The sinner shall perish; A. M. 3410. O!. XLVI. 3. R. Roman., 23. 9 Hath walked in my statutes, the house of Israel, hath not deand hath kept my judgments, to filed his neighbour's wife, m A. M. 3410. Ol. XLVI. 3. Anno R. Roman., 23. Tarquinii Prisci, deal truly; he is just, he shall 16 Neither hath oppressed any, Tarquinii Prisci, surely live, saith the Lord GOD." hath not withholden the pledge, 10 If he beget a son that is a "robber, a neither hath spoiled by violence, but hath given shedder of blood, and P that doeth the like to his bread to the hungry, and hath covered the any one of these things, naked with a garment, to bite; usury is properly so termed, because it bites into and devours the principal. Usury signifies, with us, exacting unlawful interest for money; and taking the advantage of a man's necessities to advance him cash on exorbitant profit. This bites the receiver in his property, and the lender in his salvation. 11. Neither hath taken any increase] In lending has not required more than was lent; and has not taken that product of the cash lent, which was more than the value for its use. This may be a part of the tenth article. 12. That hath withdrawn his hand from iniquity] Never associates with those who act contrary to justice and equity; his hand or influence being never found among evil workers. man; he has given to all their due; he has abstained from every appearance of evil, and done that which was lawful and right in the sight of God. He shall surely live] He has lived to me, and he shall live with me. Verse 10. If he beget a son] Who is the reverse of the above righteous character, according to the thirteen articles already specified and explained. Verse 13. Shall he then live?] Because his father was a righteous man, shall the father's holiness be imputed to him? No! He shall surely die; his blood shall be upon him.] He shall suffer for his own crimes. Verse 14. Now, lo, if he beget a son that seeth all his father's sins—and considereth] Lays to heart the evil of his father's life, and the dreadful consequences of a life of rebellion against God. 13. Hath executed true judgment between man and man] Being neither swayed by prejudice, fear, nor favour. And doeth not such like] Is quite a different man These thirteen points concern his social and civil in moral feeling and character; and acts up to the relations. Verse 9. Hath walked in my statutes] Not only acknowledging them to be right, but acting according to them. Especially in every thing that relates to my worship, changing nothing, neglecting nothing. And hath kept my judgments, to deal truly] Has attended to my Divine direction, both with respect to things forbidden, and things commanded. These concern men in their religious conduct. He is just thirteen points already laid down, Verse 17. He shall not die for the iniquity of his father] He shall no more be affected by his father's crimes, than his father was benefited by his grandfather's righteousness. Verse 20. The soul that sinneth, it shall die.] Hitherto we have had to do with the simple cases of the righteous and the wicked; of him who lived and died a holy man, and of him who lived and died a pay tsaddik hu. He is a righteous wicked man. But there are two cases behind: 1. That CHAP. XVIII. of the son: the righteousness of 21 But if the wicked will turn from all his sins that he hath committed, and keep all my statutes, and do that which is lawful and right, he shall surely live, he shall not die. C 22 All his transgressions that he hath committed, they shall not be mentioned unto him: in his righteousness that he hath done he shall live. 23 Have I any pleasure at all that the wicked should die? saith the Lord GoD and not that he should return from his ways, and live? 24 But when the righteous turneth away from his righteousness, and committeth iniquity, and doeth according to all the abominations that the wicked man doeth, shall he live? 'All his righteousness that he hath done shall not be mentioned in his trespass that he hath Isa. iii. 10, 11.- Rom. ii. 9.b Ver. 27; chap. xxxiii. 12, 19. Chap. xxxiii. 16.d Ver. 32; chap. xxxiii. 11; 1 Tim. ii. 4; 2 Pet. iii. 9. of the wicked man, who repents and turns to God. 2. That of the righteous man, who backslides, and does not return to God by repentance. On both these cases God decides thus: falls from his righteousness. A. M. 3410. B. C. 594. Ol. XLVI. 3. Anno Tarquinii Prisci, trespassed, and in his sin that he 26 h When a righteous man turneth away from his righteousness, and committeth iniquity, and dieth in them; for his iniquity that he hath done shall he die. 27 Again, when the wicked man turneth away from his wickedness that he hath committed, and doeth that which is lawful and right, he shall save his soul alive. 28 Because he considereth, and turneth away from all his transgressions that he hath committed, he shall surely live, he shall not die. 29 Yet saith the house of Israel, The way of the LORD is not equal. O house of Israel, are not my ways equal? are not your ways unequal? 30 m Therefore I will judge you, O house of - Ver. e Chap. iii. 20; xxxiii. 