#5 The Circumference of the Wheels, the whole Compaſs of the Wheels, or the Valleys (as Carter cals the whole roundle of his Wheels.) & The two ſtrakes, the thickneſs of Hub and Valleys, give us the height of a Wheel from the Earth on which ic ſtands. / Their very height impreſt a Fear on the Bcholder, bur if we may ſuppoſe one near theſe Wheels which ſo readily changed Courſz, ſo eaſily over bearing all, that none could turn them aſide, (which might poſtible bes the Propher's Caſe in this Viſion ) *twould increaſe the Terror. m The whole Circumference or Circle of theſe Wheels. » This added to the dreadfulneſs of their appearance, ſo unuſual and ſupernatural a Sight could not but affe& the Prophet, who in ſo mighty a Wheel mighe ex- pet Multitudes of Nails, but inſtead thereof diſcovers as great a Mul- titude of Eyes ; one Eye ſeen or imagined to be ſeen ſuddenly and in the dark, hath amazed many an one, how much more ſo many as would fill up the Circumference of theſe Wheels, for they were round about ? o Every one of the four Wheels were thus filled with Eyes. Now this is too narrowly confined by ſome Interpreters, who would have the greatneſs and policy of rhe Chaldeans ſet out hereby ; whereas the Wheels, their Motion, their Heighc, and Eyes, ſignify the Heighr, Unſearchableneſs, Wiſdom and Vigilance of the Divine Providence, in governing the Affairs of the World and the Church.
19 And when p the living creatures went, the wheels went by them q: and when the living creatures were life » up from the earth /; the wheels were lit up.
2 The Wheels, their Motion or ſtanding depended on the Motion and Aſſiſtance of ſome higher Agent which excited and guided them ; when therefore the living Creatures, the Angels, Miniſters of God's Will, moved, then did thoſe Affairs expreſt by Wheels move alſo. There was an exaCt accord between theſe, they were as well joined in Morion as they were in Station. r Moved higher above our ordinarv reach. {That Baſis on which both the Wheels ſeem'd to ſtand, and from which ſometime they ſeemed ro lift up themſelves, as if to ferch a new Commiſſion and Order from him that ſat upon the Throne.
20 Whitherſoever the ſpirit * was to go «, they went x, thither was their ſpirit y to go, and the wheels z were lifted up over againſtt hem: for the ſpirit « of the 4 living 6 creatures as in the wheels.
: Either the Wil] and Inclination of the living Creatures, or rather the Spirit of God which moved the living Creatures, gave them Mo- tion and guided it, theſe Angels in their Miniſtry punQually obſerved both the Impulſe and Condu& of God's Spirit. - « Of this Phraſe ap. plied to the Spirit, ſee ver. 12. x The Wheels, thoſe inferior Agents and ſecond Cauſes. y Theinclination and Will of the Wheels con- curr'd with the Spirit of the living -Creatures, ſo that there was z hearty accord between thoſe ſuperiour and inferiour Cauſes, they agreed in the ſame Deſign. z There ſeems to be an Ellipſis here, the latter part of the Speech expreſt, and the former implied only as 'twas in the progrefſive Motion ; ſo in the Motion vpward they accord- ed, and kept the ſame Order. @ One and the ſame Spirit was in both the Wheels and living Creatures, and fo the ſame Inclinarion and Mo. tion too. 5 Of Life, Heb. the quickning, enlivening Spirit ; hence ſome will have the Weels to be living Creatures ; but withour this *tis enough to repreſent to the Propher the Frame and Courſe of Provi- dence, and who did preſide and manage all. An Undiſcerned, yer Divine Mighty, Wiſe, Juſt and Holy, and Everliving Power, Spiric and Being, aQtuated all, and governed all, ro the execution of Juſtice on the Wicked, and protection of the Godly.
21 When thoſe went, eſe went ; and when thofe ſtood, theſe ſtood ; and m__ thoſe were lifted up from
e113
- ha,
Chap. I.
18 As for the rings z, they were ſo high & that they .g, were dreadfull /, and their * rings m2 were full of eyes » prakes.
: 4 4 . bY SOS Ss tf of. ent. ” Zs _ - " »4 kt, poo - —_ PT 4 ge ry ” . ne OI on S Ia, i 1 oo an gh _ —_
Chap. I.
the earth, the wheels were lifted up over againſt them : for the Spirit of the living creature was in the wheels.
This Verſe is a Confirmation, and farther Illuſtration of what is fad in the 20:5, and being almoſt Word for Word the ſame with the 207h, needs no diſtin& Paraphraſe. TI ſhall only nore how God doth fully aſſert his over-ruling, and ever-ruling wile Providence in the Af- fairs ot his Church, and the World, both, 1. Agaiaſt the prophane Thoughts of Atheiſts and Epicures, which ever abound in thoſe times, when Sinners of the World and Church are ripe for Harveſt. 2. A- gainſt che Diſtruſt an] Fears of his own ſuffering People.
22 And the likeneſs c of the firmament 4d upon e the heads ot the living creature, was as the colour * of the terrible chryſtal f,, ſtretched forth over their heads a-
bove. | c The appearance or reſemblance; of which Word before , ver. 16, and 13. d Theliving Creatures, the Wheels and theſe upon the Earth our Prophet had ften and mentioned, now he ſpeaks of the Firma- ment which muſt be ſuppoſed to be ftretch'd forth above the Earth ; as the Prophet ſaw the one ſo he ſaw the other. This Firmament was not that we behold, it was Emblematical and repreſentative. Ir ap- peared, bur much more auguſt'and wonderful than Natural. e Not reſting upon but over their heads ſtretch'd out, and the Heb. were better read over in this Place, and on this Occafion. * Heb. Eye, a Word twice already here uſed and in the ſame ſence, the Aſpe& and Shape or Form, as wer. 8. 16. f For Splendor, Purity, and Solidity ; all that was above theſe Creatures and Wheels was beautiful and very majeſtical, as indeed 'was meet it ſhould be ; and 'tis therefore called terrible, becauſe it imprefſeth a Veneration upon the Mind of the Bcholders, it dazleth rhe Eye, and overpowereth it, the ſame Word FO gu concerning the Name of God, Hely and Reverend Plal. 99. 3. and 111. 9g. 4 70 :
23 And under g the firmament were their wings ſtraight
þ, the one toward the other 7; every one had two which covered on this {ide &, and every one had two which cove-
red on thac ſide their bodies /.