Ver. 53.-771e sal·uation of Sodom. That the notoriously wicked cities of the plain should come under the saving grace of God would seem to be one of the greatest paradoxes of redemption, and the more so as those cities had been utterly destroyed and the very sites of them obliterated. A reference to such an event opens up to us & marvellous visto. in the deep possibilities of the future. 284 THE BOOK OF THE PROPHET EZEKIEL. [on. xvi.1---03,
I. THEY WHO ARE EQUAL IN SIN WILL DE EQUAL IN RF.DEMPTroN. There is even some comfort to us in the sight of the great wickedness of the Jews, or rather in what is based upon it. We read of repeated promises of restoration for lsrnel. Now, if the chosen people had been exceptionally virtuous, or but mildly culpable in comparison with the rest of the world, it might well have been surmised that the salvation which was possible for Israel could not be stretched to reach others of greater wickedness. But if the "Jerusalern sinners" are equal to the worst of the world's wicked people, if Jerusalem is sister to Sa.maria. and Sodom in evil, the salvation which tvuches the one class of sinners may extend to the other. God is no respecter of persons. He ha.s no favouritism. Redemption is as wide as sin, II. CHRIST'S REDEMPTION AIMS AT EMBRACING ALL BTh'NERS. His redemption is universal in two respects. 1. In extent. As tne Lamb of God, he came to take away the sin of the world (John i. 29), not the sins of a certain nation, or those of one section of society. He commanded that "repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his Name among all nations" (Luke x:x.iv. 47). If the-gospel is to be offered to all, it must be that the salvation is effective for all. Nothing less could satisfy the heart of Jesus, and "he shall see of the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied" (Isa. liii. 11). 2. In intensity. Not only are sinners of all nations and of all sections of society included in the redeeming love of Christ; sinners of blackest guilt a.re also within its merciful and mighty embrace. (1) Christ is willing to save the worst, even the sinners of Sodom and Gomorrah; for there is no limit to his pity, (2) He is able to save the worst; for he is "able to save unto the uttermost all that come unto God by him." To doubt that the worst can be saved is either to malign his love or to insult his power. III. CHRIST'S REDEMPTION SHOULD BE .APPLIED TO ALL SINNERS. It is not sufficient tha.t he has died for the sins of the whole world, nor that he is willing to save all- J erusalem, Samaria, Sodom, the very worst. For only they are effectually saved who have personally partaken of the grace of Christ. 1. It must be offered to all. Herein lies the duty of universal missionary agency. The gospel should be preached to the most remote nations, to the most degraded savages, to the most abandoned sinners. It is not for us to say that any are beyond its saving grace. But how of the heathen dead? bow of Sodom, that has been utterly destroyed? how can Sodom be redeemed? Sodom m.a.y stand typically for the worst contemporary sinners. Yet the truth of the text will be most completely satisfied if we deem it possible that Christ's preaching to the spirits in prison extended to the men of Sodom (1 Pet. iii. 20). 2. lt needs to be taken by all. Christ died to redeem all, even the worst sinners, yet none &:;hare in his redemption save through penitence and faith. Ver. 60.-The everlasting covenant. God's relations with bis people are repeatedly described as determined by covenants. Adam, Noah, Abraham, and the nation of Israel, all bad their covenants with God, and Christ established a new covenant. L THE coVENil""T RELATION. 1. lt originates in God. The covenant is not an agreement ma.de by two parties who meet on equal terms. It cannot be compared to the bond which sea.ls a bargain after mutual concessions. It is rather an institu- tion of God which man accepts. We cannot determine or in any way modify the conditions of God's covenant. As the Giver of blessing and the Lord of service, God offers us his settled covenant. 2. It must be accepted by man. The covenant r~lati~n ba.s two sides. When we desire to share its privileges we must ourselves enter l?to 1t, We must freely accept it. 3. It involves mutual obligat~ons. (1~ Go~ grac1ou~ly undertakes to do certain things for man, even condescendrng to bmd himself ~1th promises. (2) We are bound to loyal obedience, and the seal of the covenant ratifies those obligations. Thus it gives man a right to" covenant mercies," and God a right to " covenant service." II. THE OLD COVENANT. God bad covenant relations with Israel in ancient days, The sinful people had violated the conditions of the cov~oant, and so, while e~clnding themselves from its privileges, they had brought ~ta pi'nalties down upon their he~de (ver. 69). God might therefore only remember his covenant in order to carry out its penal clauses. But he is seen to rememb~r it on its gracious side. '~his coul~ not ~e Deea.UBe he held himself bound to its promises, for the Jews had forf~1ted al! rights_ m those promises. Therefore God'11 remembrance of the ex1ve11a.nt le hlB merciful calhng ou. xvi. 1-63.J THE BOOK OF THE PROPHET EZEKIEL. 285