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<p>The prophet is very exact in making and recording his observations concerning this vision. And here we have,</p>
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<p class="tab-1">I. The notice he took of the <i>wheels</i>, <a class="bibleref" title="Ezek.1.15-Ezek.1.21" href="/passage/?search=Ezek.1.15-Ezek.1.21">Ezek. 1:15-21</a>. The glory of God appears not only in the splendour of his retinue in the upper world, but in the steadiness of his government here in this lower world. Having seen how God does according to his will in the armies of heaven, let us now see how he does according to it among the inhabitants of the earth; for there, <i>on the earth</i>, the prophet saw the <i>wheels</i>, <a class="bibleref" title="Ezek.1.15" href="/passage/?search=Ezek.1.15">Ezek. 1:15</a>. <i>As he beheld the living creatures</i>, and was contemplating the glory of that vision and receiving instruction from it, this other vision presented itself to his view. Note, Those who make a good use of the discoveries God has favoured them with may expect further discoveries; for <i>to him that hath shall be given</i>. We are sometimes tempted to think there is nothing glorious but what is in the upper world, whereas, could we with an eye of faith discern the beauty of Providence and the wisdom, power, and goodness, which shine in the administration of that kingdom, we should see, and say, <i>Verily he is a God that judgeth in the earth</i> and acts like himself. There are many things in this vision which give us some light concerning the divine Providence. 1. The dispensations of Providence are compared to <i>wheels</i>, either the wheels of a chariot, in which the conqueror rides in triumph, or rather the wheels of a clock or watch, which all contribute to the regular motion of the machine. We read of <i>the course</i> or <i>wheel of nature</i> (<a class="bibleref" title="Jas.3.6" href="/passage/?search=Jas.3.6">Jas. 3:6</a>), which is here set before us as under the direction of the God of nature. <i>Wheels</i>, though they move not of themselves, as <i>the living creatures</i> do, are yet made movable and are almost continually kept in action. Providence, represented by these <i>wheels</i>, produces changes; sometimes one spoke of the wheel is uppermost and sometimes another; but the motion of the wheel on its own axletree, like that of the orbs above, is very regular and steady. The motion of the wheels is circular; by the revolutions of Providence things are brought to the same posture and pass which they were in formerly; for <i>the thing that is is that which has been, and there is no new thing under the sun</i>, <a class="bibleref" title="Eccl.1.9,Eccl.1.10" href="/passage/?search=Eccl.1.9,Eccl.1.10"><span class="bibleref" title="Eccl.1.9">Eccl. 1:9</span>, <span class="bibleref" title="Eccl.1.10">10</span></a>. 2. The wheel is said to be <i>by the living creatures</i>, who attended it to direct its motion; for the angels are employed as the ministers of God’s providence, and have a greater hand in directing the motions of second causes to serve the divine purpose than we think they have. Such a close connexion is there between <i>the living creatures</i> and the <i>wheels</i> that they moved and rested together. Were angels busily employed? Men were busily employed as instruments in their hand, whether of mercy or judgment, though they themselves were not aware of it. Or, Are men active to compass their designs? Angels at the same time are acting to control and overrule them. This is much insisted on here (<a class="bibleref" title="Ezek.1.19" href="/passage/?search=Ezek.1.19">Ezek. 1:19</a>): <i>When the living creatures went</i>, to bring about any business, <i>the wheels went by them</i>; when God has work to do by the ministry of angels second causes are all found, or made, ready to concur in it; and (<a class="bibleref" title="Ezek.1.21" href="/passage/?search=Ezek.1.21">Ezek. 1:21</a>) <i>when those stood these stood</i>; when the angels had done their work the second causes had done theirs. If <i>the living creatures were lifted up from the earth</i>, were elevated to any service above the common course of nature and out of the ordinary road (as suppose in the working of miracle
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<p class="tab-1">II. The notice he took of <i>the firmament</i> above <i>over the heads of the living creatures. When he saw the living creatures moving, and the wheels by them, he looked up, as it is proper for us to do when we observe the various motions of providence in this lower world; looking up, he saw the firmament stretched forth over the heads of the living creatures, <a class="bibleref" title="Ezek.1.22" href="/passage/?search=Ezek.1.22">Ezek. 1:22</a>. What is done on earth is done under the heaven (as the scripture often speaks), under its inspection and influence. Observe, 1. What he saw: The firmament was as the colour of the terrible crystal, truly glorious, but terribly so; the vastness and brightness of it put the prophet into an amazement and struck him with an awful reverence. The terrible ice, or frost (so it may be read), the colour of snow congealed, or as mountains of ice in the northern seas, which are very frightful. Daring sinners ask, Can God judge through the dark cloud? <a class="bibleref" title="Job.22.13" href="/passage/?search=Job.22.13">Job 22:13</a>. But that which we take to be a dark cloud is to him transparent as crystal, through which, from the place of his habitation, he looks upon all the inhabitants of the earth, <a class="bibleref" title="Ps.33.14" href="/passage/?search=Ps.33.14">Ps. 33:14</a>. Under the firmament he saw the wings of the living creatures erect, <a class="bibleref" title="Ezek.1.23" href="/passage/?search=Ezek.1.23">Ezek. 1:23</a>. When they pleased they used them either for flight or for covering. God is on high, above the firmament; the angels are under the firmament, which denotes their subjection to God’s dominion and their readiness to fly on his errands in the open firmament of heaven, and to serve him unanimously. 2. What he heard. (1.) He heard the noise of the angels’ wings, <a class="bibleref" title="Ezek.1.24" href="/passage/?search=Ezek.1.24">Ezek. 1:24</a>. Bees and other insects make a great noise with the vibration of their wings; here the angels do so, to awaken the attention of the prophet to that which God was about to say to him from the firmament, <a class="bibleref" title="Ezek.1.25" href="/passage/?search=Ezek.1.25">Ezek. 1:25</a>. Angels, by the providences they are employed in, sound God’s alarms to the children of men and stir them up to hear his voice; for that is it that cries in the city and is heard and understood by the men of wisdom. The noise of their wings was loud and terrible, as the noise of great waters (like the rout or roaring of the sea), and as the noise of a host, the noise of war; but it was articulate and intelligible, and did not give an uncertain sound; for it was the voice of speech; nay, it was as the voice of the Almighty, for God, by his providences, speaks once, yea, twice, if we could by perceive it, <a class="bibleref" title="Job.33.14" href="/passage/?search=Job.33.14">Job 33:14</a>. The Lord’s voice cries, <a class="bibleref" title="Mic.6.9" href="/passage/?search=Mic.6.9">Mic. 6:9</a>. (2.) He heard a voice from the firmament, from him that sits upon the throne there, <a class="bibleref" title="Ezek.1.25" href="/passage/?search=Ezek.1.25">Ezek. 1:25</a>. When the angels moved they made a noise with their wings; but, when with that they had roused a careless world, they stood still, and let down their wings, that there might be a profound silence, and so God’s voice might be the better heard. The voice of Providence is designed to open men’s ears to the voice of the word, to do the office of the crier, who with a loud voice charges silence while the judge passes sentence. He that has ears to hear, let him hear. Note, Noises on earth should awaken our attention to the voice from the firmament; for how shall we escape if we turn away from him that speaks from heaven</i>!</p>
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