Ver. 10.-" The day is come." This chapter opened with a prophecy of "an end." It now proceeds to the annunciation of a new beginning. No end is absolutely final. In the night which sees the death of one day a new day is born. I. THE FUTURE BECOMES PRESENT. The much-anticipated day at length arrives. '\Ve are thus for ever overtaking the future. However far the future event may be, it will surely be reached, if time is the only impediment to be got over. The day of death may be far ahead, but most assuredly it will come. The dreaded day will come only too swiftly. 'l'he hoped-for day will also dawn, though we become weary iu waiting for it. God's great day of doom will arrive, though the sinner mock at its tarrying. Christ's glorious day of triumph will also appear, though the Church grow faiut and wonders at its slow approach. II. THE NEW DAY WILL BE REVEALED BY ITS OWN ADVENT. No prediction can exactly describe the coming day, for no words can paint the thing that has not been. '\\' e vainly try to antidpate the future, and we blunder into the greatest mistakes, We cannot know what sorrow is till the day of sorrow breaks, nor can we understand the joy of the Lord till a glad day of heavenly love smiles upon us. We shall not know death till we are in the day of death. When the new day of the life beyond dawns we shall know its meaniag as we can never guess now. JII. THE COMING DAY WILL HAVE A NEW CHARACTER. No two days are exactly alike. Ezekiel was announcing a day of doom. The awful thunders of that day are to roll over the heads of guilty and impenitent men with a surprise and a horror never anticipated in easier times. 'l'hus it was in the doom of Israel under the Babylonian i1tvasion. But there are brighter days to anticipate. '!'here is the day of light after 011. vu. 1-27.] THE BOOK OF THE PROPHET EZEKIEL. 123
tho night of doubt; the day of joy's sunshine succeeding the night of sorrow's weeping; the day of penitent new beginnings e.fter the night of sin; the day of busy service after tho night of rest and waiting. Carlyle writes- " Lo I here bath been dawning Another bluo day : Think, wilt thou let it Blip lJSeless away? " Out of eternity This new day is born: Into eternity At night will return. " Behold it aforetime No eye ever did; So soon it for ever From all eyes is hie." IV. THE CHARACTER OF THE NEW DAY IS DETERML'<'ED DY OUR CONDUCT IN THE OLD DAYS, The day of doom is not the day of fate. It is a day of judgment, i.e. of examination, discrimination, and consequent decision. Therefore it is determined by the character of the old days it judges. The new day may come to us as a surprise, but it will not fall out by chance as one of storm or one of s11nshine. When it arrives we shall see that, in its deepest character, it bears the record of our own past.
Ver. 12.-Buyer and seller. I. RELIGION HAS A RIGHT TO DE CONCERNED WITH COMMERCE. Religion is spiritual, but it aims at filling the secular sphere, as the soul fills the body. The Church may be its centre, as the brain is the centre of the soul's consciousness; but every region of life is a scene for its operation, as every limb of the body is for the action of the soul. Religion claims a place in the shop, in the factory, in the mine, on the highway of the sea, in the noisy streets and markets of the city. She does not claim this place as a mere spectator or guest, to be respected in name, but not followed with obedience, like the statue of a deceased citizen set up in a public place to honour his memory, although his principles are derided and travestied by the throng of present-day men who crowd about it. Religion claims to be a living presence, guiding and controlling commerce. The relations of buyer and seller are too often treated on the ground of pure self-interest-self-interest of the lowest. kind, mere money profit. Religion should inspire higher motives. I. .A respect for truth and ;"ustice. A Christian merchant's word should be as good as his bond in his counting-house as well as in his home. It is scandalous that "trust" can only go with "security." Christian honour should pay the debt that cannot be exacted by law. The bankrupt who listens to the teachings of Christ will not be content to scrape through the courts by the aid of technicalities which only enable him to cheat bis creditors. 'fhe Christian seller will not deceive the buyer, nor the Christian buyer take advantage of the difficulties of the seller to drive an unfair barge.in. Justice means more than keeping the law-it means fair dealing and equal treatment. 2. A recognition of human 'brotherhood. If I recognize my neighbour as a brother when at church, cmi I pounce upon him as my prey in the world? The "golden rule" belongs to co=erce as much as to any other part of life. But it will not be effective till a spirit of cCK>peration takes the place of one of cruel, hard, selfish competition. 3. .A reverence for the rights of God in the fruits of commerce. Over the Royal Exchange, in London, there runs, in great and bold letters, tho legend, "'l'he earth is tho Lord's, and the ful- ness thereof." How far is that the text of the words and deeds of the men who throng the streets round this public building? If all in the earth belongs to God, we shall have to give him n.n account of our trade transactions. II. COMMERCE WITHOUT RELIGION WILL NOT SECURE THE WEI,FAl!E OF A PEOPLE. People who prefer Mammon to God will find they have chosen a hard master. 1. When commerce is prosperous, it will not satisfy the grwtest needs of men. Man does not live by bread alone, and certainly he cannot subsist on bankers' accounts. In Jeru- 1W,lcm the buyer aud soller wouhl cease to rejoice over their bargains, would even not 124 THE BOOK OF 'l'HE PMPHET EZEKIEL. [oil. vrt. 1-27.•