Some think it was the age of the prophet; others think the date is taken from the time that Josiah renewed the covenant with the people, 2 Kings xxii. 3, from which Usher, Prideaux, and Calmet compute the forty years of Judah's transgression, mentioned chap. iv. 6. Abp. Newcome thinks there is an error in the text, and that instead of �y�l�b bisheloshim, in the thirtieth, we should read ty�ymjb bachamishith, in the fifth, as in the second verse. "Now it came to pass in the fifth year, in the fourth month, in the fifth day of the month," &c. But this is supported by none of the ancient Versions, nor by any MS. The Chaldee paraphrases the verse, "And it came to pass thirty years after the high priest Hilkiah had found the book of the law, in the house of the sanctuary," &c. This was in the twelfth year of Josiah's reign. The thirtieth year, computed as above, comes to A.M. 3409, the fourth year from the captivity of Jeconiah, and the fifth of the reign of Zedekiah.

Ezekiel was then among the captives who had been carried way with Jeconiah, and had his dwelling near the river Chebar, Chaborus, or Aboras, a river of Mesopotamia, which falls into the Euphrates a little above Thapsacus, after having run through Mesopotamia from east to west. - Calmet.

Fourth month] Thammuz, answering nearly to our July.

I saw visions of God.] Emblems and symbols of the Divine Majesty. He particularly refers to those in this chapter.

Ezek. 1:1-14 It is a mercy to have the word of God brought to us, and duty to attend to it diligently, when we are in affliction. The voic of God came in the fulness of light and power, by the Holy Spirit These visions seem to have been sent to possess the prophet's mind with great and high thoughts of God. To strike terror upon sinners. To spea comfort to those that feared God, and humbled themselves. In Ezek 1:4-14, is the first part of the vision, which represents God a attended and served by a vast company of angels, who are all his messengers, his ministers, doing his commandments. This vision woul impress the mind with solemn awe and fear of the Divine displeasure yet raise expectations of blessings. The fire is surrounded with glory. Though we cannot by searching find out God to perfection, yet we see the brightness round about it. The likeness of the living creature came out of the midst of the fire; angels derive their being and powe from God. They have the understanding of a man, and far more. A lio excels in strength and boldness. An ox excels in diligence an patience, and unwearied discharge of the work he has to do. An eagl excels in quickness and piercing sight, and in soaring high; and the angels, who excel man in all these respects, put on these appearances The angels have wings; and whatever business God sends them upon, the lose no time. They stood straight, and firm, and steady. They had no only wings for motion, but hands for action. Many persons are quick who are not active; they hurry about, but do nothing to purpose; the have wings, but no hands. But wherever the angels' wings carried them they carried hands with them, to be doing what duty required. Whateve service they went about, they went every one straight forward. When we go straight, we go forward; when we serve God with one heart, we perform work. They turned not when they went. They made no mistakes and their work needed not to be gone over again. They turned not from their business to trifle with any thing. They went whithersoever the Spirit of God would have them go. The prophet saw these livin creatures by their own light, for their appearance was like burnin coals of fire; they are seraphim, or "burners;" denoting the ardour of their love to God, and fervent zeal in his service. We may lear profitable lessons from subjects we cannot fully enter into of understand. But let us attend to the things which relate to our peac and duty, and leave secret things to the Lord, to whom alone the belong.

Ezek. 1:15-25 Providence, represented by the wheels, produces changes Sometimes one spoke of the wheel is uppermost, sometimes another; but the motion of the wheel on its own axletree is regular and steady. We need not despond in adversity; the wheels are turning round and wil raise us in due time, while those who presume in prosperity know no how soon they may be cast down. The wheel is near the living creatures the angels are employed as ministers of God's providence. The spirit of the living creatures was in the wheels; the same wisdom, power, an holiness of God, that guide and govern the angels, by them order all events in this lower world. The wheel had four faces, denoting that the providence of God exerts itself in all parts. Look every way upon the wheel of providence, it has a face toward you. Their appearance an work were as a wheel in the middle of a wheel. The disposals of Providence seem to us dark, perplexed, and unaccountable, yet are all wisely ordered for the best. The motion of these wheels was steady regular, and constant. They went as the Spirit directed, therefor returned not. We should not have to undo that by repentance which we have done amiss, if we followed the guidance of the Spirit. The rings or rims of the wheels were so vast, that when put in motion the prophe was afraid to look upon them. The consideration of the height and dept of God's counsel should awe us. They were full of eyes round about. The motions of Providence are all directed by infinite Wisdom. All event are determined by the eyes of the Lord, which are in every plac beholding the evil and the good; for there is no such thing as chanc or fortune. The firmament above was a crystal, glorious, but terribl so. That which we take to be a dark cloud, is to God clear as crystal through which he looks upon all the inhabitants of the earth. When the angels had roused a careless world, they let down their wings, tha God's voice might be plainly heard. The voice of Providence is to ope men's ears to the voice of the word. Sounds on earth should awaken ou attention to the voice from heaven; for how shall we escape, if we tur away from Him that speaks from thence.

Ezek. 1:26-28 The eternal Son, the second Person in the Trinity, wh afterwards took the human nature, is here denoted. The first thin observed was a throne. It is a throne of glory, a throne of grace, throne of triumph, a throne of government, a throne of judgment. It is good news to men, that the throne above the firmament is filled with One who appears, even there, in the likeness of a man. The throne is surrounded with a rainbow, the well-known emblem of the covenant representing God's mercy and covenanted love to his people. The fire of God's wrath was breaking out against Jerusalem, but bounds should be set to it; he would look upon the bow, and remember the covenant. All the prophet saw was only to prepare him for what he was to hear. When he fell on his face, he heard the voice of One that spake. God delight to teach the humble. Let sinners, then, humble themselves before him And let believers think upon his glory, that they may be graduall changed into his image by the Spirit of the Lord __________________________________________________________________

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