He farther deſcribeth what he had more briefly ſpoken of werſe 6. Tacre you had their Shap? and Make, here you have their Colour, ein which they were ſeen by the Prophet. f Their Aſpe& was of a fizry Colour, to afright and alarm ſecure Sinners. That God who had hitherto appeared moſt patient and long-ſuffering, now makes diſcove- rizs of himi-Ifin dreadtul Diſpleaſure, which would burn, as Num. 17. I, 2, 3. orlſa. 10. 17. or Jer. 4. 4 That would conſume their Glory, and there be none to quench it, Fer. 7. 20. and 21. 12. g God doth by- bis prophet forewarn them of very great Miſeries com- ing on them, Wrath, as Fire, as Coals, and Burning, every Word ad- ding weight to the phraſe. Ir notes alſo the Zeal and fervent Aff-&ion of theſe living Creatures, doing the Will of God. +4 Ir was not a furi- ous and unbounded Fire, it wasas that which burneth in the Lamp, li- mited, ir ſhould not devour but the Wicked. Or it may note the Care and Wiſdom wherewith theſe Executions ſhould be made, as if all were done in the light of Lamps, as in dark Places we take Candles to light usin ourWork; or it may intimate the hope for the good among
the Jews, as Lamps doth, 1jaiah 62. I, and the DeſtruQion of Enemies,
as Zcch. 12.6. Or if it may be interpreted by Dan. 10. 6. where the 2mp that burneth expreſſeth the Divine Wiſdom and Love, and
poſſibly the Knowledge and Love of Chriſt. as Rewel. r. 15. *' PF will
$4 4 WP
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well ſute with the whole Viſion, and with what next follows. # This Fire, or the burning Lamp, or both, went up and down, ſtood not ſtil], nor was carried, but as the Heb. Made it ſelf walk up and down. Ir moved it ſeif, which is too much ta aſcribe to Creatures; God only is an unmoved Mover, fo 'twill lead our Thoughts to God, who moved all theſe living Creatures. & It was not the dark and footy Fire of Malice and Hell. Ir ſhined, as always God?s Zeal for his own Glory, and as Angels Zeal for the Glory of their God doth. Or *cwas fo brighr as to difcover it ſelf in more than ordinary Glory. / With this God gave the Law, Exod. 19. 16. contends with Enemies, 2 Sam. 22.15, Zech.9, 14. Theſe Lightnings as they are terrible to Sinners and ſtrike an Aw upon Saints ; ſo they tell both, that there is more than ordinary of God to be Jookr to in them. His Judgments, as Lightning, call upon us to fear, ſeek, and ſhelter our elves with God.
14 And the living creatures m ran ”, and returned o as the appearance of a flaſh of lightning p.
» Angels, Miniſters of the Divine Pleaſure, as above werſe 5. » Were ſpeedy in their Motions; this is ſignified by this Expreſſion figu- ratively apply'd to Angels. o Yet w:rſe 9, 12. 'tis ſaid they returned not, where this ſceming Contradi&ion is reconciled; the 9th and 1 2th Perſes deny their turning aſide from their Work, this 14h affirms they returned, ;. e. when they had done their Work. p Very quick, with Vehemency, Splendor, and irreſiſtible Efficacy.
I5 Þ Now gasI beheld r the living creatures,behold /;
' Ohe wheel 72 upon the earth « by the living creatures x,
with his four faces y. q Or, and, "tis a Tranſition from the former to the latter part of the
\ Viſion. 7 conſidered and obſerved. Ir calls for our Attention.
7 Ora certain Wheel] or ſpherical Form, as ſome ; or a circular Form
. E as the Wheels of Chariots, ſay other. Ir is ons Wheel intimating thar . @l] the different Cauſes and Motions, how many ſoerer in themſelves,
+ yet work the ſame Work, and are governed as eafily in their various
* Morions, as one ſingle Wheel might be, and that God doth ſo govern + them, « Not that we tread on, but that which in this Viſion was re-
preſented to the Propher-; for *twas here as 'tis in Landskips or Pi- cures drawn, there is that which repreſents the Earth, on which
KR Trees, Men, or Chariots ſeem to be. x By each of theſe living
Creatures ſtood one Wheel, ſo that they were four in Number, accor. ding tothe Number of the living Creatures. y By this it appearseach heel had its four Faces, of which more in the 17, v. where what
b 15 here called Faces is there called Sides.
16 The appearance z. of the wheels, and their work
© © was like unto the colour of a beryl 6: and they four «x © had one likeneſs 4, and their appearance and their
work was as it were a wheel in the middle e of a wheel. © The Form in which theſe Wheels were ſeen. a All that was
7 wrous ht, whether engraved or otherwiſe, was of one Colour. 6 Heb. R __— 2 Sea-green; ſome ſay this Colour here was of a Carbuncle,
do move, and ſuch a Wheel will readily be turned to all Points of the Compaſs,as a Ball on a Billiard Table. þ They needed nor go back ro turn as wee ſee other Chariots or Coaches muſt do, putting back ſomewhat to alter their Courſe; or returned norrill they came to their Journey*'s End ; or nothing could divert them, or put them out of their Courſe. So firm and ſure are the Methods, fo unalterable and conſtant the Purpoſes of God, and fo invariable. the Obedience and Obſervance of Holy Angels. So ſubje& to the juſt Soveceign Will of God are all ſecond Caules,
round about them four o.