Ver. 42.-How Gorl's anger ceases. I. IT CANNOT CEASE WHil,E THE CAUSE FOB IT hEMAlNS. An irascible per~on is provoked to wrath by slight causes ; but inasmuch as his anger springG chiefly from his own fiery disposition, the cooling of passion allays the rage of wrath, even though circumstances remain unchanged. But God is "slow to anger" (Ps. ciii. 8) ; he is not wrathful by nature, because in essence be is love. • But the anger which is slow to begin is the more deep and terrible, as it does not arise without adequate reason. Further, a weak person may tire of bis anger, even though the cause of it remains tmcbanged. An explosion of wrath exhausts him. He has not the energy for sustained anger. The fire simply burns out. But this cannot be the case with the great, the unexhanstible nature of God. God is ever the same, always true, just, active. Therefore so long as the cause for anger is unchanged, the anger too must remain. "God is angry with the wicked every day" (Ps. vii. 11). As long as men continue in sin, so long must God abide in wrath. An eternity of sin must be accompanied by an eternity of Divine anger. IL IT WILL CEASE WHEN THE OBJEOTS OF IT ABE DESTROYED. This appears to be the terrible goal of the text. Gracious as it reads in word, the purport of it is most fearful It stands between passages of denunciation and condemnation; it cannot describe a kindly cessation of wrath. The anger of God will burn till it has nothing further to consume. Then his fury will rest. Thus it was with Israel nationally. The people were swept away, consumed off' the land. Only a " remnant" was spared, a mere stump of the old tree, from which new growths could sprout. We see no more of God's anger against a man when be has been killed. If nothing were interposed for the saving of bis soul, the natural consequence of sin run out to its extremity would be de~truction. 'l'hen God would cease to be angry with the sinner, for the plain reason that there would be no sinner left against whom his wrath would be called forth. IIL IT WILL CEASE WHEN THE 0AUBE FOB IT CEASEB. There is another way by which the anger of God may be allayed. He is not desirous to see bis children destroyed, for he is merciful and gracious. When sin is pardoned, God's fury towards the sinner rests and his jealousy departs. But this pardon does not depend only on the will of God, or he would forgive all bis children. 1. It is dependent on repentance, So long as the soul persists in impenitence, God's anger cannot cease to burn. It is not simply a question of the amount and guilt of the sin which first provoked God's wrath. The contiuued impenitence is virtually a prolongation of the guilt. But when the sinner truly repents, God's anger abates. 2. It is also dependent on Christ's atonement. We are able to read the words of Ezekiel with a more hopeful meaning than that which ~ll prophet seems to have put upon them, because "we have an Advocate with the on, XVI, 1-63.] THE BOOK OF TilE rnoPFIET F.ZEKIEL. 283
Father, Jesus Christ the rightcou~; and he is the Propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, hut o.lso for the sinR of the whole world" (1 John ii. 1, 2). We rea<l that "the mercy of the Lord endureth for ever," but never that the anger of the Lord ondureth for ever. On the contrary, "He will not always chide, neither will he keep his anger for ever" (Ps. ciii. 9), Still, God only ceases to be angry either because ~n destroys the sinner or because God destroys the sin. Ver. 43,-Remembering the days of youth. I. IT IS N'ATURALTO,l!EMEMBER THE DAYS OF YOUTH. The fact that Israel has not done so is remarked on as something strange and unbecoming. Memory is a marvellous possession at which the materialist stumbles, for it involves that mystery, personal identity. We can not merely recall the scenes of bygone years, but, what is more wonderful, we can detect the connecting link of personality that runs through those scenes. Each one of us can say, " I was there in that dreamlike past." Now, wbile all memory thus recalls the personal past, the memory of our early days does this with peculiar vividness. As time runs out while interme- diate scenes are but faintly impressed on the mind and tend to fade off rapidly, the early days remain stamped upon the memory with indelible portraiture. Thus the old man looking across the near past with growing forgetfulness, is able to call up the most vivid recollections of his childhood, as one may look across a valley that lies wrapped in mist, and see the mountains in the far distance rising beyond it sharp and clear. Whatever else we forget, it is most unnatural not to remember the days of our youth. "Sweet memory, wafted by thy gentle gale, Oft up the stream of time I turn my sail To view the fa.iry-ho.unts of long-lost hours, Bleat with far greener shades, far fresher flowers." (Rogers.) II. IT IS WISE TO REMEMBER THE DAYS OF, YOUTH. There is no use in simply lament-- ing lost happy days, especially as we are likely to view them in the delusive glamour of a fond affection. There can be little good in exclaiming, with Coleridge- "When I was young I When I was young I Ah, woful when I" But there ia a. wise and helpful use of the memories of youth. 1. In thankfulness. It was the sin and shame of Israel that she forsook her Deliverer, not remembering those days of her youth when he bad found her forlorn and destitute, a.nd had saved her from destruction. She forgot the deliverance from Egypt. We have had many mercies from our youth up. It is right to remember them with thankfulness. 2. In warning. Remembering Egypt should have kept Israel from the danger of Babylon. Forgetful- ness of the old bondage led to a heedless encounter with the new captivity. It is well to remember the sad scenes of youth. Some of these may be burnt into the memory beyond hope of forgetrulness. " If cutting off this hand," said a great speaker, holding out his right band," would blot out all memories of my misspent youth, I would gladly lose it." But be who orders our lives knows that even these terrible memories may be converted into helpful warnings for the future. Certainly it would be far better if we had not done the deeds which created such memories and necessitated such warnings. 3. In humility. Israel's recollection of her old abject condition ~hould humble her. Proud in her later prosperity, she scorned to remember the pit from which she was digged. People who have risen in society do not like to be reminded of their lowly youth. Yet the humility that comes from knowing how feeble we once were is wholesome. 4. In encouragenunt. When in the most abject wretchedness Israel was saved by God. 'fhat was a glorious fact to be ever treasured up in the memories of youth. The recol- lection of such a deliverance should cheer with hope of similar mercy in future times of need.