Ver. 14.-The renown of Israel. I. THE NATURE OF Tms RENOWN. 1. The renown of great deliverance. The fame of the escape from Egypt and of the overthrow or Pharaoh's host in the Red Sea spread over the neighbouring lands, so that when the wandering tribes reached the borders of Canaan, they were known as a people mar- vellously favoured by God. The renown of the redemption by Christ is less appreciated by those who do not share in that redemption. Still it exists. It is a great thing to be among those on whom God's pity has taken effect, and who have been saved from spiritual destitution. 2. The renown of glorious victory. Isre.el had made her way rnfely through the wilJerness in spite of the arrows of Amalek and the wiles of Moab. She bad crossed the Jordan and conquered Canaan. Since then, though often in adver- sity, she had in the main triumphed over her enemies. The history, of the Church is a history of victory over opposition and persecution. Often the faithless people of God have had to suffer shame for their sins. Still, on the whole, there bas been success and victory. 3. The renown of acquired splendour. It is the beauty of the bride that is renowned. The wealth and wisdom of Solomon brought renown to Israel. For us the renown of Israel is that of her religion-the revelation of God that comes to us through her, and the beautiful stories of her saints and heroes. The Church of Christ bas won such a renown through her" noble army of martyrs:" and the charity and holiness or her less conspicuous children. II. Tm: BIGNIFICANOE OF THIS RENOWN. ]. It 1·edo1mds to the glory of God. The bride of Ezekiel's parable had been a wretched castawl\y, All her splendour of jewels 280 TilE BOOK OF TilE i'ROPHET EZEKiEt. Con. xvi. 1--6/1.
and raiment came from the kindne8s of her r<'scuer. All the beauty of holiness in the B&ints of God is due to the grace of him who has redeemed them from I\ state of sin and ruin. 2. It attracts tlie admiration of men. Israel was envied and admired hy the nations in the days of her prosperity. 'l'he true beauty and greatness of the Church win men to Christ, 11s her sin and shame hinder them. 'l'he gospel is preached hy the renown of Christian lives. A good biography thus declares tile truth on which the life it describes has been built. 3. It a_q_qravates tlie shame of unfaithfulness. That 80 beautiful and famous a bride should degrade herself, and exchange renown for infamy by proving herself false to her husband, is most shameful. The old renown of beauty adds notoriety to the present disgrace of sin. Israel's apostasy was the more scandalous because her previous condition had been famous. The fall of the Church would be doubly shameful after the glorious history of past achievements. Men who have borne a high character before the world will be marked with a stigma of the greatest contempt if they fall into notorious wickedness. 4. It preserves an ideal for restoration. The former glory may be recovered. We see in Christian history types of character to which we should seek to restore the Church. Christ's redemption will confer a higher beauty than that which was lost by Israel's apostasy.
Ver. 15 (first clause, "Thou didst trust in thine own beauty ").-Trust in beauty. I. THE POSSESSION OF BEAUTY TEMPTS TO UNl\EASONABLE SELF-CONFIDENCE. 1. It is felt to be a pleasant endowment. The national beauty of Israel could not but please the people. Bodily grace and mental gifts are naturally valued by those who own them, for undoubtedly in themselves they are good. 2. It is flattered with admiration. The beautiful bride is renowned (see ver. 14). This implies that her beauty was much spoken of. Such a fact could not but be pleasant to one who loved admiration. But the pleasure of receiving flattery is dangerous and deceptive. The person admired is likely to attach too much weight to it. 3. It is seen to be a means of influence. There is power in beauty. Admiration rules the admirer. The person who is fawned upon by flattering neighbours seems to exercise a certain power over them. IL THI6 TBUST IN THE POSSESSION OF BEAUTY IS DECEPTIVE. 1. Tlie beauty is not a1n, original possession. The beauty of the bride was developed through the kind treat- ment of her rescuer. The gifts and possessions of Israel were not won by her powers, but conferred by the providence of God. Christian attainments are all endowments of Divine grace. To trust these things to the neglect of him from whom they come, and even to claim them as original resources, is to lean upon a falsehood. This must fail 2. Tlie beauty is fleeting. Nothing is so fragile. When it is most needed it may be found to have departed. To trust it is to lose it (see ver. 39). 3. Tlie beauty is feeble. Beauty is not strength. A gorgeously clad army may suffer ignominious defeat in the day of war. Grace and attractiveness in speech and bearing do not signify strength of character. The most winning people may be the most helpless when energy and determination are in requisition. Ill. TRUE SECURITY 16 FOUND ONLY IN LOOKING AWAY FROM SELF TO CHRIST. 1. It must come from the abandonment of self-trust. Even though we are flattered into believing great things of ourselves, taken at the very best, human st~ength and go?d- ness fail before the assaults of sin. We have to learn that we are "miserable and blmd and naked," and to give up the Pharisee's boast for the publican's only plea, "God be merciful to me a sinner! " owning that "all our righteousness is as filthy rags." 2. The needed security will be found in Christ. He is strong to save, even though he appears before us in the weakness of human suffering, and with the shame of his cros~. At 1inrt. we may exclaim, "He bath no form nor comeliness; and when we shall see him, there is no beauty that we should desire him " (Isa. liii. 2). But in the end we can believe the promise, "Thine eyes shall see the King in his beauty" (Isa. xxxiii. 17). For if we begin by trusting Christ's saving strength in this world of sin and need, we shall afterwards behold his beauty and glory in the world of light. Ver. 30 (" How weak is thine heart I").-A weak hiart. I. TnE NATURE OF A WEAK HEART. It has certain characteristics. 1. Coldness of affection. 'l'he first ardour of love is forgotten, and bas given place to a Laodicean indifference. It cannot be said iha.t the IIQul hai lost all illtere11t w God. But the gld pas11io11 has faded and left only oit, xvi. 1-63.J THE BOOK OF Tirt PROPHET EZEKIEL. 281