12, 13, 18.-2 Pet. ii. 20.29; chap. xxxiii. 17, 20. Ver. 24 Ver. 21. Ver. 14. 1. Ver. 25.- Chap. vii. 3; xxxiii. 20. nonentity. There is no righteousness or holiness but what himself infuses into the soul of man, and as to self-righteousness, i. e., a man's supposing himself to be righteous when he has not the life of God in his soul, it is the delusion of a dark and hardened heart; therefore it is the real righteous principle and righteous practice that God speaks of here. And he tells us, that a man may so turn away from this," and so "commit Verse 22. All his transgressions] Shall be so com- iniquity," and "act as the wicked man," that his rightpletely forgiven by God's mercy, that they shall noteousness shall be no more mentioned to his account, than be even mentioned to him; and if he live and die in this recovered state, he shall live with God to all eternity. And why? Hear the reason:→ Verse 21. But if the wicked will turn from all his sins] And afterwards walk according to the character of the righteous already specified; shall he find mercy, and be for ever saved? YES. Verse 23. Have I any pleasure at all that the wicked should die?] No! That is foreign to him whose name is love, and whose nature is mercy. On the contrary he "wills that he should return from his evil ways and live." And if God can have no pleasure in the death of the wicked, he cannot have made a decree to abandon him to the evil of his nature, and then damn him for what he could not avoid for as God can do nothing with which he is not pleased, so he can decree nothing with which he is not pleased. But he is "not pleased with the death of a sinner;" therefore he cannot have made a decree to bring him to this death. ໄດ້ the sins of the penitent backslider should be mentioned to his condemnation; and "in the sin that he," this once righteous man, "hath sinned, and in the trespass that he hath trespassed, in them shall he die." O, how awful a termination of a life once distinguished for righteousness and true holiness! So then, God himself informs us that a righteous man may not only fall foully, but fall finally. But to such righteous persons the devil will ever preach, "Ye shall not surely die; ye shall be as God." Touch, taste, and handle; ye cannot ultimately fall. Thus we find, by the manner of treating these two cases, that God's way is equal, ver. 25; just, merciful, and impartial. And to prove this, he sums up his conduct in the above cases, in the following verses, 26, 27, 28, 29. And then, that the "wicked may not die in his sins," and that the "backslider may return and find mercy," he thus exhorts : Verse 30. Repent, and turn yourselves from all your transgressions] There is still life; still a God that has no pleasure in the death of a sinner, one who is ever ready to give his Holy Spirit to all them that ask him; therefore "repent and turn, so iniquity shall not be your ruin.” God has no pleasure in A. M. 3410, Ol. XLVI. 3. Israel, every one according to make you a new heart and a his ways, saith the Lord GOD. new spirit: for why will ye die, Tarquinii Prisci, "Repent, and turn yourselves O house of Israel? R. Roman., 23. from all your transgressions; so iniquity shall not be your ruin. 32 For I have no pleasure in the death of him that dieth, saith the Lord turn yourselves, and 31 Cast away from you wherefore all your transgres-GoD: sions, whereby ye have transgressed; and live Or, others. Eph. iv. 22, 23. Jer. xxxii. 39; chap. xi. 19; xxxvi. 26. Matt. iii. 2; Rev. ii. 5. 8 ye. Lam. iii. 33; ver. 23; chap. xxxiii. 11; 2 Pet. iii. 9.others. Or, Verse 31. Cast away] With a holy violence, dash Die-to know what the worm is that never dieth, and away every transgression and incentive to it. what that fire is which is never quenched! Why will ye. die? Make you a new heart] Call upon God for it, and he will give it for as sure as you earnestly call on God through Christ to save you, so surely you shall be saved; and the effect will so speedily follow, that God is pleased to attribute that in some sort to yourselves, which is done by his grace alone; because ye earnestly call upon him for it, come in the right way to receive it, and are determined never to rest till you have it. For why will ye die] Why should you go to hell while the kingdom of God is open to receive you? Why should you be the devil's slaves, when ye may be Christ's freemen? WHY WILL YE DIE? Every word is emphatic. Why-show God or man one reason. Will-obstinacy alone, a determination not to be saved, or a voluntary listlessness about salvation,-can prevent you. Ye-children of so many mercies, fed and supported by a kind God all your life; ye, who are redeemed by the blood of Jesus Christ; ye, who have made many promises to give up yourselves to God; ye, who have been dedicated to the ever-blessed Trinity, and promised to renounce the devil and all his works, the pomps and vanities of this wicked world, and all the sinful lusts of the flesh; why will YE die? Die!-what is this? A separation from God and the glory of his power for ever! Die!