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[ A] THere resorted vnto me certain of the ••••ders of Israel, and sat downe by me. 2 Then came the word of the Lorde vnto mée, saying. 3 Thou sonne of man, these men haue sette vp their Idols in their heartes, and put the stumbling blocke of iniquitie before their face, shoulde I then answere them at their request?
4 Therfore speak vnto them, & say vnto thē, thus saith the Lorde God, Euery man of the house of Israel that setteth vp his Idols in his hearte, and putteth the stumbling blocke of his iniquitie before his face, and commeth to the Prophete: vnto that man will I the Lord my selfe giue answere when he commeth, according to the multitude of his Idols.
5 That the house of Israel maye be snared in their owne heartes, because they be cleane gone from me all of them thorowe their Idols.
6 Wherfore tell the house of Israel, thus saith the Lorde God: Returne and cause to returne from your Idols, and turne your faces from all your abhominations.
7 For euery man, whether he be of the house of Israel, or a stranger that soiourneth in Israel, which departeth from me, and setteth vp his Idols in his hearte, and putteth the [ B] stumbling blocke of his wickednesse before his face, and com∣meth to a Prophete for to aske counsell at me through him: vnto that man will I the Lord giue answere by mine owne selfe. 8 I will set my face against that man, and will make him to be an example (for other) yea and a common by word, and will roote him oute of my people, that ye maye knowe howe that I am the Lorde.
9 And if that Prophete be deceiued when he telleth a thing then I the Lorde my selfe,* 1.1 haue deceiued that Prophete, and will stretche oute my hande vpon him, to destroy him out of my people of Israel.
10 And they shalbe punished for their wickednesse, accor∣ding to the sinne of him that asketh shall the sinne of the pro∣phete be: 11 That the house of Israel may wander no more from me, neither be any more defiled in all their transgres∣sions: but that they may be my people, and I their God, saith the Lorde God. 12 And the worde of the Lorde came vnto me, saying. 13 Thou sonne of man,* 1.2 when the land sinneth against me by committing a trespasse, I will stretche out my hand vpō it, and breake their staffe of bread, and send dearth
vpon them, to destroy man and beast foorth of it.
[ C] 14 And though Noe, Daniel, & Iob, these thrée men were among them:* 1.3 yet shall they in their righteousnesse deliuer but their owne soules, saith the Lord God.
15 If I bring noysome beastes into the land, & they spoils it, and it be so desolate that no man may passe throughe it for beastes, 16 If these thrée mē were also in the middest ther∣of: as truely as I liue saieth the Lorde God, they shall saue neither sonnes nor daughters, but be onely deliuered them selues: and as for the land it shalbe waste.
17 Or if I bring a sworde vpon this land, and say, Sword goe through the lande, so that I slay downe man and beast in it. 18 And if these thrée men were therin: as truely as I liue saith the Lord God, they shal deliuer neither sonnes nor daughters, but onely be saued themselues.
19 If I send a pestilence into this land, and powre out my sore indignation vpon it in bloud, so that I roote out of it both man and beast: 20 And if Noe, Daniel, and Iob were ther∣in, as truely as I liue saith the Lord God, they shall deliuer neither some nor daughter, but saue their owne soules in [ D] their righteousnesse. 21 Moreouer thus saith the Lord God, How much more when I sende my foure troublous plagues vpon Hierusalem, the sworde, hunger, perilous beastes, and pestilence to destroy man and beast out of it?
22 Beholde there shalbe a remnant saued therin, whiche shall bring forth their sonnes and daughters, behold they shal come forth vnto you, and ye shall sée their way and their en∣terprise, and ye shalbe comforted concerning the euill that I haue brought vpō Hierusalē (euen) cōcerning all that I haue brought vpon it. 23 They shall comfort you when ye shall sée their way and workes: and ye shall know how that it is not without a cause that I haue done al against Hierusalem, as I did, saith the Lorde God.
There resorted vnto me certaine of the Elders of Israel,* 1.4 and sate downe. &c.
