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house [stood toward] the east, and the waters came down from under from the right side of the house, at the south [side] of 2 the altar. Then brought he me out of the way of the gate northward, and led me about the way without unto the outer gate by the way that looketh eastward; and, behold, there 3 ran out waters on the right side. And when the man that had the line in his hand, that is, the angel, went forth eastward, he measured a thousand cubits, and he brought me through 4 the waters; the waters [were] to the ancles. Again he measured a thousand, and brought me through the waters; the waters [were] to the knees. Again he measured a thousand, and brought me through; the waters [were] to the loins. 5 Afterward he measured a thousand; [and it was] a river that I could not pass over: for the waters were risen, waters to swim in, a river that could not be passed over: a description of the gradual propagation of christianity; like a small stream growing wider and deeper in its progress, the inconsiderable appearance it first made, and the great height to which it was afterward raised and it may particularly refer to the effect which the conversion and establishment of the Jews in their own land, and the conquest of their enemies, will have in spreading the gospel, and bringing in the fulness of the Gentiles, that is, the remaining heathens who are to complete the church of God. And he said unto me, Son of man, hast thou seen, or considered, [this?] then he brought me, and caused me to return 7 to the brink of the river. Now when I had returned, behold, at the bank of the river [were] very many trees on the one side 8 and on the other. Then said he unto me, These waters issue out toward the east country, and go down into the desert, or plain, and go into the sea; the waters shall run from the Jewish temple to the dead sea, that is, the salt sea, or the sea of Sodom, whose waters were putrid and poisonous, so that no fish could live there, though Jordan runs into it: [which being] brought forth into the sea, the waters shall be healed; its noxious qualities shall be taken away; so the gospel shall extend to 9 cases the most hopeless and desperate. And it shall come to pass, [that] every thing that liveth, which moveth, whithersoever the rivers shall come, shall live and there shall be a very great multitude of fish, because these waters shall come thither for they shall be healed; and every thing shall live

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supposed it was designed to direct the Jews after their return from Babylon how to rebuild their temple. Others think that it refers to a temple that shall be built after the restoration in the latter days; but that is very unlikely, as there is all along a reference to the Levitical sacrifices. I think it must all be figurative; because, according to the best critics, this temple described by Ezekiel was to be larger than the whole city of Jerusa lem, and the city he describes larger than the whole land of Canaan. I consider it as a figurative representation of the glory of the church after their conversion, and the regular and devout worship they shall pay there upon the christian plan, described in terms taken from their ancient worship, which is very common in prophetic language. The passage before us in this forty seventh chapter is certainly figurative, and therefore we have reas Son to conclude that the rest is so.'

whither the river cometh; men shall be made spiritually alive, and those that are so, shall have that life increased and strength10 ened. And it shall come to pass, [that] the fishers shall stand upon it from Engedi even unto Eneglaim, where ignorance and sin most abounded; they shall be a [place] to spread forth nets; their fish shall be according to their kinds, as the fish it of the great sea, exceeding many. But the miry places thereof and the marshes thereof shall not be healed; they shall be given to salt; to perpetual barrenness, and desolation; those that will not be healed, shall not; obstinate and impenitent sin42 ners shall be given up to their own lusts. And by the river upon the bank thereof, on this side and on that side, shall grow all trees for meat, whose leaf shall not fade, neither shall the fruit thereof be consumed: it shall bring forth new fruit according to his months, because their waters they issued out of the sanctuary: and the fruit thereof shall be for meat, and the leaf thereof for medicine; an allusion to the spiritual health and strength which shall be received from the word and ordinances of the gospel; their state shall become like paradise; heaven is described by the same figure, Rev. xxii. 1, 2.*

