The Pulpit Commentary — Ezekiel — Volume 1 — Section 171

hour. The greatest tl'llths are thus preserved and transmitted. If there had been no ink-horn, we should have had no Bible. Civilization has grown up on the food of literature. The sword destroys; the pen creates. When the work of the warrior is lost in the wreck of ages, the work of the writer still endures. The victories of Nebuchadnezzar have left not a shadow behind them; but the Psalms of David are more powerful to-day than when the sweet singer of Israel first chanted them to his shepherd's harp. II. THE MISSION OF THE INK-HORN. This fearful power of writing may be put to hurtful or frivolous uses. It may disseminate poisonous ideas. Bad literature is worse than the plague. In private life the pen may record scandal that had better have been· forgotten ; it may write spiteful words that will rankle in the mind of the reader who peruses them long years after the heedless writer has forgotten that he ever committed the folly of putting them to paper. The power of the pen is a warning to the humblest writer to beware of what he sets down. But there is a noble use of this power. The man with the ink-horn in Ezekiel's vision was to mark the penitent, and so to secure their being passed over in the great slaughter by the men of the sword. His nobler to save than to destroy. The arts of peace are better than the science of war. Pure literature should be a saving and protecting influence. They who have the thouahts of God written on their minds and hearts may be said to be marked against the ad~ent of the destroyer. All who have the gift or the vocation of writing are called to a career which should be one of help to their fellow-men. The literary man is tempted to be indolent and selfish, to dream his life away without coming into contact with the misery of his fellow-men, and without doing much to alleviate that misery. Ezekiel's man of the ink-horti, however, is to leave his desk and walk through the streets. He is to use his ink to save his fellows. When a city is perishing it is no time to write idle sonnets. III. THE RESPONSIBILITY OF TliE INK-HORN. The man with the ink-horn was required to give an account of his use of it (see ver. 11). This is a talent which the great :Master expects to be used for his glory. Abuse of it is sin. Now, there are special temptations to such an abuse. 1. The love of fame. This leads to writing what will be admired rather than what is good and true. 2. The greed of money. The gift of wri~ng is prostituted to a shameful use when a man writes for pay contrary to hie conscience and his convictions. 3. The sense of power. A writer is tempted to set down striking words, even if they should not be quite true, or though, perhaps, they should needlessly pain some fellow-man. Smartness is often cruel. Writing, like every other act of life, needs to be consecrated to Christ and executed for his glory. Ver. 4.-The mark upon the forehead. I. Tm. PENITENT ABE TO HAVE A MARK UPON THEIR FOREHEADS. " The men that sigh and that cry for all the abominations" are to be marked on the forehead by the man with the ink-horn. God looks for con- fessim:::. of sin and repentance. He does not expect primitive innocence, because we ha.a all lost that fair grace of Eden; but he desires to see our admission of guilt and our sorrow for sin. The penitent publican is accepted (Luke xvili. 13). The woman who washed Christ's feet with her tears is forgiven (Luke vii. 37-48). Such a condition involves certain experiences. 1. .A recognition of the/act of gwilt. We are often just blind to sin. It is one great step gained when we abandon excuses and admit the charges God has against us. 2. .A sense of sorrow for sin. These men "sigh." It is worse to admit guilt and to pride ourselves in it, or regard it with indifference, making light of sin. than to be ignorant of its enormity. 3. A public confession. These men "cry." They are known among their companions as penitents. Such are the men whom God marks. II. THE PENITENT ARE TO BE SAVED BY THE MARK ON THEIR FOREHEADS. When the slayers go about with their swords they are to spare e.11 who have the mark. The use of this ink-mark on the forehead is like the use of the blood smeared on the door- posts of the Hebrews on the night when the destroying angel went about to slay the first born of Egypt. God does not punish indiscriminately. In the midst of wrath he remembers mercy. There is a way of escape from Divine vengeance. When we repent of our sin he is ready to forgive and save. 1. The marlc is set by a Divine command. The penitent do not mark themselves, nor do they mark one another. en. 1x. 1-11.J THE BOOK OF THE PROPHET EZEKIEL, 165