The Pulpit Commentary — Ezekiel — Volume 1 — Section 290

of l'ighteousness and of mercy. When he declares, in the language of the text, " I am pncified toward thee," then it is well. When he giveth peace, who can give trouble? The transgressions of other days are forgotten ; the estrangement of other days has given place to concord and harmony. Reverence and love are offered by those who were once in rebellion. And favour and everlasting love are revealed by him who but lately uttered words of reproach, and inflicted chastisement and punish- ment. It is the happy experience of the justified and accepted believer in Christ which breaks forth into the joyful exclamation, "Therefore, being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ."-T. Vers. 1-14.-Superhuman love. The main difficulty in prodncin~ a moral reforma- tion among men is to convince them of their degradation-of the low level to which they have sunk. The first thing to be done is to hold up to their view some bright mirror, in the which they may discern clearly what manner of men they are. Such a mirror is provided in the chapter under consideration. We have pictured here- I. A FORMER LOATHSOME CONDITION. Sin is not merely resistance again8t proper authority, it is also personal pollution-a defilement of the soul. 1. A base origin. '' Thy father was an Amorite, and thy mother was a Hittite." It is often edifying to look "to the rock whence we were hewn "-to the meanness of our earthly parent- age. The ancestors of the Hebrews were idolater:!--a branch of that very race whom they despised and drove out. They had no superior dignity from their forefathers. All the superiority they enjoyed, had come from the special favour of Jehovah. 2. Their neglected condition. The kindness of common humanity had been denied to them in their infantile state. Their ancestors, the Amorites, cared nothing for them ; yea, treated them as aliens in the land. Again and again Abraham was driven away by famine, and had to find sustenance by favour in the land of Egypt. At length, in the days of Jacob, "they were cast out into the open field," i.e. into the land of Egypt. They soon had no protection nor security from the Egyptian government. They were reduced to thraldom ; their lives were made bitter. 3. They were even loathsome to a.11. To the Egyptians they were an abomination. They were hated of all men. It may have been on account of pusillanimity and mean-spiritedness-the effect of long servi- tude. It may have been on account of their peculiar customs-their clannishness. It may have been because of their peculiar- religion, so different from all the nations. Yet there was the fact that no nation would make alliance with them. 4. Their forlorn and abandoned state. As a female child is often, in Eastern lands, abandoned on the hills-left to perish from want, or to be devoured by wild beasts-so, as far as human protection was afforded, Israel was exposed to early death. The Egyptians did their utmost to exterminate the race. The Amalekites and the Edomites followed in the same track. Israel was isolated in the world-treated as a foe by all. II. GENEROUS TREATMENT BY GoD. Dispossessed of all natural attractions, God chose to show to this abandoned child special favour. The only explanation is, " So it seemed good in his sight." He giveth not to men a reason for his doings. 1. There was a loolc of love. 'l'he extreme helplessness of a little child often moves to pity the heart of a stolid man. Unless friendly help be at once afforded by the passer-by, the puny child must perish. So the time of Israel's desolateness was the time of J ehovah's love. No other sentiment came into play then but the royal sentiment of love. The very heart of God looked out through his eye. 2. There was kindly protection. True love is not content with sentiment, nor yet with smiles, nor yet with words : it goes out in practical deeds. 'l'he best thing to be done was done at once. "I spread my skirt over thee, and covered thy nakedness.'' 3. There wa.s appropriate cleansing. As soon as the imperilled life was secured, the health and comfort of the child became Jehovah's concern. "I washed thee with water; yea, I throughly washed away thy blood." The God of heaven condescended to do this menial work. His real glory is seen in his amazing humility. He deigns to wash us still-to wash the soul from all its foulness. 4. 'l.'here wa.s theforthputting of vital power. "I said unto thee, Live!" 'l'ho voice of God is a resistless energy. God's word is creative: "He speaks, and it is done." He who spake to the primitive chaos, "Let there be light I" and light was, speaks also to the soul dead in sin, and says effectually," Live!" However near the hrink of doom, they shall Jive, if God speaks the quickening word. "ls not this a EZEKIEL, U 290 THE BOOK OF THE PROPHET EZEKIEL. [oH. xvr. 1-63,