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Thus saith the Lord God; This [shall be] the border, whereby ye shall inherit the land according to the twelve 14 tribes of Israel: Joseph [shall have two] portions. And ye shall inherit it, one as well as another: [concerning] the which I lifted up mine hand to give it unto your fathers and 15 this land shall fall unto you for inheritance. And this [shall be] the border of the land toward the north side, from the 16 great sea, the way of Hethlon, as men go to Zedad; Hamath, Berothah, Sibraim, which [is] between the border of Damascus and the border of Hamath; Hazarhatticon, which 17 [is] by the coast of Hauran. And the border from the sea . shall be Hazarenan, the border of Damascus, and the north 18 northward, and the border of Hamath. And [this is] the north side. And the east side ye shall measure from Hauran, and from Damascus, and from Gilead, and from the land of Israel [by] Jordan, from the border unto the east sea. 19 And [this is] the east side. And the south side southward from Tamar [even] to the waters of strife [in] Kadesh, the river to the great sea. And [this is] the south side south20 ward. The west side also [shall be] the great sea from the border, till a man come over against Hamath. This [is] the 21 west side. So shall ye divide this land unto you according to the tribes of Israel.

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And it shall come to pass, [that] ye shall divide it by lot for an inheritance unto you, and to the strangers that sojourn

The remainder of this chapter is a description of the several boundaries of the holy Jand, indiscriminately shared between Israelites and proselytes; to signify, that in future times the Gentiles were to be admitted to equal privileges with the Jews.

among you, which shall beget children among you and they shall be unto you as born in the country among the children of Israel; they shall have inheritance with you among the 23 tribes of Israel. And it shall come to pass, [that] in what tribe the stranger sojourneth, there shall ye give [him] his inheritance, saith the Lord GOD.

1.

REFLECTIONS.

ET us praise God for these gospel blessings. Those spread over so great a part of the earth; and reached even to Britain. They have made a surprizing change in the moral state, the sentiments, tempers, and practices of thousands. They furnish the best food and medicine of the soul. Under these fig ures the inestimable blessings of the gospel are set forth; and it becomes us to receive them with the greatest thankfulness.

2. We may observe the different effects which the gospel has on different persons. To those who are thoughtful, serious, and penitent, it is a savour of life; it heals the most inveterate mental disorders, and makes them wise, holy, and happy. But men that are sensual, and devoted to their lusts, are like marshes by the side of a fine river, still unprofitable and noxious: instead of deriving good from it they become worse. To them the gospel is a savour of death unto death. But the fault is in themselves, and they are justly made monuments of the divine displeasure. Let us therefore be careful how we receive and improve the gospel.

3. We should long and pray for that happy time, when these glorious effects shall be more abundantly produced; when the Jews shall be restored, and the fulness of the Gentiles brought in; when disordered minds shall be healed, the desolate parts of the earth made fruitful, and universal peace and holiness abound. Such a time we are here taught to expect; and we should exercise faith in these declarations; and in that faith pray earnestly that the knowledge of the Lord may cover the earth, as the waters cover the sea.

CHAP. XLVIII.

This chapter describes the several portions of the land belonging to each tribe, together with the portion allotted to the sanctuary, city, suburbs, and prince : as also the measure and gates of the new city. t [OW these [are] the names of the tribes. From the north end to the coast of the way of Hethlon, as one goeth to Hamath, Hazarenap, the border of Damascus north

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ward, to the coast of Hamath; for these are his sides east 2 [and] west; a [portion for] Dan. And by the border of Dan, 'from the east side unto the west side, a [portion for] Asher. 3 And by the border of Asher, from the east side even unto the 4 west side, a [portion for] Naphtali. And by the border of

Naphtali, from the east side unto the west side, a.[portion for] 5 Manasseh. And by the border of Manasseh, from the east 6 side unto the west side, a [portion for] Ephraim. And by the border of Ephraim, from the east side even unto the west 7 side, a [portion for] Reuben. And by the border of Reuben, from the east side unto the west side, a [portion for] Judah.