THe Israelites which had fallē from God to Idolatrie and false worship, liuing nowe in banishmente and Captiuitie in Babilon, were sore greued with these greate miseries & tirannicall oppressions which they by the Chaldees sustained, and yet were no∣thing at all moued to repent and turne frō their wickednes. Wherfore some of the Elders of thē retaining still in their heartes, not onely an incli∣nation, but an earnest affection to continue in their Idolatry, desirous to heare some good ti∣dings of their deliuerance at the hand of Ezechiel the Prophete of God, with Dissimulation & Hi∣pocrisie came vnto him, and sitting by him be∣gan to moue question howe they shoulde behaue themselues in the Captiuitye, and what they mighte beste doe, what God had reuealed vnto him touching them, & what hope there was of the restoring of Hierusalem. And forsomuch as the Prophete might haue ben deceiued by their Hipocrisie, & haue thought that they had truely and sincerely repented: God openeth their Dis∣simulation vnto him, & teacheth him home he
shall answere them according to their desertes. These men, saith God, that come vnto thee are Hipocrites and dissimulers, and be not inward∣lie as they pretende out wardlye. For whereas the Hart of my people shuld be the Seate of my true worshippe, and their Life a declaration of my glory vnto the world: These men cleane con∣trary haue set vp Idols in their heartes, & long still to continue in the worshipping of them. And the wicked life which they openly leade, is as a stumbling blocke to many other, whereby they are caused to fall frō me. Should I then be sought for by such as they are? or shoulde I ansvvere them at their request, which by suche dealing doe in a maner openlie delude me, and seme not to esteme me as a God? For if they did, they must needes knowe that their wicked Hipocrisie coulde not be hid from me. Out of this place we haue to learne, First, howe depely the wicked vse to dis∣simule, & to pretende an obedience to God, and a loue to his trueth, when in their heartes they meane nothing lesse.* 1.5 In like manner the Scribes and Phariseis often came to Christ: wherfore we must take hede and beware of them. Secondly, we are taught, that God knoweth all thinges, and that the secretes of our heartes are not hid from him.* 1.6 All things, are open to the eies of God, saith Paule. And Salomon, The eies of God in euerie place beholdeth both the good and the euill. We must so liue therfore, as we be sure that we haue God witnesse of all euen our moste secrete
doings, yea of the very cogitations and deuises of our hartes. Thirdly, we are instructed how to come vnto god, or to his Prophetes to learne, that is, sincerelie and truely. And we Come vn∣to God, when we come to reade or to heare his holie Worde and scriptures: And therfore muste we doe it with a simple & a true meaning harte, least it fall out to vs, as it did to these olde dissi∣muling Israelites.
Therfore speake vnto them, and say vn∣to them,* 1.7 thus saith the Lorde. &c.
Forsomuch as their impudencie was suche, that notwithstanding the loue of Idolatry that reigned in their hartes, and the greate wicked∣nesse that to the offence of other appeared in their liues, yet they durste to come to Ezechiel to learne the will of God and his determination touching them: God willeth his Prophete to tell them, that he will answere them himselfe, but not as they hoped and desired, nor any thing at all to their liking, but in suche sorte, as of his Iustice they for their horrible Idolatry and o∣ther wickednesse deserued. For that is ment by these wordes, According to the multitude of his Idolles.* 1.8 In such sorte, saith God, I will answere them as I wil make openly knowē that is now secrete and hidde, and that all men shall vnder∣stande there is not one iote of godlye motion in them. And I vvill so snare them in their ovvne con∣sciences,
that they th̄selues shall declare to the world they thought not in their hearts, as they pretended out wardly to haue done. The cause of this vnpleasant answere that God maketh to them, is, for that through Idolatry they had forsaken him.
Therefore God,* 1.9 as a mercifull Lorde, desi∣rous rather to haue them amende then to pe∣rishe, biddeth his Prophete to will them either vnfainedly to returne frō their Sinfull life and abhominable Idolatrye, and also to cause other to returne whome by their example and instruc∣tion they had misledde: or els that they shoulde be sure to haue a verye vnpleasante answere at the mouth of God himselfe, whether they were Ievves naturally borne,* 1.10 or suche * strangers as were Circumcised, and professing the Law and Couenante of God did liue among them. When God requireth that they should not only them∣selues amende and turne vnto him, but cause other also to doe the like, Wee are taughte the manner and nature of true repentance, whiche throughe the feare of God hating wickednesse himselfe cannot abide it in other, but by all the meanes he can seeketh to refourme the same, and especiallye if his Conscience tell him, that the same persons in anye parte, haue bene mis∣ledde by his example.
I will set my face against that man,* 1.11 and will make him to be an example. &c.
