Wesley Corpus

Chapter IX Judgments are threatened upon all, but the remnant, ver. 1 - 10. Mercy is promised, ver. 11 - 14. The altar - Of burnt - offering before the temple at Jerusalem, this altar and temple Israel had forsaken, and set up others against it; and here God in his jealousy appears prepared to take vengeance. Possibly it may intimate his future departure from Judah too. There Ezekiel, Eze 9:2, saw the slaughter - men stand. The door - The door of the gate that led into the priests court. And cut them - Wound deep, the people who were visionally represented as standing in the court of the temple. Hell - The center of the earth, or the depth of hell. The serpent - The crocodile or shark. Set my eyes - I will perpetually watch over them. Toucheth - He needs not take great pains therein, a touch of his finger will do this. Shall melt - As snow before the sun. His stories - The celestial orbs one over another, as so many stories in an high and stately palace. And he hath founded his troop in the earth: all the creatures, which are one army, one body; so closely are they connected, and so harmoniously do they all act for the accomplishing of their creator's purposes. Calleth for the waters - Either in judgment to drown, or in mercy to give rain. The Arabians - A wild, thievish, and servile nation. Have not I brought - And whereas you boast my kindness to you, bringing you out of Egypt, and thereupon conclude, God cannot leave you whom he hath so redeemed; you argue amiss, for this aggravates your sin. From Kir - Conquered by some potent enemies, and sent away to Kir, a country of Media, yet at last delivered. Should these nations, argue themselves to be out of danger of divine justice, because I had done this for them. The sinful kingdom - Every sinful kingdom. The least grain - Though tumbled and tossed with the great violence, yet the smallest, good grain, shall not be lost or destroyed. All the sinners - The great, notorious sinners. The evil - Is far off, we shall die first, and be safe in the grave. In that day - In the set time which I have fixt.