Now it came to passe, &c.

Now] The word in the Originall is And; And it came to passe. It seemes a strange beginning of a booke; especially when it re­ferres to nothing said or writ before. There are many of the books of sacred Writ begin on this manner; as Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Iosuah, Ruth, Samuel, Kings, and divers others. In histo­ricall [Page 23] books, it may note the series, connect things antecedent with things consequent: but in propheticall books, it cannot note or make a connexion with things foregoing. Jonas begins his Pro­phecy so, and what was the antecedent to make up the conne­xion? Here is the Quere, and difficultie, why the Prophet should begin his book on this manner, And it came to passe.

Some satisfie the doubt thus. They make it an idiome or pro­prietie of the Hebrew tongue, to begin books with this particle, And, or Now; and so they make nothing of it. But surely this is not all, there is something wrapped up in this Now, or And, Van. which may be of instruction and use to us.

Now, or, And it came to passe. The Prophet doubtless was me­ditating upon the condition he was in; meditating of the condi­tion that he had been in. Time was that we were at Jerusalem, that we went with joy to the Temple, to the solemne Assemblies, that we heard the voyce of God, that we saw his glory, his beau­ty, his power and his strength there: Time was that we had com­munion with the Saints; that we sung songs of Sion together with chearfulnes and with joy; we had precious Ordinances, honou­rable Sabbaths, Sacrifices that did cheare our hearts, and seale up pardon of our sinnes to us, and intimate the good will of God in Christ to our soules; wee sate under our Vines and under our fig-trees, and were in safetie. But now, now we eate the bread of mourners, wee drinke our own teares; Now wee are deprived of all Ordinances, stript of all our comforts; wee are sold into the hands of enemies, wee are become captives to a heathen Prince; our bondage is grievous, and must continue seventy years. It is the fruit of our sinne. God is righteous in all his judgements, and if we willingly accept the punishment of our iniquitie, he will in wrath remember mercy, regard us in our low estate, he will sweeten and sanctifie our captivitie to us.

Such thoughts as these were in the breast of the Prophet. And I incline the rather to thinke so, because it was upon the Sabbath day (as I shall shew you afterwards when I come to open some things that follow) when he was meditating on this manner. Also you shall finde in Scripture relatives used without antece­dents; as Psal. 87.1. His foundation is in the holy Mountaines. Here is a relative without any antecedent, yet the antecedent is [Page 22] [...] [Page 23] [...] [Page 24] supposed, and easily found out. His foundation, whose foundati­on? the foundation of the Temple, the foundation of the Citie is in the holy Mountaines. The Scripture doth sometime lay downe things relatively and conjunctively, when the antecedent may be supposed and found out with a little inquiry. So here, And it was thus and thus with the Prophet, he was meditating, there was the Word in his bosome, and the particle And connects that with this Word of God revealed to him and exprest by him.

Hence then take this note: That the hearts of the servants of God are exercised with thoughts of Gods dealings with the Church and themselves. Their thoughts are better exercised then the world thinks. Ezekiel here had his thoughts busied about his former and present condition, his heart was exercised that way. I have other meate to eate (saith Christ) then yee know of; So the Saints, they have other meat, other thoughts to feed upon then the world takes notice of; It is oft unknown how their thoughts are exercised. Eli thought Hanna madde when he saw her lips goe; but her heart was better employed then he fancied. Many thinke Gods people melancholy, and not worthy of their com­pany, they are but heavy pieces, when their hearts are in heaven, and they are at solid and serious converse with God. You have an expression to this purpose in Cant. 1.2. Let him kisse me with the kisses of his mouth. The Spouse had not spoke of her Beloved be­fore. It is a strange speech to begin thus; Let him kisse me with, &c. Who should kisse her? here is no mention of Christ, no mention of God, no mention of any before, but on a suddaine, Let him kisse me with, &c. Though Christ had not been mentioned by her lips, yet Christ was deep in her thoughts, and in her desires, shee had meditated on Christ before, and so breakes out into this speech, Let him kisse me with, &c. And Ezekiel having his heart meditating, and taken up with the thoughts of his former and present condition, of the Church in generall, of Gods wrath to them, and Gods mercy in the middest of his wrath, breaks out, And, or now, in the thirtieth yeare it was so and so.

This then instructs us what is the practice of the choice Wor­thies of God, their hearts are meditating and taken up with divers things that the world is not aware of. It is good for us to be in meditation this way: Isaac he went out to meditate in the even­ing, [Page 25] and while he was meditating cometh Rebekah, the desire of his soul; and the Prophet being in that posture, hath visions of God to cheare his soul, and the souls of his people. If you would be meditating, you may see heaven opened, and God coming down into your bosomes.

In the thirtieth yeere.

This time doth trouble Interpreters very much; It is not said in the thirtieth yeere of what, or of whom, but barely in the thir­tieth yeere. Here is an uncertain Chronologie, which makes a dif­ficulty in the Prophet.

1. In the thirtieth yeer; not the thirtieth yeer from the Jubilee, as some do make it, for the fifth yeer of Jehoiachins captivity cor­responds not with the thirtieth from the Jubilee; for as Junius, and some others (that take pains in searching out the truth here­in) do observe, that falls in but with the ninth yeer from the Jubilee; therefore we let that pass.

2. In the thirtieth yeer. Some make this to be the thirtieth yeer of his age, the Prophet was thirty yeers old, and then he be­gan to prophecy. But this is not the practice of the Pen-men of Scripture, to compute the prophecies from their own age and birth; and there is good reason for it, because prophecies and things that do concern the good of the Church so neerly and so much, do receive witness and strength from the time wherein they are extant, and those times must not be particular times, times of particular men that are not known, but the times must be such as arr known to the world, that all may be convinced the thing was done at such a time: now the birth of one that afterward was to be a Prophet, is not like to be a time so noted in the world, that the world then should take notice that Ezekiel was born, and did be­gin the computation of his prophecy from thence. It is not like therefore that this should be the meaning of the thirtieth yeere; If so, he would have said in the thirtieth yeere of my life.

3. In the thirtieth yeer. That is, in the thirtieth yeer since the Law was found in Josiah his dayes, and since that great Passeover which was kept by him. In the 2 King. 22. there is mention of find­ing the book of the Law, and in Chapt. 23. of the great Passeover, and this was in the eighteenth yeer of Josiah his reign, verse 33.

Now if we compute the time from the eighteenth yeer of Josiah, [Page 26] it doth amount even to the thirtieth yeer in which our Prophet had his vision, and began his prophecy: For Josiah reigned thirteen yeers after this (as you may observe in the Story) hee raigned thirty and one yeers in all, 2 King. 22.1. and then Iehoahaz his son raigned three moneths, Chapt. 23.31. then Iehoiakim reigned eleven yeers, vers. 36. and Iehoiachin his son reigned three months before he was carried captive into Babylon, 2 King. 24. and five yeers of his captivity was past when Ezekiel began his prophecy. So then take the thirteen yeeres of Josiah, the eleven yeers of Iehoiakim, there is twenty four, then adde the five yeers of Iehoiachins captivity, that makes twenty nine, and then tahe three moneths that Iehoahaz reigned, and the three moneths that Iehoiachin reigned before hee was carried cap­tive, it makes up twenty nine yeers and six moneths, therefore saith he in the thirtieth yeer, it was the thirtieth yeer current, and so I [...]positors do for the generality put it.

And whereas some would have it to be the thirtieth yeer of the [...]haldean account; it being according to them thirty yeers from the beginning of that Monarchy from Nebuchadonosor, (as some call him) who was the father of this Nebuchadnezzar the great, that carried away Iehoiachin into captivity: If it were the thirtieth yeer of that Monarchy, it falls in with the thirty yeers since the eigh­teenth of Iosiah, wherein the Law was found, and the Passeover kept; so that these two may stand together, and there need be no jarring between Interpreters for this time.

In the fourth moneth. It was not the Moneth Tebet or Thebeth (as some will have it) which answers to that we call Ianuary; but the moneth Tamuz, or Tammuz, that which answereth to part of Iune and part of Iuly; (about the time we are now in) for the Iewes were to reckon their moneths from April, as Exod. 12.2. This shall be the beginning of moneths, it shall be the first moneth of the yeer to you; that moneth was Abib, Nisan, or Nissan, and answereth to part of March, and part of April; now from thence this is the fourth moneth, and falleth in with the latter end of Iune and beginning of Iuly.

In the fifth day of the moneth. This I finde some do make to be the Sabbath day, and it is very probable that it should be so; for Chapt. 3.16. hee saith, that at the end of seven dayes the Word of the Lord came unto him again. Hence they collect, that it is not likely [Page 27] that God would step over the Sabbath day, and give Ezekiel visi­ons upon another day, and not upon that; for if Ezekiel had had his visions upon another day, the people should have been destitute of all the benefit, they were so imployed in their works of building and planting, and other accommodations for a captivity, that they had no leasure to resort unto Ezekiel upon a week day; therefore they strongly conclude, that it was upon a Sabbath day, in the latter end of the week.

From hence observe:

1. That that time is not considerable wherein the Law of God is out of date; the time was reckoned here from the eighteenth yeere of Josiah, wherein the Law was found. It was lost in Ma­nassehs and Amons dayes, till the eighteenth yeere of Josiah, when being found, it was brought forth for the comfort and instruction of the people, for the worship and honour of God, and from that punctum the Spirit of God reckons the time, and begins the ac­count. When Gods Law is out of the way, and his Worship down, that is no considerable time at all in the eye of God. Par­ties that are in the dark, or dead, wee do not reckon of their time. One converted in his old age, said, I have been long in the world, I have lived but a little time, meaning, since hee was converted, the time before was incomputable; The widow that liveth in pleasure, the Apostle saith, is dead while shee lives, 1 Tim. 5.6. and the world is dead that hath not the Law, the place is dead that hath not the Ordinances of God; so long they have been, but they have not lived, they have not measured time; and therefore the Spirit of God fixeth the account at the finding of the Law.

2. The things here not being specified, but left undetermined, that God would have us observe the remarkable passages in Church and States when they fall out, not one or two, but ma­ny, or all the chief: as the eighteenth yeer of Josiah, when the Law was found, when that great passeover was kept, when he and the people of God entred into a solemn covenant with God, when the great reformation was made among them, such great acts were taken notice of; as also the changes in Babylon, when the Chaldean Monarchy began, when Nebuchadnezzar was put into the Throne, and his head lifted up above others. God would have us take notice of the chief acts of his mercy and providence at [Page 28] chief times. Hosea 14.8. Ephraim shall say, What have I to do any more with Idols? There will be a great alteration; then it will be a re­markable time, said God, I have heard him, and observed him, and then followeth, Who so is wise, and he shall undrstand these things, pru­dent, and he shall know them.

Now is a time of memorable emergents, and they should be considered, the famous things of 1640. 1641. ought to be had in everlasting remembrance: a triennall Parliament, resurrection of Religion, Law and Gospel were found again, Reformation be­gun, Protestation and Covenants taken, the Kingdomes united here, and forain ones shaken in pieces.

3 This makes for the truth and strength of our Prophets visions and prophecy; for when exact particular times and places are set down, that things were done in such a yeer of such a King, such a moneth, such a day of the moneth, it addes weight to an ordi­nary History; and when the Spirit of God shall so punctually de­termine the time to a yeer, a moneth, a day, it is a strong seal to the truth of the visions and prophecy.

4. See here (from the fifth day,) that God hath a speciall care of his Sabbaths, and of the spirituall good of his servants. Of his Sabbaths, that they shall not lie in the dark, when they are in Ba­bylon God will open heaven and appeare to a Prophet, and give him visions upon a Sabbath day. God will do it too upon a Sab­bath day, that so the people which were in a sad condition, that laboured now in Brick and Clay again, that were building, plan­ting, taken up with secular affaires, might have a seasonable op­portunity for the good of their souls. The Sabbath was made for man, for the good of man, and they found it so. Though they be in Babylon, they shall have a Prophet, they shall have visions, and visions upon a Sabbath day, when they have liberty and opportu­nity to come to the Prophet to be instructed in these visions with­out prejudice to their Callings.

As I was among the captives by the river Chebar.

HEre is the place mentioned where the Prophet was, and the occasion of his being in it.

The originall s, in the middest of the captivity, the abstract being put for the concrete, cap­tives for captivity: and this is ordinary in the Scripture; as circumcision for cirumcised, Phil. 3.3. Election for Elected, Rom. 11.7. the election hath obtained, that is, the elected, and here, in the middest of the captivity, is, in the midst of the captives.

In the middest, is not to be taken Geometrically and strictly, as if he were exactly in the middest of them proportionably every way considered; but in the middest is to be understood, among the captives, they were captives, and so was he: As Josh. 7.13. There is an accursed thing in the middest of you, that is, amongst you.

This is the particular place; The notes upon your quarto Bibles, do say, that this river Chebar was part of Euphrates. Rabbins and others say it is Euphrates it self. But if it were Euphrates, why should the Spirit of God change that name which was known, and [Page 30] take a name which was unknown? Surely the Spirit of God would have said Euphrates; and not Chebar. If it be a part or channel of Euphrates, why kept it not one of those names that is mentioned, Gen. 2. Gihon, Pison, Hiddekel? Gihon it cannot be, for that river runneth toward Ethiopia; Hiddekel it is most likely to be which lyeth in those parts, but that river kept its name, and was not changed, as appeareth, Dan. 10.4. where it is said, He was by the [...]iver Hiddekel: if Pison be it, some reason must be given of deserting that name, and imposing one new and unheard of. Interpre­ters therefore conceive this Chebar to be a river of it self, rising from the mountain Masius, (running through Mesopotamia) and emptying it self into Euphrates, at a place where is a Town called Chebar, whence the denomination probably may come; but ra­ther it is called Chebar, because of the plenty of waters that are in it, and for the plenty of grasse that is upon the banks thereof.

Neer this river had the Jewes their habitation, and they were placed together. Chapt. 3.15. I came to them of the captivity, that dwelt by the river Chebar. Here they were placed, because the Jewes were odious to the Babylonians, as of old they were to the Egypti­ans, and dwelt distinct from them; In Salmanassars time, when the ten Tribes were carried into Assyria, they were put in Halah, and Habor, by the river of Gozan, 2 King. 18. The Rabbins call this river Sabbation, the Sabbaticall river, because it flowed not, but desisted from its ordinary course upon the Sabbath day; and Jo­sephus saith, that it was certain this river did constantly forsake its course upon the Sabbath day; God thereby miraculously intima­ted to them, that he would have them keep a Sabbath, though in a strange land. These captives were fixed by Gozan, or by Chebar, which is the particular place; the next is the generall place, the land of the Chaldeans.

Chaldea was the countrey of Abraham, hee went from Vr of the Chaldeans, Genesis, Chapt. 11. verse 31. and Stephen calls it Mesopotamia, Acts 7.2. Abraham was in Mesopotamia before hee dwelt in Charran. It lay on the north of Chaldea, between Euphrates and Tygris; in verse 4. it is said, Abraham came out of the land of the Chaldeans, and dwelt in Charran: these two, Chaldea and Mesopotamia were promiscuously taken, sometimes being neer together, and sometimes distinctly. The chief city in Chaldea was [Page 31] Babylon now called Bagdat, from Baga, which in Arabick signifieth a garden, because it stood in a pleasant place, and had many gar­dens in it; it was built by Nimrod, that mighty hunter, the first King that ever the world had; when the tower in it was built up, nine thousand one hundred threescore and four paces from the ground, which is above nine of our miles, then it pleased God from heaven to confound their language,Quia ibi [...] and of one made threescore and twelve, hence was it called Babel, Gen. 11.9. because God there confounded the language of all the earth, and their work to­gether.

This countrey was called the land of Nimrod, Mic. 5.6.Quae excussit. and the land of Shinar, Gen. 10.10. which signifies shaking, because it shook their language, and scattered the people inhabited it, out of the land: It is branded by Zachary for the dwelling place of wicked­nesse, Zac. 5.11. Out of this land of Chaldea, it is conceived by some, came the three Wise men, who offered the gifts to Christ; for the Chaldeans were the chiefest Astrologers, and exactest Astronomers that were in the world, as you may observe, Dan. 2.

These Chaldeans were a martiall people, very cruell, Jer. 6.22, 23. A people cometh from the North countrey, and a great nation, Jer. 50.41.42. they shall lay hold on bow and speare, they are cruell, and have no mercy, their voyce roareth like the Sea, &c. They were polluted with abominable Ido­latries, superstitions, sorceries, inchantments, and all manner of prophanenesse; into this land, and among this people, did God bring the Jews, who had been so dear to him.

Babylon was the seat of the chiefest and greatest Monarch of the earth, thither came a continuall conflux of people from all parts of the world, to whose scornes and wrongs the Jewes were daily exposed; they said, These are the holy people, these are they come out of the holy land, come and sing us one of the songs of Zion; and so prophane was Belshazzar, as that hee took the holy vessells to quaffe and carouse in: into this land were they brought, and the godly were constrained to heare and see the blasphemies and abominations that were amongst them, and to beare the scornes and frownes of all commers.

Thus have I opened to you the particular place, by the river Che­bar, and the generall place, the land of Chaldea.

Let us see now what observations will arise from hence:

[Page 32]1. Observe, that God is not tied to places; let the place be ne­ver so holy, let it be the holy Land, the holy City, the holy Temple, God is not tied unto either of them, but hath his liberty to work and manifest himself where he pleaseth, even in Babylon. The Rab­bins have a rule goeth for truth amongst them,Nunquam Spi­ritum sanctum extra terram sanctum pro­phetis loqu [...]. and is firmly be­lieved, that the Holy Ghost never spake unto the Prophets out of the holy Land; and therfore they say, Jonas fled to Tarshish from the face of the Lord, to avoid the inspiration of the Almighty. But here we see in Chaldea, by the river Chebar, is Ezekiel inspired; here heaven is opened unto him; here hee seeth visions of God; here the Word of the Lord cometh expresly unto him; and here the Spirit of God doth work mightily in him. One shift they have for this, They say, Ezekiel was a Prophet before hee was carried out of the Land of Canaan, before he came into Chaldea. But we have nothing in Jeremy nor Ezekiel, nor in any other part of Scrip­ture, that Ezekiel was a Prophet, and moved to prophecy before he came into Chaldea: and therefore it is said, verse 3. That the hand of the Lord was upon me there, there first, in that polluted land, I never had the Spirit of the Lord before I came into Chaldea. [...] When the Inhabitants of Jerusalem had polluted the holy City, propha­ned the holy Temple, and defiled the holy Land with their Idola­tries, and other wickednesses, then God departs, pitcheth his Ta­bernacle elsewhere, and powreth out his Spirit in Babylon. God is not tied to places, he can in a dungeon, in a prison, in a Babylon, let down his Spirit into the heart of any servant of his, and raise him to a propheticall height.

2. Observe, that no place is so wicked, but God can raise up instruments to do him and the Church service there. Babylon was a seat or land of wickednesse, a sinke of all sin, the mother of Har­lots, and abominations of the earth, Rev. 17.5. Yet here, even out of Hell it self,Quasi ab ipsis inferis? doth God raise up a Prophet for his people. It was said by Nathaniel, Joh. 1.46. Can any good come out of Nazareth? Much more may it be said, Can any good come out of Babylon? Can any good come out of Rome? What was answered there? Come and see. So here, come and see a Prophet in Babylon, come and see the Spirit of God powred out upon Ezekiel, even there. And to this may the first word of the prophecy have some respect, as if the Prophet had said, They have had Prophets in Jerusalem a long [Page 33] time, but no Prophets elsewhere: behold, now also is a Prophet in Babylon. God can raise up to himself Saints in Nero's Court, he can raise up instruments ordinary and extraordinary to do him ser­vice in Babylon, in Rome, in Egypt, in most prophane and vile places that are overspread with all Idolatries and abominations what­soever.

3. See here a door open for the inlargement of the Church, a type of Gods goodnesse toward the Gentiles. The Church had been shut up for 850. yeers in Judea (for so long it was from Joshuahs entring into Canaan to the captivity) but now hee openeth a door for the Gentiles, here is a Prophet, a Church in Babylon, here is a way made for the bringing in of the Gentiles, and enlarging the borders of Sion. God will not only have mercy upon Jewes, but upon the Babylonians.

4. That the godly are wrapped up in the same calamity with the wicked. Ezekiel is among the captives, and many others with him; they lost their countrey, friends, estates, liberties, ordi­nances, they were in great misery, brought very low, under a heathen King, amongst enemies, exposed to the scorns and wrongs of all, and Ezekiel, Daniel, the three Children, Mordecai, and many others, were all in the same condition. The children of God are subject to the same outward publike or private calami­ties that the wicked are. All things come alike unto all; if you look upon the outward face of things, there is no exception. Good Josiah was slain in the battell as well as wicked Ahab; Naboth was stoned as well as Achan: If David, a man after Gods own heart, prosper in the wars, so doth Nebuchadnezzar a heathen, a tyrant: sicknesses, diseases, deaths, of what kinde soever, are common to good as well as to bad: the sword, plague, famine, hath seised upon the carkasses of the godly as well as the wicked: If wicked women die in child-birth, so doth good Rachel. There is no con­dition but may befall the children of God;1 Pet. 5.10. the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren, that are in the world; and no temptation hath taken hold of you, but such as is common to the nature of man. Whatsoever affliction then you have, whether publike or private, this may be some solace, it is no other then what befell Ezekiel, Daniel, and hath befallen the godly in all generations.

[Page 34]5. That the godly are mingled in this world with the wicked and prophane; men of great worth, great grace, rare excellencies, they are not so priviledged as to be exempted from the society of the wicked and ungodly. Here is Ezekiel amongst the Chaldeans, Jo­seph was amongst the Egyptians: and Job saith of himself, Chap. 30.29. that he was a brother to Dragons, and a companion to Owles; and David cryes out, Psal. 120.5. Wo is me that I sojourne in Mesech and that I dwell in the tents of Kedar, that is, with a barbarous and pro­phane people, that were like to the posterity of Mesech, and Kedar; The Church of Smyrna, Rev. 2.9. was pestred with the Synagogue of Satan, and Pergamus, vers. 13. had her dwelling where Satans seat was. In that City, if you observe the 14. & 15. verses you shall finde there was much Idolatry and persecution; for there were those that held the Doctrine of Balaam, who taught Balac to cast a stumbling block before the children of Israel, to eat things sacrificed to Idols, and to commit fornication; and there Antipas my faithfull Martyr was slain. Where there is Idolatry will be persecution and un­cleannesse; and where these be is the seat of Satan, and the Church of Pergamos was seated even where Satan had his seat and throne; therefore it is no strange thing for the people of God to dwell amongst the wicked. In Canticles the Church of Christ is said to be a Lilly among thornes; a Lilly, and none growing neer but thornes that scratch, prick, and tear the Church; Micah 7.4. The best of them is as a brier, the most upright is sharper then a thorne hedge, the best of the wicked are Briers and Thornes one time or other. It is the lot of the godly to be among the Chaldeans while they live here in the world.

6. See here that God hath a speciall care of his Church and peo­ple, when they are in the lowest and worst condition. Where now is Jerusalem become? Where is the glory of all the world? now they are carried into captivity, now they are in a strange land under a strange King and government, now they are deprived of all their sacrifices and services of that nature; now they are imprisoned, now they are in danger of their liberties and lives every day; yet as the Psalmist saith, Thou remembrest us in our low estate, in this low estate, when they are at the river Chebar, in the land of the Chaldeans, doth God remember them, and sends an Ezekiel to them, and unto him even in Chaldea, in Babylon, were the heavens opened, and he saw [Page 35] visions of God. Where there are the greatest enemies, God will shew himself a friend; where the Church is exceedingly straitned, God will give enlargement; Now his people are in Babylon in cap­tivity, he sends a Prophet to them, Ezekiel, the strength of God, such a Prophet as shall be strong to keep them off from Idolatry, though they were amongst Idolaters, strong to comfort their hearts against all the strong discouragements they had, strong to lead them toward God and heaven, though they had false Pro­phets to lead them down to hell; strong to oppose the false Pro­phets, to reprove them stoutly, to incourage the people faithfully, and to make known the mind of God unto them without flattery. They shall have a Prophet, though they be in Babylon; this should stay up the spirits of the godly, if they should be driven into Wil­dernesses, God will provide Ezekiels for them.

7. Observe from the place; that we are to take heed of judge­ing the condition of men by their outward afflictions. When great calamities come, people ordinarily grow great censurers, and condemn those parties that are under them, to be the greatest sin­ners of all others. Take heed of this; If you will draw such con­clusions as these, the hand of God is upon such; in such a place there is the plague, there is the sword cutting them off, they are carried out of their countrey into captivity, there they are impri­soned, there they are held in great bondage; surely these are none of Gods people, these are naught, vile persons, reprobates; If you will judge thus, you will condemn the generation of the righteous: For Ezekiel, Daniel, Mordecai, the three Children, and many others very godly, were in the captivity, as well as those that were very wicked; such conclusions must not be drawn from the sufferings of the Saints; you know the Prophets and Apostles met with very hard measure, while they were in the world, they were whipped, stocked, imprisoned, stoned, sawn asunder, tempted, tormented, slain with the sword, and evill intreated every where; and if you should measure their condition by their afflictions, condemnation must be their portion, and they must be in the catalogue of delin­quents. Have not some in our dayes, been slayed, roasted alive, cut in pieces, thrown into the river? have not their houses, and many in them been burnt together in Ireland? Have there not been cruell and desperate things done? Ireland now is full of blood, [Page 36] sculs and graves; shall we say they are the greatest sinners that have suffered such great things? When Pilate had mingled the blood of some of the Galileans with their sacrifices, there were those that presently thought them greater sinners then the rest: but Christ hath taught them and us, Luke 13. what use to make of judgements upon others, not to censure them, but to repent our selves; Except you repent, you shall all likewise perish; think not that they are greater sinners then others, think not now that the Jewes in Babylon are greater sinners then all others, think not those in Ireland are greater sinners then your selves. If hee be a wicked man that meets with great afflictions, then Christ must be the wickedest man that ever was; for he was vir doloris, a man of sorrows, and had the greatest affliction that ever befell any. As it was no argument of Zedekiah his goodnesse, who at this time was in Jerusalem, drank wine in bowles, and had a great deal of felicity; so it was no argument of Ezekiels guiltinesse and sin­fulnesse that he was in a strange land, in Chaldea, among the cap­tives, by the river Chebar. Paul, when he was at the barre, with Iron fetters about his heels, was a better man then Agrippa with his Crown on his head, and his Scepter in his hand, and sitting in judgement to condemn him.Dan. 9. Daniel in his captivity is said to be a man of desires, a man that God tooke great delight in; when Jeconiah a King, and dwelling at Jerusalem, is a despised broken Idol, a vessell in which there is no pleasure, Jer. 22.28. Those that are in great affliction, may be greatly beloved, when those who are in great prosperity may be greatly hated.

Vse.That the wicked fare the better for the godly. There were ma­ny godly now in captivitie, as well as there were many wicked ones, and because of the godly that were there, God powreth out the Spirit of prophecy upon Ezekiel, and by that means the very wicked come to have the benefit of his prophecy, and partake of his visions. Many wicked ones have a share in the publique duties of Gods worship, when the godly meet together in those Exerci­ses. Ezekiel in Chap. 33.32. is said to be unto them as a sweet song of one that hath a pleasant voice, and can play well on an instrument; he was a sweet song to sweeten their bitter captivitie. Joseph being in Potiphars house bringeth a blessing; and Jacob in Labans fami­ly increaseth the stock of his Master, and Joseph in Egypt saveth the [Page 37] Egyptians, and almost the whole world. Godly men and women are great advantages to the wicked, how ever they hunch and punch at them. Were the godly once out of the world, God would soon put fire to the foure quarters thereof, and the wicked should presently feele it.

Which was the fifth yeare of King Jehojachins captivitie.

Touching Jehojachin, there are many things remarkeable.

As,

1. In 2 Chron. 36.9. it is said, that he was eight yeares old when he began to reigne; and in 2 King. 24.8. it is said, he was eighteene yeares old when he began to reigne. Here seems to be a great difference in the Scripture, hardly to be reconciled, and it hath puzled many.

This difference is thus reconciled: The Kings of Iudah when they were in imminent danger, did use to declare their sonnes to be their successors, and so Iehojakim the father of this Iehojachin being beset by Nebuchadnezzar about the second or third yeare of his reigne, did declare his sonne Iehojachin to be his successor; Now in the book of Chronicles he speaks of the time from the first declaration which was about the eight yeare of Iehojachins age, and the booke of the Kings mentions the time when he came to reigne alone, and reckons from thence: For Iehojakim reigned di­vers yeares after his sonne was declared to be King, and reigned with his Father. So that the one book speaks of the time he reig­ned with his Father, the other of the time that he reigned alone in the Throne.

2. It is remarkable touching Iehojachin that he had other names; As 1 Chron. 3.16. he is called Ieconiah, and Ier. 22.24. in disgrace Coniah. He was a wicked King, and God cut off the first part of his name, a sad presage that ere long he would cut him off. Evill Kings who have had Gods name joyned with theirs, when they have rent themselves from Gods commands and worship, he hath cut off his name from theirs, and taken mercy and peace from them. This you shall see in Eliakim, he was a wicked King; and in 1 Chron. 3.15. he is called Ioakim; El, that signifieth God, and was joyned to his name, is taken away. God would not suffer his [Page 38] name to be joyned with the name of so wicked a King any longer. So here in Ieconiah, Iah, which is one of the names of God, is taken away, and in hatred and contempt he is called Coniah: God was taken from his name, and departed from him too. When God will honour a man, he addes letters of his owne name to theirs; As Abram afterward was called Abraham, ה a letter out of Gods name was put into his;Gen. 32.28. and so Iacob, his name was changed to Israel, a Prince of God, or one that prevails like a Prince with God.

When God changeth names in mercy, and makes an addition of letters of his own name unto mens,Magnae bene­volentiae pon­dus. it is an argument of Gods great love, of great esteeme and great honour to the partie; but it is an argument of disgrace, when God either brands them, or de­tracts from their names. Thus God branded Ieroboam, Ieroboam the sonne of Nebat that made Israel to sinne, and Iudas the Traytor. And sometime he detracts from their names, as here Ieconiah is called Coniah; the beginning and glory of his name is taken away; and he was (as Coniah signifieth) prepared of God, prepared of God for vengeance, prepared of God for a captivitie, for base ser­vices, prepared of God to be a broken Idoll, to be cast out and de­spised, as it is in that 22. of Ieremy.

3. This Iehojachin was written childlesse, Ier. 22.30. Write this man childlesse. A heavy doome to write a man childlesse, especially, a noble, a royall family, when children are much desired by all, most by Princes, that so the Crown may not be alienated. Ieconiah is not written childlesse in regard he had not any child; for ver. 28. it is said, Wherefore have they cast out him and his seed? He had seed, and yet was written childlesse. How is that? He was as one that had no seed, he was deprived of the benefit and comfort of his seed; in effect he was a childlesse man, because his children were carried into captivitie, and none of them did inherit the King­dome and succeed him in the Throne; for it is said, ver. 30. No man of his seed shall prosper, sitting upon the throne of David, and ruling any more in Iudah; they dyed in captivitie, and none of them did sway the Scepter of that Kingdome.

But there is some objection lying against this; For in 1 Chron. 3.17. Salathiel is said to be his sonne, and his sonne begotten in captivitie, Mat. 1.12. If Salathiel be his sonne, and his sonne be­gotten in captivitie, how then is this true that he was written childlesse?

You must know (for answer) that this in the 1 Chron. and Mat. 1. is spoken after the legall account; for Jeconiah, or Jehoja­chin, having been 37. yeares in captivitie (as you shall read after­ward) he had seene the death of his sonnes and daughters, his unckles and kindred, so that he had none left of his own loynes, or any that were very neare unto him, to declare to be his succes­sor and to inherit the Crowne, therefore having neither sonne, brother, unckle, nor kindred that were neare unto him, he was as a man childlesse every way. Now Salathiel being his nearest kins­man alive, he declareth him to be heire to the Crowne, and to succeed him in the royall dignitie, according to the order set downe by God in case of the want of issue, Numb. 27.8, 9. &c. And now this kinsman in the legall sense is said to be the sonne of Jehojachin, that is, the successor of Jehojachin; not that he was his naturall sonne come out of his loynes, for Luk. 3.27. Salathiel was the sonne of Neri, according to the naturall line. Be it then according to the legall account, that Jehojachin was his father, yet still it holds good, Iehojachin was a man childlesse.

4. In this King was ended the glory and royall dignitie of the house of David. It is true that Zedekiah reigned some yeares after him, but Zedekiah dyed before Iehojachin: and in the genealogie of Christ, Iehojachin is mentioned, not Zedekiah, neither is there men­tion of any more Kings of Iudah after him; he was the period of the booke of the Kings, and he finished the line of the house of David. None out of his loynes, nor out of any other loynes did sit upon the Throne till Christ came. As for Zerubbabel, who was thought to be King, and to sit upon the Throne after the captivi­tie, it will appeare he was no King; for the learned observe that he was rather a Captain, Duke, or Leader of the people, and was stirred up of God to further and finish the worke of the Temple, after which (the Rabbins say) Zerubbabel returned into Babylon and there dyed.

But if that be not sufficient to cleare it that he was no King, you may observe in Zach. 6.11. that when two Crownes were made, neither of them was set upon the head of Zerubbabel, but both were set upon the head of Ioshua, the sonne of Iosedech the high Priest; shewing that all the power was invested in the high Priest, and translated from Regall to Pontificall. So that Iehoja­chin [Page 40] was an unprosperous man, to lay the glory of the house of David and of his owne in the dust: And hence that name is con­ceived likewise to be given him, [...] Ier. 22.11. The name of Shallum, which commeth of a word, signifies to perfect, finish, or put an end to a thing, because he finished the Kingly government of the h [...]use of David. And although some put this name upon Ieho [...]haz the sonne of Iosiah, making him that Shallum, yet others under­stand it of Iehoja [...]hin, and it is most probable to be him, because (saith the Text) he went forth out of his place and was not to returne thither any more;2 King. 24.12. and so did none but Jehojachin, who voluntarily yeelded himselfe to Nebuchadnezzar; he was that Shal­lum that put an end to all the Kings of Judah, and laid the royall glory in the dust, and turned the government to the Priesthood, where it continued till Christ came and sate upon the Throne himselfe.

5. His captivitie was long and sore, 37. yeares was he a priso­ner in Babylon, as appeares 2 King. 25.27. Others had there more libertie, they were not imprisoned, they had the benefit of the Prophets, advantage of all the Ordinances which were amongst them, those they had to sweeten their captivitie, with many outward comforts, whereas Jehojachin lay in prison, and was de­prived of them; his Crowne, Throne, Scepter, Kingdome, Coun­trey, all were gone, and he is a captive imprisoned. A King, and a King of Iudah, one that had lived so high, and been in such glo­ry and great pompe, for him to lie in a prison, and in a prison in Babylon, not a few but twenty, almost fortie yeares; this is a thing observable in this King, and sets forth the constancy of his mise­ry: He was one of Josi [...]hs posteritie, and it is observ'd that the po­steritie of Josiah, who were Kings of Iudah, in 23. yeares were car­ried foure times into captivitie, whereas Iosiah himselfe enjoyed 31.2 King. 23 34. yeares in peace. And it appears thus; Iehoahaz his sonne reig­ned three moneths, and then was carried away by Pharaoh Nechoh King of Egypt: after him Eliakim or Iehojakim, another sonne of I [...]siah being made King,2 King. 24.1. was taken by Nebuchadnezzar twice (as some observe) and carried to Babylon; and then if it were so, they were five times in captivitie; but howsoever sure we are that in the 11^th yeare of his reigne,2 Chron. 36.5, 6. Nebuchadnezzar came up against Ierusalem, and tooke Iehojakim and bound him in fetters to carry him to Ba­bylon. [Page 41] After him Iehojachin whom we are speaking of, is set up and reigneth three moneths & ten dayes, who being young and fear­full, yeeldeth himselfe to Nebuchadnezzar that besieged Ierusalem, and was carried away together with many thousand others into Babylon: After him Zedekiah his unckle who reigned 11. yeares,2 King. 24.10, 11, 12. and having broken his promise, violated his oath, and denying tribute to Nebuchadnezzar, is taken, his sons slain before his eyes,2 King. 25.7. &c. himself carried away to Babylon, and there he dyeth; and all this was within 23. yeares; for this Zedekiah reigned 11. yeares, and Eliakim or Iehojakim 11. more, and the other two, three moneths a peece.

From all this observe:

1. The different proceeding of God with Kings that are good, and Kings that are evill. Good Kings, as David, Hezekiah, Ieho­saphat, Iosiah, how precious are their names! how sweet are they! like an oyntment powred out: how doe they keepe up the glory of their houses! they are not written childlesse, they are not writ­ten men that shall not prosper; God doth not brand them with any note of infamy, nor detract from their names, they are not carried into captivitie. But for Kings that are wicked, how doth the Lord proceed in his anger against them, and make their names to rot! See it in Ahaz, 2 Chron. 28.22. God sets an Emphasis, a starre upon him, brands him with a note of disgrace for all men to observe that reade his Story, This is that King Ahaz; What King was he? Even that King that in the time of his distresse did trespasse yet more against the Lord; that King that ruined himselfe and all Israel with him, that King that shooke the foundation of Church and State; This is that King Ahaz. So Jeroboam is branded, he is seldome or never mentioned but this is added to his name, he made Israel to sinne. So Eliakim a wicked King had part of his name taken away; and here this Jehojachin is called Ieconiah and Coniah, a broken Idoll, a vessell in which there is no pleasure, a man that must be written childlesse, a man that must be carried into captivitie, and be imprisoned 37. yeares. Good Kings are the glory of the world, the glory of that State where they live: but these evill Kings in Iudah and Israel, their memory stinkes, their names rot, their posteritie is cut off, their houses fall to the dust, and they have a foundation of wrath for their issue, if they have [Page 42] any; foure times within the compasse of 23. years, were they car­ried into captivitie. God proceedeth against wicked Kings to the third and fourth generation, for their Idolatry and oppression, for the evills they countenance and maintaine in their Kingdoms, and in his worship.

2. That afflictions are invalid to subdue corruptions. Five yeares they had been now in captivitie, and yet their corruptions were not mortified, all the hard things they had met withall, had not made them yeeld and stoope to God. Jeremiah had been Gods Hammer to batter them in Ierusalem, in Sion, and God had exer­cised them five yeares with his wrath in Babylon, and yet their iron adamantine hearts were not broken, but Ezekiel must be stirred up now in the fifth yeare of Jehojachins captivitie, a Prophet that must be the strength of God to breake them, that must lay on load and not spare. You see then that afflictions of themselves doe not kill corruptions, they doe not breake the principle of stubbornnesse, and strength of rebellion that is in the hearts of men and women. Nay,2 Chron. 28.22. sometimes it proveth so, that afflictions make us the worse, like waters being restrained they swell higher and threaten heaven it selfe, so corruptions being restrained, they swell and threaten the ruine of States, Families, of soules and bodies to all eternitie: Isa. 1.5. Why should yee be stricken any more? yee will revolt more and more. Let God come with a plague to a Citie, with a sword to a sinfull Nation, let God come with any judgement, the judgements themselves will never doe us good, unlesse there be something ad­ded to the judgements, unlesse they be sanctified to us; our proud stubborne hearts, our vile natures will stand it out against God, even when the sword is in his hand.

Ezekiel the Priest, the Sonne of Buzi, &c.

