An exposition continued upon the sixt, seventh, eighth, ninth, tenth, eleventh, twelfth, and thirteenth chapters of the prophet Ezekiel, with useful observations thereupon. Delivered in severall lectures in London, By William Greenhill.

2. Fill thy hand with coales of fire from between the Cherubims.

The fire was between the Cherubims, and the Cherubims a∣bove, between the wheels, and the man must come between both to fill his hand with coals of fire.

There was fire you know in the Temple on the Altar, and it never went out, Levit. 6.13. the fire shall ever be burning upon the Altar, it shall never goe out. The Jewes say of this fire that it was that Angels ladder to goe up to heaven by, Ezek. 9.2. The 6. man, 6. Angels stood by the brazen Altar, and Judg. 13.20. The Angell appeared to Manoah and his wife, ascended in the flame of the Altar: Whether it was a ladder for Angels may be questioned: but certainly it was a ladder to carry up their In∣cense and sacrifices unto God, whereby God was propitious un∣to them, and so was ignis reconciliatorius; but this fire here is mentioned in opposition to such an effect, and was ignis exiti∣alis, a destructive fire, like that went out from the Lord, and de∣stroyed Nadab and Abihu. It sets out Gods wrath, which is fre∣quently in Scripture expressed by fire.

Notes

• The altar was near the ora∣cle before the Cherubims, 1 King. 6.22.
• Ignis altaris e∣rat quasi anima populi.

  It might re∣present the Altar-fire, of which its pro∣bable the Cal∣deans took and fired the Tem¦ple, if not the Citie. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