels are oiled.  
3. More delightfully, Rom. 7.22. I delight in the Law of God, after the inward man. Christ's yoke is easy, his commands are not grievous: The ways his wisdom prescribes are ways of pleasantness. Prov. 3.17. And Paul counted all the pains he took, hard things he suffered, but a recreation. Phil. 3.8. That I may win Christ. He had as much pleasure, and delight in them, as men have in any games.  
4. More beautifully; before they bungled, but now they act more comelily, they pray and sing with the spirit, and with understanding, 1 Cor. 14, 15. Rom. 12.8. he gives with simplicity, rules with diligence, shows mercy with cheerfulness, and Cant. 7.1. How beautiful are thy feet with those, O Princes daughter; the ways of the Church are beautiful, actions comely.  
5. More evenly and constantly, 2 Pet. 1.4. this new spirit is called the Divine nature, both because it's from God our Father, because all the Children have it, because it cannot be altered, and also because it acts like nature, constantly, strongly, the eye is not weary with seeing, nor the ear with hearing.  
6. It propounds new ends to itself, Viz. God's glory: before, a man's self was his centre and end, this new spirit came out from God, and works for God and to God, now it sees the nature of Divine grace; beholds glory in that grace, and answers God's end, it doth act to the praise of the glory of his grace.  
7. Makes cheerful and thankful, Col. 3.10. after had spoken of the new man, Vers. 16. He tells them of singing with grace in their hearts to the Lord, 2 Cor. 5.17. When old things are gone, and all new, etc. as in a House, when all is renewed in it, beautifully trimmed, etc. it cheers.  
You have mention of a new song six times in the Psalms, 33.3.40.3.96.1.98.1.149.1.144.9: Once in Isa, 42.10. Twice in the Rev. 5.9.14.3. Sung with new fervency, as new things use to affect most, sung with the motions of the new spirit of grace, which mindeth more the new benefits by Christ, and the new Covenant, than those by Creation.  
The Twenty four Elders sang this new song, Revel. 5.9. 144000 redeemed from the Earth learned it, it was a song of the new mercies given in Redemption, Justification, Sanctification.  
A new song, that is, an excellent song, with singular chieerfulness, made upon the giving in of some new mercy.  

Non vulgar sed eximium, Bez.  New, because the singers were new, they had a new spirit, a spirit of grace and glory in them. 2. Matter of it was new, Christ's incarnation, passion, doctrine, miracles ordinances, promises, Church, Kingdoms, but especially the opening the Book and redemption by his blood.  
Obser. 2. This new spirit is the work of God, and not of man, the Lord alone is the Author and cause of it, man's will contributes nothing to it. I will put a new spirit within you You oppose, resist, but I will overcome all that opposition and resistance, and plant new qualities, put a new spirit within you. I will work powerfully, efficaciously, so that the work shall proceed. The Arminians hold that the operation of God in the conversion of a sinner, or putting in this new spirit, is Moralis suasio not Realis efficientia. That he doth not work immediately upon the mind and will, causing us to believe, to come to Christ, to live holily; but only propounds truths, which is sufficient that the understanding and affections are renewed, with such power of God and his grace as cannot be withstood; But the will is quickened, Resistibili modo, that however it is sometimes renewed in the affectionate part of it, yet it continues unrenewed in the willing and nilling part thereof; Secundum modum libertatis, That the grace of God doth nothing, but accompany the will consenting that all things supposed on God's part needful to the coworking this new spirit, and regenerating the heart, yet a man may go without it, and still be as he was; That this new spirit and work of conversion, depends not upon any necessary causation or infallible event, from the intention or operation of God; but merely upon the will of man, and so is wholly contingent, and uncertain; all which are erroneous.  
The Papists also hold that there is free will in man before he hath this new spirit: which doth concur and cooperate with God in the putting in this new spirit as an efficient cause thererof: and they pronounce him Anathema, 
Sess. 6. de Justif. Can. 4.  in the council of Trent that says the will is merely passive in this work. Our divines hold it, and not only they, but the Lord himself, 
John. 15.5. Without me you can do nothing, therefore all is from Christ.  and if it be his judgement how impious is that Cannon which puts an Anathema upon the Lord. We cannot make our spirits new nor any part of them, Deus est causa totius entis, of this new spirit of every quality in it, and every degree of every quality; Phil, 2.13. It is God which worketh in you, both to will and to do of his good pleasure. The will to have this new spirit is not from man's will, but from the grace of God, and that grace when it is working and entering into the will, though the will of itself oppose it and rejects it, yet because of the mighty power of God in the work and strong intention of God to effect such a work, it cannot impede the introduction and forming of this new spirit; it's called the circumcision of the heart, and is attributed to God, Deut. 30.6. It's not in the power of man to circumcise his own heart; God only doth it, and that he acts powerfully in this work of a new spirit, see Ezek. 36.27. I will put my spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my Statutes, and ye shall keep my judgements and do them: Though Satan the God of this World have got possession of a man, fortified himself in the strong holds be in man, yet the Lord will bring in his spirit, throw out Satan, throw down his holds, and cause a man by the power of his spirit and grace, to walk in contrary ways to what he did. Man in Scripture is said to be dead, and dead men neither desire, nor work their own resurrection, John 5.25. The dead shall bear the voice of the Son of God: It must be a mighty and powerful voice which reacheth to a dead soul, and fetcheth it out of that condition; and when God speaks and works efficaciously to that purpose, the soul can no more withstand it then Lazarus could the call and power of Christ; therefore saith Christ, John 6.37. All that the Father giveth me, shall come to me: They shall not prevent it by the liberty of their wills, the event is infallible, the causation necessary; otherwise God's election should be frustrate; for if man by his free will could keep out this new spirit, and null all the operations of God, about the working of it, what should become of his Elect? his giving of men to Christ would be to no purpose.  
Quest. Whereas they say, Propound suitable objects and men will take them; as propound honey to a Bee, Grasse or a green Bough to a Sheep, and they will receive them: so let man have fit objects propounded to his understanding and will, and he will then close with them, and this is all is done in the work of grace.  
Ans. 1. See how derogatory this is to the Lord, that no more is given to his spirit in working then is given to Satan; he propounds objects suitable to the Sons of Men, and if the spirit propound Divine objects, so doth Satan, Gen. 3.5. Ye shall be as Gods, knowing good and evil: If the Devils objects be received or refused at the pleasure of man's will, so shall the spirits.  
2. What suitableness is there between our carnal heart, and the spiritual high things of God, 1 Cor. 2.14. The natural man receiveth not the things of the spirit of God, for they are foolishness unto him, men must be made spiritual before they can discern or close with spiritual things. Honey is the proper food of a Bee, and grass of a Sheep, but spiritual things are not the proper food of a Carnal heart. New wine is not for old Bottles.  
3. If suitable objects would do it, Christ propounded as suitable truths as ever any did, yet the Jews were not taken with them, John. 6.44. not any man, be he never so rational, have he never such rational objects propounded, that will hear, or can come.  
Quest. Is it not in man's power to do aught towards the working this new spirit in himself, it seems otherwise, for the Lord saith, Ezek, 18, 31. Make you a new heart and a new spirit.  
Answ. 1. Such phrases in Scripture import not liberty, and power in man to do such things, but show his duty, and misery that he cannot do them: Man having fallen should set himself in the condition God placed him first in, he should cast away his si●s, regain that Image of God he hath lost, yet all his endeavours will not reach it; A man may with as much facility make a new sun, a new Heaven, a new Earth, a new World, as a new heart and new spirit within himself; David knew it, and therefore prayed, Psal. 51. Create in me a clean heart etc.  
2. Neither is this command of God in vain, for the Lord gives what he commands, Make you a new heart and a new spirit. saith God, here's his command, and in the Verse we are on, it's said, I will put a new spirit within you, so that, when a thing is commanded us to do, which we cannot do, we are to look at the Lord to do it, who hath therefore made gracious promises to his for that purpose: man is commanded to fear God, Ecles. 12.13. Isa. 8.13. 1 Pet. 2.17. and God hath promised to put his fear in his People's hearts, Jer, 32.40. I will put my fear in their hearts and they shall not departed from me, Hose, 3.5. They shall fear the Lord and his goodness. Prov. 4.5.7. We are bid to Get wisdom and understanding, Isa. 1.17. Learn to do well, And the promise is, Isa. 54.13. All thy Children shall be taught of God. 2 Pet. 3.18. We are commanded to Grow in grace, but we can no more make grace to grow in our hearts, than the Gardener can make the tree to grow in the Orchard; Therefore the promise is Psal, 92.12.13.14.15. The righteous shall flourish like the Palm-tree: he shall grow like a Cedar in Lebanon; Those be planted in the House of the Lord, shall flourish in the Courts of our God. They shall still bring forth fruit in old age, they shall be fat and flourishing, to show that the Lord is upright. Col. 3.5. Mortify your members which are upon the Earth, that's the command, and Micha, 7.19. He will subdue our iniquities.  
3. Make you a new heart, that is, declare you have a new heart wrought in you: Saith Junius, God makes the new heart 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, man doth it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, by manifestation.   

I will take the stony heart out of their flesh.  
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Cor lapidis: The word heart hath been opened formerly, and by it we comprehend, and mean the understanding, will, affections, and conscience.   

Stony.  
Or stone heart, or stoniness of heart: It's a metaphorical expression, taken from the nature of a Stone; and notes out the spiritual stoniness and hardness is in the heart.  

Aug.  1, A Stone is senseless and stirs not, Exod. 15.16. They shall be still as a stone: Such is a stony heart; it's Cor fine sensu, as in Nabal, 
Pro. 23.35. They have stricken me, and I was not sick, they have beaten me, and I felt it not.  1 Sam. 25.37. His heart died within him, and he became as a stone, senseless.  
A stone feels no weight, lay the heaviest burden upon it, smite the hardest strokes, it's not sensible of any; let a stony heart have a world of sin, and guilt in it, lying upon it, yet no feeling of it, Ephes. 4.19. Who being past feeling, have given themselves over unto lasciviousness, to work all uncleanness with greediness: They had lost all sense of evil in sin, and w●nt on without any check, let men swear, lie, deceive, whore, etc. they feel no evil in it, let them be upon the Pikes, like the young man in the seventh of the Proverbs, going as an Ox to the slaughter, as a Bird to the snare: they know not that it is for their lives: tell such of danger, they are not sensible.  
The Jews had stony hearts, and see how senseless they were, Matth. 13.15. This people is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes have they closed, lest at any time they should see with, etc. This is five times more mentioned in the New Testament, Mark 4.12. Luke 8.10. John 12.40. Acts 28.26. Rom 11.8. fetched all from Isa. 6.9.  
Hence those expressions, The unjust knows no shame, Zeph. 3.5. they cannot blush, Jer. 6.15. They are impudent Children, Ezek. 2.4. Their brow brass, Isa. 48.4.  
2. It's hard and yields not: strike a stone oft, it yields not to the stroke: In Job 41.24. speaking of the Leviathan, he saith, His heart is as firm as a stone, yea as hard as a piece of the nether, etc. Brass Arrows, Darts, and Spears, are as stubble and straw to him, they will not enter: So is it with a stony heart, nothing enters, Zech. 7.11. They refused to hearken, and pulled away the shoulder, and stopped their ear that they should not hear; yea, they made their hearts as an Adamant stone; and that is Lapis indomabilis, it will not yield at all. No reproofs, threaten, afflictions, judgements, did prevail with their stony hearts; therefore, Isa. 1.5. saith God, Why should you be stricken any more, ye will revolt more and more: Cor lapideum, est cor indocile, immorigerum; an unteachable, an intractable heart; no prayers, no tears, no truths, no arguments, no mercies, no judgements, will conquer it; its inexorable, Isa. 26.10. Let favour be showed to the wicked, yet will he not learn righteousness.  
Hence two things:  
1. Tenacity of opinions, principles, and conclusions, though never so false and corrupt, Jer. 8.5. They hold fast deceit, Chap. 4.14. O Jerusalem, how long shall thy vain thoughts lodge within thee: They thought their worship was right, that God was pleased with their inventions and additions, that the Lord would not departed from the Temple, etc.  
2. Obstinacy in their ways, continuance in their old practices, Jer. 17.23, They obeyed not, neither inclined their ear, but made their neck stiff, that they might not hear nor receive instruction, Ch. 5.3. They have made their faces harder than a rock, they refused to return, Judges 2.19. They ceased not from their own do, nor from their stubborn way  
3. It resists, Lam. 3.16. He hath broken my teeth with gravel stones: While a m●n thinks to break the stones with his teeth, they conquer by their hardness, and break the teeth. Adamants and other stones repel the force of the stroke, and oft break the instrument which strikes them; so do stony and hard hearts, Matth. 23.37. O Jerusalem, Jerusalem▪ thou that killest the Prophets, and flonest them that are sent unto thee: how often would I, etc. When Christ Preached unto them, they yielded not to his Doctrine, but resisted, and sought the ruin of his person, Luke 4.28, 29. All th' y in the Synagogue when they heard these things, were filled with wrath, and risen up, and thrust him out of the City, and led him unto the brow of the Hill, that they might cast him down headlong: Here was the stoniness of their hearts made evident fully, they would not receive Christ, but kill him; such hearts make men possessed with them.  
1. Contradictory to the truth, their tongues are busy, Rom. 10.21. The Jews are called a disobedient and gainsaying people, they contradicted the Prophets, 2 Chron. 36.16. They mocked the M●ssengers of God: So Jer. 44.16. As for the word which thou hast spoken unto us in the name of the Lord, we will not hearken unto thee: but we will certainly do whatever, etc.  
2. Contentious, Rom. 2.8. Unto them that are contentious, and obey not the truth: Hard hearts yield not to the truth, but contend against the truth: the Pharisees and others, did not only cavil at Christ's Doctrine, but plotted, acted, and contended against it and him. John 11.47, 48. The chief Priests and Pharisees gathered a Council, and said, What do we if we let him thus alone, all men will believe on him, etc. Vers. 53. From that day they took counsel together to put him to death. God told Jeremiah, that the Jews should fight against him, Jer. 1.19. and Chap. 26.8.9. You shall find it made good when he had Prophesied against their carnal confidence in the Temple, they were gathered together against him, lay hands upon him, and threaten him with death.  
4. A stone hath a strong tendency downward, Exod. 15.5. They sank into the bottom as a stone: stones hasten downward to the bottom, and they move not upwards at all; if by force you throw a stone upwards, it falls down again with swiftness; such is the nature of a stony heart, it moves not God or Christ-ward, but sin and Hellward, that is the proper motion of it, being weighty, and cannot but move downward, Prov. 7.27. speaking of the Adultress, whose heart is hardened in wickedness; he saith, Her house is the way to Hell, going down to the chambers of death. Ephes. 4.19. Being past feeling, 
Prov. 2.18.  they work all uncleanness with greediness: There is a strong inclination to, and greediness of, committing sin; and every sin is a step to Hell, Prov. 2.18. Her house inclineth unto death, and her paths into the dead. Ezek. 3.7. It's said; All the house of Israel are impudent, and hard hearted: And Ezek. 6.9. Their heart is said to be whorish, and why whorish? because it leads to death and Hell, as the whorish woman's house doth: A stony heart is an earthly heart, and so an enemy to the Cross of Christ, Phil. 3.18, 19 That is, That is, to all of Christ, it looks not upwards.  
Obj. It's said, a stony heart is not yeildable, teachable, receives not impression of any thing; did not the stony ground receive the Word, Matth, 13.20. If so, how is it true which hath been affirmed?  
Answ. 1. It's said by Matthew, The seed fell upon stony places, Chap. 13.5. and upon a rock, Luke 8.6. it fell not into the stones, or into the rock: but some fell not only on the good ground, as Luke hath it, but into the good ground, as Matthew relates it, Chap. 13.8.  
2. There is a double reception of the word. First, a superficial, and secondly, a solid reception of the word, which the place holds ou●; for that seed which fell into stony places, lacked moisture, saith Luke, had no deepness; no root saith Matthew: It affected the natural fleshiness of the heart, but the spiritual hardness in it, suffered it not to root, to enter, abide: the novelty, and rationalnesse of the word caused them to rejoice, but the spiritualness of it was opposed by thei● stony hearts: Secondly, the solid reception is, when there is a deep impression made upon the heart, a thorough entrance into it, so that it roots, abides, and brings forth fruit, James 1.21. He calls it, The engrafted Word; now it cannot be engrafted into a stony stock, there is no life, no tenderness in such a stock, it may be propounded to such a heart, it cannot enter, unite, and grow.   

Out of their flesh.  
Flesh is sometimes put for corruption, or corrupt nature. Rom. 7.18. In my flesh dwelleth no good thing, so it's not taken here: sometimes for the body of man Psal. 38, 3. There is no soundness in my flesh, that is, in my body: sometimes for the whole man, Rom. 3.20. By the Law shall no flesh be justified in his sight, and so in Luke, 3.6. All flesh shall see the Salvation of God, and thus it's taken here, out of their flesh, it's out of them, out of the whole man.  
Obser. 1 men's hearts naturally are stony, hard. Some diseases are hereditary, even the stone in many persons: this stoniness is so in all, not a man borne but hath a stony heart, a stony spirit, Ezek. 3.7. All the House of Israel are hard hearted young and old.  
There is a natural hardness of the heart, and a contracted, Original sin, 
Neh. 9.16. They dealt proudly, and hardened their necks. Heb. 3.13. Lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin.  which is common to all, and comee with all, makes the heart hard, and actual sins make the heart stony, very hard; every sin contracts more stonynes; and where sin abounds, there stoniness abounds: hence the Scripture speaks of hearts like Adamants, Zech. 7.12. They have made their hearts as an Adamant, by their sins, they have brought their hearts to such a high degree of stoniness. Isa. 48.4. I knew that thou art obstinate and thy neck an Iron sinew, and thy brow brass; Which sets out the great hardness they had contracted by their sin: is their any thing harder than stone, Iron and brass? unto these are their hardened hearts, necks, and brows compared.  
The spiritual hardness spreads itself into the understanding Rom. 11.7. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, the rest were blinded, blindness respects the mind, the understanding, and its such a blinding as hardens 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, Est callosa durities, a brawny hardness, their ignorance and unbelief blinded and hardened them; In the night we have the hardest frosts etc.  
Hebrews, 5.11. The Apostle tells the Hebrews, they were dull of hearing, they had been long taught, yet scarcely understood the principles of Religion, Luke, 24.25. O fools and slow of heart to believe.  
2. Into the will and affection, saith Christ, you will not come to me that you may have life, John. 5.40. There was a stone, stubbornness, and obstinacy in their wills; Did not Christ Preach powerfully spiritually, did he not command, threaten, promise, present strong arguments, tender the greatest mercies bear with the greatest patience, weep over Jerusalem with the most pathetical and sacred tears, saying most compassionately, O Jerusalem Jerusalem, yet Jerusalem would not. Do not the Ministers of Christ now beseech you in his stead, to leave your sinful courses, and to come in, yet, & c?  
3. Into the conscience; Paul tells you of consciences seared with a hot Iron, 1 Tim. 4.2. When any part of the body is seared with a hot Iron, it grows hard and feels nothing; such were the consciences of men then, and are now; they are so brawny and stony, that tell them of danger, judgements, death, Hell, eternal damnation, that their sins are great, grievous, subjecting them every moment to all the vengeance of an infinite Deity, they are not troubled at it, tell them that all the curses in God's Book due to sinners will come upon them, their hearts fail them not, their consciences are still, etc.  
Now this stoniness of heart is a great evil, its unthankful what mercies soever it hath given in, insensible of all spiritual good, its unyeildable to any Ordinance, it resists the truth, 
Cor lapid eum adversus Deum, omnino inflexibile est, Aug.  and spirit of truth, Acts 7.51. Ye stiff necked and uncircumcised in heart and ears, ye do always resist the holy Ghost, as your Fathers did, so do ye: It's contradicting, and contending against the Lord his ways, its tending swiftly to destruction; for its impenitent, it neither will nor can repent.  
Obser. 2 It's the Lord that takes away the stony heart out of men; I will do it, it's not in the power of man to remove the stone out of the heart, he may get the stone out of the kidneys, out of the Bladder, but not out of the heart: We may all say, Who shall roll away this stone, as they said, Mark 16.3. and the answer must be, Not an Angel, not any Creature, but only the Lord: God tells them that They should take away all the detestable things out of the Land; but he would take away the stone out of their heart, and the stony heart out of them.  
It's the work of free grace; nothing is in a stony heart to move God to take it away, but enough to move God to destroy it, and him that hath it; it's merely good will puts him on to do it.  
It's the work of omnipotent power to do it; some read it, auferam, some removebo, some extrabam, I will draw out of you: intimating, there must be a mighty power to do it: when you would remove a great stone, you bring a strong Team, and tackle to draw it out of its place, so here.  
It's a great mercy to have this stone removed; the stone in the heart is a great plague, yea greater than all the plagues of Egypt, Pharoahs' hard heart was worse than all them; the removal therefore of it is a greater mercy than the removal of all those judgements.  
It's an heart incapable of reproof; that profits not by the means of grace whatsoever, that is not kindly affected with the greatest mercies or judgements, it's an heart that hates holiness, and the power of godliness, an heart that pleaseth itself in the ways of wickedness, it's an heart the Devil lives in, and works his will by.  
Quest. Whither doth God remove the stone totaly out of the hearts of his People at first conversion or while they are in this life.  
Answ. God doth this work gradually, it's not all done at once, the Apostles were converted, yet all hardness was not out of their hearts, Mar. 6.52.8.17. Stones are digged out of the Quarres by degrees, and Rocks hewed in pieces in time; So is it here, God breaks and separates the stoniness of the heart, some one day, some another day, and its doing all a man's life; As a man subject to the stone, and gravel, voids some one day, some another, and is not perfectly cured till death; so in this spiritual stoniness. Neither let any say then, the heart is stony still, and in the same condition it was before. Not so; for though there be some stoniness in it, yet is it not stony: There is softness introduced and the denomination is from that. I will give them a heart of flesh.  
Quest. If there be stoniness in the hearts of these be in Covenant with God, how shall I know the difference between the stoniness in the godly, and that in the wicked?  
Answ. 1. The stoniness of the wicked grows greater and greater, every day they are more stony, 
L●pi● obs●●matus. 2 Chron. 28.22.  they grow worse and worse, 2 Tim. 3.13. But the stoniness in the godly grows esse and less, they use all means to abate it, in the one its incurable, in the other its curing.  
2. That in the Saints is rather accidental, then essential, an external crustinesse, rather than an intrinsical hardness; it's an ycecinesse not a true stonynes, water may become ice, but not stone: it will thaw and melt again, it freezes and thaws oft, not so with a stone, or iron, they have intrinsecall, essential hardness.  
3. The godly feel the stone in their hearts, complain and cry out of it, as a grievous evil, but the wicked feel it not, in them it reigns, is in full power and strength, Ephes. 4.19. They are past feeling.  
4. The stoniness in the godly, is rather a stoniness against sin, than a stoniness of sin; he is facile to good, but obstinate to evil, Gen, 39, 9 How can I do this great evil and sin against God, Psal. 119.115. Depart from me ye evil doers, for I will keep the Commandments of my God: He had strong temptations to sin from the wicked, but he would not be drawn by them; but it's otherwise with the wicked, they are obstinate to good, and prone to evil, They work sin with greediness, Eph. 4.19. and cease not from their stubborn way, Judges 2.19. So the Samaritans who were fallen to false worship, said, In the stoutness and pride of their hearts the Bricks are fallen down, but we will build with hewn stone, Isa. 9.9, 10. & Mal. 3.13. their words were stout against God: and Saul a wicked King, it's said, 
Counsel of God, Luke 7.13,  He rejected the word of the Lord, 1 Sam. 15.23. The bvilders who had stony hearts, rejected Christ the corner stone, Mat. 21.42. Lawyers rejected the counsel of God, Luke 7.30.   


〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Cor Carnis.  And will give them an heart of flesh.  
We have opened the word Heart before, at the beginning of the Verse, and shown, it comprehended understanding, will, affections, and conscience.   

Flesh.  
Here it's set in opposition to stony, and differs from the word Flesh mentioned immediately before, there flesh employed substance, their persons, here it implies a quality, tenderness, softness; flesh is in itself a tender thing, sin hardens it, and makes it stony, but God would take out the stoniness, hardness thereof, and make it tender, soft.  
There is a double tenderness spoken of in Scripture:  
1. A natural tenderness, 2 Chron. 13.7. When Rehoboam was young and tender hearted, and could not withstand them: he was not hardened in wickedness, but being young, had a natural tenderness, which made him facile and yeeldable to the onsets of others; but this is not the tenderness we are to speak of.  
2. A spiritual tenderness, Ephes. 4.32. Be ye kind one to another: tender hearted 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, full of tender bowels: A Mother hath natural tenderness and bowels to her Child, have you answerable, spiritual bowels, such as are in the Lord, who is said to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, Full of pity and tenderness, James 5.11. and this is the tenderness here meant.  
This spiritual tenderness is a gracious disposition of the heart, wrought by the spirit, easily admitting, or receiving what ever spirituals are propounded unto it.  
It's a gracious disposition, not natural, nor moral, neither Parents nor education convey aught unto it; grace is a tender thing, and makes tender, Luke 1.78. it's called tender mercy of God, and that makes a tender heart; a gracious disposition in it like itself.  
Wrought by the spirit; it's not the Law works it, that may break the heart into pieces, as a Hammer doth a stone, but not melt it and make it tender; it's the Gospel and fire of the spirit in it which produceth that effect: not the Blow, but rain which softens the ground: David saith, Psal. 65.10. Thou makest it soft with showers: The Galatians received the spirit, 
The Corinthians hearts were not Tables of stone but fleshy Tables, the spirit had made them such, and written the Gospel in them. 2 Cor. 3.3.  not by the Preaching of the Law, but by the Preaching of Faith, Gal. 3.2. and that spirit made their hearts tender. When Job was in his great afflictions, they softened not his heart, but he saith, God made soft his heart, Job 23.16. that was by his spirit.  
Easily admitting or receiving; this is the formal, intrinsical nature of this tenderness, that its like Wax taking in impressions, the stony heart yields not, but resists; this resists not but yields, like gideon's Fleece, it drunk in the dew as fast as it fell, Judges 6. Like the soft earth which drinks in the rain, not like the Rocks and Mountains, which shoot it off, Heb. 6.7. Hence saith Moses, Deut 33.3. speaking of Saints, who have tender hearts, and sit at God's feet, Every one shall receive of thy words: And Paul speaking of a natural man, 1 Cor. 2.14. he saith, The natural man receives not the things of the spirit: his heart is stony, not tender, and so without a capacity of receiving what ever spiritual things are propounded; its ready to say as Samuel, Speak, for thy servant heareth, 1 Sam. 3.10. Let God or any from God offer any spiritual things unto a tender heart, its ready to receive them, Acts 9.6. saith Saul, Lord what wilt thou have me to do? propound what thou pleasest unto me.   

Discoveries of this tenderness.  
1. It's affected with, and mourns for, that hardness remains in it, that it is not more tender and wrought upon by the mercies, Ordinances, judgements of God. David was sensible of his hardness and deadness, and therefore cries oft to God for quickening, Psal. 119.154. Quicken me according to thy word. 156. Quicken me according to thy judgements. 159. Quicken me according to thy loving kindness.  
2. It feels the least sins and risings of corruption; as some bodies are so tender that they discern any distempers stir in them presently, others are hardy and discern little, till it come to some dangerous disease: It's not so here, a heart spiritually tender is sensible of the least sin, 
David's heart smote him for cutting off, etc.  the least moat in the eye, crumb in the windpipe, are troublesome to them, and so the rising of corruption, the very being of sin in the heart is troublesome to a tender heart, Paul saw and felt the Law in his members warring against, etc.  
3. It hearkens and yields to reproofs; Salt will not enter into a stone but into flesh, seasons it, and makes it savoury: Reproofs are Salt, they enter into fleshy and tender hearts, Prov. 17.10. A reproof entereth more into a wise man, than an hundred stripes into a fool: Vatablus hath it, Descendit in cordatum increpatio, his heart is tender, and a reproof presently makes impression, the door opens and it goes in, whereas the heart of a fool will not be beat open with many stripes; Nec credit, nec cedit, but the tender hearted, wise, and godly, believe, and yield; David, Psal. 141.5. Let the righteous smite me, it shall be a kindness, and let him reprove me, it shall be an excellent oil: Reproofs soften tender hearts, harden stony ones, Proverbs 29.1.  
4. It hath a lively sense of God's dishonour, and the Saints wrong.  
1. Of God's dishonour, Psal. 119.136. Rivers of water run down mine eyes, because they keep not thy Law: When David saw God's worship corrupted, heard his name blasphemed, beheld his Law openly violated, his tender heart bled with●n him, melted into tears, and wept abundantly, that the infinite, holy, glorious, great God should be so dishonoured by sinful dust and ashes: And Psal. 69.9. The reproaches of them that reproached thee, are fallen upon me: David reproved men that reproached God by their lips and lives, and they reproached him for it: Lots righteous soul was vexed at the filthy, etc. 2 Pet. 2.7.  
2. The Saints wrong, and Churches suffering, 2 Cor. 11.29. Who is offended, and I burn not? When any member of the Church suffered, Paul was afflicted, grieved, as a man burnt with fire, and the more tender the flesh is, the greater is the pain; and so in the heart, the tenderer that is, the greater sense and pain hath it of others sufferings, especially the Churches, read the 79. and 80. Psalms, and you shall see how greatly Asaph was afflicted for the miseries of the Church, the Saints suffered m●ch without, and he suffered much within; they were broken in their states and comforts, and he was broken in his heart and spirit: so Jer. 9.1. O that my head were waters, and mine eyes a fountain of tears, that I might weep day and night for the slain of the daughter of my people, Acts 12.5. When Peter, etc. As Christ was tender of the Sain s, when persecuted by Saul, Acts 9 So every member of Christ participating of his tenderness, feels in his degree the injuries done to the rest.  
5. It trembles at the word of God, Isa. 66.2. Contrition of spirit, and trembling at the word do go together, there is such Majesty, authority, holiness, severity, and glory, in the word, that a tender heart trembleth at it, 2 Chron. 34.27. Josiahs' heart was tender, he trembled and humbled himself before the Lord, when the Law was read before him: And those in Ezra trembled at the words of the God of Israel; Chap. 9.4.  
6. It's obedient unto the call and will of God, its Cor ●equax & morem gerens domino, let the Lord call, it saith, here I am, what wilt thou have me to do, whether shall I go I am ready for it; Abraham had a tender heart, and when God called for his Isaac and bade him go and offer him upon mount Moriah, Gen, 22. he had a tractable heart, he yielded presently, to the Lord, without any dispute or delay, a tender heart is an obediential heart; I siah was tender hearted, and he did the will of God most throughly of any of the Kings of Judah: none of them did reform so as he did, 2 Chron, 35.18. David was a man of a tender spirit, and he fullfil●'d all the wills of God; Acts 13.22.  
7. It's tender towards o he●s; a tender heart hath a tender tongue, and a tender hand; the man hath such an heart speaks evil of none, doth harm to none; such an one is merciful to his Beast, much more to men, he pities those are in a perishing way, and would pull them out of the fire; ahe Law of kindness is in his lips, and actions of love are in his hands: Jobs heart was soft, Job 23.16. and you may find what his words and actions were, Chap. 29, 11, 12, 13, 15, 16. When the ear heard me, than it blessed me; he spoke such comfortable words to them, gave them such good counsel, that they blessed him for it, and his actions were delivering the poor and fatherless, helping the blind and lame, and making the Widow's heart to rejoice. Tenderness of heart breeds tenderness towards others: Its said of Esau, he was red all over, like a hairy Garment, Gen. 25.25. he was red and rough, bloody and bitter, it were well there were no Sons of Esau in our days, men bloody and bitter, seeking the ruin of plain hearted jacob's. If others by their rough speeches, and deal, do show the hardness of their hearts; let us by the softness of our tongues, and bounty of our hands, show the tenderness of our heart●, Ephes. 4.32. Be kind one to another, tender hearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you.  
8. It enterteines and retains the motions, and truths of God's spirit; a tender heart will not suffer the spirit to knock long at the door, 
Bereans received the word with all readiness, of mind. Acts 17.11.  and then go away grieved, but it opens quickly, and receives the message: When the spirit came to Peter, Acts 10.19, 20. and bade him go to Cornelius, and Preach Christ unto him, he went immediately: When the Gospel was Preached to the Thessalonians, in demonstration of the spirit, it's said, They received it with joy of the holy Ghost: That joy of the holy Ghost, may as well refer to the holy Ghost itself, who rejoiced at their speedy receiving the word and spirit in it, as to the Thessalonians, who had joy wrought in them by receiving of the word, 2 Cor. 3.3. the Corinthians had fleshy hearts, and they are called the Epistle of Christ, and why? because the spirit had writ the Gospel in them with ease, Moses had much ado to write the Law in the Tables of stone, but the spirit did it easily in the fleshy Tables of their hearts, those truths are written in the heart, are held so fast, that men will rather lose their lives, then lose them.  