Wee are now to come to the subject of the vision, set downe in the first verse indefinitely I, in the third specially, Ezekiel; descri­bed from his office, a Priest, and from his parentage, the sonne of Buzi. Josephus, and some others, conceive the time of Ezekiels transmigration to be in Jehojakims dayes, but others make it to be in the dayes of Jehojachin the sonne of Jehojakim, when he and so many thousands were carried away by Nebuchadnezzar into [Page 43] Babylon, 2 King. 24.10, 11, 12. Then was Daniel, Mordecai, the three Children likewise, and Ezekiel carried into captivitie, as sundry affirme. And that he was then carried into captivitie, is evident from the Text it selfe, for in the 40. Chapter of this pro­phecie, ver. 1. it is said, In the 25. yeare of our captivitie; he joyneth himselfe, and doth not say their, but our captivitie; and therefore was then brought into Babylon when Ieconiah was, and from that time began the captivitie, and the reckoning of the 70. yeares. Now he began to prophecy in the fifth yeare of the captivitie, thirty-foure yeares after Ieremy, Jere. 1.2. who began in the 13^th yeare of Iosiah, and had prophecied long, but done little good amongst them, they were so obstinate in his dayes; God stirreth up Ezekiel, and sets him aworke, and he prophecieth 22. yeares, as wee may gather out of his owne prophecy, Chap. 29.17. In the 27^th yeare the Word of the Lord came unto me: It was five years before he began to prophecy, and 22. years after wee heare of his prophecying. He might prophecy longer, but we finde it not recorded in holy Writ.

If it be demanded, What became of this Prophet Ezekiel? Anti­quitie tels us that his end was very lamentable, and yet like a Pro­phets; for usually the Prophets came to untimely deaths. Adri­chomius saith, he was torne in pieces with horses.Lib. de incarn. Verbi. Athanasius tells us, he was killed for the peoples sake. Epiphanius relates that he was slaine by the Ruler of the people for reproving his Idolatry. Chrysostome in his 46. Homilie upon Matthew 23. and those words, O Ierusalem, thou that slayest the Prophets, &c. saith thus; O Ierusalem, I have sent to thee Isaiah the Prophet, and thou hast sawen him asunder; I have sent thee Ieremiah, and thou hast stoned him to death; I have sent to thee Ezekiel, and by dragging him amongst the stones, thou hast dashed out his brains. All agree in this, that Ezekiel came to an untimely and bloudy end; and so did most of the Prophets and Apostles. What ever mens ends were in kil­ling the Prophets, God had other ends; That by their bloud and death, the doctrine they delivered, being sealed, might passe the better; That none should look for great matters here in this world, when such great Worthies were so ill intreated; That men might be stirred up by their example, to stand for the truth unto the death; That it might be a demonstration of the judgement to [Page 44] come; seeing they were used so hardly here, surely it follows then that there is a time wherein God will call over things againe, and recompence the sufferings of his Prophets, and be avenged on those that had done them such wrong. God had such ends as these.

Hence note;

1. The wisdome of God, that touching the lives and deaths of the Prophets and Apostles speaks little. There is not much said in the Scripture touching them; and why? Lest we should attri­bute too much to them, and too little to God. Wee are apt to looke at the pen rather then at him that made the pen, put in the inke, and writes with it. We looke at the instrument, and neglect the principall agent. Since the lives and deaths of Martyrs and holy men came into request, God hath lost too much of that honour hath been due unto him; creatures have had it.

2. See here the ingratitude of the people, that doe not onely kick, but kil their Prophets, not only mock, but murther their Pro­phets. Isaiah is sawen asunder, Ieremy stoned, Ezekiel his brains are dashed out; Oh the ingratitude of the sonnes of men, that doe thus requite God for the Prophets he sends to them, that breake the earthen vessels for bringing them heavenly treasures in them!

Ezekiel the Priest.

He was both of the Propheticall and priestly dignity, which was not common, very few of the Prophets had this ho­nour. [...]. The Hebrew word, is a Sacrificer; the Greek signifieth as much: one that medleth with holy things, that offereth sacrifice for sin. Priests were of high account, both among the Jewes and Gentiles: Among the Jewes, great was the honour the high Priest had; and the inferiour Priests had their honour like­wise; None might take this honour to himself, but hee that was called of God, as was Aaron. Heb. 5.4. They had the charge and com­mand of the Sanctuary, and of all things that did appertain to the House of God. The Jews and their Rabbins do tell us, that there were twenty four severall sorts of gifts appointed of God for the Priests, all which are set down in their law expresly, and are mentioned by M^r. Ainsworth, upon Numb. 18.19. Among the Hea­thens [Page 45] also they were very honourable; Potipherah was a Priest of On; the Chaldee saith, Prince of On, because, thoug a Priest, yet he had Princely dignity.

The Priesthood, you know, was intailed upon the Tribe of Levi, and it is very observable what was the occasion of it, Exod. 32. When the people had sinned in Idolatry, and grew seditious and tumultuous, Moses stood in the gate of the Camp, and said, Who is on the Lords side? Let him come unto mee. Whereupon all the sons of Levi gathered themselves together unto him, with their swords by their sides, and presently executed the commands and counsell of Moses, and slew every man his brother, companion, neighbour, v. 27. They were one of the least, if not the very least Tribe of all the twelve, yet were they not fearfull, or backward unto this work, but ventured themselves among the people, shewing great faith and zeal to vindicate Religion, and the glory of God. This fact and forwardnesse of theirs was so well taken of God, that it brought a choyce blessing upon them and theirs, God fully rewarded them for it: for whereas a curse was threatened against Levi, Gen. 49.7. I will divide them in Jacob, and scatter them in Israel, yet this curse was turned into a blessing, and they are exalted to be neer the Lord in the holy things of the Temple that did appertain to his worship and service; for after they had finished that execution up­on the people, the Text saith, verse 29. That Moses said to them, Consecrate your selves to day to the Lord, because every man hath been against his son, and against his brother, that the Lord may bestow upon you a blessing this day; and thereupon they were taken into the place of the first-born (that did all before) and had the Priesthood setled upon their Tribe, together with a choice blessing, which is recorded, Deut. 33.8. 9, 10. And of Levi he said, Let thy Thummim and thy Vrim be with thy holy one; Blesse Lord, his substance, and ac­cept the work of his hands, smite through the loynes of them that rise against him, and of them that hate him, that they rise not again. Here was the occasion of Levies being taken into the Priesthood, and to serve with God, and to serve for ever.

From hence take this note which is very considerable: That it is good to appeare in the cause of God, and to be forward to vin­dicate his honour and glory, to stand for him and his people: It is good to vindicate God when he suffereth in his worship, in his [Page 46] servants, in his cause any way. The Tribe of Levi was forward to vindicate God, and God rewarded them, they had a blessing that day: So Phinehas hee was zealous for God, Numb. 25.10, 11. Phinehas (saith God) hath turned away my wrath from the children of Israel while he was zealous for my sake among them, where­fore say, Behold, I give unto him my Covenant of peace, and hee shall have it, and his seed after him, even the Covenant of an everlasting Priesthood, because he was zealous for his God. If we shall appeare in Gods cause, and venture our selves in his quarrell, we shall never lose by it. Peter was a man forward, he put forth himself for Christ, hee would be first speaking; when Christ had said, Whom do you say that I am? saith hee, Thou art Christ, the Son of the living God; and presently Christ fastned a blessing upon him, Blessed art thou Simon Bar-Jonas, flesh and blood hath not revealed this unto thee, thou art Peter, and upon this rock will I build my Church. Men that go upon good grounds, and will lift up Gods Sabbaths, Worship, Honour out of the dust, though they do hazard lives, estates, or limbs, God will remember it, and they shall be recompenced. You shall finde in Iudges 5.18. That Zebulun and Naphtali were a people that jeoparded their lives unto the death in the high places of the field; They went forth, and stood for God and his people against Iabin and Sisera, that came against Israel, and threatened ruine: And in Matth. 4.13.14, 15. when Christ cometh, hee preacheth the Gospel first to them; God remembreth their kind­nesse, and rewardeth it, though it were long before: So you may lay the foundation of a mercy for your posterities a hundred yeers hence. This should put us on to appeare in the cause of God, whensoever we see Idolaters, and the enemies of God lift up their heads, and strike at truths, and God in his Ordinances and ser­vants; put forth your selves, God will remember you, though you jeopard your very lives.

The sonne of Buzi.

Ezekiel was neither the servant nor the son of Jeremy, as some have fancied, but the son of Buzi. This Buzi was a Prophet, if the rule of Jerome and the Rabbins be true.Filium Pro­phetae se asse­re re. Jerome saith, when a Prophet nameth his Parentage in the beginning of his Prophecy, [Page 47] it is to affirm that he was the son of a Prophet; and so say the Rabbins likewise, That man was a Prophet, whom the Scriptures set down to be the father of a Prophet. Then Buzi here who was the father of Ezekiel a Prophet, by these rules was a Prophet him­self. But this is the voyce of men, not of heaven.

His name signifieth contempt, disgrace, a man contemned, scorn­ed, despised in the times and places where he liveth. You may hence note:

1. That the Prophets and Ministers of God have alwayes been subject to derision and scorn. Isay 8.18. I and my children are for signes and wonders in Israel. If the Vine do beare such ill fruit, what then doth the Thorne bear? If there be mocking and scorning of the Prophets in Israel, what reproaches, what taunts and bitter sarcasmes will there be then in Babylon? 2 Chro. 36.16. They mocked the Messengers of God, and despised his words, and misused his Prophets; They counted them teachers of lies, false Prophets, seditious, facti­ous, such as delivered strange doctrines, plotted treasons, &c. no­thing was too vile, too bad to lay upon the Prophets and the sons of the Prophets. Zedekiah smit good Micaiah on the cheek,1 King. 22.24. and saith he, Which way went the Spirit of the Lord from me to speak un­to thee? Thou fool, thou silly man, thou mad man, thou false fel­low, thou deceiver of the King and people, which way went the Spirit of God from mee to thee? and so smites him on the cheek;Signum maxi­mae ignominae. Now to smite on the cheek was a proverbiall speech among the Hebrewes, and it was a signe of the greatest disgrace that could be done to any. This was the condition of the Prophets, while they were here in the world: And also of the Apostles, We are made as the filth of the world, and off-scouring of all things to this day. 1 Cor. 4.13. Paul a great scholar, full of the Holy Ghost, called by an extraordi­nary way, yet he saith of himself, and the rest of the Apostles, that they were counted as the off-scouring of all things; men get up all every where, on every side, so the word carries it: the men of the world were like unto a man that raked every where to get a basket of filth, dirt and dung to throw in some ones face; [...]. so they scrape in the doctrines, lives and passages of the servants of God, do catch at all advantages, do seek every where to pick up some­thing, that they may have wherewithall to upbraid, reproach and revile them; and we are made as the very filth and dung upon the [Page 48] face of the earth. Was not Hus, that Worthy of God so counted? when the Prelate (who had the power of ordering things) had put a paper crown on his head with three ugly shaped devils upon it, and this Title over their heads, Haeresiarcha, Here is the Diabolicall Heretique, that great Heretique that hath three devils in him; and when they sent him away to the stake with this fare­well, Go thy wayes, we commit thy soul to the Devill; Was not here a man made the filth of the world? Even such mockings, such dea­lings, such doings must the servants of God look for while they are here. They are the sons of Buzi, they are Buzies indeed, men of contempt and scorn among wicked and vile men.

2. That whom the world contemneth, God will honour. Here is a Buzi, a man of contempt in the world, but God giveth him a son, and a son who is a Prophet, and a son whose name is recorded in Scripture, together with his own, all honourable things. Han­nah was scorned, reproached by Peninnah, but God giveth her a Samuel, and honoureth her with the motherhood of such a son: Joseph was thrown out by his brethren, cast into the pit, sold to Potiphar, put into prison, but God did lift him up in Egypt, and set him almost in the Throne, made him the next man to the King himself: Christ was the stone disallowed and rejected by the builders, even the Master-builders, the great ones, the Rabbies, the Pharisees, but God makes him the chief corner stone, God sets him up on high. This is for the comfort of those that are god­ly and thrown out by the world, God will take them up and put honour upon them in a way they know not of.

From the Subject we come to the things fell out with the au­thor of them, and they are these:

• 1. Heaven is opened.
• 2. Visions are presented.
• 3. They are seen of Ezekiel.
• 4. The author of them is specified, Visions of God.

The heavens were opened, and I saw visions of God.

The word opening, among the Jewes, notes sometime, not the re­ality, but the effect of a thing. Gen. 3.7. Their eyes were opened; they were not shut before, but now they saw that which they saw not be­fore, [Page 49] and so their eyes are said to be opened. In the Gospel Christ is said to open the eyes of the blind, the ears and mouth of the deaf and dumb, not that their mouths were absolutely shut, or their ears absolutely stopped, or their eyes so closed that they could not stir their eye-lids, but Christ opened them so, as hee made them to see, heare and speak, to do that which they could not do before; so that in regard of the effect they are said to be opened. Sometimes again it noteth the truth of a thing; and so Stephen saw heaven opened, and Christ standing at the right hand of God; and Peter saw heaven opened, and a sheet coming down to him.

The question is, whether of these wayes it is to be taken here? Origen saith, That the heavens were open to the eyes of his body, there was a division of the heavens, and so in a literall sense he saw the visions, and the things presented to him; But Jerome saith,Non divisione firmamenti, sed fide credentis. The heavens were opened, not by the rending of the firmament, but by the faith of the believer. You may take it in the literall sense, and according to the truth of a thing. The inconvenience objected against it is not considerable: for, it is said, If the heavens were literally opened, how could Ezekiel see so far, as to see things in heaven? the strength of his eyes could not reach it; for if the Sun and fixed Stars which are far above the Sun, are greater bodies then the earth, and seem so little unto us, how little would any thing in heaven seem to the eye, when it is exceedingly beyond both these?

Answ. The heavens being opened, it doth not follow that Ezekiel must see the visions in heaven, the things he saw might be neerer then the Stars or Sun. The Dove came down and lighted upon Christ, and the sheet was let down from heaven unto Peter, and so the visions might be neerer unto Ezekiel then the highest heavens; The heavens were opened, and he saw visions of God. it is not said that he saw visions in heaven; and grant it to be in heaven, Stephen saw Christ there, and so might Ezekiel see the object of his vision there: yet neither did Stephen by his naturall strength see Christ, nor Ezekiel these visions, but he that opened heaven did open their eyes, strengthened them to see at such a distance: Or, Secondly, you may take it effectively, that was done to the eye of faith, as if heaven had been opened. A thing is said to be opened when that is removed which hinders coming at the thing [Page 50] shut up, the seven seals were loosed, Rev. 5. then was the book ope­ned, when the shuts of the window are turned aside, that the eye can come at the light, then the window is open, the impediments are taken away:Vbi discussis omnibus obsta­culis Deus fa­cit ut fidelium oculi usque ad gloriam ipsius coelestem pene­trent. and heaven is open, when all lets being set aside, God causeth the eyes of his to see divine visions, or reveals divine mysteries unto them, as if heaven were open; and this is the way most peculiar to the servants of God. Hereafter (saith Christ) You shall see Heaven opened, and the Angels ascending and descending upon the Son of man. The Angels are not corporeall, they cleave not the heavens asunder in their descent, or ascent, that is not the meaning, but the spirit of the Text is this; the impediments should be taken away from their minds, they should be so enlightened with the glory of the Gospel, they should see, as it were, even An­gels come down and minister unto Christ; they should, as the ex­pression is,Nova acie, a­pertis oculis. 2 Cor. 3.18. with open face behold as in a glasse the glory of God, see heaven opened in Christ, and the Angels descending upon the Son of man; And so did Ezekiel see heaven opened.

Observ. The Key of Heaven is in the hand of God, he openeth heaven at his pleasure, and letteth out and in what parties and things he pleaseth; Angels, visions, and other things he lets out; he openeth heaven, and letteth in your prayers, your tears, your souls at his seasons; the key of the grave, the key of the womb, the key of the clouds, the key of hell is in the hand of God, and he turns them at his pleasure; but above all, the key of heaven is in the hand of God, he is Lord Chamberlain, there is none goeth out, nor comes in, till God himself turn the key. If you would have mercies, you must look up to God for them, and desire him to turn the key. Rev. 3.7. he is said to have the key of David, he opens and none can shut, he shuts and none can open; a key notes power, and the key of David chief power in the house, in the Kingdome; where that key is, there is the greatest power; God hath that key in his hand, the key of David, all power to open and shut heaven when he will, he can open your hearts at his pleasure, he can open Texts at his plea­sure, he can open dark things unto you; therefore seeing all power is in the hand of God; look up to him for mercies, and desire him to turn the key for your good and his glory.

2. That God doth great things for those that are truly godly, that are true beleevers. Heaven is opened for them, and onely for them.

Wee doe not reade in the booke of God, that heaven was [Page 51] ever opened for any wicked man, wickednesse shutteth up hea­ven, godlinesse hath the priviledge, to the godly heaven is ope­ned. To Christ it was opened, Mat. 3.16. To Steven, Act. 7.56. To Peter it was opened, Act. 10.11. To John it was opened, Rev. 4.1.19.11. And it is opened to Ezekiel here in the Text, I saw hea­ven opened. It is shut against others, wicked men shall never see it open in mercie; the Judgement at last shall not be in heaven, but in the aire, or on the earth. It is the priviledge of beleevers to have choice mercies.

Great things God will doe for them that the world shall have no share in. It was the godly that saw Christ after the resurrecti­on, and not any wicked man. It was for beleevers that Christ pray­ed, and not for the world, Joh. 17. It is for the heirs of salvation that the Angels are sent forth to be ministring Spirits unto, Heb. 1. And it is for the faithfull the heavens are opened, that they may see what the glory of their Fathers house is, into what a familie they shall ere long be received. This sets out the excellency of faith unto us; for as it is a hand to receive Christ and his benefits, a mouth to eate his flesh, and drinke his bloud; so it is an eye to see into heaven, and the eye for which heaven is opened.

I saw visions of God.

GOD hath manifested himselfe unto his Prophets severall wayes.

1. By speaking immediately unto them without in­terposition of any medium, even mouth to mouth and face to face. So he spake to Adam in Paradise; to Moses, Exod. 33.11. The Lord spake to Moses face to face, as a man [Page 52] speaks to his friend. This manner of Gods manifesting himselfe was peculiar to Moses above any, or all the Prophets besides, as you may reade Deut. 34.10.

2. God manifested himselfe to his people by Dreames, which was in the night season: there was some representation of some­thing unto them when they were asleepe. Thus God manifested himselfe to Jacob, Gen. 28.12. And Jacob saith, Gen. 31.11. that the Angel of God spake unto him in a dreame.

3. God hath manifested himselfe to his people, by Visions, Psal. 89.19. Thou spakest in visions to thy holy One. And Gen. 15.1. The Word of the Lord came unto Abraham in a vision. These three you have together in two verses, Numb. 6. and part of the 8^th. If there be a Prophet among you, I the Lord will make my selfe knowne to him in a vi­sion, and speake to him in a dreame; and to Moses will I speake mouth to mouth. Here in the Text it is by way of vision that God speaks or appeares unto Ezekiel; I saw visions of God.

In a Vision there are these things:

1. There is some species or similitude represented to the sight, whether it be to the eye of the body externally, or to the eye of the minde internally, alwayes something is represented to the eye.

2. A Vision is of something that is future, whether at some lit­tle distance, or very remote. Hence it is that Vision is put for pro­phecy, Isa. 1.1.

3. In a Vision there is alwayes such an irradiation of the mind, such divine, satisfying, over-powering, strong light, that the partie who hath the Vision is put out of all doubt and dispute concerning the truth of the thing he hath seene, or is represented.

Moller. Ps. 89.20.4. There is in a vision a strong impulse upon the spirit of the partie to doe that which is the minde of God concerning that vision.

5. It is when they are awake. God speaks to men by dreames in the darke when they are asleepe, but usually visions are when men are awake.

All these are found here in the Prophet Ezekiels vision:

1. There are representations of diverse things to him, he was [Page 53] an Hieroglyphicall Prophet, he had more things presented unto him of that nature then any Prophet besides; All that followeth here in this Chapter, are representations of things to Ezekiel in this vision.

2. It is of things to come; for this Prophecie being either of the ruine of Jerusalem, or of the state of the Church, still it was of that which was not present but future.

3. The Prophet he had strong inlightnings, he had such irra­diations of his minde that he was satisfied touching the thing, therefore he saith, The word of the Lord came expresly unto him, the hand of the Lord came upon him in a great deale of strength.

4. He had a mightie impulse, though he was backward, un­willing to goe on in the worke of God, yet the Spirit came upon him with power, and put him on.

And lastly, it was when he was awake, walking up and down by the river Chebar, there he had these visions.

Thus much for the nature of a vision; now these visions were visions of God. I saw visions of God. Not that he saw God oft, and so every sight of God made a new vision, (for no man can see God and live) but visions revealed to him by God, which did in some measure set out the glory and majestie of God; and so they are called visions of God.

Or visions of God by way of opposition and exclusion, thus; I saw visions of God, I had divine visions, not Satanicall delusions; (for Satan hath his Prophets, and they have their visions where­by they delude the world) not dreames and conceits of mine own, no Angel, no Devill, no dreame, no fancy of mine presented them unto me, but they were propheticall visions, such as God himselfe hath presented.

Or visions of God lastly, in regard of the eminency of them. I saw visions of God, that is, choice, rare, difficult, transcendent vi­sions. Things that excell, in Scripture-phrase usually are said to be things of God; As the Mountains of God, the Cedars of God, the Citie of God; as you may reade Psal. 36.6. Psal. 80.10. Jonah 3.3.

1. Observe here the certaintie of the things contained in this Prophet. He doth not say, I heard, but I saw visions of God. The sense of sight is the most certaine, most active, most discerning, [Page 54] most evidentiall of all the senses. Therefore 1 Joh. 1.1.3. That which we have seene with our eyes, which we have looked upon, we de­clare unto you. There was certaintie in that which they saw. One eye-witnesse is more then ten heare-says, then ten eare-witnesses. Thales being asked the Question,Quantum o­cul [...] ab auri­bus. How much truth should differ from a lie; his answer was, As much as the eyes differ from the eares: inti­mating, that what you heare may be false, but what you see that is certain. The Prophet here saw visions of God, to shew the certain­tie of these visions, and so of the whole Scriptures, which are vi­sions of God.

2. See here the dignitie of these Visions, they are visions of God, such as are great, glorious, transcendent things. Mens words, works, things are meane, poore, and worthlesse, but the things, the visions of God, they are so high, so excellent, that few can reach them, they are beyond the apprehensions of ordinary men: yea the Prophets themselves did not see all that was in those visions, God did vouchsafe unto them. This shews the things of God have transcendency in them, are of great authoritie, and challenge an­swerable esteem. These are visions of God, and must with all Scrip­ture be valued accordingly. Hence the Ancients have called the Scriptures, An Epistle of God sent from Heaven to the sonnes of men. Therefore in them is nothing impertinent, empty, but all in them is glorious, full of sense, mysteries, and Spirit; this strengthens the authoritie of Scripture,Ne titubet fi­des. that our faith may not stagger at all, but be confident, and build upon them, as visions and truths of God.

3. See here, that when God beginneth once to let out mercy to his servants, he stints not presently, but proceeds, I saw not one vision, but, I saw visions of God, hee had many choice ones. It was kindnesse that Ezekiel had such a name, The strength of God; it was kindnesse that the Lord would open heaven to him; it had been great kindnesse if he had seen but one vision; but for Ezekiel to have heaven opened, and to see visions of God, many visions, one after another, this sheweth the great kindnesse of God. When Rachel had her first son, she called his name Joseph, which signifieth adding, or increase; for she said, The Lord shall adde to mee another son, Gen. 30.24. Now God hath begun to shew kindnesse, he shall not only give me this, but he shall give me another son also. [Page 55] When the Lord hath bestowed one mercy on you, you may name it Joseph, increase, addition, for God will bestow another upon you. Abraham had many mercies from God, one after another; and Moses a multitude of mercies, he converseth with God face to face, he heareth God speak, he hath Gods presence to go along with him; yea, he seeth all Gods goodnesse and glory to passe before him. When mercies come forth, God will not presently shut the door of mercy again: Heaven is opened, visions are presented one after another. Psal. 36.10. Continue thy loving kindnesse, the He­brew is, draw forth, or, draw out thy loving kindnesse: A metaphor either taken from vessels of Wine, which being set abroach once, yeeld not only one cup, but many cups: so when God setteth abroach the Wine of his mercy, he will not fill your cup once, but twice and seven times: or, taken from a Mother, who hath her breasts full of milk, drawes them out for her childe, not once, but often; the child shall have the breast many times in the day, and many times in the night: so when God beginneth to shew mercy to you, he will draw out his breasts of consolation, and will bestow mercy after mercy upon you: or from a line which is extended; for so God being in a way of mercy, will extend the line of mercy, and measure out mercy after mercy for you. Is not heaven now opened? Do you not see visions of God this day? How often is heaven opened in this City in a week? How many visions have you from the Prophets? What manifestations of truths are there? What discoveries of the minde and will of God to your souls are there in these dayes? I saw visions of God, saith Ezekiel, and so may you.

The Word of the Lord came expresly.] The Hebrew is emphaticall, [...] [...]ssendo fuit, om i [...]o fuit, fi­endo factū est. the Word of the Lord by being, hath been, or, hath altogether been, had much being in me. Besides the visions I saw, there was a reall com­munication of truths to my understanding; evident and expresse commanands from God came unto me, and it came so, as it had entrance and abiding in me: Accurate factum est, there was an ac­curate and reall work of it upon me, and in me. Prov. 3.24. [...] Keep sound wisdome; the word for sound wisdome in the originall is, that which is essence or being; intimating, that all other things are nothing; and the Word of God that hath only substance and [Page 56] being in it, making substantiall where it comes, and so here it gave being, and was an ingraffed word in the soul and heart of the Prophet; so that the meaning is, the Word came with that evidence and clearnesse unto mee, that I could not with­stand it, it had such entity and substance in it, that it made me of a common man a Prophet.

And the hand of the Lord was there upon mee.] The hand of the Lord is taken in two senses, especially in Scripture:

1. For judgement, or punishment, so you have it, Acts 13.11. speaking of Elymas the Sorcerer, saith Paul, The hand of the Lord shall be upon thee, and thou shalt be blind; Gods hand was upon Elymas, and he was stricken blind for perverting the Deputy. In this sense it is not taken here.

2. The hand of the Lord is taken for prophecy: When the Lord doth come upon the sons of men, and stirs up their spirits to prophecy, that is the hand of the Lord.

But yet this is not all: It noteth the vertue and power of the Spirit of God which came upon the Prophet; not shaking, disturbing, and throwing of him down, as some Rabbies con­ceive, but changing, comforting, elevating and exciting the spirit of the Prophet to see divine mysteries; and notes also, that effica­cy and power which did set on the Word upon the heart and con­science of the Prophet; that power which did subdue all oppo­sition, carnall reasonings, and remove all impediments whatsoe­ver stuck upon the heart of the Prophet, and hindred him in that work which God would have him to undertake; It is this hand of the Lord that makes the Word mighty, spirituall, live­ly, according to that in Hebr. 4.12. the Prophet felt the intrin­secall vertue of this hand, the Spirit of God in his own heart; it was a quick and lively word unto him. This intrinsecall vertue of the Spirit, if it reached not the Prophets hearers, yet it abode in the prophecy, and it remains an efficacious prophecy to this day. It's worth inquisition, what the vertue of the Spirit is, expressed here by the hand of God.

There are three things in it: The hand is

• 1. Symbolum roboris.
• 2. Index veritatis.
• 3. Instrumentum operationis.

[Page 57]1. The hand is Symbolum roboris, the Type or Embleme of strength; therefore of a strong man, we say he is a man of his hands, that is the symbol of his strength: So the Spirit of God is a Spirit of strength, the hand of God notes the strength of God, and the Holy Ghost is the power and strength of God. Luke 1.35. The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall over-shadow thee: And greater is he that is in you then he that is in the world. The Spirit of God that is in the hearts of his children, he is of more strength then Beelzebub, the prince of Devils, and god of this world.

2. The hand is Index veritatis, the hand or finger doth shew a thing; If you would have a man goe this way or that way, you shew him or point him with the finger, you direct him with your hand: Salomon, Prov. 6.13. speaking of the wicked man, saith, He teacheth with his fingers, that is, he shewes others by his hand to do wickedly; the Spirit of God is Index veritatis, this hand of God doth shew you the truth, 1 John 16.13, 14. He shall shew you, saith Christ, things to come, He shall take of mine and shew it unto you; It is the Spirit of Christ, this hand of God that sheweth you all things; you will never know truths till this hand point to them, and teach you: you may have notions in your head, and guessings in your spirits and bosomes, but the reality and certainty of things will never be attained to, till the spirit of God acquaint you with them.

3. The hand is Instrumentum operationis, the instrument of acti­on; men do all by the hand, therefore it is called the Organ of organs by the Philosopher. So the Spirit of God that doth all, Zach. 4.6. Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit: I will do all by that, saith God: It is the Spirit of God that doth convince; it's the Spirit that doth convert; it's the Spirit that doth dictate and inspire godly men; it's the Spirit that sanctifies; it's the Spirit that leads into truth, that comforts; the Spirit is the great agent, the hand of God by which God doth all his works. It was the Spirit that moved upon the face of the waters at first; the Spirit of God was the agent in the work of creation, and the great agent in the work of redemption and salvation.

These phrases being thus opened, observe hence:

1. That the Prophet received what he delivered to them from [Page 58] God; The hand of the Lord was there upon me, and the Word of the Lord came expressly. The Prophets must deliver to the people what they receive from God, and not what they bring of themselves: They must not bring their own visions, their own conceits, what seemeth good in their own eyes; but they must bring the Word of the Lord to the people; They must not speak according to the humours of the people, as they move them, as they would have them, but they must speak as the Spirit of God moves them, as God will have them: 2 Pet. 1.21. The holy men spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost: 1 Cor. 11.23. and Paul saith, What I have received of the Lord, that I deliver unto you; he would not deliver any thing he had from the world, or from himself, but, what I received from the Lord that I deliver unto you. Ministers they are Gods Seeds-men, and they must have their seed from God, else they will sow tares.

2. It is of much concernment for Ministers, to see they have a good and clear Call to their Ministery. Ezekiel here stands much upon it; I saw heaven opened, I saw visions of God, and the Word of the Lord came expresly to mee, and the hand of the Lord was there upon mee. Here were strong evidences of his Call to the work he was to go about. Ministers are to be the mouth of God to the people, and the mouth of the people to God, both are weighty businesses; they deal about the eternall truths of the eter­nall God, your immortall souls, and the everlasting condition of them. The glory of God is concredited in a great measure un­to them; the great things of the Kingdome of Christ are put in­to their hands, to dispense as God shall move, and give them op­portunity. Had they not need therefore to see to it, that their Call be right, and to make it out strongly and clearly, that God hath sent them? If they can clear it up that God hath sent them, they may expect his assistance, his blessing, his protection and successe in their labours. How ever things prove, this will be their comfort in the midst of opposition, reproach, persecution, hazard of liber­ty and lives, I was called of God, I am in his work, in his way, he brought me into his Vineyard, hee will stand by mee, I will go on, let him do with me what he pleaseth. The clearnesse of a mans Call will add much comfort to a mans spirit in a black day; it makes conscientious, pitifull and painfull; a Ministers call being evident, the peoples consciences will be satisfied, will receive his [Page 59] doctrine; then will they look upon him as their Pastor and Tea­cher, reverence him for his works sake, and are likely to receive much good by him: Whereas otherwise, if the Calling of Ministers reach no higher then a Patron or Prelate, there is seldome any good comes either to Ministers or people; therefore it concernes them to look narrowly to it, that their Calling be of God, cleare and strong to themselves, else they cannot make it out to others; neither shall finde that comfort, nor do that good which other­wise they might.

3. That in corrupt times, when Religion, the Chu [...]ch, and Gods glory are greatly indangered, God then takes care to raise up some extraordinary servants to vindicate his truth, in his people, his glory; all was brought now to a desolate condition, false Pro­phets prevailed, Religion suffered, Gods honour was low, and now God takes Ezekiel that was one of the ordinary Priests before, and bestowes a larger measure of his Spirit upon him, and raiseth him up to be a Prophet, and sets him awork, to do great things in Ba­bylon. Though now men be not called immediatly by the voyce of God and Christ, as of old, yet by extraordinary instincts and mo­tions of Gods Spirit, they were heretofore, and are still put upon great services: Philip was a Deacon by his ordinay Calling, but by extraordinary instinct and hints of Gods Spirit, he was raised up to be an Evangelist, and to do greater service unto the Church of God. So Luther, that was a Frier at first, by extraordinary instinct of Gods Spirit, was raised up to purge errors out of the Church, and to glorifie God, especially in clearing the doctrine of Justifica­tion by Free grace: So Zwinglius, Wickliffe, and others in our dayes; God hath not left himself without witnesse at this day, he hath stirred up the spirits of some to do him great and extra­ordinary services.

4. That those Ministers are fittest to speak to the people, that finde the Word of God to have being in them. The Word of the Lord came expresly to mee; the Word of the Lord had being in him, was ingraffed in him. When the Word is a word of being in our hearts, then it will be a word of power in your consciences. That which comes from our hearts, will reach to yours, and will be effectuall in you; otherwise the Word is but an empty sound, it cometh from the teeth outward, and reacheth but to your [Page 60] eares, and seldome goeth down into your souls.

5. Take this note, that there are principles of opposition in the dearest servants of God to the work of his Spirit. It is said, the hand of the Lord came upon mee; invaded mee, so some render it. I stood out against God, I had my carnall reasonings, I had stub­bornnesse and opposition in my will; I said there was a Lion in the way, and I pleaded hard against this work and service. But the Spirit of God came upon me, came mightily upon me, came with a strong hand upon me, as he saith, came so upon me, that it subdued all my carnall reasonings, subdued the stubbornness of my will, it removed all my shifts and pretences, and brought me off to go about the Work of God; Is it not thus with most Christians? When you would pray, when you would do good, is not evill pre­sent with you? But when the Spirit of God cometh upon you, it will overcome that indisposition, that sluggishness, that opposition, it will work down distempers, and frame you sweetly to go about the work of a God as it did Ezekiel.

6. That the Word and Ordinances of it, that visions and reve­lations do the heart of man reall good, when divine vertue goes along with them, otherwise not. What if Ezekiel had seen never so many visions; what if God had spoken never so expresly unto him? unlesse the hand of God had been upon him too; unlesse the Spirit of God had improved those visions, and ingraffed those words in him, all had been as an empty sound, all had been as meer shadowes and sights to him. But when the Spirit of God goes along, then there is efficacy and benefit in any Ordinance; take away the Spirit from the Word and Ordinances of God, and they will be but dry bones without meat or marrow: take the Gospel which is called the ministration of the Spirit, if the Spi­rit be not in it, the choisest promises, the sweetest truths there, what are they? they are Literae damnatoriae, and Leges mortis, they are letters and lawes of death to the soul. When the hand of the Lord is upon an Ordinance, and upon a man in that Ordinance, then is there good gotten, and then doth the soul gain. 2 Cor. 10.4. Our weapons are mighty through God.

7. That all spirituall good received and done by the Saints, is from the operation of Gods Spirit, which therefore is called Gods hand. Luke 11.20. If I by the finger or hand of God cast out devils; [Page 61] this finger, Mat. 12.28. is called the Spirit of God; If I by the Spi­rit of God cast out Devills. That which is called finger in one, is cal­led the Spirit in the other. Now doe men receive any good? have you faith? have you love, patience, meeknesse, understanding, zeale, godlinesse, any, all graces? It is this hand of God that hath wrought them. Doe you doe any divine good unto others? It is this Spirit of God that workes by you, and inableth you to doe that good. Act. 6.10. They were not able to resist the wisedome and Spirit by which he spake. Stephen spake by the Spirit of God. If you heare, if any good be done, or received, it is from the Spirit, which is the hand of God. Therefore you should know, to whom to give the glory and honour of all your receipts, and of all your actions.

8. Note here; That the Messengers of God should come not onely with the Word of God, but also with the hand of God; they should [...]ing his truths and his Spirit. Ezekiel, the Word of the Lord came expresly to him, and the hand of the Lord was up­on him. It is needfull that Ministers come not onely with Law and Gospel, with the Word of God, but that they come with the very hand, even the Spirit and power of God; for all the efficacy and good done, is by the Spirit. If a Minister come and bring the letter onely without the Spirit, what evidence will there be to his owne soule, of the certaintie of those things whereof he speakes? How will he be able to see into the spiritualnesse of them, to know that they are of God, and that they are to be commended to the people in the name of God, when he wants the Spirit of God to discerne them himselfe? What prevalency can there be in the hearts of hearers, when the Minister comes not with demonstrati­on of the Spirit? What bottome is there for the faith of men, where there is the wisedome of words, without the power of the Spirit? The hearers get most good when Gods letters come to them not without his seale, evidencing they are his letters. Hence saith Paul, 1 Cor. 2.4, 5. My preaching was not with inticing words of mans wisedome, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, that your faith should not stand in the wisedome of men, but in the power of God. Then doth the faith of hearers stand in the power of God, when the Ministers come with evidence and demonstration of the Spirit of God.

Last of all, From these three verses generally considered, ob­serve; That when Gods servants are in deepe afflictions, then are usually brought in the sweetest consolations. Here is Ezekiel taken out of his own Countrey, deprived of his estate and friends, of the Temple, of Gods Ordinances and solemne Assemblies, and of all the sweet and good that Jerusalem afforded: He is brought into Babylon, he is a captive there, he is solitary now by the River side, he was in a distrest and forlorne condition. What man here would be in Babylon now, and not think himselfe very miserable? When Ezekiel was in this condition, heaven is opened, visions are seene, God speaks expresly unto him, the hand of the Lord is there upon him. So that you may see, when we are in deepe af­f [...]ictions, many times God commeth in with his sweetest consola­tions. Gen. 15.1. Abraham in the Chapter before had gotten a victory, and rescued L [...]t his brothers sonne, out of the hands of sundry Kings, and being come home, he falleth into a shaking fit, and is filled with feare lest those Kings should reinforce their strength, come upon him and his, and destroy all. While he is in this agony, God commeth to him; Feare not Abraham, I am thy shield and exceeding great reward. God came in his deepe distresse, and brought in a sweet refreshing to his soule. Elijah that great Prophet and worthy servant of God, after he had made a sacrifice of Baals Priests, and Jezabel sought after him to slay him, and had vowed that he should die the death,1 King. 19. if there were no more men in the world, he was forced to flie for his life, and he flieth into the Wildernesse, and there was a great famine, neither bed nor bread he had there, and whither to goe he knew not, he had many ene­mies, he hardly knew a godly man left, he was even weary of his life, now he sitteth downe under a Juniper tree, and desireth that God would take away his life; It is enough now, O Lord, (saith he) take away my life, for I am not better then my fathers; I am even willing to die, the world is so wretched, and there so much hatred of thee and thine; Ahab and Jezabel are against me, all the Countrey and Land cry out of me as the troubler of Israel, and to what purpose should I live any longer? While he is in this condition, God sendeth an Angel unto him, and an Angel with bread to feed him, and with glad tydings to comfort him. John when he was in Patmos, bani­shed by Domitian, in a place where were the condemned parties [Page 63] belonging to the State of Rome; those that were the most despe­rate and vile wretches, that they would faine be rid of, they sent them to Patmos: John was there, and while he was there, he had those revelations that were full of glory and excellency. The three Children, when they were in the fiery furnace, the fire did them no hurt, but loose their bands and set them at libertie, and then one like the Sonne of God commeth and walketh amongst them, and comforteth them in those fiery flames. In deepe distresses then God doth often let out himselfe: he dwelleth in the darknesse, and letteth out himselfe, and becommeth light to those that are in darknesse. You know that passage in the booke of Martyrs, of Glover and Austen, M^r. Glover was sad and full of feares some dayes before he was to suffer, his spirit was downe, he quaked and trem­bled to thinke of the stake, and of that bitter cup he was to drinke, he was afraid that he should deny his Saviour, and undoe his soule. But the night before he was to suffer, he cryed out unto Austen, Ob Austen, he is come, he is come. I knew a woman in travell,M^rs. A. G. and in that travell whereof shee dyed, who had been sometime in dark­nesse, and having much sought God and waited for the revelation of his countenance, when shee was almost spent in her travell and come neare her end, upon a suddaine shee sprang up and fixing her eyes towards heaven, said, He is come, he is come, he hath kissed me with the kisses of his mouth; his love is better then wine; I will not ex [...]hange my condition with the greatest Prince in the world; the Lord is infinitely good, he hath not deceived me; neither will he ever deceive any. Shee had these impressions upon her spirit, till the breath went out of her body. Thus God in great distresses, in deepe af­flictions, bringeth in seasonable and sweet consolations.

