Matthew Poole and continuators on Ezekiel 33:10

10. Therefore, O thou son of man, speak unto the house of Israel , thus ye speak , saying, if our transgression, and our sins be upon us, and we pine away in them, how should we then live ?

Declare to them from me.

The residue of the Two Tribes, which are brought to Babylon, or else to those already there, and hear their Brethren are on the way thitherward, since Ierusalem was taken.

Thus ye discourse among your selves, object against God, and his Prophet, and your own Duty, some of you out of infirmity, others out of perverseness.

The unpardoned guilt, and the unsupportable punishment of our sins, who were warned, and took not warning, do thus, as in the wasting our Countrey, burning our City, abolishing the publick Worship of God, come upon us, we shall pine away, consume, 'tis too late to hope, 'twill be better with us now, we should have heard, and followed the Counsel earlier, if we would have delivered our own souls: if the Prophet spake true at first, there is no hope, say the weaker, if there be hope now after so peremptory Menaces, and so great Execution, the Prophet did not speak truth say the perverse, and so concluded they would, as they were, run the hazard.

How can it be better with us, if the threats be true, and sure, 'twill be worse, if not true, how are his promises to be rested on, that 'twill be better.

Marginal references: chap. 24.23.