Obser. 1.  A Tender heart is a choice and great mercy; where this is the understanding is apprehensive of Divine things; the Lord Christ who was without sin, and so nothing but tenderness was quick of understanding, Isa. 11.3. and the more free from sin our hearts are, the quicker our understandings will be, Mat. 13.15. Where there is a gross and hard heart, there is an un-understanding heart, an unperceiving heart, Mark 8.17. On the contrary where a tender heart is, there is the clearest understanding.  
The will is pliable to the truth of the Gospel, Rom. 6. 1●. Ye have obeyed from the heart, that form of Doctrine which was delivered you, and into which ye were delivered.  
The conscience is awake and will not endure the guilt of any sin to lie upon it; Peter had sinned but he goes out and weeps bitterly.  
The affections are lively and stir much towards God, David had a tender heart, and how strongly did his affections stir after God, Psal. 42.1.2. As the heart panteth after the water brooks, so panteth my soul after thee O God, my soul thirsteth for God, for the living God, when shall I come and appear before God, Psa. 63.8. My soul followeth hard after thee: and the zeal of thy house etc.  
It's that the Lord intends to write his whole will in, Jer. 31.33. I will put my Law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts, first he will make them soft, and then write in the Law and Gospel.  
It receives discipline, correction, Jer. 5 3. Thou hast stricken them, but they have refused to receive correction, they have made their faces harder, etc. An hard heart doth not receive correction, but a tender one doth  
2. It is the gift of God, he gives this tender heart unto us: we can harden our hearts through sinning, but we cannot soften them, being once hardened, by any means we use: Tenderness of heart is a special grace, so i● oneness of heart, newness of spirit, and all these are from God, who is styled, The God of all grace, 1 Pet. 5.10. There is not any grace but what is from God, he is the author of it: In this case of an heart of flesh, he puts his hand into the heart and pulls out the stone, and puts in tenderness. He that can turn stones into children, Mat. 3.9. is he that turns stony hearts into flesh and this he doth freely, there is no motive of his will, Phil. 2.13. His working is of his good pleasure, James 1.18. Of his own will begat he us. Not the pleasure of man, or his will, appears in this work, God consults not with man about it, but doth the work himself, I will take away the stone, etc. It is exclusive, and shuts out all: 
Isa. 44.3. I will pour floods upon dry ground.  hence those sweet promises, Isa. 41.18. I will open Rivers in high places, and Fountains in the mid'dst of the Valleys; I will make the Wilderness a pool of water, and the dry Land springs of water, I will plant in the windernesse the Cedar, the shittah trees the myrtle and the oil tree, I will set in the desert the fir tree, the pine and the box tree together, that they may see, know, consider, understand together, that the hand of the Lord hath done this: and the holy one of Israel hath created it.  
God softens the heart by dropping his word upon it, Deut. 32.2. My doctrine shall drop at the rain, etc. By the blood of Christ, by revealing his free grace, etc.    

VERS. 20.  
That they may walk in my statutes, and keep mine Ordinances, and do them: and they shall be my people, and I will be their God. etc.  
HEre is the end of God's grace and goodness towards them, with an asserting of such to be his: and his promise to be their God.  

Obser.  God multiplies mercies, when he is in a way of mercy; when he is giving out promises, he gives not one, or two, but many. Jer. 31.33.34. There is an heap of promises, so in Ezek. 36.25.26.27.28.29. There be eight or nine promises together. Hos. 14.4.5.6.7. Promise after promise is given out. Isa. 60. Is full of sweet promises, one after another. This is a sweet Subject to meditate upon, but I come to open the words.  

That they may walk:  
Walking here is metaphorical, taken from the motion of the body; moving by steps from place to place; and is applied to the conversation and life of man, in a spiritual sense, and imports progress in the way of God, Psal. 119.1.   

In my statutes. 
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉   
The Hebrew word Chukkim, notes rites pertaining to the Ceremonial Law, called also 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, and not only ●o, but Chukkim includes the whole Ceremonial Law; the seventy do sometimes translate it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, Commandment, which Mitzuoth properly signifies, containing the Moral Law, or Ten Commandments; and not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, but Deut. 4.40. They render Mitzuoth by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, and Chukkim by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉. Ephes. 2.15. Paul calls Chukkim, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, The Law of Commandments in Ordinances.   

Mine Ordinances. 
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉   
Mishphatim, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, Judgements, these some refer to the outward policy of Israel, their civil estate, but statutes and Ordinances are used promiscuously: And here by them I conceive is meant, the whose Law of God revealed.  
This walking in his statutes is set out in holy writ, by such expressions as these, Viz. Walking after the Lord. Deut. 13.4. Walking before God. 1 Kings 9.4. Walking in the light of the Lord. Isa. 2.5. Walking in the truth, John, Epist. 3. Vers. 4. Walking in the name of the Lord, Micah. 4.5. Walking according to rule. Gal. 6.16. And Walking with God, Gen. 6.9.   

Keep mine Ordinances.  
Keeping imports, 1. Remembering, Luke, 2.51. Marry kept all these say in her heart.  
2. Holding fast, 2 Tim. 1.14. The good thing committed to thee keep, that is, hold fast; here we must take in both remembering and holding fast, but in order to doing; men may know, remember, and hold fast the mind of God, but not do the same. Deut. 5.1. Hear O Israel the statutes and Judgements which I speak in your ears this day, and keep and do them; the Hebrew is, keep to do them.   

Do them:  
Doing implies, 1. The performing and practice of them. Psal. 15.5. 
Facere ●st exacte custodire & decenter quicquam operari.  He that doth these things shall never be moved.  
2. Fullfilling of things required, 1 Kings 5.8. Saith Hiram to Solomon, I will do all thy desire, that is, fulfil thy desire; both may be understood here, not simply to do, but to do exactly.  

Obser. 1.  The end of Gods giving us temporal and spiritual mercies, is, that we should be obedient unto him. He gathered them out of Babylon, planted them in Canaan, gives them oneness of heart, newness of spirit, etc. And why? that they might walk in his statutes, and keep his Ordinances. God hireth us with mercies to do his will, Psal. 105.43.44.45. He brought forth his People with joy, and his chosen with gladness, and gave them the Lands of the Heathen, and they inheritied the labour of the People that they might observe his statutes and keep his Law. 2 Sam. 12.7.8.9. David was obliged by God's bounty to obedience, why did God so much for his Vineyard, Isa. 5.2. but that it might bring forth Grapes, the end of all mercies and means offorded us, were to make it fruitful in obedience. All in God's works, in his word, are so many inducements to obedience: God hath given us the Earth and fullness of it, and the end is to provoke us thereby to walk in his statutes. He hath given us his good word, choice Ordinances, Heavenly Counsels, precious promises, profitable commands, holy examples, and his end in all these is to quicken us up to obedience. It's the end of Election, 1 Pet. 1.2. It's the end of Redemption, Luke 1.74.75. It's the end of our new Creation, Ephes. 2.10. Paul beseeches the Romans By the mercies of God, to present their Bodies a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable unto God. Our mercies should prevail with us, we are Planted in a good Land, we have the dews of Heaven, and fatness of the Earth: God hath done great things amongst us, and for us, we have had wonderful Deliverances, and shall not we be encouraged thereby to walk in the statutes of our God? Deut. 11.7.8. Your eyes have seen all the great Acts of the Lord which he did, therefore shall you keep all the Commandments which I command you this day. Let the great things we have seen and heard put us upon obeying the Lord, and so obeying him that our obedience may be.  

1. General, God requires, you should walk in all his ways. Deut. 10.12.  
2. Heartie, yea with the whole heart, Deut. 26.16.  
3. Constant, Deut. 4.9. Gal. 6.9.  
4. Willing, cheerful, Phil. 2.14. Deut. 28.47.  
5. With strength and courage, Josh. 23.6.   
If we do not walk in the statutes of the Lord, and keep his commands, we know not God, 1. John 2.3.4. We do not love God. 1 Joh. 5.3, Nor Christ, Joh. 14.15. Our prayers will be unfruitful, and successless, 1 John 3.22.  
2. Note that walking in God's statutes, keeping his Ordinances, and doing his will, do evidence the work of grace in the heart, and what the man is. God would give them oneness of heart, newness and tenderness of spirit, that they might walk, keep, do, etc. If then they did so, this declared what was within, Luke 1.6. Zacharie and Elizabeth were both righteous before God; walking in all the Commandments and Ordinances of the Lord, blameless; their w●lking witnessed their righteousness, see 1 John 3.10. 2 Chap. 29. Luke 6.44. What ever the fruit is, such is the Tree; Figgs do not grow upon thorns, nor Grapes upon brambles, where you find Grapes it is a Vine, and not only doth God and Christ know them, but Mat. 7.16. you shall know them by their Fruits, not by their leaves, but their fruits; not some few actions, but by a daily observation of them; sometimes delay and times always attention is required to discern them, 2 Tim. 3.5. Having a form of godliness, etc. this may be discerned, for vers. 9 Their folly shall be manifest to all men. James 2.18. Works ●re the glass, picture, Child of faith, Adam begat a Son after his Image, and faith begets Children after its own Image, Abraham's offering of his Son dec●a●ed his faith. Heb. 11.17. Works justify faith, and faith justifies the man. Some doubt whether works will prove grace, whether sanctification will evidence justification: But John tells us there is a witness of Water as well as of blood, and of the spirit, 1 Joh. 5.8. if the Law written in Books may be known, and the sense of it evidenced by Commentaries, surely the Law written in the heart, may be known and evidenced by works.  
3. Grace in the heart will appear in the life, if there be a new spirit, a tender heart, there will be walking in the Statutes▪ A new spirit cannot be imprisoned within, but it will break out into action; when the seed is sown in good ground, it will not lie long under ground, but spring forth, Mark 4.20. Grace is light, and that will manifest itself, vers. 21.22. God hath determined, that hidden things shall be manifested; grace cannot always be hid, 1 Pet. 2.9. Such virtue will out. 1 Thes. 1.5.6.7. The Coritnhians were the Epistle of Paul written in his heart, read and known of all men. The Romans faith was spoken of throughout the World; Rom. 1.8. That was in all the Churches of the World. So their obedience, Chap. 16.19. There be divers things cannot be hidden, as the light, fire, life, the wind, a spring; and of this nature is grace, which is all those, its light, and fire, John was a burning and shining light: Its life, Luke 15.24 It's the wind of the spirit, Cant. 4.16. Joh. 3.8. It's a Spring, Joh. 7.38. A good Tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, and it cannot but bring forth good fruit, Acts 4.20. We cannot but speak the things we have heard and seen, Paul when converted presently said, Lord what wilt thou have me to do? He would not be idle, but doing the will of the Lord Christ.  
4. It is not from man's strength but God's grace, that any walk in his statutes, keep his Ordinances and do them; I will take away the stony heart, give them an heart of flesh, and put a new spirit within them, that they may walk, keep, and do: Man is a feeble, impotent Creature, he cannot think a good thought, make an hair white or black, and how then can he walk in the Statutes of the Lord? Satan is powerful and politic, he makes strong assaults, and such, as that if God did not assist by his grace, we should fall every moment; hence those expressions of David, Ps. 119.5.35.36. Moses and the Covenant of works, called for obedience, contributed no strength, but God in Christ gives strength, to do what is called for, Ezek. 36.27. I will put my spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes and ye shall keep my judgements and do them. Heb. 13.20.21.  
5. God's statutes and Ordinances are to be the Saint's way to walk in, and rule to walk by; statutes, Ordinances are called ways, paths, Jer. 6.16. Young men must cleanse their ways according to the word, Psal. 119.9. David would have his steps ordered by the word, vers. 133. The word is the way to walk in, and a rule to walk by, we must try all spirits and doctrines by it, Isa. 8.20. 1 Thes. 5.21. 1 Joh. 4.5. Acts. 17.11. All things we believe, Acts. 26.27. Ephes. 2.20. John 20.31. Gal. 1.8. All things we practice. 2 Tim. 3.15.17. Eccles. 12.13. Mat. 28.20. What God and Christ command must we observe not what others. Isa. 8.11. Walk not in the ways of this People, not in the light of our own fire. Isa. 50.11. Not after customs of men. Acts, 21.21.  
6. Those God reneweth by grace, giveth newness and tenderness of spirit unto, he looks they should make progress in his ways, keep in mind his Ordinances, and do them exactly, fulfil them, Deut. 6.17. You shall diligently keep the Commadements of the Lord, and his Testimonies and statutes, Psal. 119.4. Thou hast commanded to keep thy precepts diligently. The Hebrew is Valde, greatly, the Septuagint, vehemently, 
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉  and the Vulgar, Nimis, too much, which Expressions show, that we should endeavour to the utmost to keep them, God expected they should keep the Sabbath exactly, Isa. 58.13. And so the rest of his commands.   

They shall be my People, and I will be their God.  
These words have two things in them.  

1. God's asserting them to be his people.  
2. A gracious promise to be their God.   
You have these words often mentioned in the Book of God, once in Levit. 26.12. Seven times in Jeremiah, Chap. 7.23. 11.4: 24.7: 30.22: 31.1.33: 32.38: Four times in our Prophet Ezekiel, Cham 36.28: 37.23.27. And here in this Vers. Once in Zacharie, Chap. 8.8. Twice in the new Testament, 2 Cor. 6.16. & Revel. 21.3. In all they are 15 times set down, which intimates to us that there is great weight in them, that they are of great consideration and use.   


〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉  They shall be my people.  
Hebrew is, they shall be to me, in Populum, for a People. And so I will be to them Lel●him in Deum, for a God. I will show you.  

1. What is employed in these words, They shall be my people.  
2. Wha● in the other, I will be their G●d,   
They shall be my people.  
1. They shall acknow edge me to be their God, they shall not own any other God. There is difference between knowing and acknowledging; you may know such an one to be a child, but not acknowledge him to be your child, you may know such Towns, Countries, Kingdoms, but not acknowledge them yours. This phrase, My people, imports acknowledging God to be theirs, Psal. 48.14. This God that dwells at Jerusalem that breaks the Ships of Tarshish, this God is our God for ever and ever, Psal. 77.13. Who is so great a God as our God. Here is acknowledgement of God, not only to be great, but to be their God. Isa. 25.9. This is our God, and we have waited for him, Exod. 29.45.46. I will be their God, and they shall know that I am the Lord their God. That is, they shall acknowledge me to be so, it's called vouching God to be their God, Deut. 26.17.  
2. They shall worship me only, Exod. 5.8. Let us go and Sacrifice to our God, not to other Gods; when a people is God's people, they are possessed with apprehensions of his glory, greatness, authority, over them, and infinite worthiness to be honoured, adored admired and magnified by them; and will say as its, Psal 95.6. Oh come let us worship etc. And as its, Hos. 14.8. What have we to do any more with Idols: they would not meddle with the worship of the Nations, their own inventions but they would worship God, and him only, Joel. 2.27. 1 Sam. 12.24. Psal. 147.1. Rev. 19.1.  
3. They shall trust and rely upon me, and not any other Gods, or arms of flesh, Hos. 14.3. Ashur shall not save us, we will not ride upon Horses, neither will we say any more to the work of our hands, you are our Gods, for in thee the Fatherless find mercy. Zeph. 3, 12. Psal. 9.10.  
4. They shall be a People unto me; when God takes a people to be his, they are holy unto him, Deut. 7.6. Thou art an holy people unto the Lord thy God, God separated them from the World and other Nations, to be holy unto himself, therefore it follows, The Lord thy God hath chosen thee to be a special people unto himself, Levit. 19.2. Hence they were called an holy Nation, Exod. 19.6.  
5. They shall hearken unto my voice and do my will and yield obedience unto me, Jer. 7.23. Obey my voice and I will be your God and ye shall be my people, Josh. 24.18. We will serve the Lord for he is our God. Deut. 6.17. Psal. 50.7.81.8.13  
6. They shall love me and lay out their strength for me, Deut. 6.5. Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart and with all thy soul, and with all thy might. Mar. 12.30. is added With all thy mind, If God be ours he must have all; Psa. 68.28.  
7. They shall stand for my glory, and make my name honourable, Isa. 43.21. This people have I form for myself; they shall show forth my praise.   

I will be their God.  
These are gracious words, and they do import much.  
1. The free grace of God in pardoning their sins, Jer. 31.33.34. When he speaks of being their God, he tells them he will forgive their Iniquity, and will remember their sin no more, Psal. 85.2. Thou hast forgiven the iniquity of thy people, thou hast covered all their sin. The word Forgiven, signifieth, to lift up, and take away, sin is a great burden, when God becometh a God in mercy to a People, than he takes off that great Burden, he lif● it up, carries it quite away, and it's hid out of sight, and remembrance, Hos. 14.4.  
2. The presence of God amongst them, Levit. 26.11.12. The Jews were Gods people and he saith, I will set my Tabernacle amongst you, and will walk among you, and be your God, and ●ou shall be my People. The Tabernacle and walking, were arguments of his presence, and evidenced him to be their God; God is essentially present every where, but especially present with his People, Rev. 21.3. No Creature, no Angel, no representation of God, but God himself shall be with them; as a Father with his Children, as a Husband with his Wife, God will not only be with them, but in them, 2 Cor. 6.16. He will indwell in them and walk in them. 
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉.   
3. The peculiar and special care of God over them, Deut. 32.10.11.12. The Lord was as tender to them, as any Creature could be to her young; the Eagle is very careful of her young, carrying them not in her Talons, but on her wings; So God deals by his People, he preventeth harms that might befall them, Psal. 68.7. He went forth before his People, and did march in the front of them through the Wilderness, Psal. 77.20. Isa. 26.20. God doth provide for, and protect his People, Deut. 33.27, Psal. 125.2. Isa. 4.5. Upon all the glory shall be a defence.  
4. Deliverance, if in straits, dangers, misery, Exod. 3.10. I have seen the oppression, come now therefore and I will send thee unto Pharaoh that thou mayest bring forth my People out of Egypt. Ezek. 37.12. Behold O my People, I will open your graves, and cause you to come up out of your graves: Where God is a God to any, he is a delivering God, he is affected with their condition and sufferings, Exod. 3.7. Isa. 63.9. 1 Sam. 9.16. Isa. 3.15.  
5. Singular comfort, Rev. 21.3.4. They shall be his people and God himself shall be with them, be their God, and he shall wipe away all tears from their eyes, and there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying, nor pain, Isa. 40.1.49.13.30.26.51.3. He doth encourage and hearten them. Isa. 41.10.  
6. Speaking and pleading for them, Isa. 51.22. Thus saith the Lord, the Lord and thy God that pleadeth the cause of his people. Their cause is many times like to suffer, men are unwise, unfaithful, manage it strangely, but God will plead the cause of his people, and he will not do it faintly, as if he cared not whether his people should have the day or no; but to purpose will he do it, Jer. 50.34. Their redeemer is strong, the Lord of hosts is his name, he shall throughly plead their cause that he may gain lest unto the Land, and disquiet the inhabitants of Babylon. Mica. 7.9. Joel 3.2.  
7. Exalting and honouring of them, Deut. 26.18.19. The Lord hath avouched thee to be his peculiar people, and what then? To make thee high above Nations, in praise, in name, in honour. God makes his people renewed, Isa. 28.5. He is a Crown of glory unto them, Isa. 60.11. Thy God thy glory, Jer. 2.11. Isa. 43.4.  
8. Teaching and instructing of them, Isa. 28, 26. his God doth instruct him to discretion, Isa. 51.4. Harken unto me my people and give ear unto me my Nation, for a Law shall proceed from me and I will m●ke my judgement to rest for a light of the people, Deut. 4.36. Isa. 48.17.  
9 Delight in them, Isa. 65.19. I will joy in my people, no friends can rejoice more in one another, no bridegroom more in his bride, than God in his people, them he calls his strength, and his glory, Psal. 78.61. Yea a Crown of glory, Isa. 62.3. Thou shalt be a Crown of glory in the hand of the Lord, and a royal diadem in the hand of thy God. No King can delight more in a Crown then the Lord doth in his people, which are his Crown, God's people are near unto him, Psal. 148.14. They are his jewels, Mal. 3.17. His Portion, Deut. 32.9. His Heritage. Joel. 2.17. His peculiar Treasure, Exod. 19.5. The Hebrew Word Segullah, noteth an exquisite treasure, a thing very desirable, singular and peculiar, Eccles. 2.8. The peculiar treasure of Kings; Aquila hath it substance; Vatablus a treasure entirely beloved: God's people are his choice treasure, dearly bloved. Things we delight in, we oft think upon, and speak of, and you may find this expression oft, Viz. His treasure or peculiar people, it's in Deut. 7.6. special people, it's the same word; so in Deut. 14.2.26.18. Psal. 135.4. Titus 2.14. 1 Pet. 2.9.  
10. Blessing and communicating choice and satisfying mercies, where a People are his he will Crown and load them with variety of blessings. Psal. 3 8. Thy blessing is upon thy People, thy people are distingu shed from all others, and thy blessings are distinct from all others: Gods blessings note a plentiful bestowing of all good things as appears, Gen. 24.35. Ephes. 1.3. Among his people are all his springs, the lower and upper ones. He blessed them with choice mercies, with his secrets, Psal. 25.14. With his name, Dan. 9.19. Isa. 63.19. The Shulamite was so called from Solomon, Cant. 6.12. When God takes a people to himself, that people is married unto him, and it hath his name, the Church is called Christ, 1 Cor. 12.12. With his holiness, Hebr. 12.10. With the divine nature, 2 Pet. 1.4. With grace and glory, Psal. 84.11. Yea with satisfying mercies. Psal. 65.4.36.8. He will satisfy them with goodness, Jer. 31.14. With himself, Gen. 15.1.  

Obser. 1.  God prepares a people for himself, and then marries that people unto himself; he gives them oneness, newness, tenderness of heart, and spirit, and then they shall be his people, and he will be their God, Ezek. 16.6.8. When thou wast in thy blood I said unto thee live, I spread my skirt over thee and covered thy nakedness, and thou becamest mine, when Abraham was come out of his Country, had left his idolatrous ways, walked uprightly before God, than he hears I am thy God and the God of thy seed, Gen. 17.7. This is the way of Christ, Ephes. 5.26.27. He is sanctifiing and cleansing of his Church that he may present it to himself a glorious Church without spot.  
2. It's great happiness to have God to be our God; many think happiness to lie in other things, but in nothing else, only in this it consists, Psal. 33.12. Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord and the people whom he hath chosen, for his own inheritance. They are the blessed people, Psal. 144.15. It is not thousands of , full barns, laughter in the streets, peace and plenty, which make a people happy, the happiness of a people is, in having God to be theirs. Great parts, honours, friends, estates, do not happifie a man; but happy is he that hath the God of Jacob for his help, whose hope is in the Lord his God. Psal. 146.5. When God is the God of a people he will do great things for them, 2 Sam. 7.23. He will show them the power of his works, Psal. 111.6. He will not leave his people, 1 Sam. 12.22. When Heaven and Earth shake the Lord will be the hope of his people, Joel 3.16. The Hebrew is, 
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉  the place of repair or harbour.  
3. It is free grace and favour that God doth take any people to be his, and becometh a God unto; people choose not God, he saith They shall be my people and I will be their God. We are vile in our natures, wicked in our works, no loveliness or profitableness is in us, or by u●, Ezek. 16.5.6. When thy person was loathed and thou wast polluted in thy blood I said unto thee live. There is nothing in a Nation that sets his heart a work to do a people good, it was not their greatness moved him, Deut. 7.7. They were the fewest of all people, nor their goodness, for what was their father Abraham, Josh. 24.2.3. Terah, Abraham, and Nachor, were idolaters, they served other Gods, saith the text, and I took your Father Abraham, so when God took his seed in Egypt, they were idolatrous, Ezek. 20.5.6.7. There is no righteousness in people to move God, neither can any sin in them hinder God from putting forth acts of his free grace, D●u. 32.10. Speaking of Israel, he found him in a desert Land, and in the waist howling Wilderness, to which some allusion may be, Cant. 8.5. God found out and took this people in a wicked lost, distressed, condition, and brought them out by his power and made them his people by his grace, 1 Sam. 12.22. It pleased the Lord to make them his people.  
4. God doth not equally dispense his grace and favour; some are his people and he is their God, others are not; many Nations were left, when the Jews were taken, yea all other Nations, Amos 3.2. You only have I known of all the Families of the Earth. The Lord's favour fell upon the Jews and not others. Some infer from Gen. 22.18. In thy seed shall all Nations of the Earth be blessed▪ that God loves all equally, at that time he did not, the words are a promise of what should be, not of what was, neither is it so now: for if he l●ves all alike, why doth he deny the means of grace to many Nation? why doth he not bless and make the same effectual, equally to all where they are. Besides such an opinion over ●●ow Election, God's dominion over the Creatures, and his freedom in dispensation of grace and mercy, John 10.26. Acts 13.48.  
5. Those are the Lords have a strong ground to plead with God in prayer for any mercy. Where is relation and interest, there is encouragement to ask, if God be ours and we his, surely we may plead with him for great things in our prayers. The people of God did so of old, Jer. 14.9. Psal. 80.4. Isa. 64.9. Deut. 9.26. 2 Chron. 20.12. Chap. 14.11.    

VERS. 21.  
But as for them whose heart walketh after the heart of their dteestable things, and their abominations, I will recompense their way upon their own heads, saith the Lord GOD.  
THis Verse is a threatening to those should persist in their evil ways, yet a comfort to the godly, that the Lord would judge them and ease them of them.  

Detestable things and abominations.  
These words have been opened in the 18. vers. and Chap. 5.11.7.20.   


Quorum cor ambulat ad cor.  Heart of their detestable things.  
Hebrew is, their heart going to the heart of their detestable things; 
Aprez le desire de leur infametes, Idols have an interpretative desire to be worshipped.  Heart is sometimes put for the midst of a thing, Exod. 15.8. The heart of the Sea. Which is called, Ezek. 27.4. The midst of the Sea. So their heart was in the midst of their Idols, or amongst their Idols, what was delightful in them, that was as the heart of the Idol, and their hearts were carried thereunto. Or thus you may take the words, they conceived some deity to be in their Idols, and they laboured to please and do those things delighted the heart of that deity.  
Those rites, ceremonies, ways, whereby they worshipped their Idols, may be called the heart of their detestable things. It was a law among the Heathens, that every God should be worshipped as he thought good, and the way prescribed by him, of worshipping, was, as the heart and life of the Idol and the Idolatry.   

I will recompense their way upon thtir own heads.  
Of these words see what hath been said, Chap. 9.10. Chap. 7.3.4.8.  
That when the Lord makes gracious promises to a people, 
Obser. 1.  they do not refer to, and fetch in all. This Observation rises from the two former Verses, & this, laid together, God promises to give them, oneness, newness, tenderness of heart, he promiseth that he will be their God, and they shall be his people. These promises were absolute, yet made good unto some of the Captives, not unto all, But as for them whose heart walketh after etc. They should not come within the compass of them. Many promises of the Lord are delivered indefinitely, without restriction, and absolutely, without condition; and yet are made good only to some, even those are given of the father unto Christ, many of these after the Captivity never had these promises made good unto them; yet God was faithful in that some had the fruit and comfort of them.  
2. Tares, Hypocrites, and naughty ones will be in the Church always; some had new spirits, tender hearts, and walked in God's Statutes, others had old spirits, hard hearts, and walked after detestable things; some threw away all abominable things and others there hearts went after them: They coming out of Babylon, and laying the foundation of a new Church, it was probable that none but choice ones should have been of it, or in it; but their were Usurers, Sabbath-breakers, and such had mingled themselves with strange Wives, Nehem. 5. & 13. I'm was in the A●ke, Judas among the Apostles, the Church abounded with Hypocrites in Christ's days, Matth. 13.30. there will be Tares among the Wheat to the end of the World.  
3. Afflictions, great, and long, do not sanctify; they were to be in Captivity, and that seventy years; yet after their return, the hearts of many would be carried to their detestable things. It's granted, that after they came out of Babylon, they never fell to Idolatry; that is, the body of them did not, but doubtless some particulars did, their hearts went to the heart of their detestable things; when they saw some of the old Idols▪ or relics of them, they were affected with them: Affl ctions of themselves purge not out corruption, nor take the heart off from evil things.  
4. men's hearts are in false ways and worship, they take pleasure in superstitious and idolatrous practices. Things invented by men, and brought into the worship of God, are pleasing to humane senses, to carnal reason, men's corruptions, and so take their hearts; when the Calf was made, Exod. 32.19. they were greatly affected with it, and danced about it. 1 Pet. 4.3. Lasciviousness, lust, Wine, revelling, banqueting, and Idolatries, are joined together: False worship and false ways of worship, are set out by such expressions as show their hearts were taken therewith, Numb. 15.39. Isa. 57.5. Chap. 66.3. Acts 17.16. 2 Kings 21.21. Psal. 97.7. Ezek. 16.17, 18, 19, 20.  
5. That is an object of hatred to the godly, is an object of delight unto the wicked; in the 18. Verse, when the godly should come to the Land again, they would take away all the detestable things, but the wicked, their hearts would go after them: The hearts, of the one sort were for them, of the other were against them.  
6. God takes notice which way the heart looks, how it stands affected, As for them whose heart walketh after, etc. Ezek. 20.16. Chap. 33.31. in the 14 Chap. 3, 4, 7. thrice God observes, They had set up Idols in their hearts. The heart is the principal thing in man, that God calls for, Prov. 23.26. and therefore he looks after it, Revel. 2.23. All the Churches shall know that I am he which searcheth the reins and the heart.  
7. Things men are much taken with, are detestable in the sight of God; they affected detestable things, Luke 16.15. That is highly esteemed amongst men is abomination with God: When men bring into his worship things of their own he accounts it iniquity, Exod. 20.5. and the Authors thereof haters of him.  
8. Superstitious and Idolatrous persons shall not go unpunished, I will recompense their ways upon their heads; when they had made a calf, quickly after 3000 were slain for it, and though Moses mediated for them, yet God tells Moses that in the day he visits he will visit their sin upon them, Exod. 32.35. And verse the last, The Lord plagued the people because they made the calf which Aaron made. God is jealous and cannot endure his glory should be given to another.  
9 When ever God punisheth, or whom ever he punisheth, he is just in his punishment, I will recompense their way upon their own head: They shall have the fruit of their own labours, and its certain, thus saith the Lord, you think yourselves safe, if you can avoid my stroke, that your false gods shall secure you, but it shall not be, I will recompense your ways upon your heads: God may punish men sometimes less than they deserve, but never more; he is just, and returns their own doing upon them, Psal. 7.16.    

VERS. 22.  
Then did the Cherubims lift up their wings, and the wheels besides them: and the glory of the God of Israel was over them above.  
HEre gins the fifth part of the Chapter, which is a further description of the Lords leaving the City.  
The Cherubims wheels and glory were at the East gate of the Temple, Chap. 10.19. where you have the very words of this Verse. Cherubims' note out Angels, and superior causes; Wheels, inferior things, with the motions of them; and by the glory of the God of Israel, is meant either the glorious Lord himself, or som● visible sign of his glorious presence.  

Obser.  All things are under the God of Israel, he hath the eminence, he is above, wheels and Angels are under him at his dispose, if he give out the word, the Cherubims move, lift up their wings, and order the wheels.   

VERS. 23.  
And the glory of the Lord went up from the midst of the City, and stood on the mountain, which is on the East side of the City.  
HE●e you have God's departure from the City. To leave the Temple was grievous; had he stayed at the gates of it, or in the City itself, any where within the walls, it had been mercy: but he leaves the East gate, (which he calls the midst of the City) and goeth forth unto the mountain, which shown, God would now expose the City to the fury and spoil of the Babylonians.  

The glory of the Lord.  
Of this see before Chap. 10.4.18.19. Chap. 9.3. Chap. 8.4. Chap. 3.23.   

And stood upon the mountain.  
There were many mountains about Jerusalem, Psal. 125.2. It was compassed about with them, the mountain which the glory went to and stood upon, was mount Olivet, or mount Olives, Zach. 14.4. This mountain was before Jerusalem, on the East, and the glory of the Lord stood before at the East gate whence it removed, and went up this mountain; for it was high and had ascents 2 Sam. 15.30.  
The standing of the glory upon this mountain may be either to see the ruin and destruction of the City, and so to weep over it, as Christ did upon or near the same mount; Luke 19 or Secondly, to upbraid them for their wickedness there, because they did abominable things in that mount, whence it was called the mount of corruption, 2 K. 23.13. or,  
Thirdly, to make it typical to represent the ascending of Christ to Heaven, which was from that place, Acts 1.12.  
These things being granted, yet I conceive there was somewhat else in it. The glory of God had made several stands before, which they had not much minded, now it goeth from the Temple and City, to an high conspicuous mountain, that they might take notice of God's departure, repent of their sins, and use all possible means for recalling, recovering, and keeping the glory with them, and Zach. 14.4. The promise is of returning and standing upon the same mount.  
God is unwilling to forsake that people he hath vouchsafed his presence, 
Obser. 1.  and communicated his favour unto; no people in the World had God so nigh them as this people, Deut. 4.7. Here God goeth out of the City but not quite away, nor quite out of sight, he steps to the mountain over against the City. Before, he had removed to the side of the Temple, then from within the Temple to the threshold, after that to the East gate, and from thence ●o mount Oliv ●; and God pauzed at every stand, whether he should go any further. The Lord is loath to leave h●s people, they put him upon it. Ezek. 8.6. Seest thou the great abominations that they commit here that I should go fare off from my Sanctuary, they forced God out of all, whenas seeing him upon the leaving them, th●y should have purge d the Sanctuary from all Idols and false worship, and have importuned the Lord to stay among them, when a friend is leaving his friends, what entreaties what tears many times are used to stay him, Acts 21.12.13. Jer. 14.7.8.9.  
2. God is not tied so to any place, or people, bu● when they grow wicked and defile his worship, he may leave them, and th● place where he hath recorded his name. Mount Zion God h●d chosen above all places to dwell there. Psal. 132.14. This is my rest for ever, here will I dwell for I have desired it. For ever is a long tim●, in Scripture sense, and God had dwelled a long time with them, but now the time was come of his departure, now the holy Temple, holy City, holy people, were all profaneness, unto him, they had corrupted his worship, polluted themselves, and therefore he would leave them. The Jews thought because they had the Temple and God amongst them, that therefore they were well and happy, though their worship were mixed and their lives wicked; but they were deceived. No particular visible Church hath assurance of Gods abiding longer with it, than it keeps his worship pure, walks holily and humbly with him; when any corrupt his glory, his worship, than the glorious Lord and the glory of the Lord doth leave them.  
3. When God leaves a people, than protection of Angels and comfort of Ceeatures leave them also, the Cherubims and wheels together with the glory left them, and went to the mountain. When the King goeth the Court removes, and the Servants follow, when God is gone, we are left naked, lie open to all temptations and miseries; we have no God to counsel, comfort, protect, or save, and what a case is such a people in? Jer. 6.8. Be thou instructed O Jerusalem, lest my soul departed from thee, and what then? Lest I make thee desolate, a Land not inhabited.    