And I looked, and behold, a whirlewinde came out of the North, &c.

Wee are now come to the Vision: some make five Visions in this Chapter.

The first is a Vision of a tempest in this fourth verse.

The second is of the foure living creatures, with their descrip­tion, from this verse to the 15^th.

The third is of the wheeles, from the 15^th verse to the 22.

The fourth is of the Firmament, from the 22. verse to the 26^th.

The fifth is of a Throne with one in it, from the 26^th to the end.

Some others put them all together, and make them one Vision; these being all parts of it.

Before I come to open this Vision, or any parts thereof, it will be needfull to shew you the scope of this Vision, which will helpe us in the understanding of the same.

The scope of this Vision is to set forth the glory of God; and this appeareth from the last verse of the Chapter, where it is said; This was the appearance of the likenesse of the glory of the Lord. The Spirit interprets all to be a manifestation of the glory of God.

This glory of God is evidenced two wayes:

1. By his powerfull providence in the administration and ru­ling of all the creatures in the world; For all creatures are under the command of God, and he doth dispose of them for what ser­vices he pleaseth, and not onely in the world, but specially in the Church is his active providence, preserving, & destroying as seem­eth best in his owne eyes, so that nothing is done there rashly, or without his will; nothing otherwise, sooner or later then he hath decreed; all creatures, actions, events, come under his will, rule, and power.

2. By a representation of Jesus Christ, the Judge and Gover­nour of this world, who is the brightnesse of the glory of God, and the expresse image of his Person; and this from the 22. verse to the end of the Chapter; as the other is from the 4. verse to the 22.

This glory of God is presented to Ezekiel in this Vision, for these ends:

1. To breed in him an high reverence of divine Majestie. The sight of great and glorious things doe awaken our dull, heavie, sensuall spirits: naturally we are indifferent to the things of God, and unlesse something transcendent and glorious be presented to us, like Gallio we care little for other things: therefore in Exod. 19.16. when the people saw the lightning, and heard the thunder, when God came downe upon the Mount in that glorious man­ner, this awakened them, and bred an awfull reverence in them of divine Majestie; All the people that were in the Campe trem­bled.

[Page 65]2. To prepare and fit him for entertainment of what God should speake unto him. We are not alwayes in a frame to heare God speake, there are great distempers in our spirits: you have all experience enough of the truth of this: therefore it is said, Psal. 46.10. Be still and know that I am God; Be still, let not your spirit be in a rage, taken up with the world, the cares, feares, pleasures, and businesses of it, be not parling with a lust, but be still and know that I am God.

3. It is to incourage him to his work, and to frame his spirit to a ready execution thereof. Ezekiel was to enter upon a heavie taske, he was to deale with the stubborne Jewes, a rebellious people. He knew that Jeremiah had preached 35. yeares, and other Pro­phets in times better then he was in, and little or no good had been done upon this hard-hearted people. Therefore lest Ezekiel should be discouraged, that his heart might not faint, but be quickned to the worke, the Lord doth shew him his glory in these Hieroglyphicks, his glory in these creatures, his glory in his Sonne, that so seeing the glory of God, he might be warm'd, oyl'd, and incourag'd to run about this worke. For the sight of glory is po­tent with a gracious heart, to make it active for God. We cannot (says Peter and John in Act. 4.20.) but speake the things which we have seene and heard. Joh. 1.14. Mat. 17.1, 2. Now they had seene his glory as the glory of the onely begotten Sonne of God. They had been in the mount, seene Christ transfigured, and his face shine as the Sunne. And having seene his glory and heard his voice, this incouraged them, not­withstanding all difficulties, to be active for him. This was Gods way to appeare to his servants, to incourage them to the worke he would set them about.Exod. 3. God appeared to Moses in a burning bush. To Joshua in a vision like a man with a sword in his hand.Josh. 5.13. 2 King. 6.17. Act. 10. To Elisha by horses and chariots of fire. Peter being confirmed by a vision of a sheet let downe from heaven, goes and preacheth to the Gentiles. And Ezekiel here hath vision upon vision, that so be­ing strongly confirmed, he might not feare the faces of Jewes or Babylonians, but proceed with life and spirit about the worke he was sent.

Note: The sight of Gods glory is very efficacious upon the spi­rits of men. If God let out his glory, it will worke strangely up­on good and bad. When they came to apprehend Christ, saith he [Page 66] to them,Joh. 18.6. I am he. It is conceived that Christ let out some glimpse of his glory, this did so astonish them that presently they recoy­led, and fell to the ground. Isaiah when he saw the glory of the Lord,Isa. 6.5, 6. he cryeth out, Woe is me, I am undone, I am a man of uncleane lips, and I dwell among a people of uncleane lips. And then God ma­nifesting his glory so farre for his good, that his lips were touched by an Angel; Now Lord (saith he) here am I, send me, I am ready to goe, though it be on a message of death, though it be to root up Nations and Kingdomes. So it was with Job, I have heard of thee (saith he) by the hearing of the eare, Job 42.5, 6. but now mine eye seeth thee, (that is, thy glory) Wherefore I abhorre my selfe in dust and ashes; I will speake no more against God, I will doe whatsoever thou shalt command or expect at my hands. So Isa. 40.5, 6. The glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together: And what then? All flesh is as grasse, and all the goodlinesse thereof is as the flower of the field. There is no greater or more efficacious way, to take off your hearts from the creature,Videnti Deum omnis creatura est angusta. then to behold the glory of God. There was no man that ever saw the glory of God, but he looked upon the creature as nothing afterward.

I looked, and behold, a whirlewind came out of the North, &c.

In this Verse we have the first part of the vision, and it is of a Tempest; A whirlewind is a sudden wind, which takes up what is obvious, and carrieth it in a circular motion, wheeling it about, and hurling it here and there. Theodoret calls it the blast of a storm; the Septuagint a wind which takes away trees, houses, lesser things,A Lapid. and disperseth them. Some have been eye-witnesses of whirlewinds in Italy, which have taken away stabula cum equis, stable with horses, carried them up into the aire, and dashed them against the mountains; so mighty are these whirlewinds in some countreys.

Out of the North.

The Northern winds are very piercing; and if we respect the Prophet in this whirlewind, it was to purge the aire, that the vi­sions might be clearer and more conspicuous to his eyes, and him­self [Page 67] better disposed to the reception of them;Bacons Natu­rall History. for Southern winds make the humors fiuide, and the body heavie, they relax the si­news, and prejudice the motions of the man: But Northern winds shut up the humors, consolidate the parts of the body, intend the spirits, make man more lively, fit to receive and do.

But there is something else in this North-wind; great diffe­rence there is among Expositors concerning this vision, and no man almost knoweth where to fasten; what I conceive to be the truth you shall have.

By this whirlwind from the North, is meant Nebuchadnezzar, with his army that should come and besiege Jerusalem. Jer. 1.13, 14. this is set out under the representation of a seething pot; I saw (saith he there) a seething pot from the face of the North; (so the Hebrew is) and what is that? Out of the North an evill shall break forth upon all the Inhabitants of the land; The evill is, The Families of the Kingdomes of the North shall come against Jerusalem, vers. 15. There is the evill; the Babylonians shall come to Jerusalem, and be a wind, a whirlewind, a tempest to it.

Nebuchadnezzar and his Army are compared to a whirlewind, in the sudden rising, swift going, and terrible execution.

1. In the sudden rising, winds (you know) rise suddenly. Act. 2.2. Suddenly there came a sound from heaven, as of a rushing migh­ty wind, which sheweth that winds do come unexpectedly. Jonah 1.4. No sooner was Jonah in the Ship, but God sent out a great wind upon the Sea, such a wind should Nebuchadnezzar be, he should come suddenly upon them. Jer. 6.26. The spoiler shall come suddenly upon thee: Habak. 2.7. Shall they not rise up suddenly that shall bite thee? and awake that shall vex thee? A metaphor taken from a Dog, Serpent, or wild Beast, when a man passeth by the way before ever he thinks of it, the Dog, Serpent, or wild Beast starteth up, bites or stings him, so should Nebuchadnezzar be, (for he speaks of him in that second of Habakkuk) he should come suddenly and set upon Jerusalem, and overthrow it as a mighty storm and tempest doth a tree or house.

How could this be sudden, when the Prophets had foretold them of it long before?

To this I answer, first; That because they did not believe what the Prophets did foretell, touching Nebuchadnezzar and his destru­ction [Page 68] of Jerusalem, therefore it was sudden to them, though fore­told. Lam. 4.12. The Kings of the earth, and all the Inhabitants of the world would not have believed that the adversary and the enemy should have entred in at the gates of Jerusalem. Neither King nor people would believe the Prophets, they would not be perswaded that ever an enemy should enter within the gates of Jerusalem, and lay it wast.

2^ly. Though they were foretold, though they did believe it, yet because they were not prepared for it when it did come, therefore it was sudden unto them. Luke 21.34. Take heed, lest by any means your hearts be overcome with surfeiting and drunkennesse, and that day come upon you unawares: though men believe that evill shall come, if they be taken unawares, unprepared, it is sudden to them. So these, either not believing, or not being prepared, though they did believe, the coming of Nebuchadnezzar was to them as a whirle­wind very sudden.

2. In its swift going; The wind is said to have wings, 2 Sam. 22.11. because of its swiftnesse and speedy motion; and Ships that are driven by it, are said to be swift, Job 9.26. And so it is said of the Chaldean horses, that they are swifter then Leopards. Hab. 1.8. Leopards are very swift creatures, so swift, that Claudian fastens this Epithet upon them, Pardi fulminei, Leopards are as swift as lightening and thunder; and therefore, Dan. 7.6. Alexan­der is compared to a Leopard, because of his speedy conquering the world. Celerity in matters of war is of great moment: And it would do well, that those that are now interessed in it, would make more speed; for speed doth great things. Alexander being asked the question how he overcame the world in so little time, answered, By not delaying: every opportunity was taken. These Chaldeans and their horses were very swift, and they came with great speed upon Jerusalem, and therein resembled the wind.

3. In its terrible execution: A whirlewind, or any wind which bringeth a tempest, what dreadfull work doth it make? Houses, Mountains, Trees, Steeples, are shaken and torn in pieces; what can stand before a tempestuous wind? You may see the power thereof in 1 King. 19.11. A great strong wind rent the moun­tains, and brake in pieces the rocks. The strength of rocks and moun­tains was weaknesse to the strength of the winds; those great [Page 69] vessels at Sea, viz. Ships, when a storm cometh, how are they bat­tered and shaken, sunk and split against the rocks? There is ter­rible execution done by the winds at Sea and Land, when they are in their strength. So Nebuchadnezzar and his forces were very terrible: Habak. 1.6. and so on, we may see the terriblenesse of them; I will raise up the Chaldeans, a bitter and hasty nation; and verse 7. They are terrible and dreadfull: and verse 9. They shall come all for violence, their faces shall sup up as the East-wind: that wind was most vehement and scorching in Judea, and devoured all that was green; so did the Chaldeans devoure and destroy all their pleasant things; they shall gather the captives as the sand. The wind drives great heaps of sand together, raiseth a mountain presently, so should they gather the captives as heaps of sands. Then after­ward, verse 10. They shall scoffe at the Kings, and the Princes shall be a scorn unto them, they shall deride every strong hold, for they shall heap dust and take it. No person, no hold can stand before them. In these respects Nebuchadnezzar and his army are compared to a whirlewind, and a whirlewind out of the North.

A great cloud.

Clouds are moist vapours, exhaled from the earth and Sea by the Sun, and condensated by the cold in the middle region, and carried by the winds up and down, this way and that way: they are the bottels of heaven which God doth fill with Wine or Vinegar, with Mercy or Wrath. This cloud here likewise doth represent the same thing again unto us; Nebuchadnezzar and his army,Jer. 4.13 chiefly, his army. In the Prophets Ezekiel and Jeremiah often­times his army and and himself are compared to a cloud, and that in three respects.

1. Clouds cover the face of heaven; many vapours gathe­red together, rise up and darken the Sun, and keep from us the comfortable aspect thereof. Ezek. 32.7. I will cover the Sun with a cloud. The same word that is used for a cloud, doth signi­fie likewise a multitude, a great company.Ped [...]tum equ [...] ­tum (que) nubes. Heb. 12.1. Livie speaks of a cloud of horse-men and foot-men; and Epiphanius speaks of a cloud of Flies; another of a cloud of Locusts; and the Apostle speaks of a cloud of witnesses: and here you have nub [...]s militum, a cloud of [Page 70] souldiers, and this cloud doth cover the face of the earth; this army of Nebuchadnezzar doth cover the land. 2 King. 25.1. It is said, that he and all his host came against Jerusalem; all the Mili­tia of 127. Provinces: and Hab. 1.8. their horse-men shall spread themselves, they spread themselves through the countrey: Ezek. 39.9. Thou shalt ascend, and come like a storm, and shalt be like a cloud to co­ver the land, thou and all thy bands, and many people with thee. It is expresly meant of Nebuchadnezzars army, which should be so great, as that it should cover the earth. The Talmud expounds those words, they shall be like a cloud to cover the earth, of Nebuchad­nezzars covering the land with his army.

2. A cloud is so swift, as that it is irresistible; it powres out the rain and none can let; it will keep its way, go on, or break it self in pieces. Isa. 60.8. Who are these that flie as a cloud? clouds flie so swiftly, that there is no resisting of them. So this army of Nebuchadnezzars went with that swiftnesse and irresistiblenesse, that it was not in the power of any to withstand them, neither Joakim, nor Jehoiachin, neither Zedekiah, nor Pharaoh, King of Egypt, four Kings could not withstand this Nebuchad: and many other heathen Kings that he had to deal withall, none of them could resist him and his forces; he went on invincibly, strong holds were nothing to him,Hab. 1.10. he made heaps of dust, and took them at his pleasure.

3. Lastly, clouds are Emblemes of misery and afflictions; and the Hebrew word for a cloud signifieth also calamity; [...] for clouds are full of waters, hail, fire, lightening, and thunderbolts, they send down such things upon the sons of men, as fill all with darknesse, fears and troubles; it's naturall for a cloud to be an Embleme of misery, for clouds bring storms and tempests. The day of the Lords wrath in Scripture, is set out by clouds, frequently. Zeph. 1.15. That day is a day of trouble and distresse, a day of darknesse and gloominesse, a [...] day of clouds and thick darknesse: So Joel 2.1, 2. Ezek. 30.3. and 34.12. So this army of Nebuchadnezzar is fitly com­pared to a cloud, because of the misery and calamity came along with it. Great miseries have gone along with all armies, but speci­ally with this. Hab. 1.6. They were a hasty and bitter nation, they rained down their wrath upon Jerusalem, they had instruments of death, they sent out their thunder and lightening, and burnt the House of God, the Kings house, and every great mans house in [Page 71] Jerusalem, 2 King. 25.9. A terrible storm was now upon Jerusa­lem, when they shot their arrowes into the City, slew multitudes, burnt down all, and carried the people into captivity; what a storm was here! So here God storm'd Jerusalem with Nebuchad­nezzar his armie; and what are armies but clouds of blood and fire, the great ordnance of God, out of which he shoots thunder­bolts of death, Is. 28.2. and by which he storms the strongest towns?

1. Observe here; That winds, clouds, and all vapours are subject to the power of God. Hee calls them forth at his plea­sure, and caries them which way he pleaseth to execute his will: he sent the whirlewind, and the great cloud; these lawlesse crea­tures, over which no King, no Nation ever had command, (for who can command the winds or the clouds?) yet God hath ab­solute power over winds: Prov. 30.4. He gathereth the wind in his fist, he can open it, and let out a wind where and when he will, to shake the foundations of the earth: He hath the waters in a garment covered up in cloud, and he only can powre them out, and make great floods; He is the father of the great rain, Amos 5.8. He calleth for the waters of the Sea, (that is, the vapours whereof the clouds and rain are made) and powreth them out upon the face of the earth. It is God that flieth upon the wings of the wind; Psal. 18.11. It is God that rideth upon the clouds, and makes them his Chariot, and walketh upon the wings of the wind; Psal. 104.3. It is God that rideth upon the swift clouds; Isa. 19.1. God hath the use of the winds as a Fowle of his wings, and can flutter and make a great or small wind as he pleaseth; God hath the com­mand of the clouds as a Prince of his chariot to drive it which way he pleaseth.

If you have a wind at Sea or Land to do you good, remember that it came out of Gods hand; remember God rides upon that wind, and carried it that way you would have it: If the clouds, the bottles of heaven, be carried over your Gardens, Orchards, Lands, Habitations, Cities or Countreys, do water them and make them fruitfull, remember that God rideth in those Chariots, that he openeth those bottles of heaven, and lets down that which is sweet and comfortable to the sons of men: If they prove ter­rible unto you; if there be a storm and tempest, remember it is [Page 72] God that sends the storme and tempest. All is in his hand.

2. That it is Gods prerogative to impose higher significations upon things, then they have by nature. This whirlewinde out of the North, this great cloud, naturally had no other signification then other clouds and winds; God lifts them up to a higher ho­nour, and makes them to represent Nebuchadnezzar and his Ar­my, his own wrath and vengeance in that Nebuchadnezzar and in that Army of his. It is Gods priviledge to put things into a higher condition then they have by nature. No man, no Prince on earth could have put this signification upon that whirlewinde. The Rain-bow was before the flood, but had not that honour to be a witnesse between God and man, that God would never drowne the world any more, till God himselfe impos'd it. The brasen Serpent was no more then other brasse, but by divine institution it was made a type of Christ. Where such institution is not, no creature can be translated to another or higher condi­tion then that it was set in by the first creation, without sin. To make garments signifie puritie, Crosses Christ crucified, (besides the superstition and injury in thrusting them out of their ranke) it's a presumptuous stepping into the Throne of God, and a bold usurpation of his prerogative; It belongeth unto him to impose significations of a higher nature upon the creature then ordinarily it hath.

3. That the anger of God which way soever venting it selfe, makes a storme and a terrible tempest. God was about to powre out his wrath by Nebuchadnezzar and his Army; and this prov'd such a tempest, as ruin'd Jerusalem: this verified Psal. 11.6. Vpon the wicked he shall raine snares, fire and brimstone, and an horrible tem­pest, the portion of their cup. When Gods wrath once breaks out, it will be terrible to all it falleth upon.

What therefore will wicked men doe when God shall come out like a whirlewinde, when God shall come out as a great cloud, thunder, lighten in the world, raine fire and brimstone and an horrible tempest? When God shall doe this, what will be­come of them? Wicked men in Ezek. 13.10, 11. are compared to a wall that is daubed up with untempered morter; When God shall come with a tempest and shake that wall, can it stand? No; it's said it shall fall, a stormie winde shall rend it. The Jewes dau­bed [Page 73] with untempered morter, and when the storme came, they fell; many Christians daube up themselves with the untempered morter of their own righteousnesse, of vaine hopes, of doing this and that. But when this whirlewinde blows, they will downe. Mat. 7.27. They are houses built upon the sand, and when the winds blow, the floods beat, and the raine falls, they will fall also, and fall from the hopes of heaven to the bottome of hell. There­fore looke to your foundation, looke that you be not built upon the sand, but upon a rocke, and that you daube not with untem­pered morter, for there is a tempest already begun.

4. That God can bring adverse power from any quarter, he can raise winde and clouds from the North, from remote places, those we little thinke of; he can make use of a lusty, bitter, and mercilesse Nation, and that suddenly, to awaken a secure people, to correct his owne servants, and to plague his enemies. It's likely they had such thoughts at Jerusalem as these; Surely Babylon is a great way off, Nebuchadnezzar hath his hands full, none of the Kings of the earth will or dare come neare Jerusalem: Lam. 4.12. Wee are in no such danger as these timerous Prophets speake of; Why should we trouble our selves with needless fears? we will on in our wonted wayes: and are not such as these our thoughts? doe not wee thinke that foraine enemies are so imployed and ta­ken up at home, that they have no leasure to come and trouble us? But God can from the North bring a tempest, God can from fo­raine Nations bring in those that can powre out their wrath up­on us, and make as grievous a storme as ever fell upon Jerusalem. We doe not beleeve, and they did not beleeve. But what if God doe not bring it from abroad, cannot he raise up a storme from within? Is there not already a winde out of the North, a whirle­winde and a cloud raised? and how soone doe any of us know but there may be blacknesse, darknesse, and the day of the Lord round about us, we may be suddenly invironed with winds and dreadfull stormes, such as our hearts never thought of, and our eyes never saw? Let us not be secure, a bloudy tempest is amongst us already. The drunkard maybe secure when he is at Sea asleepe upon the top of the Mast, (though it may cost him his life for do­ing so) but a sober man will looke about him when he seeth the Ship shaken, and heareth the winds blow, and perceives the waves [Page 74] rise; and if it be possible, save his owne life, and the Ship too. If you be sober men, looke about you. Is not the storme begun? Doe not the windes blow? Are not the clouds darke? Is not the day of the Lord upon us? If it be possible save your owne lives, and the Ship that you are in, that now begins to shake, to sinke. The heathen Mariners had so much religion, that when there was a storme every one cryed to his God; and so much charitie, as not to suffer Jonah to lie asleepe, but goe to him and say, Awake thou sleeper, what meanest thou? arise, call upon thy God, that if it may be, he may save both thee and us. Be not you behinde the heathen Mariners, shew so much religion and charitie in you, as every one to goe and call now upon his God. Cry to your God now, that he would still the windes; That he would rebuke the waves; That he would still this storm. Cry to God now with all your strength, and wrastle with him night and day, that he may shew some mer­cy to his Beloved, and not give her up to be a spoile to the hands of enemies. Awaken your Jonahs that are asleepe in your houses. Call upon husband, wife, friends, Minister, all, and every one to put to their hearts and hands, to secure this Ship that is almost now split and falling in peeces. Now take your Censers, for wrath is gone out from the Lord, put fire and incense in them, that if it be possible,Mat. 8.24. you may stop the wrath. When the Disciples were at Sea, and a storme arose, Christ being with them asleepe in the Ship, they awake him, saying, Lord save us, we perish. So doe you, Christ seems to be asleepe, awake him with your prayers, and say, Lord save us, wee are called by thy name, wee are Christians, save us, else wee perish. Christ you see presently arose, rebuked the windes, and the Sea, and there was a great calme. Be not secure now of all times, but thinke with your selves what you would doe if all the Nations of the world were come against England, if all the Counties in England were in an uproare, if this Citie were besieged and fire throwne into it to burne the houses. Thinke what you would doe then, doe it now, fit and prepare your selves for the stroake of God in the storme and tempest, that how ever it goe with your bodies, estates, liberties, or lives, yet it may goe well with your immortall soules.

5. That God disposes of winds and clouds for what services he pleases. A whirlewinde is made Elijahs chariot to heaven, [Page 75] 2 King. 2.11. The Lord hath his way in the windes, Nah. 1.3. He answered Job out of the whirlewinde, Chap. 40.6. By a winde he conveys the holy Ghost to the Apostles, Act. 2.2. So for the clouds, God sets his bow in them to witnesse the securitie of the world from drowning, Gen. 9. He created a cloud upon the Assem­bly, Isa. 4.5. He went before the Israelites in a pillar of a Cloud, Exod. 13. And the glory of the Lord appeared in the Cloud, Exod. 16.10. The Temple was fild with a cloud, 2 Chron. 5.13. A cloud received Christ and carried him to heaven, Act. 1.9. When wee behold the clouds, and heare the winds, we should be carried higher in our thoughts, then to look at them philosophi­cally in a naturall way, we should minde them Theologically, as instruments of choice services of God, as instruments of his power, wisedome, and glory.

A fire infolding it selfe, &c.

A Fire infolding it self: or, as the Hebrew word is, [...] Ignis se invol­vens, Mont. a fire that doth put forth it self, and receive it self into it self; like unto a wave of the Sea that riseth high, and falleth into it self again: or as in an House on fire, the fire breaks forth strongly, and the flame returns into it self presently. The Septuag. render it bright shining fire, w^ch comes out of a cloud, viz. lightning;Ignis fulgu­raens. and how ever some think it not to be meant of the lightning, because lightning goeth straight forth, and never re­turneth, [Page 76] according to that, Mat. 24.27. The lightning cometh out of the E [...]st, and shineth even unto the West, and so doth not infold it self; yet we have Scripture to confute this conceit: Exod. 9.24. there was fire mingled with the hail, [...] the same word in the origin­all, fire that doth infold it self: And they that curiously observe the lightning, may find that it doth oftentimes return into it self, and passe (as it were) as a ball in the aire, or as wound up into a Globe. But this reacheth not the meaning yet in the Text, A fire infolding it self: Zanchius thinks it rather a fierie globe which remov'd in the cloud, and like Cabbage leaves grow up into themselves, and infolding, make a Globe; so the flames of this fire turned into themselves, and became a globe; and it's probable to be this, be­cause it's said, there was a brightness round about it, the fiery globe within begat that circular brightnesse, which lightning being transparent could not do; and the rather it's thought to be this then lightning, because the colour is said to be as the colour of am­ber, whereas if it had been lightning, that is transient, and the co­lour hardly observable; therefore it should seem to be some fixed thing; I conceive it to be vapours in the clouds, kindling and burning into themselves, the flame turning inward, and making a globe;Ignis se accen­dens, Shindl. and thus I find it expounded, A fire kindling it self: and so it is most naturall to the cloud to have vapours in it, which fire and kindle themselves, and burn into the form of a globe. Now what is meant by this fire infolding it self, or this fiery globe, is very doubtfull; they that come neerest to the truth, take it to be the wrath of Nebuchadnezzar, or rather the wrath of God in using Nebuchadnezzar to burn the City and Temple; but with submission to the judgement of the learned and godly, I take the fire to be meant of sin, the sins of Prince and people, Priests and Prophets did kindle and involve them in the fire their own sins took hold of and consumed them. Prov. 5.28. His own iniquities shall take the wicked himself, and he shall be holden with the cords of his own sin: A mans sins will turn upon him, take hold of him and bind him; and so here Jerusalems sins kindle upon her self, take hold of her and burn her: sin we find in Scrip­ture cometh up to the nature of fire. Prov. 16.27. In the lips of the ungodly there is a burning fire; and it's likened to fire, because of the destructive nature; whatsoever fire takes hold of, it consumeth; [Page 77] and so doth sin: Job 5.2. Wrath killeth the foolish man, and envy slayeth the silly one: and Prov. 1.32. The turning away of the simple shall slay them. So then Jerusalems sins, the sins of Kings and Nobles, the sins of Prophet, Priest and people, are here to be understood by this fire infolding it self, which drew the wrath of God into Jerusalem, and so kindled, fired, and consumed them all.

From hence note, that the cause of Kingdomes, Cities, Prince and peoples ruine is in themselves, their own sins are the fire in­folding: Hos. 13.9. O Jerusalem, thou hast destroyed thy self, thou art the cause of thine own spoil and captivity, thou hast set up the Calves, worshipped them, and they bleat so against thee, that they have undone thee. Israels sin was Israels destruction; and so Jerusalems, it was not the whirlewind, nor the cloud; not Nebu­chadnezzar or his army, that could have made one breach upon Jerusalems, or led one soul into captivity, if there had not been sin amongst them, it was their own sin which kindled divine wrath, and brought in their destruction, otherwise they had been safe enough; Jerusalem might have stood to this, been as great and glorious as ever. The principles of our mine are in our selves: Iron breeds the rust, garments the moths which devour them. The ill humors in a mans body, fire and consume the house by a burning feaver; children breed the worms which bring them to their graves; and States the sins which bring them to their ends; where sin is bred and countenanced, it proves consumptio totius, families, cities, kingdomes go down where sin goes up. Let not kingdoms therfore blame God or others, but let them and all say, The root of the evill is in our selves, we should never be laid wast, if we were true to God, faithfull and close to the rule; if we did not sin, there would be no fire to consume us and ours.

A brightnesse was about it.

There being a Globe of fire within, it sent forth beams which produced an answerable brightnesse; which brightnesse (the cloud being thick and dark of it self) was a window to let in the Pro­phets eye to see what was in the cloud.

By this brightnesse is shadowed out unto us, the terrible Ma­jesty and glory of divine presence, putting it self forth in the pu­nishment [Page 78] of sinners: As fire begets a splendor round about where it is; so do the judgements of God set out to the world his glo­ry, justice, holinesse. Psal. 9.16. The glory of his judgement in punishing ill doers, is a solid, constant, spreading glory, as that brightnesse was not flashie in the cloud, occasioned by the light­ning, but fixt certain, and on every side.

The note hence is, that execution of justice upon delinquents makes God and Magistrates glorious; there was a bright splen­dor in the cloud, Exod. 15.6. upon the destruction of Pharaoh and his army in the red Sea, it's said, Thy right hand, O God, is be­come glorious in power, thy right hand, O God, hath dashed in pieces the enemy, and in the greatnesse of thine excellency thou hast overthrown them that rose up against thee. This act of justice was a glorious and powerfull work; so when God destroyed the Bethshemites, 1 Sam. 6.20. Who is able to stand before this holy God, say they? The ho­linesse of Gods justice and power shine so clearly in the world, that they dazle mens eyes and hearts, and makes them tremble be­fore God: when Phinehas executed justice, how honourable was he in the hearts of the godly? what a great and glorious reward did he get by it? Never was Solomon more honourable then when he executed justice between the two Harlots, and called for the sword to decide the controversie; our Magistrates are clothed with scarlet, and they may think that makes them honourable, but their robes never bring true honour to them if justice be not done: one act of justice executed upon delinquents makes them more honourable then all the scarlet robes in the world. How glo­rious and dreadfull was the Parliament,Strafford. when that great man fell in Israel! And if justice were executed upon delinquents, and they had their due, we should be glorious in power, dreadfull to nati­ons, terrible to our enemies, they would say, Who is able to stand before the God of this Parliament? before the God of this kingdome?

Out of the middest thereof as of the colour of amber.

That is, out of the middest of the fire, not out of the middest of the wind, [...] or out of the middest of the cloud. The Hebrew word for Amber, is a word that is found no where else in all the Scrip­ture [Page 79] but in this Prophet, and but twice more, viz. at the 27^th. verse of this Chapter, and at the second verse of the 8^th. Chapter. Rab­bi Iarchi confesseth hee knoweth not what the meaning of this word is; another Rabbi saith it was the name of an Angel, who instructed Ezekiel. The Septuagint, Jerome, and divers others tran­slate it Electrum, amber; and because here is mention of the colour of Amber, we must inquire what Amber this was. There be divers kindes of Amber; one sort of Amber is called Succinum, Succinum quarundas arborum s [...] cus. which is the juice of certain trees, the gum of Pine trees, which being har­dened by the aire, is yellow and bright; that is white and duskish is bastard Amber.

A second sort of Amber is a liquid substance which flowes from the Sea rock, and about the Sea shoares, and being hardened by the aire, winds and water floats up and down upon the Sea, especially about Florida, and other Indian shoars, and it is of a honyish and waxie colour.

The third kinde of Amber is metallicall, made of metalls, and those more precious then gold, as Jerome, inferiour to it, as Zan­chius saith. This Amber is compounded of gold and shining silver, is very precious, and of great use. But besides this, there is yet another metallicall Amber, called Aurick [...]lcum, the choisest and purest Brasse, and this is thought to be t [...] Chasmal or Amber here mentioned, according to that, Rev. 1.15. His feet were like to fine brasse, as if it had burned in a fiery furnace. Brasse doth most needy resemble fire. The colour of Amber here is a fiery colour, and surely this is neer the truth; but yet it cometh not up fully to the nature of the word here: for I do not finde amongst those that search into the nature of words, that this word Chasmal is interpreted Amber, as the learned observe,Prunam ar­dentissimam, or, summe ignitam. it signifies a coal that is fired most intensively; a coal that hath the utmost heat it's ca­pable of, so hot, that presently it burneth any thing it toucheth: such coals are more red and lively then others, and it comes neerest to the nature of the word to render it, [...] quasi [...] fest [...]nant [...]r ex­cidens consu­mens. Color insignis, Calv. as the colour of a burning coal. Hence Junius and Tremelius render the word, Color vividissimus, the most lively colour; for nothing hath a more lively colour then hot coals, or fine Brasse burning in the fire: ei­ther of which, you may take, but I rather cleave to that of burn­ing coals, which being in the midst of the fire, might so sparkle [Page 80] and shine, as to dazle the eyes: and whether Chasmal in this place, were not more fitly rendred, as the colour of burning brass, or of a burning coal, then as the colour of Amber, I leave to consideration.

Now what is meant by this Amber or coal, there is great di­spute; some understand by it Christ, because he is more precious then Amber, more lively then any burning coal whatsoever. But we must lay this sense aside, because there is a Vision of Christ in the latter end of the Chapter. The soundest Expositors by Chasmal, leade us to some inferiour to Christ, viz. the Angels, who are called Seraphims, Animalia ignea, as Kimchi hath it; of Sa­raph, to burne, and Seraphims are fiery burning creatures, Isa. 6.2. About it stood the Seraphims, that is, the fiery burning Angels; an­swerable to the Chasmal or burning coales here. So in Iudges 13.20. an Angel went up to heaven in a flame of fire, that element was most sutable to Seraphicall and Angelicall nature. 2 King. 6.17. There were horses and chariots of fire round about Elisha, and Angels were in those chariots. They are likened to fire, be­cause of their ardent and burning zeale to doe the will of God, Psal. 103.20.

For the word [Colour] the colour of amber, in the Hebrew it is, the eye of amber, the organ is put for the object: so you have it used, Numb. 11.7. The colour of it was as the colour of Bdelium; the Hebrew is, the eye of it was as the eye of Bdelium.

Now having given you the meaning of Chasmal, viz. that he saw Angels of fiery colour, like to hot burning coales, so intense and zealous that they were ready to doe and execute whatsoever God would have done;

Note hence;

1. That heavenly things are so transcendent, and we so weake, that we can comprehend or receive very little of them. They must be presented in things beneath their excellency, to make us capa­ble of a little of them.Per corporales ostensiones in­corporearum percipimus no­titiam. Prad. God must manifest his minde here by winds, clouds, by brightnesse of a cloud, by a fire infolding, by burning coales, that so we may take up a little of the minde of God. Joh. 3.12. saith Christ to Nicodemus, If I have spoken to thee of earthly things, and thou doest not understand them, how wilt thou understand if I speake unto thee of heavenly things? Nicodemus a Do­ctor in Israel, did not apprehend the doctrine of regeneration, [Page 81] when expressed in his owne Dialect: had Christ spoken of the great things of the kingdome of heaven in their own nature, how could he or any of us have understood? Here wee see darkly and as in a glasse. God is pleased to goe in the way of man with us, to condescend to our capacities, and to present heavenly things in Hieroglyphicks, winds, clouds, fire and coales, that so we may have a little apprehension of the nature of those things.

2. That heavenly Spirits are most pure and lively. So much the word Chasmal leads us unto; it noteth coales that have no darknesse, no smoake in them, that are altogether fiery, and so lively as that they cannot be more lively. Such is God, he is light, and no darknesse, he is more lively then all the world beside. He is Actus purissimus, all his actions exceed our apprehensions. Such are Angels, they are pure and lively creatures, Heb. 1.7. Angels are Spirits for their puritie, and flames of fire for their activitie and zeale. Rev. 15.6.Sunt lumina­ria clarissima, specula pura, quantum pos­sibile est sum­ma luci simil­lima. Diony­sius. the seven Angels are clothed in pure and white linnen, and their breast girded with golden girdles: pure linnen they have and golden girdles, no spot in the linnen, no drosse in the gold; to set out their puritie: and girt they are, to shew their readinesse and zeale to doe the will of God: they are as burning lively coales, that if God doe but speake the word, they run, they flie. But of this more hereafter.

Four living creatures.

These were four Angels in particular; some conceive Michael, Gabriel, Raphael, and Ʋriel, which were chief over the rest the whole Host of Angels. But that is not the sense, neither that God only uses four Angels in his service: for many thousands are imployed, Luke 2.13. There was a multitude of the heavenly Host, and 2 King. 6.17. there was an army with the Prophet; but it relates to the object, viz. The world, which is distinguished into four parts, East, West, North and South, the work of these Angels laid in all those parts, and none of them exempt from the presence, observation and operation of the Angels.

Obs. 1. That God imployes not ignorant silly ones in his ser­vice, but those are intelligent, Angels that are wise and very knowing; such should the Angels of the Churches be; [...] The Priests lips should keep knowledge, Mal. 2.7. And as God is termed, 1 Sam. 2.3. a God of knowledges; so should he be a man of knowledges: the Pharisees were blind guides, and what a multitude of blind Priests were there till within these few yeeres in the Christian world? and too many there are to this day that have their right eye darkned, Zach. 11. last. But the man of God should have new and old in his treasury, and be throughly furnished unuo every and word and work.

2. That the Angels are in all quarters of the world, taking no­tice of mens words, works and wayes they go, I had almost said of their very thoughts, and that they do,Si signo exter­no prodantur, Lesl. if discovered by some sign; Angels can be present at all times, know what devils or other men can know of us; any voyce, any act they are privie to; yea, by outward expressions they may gather what is within, they being spirits, can insinuate far into our hearts and natures, though not immediately know our thoughts. Therefore we should carry our selves soberly, righteously and holily in this world in re­gard of them: 1 Cor. 11.10. the woman is to have power on her [Page 86] head because of the Angels, she is to be covered, and to carry her self modestly, reverendly, because of the Angels. Psal. 138.1. Before the gods will I sing to thee: the vulgar hath, in conspectu An­gelorum, before the Angels, their presence should awe men and wo­men, and keep them from all dishonesty, evill words, acts, gestures, secret grudging, all discontents and distempers; for as they are rejoyced to discern a good frame of spirit in you,Grata est An­gelis pia significatio, Aug. to see you keep that order God hath set in the Church and State, to walk as Christians to the honour of God; so they are grieved to see the contrary,Magna cura vigilanti stu­dio ad [...]unt no­bis omnibus horis & locis succurrentes & providentes omnibus neces­sitat bus no­stris gemitus nostros & su­spiria referentes ad Deum. Amb [...]lant nobiscum, in omnibus viis nostris, considerantes quam piè quam honestè in med o pravae nationis conversemur, adjuvant laborantes, protegunt quiescentes, hortantur pugnan­tes, coronant vincentes; grandi [...] eis cura de nobis, August. Soliloq. c. 27. and you must answer for your sins against these great officers in the great family of heaven and earth: a thing that is little thought on, but if it be a sin to despise and grieve a believer, a brother that is inferiour to an angel, is it not much more a sin to dishonour their presence, and grieve their persons? Smoak drives away Bees, and an ill savour Doves, so do ill passages drive away the Spirit and Angels of God, Eccl. 5.6. The Angel that is of Gods councell, a witnesse of our wayes, will not take it well, the Angell may smite thee for neg­lect of duties, ill performances of them.

3. That men should be ashamed to be ignorant, seeing angels are likened unto them for knowledge and understanding. Many men, yea, such as are called Christians are brutish in their know­ledge, their souls serve only for salt to keep their bodies from pu­trefaction, Eph. 2.12. without God in the world; that is, with­out the fear, authority and soveraignity of God falling upon their hearts, and without the knowledge of God in their heads; and God may say of many Christians, My people is foolish, they have not known me, they are foolish children, they have none under­standing, they are wise to do evill, but to do good they have no knowledge; Jer. 4.22. The Apostle bids us in understanding to be men; shall we be babes only, let us now be Angels in under­standing; David was wise as an Angel, and the Saints shall judge the Angels, 1 Cor. 6. The evill Angels, they are very subtile, they have their depths, methods, wiles, and how shall we do it, if we be ignorant; they come to the Assemblies to get advantage [Page 87] to accuse us, let us get knowledge to condemn them.

