2 lines
10 KiB
HTML
2 lines
10 KiB
HTML
|
<p>God had often spoken to Ezekiel, and by him to the people, to this effect, but now his word <i>comes again</i>; for <i>God speaks</i> the same thing <i>once, yea, twice</i>, yea, many a time, and all little enough, and too little, for <i>man perceives it not</i>. Note, To convince sinners of the evil of sin, and of their misery and danger by reason of it, there is need of <i>line upon line</i>, so loth we are to know the worst of ourselves. The sinners that are here to be exposed are <i>two women</i>, two kingdoms, sister-kingdoms, Israel and Judah, <i>daughters of one mother</i>, having been for a long time but <i>one people</i>. Solomon’s kingdom was so large, so populous, that immediately after his death it divided into two. Observe, 1. Their character when they were one (<a class="bibleref" title="Ezek.23.3" href="/passage/?search=Ezek.23.3">Ezek. 23:3</a>): <i>They committed whoredoms in Egypt</i>, for there they were guilty of idolatry, as we read before, <a class="bibleref" title="Ezek.20.8" href="/passage/?search=Ezek.20.8">Ezek. 20:8</a>. The representing of those sins which are most provoking to God and most ruining to a people by the sin of whoredom plainly intimates what an exceedingly sinful sin uncleanness is, how offensive, how destructive. Doubtless it is itself one of the worst of sins, for the worst of other sins are compared to it here and often elsewhere, which should increase our detestation and dread of all manner of <i>fleshly lusts</i>, all appearances of them and approaches to them, as <i>warring against the soul</i>, infatuating sinners, bewitching them, alienating their minds from God and all that is good, debauching conscience, rendering them odious in the eyes of the pure and holy God, and drowning them at last in destruction and perdition. 2. Their names when they became two, <a class="bibleref" title="Ezek.23.4" href="/passage/?search=Ezek.23.4">Ezek. 23:4</a>. The kingdom of Israel is called the <i>elder sister</i>, because that first made the breach, and separated from the family both of kings and priests that God had appointed—the <i>greater sister</i> (so the word is), for ten tribes belonged to that kingdom and only two to the other. God says of them both, <i>They were mine</i>, for they were the seed of Abraham <i>his friend</i> and of Jacob <i>his chosen</i>; they were in covenant with God, and carried about with them the sign of <i>their circumcision</i>, the seal of the covenant. <i>They were mine</i>; and therefore their apostasy was the highest injustice. It was alienating God’s property, it was the basest ingratitude to the best of benefactors, and a perfidious treacherous violation of the most sacred engagements. Note, Those who have been in profession the people of God, but have revolted from him, have a great deal to answer for more than those who never made any such profession. “<i>They were mine</i>; they were espoused tome, and to me <i>they bore sons and daughters</i>;” there were many among them that were devoted to God’s honour, and employed in his service, and were the strength and beauty of these kingdoms, as children are of the families they are born in. In this parable Samaria and the kingdom of Israel shall bear the name of <i>Aholah—her own tabernacle</i>, because the places of worship which that kingdom had were of their own devising, their own choosing, and the worship itself was their own invention; God never owned it. <i>Her tabernacle to herself</i> (so some render it); “let her take it to herself, and make her best of it.” Jerusalem and the kingdom of Judah bear the name of <i>Aholibah—my tabernacle is in her</i>, because <i>their</i> temple was the place which God himself had <i>chosen</i> to <i>put his name there</i>. He acknowledged it to be his, and honoured them with the tokens of his presence in it. Note, Of those that stand in relation to God, and make profession of his name, some have greater privileges and advantages than others; and, as those who have greater are thereby rendered the more inexcusable if they revolt from God,
|