VERS. 24.  
Afterwards the spirit took me up, and brought me in vision by the Spirit of God into Chaldea, to them of the Captivity: so the vision that I had seen, went up from me.  
HEre is the conclusion of this glorious Vision our Prophet had seen. The spirit had carried him not in body, but in spirit unto Jerusalem, Chap. 8.3. And shown him how things were there, what God was purposed to do, and now having seen and heard glorious and terrible things, the Vision went up to Heaven, he saw it no more.  
The spirit an show us things at a great distance, 
Obser. 1.  as if we were present, the spirit caused Ezekiel to see things at Jerusalem, when his body was in Chaldaea. Our senses cannot discern far, but the spirit knoweth all things, in all places, and can satisfy us with the knowledge of them, give us spiritual and prophetical eyes; Paul saith, 2 Cor. 12.2.3. That he was caught up to the third Heaven, but whether in the body or out of the body, he knoweth not, and being there he heard unspeakable words. The spirit took him up, caused him to hear such things, so did the spirit here take up our Prophet, and caused him to see such things.  
2. This Vision was real, divine, no imaginary feigned thing, not from his brain but from the spirit itself, 
In raptu abstrahitur anima a sensibus & phantasmatibus.  therefore it's said to put all out of doubt, The spirit took him up and brought him in Vision, and the Vision I had seen went up, which shows it was no humane thing but divine.  
3. The servants of God have glorious sights here sometimes, but they soon expire and come to an end, So the Vision which I had seen went up from me. He had seen the glory of God, the Cherubims and wheels, and the man clothed with linen, Viz. Christ, but here was no continuance of this glorious sight. Jacob seethe a ladder reaching up to Heaven, Angels ascending and descending, and the Lord at the top of the ladder, but this was only for a night and then it ceased, Gen. 28.12.13.16. Moses saw the Lord in the burning bush, Exod. 3.23. But the fight lasted not, Isaiah saw the Lord sitting upon a Throne, Isa. 6.1. Peter, James, and John, saw the transfiguration of Christ. Math. 17. And all the Apostles Saw his glory, as the glory of the only begotten: but the Vision went up from them.   

VERS. 25.  
Then I spoke to them of the Captivity, all the things that the Lord had showed me.  
HEre you have what the Prophet did after the Vision, he had been in an ecstasy some time, and now being brought to his ordinary and pristine condition, he relates to the Captives what he had seen and heard. Many of those in the Captivity, and probably some of those Elders which sat in the Prophet's house, Chap. 8.1. thought them happy which were at Jerusalem, condemned their own act in coming to Babylon, judged their counsels foolish and weak, which they had about their coming thither, and blamed Jeremiah for exhorting them thereunto; hereupon Ezekiel being returned, as he thought, from Jerusalem to Chaldaea, speaks unto them what he had received concerning the destruction of the Temple, City, Land, and the m●series of the inhabitants, and thereby convinceth them, that they were in a far better condition than those they ha● left behind.  

All the things.  
Things in Hebrew is words, now words are not shown but heard, how then doth he say? Which he had showed me: they were not mere words but words Ves●ita externo symbols. He had many types, Viz. Of a s●●dge, of a raz●r, and hair, of a chain, of six men wi●h slaughter weapons in their hands: of a cauldron, wh●ch were visible words.  

Obser. 1.  When men have been in the hand and power of the spirit, acted thereby, then are they si● to speak unto the people. Then I spoke unto them. When Moses had been in the mount, than was h● fit to speak to those at the foot of the mount, when the spirit had irradiated the minds of men with divine light and truths, then are they meetest ●o communicate to others. The Apostles being filled with the spirit spoke freely, boldly, Acts 4.13.20.  
2. God's Prophets and Messengers must speak unto those they are intended for, Ezekiel had his vision, and all the types in it, for the Jews, those of the Captivity, not the Babylonians. God had a care of the Captivity, that they might be instructed concerning his mind, and be undeceived in their apprehensions about the things of Jerusalem, Then I spoke unto the Captivity.  
3 They must declare what they have h●ard and seen, not what is their own; what is man's is uncertain, unsatisfying, unsanctifying, but that which i●●h● Lords is infallible, will satisfy and sanctify; Christ told the Apostles, the spirit should take of his and show unto them. John 16.14. & Math. 28.20. They must teach the people to observe what he commanded them, 1 Cor. 11.23. Paul received what he delivered, thus did Ezekiel he spoke what the Lord shown unto him.  
4. They must be faithful, speak all the things which are showed unto them, thus did our Prophet, he delivered unto them, all the Lord had shown unto him, what ever he had seen or heard that he faithfully giveth out. There mu●t be no adding to the things of God, no detracting from them, no changing any of them, but what is the Lords, that must be dispensed. Christ who was sent of the father, saith, All things that I have heard of my Father, I have made known unto you. Joh. 15.15. and Paul kep● back nothing, but delivered all the counsel of God unto them, Acts 20.20.27.     

CHAP. XII.  

VERS. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7.  
The word of the Lord also came unto me saying.  
Son of man, thou dwellest in the midst of a rebellious house, which have eyes to see, and see not: They have ears to hear, and hear not: for they are a rebellious house.  
Therefore thou son of man, prepare thee stuff for removing, and remove by day in their sight, and thou shalt remove from thy place to another place in their sight, it may be they will consider, though they be a rebellious house.  
Then shalt thou bring forth thy fluff by day in their sight, as stuff for removing; and thou shalt go forth at Even in their sight, as they that go forth into captivity.  
Dig thou through the wall in their sight, and carry out thereby.  
In their sight shalt thou bear it upon thy shoulders, and carry it forth in the twilight: thou shalt cover thy face; that thou see not the ground: for I have set thee for a sign unto the house of Israel.  
And I did so as I was commanded: I brought forth my stuff by day, as stuff for captivity, and in the Even I digged through the wall with mine hand, I brought it forth in the twy light, and I bore it upon my shoulder in their sight.  
EZEKIEL having been in a vision at Jerusalem seen and hazard many remarkable things, which he declared to them of the captivity: here the word of the Lord came afresh unto him, and he is put upon doing those things which might convince Zedekiah and others, of the sad judgements coming upon them.  
In the Chapter be three things in general observable. 1. A Prophecy of Zedekiahs' carrying into captivity, with the Citizens of Jerusalem, to the 17. vers.  
2. The miserable condition of the people preceding and following the captivity of the King and people; from vers. 17. to 21.  
3. A confutation of those who mokct at the judgements of God threatened by the Prophet, from the 21. to the end.  
In the first part you have, 1. A type set out in the six first verses.  
2. The application of the type, from thence to the 17.  
It's a question to whom these words of the Lord do refer, Thou dwellest in the midst of a rebellious house, etc.  
Our prophet was in Babylon, and before the captives there, he was to remove in their sight, and this was not to give them hopes of any speedy return out of Babylon; but to quiet their disturbed minds, for these typical actions of the Prophet in carrying out his stuff and digging through the wall, etc. have a double aspect, one towards them at Jerusalem, to evidence to them that their captivity was at hand, another towards these already in captivity, which was to comfort them, in letting them see what heavy judgements they had escaped, being safe there in Babylon, though burdened with some difficulties.  
The scope is to show the certainty of their suffering and destruction at Jerusalem, and their advantage who were come to Babylon, and freed from the judgements were coming upon the other.  

Thou dwellest in the midst of a rebellious house.  
Hebrew is a house of rebellion: a Family, Nation, people, who are rebellious, embittering, exasperating.   

Which have eyes to see, and see not: Ears to hear, and hear not.  
Some take the sight for the understanding, the ear for the will, for these two senses are the servants of those faculties, and as the eye and ear are delighted with light and sweetness, so the understanding and will: but these men were spiritually blind, and deaf, they neither heard nor saw as they might have done. They might have seen God's goodness to them, in bringing them from Jerusalem, in causing them to hearken to Jeremiahs' cou●sell: in planting them in Babylon, in procuring more favour f●om the Babylonians, than the condition of captives did require: they might have understood by the Prophet's visions, and words spoken to them, what the Chaldaeans should speed  do to them in Canaan, what bloody and fie●y judgements they were bringing upon the City, Temple, people and whole Land.  
They did not see inwardly, they considered not what God did, said, nor what they were to do.  

Obser. 1.  Wicked men neither see not hear the things of God, neither meecies nor judgements are rightly discerned by them: they saw not the mercy they had in a strange Land, nor the judgements they escaped in their own Land. Mercies and judgements have much of God in them, they speak, and speak aloud, but wicked men neither see God, nor hear his voice in his works, they are blind and deaf. When men see, hear, and do not profit by their seeing or hearing, than they neither see nor hear in Scripture sense: the more signs, threaten, judgements, the harder hearted they grow, the blinder and deafer they are.  
We had need pray unto the Lord to open our eyes that we may see what judgements, what mercies, we have had, that he would boar ou● ears that we may here his voice and repent of our wickedness.  
2. The cause of sinners not seeing, & not hearing is in themselves. For they are a rebellious house. Their rebellion was the cause, they neither saw nor heard, they did contrary to what God required and so blinded their own eyes, hardened their own hearts; Isa. 26.10.11. Let favour be showed to the wicked, yet will he not learn righteousness, when the Lords hand is lifted up yet will he not see. I fear this is the case of many amongst us, God hath given men senses to observe his works, and ways, but they either do not, or will not observe them, they have eyes to see mercies, and judgements but they consider them not, they have ears to hear the voice of his Rod and word, but they hear not: their eyes, ears, and hearts are taken up and exercised about other things, which is a dreadful evil.   

Prepare the stuff for removing.  
Hebrew is instruments, what instruments? such were seen in Mat. 10.10. A scrip, a coat, shoes, a staff, some add a girdle, but whether these were the instruments Ezekiel was to prepare, I make some doubt, this might suffice for his own travalling, but he was to remove his householdstuff vers. 5.6. He was to carry it out through the hole of the wall, and bear it upon his shoulder.  
This he was to do for trial of their spirits; they had not been affected with his prophesying, and therefore now a visible sign is added, and what then? It may be they will consider: when they should see the prophet removing from place to place, dig through the wall, go out in the night, cover his face etc. these things were likely to affect them: actions are more observable than words, they make deeper impressions. If some chief man in a City, should pack up all his stuff, break through the walls of the City in the night, carry all he had away, what strange effects would it cause, in the hear s of men.  
The Lord is very patiented towards a sinful and rebellious people: 
Obser. 1.  he tryeth variety of ways to do them good, visions, prophecies, signs, they had before; here again the prophet must do strange things to see if they will be apprehensive of danger: repent and prevent judgements, this is the way of God with sinners, he waits, is bountiful, and would with his goodness and long suffering draw sinners to repentance. Let others be like God, a Minister should be patiented, not strive, be gentle towards all men, not bitter, nor cursing, in meekness instructing, etc.  
2. Prophet's must venture, though the success of their endeavours be uncertain, go, prepare stuff for removing, remove, and from place to place, It may be they will consider: Prophets and others should look at God's will, not success. Divine pleasure is warrant sufficient for any to act; let the issue be what it will, Ministers, Magistrates, Parents, must do their duty; it may be good will come of it, It may be they will consider, it's not a word of doubting, but of hope and encouragement.   

Thou shalt bring forth thy stuffeby Day in their sight:  
The reason of this was, that so all might see, Princes, Nobles, and People, and be inexcusable if they did not take warning.   

Go forth at even:  
This was to show the stealing away of the King, Nobles, and men of war by night, as it is 2 Kings 25.4. The City was broken up, and all the men of war fled by night, by the way of the Gate, between two walls which is by the King's Garden, and the King went the way towards the plain, Jer. 39.4. They fled and went out of the City by night, even Zedekiah with the rest ..   

Dig through the wall, etc.  
To show what great straits they should be in, all gates should be beset, all known passages stopped, and they necessitated to break through the wall, and vers. 7. Ezekiel saith, he did it with his own hand, I digged through the wall with my hand: In eminent danger any shift will men make, pull stones out of walls etc.   

Thou shalt bear it upon thy shoulders.  
To show that the People and Princes should carry away their precious things upon their shoulders.   

Thou shalt cover thy face, that thou see not the ground.  
Covering of the face was in use among the Jews and others.  
1. In case of disappointment, and shame, they did it, Jer. 14.3. Their Nobles have sent their little ones to the waters, they came to the pits and found no water, they returned with the vessels empty, they were ashamed, confounded, and covered their heads.  
2. In case of sorrow and mourning, 2 Sam. 19.4. When Absalon was slain David covered his face, and cried O Absalm my Son, so in the 15 Chap. 30. David and the people had their heads covered, and wept when they went up Mount Olivet.  
3. In case of guilt ●nd punishment for it, Esther 7.8. When Haman was accused by Esther, and to suffer for his villainous plot, against the Jews, they covered his face, as not worthy to see the sun or earth; here the Prophet's covering was typical, and was to show not only what a dark moonelesse night Zedekiah should choose to fly in, but what a dark condition he should be in when his eyes should be put out, therefore those words, That thou see not the ground, are added, intimating that though he were carried into Babylon yet he should not see that Land.   

For I have set thee for a sign to the house of Israel.  
And in the 11 ver. I am the sign. The word in Hebrew is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Portentum, from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifieth something beautiful, specious, drawing to admiration: here it's put for a strange or wonderful thing, 
That might be pleasing to the eye, but sad in effect and heavy to the heart.  and is the same with Oath and is rendered a sign, in this place, and others; as in 2 Chron. 32, 24. Isa. 8.18. I and the Children thou hast given me are for signs and wonders; There are both the words, and point out the same thing, and that is, Signum or portentum quo futurus rerum eventus design●tur as Isa. 20.3.4. His going naked and barefoot, was a sign and wonder upon Egypt, and A hiopia, and our Prophets digging the wall, carrying out his stuff, and covering of his face made him a sign to the house of Israel; they would not believe that they should go into cap ivi●y but this was a lively sign to convince them of it.  
The Lord carrieth on his design in the World, oft times, 
Obser.  by foolish, weak, & ridiculous means, the Prophet must dig through the wall, carry out his stuff upon his shoulder, remove from place to place, and cover his face, that he see not the ground; these things seemed childish and foolish unto the Jews, they thought him a silly or mad man, so Chap. 4. He must take a Tile, picture Jerusalem upon it, he must build a sort, cast a Mount, set a camp and battering Rams against it, he must also set an Iron pan for a wall between him and the City, lie upon his left side, and then upon his right side, drink water by measure, a●d b●ke his bread in dung etc. All which, seemed poor, ridiculous things in the eyes of the people, but there was weight in them.   

And I did as I was commanded, I brought forth my stuff by day, as stuff for captivity etc.  
In this Verse is the obedience of the prophet, to the type commanded, and in the two next, preparation to the application of the type.  

Obser.  From the sixth Verse its man's duty readily to obey the Lord in whatsoever he commands, be they things of such nature as to seem ridiculous, unworthy a man; such as will expose him to scorn, disgrace etc. yet he is bound to do them. Our Prophet did as he was commanded, he stuck not at the doing those things would make him a sign and fable in all Israel.    

VERS. 8, 9  
And in the morning came the word of the Lord unto me saying.  
Son of man, hath not the house of Israel, the rebellious house, said unto thee, What dost thou?  
GOD had appointed the Prophet to do those typical things in their sight, and now he comes to inquire what the people did or said upon his so doing; and such was the blindness and stupidity of this people, that they did not so much as inquire of the Prophet what these typical passages meant. The words in the 9 Verse are an interrogation, and import a negative, not an affirmative, thus, Hath not the rebellious house said unto thee what do●st thou? No, I know it hath not, they dreamt rather of their own return out of Captivity, than thought of their brethren's coming into captivity who were at Jerusalem: they rather derided the Prophet for those strange acts, than consulted what they meant.  
The Lord looks after his Messengers and messages, 
Obser.  sent by them, and will have an account what entertainment they have. The Lord commanded Ez kiel to go and do such things; which he did, and here he comes and inquires what was the effect of those typical actions, whether the people apprehended his meaning in them, or made inquiry after them, have they come to thee, have they said, What dost thou? God minds the Servants he employs, there words and actions shall not be in vain. He makes speedy inquiry here after all, In the morning came the word of the Lord unto me saying. Son of man hath not the house of Israel said unto thee, etc. If they understood them not, it was their duty to come to the Prophet for resolution, and his duty to resolve them.   

VERS. 10, 11, 12, 13, 14.  
Say thou unto them; Thus saith the Lord God. This burden concerneth the Prince in Jerusalem, and all the house of Israel that are among them.  
Say, I am your sign: as I have done, so shall it be done unto them: they shall remove and go into captivity.  
And the Prince that is among them, shall bear upon his shoulder in the twilight and shall go forth: they shall dig thorough the wall, to carry out thereby: he shall cover his face, that he see not the ground with his eyes.  
My net also will I spread upon him, and he shall be taken in my snare, and I will bring him to Babylon to the Land of the Chaldaeans, yet shall he not see it, though he shall die there.  
And I will scatter toward every wind all that are about him to help him, and all his bands, and I will draw out the Sword after them.  
IN these Verses you have the application of the type to the Prince, and all the house of Israel, which is in general laid down in the 10. Verse: then, the common calamity of both in the 11. Verse They shall go into captivity. Then, a more special application of it, to the King in the 12. & 13. Verses, where his bearing stuff upon his shoulder, his flight, digging through the wall, and covering his face, are set down; together with his apprehension, excaecation, deportation into Babylon, and death there.  

This burden.  
H●mmassa from Nasa, to lift up, a word so rich in signification and efficacy,  vix centum aliarum linguarum verbis explicentur ejus divitiae; 
Pradus.  it may be rendered, this burdensome doctrine, or prophecy, which these types do speak; by burden is meant, the typical sign of captivity, which was a burden to the Prophet to act, to open unto them, a burden to them to hear, and especially to bear: grievous prophecies are called burdens in scripture, Nabum 1.1. Hab. 1.1. so Isa. 15.1.17.1.19.1.   

The Prince.  
It was Zedekiah a wicked and timorous King, the Hebrew is Hannasi from Nasi to lift up, either because he is lift up above the people, or should populi onera levare, ease and lighten the greivances of the people as they in Exod. 18.22. But if they grow tyrannical, and impose heavy burdens upon the people, the Lord hath a burden for them; as here Zedekiah must dig through the wall, carry forth on his shoulder, fly etc. This you may see fulfilled, Jer. 52.7.8.9.10.11. Where you have his flight mentioned, the Chaldaeans pursuit and apprehension of him, his carrying to Riblath, where his eyes were put out, and after to Babylon where he died.   

Say I am the sign etc.  
This relates to the few in Babylon, they conceived there should no judgemtnt befall Jerusalem, nor the men there; by this typical work of the Prophet, the Lord shows them their error, that it should not be well with them at Jerusalem, its true they condemn you for removing into Babylon, and justify themselves, that they are the only people, righteous and acceptable unto me, and therefore are safe in Jerusalem; but you shall see, and they shall know, how vain and foolish their thoughts and reasonings are, as I have dealt with you, so will I do by them, they shall be made Captives very speedily, and meet with sorer judgements than you did.   

My net alsa will I spread upon him, and he shall be taken in my snare.  
These words you have again in the 17. Chap. 20. Verse The Chaldaeans here are likened unto Fisher men who usually dwell by the water sides, now Babylon was among the waters, Euphrates, and Tigris running by it or through it, hence Jer. 51.13, O thou that dwellest upon many waters. Therefore fitly are they compared to Fishermen, and the Army was the net; a net spreads abroad, compasses, and catches; by this net was Zedekiah, the Princes, City, and all precious things therein, taken.   

In my snare.  

Lam. 3.13. He hath spread a net for my feet.  Snares are for the Land, and its thought to be a hunter's snare, such as is set for wild Beasts, which being hunted and chased hard, are driven into snares, and so taken; they are set secretly, catch suddenly, hold certainly. The hebrew word Meizudab, as Junius observes, signifies also a strong hold, and in this sense it may represent to us Riblath, whether Zedekiah was carried, where he received judgement, and had his eyes put out, or that hold he was put ●nto in Babylon.  

Obser. 1.  The great mercy and goodness of God, who takes occasion from their sin to afford them this mercy, the exposition of this type; they were stupid, and minded not the Prophet and his actions, or if they did, they derided him as a foolish or mad man, to do such things: hence the Lord is pleased to take an advantage to acquaint them with it, have they not asked thee what dost thou? Say thou unto them, thus saith the Lord, this burden concerns the Prince, etc. Hos. 2.13.14. Isa. 57.17.18. Gen. 8.21. In those places God takes occasion from man's sin to show mercy. So in Joh. 20.25.27. From Thomas his unbelief, etc. Takes an opportunity to come and show his wounds, etc.  
2. To secure and confident sinners, God will render judgement most certainly and impartially, Say to them as I have done, so shall it be done unto you. What ever their thoughts are at Jerusalem, or yours here, their condition shall be like yours; have you been afflicted with War, Famine, Plague, have you lost the Temple, City, your Country and estates, are you brought into an Heathenish Land; so shall it be with them.  
3. The Lord hath burdens for Princes: if they be wicked, there be burdensome Prophecies against them, and burdensome judgements for them, Zedekiah did evil in the sight of the Lord, 2 K. 24.19. And you may see what burdens he had.  
1. A burden of fear, he durst stay no longer, and Jer. 38.19. I am afraid of the Jews fallen unto the Chaldaeans lest they deliver me into their hand.  
2. A burden of shame, he covers his face, he will see none, nor be seen of any; he leaves Jerusalem in a shameful manner, carrying some burden upon his shoulder, as if he were some vulgar man, he is disguised as being ashamed of a Princely title.  
3. A burden of flight, he is put to it, to fly for his life.  
4. A burden of darkness, in the evening or night he steals away.  
5. A burden of difficulties, he must dig through a wall, go in byways.  
6. A burden of sad judgements.  

1. He is taken by the enemies.  
2. His Sons are slain before his face.  
3. His eyes are put out.  
4. He is led into captivity.  
5. He is imprisoned till his death.   
And why all these burdens? Because he had a burden of guilt in his conscience which was worse than all the rest; and that burden brings the burdens of judgement, for so it's called, 2 K. 9.25. When Jehu shot an arrow into the heart of Joram a wicked King, he saith, The Lord laid this burden upon him. Such a burden laid the Lord upon Jezabel for her whoredoms and witchcrafts, she is thrown out at a window, her blood sprinkled upon the wall, trod underfoot by horses, and eaten up all by dogs, except her skull, feet, and palms of her hands.  
4. Sinful Princes cannot escape the judgements of God, he hath nets and snares to surprise them, to hold them; Zedekiah thought by flight to get away, but the Lord spread out his net upon him, and took him in his snare: the Chaldaeans Army was God's net and snare to catch sinners, Habbak. 1.13. God makes men, yea takes them as the Fishes of the sea, and vers. 15. They catch them in their net; meaning the Chaldaeans, which troubled the Prophet that such wicked men should catch and spoil the Jews; but the Lord knows how to make use of the worst men to execute his judgements. So the Goths and Vandals of old, Turks now, to scourge the Christian World, etc. What base spirits hath God set on work to correct us. etc. If God will catch men, he hath nets, if he will hunt them, he hath snares.  
5. The Lord makes sinners helps helpless. Zedekiah had some Nobles, Councillors, friends, about him, a life or person-guard, bands of Soldiers, but I will scatter all that are about him to help him, and all his bands; God would put him into a helpless condition, they should none of them be able to relieve him. Men are apt in times of trouble, to look unto some helps, and hopes, but they are vain things, soon blasted, scattered. Take heed of making flesh your arm, of creature confidences. Wicked men expect help from things beneath, from those about them but they are frequently disappointed and so perplexed: take David's counsel. Psal. 146.3. Put not your trust in Princes nor in the son of man in whom their is no help, vers. 5. Happy is he hath the God of Jacob for his help.    

VERS. 15.16.  
And they shall know that I am the Lord, when I shall scatter them among the Nations, and disperse them in the Countries.  
But I will leave a few men of them from the Sword, from the Famine, and from the Pestilence, that they may declare all their abominations among the Heathen whither they come, and they shall know that I am the Lord.  
IN these two Verses you have two great ends of God's judgements; the first is, that the wicked may be convinced from what they have felt and seen, that it was the Word of the Lord which they despised; that he spoke by Jeremiah, and Ezekiel, that they were his threaten, and now made good by him, and this is in the 15. Verse. The second is confession of their sin, and God's righteousness in their judgements, and this is in the 16. Verse.  
Obser. 1 That sinners are of as little account with God, as dust and chaff; this is held out to us in the words Scatter, and Disperse; men are no more before God, than a little dust before the wind, or chaff in a Fan; the Original word for disperse, is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ventilavero, Jer. 15.7. God said he would Fan them with a Fan; and Isa. 40.15. God counts the Nations as the small dust of the Balance; and Isa. 41.2. Gave them as dust to the Sword.  
2. Judgements produce those effects which mercies do not; they had great means and mercies at Jerusalem, in the Land, City, Temple, but under those they did not know, not confess their sins, and give glory to his Name; but when they were deprived of their mercies under sad and sharp judgements they should do so, Isa. 26.9. When thy judgements are in the Earth, the Inhabitants of the World will learn righteousness: Vers. 16. In trouble have they visited thee.  
3. The Lord in the midst of his judgements shows some mercy, I will leave a few men: Hebrew is men of number, that may quickly be numbered: Though many were destroyed by the Sword, Famine, Pestilence; yet some would the Lord leave.   

VERS. 17.18.19.20.  
Moreover the Word of the Lord came unto me, saying,  
Son of man, eat thy bread with quaking, and drink thy water with trembling, and with carefulness.  
And say unto the people of the Land, Thus saith the Lord God, of the Inhabitants of Jerusalem, and of the Land of Israel: They shall eat their bread with carefulness, and drink their water with astonishment, that her Land may be desolate from all that is therein, because of the violence of them that dwell therein.  
And the Cities that are inhabited, shall be laid waist, and the Land shall be desolate, and ye shall know that I am the Lord.  
THese words contain the second general part of the Chapter, Viz. The sad condition of the people, both before, and after the Captivity of the King. 
Having spoken of the Captivity of the King, now he comes to the besieging of the City.  In the 18. Verse, a new Type is commanded; in the 19 Verse it's applied; and there you have the end of its application, which is desolation, and vastation, and the procreant cause of both; Viz. the violence which was amongst them; and in the 20. the end of Gods putting them into such an afflictive condition, that they may know him to be the Lord.  

Eat thy bread with quaking.  

Chald. In tre more. Sept. In dolore.  Fear and perplexity of spirit makes men tremble, and takes away the sweetness of any comfort present: The Hebrew is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 In commotione: Cum tremore corporis, such quaking as the earth quakes with, or like unto Corn and Leaves, so should the Prophet tremble, quake, in eating, looking this way and that way, as one affrighted.   

Drink thy water with trembling, etc.  
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Septuagint, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, with torment, affliction; the Vulgar is, in festinatione, in haste, as they did eat the Passeover. This eating and drinking with quaking and trembling, was to set out, either the great fear should be upon them, when the Babylonish Army should beseige them, so that they should not enjoy the comfort of those creatures, without great trouble, or the great Famine which should be in the Earth, which should cause great fear and trembling, lest they should want, and die for hunger and thirst, lest others should snatch out of their hands, or pull out of their mouths that little they had, and so they were full of care in their eating and drinking.   

Say unto the People of the Land.  
That is, those Jews who were in the Land of Chaldea, he must tell the Captives what should befall the Jews at Jerusalem, and in the Land of Israel.   

They shall eat their bread with carefulness.  
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 It notes care, grief, fear, which commonly attend one the other, the Septuagint 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, with want before they rendered this word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, want is a great affliction.   

And drink their water with astonishment.  
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Stupescere admirari, The Septuagint hath it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, Cum interitu, despairing of deliverance and life; Chalde, Cum stupore; the French, En desolation.   

That her land may be desolate.  
Judaea was the choicest of Lands, a paradise to other Countries, it abounded with milk, honey, corn, oil, wine, , silver, gold and other precious things, but now it was to be laid waist; now it should be stripped of its inhabitants, of its plenty and treasure, the Hebrew is a plenitudine sua.   

Because of the violence of them that dwell therein.  
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Notes injury, Tyranny, spoil. The Septuagint renders it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, because of the wickedness of them, etc.  
The Lord puts his servants oft upon troublesome service, 
Obser. 1.  and sad actions; for the conviction and benefit of others, here Ezekiel must eat his bread with quakeing, and drink his drink with trembling; he must dig through the wall, and bear his stuff upon his shoulder, go out at even, cover his face, remove his stuff, which were burdensome actions; and Chap. 4. He must lie upon his left side, three hundred and ninety days; and then upon his left side forty days; he must eat bread baked with Cow's dung: and Chap. 5. He must shave his head and his beard, make himself bald and unsightly. So Hosea he must marry a Wife of whoredoms, Chap. 1.2. & Jer. 27.2. He must make yokes and bonds, and put upon his neck: These things were to signify what God would do unto the Nations, bring them into subjection to Nabuchadnezzar.  
2. It's Divine pleasure, that when typical and dark things are given out to the Prophets, that they should make them known to the People; Ez●kiel must tell the people what was in it, that he eat his bread and drank his drink in such a manner. So for his digging, and removing, he must tell them what Mystery was wrapped up in it. Say unto them, this burden concerneth the Prince; vers. 10. & here, vers. 19 Say to the people, etc. It's the duty of those are teachers in the Church, to open things are mysterious, what they mean and signify.  
3. God can mingle sorrows with our comforts, and make our choice comforts, comfortless comforts, they shall eat their bread with carefulness, and drink their drink with astonishment; God wou●d bring an enemy to the gates of Jerusalem, and put them to such straits, that they should neither eat nor drink with any comfort: fear, carefulness, and astonishment, would be gravel in there bread, and gall in their drink. Adam's comforts in Paradise were soon dampt, 
Psal. 127.2. To eat the bread of sorrows.  Gen. 3.17. In sorrow shalt thou eat; bread of sorrows was his bread, and is his children's bread to this day, only some times God puts in more sorrow then at others, there is bread of affliction, 1 K. 22.27. Bread of mourner's Hos. 9.4. Here God would put in much sorrow, affl ction, and mourning; quakeing, trembling, care, and astonishment should possess them, their plenty should be turned into scarcity: for wine they should have water, and very little of that too; for the finest of the wheat flower, they should have bran, and not their bellies full of that.  
4. It's sin, the sin of Injustice, oppression, which cause God to lay waste a plentiful land, that her land may be desolate from all that is therein, because of the violence of them that dwell therein: It's observed that the Jews were, and still are, a covetous people. It was their covetousness put them upon unjust acts of oppression and violence, and God upon just judgements of Famine and desolation Psal. 107.34. He turns a fruitful land into barrenness for the wickedness of them that dwell therein. Man's wickedness moves the Lord to lay plentiful and pleasant lands waste, yet it's made their act, Zech. 7.14. They laid the pleasant land waist, they were the procreant cause, they begat sin, sin begat judgement, and judgement begat desolation.    

VERS. 21.22.23.24.25.26, 27, 28.  
And the word of the Lord came unto me, saying.  
Son of man, what is that proverb that ye have in the land of Israel, saying the days are prolonged, and every vision faileth.  
Tell them therefore▪ thus saith the Lord God, I will make this proverb to cease; and they shall no more use it as a proverb in Israel: but say unto them. The days are at hand, and the effect of every vision.  
For there shall be no more any vain vision, nor flattering divination, within the house of Israel.  
For I am the Lord: I will speak, and the word that I shall speak, shall come to pass: it shall be no more prolonged: for in your days, O rebellious house, will I say the word, and will perform it, saith the Lord GOD.  
Again the word of the Lord came unto me, saying.  
Son of man, behold they of the house of Israel say; the vision that he seethe is for many days to come, and he prophesyeth of the times that are far off.  
Therefore say unto them. Thus saith the Lord GOD. There shall none of my words be prolonged any more, but the word which I have spoken shall be done saith the Lord God.  
IN these verses you have the third part of the Chapter, a confutation of those made an ill construction of the Prophets Prophesie●. One kind of men gave no credence at all to what was Prophesied but derided the Prophets saying: when were you in Heaven or who told you the mind of God; you are deceivers if any such thing had been, as you speak of, it had taken place ere this, but nothing is done, therefore we will not believe you. Another kind of men were persuaded the Prophets spoke truth, but it was at a great distance, long ere it was to take place; and therefore grew secure. Hence the Lord commands the Prophet to let them know that his words should certainly and shortly come to pass. In the words consider.  

1. A complaint of a Proverb, What is that Proverb which you have in the Land of Israel, Vers. 22.  
2. The mention of the Proverb, The days are, etc. V 22.28.  
3. The confutation of it, Vers. 23. I will make this Proverb to cease, and they shall no more use it as a Proverb in Israel, etc.  
4. A confirmation of that confutation.   
1. From the Lords proceeding with the false Prophets, and their vain visions, and flattering Divinations, They should cease, Verse. 24. And,  
2. From the promise of making good his word, and that speedily, Vers. 25.28.  