4. That God doth interest Angels and use their service in the government of the world; not only men, Magistrates and Mini­sters, but Angels also.Carcer Dei & Angelorum. The Jews made Jerusalem the prison of God and Angels, they thought that neither God nor his Angels did appeare, or rule any where else. To take off this conceit, God appeares to Ezekiel in Babylon after this manner, to convince him, that he and his Angels do govern there, and in all quarters of the world, as well as at Sion; that God rules in the world is granted, but that Angels should help to sway the Scepter is not so credible. A little therefore to clear it, 2 Cor. 4.4. In whom the God of this world hath blinded their minds; some understand it of the true God that created the world, but the best interpreters give us in Satan here, and make him the god of the world,Exemplo im­perio & sug­gestione. and that by ex­ample, command and suggestion, and Christ doth thrice call Satan the prince of the world, Joh. 12.31.14.30.16.11. and Eph. 2.2. ac­cording to the Prince of the power of the aire, the spirit that now worketh. Vnaquaeque res v sibil [...]s habet Angeli­cam potesta­tem sibi praepo­sitam, Aug in l. 83. qu. 79. q. In hoc mundo visibil nih [...]l n si per crea­turam nv [...]si­bilem d sponi potest. Thom. 1. part qu. 110. The devill hath great power in the aire to raise winds, to cause storms, thunder, lightning, which is the power of the aire, and the same power hath he in the spirits of the children of disobedi­ence, and by that spirit whereof he is Lord, he can move them any way, as the winds and clouds, and carry them against Christ and his truths. Now hence I infer, that if Satan and ill Angels be as gods, princes in this world, have power in the aire and hearts of wicked men, then must it needs follow, that good Angels are as Gods, and princes, and have as much power in the world and hearts of good men as they, otherwise devils should gain by their fall more then ever they had by their standing, and it's not cre­dible that wicked damned spirits should have more honourable titles and larger power then the holy and glorious Angels.

What be those services the good Angels are imployed in?

Answ. 1. To inform us of Gods will, and God of our wayes.

They acquaint us with Gods mind,Gen. 18.19. Angels told Abraham and Lot what God would do to Sodome: an Angell tells Elijah, 2 King. 1.3. what to say to the Messengers of the King of Samariu [...] an Angel tels the Apostles,Act. 1.11. that Christ shall return in that manner they had seen him go up to heaven. Christ tels John, Rev. 22.16. that he had sent his Angels to testifie those things in the Churches: the [Page 88] Angel tels Daniel that he came forth to give him skill and under­standing, Chap. 9.22. Mat. 1.20.2.13. An Angel informs Jo­seph of the minde of God, touching Mary and Christ. So to in­form God what is done here among men, the Angels went up the ladder as well as came down, Zach. 1.11. The Angel sent out by the Lord, certified the Angel Christ, that stood among the Myrtle trees,Per M [...]nistros more potentis­st [...]m regis om­nia faci [...], Bonav. that they had travelled up and down the world, and behold, say they, all the earth sitteth still, and is at rest; This God doth for honour and not necessity, he knoweth all things, but he will have them witnesses of his will.

2. In opposing the great enemies of Christ and his Church, whereupon they intermedle with Kings and Kingdomes, and the great affaires thereof. Dan. 10.20. Knowest thou wherefore I come unto thee? now will I return to fight with the King of Persia, and when I am gone forth, lo, the Prince of Grecia shall come. This Angel Gabriel oppos'd the cruell Edicts of Cambyses, King of Persia, who labou­red to keep the Jewes in captivity longer, and to oppresse them so­rer then others had done; but Gabriel kept them from execution, and brought his kingdome to ruine by degrees; and therefore he saith the Prince of Grecia shall come, I will leave Persia, and go into Greece, and stir up Alexander to come into Persia and spoile the King of his kingdome: when Princes are stirred up by flatterers and prophane wretches to oppresse the godly, to hinder the work of the Temple, then Angels do fight against them. Elesbaan King of the Ethiopians being in armes against Dunaam a Tyrant, his ar­my was much oppressed with famine and the power of the Ty­rant, whereupon he dyed to God for help, and presently heard, Gabriel, Gabriel, Gabriel, thrice he heard that voyce from hea­ven, intimating, that Gabriel would help him; whereupon he joyned battell with the Tyrant, overcame, kill'd most, and took the Tyrant King of the Homerites, Baron. anno. 523. Ammonius de gestis, Fran­corum, l. 3. c. 87.88. Vbi non est contrarietas voluntatis, non est pugna. and bound him in chaines. At a great battell between Clotharius and Theodoricus was seen an Angel with a drawn sword, and many were slain on both sides. Some understand these Princes to be Spirits, if good, there is no discord between them; good Angels are without sin, and so no opposition in their wills to Gods, or one another; if of evill An­gels, it's that wee aim at, the good Angels oppose and contend against the evill with all their strength, Rev. 12.7. Michael and [Page 89] his Angels fought against the Dragon and his. There was a great bat­tell in heaven, the Devill and his angels were cast out, which is for the great comfort of Sion; certainly devils and devillish men would over-run all, if there were not Angels imployed in the four quarters of the world, to keep the Church and people of God: when Balaam and Balak would have curst Gods people, an An­gel cometh forth and fights against them, Numb. 22.22. This is one great office of the Angels, to fight against Princes, Potentates, and men of the earth, that seek to oppresse the people of God, and labour to hinder Temple work and the welfare of Sion.

3. To execute the judgements of God upon wicked men: the death of their first-born in Egypt (which was the chiefest of the plagues, and touched them neerest) was done by a destroying An­gell; who therefore is called Hammaschchit, Exod. 12.23. the de­stroyer shall not come into their houses, but into the Egyptians he did come; the singular number is put for the plurall, a thing usuall in Scripture, and so the sense is, that Angels were the de­stroyers of Egyptians: and the Psalmist in the 78. Psalm. 49. saith, God did this work by sending evill Angels among them; not that these Angels were wicked spirits, as some have thought, but An­gels or messengers of evill, of death unto them. The Egyptian Sor­cerers used the help of wicked Angels to oppose Moses and harden the Egyptians, and God used the help of good Angels to punish evill doers; they have been, and are imployed in such service; the Angels that came to Lots house, smote the Sodomites with blind­nesse, great and small, which were at Lots door, Gen. 19.11. They fetched fire from heaven, and destroyed the place, ver. 13. When seventy thousand died of the plague, 2 Sam. 24.17. in Davids dayes, it is made the work of an Angel, ver. 17. he saw the Angel that smote the people; it was an Angel that slew 185000. Assyrians. Isa. 37.36. Psal. 35.5, 6. It's their work to chase and persecute wicked men; often Angels of God do suddenly destroy them. Act. 12.23. And immediately the Angel of the Lord smote him; Lorinus thinks it was the Devill did it, but it was some good Angel, that being zealous for God, did vindicate his glory, which was given to a mortall sinfull man. Angels cannot indure this dishonour; Josephus in his 19^th. Book and 8. Chap. sets out this story fully, how he came in, in cloth of silver, was saluted as a God, saw an Owle over his [Page 90] head,Ego ill [...] v [...]stra ap [...]llat une [...] vitam relinquere ju­ [...]eor satali ne­cessitate coar­guente vestrū mudacum & quem [...]n [...] ­talem salu­ [...]ast [...]s admo [...] ­tem [...]. felt a pain in his bowels, and said, I whom yee all call a God, am commanded to leave my Godship, and by death to con­fute your lie of my immortality. Neither belongeth it to Angels only to punish the wicked, but to exercise chastisement upon the godly; an Angel meets Moses in the Inn, and would have slain him; Exod. 4.24. So the Greek and Chaldee reade it; and that because he neglected the circumcision of Moses; an Angel smote Zachary with dumbnesse, because of his unbeliefe, Luke 1. So an Angel corrected David for his sin of numbering his people.

4. To defend the godly, to save and deliver them from harms: this is a constant office; they keep the Saints from evill men, spi­rits and things. Rev. 7.1, 2, 3. Four Angels stood on the four corners of the earth, and held the four winds of the earth, that they should not blow on the Sea, or any tree: and another Angel cryes to the four, hurt not the earth, sea, trees, till we have sealed the servants of our God in their foreheads. Psal. 34.7. The Angel of the Lord encampeth round about them that feare him, and delivereth them; An­gels are like Armies round about the Generall, and keep from danger; when Jacob was to meet with his brother Esau, (who came with a band of four hundred men against him) the Angels of God met him, (they are forward to this service) Gen. 32.1, 2. And when he saw them, what, said he, This is Gods host, what need I fear my brothers host? and he called the place Mahanaim, or Ma­chanaim; It's in the duall number, and notes two Hosts, two Camps: if my brother have one band, I have two, if he have men, I have Angels, if four hundred men, I have twice four hundred Angels. When Elisha was in Dothan, the King of Syria sent a great Host with horses and Chariots, and they came by night, compast the City about, and now Elisha is a lost man, and Ge­hezi cryes out, Alas Master, what shall we do? Fear not, saith he,2 King. 6.14.15, 16, 17. they that be with us, are more then they that be with them; and when the young mans eyes were opened, he saw the moun­tains full of Horses and Chariots of fire, and that round about Elisha; was there an army against Elisha? here is an army for him: were they many? here are more: were there Chariots and Horses? here be Chariots and Horses of fire. When Daniel was in the den of Lions, hee had no fire to scare them, no weapon or strength to kill them, but an Angel is sent to shut their mouths; [Page 91] so that here is a wonder, a Lamb amongst Lions, and not rent in pieces; where Angels are the Lambs keepers, there the Lions are toothlesse and mouthlesse; the Angels have a speciall charge of the godly: Psal. 91.11. He shall give his Angels charge over thee, the Angels stand charged with the custody of the godly, and when a guard is set about a person of quality, who dares come neer to hurt such a one? It's said in the 7. verse, A thousand shall fall at thy side, and ten thousand at thy right hand, but it shall not come nigh thee; It's nigh, when at a mans side, at his right hand; but it shall not come nigh to hurt thee; and what's the reason? for, hee shall give his Angels charge, &c. They look well to their charge, they neither slumber nor sleep, Rev. 21.12. Gods care of his Church now, is greater then it was under the Law; for the wrath is double to what it was then, there are twelve Angels at the gates of Jerusalem; whereas in Ezekiel 9.2. there were but six. The Church being now inlarged, the enemies are inraged, and the guarding Angels increased; no sooner were the Apostles impri­soned, but an Angel brings them forth, Act. 5.8, 9. and what great things the Angel did for Peter, Act. 12. is known to all;Ver. 15. his deli­verance was so great, that they could not believe hee was come forth and knockt at the door, but that it was his Angel; whence the opinion of Tutelar Angels hath received great strength: some affirm from hence,Dan. 6.2 [...]. that every man hath his particular Angel to keep him, which seems rather a Platonicall conceit, then a Scripture truth, for Isidorus Clarius turns this place, his Messenger,Nuncius ejus. and so the word is used in Scripture. Judg. 2.1. The Angel of the Lord came up, or Messenger, as it's in the Margent; and Mal. 3.1. I will send my Messenger, the Hebrew is my Angel: and surely this party that knockt at the door was Peters Messenger, not his Angel; and if this be well rendred Angel, why is not that so rendred, Luke 7.24. [...]. The Angels of John being departed; it's the Messenger, and so it were better here, his Messenger, then his Angel: for shall we sup­pose the faithfull so ignorant, as to think an Angel could not come in without knocking, and having doors opened? Besides, the ap­parition of an Angel woud have affrighted them greatly. Not to stick at this, although we find not warrant in the Word for assign­ment of a particular Angel to every man, yet wee acknowledge many Angels appointed to that work. Matth. 18.10. Their [Page 92] Angels (not their Angel) behold the face of my Father.

5. To guide and leade the godly in good and safe wayes. Gen. 24.7. Hee shall send his angels before thee, and thou shalt take a wife unto my son from thence; So ver. 40. hee will send his Angel with thee and prosper thy way: the businesse of marriage is so weighty and honourable, that Angels presence and assistance is in it; Angels are present and president over that work: Psal. 91.11, 12. They are charged to keep thee in all thy wayes, to beare thee up in their arms, that is, their strength shall be imployed to uphold and lead thee in a good way: God begets children to himself by the Word and Spirit, and puts them forth to Angels to nurse, to guide, and lead; it's a metaphor taken from Nurses, that bear their children upon their arms, and lift them over thresholds, Exod. 32.34. Behold, Angeli reges, & Domini eo­rum sunt quos regunt. saith God to Moses, my Angel shall go before thee, he was to go to Canaan, and an Angel was to lead him that way, Angels are well acquainted with the wayes to heaven, if you will go that way, you are sure to meet with Angels.

6. To comfort; next Christ and the Spirit, Angels are the best comforters, because they stand neerest God always, before his face, and they are sent to comfort Gods servants, when in straits, un­der pressures. Mary was a poore Maid, of mean condition, and to her comes an Angel, Luke 1.30. Feare not Mary, thou hast found favour with God, So Cornelius, thy prayers and almes are come up, a memoriall before God. Acts 10.4. Chap. 27.24. When the Ship was tossed, waves, winds and darknesse conspired their ruine, then saith Paul, an Angel stood by me, and said, Fear not Paul, God hath given thee thy life and the lives of all with thee, wherefore be of good cheer, he had drunk a cup of Angelicall consolation, and knew well to comfort them with the same consolation. When Daniel fasted and prayed, and was much afflicted for his people, Dan. 9. Chap. 10.11.12. O Da­niel, a man greatly beloved, understand the words that I speak unto thee; for unto thee am I now sent, fear not Daniel. Mary rises early, and meets with Angels that comforted her, John 20. Luke 22.43. An Angel appeared to Christ and strengthened him, the servant comforted the master.

7. To look unto the souls of men, that they fall not into the hands of Devils at their death; for if the Devill durst contend with Michael for the body of Moses, much more for the souls of [Page 93] men. Luke 16.22. Lazarus soul was carried by the Angels into Abrahams bosome, men carry the carkasse to the ground, but An­gels carry the soul to glory, they guard it through the clouds in­to the presence of the blessed God: before he had none but Dogs to pity him, now hee hath Angels to attend him. The Devill is mighty busie while we live, hee goes about like a roaring Lion, but at death then he is most busie, and presumes there is a tree cut down for his fire.

8. They are Gods reapers at the end of the world. Mat. 24.31. He shall send his Angels, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of the world to another; they must blow that terrible trumpet, awaken the dead, and cite them to judgement; they must gather the ashes, bones, limbs, bodies of Saints together. Matth. 13.41, 42. The Son of man shall send his Angels, and they shall, &c. Basil in his Hom. of 40. Martyrs, tels of one that seeing them thrust in a Winters night into a cold lake, he saw Angels descend, and putting Crowns upon all their heads, but one.

9. To declare Kingdomes, Cities, People cursed. Judg. 5.23. Curse yee Meroz bitterly, said the Angel of the Lord, A Lapid. in locum. because they came not out to help, &c. Some think this Angel was Michael, who was Generall in this war, but that is the opinion of men, not the war­rant of Scripture.

10. The Angels have work and power in the Church of God. Rev. 15.6. Seven Angels came out of the Temple, and Chap. 14.15, 17. Another Angel came out of the Temple; Angels being in the Temple is often spoken of, and notes some power, that they have in the Assemblies under the Gospel. Zach. 3.Ribera. The stone with seven eyes some make to be Christ with his Angels that are imployed for the government of the Church throughout the world; and surely Michael and his Angels do contend daily in the Assemblies against the Dragon and his; In the Assemblies, Devils are present and active, Satan stood at Joshuahs right hand to resist him, to hin­der all the Temple work; when we are neer God, devils are neer us, intending mischief, but Angels are at hand, and hinder their designes; they observe us and our carriages in the Congregation. Eccl. 5.6. Make not vowes, and then slight them, there is an An­gel present; and it will not be enough to say it was an error, God [Page 94] will be angry, and an Angel may smite thee for it; this is spoken of us, when we are in the House of God, there the Angels keep speciall watch.

Lib. 6. de bello Iudaico, Relin­quamus has fedes. L. 7. c. 12. Migremus hinc. Aud to major humana vox exced [...]re deos, Tacit. Josephus saith, that the voyce of an Angel was heard out of the Temple, saying; Let us leave these seats; they had a place in the Church as well as others: and again, he saith, the Angels were the keepers of the Jewish people, and that a little before the Romans coming, was heard a voyce out of the Temple, Let us go hence: and a Heathen Writer saith, that a voyce greater then mans was heard, That the gods were departing.

The sole of their feet was like the sole of a Calves foot. [...]

As it were the sole of a round foot, Quasi planta pedis rotundi: pedes rotun­dos, like a globe. [...]. Cumt alaribus, Horat. Ad omnen oc­casionem & nutum Dei. so the Hebrew signifieth both round, and a Calf that is fat, and hath round feet, smooth, round, and movable to carry any way: the Septuagint hath it winged feet. Mercury the Poets god, was painted with shoes which had wings: This sets out unto us, both the swiftnesse of Angels, of which before, and also their usefulnesse to move any way to do service in any part of the world, like a Bowle or Globe is equally disposed for motion into any of the four quarters of the world; so are the Angels ready to move any way upon every occasion and hint from heaven: man cannot do so, one man is fit for one ser­vice, not for all; one is fit for counsell, another for war, a third for Sea, a fourth for Land, &c.

They sparkled like the colour of burnished brasse.

Steel or Brasse being polished or burnished, shines very beauti­full, [Page 110] and sends out eye-dazling beams, such as have much glory in them: and by this colour of their feet, we are led into these ob­servations.

Obser. 1. That the Angels are unpolluted in all their ministra­tions: they contract no filth, no soile to their feet; when they are in motion they are pure spirits, act purely, and abide most pure, their feet are like polished, not polluted, burnished, not blemished brasse, and so hold forth to us an example of purity in our mini­strations; that wee should be conversant in them, so as to be un­blemished, 1 Tim. 2.8. lifting up holy hands, &c. 2 Pet. 3.11. What manner of persons ought yee to be in all manner of holy conversation? here it's answered, like Angels.

2. That the works of God by Angels or men done rightly with a streight foot, that is, done according to Gods will, have much glory and efficacy in them, they shine like the polished brasse, there is their glory; and sparkle, there is their efficacy. When the Angel destroyed Senacharibs host, what glory and efficacy was in that work? When the Angel came to Manoah, and went up from him in a flame of fire, how glorious was this sight, how ef­ficacious was the work in the heart of Manoah? John preached the truth with a right foot, and without delay, when call'd to it; and hee was a burning and a shining light, Joh. 5.35. Herod found him so: Mark 6.20. He feared John, knowing hee was a just and holy man, the glory of his justice and holinesse shines into his head, and the power of them affected his heart; hee knew, hee feared; actions done according to Gods will, hold forth much of God in them; 1 Cor. 14.24. If an unbeliever come in and heare them prophecy, that is, according to the minde of God, carry the action as be­comes the Church and the presence of God, he is convinced, and almost converted, and saith, God is in you of a truth; hee sees so much glory, feels so much power, that hee can contain no lon­ger, &c. Isa. 52.7. Their feet are beautifull to your eyes, and their actions are efficacious in your hearts; Gods will is the Standard and measure of all actions, and when they are done according to it, they are very glorious and beautifull.

3. That they are cheerfull in the wayes and works of God: they go not dully about their service, their feet do shine, they have more delight in doing one act of Gods will, then wee have [Page 111] in doing all the naturall acts of our lives; you shall finde them in a sweet posture and frame alwayes: Rev. 4.9. they give glory, ho­nour and thanks to God, and Rev. 5. they are brought in singing, and singing a new song, which notes their cheerefulnesse, and intention of it: so in Luke 2. ver. 13, 14. Angels are the Quiristers of heaven, they make heaven heavenly.

The last part they are described by, is their hands.

They ran, and returned.

Here is the qualitie of their motion, it was swift, they had wings to fly, and feete to run: much hath been spoken of the An­gels swiftnesse; I shall here therefore touch upon their returne when their work is done, they make no stay, they linger not at all, but returne with all speed; when God sends them out or calls them in, their motion is very speedy; it's set out here by a flash of lightning, that is the soonest into the world and out againe of any sensible creature, in a moment it is in your houses and out againe, in a moment it shines from East to West, and is gone, it's very glo­rious and marvellous active. Angels are Cherubims of glory, Heb. 9.5. and the most active of all Gods works, and when their work is finished they retire immediately; as lightening when it's come to its period, doth reciprocate and fall back into its selfe without delay; so doe the Angels returne to him sent them out, to know his farther pleasure and to doe him more service.

Obs. 1. That Angels in their services are glorious and terrible: They are like the lightning, which shines, dazles, and doth dread­full things. Judg. 13.20. When Manoah and his wife saw the Angel goe up to heaven in a flame of fire, they fell downe on their faces to the ground, and thought they should dye, ver. 22. It was a received opinion among the Jews, that if they saw God or an An­gel, they should dye upon it. Judg 6.22, 23. Gideon a mightie man of valour, cryes out, Alas, O Lord God, because I have seen an Angel of the Lord face to face: and the Lord said, Feare not, thou shalt notidye: If they had a vision being awake, they apprehended death, but they never had experience of any that dyed upon any such occasion, this rose rather from the apprehension of glory & majesty in God and An­gels, and consciousness of their own weaknes & guilt, as not able to abide the presence of those glorious creatures, that came immediat­ly from the presence of the glorious God; and we finde that some have been much affrighted, and almost struck dead, at the presence of the holy Angels. Mat. 28.2, 3, 4. An Angel comes from hea­ven, whose countenance was like lightning, and his rayment as the Sunne, and for feare of him the Keepers of the Sepulchre did shake [Page 120] and became like dead men, there was no spirit left in them, the glory of the Angel did exanimate them: they are glorious and ter­rible in their ministrations; and so should the Ministers of the Gospel, [...]. the Angels of the Church be: Nazianz. saith of Basil, his speech was thunder, and his life lightning. Such were James and John, Boanerges, sonnes of thunder, Mark. 3.17. They were terri­ble to sinners in their preaching, like thunder and lightning.

2. That account is to be rendered to God of all our services: whom God sets awork, he will reckon with; Angels returne and become responsable to God their Lord and Master, those mightie and glorious creatures, when their work is finished, doe willingly and chearfully returne, and give in their answer; God looks for it, and they delight to doe it; and, account we must all give of our work in the world. Rom. 14.12. Every one of us shall give account of himselfe unto God; God will say to us, Come, give account of your Stewardships, Luk. 16.2. Every one hath a talent, is a Ste­ward, hath some trust committed to him, and he must not thinke to run, and never returne; let men act how they will, returne they shall, be they never so great, be they Princes, Magistrates, Com­manders, &c. Eccles. 12. God shall bring every worke unto Judgement, with every secret thing, whether it be good or evill; both the work and the workman must be questioned. Mat. 12.36. Of every idle word that men shall speake, they shall give an account of in the day of Judge­ment.

3. That Angels are lively and unweariable in their negotiati­ons, they run and returne as a flash of lightning; when they had done great service in the world, they were as lively at the end of it as at the beginning, they return back with as much life and speed as they went forth, and were ready for new imployments, they return'd as to give account of what was done, so to receive new commands and worke. This is a good patterne for us all, that in the workes of God those imployments he calls us to, we grow not weary of; one sinne fits for another, and men are unwearia­ble in that trade; So one dutie should fit for another, and wee should never be tyred in our spirits,Ad laetitiam et animi pacem magnum pon­dus habent re­ctae actiones. though we be in our bodies. Gal. 6.9. Let us not be weary in well-doing; the wicked are weary of and in well-doing: What profit is it, say they, that wee keepe his Commandements, and that we walke humbly before the Lord of Hosts? [Page 121] Mal. 3.14. When will the new Moone be gone, that we may sell corne, and the Sabbath, that we may set forth Wheat? Amos 8.5. Psal. 36.3. He hath left off to be wise, and to doe good. Mal. 1.13. They said, What a wearinesse is it! and snuffed at it, and brought that was torne, lame, sicke; but the godly are never weary of Gods work,Desidia est mors superstes, Vacua est vita. though some­times they are weary in it, through the strength of the flesh, weak­nesse of grace, and other discouragements, but they having tasted how gracious the Lord is, are not, will not, cannot be weary of his service; his Commandements are not grievous to them.

4. That they seek not themselves, but the honour and glory of their Master, they stay not when their work is done, upon plea­sure, curiositie to see or know any thing, but immediately returne, and are taken up wholly with the glorifying of God, they are at­tent, watching his Commands, for they look up; they are intent upon his work, they turne not to either side, look not backe, but goe streight forward; they contend for his glory, they runne, re­turne, and give account, and would have new Commissions, be at work againe, and have God to be glorified to their utmost abili­ties. Isa. 6.3. Holy, holy is the Lord of Host, the whole earth is full of his glory; they see God so glorious, excellent, and holy in himselfe, so glorious in all his works, that they minde not themselves, but God, and make it their onely and great designe, to glorifie God, Rev. 4.8, 9. And this is our duty and comfort if done. 1 Cor. 10.31. Whether you eate or drinke, &c. The glory of the infinite, holy, wise, and great God, should be precious to us, we should attend his commands, intend his worke, contend against all lets, within or without, and promote his worke and glory to our utmost. That worke is not referr'd to Gods glory, but our gaine, credit or profit, is a dead work.Omnibus ope­ribus nostris coelestis inten­tio adjungi de­bet. Aquinas. The School-men call for a right intention in every work, as that which animates and inlivens the same: and though we cannot actually intend Gods glory alwayes in every thing, yet there should be a vertuall intention of it. A bowle runs, an arrow flies by vertue of that arme first sent them forth, and all our actions should proceed in the strength of a morning or prima­ry intention of Gods glory.

One thing yet remaines touching the motion of Angels, name­ly, the efficient cause of their motion, and it's the Spirit, set down in these words:

It went up and down among the living creatures.

The fire and flame that stood not still, [...] but was in perpetuall motion, Mithhallecheth, it made it self to walk of it own accord and pleasure; it went up and down; it, that was fire went up and down among those four formed creatures: some make it the likenesse and appearance it self that went up and down, but it's better to understand it of the fire which is distinct from the like­nesse of the creatures, and it's the vigour of Christs Spirit. Vertue came out from Christ, the King and Judge upon the Throne, which was like fire and flame, to prepare, quicken, and actuate these spirits to a fuller execution of divine pleasure.

It was light, and out of the fire went forth lightening.

Here you have the operation of this fire: it was light, that is, it did inlighten the Angels; they saw by this light what was to be done in this great design of Christ in saving the innocent, and pu­nishing the guilty. Out of it went forth lightning; that is, the effect of it was dreadfull unto men, as lightning is; the judge­ments of Christ executed by Angels in the world, work effectually for the benefit of the godly, and for the undoing of the wicked.

Observ. 1. That the Lord Christ doth use Angels in the execu­tion of his judgements upon sinners; an Angel smote Herod, Se­nacheribs host, Pharaohs first-born, the Sodomites. Psal. 35.5, 6. it's the Angel of the Lord that chaseth and persecutes the wicked.

2. That Angels are zealous, forward and effectuall in executing judgements upon delinquents; they are burning Coals, Heb. 1.7. they are called a flame of fire; fire is hot, and notes their zeal and forwardnesse; it's active and consuming, which notes their effectu­alnesse: Angels are like the fire that fell upon Elijah's sacrifice, which consumed the sacrifice, the wood, stones, dust, and licked up the water, 1 King. 18.38. So effectuall was that fire, that nothing could stand before it; and when the Lord Christ sends out Angels, none can stand before them, they are so zealous of, and effectuall in the execution of his judgements. The wicked are but as the wood, stones, dust and water, these flames of fire will consume them. This should quicken Magistrates and those be armed with authority, to be zealous and forward in punishing malefactors, and executing judgement upon delinquents. Rom. 13.4. The sword is not given them in vain, they are revengers of Gods quarrell, and it's Angelicall to execute wrath upon them do evill; it was Sauls sin that he spared Agag, but Samuels glory that hee hewed him in pieces, hee was zealous, forward and effectuall in it; so Asa in removing his mother Maachah from being Queen, because she had made an Idoll in a grove, which he cut down, 2 Chron. 15.16. and brake her Idoll in pieces, and burnt it. Those are appointed of God to see justice done, if they do it not, become guilty them­selves. Old Eli a Judge in Israel, because hee was too partiall to­wards his sons, God was angry, and his end was sad. Lewis the 11^th, King of France, having pardoned a murtherer twice, and [Page 127] suing again for his life, said, What, dost thou ask pardon again?Iam tertium homicidium perpetrasti. this is the third murther thou art guilty of: his fool standing by, said, The other two are thine, who didst pardon them, this is his first; had justice been executed then upon him, hee would never have fallen into this. So another Lewis having pardoned a mur­therer, and afterward reading that in the 106. Psalme v. 3. Blessed are they that keep judgement, and he that doth righteousnesse at all times; presently recalled the pardon, and said,Non minus co­ram Deo veus est quam si [...]pse perpetrass [...]. That Prince which doth not punish delinquents when he may, is no lesse guilty before the Lord, then if he himself had done the fact. Let those therefore that it concerns, be zealous of, ready to, and effectuall in the execution of justice upon delinquents.

3. That Angels have new influence from Christ suitable to the Ministration they are to be imployed in; though Angels be crea­tures of much knowledge, wisdome, strength, speed, and usefulness, yet when Christ is to imploy them, they must have new vertue and influence; it went up and down among the living creatures: Let them be as burning coals, they have need of more heat; let them be as lamps, they have need of more light, their services are great, and Christ contributes unto them continually: as they have new instructions,Quae adsingu­lares vocatio­nes & effectio­nes corum sunt necessariae. so new accessions and additions of vertue which are needfull to their callings and operations. If they have need of divine vertue to further them in their operations, much more have we need of fresh supplies. Joh. 15.5. Without me yee can do nothing; hee saith not, you may do something, or you can do little, but plainly, without mee you can do nothing; it's the vertue and influence of Christ which inables Angels and men to do the duties of their places and callings, Phil. 4.13. I can do all things through Christ that strengthens me; when Hee sits upon the Throne, sends out fire and flame, light and heat to strengthen us, then can wee do all things, 1 Cor. 12.5. There are difference of admininistrations, but the same Lord; it's the Lord Christ, that appoints the admi­nistration of men and Angels, that gives direction about them with supplyes of grace and strength, to exercise them; when we go about any imployments of our generall and particular callings, wee should consider our own impotency, and look up to Christ, who hath all fulnesse, and is ready to send out vertue to supply all our wants; therefore Paul tels the Philippians, Chap. 4. ver. 19. [Page 128] My God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory, by Christ Jesus.

4. That the divine vertue comes from Christ, is an active thing, it went up and down, it rested not. Men have sought af­ter the perpetuall motion, and lo, here it is: this vertue acted con­tinually in the Angels; it went not by a transitive motion, from one Angel to another, but the motion was immanent, continually acting in them, and therefore it is called fire, which is a living active thing. The Word of God was as fire. Jer. 20.9. His Word was within mine heart as a burning fire shut up in my bones, and I was weary with forbearing, and I could not stay; it overcame him, and quickened him up to his work, when hee thought to preach no more; many a Christian thinks to heare, pray, reade, meditate, receive no more, but there is vertue gone out from Christ, that will walk up and down in them, and cause them to fall to it again: that vertue comes forth from Christ, is no dull thing. 1 Cor. 15.10. Paul had fire from Christ, and it set him awork; I laboured more abundantly then they all; see how active he was, hee exceeded all the rest of the Apostles; and how came that about? what me­tall was he made of? he had fire from Christ, it was not I, but the grace of God that was with mee, that went up and down in him, and fired his affections and spirit. David, Psal. 39.3. thought to be silent, and not to speak any more before the wicked, I, even from good conference he refrained; but what was the issue? my heart was hot within mee; the vertue and fire he had from Christ began to work, while I was musing, the fire burned and flamed out, then I spake; Hee could hold no longer: So Acts 4.20. Wee cannot but speak the things we have seen and heard,

5. That actions done by divine vertue, afford light and light­ning: the fire went up and down among the Angels, put them up­on execution of judgement; and from hence, (these actions being so done) prove light and lightning to the world; they are seen, and seen far. They are light to the godly: when Angels execute Gods judgements upon sinners, the Saints see much in it; they see matter of feare and praise; of feare, in that Gods power, wrath, and hatred are manifested in them against sin and sinners: of praise, in that themselves are delivered, and justice is performed. Psal. 58.10, 11. The righteous shall rejoyce when hee seeth the venge­ance, [Page 129] hee shall wash his feet in the blood of the wicked: when the wicked are taken away by a divine stroke, by the hand of justice, and God hath the glory of his justice, the righteous rejoyce at it: but is that all? no, Hee washeth his feet in the blood of the wicked, that is, by this judgement he fears and reformes; it's a metaphor taken from the practice of those parts, where they went bare­foot, or with Sandalls, and so contracted much filth, and used to wash and cleanse their feet when they came in; so here, the godly seeing the hand of God upon the wicked, feares, and judges himself for his sins, purges his conscience and affections, and stands now in awe of that God who hath stricken the wicked for those sins, which hee himself in part is guilty of. Waldus, a man of note in Lions, seeing one struck dead in his presence, he washed his hands in his blood, for presently he gave almes to the poor, instructed his family in the true knowledge of God, and ex­horted all came unto him to repentance and holinesse of life.

They are lightning to the wicked, that is, dreadfull and con­founding. In this worke of executing judgement, as they are lamps to light the godly, so they are burning coales, and light­ning to destroy the wicked. How terrible was the destroying An­gel when the plague was in Davids dayes? Rev. 16. when the An­gels powred out their vials of wrath, how dreadfull were they? men blasphemed and repented not, to give glory to God.

They four had one likenesse.

All the wheels were equall, none higher then other, greater, lesser, but an even and suitable proportion between them all, no difference was to be espied at all.

1. This informs us that there is no stability in any part of the world, but changes every where, and such in other parts as they finde with us. But of this before.

2. That Gods administration of the World, and all the wheels of it, is equall and harmonious; this is set out to us by the likenesse of the wheels, although in the world and things of it there be disparities, inconstancies, strange motions and mutations; yet the wisdome and providence of God moves and turns the wheels, so that there is an admirable equability and harmony in all things; and if our eyes were opened, we should see and say, that no wheel could be moved better, to us the wheels seem all out of course, and to run with crooked moti­ons, and to be hurried contrary wayes by men and devills; but all things are in their right course,Nulla l [...]nea possit melius dirigi; Rectis­sime omnia in­ter se consen­tiunt. and move that way God would have them; and what ever the appearance be, all things agree well among themselves. Wee oft condemn the sen­tence the Judge hath given, and blame a man for going about when he may goe a neerer way; but when the reasons are made known, then we are satisfied.

Their appearance and their worke was as it were a wheele in the midst of a wheele.

Here you have the forme of the wheeles: a wheele in a wheele. This is hard to explaine unto you. The words may be taken ei­ther transverse, Vt duo circu li ad rectos an­gulos se inter­secantes. or comprehensive.

1. Transverse; the wheeles were crosse-wise intangled in one another; as the lines or circles in a globe cut and crosse one ano­ther; they were so intangled, Ʋt transversa esset complexio, they were in one another crosse-wise; and hereby is laid before us the severall crosse, intangled, and difficult motions of things in the world; all things doe not goe one way, nor evenly in our fight [Page 143] and apprehension, but there are crosse motions, great intricate­nesse, and knottinesse in the affaires of the world.

2. Comprehensive; a wheele in a wheele, not the gnave stocke in the midst of the wheele, to which the spokes are fasten'd; for that hath not the forme of a wheele: but there was one wheele in another; as the orbes of the heavens comprehend one another; as in some Water-works, and Watches, there be wheeles one in another: and then the meaning is, that there is a secret hidden motion or wheele, that moves the wheeles which way soever they run.

Observe first, that the motions of the world, and kingdomes are perplexed and crosse motions; like a wheele in a wheele; Saul moved with all his strength to settle the kingdome upon his own Son; but he met with a contrary motion; David is anointed to be King, and the men of warre came to David to Hebron, to turne the kingdome of Saul to him, 1 Chron. 12.23. And so Adonijah said to Bathshebah, the kingdome that was mine is turned about and become my brothers; hee met with a crosse wheele that carri­ed the kingdome from him, 1 King. 2.15. How perplexed, intan­gled, were the motions of the Jewish affaires, both in Babylon and at Jerusalem, when the Prophet saw this vision?The Papists doe erect reg­num in regno, an ecclesiasti­call monarchy in the tempo­rall, exempt from tempo­rall jurisdicti­on, onely sub­ject ob pacem, or bonum com­mune, if sub­ject at all; and so they give Monarchs a broken right in some things but defeasible in other things by their spiri­tuall Monar­chie. Nebuchadnezzars wheele was in theirs, and intangled them much in both places. What crosse motions were in France, when the King of Navarre, Prince of Condee, the Admirall, and all that were of the Religion, looked for peace, and met with a massacre? Are not there Ro­mish, Spanish, French, and Popish wheeles moving in our King­dome, Armies, and Councels? Look at this instant upon the mo­tions of this Kingdome, in Parliament, or out of it, and they are exceeding intricate; Never was skaine of silke or thread so knot­ty, or involved, as the affaires of the kingdome and world are; never bird so intangled in the Limetwigs or Net, as things are at this time.

2. The motions to mutations and ruines are very swift; things move faster then we conceive to their ends; The Jewes hasted out of Aegypt, and destruction hasted on the Aegyptians. A wheele in a wheele, notes intension of motion; as Elias prayed in prayer, Jam. 5.17. That is, he was intense; so a wheele in a wheele, inti­mates intensenesse of the motion. All things make speed to their owne ruine.

[Page 144]3. There is a secret motion which carries on the wheeles, and moves them that way they goe, there is a wheele in a wheele, and that sets the other a moving; as a spring in a Watch sets all the wheeles agoing; some latent engine stirs the wheels of the world: in some places you shall see the waters suddenly fly all about you; the cause of that motion is hidden; so in all the motions, turnes, and stirres of the world, there is a secret wheele, divine provi­dence, that sets on worke and carries on. That was a great wheele and turne, when ten tribes at once fell from Rehoboam, and ran to Jeroboam; Politicians and Statesmen could see sedition, rebellion, and treason in that motion, the outward wheele was obvious, but the wheele in the wheele was not seene by every eye: Behold, I will rend the Kingdome out of Solomons hands, and give ten Tribes to thee, 1 King. 11.31. If there be divisions, ruines, plunderings in a Kingdome, there is a wheele in those wheeles, a providence that acts and orders. Job 6.5. Afflictions come not forth of the dust, nor trouble out of the ground, they come out of the wheele, God turnes that upon Kingdomes, and families; as Micah 1.12. Evill came downe from the Lord to the gates of Jerusalem; God hath a wheele in all the wheeling businesses of the world. Anastasius the Emperour being inform'd of a conspiracy against him and the State,Zonar. com­manded Justinian and Justinus, with many others, to be executed, by a voice in the night he was bid to spare Justinian and Justinus, for they were to doe good service, and they both afterward were Emperours: the motion of the wheele in the wheele sav'd their lives, and advanc'd them to honour. At the Battell of Keinton was a wheele in a wheele, the wheele at first ran for the adverse partie, but the wheele in the wheele turn'd it on our side: At Brainford, there was a wheele in a wheele. When the enemies plots have been their plagues, and their doings their undoings, the wheele in the wheele both moved and turn'd their owne workes upon them, Psal. 9.16.

