unto the day is the evil thereof." 2. Rumou1· alarms by its vaguene8s. Rumour is not news, not the picture of the distant, but only its shadow. If we knew the worst, wo might know how to prepa.re for it; but rumour comes with large, general adumbra- tions, leaving us to :611 in the details with imaginary horrolll. 3. Rumour confuses us by its contradictoriness. Rumour is to follow "upon rumour." Thore is to be a succession of reports. Possibly these might confirm one a.nother. But general expe- rience would suggest that they are moro likely to conflict one with another. 'l'he result is a chaos of impressions and a paralysis of energy. 4. Rumour exaggerates evil. It is rarely, if ever, true to fact. It is like the snowball, that grows as it rolls. II. OUR DUTY IN REGARD TO RUMOUR. l. We should be careful how we spread a rumour. First, it is necessary to ascertain that we receive it on good authority. Then it is important to guard against adding our reflections and impressions as parts of the original report. If the rumour be one calculated to do harm it may be well to keep it to ourselves. No good comes of scandalmongery. A vulgar sense of self-importance delights in telling shocking news ; but tho motive is a low one, and the action may be most unkind. Panics spring from rumour. When a thoughtless person cries" Firei ! " in a public place, he cannot answer for the consequences of his rash and perhaps fatal folly. We need self-restraint to prevent the mischievous spread of rumour. "Rumour is a pipe Blown by surmises, jealousies, conjectures; And of eo easy and so plain a stop, That the blunt monster with uncounted head The still-discordant wavering multitude, Oan play upon it." 2. We should be on our guard against yielding to rumour. It wants courage and strength to resist this influence, especially when our neighbours are carried away by it. But past experience should teach caution. We have better than rumour to follow in seeking our highest interest. "We have not followed cunningly devised fables." We have "the more sure word of prophecy," and the inward personal experience of the soul with God. Christianity is not based on a rumour of ghost-stories; it stands on the historical facts of gospel history and on Christian experience, Ver. 26 (latter part).-A 11ain search. "Then they shall seek a vision,"· etc. Ezekiel describes the vain search for the assistance of a prophet's vision in the dark days of Israel's overthrow, and the utter failure of that search, as one of the features of the dreadful time. L THE SEARCH. The words of true prophecy were not much valued by the careless people in their hours of ease; but when trouble came natural anxiety and superstitious terror combined to drive them to the sacred oracles. The question arises-What did they wish to learn from the prophets ? There is no indication that they desired to know the will of God and to be directed back into his way. Mora probably they wero simply consumed with a morbid cnriosity as to their approaching doom. Was it certain that the nation must be scattered? Now, little good can come from such inquiries. A search into the deep mysteries of the future is not likely to give us any very helpful results. It is in God's most merciful method of educating bis children, to keep the future hidden, for the most part, and to give just so much light as is needed for the day, 'l'here is, however, a better side to this search. Trouble breaks through the thin crust of worldliness, and reveals the essentially spiritual character of man and his needs. Then it is not possible to be satisfied with things seen and temporal. The unseen world that has been slighted in prosperous times is felt to be supremely real and of profoundest interest. So the sorrow-stricken soul searches for some voice out of the darkness beyond. II. THE Loss. The search proves to be vain and useless. The oracle is dumb; the prophet sees r.o vision; the Law perishes; counsel ceases. This is a disappointment for the boasting confidence of the people ( J er. xvi ii. 18). l. There is no new inspira- tion. Revelation did not continue to come in au unbroken stream of light. There were periods of darkness in the history of Israel, when no new word of God wae given. The completion of the Bible has put an end to this kind of revelation. Yet there is on. vn. 1-27.J 'l'HE BOOK OF THE PROPHET EZEKIEL. 127
the inspiring guidance of God's eternal Spirit and the opening of the eyes of spiritually roindcd men to a persona.I knowledge and to new aspects of truth. If this ceases, though the letter of revelation remains, the quickening spirit is lost. 2. The old wrieten word is lost. Not only is there no prophet's vision; even the ancient Law perishes from the priest. The ceremonial of the temple was stopped by Nebuchadnezzar's destruction of Jerusalem. This was very different from the final cessation of it when the Jewish economy had passed a.way. Now the loss of the Law was premature. It would be paralleled by our loss of the whole Bible and its guidance-a thing that happer.cd practically in the Middle Ages. 3. Tradition fails. 'fhis counsel of the ancients is lost in the confusion of the scattered people. There are floating beliefs and customs of religion that help and influence us unconsciously. In a broken, disordered condition even these advantages may be lost. III. THE BIN. The lamentable condition was part of the punishment of Israel's sin. This was the abuse of Law and prophecy. The law of the ritual had been followed as a mere form, and trusted without moral obedience (Isa. i.10-15). Such a desecration of religion may be justly punished by the loss of its a.id. Perhaps this would be the most merciful way to bring people to appreciate eternal verities. If a.II our Bibles were lost, . should we value them more, and crave the recovery of them with a. new relish? With Israel, prophecy was degraded till the popular prophets became mere echoes of popular, opinions. Then they were deceivers of the people, and not only did they deserve to 1 be swept a.way, but the loss of them was a merciful deliverance to the deluded nation, • There is a teaching which can be well spa.red, especially in view of a. higher gospel. " Ring out the old, Ring in the new : Ring out the false, Ring in the true."