-forfeiting all the purposes for which your immortal souls were made! Verse 32. For I have no pleasure] God repeats what he had so solemnly declared before. Can ye doubt his sincerity? his ability his willingness? the efficacy of the blood of his covenant? Wherefore turn yourselves, and live ye.] Reader, now give God thy heart. Though every man comes into the world with a fallen nature-a soul infected with sin, yet no man is damned on that account. He who refuses that grace which pardons sin and heals infected nature, who permits the evil principle to break out into transgression, and continues and dies in his iniquity and sin, and will not come unto Christ that he may have life; he, and he only, goes to perdition. Nor will the righteousness of a parent or relation help his sinful soul: no man can have more grace than is necessary to save himself; and none can have that, who does not receive it through Christ Jesus. It is the mercy of God in Christ which renders the salvation of a sinner possible; and it is that mercy alone which can heal the backslider. The atoning blood blots out all that is past; the same blood cleanses from all unrighteousness. Who believes so as to apply for this redemption? Who properly thanks God for having provided such a Saviour? CHAPTER XIX. This chapter contains two beautiful examples of the parabolic kind of writing; the one lamenting the sad catastrophe of Jehoahaz and Jehoiakim, 1-9, and the other describing the desolation and captivity of the whole people, 10–14. In the first parable, the lioness is Jerusalem. The first of the young lions is Jehoahaz, deposed by the king of Egypt; and the second lion is Jehoiakim, whose rebellion drew on himself the vengeance of the king of Babylon. In the second parable the vine is the Jewish nation, which long prospered, its land being fertile, its princes powerful, and its people flourishing; but the judgments of God, in consequence of their guilt, had now destroyed a great part of the people, and doomed the rest to captivity. 4 The nations also heard of him; he was taken in their pit, and they brought him with chains unto the land of Egypt. 5 Now when she saw that she had waited, and her hope was lost, then she took another of her whelps, and made him a young lion. 6 And he went up and down among the lions, he became a young lion, and learned to catch the prey, and devoured men. e kim, under the figure of two lion whelps, which were taken by hunters, and confined in cages. Next he shows the desolation of Jerusalem under Zedekiah, which he compares to a beautiful vine pulled up by the roots, withered, and at last burned., Calmet justly observes, that the style of this song is beautiful, and the allegory well supported throughout. Verse 2. What is thy mother? A lioness] Judea may here be the mother; the lioness, Jerusalem. Her lying down among lions, her having confederacy with the neighbouring kings; for lion here means king. Verse 3. She brought up one of her whelps] Jehoahaz, son of Josiah, whose father was conquered and slain by Pharaoh-necho, king of Egypt. It learned to catch the prey] His reign was a reign of oppression and cruelty. He made his subjects his prey, and devoured their substance. Verse 4. The nations also heard of him] The king of Egypt, whose subjects were of divers nations, marched against Jerusalem, took Jehoahaz prisoner, and brought him to Egypt. Thus— He was taken in their pit] Here is an allusion to those trap-pits digged in forests, into which the wild beasts fall, when the huntsmen, surrounding a given portion of the forest, drive the beasts in; by degrees narrowing the inclosure, till the animals come to the place where the pits are, which, being lightly covered over with branches and turf, are not perceived, and the beasts tread on them and fall in. Jehoahaz reigned only three months before he was dethroned by the king of Egypt, against whom it is apparent some craft was used, here signified by the pit, into which he fell. Verse 5. When she saw that she had waited] Being very weak, the Jews found that they could not resist with any hope of success; so the king of Egypt was permitted to do as he pleased. She took another of her whelps] Jehoiakim. And made him a young lion.] King of Judea. Verse 6. And he went up and down among the lions] He became a perfect heathen, and made Judea as idol h 8 Then the nations set against him on every side from the provinces, and spread their net over him: he was taken in their pit. 9 And they put him in ward in chains, and brought him to the king of Babylon : they brought him into holds, that his voice should no more be heard upon the mountains of Israe]. m 10 Thy mother is like a vine in thy blood, planted by the waters: she was fruitful and full of branches by reason of many waters. 11 And she had strong rods for the sceptres of them that bare rule, and her stature was exalted among the thick branches, and she 2 Chron. xxxvi. 6; Jer. xxii. 18.vi. 2. Chap. xvii. 6. Or, likeness. Deut. viii. 7, 8, 9.iv. Il. -Or, in hooks. m Ezek. in thy quietness, or in thy So chap. xxxi. 3; Dan. atrous as any of the surrounding nations. He reigned eleven years, a monster of iniquity, 2 Kings xxiii. 