4. The motions of divine providence in the things of the world, are beyond the reach of the ablest braines. Providence walkes, works so darkly, deeply, changeably, wheeles about, so that mor­talls cannot tell what conclusions to make: when the issues of things are extant, we can see what the antecedent motions carried in their wombe, otherwise not, unlesse wee have it by vision; as [Page 145] here Ezekiel had; or some extraordinary way. Providence hath such bouts and fetches, as puzzle the thoughts and hearts of the ablest and best: when the Children of Israel were at the borders of Canaan, they were carried backe againe to Ezion-gabor. Numb. 33. Exod. 13.18. it's said, God led them about through the way of the Wildernesse, by the red Sea: and so providence leads businesses about, they goe backwards and forwards, so that we cannot make sense of Gods motions in the world; As in Characters, till a man learne, be instructed in them, he can make no sense of them; and men now of rare abilities, cannot tell what sense to make of the motions of the wheeles. Mounsieur Chastileon, Admirall of France, at the match of Charles the 9^th his Sister with the King of Navarre, was invited with the chiefe of the Protestants by the King to cele­brate the marriage at Paris, and to confirme Peace; the Protestants at Rochel advised him not to goe, but importunitie of others pre­vailed with him, he went and was massacred for it. Although he was of great wisdome, hee could not discerne what way the wheeles would move; the wisest man is too weake to spell out the meaning of the wheels, and mysteries of providence; once before he had refused to come to Court at the Kings sending, who sent Mounsieur Du Tore his cousen to advertise him of important af­faires he had to communicate; he suspecting, answered, the King means me no good, and tell him, there be no Count Egmonds in France; I will not suffer my head so easily to be cut off, as he did in Flanders. Roderick King of Spaine to assure himselfe against the children and friends of King Vitiza, whom he had deposed, dismounted all the strong holds, and disarm'd the people; this strengthened him against domestick enemies, not forein attempts; For the Moores invading him, shortly after overthrew him, and finding little resistance, in seven or eight moneths conquer'd almost all Spaine. The Britains molested by the Picts and Scots, cald in the Saxons, who for some time served them to purpose, but in the end conquered them and their Countrey. These could not foresee what would be the issue of things; the motions of providence are so secret and various, that it lyes not within the compasse of mans power to make certain conclusions therefrom.

5. There is a connexion of causes and things together in the world. Hosea 2.21, 22. I will heare the heavens, and they shall heare [Page 146] the earth; that shall heare the corne, wine, and oyle, and they shall heare Jezreel; as in Architecture, there is a dependance and conne­xion.

And the rings were full of eyes round about them four, or, on every side to them four.

Every wheel had eyes: they were stellatae oculis, bedeckt with eyes, as the heaven with stars; there were eyes within, and eyes without, and not a few, but many; every ring, every wheel was full of eyes.

By eyes, we are to understand the active and infinite providence of God, which runs through all things, 2 Chron. 16.9. The eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth; that is, divine providence is active every where.

The Scripture by eyes, referring to God, intends: first, his knowledge and notice of things, Prov. 15.3. The eyes of the Lord are in every place, beholding the evill and the good: secondly, his care, Psal. 34.15. The eyes of the Lord are upon the righteous; that is, hee careth for them: thirdly, his direction, Psal. 42.8. I will guide thee with mine eye; and these eyes note out Gods inspection, care and ordering the wheels in all their motions, and that in all quarters. The rings were full of eyes, and whatever the thoughts of men were, they moved according to direction of divine providence.

Observ. 1. That how ever the wheels and motions of them be too high for men, and dreadfull unto them, yet they are not so to God; hee sees into all the wheels, they have eyes on every side, God knowes them throughly, their essences, qualities, operations; [Page 151] we cannot pry into the state of Kingdomes, Councels, Armies, Ci­ties; there be as secrets of States,Arcana impe­ris, & arcana rotarum. so secrets of wheels in those States, which none know but God, and God knowes them per­fectly: let wheels be never so great, terrible, move never such strange and crosse wayes; as Kings, Armies, Parliaments are great wheels, and have unknown motions; yet they are subject to the Lords eyes, he sees into all their secrets, and sees more in their motions then they themselves.

2. The motions of the wheels are considerable and judicious, they are not carryed on blindly; how ever they seem to be carried,Non caeco im­petu volvun­tur rotae. yet they are carryed by reason and counsell; there be eyes in the wheels; when men do things rashly, injudiciously, we say; Have you no eyes in your head? here be eyes in the rings, and they move not casually. Those motions in the world, that seeme most confused, are composed and ordered motions: Are rich men made poor; honourable men base? are conquerers made captives? do servants ride, and Princes go on foot? are the wicked oppressors in the seats of justice? are the godly beneath, and the vile above? are the counsels of Jesuits, forainers, and desperate malignants en­tertained, and others rejected? are there civil wars in a Land, great plundering, spoyling of Ministers, Christians, Parliament men themselves? these things are not done without considerate and ju­dicious motions of the wheels: Acts 4.27, 28. When Herod, Pilate, Gentiles, Jewes, were gathered together against Christ, were not the motions then, (though inhumane, bloody, and murtherous) considerate, and providentiall motions? The Text saith, They did whatsoever the hand and counsell of the Lord determined before to be done; it was no blinde businesse, the wheels of it were full of eyes, and moved by the motions of heaven. Gods owne eye, heart, and head were in it. And now, when the Herods, Pilates, and Malignants of the world do stir against Christ and his members, the wheels move considerately.

3. The motions of the rings, wheels, and all second causes, are certain, arriving at the end appointed. They are full of eyes, which direct them to their journeyes end, so that they misse not the marke they aime at. What if many second causes be ignorant, blind, know not their own motions; yet if they have guides in­fallible to lead them, it's sufficient to conduct them to the intended [Page 152] end. If a seeing dog can lead a blind begger from place to place, direct his motion to the desired end; shall not the eye of providence lead any, all second causes to their end? Providence is an uner­ring thing, and disappoints not God of his expectation. The Pilot carries a great ship from harbour to harbour, over the Seas, through the stormes, and fulfils the mind of the Master; and so Providence carries the great wheels up and down, to the very place appointed.

4. The least motions of the wheels are not without providence; some think that the great things in kingdomes and the world, are transacted by providence, but for they lesser they passe in a casu­all manner, providence reaches them not; but the eyes were eve­ry where, the wheels were full of eyes; not a few eyes, here and there one, but in every part, that so mans minde might be freed from such sinister thoughts, as that there should be any motion of any wheel without the direction and influence of providence. God hath made the least and greatest creatures, and hee causeth the least and greatest motions.Providentia i­ta cura [...] omnia, ut unum ali­quid, ita sin­gula, ut si illud curaret uni­cum, August in Confess: And the Schoolmen say, that pro­vidence is in­finita in omni­bus, infinita in singulis. Let us pitch our thoughts upon some lesser motion, the dispensation of a lot, the fall of a haire from the head, the preparations of the heart, the answer of the tongue, these are all of the Lord, and directed by providence; the earth loseth not a pile of grasse; the trees not a leafe; the water not a fish; the aire not a bird, without an ordinance of providence.

5. Providence orders the motion of the rings and wheels in all parts, all the world over; not one, two, or three wheels had eyes, but all foure had eyes round about them: God by his divine pro­vidence ordered things as well in Babylon as in Sion; Providence wrought in Aegypt, and in the red Sea. As there are wheels in all parts of the world, in all Kingdomes of the earth; so there are eyes in all those wheels.

6. The works of God in disposing and governing second cau­ses, are admirable, glorious, and beautifull workes: The wheels were full of eyes, fitly disposed, wisely carried on, certainly attain­ing their ends. Could we see the eyes in the wheels, we should ne­ver fault the workes of God in the world, but stand and admire their glory and beauty; when the heavens are vailed with clouds, we have sowre and discontented thoughts of the heavens them­selves, but when the clouds are gone, that we can see the Starres, those eyes of heaven, then we admire their beauty and glory; and [Page 153] certainly, it's a most glorious sight to see the heavens full of starres in a cleare night; and it's no lesse glorious to see the eyes in the wheels, and the choice acts of providence in all their turnings and windings: Caussin saith, the world in all its parts is ruled like a paper with musick lines, and if wee could see those lines, they would be as glorious as lines of gold.

7. The motions of the wheels are such as that they hold out a providence to all; there is something in the wheels that none can reach, and something that any may see, they are full of eyes, and the weakest may see one providence or other; if not all the eyes, yet some of them; there be mysteries in the wheels to exercise the greatest, and eyes to satisfie the weakest: As no man but sees the stars in the heaven at one time or other; so no man but may see the eyes in the wheels. That evill doth not over-run all, and the wicked devour the good, argues a providence. In one of the Conanie Islands, Johannes Metellus saith, there is a tree which drops water at every leafe, and sufficeth the Inhabitants and their flocks, being a drie Island without water. Mithridates, when in his cradle, had his clothes consumed with lightning, and his body not toucht: A father and a son shipwrackt at sea, the son sail'd to shoar upon the back of his dead father. In these particulars and such like provi­dence doth eminently appeare.

The colour and likenesse of it was as the terrible crystal.

We must a little explain these words, it was the likeness of the firmament, not the firmament it self. The Hebr. words run thus, the ice, [...] the terrible, or the terrible ice, [...] is ice, water hardened by cold, whence Crystal hath its birth; for, though ice be not Crystal, yet Crystal is from ice; when ice is hardened into the nature of a stone, it becomes Crystal; [...] quasi [...]. Nat. hist. l. 37. c. 2. more degrees of coldnesse, hardnesse, and cleer­nesse, give ice the denomination of Crystal, and the name Cry­stal imports so much, that is, water by cold contracted into ice, and Pliny saith, the birth of it is from ice, vehemently frozen; and so you see the originall of Crystal.

The Epithet here added, terrible, hath some difficulty in it, that heaven, a visionall firmament, should be terrible, seems strange: ter­riblenesse ariseth from newnesse, greatnesse, or the glory of a thing: [Page 167] Things new and strange, do cause fear: as when the earth opened, and swallowed up Corah, Dathan and Abiram, there was great feare, it was a terrible thing; and this is called a new thing, Numb. 16.30. If the Lord make a new thing: so when new sights are seen in the heavens, they cause astonishment to the beholders: as comets, the standing of the Sun, and the like.

2. Things great are dreadfull; great waters, great mountains, great armies, Deut. 1.19. he calls the Wildernesse a great and ter­rible wildernesse: Joel 2.11. the day of the Lord is great and terrible: and so, the Lord great and terrible, Nehem. 4.14. from the greatnesse of it therefore might this Crystal be terrible.

3. The glory of it, that might make it terrible; for glorious things are so, lightning is glorious and dreadfull: when Gods glory appeared in the mount, it was terrible unto Moses, and made him to quake, Heb. 12.21. At Pauls conversion there was a glorious light, which stroke feare into all were with him, Act. 9. And this Crystalline firmament was full of glory: Crystal is a cleer thing, receives the light, so as to affect the eyes much, in like manner this firmament had a great cleernesse, and transpa­rency, being the foot-stool of Christ sitting upon the Throne.Suppedaneum Christi seden­tis in throno. [...]. The Septuag. sometimes translate the Hebrew word for terrible, glorious, Deut. 10.21. Who hath done for thee these great and terrible things? great and glorious things, say they; so Isa. 64. ver. 3. Thou diddest terrible things; they render it glorious things; Tam vehemen­ter nitebat ut form dinem a­spicienti affer­ret, Pol. Divinitatem quandam praese fer [...]bat, Mald. for they are terrible: and here from the gloriousnesse of this Crystal or Crystalline visionall firmament, it may be called terrible; and this I conceive to be the true cause of its terriblenesse, it was so glorious, that none could behold it without being dazled, asto­nished and put into a trembling.

Observ. 1. That all creatures are under Christ, even Angels themselves, they and the wheels are under the firmament where Christ is, he walks above; his feet are where creatures heads are, all are subject to the power of Christ, and hee sits above, and hee rules them, and over-rules their actions. Angels and all wheels stoop to him; the Prophet saw the wheel on the earth, the An­gels under the firmament, but Christ was above, 1 Cor. 15.27. All things are put under him, all Angels, all men, all devils; God hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name, Phil. 2.9.

[Page 168]2. That heavenly things are pure and glorious, and hold forth the glory of God,Rev. 22.1. they have the cleernesse, splendor, and lively colour of the Crystal. The higher wee ascend, the more purity, beauty and glory; there is more in the ayre then in the earth and waters; more in the Sun, more in the stars and firmament, then in the inferiour things: Gods glory is every where, the earth is full of it; If wee look downwards, we may see it, but if we look upwards, we shall see more excellency and glory. How much glo­ry is in the Sun? who can tell how many wonderfull things it hath in it? and so the firmament, Psal. 19.1. The heavens declare the glory of God, and the firmament sheweth his handy work. The out-spread firmament, that is so vast, so transparent, so beset with stars, that darts down such sweet influences, it holds forth Gods glory ex­ceedingly; the glory of his wisdome, power, goodnesse; There is much of Gods glory seen in it: Job 37.18. The sky or firma­ment is compared to a looking-glasse; not because you may see severall species of things, as we see severall faces in the water, and birds in the ayre, but chiefly, because in it wee see so much of the glory of God, even most of his attributes, we should be oft look­ing in this glasse, and observe the glory of God.

3. That the things above are dreadfully glorious, so glorious, that our weak eyes cannot behold;Incu [...]iunt sa­crum quendam honorem. the glory of the firmament was as the terrible Crystal, such as caused dread in a Prophet; what eye can look upon the Sun in its glory and strength? could we see an Angel in his glory,Jud. 6. Jud. 13. Sensibile excel­lens destruit sensorium. it would terribly affright us; when Angels vayl'd up their glory in humane shapes, it made great Worthies of God to quake; as Gideon, Manoah, and others: glo­rious objects work strongly upon our spirits, and quickly scatter them. And if the glory of creatures be such, what is the glory of God himself? 1 Tim. 6.16. God dwels in the light, which no man can approach unto: it's such exceeding glorious light, that no created eye can endure; that light or glory is Gods habita­tion, and so glorious a one it is, that wee cannot look upon it. Act. 22.11. Paul could not behold that glorious light shined about him. The earth, heavens and world, which are Gods out-house, we may behold, but his glory, which is himself, his inmost roome, we may not, wee cannot eye; this light is darknesse unto us, there is so much brightnesse in it, that it will put out our eyes; [Page 169] and whether this glory be accessible by the Saints or Angels, may [...] disputable; because God is invisible, and his glory inaccessible, and besides, the Angels, they had wings to cover their faces, Isa. 6. And here they are presented to Ezekiel under the firmament, with that upon their heads, which shewes, that they, and all crea­tures are distanced from God, and capable of seeing his glory only in that way, he thinks good to propound it. That in Mat. 18.10. seems to speak the contrary, where it's frid, that in hea­ven, their Angels do alwayes behold the face of my father; it's true, they are in the speciall presence of God, have sweet and satisfactory communion with God, stand ready to do his will; but God hath no face in heaven, and whether they see his essen­tiall glory, I leave to farther inquiry.

4. That all things here below are expressed to the eye and view of Christ, the firmament is so cleere that Christ sees through it. It's the window of heaven, and through it hee looks into the world; it's a molten looking-glasse;Job 37.18. and as wee may see Gods attributes and glory in it, so Christ sees our shapes, thoughts, distempers and motions: he saw Saul when he got the Letters to Damascus, to persecute the Saints; the Lord Christ saw him, and knew the bloodinesse of his mind, and said unto him, Saul, Saul, Acts 9. many are Atheisticall, and say in their hearts, as hee in Job 22.13. How doth God know? can he judge through the dark clouds? Esa. 29.15. they do evill in the dark, and say, who seeth us? and who knoweth us? there is one in the heavens that seeth through the clouds, and darknesse it self, they are as the Sun and Firmament to him; dark­nesse is no darknesse, the firmament is as light it self; all things done in Armies, Councels, Markets, Shops, Families, Closets, Beds, Hearts, are naked and open to the eyes of him, with whom wee have to do, Heb. 4.13.

I come now to the 23. Verse, where the glory of Christ is set out from his Ministers, or Officers; and they are the living creatures.

This was the appearance of the likenesse of the Glory of the Lord; and when I saw it, I fell upon my face, and I heard a voyce of one that spake.

Here is the conclusion of the Vision, and in it wee have the scope of all was presented to the Prophets view, and it is to ma­nifest the infinite glory of God; and then followes a double effect:

First, upon sight of it, he fell upon his face; And

Secondly, He heares a voyce; and so a fit pass [...] is made to that which followes.

The first thing is the manifestation of Gods glory: a [...] [...] glo­ry of God is considerable,

1. In God himself, in the Divine [...], and there it is infinite glorious, exceeding glory.

[Page 198]2. In the creation, as it is expressed and opened in the volume of the creatures, there Gods glory is greatly seen, Isa. 6.3. The earth is full of his glory; the Hebrew is, the fulnesse of the earth is his glory; the world is glorious, and filled with Gods glory, it's nothing else but Gods glory interpreted and opened unto us in the creatures,Quid est mun­dus nisi Deus explicatus? and divine providence about them.

3. In divine dispensations towards his Church and people; Gods glory is in the firmament, in all the creatures, but more specially and fully in the Church, Psal. 29.9. In his Temple doth every one speake of his glory, there it is most visible, affecting and provoking of every one to speak. In the world few take notice of it, but in the Temple every one sees it, and speaks of it; the world is God opened, and so glorious; the Church is Christ opened, and so very glorious: this made David long to be in the Sanctuary, when hee was in the Wildernesse; and why so? to see thy power and thy glory, Psal. 63.2. Could not David see them in the heavens, in the mountains, in the goodly Cedars, and other works of God? Yes, but not as in the Sanctuary; and therefore hee saith, to see thy power and glory; so as I have seen thee in thy Sanctuary; there I have seen thee otherwise then ever elsewhere; there he saw the King upon his Throne and in his glory.

The glory of God in each of these, is held forth in this Vision, in some measure: there was the Spirit in the wheels, a fire within, by which the glory of the divine nature appeared: there was a whirlewind, a cloud, fire, brightnesse, living creatures, wheels mo­ving severall ways, which represent the glory of God in the world, and government of it: there was a firmament and a throne, one sitting upon it, surrounded with a Rain-bow, which sets out the glory of God in his severall dispensations towards his Church, both in his judgements, mercies, and government thereof.

A Question is moved; Whether our Prophet saw the glory of God?

The Answer is; It was the appearance of the likenesse of the glory of the Lord; he doth not say, hee saw God in his essence; it's acknowledged by most, that we cannot see Gods essence while wee are Pilgrims on earth,In vid. [...]b. de viden. Deum, Hom. 2. 2. q. 174. 175. and absent in the flesh: Augustine and Aquinas are of opinion, that Moses and Paul saw God in his essence; but they were men, and not without their errors: for [Page 199] had they seen Gods essence, their faith had ceased, being swal­lowed up in vision.

The School-man would help it thus: the light of glory in them had not a permanent being, but was given them transitively.Esse perman [...]ns per modum transeuntis. But this answer will not bear up the opinion: for faith and vi­sion of glory cannot consist in a larger tract, or in the least in­stant of times; as in one man there cannot be a perfect and ob­scure light together, the full light of the Sun, and least degree of darknesse cannot at once be in the eye. And farther, if they saw the essence of God, they had not the act of faith, but evidence; for if a man had seen Rome, and after remembers it,Non habet fi­dem, sed evi­dentiam de eo quod vidit. he saith not he believes there is such a City, but hee hath seen it; and so of Gods essence: It must not be granted that ever any saw Gods essence, you have incontrollable authority for it, Joh. 1.18. No man hath seen God at any time. Durand. saith, these words are to be understood exclusively,

1. Of corporeall vision; for with a bodily eye, none ever did, or shall see God.

2. Of intellectuall naturall Vision; because a naturall under­standing cannot attain unto the cleer vision of God.

3. Of the vision of comprehension; from all created under­standings; though Angels and Saints in heaven see God, yet not comprehensively: and 1 Tim. 6.16. whom no man hath seen, nor can see; there's a deniall both of the fact and the possibility; Aust. himself confesseth in l. 2. de Trin. C. 16, 17, 18. That the substance of God is not ullo modo corporaliter visibilem, not to be seen at all with the eyes of flesh; and the rule of School-men touching visions and appariti­ons, is infallible, that the nature of God is not seen with the eyes of the body, but only some corporeall thing is exhibited, which being visibly seen, or sensibly perceived, God is invisibly represen­ted to the understanding.Al. Halcus.

But Moses saw God face to face, Exod. 33.11. So Jacob saw God face to face, Gen. 32.

Answ. Those Patriarchs and Prophets that are said to see God, saw him in divers resemblances, and this is an unanswerable argu­ment, that they never saw Gods essence, for that is pure, immixt, alwayes alike, neither standing nor sitting, having no parts, no shape or likenesse to any thing; therefore saith Athenasius, those [Page 200] Fathers saw God in some creature,Deum non fu­iss ab antiquis p [...]r [...]bus v [...]sum nost: [...] assump­tio [...]e creatu ae, secundum Dei­tatem vero es­se [...] v sio [...]em. not in his own nature, for it is invisible.

Again, this phrase of seeing God face to face, in the Hebrew dialect imports two things:

• First, Familiarity.
• Secondly, Perspicuity.

1. Familiarity, they had familiar converse with God, Deut. 5.4. the Lord talketh with you face to face; you asked him questi­ons, and he gave you answers; and it's evident that this is inten­ded in the phrase, Exo. 33.11. The Lord spake to Moses face to face, as a man speaks with his friend, Moses questioned it with God, and God most friendly answered him: So in Numb. 12.8. Mouth to mouth will I speak with him, it notes the presentiality and famili­arity of God with Moses.

2. Perspicuity, cleernesse; they saw God face to face; that is, comparatively; others saw God in dreames and visions, which were more obscure, but these saw God more cleerly, had more illustrious visions of God; they saw Gods back-parts, these saw Gods face; and the phrase is used in the New Testament, 1 Cor. 13.12. Then shall wee see face to face; that is, more fully and per­fectly then here; but whether wee shall see the divine essence in patria, in heaven, is questionable. Chrysost. Hom. 14. on John, saith, That before the incarnation the Son of God was Angelis invisibilis; and if they in their glory saw not the divine nature of Christ, it's like wee shall not. Whether Christ saw the Father or Holy Ghost with the eyes of his body, is questionable, if some doubt it, others deny it: Halens. grants, that the soul of Christ saw God perfectly from his conception; but hee saith not, the eye of his body saw him: Aquinas saith, that glorified eyes shall see God in that manner, as now our eyes do see the life of man; life not seen with a bodily eye, as a thing visible by it self, but by the in­tervention of something else, and so accidentally becomes sensible; it's our understanding, not the eye, reacheth life, and so in God.

But in 1 John 3. we shall see him as hee is.

Answ. He speaks of a new and unutterable way of seeing God. Wee shall see him as hee is to be seen, mediante lumine gloriae; the beams of the Sun so fill the eye, that wee cannot behold the na­ture of it; and whether it be so in heaven, wee shall not know, [Page 201] till wee come there; let us get holinesse, and then wee shall see him will resolve this doubt.

Observ. 1. That all the glory is seen of God in this life any wayes, is but the appearance and likenesse of the glory of God. There was much and great glory in this vision, there is more in the world in the creatures, more in the Church, and yet all this is only a shadow, and a small appearance of the glory of God. If we should see ten thousand Torches lighted up in a dark night, they make a glorious light; yet are they nothing to the light of the Sun, when that comes, torch-light, star-light, seem appea­rances of light, rather then light it self: So when the glory of God shall be revealed, it will darken all other glory; and there was not so great a difference between the light in Goshen, and darknesse in Egypt, as there will be between the glory of God and that glory now appeares in the world. The glory of God is nei­ther expressible or comprehensible by any or all the creatures. The glory that Isaiah saw on the earth, and that Ezekiel saw in the heavens, did not expresse the thousand part of this glory; and neither heaven not earth are able to comprehend the same.

2. See the infinite goodnesse of the Lord, that will expose that to the eyes of his servants, which is so deare unto him; his own glory. Precious things of Princes and great ones, are not com­mon for the view of all, but choyce friends, favorites shall see them. God hath nothing more precious then his glory; yet this shall his choyce friends and favourites see; and because they cannot see it in the perfection of it, God will draw a picture of it with his own hand, and hold forth to the eyes of his here: Ezekiel had an appearance of the glory of the Lord, but it's the greater mercy, that God will put forth creating power in a vision, and present the likenesse of his glory in variety of things, ac­cording to the capacity, and for the advantage of his servants: so Moses saw the glory of the Lord in the Mount; so Christ shewed unto Peter, James, and John, his glory in his transfigura­tion, Matth. 17. Isaiah, hee had a glorious vision, Chap. 6. and so glorious it was, that it's called the glory of the Lord; and this did the Prophet Isaiah see in the likenesse and appearance of it, not in its own nature, for no man you ever could so see the glory of God and live.

Jehovah: this name by the learned Jewes, is called,

1. Hashsham, that name emphatically, as the chiefest of all the rest.

[...].2. The name of four letters.

3. The great Name.

4. The blessed Name; for the high Priest did pronounce it only once a yeer, and that in the Temple, at the feast of Pro­pitiation, at the solemne blessing, Numb. 6.24, 25.

5. The glorious Name,

6. The name Separate, shem Hammephoraash, because separate from ambiguity, saith Maimon, from our knowledge saith the son of Maimon.

7. The name appropriated to God, because it is most pro­per to him.

8. The name of remembring, because it brings to mind the be­ing of God.

9. The name of essence or being, Shemhaguetzem, a name of substance.

Plebi sub poena mortis ejus pronuntiatio vitita fuit, Buxtorf. Qui pronun­tiat nomen Tetragramma­tum, non habet partem in su­turo seculo.The Jewes are exceeding superstitious about this name, and say it must not be pronounced; they term it The unexpressible Name; themselves never utter it, but Adonai, or Elohim in stead of it: they tell us, that the womans son in the 24. of Levit. was accused of blasphemy, and stoned to death, because hee pro­nounced this name Jehovah. And there is a relation of the Priests of the Sanctuary, that not knowing how to read this name, be­ing written by Moses, Spasmo cor­repti interio­rint. Gerard. in loc. Shindl. they laughed, and were smitten to death of God for it. It's strange to think what miracles the Jewes attri­bute to this name; Moses had it writ in a Rod or Staffe, Christ got it, and put in his thigh, and so by vertue of it, they both did all their miracles: they tell of one David a Magician, that by vertue of this name went in one day a journey of ten dayes. But to leave Rabbinicall conceits; This name Jehovah imports essence,Ab [...] fuit, est. being, existence; and by it, the eternity, independency, efficacity and truth of God are laid before us, together with his being; [...]. and here it's attributed to Christ, and tels us, that hee hath his being of himself; he is compleat in himselfe, and an in­finite sea of being; Eternall, Rev. 1.8. Independent, Rev. 1.5. Ef­ficacious, giving being, life and perfection to all creatures, [Page 203] Hebr. 1.2, 3. Col. 1.16, 17. hee is true, yea, truth; fulfilling the promises, 2 Cor. 1.20.

Observ. 1. Jesus Christ, who sate upon the Throne here, is JEHOAVH, of the same essence with the Father and the Ho­ly Ghost; hee is not consimilar, but consubstantiall with them, [...]. Alius pater, alius filius, alius spiritus, but not aliud pater, aliud filius, aliud spiritus. not like the Father, or like the Spirit, but the same; the one dif­fers from the other personally, but not essentially, 1 Joh. 5.7. There be three that beare record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost, and these three are one; one in essence, one in propriety, one JEHOVAH, Jer. 23.6. the Prophet speaking of Christ, tels us what his name shall be called, Jehovah Zidkenus, The Lord our righteousnesse, and in Mal. 3.1. Jehovah whom you seek shall suddenly come to his Temple: by the name JEHOVAH, is meant Christ, who is God: and this is of great concernment; it's the foundation of our faith in Christ, of our worshipping of Christ, of our salvation by Christ, and of all good from Christ; if he were not Jehovab, the Gospel should be a lie, our faith a fancie, our worship false, the Church a fable, all men lost, and that for ever.

2 Again, that the glory here represented in this Vision, was not the glory of a creature, but of Jehovah, there was a man pre­sented to his eye, but Jehovah to his faith: it was the appearance of the glory of the Lord; not only of Christ as man, but as God-man, and so the glory was glorious glory.

And when I saw it, I fell upon my face.

Here is the first effect of it, when hee had this vision, beheld this glory, hee was amazed, so smitten with the lustre of it, that hee could stand no longer, but down hee falls, and that upon his face. There is frequent mention in Scripture, that upon visions, and appearances of Divine Majesty the servants of God have falne down, Dan. 8.17. He fell upon his face, and Saul, Acts 9.4. hee fell to the earth, Abraham hee fell on his face when God appeared to him, Gen. 17.3. The three Disciples Christ took up into the mount, when they saw the glory, and heard the voyce, they fell on their faces. There is a great difference between falling on the face, and falling on the back. To fall forward, notes respect and humility, but to fall backward is a note of sin and guilt: Abraham fell twice upon his face; the Prophets oft; the godly, [Page 204] when they are to deale with God, fall forwards, the wicked backward,Cadere in faci­em, observan­tiae est, & hu­militatem sem­per olet; sed retro cadere peccatum sup­ponit, aut in­dicat, Jer. except old Eli. Wee read not of any good man that fell backward: but all those came to take Christ, Joh. 18.6. went backwards, and fell to the ground: So Isa. 28.13. Precept upon precept, that they might go and fall backwards.

There be divers reasons or grounds of mens falling upon their faces, in visions and apparitions of God.

1. The Majesty of God that is present in these visions, and some way or other represented to those that have the Visions: so Dan. 10.9.

2. The lustre of Divine glory that accompanies the same; this made Paul and his company fall to the ground, Act. 26.13, 14.

3. Some new and dreadfull thing that appeares in the Vision as here; creatures with four faces, and four wings, wheels, rings, full of eyes, and so high, that they are dreadfull.

4. Sense of their owne frailty and weaknesse; Visions having divine Majesty, Glory, and some terriblenesse in them, have wrought strange effects upon infirme men; they have lockt up their senses, and put them in a deep sleep, Dan. 8.18.10. Chap. 9. made them sick and faint many dayes, Dan. 8.27. much grieved and troubled their spirits, Dan. 7.15. taken away their strength and comelinesse, Dan. 10.8. smitten dumb, Dan. 10.15. breath­lesse, verse 17.

5. To testifie two things: first, thankfulnesse for some mercy received or promised; upon this ground Abraham fell on his face, Gen. 17.23. when God appeared to him, and told him, that hee would make a covenant with him, and multiply him exceeding­ly, hee fell on his face, to manifest, as his humility, so especially the gratefull frame of his spirit towards God for such a mercy.

2. Reverence, worship and respect unto divine Majesty; falling upon the face notes so much in the language of Canaan, 2 Chro. 20.18. Jehosaphat bowed his head with his face to the ground, and all Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem fell before the Lord and worshiped him: so bowing in Psal. 72.9. is to note reverence and worship, They that dwell in the wildernesse shall bow before him, and his enemies shall lick the dust; they shall come in to Christ, and by bowing their faces to the ground, and licking the dust of his feet, shall testifie their reverence and subjection unto him, so Isa. 49.23.

That which made our Prophet fall down on his face here, was feare and amazement at the apprehension of the Majesty of Christ, the great glory that appeared, newnesse and dreadfulnesse of things in the Vision.

Observ. 1. See what mischiefe sin hath done unto us; it hath disabled us from partaking of our greatest good, the sight of glo­ry is the happinesse of the creature: when Peter saw Christs trans­figuration but dimly, hee said; O Master, it's good being here! but sin hath made us incapable of the sight of glory; Peter and the rest fell upon their faces, and could not behold it as other­wise they might.Cum magno moerore pen­sare & consi­derare cum la­chrymis debe­mus in quan­tam miscriam & infirmita­tem cecidimus, qui & ipsum bonum ferre non possumus ad quod vi­dendum creati sumus.

Gregory in his 8^th Hom.. saith, it's matter of great mourning, to consider wee are fallen into such an estate, as that wee cannot be­hold what would make us happy; wee cannot indure that good, that glory, which God created us to behold; yea, such weaknesse hath sin brought us to, that wee cannot bear the sight of the ap­pearance of the likenesse of glory. They are weake eyes that can­not indure the Sun-beams; they more weake that cannot indure the light which is more remote from the brightnesse and glory of the Sun; and so here, man cannot indure the glory of the Lord, nor the likenesse of it, nor the appearance of the likenesse.

2. That the sight of glory is an humbling thing; when the Pro­phet saw the appearance of the glory of the Lord, hee falls upon his face, then hee is conscious of his own weaknesse and worth­lesnesse, then hee trembles, and sees the great disproportion be­tween Majesty and nothingnesse, Isa. 40.5. The glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it; and then followes, all flesh is grasse; glory will convince us that wee are but grasse; it's not hearing will do it, at least, not so effectually: seeing, and seeing of glory doth humble mightily, seeing of miserie causeth grief, mine eye affecteth mine heart; but seeing of glory causeth godly sorrow, Job 42.5, 6. Now mine eyes seeth thee, Nisi aliquid de aeternitate in mente videre­mus, nunquam in facie nostra poenitendo ca­deremus, Gre. I ab­horre my self, and repent in dust and ashes; when hee saw the Lord and his glory, then hee abhorred himself, his own righte­ousnesse, all his confidences, duties, and what ever the heart and wit of man catcheth hold of, and repented, and said, What am I unto God, the great, the glorious God? he is so infinitely glorious and distanced from mee, that I am no better then dust and ashes, Isaiah [Page 206] and worthy to be buried under them out of his sight; and so Isaiah, when he saw the glory of the Lord, then was hee sensible of his own vilenesse, and cryes out, Wo is mee, I am undone, because I am a man of unclean lips, though a Prophet, yet a man of unclean lips, for mine eyes have seen the King, the Lord of Hosts; he had heard the Seraphims cry, Holy, holy, holy, the Lord of Hosts, the whole earth is full of his glory; but this wrought not so power­fully as the sight of his glory; now hee saw his sin, what a great and soul sinner he was, and therefore saith he, Wo is me, &c.

3. That those be throughly humbled with the sense of their own vilenesse, and weakness, are fittest to hear divine truths, and to receive divine mysteries. Ezekiel falls on his face, and then heares a voyce; so was it with Daniel, flesh and blood is apt to be lifted up, to trust in something of its own; men look at, and like their own parts, their graces, some confidence or other we are apt to catch hold of, but we must let all go, below in our own eyes, if we will be fit auditors of Christ, we must fall down at the feet of his Throne, if wee will heare him speak from his Throne: Jam. 4.6. he giveth grace to the humble; they finde the choycest favours at his hands; Moses, a meek man, yea, the meekest of all living, and God shewed himself the most to him, and so to him as not to others, Numb. 12.8. He spake to him mouth to mouth, Deut. 34.10. There arose not a Prophet in Israel like to Moses, whom the Lord knew face to face. Isa. 66.2.

And I heard a voyce of one that spake.

This is the second effect following his sight of the glory of God; hee first falls upon his face, and then hears a voyce, this was the voyce of him that sate upon the Throne, and was so glorious, that the Prophet could not behold him; it was not the voyce of the heavens, Psal. 19.3. nor of the thunder, Psal. 29.3. but of Christ, and the voyce of Christ is taken in the Scripture:

First, for an extraordinary voyce, having extraordinary power with it, Joh. 5.28. those that are in the grave shall heare his voyce, that is, the power of his voyce shall fetch them out of their graves.

Secondly, for the doctrine of Christ, Joh. 10.27. My sheep heare my voyce, that is, my Doctrine; they do not hear Christ immedi­ately speaking, but they heare his Gospel, his Ministers opening it unto them.

Thirdly, for the speech of Christ, speaking unto others, Act. 9.4. I heard a voyce, saying, Saul, Saul, &c. such is the voyce here, Christ speaking himself unto Ezekiel.

This Vision and Voyce was;

First, to affect the Prophet, that hee might be humbled, awake­ned, quickned up, and prepared to the work the Lord Christ intended him.

Secondly, to confirm him,

1. In his call to his Ministery; hee was to be a Prophet to this people in a strange Land, and therefore hath an extraordinary call to it, Christ from heaven appeares.

2. In the truth of his Prophecie; hee should utter nothing but what he had from Christ, the author of all truth, hee would put words into his mouth.

3. In the whole race and work of his Ministery, that hee might not be discouraged; seeing that hee had seen such a vi­sion, heard such a voyce.

Thirdly, to confirm the Jewes, Gentiles, all to whom this Pro­phecy should come, of the Majesty, reality, and truth of it.

Note 1 God sets one sense awork after another; his eye was taken up before with the sight of great and glorious things, now his eares come to be exercised and fill'd with as choyce truths, as the eye had objects; and after there is a roll for his taste and touch­ing, God lets in mercy and goodnesse to us through every window and door.

Note 2 That grat feare doth astonish and hinder judgement; hee heard a voyce, but knew not whose it was, feare doth disturb and surprize.

Stand upon thy feet.

Here is the Command of Christ, Ezekiel, I see thou art a frail man, stricken with great feare, and canst not indure my glory and presence, stand up; this is not for thy hurt, but good, I appeare not to confound thee, but to comfort thee, not to cast thee down, but to exalt thee.

Stantis est di­v norum audi­tio, non resu pi­ni, Apollin.Why doth the Lord command standing?

1. It's a fitter posture for hearing then lying on the ground was, Stand, that thou mayest recover thy spirits, and heare the better what I shall say unto thee: so the Angel bid Daniel stand up­right, Dan. 10.11. Oracles are for standers, not prostrate ones, therefore, when Balaam came with the Oracles of God to Balak, he said, Rise up Balak, and heare; Numb. 23.18. shew thou reve­rence and respect to the Word of God; for Kings were wont to stand when messengers from God were brought unto them: so Eglon rose out of his seat when Ehud told him hee had a message from God unto him, Jud. 3.20. Eusebius tels us of Constantine the great,Nefas esse in­stitutis de Deo disputationi­bus negligen­tes aures prae­bere, Euseb. de vita Constant. that hee did heare the Word standing, and being requested to rest himself in his royall throne, which was set there for that purpose, hee refused, and being pressed, after long time of hearing, to sit down, with a sterne countenance hee answered: It were a great sin in me, not to heare attentively when God is spoken of.

2. To shew, that all mundane things should be beneath us, when wee deal with God, wee must not lie down and imbrace them, but stand up, and have them under our feet: Jerome saith, the Saints [Page 213] stand and tread all down,Sanctorum est stare. but sinners they fall and imbrace the earth and furniture of it: Rev. 12.1. the Church hath the Moon under her feet: all sublunary things are under the Saints feet, not in their hearts, or over their heads.

3. That he might be in a posture for service, Ephes. 6.14. Stand, having your loynes girt; prostration on the earth is no posture for imployment, but standing is; and the Lord Christ would not have his, so affected with his greatnesse and glory, so reverentiall, as to be hindred, or disabled from his service; holy reverence doth not make idle or inept to service, Stand on thy feet therefore, saith Christ, and be in a readinesse, to execute what I command.

The words being opened, now take the Observations.

Observ. 1. That the Lord Christ is full of bowels and coms­passions, Ezekiel was fallen down upon his face, the glory of the Vision, and greatnesse of him that sate upon the Throne had conquered and fell'd this our Prophet to the earth, and there hee lay as a man wounded, and without strength, but Christ leaves him not in this condition, but speaks, and that kindly to him: Son of man, stand upon thy feet; he is affected with his infirmity, sensible of his fears and troubles: the man that fell among thieves, going from Jerusalem to Jericho, being plundred and wounded, found no pity from the Priest and Levite, but much from the good Samaritane, when he saw him, hee had compassion on him, he went to him, bound up his wounds, put in oyle and wine, set him upon his own beast, was content to go on foot by him, brought him to an Inn, and took care of him, and paid for his cure, Luke 10.33, 34, 35. This Samaritane was Christ, who pitied Adam, and in him man-kinde, that went from Jerusalem, the state of perfection, to Jericho, a state of change; for, as Chemnit. observes, Jericho signifies the Moon, and so a changeable condition; the Priest and Levite notes the Law, with all its additaments, they passed by, and never reached or healed the wounded soul of man, but Christ the Sama­titane, with the grace of the Gospel, and blood of the Covenant, with that oyle and wine, cured man, brought him upon his own shoulders to the Church, to Jerusalem again, and there took care for him; we have not a legall high Priest which is without bowels, and can do little for us, but we have an Euangelicall high Priest, full of bowells and mercy, such an one as is touched with our in­firmities, [Page 214] Heb. 4.15. which should incourage us with boldnesse to come unto his Throne, which is a Throne of Grace & compassion.