What is that Proverb which you have in the Land of Israel.  
I shall open the Word Proverb unto you, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifying to bear Rule, to Reign, to Excel, and so a Proverb is some notable speech, which excels others, and bears rule amongst men. New Wine is not for old Bottles. Do men gather Grapes of Thorns. Little Leaven leavens the whole lump. Mashal signifies 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, a Lordly, authentic sentence; as the Proverbs of Solomon, and such as these, Viz. the Axe laid to the root of the tree: Where the treasure is, 
Sermo ad exhortationem aptus cujus per universum vitae curriculum utilitas dimanet. Mich. Apostol. Hesych. in Lexic. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉. Basilius.  the heart will be also. No man can serve two masters, etc. Or it's from the same root signifying to speak Similes, or Parables, Adages, or witty say. Hence the Septuagint renders it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, What is the Parable which you have in the Land. The Gospel express●s a Proverb by the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, John 16.25. 2 Pet. 2.22. And the Learned think 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉. And Scaliger, L. 3. Poet: censet 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 dici 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, because its a sentence goes up and down by the way, its common amongst men: or thus it may rather be so called, because its praeter viam, besides the common way of speaking; having something mysterious, dark, and difficult in it. The Grecians say its 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, a speech useful for this life, 
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, because cast amongst the people for their use. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Plut. in Camillo. Paraemia est oratio obscura quae per aliam d●scuram significatur, Suidas, in Collect.  having much good, and moderate darkness in it: They say also its 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, a speech veiled; light in a dark Lantern. Some Proverbs are obscure, and signify somewhat else, than the words seem to express, As the Dog is turned unto his own vomit again; and the Sow that was washed to her wallowing in the mire, 2 Pet. 2.22. So that in Ezek. 18.2. The Fathers have eaten sour Grapes, and the children's teeth are set on edge.  
Some are more plain and easy, as 1 Sam. 24.13. Wickedness proceeds from the wicked; So that among us, truth begets hatred, flattery, friends: Some were wicked and false, and such had this people among them, that in Ezek. 18.2. The Fathers, etc. And that in this place are wicked Proverbs.   

The days are prolonged, and every vision faileth.  
Herein lies the evil of this Proverb: When the Prophets at the command of God prophesied sad things, threatened destruction to Jerusalem, Captivity to the people, etc. They not willing to hear of such things, 
All those Visions they say, they have had touching the Chaldaeans coming and laying us waste they are dreams, fancies, they have no weight, no worth, no truth in them.  put off all by this Proverb thus, If that the Prophets prophesy be true, it's not for our days, but the days of those are long after, for the next, the second, or third Generation after, as the days are prolonged say they: or if they be false, as its likely, what need we fear, or care, every vision faileth, they come to nothing, they are words, wind; and thus wickedly they put off Prophetical threats, and deluded their own souls; they laid not to heart their sins, they used not any means to divert Divine wrath, or to secure their own souls; and that because sinfully they prolonged or disannulled the Prophecies.  
That men very wicked are very secure, they look for peace, liberty and long life, 
Obser. 1.  even when they have greatly provoked the wrath of God against them, what if we have find by violence, in the land, by corruptions, and false worship, in the Church; and the Prophets have thundered against us with threatening judgements, yet The days are prolonged, we shall have peace, walk at liberty, and fill up the number of our days so in Chap. 11.3. It is not near desolation is threatened by t●e Prophets from Chaldea, but is not near; let us build houses for our delight and dwell in them securely, and take a course with Jeremiah, and those of his strain, which think to trouble us, Jer. 7.9.10. They did Steal, murder, commit adultery, swear falsely, burn Incense to Baal; yet came and stood in the house of God and said, We are delivered to d●e all these abominations; the meaning is, though we have done such things, and have been greviously threatened for them, by the Prophets, yet we are delivered from their threats, and are well, safe, without fear or danger and shall go on in our old ways; when God's threaten are deserved, out of mercy, that men may consider, repent, and prevent them, they think they will never come, and so grow more secure and more sinful. Eccls 8.11. Because sentence against an evil work is not executed speedily, therefore the heart of the sons of men is fully set in them to do evil they go on more freely, with more delight, this makes the Lord oft to mind sinners of the days of his wrath. Amos 4.1.2. Hear this word, ye Kine of Bashan that are in the Mountain of Samariah, which oppress the poor, which crush the needy, which say to their Masters bring and let us drink. They were secure, and like Kine, gored, trod under the poorer sort, and what must they hear? this, The Lord God hath sworn by his holiness, that lo the days shall come upon you, that he will take you away with hooks and your posterity with fishhooks. so Zeph. 1.14. The great day of the Lord is near, it is near and hasteth greatly.  
2. Such is the corruption of man, that being, opposed it swells higher and vents itself oft times blasphemously; the Prophets reproved them for their sins, threatened the soarest judgements for them, and how did they entertain those threaten, 
Because men feel not God's hand, they think his threaten wind.  their hearts boiled against the Prophets, and their Messages: and they uttered it with their tongues, every vision faileth, there is no truth in the Prophets, nor in their visions, they are liars, and their visions, lies. This was not only contumelious to the Prophets, but blasphemous against the Majesty of God, and the truth of his word: men that live under the word if their corruptions and lusts be not weakened and mortified, they are ripened, strengthened, and grow to an insufferable height; Jer. 17.15. They say unto me where is the Word of the Lord? let it come now: Thou tellest us of the word of the Lord, but it's thine own dream, if it be the Lords, let it come now and we will believe it; but if not, it's thine and thou art a deceiver to tell us so. 2 Pet. 3.3.4. In the last days shall be scoffers, walking after their own lusts, saying, where is the promise of his coming.  
3. That sinful words are of a spreading nature; they said, The days are prolonged, and every vision faileth: this wicked speech was become a Proverb, it passed through the mouths of all sorts, young, old, great, small, learned, ignorant, it was in the City and Country, a Proverb in the Land of Israel. The words of the Prophet stuck not by them, they mocked at him, and made jests at what he said, Ez k 33.31. With their mouth they show much love: in the Hebrew it is, they make jests, they made sport with the Prophet and his threaten; but this blasphemous Proverb they took up, and conveyed from one to another all the Land over, and made use of, to disparage what ever he said. So that in Matth. 28.13. when it was known that Christ was risen, money was given to the Soldiers to say, His Disciples came by night and stole him away, while we slept: This saying went abroad, and is commonly reported among the Jews unto this day, Vers. 15.  
4. God takes notice of the ungodly speeches which are in men's mouths; they said, The days are prolonged, etc. God heard and observed what they said, Isa. 59.3. Your lips have spoken lies, your tongue hath muttered perverseness: Many think a lie nothing, and secret m●ttering against others nothing, but God observes every lie is told, all whispering and muttering against others, Jer 33.24. Considerest thou not what this people have spoken; if thou dost not, I do: They have said, The two Families which the Lord hath chosen, he hath even cast them off. Jer. 44.25. God regards what men and their Wives say; yea, what every one sait●, and will come ere long in judgement to convince sinners of the hard speeches spoken against him, Judas 15. and to call men to an account for every idle word which they have spoken, Matth. 12.36. therefore let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good, to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers, and comfort to the speakers.  
5. The Lord hath an admiring indignation at the wickedness of his people: What is that Proverb which you have in the Land of Israel? This Interrogation implies admiration, and indignation. Admiration, that a people brought up in his house, which had had the Law and Prophets from the beginning, so many hundred years, should be so stupid, wicked, profane, blasphemous, as to think, say, Divine threaten were in vain, the Prophet's liars, and their Prophecies lies: Indignation, what Proverb is this which you have taken up? What? a Proverb which strikes at me, which makes me a false and lying God, which overthrows all Religion? O detestable and vile Proverb? What shall all that I say by my Prophets, fail and come to nothing, vanish into the air?   

Tell them therefore thus saith the Lord God, I will make this Proverb to cease, etc.  
This Verse is a confutation of their sinful Proverb, which the Lord tells them should cease, and that the days they thought prolonged were at hand.   

They shall no more use it as a Proverb in Israel.  

Celebre dictum scita quadam novitate insigne, Erasm.  〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Which is, they shall no more Proverb it, not with this Proverb, others they might use, acute and wise sentences concerning man's life and manners, etc. of which nature, Proverbs are, God would not abridge them of, but this was a destructive Proverb.   

The days are at hand.  
Hebrew, have drawn near; that is, at hand, or draws near, which is either presently to be done, or not fare off, the time was not far now from Jerusalem's besieging, Zedekiahs taking, and the ruin of all, God's net was made, and his snare ready for them.   

The effect of every Vision.  
Hebrew is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the French, La parole, the word or thing of every Vision, res omnis visionis, so Piscator; whatsoever the vision did present to the Prophet, and he to the People, that should be.  
The thoughts and words of the wicked are differing and contrary to the thoughts and words of God, 
Obser. 1.  they thought of peace God of war, they thought of liberty, God of captivity, they of long life, God of cutting them off, they said the days of judgement were prolonged a far off, God saith, they are at hand, they said, every vision faileth, God said, every vision should take effect, they thought and said, this proverb should continue, but God thought and said, it should cease and be used no more. 1 Thes. 5.3. Men cry peace, safety, and God cries destruction.  
2. When sinners are exceeding wicked, and have provoked God greivously, as they did here by this blasphemous proverb, yet even then God shows mercy: they had provoked him into the field, etc. God might immediately have slain them, but he forbears them still, admonishes them of judgement near at hand; go say to them the days are at hand, and the effect of every vision. God tries them yet longer ●nd labours to awaken them with consideration of the neernes of danger.  
3. Length of time doth not frustrate and null the threaten of God against sinners; Jeremiah had Prophesied above thirty years, had threatened sad judgements, and because they came not to pass in so long time, they conceived they would come to nothing, but what ever be the distance of time between a threatening going forth and the execution of it, yet it shall not fall to the ground, but have its time of fullfilling, if repentance intervene not.   

For there shall be no more any vain vision, etc.  
Here gins the confirmation of the confutation, false Prophets which had vain visions told them it should not be as Jeremiah had Prophesied: Jerusalem should not be destroyed, they should not go into captivity, but dwell safely there, and enjoy that good land, but what saith God? There shall be no more any vain vision; the Hebrew runs thus, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Non erit ultra omnis visio vana; There shall not be any more all vision of vanity. Some refer these words to the true Prophets and their vision, but they are put hard to it, how to make it out, how some of their visions have been vain, for that is employed when it's said, There shall not be any more, all or any vain vision, as when God saith, I will smite you no more, it argues, God hath smitten. But thus I conceive it may be taken, if it refer to the true Prophets, there shall not be any more all vision of vanity, that is, hitherto you have looked upon all the vision of Jeremiah as a vision of vanity; but it shall be so no more; you shall have visions that shall be real, and quickly take place: but I incline to those judge the words meant of the false Prophets, who had filled the people with vain visions, but they should be no more, God would make good the visions he had given touching the King and people, Temple, City, and Land, and this would put an end to all the vain visions of the false Prophets.   

Nor flattering divination.  
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Divinatio blandientis, Miksam is from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 futura praedicere, to foretell things to come, to Divine good or evil, it's taken both ways; and when in the evil sense, it comprehends what ever is done by Witchery, Sorcery, Astrology, or the ●ike, 1 Sam. 28.8. Saul comes to the Witch, and saith, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Divina quaeso mihi in Pythone, I pray thee Divine unto me by the Familiar Spirit: So 2 Kings 17.17. they used Divinations, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 They Divined Divinations that were wicked ones: Hence 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is put for a Soothsayer, Joshua 13.22. Balaam the Son of Beor, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 illum magum, and Numb. 23.23. Balaam saith, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Surely there is no Enchantment against Jacob, nor any Divination against Israel. No Soothsaying, Charming, Prognostication, had power against Israel: the false Prophets being addicted to Magic, Astrology, and such wicked Arts, told them that what ever was Prophesied by the other Prophets of the King of Babylon's coming and taking Jerusalem, yet all should be well, which they gathered from the Stars and Planets.  
Divinations were sometimes from the entrails of Beasts or Birds; as Ezek. 21.21. The King of Babylon stood at the parting of the way, at the head of the two ways, to use Divination, he consulted with Images, he looked in the liver.  
Lavater thinks their Divinations were Astrological, 
Acts 13.6. They found a certain Sorcerer, a false Prophet, a Jew, whose name was Bar. Jesus.  and that they had taken up the practice of Heathens, who looked at, and consulted much with the Stars, Isa. 47.13. Let now the ginger, the Stargazers, the monthly Prognosticators, stand up and save thee from these things that shall come upon thee: these things were spoken of Babylon, who made use of such Artists but in vain, and it was the use of the Jews to do so likewise, 2 Kings 17.16, 17. They worshipped. all the Host of Heaven, and used Divinations, and Enchantments: To these the people harkened; therefore, Jer. 29.8. Let not their Prophets and Diviners which are in the midst of you, deceive you.  
Hence I might take a hint to speak against that part of Astrology as unlawful, yea damnable, which is judicial and Prognosticative. From the Conjunction of Planets, the benign and obliqne Aspects of them, men gather and foretell things to come; yea, some think that all material contingent accidents which concern man, are written in the face of Heaven; and that God sets the Stars in Heaven to signify such things: If Deodate go too fare in his Annotations that way, our Learned Divines in their Annotations on the place, 
Gen. 1.14.  correct that error, and give no allowance to judicial Astrology, they say the place giveth no warrant to the presumption of Prognosticators or judiciary Astrologers, to foretell the fortunes of men, 
These men as Nazianzen saith, are like a man that seeing the Palace, or Throne of a Prince, take upon them thereby ●o tell what the thoughts and Counsels of the Prince are.  or fates of civil estates, by the Stars; or to make any Prediction of any other supernatural events from the face of the Heavens, or the impression of the Planets, or from the temperature, figure, colour, or posture of the Celestial bodies, for such Arts of Divination are condemned by the Word of God, Deut. 18.10. There shall not be found among you, any one that useth Divinations, or an Observer of times; such men are good, such are bad; for Vers. 12. Those that do those things are abomination unto the Lord. Listen not therefore to their lying observations; it matters not what the Conjunctions and Aspects of Planets and Stars are; reason and Religion will qualify them. Sapiens, yea Sanctus dominabitur astris, if holy men have shut and opened Heaven with their prayers, if they have cast out Devils, they may stop the influence of Stars. Stars are made for man, not man for Stars, if the Lord be with us let Saturn, Jupiter, Mars, etc. Be against us: one of note saith of the Astrologers, and time observers; either they tell you of things adverse or prosperous, if prosperous and deceive you, you are miserable by expecting, if adverse things, and false, you are miserable by fearing: if they tell you true things, and not good, you are presently miserable before they come; if they foretell good things to come, your expectation will weary your hope, and your hope will deflower yea devour the future fruit of your joy, 
Phavorin. lib. 14.  Nullo igitur pacto utendum est hujusmodi hominibus res futuras praesagientibus.   

Flattering.  
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Blandientis, nor divination of a flatterer, the Hebrew word originally signifies, smooth, plain, even, and properly refers to things concern the touching, as any thin plate, butter, oil, and metaphorically is transferred to the speech, and instruments of it, noting out the sweetness, smoothness, and flattery thereof. Psal. 5.9. They flatter with their tongue, Hebrew is the same, and may be rendered, they smooth with their tongue, and make smooth their tongue, that is, they give flattering and deceitful words, so the Apostle hath it, Rom. 3.13. With their tongues they have used deceit; so Psal, 55.21. The words of his mouth were smother than butter, but war was in his heart; that is, his words were flattering and deceitful, the singular number is put here for the plural, flatterer, for flatterers, they promised the people a happy condition of things, and fed them with smooth words; the Septuagint hath it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 those things which seem gracious, which are acceptable & make way for favour; which please: the Vulgar reads it, Neque divinatio ambigua, no more doubtful divination, such as the Oracles were, which might be taken divers, yea contrary ways.  
False Prophets have pretences and cunning ways to prevail with the people, 
Obser. 1.  the Verse points out the practice of such, and what is that, they had visions and divinations, and when they came to the people and told them of these, they were taken therewith. Jer 14.14. They prophesied lies in the Lord's name, they said he sent them, he commanded them, and so by these pretences made way for their lies. 1 K. 22.24. Zedekiah smites Micaiah on the cheek, and saith, which way went the spirit of the Lord from me unto thee. He pretended he had the spirit, spoke by it, and so gained upon those heard him, Mat. 7.15. Beware of false Prophets which come unto you in sheep's clothing, they seem harmless, their countenance, words, and carriage do plead for them, and usher in their false opinions, no false teachers but have some pretences to ingratiate themselves with the people, Ephes. 4.14. Paul speaks of the condition of the people how they were carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in weight to deceive: by mutual opinions and subtle sophisms, they coged with, and cheated the people, as cunning gamesters at dice lie in wait to cheat young novices.  
2. That their visions and divinations are false, and flattering.  
1. False, they are called here visions of vanity, there is no truth in them, no trust to be given unto them: the false Prophets had their names from the falsehoods which they presnted to the people: sometimes they are said to Prophecy lies, false visions, and divinations, a thing of nought, the deceit of their heart. Jer. 14.14.15. Sometimes they are said to make vain, and speak a vision of their own heart. Jeremiah 23.16. To cause Dreams to be dreamt: Jeremiah 29.8. They are called Foolish Prophets, that follow their own spirit, that have seen nothing, Ezek. 13.3. That have seen vanity, and lying divination. vers. 6. Which is as nothing. There were many such Prophets amongst them, and this is the way that Antichrist worketh, now in times of the Gospel 2 Thes. 2.9.10. His coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs, and lying wonders and withal deceivableness of unrighteousness. When Satan comes into a man, i●s with efficacy, and there he works stranegly, and deceitfully; so Antichrist, when he comes into the Church or State, it's with efficacy, he pretends that all Ecclesiastical power is his, he sits in the Temple as God, and exalts himself, above all is called God, even above the civil powers, therefore in the 9 Verse is said to come with all power. Of his signs and lying wonders, you may see. Rev. 13.3.13.15. and with all deceivableness, of unrighteousness; that is, with all the Art and cunning to deceive, which an unrighteous heart, spirit, state, and policy, can afford.  
2. Flattering, Jer. 28.2.3.4. Hananiah a false Prophet flatters them and feeds them with vain hopes, saying, Thus saith the Lord of Hosts, I have broken the yoke of the King of Babylon; within two full years will I bring again into this place all the Vessels of the Lords House, and Jeconiah the Son of Jehoiakim King of Judah, with all the Captives of Judah that went into Babylon. Here were pleasing words, which lulled them in security. When Ahab had a mind to go up to Ramoth Gilead and fight, what said the Prophets to him, 1 Kings 22.12. Go up to Ramoth Gilead and prosper, for the Lord shall deliver it into the King's hand: And when Micaiah a true Prophet was called to speak, they would have corrupted him, say the Messengers, The words of the Prophets declare good unto the King with one mouth: let thy word I pray thee be like unto the word of one of them, and speak that which is good: Foolish people think those words good which flatter and please them; but such words undo them, Ezek. 13.10. Because they have seduced my people, saying peace, and there was no peace, and one built up a wall, and others daubed it with untempered mortar: The true Prophets threw down Jerusalem by their Prophecies, but the false built up a wall, prophesied safety, deliverance, and others agreed with them, but this was flattery and their destruction, Pro. 26.28. A flattering mouth worketh ruin: This Paul knew, and therefore justifies himself, that at no time he used flattering words, 1 Thes. 2.5. If he should have pleased men he should not have been the servant of Christ.  
3. Vain visions and flattering divinations of false Prophets do cause people to be secure and fearless of Divine threats; 
Obser.  they regarded not what Jeremiah prophesied against Jerusalem, so long as Hananiah and such men prophesied the contrary, Ahab feared not scattering and falling at Ramoth Gilead, whilst the false Prophets said, Go and prosper: Man's nature is apt to be secure then to fear, because pleasing things are sooner taken in, than such as are averse to them.  
4. God hath his time to confute and confound visions of vanity, and divinations of flattery, There shall be no more any vain visions, etc. When the Lord made good his word, brought Nabuchadnezzar to the walls of Jerusalem, gave it up into his hands, than were all the lying Prophets confuted, and confounded with shame; events discover vi●●ons, and distinguish Prophets, Jer. 28.9. The Prophet which prophesyeth of peace, when the word of the Prophet shall come to pass, then shall the Prophet be known, that the Lord hath truly sent him. If it proved true what was Prophesied, then was it a vision of God, if not, a vision of vanity, and this was the way for them to try the Prophets by. Deut. 18.21.22. The question is there, how shall we know whether a Prophet speak of himself or from God? the Answer is, Look to the event, if the thing he speaks come not to pass, it's not of God, it's a lie: shame and confusion to the Prophet; when Ahab was wounded and fell at Ramoth Gilead, than the false Prophets were confuted, and Zedekiah confounded, running into an inner Chamber to hid himself. 2 K. 22.25. Hence the Lord is said to frustrate the tokens of liars, to make Diviners mad, to turn wise men backward, and to make their knowledge foolish, Isa. 44, 25.   

For I am the Lord I will speak, and the word that I shall speak, shall come to pass, etc.  
In this and the last verse, the Lord promiseth to make good his word, and that without delay, is should not be prolonged as they imagined, but quickly take effect, and accomplish those ends it was intended for: I will confound the false Prophets and justify the true; they speak and it never comes to pass, I will speak by my Prophets, and it shall come.  
In the words of this Verse you have,  
1. A reason which first looks back to what was said in the 24 Verse. Vain vision and flattering divination shall cease, why? I am the Lord: and power is in my hand, to discover vain and flattering Prophets, to confound them and their visions. 2. Forward to what God should say, I will speak it shall come to pass, it shall not be prolonged, and why? I am the Lord Jehovah, and will give being to my word.  
2. A general promise, of speaking what he pleases, and making it good. I will speak and it shall come to pass; There shall not be any delay.  
3. A special application of it to the house of Israel, and their time, In the days O ye rebellious house, will I say and perform.  
Quest. Whither do the sins of people cause judgements threatened, to come sooner than the time apppointed, because it's said here it shall be no more prolonged; as if he should say, I thought yet to have prolonged, deferred my judgements, but they shall come speedily.  
Answ. As men's repentance may prevent judgements threatened, so their sins may hasten them, Jer. 48.16. The Calamity of Moab is near to come, and his affliction hasteth fast. Moabs' sins hastened Moabs' afflictions. When men sin with a high hand after judgements given out, those sins add wings to judgement. M●l. 3.5. I will be a swift witness, saith God, against Sorcerers, Adulterers, false Swearers, those oppress the hireling, Widow, Fatherless, and turn aside the stranger form his right. He will come flying to judgement against them, 2 Pet. 2.1. S nners are said, to bring upon themselves swift destruction, destruction makes haste to them; when men shall scoff at divine threats and jest at judgements, this provokes God to hasten them. Isa. 5.19. Let him make speed, and hasten his work that we may see it: They were so fare from fearing, and believing the threats of God, that they made a mock at them: Hence saith the Lord, Jer. 1.12. I will hasten my word to perform it, I will take the first opportunity to make it good. God will shorten the day of affliction for the Elects sake, and hasten the days of judgement for th● wickeds sake.  
The thoughts and hopes of wicked men about the threaten of judgement are foolish and vain, 
Obser. 1.  they think and hope, that either they will not come at all, or if they do, it will be a long time after; It shall be no more prolonged, you conceit, because the time is long, that there is no such thing, or that it will not be in your days; but you are deceived, such threats are groundless, and hopes are vain, Jer. 5.12. They have belied the Lord, it is not he (that speaks by these Prophets) neither shall evil come upon us, neither shall we see sword nor famine, and the Prophets shall become wind, and the word is not in them: they are deceived, not we, they look for a black and sad day, which will not come, and we look for good days, good things; therefore the Prophet impersonating them, saith, Chap. 8.15. We looked for peace, but no good came, and for a time of health, and behold trouble; they would not believe that ever an Adversary should have entered within the gates of Jerusalem, Lamin. 4.12.  
2. That what ever word the Lord speaks, he will make it good, I will speak and it shall come to pass; what ever God hath spoken by the Prophets, or Apostles; yea what ever is spoken warrantably from the Word, by any faithful Minister of his, he will accomplish the same: he doth not possess hit Servants with vain Visions, or flattering Divinations; what ever he utters by them, is Divine and infallible; he is Jehovah, a God of power and faithfulness, sufficient every way to fulfil his promises, and perform his threaten. Some take these words, I am the Lord, to be an Asseveration, or an Oath, and the fence to lie thus, As sure as I am God, Jehovah, that have Being of myself, and give being to all others, so sure will I give Being to my promises and threaten, so that not only Heaven and Earth must pass away, before any tittle of any truth of the Lords shall fall to the ground, but even God himself must cease to be, before his Word shall be without effect, Isa. 44.24. I am the Lord that maketh all things: That I am, doth frustrate and confound Liars, Diviners, Wizards, and all Impostors, as its Vers. 25. that confirmeth the word of his Servant, and performeth the Counsel of his Messengers, Vers. 26. What word soever Isaiah gave out, the Lord confirmed and performed it: He gave out the word touching Cyrus, that he should be a Shepherd to God's people, that he should further the Jews return out of Babylon, and building of the Temple; and this was above two hundred years before his birth, as Deodate saith in his Notes upon the place, and about two hundred, as our late Annotations have it: But if we reckon by Scripture account, you will find it not so much; for this Prophecy of Cyrus was delivered by Isaiah, after Hezekiahs' sickness, Chap. 38. in which fifteen years were added to his days, and from thence it was but an hundred twenty five years and fix months to Zedekiahs' carrying into Captivity, which was eleven years after the Captivity began, for Chronologers do reckon the beginning of the Captivity from the time of Jehoiachins carrying away, and the Scripture countenances it, Ezek. 1.2. So then, reckon the Captivity from Jehoiachin, seventy years, and there are but an hundred and fourteen before, and these make one hundred eighty four, and this person prophesied of so long before, did God in due time give to the World, and stir up to be helpful to his people, Ezra 1.1, 2, 3. and so made good to both what Isaiah said here, and Jer. 29.10. God's word must take place, who ever gains or loses by it, Isa. 55.12. The word that goeth out of my mouth, it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereunto I sent it. Zech. 1.6. My words and my Statutes which I commanded my servants the Prophets, did they not take hold of your Fathers? God appointed them to do so, and they did accordingly; Gods words overtook them, thinking to escape. Daniel bears witness to this truth. Chap. 9.12. He hath confirmed his words which he spoke against us.  
5. The corrupt heads and hearts of men are subtle and prone to ●l●d● and put off those truths are presented unto them by the Servants of God; the Lord sent his Prophets unto them early and late; they being faithful, laid open the judgements of God, ●●ld them of their danger, invited them to repentance, mourned for the slight entertainment they found, etc. And what then? they either mocked at them, as it is in 2 Chron. 36.16. or charged them with falsehoods and lies, Jer. 5.12, 13. or resolved not to hearken to them, Jer. 44.26. or put it off, as not concerning them at all, or if it did, not for a long time; for those were after them, not the present Generation, Ver. 27. of this Chapter, The Vision is for many days, and he Prophesieth of the times are afar of: Thus were they witty and wicked against themselves, to turn aside the stroke of God's word, which having been entertained, might have done their souls good; this was the practice in Christ's, and the Apostles times, one thing or other still was pretended to wave the Doctrine of Christ, as the meanness of his person, Matth. 13.55, 56. John 7.27: his breaking of the Sabbath, John 5.16.9.10.16. this man is not of God, etc. They said he blasphemed, Matth. 9.3. that he deceived the people, John 7.12. made himself a King and spoke against Caesar, John 19.12. they pretended his Doctrine to be new, Acts 17.19. to be hard and severe, John 6 60. to be against Moses, Acts 6.11. that it was Heretical, Acts 24.14. that he spoke too particularly to them, Luke 11.45. that the Ruler's and great ones, received it not, John 7.48. Have any of the Rulers, etc. That his Doctrine, and the followers of it, made great stirs where ever it came, caused Sects and Schisms, Acts 19.23.28.22.     

CHAP. XIII.  

VERS. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7.  
And the word of the Lord came unto me saying,  
Son of man, prophesy against the Prophets of Israel, that prophecy, and say thou unto them that prophesy out of their own hearts, hear ye the word of the Lord.  
Thus saith the Lord God, woe unto the foolish Prophets, that follow their own spirit, and have seen nothing.  
O Israel, thy Prophets are like the foxes in the deserts.  
Ye have not gone up into the gaps, neither made up the hedge for the house of Israel, to stand in the battle in the day of the LORD.  
They have seen vanity, and lying divination, saying, the Lord saith, and the Lord hath not sent them: and they have made others to hope, that they would confirm the word.  
Have ye not seen a vain vision, and have ye not spoken a lying divination: whereas ye say, The LORD saith it, albeit I have not spoken?  
THE former Chapter concerned the King, and the people; this concerns only the false Prophets, and Prophetesses, who taking upon them that Office, were led by their own spirits, and deceived the people with vain visions, and lying divinations, to accomplish their own ends; against these doth the Lord set our Prophet Ezekiel on work to prophesy severely.  
In the Chapter you have two general parts.  

1. A Prophecy against false Prophets, in the first 16. Verses.  
2. A Prophecy against Women Prophets from the 17. Vers. to the end.   
In the first part you have the judgements and sins of the false prophets declared and laid down.  
1. The judgements threatened against them, which are in the 2. 3. 8. 9 11. 13. 14. 15. 16.  
2. The sins causing those judgements threatened, and they are expressed in the, 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9 10. 16. God's threaten and their sins, are promiscuously delivered by our Prophet, and we shall handle them as they lie.  
The 1. vers. 2. & 17. Do show the Author of this Prophecy; and that was the Lord, who bade Ezekiel Prophesy, and set his face against them. Our Prophet had Divine warrant for what he said, and wisely prefixes it, when he was to deal with false Prophets, who had neither word nor warrant from God for what they said or did; true Prophets have their Commission and Instruction from God.  
In the 2. Verse you have, 

1. The appellation, Son of man.  
2. A a command, and that is two fold. 

1. Is to Ezekiel, Prophecy.  
2. Is to the false Prophets, Here ye the word, etc.    
3. The kind of Prophecy, and that is comminatory, Prophesy against the Prophets of Israel.  
4. The sin that moves God to set the Prophet against them, and that is, They Prophesy out of their own heart.    

Against the Prophets of Israel.  
Whether the Prophet in Babylon or in Zion you may demand, for there were false Prophets in Babylon, who were the Prophets of Israel, because they Prophesied to the captive Jews. Jer. 29.8.9. And there were false Prophets at Jerusalem. Jer. 27.14. And they were the Prophets of Israel also. We may understand this Prophecy of the false Prophets in both places.   

That Prophecy out of their own hearts.  
Hebrew, them that are Prophets out of their own hearts; Vulgar; Prophetantibus de cord suo. Cast. Qui commenta sua vatici nantur. To Prophecy out of they ownr hearts, is,  
1. To Prophecy upon their own myere motion, they are Prophets because themselves will be Prophets, and they Prophesy because they will Prophesy: they have no call to this Office, but their wills, they thrust themselves upon it.  
2. The things they Prophesy not their own, what their fancies, lusts, affections, carnal reason, suggest unto them; those things they deliver, their Prophecies came by the will of man. 2 Pet. 1.21. For the Prophecy in old time came not by the will of man. The true Prophets did not prophesy out of their own hearts, after their own wills, but they spoke as they were moved by the holy spirit, what that brought in they gave out. Divine truths were presented to them, and those they commended to the people: but false Prophets had nothing of, or from the spirit: they had all out of their own hearts; yet pretended they were inspired and had the spirit. 1. Kings. 22.24. Which way went the spirit of the Lord from me unto thee. Zedekiah and all the rest of the false Prophets thought they had the spirit of the Lord, but it was the spirit of Satan a lying spirit they had, vers. 22. I will go forth and be a lying spirit, in the mouth of all his Prophets.  
Quest. If they speak out of their own hearts why are they called Prophets; they are Prophets that speak from God and not themselves.  
Answ. The word Prophet is taken largely, for any one that foretells things true or false, and is common to good and bad, the Scripture speaks according to the use of words. Titus 1.12. One of themselves even a Prophet of their own. That was Epivunides a Poet; for poets were commonly called Prophets, and so the Scripture gives the name to any foretelling things, Baal's Prophets, 1 K. 18.19. And the Prophets of the graves, in the 2 Pet. 2.1. There were false Prophets among the people.   

Thus saith the Lord God, Woe unto the foolish Prophets, etc.  
Here the Prophet proceeds in denouncing judgement, and describing those false Prophets.  
1. The judgement denounced is in this word Woe, 
French, Malediction sur les fol Prophets.  a little word, but very comprehensive, all evils are contained in it, they promise all happiness to the people, but woe to themselves, woe to their bodies, woe to their souls, woe to their names, woe to them here, woe to them hereafter; the dreadful judgements mentioned in the Revelations, are called Woes, Chap. 9.12. One woe is past, and behold there come two more hereafter.  
2. The description of the Prophets; they are foolish, and this foolishness of theirs, is evidenced two ways.  

1. They follow their own spirits.  
2. They have seen nothing.    

Foolish.  
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifies Vilis, stultus, caducus, 
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Signifies one, Qui caret cerebro & sapore, Kirker.  so Montanus renders the word Prophetis caducis, woe to the Prophets that fail in their prophecies, and fall by them; the Vulgar is, Prophetia insipientibus. Castal: insanis. These Prophets were subtle and crafty, abounding with carnal and worldly prudence, but in the things of God they were blind and foolish: they called light darkness, and darkness light; they were lifted up with their pretended Visions and Divinations, they despised and insulted over the true Prophets, they boasted themselves to be the men of God's Counsel, and laboured to be had in admiration of all; they foresaw no danger, but spoke pleasing things to the people, prophesying safety and good days, and this was their foolishness: There was no Divine wisdom or truth in them.   

That follow their own Spirit.  
These words are answerable to those in the second Verse. That prophecy out of their own heart: The Hebrew is, Qui ambulant post spiritum suum: Their own spirits led them, not the spirit of God. In the first Chapter it is said, The spirit was in the wheels, and they went whither the spirit led them, Verse. 20. But these Prophets had not the spirit in them, neither went after it but after their own spirit, what ever their own spirits dictated to them, that they embraced, magnified, and gave out to the people.   

