John Trapp on Ezekiel 47:8-9

Ver. 8. Theſe waters iſſue out toward the East country] In Galilaeam anteriorem. See Acts 9.31.Piſcat. The Churches in Galilee walking in the fear of the Lord and comforts of the holy Ghoſt, were multiplied.

And go down into the deſart] Or, plain, i. e. into the plaines of Moab, Num. 22.1. The Goſpel worketh upon the worſt, even to a tranſmentation.

And go into the ſea] The dead ſea. The law of the Spirit of life which is in Chriſt Jeſus, freeth men from the law of ſin and of death, Rom. 8.2.

The waters ſhall be healed] i. e. Made wholeſome and uſeful: ſo great a cure is done upon corrupt nature by the grace of the Goſpel. He who was before vitiorum vorago, lacus libidinum, mare ſceleribus amarum ac mortuum, a lake of luſts, a guzzle of vices, a dead ſea of wickedneſſe and wretchedneſſe, ſhall by a ſtrange change become a pleaſant river, pure, clear, ſweet, and ſavoury; beſet not with ſuch mock-fruit as the banks of the dead ſea are ſaid to be, but with trees richly laden with the choiceſt fruits; as was to be ſeen in the penitent thief, who as ſoon as Gospellized and converted, beſtirred him and bore abundance of fruit in a very little ſpace.

Plin. l. 5. c. 16.Ver. 9. Whitherſoever the river ſhall come, ſhall live] Not dye immediately, as they uſed to do in the dead ſea; ſo bituminous and ſulphurous were the waters thereof: but live the life of grace here, and of glory in heaven. See Zach. 14.8. Acts 5.20.

[non-Latin text not transcribed], Aug. de C. D. l. 18. c. 13. [non-Latin text not transcribed]. Hiſtories tell us of 580. Jews converted to the Chriſtian faith at Axvernum by one Avitus a Biſhop, and baptized. Pappi Eccleſ. hiſt. epit. p. 214. Joſeph de bel. lib. 1. c. 13. And there ſhall be a very great multitude of fiſh] i. e. Of Chriſtians. See Mat. 4.19. with the Note. Chriſt himſelf from the initial Greek letters of his names and title, was by ſome of the ancients called [non-Latin text not transcribed] a fiſh.

And every thing ſhall live whither the river cometh] The Goſpel is the true Aqua-vitae, the true aurum potabile, the true Phyſick for the ſoul; as one ſaid once concerning the Library at Alexandria.