mo.n's recovery and salvation. In all these several particulars the Book of Ezekiel is a miniature of the Bible. The theme of the prophet, and the theme of Holy Writ as a whole, is surely nothing else than this-the exhibition of man's heinous sin, and the offer of God's merciful aalvation.-T. Vere. 1, 2. -The interlacing of Divine C(}'TTl,mand and Divine atrength. The commands of God are acts of kindness. lf he had abandoned us, he would give us no indication3 of his will. He is not so unreasonable as to give commands without also proffering help. If he says "This is the way," he also says, "I will be with thee." Hence, with Augustine, we may say to God, "Give what thou requirest, and require what thou pleasest." I. COMMAND, "Stand upon thy feet." The form of address, "son of man," was intended to encourage the prophet. The vision of God's kingdom, and of his royal state, had oppressed the mind of Ezekiel, and he had prostrated himself before such majestic splendour. But now the voice of the supreme Monarch assures him that he may o.lso find a place among the honoured servants of Jehovah. Though but a frail man, a descendant of erring progenitors, he was yet a man, and therefore capable of high attainment and noble service. There was no hardship implied in this command to stand upon his feet. It chimed in with his own predisposition. Duty taken step by step, in easy gradations, becomes a delight. The requirement was honourable. 'l'here had been occasion for prostrate humility in the presence of the holy God. But humility is the way to honeur. Now he is required to lift himself up to the full stature of hi!! manhood, and to be ready for active and willing service. Use thy feet 1 Look heaven- ward! Be a man I Equip thyself for service! II. PROMISE. "I will speak unto thee." This is a stupendous act of Divine conde- scension-to hold intercourse with fallen, fickle men. It is a mark of special favour if an earthly monarch calls a commoner into his presence, discloses to him royal counsels, and engages his services for the throne. Much greater token of good will is it, if that commoner had been heretofore a detected criminal, a dangerous rebel. But the simili- tude serves very poorly to illustrate the immeasurable grace of the heavenly King, who stoops to converse with the children of men. Human monarchs have set times, which they set apart to give audience to the noblest of their subjects. But God permits us to approach him at all times, and, if we will but speak to him, he will also speak unto us. "His delights are with the sons of men." Be loves to employ men in his service. Yea! he has determined to employ none but men in proclaiming to their brethren the royal purposes of redemption. III. INDWELLING POWER, While Jehovah spake to his servant, "the Spirit entered into him." Finding in Ezekiel a readiness to obey, God immediately imparted to him the needed strength. If the will be present with us, the power to perform will not long be absent. When humility opens the door of the human heart, God will enter and abide there. It was not so much Ezekiel who put forth his strength and rose erect, as the indwelling Spirit, "who set him on his feet." Verily, "in God we live, and move, and exist." "I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me." Ezekiel's name was no misnomer. In very deed, God was his Strength. And the result of the Spirit's entrance, further, was "that I heard him that spake unto me." The very power to hear, whether by the organ of sense, or by the finer aptitude of the spirit, comes alone from Go<l. "He that bath ears to hear, let him hear."-D.
,V~rs. 2-5.-.An arduous embassage. Every prophet is a missionary; every true rn1ss1onary is a prophet. In an inferior sense of the word, he is a media.tor-a mediator between God and man. I. THE MISSIONARY CHARACTER OF TilE PROPHET. He is one "sent." He goes not !o this difficult and responsible work by the impulse of his own reason or will. He is m the employ and under the direction of another-of One whom he cannot disregard. He cannot go or stay, as he pleases. He is a servant. The Son of God himself has undertaken similar work. He was "sent" into our world on an erro.nd of kindness. "As thou hast sent me, so have I sent them." ll. T1rn MISSIONARY'S UNPROMISING FmLD OF ACTION. "I send thee to the children of Israel, to a rebellious nation," The possession of outward advantages, or of special THE BOOK OF THE PROPHET EZEKIEL. (err. u. 1-10,
Divine favours, docs not ensure gratitude or obedience on the part of men. In Eden, man transgressed. In Canaan, the glory of all lands, the Hebrews rebelled. Ri"hteous- ness is not conveyed by blood-relationship. The piety of Abraham did not de~cond in the line of natural posterity. But rebellion is a weed that grows freely in the degenorate soil of the human heart. 'l'he people of Israel, in Ezekiel's time, were hardened in sin. The evil had become inveterate by long centuries of vicious habit, and all the alternate measures of kindness and severity which God had employed had failed to rell.uce the people to submission. Though now in exile and disgrace, yet" to the.t very day" the rebellious spirit continued. Nor were thej even ashamed of the past. No blush tinged their cheeks. All right feeling seemed petrified within ! III. THE MISSIONARY'S rnsTRUMENT. He is armed simply with the authoritative Word of God. What he hears from God, that, and that alone, may he speak I He is not allowed to elaborate, from his own judgment, conditions of reconciliation. He is not to rely for success on the inventiveness of reason, nor on beguiling acts of sophistry nor on the persuasiveness of subtle rhetoric. He is to proclaim everywhere, "Thus ~aith the Lord! " Authority is the weapon on which he is to rely-not human authority, but Divine. Ho is to be simply the mouthpiece of Deity. But, being this, he will become the power of God and the wisdom of God. His business is to speak Divine truth with all the pathos of Divine love. IV. THE MISSIONARY'S ENCOURAGEMENT. Whether the people would hear, or whether they would forbear, was still an unsolved problem so far as the prophet was concerned. God had not given to him the promise of visible and direct success. But whether they nccepted or rejected the Divine overtures, the end which God anticipated would be realized. The people should have this conviction inwrought in their minds, viz. that a messenger from God had been among them. This was all that Ezekiel migb t confidently expect. This was the goal at which he was to aim, viz. to convince them that he was God's prophet-to commend his mission to the consciences of the people. Hence, if no other end was gained, he was not to feel depression of soul. Whether the people relented or further rebelled, he was to continue his simple work; and rest assured that God would defend his own cause, and bring final good out of present evil.-D.