2. That those are humble and smitten down with sense of their own vilenesse, weaknesse or worthlesnesse, through the sight of glory, and greatnesse, Christ quickly raises to comfort again: our Prophet was down in the end of the former Chapter, and in the beginning of this he is up again. The humbling from the sight of God, his glory, and greatnesse, is the most effectuall humbling, and the most speedy, effectuall and sweetest comfort doth follow it. Job, after he had seen God, and humbled himself; thereupon his captivity is turned, his comforts multiplied, Job 24.5, 6.10.12. So Isaiah, being humbled upon the sight of glory, presently a Se­raphim comforts him, touches his lips with a coal from the Altar, and saith, Thine iniquity is taken away, and thy sin is purged: Daniel was humbled for his own sins, the sins of his forefathers, and the afflictions of the Church, Dan. 9. and the Lord sent Gabriel to comfort him, who told him, hee was a man greatly beloved, and that he came to give him skill and understanding, verse 22.23. God doth not humble and throw down his to leave them, but reaches out a hand to raise them.

3. That man carries about him principles of humiliation; he is the Son of man, the son of the earth. Isa. 31.3. The Egyptians are men, and not God, Adam velo el, they are weak and worth­lesse things, and so are not only Egyptians, but Israelites, all men, and so have no cause to be puffed up at all, but great cause to be humbled: Job call'd corruption his father, and the worm his mother, Job 17.14. you see what stock and kindred Job came of, and wee are all of the same house, therefore afterward in the 25. Chap. v. 6. It's said, man, and the Son of man, is a worm, and so David, I am a worm, and no man, Psal. 22.6. velo Ish, hee was enosh, sorry, sin­full, miserable man: he was Adam, an earthly man, but not Ish, a man of worth, strength, a worm, son of the earth, weak, con­temptible. Coniah, Jer. 22.28. in the vulgar is called vas fictile, an earthen vessell, a broken Idoll, or a vessell in which is no pleasure, and then followes: O earth, earth, earth, heare the word of the Lord, Princes, Priests and People, he calls them all earth, to minde them of their mean originall, to bring down their spirits, to make them sensible of their weakness and condition they were hastening unto, [Page 215] Isai. 40.6. All flesh is grasse, and all the goodlinesse thereof is as the flower of the field, grasse withereth, the flower fadeth, because the Spi­rit of the Lord bloweth upon it; surely the people is grasse.

4. That the command of Christ is powerfull; Stand upon thy feet, saith hee, and it proved efficacious; let Christ speak, and the thing is done, By him were all things made, Joh. 1.3. hee said, Let there be light, and there was light, he said, Let there be an earth, and let it bring forth, an it was so; hee call'd forth things that were not, and gave them a being; under the Gospel, how power­full were his commands: he bade devils depart the possessed, and they did so; he bade the winds and waves be still, and they were so; he called Lazarus out of the grave, and he came forth present­ly: there is infinite power in Christ, and great, yea, oft exceeding great vertue goes forth with his commands: he said to the Fisher­men that were strangers to him, Follow mee, and they left all, and followed him.

5. That the Lord loves to incourage man to his duty; hee saith not here, stand upon thy feet only, which might have sufficed, but he makes him a promise; and I will speak with thee, I that am upon the Throne, compassed with glory, that have the rule of all the world in my hand, I will speak with thee; here was singular incouragement to this duty, and so to other duties; it's mans du­ty to walk uprighty, and to incourage unto it; the Word saith, No good thing will be with-hold from them that walk uprightly, Psa. 84.11. It's our duty to believe, and did not Christ tell Martha in a particular case, that if she would believe, shee should see the glory of God, Ioh. 11.40. And told he not another, that all things are possible to him that believeth? Mar. 9.23. So Christ is lifted up, that whosoever believeth in him, should not perish, but have everlasting life, Joh. 3.14, 15. So for prayer; it's our duty; but see what incou­ragement, Open thy mouth wide, and I will fill it, Psal. 81.10. and, Whatsoever you shall aske the Father in my name, hee will give it you, John 16.23. To persevere and overcome is our duty, and see Rev. 21.7. He that overcometh shall inherit all things, and I will be his God, and hee shall be my Son; to give alms is mans duty, as Luke 6.38. Give, and it shall be given unto you, good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosome.

[Page 116]6. That the word of Christ is a sweet comfort to a soul trou­bled; Stand upon thy feet, and I will speak to thee, thou art amazed, cast down, but my word will revive thee, put life and spirits into thee: What a comforting word is that of Christs, Matth. 11. Come unto mee, yee that are weary and heavy laden, and I will refresh you: and Ioh. 6.37. Him that cometh unto me, I cast out in no wise? Christ had the words of eternall life, verse 68. and those must needs be sweet and acceptable to afflicted spirits, and these words hee hath given us in the Gospel, which is glad tidings, the savour of life, the power of God to salvation.

I send thee.

[...] mit­tens.In the Hebrew it is, I am sending thee, or, about to send thee; the present tence in the Scripture, noteth the purpose and firm resolu­tion of the mind, Luke 19.8. saith Zach [...]us, the half of my goods I give to the poor, that is, I purpose and decree to give them; it's the [Page 225] firm resolution of my minde: but it notes more here, I send thee, I intend and am resolved to make thee a Prophet; that is not all; I ordain, constitute thee to be a Prophet; for mitto here, non pro­positum mittentis, nec motum missi, sed auctoritatem significat; and that will appeare from Jer. 14.14. The Prophets prophesie lies in my Name, they pretend, saith God, that they have commission and countenance from me, but I sent them not, I never intended or constituted them to be Prophets, they never had authority from mee, I commanded them not, neither spake unto them, they went of their own heads, for their own ends; and if they be Pro­phets, they are lying ones, my authority did never establish them, but it shall punish them.

Children of Israel.

That is, the Jewes, that were brought into Babylon, who were call'd the children of Israel, from Jacob, who wrestling with God and prevailing, had his name changed from Jacob to Israel, Gen. 32.28. Thy name shall be no more Jacob but Israel, [...] for as a Prince hast thou power with God, and with men, and hast prevailed. Not Israel, because he had seen God, as some interpret it, nor Israel because hee was a man right with God, but Israel is of a word signifies to rule, [...] domi­nari, instar principis se gerere, & [...] Deus. [...] with the addition of el to it, and so it followes in the verse, because thou hast prevailed with God; here was a good root, but the branches were degenerate, the sons of Israel were not like their fa­ther Israel, a praying and prevailing people; sons of Israel, accor­ding to the flesh, externall shews, and in opinion; so the most of them were, but they did not follow the faith and purity of their father Israel: Rom. 9.6. They are not all Israel that are of Israel.

A rebellious Nation.

The word for Nation is in the plurall number, Goiim, which word is mostly in Scripture applied to the unbelieving Gentiles, those that were without God, and strangers to the common­wealth of Israel, as Hab. 1.5. The Heathens; and Psal. 106.42. He gave them into the hand of the Heathens; it's Goiim; the Septuagint renders it, Into the hands of their enemies; [...]. so the Jewes accounted the Gentiles, and in disgrace call'd them Goiim, an abominable Nation; and at this day they call the Christians so, and make that name, [Page 226] which was common before to all Gentiles, now since Christ, to be speciall to Christians. The Turks, they call Ishmaelites and Aethiopians Cushites, but the Christians Goiim, an abominable Nation; and here the Spirit of God calls them Goiim, a rebellious Nation, by way of contempt: The Prophet prophesied against the Syrians, Egyptians, Babylonians, and others, which in common sense of the word, were the Nations; but here it's put upon the Jewes, who were as vile in the eyes of God as the Gentiles were in theirs; for they had for­saken the truth, entertained their Idolatries and corruptions, and turned aside,Ad nesaria scelera to notorious wickednesses, something of most Na­tions about them, they had taken in, and so are call'd Goiim, Na­tions, as if they had had the wickednesse of all the nations, or be­cause they were divided in their false and Idolatrous worship, some were for the Ammonitish way, some the Moabitish, some for other wayes, most for wrong wayes, and this made them like the Nations, who had their severall wayes, and to deserve the brand of Goiim.

Rebellious, Hammordim, the rebellious ones of Marad, which signifies to fall off, to apostatize, to rebell and resist; it's like the practice of men, against States and Princes, when they have made Lawes for their Subjects to live by, and they have accepted of those Lawes, and then fall off, with-draw from their subjection, obedience, and shake off their yoke; it's call'd rebellion, Gen. 14.4. the King served Kedorlaomer twelve yeers, and in the thirteenth rebelled, that is, shook off those Lawes and yokes they were under.

In the Law sense rebellion is a traitorous taking up arms against the State, be it by the naturall Subjects, or by others formerly sub­dued, or by whomsoever, when arms are taken up to overthrow the setled Laws of a Kingdome and Religion setled by those Laws, this is rebellion against that State, and that State may preserve it self, the Law of Nature, Reason, and Religion warranting the same. I am not to speak of rebellion in this sense, but Theolo­gically, when men will not be under the Laws and Government of Christ, but go a whoring after their own lusts and inventions, or others, then they rebell; so the other Tribes told Reuben, Gad and Manasseh: Josh. 22.16. What trespasse is this you have committed against the God of Israel, to turn away this day from following the Lord, in that you have builded you an Altar, that yee might rebell this day [Page 227] against the Lord? Turning from God, and taking up our own or others inventions, is rebelling against God.

The Vulgar hath it, to the apostatizing Nations,Ad Gentes apostatrices. and the Septua­gint renders the word Rebell in Nehem. 6.6. to apostatize, thou and the Jewes think to apostatize; [...]. and apostasie is a wicked departing from God and his truth, acknowledged and confessed, to false wayes of worship: and such were the Israelites at this time, they had left the God of Israel, and chosen other gods, and served Idols, which made the Lord to say, Jer. 2.11. Hath a nation changed their gods, which yet are no gods? but my people have changed their glory; such is the apostasie of Antichrist and his followers, they have de­parted from the true God and his worship, and set up false gods, and false worship; so that he and all his children are Goiim Ham­mordim, a rebellious, an apostatizing nation.

Against mee.

It's not against their King, their high Priest, but against mee, In pactum meum, Jerom. against my Covenant, saith Jerome, God had made a Covenant with them, not only a spousall covenant, I will betroth thee to mee for ever, Hos. 2.19. But a matrimoniall covenant, I am the Lord thy God, thou shalt have no other gods before me, Exod. 20.2, 3. God said, hee would have them, and no other people to be his; God kept the Covenant on his part, and was no Polygamist to that day, hee took not in any other nation, but they brake with him, and took in other gods, and brought them not into the City only, but into the Temple, and provoked their God to jealousie.

Even to this day.

The Hebrew is, to the body, strength, essence of this day, [...] even this self-same day: these very words you have in Lev. 23.14. untill the self-same day, had not this people been brutish, they might have seen what an unprofitable thing it was to bestow honour upon Al­tars, Idols, to set up corrupt, invented worship, they might have seen what truth and force was in Propheticall threats, how power­full God was to save and to destroy; for now they were carryed out of their own Countrey, they were in Babylon, a most Idola­trous place, subject to the nations they so disdained, and had been some yeers in bondage; yet even here, to that present time, they [Page 228] were addicted to their old wayes, and served false gods, night and day, Jer. 16.13.

Transgresse.

[...]The Hebrew word signifies, to sin, not ignorantly, or of infir­mity, but wilfully, ex superbia: Isai. 1.2. I have brought up children, and they have rebelled; it's the same word is in the Text, they have proudly, voluntarily sinned against mee; the Septuagint therefore ren­der it, [...] They have prevaricated with me, rejected mee, they have taken mee out of the way, who was established to be their God, and have willingly brought in other gods; and this word pashagn, is of lar­ger extent then marad, say Rabbies, but in Scripture they are pro­miscuously used: Hos. 14.9. the transgressors shall fall therein; those go from under the command of God, [...] and oppose him.

Obser. 1. That it's Christs prerogative to set up and send of­ficers unto the Church; I send thee, I that fit upon the Throne, that am Jehovah, that is to come, that have all power in mine hand, that can save and destroy, that am the great Prophet of my people, I send thee: So Mat. 28.18, 19. Christ is invested with all power, and therefore sends Officers to all nations; Eph. 4.11. He gave some Apostles, and some Prophets, and some Euangelists, and some Pastors and Teachers: it was Christ gave them, and set them up in the Church. Hence saith the Apostle, 1 Cor. 4.1. Let a man so account of us as the Ministers of Christ, we are set up and sent by him, who is the Head of the Church, the Authour of all Offices, and Lord of all Offficers. Hence followes:

1. That those Offices and Officers, are holy and warrantable, which depend upon the will and authority of Christ,Jer. 1.5. not those are of the wils and authority of men, as all are in the Romish Sy­nagogue, and too many are amongst us, Apostles, Prophets, Euan­gelists, they were of Christ, but being extraordinary, are ceased; Pastors, Teachers, Elders, Deacons, Christ hath given to be stan­ding Officers in the Church, and their callings wee acknowledge holy and lawfull, but all others of humane institution, and so un­holy and unwholesome for the Church. The Papists deny the calling of Pastors and Teachers in the reformed Churches to be lawfull, because they are not sent by the Pope, and ordained by his Bishops, and so in succession from Christ; but it's cleer, that [Page 229] Pastors and Teachers were given of Christ, before ever Popes or Prelates were thought on, Ephes. 4.11. And as for them, the Pope and his Clergie, wee may safely say, that neither himself, nor any of his Hierarchy, ever had any lawfull calling, because none of them are sent of Christ, hee will never own it, that he sent any of them, neither were they ordained according to the will of Christ and his Apostles.

2. That men unable and unhonest in the Office of the Church, set up by him, were never sent by him; hee gives gifts and graces to men, and then sends them; the Spirit entred into Ezekiel, and then, I send thee. He hath the power of sending, it depends on his will, and that is sacred, hee would not put in an insufficient or corrupt man upon any terms, and therefore he hath set rules and lawes to shew what men hee would have in those holy Functions, he hath given precedents of his own choosing: Rom. 1.5. By whom wee received Grace and Apostleship, first Grace, and then Apo­stleship, 2 Cor. 3.6. Who hath made us able Ministers of the new Testa­ment. The Lord Christs Ministers are able, not only in parts, but chiefly in the Spirit, that is light and life in them, such hee sends, such hee approves; and as for ignorant and evill ones, see what the Lord saith, Hos. 4.6. Because thou hast rejected knowledge, I will also reject thee, that thou shalt be no Priest to mee; Christ would not have a prophane ignorant man to be in that Calling.

3. That those are sent of Christ may not delegate their power, and execute the office by others, but must do it themselves; the Prophet might not appoint another, being sent of Christ to the children of Israel; I send thee, and thou shalt say unto them, thus saith the Lord; Ambassadours are themselves to deliver their mes­sages, and not others for them, or in their stead; Ministers are Ambassadors, and 2 Cor. 5.20. for Christ, and do preach and pray in Christs stead, who is their Head and Lord, whereupon, saith Paul, Wo unto mee, if I preach not the Gospel, 1 Cor. 9.16. And what's the ground of it? Vers. 17. The dispensation of the Gospel is committed unto me; I am commanded to do it, I may not, I dare not commit or delegate this trust, this power to others. Delegati­on is actus imperii, an act of power, and all the Officers of the Church must be obsequious, not imperious, therefore Hierarchists and those that substitute others to preach in their stead, usurpe [Page 230] the power of Christ, to whom it belongs to delegate men to preach in his stead, and over thousands of Churches, if he please.

4. That those Christ sends and sets over people, are by divine institution, I send thee to the children of Israel, he was not a Prophet to others, but unto them, and that by divine authority, Act. 20.28. Take heed unto all the flock, over which the Holy Ghost hath made you over-seers; this was the Church of Ephesus, and the Elders of it were set there by no lesse authority then that of the Holy Ghost, the Office, Power, Jurisdiction over such a people is not humane, arbitrary, ad placitum, but of divine institution.

2. That many are call'd, and seem to be Israelites, which in truth are not: the Jewes were call'd the children of Israel here, and were so, according to the flesh, but they were not so in the Spirit; they had not the principles of Jacob in them; they walked not in his steps; they had his name, but not his faith, they were call'd Israelites, but were not true Israelites, Rom. 9.6. they are not all Israel that are of Israel, in the true sense of the Scripture, they are not all Israel; that is spirituall, such as Jacob was, men of Prayer, wrestling with God, prevailing like Princes, but they are of Israel according to the flesh; and fleshly Israelites, to whom the promises pertained not: in Matth. 8.12. they are called children of the king­dome, but yet such as should be cast out into utter darknesse; they thought themselves safe in being called so, and conceiting them­selves such, but they were deluded: and so now many thou­sands think themselves Christians, Saints, when in truth they are nothing lesse, the very contrary, enemies to true Christians and Saints. The Papists boast that they are Catholiques, Christians, the Church of God; but it's in no better sense then these rebellious Jewes are termed the children of Israel. What are titles, when truth is wanting? no other then a kind of blaspheming, Rev. 2.9. I know the blasphemy of them, that say they are Jewes and are not; they were Jews by name, and did reproach the Christians, and the Lord Christ, but were not Jewes in truth; Rom. 2.28, 29. Hee is not a Jew which is one outwardly in circumcision of the flesh; but hee is a Jew which is one inwardly, whose heart is circumcised, and is one in the Spi­rit. Now these men saying they are Jewes, and were not, did blas­pheme, much prejudice and wound the honourable name of being a Jew, and what were they? a Synogogue of Satan; and now [Page 231] those think, call themselves Christians and are not; they blas­pheme and wound that honourable name of Christians; and so they that call themselves churches, and are not, they blaspheme, and wrong that honourable name of Church. Papists say they are the Church, be it so; it's the church of Satan, not of Christ, they worship Idols, not Christ, they are Babel, not Bethel, they have the title, not the substance.

3. That when Gods people degenerate, and fall to sinfull practices, then they lose their glory, and contract reproach; be­fore the Israelites fell to Idolatrous courses, and violation of di­vine Law, they were Gods Inheritance, Deut. 4.20. his Portion, Deut. 32.9. his peculiar Treasure, Exod. 19.5. his Strength and his Glory, Psal. 78.61. his anoynted Ones, Psal. 105.15. they were so honourable in his account, and precious in his eye, that hee suffered none to do them harm; he rebuked Kings for their sakes, and hee gave Egypt a ransome for them, men and people for their life, Isa. 43.3, 4, God thought nothing too deare for them, no titles too good, a kingdome of Priests, a holy Nation, Exod. 19.6. but when they fell from him, to sinfull and base courses, then their honourable titles are turned into reproachfull and bitter ones; they are called here Goiim, prophane, rejected, pollution, sterquili­nium, excrementa mundi; so the Jewes accounted of the Gentiles, and so God accounts of them here; they judged so of the Babylonians, and God metes out the same measure unto them; in Prov. 14.34. it's said, Righteousnesse exalts a Nation, but sin is a reproach to any people, even to Gods own people; it makes them vile, hatefull,Viles facit, Syr. abominable to God and man, and brings such terms, as pro­claims their shame, Isa. 1.10. God calls them Rulers of Sodome, and people of Gomorrah, Isa. 57.3. sons of the Sorceresse, the seed of the Adulterer and Whore, an hypocriticall Nation, Isa. 6.10. a nation not desired, Zeph. 2.1. a thievish Nation, Mal. 3.9. the generation of his wrath, Jer. 7.27. Loammi, none of my people, Hos. 1.

4. See here the great evill is in Sin, it is Rebellion against God, 1 Sam. 12.15. not only great Sins, Idolatry, Murther, &c. but even all sin; it's a casting off God, a withdrawing from his Laws, Commands, Authority: as Hos. 4.12. They have gone a whoring from under their God; as a wife that is false to her husband will not be kept in, be under the guidance, counsell and power of her hus­band, [Page 132] but will out, follow her Lovers, satisfie her lusts: and so is it with the souls sinning with God, it will out from under the gui­dance, counsell, command and authority of God; it saith of God in effect, as they in the Gospell said of Christ, Wee will not have this man to reign over us, wee will not be under him; and Sin­ners will not be under God: God commanded Saul to smite Amalek, to destroy all, and neither spare man nor beast; but Saul spared Agag, the goodly things, and fat of the beast, and this by intreaty of the people; this might seem no great mat­ter, especially the cattell being spared to sacrifice to the Lord, as they pretended; but see what God saith of it, 1 Sam. 15.11. It repents mee that I have set up Saul to be King, for hee is turned backe from following mee; he is apostatized from me: God calls this sin apostasie, and Sam. v. 23. calls it Rebellion; Saul, thou hast rebelled against God; and will you know what a sin Rebellion is? it's as the sin of Witchcraft, and you all know it's abominable, and worthy of death, thy sin is of that malignity, as that by it thou hast rejected God, and for it God hath rejected thee, and thou art a man of death for it: Rebell is an ill name, and here is a King a Rebell against God, and so is every Sinner; for he not only with­drawes from under God, but takes up arms against God; bitter, lying, swearing, reproaching words, are call'd arrows and swords, in the 57^th Psal. v. 4. and 73. Psal. v. 9. it's said of wicked men; they set their mouths against the heavens, that is, against God in the hea­vens: [...]. and of a proud man it's said, Jam. 4.6. God resists him; he is in bellion against God, hath taken up arms against him, and God takes up arms to meet him; it's a military word, God sets him­self in a military posture against him, [...]. Acts 5.39. those opposed the Apostle, were fighters against God: but there's no hope for Sinners to do good this way, God will prevail, and wound the hairy scalps of his enemies, what ever they be, that go on still in their wickednesse. Let us therefore cast down our weapons, and submit to God; rebellion is an odious thing against a State, much more against God: Let us all say, we will not be Rebels but Subjects of the most High; wee will be governed by his Lawes, wee will be under his Authority, and as they said to Joshua 1.18. let us say to God, Whosoever hee be that doth rebell against thy Commandements, and will not hearken to thy words, [Page 233] in all that thou commandest him, hee shall be put to death.

5. That sins about worship are rebellions against Christ, and he takes it hainously; they have rebelled against me; it was Christ who sate upon the Sapphirine throne, that spake to the Prophet, that said, they rebell against me; and wherein was the rebellion? in casting off his worship, and in corrupting it, when people fall to Idolatrous and false worship, or corrupt the true and pure wor­ship of Christ, by detraction of any part of it, or by additionals and mixtures of their own, then they sin: so about worship, as it's rebellion against Christ; sometimes they fell to flat Idolatry, forsaking the true worship of God, and joyn to Baal-Peor, Psal. 106.28. sometimes they set up their posts with Gods posts, and brought in their own inventions, and mingled their water with Gods Wine, and the wisdome of their flesh, with the wisdome of Christ; and this hee complains of as rebellion against him, and the ground of it is, because Christ was the Head of the Church then, as well as now, and the Law-giver unto them as well as unto us, there was never but one Head and one Law-giver to the Church, and when hee out of his infinite wisdome hath set a way of wor­ship that will delight the Father himself and his Spirit, for mor­tall worms of the earth to leave it, to pervert it, to mix their own devices with it; provokes bitterly, and mounts up to the nature of rebellion, and that against Christ; Psal. 119.1.Indebitum cul­tum, indebito modo. Blessed are the undefiled in the way; what way? in the way of worship especially; that admit not unwarranted worship, nor worship in a wrong manner, but walk in the Law of the Lord.

6. That children usually tread in the paths of their fathers, they and their fathers have transgressed against me; doth the fa­ther sin knowingly, wilfully? the children will do so; do they fall off from the true worship of God, imbrace lies, superstition, oppres­sion, whoredome? it's a miracle if their children do not. Adam eat the forbiden fruit, and all man-kinde have followed his steps to that tree; the name of a father and his example, are strong traces, to draw the children into their way. We reade of some Kings in Judah, that left the way of their fathers, but not one of Israel, they all followed the steps of Jeroboam, the son of Nebat, that made Israel to sin; let the parents be never so vile, if grace prevent not, the children will walke in their wayes: Ahah was [Page 234] bad enough, that sold himself to commit wickenesse, and yet Ahaziah his son is said to walk in his way, in his mothers way, who was Jezabel, and in Jeroboams, 1 King. 22.52. and if it be possible, they will go beyond their fathers in wickednesse, Judg. 2.19. They corrupted themselves more then their fathers, Jer. 7.26. They did worse then their fathers. Iniquity improves in the going, like a river, the farther it runs, the broader and deeper it growes: in Joh. 8.44. Christ tels the Jewes, they were of their father the Devill, and his lusts they will do; they were such wilfull sinners, sinning against such cleer and strong light, that their sin was devillish. Let parents take heed what they do, how they sin before their children; when they do so, they pave a way to hell for them, and dig the pit for their destruction. Raboldus, a Duke of Frees­land, about the 900. yeere of Christ, being perswaded to turn Christian, and going to be baptized, asked of the Bishop if all his forefathers were damned, who indiscreetly affirming it, saith the Duke, then will I be damned with them, rather then be baptized by thee.

7. Antiquity is not the rule for worship; you and your fathers have transgressed against me; the traditions and examples of fore­fathers will not warrant the children in point of worship; here they could plead, We did what our forefathers did many hundred yeers together, and have faithfully walked in their steps, and hope we are unblameable; no, saith Christ, You and your fathers have transgressed, you should not have made their examples, but my Word the rule of worship. The Samaritanes could plead antiquity for their worship in Mount Gerizim, above 200. yeeres, where they had a Temple, and many things according to Moses. And hence was it, that the woman of Samaria said to Christ, Our fathers wor­shipped in this mountain, Joh. 4.20. but Christ told her, v. 22. You worship you know not what; you have the wils, inventions, and examples of men, for the warrant of your worship and good in­tentions, in the execution of your worship, but because you have not my Word; that is, not a Light, a Law and Rule unto you in point of your worship; you worship you know not what; and your good intentions neither make it acceptable unto God, nor profitable to you: In Hos. 11.12. it's said, Ephraim com­passeth mee about with lies, and the house of Israel with deceit, they [Page 235] had their fathers, and antiquity to plead, even from Jeroboams dayes; but because they had corrupted the worship of God with their own inventions, the Lord calls all lies and deceit. In point of worship, you must look at divine Lawes, not humane examples;Leg bus, non exemplis judi­candum, vi­vendum est. the rust of antiquity will not go for pay with God; mens tradi­tions make ineffectuall his commands: Matth. 15.6. And can they be effectuall Ordinances unto us? if so, we had not been re­deemed from them by the blood of Christ: 1 Pet. 1.18. hee tels them they were redeem'd from their vain conversation by tradi­tion from their fathers, by the precious blood of Christ, and what was that vain conversation? A Jesuite tels us,A. Ladid. in locum. it was in Lege Mosis, & Gentilismo; and are they freed from Moses Law given by God, and Gentilisme, the traditions of men? are not wee freed from that vain conversation is in the lawes of Popery and Prelates and traditions of Fathers? yea, wee are freed, and that by the blood of Christ, hee must be our Antiquity, our Rule, our Law; and what is not after Christ, but after the traditions of men, must be thrown out and troden down as beggerly elements and world­ly rudiments; therefore heare Christ (who speaks in this Prophe­cie) in the 20. Ezek. 18.19. saying, Walk yee not in the Statutes of your fathers, neither observe their judgements, nor defile your selves with them, I am the Lord your God, walk in my Statutes, and keep my judgements, and do them.

8. A sinfull nation is not changed by afflictions; they were now in captivity amongst Babylonians that were bitter scoffing enemies, that said, Sing us one of the songs of Sum; they were under the wrath of God, put hard to it, for all their necessaries, and yet they ceased not their rebellious transgressions against God, even to this very day: they had been five yeeres also in this hard con­dition, and yet continued. Afflictions are invalid to subdue cor­ruptions, or change dispositions: put a stone into the fire, it nei­ther softens it, nor changes it; neither cold nor hot water will make a Blackmore white; empty Vineger from vessell to vessell, it will never become Wine; and empty a wicked heart from condi­tion to condition, it will never become gracio [...]; afflictions may cause restraint of corruption hinder execution of it, stir up natu­rall principles, and common gifts to act, but never alter a man. But usually wicked men are worse for afflictions; here they sinned [Page 236] against God rebelliously in the land of their captivity. Wicked men grow worse and worse every day: Isa. 1.5. Why should you be smitten any more? you will revolt more and more; the whole head is sick, and the heart is faint, &c. When sinners are in an ill way through their own corrupt natures, strengthen'd in it by example of their fathers and their own practice, the more blowes they have, the harder they grow, and sin more desperately.

Stiff-hearted.

Robusti corde, strong in heart, or of heart; strong with a sin­full strength, with stubbornnesse against God: there is a naturall stiffnesse in men, which they inherite from their forefathers, and bring into the world; and there is a contracted stiffnesse, gotten by continuance in sin; both these were in this people, and the principle of stubbornnesse was not broken, but strengthened; so that no threatnings did make them feare, no blows did make them yeeld; but being stubborn they rebell'd all; no promises, kindnesses did melt them; this sin had been in them even from Moses time, Mat. 19.8. Moses, because of the hardnesse of your hearts, suffered you to put away your wives: The tender love of a wife could not prevail with them.

Observ. 1. That progresse in sin makes impudent; the originall is, and are impudent; they sin to this day, and are impudent, or hard of face: the beginnings of sin are modest, but progresse in sin is shamelesse; in a Harlot is first wanton thoughts, then wan­ton looks, after waiting for opportunities, and here yet may be blushing; but when it comes to that in Prov. 7.13. she caught him, shee kissed him, then it's come to shamelesnesse,Erubescentia est fuga rei in­decentis. Impudence is the contrary: sin is the most indecent thing, & ma­xime crubesci­bile; we blush at the naked­nesse of our bodies, not at sinne, which made the na­kednesse of the body shamefull. Quantum di­splicet Deo im­munditia pec­cati, in tantum placet Deo cru­bescentia poeni­ten [...]is, Bernard. and therefore it fol­lowes, with an impudent face shee said, I have peace-offerings, I have paid my vowes, God hath had his due, and now my flesh must have its due, I have deckt my bed, come, let us take our fill of love: The Hebrew for impudent is, she strengthened her face; it was strength­ned against modestie and shame; for progresse in sin had made her shamelesse of sin: and so the Prophet speaks of the Jewes, Jer. 3.3. Thou hast a whores fore-head, thou refusest to be ashamed, Ju­dah was so impudent, that shee scorned to blush, Jer. 8.12. Were they ashamed when they committed abomination? I looked for it, but they were not ashamed at all, neither could they blush; O what a conditi­on doth sin bring to! Monica the mother of Austin, at first sipped a little wine, after dranke off a little more, in time whole cups, and at last it came to drunkennesse, and so to impudencie: when the Calves were first mentioned in Israel, the people trembled at it, but afterwards they could kisse Calves, and sacrifice to Baal, Hos. 13.1. and out-stand the threats of the Prophet. Sin banisheth shame from its habitation; so that the sinner and shame are dis­acquainted: Psal. 52.1. Why boastest thou thy selfe in mischief, O mighty man? Doeg boasteth of his bloodinesse, that hee had kill'd the Priests at the command of Saul; Zeph. 3.5. The unjust knoweth no shame. Though men foam out their shame, Jude 13. and glory in their shame, Phil. 3.19. yet they will know no shame: It's an ex­ceeding evill to be past shame, to be impudent in sinning; if ever God shew mercie to such sinners, they must be ashamed; What fruit had you in those things, whereof now yee are ashamed? Rom. 6.21. yee were impudent in committing, but now yee are ashamed in confessing and remembring of them.

2. That where there is an impudent face, there is a hard stiffe heart; if the heart were not stony before God, the face would not be impudent before man; Act. 7.51. Yee stiff-necked, and un­circumcised in heart, there was brawnishnesse within, and impudency [Page 238] without; and a hard heart is one of the greatest evills; Mercies prevail not, what mercies had they in the Wildernesse, in Cana­an; and yet they did not move them? Miracles will not do it; when they took Christ, hee said, I am hee, and they all fell back­ward to the ground, after this, Peter cuts off Malchus his ear; Christ heals it: here were two miracles, yet they did no good upon their hard hearts; they went on, laid hands on Christ, who wrought the miracles, bound him as a malefactor, and thought to make him sure for doing any more miracles. Pharaoh saw ten miracles; the Israelites woar a miracle about them; fortie yeers their clothes, and shoes ware not out, they were new at fortie yeers end, yet these wrought not upon their hard hearts.Pliny tels of a river in Luca­nia, that turns leaves and sticks into stones. It is not fasting and prayer will do it, many are hardened in them; There be waters, that what ever is cast in, they turn into stone; and some mens hearts grow stonie in what ever Ordinances they are. A hard heart is a grievous disease, worse then the stone in the reins or bladder: It was Nabals disease and death, and most men are sick and die of that disease.

3. That God sends his Prophets and Ministers about hard ser­vices, such as are full of discouragements; when they are look'd upon with a carnall eye: Ezekiel had presently to object, Lord, wilt thou send mee to a people that is impudent? I shall never make them blush; to a people hard-hearted? I shall never make impression on their spirits, by any truths I shall preach unto them, my labour will be in vain; are they a rebellious nation? do they rebell against thee? and will they not much more rebell against me? this is a hard task; if thou regard'st not me, yet regard thy truths, What, shall they be cast away about such a people as this? O spare me, and spare thy truths: No, saith God, I send thee unto them, and thou shalt speak unto them; they are hard tasks that God puts his servants upon; Isaiah was called to a hard service Chap. 6.9, 10. to preach ruine and destruction to a people, and so unwelcome he was, that he saith, Chap. 8.18. I am for a signe and wonder in Israel: Jeremiah is set over nations and kingdomes to root out,Quid est prae­d care, nisi fu­rorem populi in se derivare? Luth. to pull down and to destroy, Chap. 1.10. the Kings of Judah, the Princes, Priests, and People he was to deal withall; and Vers. 19. it's said, They shall fight against thee. Preaching provokes all sorts of men; and so hard did Jeremiah find his work, although God promised [Page 239] to be with him, he was so derided, saw so little good come of his labours, that he resolved to lay down his Calling, and to speak no more in the name of the Lord, Jer. 20.9. Knox, when called to preach, he burst forth into an abundance of tears, and so withdrew himself to his chamber, and was full of grief, and troubled, till he was compell'd to preach. Preaching is a warring, 2 Tim. 2.4. and Preachers are souldiers; hence Paul calls Timothy, a good souldier of Christ; and when we come to spoil and plunder people of their goods, their lusts, wills, humours, opinions, and to take away their strong holds, their carnall reasoning against Christ in the Gospel, and wayes of God; they are in a rage, take up arms against us. Paul fought with Beasts at Ephesus, 1 Cor. 15.32. and they gored him, and sought his death: The Galatians that would have at first pull'd out their eyes for Paul, thrust out their tongues against Paul; hee was their enemy, because hee told them the truth; those cryed Hosannah a little before, were ready to cry Crucifie, crucifie; hardly a Prophet or an Apostle, but suffered by the hands of their hearers.

4. Ministers should not so much look at the persons they are sent to, or the event of their ministerie, as at their Call: I send thee, saith God, look thou to that, trouble not thy self at the persons that are so wicked, nor at the successe of thy ministerie, but con­sider I have call'd and sent thee; Gods will and command must content us, support us: what if wee be scoffed at, reviled, made the off-scouring and filth of the world, yet here is the comfort of a true Prophet, of a true Minister, Christ sent him, and hee that set him awork will pay him his wages, whether they heare or heare not to whom hee is sent; the Nurse hath her wages, whether the childe live or die; and wee are a sweet savour of Christ unto God in them that are saved, and in them that perish: 2 Cor. 2.15. The souldier hath his respect and reward, whether hee kill men or take them alive; and wee are acceptable unto God as well in the deaths as the lives of men. This consideration comforted Isaiah, Chap. 49.4, 5. I have laboured in vain, I have spent my strength for nought; yet surely my judgement is with the Lord, and my work with my God; and though Israel be not gathered, yet shall I be glorious in the eyes of the Lord, and my God shall be my strength: Hee would look at God, and not at the difficulty of the work, or discouragements [Page 140] from men, and want of successe; sometimes God gives large in­couragement, promises hope, successe, providing for our infirmi­ties, at other times bare a commission and command must suffice, to do that would make ones heart ake; it's his prerogative to send whom he will, and upon what service he will. Let us lay aside all discouraging thoughts, look to our Call, rest in Gods will, and know it's honour to be in his service, though nothing come of it, wee are acceptable to him, if not to men, and shall finde a reward in heaven, if none on earth.

5. That those are sent of God must deliver, not their own, but Gods message; and thou shalt say unto them, Thus saith the Lord God: a Prophet is os Dei; and it's great honour to him, that the great God will speak by his tongue; Thou shalt be as my mouth, Jer. 15.19. So Jeremy had Gods words put in his mouth, Chap. 1.9. and those hee must speak, not his own words, what God com­manded that he must speak, and not what himself fancied. When a man comes furnished with the word of God, then hee comes as a man of God, with authority and power; this made the Apostle say, our weapons are not carnall, not the words of mans wisdome, but the Oracles of God, which are mighty through God, Acts 20. he delivered the whole counsell of God, and not his own.

A rebellious house.

The originall is, a house of rebellion, it's in the abstract, [...] and notes the strength and provocation of their sin: the Vulgar hath it, the exasperating house, the house that provokes and vexes the Lord,Domus exa­sperans. Irritans Sept. Domus ama­ricans. In amaritudi­nemme con­vertunt. or the imbittering house, that imbitters God, and so the Septuagint renders that in the third verse, which have rebelled against mee, which have turned mee into bitternesse, and made me deal bitterly with them; A house, not because God dwelt amongst them, and was now dri­ven out by their rebellions; but a house, because they were the fa­mily, and seed of Israel; and this parenthesis is inserted to arm the Prophet against their obstinacie, that he understanding before hand, what they were, might not be despondent, but proceed cheerfully in his work, what ever he met withall.

Observ. 1. That there be few that heare and receive the Word savingly: I send thee to this people, and there be not many among them that will entertain thy message, or believe the word that I put into thy mouth; Whether they will heare, or forbeare, for they are a rebellious house: this strongly imports they would not heare, not savingly, but rather oppose the truth; there was a great number of them in Babylon, yet very few hearkened to the Prophet, and so was it before they went into Babylon, Isa. 53. Who hath believed our report? we have preached, and made report of God and Christ, in the Temple, in the Synagogues, in the gates and streets; but, Who hath believed us? Isaiah was a Princely Prophet, had a Princely language, and yet neither among the great ones at Court, nor in­feriour sort, was there any considerable number; for Isa. 8.18. He saith, I and the children the Lord hath given mee, are for signs and wonders in Israel; if they had been many, they would not have [Page 242] been for wonders, that is a wonder which is rare, unusuall; and it's a rare unusuall thing for men and women to believe the Word of God, multitudes flock to the gates and posts of Wisdome, but few lay up sound wisdome in their hearts, [...]x cent [...]si­mum quim (que) sore fiddem. Calv. [...]t Es. 51 Quot esse pu­tatis qui in e [...] ­vitate nostra salventur? in­festum quidem est quod d ctu­rus sum, d cam tamen, non pos­sunt in tot mil­libus centum inveniri qui salventur, quin & de his dubi­to. Quan­ta en [...]m est, in juvenibus malitia? quan­tus in senibus torpor? nemo zelum habet, multitudo su­mus saeni, in­ordinatum mare, Chrys. Ad fidem plu­res veniunt, sed ad coelestia regna pauci perducuntur, Greg. Hom. 19. in Euang. many hearers, few be­lievers: 1 Cor. 1.22. Wee preach Christ crucified unto the Jewes a stumbling block, and unto the Greeks foolishnesse; the generality of both reject Christ and his Doctrine, of those that heare the Gos­pel, scarce the hundreth man is a believing man, saith Calvin, and Chrysostome exceeds him in his 40. Hom. Ad pop. Antioch. hee thinks that scarce the thousand man that hears the Word will be saved. It's conceived by some Expositers, that in Antioch were above an hundred thousand people, and yet this Father feared that hardly an hundred of them were right: Noah preached unto the old world, and few or none hearkened. When the Jewes were in the Wildernesse, how few hearkened unto the voyce of the Lord of 600000, only Caleb and Joshua hearkened, obeyed and en­tred into Canaan, set aside all prophane hearers, all negligent ones, all forgetfull, all unbelieving and unpracticall hearers, and you shall find the number very few of saving hearers; many come to heare, but few get into heaven. And you know what Christ hath said, That narrow is the way to life, and few there be that find it, but broad is the way to destruction, and many there be that go in thereat. Let Christ speak, hee is not heard, not received, let Satan or Antichrist do it, they are heard and followed. Josh. 5.43. I come in my Fathers Name, and yee receive mee not; if another shall come in his own name, him yee will receive. When Antichrist came hee was received, Rev. 13.3. And all the world wondred after the Beast and worshipped the Beast, saying; Who is like unto the Beast? The Do­ctrine and worship of the Beast was easie, suitable to carnall spirits; but the Doctrine of Christ is spirituall, deep, contrary to our fleshly and sinfull principles; and herein the greatnesse of the mysterie of the Gospel is set out, that few do heare and believe.

