visits eYery soul at some time, for "man is born to trouble," etc. If our bark is ouly made for fair weather, it is doomed to shipwreck, because the storm will break at last on every life. If it does not come during our e.'\rthly course, it will visit us at the close. Death will then come as a howling tempest. 2. The false hope will then crumble away. Hail and hurricane dash down the feeble, pretentious wall. Trouble overthrows false hopes. We may be content to live in the dreamland of illusion durin<T the drowsy summer days of prosperity. But trouble compels us to be real. Then we ~re forcetl to ask ourselves in solemn earnestness, " What is truth?" Then the refuae of lies tumbles into a hopeless ruin. 3. _The buil_der ef the false hope will suffer in° its over- throw. "Ye shall be consumed m the midst thereof." False teachers will suffer with the overthrow of their teachings. They who take refuge in falsehood will be buried in the ruin of their delusions. The greater the hope, the more fearful will be its foll and the more dreadfully will they be bruised and crushed who take up their abode ln it. 4. The false ltope is ovei·thrown that we may turn to the true Hope. " Christ our Hope." Vers. 17-20.-Ejfeminate religion. If Ezekiel is not to be read with prosaic literal- ness as referring to the women of Jerusalem, but is to be understood to describe, in scornful metaphor, the false prophets as daughters of Jerusalem sewing pillows, he has here given us a picture of effeminate religion. I. THE RELIGION WHICH IGNORES STERN FACTS 18 EFFEMINATE. 1. There is a noble sphere for woman in religion. The women of the Bible give us many n fine example of exalted piety. From Deborah, "the mother in Israel," to the Marys of the gospel story, women have appeared on the sacred page as inspiring examples. The Bible elevates the position of woman, and teaches us to treat her with reverence. 2. There i.s sometltingfeminine in the highest character of men. We see it in Jeremiah and St, John. Christ combines in his own Person the perfection of a woman's character with tbe perfection of a man's. 3. Nevertheless, there is an effeminacy ef religion. "Effemi- nate," says Hengst.en berg, "is all accommodation theology." 'l'he present inclination to shun the stern facts of revelation, and confine attention to what is pleasing, runs in the direction of effeminacy. If we adapt our religion to the inclinations of people, instead of declaring the whole counsel of God, whether men will hear or whether they will forbear, we betray a sad lack of virile strength. IL EFFEMINATE RELIGION AIMS ONLY AT EASE AND COMFORT. These "daughters of Jerusalem," the effeminate prophets, spent their time in sewing pillows when they should have been forging swords or building solid walls; for they were only whispering soft words of hollow consolation when they should have been renouncing sin and pre- paring to face calamity. 1. There are pillows/or evil consciences. Men desire to escape from the stabs of conscience. They would lay the restless conscience at. ease. An effeminate religion helps to do this by lulling the alarmed sense of guilt and danger. 2. There are pillows for indolence. ,vhen called to action effeminate souls prefer ease and comfort. We meet with consoling promises in Scripture, but not for such. It is the mistake of many that they convert the religion which should be a stimulant into en opiate. III. EFFEMINATE RELIGION MUST BE DENOUNCED AND OPPOSED. 1. It is cruel. The prophets of Jerusalem were fattening themselves at the expense of their neighbours, and preserving their own lives by de~troying the lives of other people (ver. 18). 2. It is mercenary. God is "polluted" for "handfuls of barley nnd pieces of bread." '!'bis "preaching to the times" in meek submission to the zeit,qeist is a profitable thing for the popular preacher, but it means unfaithfulness to the Master when pleasant words only are spoken, and bard truths are hidden in order to bring "grist to the mill." 8. It is fatal. God says, "Behold, I am against your pillows." The present age has a horror of pain. But Bin is worse than pain, an<l rough dealing which saves from si11 is better than pillows of ease for impenitent Fouls. They who trust t<> artificial comfort now will be awakened by the terrible arm of judgment. The pillows are supposed to be made for God's arms, so that he may act softly. But no softened doctrine will destroy the st;i:rn facts of judgment.
Ver. 22.-Misplaced so,-row. We have here set before ue tho twofold mischief rf the lalse preaching of peace. The rigbteoue arc made needlessly sad, and the wicked on. xm. 1-23,] THE BOOK OF THE PROPHET EZEKIEL, 235