THE EFFECT OF GOD's MERCY ON THE RENEWED SOUL.
Ezek. xvi. 62, 63. I will establish my covenant with thee ; and thou shall know that I am the Lord : that thou may est remem- ber, and be confounded, and never open thy mouth any more because of thy shame, when I am pacified towards thee for all that thou hast done, saith the Lord God.
WHOEVER attentively reads the writings of the prophets, will observe, that there is one image in particular which predominates, as it were, above all others, in representing and characterizing the depar- ture of the soul from God ; it is that of the violation of the nuptial vows. God has been pleased to speak of himself as the Husband of his Church : and hence, when his people have turned aside to idols, they are said to have "committed adultery with stocks and stones." Sometimes that idea is prosecuted with a minuteness, which, though proper for the time and occasion on which it was written, would not be suit- able for an audience differently circumstanced. The Prophet Ezekiel in particular, who seems to have been a man of a severer cast, and to have been intent only on communicating his sentiments as strongly and forcibly as he could, has given himself great latitude in this respect. He is not content with using here and there a metaphorical expression ; he occupies a whole chapter in drawing, as it were, a parallel between a supposed adulteress, and the Jewish people. Cer- tainly this gives great force to his reproofs ; because the minds of all are open to conviction, when truth is stated to them in a way which commends itself to their feelings and judgment. We shall not however follow him any farther than will be necessary for the elucidation of our main subject.
We should not, in the general, take occasion from the single word "thee" to investigate largely the character and conduct of the persons addressed : but here our subject absolutely requires that we should do so ; since the whole chapter is occupied