30, &c. Verse 8. The nations set against him] The Chaldeans, Syrians, Moabites, and Ammonites, and the king of Babylon-king of many nations. He was taken] The city was taken by Nebuchadnezzar; and Jehoiakim was taken prisoner, and sent in chains to Babylon. Verse 9. That his voice should no more be heard] He continued in prison many years, till the reign of Evil-merodach, who set him at liberty, but never suffered him to return to the mountains of Israel. "The unhappy fate of these princes, mentioned ver. 4, 8, 9, is a just subject of lamentation.”—Newcome.· ́ Verse 10. Thy mother (Jerusalem) is like a vine in thy blood] Of this expression I know not what to make. Some think the meaning is, "A vine planted by the waters to produce the blood of the grape." See Deut. xxxii. 14. Others, for bedamecha, in thy blood, would read ¡1 berimmon, in or at a pomegranate; like a vine planted by or beside a pomegranate-tree, by which it was to be supported. And so the Septuagint and Arabic appear to have read. Calmet reads 1 carmecha, thy vineyard, instead of a bedamecha, in thy blood. Here is no change but resh for a daleth. This reading is supported by one of Kennicott's and one of De Rossi's MSS.: "Thy mother is like a vine in thy vineyard, planted by the waters." Though this is rather an unusual construction, yet it seems the best emendation. Of the textual reading no sense can be made. There is a corruption somewhere. Full of branches] Many princes. See next verse. Verse 11. She had strong rods] Zedekiah, and his many sons. Zedekiah grew proud of prosperity; and although Her stature was exalted] his numerous offspring and he copied the example of Jehoiakim, yet he thought he might safely rebel against the king of Babylon. 13 And now she is planted in the wilder- tation. Chap. xvii. 10; Hos. xiii. 15. Verse 12. But she was plucked up in fury] Jerusalem; taken after a violent and most destructive siege; Nebuchadnezzar being violently enraged against Zedekiah for breaking his oath to him. This Judg. ix. 15; 2 Kings xxiv. 20; chap. xvii. 18.-t Lam. iv. 20. Hath devoured her fruit] Hath assassinated Gedaliah, slain many people, and carried off others into the country of the Ammonites. But he was pursued by Jonathan, the son of Kareah, who slew She was cast down to the ground] Jerusalem was many of his adherents, and delivered much of the totally ruined, by being burned to the ground. Her strong rods were broken] The children of Zedekiah were slain before his eyes, and after that his own eyes pulled out; and he was laden with chains, 'and carried into Babylon. people. She hath no strong rod] None of the bloodroyal of Judah left. And from that time not one of her own royal race ever sat upon the throne of Israel. This is a lamentation] This is a most lamentable business. And shall be for a lamentation.] These predictions shall be so punctually fulfilled, and the catastrophe shall Verse 13. And now she is planted in the wilderness] In the land of Chaldea, whither the people have been carried captives; and which, compared with their own land, was to them a dreary wilderness. Verse 14. Fire is gone out] A vindictive and mar- be so complete, that it shall ever remain as a lamentaderous disposition has taken hold Of a rod of her branches] Ishmael, son of Nethaniah, who was of the blood-royal of Judah, tion; as this state of Jerusalem shall never be restored. Even to the present day this, to a Jew, is a subject of mourning.. CHAPTER XX. A deputation of the elders of Israel, as usual, in their distress, came to request Ezekiel to ask counsel of God, 1. In reply to this, God commands the prophet to put them in mind of their rebellion and idolatry: In Egypt, 2-9, in the wilderness, 10-27, and in Canaan, 28-32. Notwithstanding which the Lord most graciously promises to restore them to their own land, after they should be purged from their dross, 33–44. The five last verses of this chapter ought to begin the next, as they are connected with the subject of that chapter, being a prophecy against Jerusalem, which lay to the south of Chaldea, where the prophet then was, and which here and elsewhere is represented under the emblem of a forest doomed to be destroyed by fire, 45-49. 4 Wilt thou judge them, son of man, wilt thou judge them? cause them to know Or, plead for them.- -d Chap. xxii. 2; xxiii. 36.—— Chap. xvi. 2. God commands the prophet to treat them. It seems to have been such a deputation of elders as those mentioned chap. viii. 1 and xiv. 1. a Chap. viii. 1; xiv. 1. Ver. 31; chap. xiv. 3.- The fifth month, the tenth day] That is, according to Abp. Usher, Monday, August 27, A. M. 3411. Certain of the elders of Israel] What these came to inquire about is not known. They were doubtless hypocrites and deceivers, from the manner in which Verse 3. I will not be inquired of by you.] I will not hear you. I will have nothing to do with you. Verse 4. Wilt thou judge them] If thou wilt enter into any discussion with them, show them the abomination of their fathers. The whole chapter is a consecutive history of the unfaithfulness, ingratitude, re |