2. See the infinite goodnesse of God, that will give a Prophet to such a people as this; they were rebellious, had sleighted, re­jected, abused all the Prophets in Canaan, 2 Chro. 36.15, 16. The Lord God sent to them by his Messengers, because hee had compas­sion on them, but they mocked the Messengers of GOD, despised his Word, and misused his Prophets, untill the wrath of the Lord [Page 243] arose, and there was no remedy or healing; God saw nothing would do them good, but that they must be ruin'd by warer, be thrown into captivity, and buiried in Babylon; yet such was the compassion and goodnesse of God, that hee gives them a Prophet here to try them what they would do, whether they would heare and learn righteousnesse, God will not be overcome with mans evill, but will overcome evill with good: when the Jewes had taken Christ the heire, and put him to death, yet hee being risen, powres out his Spirit upon the Apostles, and gives them both to Jewes and Gentiles; and Peter at a Sermon, conver­ted some of those that had washt their hands in his blood; when God will, nothing shall hinder his mercy and kindnesse, hee will give the choysest Ministers to the corruptest people.

3. That sinners in time come to a heighth and perfection of sinning; they were not only a rebellious house, but a house of rebellion; when it comes to the abstract once, it's at the heighth: as there is a going on in Gods ways to perfection, Heb. 6.1. [...]. so there is in sins wayes: James tels us of, sin finished, perfected. Chap. 1.15. Hence Eccles. 8.11. mention is made of hearts fully set to do evill; and Jerem. 3.5. Judah is said to speak and do evill, as shee could; and Israel sins are call'd mighty sins, Amos 5.12.Fortia pecca­ta. [...] the ori­ginall is, bony sins, as men when their bones are come to their full growth, are strong, and men of might; so is it in sinning, when sins are come to their full growth, then are they mighty sins; the like is that in Jer. 44.16, 17. As for the word thou hast spoken unto us in the name of the Lord, we will not hearken unto thee, but wee will certainly do whatsoever thing goeth out of our own mouth: to burn in­cense to the Queen of Heaven, and to powre out drink-offerings unto her, as wee have done, wee and our fathers, our Kings and our Princes, &c. this was the sin of Judah, her whole heart and will was in it, and Israel was not behind: Hos. 2.5. I will go after my lovers that gave me my bread and my water, my wooll and my flax, mine oyle and my drink, they sinned with greedinesse, as they in Ephes. 4.19. which sets out the greatnesse of their sin. The Scripture calls such sinners, sons of Belial, Judg. 19.22. Sons of Belial beset the house round about where the Levite and his Concubine were, in the old mans house at Gibeah, they got her, and forced her to death; these were sons of Belial indeed, without profit; as some interpret the word, [Page 244] without yoke, as others, that is, lawlesse, rebellious men, men of wickednesse, given to wickednesse; as Hophni and Phineas, 1 Sam. 2.12. such as Christ will have nothing to do with, 2 Cor. 6.15. unlesse it be to destroy them.

4. That sin is an imbittering thing; the house of rebellion may be turn'd the house of bitternesse, that deals bitterly with me, and imbitters my Spirit against them, Hos. 12.14. Ephraim provo­ked him to anger most bitterly, [...] Peccata sunt amaritudines Dei. O iniquitas Peccati quae suavitatem Dei in amari­tudinem con­vertit. with bitternesses, Ephraim sins were sins full of bitternesse; they turn Gods sweetnesse into bitternesse, his patience into wrath, his bowels into wormwood; if any thing can sadden divine nature, and imbitter the same, it's sin; What a bitter thing is it, that God should be thrust out of his Throne and Temple, and an Idoll set up? What a bitter thing, that the heart and conscience, which is the seat of God, should be the ha­bitation of lusts and Devils? when God sees this, it doth much imbitter his Spirit. When Christ hung upon the Crosse, they gave him gall and vineger to drink; which was a bitter provocation, and when wee sin, wee give God and Christ pure gall to drink, Lam. 1.18. [...] the words there are, The Lord is righteous, for I have rebell'd against his Commandment; the Hebrew is otherwise, because I have made bitter his mouth, I have given him gall and wormwood to drink, a cup of rebellion and disobedience, he is righteous in these bitter afflictions, because I have imbittered his mouth and Spirit with my bitter sins.Felle & ama­ritudine pro­pinare Deo. God is all love, sweetnesse, mercy, and would not afflict and deal bitterly with us, if wee did not drinke to him in gall, provoke him by our sins to it. Hos. 13.16. Samaria shall become desolate, for shee hath rebelled against God, the Vulgar is,Quoniam ad amaritudinem concitavit De­um suum. because shee hath stirred up God to bitternesse; and hee will deal as bitterly by her, they shall fall by the sword, saith God, their Infants shall be dashed in pieces, and their women with child shall be ript up. Here was great bitternesse wee think, but it's nothing to the bit­ternesse of our sins, our sins crosse Gods will, darken his glory, murthered his Son, grieve, vex his Spirit, deface his work, and burthen him daily. There is a double bitternesse considerable about sin, the bitternesse in sin, and that for sin; this last God ne­ver tastes, but all man-kind hath, and shall taste; feares, sorrows, troubles, sicknesse, death, &c. but the other bitternesse in sin, God alwayes tastes it. Deut. 32.32. their grapes are grapes of gall, their [Page 245] clusters are bitter, both their works and worship are bitter; there is hypocrisie and superstition in them, there cannot be the least dram of Gall in any thing his people do, especially in worship, but the Lord tastes it, and distastes it; our mouths are so out of relish, that wee finde sweet in sin, which is gall, wormwood, yea, bitternesse it self, Job 20.12, 13, 14. Though wickednesse be sweet in his mouth, hee hides it under his tongue, keeps it, and will not forsake it; yet his meat in his bowells is turned, it is the gall of Asp [...] within him: It's a metaphor from a man given to his appetite, who meeting with some sweet pleasing morsell, keeps it long in his mouth, sucks out the sweet, delights his sense with it,Quod pala­tum oblectavit viscera d s­rumpit. and lets it not go down too quickly; but when it's down, it proves a poy­soned bit; and though it pleased his palate, yet it torments his bowels: so sin in most mens mouths, in their fancies and to their senses is sweet, and they roll it up and down in their thoughts, and delight themselves in a conceited pleasure of it, but there is the gall of Asps in it, the bitternesse of death: and Solomon, who had found sweetnesse in the wayes of the flesh, at last felt and ac­knowledged the bitternesse in sin, and in that sin, Eccles. 7.26. I finde more bitter then death, the woman whose heart is snares and nets: Prov. 5.4. her end is bitter as wormwood. The bitternesse in sin will be tasted at one time or other: Jer. 2.19. It is an evill thing and bitter, that thou hast forsaken the Lord thy God.

5. A rebellious people grow worse by the means of grace; let them heare the Word, or have it tendred to them, they are more obstinate, opposite then before; the point rises thus: Whe­ther they will heare or no; for they are a rebellious house; they will not heare, they will not receive thee, nor thy message, but out of their old malice and rebellious dispositions, they will be the worse for a Prophet sent unto them, more hardned they will be against thee, thy person, thy Doctrine, thy conversation, thy calling, they will quarrell and question all. Jer. 44.16, 17. As for the word that thou hast spoken unto us in the name of the Lord, we will not hearken unto thee, but wee will certainly do what ever thing goeth out of our own mouth; they were the worse for the Prophet,Facier do sac [...]e­mus. is the Hebrew. more obstinate and set against him, and the truths hee delivered, in doing wee will do, since thou hast spoken to the contrary, we are more resolved and set upon it. When Christ the great Prophet [Page 246] was sent unto the Jewes, did they not grow more hard, vile, and opposite to him and his Doctrine? did they not question his cal­ling, and quarrell at his conversation? Luke 4.18. when Christ had told them that the Spirit was upon him, and that hee was sent to preach the Gospel, Deliverance, Liberty, the acceptable yeere, and spake so, as that they wondred at the gracious words procee­ded out of his mouth; yet in the 28^th verse it's said, All they that were in the Synagogue, when they heard these things, were filled with wrath, and rose up, and thrust him out of the city, and led him unto the brow of the hill, that they might cast him down headlong. Christ was a Nazaren, and yet thus would the Nazarenites have ser­ved their Prophet, their Messiah, their own Citizen; they would have thrown him down and broke his neck and bones together, which made Ambrose say,Est pejor ma­gistro Disci­pulorum haere­d [...]tas, Ambr. That these men were worse then the de­vill, because when hee had Christ upon the top of the pinacle, hee offered not to throw him down, but said, Throw thy self down; but these would have thrown him down with their own hands: wicked men storm and rage against Christ, his Doctrine and do­ings, Luke 6.11. when hee had confuted their corrupt opinions about the Sabbath, and heal'd the man with the withered hand, it's said, They were filled with madnesse, and communed one with ano­ther, what they might do to Jesus; you may see how the words of Christ ripened their corruptions; the Gospel is like the Sun which ripens weeds as well as corn, crabs as well as good fruit; the vine of Sodome as well as the vine of Sibnah, Deut. 32.32. Isa. 16.8. and the Vineyards of Tim­nah amongst the Philistines, Judg. 14.5. as the Vineyards of Engedi among the Israelites, Can. 1.14. And so the Word of God and Gospel of Christ, ripens the corruptions of the rebellious as well as the graces of the regenerate; Judas treason, the Pharisees hypo­crisie, are ripened by the Word, as well John's love and Nathaniels sincerity: in the hottest countreys are the rankest poyson, the most venimous Serpents; and in England, which is zona torrida for the means of Grace, is the bitterest enmity to godlinesse, here are the rankest Serpents that ever lived.

6. That God will leave wicked men without excuse; it's Gods intention, they shall never be able to challenge mee, nor to justifie themselves; Gods primary intentions where hee sends Prophets and meanes of grace, are the good of his elect, their comfort, san­ctification [Page 247] and salvation; but his secondary intentions, are the in­excusablenesse of the wicked and their just damnation. Hence is it, that the Apostle saith, wee are the savour of life unto life, and the savour of death unto death, 2 Cor. 2.16. There is a sort of men that the Gospel is a sweet savour unto, they smell life in it, and it revives them, it works unto life, and these are the elect ones; but there is another sort, that the Gospel is a favour of death unto, they smel death in it, and find deadly effects from it, they are hard­ned, worsned, imbittered, and so it works unto death: it's like a strong Sent, that kills immediatly: and those it proves so unto are the reprobate, the lost, whose mindes the God of this world hath blinded, 2 Cor. 4.4. Christ also tels us, Joh. 9.39. For judgement I am come into this world, that they which see not might see, and that they which see might bt made blinde; his first aim was at those under election, to do them good, to make them see; the secondary end and aim was, to make others blind; that is, such as were in a re­probate condition, when God sends his Word to any place, it shall, and must prosper in the thing whereunto hee sends it, Isa. 55.11. be it to win and draw, or to harden and make inexcusable, see Isa. 6.9, 10. Go and tell this people; Heare ye indeed, but understand not; see ye, but perceive not: make the heart of this people fat, make their eares heavie, and shut their eyes, &c. And this Scripture is six times in the new Testa­ment repeated; intimating, that as people are hardened under the meanes, so they are inexcusable, having had the means; and it's a dreadfull condition, to have Law or Gospel, Prophets or Apostles, and not to thrive by them; Christ pronounces a woe to the Cities, Matth. 11. that had the means of Grace, and mighty works done in them, and repented not; he tells them, it shall be more tolera­ble for Sodome then for them, at the day of judgement; cursed Sodomites that were destroyd with so dreadfull a judgement from heaven shall find more favour at the day of judgement, and more ease in hell after that day, then any that have had the Gospel and means of grace, and not profited by them; let us learn to tremble at the Word of God, heare it as the Word of God, as that Word shall judge us and receive the truths of God with love, lest other­wise God sends us strong delusions, and we be damn'd for not being the truth.

7. Wicked men shall one day be awakened, and see what mercy, [Page 248] what means, offers of grace, they have refused and sleighted; they shall know that there hath been a Prophet amongst them, the time shall come, that they shall see and feel, that I was neer, that my Word was among them, that salvation was at their dores; they shall finde mee a severe Judge, that would not accept of mee a ten­der father; men go on a long time in a carelesse, sleepie or scorn­ing way, but when sicknesse comes, death is before them, and they ready to take possession of an eternall condition, then their con­science stings them, and they feel what an evill it is, that they have opposed, neglected, undervalued the Prophets and Sons of the Prophets. The Adulterer will be roused out of his pleasing dream and soft bed at last,Prov. 5.12, 13 and say, How have I hated instruction, and my heart despised reproof, and have not obeyed the voyce of my teachers, nor inclined mine eare to them that instructed me? there will be strong convictions in the bosome of such a finner, and conscience will sound in his eares, and set upon his spirit those truths of his tea­chers that formerly have been despised. When Pharaoh and the Egyptians were in the red sea, and the old world had the flood about its eares, what languages did their consciences speak? did they not tell them, they had had Moses and Noah, Prophets and Preachers of righteousnesse, and gave no ear to them? did they not sting them to death, and make them cry out, and say, O that wee had hearkened to those servants of the living God? whilest wicked men are hearing, sometimes their consciences are netled and gall'd: Act. 5.17. The high Priest, and all with him, when they heard and saw what was done by the Apostles, they were filled with indigna­tion; and John 8.59. the Jewes were so vexed at Christ, that they took up stones to cast at him: [...] disserrabatur. Super Marty­rem, Stepha­num, dentibus colubrinis stri­debant quem quasi serpen­tem in corde habebant, Aug. Serm. 6. de sanct. and those that heard Stephen, Act. 7.54. they were cut to the heart, and gnashed on him with their teeth; with the Saw of anger, malice and envie, they were even sawn in sunder, and gnashed on him with their teeth; and if the Word were so terrible while they had shifts to evade the stroke of it, and comforts to allay the power of it, what would it be to them at last, when all shifts and comforts should fail them? Some have confessed their consciences have been so cudgell'd at the hearing of some men, as they never were in all their dayes before; others, that truths have been so darted into them, they could not get them out in a week, or moneth after; they have stuck like ar­rowes [Page 249] in their livers, and have been half-deaths unto them,Mortes dimi­diatae. what will the Word be at last unto rebellious sinners? it will ar­rest them, and be most terrible unto them, Zach. 1.6. Did not not my words take hold of their fathers? it did, and will do in these dayes; John 12.48. the Word of Christ will judge and con­demn sinners, be an Anathema Maranatha unto them, and they shall know it.

8. That the Prophets shall be witnesses at last, for or against their hearers: they shall know there hath been a Prophet amongst them, his person, his pains, his truths, his life, his sufferings, his death, will all come in for witnesses one day; every Prophet, every Preacher that Christ sends, is a witnesse as well as an Officer or a Minister; Acts 26.16. I have made thee a Minister and a witnesse; all faithfull Ministers are Christs witnesses, Act. 1.8. They beare witnesse of Christ and his Doctrine, and if wee re­ceive not him and his doctrine, they will be Christs witnesses against us; when the Lord Christ shall say to a people, I have knockt at your dores many yeers together, but yee would not open unto me, I tendered life and salvation, grace and glory in my Gospel and Ordinances, but you would none of them; you had your Farmes, Oxen, Wives to take up your thoughts, Mammon to serve, honour and praise to seek of one another, examples of men to follow, &c. as for mee and my Prophets, my Ministers, you despised, or only gave the hearing, and that was all, and my charge is not false, here are my witnesses; What say you to it? Speak, you Ministers of such a City, and such a place; What, did you not preach many a Sermon, shed many a teare, swet many a drop, make many a prayer for them? did yee not earely and late watch for the good of their soules, &c? Yea, Lord, but they would not receive us, they would not believe our report wee made of thee, they would not take thy yoke upon them, &c. wee shook off the dust of our feet against them. This will be dreadfull, when such witnesse of the Prophets comes in against hearers.

Feare not, be not afraid, be not dismaid, &c.

These words are four times mention'd in the verse, to shew our aptnesse unto fear, and to shew the forwardnesse of the Lord Christ to cure our fear. The word dismaid (there is no difficulty in the other) it comes from a word that signifies to bruise or beat in pieces; be not thou so affected with feare, as to have thy spirit faint, broken, sink, and discouraged within thee; be not dismaid, let not thy spirit yeeld at all, stand it out; shew thy self a man of courage, a man of God, carrying thy self in thy place, befitting the Son of God that put thee in that place.

The greater difficulty lies in the other words; Briers, Thorns, and Scorpions.

Briers.

Sarabim, this Hebrew word is no where found in holy Writ, [...]. except in this place. The Rabbies speak of twenty kinds of thorns in Scripture, whereof this is one, and notes Briers with sharp pricks, which do fret and burn in the pricking, much like unto a Nettle; and therefore Kircker thinks the word here to signifie Nettles: the Jewes would be as Nettles unto the Prophet;Vrtica, ab u­rendo. [...], insanientes quasi boves aestro agitati. Pertinaciter resistentes, Buxt. Retractantes, Mont. [...]. and Nettles are stinging burning things. The Septuagint expresses it by a word which notes a kinde of madnesse, as cattell that are bit with Flies which suck blood, and make them run as if they were mad; so they should like wild beasts, grow cruell and out­ragious against the Prophet. Shindler interprets it, rebellious, con­tumacious; others, refractory, drawing back, and stubbornly resisting.

Thorns.

Sallonim, Spina atuleatae; sharp pointed thorns, Ezek. 28.24. Spina dolorifica, a pricking Brier, a grieving thorn. The Septuag. an offence of bitternesse, or, a bitter offence; the word here in our [Page 252] Text is in the Vulgar,Subversores. subverters, because thorns in a mans way do hinder and subvert him; therefore Kircker thinks sillon is aculeus qui sternitur, from Salal, which is properly viam aggesta terra sternere, to lay heaps of earth and stones in the way; and so here heaps of thorns which may prick and offend passengers.

There is one word more to open, and that is Scorpion.

Scorpion.

Ackrabbim, it signifies sometimes spinosam herbam, a plant that growes in the form of a Scorpion, whereof Instruments were made to scourge malefactors, 1 King. 12.14. Rehoboam would chastise them with Scorpions, that is, with whips that had hooks in them, resembling the clawes and stings of Scorpions; it's also a living creature, venemous, hurtfull and stinging with its tail, Deut. 8.15. God led them through the great and terrible wilderness, where were fiery Serpents and Scorpions. Mercer thinks the word to be from Guakeb, Scorpion à [...]. the heel or hoof, because this Serpent doth bite those parts, and the name Scorpion is from its scattering and throwing its poyson up and down.

Now the great businesse we have to do, is to open unto you who are meant by these Thorns, Briers and Scorpions; and by these are meant wicked and ungodly men. I shall make that out unto you from two places of Scripture: Josh. 23.13. They shall be scourges in your sides, and thorns in your eyes; hee speaks of the nations that were wicked and among them; and Luke 10.19. Christ tells the seventy, they should tread upon Serpents and Scorpions, that is, wicked men, which are like unto those venimous creatures; and thrice in Matthew, are wicked men call'd a generation of Vipers, Matth. 3.7.12.34.23.33.

I will shew you,

• 1. Wherein they resemble Thorns.
• 2. Scorpions: and then draw some conclusions.

1. Ungodly men are like unto Thorns in these respects:

First, they are worthlesse things, of little use, they serve to make a hedge, to stop a gap, and that's all, they are not for great use and service; and wicked men are worthlesse things, Prov. 10.20. The heart of the wicked is little worth, the best part of a wicked man his heart is of little or no value, his lands may be worth some­what, [Page 253] his shop, his clothes, his jewels may be of great value, but himself is a worthlesse thing, Jer. 22.28. Coniah, King of Judah, because wicked, is call'd a despised broken Idoll, a vessell wherein is no pleasure: an Idoll, saith the Apostle, is nothing, 1 Cor. 8.4. in the world, that is, a thing of no moment, of no use; what then is a broken Idoll? that's altogether inconsiderable: but may there not be some beauty, some ingraving, some guilding upon it that may delight? No, hee is a vessell wherein is no pleasure; hee is so far from delighting at all, that he is a vessell loathsome, to be cast on the dung-hill, and trod under foot: hence in Dan. Antiochus Epiphanes is call'd a vile person, Dan. 11.21. one so little worth, as to be scorn'd and rejected as a vile thing; and Job speaking of such men, tells us, they are viler then the earth, men to be trod and spit upon as the vilest earth, Job 30.8.

Secondly, they are vexing and grieving things; Ezek. 28.24. there is mention made of the pricking brier, and grieving thorn, and wicked men are full of prickles and grievances, Numb. 33.55. If you will not drive out the Inhabitants of the land from before you, then those you let remain of them shall be pricks in your eyes, and thorns in your sides, and shall vex you in the land wherein you dwell.

Wherein lies this grieving and thorny disposition of the wicked?

1. In their words; and that appeares:

First, in their misconstruing the words and wayes of the godly, Matth. 26.61. said the witnesses against Christ, this fellow said, I am able to destroy the Temple of God, and build it in three dayes; they mistook Christ, who spake of the temple of his body, Joh. 2.21. Jer. 26.4.6. Thou shalt say unto them, thus saith the Lord, If you will not hearken to mee, to walk in my law, then will I make this house like Shiloh, and this City a curse. Now in the 9^th Verse see how they mistook his words, and perverted his meaning, Why hast thou prophesied in the name of the Lord, saying. This house shall be like Shiloh, and this City desolate? hee had told them it should be so, if they did not hearken, repent and amend; but they left out that, and pretend hee had absolutely said, this house shall be like Shiloh: so many people mistake the Ministers, and say they preach damnation, when it's conditionally, if they repent not and believe, they must then certainly look for damnation.

[Page 254]2. In their calumniations: they forge lies and falshoods, Job 13.4. Job's friends charged him with lies, hypocrisie, pride, &c. but he tels them, they are forgers of lies, you come to comfort mee, but you wound mee with your lies and slanders;Concinnarunt mendacia. Va­tablus. and David found this, Psal. 119.69. The proud have forged a lie, they trim up lies with shadowes of truth, and neat language; they have mints to frame their lies curiously in, and presses to print their lies withall, Neh [...]m. 6.6. Sanballat calumniates Nehemiah, that zealous and faith­full servant of God, and tells him, it's reported among the Hea­then, and Gashmu saith it, That thou and the Jews think to rebell; that thou wilt be King, and hast appointed Preachers at Jerusalem to say there is a King in Judah; here was a malicious forgery, a trim lie, and no lesse reproach then Rebell, Traytor, must be laid up­on this great Worthy and Reformer in Israel. Nehemiah returns an answer, verse 8. There are no such things done as thou saiest, but thou fainest them out of thine own heart; the Devill is the father of lies, Joh. 8.44. and all his children are like him, forgers of lies, Jer. 20.10. Report, said Jeremiah's back friends, and wee will report it; in­vent some slanders, some lie against the Prophet, and we will re­port it, spread it, carry it to the Kings Court and eare, and cause him to smart for his boldnesse; Ieremiah heard the defaming of many; it was their daily work; they said, Let us smite him with the tongue, Jer. 18.18. no man can have a beautifull and well fa­voured name for these briers, they will scratch it, and make it ve­ry bloody; it was their daily work: the Christians in the Primi­tive time, were accused of all the evils fell out; if there were great floods,Christiani ad Leones. Pluvia defecit Christiani no­minis gratia. famines, wars, earthquakes, plagues in the Roman Com­mon-wealth, they cry'd, Away with the Christians to the Lions; and Austin observeth, that they made it a Proverb, The rain fail'd, because the Christian name was suffered.

3. Daring, provoking words; Nehem. 6.2. Sanballat and Ge­shem dared Nehemiah to meet them, Come, let us meet together in one of the villages: four times they sent unto him in that manner, thinking by this way to have drawn out Nehemiah, and done him mischief; daring, provocation comes from the wicked, and here­in they are thorns and briers.

4. Scorning, scoffing speeches; Nehem. 4.2. when the walls of Hierusalem were building, Sanballat scoffs, and sayes, What do these [Page 255] feeble Jewes? will they fortifie themselves? will they sacrifice? will they make an end in a day? will they revive the stones out of the heaps of the rubbish which are burnt: and so Tobiah, If a Fox go up, hee shall even break down their stone wall; these scoffs and jeers went to the heart of Nehemiah, and made him pierce the heavens for help: Heare O our God, for we are despised; the Hebrew is despight, we are not only despised,Luther was called Germa­na illa bestia. but wee and our work are despight in the abstract, mockings are biting things, therefore they are call'd cruell mockings, Heb. 11.36. Ishmaels mocking of Isaac, Gen. 21.9, it's call'd a Persecution, Gal. 4.29. The servants of God have been mock'd and reproach'd in all ages.

5. Threatnings; Acts 4.17. Let us straitly threaten them, to speak no more in Christs Name; and verse 21. When hee had farther threatened them; their tongues were tipt with threats, they were thorny tongues, minae sunt spinae, threats are thorns, and pricked them on to the throne of grace, and made them pray as men pierc'd to the quick; for vers. 29. Now Lord, behold their threatning, let not them wound and weaken us, but grant unto thy servants, that with all boldnesse they may speak thy Word; Saul, Acts 9.1. hee breathed out threatnings against the Saints, hee was Benoni, a Son of af­fliction to the Church: so are all wicked men, and their tongues are thorns. Hence they are said in Scripture, to be whet, Psal. 64.3. to be a sharp sword, Psal. 57.4. a sharp razor, Psal. 52.2. and the words of it are call'd arrowes, bitter words, devouring words, Ps. 52.4. deadly words, Prov. 18.21. Death and life are in the power of the tongue, it comforts, it destroyes;Lingua ejus est gladius triceps Bernard. Felo de se: Mortis fere unicum ostium lingua est, Chrys. take the tongue of an evill man that slanders and back-bites, it's a great murtherer. Wee reade of some double-tongued, 1 Tim. 3.8. but such a one is treble-tongued, and kills, as Bernard saith, three at once; himself that speak, the person hee speaks to, and him hee speaks of; and the worst is, hee murthers his own soul; therefor Chrysostome observes well, and saith, The tongue is almost the very gate of death, it's the death and ruine of most men in the world.

6. Their tongues are briers and thorns, in regard of their sleigh­ting and undervaluing of Gods servants: as Paul is call'd a babler, Christ a fellow, the Carpenters Son; and many of Gods servants are sleighted in these dayes; such words they meet with as are thorns and pricks in their sides and eyes. Because I will not mul­tiply, [Page 256] take their blasphemies, O what thorns are those! thorns to God, and thorns to man. When the French had got some victo­ry in Scotland against the reforming part there, the Queen regent brake out into these speeches, Where is now Knox his God? now my God is better then Knox his God; here was a blasphemous passage; and have wee not such blasphemies in our dayes: Where is now your God of Prayer and Fasting? What's become of all your hearing, preaching, and seeking of yo [...] God? I might adde another particular, which is the thorn [...] counsels that wicked men do give, 1 King. 21.9. what counsell [...]ezebel gave against Naboth, Proclaim a fast, set him up on high among the people, and set two sons of Belial before him, to beare witnesse against him, that he blas­phemed God and the King; here were words of death, here was counsell from hell. It's not unknown what ill counsell hath been given his Majesty of late, and likewise to many others.

Secondly, In their looks; that's in the Text also, there is much in the faces of men to daunt and trouble, mens spirits are much dis­cern'd by their faces: Gen. 31.5. I see your fathers countenance is not towards me as before, by his face I find a difference in his spirit, saith Jacob to his wives, he found no favour in it; the face is the seat of favour or frowns, there is some Majesty in the face and looks of man; and when he is angry, frowns, there is majesticall terror in it: Prov. 25.23. there is mention of an angry countenance, and it's likened to a North-wind, which is cold and scattering; it drives away the clouds that have the rain in them: and oft times wicked men have such Northern countenances, that they discourage, if not drive away, the Prophets, who come with the dewes of heaven. When men frown, knit their brows, look angerly, they have put on vizards, and they be scaring things: Job. 24.15. He disguiseth his face, hee is like a man that hath on some terrible vizard, which affrights those behold it. One of the Nevils, Earl of Warwick, had so terrible a look when mov'd a little, that it was said of him, every wrinkle in his forehead was a Sepulchre to bury a Prince in: he was of kin to that nation, Deut. 28.50. that had fierce countenances; and Antiochus a wicked King, is described in Dan. 8.23. to be of a fierce countenance, his very aspect was terrible; and some have been blasted by the frowns of mortals. When some men frown, look sowre, and sparkle with their eyes, they prove Basilisks, and kill those they look upon.

Thirdly, Like thorns in their catching nature; they catch hold of a man when he thinks he is rid of them, and intangle him more: so wicked men, when you think you have satisfied them, and done with them, they catch hold again, they seek new advantages, Jer. 20.10. All my familiars watched for my halting, saying, Peradven­ture hee will be inticed, and wee shall prevail against him, and we shall take our revenge on him.

The words, all my familiars, in the Hebrew are, every man of my peace, I thought I had satisfied all their cavils, slanders, objections, and that they had aimed at my peace and good, but they watched for my halting, they sought to intice mee, and get advantage; this is the nature of wicked men. Christ, when he had to do with any sort of them, he convinced them, stopt their mouths, they went their way and left him, and yet they were not satisfied, but sent, and set men to catch him in his words, Mar. 12.13. When the godly fall into the Courts and Prisons where wicked men have some power, what advantages do they seek against them? and when nothing can be proved, no reason but they should be dis­missed, fees are multiplied, oaths and protestations tendered, and unlesse these thorns may scratch them and draw blood from their purses and consciences, they will hold them fast, and liberty must not be had.

Fourthly, A Thorn will never alter its nature; set it in the Gar­den or Orchard, water it with milk or wine, do what you will to the thorn, when you have done all, a thorn is a thorn: so is the nature of wicked and ungodly men, transplant them whither you will, bring them from the countrey to the city, from the city to the court, put them in high or low places, bring them to the waters side, to the rivers of God, plant them in the Orchards of God, in Paradise it self, under the means of grace; let them have the deaw of heaven, the shine of the Sun; a wicked man, he abides wicked still, hee will not alter his nature, hee will be no more changeling, he is a Blackmore, and he will be a Blackmore, hee will live and die in his way, though he perish in that way.

Fifthly, Thorns are for the fire; Psal. 58.9. Before your pots can feel the thorns; the heat of the fire made with thorns, they are for burning, and that's the end of wicked ones. Isa. 10.17. The light of Israel shall be for a fire, and it shall burn and devoure his thorns, [Page 258] and his briers in one day. In fire is light and heat, God would be light to Israel, comfort and joy, but heat and burning to the Assy­rian; he sent down fire to burn the sacrifice, and hee would send a fire to burn the Assyrians which were briers and thorns to the Jewes, and that in one day; and when was this? when hee sent an Angel, and slew 185000. here was fire from heaven, a Seraphim, a coal of Juniper, that burnt up such a thicket of briers and thorns, and after this fire they fell into a worse, even the fire of hell, which is the place prepared for all the wicked; Psal. 9.17. The wicked shall be turned into hell, and all the nations that forget God, there's their end, and hell is large enough to hold all, Isa. 30.33. It's deep and large, the pile thereof is fire and much wood; it is silva execrabilis, such wood the earth brought forth upon the curse, briers and thorns, Gen. 3.18. and the wicked are the fruit of the curse. This phrase much wood, some Expositers think hath reference to the fact of the Jewes, Musc. when the 185000. Assyrians were slain in the valley of To­phet, they made great piles of wood, and burnt those bodies. So God hath piles of wood, thausands and millions of wicked ones, briers and brambles heaped together, and his breath like a stream of brimstone kindles those heaps.

In what hath been said you see wherein wicked men are thorns and briers; now I must present to you wherein they are Scorpions. You may by briers and thorns, understand wicked men of a lower condition; and by Scorpions those of a higher, that have more power, means and opportunity to do mischief: and the Analogie between the Scorpion and them, lies in these particulars.

1. The Scorpion is animal insidiosum, it lies lurking under the thorns and briers, hides it self in holes, & occultis machinationibus ferit. Serpents are subtill creatures; Gen. 3.1. The Serpent was more subtill then any beast in the field, When they will sting, ter­gavertunt, ut à nobis decli­nare videntur, Conrad. in Apocal. and stops his eare against the voyce of the charmer, Psal. 58. and bites the horse by the heel, so that the rider may fall, Gen. 49.17. And there is one word that signifies simplicity and subtilty that signifies plainnesse and double dealing, when Adam and Eve were both naked, plain and simple, but the Serpent was gnarummim in a contrary sense, crafty, ful of folds and windings; and wicked men are subtill, Come, let us deal wisely with them, [...]. Exod. 1.10. The Sepiuagint is, Let us deal cunningly against them: and in Psal. 105.25. it's said, they dealt subtilly with his ser­vants. [Page 259] How cunningly did the adversaries carry their plot in the dayes of Nehemiah? Chap. 4.11. They shall not know nor see till wee come in the midst of them and slay them. The Gunpowder-treason was, and some since have been, carried on with dark Lanthornes, with secrecie and craft. Had not the enemies a close and crafty de­signe to make a conjunction between Papists and Protestants in Doctrine, Discipline, and Ceremonie? And had not the only wise God interposed, turned wise men backward, and made their knowledge foolish, England and Rome had met, and wee had been in conjunction with Antichristian Planets: and we may fear con­junction still more then open violence. Are not things carried with that subtilty at this present, as makes the world to wonder? Men against us pretend Religion, King, Parliament, the liberty of the Subject, to be their quarrell: here is much of the Serpent, and little of the Dove.

The Scorpion is vigilant, watching opportuntty of mischiefe.Tota aestate in­somnes sunt quamdiu ve­nenum viget. Plin. l. 8. c. 29. Semper in ictu est, nullo (que) mo­mento medita­ri cessat, ne quando desit occasioni Idem. Pliny saith, some Serpents sleep not all the Summer, but are al­way thrusting out their stings, & waking lest they should misse their opportunitie: And wicked men are very wakeful, & watching their opportunity to doe mischiefe, Prov. 4.16. they sleep not unlesse they have done mischiefe, or caused some to fall. Ahab is sicke and cannot sleep, unlesse he have Naboths vineyard. Amnon must have Tamar to satisfie his lust, else he must lie awake all night. Wicked men can­not bee in quiet unlesse they sleep in wickednesse. When Christ came to his Disciples, they were asleep; but the wicked rout were awake, and comming to take him; they are restlesse like the Sea, Isai. 57.20. The wicked are like the troubled Sea when it cannot rest, not when it is calme, but in its working, boyling, restlesse condition, when it threatens stormes, to swallow up ships, to break over the banks, &c. Such are wicked ones, they storm, they swell, and watch where to break out to empty themselves of their e­states to drown a countrey in the blood of a civill warre: Mich. 7.2.3. they all lie in wait for blood, they hunt every man his bro­ther with a net, that they may doe evill with both hands earnest­ly, &c. They have their net set, they hunt, they watch, and will not lose an opportunity, if one hand will not serve, both shall, and the intention of their spirits also they are earnest in the work. And as they are wife to watch their season, so their feet are swift in run­ning [Page 260] to the accomplishment of them, Prov. 6.18. Were not our ene­mies watchfull and active to break Parliaments, to make Canons, to search pockets, to fetch men into their Courts?

3. They are exceeding troublesome to the countries where they are, they will get up their walls into their chambers and beds, as some Expositers observe;Eglinus in A­pocal. and therefore to prevent such evills, they set their beds remote from the wall, and the feet of their beds in pots full of water, and for feare of them, they lie in the highest roomes; they molest them much, and multiply their feares: in this they are not unlike them: Ahab was a troubler of Israel, wic­ked men are the incendiaries in Church and State; I must not name any, you know more then enough, that are not nick-nam'd when they are so term'd, they have troubled this State, this City.

4. They confederate and joyne together to do mischief; one will stick fast to the roof or wall, a second unto him, a third unto the second, and so make a chain, till they reach to the party asleep, and the last stings him, and returns, and so every one back in or­der; this I find of the Scorpion in Eglinus upon the Revelation; here is both their craft and malice unto man, that they are subservient one to another, and so linked together for such a purpose; herein are wicked men truly Scorpions: Prov. 1.14. Come, let us all have one purse: Nahum 1.10. the wicked are as thorns folden together, stick together as the scale of Leviathan: Acts 4.5, 6. Rulers, Elders, Scribes, High-priest, Caiphas, John, Alexander, and as many as were of the kindred of the High-priest, were gathered together against Christ and his Apostles.

5. The Scorpion, feeds upon the dust of the earth; it feeds upon base and low things, upon vile and venemous things; so do wicked and ungodly men: as the Serpent licks the dust of the earth, so do they lick the dust of the earth, they feed upon malice, they feed upon blood, they feed upon that which is not their own, Amos 2.7. They pant after the very dust of the earth, they pant after the estates and means that poor men have, in any place where they come, and they feed upon it, and satisfie their malice and revenge to the full, in sucking the estates, and crushing the bones of the Saints of God.

Lambunt, pun­gunt, venenum infundunt.6. They kill, lenta morte, but gravi supplicio; when they set up­on a man, they lick him, they prick him, they poyson him, which [Page 261] quickly torments, and within a few dayes kils, Rev. 9.5. their ter­ment was as the torment of a Scorpion when he strikes a man; some Scorpions have double stings, and that they may be sure to kill, they strike with both; wicked men lick us with their treaties, and kill us with their treacheries: Psal. 55.21. Their words are fofter then oyle, but they are drawn swords: in the treaties and flatteries of wicked men: if we were not blind, wee might see drawn swords, death at the throat of our estate, of our Religion, lawes and liberties. Haman flattered with Esther, that sought the destruction of the Jews, the decree is sealed for the death of young and old, Est. 3. here was a Scorpion; and Jer. 38.4. the Princes beseech the King to put Jeremiah to death; such a Scorpion was Jezabel and Ahab, which stung Naboth to death, and got his Vineyard. Hence that law in Ezek. 46.18. The Prince shall not take of the peoples inheri­tance by oppression, to thrust them out of their possessions.

7. Scorpions are driven away, if any of them be burnt in the house where they haunt:Si aliqui eo­rum in med [...]o domus exuran­tur, say Palladius and Virga. when Joab and Shimei were put to death by the sword of Solomon, then the other Scorpions in Israel were afraid, and hid themselves; and the Kingdome was established in the hand of Solomon, 1 King. 2.46. If we shake not our Vipers in­to the fire, they will do us harm. Thus you see wherein the re­semblance lies between the wicked, in regard that they are call'd Briers, Thorns and Scorpions in the Text.

The Observations that do arise from the Text are:

1. That he is the fittest man for publique imployment, is sen­sible of his own naturalnesse, weaknesse and insufficiencie for place or service: Son of man, be not afraid; I see Ezekiel, that thou art sensible of thy own naturalnesse, earthlinesse and insufficiencie, be not thou afraid, thou art the fitter man for my service: Moses pretended that hee was a man slow of speech, and unfit for the great work of delivering Gods people, and leading them out of Egypt into Canaan, but hee was the fitter man for God: So those Ministers or Magistrates that are sensible of their own weaknesses, they are fittest for Christ and Church service, and the Lord Christ will shew his power most in their weaknesse.

2. Those that are in Gods work, and do intend heaven, they must look for afflictions, they must look for trouble: Ezekiel, saith Christ, I'll put thee into my service, but know, thou must not go [Page 262] a smooth way, thou must meet with thorns and briers, thou shalt meet with Scorpions and Serpents; there is a Scorpion in heaven, and Scorpions on earth too; let a man be in a heavenly calling, a Prophet; let a man be in a worldly calling, a Magistrate; hee shall meet with Scorpions and Serpents, through many afflictions wee must enter into heaven, and it is well wee enter through ma­ny afflictions.