Forsomuch as Threatning prophecies doe nothing at all or very litle moue the mindes of them that be obstinate, because they thinke thē to be as it were Thunder without Lightening, and vaine terroure withoute effecte: therefore God declareth to them by his Prophete, that the things be not so earnestly spoken, but that they shalbe as effectually put in execution. And that he will in dede. Set his face, that is, his coun∣tenance and whole power agaynst them, and not onely make them a by worde and common Prouerbe vnto al men, but cleane root them out of the number of his people, that they may right well knowe that he is not onelye a threatning but also a Iuste and a punishing God, whiche will in dede perfourme that, that he hath spo∣ken in woorde.* 1.12 And bycause it mighte be that notwithstanding the Threatnings of Ezechiell, they had some comforte in the sayings of their false and flattering Prophetes, whiche framed themselues to speake vnto them things altoge∣ther delectable and pleasant: God willeth them to take hede thereof, for that their wickednesse, in his iust Iudgement, had deserued to be De∣ceiued by suche.* 1.13 As Achab had bene long before againste Gods true Prophete Micheas.
The wicked haue alwayes their hirelings and flatterers that vpholde and maintayne them
in their errours, contrarye to the Messengers of God and the Teachers of his holye worde.
And that happeneth vnto them by their Iuste deserte, because they haue before time so stub∣bournely disobeyed God, when he called them, by his true Ministers. This is it that Sainte Paule saith, that God woulde suffer the wicked in the latter dayes to be seduced by false Tea∣chers,* 1.14 Bicause they receiued not the loue of the truth that they might be saued, and therefore vvould send them strong elusions that they shoulde beleeue lyes. Many at these dayes doe harden themselues by like perswasions against the Preachers of the Gospell. Oh saye they, there be a Number of o∣ther learned mē that Teach otherwise thā they doe, and in suche a time of contention and diuer∣sitie of opinions, Howe can we knowe what is the truth? Let them therfore striue among them∣selues, wee will liue and beleeue as we haue donne before time. But they should learne by this place of Ezechiel, that suche diuersitie of o∣pinions & troubles in Doctrine and Religion, doe not happen in the church by Chaunce or for∣tune, but by the Woorking and prouidence of God for the punishmente of the Sinnes of his people, and especially for their waywarde neg∣lecting and contemning of the worde of God Preached vnto them. And therefore shoulde they be the more Carefull, studious, and dili∣gente bothe in reading the Scriptures and in Praier to God, that they might vnderstand the
truthe, and not so easyly eyther be Confirmed in Superstition, or caried awaye to falshoode and Errour.
And they shal be punished for their wic∣kednesse according to the sinne of.* 1.15 &c.
As hee before had sayde, that the People for their Stubbornesse shoulde bee plagued: so here hee declareth, that the lyke shoulde fall also vpon the false Prophetes. And so pro∣ueth it true that Christe sayth, If the blynd leade the blynde,* 1.16 they shall both fall into the ditche.
The False teachers speak many things that they knowe to bee otherwyse than Truth, and the Obstinate people will not abyde to heare them, that vtter the truth, and so Truthe de∣praued of the tone, and refused of the tother, pulleth Gods heauie Iudgemente vpon them bothe.
That the house of Israell bee led awaye no more from me through errour.* 1.17 &c.
As God to the benefite of the faithful doth suffer false Prophetes and teachers, and other Schismes and troubles to ryse among his peo∣ple, that their Faith maye bee the vetter tryed and proued: So doth he to their lyke cōmoditie oftentimes greeuously Punishe bothe the false Teachers, and Suche as giue credite to them.
For by that meanes the Faithefull and electe
which through weakenesse and frayltie did be∣fore stagger and doubt in their consciences, are confirmed and euidētly vnderstand the Iudge∣mēts of God in them. Therefore, sayth God, That the house of Israel may be led no more. &c. By the House of Israell he dothe not note the whole people (for among them were the Se∣ducers, and the People seduced) but the Electe of God, and those that were of the true seede of Abraham, of which happily many were for the tyme Misseled by the false Prophets, & the ex∣ample of other. And now by the smart of their Punishement being quickened, and as it were wakened out of their errours, they looke more diligently and carefully vnto the truth of God, and retourne from their Corruptions into the whiche they had bene carryed awaye before, and beeing nowe Ioyned to the Couenaunte of God agayne, become his People, and Hee their God.
And the woorde of the Lord came vn∣to me,* 1.18 saying: Thou sonne of man &c.
