' had b The Secd of nim that was a Prince with God, the Covenant-peo-
, Ce ple of God «© Are ſtrangely degenerate and corrupted, as if purer
-nOt- and richer M<r:!. ſhould by worſe and worſe turn to Droſs. 4 From
the King to the Peaſart, the Prieſts, and Prophets, and People. e Im-
hers'l pudent in Sin. f Hypocrites, and mixt as Tin. g Hard, cruel, and
wash opprefſiveas Iron + Stupid and ſenfleſs as Lead : TholT rather think i
this particular . ccommodating theſe Metals, ſomewhat too curious. I judg the Propher chargeth them with a continued Degeneracy from
d are bad 'o worſe, by this Gradation. ; The Afflictions I have laid upon np'y 2 them have nor bettered them they retain their Corruptions and Vices ; $, Or k While they kept Covenant, adhered to my Law, kept my Worſhip ,uſts. 8 Pure, and loved Mercy, did juſtly, walkt humbly with their God, they y jult £3 were as Silver; now they are degenerated, and are but the Droſs of 1 UN- 1 L& Suver, vile of price, and of little uſe.
" = 19 Therefore thus ſaith the Lord GOD, becauſe ye are - 1. all / become drofs, betiold therefore I will gather »» you
into the midſt of Jeruſalem, {| From one end of the Land to the other, 9: From all parts there.
fg of, I will by a ſecret over-ruling Providence, bring you together = 7M ons I as into a Furnace where you may be melted and con- al umed. neral [0 : nould ls 20 ++ As they » gather o ſilver, and braſs, and iron,
EZEKTIE L.
the Fire., 4 Tillitbe melted.
and at thy blood / which hath been in the midſt of|
| y See wer. 19. lt. 9, 's In great, but juſt Dilplcaſure called Fxry too here, and elſewhere ; ſuch were the Sins of this People, that they had kindled 2 Fire againft them, which ſhould ſurely conſume them. : Or 1 wiil fit down, and reſt me, as the Founder, when he hath taken pains ro gather inthe Mecal, heap'd up the Wood, kindled the Fire, and blown it to its full height, reſts himſc|f obſerving how the Meral melts down: God will ſo reſt himſelf After the manner of Man 'tis ſpoken: the like Phraſe chap 5. 13. and chap. 16. 42. which ſee. « He will rake care the Fire go nor out t11l
you are melted, either to the purging away, your Droſs. ; purging away, or conſuming you with
21 Yea, Þ will gather you , and blow upon you in the = ” my wrath, and ye ſhall be melted in the midſt thereof.
22 As filver x is melted in the midſt of the farnace; fo ſhall ye be melted in the midſi thereof 3 and ye ſhall know y that I the LORD have poured out my Fury upen
You &.
T heſe Verſes are an ingeminating of the ſame, Menaces the more to affe& the Jews with Fear, and due Apprehenſions of their Danger; and make them think of returning to God. » This ſeems to iati- mare the Divine Care over ſome few that in the mid{ of the reſt were precious, and God would purify, not d:ſtroy them. y See, own, and ſubmit ro God's affliting hand, and comply with him, putting away your Dioſs, z Promilcuouſly wich others amoag which you have ſuffered the ſame outward Troubles, tho the end be differen: which intimates the Eſcape of a Remnant. :
23 T And the word of the LORD came unto me, ſaying, |
24 Son of man, ſay unto her, 4 Thou art the land
that 1s not cleanſed b, nor rained c upori in the day of indignation 4.
a The Land of I{-ae!. & Tho God's Judgments have beeh as vio- lent Storms and Floods, thothey have been as hotteſt Fices c Yet neither thy Filth hath been carried away, noc thy D efs m-!t:d wut of thee by them, ſtill thou retaineſt both, 4 Therefore is Indig1as tion kindled againſt thee, and thou ſhalr be deprived o®the Dews of Heaven, the Rain that ſhould cool thy thirſty Land ſhall be boron ; that Rain that ſhould make the Ground fruicful ſha'l not
eſcend.
25 * There #s a conſpiracy e of her f prophets in, the midſt thereof g, like a roaring 4 lion ravering the prey: * they have 5 devoured fouls: * they* Math. have taken the treaſure & and precious / things: 23 . '4-
they have made m her many widows in the midlc,, ch-3i thereof. eph.3.
e A Contrivance, or framing among themſelves a Deſign to ſpeak __ allalike flattering ſmooth words ; and give out Promiſ-s of Peace and Safety, when there was no Peace : they would have the Jews believe inlitcle time, the Veſſels of the Lord's Houſe, and th: Lord's People in Ba5yloz fhould be brought back; as Jer. 28. 1, 2, 3. And whereas Je 'em:ah faithfully toid them, that it would be no ſuch thing, but thar the reſt of che Veſſels, and Zedekiah, and the People ſhould be carried away into Babylon ; they conſpire againft him and ſuch as he was, Jer. 20. 2. and 26.8. and 29. 25, 26. and perſecute th:m with one Conſentand Mind. f Her's, not Gods Prophets ; the falſe Pro- phets, fuch as Hanaz!ah, Jer. 21. 1,2. g Of the Land, bur princi- pally in Jeruſalem, the Merropolis and Reſidence of che Court , where were ſuch as lo:zed to be flattered ; and of whom F:atterers might make gain. + Whom Hunger enragerh, and maketh roar in meſt dreadful manner, as ſome obſerve ot ther, when they hunt their Prey, and when they have ſeizzd, and are teatingit; fo di? thee falſe Prophets with Cruelty and Fierceneſs. purſue the true Prophets, and ſuch as believed their Word, feared the Judgments, and monr- ned for the Sins of a ſelf-ruining People. i Have eat up, impovetiſhr, and ſuckt dry, Men that relieved and maintained them, the Guiſe of all falſe Prophets ; or they have taken in their complotting, and ſwallowed down whole, the Perſons that disbelieved arid oppoſed theit Lies. k They did nor, wichout reward, tell their Lies, nor would propheſy without a Reward out of the Treaſures of thoſe that advi. ſed with them ; ſo they drained the People of their Riches: ! Either 'tis a farther Explication of what he had ſaid, or pollibly it may tell us, that where Money was not to be had, theſe falſe Prophets would demand ſom<thing of value z and if 'twere Mon-y's-worth ; they were then for battering the Prophecies, ſo they gull'd theſe Sors, % One while by raiſing Petſecutions; and cutting off Husbands from their Wives; another while, and which moſt agrees with the Place, perſwading, encouraging, and bewitching Z:dekiah, and rhe Princes and People, to hold out the War, and run all Hazards and Extremiries - - Siege, which filled Jeruſalem with dead Husbands and forlorn
idows.