Vera. 1-4.-The prophetic ojfice involves self-sacrifi,ce. The prophet in every age has to be himself a sign. It is not so much what he says, not so much what he does, but what he is, that impresses others. In this enterprise character is everything. Ezekiel was a servant of God to the very core. He completely identified himself with the nation. Its misery became his misery. Thus he became a type and symbol of the Saviour; and, in his measure, suffered vicariously for the people. L THE SUllRENDER OF PERSONAL DEAUTY A SIGN OF NATIONAL DEGRADATION, The hair and beard are man's natural adornments. 'l'o be shorn of these, in earlier times, was a signal mark of dishonour. No greater contempt could the King of Ammon have cast upon King David, than to despoil his ambassadors of their beards. But the ornaments of nature may well be sacrificed for moral advantages. It is an act of genuine wisdom to make the body servant to the soul. If bodily mortifications will deepen our i;:ense of sin, sever the roots of pride and worldliness, or impress others with our zeal for righteousne8s, it is a wise expenditure. To save men from sin, it is worth while to sacrifice much that we bold dear. IL THE SENSE OF GRIEF WAS DEEPENED BY THE DESTINATION OF RIB HAIR. Every hair had been the workmanship of God, and all the hairs of his head had been numbered by God. They were not lightly to be facrificed. Every hair was to be a sermon. It declared that God was willing to sacrifice what was of lesser value, if thereby he could save what was incomparably more precious. The various destinations of the prophet's hair were pregnant with moral significance. We cannot too much admire the conde- scension of God in employing such simple methods for instruct-ing and impressing men, If, to any modern readers, these methods should seem childish, we can only say that other methods would have missed the end. '1.'he methods by which God seeks to educate and bless men now may equally seem condescensions to other races of intelli- gent life. 'l'o fire, to the sword, to dispersion, was the bulk of the nation doomed I lJI. 'i'HE ACCURATE ALLOTMENT OF RIGHTEOUS PENALTY WAS FORESHADOWED, Even amid the hurly-burly of war, there is no miscarriage of Divine justice. With an invisible shield, God covers, in the day of battle, those whom he designs to sa.ve. Those who are destined for the flame will not perish by the sword, and those who may escape from Nebuchadnezzar's hand do not escape from the hand of Almighty j•!~tice. 'l'be eye of man may not be keen enough to detect the exact admeasurements Cll, V, 1-17,] THE BOOK OF THE PUOPHET EZEKIEL. !J5
of God's penalties; this matters not Ilut a clearer eye might discern that there was an accurate weighing-out of desert to unrighteousness. In the invisible hand of God there is a balance exquisitely true, absolutely exact; and the day will yet dawn when human intelligence having developed, and human conscience being quickened in its action, men will join in saying, "Just and truo are thy ways, thou King of saints." IV. PRESENT PROTECTION DOEfl NOT SECURE FINAL SAFETY, The prophet was enjoined to deal in a different manner with a few of these hairs. They were to be bound carefully in the skirt of his robe. 'l'his would be understoon by all to imply that, in the midst of judgment, God would not forget mercy. A remnant should be spared. Yet this was only a temporary and an external privilege. So long as the hearts of the people remained rebellious and obdurate, deliverance was impossible. Prosperity cannot last that does not spring from the root of righteousness. To be spared in the day of general disaster, and then to be overtaken by a worse calamity, is tenfold more grievous. This is equivalent to being first lifted up and then thrown down. Yet the intention was to bless. God will not neglect any possibility of doing good to men. If there be on our part the least disposition to receive, there is on his part the readiest disposition to give. But take heed I To spare now does not secure, of necessity,final salvation!-D.