Ezekiel 14

And Heb. That we need not enquire the precise time of this Prophesie. THen came certain Men of note, that were in office and power among the Jews, called here Elders, &c. of the elders of Who were yet in Ierusalem, not the Elders who were now, and had been sometime in Babylon. Israel unto me, and chap. 8.1. sate before me.

And the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,

Son of man, these Who probably were come from Ierusalem, sent by Zedekiah and mentioned by Ieremiah, chap. 51.59. some of the Courtiers who more out of curiosity, then Religion, give a visit to this famous Prophet. men have Resolved Idolaters, their heart was totally addicted to their idolatrous Worship and Ceremonies, immersed in it. set up their Dunghill Gods. Idols in their heart, and put the Their Idols so exprest, because they were both the object of their sin, and occasion of their ruin, they account these Idols to be Gods, and worship, fear, trust in, and plead for them; this is their sin, and ere long this shall bring ruine on them. stumbling block of their iniquity before their face: should I be Can these men seriously consult me? Is it fit I should give counsel to obstinate, resolved sinners, who come to enquire but will not hearken? Should I help them in their distress, who depend on Idols which I hate? enquired of at all by them?

Therefore Mince not the matter, lessen not, neither vary, what I say unto thee, but declare fully and undauntedly. speak unto them, and Mince not the matter, lessen not, neither vary, what I say unto thee, but declare fully and undauntedly. say unto Though great men and who will complement with thee. them, Thus says the Lord GOD; Every Without exception, who ever be the man among the Israelites. man of the house of Israel That has his heart riveted to Idols, and yet comes to the Prophet, as if 'twere to know what were best to be done, and what will be the issue of these times and things. that setteth up his idols in his heart, and putteth the stumbling block of his iniquity before his face, and cometh to the prophet; I will answer him, but little to his satisfaction or afety, such answer shall such receive, as in seeing they shall not see, &c. I the LORD will answer him that cometh, according to the I will declare the greatness of their sin and punishment they multiplyed Idols, this their sin, I will multiply their sorrows, they first run into darkness of Idolatry, I will leave them to the darkness of misery. I will give answer but in just gment, and with severe reproofs and menaces, and commands. multitude of his idols.

That I may Convince and pe rce their very hearts, or lay open what i in their heart and discover their hypocrisie, and impiety. take the house of Israel in their own heart, Have shamefully followed Idols, which now in their distress, neither know the cause, or can frame a remedy, and what folly is it to choose such Gods, what greater impiety then this to adhere to Idols and forsake God the only true God and Saviour? because they are all Minds that increase their aversness to God, Idolatry draws the man more and more from the Lord. estranged from me through their idols.

¶ Therefore say unto the To these men the Elders, who ere they are, give charge that they repent, and by them send word to the residue of the house of Iacob that they do so too. house of Israel, Thus says the Lord GOD, Be sorry and testifie your sorrow for such sins. repent and Renounce them for future, cease to be Idolaters. turn your selves from your Idols, and turn away your Let your visible carriage in reforming all be seen too. Amend heart and ways, let not your heart be towards Idols in point Religion, nor your practice in point of outward deportment be vicious and immoral. faces from all your abominations.

For every one of the Every Jew of the seed of Abraham. house of Israel, or of the Every Proselite. stranger that sojourneth in Israel, which Withdraws himself from me and worships Idols, keeps them in his heart to the increase of their own sin and my displeasure. separateth himself from me, and setteth up his idols in his heart, and putteth the stumbling block of his iniquity before his face, and Yet forsooth comes to the prophet to enquire how his God resenteth what they do, and what God will do with them, what they should do what they may expect, yet all this while dote on idols, and resolutely hold on in unjust practices, they shall find by the answer, 'twas not the Prophet, but the God of the Prophet that answered them, so dreadful, searching, and astonishing shall my answer be. cometh to a prophet to enquire of him concerning me, I the LORD will answer him by my self.

And I will set my My displeased face, my wrath which none can bear, the phrase Lev. 17.10. and 20.3. and chap. 15.7. face against that man, and will make him a Of divine vengeance provoked by sin and executed on the sinner. sign and a Of whom every body shall speak with taunt and curse, Deut. 28.37. proverb, and I will Either by an immediate stroke from Heaven, or else in an undeniably vindictive way, Deut. 20.3. cut him off from the Openly as what is done in the sight of all, or as one separated from Gods people by this dreadful Excommunication, and who shall have no portion with them in this or the next Life. midst of my people, and ye shall know that I am the LORD.