Have seen nothing.  
The true Prophets had visions of God, Divine Revelation, their understandings were in an extraordinary manner irradiated by the spirit of God, and they saw, that it understood the mind of God: Hence Prophets were called Seers, Amos 7.12. O thou Seer, flee away, 2 Kings 17.13. God testified against them, by all the Seers, they foresaw judgements to come, and other things which God revealed unto them, Numbers 12.6. If there be a Prophet amongst you, I will make myself known unto him in a vision. But these false Prophets had seen nothing; they had no vision, no discovery of God's mind unto them any way.  
Obser 1 It's no new thing that there is in the Church of God false Prophets; corrupt opinions, great opposition to the truth, differences and divisions: in Ezekiel's days there were false Prophets, which deluded the people, which opposed the true Prophets, with much insolency, which caused great stir contentions, and divisions amongst the captives in Babylon, and people at Jerusalem; see for both these the 28. & 29. Chapters of Jer. where Hanan opposes Jeremiah and Jeremiah writes Letters into Babylon to quiet them there. In Ahabs' days you may find false Prophets and their number very great. 1 K. 18.19. The Prophets of Baal were 450. And the Prophets of the groves 400. They exceeded the number of the true Prophets eight to one, for they were but 100 Hid by Obadiah in caves. vers. 4. And these false prophets drew many of the people from the worship of the true God: Others they staggered and made to halt between two opinions, and so caused great division, opposition, and persecution in Israel. There have always been and ever will be false teachers and Prophets among the people of God. In the Gospel you read of false Christ's. Mark. 13.22. False Apostles. 2 Cor. 11.13. False Teachers, 2 Pet. 2.1. And of many false Prophets that should arise, Mat. 24.11. The Churches in the Apostles days were much troubled with those vented corrupt opinions and caused great contentions: the Church of Galatia had those among them who preached another Gospel, and justification by the law, and so troubled them, that the Apostles wished them cut off, Chap. 5.12. There were Lying Apostles, in the Church of Ephesus, the Doctrine of Balaam, and the Nicolaitans in the Church of Pergamus, etc. Such men with their opinions, errors, and consequences of them God suffers, to clear up truth, to make it more precious, to try the godly, to discover hypocrites, to show his power and wisdom, that can work good out of evil, and preserve his, in the midst of contentions.  
2. See here who are true Prophets, and who are false, The word of the Lord came to Ezekiel, it came not to them; the true Prophets saw visions, the false saw nothing, they were moved by the spirit of God, these by their own spirits; out of their own hearts came what they delivered, out of Heaven what the other delivered; God spoke by the true Prophets, 
1 Kin. 22.22.  Satan by the false; he is a lying spirit in the mouth of all the false Prophets. Either Satan's or their own they speak, Jer. 23.16. They speak a vision of their own heart, and not out of the mouth of the Lord, vers. 26. They are Prophets of the deceit of their own hearts, 28. They tell dreams. They feed the people with chaff, and not wheat, and make them to err and forget the name of God; but the true Prophets ever spoke what they received from the Lord: therefore Micaiah told some desiring him to speak somewhat of his own, 
1 Kin. 22.14.  that as the Lord lived he would speak nothing but what the Lord should say unto him: Christ, John 7.16.18. My Doctrine is not mine, but his that s●nt me, he that speaketh of himself seeks his own glory, but he that seeketh his glory that sent him the same is true, etc.  
3. That what comes from man, however esteemed or magnifyed by men, is worthless in God's account; they prophesied out of their own hearts, followed their own spirits, which they set a price upon, but this the Lord blames, condemner, he calls foolish, mentions their own hearts and spirits in opposition to the revelations and inspirations of his spirit, which only are of weight and worth: therefore what ever Prophets or Ministers do bring of their own, its Perversum figmentum. It's the Office of the spirit of truth to give out truth, he leads into all truth, he takes of Christ's and shows unto those are Christ's Prophets, Apostles, and Ministers, John 16.13.14. If men Preach or Prophesy any thing is not from the spirit, but from themselves it's not acceptable unto God, neither should be entertained by us. Hence you shall find, that what men have brought of their own is called lies, Jer. 27.10. Dreams, Jer. 23.32. Vntempered Mortar, Ezek. 22.28 A thing of naught. Jer. 14.14. Deceit. Chap. 23.26. Perverse things, Acts 20.30. Commandments of men, Mark. 7.7. Wisdom of this World. 1 Cor. 2.6. 
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, Feigned speeches. 2 Pet. 2.3.  Another Jesus, another spirit, another Gospel. 2 Cor. 11.4. What is man's, is opposite to God and Christ; therefore Paul saith expressly 2 Cor. 4.5. We preach not ourselves but Christ Jesus the Lord; only what we have from him by his spirit, that we preach unto you. Paul was a man of great parts, a great Scholar, and yet durst not vent any thing of his own.  
4. The folly and madness of false Prophets, who pretend they have all from God, yet follow their own spirits. Those words Have seen nothing, import, that they pretended they had seen something, that they told the people they had visions from God; its frequent in Scripture to hear of their visions, Isa. 28.7. They err in vision, Jer. 14.14. They speak a false vision. 23.6. They speak a vision of their own heart, Zach. 13.4. They shall be ashamed every one of his vision. & vers. 7. of this Chapter, it was a vain vision and a lying divination which they had, but the pretence was they had all from God; the Lord saith it, albeit he spoke not. Thus they mad● him Author of all their lying, va●ne, and false prophecies, which was extreme madness, and folly in them. Herein was a dreadful hand of God upon them because they were malicious against the true Prophets, and received not the truth with the love of it, God left them to blindness, hardness, to believe lies, so that they thought that to be from God, which was from their own spirits; or from Satan the spirit of errors.  
5. That wicked Prophets are in a dreadful condition, woe is their portion, Woe to the foolish Prophets; 
Such meat & drink he sent by Jeremiah to Hananiah, Chap. 28.16. to Shemaiah, Chap, 29 32.  they are men set out for judgement, under malediction, appointed to condemnation and utter destruction. Jer. 23.15. God tells such Prophets that he will feed them with wormwood, and make them drink the water of Gall. God will deal bitterly with them. Jer. 14.15. By Sword and famine shall those Prophets be consumed. Rev. 20.10. The Devil, the beast, and the false Prophets are in the same lake of fire and brimstone, tormented continually and eternally: By the Prophet some understand the Pope, some his Clergy. We may take in all false Prophets and Teachers, who bring upon themselves swift destruction, 2 Pet. 2.1. They should be thrust through by their own friends when they prophesied, Zech. 13.3.   

Oh Israel, thy Prophets are like the Foxes in the Deserts.  
The words hold forth, 

1. A pathetical exclamation, Oh Israel.  
2. A description of these Prophets, They are like Foxes, and that we must make out unto you.    
The Land of Israel abounded with Foxes, Judges 15.4. Samson caught three hundred at once, Nehem. 4.3. The enemies told the Jews that if a Fox went up the Wall they built, he would break it down, Cant. 2.15. take the Foxes, which shows their Land had store of them. Now the Prophets of Ezekiels days, are likened to Foxes.  
1. A Fox is a sublill, crafty creature; the Serpent and the Fox exceed therein: The Fox's craft is known in deceiving and catching Fish, Poultry, Lambs, and Fowl; 
Vulpes multa, echinus unum, novit prover:  when he is hungry he will lie as dead, and so the fowls coming to prey upon him as a dead Carcase, he snaps them, and preys upon them; for Hares he counterfeits a sporting with them, till at last, 
Plerumque septem aditus praparare solet ut possit fallere venetorem. Francius.  he ceaseth upon them, he hath many Dens to fly unto, and some of them have many entrances, that he may more easily deceive the Hunters, Luke 9.58. The Foxes have holes: False Prophets are subtle to deceive the people, they say they are sent of the Lord, have seen Visions, and make use of his Name, Jer. 14.14. Zech. 13.3. Sometimes they did wear rough garments to deceive, Zech. 13.4. The true Prophets had such garments, Isa. 20.2. Sackcloth and hairy Vestments, and the false Prophets would imitate them, that they might without jealousy the better deceive the people: Sometimes they came in sheep's clothing, Mat. 7.15. and spoke fair, smooth, pleasing words, they are full of insinuvations, wind, turn, Rhetoric, language, to gain upon people; they are deep and politic to carry on designs to promote their own ends, they can conform to men, and transform themselves into variety of shapes, 2 Cor. 11.13. False Apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the Apostles of Christ, and by this means, they had advantage to do what they aimed at. How Foxish was the old Prophet when he set upon the young Prophet, 
Boniface the eighth. Intravit ut vulpes regnavit ut Leo, mortuus ut Canis.  1 Kings 13.18. saying, I am a Prophet also as thou art, and an Angel spoke unto me by the Word of the Lord, saying, Bring him back with thee unto thine house, that he may eat bread, and drink water, but he lied unto him, and so prevailed. False Prophets and Teachers, have cunning carriage, cunning arguments and speech, to beguile others with, 2 Pet. 1.16. We have not followed cunningly devised fables: there were such as did. Arrius was one of these Foxes, who counterfeited that he was of the same mind with the Orthodox, and that he might be received into Communion of the Church again, he subscribed the Nicene Creed, and decrees, sicut subscripsi, ita quoque credo: I believe as I have subscribed. Now he had in his bosom his own wicked confession, which he had writ at home, and subscribed with his own name. The Popish Priests and Jesuits, what Foxes have they been in Churches and States to advance the Catholic cause: In the Eastern parts they show once a year their Converts, in white, with Palms in their hands, which is a great policy to draw others to their way. Coniz●n hath laid down subtle ways to cheat a State of its Religion. The Prelates had consulted with the Fox when they made the etc. Oath, to support their tottering Kingdom: It were to be wished that there were less of the Fox now among the Prophets, and more of the Lamb.  
2. The Fox is cruel and malicious, 
Animalium hist sacra. per Francium.  Omnis ipsius calliditas tendit ad perniciem reliquorum animalium, when he get● amongst the poultry; the learned observe, Non comedit de gallinis nisi prius omnes jugulaverit, false teachers and Prophets are Foxes in their cruelty and maliciousness, Zedekiah smites Micaiah on the cheek, 1 K. 22.24. He dealt injuriously and rigidly with him; 
Jer. 26.8.  Shemaiah he stirred up authority against Jeremiah the true Prophet whom he would have put in the stocks, and Prison, 
Mic. 3.5. They by't with their teeth, and cry peace. Ezek. 34.4. With force and with cruelty have ye ruled them, 21 they thrust with side and shoulder, and with their horns.  Jer. 29.24.26. And this would not suffice, they proceed to blood, Ezek. 22.25. There is a conspiracy of her Prophets in the midst thereof, not only like Foxes but even like Lions ravening the prey. They have devoured souls, the Prophets laid their heads together to suck the blood of innocents': Lam. 4.13. It was the Prophets and the Priests which shed the blood of the just in the midst of Jerusalem; they were not to meddle in matters of blood but they incensed authority to do it, they preached against them, told those had the power in their hand, that they should do God good service in sacrificing such persons. So great hath been the malice of wicked Prophets, and Priests ever against the Saints, that they have never rested till they have gotten their blood shed. The Pope and his Priests filled Christendom with blood. It was the Prelates, and priests in Queen Mary's days that brought so many to the fire, and caused that Queen to imbrue her hands in innocent blood.  
3. The Fox is greedy of prey, he is Animal gulosum; night and day Praedis inhiat nec potest saturari, So false Prophets they are greedy enough. Mic. 3.5. he that putteth not into their mouth they even prepare war against him, if they were not fed with the finest and fattest there was no peace no safety, Verse 11. The Priests teach for hire, and the Prophets Prophesy for money. It was not the good of souls that they sought, they made Merchandise of them, but gain was in their eyes, Ezek. 22.25. They have taken the treasure and precious things, those they would be sure to lay hands on. Isa. 56.11. They are greedy dogs, which can never have enough, and they are Shepherds that cannot understand, they all look to their own way, every one for his gain, from his quarter, the words for Greedy in the H●brew, are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Strong of soul, appetite, stomach, they presently concoct, digest, whatever they take in: Souls, Ezek 22 25. Widow's houses, Matth. 23.14. It's known what great revenues the Popish Priests, and Prophets have had in the Kingdoms, under the Popish jurisdiction: in King John's days, his Revenues were sixty thousand Marks, and theirs seventy thousand.  
Balaam was a false Prophet, and he loved the wages of unrighteousness, he would have cursed the people of God for reward, if God himself had not withheld, Numb. 22.  
A Cardinal coming to Rome, and seeing nothing but offering of moneys at the Election of a Pope, said, Ad hunc modum fiunt Pontifices Romani.  
4. Foxes are timorous creatures, and when danger comes, they run to their holes, 
When storms come, they run to covert.  and shift for themselves; so are false Prophets and Teachers, 1 Kings 22.25. when trouble came, Zedekiah fled into his holes, he went from Chamber to Chamber, to hid himself: John 10.12. He that is an hireling, and not the Shepherd, whose own the sheep are not, seethe the Wolf coming, leaveth the sheep and fleeth: By Wolf you may understand persecution, danger, when these approach and look sternly upon the man, he fleeth, nequitia semper est timida.  
5. The Fox runs up and down from place to place, doing mischief night and day, Cantic. 2.15. Take us the Foxes, the lrttle Foxes that spoil the Vines. They ran from Vineyard to Vineyard, they spoiled the Grapes and Vines themselves; so false Prophets and Teachers are like them in this, they went up and down in Israel, they were at Samaria, at Jerusalem, Jer. 23.13, 14. in Babylon, Jer. 29.25 In Paul's days there were such who went up and down from house to house and subverted whole houses, teaching things which they ought not, for filthy lucre's sake, Tit. 1.11. and Christ tells us of such who compass Sea and Land to make one Proselyte; are not Jesuits and Priests sent into most parts of the World to make Proselytes, and to spoil the tender Vines and Grapes where they are.  
6. The Fox keeps his nature, what ever you do to him, or do with him; you may chain him up, but you cannot change him, it's questioned whether he can be tamed, if he get lose, he is the same again that ever he was, so false Prophets.   

In the Deserts.  
Bacharaboth, in the ruptures and breaches of the Hedges, through which the Foxes and other beasts entered into the Vineyards, some think there is nothing peculiar in these words, its ordinary to say, the beasts of the field, the birds of Heaven, and so the Foxes of the Desert; but Desert notes places neglected, without any fence, in those places the Foxes abounded, were most hungry and ravening.  
It's a sad judgement to a people, 
Obser. 1.  when the Prophet's degenerate, and become Foxes: Foxes you know are a cumber, a plague to the Country where they live, and so are false Prophets where ever they come, they caused the people to err, and destroyed the way of their paths, Isa. 9.12. They perverted and gainsayed what the true Prophets gave in: they flattered the people, and concealed their sins and judgements due to them, Lamen. 2.14. Thy Prophets have seen vain and foolish things for thee, and they have not discovered thine iniquities, to turn away thy Captivity; but have seen for thee false burdens, and causes of banishment, Jer. 50.6. Their Shepherd's have caused them to go astray: and sobrough: destruction upon them, Isa. 9.16. The Leaders of this people; that is, Prophets and Priests cause them to err; and what then? They that are led of them are destroyed, Jer. 12.10. Many Pastors have destroyed my Vineyard, they have trodden my portion under foot. Foxes destroy Lambs, poultry, Vines, but those destroy souls. Bernard sets down many qualities of false Prophets and Teachers; 
In vita Malachiae.  they love to hear rule, Fastum & quaestum aestimant pietatem, they think them selves happy, if they may enlarge their borders, they build stately Houses, love full Tables, exact of the poor, look strangely, or big upon the inferior sort, and honour great ones, they either teach not, or teach for their bellies; such Prophets are a burden, if not destruction to those they are among: and when the prophets are Foxes, the Princes are Lions, and Judges Wolves, Zeph. 3.3, 4.  
2. It's matter of grief and complaint to Heaven itself; when the Prophets are subtle, covetous, cruel. O Israel! thy Prophets are like unto Foxes. God laid it to heart to see such Prophets amongst them, as sought themselves; and preyed upon the people. Isa. 3.12. O my people they which lead thee, or call thee blessed, cause thee to err and destroy the Way of thy paths. Their leaders, the Priests, Prophets, Princes, did that which affected Heaven, and provoked the Lord to cry out. O my people.   

Ye have not gone up into the Gapps, etc.  
Here the Lord proceeds in accusing these Prophets; and this accusation respects.  

1. Their duty.  
2. The end of their duty.   
1. They are accused, first, not to do their duty, and that is set down in two metaphorical expressions.  

1. They went not up into the Gapps.  
2. They made not up the hedge.   
2. Not to have minded the end of their duty, which was, that the people might stand in battle in the day of the Lord.   

Into the Gapps.  
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 In fracturas. intercisiones. Aun bresches, in French. Cast. in ruinas. It's judged by divers of the Learned, that this metaphor is taken from a Siege, where the Seidgers labour to make breaches in the Fortifications and walls of the place or City beseidged, and it's their duty within who have the command, and power, to make up those breaches, and stand for the defence of the people and place where they are; but the Prophets did not this, when judgement came in upon the people, they stood not in the breaches to divert them; had he spoken before of military men I should have rested in this sense of the word, but having spoken of false Prophets, and here by an Apostrophe turning to them, we may consider a metaphorical war; God was out with them against them. Ezek. 5.8. He was the Enemy bringing judgements upon them; the people, the City, Religion and their Laws the walls, their sins, the gapps, which set in wrath upon them.  
These Prophets did not oppose the sins of the people, convince them of their idolatry, oppression, security, hypocrisy, profaneness, etc. But either sinned with them, or winked at their sins; and so went not up into the Gap to keep out the severe judgements of God from crowding in upon them, they should have called the people to repentance, declared the judgements of God to have been at hand, interceded mightily with the Lord for them; and if possible have prevented judgement, but these things they did not: Ezek. 34.4. The diseased have ye not strengthened, neither have you healed that which was sick, neither have you bound up that which was broken, nor brought again that which was driven away, nor sought up that which was lost: When the people made a Calf and worshipped it, there was a great gap made in the Law, in the true worship of God, and now wrath was coming out, and God would have destroyed them, had not Moses stood in the breach, to turn away his wrath, Psal. 106.23. Gaps therefore are the breaches which sins make.   

Nor made up the hedges.  
Hebrew is, Non sepivistis sepem, ye have not hedged a hedge; Vulgar, Non apposuistis murum, ye have not set up a wall against all incursions: This is a metaphor taken from Gardens, Orchards, Vineyards, and Enclosures, which having hedges made about them, are secure from Swine and beasts breaking into them; these Prophets in stead of making hedges for their defence, they made gaps for their enemy. The hedge about a Church and State, is Divine protection, sound Doctrine, pure worship, holiness of life, and execution of Justice; and when there is a violation of either of these, the hedge is broken down, and the way to make up the hedge again, is by fasting, prayer, and hearty repentance; these Prophets minded neither sound Doctrine, pure worship, holiness of life, nor called upon authority for execution of Justice; there was a general violation of all things in the Church and State, and they laid it not to heart, they neither fasted, prayed, nor repent, but increased the violations, trod down the hedge more, and made the gaps wider. Ezek. 22.30. I sought for a man among them that should mak● up the hedge and stand in the gap before me for the Land, that I should not destroy it, but I found none.   

To stand in the Battle in the day of the Lord.  
Their care should have been for the people's good, that when the day of the Lords fury and judgements came he should war against his people, they might have been able to stand. By Battle, understand not only the Siege they endured by the Babylonians, but all afflictions and miseries which befell them, and had the Prophets been faithful to them, the day of the Lords wrath would have been their day of repentance, and so they might have stood and not fallen.  

Obser. 1.  That people's sins make way for judgements to come in upon them, they break down the wall and the hedge, they make gaps and breaches, they unfortifie a City, unhedge the Vineyard, and unarm a State. Exod. 32.25. When the people had sinned, Moses saw that they were naked, a City now without walls, an Army without Arms, they lay open to the winds and storms of Divine wrath. 2 Chron. 28.19. Ahaz made Judah naked, and how he transgressed sore against the L●rd, by his sinful courses, he broke down the hedges and walls of protection, and so made them a naked people. God's people have their hedges and fences about them, Job 1.10. Hast thou not made an hedge about him and his house, Isa. 5.2. His Vineyard was fenced and walled, Vers. 5. and if they were careful to fly sin, their hedges would be without gaps, their walls without holes, but when they sin, they make gaps and holes, and the greater their sins, the greater breaches still are made in them: When David fined in numbering the people, 
2 Sam. 24.  what a wide gap made he for the pestilence to come in and destroy seventy thousand. When Vzzah made a breach in God's Law by his sin, he made a gap for Judgement to come in upon himself: Sin is a breach, Isa. 30.13. and ever makes way for judgements to enter, Psal. 89.31, 32. If they break my Statutes, and keep not my Commandments, then will I visit their transgression with a rod, and their iniquity with stripes: When they break Gods Laws, he will break them with his rods, Mich. 7.13. The Land shall be desolate, because of them that dwell therein, for the fruit of their do: by their sinful actions, they break the bounds, and by my just judgements I will make them desolate, Hos. 12.1. Ephraim daily increaseth lies and desolation: How desolation? By his lies, his lying pretences, and practices, he makes breaches for desolation to come in: Isa. 42.24. Who gave Jacob for a spoil, and Israel to the Robbers? Did not the Lord, he against whom we have sinned? For they would not walk in his ways, neither were they obedient to his Laws.  
2. It's the duty of the Prophets and servants of the Lord when gapps and breaches are made, to go up into them, and make them up; they are to stand between the people and Gods judgements; when the people had find greatly, and made way for soar judgements to come in upon them, Exod. 32. Moses ascends into the gap, and makes up the breach, he sets upon God by prayer and uses strong arguments to divert his wrath, he besought the Lord his God and said, Lord, Why doth thy wrath wax hot against thy people, which thou hast brought forth out of the Land of Egypt, with great power and with a mighty hand, wherefore should the Egyptians speak and say, for mischief did he bring them out, to slay them in the Mountains; and to consume them from the face of the Earth? Turn from thy fierce wrath, and repent of this evil against thy people. Remember Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, thy servants to whom thou swearest by thine own self, and saidst unto them, I will multiply your seed as the stars of Heaven and all this land that I have spoken of, will I give unto your seed, and they shall inherit it for ever. And the Lord repent of the evil which he thought to do unto his people. Here was a true Prophet that stood in the breach and turned away wrath: It was the practice of the good Priests and Prophets to do so. Numb. 16. When the people murmured, made a breach for the plague to come in upon them, Aaron took his Censer, fire from the Altar, put in Incense, hasted into the Congregation and made an atonement for the people, and stood between the dead and the living, and stayed the plague. see, Deut. 9.24.25.26. When Ezekiel saw the Slaughtermen sent out to slay young and old, without pity, he steps into the gap and saith, Ah Lord God wilt thou destroy all the residue of Israel, 
Ezek. 9.8.  in thy pouring out thy fury upon Jerusalem. Jeremiah was so frequent in the gap, deprecating judgements, interceding for mercy, that the Lord forbids him to pray for that people, Chap. 14, 11. & Chap. 7.16. Pray not thou for this people, neither lift up cry nor prayer for them, neither make intercession to me. He used to pray, to cry, to intercede, 
1 Sam. 7.9, 10.  and keep off wrath from them. Samuel, when Israel had find and the Philistines were coming upon them; he gets up into the gap, offers Sacrifice, and cries to the Lord, and he heard him, discomfits the Philistines, and delivers the Israelites. This is that God looks for, when people have find, that some man of God or other should thrust into the breach, and prevent wrath. Ezek. 22.29.30. The people of the Land have used oppression, exercised Robbery, vexed the poor and needy, yea they have oppressed the stranger wrongfully. Here was the hedge broken down, and breadth enough for judgements to come in upon them, and what then? I sought for a man among 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. These false Prophets trod down the hedge more and more, made the gapps wider, increased and hastened the judgements of God upon them.  
3. The Lord hath days of Battle with his people appointed, what times he comes forth to punish them with his judgements, those are his days of Battle. God hath decreed times to deal with the sons of men for their iniquities, and if they persist in sinning, the Lord will take his days of warring against them. You read in, 2 Sam. 11.1. That Kings had a time to go forth to battle, it was at the return of the year, when it was spring or summer, than they went out to war against their Enemies not in the winter; but all times are alike to God, to go out to war with his enemies, he can bring judgements upon sinners in winter, spring, summer; yea he hath his peculiar times and days appointed to meet with wicked ones; this day of the Lord in Scripture is called a day of darkness. Joel 2.2. A day of evil. Jer. 17.17. A day of Calamity. Je●. 46.21. A day of Indignation. Ezek, 22.24. A day of Visitation. Isa. 10.3. A day of fierce anger. Lament. 1, 12. A day of ruin. Ezek. 27.27. A day of great slaughter. Isa. 30.25. A day of grief, and desperate sorrow. Isa. 17.11. A day of vengeance. Isa. 61.2. A day of Battle. Zech. 14.2. What time soever God enters into a controversy with the sons of men, walks contrary to them, avenges the quarrel of his Covenant, executes any judgements upon them; it is the day of the Lord, hence the day of judgement is called the day of Christ. Phil. 1.10. 2 Thes. 2.2. Because than he shall execute wrath upon sinners.  
4. Those the Lord finds in their sins in the day of Battle, they cannot stand before him, they fall by the strength of his judgements. When Vzzah sinned, God made a breach upon him in the day of Battle, and smote him dead. 2 Sam. 6.6.7. When he smote Egypt, he made it desolate; the fullness of it could not stand before him. Ezek. 32.15. Israel is no more to God, than a reed shaken in the waters. 1 K. 14.15. one stroke of his will cut it down. Ephraim is no more than a tree to the axe. If God smite, the root dries up, and no more fruit grows thereon. Hosa 9.16. If God smite habitations, be they never so costly, stately, great, of what materials soever, they quickly fall, Amos 3.15. When God reckons with Kings and Qu●enes, they cannot stand in judgement; Jehoram God smites with sickness till his bowels fall out, 2 Chron. 21.18, 19 Vzziah sins, and is smitten with leprosy; Jezebel and Athaliah cut off by just judgement of his, 2 Kings 9 and 11. Chap. he cuts off the spirits of Princes, and is terrible to the Kings of the Earth, Psal. 76.12. Great Armies cannot stand in the day of the Lords anger, 2 Chron. 13. Jeroboam had an Army of eight hundred thousand, and Vers. 15. God smote him and all Israel, so that there fell down slain of Israel five hundred thousand chosen men, Vers. 17. David asks the question, Psal. 147.17. Who can stand before his cold? If God can intent the cold, so that men cannot endure it, he can intent the heat also, so that there is no abiding of it; his wrath is hot, fierce, a consuming fire; 
Ez 9.15.  this made Ezra cry out, Behold we are before thee in our trespasses, but we cannot stand before thee, because of this, Chi, is rendered here, for; but under correction, it may be rendered, but, as in Gen. 45.8. It was not you sent me hither, Chi haelohim, but God: When the Lord had smote fifty thousand and seventy men of Bethshemesh, for their irreverent meddling with the Ark, what said the rest? Who is able to stand before this holy Lord God? No man in his sin can do it, Nahum. 1.5, 6. The Mountains quake at him, the Hills melt, the earth is burnt at his presence, yea the World and all that dwell therein: Who can stand before his indignation? and who can abide in the fierceness of his anger? His fury is poured out like fire, and the rocks are thrown down by him. Let sinners be never so great, stout, when God comes in battle, he will overcome, and therefore saith Ezek. 22.14. Can thine heart endure, or can thine hands be strong in the days that I shall deal with thee? Jerusalem thought so, but she found it otherwise.  
5. The Prophets failing in their duty, is one great cause of the people's falling in the day of the Lords Battles: they went not up into the gaps, they made not up the hedge for the house of Israel, that they might stand, etc. therefore they fell; the Prophets here are employed to be bvilders, and husbandmen; bvilders to make a wall about the people, who are the City of God, husbandmen to make hedges and fences about them, being the Garden, Orchard, and Vineyard of God: Now when they neglect to do these, they expose them to spoil and ruin, and provoke God to destroy all. Samuel knew this, and therefore, 1 Sam. 12.23. God forbidden that I should sin against the Lord in ceasing to pray for you: Had he failed in his duty, sin would have increased wrath, broken out, and all have been overthrown; you have an observable place in Jer. 23.22. Had the Prophets stood in my counsel, and had caused my people to hear my words, than they should have turned them from their evil way and from the evil of their do: which had it been done, they had prevented the Battle, and the people's falling therein.   

They have seen vanity and lying divinations saying, etc.  
Here is a further manifestation of the Iniquity of these Prophets.  

1. You have the nature of their visions discovered, they were vanity and lies.  
2. Their lying pretence for what they saw, and said; the Lord saith, and the Lord hath not sent them.  
3. The fruit and effect of their Prophecy, they made the people to hope that they would confirm what they said; they gave it out that God had revealed it unto them, that they should not go into captivity, that those in Babylon should return to Jerusalem within few years, and by this means they begat vain hopes in the hearts of the people with their vain visions.   
What these Prophets had was out of their own hearts, and from their own spirits; not from God, for nothing from him is vain or lying, but because it was from themselves it was vanity and lying divination.   

Lying Divinations.  
Hebrew, divinations of a lie, that had no truth in them.   

The Lord hath not sent them.  
True Prophets had two things.  

1. The Gift of Prophecy.  
2. A call to exercise that gift, both these were wanting in these Prophets, and therefore the Lord sent them not.    

That they would confirm the word.  
Hebrew is, Ad excitandum, or firmandum verbum. They opposed the true Prophets, told the people God was merciful, and would never bring such a long judgement upon them; that ere long they should see who spoke truth, and so the people were brought to a hope and persuasion that their word should be accomplished and this they waited for. The Septuagint reads it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, they began to stir up revive the word, many times the people's hearts were fainting, misgiving them that it might prove otherwise then they said, hereupon they stirred up their words, bid them not doubt, but be confident they had all from God, and were sent of him.  

Obser. 1.  The impudence and arrogancy of false Prophets and Teachers; they said they had visions and had none, Vers. 3. They saw nothing. They pretended they had visions, and divinations from God real and true, and they saw nothing, but vanity and lying divination, they said the Lord saith. And he said not so, that the Lord sent them, and he sent them not, but ran of themselves: they engaged the name and faith of God in their lying Prophecies, and would have had them to be thought as good Scripture, as what any of the true Prophets delivered, they condemned the true Prophets for liars, and justified themselves; false teachers are very arrogant, and self justifying, Zedekiah said to Micaiah, which way went the spirit from me to thee; have not I the spirit, do not I understand the mind of God as well as thee, or any of thy rank? 1 K. 22.24. Are not Jesuits and many other of this strain? they pretend Miracles, Scriptures, Counsels, Fathers, for their traditions, new Articles, Faith, seven Sacraments, etc. When there is hardly any such thing; and do not many among us rest Scripture, and force it into other senses, to weaken truth, maintain error, and to obtrude their own terms upon others.  
2. People are easily misled, seduced by false Prophets, when they come with pretence of divine Revelations, and mission, and say the Lord saith, they listen, they hope, especially when they shall bring things suitable to their nature, and desires, as here, they persuaded them that Jeremiah had prophesied falsely, in telling them they should be carried into Babylon, be 70. years there. No no, we have truer visions than he, the Lord will never forsake you who are his people, he will never leave Jerusalem, your Brethren shall return to you, you shall never go to them; and this the people hoped would be. Prov. 14.15. The simple believeth every word. Aquill. hath it, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, Delinitus, palpatus, a man smoothed up, flattered, believes every thing, Jer. 5.31, The Prophets prophesy falsely, and the Priests bare rule by their means, and my people love to have it so: they affect the lies and flatteries of these false Prophets, and what will they do in the end thereof: Let Paul's advice be acceptable to you, 1 Thes. 5.21. Prove all things, and hold fast that which is good; believe neither one Prophet nor other, but prove what they say, and what is truth, good, hold that fast.    

VERS. 8, 9  
Therefore thus saith the Lord God, Because ye have spoken vanity, and seen lies: therefore behold, I am against you, saith the Lord GOD.  
And my hand shall be upon the Prophets that see vanity, and Divine lies: they shall not be in the assembly of my people, neither shall they be written in the writing of the house of Israel, neither shall they enter into the Land of Israel, and ye shall know that I am the Lord GOD.  
IN these words are several judgements laid down against the false Prophets.  

1. General.  
2. Particular.   
The General are two: 

1. God is against them: Behold I am against you.  
2. His hand shall be upon them.    
2. Particular ones are three: 

1. Exclusion from God's people, They shall not be in the assembly of my people.  
2. Exclusion from having their names written amongst the Israelites, Neither shall they be written in the writing of the house of Israel.  
3. Exclusion from return from Captivity, Neither shall they enter into the Land of Israel.    
2. The reason of all, because they spoke vanity, and divined lies, Therefore because ye have spoken vanity, etc.  
3. The authority and certainty of all, Thus saith the Lord GOD.  
4. The event, Ye shall know that I am the Lord.  

Spoken vanity.  
Hebrew is, Propter loqui vos vanum, for that ye speak a vain thing: These Prophets pretending they had visions, and divinations spoke them to the people; and what were they? Vanity and lies, there was no truth or reality in aught they delivered: The word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 notes vanity of words, and falsehood, Psal. 144.8. Deut. 5.20. Thou shalt not bear false witness, Hebrew is, witness of vanity, Zech. 10.2. The Idols have spoken vanity, the Diviners have seen a lie, and have told false dreams: Vanity, lies, and dreams, are joined together here: These Idol Prophets spoke vanity, saw lies, told dreams. Peter saith, The false Prophets spoke great swelling words of vanity, 2 Pet. 2.18.   