The Iewes were greatly stayed from Re∣pentaunce by an hope and confidence that they had in the Prayers of holie men, whiche they thought did liue among them: Oh (sayd they) The Earnest prayers of so many Godly men and women, as vndoubtedly are of the Iewes, must needes be heard, and obteyne fauour with
God, and to cause him to withdrawe his Pla∣gues and punishmentes. This Vayne confi∣dence God by his Prophet in this second parte of the Chapiter taketh from them. For where as he hath Foure plagues, whiche he is deter∣mined to bryng vpon them, that is Famine, Wylde beastes, the Sword, and the Pestilence, he doth assure them, that if Noe, Daniel, and Iob, or the Holiest men that euer liued, were at this tyme amongst them, they shoulde not by theyr Prayers in any one of these Plagues, obtaine pardon for any, but for themselues only, No not for their owne sonnes and daughters, or suche as were nighest to them: muche lesse shoulde they be hable to preuaile by their Prayers now when God in his Iust displeasure shall cast v∣pon that wicked People not any one, but all those Foure Plagues together. When men go on forewarde in their wickednesse, it is but a peruerse and vayne persuasion to thinke they shall escape the punishemente and Plagues of God by the Faith and Prayers of other. They muste Repente themselues, if they will looke to haue God turne his wrathe from them.
God speaketh fyrste seuerally of euery one of these Plagues, and still addeth, that Noah, Daniell, and Iob, should not be hable to deliuer any, but their owne soules. Vers. 13. 15. 17. 19.
In the one and twentie Verse he maketh his Collection from the lesse to the greater,* 1.19 That yf they coulde not obteyne for One,
muche lesse shuld they be hable to deliuer when he sente al Foure vpon them to Destroye man and beaste oute of their countrey. A lyke sen∣tence dothe God vtter by the Prophete Hiere∣mie. If Moyses and Samuell did stande before me,* 1.20 my hearte shoulde not bee tovvarde this people. The meaning of bothe these places is, That God woulde neuer bee Reconciled to them, and turne his Plagues from them, no not thoughe his holyest Sainctes and seruauntes whome hee hathe moste esteemed, had bene aliue and entreated for them, bycause they dyd so Stub∣bornly continue in the Contempt of his worde, and woulde not syncerely Repente.
The Papistes doe very fondly and vnfit∣ly alledge these Places, to proue that Sainc∣tes departed, make Intercession for vs, and therefore that wee muste Pray vnto them in our Distresse. But the Prophete sayeth not that those Holie men doe make Intercession for the People, but putting a case Impossible, saith, if They were amōg them, and did intreat for them,* 1.21 they should not be hearde. VVe haue only one mediatour and intercessor to God, Christe Iesu, and he is the propitiation for our sinnes. And againe,* 1.22 There is one God and one Mediatoure of God and man Christe Iesu vvho gaue himselfe as the price of our Redemption.* 1.23 Those that bee a∣lyue, bothe maye and oughte to praye one for an other,* 1.24 and therfore Paule often desyreth the Churches to praye for him: but when they be
once dead, we haue no warrant in Gods worde either that they Pray for vs, or that we should Pray to them.
Beholde,* 1.25 there shall be a remnant sa∣ued therein, which shall bring. &c.
By A remnante saued, hee meaneth those whiche shoulde escape the Slaughter in Ievv∣rie, and after the Taking of the Citie. Hieru∣salem, bee broughte Captiue into Babylon to the residue, whose wicked wayes and corrupt maners, when they did see and beholde, they shoulde Comforte or quiet their mindes, and not so much Murmure against the Iust iudge∣mēt of God, as hitherto they had done. For the Israelites that were in Banishment, (to whome Ezechiel speaketh thus) when they heard of the Lamentable destruction of Ievvrie: with trou∣bled minds they Murmured against God, as dealing ouer rigorously with his owne people. But God by his Prophete telleth them, that when they shall see the Remnant of the Iewes come among them, and cōsider their Abhomi∣nable workes and doings: They shall comforte and quiete theyr troubled mindes, Acknow∣ledge the Iust iudgement of God, & See that it is not withoute cause that hee hath in so Seuere maner dealt with Hierusalem.
2. Reg. 22. c.
Eze. 4. c. 16. Eze. 5. c. 17.
Jere. 15. a. 1.
Verse. 1. 2. 3.
Mat. 19. a. 3.
Heb. 4. d. 13 Prou. 15. a. 3.
Verse. 4.
Verse. 5▪
Verse. 6. 7.
Nu. 15. b. 15 29.
Verse. 8.
Verse. 9.
3. Re. 22. d. 22
2. thes. 2. c. 10.
Verse. 10.
Mat. 15. b. 14
Vers. 11.
Verse 12. &c.
Verse 21.
Jere. 15. a. 1.
1. Jo. 2. a. 1. 2.
1. Tim. 2. b. 5.
Coloss. 4. a. 3.
1. thes. 5. d. 25 Heb. 13 d. 18.
Verse. 22. 23.