And if the Viz. The Prophet who makes this his trade and gain, the false Prophet, who speaks all serene and quiet in hope of reward for his kind answer to those that desired to hear what might please them more then what God commanded, promised, or threatned. prophet be deceived when he has spoken a thing, I the LORD have Permitted him to erre, or justly left him in his blindness, that he shall not discern his own self deceivings, or else when such Prophet promiseth good, and thinks concurrence of all second causes tend to it, yet I will disappoint and frustrate, as Isa. 44.25. if the Confederacies to save were in likelihood sufficient, and twere no presumption to hope the best, and if your Prophets on this ground promised you success yet they shall deceive you, for I would defeat and disappoint them and you; so the sense would not carry a Moral and culpable deceiving, but a just defeating and disappointing, or disabling second causes, on which, disappointment of hopes will follow. If Egypts Arms had so weakned the Babylonian, that none but wounded men remained, yet the promise of your escape should fail you, O Israelites, for Ier. 37.10, 11. these should rise up and burn your City. deceived that prophet, and I will Remarkably punish his falsehood, and in severity destroy him. stretch out my hand upon him, and I will destroy him from the midst of my people Israel.

And they shall bear the punishment of their iniquity: the punishment of the prophet shall be even as the punishment of him that seeketh unto him. There is so great p rity in the folly and impiety of both seducing Prophets and the seduced people, that tis hard to say whose sin is greatest, their punishment shall be by the Lord made as like as they made their sin, and both shall be cut off and destroyed.

Afflictions ever tend to a good and necessary effect or end for Gods glory, and his peoples good, and so 'tis here. That the Which are the seed of Iacob, and my people. house of Israel may They have wandred as sheep, which naturally are apt to go out of the way, and much more when seduced, and drawn out of the way, but afflictions tend to red ce them from sheepish wandrings. go no more astray from Their only God and Saviour. me, neither be Idolatry is a great pollution, and ever attended with other transgressions and immoralities, which defile also, now by their present calamities God will open their eyes to see and abhor them. polluted any more with all their transgressions: but that they In name and external profession they were Gods people, but they had forgotten their relation, and the duty of it to Godward, now by these present corrections they shall be disposed to own, and love, to obey and walk with him as he is their God and they his people. This effect the rod will have on my own people. may be my people, and I may be their God, says the Lord GOD.

¶ The word of the LORD came again to me, saying,

Son of man, At what time soever. when the Put for the men that dwell in the Land. land sinneth against me by trespassing As an hypocritical back-sliding people, that give fair promises, but perform them not, rather act contrary to their professions as the Hebrew intimateth. grievously, then Scarcity and Famine are effects of the power of God, which makes that barren for the sins of a people, which otherwise would be fruitful. will I stretch out mine hand Against it. upon it, and will break the staffe of the bread thereof, and will send famine upon it, and will cut off man and Make the Land utterly desolate by famishing the Cattle as well as their owners. beast from it.

Though these Most eminent for holy and upright walking with God, very dear to God, exceedingly desirous of the welfare of others, powerful in Prayer. three men Who 'tis probable prevailed with God to spare the World for some years, and saved his near Relations when the flood came. Noah, Who prevailed for the life of the wise men of Chaldea, and Daniel and who daily offered sacrifice for his Children, and at last reconciled God to those that had offended. Job, were in it, they should These should not prevail for any one of this wicked generation, it should suffice them, that their Righteousness saveth themselves, this contumacious generation of sinners I would not be intreated for. deliver but their own souls by their righteousness, says the Lord GOD.

¶ If I Noisome beasts are one of the great plagues, or armies that God has always at his command. cause noisome beasts to To range over the land and spoil their Cattel, devour their Servants and Children, and destroy Travellers, and make it as a Wilderness. pass through the land, and they spoil it, so that it be desolate, and no man may Without much danger, and great Guards that may repel the wild ravening beasts. pass through because of the beasts.

Though these three men were in it, as I A form of speech in which God by oath confirms what he speaketh, and 'tis such an oath as becomes him only who is life and cannot die. live says the Lord GOD, they shall deliver neither Neither sons that should perpetuate their families and are the support of houses, nor daughters the tenderness of whose Sex, and age does make and keep parents affections fervent towards them. No near relation should escape on their account. sons nor daughters; they only shall be delivered, but the land shall be i. e. Most desolate, as the Heb. use by an abstract to express the superlative degree, Isa. 1.7. and 64 10. desolate.