I am against you.  
Hebrew is, Ecce ego ad vos, it's an Aposiopesis, something is concealed which may easily be apprehended, as I come to you, to punish you, or I come against you, Chaldae is Missurus sum iram meam adversum vos, this phrase you have again, Ezek. 21.3. Behold I am against thee: and in the 26.3. And it's used when the Lord is greatly offended, and destruction of persons and things near at hand. Rev. 2.5. Repent and do thy first works else will I come unto thee quickly and remove thy Candlestick. It's of sad importance when the Lord saith I come to you, or am against you. They thought it was but a few men opposed who were weak inconsiderable things, but the great and glorious God tells them that he is against them.   

My hand shall be upon the Prophets, etc.  
Hand notes God's power and stroke, he being against them himself, he would put forth his power and smite them with some judgement or other. The Septuagint reads it, 
Pagnine hath it, Erit percussio mea super prophetas.  〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, I will stretch out my hand too, or upon the Prophets. And the Chaldee, for my hands have, Plaga mea, my stroke, thus hand is taken. Psal. 21.8. Thine hand shall find out all thine enemies, thy right hand shall find out those that hate thee. 9 Thou shalt make them as a fiery Oven, in the time of thine anger. 1 Sam 5.7. His hand is soar upon us, Chap. 6.3. It shall be known why his hand is not remooved from you. God had smitten them with the emrod's, and that they call the hand of God; the phrase here implies that God will in some special manner punish these Prophets.   

They shall not be in the assembly of my people.  
Hebrew is, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which Montanus interprets, in Secreto, Va●ablus, in arcano, the Septuagint 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, In the instructing of my people, they shall not Prophesy or preach unto them; their liberty and power of speaking shall be taken from them. French, It's ne serout plus au conseil de mon peuple. They shall be no more of the counsel of my people: Castalio, ut in meorum concilio non sint. Junius, In consilio populi mei: one is with C. the other with S. That with C. Notes the company of God's people; 
Pisc.  the other with S. Notes the counsels of that company: some have it, jucaetu populi mei, in the company of my people. This difference of interpreting the word, arises from the several significations of the Hebrew word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifies a secret council, and the company of those who consult or counsel. If we take it here for secret, they shall not be in the secret of my people, and so besides those mentioned, the Chalde Paraphrast saith, Non erunt in seoreto: then the sense is they shall not know those secrets, nor partake of that good which I reserve for to make known and communicate to my people. 
Oecolam.  The Targum hath it thus. In occultis bonis quae reposita sunt populo non habebuntur. They shall not be accounted among those secret, good things which are laid up for my people. Prophets were great mercies for people, and God gave them out upon occasion, but these should not be numbered amongst them, they should be detected and have their reward.  
This secret of God's people is some choice knowledge of God and his will, beyond what is vulgarly known by men of the World, Psal. 25.14. The secret of the Lord is with them that fear him, Prov. 3.32. His secret is with the righteous: Micaiah knew the secret of the Lord, touching Ahab, which neither Zedekiah nor any other of the false Prophets knew, 
1 King. 2.4.  Mic. 3.7. The Lord revealeth his secret unto his servants the Prophets, not to those are false and against him.  
If we take is for assembly, as the word is sometimes used in holy Writ, as Jer. 6.11. I will pour out my fury upon the assemblies of young men. 
Hence Sodalitium.  〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Super congregationem juvenum; then we must inquire what assemblies are meant. There were two kind of Assemblies among the Jews.  
First, An Assembly of Elders, Psal. 107.32. I will praise him in the Assembly of Elders: these were the Magistrates and Senators that had authority, and bare rule over the people, it might be the Seventy, or Sanedrim, bemoshab Zekenim, in cathedra seniorum.  
Secondly, An Assembly of Saints, Psal. 89.7. God is greatly to be feared in the Assembly of Saints: the Jews were a holy people, and when there were public Congregations of them, they were an Assembly of Saints: 
To this Pradus applies that in Psal. 1 5. the ungodly shall not stand in judgement.  You may understand it of both Assemblies, that these false Prophets should neither come amongst the Senators, to sit in Council, there to consult about any matters of State or Church; nor amongst the Saints, they should have no communion with God's people, and this sense I like best, for the Prophets came to Ecclesiastic meetings, as appears, 2 Kings 23.2. The Prophets were present when Josiah read the Book of the Covenant, Jerem. 26.7. the Priests and Prophets heard Jeremiah in the House of the Lord.   

Neither shall they be written in the writing of the house of Israel.  
What this writing of the house of Israel was, search must be made: Septuagint, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, In the Scripture of the house of Israel, they shall not be written; by Scripture some understand, the Canonical Books of Moses and the Prophets, and will have the sense to be, that the prophecies of these false prophets should not be written in, or among those Books; but surely it was never in the thoughts of any true prophet, that the lies and vanities of false prophets should be joined to sacred Writ: What hath the Chaff to do with the Wheat? We must look out some other meaning of these words. When it pleased the Lord to bring his people out of Egypt, he commanded them to be numbered, Numb. 1.2, 3. The names and number of all from twenty years old and upwards were to be taken, and when they were numbered they were to give every man a ransom for his soul unto the Lord, Exod. 30.12. In like manner, when they came out of Babylon they were numbered, as appears, Ezra 2. and 8. Chap. Nehem. 7. Where you have the number set down, Vers. 66.67. the whole Congregation together was forty two thousand three hundred and threescore, besides men and Maid servants seven thousand three hundred thirty seven, and two hundred forty five Singing Men and Women. The Catalogues in which the names of these were writ, are judged to be the writings of the house of Israel; by these the Tribes were known, preserved distinct, and those were not found in the writing, were displaced, Nehem 7.64. These sought their Register among those that were reckoned by Genealogy, but it was not found therefore were they as polluted, put from the Priesthood Isa. 4.3. Every one that is written among the living in Jerusalem, shall be called holy: He speaks of great calamity, a destruction which should be upon the Jews, and few should escape, but he that was left, and written among the living, etc. All those who came to Jerusalem from the Captivity, and were Citizens thereof, were written in some Book, Catalogue, or Register, which was the writing of the house of Israel, and was called also the Book of life, or of the living: For upon the death of a man, his name was razed out of this Book, or if he did any thing unworthy the name and right of a Citizen; and then he was counted as a dead man. The sense of these words you may hence then take up thus, Viz. These false Prophets shall be reckoned amongst the dead, not the living; they shall not be written in the writing of the house of Israel, when they come back to Jerusalem, they shall be like trees pulled up and never planted again; they shall be cut off and destroyed by some soar judgement. In this sense some take those words of Moses, Exod. 32.32. Blot me out of thy book which thou hast written, take away my life; thou are now wroth with thy people, about to slay them, Lord forgive them, spare them, else destroy me, and blot my name out of the Book thou hast written, as our practice is.  
This sense I condemn not, but something more some Interpreters find in the words; this Writing of the house of Israel they interpret the Book of life, in which the names of all true Israelites were written, Phil. 4.3. Whose names are in the Book of life, Dan. 12 1. Every one that should be found written in the Book: Luke 10.20. there is mention of names written in Heaven, Revel. 13.8. It's called the Lamb's Book of life; so Revel. 21.27. Contrary to this is writing their names in the earth, Jer. 17.13. Those depart from the Lord, shall be written in the earth. The meaning then of the words must be of this nature, these false Prophets think themselves to be my servants, that their names are in my Book; they say, the Lord hath sent them, that they have my spirit, do declare my will, and honour me much among my people, and you think them also happy men, that their names are written in Heaven, that if any be saved they shall: but they neither are, nor shall be ever written in any Book, accounted among my faithful ones, they are Hypocrites, shall be discovered, and discarded for ever. In Psal. 69.28. you have such an expression, Let them be blotted out of the Book of the living, and not be written in the Book of the righteous: There were many who appeared to others to be written in the Book of life, but the Prophet prays that the Lord would make it evident some way or other, that they were not there: Here the Scripture speaks Ad sensum & opinionem hominum non ad veritatem rei, God blots men out of the Book of life, when he declares by some deal of his with them, that they are not accepted of him; here God's hand should be upon them, they should not be among his people, have communion with them or him in any Ordinance of his, and this was evidence they were not in his Book, in that they should not come into the Land of Canaan, that they should not be written in the writing of the house of Israel.   

Neither shall they enter into the Land of Israel.  
This is the third particular judgement: The Land of Israel hath many Eulogies in Scripture, 
The Jews were as dead men when they were in Babylon. Ezek. 37.10.12.  it's called The Land of the living, Psal. 27.13. David had fainted, but that he hoped to see the goodness of the Lord in the Land of the living: People that lived in other Lands, were dead men, they had deaf, dumb, dead gods, and deadly worship: but the Jews had the living God their God, and lively worship, Acts 7.38. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, A Land of uprightness, Psal. 143.10. Where were the best Laws that ever Nation had; A Land of delight, for so the Hebrew is, Dan. 11.41. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Land which was the glory of all Lands, Ezek. 20.6. The Land of Immanuel, Isa. 8.8. Where Immanuel was promised, borne, lived, preached, wrought his miracles, and shown his glory; into this Land must not they come: they prophesied, that within a few years all should return into this Land; but Ezekiel from the Lord tells them, that after seventy years they shall not return into their Country, nor enter into Heaven, whereof this was a type: Captivity was a little death, and to be in a Land of dead ones, was another death, and never to enjoy the Land of the living, nor the living God, this was the sting of death. It was lawful for strangers to come into the L●nd of Israel, 2 Chro. 2.17. there were an hundred fifty three thousand six hundred, at once in the Land, and yet these Prophets might not come in.  
The Lord is against evil Prophets, 
Obser. 1.  and that is a dreadful thing: There are several things which makes God to be against them.  
1. They abuse his Name and Authority, saying, The Lord sent them, Verse. 6. If any man should abuse the Name of a Prince, of Parliament, and say, they sent them to speak or do any thing, and they did not, what injury were this unto them, how would they take it, much more is it a wrong to the Lord, who is greater than they.  
2. Their Prophecies are lies, vanity, the thoughts of their own heads, and conceptions of their own hearts, Vers. 2, 3, 7. and so contrary to the truths of God.  
3. They prejudice the design of God by the true Prophets. By them the Lord made known his displeasure against the ways of sinners, convinced them of the evil of their do, and drew them to repentance, Jer. 25.3, 4, 5. the Prophets said, Turn from the evil of your do, and dwell in the Land, but the false Prophets discredited them, disparaged their prophecies, and cried peace.  
4, They deceived the people with their falsehoods, filled them with vain hopes, Ver. 6. and so strengthened in them their evil ways, and encouraged them to their own destruction.  
5. They grieved the spirits of the godly, they made their hearts ache, as the false prophetesses did, Vers. 22. They made the hearts of the righteous sad.  
6. They were evil themselves, Jer. 23.11. Both Prophet and Priest are profane; yea, in my house have I found their wickedness saith the Lord: they corrupted the worship of GOD with their inventions, God had cause enough to be against them; it is very sad, yea dreadful to have God against one; I that know the secrets of all hearts, I that am holy and hate all sin, I that keep an exact account of all their ways, I that am infinitely just, and must punish all wicked ones, I that am infinitely powerful, and can destroy with an everlasting destruction, I even I, am against you, Rom. 8.31. If God be for us, who can be against us? When God is for a man, all is safe, who ever attempts to hurt. David had many against him, Psal. 118.10. All Nations compassed me about, 12. They compassed me about like Bees; they swarmed about him, and had their stings ready, thrust out to sting him to death, but he had God with him, for him; and therefore saith, Vers. 14. The Lord is my strength and song, and is become my salvation; but had God been against David, one of those Bees would have been his death: who ever the Lord is against, hath many enemies and few friends, all in Heaven, all in Earth are against that man.  
2, Those Prophets or people the Lord is against, he puts forth his power to punish, Behold I am against you, and my hand shall be upon you, Jer. 28.15, 16, 17. God was against that false Prophet Hananiah, and his hand was quickly upon him, Hear saith Jeremiah unto him, the Lord hath not sent thee, but thou makest this people trust in a lie, therefore thus saith the Lord, Behold I will cast thee from off the face of the Earth: this year thou shalt die, because thou hast taught rebellion against the Lord: So Hananiah the Prophet died the same year: God was against Ahab, and spoke against him, 2 Chron. 18.22, and the next tidings you hear of him, is his death by the hand of the Lord, Vers. 33.34. So Levit. 20.3. I will set my face against that man and will cut him off: If God's face be against a man, he will put forth his hand to destroy that man from before his face; and Chap. 26.17. I will set my face against you, and ye shall be slain before their enemies: Ananias and Saphira had God against them for their wilful lying, and presently his hand was upon them, Acts 5. God's judgements are called his hand, 1 Pet. 5, 6. his mighty hand, and if that fall upon any, it will break them to pieces.  
3. The fruits of God's displeasure are very grievous: First, they are shut out from the assemblies of God's people, they shall have no communion with the Saints, those are dear to God: All David's delight was in them, Psal. 16.3. and when he was a little put by coming at the Assemblies of God's people, how did it trouble and afflict him, Psal. 42.1, 2, 3, 4. As the Hart panteth after the water bracks, so panteth my soul after thee O God. My soul thirsteth for God, for the living God, when shall I come and appear before God. My tears have been my meat day and night; while they continually say unto me, Where is thy God? When I remember these things, I pour out my soul in me, for I had gone with the multitude, I went with them to the house of God: So in the 84. Psalm, how did he long for communion with God and his people in the Sanctuary, his soul longed and fainted for the Courts of the Lord, his heart and flesh cried out for the living God, Vers. 2. he counted a day in the Lords Courts, better than a thousand, he had rather be a door keeper there, than a favourite in saul's house; David knew there was much good to be had in the assemblies of God's people, and therefore he prized them so, and was impatient of absence from them: In the assemblies men have communion with God, there his glory is seen, Psal. 29.9. In his Temple doth every one speak of his glory, Psal. 68.24. They have seen thy go O God in the Sanctuary: There his wisdom, his power, his mercy, his truth, his glory, are evidenced, the treasures of his grace opened and dispensed, spiritual life begotten and maintained, drooping souls are comforted, raised, ravished, there we admire, adore, magnify, and glorify God, there we hear of our duty towards God and man, there we have fellowship with the Saints, interest in their affections, gifts, graces, counsels, comforts, admonitions, exhortations, and prayers; in the Assemblies of God's people, you have the presence of God, of Christ, the spirit and the Angels, 1 Cor. 11.10. and what a soar judgement is it, to be shut out from these assemblies: bless God for your liberties, be thankful for all the good you have in the Assemblies, and walk so, that you may honour truth, and the God of Assemblies.  
4. Many that in their own and the World's esteem, go for true Prophets, Saints, will be in God's time, discovered to be Liars, Hypocrites, false: themselves think, and others also, that they are written in the writing of the house of Israel, in the Book of life, but their names were never there. The Jews said they were Abraham's seed, God their Father, but they were found false, they were of their Father the Devil.    

VERS. 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16.  
Because, even because they have seduced my people, saying, Peace, and there was no peace: and one built up a wall, and lo, others daubed it with untempered mortar.  
Say unto them that dawb it with untempered mortar, that it shall fall; there shall be an overflowing shower, and ye, O great Hailstones shall fall, and a stormy wind shall rend it.  
Lo when the wall is fall'n, shall it not be said unto you; Where is the daubing wherewith ye have daubed it?  
Therefore thus saith the Lord God, I will even rend it with a stormy wind in my fury: and there shall be an overflowing shower in mine anger, and great Hailstones in my fury to consume it.  
So will I break down the wall that ye have daubed with untempered mortar, and bring it down to the ground, so that the foundation thereof shall be discovered, and it shall fall, and ye shall be consumed in the midst thereof: and ye shall know that I am the Lord.  
Thus will I accomplish my wrath upon the Wall, and upon them that have daubed it with untempered mortar, and will say unto you, The Wall is no more, nor they that daubed it:  
To wit, the Prophets of Israel, which prophesy concerning Jerusalem, and which see visions of peace for her, and there is no peace, saith the Lord God.  
THE words before you present to us two things:  
1. The sin of the false Prophets, Viz. Seduction, They have seduced my people; and the manner how, by saying peace; by building and daubing a Wall with untempered mortar, Verse. 10.  
2. God's proceed with them, and their Wall, he will send a storm, overthrew their Wall, shame and confound them: in the following Verses.  

Because, even because.  
Hebrew is, For that, even for that, the words are doubled, and so emphatical; the like you have in Levit. 26.43. Because, even because they despised my judgements.   

Seduced.  
Hebrew is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in hiphil errare fecerunt, have caused to err; Vulgar is deceperint, have deceived; French, Qu' ils out deceu mon peuple: but causing to err, sets out the sense of the word more fully, 2 Chron. 33.9. Manasseh made Judah, and the Inhabitants of Jerusalem to err: the false Prophets seduced him, and he seduced them; seduction is when men are led aside from the right way, and upon false suggestions are carried into a wrong way, believe lies, and practice answerably, Amos 2.4. Their lies caused them to err after the which their Fathers have walked.   

Saying Peace.  
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Integer, perfectus, because it preserves things, 
Psal. 37.11. The meek shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace.  places, persons entire; whereas War wastes and consumes all: Peace among the Hebrews notes freedom from War, tumults, a quiet condition of life, and all kind of outward happiness; therefore the Jews when they wish happiness to a man, they wish him peace. These Prophets told them in Babylon that they should have liberty and quick return, and their hearts desire in the Land of Judea, they told those there, that they should not need to fear Nabuchadnezzar or any forces of his, they should live in safety, be fat and flourishing, wanting nothing.   

One built up a Wall.  
The word for one, is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 & iste, or ipse, Junius, hic, he, or this man: Jerome will have this be, or one, to be meant of God, who by his Law and Prophets built them a Wall, but had God built the Wall, he would not have spoken against it, as here he doth: Some understand the people, but there is no sufficient ground for that: The Lord here is reproving the false Prophets for seducing the people, not the people for seducing the Prophets, its unlikely therefore that the people should build a wall. By one, or he, we conceive is meant some chief one amongst the false Prophets. Zedekiah was a chief one among Ahabs false Prophets, such was Hananiah, Jer. 28. and Shemaiah, Jer. 29.31. whom our Prophet may intent, for this Shemaiah was in Babylon, he prophesied false things, sent Letters to all the people at Jerusalem, and caused them to trust in a lie, or one may be taken indefinitely.   

Built a Wall,  
This is a metaphorical expression borrowed from bvilders, 
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 A wall of no worth, weak and shaken with every blast, such an one as a Fox might break down, as they said, Neh. 4.3.  who make walls about their houses, to secure and strengthen them from danger: Jerusalem had a wall about it, which was a great defence unto it. This wall was some false prophecy or doctrine given out unto the people which caused them to be secure, Jeremiah had prophesied of the coming of Nabuchadnezzar, the destruction of the Temple and City, seventy years' Captivity, that so he might awaken this people, bring them to repentance, and prevent such judgements; but some one or other of the false Prophets prophesied the contrary, Jer. 29.8, 9 they had some in Babylon who built a wall there, telling them that they should shortly return again to Jerusalem, and quieted the spirits of those in Captivity; they had some at Jerusalem who built a wall there, and caused them to trust in vain things: Vers. 21. There was Ahab the Son of Kolaiah, and Zedekiah the Son of Maaseiah, which prophesied a lie unto them in the name of the Lord: Either Nabuchadnezzar will not come, or if he do, you will have help from Egypt. Their false and lying prophecies wherein the people trusted was the wall they built; the prophecy of peace was the foundation of this wall, and the arguments they used, the Brick to build it up. So that hereupon the people feared not any danger, humbled not themselves for their sins, but became secure and confident that all should be well, which made Jeremiah say, Chap. 6.14. They have healed the hurt of the daughter of my people slightly, saying peace, peace: Jeremiah had threatened judgements to them for their sins, wounded them by his Prophecies, but they healed the wounds by crying Peace, peace.   

And lo others daubed it.  
Other Prophets with their fair words, and false pretences, justified what the former had said; when some chief false Prophet had prophesied of peace, the rest who were inferior, would second him. The word for daubed, is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to cover, plaster over, or anoint, and so the Septuagint reads it, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, and they anoint it: French, Les autres la maconnoyent, Mason, or Plaster it. Gast. trullissant, they troweled it: these false Prophets were like Masons and Carpenters, who build deceitfully, and use their Art and utmost skill to make such work seem goodly and beautiful.   

With untempered Mortar.  
Hebrew is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which Montanus renders insulso, with that which is unsavoury: Piscator, Polanus, Junius, inepto, with that is foolish; the Vulgar, luto absq, paleis, with Mortar which hath no Straw, Chaff, Hair, or binding thing mixed with it: You know there must be something mingled with Loame, or Lyme, which men use in buildings, if they will build to purpose; but these built with untempered Mortar; and this Mortar was their flattering, false, weak reasons and pretences they used to keep the people in security withal, Ezek. 22.28. Her Prophets have daubed them with untempered Mortar, seeing vanity, and divining lies unto them, saying, Thus saith the Lord God, when the Lord hath not spoken: There was no truth, and so no strength in what they said, all was their own; and so Lutum sine firmitate.  
The word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 may be rendered Casuro, with that which is about to fall, from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and the Greek in Kirker is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, and in the 11 Vers. it's said 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and it shall fall.   

An overflowing shower.  
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Great showers will try Buildings, specially walis that are of untempered Mortar; this overflowing shower was the Chaldean Army, Isa. 59.19. The enemy shall come in like a flood, Isa. 8.7, 8. The Lord bringeth upon them the waters of the River, strong and many, even the King of Assyria and all his glory, he shall overflow and go over, he shall reach unto the neck: Jer 47.2. Behold waters rise up out of the North, and shall be an overflowing flood, and shall overflow the Land, and all that is therein, the City and them that dwell therein.   

Great Hailstones.  
Hebrew is, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Stones of the Hail, this word Elgabis is only mentioned in this Prophet, and but thrice in this Vers. 13. and Chap. 26.22. and its great hail, the Septuagint is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, Stones to throw against a rock: Vulgar, Lapides per grandes, and these may note out the chief men in the Army; or the whole Army who should be as stones of great halle, to shake this mud wall of theirs.  
The word is a compound word of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 potens, and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Crystallus, Job 28.18. no mention shall be made of Coral, or of Pearls; the word in Hebrew for Pearls is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which Shindler interprets a Crystal, and Montanus, Vnio: Now because hailstones are like unto Crystal and Pearl, therefore the word is here used, and El added to it, to show what strong hailstones God would send.   

A stormy wind shall rend it.  
Hebrew is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ventus turbinum, these words you have in the first Chap. 4. rendered a whirlwind, where they were opened unto you; such an expression you have in Isa. 25.4. The blast of the terrible ones, is as a storm against the wall: By these metaphorical words he sets out the wrath of God by the Chaldean Army, which should be as tempestuous rain, hail, and wind, and the Scripture is frequent in this metaphor when it would make known to us the indignation of the Lord; as you may observe, Isa. 21.1.29.6. Jerem. 23.19. Chap. 30.19. Isa. 17.13.   

The Foundations thereof shall be revealed.  
There shall not a stone be left upon a stone of this building; the Foundation of this wall built up and daubed with untempered mortar shallbe discovered, God would detect the falsehood of their Prophecies, the vanity of all their arguments, wlies, and ways, they used to seduce, and secure this people, what ever they promised of help from Egypt, whatever they prophesied of the Chladaeans not coming, what ever they said of the people's safety, of God's mercy and favour and good will towards them; what ever they pretended of being sent from God, of speaking his words, of having his spirit, etc. God would discover all their imposturing and lay them open to the World, so that nothing shall be left them but disgrace.  
Some make the Temple and City to be the Foundation, because they had the holy City, and holy place where God had recorded his Name; therefore they cried peace, peace, flattered the people into a good condition, and surrounded them with a wall of security: therefore God would destroy both and discover their Foundation.   

They shall be consumed in the midst thereof.  
You promise great matters to others, that they shall within few years return from Babylon, come and dwell safely in Jerusalem; but there is no safety in Jerusalem for yourselves, you shall be consumed in it, that are so confident of the safety of it; when a wall falls and foundations are discovered, likely some do suffer by it, and so should these false Prophets here.  
Quest. In Jer. 4.10. You have these words uttered by the Prophet Ah Lord God surely thou hast greatly deceived this people and Jerusalem saying, Ye shall have peace, whereas the Sword reacheth unto the soul. If God promised them peace and deceived them, doth he not herein resemble the false Prophets, and so lessen their sin.  
Answ. 1. God did not promise them peace, but threatened severe judgements against them, by ●aiah, Jeremiah, and Ezekiel, as you may see Isa. 29.3.4.5.6. Jer. 9.9.10.11. Ezek. 5.8.9.10.  
2. Some make the Prophets here to speak in the name of the people and to personate them; they thought the peace which was promised them by the false Prophets was from God; and therefore finding the contrary, do charge God, as wicked men in their distresses are wont to do.  
3, The words may be taken by way of Interrogation thus, Hast thou in deceiving deceived this people, hast thou promised them peace and brought the Sword upon them? Is this thy manner of proceeding with thy people, surely it cannot be, thou art faithful and canst not deny thyself. 2 Tim. 2 13. & Numb. 23.19. God is not a man that he should lie, neither the son of man that he should repent, hath he said and shall he not do it? or hath he spoken and shall he not make it good?  
4. If God promised them peace, it was of oer their return from captivity, not at the present; and so Jer. 3.17.18. You shall find it, At that time they shall call Jerusalem the Throne of the Lord, and all the Nations shall be gathered unto it, to the name of the Lord to Jerusalem, neither shall they walk any more after the imagination of their evil heart. In those days the house of Judah shall walk with the house of Israel, and they shall come together out of the land of the North, etc.  
5. The Prophet might thus speak and say, God had deceived them, because he suffered the false Prophets to propound their dreams, lies, divinations, visions, and things of their own hearts, and spirits unto the people, whereby they were greatly deceived: a man that suffers a thing to be done in ordinary speech, is said to be the Author of it, if a Physician will not give Physic to cure a sick man, if he die of his sickness, it's Vulgarly said he is the cause of his death. If the owner will not preserve a ruinous house from falling, when it's fallen he is said to be the Author of its fall: so here God is said to deceive them, because he hindered not those false Prophets from deceiving them. God saw how averse they were to truth, how they slighted and mocked his Prophets, 2 Chron. 36.16. And despised his words, therefore in just judgement he gave them up to believe lies, falsehoods, and deceivable things.  

Obser. 1.  That false Prophets & teachers seduce the people, feeding them with vain hops, They cried peace peace, all things shall be prosperous, comfortable, we shall have no wars in our gates, no Famine or plague in our Cities, they gave out laeta vaticinia and so beguiled the unstable and credulous people, and swelled them with vast hopes. They hoped to see their brethren return from Babylon, to buy and sell, to marry and build, to grow great, and see many good days; the false Prophets filled Ahab with great hopes of victory at Ramoth Gilead, go up and prosper said they, for the Lord shall deliver it into the King's hand 1 Kings 22.12. These Prophets begat, and maintained hopes, in the hearts of the people, they made them trust in the Temple, and corrupt worship was in it, therefore Jer. 7.4. Jeremiah sent to command them, not to trust in lying words, Saying the Temple of the Lord, etc. What ever wickedness they committed, yet if they appeared in the Temple, and stood before the Lord, they said they were delivered, no threaten of Jeremiah or others should take hold of them. They made them trust in their strong holds and look to the hills and mountains about them; therefore Jer. 3.23. He tells them, that in vain they hoped for Salvation from the hills, and from the multitude of Mountains. They thought because Jerusalem was so well fortified with high hills and great Mountains, that it could not be taken. Jer. 21.13. Who shall come down against us? Or who shall enter into our habitations. 
So Jer. 29.31 Shemaiah caused them to trust in a lie.  & Chap. 49.4. Jerusalem said, who shall come unto me? Hananiah a false Prophet told the people that within the space of two full year's Nebuchadnezars yoke should be broken from off the neck of all Nations. Jer. 28.11. & vers. 15. Jeremiah saith, He made the people trust in a lie.  
2. It's a clear argument of a blind and false teacher to speak things answerable to the humours and corruptions of men, this people could not endure Jeremiah prophesying truth, threatening judgement against them, for their sins, see Jer. 38 2.3.4 5. They desired to hear of pleasing things; it was good tidings to them, to hear that Nabuchadnezzar should not come against them, nor make them tributary unto him; therefore the Prophets prophesied it, Jer. 27.14. They told them they should not serve the King of Babylon, it was pleasing to them to hear of bringing back again the Vessels of the Temple; and Vers. 16. These Prophets prophesied, saying, Behold the Vessels of the Lords house shall now shortly be brought again from Babylon: wherein could they have humoured these people more; you have a notable place in the 23. of Jer. 16.17. The Prophets that prophesy unto you make you vain, they speak a vision of their own heart, and not out of the mouth of the Lord: Now that comes not from God's holy mouth, but man's carnal heart, will be pleasing to other carnal hearts; and lest you may think I deceive you, observe the next Verse, They say still unto them that despise me, the Lord hath said, ye shall have peace, and they say unto every one that walketh after the imagination of his own heart, No evil shall come upon you. What is more pleasing to man, then to have his own mind, do his own will, 
Isa. 3.12. They which lead thee are they which call thee blessed.  walk after the imaginations of his own heart; and what softer words more suitable to him can be said, than no evil shall come upon him: false Prophets speak Verba lactis, Milky, Oily words, such as please men, and battle their humours, and so have a great advantage with men, who love to be humoured; but true Prophets speak Verba veritatis, which have salt and fire in them, and so cross, fret, provoke men's lusts, and stir up their hatred against them, and as the other with their lies and flatteries find favour with men, so these for their truths with God, who loves truth: Paul durst not Preach to please men, but Christ, Gal. 1.10. John would not please Herod.  
3. The Prophecies and Doctrines of false Teachers, seem unto them, and those cleave to them, to have much strength, they built up a wall; walls are things of strength, be they Earth, Timber, or Stone Walls; they prophesied peace, that Nabuchadnezzar should not come against them, or departed if he came without prejudice to them; they said that the Vessels and people should speedily return from Babylon, etc. These Doctrines of thei●s were as walls unto them of strength and defence: Solomon tells us, that A rich man's riches are a high wall in his own conceit, Prov. 18.11. and so the opinions and tenets of false Teachers, are a high wall in their own conceits, they think the people are strengthened and secured by them. There are scarcely any opinions abroad, be they never so erroneous, heretical, blasphemous, tending to licentiousness, but the Authors of them judge them to have strength in them, and look upon them as walls to advantage the people, and those are deceived by them, think the like of them.  
4. That false Prophets and Teachers do concur and mutually endeavour to countenance and strengthen each others Doctrines and Tenets; one built up a Wall, and lo others daubed it, the true Prophets oft prophesied the same things, and so strengthened the hands each of other, and so did the false Prophets, they improved their art and parts to strengthen one another, they brought their Visions, Divinations, Dreams, Lies, and whatever they had, to plaster and daub up this wall; they told them of God's mercy, Covenant, Promise, to dwell at Jerusalem for ever, how greatly God was delighted with that place, that they were a holy people, had the Law, Ordinances, Sacrifices, which none else in the World had, that God had no Church but them, and therefore unlikely that ever he would destroy them, that his heart was towards them; thus they agreed all in falsehood, and strengthened themselves, and the people in wickedness: So all the false Prophets concurred in deceiving Ahab, Zedekiah the chief makes horns, and saith, With these shalt thou push the Syrians till they be consumed.  
5. Whatever Prophets give out of their own unto the people, its weak, unsollid, and unserviceable; these Prophets prophesied of their own heads, out of their own spirits, they had nothing from God, and what was all, but untempered Mortar, a thing unsavoury and foolish? did any of their Visions, Divinations, or Prophecies, strengthen the hearts or hands of this people? were they not altogether seduced by them? they filled them with vain hopes, flattered them in their sinful ways, prophesied of peace and plenty, and so healed the hurt of God's people slightly; they skinned it over with fair words, but did not search it to the bottom, 
Jer. 8.11.  and lance it with sound and wholesome truths; they brought of their own, not of the Lords, and therefore it was unserviceable, they brought lies, Jer. 27.10. False dreams, Jer. 23.32. The deceit of their own hearts. Verse. 26. False Visions, Divinations, and things of nought, Chap. 14.14. Can lies, dreams, deceits, false, and things of naught, strengthen or build up. The truths and Doctrines of God are solid, savoury, strengthening, lutum paleatum, well tempered Mortar; they are tempered with the glory, wisdom, mercy, and love of God, with the blood of Christ, with the power of the spirit, and they will build up a Wall, be strength unto us, Zecharie 1.13. his words are good and comfortable, Mic. 2.7. they do good, Psal. 91.4. His truth is a Shield and Buckler: its sure and will not deceive, 2 Pet. 1.19. The Doctrines of the Apostles confirmed the Brethren and the Churches: Acts 14.22: 15.32. The Doctrines and Opinions of men are windy deceitful things, and hinder growth and strength, Eph. 4.14. but the truths of God cause growth in all things, and so strengthen, making us firm as Walls: What men bring of their own, 
2 Pet. 2.3.  are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, feigned words, untempered Mortar; but what they have from God, are wholesome words and Doctrines, according to godliness, 1 Tim. 6.3.  
6. Seducing of people by false, flattering, unsound Doctrines doth greatly provoke God, Because, even because they have seduced my people, saying, Peace, and one built, etc. Prophet's work is to make known truth, and to bring men out of their by and base ways into the way of truth; but if they turn men out of that way into the ways of error, they work, but their work is not pleasing unto God, it exasperates his spirit against them, and no marvel they undo souls, which are precious things, James 5.20. He converts a sinner from the error of his way, saves a soul from death, and hides a multitude of sins that would appear by his going on in an erroneous way: if on the contrary, a man seduce a man from the truth, and lead him into ways of errors, he destroys a soul, discovers and multiplies sin; and so did these false Prophets, and so do all false Teachers. Peter tells you of false Teachers, 2 Epist. 2.1. who bring in damnable heresies, and draw away many thereby; and is that all? No, they bring upon themselves swift destruction, they so provoke God by their corrupt and damnable Doctrines, that he intends and hastens their destruction; and let the seduced look to it least destruction be their portion, Isa. 9.16. The Leaders of this people cause them to err, and they that are led of them are destroyed.  
7. Whatsoever works men work, God will try them; if the Prophets build Walls, daub with untempered Mortar, Preach visions of their own heads, etc. God will prove their walls what strength is in them, examine their Mortar, whether tempered or no, whether aught of God be in it, or all be humane. Vers. 11. There shall be an overflowing shower, great hailstones, and a stormy wind: When men build, the wind and weather tries their buildings: the Prophets here go under the notion of bvilders, and they had made their building, and God would try it, Nabuchadnezzar with all his Forces should come like an overflowing shower, great strong hailstones, a stormy wind, and if their wall could stand then, and their mortar endure, it would be evident that they were wise bvilders, had made a firm wall, 1 Cor 3.13. Every man's work shall be made manifest, and the fire shall try every man's work of what sort it is; the work here is interpreted of Doctrines and Opinions, taught and held, they shall be tried by fire, either of affliction or of the spirit, the Word of God.  
8. God hath variety of ways and means to try men's works, he hath showers, hailstones, winds.  
9 It's impossible for false Prophets to avoid the judgements of God, they and their work must suffer; see what is said in the 15. and 16. Verses. I will accomplish my wrath upon the wall and upon them that have daubed it; to wit, the Prophets of Israel: Gods judgements against them are sudden, irressistible, and unavoidable, they are likened to showers, hailstones, and stormy winds, which come suddenly, assault strongly, and cannot be avoided: and God saith in the 13 Verse. He will rend their wall, and work in anger and fury; if he will rend, who can preserve, if he will tear in pieces who shall deliver, Psal. 50.22.  
10. What ever Doctrines, Opinions, Tenets, false Teachers and Prophets do deliver, to scatter among the people, shall come to nought, They built a wall, daubed it with untempered mortar, but Vers. 11. Say unto them it shall fall: God had determined the ruin of this wall, of all the false prophecies they had delivered; the Doctrines of men are w ndy, unstable, and vanishing things: Acts 5.36, 37, 38. Gamaliel tells of one Theudas who boasted that he was somebody, a Prophet, and vented his own opinions amongst them, and drew four hundred men after him, and this false Prophet with his prophecies and followers, were scattered, ruined, and brought to nought, after him Judas of Galilee drew away much people with his persuasions and pretences, and he perished, and those obeyed him were dispersed, and then presents to the Council where he was speaking, the Apostles and their Doctrine, saying, Refrain from these men, and let them alone, for if this couns●ll or this work be of men, it will come to nought; you have seen the end of Theudas and Judas, of their Counsels, Opinions, and works, they being from men are fallen with the men, but if they had been of God, they would have stood; as he speaks of the Apostles Doctrine, if it be of God ye cannot overthrow it: Men may venture, build upon Divine truths, they have a Divine arm to support them, but humane Opinions, Doctrines, if we confide in, we shall greatly be deceived, they and we shall fall together: B●by on you know was supported by false Docteines, falls worship, falls Government, falls Miracles, and lying wonders, as you may observe in the Revel. and Chap. 18.2. you hear, Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen; and Rev. 19.20 The Beast was taken, and with him the false Prophets; that is, the Pope and his Clergy; they desired and endeavoured the standing of their Kingdom, but being upon a false foundation it fell. Psa. 112.10. The desire of the wicked shall perish; not only their desires, but Doctrines, Prophecies, endeavours, shall perish.  
11. False Prophets and Teachers shall be discovered, and they and their worship exposed to laughter and scorn: When the wall is fallen, shall it not be said unto you, Where is the daubing wherewith ye have daubed it; you have made a goodly Wall, such an one as could not endure a shower, ye are Impostors, have deceived us and others, thus should they be detected and derided. There were many false Prophets in Ahabs days, they were great with Jezabel and Ahab, and made use of their power to cut off the true Prophets; but Elijah calls them forth to a Sacrifice, some eight hundred and fifty of them, where they were discovered to be Liars, Seducers, and laughed to scorn before all the people: 
1 Kings 18.  those Prophets bade Ahab go up to Ramoth-Gilead and prosper, how ashamed were they when Ahab was slain, and the Soldiers returned with loss of their King and the day; what cause had these Prophets to blush, when God brought Nabuchadnezzar to besieged the City, when the walls were broken down, and they discovered to be false Prophets, and their foundation with which they upheld the hope of this people to be lies, flatteries, and false Divinations.    

