tion to human weakness, God had prohibited the priests from entering upon foll service until they had attained the ripe age of thirty. Then strength would be developBd ; prnctico.l wisdom and knowledge of human affairs would be acqnired; self-rnaskry might bo attained. Acting on this declaration of the Divine will, John the BapliRt (like Ezekiel, priest and prophet in one), and our Lord himself, began not their public ministry until they had reached their thirtieth year. There are nowhere signs of haste or impatience in the development of Jehovah'R plans. Premature action is a concomitant of weakness-an omen of failure. 4. His moral fitness. Many of the priests in the temple were mere functionaries-professional automatoos. The perform- ance of the most sacred duties degenerated into mere mechanism. Men saw not tho spiritual import of sacrifice, nor the awful significance of the temple ritual, :i.nd priests too often became "blind leaders of the blind-'' But Ezekiel wa.s alive to the moral greatness of his office. 'l'o him had been revealed the nearness and the holiness of God; the spirituality of the Law, which carried its sanctions into man's interior nature; the dark facts of human sin; the need of atonement and of cleansing_ Hence, as the ordained servant of a holy God, Ezekiel had cultivated humility, habits of aevotion, a principle of childlike faith, candid truthfulness, conscientious fidelity, and unflinchin~ courage. For such sublime service, the highest qualities of soul were demanded. 5, His fertile imagination. Many of the visions described in his prophetic book are based upon objects and scenes in the temple at Jerusalem. Commencing here (prior to the Captivity) to exercise his faith in the unseen; commencing here the practice of lookin;; beneath the surface of material things, and acquiring a habit of spiritual penetration, he gradually learnt to discover in nature symbols of celestial truths, and to see God every- where. Thus he trained his imagination for useful and distinguished service. II. His FIELD OF SERVICE, 1. 'l'he vicissitudes of eo.rthly affairs. While Ezekiel looked forward to the fulfilment of his peaceful vocation in Jerusalem, lo! war and defeat resulted in exile and bondage. With the dust of humiliation upon their hea,ls, the chosen people were conducted to Chaldea, and residence was allotted to them on the banks of the Che bar. .Nothing is more fluctuating than earthly fortune. J erusalern to-day, Chaldea to-morrow. 2. No outward circumstance is fatal to our real welfare nor a barrier to benevolent activity. Now it was to he seen that piety can flourish amid a dearth of external privileges. The seeds of religious truth shall be carried into new fields. 'l'he special capacity of Ezekiel shall find more fitting scope for its exercisti than amid the quiet grandeur of Solomon's temple. He is a priest in an ampler temple-a priest for the world. The soul is superior to all imprisonment. 3. 'l'he permanency of spiritual work. The kingcraft of Nebuchadnezzo.r, the overthrow of Zedekiah, the honours and decorations of Chaldean captains,-these things have long since ceased to exert any influence upon the life of the human race; but Ezekiel is still (and has been for twenty centuries) a teacher of men: his work still proceeds; his name is encircled with honour, .Already king and captive have exchanged places. 'l'he first is last; the last, first. III. His INVESTITURE WITH THE PROPHET'S OFFICE, Jeremiah during Ezekiel's time, and John afterwards, were, like him, priests and prophets too. In the case of other prophets, some special visit from God-some suitable display of his glory-attended their special designation to office. We have parallel instances in Moses, Samuel, and Isaiah. The vision was supersensuous, and must be accounted for, partly by external, and partly by internal, causes. 1. External. "'l'he heavens were opened." 'l'he veil of material limitation was, for the time, withdrawn. The celestial realm was disclosed. A similar privilege was accorded to Elisha's servant, in answer to his mnstcr's prayer: "And the Lord opened the eyes of the young man; and he saw: nnd, beho Id, the mouutain was full of horses and chariots of fire round about Elisha." To open tho henvcns to human view is to unveil, in part, the spiritual universe, So, to our Lord on the banks of Jordan," the heavens were opened." A Divine voice proceeded; the Holy Ghost was imparted. Ezekiel, like Moses and Isaiah, "saw visions of God.'' 'l'he heavrns were opener! for the very purpose that tho central Object might be seen. 'l'o see God; to have undoubted assurance of his presence, purity, and aid-this, every trutJ prophet requires. "'l'he word of God came expressly," or rather verily, "to him." The oar confirmed tho vision of the eye. Not only" spectacle, but an articulate voice. So Hamlet sought to assure himself of the reality of the spectre, wbeu he demanded that 20 THE BOOK OF THE PROPHET EZEKIEL. [ on. 1. 1-28•
it should speak. The ear is a more trustworthy witness than the eye. "Faith comes by hearing." 2. There was, on the part of Ezekiel, internal aptitude, Our organs of sense have become dull, gross, earthly, by reason of the decline and decay of the soul's true life. As vehicles by which the soul holds commerce with the spiritual realm, they arc icsufficient.. Hence the spirit of a man has to be quickened by a special activity of God, so that it may, for the time being, transcend its native capabilities, Hs native sphere, in order to see God's administration of the universe, and in order to receive new communications of his will. This is what is usually termed a state of ecstasy, In the creation of the material universe, a word was sufficient; but so indocilo, intractable, are the elements of human disposition and will, that the hand of Jehovah must be exerted. "The hand of the Lord was upon him."-D.