¶ Or if I He is Lord of hosts, and has the Militia of all the world in his hand, the Sword is the right of the King of Kings. bring a Raise War, and send Enemies to invade it. sword upon What Land soever it be. that land, and say, sword, Though inanimate things have not ears to hear, yet God speaks of them sometimes as if they had ears to hear, and understanding to discern; hereby intimating to us his overruling power, wisdome, justice and sovereignty. go through the land; so that Men cut off men in War, yet here God takes it to himself, he does it by men. I cut off man and Tho Wars chiefly destroy m n, yet the beasts of the field go to wrack too, the beasts that are serviceable in wars are waste as Horses and Beasts of burthen. The Eastern Nations have brought store of Camels, and many Elephants into the Wars, beside the slaughter of these in Fight; the spoiler wasting his Enemy does often destroy whole Heards and Flocks. beast from it.

Though these three men were in it, as I live, says the Lord GOD, they shall deliver neither sons nor daughters, but they only shall be delivered themselves.

¶ Or if I Diseases are sent when ever they come, especially wasting diseases, which empty Nations and Cities apace. send a Gods Arrow that flyes from Gods Bow. pestilence into that land, and Not drop, or distil on a people in small measures and by leisure, but in great measures and hastily, as waters are poured out of a vessel all at once almost. pour out my fury upon it Sometime blood does denote war, but here, and in many other places, it denotes death and destruction of men, though not by the Sword. in blood, to cut off from it man and Not that Beasts dye of the same Pestilential disease which kills man, but, either death of men by Pestilence emptieth the Nation, that there are not men to take care and provide for the Beasts. Or, rather because, when Pestilence wasteth men, Murrains and Plague of Cattel, from the same infected Air, and from the hand of God waste the Beasts also. beast:

Though Noah, Daniel and Job were in it, as I live, says the Lord GOD, they shall deliver neither son nor daughter; they shall but deliver their own Their Person, their Life. souls by their Not meriting the deliverance, but yet the Justice and Mercy of God, shall surely keep them from falling in the punishment, who were kept from the sin. righteousness.

For thus says the Lord GOD, Those three men with their best interest, should not be able to keep off one of the four, much less able to keep off all four when I commission them all to go at once, as I will, nay have done against Ierusalem, to cut off the obstinate, incorrigible ones amidst it. How much more when I send my four sore judgments upon Jerusalem, the sword, and the famine, and the noisom beast, and the pestilence, to cut off from it man and beast?

¶ Yet behold, In Ierusalem it self and in the Land. therein shall be left Some that escape, for though none could prevail with God to prevent the emptying the City and the Land and cutting off the most, yet this was not to extend to the utter cutting off and destruction of all. a remnant that shall be By the proud, cruel, and barbarous Conquerour bringing them in nakedness, chains, and in contempt more grievous then death it self. brought forth, both sons and daughters: behold, they shall come forth unto Those naked, hunger starved, derided Captives through heats and colds, through sands and tedious travels shall come though with great regret to you, to Babylon whose condition they will either envy or wish it their own. you, and ye shall See them and consider and know. see their What it has brought them, how sinfully evil 'twas against God in their own Land and how miserably evil 'tis and must be with them in the Enemies Land. way and their doings: and ye shall be Not rejoyce in your brethrens misery, but comforted in remembrance of the good hour you resolved to obey God, in yielding up to the Chaldeans, comforted in the sense of your state much better then theirs, and in the vindication of you from the black aspersions the false Prophets and their followers cast on you. And finally comforted in that your return at set time promised, shall in its time be as surely made good as you see the threats are made good, God will be as true in his Mercies as he has been in his Judgments, this is matter of present affliction and grief, that of comfort and hope. comforted concerning the evil that I have brought upon Jerusalem, even concerning all that I have brought upon it.

And That survive the Siege, Famine and Ruin of Ierusalem, and are brought to Babylon. they shall Either confessing their faults in not doing as they had done, justifying the wise course they took who yielded, condemning the folly of hardning themselves against God, his Judgments, and his Prophets, or be matter of comfort, affording to you just ground of comforting your selves. comfort you, when ye see Understand it in the effects of it upon the ruined Jews. Or, in the relation which they will make both of your sins and sufferings in the Land of Canaan. their wayes and their doings: and ye You of the first Captivity, you that obeyed my voice and submitted to the Babylonian yoke. shall know Be fully satisfied that I have had but too much cause, and most just reason for all that I have done against Ierusalem and its land, and inhabitants of both, you shall know my hand, and as you feel the weight so you shall see the Justice of it too against them, and the Mercy of it towards you. that I have not done without cause, all that I have done in it, says the Lord GOD.