VERS. 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23.  
Likewise thou Son of man, set thy face against the daughters of thy people, which Prophesy out of their own heart, and prophesy thou against them.  
And say, Thus saith the Lord God, Woe to the Women that sow Pillows to all armholes, and make Kerchiefs upon the head of every Stature to hunt souls. will ye hunt the souls of my people, and will ye save the soul's alive that come unto you?  
And will ye pollute me among my people, for handfuls of Barley, and for pieces of bread, to slay the souls that should not die, and to save the soul's alive, that should not live, by your lying to my people that hear your lies.  
Wherefore thus saith the Lord God, Behold, I am against your pillows, wherewith ye there hunt the souls to make them fly, and I will tear them from your arms, and will let the souls go, even the souls that ye hunt to make them fly.  
Your Kercheifs also will I tear, and deliver my people out of your hand and they shall be no more in your hand to be hunted, and ye shall know that I am the Lord.  
Because with lies ye have made the heart of the righteous sad, whom I have not made sad, and strengthened the hands of the wicked, that he should not return from his wicked way, by promising him life.  
Therefore ye shall see no more vanity, nor Divine divinations, for I will deliver my people out of your hand, and ye shall know that I am the Lord.  
WE are now come to the second part of the Chapter, which is a Prophecy against Women Prophetesses; and here as before you have their judgements, and the sins laid down causing those judgements.  
The judgements are in the 17, 18, 20, 21. & 23. Verses, the sins moving God to be against them, and to proceed so with them, are in the 17, 18, 19, 22. & 23. Verses, the judgements and sins are intermingled in the several Verses.  
In Israel had been some true Prophetesses, as Deborah and Huldab; now there were many fal●e Prophetess s, and the Prophet is commanded to turn his speech against them.  

Set thy face against.  
Once before you had this phrase, Chap. 4.3. where the Prophet was to set his face against Jerusalem, here it is against the Women; be thou an adversary unto them, and prophesy against them. Enemy's when they are to encounter each other, they set their faces one against another, and so here, when the Prophet should denounce judgement against them for their lying prophecies, he was as an adversary to them; and to set the face in Scripture sense, against any one, is Adversum eum venturas calamitates praedicere, to proclaim War against them: The Hebrew is, thy Faces, speak boldly, freely and be severe against them in thy prophesying.   

The daughters of thy people.  
Some would understand by these Women, men Prophets, who were weak and womanish, without courage, constancy, and prudence; but we have no cause to take the words in that sense: Our Prophet had spoken of men Prophets before, and now is directed of God to another distinct subject, and that is the women Prophets, who are called Daughters of his people, this cannot belong unto the men, De falsis Prophetissis haec interpretari par est, non de effoeminatis viris.   

Which Prophecy out of their own heart.  
As the false Prophets did, Vers. 2. that is, of their own accord, and their own imaginations: There were Women of old, who did prophesy, without blame it was lawful for them, Miriam was a Prophetess, Exod. 15.20. and went before the people, Micah 6.4. so Huldab, 2 Kings 22.14. Anna also was a Prophetess, Luke 2.36. and the promise of the spirit of prophecy was to Women as well as men, Acts 2.17. I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh, and their Sons and their Daughters shall prophesy: And Philip the Evangelist had four Daughters did prophesy, Acts 21.8, 9 and doubtless the Church and people of God received much good by their Prophesying; but these were false Prophetesses which did deceive the people, and came not behind the false Prophets in doing mischief: It's probable they exceeded men; for, Women by reason of the tenderness of their nature, sweetness of their voices, respect amongst men, have the advantage to insinuate their opinions, and persuade more powerfully, especially when they have a repute for holiness, and are esteemed prophetical, as these were.   

Prophesy thou against them.  
They arrogated to themselves the call and authority of God, when there was no such thing; and for Women to pretend this that they might deceive the people, was grievous; therefore Ezekiel is commanded to prophesy against them.  
One thing here especially is observable, that the Lord calls the people not his, but the Prophets, Set thy face against the Daughters of thy people; when some heinous thing was committed dishonourable to God, reproachful to the people, and the Lord would object it against them, than the Lord would not own them for his people that did such things, that they might be convinced of the greatness of the evil they had done, which made them unworthy to be the people or children of the Lord any longer, Exod. 32.7, 8. When the people corrupted themselves in making a Calf and worshipping it, than God calls them Moses people, Get thee down, for thy people, etc. Hence that in Deut. 32.5. They have corrupted themselves, their spot is not the spot of his Children.   

Woe to the Women that sow Pillows, etc.  
Here is a general Judgement denounced against those Women; Woe which includes evils of all sorts, and special sins set down: 

1. Sowing of pillows to all armholes.  
2. Making Kerchiefs upon the head of every Stature, which are typical actions, and then the end of these, hunting of souls.     

Sowing of pillows.  
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Septuagint is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, sowing things for the head; this is an obscure phrase, Pillows are soft things, filled with Feathers for the head to repose upon, some thereby understand an easy and pleasurable life; others think these Prophetic Women were Sorceresses, and did use these Pillows and Kerchiefs in their enchantments, they appointed those consulted with them to have these on them or about them, and hereby they were made fit to receive their Oracles or Prophecies, as those went to the Oracle in the Den of Tryphonius, they had strange Vestures, and Rites, they were clad with a linen Coat, that was girt to them with a Fillet, or hairlace, and they had Slippers tied to their feet, peculiar to that place; these things were to procure the greater reverence to their Religion, Oracles, and Prophecies.  
The word is from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to cover, hid, and the Nouns derived thence signify Operimentum, velamen, praetextum, quicquid obtenditur, ut aliquid abscondas vel dissimules; Hence Pradus interprets the word here, Chesathoth, rete, quod obtendunt aucupes ad capiendas aviculas.  
We must take the words in a metaphorical sense; a man that lies upon the hard ground, among stones or thorns, will sleep little, and very uneasily, unquietly; but a man that hath soft pillows to lie upon, he sleeps much, with great ease and quiet, he hath nothing to trouble or interrupt his sleep; when men are full of feare●, cares, distractions, they sleep among stones and thorns: These Prophetesses by their Prophecies took away those fears, cares, and distractions, were caused in the hearts of the people by the true Prophets, who told them of Nebuchadnezars coming, and threatened the ruin of City and Temple, and their going into Captivity; they flattered them, and fed them with fair words, they promised them peace, safety, liberty, etc. and so put Pillows under their heads and armholes, and strengthened them in their security.   

Make Kerchiefs upon the head, &c,  
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Veils wherewith Women did cover their faces; hereby is meant the flatteries and false Prophecies whereby they veiled and covered up the people in security, that they might sleep securely in utramvis aurem, and not be troubled with any apprehensions of danger; though they sinned grievously, they persuaded them, the Lord was not angry with them, and they fitted their words and prophecies to the condition of every one; they had that fitted the humours of the ancient, of the middle age, of youth, they through their craft and lying Prophecies applied themselves to the head of every stature; and so pleased all, and lulled them in a general security. Junius thinks these Kerchiefs were, Triumphales pilei, made up into the form of crowns of Hats, and set upon the heads of the Statues, thereby presaging they should have not only safety from, but victory over their enemies, which they learned from the practice of Egyptians and Babylonians; and to this purpose is Deodate, who expounds Veils of the mourning and calamity of others; now if the Jews had been conquerors of the Babylonians, the Babylonians had had cause of covering their faces and mourning for their loss.   

To hunt souls.  
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ad venandum, which the Septuagint render this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, to pervert souls; the French, Pour attrapper les personnes: Cast: Ad aucupandas animas: Vulgar, Ad capiendas animas; those that hunt, set their nets, and then drive what is hunted into their Nets, and so make a prey of it, the like do these, the Prophets they seduce souls; that is, Men and Women, with a false hope of peace and good days, and so the evil day comes upon them unthought of, and they are made a prey.   

Will you hunt the souls of my people?  
By this Interrogation the Lord manifests his displeasure, they thought it was free for them to deceive the people with their Pillows and Kercheifes, with their flattering words, false promises, and to make gain of them, but the Lord would not let things pass, so will you hunt their souls, spoil and prey upon them, you shall be hunted yourselves, and taken in your lying Prophesies.   

Will you save the soul's alive of them that come unto you.  
The Hebrew 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Animat vobis vivificebitis, will you make alive souls unto you; these words may refer either to the false Prophetesses, or to others; if to the false Prophetesses, the sense is this, will you delude my people with vain hopes, with promises of life and happy days, that you may get from them meat and drink, that so you may quicken and keep alive your own souls; what will you destroy your souls with your errors, to feed your own with bread; and so Piscator reads the words, Do you hunt the souls of my people,  animat vobis vivas conservetis; if to others, the sense is thus, you hunt the souls of the people, you ensnare them with your lies, divinations, and feigned visions, and will ye save them alive that come to you and believe what you say? No, while you persuade them they shall live, you take away their life from them; the very taking of them with your falsehoods is their death, you serve them as hunters their game, when it's taken they kill it.   

And will ye pollute me among my people, etc.  
This Verse contains several sins also of these wicked Prophetesses.  

1. Their pollution of God's Name.  
2. Their covetousness, Handfuls of Barley, and pieces, etc.  
3. Their cruelty, Slaying of Souls.  
4. Their partiality, they slew those should have lived, and spared those should have died.   
Then the manner how all these were done, By their lies.   

Will ye pollute me, etc.  
They pretended they were sent and authorised of God to prophesy, that they had the spirit of God, and were true Prophetesses, that what ever they delivered should come to pass, they crossed the true Prophets, they strengthened the people in their finfull practices, they made Prophesy contemptible, and so profaned the Name of the Lord, caused many to fall to Atheism and Apostasy. This God would not bear at their hands, therefore saith, Will ye.   

For handfuls of Barley and pieces of Bread.  
This is a kind of proverbial speech, setting out the meanness of that work which is so cheap; Prophesy with them was at a vile and low price, if any brought never so mean a reward, as a little Barley in his hand, or a crust of bread with him to these deluding Prophetesses, presently they had a pleasing answer; had these Women set their lying Prophecies at the highest rate, it had not been warrantable to have profaned Gods glorious Name for great rewards, but for such petty gain to expose his Name to scorn, was extremely wicked: Cato upbraided Marcus Coelius, as Gellius hath it, Quod frusto panis conduci possit ut taceat vel loquatur.   

To stay the souls that should not die, etc.  
By souls you must understand Persons, for souls are not to be slain, Matth. 10.28. They prophesied against the godly that they should die, and so deprived them of their peace, comfort, and apprehensions they had of God's favour, filled them with fears, griefs, and sad th' ughts, if they hearkened to Jeremiah, and submitted to Nebuchadnez●ar: Or thus, they stirred up the people against them were godly; and would not adhere to them, believing their Prophecies, and provoke the Magistrates to restrain them, yea to cut them off, and so slew them before their time; they should have lived longer by the course of nature, had not these blood thirsty Prophetesses hastened their death.   

To save the soul's alive should not live.  
They promised life, peace, happiness, to those they should have threatened War, misery, death, Zedekiah and many with him, had broken the bath made with Nabuchadnezzar to be tributaries to him, and so deserved death upon that ground, others oppressed, filled the Land with bloody-crimes, were notoriously Idolatrous and not worthy to live, yet these were justified, pleaded for, and protected against the power of any would have had Justice executed.  
It's not against the judgement of some learned ones to understand death and life here, of eternal death and life; these Women teachers threatened the righteous with eternal death, shut Heaven upon them, and opened Hell wide enough upon them, and what lay in them, slew their souls; and for the others they promised Heaven and all joys of it to them, and so saved them alive they should not.  
That its an old practice of Satan to trouble the Church, as with false Prophets, 
Obser. 1.  so with false Prophetesses; God raised up Women Prophets to honour that Sex, and to help his people, and the Devil raises up Women to spread lies, to deceive and damnify the people, and to gain by that Sex the more to his Kingdom: Satan imitates God, if he will have he or she Prophets, the like will he have. In the Church of Thyatyra was a Jezabel which called herself a Prophetess to teach and seduce the servants of Christ, to commit fornication, and to eat things sacrificed to Idols, Revel. 2.20. Jezabel disturbed Israel, opposed and sought the death of the true Prophets, maintained Idolatry, so did this other Jezabel, etc. Nehem. 6.14. There is mention of one Noadiah a Prophetess, she with other false Prophets prophesied against the building of the Temple, encouraged Sanballat, Tobias, and others to hinder it, laboured to possess Nehemiah and the bvilders with fear. Such there have been in former days, and such will be Women that take upon them to teach and deceive unwary people, such were Prisca and Maximilla the companions of Montanus the Heretic, such are the Jesuitesses.  
2. It's the Character of false Teachers of what kind soever, Women or Men, to flatter, sooth, insinuate, and speak pleasing things; the false Prophets cried peace, etc. these false Prophetesses sow pillows to all armholes, etc. yea their scope is to please all sorts, they observe the humours of men, and so apply themselves to please answerably, Isa. 30.10. this was the disposition of the people, Prophesy not unto us right things, speak unto us smooth things, prophesy deceit. 2 Tim. 4.3 People would have Teachers after their own lusts.  
3. False Prophecies; flattering, and erroneous Doctrines are the Snares and Nets with which false Teachers do hunt souls.  
Prov. 6.26. An Adultress hunts for the precious life, and these for the precious souls.  
Ephes. 4.14. They lie in wait to deceive.  
Revel. 20.8. It's the Devils work to deceive the Nations in the four quarters of the Earth.  
4. What ever false Teachers promise they cannot perform, Will you save alive the souls come unto you; will you keep off War, Plague, Famine, when Nabuchadnezzar shall come about the walls, etc.  
5. False Teachers profane God's Name, and he takes it very ill at their hands, Will ye pollute me among my people; to make God the Author of their dreame●, lies, etc. to pretend they are sent of him, and cause his people to conceive he deludes them, and tells them contraries, one thing by Jeremiah, other things by them, and that for such poor things as Barley.  
6. Covetousness, baseness of spirit, makes merchandise o God's Name, truth, and the souls of persons.  
Mic. 3.5. He that puts not into their mouths, the Prophets he means, they even prepare War against him; Judas sold Christ, etc. a Woman to prostitute her chastity for hand●us of Barley is base, much more to serve souls so, 2 Pet. 2.3 With feigned words they make merchandise of you.  
7. That they kill whom God would not have killed, and spare those whom God would not have spared, they curse whom God blesses, and bless whom God curses.  
In the 20, 21, 23. Verses, he sets down Gods proceeding with these false Prophetesses, he will be against them, tear their Pillows and Ketchlese, deliver his out of their hands, and destroy them and their divinations.   

To make them flee.  
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Piscator hath it, In floribus hortis, they were wont to sacrifice in Gardens, Isa. 1.29: 65.3: 66.17. these Prophetesses with their flatteries, drew in young Maids, to prophesy smooth and pleasing things, and they drew in the men, and so great lewdness and filthiness was amongst them, and they were charmed with their divinations: We may take it thus, they hunted them, they used seducing ways by their Prophesies, promises, and flatteries, to make them flee from the truth, 
Those expound the words of their souls fleeing out of their bodies, or of fleeing into Babylon certainly mistake.  and true Prophets, to take them off from Jeremiah and Ezekiel, and so should be like birds that fly from bough to bough, or beasts that run from place to place, and abide no where.   

I will let the souls go, even the souls that you hunt.  
The meaning is, I will free them from the delusion of their false Prophesies, they shall go Captive into Babylon, and be no longer in their hands.   

With lies ye have made the hearts of the righteous sad.  
The Hebrew is Conterere, to wear, to make contrite; Septuagint 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, ye have perverted the heart of the righteous: There were some among them who harkened to the true Prophets, and it was in their hearts to yield to the Chaldeans, as Jeremiah counselled; but when they heard the false Prophets and Prophetesses encouraging the people not to fear Nabuchadnezzar, but promised safety to them that should stay in the City; they were troubled, sadded, and knew not what to do, and by this means also they strengthened the hands of the wicked, who gave heed to their lying Prophesies, and slighted what ever Jeremiah said.   

You shall see no more vanity, nor Divine divinations.  
There was no weight, no truth, in what they said, who ever received their Prophesies were deceived, the time was approaching which would discover the vanity of their visions, and cut them off from seeing any more, for they should perish.  
The Lord is against false Prophetesses, and will destroy their Prophesies, Ceremonies, they use, and them too, Behold I am against your Pillows, I will tear them from your arms, and the Kerchiefs from your heads, and ye shall see no more vanity nor Divine divinations. God will not let such persons and practices go unpunished, as intrude into the Prophetical Office, abuse his Name, Authority, Truth, and People.  
2. Women teachers and Men teachers also are very subtle to seduce the people, they had their Pillows and Kerchiefs, their flatteries, pleasing Prophesies and promises to keep them In security, to hunt them into the Gardens, to commit spiritual and corporal whoredom: Calvin judges that they pretended, altas speculationes, some transcendent matters, thereby to arise the expectations of of the people, who were weary of Jeremiahs' prophecy, being of a lower strain than isaiah's, and some others, and were tainted with curiosity and itching ears. They were not content with wholesome and plain Doctrine, but would be wise beyond sobriety, and God suffered subtle and false Teachers to hunt and snare them. Sometimes fowls are snared in flying, where no danger is suspected, and these were deluded by those speculations were given out by false Prophetesses: How were the Popish spirits taken with the tenet of Dionysius touching the heavenly Hierarchy; so with the Jesuits Dalilab, de media scientia: and at this day are not multitudes taken with speculations and novelties, do they not despise wholesome Doctrine, and listen to erroneous Teachers both Men and Women.  
3. God's people may be taken with some errors of the times, and of false Teachers, I will deliver my people out of their hand, and they shallbe no more in their hand; they were then in their hands, they had hunted them into their nets, and caught them with their inticeing Prophecies and brought them over to be of their mind. Jezabel did seduce the servants of Christ, Rev. 2.20. you know Peter and Barnabas were drawn into an error, Gal. 2.12, 13, 14. and Christ hath told you, Matth. 24.11. That many false Prophets shall rise, and deceive many: They rise from the Earth, or out of the bottomless Pit, and do much hurt with their smoky Doctrines, they darken the Heavens, so that the Saints mistake their way. There were those constrained the Galatians to be Circumcised, Chap. 6.12. & Acts 20.30. Of their own selves shall men arise, speaking perverse things to draw away Disciples after them. The old lying Prophet deceived and drew the young Prophet into a snare, cost him his life, a Lion devoured him, 1 Kings 13. I fear there are young Prophets drawn away into dangerous errors, and many others about this City, whom I hope God will keep from the roaring Lion, and deliver in due time from the error of their ways. Let the counsel of Solomon to his Son, Prov, 19.27. be welcome to you, Cease to hear the instruction that causeth to err from the words of knowledge: and hearken to Peter, 2 Epist. 3.17, 18. Seeing you know these things before, beware lest ye also being led away with the error of the wicked, fall from your own steadfastness, but grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.  
4. The Doctrines of false Teachers do prejudice both the godly and the wicked, they sadden the hearts of those should not be sadded, and they strengthen the hands of the wicked which should be weakened: When false Teachers give out their lies, corrupt truths, and opinions, they weaken the authority of the true Prophet's Doctrine, they fill the godly with fears, scruples, grief and discouragement. What sadding Doctrines are among the Papists, from their false Teachers, as that of Auricular Confession, all sins must be confessed to a Priest; justification by works, Satisfaction, Purgatory, Transubstantiation, that of the death of Infants before Baptism, falling away from grace, keeping of the Law, Traditions, etc. These with others, are Doctrines which wound the hearts of the godly, and much perplex them; and are there not as sadding and heart perplexing Doctrines among us? Viz. Denial of the Sacred Trinity, Christ's Divine nature, authority of the holy Scripture, that God is the author, creator, and inventor of all sin, that it it the same spirit is in the godly and the wicked, that there is no Election, but an universal Redemption, that God sees no sin in his, that the Law is of no use to Believers, that Christ himself may sin as well as a Child of God, that all days are alike, the Lords day having no pre-eminence, that Women may Preach, that there is no power or rule in the Church, but all in the Civil Magistrate; as these opinions sadden the hearts of the godly, so they strengthen the hands of those are wicked, they go on in their ways, and never think of returning to the Lord: False Teachers which speak pleasing things, undo the souls of sinners; they promise life when they should threaten death, open to them their danger, show them the evil of their ways, and use the strongest arguments they can to awaken and reduce them, Jer. 23.22. Had they caused my people to hear my words, than they should have turned them from their evil way, and from the evil of their do.  
5. God hath his times to deliver his people from the flattery, tyranny, and policy of false Teachers, I will deliver them out of their hand; there was a day when the people were delivered from the tyranny and flattery of Ahabs false Prophets, 1 Kings 18. & Rev. 19.20. the Beast with the false Prophet, etc. were thrown into the Luke.      

A Table containing the principal things in the precedent Expositions.  

A  

Account, The faithful may boldly give up their account. 275. 276  
Action, Grace will break out into action, 456. actions more observable than words. 477  
Affliction, it makes men mind God, 16 before affliction men slight, under it regard, the Word of God, 25. 137. 138 by them the Lord sanctifies, 378. are the acts of God, 383. no arguments of divine hatred, 384. have their period, 395 of themselves do not sanctify. 466  
Angels have a care of communities, 207 are at God's command, 208. 212. 325 in what sense called men, 209. the bodies they assume, not substantial. ibid. Angels against us, when God against us, 211. they have their Commission from Christ, 217. ready to do the will of God, 282. have power over the wheels, 285. God uses their ministry, 286. desirous to know the things of God, 291. applaud the judgements of God, 294. have no hands, 297. likened to fire, ibid. watch to serve Ch●ist, 298. honour Christ exceedingly, ibid. furnished with ability for employments, 300. do not things rashly, ibid.  
Anger in God, the degrees of it, 196. described, ibid. God hath times of being surious, ibid. when that time is, 197. God's fury dreadful, 199. it hastens judgements, 206. a general destruction in the day of God's wrath, 250. God not always angry, 395. hath an admiring indignation at his people's sins. 496  
Assemblies, the sense of the word, 531. two kinds of assemblies amongst the Jews, 532. much good in the assemblies of Saints. 538  
Astrology, judicial astrology unlawful. 499  
Atheism, the cause of man's going from God, 167. set out more fully, 266    

B  

Banishment or Captivity, is a civil death. 11, 12  
Blood, bloody crimes what, 104. land full of blood, 264. what it notes, ibid.  
Brethren, a word of divers acceptions in Scripture. 366  
Burden, what meant by it, 482. burden of sin brings burden of judgement, 485  
Burials of Princes and Prophets with costly things. 7    

C  

Captivity, Israel's captivity, 389. Jeconias' captives and Zedekiahs, whither of them returned. 390  
Casual, motions here below not casual. 310  
Chain notes four things, 102, 103. what sins bring chains. 105  
Chaldeans likened to Fishermen, and why. 483, 484. worst of heathen. 107  
Cherubims what, 278. 467. why differenced by the Prophet, 279. Coals of fire between the Cherubims what, 284. attend upon Christ, 290. why God said to dwell between the Cherubims, 292. the sound of their wings what it imports, 294. by the fire they took what meant, 297. their hands and wings what they import, 300. their motions uniform, 307. the several resemblances of their faces, 315, 316. a doubt cleared, 317. Cherubims subservient to God. 325  
Children, how it can stand with God's justice to destroy little ones. 245  
Christ, the Angel of the Covenant, 214 the three Offices of Christ, ibid. Christ variously represented, 215. commander in chief, 217. mediates for his people, ibid., hath care of them, 217, 218. Christ the marker of Saints, 234. hath power to save and to destroy, ibid. Christ a faithful executioner of God's will, 275. secures those his Father affects. 276  
Church shall never fail, 12. Churches have their periods, 33. God manifests his presence in the Church by some notable sign. 223 it never totally failed, 231. Churches and States degenerating, go on to a height of wickedness, 271. no visible Church but may fall, 323. those have the name of a Church rigid against the true Church, 369 there may be no true church where Church-ship is pretended, 375. the notes some make of it, ibid. the truth of Churchship whence fetched, 376. tares will be in the Church. 465  
Circumstances of things to be observed, 363  
Cities, what ruins them, 8. City full of perverseness, what, 260. City a Cauldron and how, 334, 335. None can destroy it unless God give command. 287  
Cloud, God often appeared in a cloud, 290  
Comforts, God can make comforts terrors, 286. God speaks comfortably, when men speak bitterly, 382. when they are comfortless, 392. Comforts leave when God leaves, 470. God can mix sorrows with comforts. 490  
Command, commands of God to be readily obeyed, 254. 480. supernatural things commanded are not in vain, 346  
Conscience, cannot be compelled, 423, 424  
Conversation of the wicked, vexation to the godly, 237, 238. men of heavenly conversations are fittest to know Christ, 148.  
Counsels, truth is not tied to them, 124  
Counsel, in counsel from great ones doth great mischief, 339. dreadful judgements upon evil Counsellors. 360. shown in four things, ibid.  
Covetousness, its greedy of gain, though a curse be in it, 59 folly of it. 80  
Countries, The Lord the disposer of them. 394, 395  
Creatures help little, 78, 79. glory, pomp, ceaseth. 110  
Creatures all at God's command, 313 314. his spirit in all, 321. not to eye second causes. 320  
Crying, in man, and in God, how meant, 202, 203. reasons of Gods crying, 202, 203  
Custom, God's people prone to take up heathenish customs, 354. provoke God greatly. 354, 355    

D  

Days of trouble. 45  
Death, some comfort to die in a man's own Country. 352, 353  
Decree, no devices can frustrate God's purpose. 341  
Degenerate, Those do so, go on to an height of sinning. 271  
Delay, delays make God angry. 156  
Desert, what it notes. 519  
Desertion, a forerunner of judgements, 224. God unwilling to leave a people, 226. 323. 469. When God leaves, comforts leave, 323. 470. Men are to take notice of God's departure, 324 God may leave a people. 469  
Design, those are upon great designs should begin with God. 218, 219  
Device, devising mischief what it means, 332. men never wanting to devise mischief, 337, 338. no devices can null God's counsel. 341  
D●blath. 29  
Difficult, things difficult easy to God. 393  
Displeasure of God very grievous, 537, 538  
Divination. 498, 499  
Division is Abaddon, Apollyon, 225. the evils of division, 407, 408. prejudices the growth of grace, 409. a disparagement to Christ, 410. glories at others sufferings. 411  
Doing, they do not what they know, shall not know what to do, 126. what it implies, 454. it evidences the man. 455  
Dove, a fearful and mourning creature. 68    

E  

Ears, ears to hear and hear not, how meant, 475. wicked men hear not judgements. 476  
Earth, the Lord hath forsaken the earth, the phrase in this Prophet only, and but twice. 266  
Eating and drinking with trembling, what it sets forth. 488  
Enemy, 'tis dreadful to have God against one, 536. whom God is against, his hand is upon, 537. the fruits of it very grievous. 537, 538  
Error, loves darkness, 167. when God visits for error, he opens a door for truth. 211  
Estates abused, bring the wrath of God upon them, 112. how to prevent it, ibid.  
Example, Princes not to be patterns in point of Religion, 176. Ringleaders to sin, ringleaders in punishment, 251, 252  
Excellency, Good men not able to bear divine excellencies. 282  
Eyes instruments of evil, 15. of great evil, 21. The eye is for two things, 238. Eye not sparing what, 244. 273. Eye of the Lord upon his people, 392. Eyes to see and see not, how meant, 475. wicked men see not Gods judgements, 476. their not seeing is in hemselves, ibid.  
Ezra, what that name signifies, 389    

F  

Face, of God what it signifies, 98. they are miserable from whom it's turned, 99, 100 covering of the face when used, 478, 479. to set the face against any one, in Scripture sense what. 554  
Faith, the eye of the soul. 153  
Falling on the face, what. 256  
Fear, what sinners fear the Lord brings upon them, 250, 251. Fear makes men tremble. 488  
Feebleness, threefold. 70  
Fire, Christ likend to it. 142  
Firmament, why so called. 278  
Flattering, originally is smoothing, 500 undoes men, 502. causes security. 503  
Flesh, what it is put for. 442  
, Two Questions about freewill resolved. 436, 437    