3. The way and method of the Lord Christ is to propound unto us the hardest things at first; he deals so with Ezekiel here, he heares of Thorns, Scorpions, a rebellious House, and heares of that which might have discouraged him; but Christs way is to let you know what you must look for, Matth. 10. You shall be hated of all men for my names sake; you shall be carryed to the Court, you shall be scourged and whipped like rogues; you shall be brought before Governours; you shall be put to death; hee tells them all of these things:

First, because it was the way to arm them against those evills: we say, praemoniti, praemuniti, men forewarn'd are forearm'd.

Secondly, that they may have no cause to complain they met with worse matters then ever they heard of.

Thirdly, to strengthen their faith when they should see such things fall out, they might say, these be the things which were foretold, and are tokens that we are in Christs way. God began the world with this method; Gen. 1. The evening and the morning was the first day, it is not the morning and the evening, but you must have night before day, a winter before a Spring, and thunder and lightning before a calm; and this is Christs way, therefore, if you intend heaven, think not to meet only with ease.

These things are all generall; we come now to more particu­lar Observations.

1. Then wee must walk warily; though wicked men be not to be fear'd, yet they are to be heeded; non timendi, sed cavendi sunt impii. When Christ sent out his Apostles, hee tells them what Thorns and Scorpions they must be amongst; men as cruell as Wolves, that would persecute unto death, and what saith he, Be wise as Serpents, Matth. 10. innocent as Doves; keep your selves from their scrat­ching, their stinging, their teeth, do not you inconsiderately run into their harms, give them no just cause or occasion of mischieving [Page 263] you, Be innocent as Doves, without horns, without pushing, [...]. go­ing, wronging any, only be wary, and defend your selves, as the next Verse is: Beware of men, look to them, they are dange­rous creatures, Wolves, Thorns, Serpents are not so dangerous as they, be exact therefore, circumspect, yet not so cautelous as to prejudice duty, or multiply feares: for Ver. 26. it's said, Fear them not; he had told them they should be hated, Vers. 22. courted, scourged, Vers. 17. persecuted from place to place, Vers. 23. put to death, Vers. 21. yet they must not feare, but they must beware of men; he saith not, beware of devils, they were subject unto the Disciples through Christs name, but men would not be subject, therefore beware of them. Aelian tels us,O creatos dor­mi [...]e solerc. in Lybia men slept with their boots on, because of the Scorpions, that they might not sting them; let us not sleep, but walk booted, I mean, let us be shod with the pre­paration of the Gospel of peace, Ephes. 6.15. be shod with a disposi­tion unto peace; let us be peaceable, harmlesse, innocent and heedy of our conversation, that they do neither scratch nor sting us.

2. Publique and great designes cannot be carried on with ease and speed; there be Thorns and Briers in the way, yea, Scorpions, some difficulty or other; Sluggards pretend Lions in the way, but publique, active spirits, when they are upon weighty affaires, find Lions in the way: Joshua, when about a great work, to take Ai, there was an Achan in the way to make a great demur, and had al­most overthrown the design, Josh. 7. Nehemiah had a great work in hand, and were there no obstacles to let? Tobiah and Sanbal­lat were in the way, they scoffed, they complied, they arm'd, threatned, yea, the Nobles of Judah give intelligence to Tobiah, Neh. 6.17. The work of reformation now is a great and good work, and are there no obstacles in the way? yea, there be thorns, and heaps of them, which have prick'd and lam'd some; Scorpions which have bit and stung others, that they move not, or very slowly in this great work; some are unwilling, some unfaithfull, some in­sufficient, some deeply guilty of foul fins, which puts the work more back in one day, then they can forward with their hearts, heads, hands, purses, and lives in many dayes; there are men im­ploy'd that are Achans, Sanballat's, Judases; we have much policy and carnall wisdome, and think by that to speed great works to their period; but this is, I will not say, the only, but a principall [Page 264] Remora, while we will cart the Ark, and carry on things upon the shoulders of policie, we are in danger to lose the Ark; yea, in danger to lose all, we will not yet see, lay the finger upon the right sore, and goe to the root of evils; things of weight in State or Church, have their lets, rubs, mountains, and come not to birth in the day of expectation; this should keep our hearts from sink­ing, and our tongues from censuring, when great designes sticke, and come not to perfection:Molestum & impeditum cursum. Let us remember there bee Thornes, Scorpions in the way; Pitie and pray for the Parliament, Ar­mies, Magistrates, and Ministers, who have difficult and dangerous work.

3. Wonder not that men in place are scratched in their cre­dits, and wounded in their estates, they dwell among Thorns and Scorpions, the fleece and flesh suffer by them many times, Nehe­miah is a rebell, Elijah a troubler of Israel, Christ an enemy to Ce­sar, and Paul a seditious and pestilent fellow; the Israelites could not goe through the wildernesse, without being stung with the fie­ry Serpents, Daniel escaped the teeth of the Lions in the Den, but not the sting of the Scorpions in the Court. Men that goe into the war, must not think to escape all bullets and blowes; Magi­strates and Ministers are Gods Souldiers, they both beare the sword, Jer. 1.19. they shall fight against thee, and it must not seem strange if they get wounds. When Adam and Manasses are among the bushes, can lesse be expected then scratches? it's the na­ture of wicked men to blast and bespot the name of others, they have learned and doe practise the Devils, or the Jesuites doctrine, Reproach to purpose, Calumniare fortiter, & a­liquid haereb t. and somthing will fasten. But let the wicked black, God will white, wash the names of his; Daniels innocencie was cleared up to the King himselfe, Dan. 6.22. Christ saith, Woe to you when all speak well of you, Luke 6. He never saith, Woe to you when men speake ill of you, he is so farre from that, as hee fastens a blessing upon it, Matth. 5.11. Blessed are you when men speake all manner of evill of you falsly for my sake. Basil saith, when men defame us, we are sory for them, else I should almost have said, wee ac­knowledge thankes to them for their blasphemies, as procurers of our blisse.Eorum detra­ctatio est vitae tuae approba­tio. It's honour to be reviled of the wicked, their calumni­ation is our commendation: then a man shewes himselfe a man of God, and for God, when he displeases those please not God. Se­neca [Page 265] could see on which side Right was, when he said, Argumentu [...] est recti malis displicere.

4. Seek not the acquaintance of wicked men, the Prophet Mi­cah will give you reason for it, Chap. 7.4. The best of them is a bri­er, the most upright is sharper then a thorne hedge. You think some of them are faire men, have good natures, good parts, great places, and you may bee intimate with them, lean upon them, and get good by them, if not doe good to them: but you are deceived, saith he, the best of them, for wit, parts, birth, breeding, place, is a brier, yea, the most upright, those that are civill,What shall you, what can you have frō a Scorpion, but aculeum, vulnus, vene­num clam & palam insidia­buntur. Somper lanam, saepe vitam perdunt. When one commended Julian the Cardinall, to Sigismund the Emperour, he answered, Tamen Roma­nus est: And so when any wicked man is commended to you, an­swer, Tamen sentis est. that have a form of godlinesse, and walk according to their light, even they are shar­per then a thorn hedge. And because it is incident to the nature of man to minde great ones, and seeke their acquaintance, he speakes in the verse before, of Princes, Judges, and great men, and beats men off from looking after & leaning upon them; the sheep run to the hedge for shade in the heat, and shelter in the storm; but what's the issue? If they eseape with their lives, yet they goe off with rent garments: and if the best of them bee briers, what are the worst of them? When David was become a Courtier, he met with a spear, and found Saul sharper then a thorn hedge, his spirit was vext with him, and no marvell, wicked men vex the spirit of God, who hath more patience and wisdome then man, who is without all corruption, and altogether holy, yet his spirit is vexed with them, Isa. 63.10. Therefore the Spirit of God counsels us what acquain­tance to seek, Job. 22.21. Acquaint thy selfe with God, and be at peace, and thereby good shall come unto thee: he will not be a brier or thorne to run into thy hand, he will not vex thy spirit, trust him, he will not deceive or disappoint thee.

5. See what fruit to look for from them, fruits sutable to their na­ture, 1 Sam. 24.13. Wickednesse proceedeth from the wicked; it is a pro­verb, and they have much truth and strength in them, and it was ancient then, and in all ages hath been made good, observ'd that wickednesse comes from the wicked; by it David cleares himselfe, taxes his malicious enemies, and confutes Saul himselfe. As for me, I am accused to be a seditious and traiterous fellow, a man that seekes thy life, O Saul, thou hast followers and flatterers about thee to exasperate thee against me, that put thee on to hunt me, as a Partridge on the mountain, and to spill my blood; but I am no [Page 266] such man as they pretend, and thou conceivest: I had thee at ad­vantage, was counselled to take away thy life, and could have done it; but wickednesse was not in me, I cut off the lap of thy Coat when I could have cut off thy Head. I will make thee judge who is the wicked man, those that accuse mee, thou that pursu­test the soule of an innocent man, or my selfe that have spared thee, having such advantage. Wickednesse proceeds from the wicked; if I had been a wicked subject, as thou and others thought, thy life had gone: but thy Courtiers, thy Counsellers are wicked; yea, and thou art wicked, and nothing but wickednesse comes from you, and that proceeds as light from the Sunne, water from the fountaine, breath from the nostrils. Christ tells us, wee must not look for good from them, Matth. 7.16. Doe men gather grapes of thorns, or figges of thistles? If you looke for such fruit, you will be deceived; they may grow green as the vine and figge-tree, but their fruit is different: what fruit have Papists and Prelaticall ones brought forth in Church or State these many yeares? cor­rupt trees cannot beare good fruit, briers, thornes, brambles, may bring fruit for Gadarens and swine, not for Christ and his Disci­ples, Judg. 9. The Olive tree had its fatnesse, the Figge tree its sweet­nesse and good fruit, the Vine its pleasant wine, (they would not leave their places for promotion: For usually when men are pro­moted, they lose of their excellencie, the Olive trees, Figge trees, Vines, they lose of their fatnesse, if not all their fatnesse; of their sweetnesse, if not all their sweetnesse) but what had the bramble? fire, and fire to consume the Cedars of Lebanon: brambles are of aspiring nature, and when they are got up, they fire States and Kingdomes.

6. Then it's no great losse when wicked men are taken away, when briers and thorns are cut down, and Scorpions killed, who is damnified by it?Spina sunt pe­stes terrae & frugum mor­bi, Plin. wicked men are the very plagues of the earth, they suck away the sweet from the Vine, the fat from the Olive: It was said of Nero, that he was venenum terrae, and when that pitcher was broken, it was gain, not losse, matter for praise, not mourn­ing; the Husband-man is not grieved when the grieving thorn and pricking thistle are cut out of his corn: Prov. 11.10. When the wicked perish, there is shouting; shouting on earth, that justice is done, his wickednesse at an end, the Church and State eas'd of [Page 267] such a burthen, rid of such a thorn; and shouting in hell, Isa. 14.9. When Jehoiakim died, there was no lamentation made for him, hee was a wicked and worthlesse King, his carkasse was no better then the body of an Asse, and hee had the buriall of an Asse, drawn and cast out in the high-way or ditches, Jer. 22.18, 19. hee had an infamous buriall; and such, saith Olimpiodorus, is the end of every Magistrate or Minister that teaches and governs well, but lives ill, his end is infamous, hee is buried in infamy; but godly men are of great worth: Heb. 11.38. the world was not worthy of them, those precious ones mentioned there, and those are living now, God valued, and values above the world; godly men are the Pillars of the earth, they are the marrow, blood and soul of the world; the world languishes and lies adying when they are pull'd away: Moses, Exod. 32.10. held Gods hands, Moses is a man that hath power in earth and in heaven; hee is a man, that when there is a danger, can go up to the heavens, and so put the Lord to it, that he saith, Let mee alone, that I may de­stroy this wicked people, and I will make thee a great nation; he would have hired him to have come to an accommodation; men are now upon accommodating, but a Moses will not accommodate; no, not with God himself, when his people are in danger, but he will have a blessing upon good terms, hee will have Gods wrath removed, and a reconciliation between heaven and earth, or else Moses will never be quiet with God; what a losse is such a man? after his death, if God had not raised up a Joshua, what had be­come of Israel? When Elijah was taken away, the horsemen and Chariots of Israel went.

7. See here a ground, why wee are so wary in having peace with our adversaries; there's much ado about peace; wee all say peace, but give us leave to be wary when wee make a peace, when wee dwell among Thorns and Scorpions; Thorns have their prickles and grievances, Scorpions have their stings, and wee are unwilling to be stung; wee would not have our consciences, our liberties stung; wee would not have our priviledges plucked from us, and all be in danger; wee are unwilling to come to this. When Scotland had made peace with England, Flanders and the Easterlings, it was said, they had peace with the world, but their Prelates made war with God; so wee may have peace with [Page 268] men, but there are those amongst us, who, if we look not to it, will make war with God, with the Lamb, and those that follow him. It's reported of the Spanyards, that they had peace with all the world, but were out with God: if we make such a peace, as to have peace with men, and to be out with God, this would be a cursed peace; if wicked men will lay aside their thorninesse, their stings and subtilties, be Nathaniels, and not Achitephels, Doves, and not Serpents, we would willingly imbrace a peace; we have on the shoes of the Gospel of the preparation of peace.

8. Seeing wicked men are Thorns and Scorpions, let those in Authority look to it, and do their duty, that the Briers and Thorns grow not too high, too great; that Scorpions do not abound. It's said, there were nine kinds of Scorpions about Jerusa­lem and Syria, and very great ones, and twenty kinds of Thorns al­so; I fear we have all those kinds of Thorns and Scorpions amongst us; [...]. the Greeks have a Proverb, There is a Scorpion under every stone, and where almost can a man go among us, but there are Scorpions, Thorns and Briers, scratching, catching, and doing a mischief? Let Magistrates tread upon those Scorpions, and Mini­sters hew those Thorns, Psal. 91.13. Hos. 6.5. Let Ministers do as Chrysostome did, who would have his hand cut off, before he would suffer Scorpions and Thorns to come to the Table of the Lord, to poyson that Wine and Bread, and to prick the sheep that came to feed there: Magistrates likewise should do what lies in them, that neither the Scorpions nor Briers do mischieve the sheep; you may finde Scorpions in more places then one, in your Courts, Markets, Shops, Fields, Ale-houses, if you drive them not out of their holes,Numb. 33.55. they will be pricks in your eyes, and thorns in your sides, and vex you in the land wherein you dwell; you may make oile of these Scorpions, and meat of these Leviathans. Pliny and others observe, that if you burn one Scorpion in the midst of the house, all the rest will flie away: if Authority would execute Justice up­on some of our Scorpions, cut down some of our Thorns, the rest would flie away; wee are so fearefull and backward herein, that wee let Scorpions multiply, thorns and brambles in­crease, not only til our fleeces be scratched from us, but our flesh stung about us, our liberties and lives indangered; wee will not see where our sore is, nor search to the bottome of it; and be­cause [Page 269] wee will not doe it, God may justly send fiery Serpents to sting us, and afford no brazen Serpent to cure us. For your en­couragement to deale with these, consider, Psal. 118.12. 2 Sam. 23.6. Ezek. 28.24. where it is said, There shall be no more a prick­ing brier, or grieving thorn unto the house of Israel: for they shall know that I am the Lord God.

Another principall observation is, That we must not bee afraid of men what ever they be, especially those are called to publike place, as Ministers, and Magistrates: Christ calls Ezekiel to pub­lick service, and foure times he is forbidden to feare in this verse: Be not afraid of them, that is, their frownes, bee they great ones, Kings, Princes, Nobles, or whomsoever; bee not afraid of their words, though stormy, grievous, stout, contradictory, &c. because words doe stick and strike deep oft-times, it is repeated again, Bee not afraid of their words, let them not affect thee, nor be dismaid at their lookes. The Hebrew word Techoth, signifies to be amazed, de­jected, discouraged, and letted in ones way; but the Prophet must not be amazed, dejected, or discouraged with what ever he hears, sees, or meets withall.

To give some few Reasons concerning this, and some helps whereby to fortifie our spirits, that we may not be fearfull, having to do with Scorpions and Thorns.

1. Feares are prejudiciall; they take away our liberty;Tuus timor tibi est Nero, tua tentatio tibi est Iulia­nus. they put halters about our necks, and strangle our comforts; they mul­tiply and prolong our miseries; they wound and disable us; the work is to be done, bene, libere, intrepide; if we feare, that will fet­ter, infeeble and make us bungle. Isa. 22.2. They were slain, not with the sword, but with feares: Feare slayes a man while hee is alive; feare buries a man before hee is dead; feares are prejudi­ciall to those that are in publique place.

2. They are to be men of courage who are in publique place, Exod. 18.21. Moses was to provide able men to be Magistrates and Rulers; the originall is, men of strength and courage: the word signifies vertue, strength, a bulwark, riches, an army, all which do increase courage; so that a Magistrate should have the courage of all these: of the vertuous, of the strong, of one in a bulwark, of the rich, of an army; hee is to be a man of might, Dan. 3.20. He commanded the most mighty men; it's the same word, [Page 270] the men of most courage, that were of mighty courage to binde Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego; those God puts into publique pla­ces are to be such: Josh. 1.9. Be strong, and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed; where courage is required, feare is prohibited; and where feare is prohibited, as in our Text, there courage is imploy'd, Should such a man as I flie? feare? said Nehem. 6.11. no, I will not feare nor flie, but be couragious and stand it out against Sanballat and the rest, their power, their scoffs, their threats, their plots: Magistrates, Ministers, and all Gods people should be men of courage, when Reformation and Temple-work are in hand, Hag. 2.4. Be strong, O Zerubbabel, and be strong, O Joshua, and be strong, O all yee people of the land, saith the Lord, and work. The work of Reformation and of the Temple will not go on, if you faint and flag. Samuel was a man of courage, when hee told Saul intreating him to return with him, that hee might worship, but hee would not return with him; for, thou hast rejected God, and God hath rejected thee from being King; and thinkest thou that I will countenance thee? 1 Sam. 15.25, 26. so Elijah was no white-livered Prophet, but a man of metall, 1 King. 18.15, 17, 18, 19. As the Lord of hosts liveth before whom I stand (speaking to Obadiah) I will surely shew my self to Ahab this day: I, but Je­zabel hath vow'd thy death, and Ahab makes search for thee all the land over, and if thou be found, thou art a dead man; Well, saith Elijah, I will shew my self: and when he came into his presence, what a salute had he? Art thou hee that troubleth Israel? I'll have thee dispatched one way or other; is the Prophet daunted now? no, but replies, I am not he, but it's thou and thy fathers house: send and gather to mee all Israel, (what a commanding, what a suspici­ous word was this? he might have thought that this man would get power about him, and offer violence to him and his house) thou thinkest to have my blood, but I will have the blood of all the false Pro­phets, &c. Who might not think that Elijah rather was King then Ahab? 2 Chron. 26.17, 18. When King Ʋzziah would have burnt incense to the Lord, the Priest resisted Ʋzziah, and thrust him out of the Temple; they that are in publike place, are to be men of courage, and therefore they must not feare.

3. God is with his; those hee calls and imployes in publique service. Josh. 1.9. Why should hee be strong, and of good cou­rage? [Page 271] for the Lord thy God is with thee. Jer. 1.8.Jer. 1.19. Be not afraid of their faces, for I am with thee to deliver thee. Gods presence should put life into us: when inferiour natures are backt with a superi­our, they are full of courage: when the Master is by, the Dog will venture upon creatures greater then himself, and feares not, at another time hee will not do it, when his Master is absent. When God is with us, who is the supreme, it should make us fearlesse, it did David, Psal. 118.6. The Lord is on my side, my help, I will not feare what man can do unto mee, let him do his worst, frown, threat, plot, arm, strike, the Lord is on my side, he hath a spe­ciall care of mee, hee is a shield unto mee, I will not feare, but hope; as it's in the next verse; I shall see my desire on them that hate mee, I shall see them changed or ruin'd; our help is in the name of the Lord, but our feares are in the name of man. God takes speciall care of men in publique place; the Angels of the Church are as the stars in his right hand, Rev. 1.16. hee holds them fast, and it's said of Christ, Isa. 49.2. That he was hid in the shadow of his hand, in the protection of his hand is the Septuagint: Ʋmbra est symbolum protectionis, it defends from the heat of the Sun, that was in Judea exceeding hot; God hides Christ, yea, all are emi­nent, and under, who belong to him, in a speciall manner, and de­livers them from danger, Zach. 2.5. I will be unto Jerusalem a wall of fire round about; who shall dare to come neer it then, to hurt the Magistrates, Ministers or people there? Some think it alludes to the Cherubim, that with a fiery flaming sword kept Paradise; others to the fiery Chariots round about Dothan, 2 Kin. 6.17. where Elisha was: either of these is good, and notes protection, but there is another, and it may be more suitable interpretation; and it's this: When they travelled in the wildernesse, oft wilde beasts would be assaulting them, specially in the night, when they laid down to rest, then they made a circular fire about them, and so no beast, Lion, Wolfe or Leopard dare middle with them, the fire was a wall to them; and hence the expression seems to be taken, that God, when wilde beasts, wicked men should offer violence to Jerusalem, hee would be a wall of fire round about it.

4. Those are in publique place, are in Gods place; I have said yee are Gods, Psal. 82.6. Moses was to Aaron in stead of God, Exod. 4.16. And so Ministers, they are in Christs stead, 2 Cor. 5.20. and [Page 272] they must be like unto God, fearlesse of men, but dreadfull unto men. It's an ill thing to see a drunken god, to heare a swearing god; and it's as ill to see a trembling, fearfull god, a Magistrate, a Minister afraid of man, when as they having the Image and au­thority of God stampt upon them, are to make others, especially sinners, to quake, Rom. 13.4. The Apostle bids evill doers, not the powers, be afraid; why, they are the Ministers of God, and beare not the sword in vain, they must not feare, but make others do it; so did the Apostles and Prophets, John made Herod quake, and Paul mad Felix tremble, here were Lambs scaring Lions.

5. They that are godly, true Christians, their godlinesse, their cause suffers by their fearefulnesse; they have receiv'd another spirit then that of the world, 1 Cor. 2.12. even the Spirit of God, which is no timerous, cowardly Spirit; the Apostle denies that, 2 Tim. 1.7. God hath not given us the Spirit of feare, but of power, of love and a sound minde: where there is a base feare, there is sick­nesse of mind, no soundnesse; and there is little love, and lesse power: those that have the Spirit of Christ, and the Spirit of God, it is not for them to feare; have you the Spirit of the Lord of Hosts in you? have you the Spirit of Jesus Christ in you, and will you feare and tremble before men, that have the spirit of de­vils in them? the Spirit of the Lord of Hosts is like himself, and the Spirit of Jesus Christ is like Christ himself, he was not afraid of any; if therefore men in place have this Spirit, they must not feare, for they do dishonour Christianity, and the Spirit they have received from their Lord and Master Jesus Christ.

6. There is not that in wicked men, as should make us to feare them, if wee consider they are Briers, Thorns, Scorpions, con­temptible things, rather to be despised then fear'd; if they had truth, grace and God with them, then they might be feared; they have not God with them, they are a rebellious house, and hee is against them, they cannot pray to fetch in might to make them dreadfull; if they say a prayer, the prayer of the wicked is abomi­nation to the Lord: they are full of feares themselves, and have no true valour in them, that arises from other and better principles then they have, if they had truth of grace, God with them, then wee might feare them, but their guilt, their wickednesse doth wea­k [...] [...]hem, and multiply their feares; can wicked men be with­out [Page 273] feares? Isa. 8.12. feare yee not their feare, they have a slavish, distracting, heart-smiting, tormenting hellish feare: Saul feared the people, 1 Sam. 15.24. Is there not a spirit of feare upon ma­ny in Ireland and England too? have not Judges feared the Courts they have sate in?

6. God will dismay, confound us, if wee feare men, Jer. 1.17. Be not dismayed at their faces, lest I confound thee before them, or break thee in pieces. Jeremiah, saith God, If thou dost feare them, and be­tray the truth I have committed to thee, I will forsake thee, leave thee to the hands, malice, cruelty, and breake thee to pieces before their faces: fearefulnesse doth much provoke God; hee that sees not sufficiency in God to support him, shall find enough to daunt and crnfound him; but if wee go on with courage, discharge the place and trust committed to us;Stellae in nocte lucent, in die latent, Bern. in Cant. Videbis me plus posse dum torqueor quam ipse dum tor­ques. if wee should fall into the hands of wicked men, and suffer, God will own us, let out himself unto us, support us, sympathize with us, deliver us, or make us and our sufferings glorious: Stars shine in the night, they are obscur'd in the day; when Vincentius was tormented by the Tyrant, hee said, Thou shalt see mee more couragious in suffering, then thy self in tormenting.

Some helps against feare.

1. Let your feare be exercised about God, he is an object fit to be feared; all flesh is grasse, all nations are a drop of the bucket, and the small dust of the ballance; Inhabitants of the earth are as a swarm of Flies, a troop of Grass-hoppers, and shall wee feare these little things? the world is nothing unto God; there is no greatnesse beside God himself, hee hath made the world,Nihil magnum, nisi magnus Deus. Psal. 119.120. he hath dried up the Seas, hee sends out the mighty winds, hee changes times and seasons, hee brings Princes to nothing, makes Judges vanity, hee tumbles nations into hell, and can destroy the soul and body eternally, him feare, saith Christ, Luke 12.4, 5. not men, that can but kill the body, but feare him, who after the body is dead, can kill the soul, and cast into hell; I say unto you, feare him: and Isa. 8.13. Sanctifie the Lord of Hosts himself, and let him be your feare, let him be your dread; let there be such a frame of spirit in you as becomes the Lord of Hosts, sutable to his great­nesse, his soveraignty and authority over you and all creatures, then you will not feare; when the feare of God is strong in your [Page 274] heart, then the feare of man ceaseth: when the Dictator rul'd at Rome, then all other Officers ceased; and when this feare of God rules, all other feares will be husht; and that's not all, if God be sanctified by us, hee will be a Sanctuary unto us.

2. Set faith a work; men in publique place should have their hands at work on earth, and their faith in heaven; the just live by faith, and will not die by feare. Hezekiah, 2 Chron. 32.7, 8. when Senacherib was coming against Jerusalem, and troubled the whole land, hee set his hands awork to fortifie the City, and his faith to fortifie himself: Be strong and couragious, be not afraid, nor dismayed, for the King of Assyria and his multitude, for there be more with us then be with him; with him is an arm of flesh, but with us is the Lord our God to help us, and to fight our battell; here was an army of 185000. to affright him, but here was faith in the Lord of Hosts to establish him; Heb. 11.27. Moses feared not the wrath of the King, for he endured, as seeing him who is invisible: by faith hee saw the invisible God, and that made him hold out against the King, though his wrath was hot, his looks fierce, his words terrible, his face cruell; Moses knew, that what ever hee lost for God, he should finde in God, Prov. 29.25. The feare of man bringeth a snare, but who so putteth his trust in the Lord shall be safe; mans feare brings a snare, and so death; had Moses feared Pharaoh, hee had compounded with him, and so ruin'd himself and others, but hee that puts his trust in the Lord shall be safe, The Hebrew is, set on high, like a bird upon the wing, that is, out of the reach of every snare and fowler, though never so cunning. Cardinall Borromaeus being told of great danger from some who lay in wait for him,Si Deus mei curam non ha­bet, quid vivo? said, An Deus est in mundo pro nihilo? Is God idle in the world? and Jahannes Silentiarius, being in the like case, said, If God take not care of mee, why do I live?

3. Labour for purity and holinesse; the most holy men are the least fearing men: Paul was of great courage, hee had much holinesse, 1 Thes. 2.10. and when the Viper leapt upon his hand, he feared not, it could not kill him, but he could kill it; he shook it into the fire: Adam at first no creature could harm him, because holy; in the lives of the Fathers, mention is made of one Abbas Paulus, who handled Serpents and Scorpions, and cut them in pieces without any hurt; and being asked how he came to this [Page 275] condition, said, If a man be holy, all things are subject to him, as to Adam before his sin in Paradise; if our hearts and consciences be polluted, we shall feare, if not flie, 1 Sam. 18.12. Saul was afraid of David, hee had great riches, many forces, yet feares David a poor man, a banished, reproach't man; and Herod feared John, he was a holy man; Magnas vires habet pietas, Job 17.9. The righ­ous shall hold on his way, and he that hath clean hands, shall be stronger and stronger, Prov. 28.1. The righteous is bold as a Lion; a man that is truly and thorowly godly, that knowes nothing by him­selfe, that hath purged out every spot, and gotten off all guilt, and needs not blush at any thing, past or present, hee is a Lion, hee is a brasse wall, nothing shall daunt him, but the wicked flie when none pursue. Nehemiah was a holy man, and hee would not flie, but Manasseh a wicked King, hides himself among the thornes, and Adam runs to the thickets, they had prickings without, and worse prickles within.

4. Value not life too much, let us be willing to lay out our lives in Gods service, to spend and be spent for God: Acts 21.13. Paul said, I am ready, not to be bound only, but to die at Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus, he prized the name of Christ above his life; and if wee would prize something above our lives, wee should not so over-rate them, as through feare of man, to lose better things to keep them; the Devill tels us, skin for skin, Job 2.4. and all that a man hath will he give for his life; true, all to save life, but there are some things of more worth than mans life, as the glory of God, the favour of God, the peace of God, truth of God, the name of Christ, &c. and wee should so account of them, and be ready to sacrifice our lives for them, Nehem. 6.11. hee would not go into the Temple to save his life, he knew the glory of God, the cause, work and people of God should suffer by it, and therefore he would venture his life: So Basil, when threaten'd with cruell usuage and death, said to him had the power in his hand, This body thou art Lord of only, not of our faith, or the cause we stand for; and whereas swords, wild beasts, cutting of our flesh,Potius nobis deliciae quam tormenta sunt. &c. are threaten'd, these things are rather pleasures then terrors to us; we look at better things then the world hath, for which we are not unwilling to lay out our lives: Rev. 12.11. the Worthies of those times loved not their lives unto the death, they stood, bled, dyed [Page 276] for Christ and his Cause, who had stood, bled, dyed for them. Another observation is; That it's the lot of the righteous to dwell amongst the wicked; the Prophet here dwelt amongst Scorpions, and was amidst Briers and Thorns, a sad habitation, yet such as is common to the Saints: Lot dwelt in Sodome, and his righteous soul was vexed, 2 Pet. 2.8. it was pained, tormented, as a man upon the rack; and David dwelt among those were enemies to peace, and it made him cry out, Woe is me, that I so journ in Mesech: and dwell in the Tents of Kedar, Psal. 120.5, 6. that is, with un­godly and barbarous people: and it's not the condition of some few, but the Church it self, Cant. 2.2. which is as a Lilly among Thorns; so was the Church in Egypt, in Babylon, in the Primitive times amongst the persecuting Emperours, and their officers; so in the time of Antichrist, and at this day, it is among Thorns and Scorpions; but here is the comfort of it, God takes notice thereof; Rev. 2.13. The Church of Pergamus dwelt where Satans throne was, where he bare most sway, had most honour, a mul­titude of servants, where was great uncleannesse, hot persecution; there did the Church of Pergamus dwell, and what saith the Text? I know thy works, and where thou dwellest; I know, that is, I take speciall notice of all thy works, wrongs, how the Thorns do scratch, the Scorpions sting thee, and I will reward thee for all. 2 Pet. 2.9. After mention being made of Lots being vexed with the Sodomites, it's said, The Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptation; he observes who they are among, how they are temp­ted, and knowes wayes of deliverance for them, and appeares amongst them.

It was written within and without.

The Hebrew is, in the face, and in the back; that is, on both sides, such writings the Greeks call Opisthographa, that is, writings writ on the backside, fill'd within and without. Lavater thinks, that on one side were writ their sins, and on the other Gods judgements; this fulnesse of the Roul intimates, either the length of the pro­phecie, as Vatablus conceives, or a multitude of evils hanging over the heads of the Jewes, as Maldonate thinks, or the abundance of revelations committed to the Prophet, as Jun. not what Jerome and Bellarmine conceit, that the writing within and without, should note the literall and mysticall sense of the Scripture.

Lamentations, mourning and woe.

Here is the contents of the Roul, bitter and sad things,Amara & moesta. the burning of the Temple, the overthrow of Jerusalem, the captivity of the Jewish nation, and all the evill should befall them; the word Kinim, Lamentation, noteth a plain complaint, a sad speech, testi­fying the sorrowes of mind; as David in the case of Absalom, O Absalom, Absalom, &c. this was a naturall complaint, and simple lamentation, suddenly breaking forth, without all premeditation.

Mourning is more, it's deeper, and upon consideration; the word in the Hebrewis from Hagah, to meditate, and noteth, suspi­rium ab imo pectore tractum; when one hath mused much, and seri­ously upon the cause and matter of grief, and then fetcheth deep sighs, such as are inditiall of intense and bitter sorrowes, that is the mourning here; Isa. 38.14. I did mourn like a Dove, the He­brew is, I will meditate, noting mourning that comes from medi­tation; the Doves mourning is inward. Cranes chatter and la­ment, Doves mourne.

Woe.

This word vehi, noteth not only the voyce in lamentations and [Page 286] grones in mourning, but knocking of the breast, and clapping of the hands together, as is used in greater afflictions; thus some Interpreters understand it; but I conceive by Woe here, is meant the threatnings of Judgement, or Judgements threatned, accor­ding to those woes in Matth. 23. and the fruit of them, as it's, Lam. 5.16.

Observ. 1. That divine mysteries are unknown to men, though very easie and familiar, till they be unfolded; this Roul could the Prophet never have comprehended the meaning of, if Christ had not opened it; take all the types and ceremonies of the Law, there were mysteries wrapped up in them, which neither Aaron nor Moses had known, if they had been left to their own abilities; those elements used in Baptisme and the Supper of the Lord, we should never have known the mysteries of them, if heaven had not helped us: would we think the Rain-bow an Embleme of mercy, if Scrip­ture had not held it out to us? Indians, Heathens, do not, cannot so apprehend it; take any divine mysteries, they are too transcen­dent for our capacities; there be depths in them that wee cannot fathome, 2 Cor. 2.14. the naturall man cannot know the things of God, they are spiritually discerned, there must be a great mysterie wrought in him before he can discern mysteries.

2. It's the Lord Christ that opens and interprets mysticall things, efficaciously unto the faithfull, hee spread the Roul before Ezekiel, and made him to understand the mysteries of it; what is the Scriptures but a roul folded up? a book sealed till Christ open it; we may all say as the Eunuch, being demanded if he understood what he read; said, How can I, except some man guide mee? Act. 8.30, 31. so unlesse Christ guide us, and lead us into the mysteries of the Word, wee cannot understand, Rev. 5.5. When none could open the booke sealed up, the Lion of the tribe of Judah could do it. He hath strength to untie all knots, and a spirit to search all deeps; Christ himself is the greatest mysterie, and he is the great opener of mysteries, Matth. 11.27. All things are delivered to mee and my Father, and no man knowes the Father, save the Son, and hee to whom the Son will reveal him; if ever God be made known savingly to the soul, it must be by the Lord Christ; and hee doth not reveal unto all, but to whomsoever hee will, to his Elect ones, from others hee conceals him, they have the Letter, the Roul, but not [Page 287] the mysterie thereof, their light is darknesse. But there be some in the world, that Christ doth interpret the riddles and dark things of the Scripture unto; see that place in Joh. 15.15. Hence, first saith Christ, I call yee not servants, for the servant knoweth not what his Lord doth, but I have call'd you friends, for all things that I have heard of my father, I make known unto you; these were Christs friends, Christ revealed all to them, but from other all was kept; it was Christ revealed unto the Prophets, what they had, and to the Apostles what they had; the Scripture may well be call'd the Revelation of Christ: you have one Book call'd so, Rev. 1.1. The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave unto him, to shew unto his servants, that is, his faithfull ones: if we would therefore understand the Roul of the Book, the mysteries in the Scripture, wee must look up to Christ, and intreat him to spread them before our eyes, and to interpret them to our hearts.

3. That the servants of God must not refuse to receive and propound large and sad messages to the people: Here is a Roul, writ within and without, and fill'd with lamentations, mourning and woe. Here was liber mortis, a book of death, and deadly things; this the Prophet must receive, and declare to the people, how ever they take it; people would gladly heare from the men of God good tidings, they would have a law of kindnesse in our lips, our mouths to drop honey; they would have us sons of con­solation, but wee must speak what our great Lord and Master puts into the [...]oul, if hee bid us preach lamentations, mournings and woes, we must do it.

4 That the Lord gives to his Prophets, truh's suitable to his Providence: Here's a Roul, full of lamentations, mournings and woes; sad things, and such things the Lord was bringing upon them; there is a sweet Analogie between Gods Word and Works. His works are his Word fulfill'd, Psal. 148.8. Fire and hail, snow and vapour, storm wind, fulfilling his Word, when there is thunder and lightning, snowes, rains and winds, these are fulfillings of Gods Word, no providences do crosse his Word, but all perform it. Gods works are the best Commen­taries upon his Word; and had we the wisdome to bring his Word and Works together, we should see a sweet harmony be­tween them. This Roul given the Prophet, and Gods pro­ceedings [Page 288] with the Jewes after, were proportionable, they felt what here was writ; all that is done in world now, is the ful­filling of what is writ, when God gave John his Revelation, he laid in truths to suit with his providence and works to the end of the world; it's liber providentialis, and many things in it are acting in our dayes, and before our eyes, though we discern it not; there be truths for these times, and it's their advantage that can take them up.

5. That dreadfull things hang over the head of a sinfull guilty Nation.

Cause thy belly to eat.

Could his, or can any mans belly eate? this seems a strange speech; but take it thus: eating is taken in Scripture, not only for chewing, but for all the actions belonging to meat, as concoction and consumption of it: [...] and the Hebrew word signifies to eat, to dissolve, to consume, and so; that sword and fire in Scripture are said to eat, that is, to dissolve, and to destroy; the meaning then is, do thou by this roul, as the stomach and belly do by meat, when they get good thereby, the one doth not presently reject, nor the other transmit, but they retain the meat, draw out all the vertue, concoct it, live and work in the strength of it: so here, let thy belly [Page 291] eat, that is, concoct, digest the truths thou hearest, by serious me­ditation, and by faith; do not like those that have weak and sick­ly stomachs, that quickly return what they receive, and get no be­nefit thereby; but do thou take in all the arguments and truths of this roul; do thou so concoct and consume them by the sto­mach and belly of meditation and faith, that they may become thy nutriment, thou mayest feel the power and efficacy of them in thine heart, and act accordingly.

And fill thy bowels.

Satisfie thy self, take enough, be not content with a little.

Observ. 1. That our obedience unto Christ must be absolute and simple; Eat that thou findest, saith Christ, what ever thou findest; there might something unsavory, bitter, have been tendered to the Prophet, even that which nature abhors; how ever he must eat it, not dispute the case, but yeeld obedience; when Christ commands, blind obedience is the best, to do it upon that ground,Authoritas pracipientis est ratio prae­cepti. and no other, here the commanders will is warrant for the fact, Luke 5.5. this prevail'd with Peter, Master, wee have toiled all night, and have taken nothing, neverthelesse at thy word I will let down the net. Christs word was all unto him, he look'd not at his labour lost, at his gain to come, but at the word of Christ, and that was warrant enough to him: so other Apostles, when Christ call'd them, and bid them follow him, they left all, and straightway followed him; they con­sulted not with flesh and blood, they made no objections, chose not what they would themselves, but submitted to Christs will: Abraham left his countrey at Gods call, and knew not whither he should go, and this was true obedience; with men we must not be so tractable, as to do things meerly upon their wills and com­mands, they are no gods, their wills and power are no rules, they may sin, we must give account; and therefore may, and must ex­amine, prove all things, and hold fast that which is good; humane things, it's our duty, it's wisdome and safety to question, and search into, but divine things are without dispute and all questioning to be believed and obeyed, therefore saith Christ, Yee are my friends, if yee do whatsoever I command you, Joh. 15.14. then we shew the grea­test love to Christ, when we give him absolute obedience.