And by the border of Judah, from the east side unto the west side, shall be the offering which ye shall offer of five and twenty thousand [reeds in] breadth, and [in] length as one of the [other] parts from the east side unto the west side and 9 the sanctuary shall be in the midst of it. The oblation that ye shall offer unto the LORD [shall be] of five and twenty thou10 sand in length, and of ten thousand in breadth. And for them, [even] for the priests shall be [this] holy oblation; toward the north five and twenty thousand [in length,] and toward the west ten thousand in breadth, and toward the east ten thousand in breadth, and toward the south five and twenty thousand in length and the sanctuary of the LORD shall be in the 11 midst thereof. [It shall be] for the priests that are sanctified of the sons of Zadok; which have kept my charge, which went not astray when the children of Israel went astray, as 12 the Levites went astray. And [this] oblation of the land that is offered shall be unto them a thing most holy by the border 13 of the Levites. And over against the border of the priests, the Levites [shall have] five and twenty thousand in length, and ten thousand in breadth; all the length [shall be] five 14 and twenty thousand, and the breadth ten thousand. And they shall not sell of it, neither exchange, nor alienate the first fruits of the land: for [it is] holy unto the LORD.

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And the five thousand, that are left in the breadth over against the five and twenty thousand, shall be a profane [place] for the city, for dwelling, and for suburbs: and the city shall 16 be in the midst thereof. And these [shall be] the measures thereof; the north side four thousand and five hundred, and the south side four thousand and five hundred, and on the east side four thousand and five hundred, and the west side four 17 thousand and five hundred. And the suburbs of the city shall be toward the north two hundred and fifty, and toward the south two hundred and fifty, and toward the east two hundred 18 and fifty, and toward the west two hundred and fifty. And the residue in length over against the oblation of the holy [portion shall be] ten thousand eastward, and ten thousand westward and it shall be over against the oblation of the

holy [portion ;] and the increase thereof shall be for food unto 19 them that serve the city. And they that serve the city shall 20 serve it out of all the tribes of Israel. All the oblation [shall be] five and twenty thousand, by five and twenty thousand : ye shall offer the holy oblation four square, with the possession of the city.

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And the residue [shall be] for the prince, on the one side and on the other of the holy oblation, and of the possession of the city, over against the five and twenty thousand of the oblation toward the east border, and westward over against the five and twenty thousand toward the west border, over against the portions for the prince: and it shall be the holy oblation; and the sanctuary of the house [shall be] in the 22 midst thereof. Moreover, from the possession of the Levites, and from the possession of the city, [being] in the midst [of that] which is the prince's between the border of Judah and the border of Benjamin, shall be for the prince.

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As for the rest of the tribes, from the east side unto the 24 west side, Benjamin [shall have] a [portion.] And by the border of Benjamin, from the east side unto the west side, 25 Simeon [shall have] a [portion.] And by the border of Simeon,

from the east side unto the west side, Issachar a [portion.] 26 And by the border of Issachar, from the east side unto the 27 west side, Zebulun a [portion.] And by the border of Zebulun, from the east side unto the west side, Gad a [portion.] 28 And by the border of Gad, at the south side southward, the border shall be even from Tamar [unto] the waters of strife 29 [in] Kadesh, [and] to the river toward the great sea. This

[is] the land which ye shall divide by lot unto the tribes of Israel for inheritance, and these [are] their portions, saith the Lord GOD.

30 And these [are] the goings out of the city on the north side, 31 four thousand and five hundred measures. And the gates of

the city [shall be] after the names of the tribes of Israel: three gates northward; one gate of Reuben, one gate of Ju32 dah, one gate of Levi. And at the east side four thousand and five hundred, and three gates; and one gate of Joseph, 33 one gate of Benjamin, one gate of Dan. And at the south side four thousand and five hundred measures, and three gates; one gate of Simeon, one gate of Issachar, one gate of 34 Zebulun. At the west side four thousand and five hundred,

[with] their three gates; one gate of Gad, one gate of 35 Asher, one gate of Naphtali. [It was] round about eighteen thousand [measures] and the name of the city from [that] day [shall be,] The LORD [is] there.

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