G  

Gate, Magistrates were wont to sit at the gate to hear causes. 330  
Gathering, what it means. 387  
Gilgal observable things of it. 191  
Glory, glory of God what is understood by it, 222. 467. his glory went to the threshold, and why, 223. the signs of God's presence are the glory of God, 224 Divine glory usually hidden in cloudy darkness, 291. the glory of the Lord who, 292. the way Christ goes glorious, 293. glory of God standing upon the mountain how meant? and to what end, 468, 469. sight of God's glory, a great privilege. 153  
God shows mercy sometimes when severe judgements are deserved, 18. if God be wrath, all preparations are in vain, 63. God a God of glory, 152, 153. sees what ever are the thoughts, 167. there is power in his commands, 210, 211. his presence with his Church, 223, 224. Signs of his presence, 224, 225. God hath a care of his when judgements destroy others, 232, 237. how this appears, 233. slow to execute judgement, 282. looks after the ways of men, 285. why styled the God of Israel, 325. God knows men and their ways, 336. overpowers all, 341. knoweth the heart, 347. is mindful of his threats, 384. assists us by his grace, 456. I will be their God; it imports much, 459. to 462. God is above all, God against one, vid. enemy. 468  
Godly but a few, 232. God owns them in the worst times, 235. the lives and comforts of the godly dear to God. 51 conscious of their unworthiness, 260. God solicitous for them, 275. revives them, ibid. secures them, 276. is with them in every place and condition, 392 393. the godly comply not, but sigh for the wickedness of the times, 236, 237. their sighing what, and how great, 237, 238. why they sigh, 238. God takes notice of their wrongs. 372  
Grace is free in respect of persons, place, and time, 17. Grace wrought up by degrees, 419. Grace in the heart will appear in the life, 456. where God gives grace, be looks for progress, 457. tis freegrace that chooses a people, 463. God does not equally dispense his grace, ibid.  
Gild, when guilt is, there is fear, 350 and security. 373    

H  

Haggalgal, of that word. 313  
Hand, stretching out the hand to and upon a people differ, 30. God smites sinning hands, 131. hand of God what it notes. 531  
Happiness, wherein it consists. 462  
Head, recompensing their ways upon their own head, what. 272  
Hearing the same things again no damage. 320  
Heart, such as that is, such will the senses be, 22. Ill thoughts go out thence, 245. its several acceptions, 399. oneness of heart what opposite unto, 400, 401. men's hearts of themselves are divided, 406. stoniness of heart, what, 438. and what it notes, 438. to 441. a stony heart may receive the Word, and how, 441, 442. the heart naturally is stony, ibid. this stoniness spreads, 442, 443. stoniness a great evil, 443. its the Lord takes away the stony heart, 443, 444. not totally, 444. the stoniness in the godly and the wicked differenced, 445. fleshly heart, what it implies, 446. a double tenderness, ibid. a description of it, ibid. discoveries of tenderness, 447. to 450 tenderness of heart a choice mercy, 450, 451. 'tis the gift of God, 451. heart, for what 'tis sometimes put, 464. the heart of the godly and wicked contrary, 466. God observes how the heart stands affected, ibid. a corrupt heart swells being opposed, 494. is prone to elude truths. 507  
Heathens, how they honoured their Gods, 178  
Hebruismes. 32  
Hedge, what the bedge of Church and State is. 522  
Help, God can make helps helpless. 486  
High places: when they might sacrifice there, when not. 4  
Holy, men must be lift up and above themselves to participate of divine things. 148  
Honour, they that honour God, God will honour them, 235, 236. to honour God how, 236. honour quickly laid in the dust. 362  
Hope, God oft destroys sinners hopes, 59, 60  
Humility, the humblest is the greatest, 414  
House, meeting in houses ancient and warrantable, 138. honoured by God, 139    

I  

Jaazaniah, what that name signifies, 163  
Jarash, signifies contraries. 108  
Idols are stinking defiling things, 6 Idolatry got in is not easily got out, 8 it provokes God greatly, and lays all waist, ibid. it's called whoredom, and wherein that lieth, 14. Idolatry, a God provoking sin, 150. a grievous sin, and wherein it lies, 164. a wrong to God, 151. causes God to departed, 152. Idolaters act closely, 163. not so closely but some espial, ibid. Idolatry infatuates wise men, 165. the cunning of idolators, ibid. are expensive, ibid. forget all modesty, 170. spreads to both sexes, 172. makes shameless, ibid. Idols were wept for, how much more for God wronged, 172. Idols besot, 173 Idolatry loathsome, 178. God sets a special mark upon idolators, 194. who are such, 195. Idolatrous worship stinking, 195. brings destruction, ibid. no symbolising with Idolators, 219, 220 Idolators shall not go unpunished, 467  
Jehovi, when used. 257  
Jeremy why he purchased Hannameela land. 56, 57  
Jews, under the Law saved as we under the Gospel. 216  
Images of the Sun, 5. Image of jealousy, what it was, why so called, how seated, 147. Images pull down God's worship. 149  
Incense, made of sweet and costly things, 163. a token of worship, ibid.  
Infirmities, God pities infirmities, 368, 369. so should men. 376  
Ingratitude makes God appeal to man, 166  
Injustice, abomination to God, 182. a crying sin, ibid.  
Israel, put for Judah, 345. Israelit es why so called, 152. the God of Israel a glorious God, ibid. why styled the God of Israel, ibid. & 325. why the house of Israel, 263. the land of Israel, why not the land of Judah, 388. a choice land, ibid. their several captivities, 389. by whom gathered, ibid. the land of Israel hath many Eulogies in Scripture. 355  
Jubilee, what they did that year. 56  
Judgements of God sudden, 36. they are his messengers, 38. just. ibid. & 132. they linger not, 43. walk where God pleases, 44. by degrees he comes to severity of them, 121. general when sin is so, 131. Judgements, God makes them known before he executes them, 205. and why, 206. none come but at the Lords appointment, ibid. a time when God hastens judgements, 206, 207. no escaping Gods judgements, 212. when judgements are abroad Christ intercedes, 216. The Lord proceeds to judgement judicially, 230. judgement gins at Gods own house, and why, 247 253. God in executing them manifests mercy, 248. a time when judgement delays not, 248. judgements an extensive at sinners sins, 254. God intense upon judgements, ibid. they puzzle Prophets, 261, 262. God's punishments exceed not men's sins, 270. judgements are in the hand of Christ, 287. at his dispose, 296. He proceeds considerately, 296, 297. declares the cause of his proceeding to judgement, 394. no waving of judgements, ibid. God can use any instruments to accomplish them, 351. the ground, scope, and end of judgements, 353. sudden notes severity, 360. immediately from the Lord terrible, 360, 361. judgements falling whilst ordinances are administering, 362. the godly fear when wicked fall, 364. put the Saints upon prayer, ibid. the beginning of judgements an inlet to misery, 364. judgements sanctified, 397. how evidenced, 397, 398. God just in his judgements, 467. not discerned by wicked men, 476. the cause in themselves, ibid. judgements produce those effects mercies do not, 487. God shows mercies amidst judgements, 487. 497. wicked men's thoughts about judgements vain, 505    

K  

Kingdoms have an end, 33. their ruin is in themselves. 52, 53  
Knowledge, those will not know God in a way of mercy, shall know him in a way of judgement. 133    

L  

Law to perish from the Priest, what. 119  
Left, I was lest, what it means. 256  
Light given and taken away at pleasure, 125  
Lord God, what they denote. 257  
Love, where love it God dwells, 225. it unites, 417. once commanded to take the shield of faith, twice to put on love, ibid.  
Lies, termed bars. 372    

M  

Man, who the man was clothed with linen, 283. men unspirited against evil, 64 men chief in place usually corrupt, 336 men of rigid spirits, 370 corrupt men are glad to be rid of the conscientious. 370, 371  
Mark, set a mark, of that phrase see 227, 228. Christ's marking of his, what it intimates, 228, 229. who it is, is the marker of Saints, 234. God distinguishes between the precious and the vile, 236. 246. the mark of Christ, and of the beast different, 234. the deliverance of the marked one's a type, etc. 246  
Means, God carries on his work by weak means. 479, 480  
Meetings private ones lawful, 138 God hath honoured them. 139  
Mercy of God is free in regard of persons, places, times, 17. mercy is oft showed when there is cause of sharp judgements, 18. abuse of mercies defiles them, 82. choicest mercies apt to be abused, 92. abuse causeth loss of them, 95. mercy acts before justice, 248. mercies sanctified produce answerable effects, 397. God when in a way of mercy, multiplies mercies, 452. mercies oblige to obedience. 454  
Ministers, what they should be, what not, 247. must deprecate judgements coming, 260, 261. the Lord acquaints them with his proceed, 266. why he doth this, ibid. Ministers must do their office, 344. God enables them to the work, 345. must tell men of their sins, 346, 347. must speak to those they are intended for, 473. must declare what they have heard, ibid. must be faithful, ibid. not look at the success, 477. must open things mysterious, 490. must stand in the gap, 520, 521. termed bvilders, husbandmen. 526  
Mischief, what it notes, 117. one follows upon another. 120  
Mountains of Israel, 2. speaking to them. 3  
Mourn, God's people should mourn for sin and judgements that come by them, 29. There betimes for great ones to mourn, 128, 129. why the godly mourn, 238. to 240. for what England should mourn, 240. to 242    

N  

Necessity, it makes men seek what was neglected before. 115  
Nehemiah, what that name signifies, 399  
New, how taken in Scripture. 425  
Number, of the number seventy. 162    

O  

Obedient, an obediential spirit suitable to Christ's commands, 156. all creatures at God's command, 212. 313. Christ himself, 213. 288. the end of mercy is obedience, 454. obedience how qualified, 455. an evidence of the work of grace, ibid. 'tis from God, 456. tis man's duty. 480  
One, how the word may be taken, 399. one heart, how meant, from 399. to 401. its description, ibid. oneness of heart diversely considered, from 401. to 403. when this oneness was amongst the Jews, 403, 404. one heartedness whether attainable in this life, 404. men's hearts of themselves not one, 406. oneness a great blessing, ibid. the good of it particularised: the evil of its contrary specified, 407. oneness invites others, 408. improves grace, 409. furthers prayers, ibid. an honour to Christ, 410. sympathizes with each other, ibid. an evidence of grace, 411. makes willing to do for another, ibid. Helps to this oneness, or unity, 411. to 416. preservatives of it, 416. to 418. Inducements to it, 418. to 422. Oneheartednesse the gift of God. 422  
Oppression, a spreading sin, 191. what the Hebrew for it signifies, 192 State oppression and Church corruption got together, 193. Causes God to deal in fury, 198. oppression in Scripture sense is murder, 348. lays a Land desolate. 490  
Ordinances are the ornaments and glory of a people, 89, 90. Men may have them, without God in them, 158. Keep mine Ordinances, of that phrase, and what it imports. 453    

P  

Paines must be great to find out great evils. 164  
Parents sins ruin children. 251  
Patience, The Lord will not always bear with sinners, 204. his patience exceeding great. 271. 477  
Peace, what it notes, 540. wicked men are peaceless, 114. it may be sought too late. 115  
Pelatiah, of the name, 330. his death, and Questions resolved concerning him. 355. 360  
People, They shall be my people, what the words, imply, 458, 459. God marries a people to himself, 462. great happiness to have God ours, ibid. 'tis free grace any are his, 463. those are Gods, have encouragement to asks 464. People easily misted, 528, 529  
Pithom and Pethah, what they express. 360  
Pity, arguments of pity, 249, 250. God deals gently with his. 268, 269  
Place, God oft smites sinners in the place where they sinned. 253  
Pomp, 108. not to be confided in. 110  
Prayer, forced is faithless, 199. Prayer for others, 261. Sin's may be such as God will not hear prayer, 267, 268 and why. 268, 269  
Preparations, endeavours not seconded by God come to nought. 63  
Presence, it's a great evil when God takes away the signs of his presence, 123  
Pride precedes destruction, 51, 52. the cause of man's going from God. 167  
Princes, are chief Rulers, 330. are to ease burdens, 483. else God hath burdens for them, 484. cannot escape judgements. 485, 486  
Privilege, no privilege exempts a sinning people from judgement. 37. 61 Privileges no plea. 288  
Promises of God shall be performed, 396 505. only to some. 465  
Prophets, they are prayed, sued to in straits, 122. 137. if not heard when men are at ease, they shall miss of help from them in trouble, ibid. Prophets privy to what God does, 288. acted by the Spirit, 335, 336. prophecy why twice mentioned, 343. for new acts of prophecy now influx of Spirit, 345, 346. Prophets were to deal particularly with sinners, 346, 347. Of Ezekiels prophesying, some doubts cleared, 355. to 360. God looks what entertainment they have, 401. God puts them oft upon troublesome service, 489. Prophets were to make known dark things, 490. False Prophets have cunning ways to prevail, 501. their visions false and flattering, 501, 502. make men secure, 503. events distinguish Prophets, 503. Prophesying of their own hearts, what it is, 510. false Prophets, why called Prophets, ibid. judgement denounced against them, 511. false Prophets described, 511, 512. false Prophets in the Church no new thing, 512, 513. who are true Prophets, who false, 513. what comes from false Prophets is worthless, 514. the folly of false Prophets, ibid. we is their portion, 515. likened to Foxes from 515. to 519. a sad judgement when Prophets become Foxes, 519. its a grief to heaven, 520. Prophet's are to stand in the gap, 523, 524. failing in their duty makes people fall, 526, true Prophets had two things, 527. the impudence of false Prophets, 528. they seduce people, 528, 529. the Lord is against them. 535. several things that make the Lord against them, 536. Prophet's true in men's esteem, may be false in Gods, 538. false Prophets likened to Masons & Carpenters, 452. A doubt Cleared out of Jer. 4.10.544. to 546. false Prophets seed people with vain hopes, 346. to please men an argument of false teachers, 546, 547. their Prophecies seem to have much strength, 547. false Prophets strengthen each other, 548. Prophets what is their own is weak, 548, 549. their work is to make known truth, 549, 550. God will try their works, 550. by variety of ways, ibid. false Prophets cannot avoid judgements, ibid. what they deliver shall come to nought, 551. and themselves discovered, 551, 552. women of old prophesied, 554, 555. Satan troubled the Church us with false prophets, so with false prophetesses, 560 those are false that flatter, 561. false Prophecies are snares, ibid. false Prophets cannot perform what they promise, ibid. they profane God's Name, ibid. make merchandise of truth, ibid. they curse whom God blesses, 562. God's proceeding against them, ibid. Women and men Teachers are subtle to seduce, 563. God's people may be taken with their errors, 563 564. their doctrines prejudice both the godly and wicked, 564. God hath his times to deliver his people from them. 565  
Providence, acts in all things, 303. dubiously, 306. much glory, and beauty in the works of providence. 310  
Proverb, the word opened. 492, 493  
Purpose, intentions to please God, oft prove provocations. 183  
Punishment, God punisheth in the things men sin, 75. God punisheth because men do wickedly, 354. God Just in his punishing. 467    

R  

Rebellion, rebellious house, what, 475  
Regeneration, see New Spirit.  
Religion to be fetched from Christ and the Apostles, 176. not to be forced. 422. to 424  
Remembering of God, what is in it 12, 13. to be put in mind of the s●me things an advantage. 320  
Repentance, true penitents are affected with, and loathe themselves for their sins, 22. Scripture-expressions concerning repentance, 22, 23. notes of true repentance. 23, 24  
Repetitions are not in vain, 32. they awaken. 43  
Robbing. 99  
Rod. 48, 49  
Ruin of things in themselves, 52, 53 the nearer destruction, the more all things are out of order. 155  
Rulers for the most p●rt wicked, 366. its matter of mourning, 337. being evil make others evil, 338, 339. secure, ibid.    

S  

Sackcloth. 73  
Saints are C●rists treasure, 233. God their Sanctuary, 385. shows them kindness in all places, 386. seeming Saints will be discovered. 538  
Salvation, Few saved. 231  
Samenes, how a thing like, may be called the same. 317  
Sanctum Sanctorum, 174. Sanctuary, 247. 378. the holiness of a place averts not God's wrath, 253. Sanctuary a place of refuge, 379. God's presence there, 380. acceptance there, ibid. help from thence, 381. why called a little Sanctuary. 381  
Saphire, whence derived, and what it notes. 279  
Scoffing, provokes God greatly, 343. examples of sc●ffers, 343, 344. 361. their judgements momentaneous, 360  
Scripture, sh●ns multiplying of words, 345. vid. Word.  
Season, Things done in season are acceptable to God. 299  
Secret of God is amongst his people, 532  
Secure, Great ones greatly secure, 339. Security an epidemical disease, brings judgement impartially. 484  
Seduction, what? 540. seducing of the people provokes God. 549  
Segullah, what it noteth. 641  
Self, a great let to divine things, 148. selfseeking matter of mourning, 337. selveishness undoes. 413  
Separation, what justifis able. 373, 374  
Shame what, 73. ●●es two things. 74  
Sig●e●, G●d manifests his pleasure by signs, 291 when visits with judgements gives signs, 293. set thee for a sign, what sign fies. 479  
Sin, the evil in i●, 24. it weakens, 60. its the life of the wicked, 61 Sinners smitten in what th●y offend with, 131 there are degrees of sins, 158. sin discovered by degrees, 159 Crl●sh sin in the conception, 175 sin to be measured not by man but God's account, 179 sin no light matter, ibid. delightsom, 190. sinning under mercies manifested, aggravates, 191. sins cause God to deal in fury, 198. how to prevent it, ibid. sin makes God and the creature our enemy, 211. drives away God, and lets in wrath, ibid. sins of others to be mourned for, 238, 239. sins may provoke to utter destruction, 249. what those sins are, 249, 250. open sins involve ourselves and others, 250, 251. sin and judgement, 270. sins of God's people fetch the greatest severity▪ 273. God deals equally with sinners, 274. He punishes them in places, and by persons they think not of, 352. God from sin takes occasion to show mercy, 484. sinners of little account with God, 487. whether do sins hasten judgement, 504, 505. sins make way for judgement. 522  
Snare, what it signifies. 484  
Sorrow, expressions of it, by smiting, st●mping, saying, alas, 28. its the fruit of sin, 69. godly sorrow how known. 69 70  
Soul put for appetite. 77  
Spirit, new supplies needful, 140. its called the hand of the Lord, and why, 145. the agent by which Christ works, 147. makes known the sins of men, 149. helps in studying, etc. ibid. directs inferior motions, 308. 320. is God, 336. the Spirit of the Lord fell upon me, what it notes, 344 Spirit variously taken, 424. new Spirit how meant, 425. new qualities included in this new Spirit, 425 to 427. new qualities why called a new Spirit, 427, 428. the promise of a new Spirit when fulfilled, 428. whether wrought at once, 429. this new Spirit is a great mercy, ibid. how it acts where it is, 430. to 433. acts in a new manner, and how that is, 433, 434. new Spirit the work of God, 435, 436. whether man's spirit can close with objects propounded to it, 436. whether it is in man's power to work this Spirit in himself, 437. Spirit shows things at a distance, 471. men acted by the Spirit are fit to speak to the people. 472  
Standing, what it imports, 216. standing in the gap, what it meaneth, 520, 521. standing in battle, what. 522  
Statutes of God the Saint's way. 457  
Streights, in them men will seek to those they hated. 122  
Strength humane not to be confided in, 71  
Sudden judgements severe. 360.  
Superstition, men love to have of their own in worship, 9 that is so, steals away the heart, 20. provokes God, 150. Crosses set in high ways to promote superstition, 149. men engaged therein grow worse. 164. superstition stirs up God to fury, 198. is pleasing. 466  
Sympathise, the godly sympatize with the miseries of others, 259, 260. how to be so affected. 260    

T  

Tammuz. 168, 169  
Temple was Gods and the Jews ornament, 86. the beauty of it, 87. true majesty and excellency of it, 88 the mystery of the gates and doors about it, 146. the building of Temple's East and West, whence it sprung, 187. Christ the Lord of the Temple, 291. there his glory appears, ibid. & 293 when Christ leaves the Temple, nothing but judgement remains. 293  
Things how taken in the Hebrew. 472  
Thoughts of men are different from Gods. 497  
Threats, a time of fulfilling them, 505 length of time does not null them. 497  
Throne, what it is, 280. the various acceptions, ibid. the Lord hath kingly power, and a double throne, 280. his throne the chief of thrones, 281. his throne glorious, himself much more, ibid.  
Time, God looks not upon it at we do, 34. in corrupt times great persons profane, 175. even in reforming times, ibid. in the worst times God hath some faithful, 230. God hath times to punish, 524, 525. whom God finds then in sin they cannot stand, 525, 526  
Traditions of Fathers no warrant for worship. 176  
Trouble, Christ specially cares for his in times of trouble. 217  
Trumpets, of what use. 63  
Truth, it's not confined to any sort of men, 124. time noted when truths are given out, 137. Truth loves the light. 167    

V  

Valour, wherein true valour lies. 72  
Violence, 104. a spreading sin, 191. a crying sin, 192. a leprosy, ibid. a wasting sin. 490  
Vision, a vision in Babylon not so clear as a vision in Zion, 279. God hath his time to make known visions, 314. the vision of the Prophet real, 471. visions soon expire, ibid. every vision faileth, that Proverb opened, 493. events discover visions. 503  
Unbelief, the cause of man's going from God. 167  
Unity, spoken of at large from 399. to 424. vid. oneness.  
unthankfulness causeth upbraid, 93    

W  

Wait, those wait on God lose not by it. 140  
Walking in God's statutes, what it imports. 453  
Ways what, 35. Ways and works of all, known unto God. 132  
Weak, to be looked upon by the strong, 376  
Wealth the fuel of sin, 77, 78. it wounds in the day of wrath. 79  
Wheels, what meant by them, 283. 467. going in between the wheels, what it notes, 283, 284. standing beside the wheels, what, 295. wheels what they note, 303. described, explained, 303, 304. wheels ●like in all places, 306. a coherence in their motions, 307 constant in their motions, 308, 309. move not of themselves, 320. nor disorderly, or unseasonably, ibid.  
Wicked men wise to promote superstition, 149. consent in wickedness, 165. in straits will cry to God, 199. devise mischief, 337. consider not the evil day, 339. 373. 476. oppose God, 340. scoff at the Word, 340, 341. Saints may rejoice at the ruin of the wicked, and in what respects, 359. wicked men very secure, 493. entertain not threaten, 494. mock at truths. 507  
Word of God not in vain, 26. its ill to sli●ht is in prosperity, 122. prized in time of affliction, 137. hath divers effects, 362, 363. the Word the r●ale to walk by, 457. the Word of the Lord shall stand. 505, 506  
Words, sinful words of a spreading nature, 495. God takes notion of ungodly speeches, ibid. words of the wicked contrary to Gods. 497  
Work, God's work done by secret means, 300, 301. those do it should hid their hands, 302. man not able to judge of God's works, 306. works prove grace, 456. God will try all men's works. 550  
World, worldly things little to be valued, 58. all things therein have dependency, 305. a methodical disposing of things in the world, ibid. whether all things alike in all parts of the world, 305. in what sense alike, 305, 306  
Worship, nothing in it pleases God but his own, 10. that is of man's in worship steals away the heart, 20. God must appoint it, 90. unspiritual pleases not, 111. worshipping of God is gainful, 140. the mind must be intent to discern aright of worship, 155. superstitious worship affects the eye, ibid. th●se have a call to it may safely examine worship, ibid. where pure worship is, there is God's presence, 157. corruptions in worship cause the Lord to departed, 158. 469. mischief of it, ibid. men may have forms, and God gone, ibid. false worship a work of darkness, 166. men leaving true worship, f●ll upon any, 171. false worship and filthiness usually go together, 171, 172. Jew's worshipped towards the West, and why, 147. Sun-worship, ibid. whence it sprung, 174. 176. Eastern worship why pleaded for, 177. corruption in worship not to be countenanced, 219. God discountenances it, 220. 466. false worshippers hate the true, 369. glad to be rid of them, 370, 371. false worship pleases. 466  
Worst, God useth to holy ends. 109  
Wrath, apprehensions of divine wrath dispirits men, 65. God's wrath is gradual. 121    

Z  

Zedekiah his burdens. 485  
Zerubbabel, what that names signifies, 389.     

A Table of the Scriptures opened or illustrated in the foregoing Work: The first number directs to the Chapter, the second to the Verse, the third to the Page.  
Genesis. Chapter. Verse. Page. 4. 7. 212 13. 10. 154 22. 18. 463 45. 20. 244 Exodus. 12. 22. 233 13. 21, 22. 223 26. 3. 422 28. 2. 152 29. 45, 46. 458 32. 3. 165 32. 32. 534 40. 34. 290 Leviticus. 20. 3. 537 26. 11, 12. 460 26. 28. 197 Numbers. 7. 2. 330 23. 23. 341 23. 24. 178 1. 31. 368 6. 5. 459 7. 6. 459 9 8. 190 29. 29, 113. 152 31. 21. 348 32. 42. 206 Joshua. 9 14. 219 Judges. 9 15. 287 1 Samuel. 2. 18. 214 6. 3. 531 12. 23. 526 15. 3. 250 ●●. 23. 179 1 Kings. 1. 18. 231 8. 10, 11. 124 16. 31. 179 19 11, 12. 158 19 17. 363 22. 12. 546 2 Kings. 2. 3. 273 23. 5. 5  11. ibid. 2 Chronicles. 24. 19, 20. 176 33. 9 540 36. 16. 546 Ezra. 9 15. 526 10. 9 142 Nehemiah. 9 1. 73 13. 11. 336 13. 17. 155 Job. 5. 12. 338 10. 1. 16 11. 5, 6. 270 15. 19 190 15. 21. 350 15. 20. 24. 65 31. 26. 174 Psalm. 3. 8. 462 5. 9 500 9 7. 230 9 16. 364 11. 4. 281 14. 5. 350 21. 11. 338 22. 3. 153 24. 7, 9, 10. 152 27. 13. 535 28. 4. 270 29. 9 224 32. 6. 299 33. 12. 462 52. 7. 78 55. 21. 501 66. 12. 273 69. 9 448 76. 1. 279 77. 13. 458 78. 8. 400 78. 38. 121 83. 5. 165 89. 7. 532 89. 31, 32. 523 91. 4. 549 103. 13, 14. 368 103. 20. 213, 298 206. 7. 191 106. 19 190 106. 19 195 107. 32. 532 112. 10. 551 115. 16. 394 118. 12. 536 119. 2. 347 119. 4. 457 119. 60. 157 119. 115. 445 119. 136. 238 132. 14. 469 133. 1. 407 133. 2. 408 142. 4. 119 147. 17. 526 147. 18. 314 Proverbs. 1. 31. 39 5. 22. ibid. 10. 6. 273 10. 23. 179 10. 24. 350 11. 4. 80 11. 10. 359 12. 2. 338 13. 10. 414 14. 3. 51 14. 9 179 14. 15. 529 15. 3. 392 18. 11. 548 23. 4, 5. 79 25. 11. 299 29. 23. 414 Ecclesiastes. 3. 11. 298 8. 11. 494 Canticles. 2. 15. 518 Isaiah. 1. 14. 203 1. 23. 337 1. 25. 378 3. 12. 520 4. 3. 533 5. 7. 182 5. 19 207 5. 19 505 6. 8. 299 6. 9, 10. 224 8. 8. 254 8. 14. 380 11. 9 420 14. 27. 341 25. 4. 543 26. 10. 191 26. 10, 11. 476 28. 14, 15. 339 29. 1. 36 29. 15. 167 30. 22. 194 33. 7. 71 42. 14. 204 47. 13. 499 48. 4. 442 43. 13. 60 49. 18. 154 50. 4. 346 51. 22. 460 53. 5. 216 57 4. 190 57 5. 194 59 3. 495 59 12. 39 62. 3. 461 66. 5. 371 Jeremiah. 1. 12. 505 3. 23. 546 5. 1. 232 5. 5. 336 5. 12. 505 5. 27, 28. 78 5. 31. 529 6. 6. 182 6. 14. 542 6. 7, 8. 324 7. 4. 546 7. 9, 10. 494 7. 16. 199 9 1, 2. 237, 259 9 16. 519 11. 11. 212 14. 7, 8. 9 261 15. 1. 269 16. 2, 3. 333 17. 9, 10. 347 17. 15. 495 17. 17. 65 23. 11. 536 23. 15. 515 23. 16, 17. 547 23. 26. 513 2●. 21. 541 31. 19 28 31. 33. 451 31. 34. 431 36. 23, 24. 155 48. 30. 372 50. 38. 194 51. 52. 230 Lamentations. 3. 16. 440 3. 39 39 4. 19 207 4. 13. 517 Ezekiel. 14. 17. 206 16. 5, 6. 463 20. 16. 194 20. 28. 191 22. 25. 517 22. 26. 191 22. 28. 542 22. 29, 30. 524 22. 30. 232 24. 13, 14. 197 34. 23, 24. 391 36. 26. 426 36. 27. 436 37. 7. 362 37. 11. 393 Hosea. 2. 10. 159 6. 5. 363 9 10. 173 9 15. 190 12. 1. 523 12. 11. 190 13. 9 39 14. 8. 23 Amos. 2. 13. 204 2. 14. 119 3. 6. 383 4. 1, 2. 494 4. 4. 190 3. 2. 273 Obadiah.  15. 274. 372 Micah. 1. 12. 383 3. 5. 561 6. 9 204 7. 13. 523 Nahum. 1. 5, 6. 526.  9 42 Zephaniah. 1. 2. 340 1. 8. 130 1. 9 191 3. 4. 191 Haggai. 2. 9 293 2. 22. 284 Zichary. 1. 6. 506 7. 11. 349 7. 12. 442 14. 6. 306 14. 9 402 Malachy. 3. 17. 251 Matthew. 5. 23, 24. 409 5. 46. 419 6. 25. 77 7. 15. 501. 516 8. 3. 301 8. 19 299 12. 18. 296 18. 6. 421 18. 20. 421 22. 5. 190 23. 29, 30, 31. 194 24. 11. 564 Mark. 4. 39 218 10. 21. 376 14. 53. 124  64. ibid. Luke. 1. 6. 455 3. 19 347 6. 44. 455 13. 7. 250 16. 24. 430 18 11, 12. 370 24. 45. 426 Jo●n. 1. 14. 153 3. 19 401 3. 20. 167 5. 25. 436 6. 37. 436 7. 24. 155 10. 12. 518 13. 35. 410 14. 31. 275 16. 2. 183. 370 Acts. 4. 24. 409 4. 32. 403. 405 5. 36, 37, 38. 551 9 6. 220 10. 34, 35. 386 13. 18. 369 14. 22. 549 17. 6. 404 20. 9 363 26. 18. 425 Romans. 1. 18. & 32. 402 5. 12. 212 7. 6. 433 8. 7. 414 8. 31. 536 9 4, 5. 288 11. 7. 442 1 Corinthians. 1. 10. 405 1. 26. 176 2. 10. 336 3. 13. 550 3. 21. 311 2 Corinthians. 4. 16. 429 5. 16. 431 5. 17. 429 6. 17. 220 11. 29. 448 12. 2, 3. 471 Galatians. 5. 19, 20. 166 Ephesians. 2. 3. 426 4. 3, 4, 5, 6. 418 4. 19 438. 441 4. 32. 446 5. 9 426 5. 23. 428 Philippians. 2. 2. 405 3. 1. 320 3. 15, 16. 411 Cul●ssians. 1. 16. 203 1. 21. 431 3. 14. 417 1 Thessalonians. 5. 21. 529 2 Thessalonians. 2. 9, 10. 502 1 Timothy. 2. 8. 187 2 Timothy. 2. 1. 141 2. 24, 25. 372 Hebrews. 4. 15. 369 9 14. 65 10. 22. 427 12. 14. 415 James. 3. 17. 414 4. 1. 414 5. 9 418 5. 20. 549 1 Peter. 1. 12. 291 2. 17. 416 3. 7. 410 3. 8. 404 5. 5. 415 2 Peter. 2. 1. 550 3. 3, 4. 340 2. 21. 510 Revelations. 2. 5. 530 3. 12. 234 4. 8. 316 5. 9 324 7. 2, 3. 217. 218 9 4. 218 13. 3 420 14. 4. 14 14. 9, 10. 234 18. 6. 133 19 4. 217 19 20. 551 20. 10. 515  
FINIS.   

ERRATA.  
PAge 3. in marg. read 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p. 5. l. 27. r. v. 11. 6. 30. your idols. 7. in marg. pollure. 13. 18. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉. 17. 9 after there, only a comma. 23. 24. Petronius. 20. in marg. its, & deal comma. 32. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 45. 20. Mehumah. 49. in marg. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 50. in marg. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉. 53. 19 idolatry. 65. 1. Lavater. 68 In marg 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉. 74. marg. inducit. 85. marg. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 96. 34. oblations. 108. marg. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 123. 21. deal and. 124. 12. out of the way. 124. 34. 64. 125. 2. Ariminum. 125. 3. rebaptisation. 125. 7. ubi tres sunt, make the comma there. 125. 11. 7ly God gives. 133. 28. deal comma. 143 36. against. 155. 5. hereupon. 169. in marg. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉. 191. 16. Ezek 20.28. ib. 28. oppression. 206. marg. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 209. 13. praesentiam. 214. marg. byssum. ib. marg. Christus. ib. marg. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 215. 4. deal 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉. 223. 2. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉. 228. 10. Tiwah. 229. marg. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 gravius sonat quam ח. et Anaק graviorem notat gemitum quam Anaח. 237. 20. lasciviousness. 244. marg. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 253. 8. deal any. 263. 10. Jerusalem. 264. marg. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 270. 10. preceded. 279. marg. Rueus. 282. 16. in some copies, after glory of, add God. 18. deal God. 287. 32. violence. 289. 6. accomplishment. 308. 13. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 347. 28. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉. 353. 33. your. 364. 33. at. 368. 28. answer. 369. 37. body. 380. 11. habitation. 388. 2. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 392. 25. for them. 394. 13. lead. 395. marg. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉. 396. 9 shikkutseha. 403. 11. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉. 414. 25. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉. 415. 19 two. 416. 15. there. 417. 16. amato. 423. 4. Smyrna. 428. 20. word. 430. 14. wicked. 438. 19 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 455 32. time, et add comma. 458. 11. implied. 461. 13. renowned. 489. 26. right side. 492. 21. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 et 35. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 493. 3. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉. 501. 35. presented. 502. 10. strangely. 505. 13. after prolonged a full point. et 16. thoughts. 510. 4. their own. 512. 14. that is. 516. 13. insinuations. 526 35. after wrath deal comma. 529. 4. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉. 537. 22. your. 543. 13. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 544. 11. wiles. 557. 27. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉. 558. 16. destroy their. 562. 8. horti.