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Geneva Bible Notes (1560): Ezekiel 20

3 ! The Lord denieth that he wil answere them when thei praie because of their vnkindenes.

4 b This declareth the great lenitie and pacience of God which calleth sinners to repentance before he condemne them.

5 c I sware that I wolde be their God, which maner of othe was obserued from all antiquitie, where thei vsed to lift vp their hands toward the heauen, acknowledging God to be autor of trueth, and the defender thereof, & also the judge of the heart, wishing that he shulde take vengeance, iff thei conceiled anie thing which thei knewe to be trueth.

7 d God had forbidden them to make mencion of the idoles, {Exo. 23,13}, {psal. 16,4}.

8 e Which thing declareth the wickednes of mans heart which judge Gods seruice by their eyes and outwarde senses.

9 f God had euer this respect to his glorie, that he wolde not haue his Name euil spoken of among the Gentiles for the punishment that his people deserued, inconfidence where of the godlie euer praied, as {Exod. 32, 12}, {nom. 14,13}.

14 g Who might thereby take an occasion to blaspheme my Name & to accuse me of lacke of abilitie, or els that I had soght a meanes to destroy them more commodiously.

16 h That is, my true religion which I had commanded them and gaue them selues to serue me according to their owne fantasies.

18 i Whereby the holy Gost confuteth them that saie that thei wil follow the religion and example of their fathers, and not measure their doings by Gods worde, whether thei be approuable thereby or no.

24 k Meaning that thei set their delite vpon them.

25 l Because thei wolde not obei my Lawes, I gaue them vp to them selues that thei shulde obey their owne fantasies, as {ver 39}, {rom 1, 21}.

26 m I condemned these things, & counted them as abominable which they thoght had bene excellent, & to haue declared moste zeale, {Luk. 16,15} for that which God requited as moste excellent, that gaue they to their idoles.

28 n Not onely in the wildernes, when I borght them out of Egypt, but since I placed them in this land: which declareth how prompt mans heart is to idolatrie, seing that by no admonitions he can be drawen backe.

29 o Which signifieth,, an hie place, declaring that they vanted them selues of their idolatrie, and were not asheamed thereof, thogh God had commanded them expressely, that they shulde haue no altar lifted vp on hie by staires, {Exod. 20, 26}.

31 p He sheweth, that the ingratitiude of the people deserueth, that God shulde cut them of & that they shulde not haue the comfort of his worde.

32 q He declareth that man of nature is wholy enemie vnto God & to his owne saluation, and therefore God calleth him to the right way, partely by chastising, but chiefly by his mercie in forgiuing his rebellion, and wickednes.

33 ! He promiseth that his people shal returne from captiuite.

35 r I wil bring you among strange nations as into wildernes, and there wil visit you, & so call you to repentance & then bring the godlie home againe, {Isa 65,9}.

38 s Signifying, that he wil not burne the corne with the chaffe, but chuse out the wicked to punish them when he wil spare his.

43 u Your owne consciences shal conuict you after that you haue felt my mercies.

46 ! By the forest that shulde be burnt, is signified the burning of Jerusalem.

48 z The people said, that the Prophet spake darkely: therefore he desireth the Lord to giue them a plaine declaration hereof.