and inward change is effected, for the most part, only with effort and difficulty. 1t needs o. supernatural motive and a ~upernatural power to cause old things to pass away and all things to become new, to exchange darkness for light, anu. the 8ervice ot' Satan for God, Snch a supernatural motive we have in the gospel; such a super- natural power and agency in the Holy Spirit, V. 'l'1m FRUITS OF REPENTANCE. 1. 'l'hese are exactly opposed in character to the fruits of ~elf-indulgence, Other seed in other ~oil yields other harvest. 2. Reconcilia- tion with God replaces enmity towards God. The conditions of salvation, as laid tlow11 in the New 'l'estament, are "repentance towards God, and faith in the Lord Jesus Chri8t." 3. Repentance works a change in a man's own character; the principles and motives and ends of life are all new. 4. Through the power of repentance a man's relations to his fellow-men are changed-justice takes the place of wrong, and love that of hatred and uncharitableness.-'1'. Ver. 10.-The misleader and the misled. One of the features of Israelitish life at this epoch of the Captivity was the evident number and power of false prophet8, General excitement and change are, of course, favourable to imposture. Men Rought everywhere for guidance, comfort, hope; but, instead of having recourse to the authorized prophets of the Lord, they went to the pretentious and deceptive religious guides who seem to have traded upon the misfortunes of their country. These men were in the habit of saying what was expected and desired, of ut.tering smooth things, of buoying up the people with the hope that threatening calamities might be averted. 'l'hus the effect of these men's counsels was to prevent the people from true repentance and to hasten the country's ruin. Ezekiel was directed to denounce these misleaders of the nation, and to declare that they should participate in the approaching calamities. "The punishment of the prophet shall be even as the punishment of him that 8eeketh unto him." I. PROPHET AND PEOPLE WERE PARTAKERS IN SIN, The sin in essence was departure from God. Those who should have repaired to the Source of all wisdom and authority turned aside, and "sought unto" ignorant, self-seeking impostors. In this they sinned; and the sin was shared by those to whom they had recourse. These pretended prophets knowingly misled the people; for they saw no vision and heard no voice, and their utterances were dictated, not by the law of Divine righteousness, but by the aims of human policy, People and prophets sinned together, and sinned alike. II. PROPHET AND PEOPLE WERE PAR'l'AKERS IN COKSEQUENT ERROR. The counsel which was thus given and accepted, and consequently acted upon, led the people astray. 'fhe only hope for Jeiusalem aud for the Jews was a general humiliation, confession, and repentance, a turning unto the Lord. From such a. course they were deterred by the deception which thoy practised upon one another, and the delusion which they mutually encouraged. Hence the error into which they were misled, the error of continued idolatry, unbelief, and rebellion. III. PROPHET AND PEOPLE WERE l;'ABTAKERS IN COMMON PUNISHMENT. It would have bee11 unjust to punish only those who were led a8tray, for their false guides and evil counsellors were to blame for misleading them. It would have been unjust to punish only the false prophets; for these men were induced and encouraged to practise their deceiving arts by the readiness of their dupes to receive and to act upon their advice. Hence a common guilt entailed a. common penalty. 'l'here was little distinction in crime; there was little distinction in punishment. Retribution is a fact in the government of the Supreme, who can never look upon iniquity. "Though band join in hand, the wicked shall not go unpuuished."-T. Ver. 11.-Tlie purposes of punishment. No thoughtful person can believe that the supreme Lord of all iuflicts punishments upon men because he delights in the sufferings of his creatures, or is indifferent to those sufferings. This passage of Scripture, like other passages, teaches us that, when God punishes, it is with a view to the good of those who arc punished, or of others, or of both. J. '1'1m IMMEDIATE AND IlEMEDIAL l'URPOSE OF PUNISHMENT: Jt is a question how far puni~hmont should aim at the correction of the iudividual offender, how far at the production of II wholesome impression upon society. Whether the fulse prophets and 256 THE BOOK OF THE PROPHET EZEKIEL. [err. xiv. 1-23.
those ·who resorted to them were spared to profit by the chastisement which befell them, we have not the means of judging. But in any case the punitive l\lllictions were intended for the general good of the house of Israel. 1. Radical error is corrected. "That the house of Israel may go no more astray from me." 2. The habits of trans- gressors are reformed. "Neither defile themselves any more with all their trans- gressions." II. THE mTIMATE AND POSITIVE PURPOSE OF PUNISHMENT. The remedy for disease must first be applied, then health will follow. So it is in spiritual thinas, For- giveness is a means to sanctification. Salvation is both from sin and unto ~bedience and holiness. Accordingly, the prophet represents the re-establishment, the fresh ratification, of the covenant between God and Israel as the final purpose of all the chastening inflicted. The two sides of this covenant are presented as in their harmony and completeness justifying the discipline appointed by Divine wisdom and beneficence. 1. " 'l'bat they may be my people." That is, not only in name, but in reality; not only de Jure, but de facto. 2. "That I may be their God." That is, theirs to acknow- ledge with sincere reverence, to love with devotion and fervour, and to serve with diligence and fidelity.-T.