Vers. 44-59.-Sin seen in the light of comparison. If men are so encased in worldliness that they cannot see their sin in the light of God's perfect righteousness they may yet discover some features of their sin in the light of others' conduct, in th~ light of others' doom. God ha.s employed manifold methods for convincing men of sin. I. SIN MAY BE SEE~ IN THE LtGHT OF ANOTHER'S FALL, In the case of Israel it might ha'l"e been seen in a parent's disaster and doom. For their idolatries, and the nces bred of idolatry, the Amorites and Hittites were swept out of the land; yea, swept out by the sword of Israel. They had seen the judgments which God had brought upon idolatry. It was a fact indissolubly linked with their own history, For them to fall into the same sin is inexplicable; it is the climax of depravity. IL Sm MAY BE SEEN IN THE LIGHT OF PRIVILEGE. The Hebrews had seen the result of idolatry in the sister-kingdom of Samaria. The calves erected at Dan and Bethel had not availed to save lsrael from defeat and ruin. They in Judrea had greater pri ,ilege. The 'l"isible presence of Jehovah was in their holy of holies. They had the priesthood and the daily sacrifice and the smoking altar of incense in their midst. If some kind of excuse could be framed on behalf of Israel's lapse, no such excuse could be framed for Judah. They knew the better course, yet they chose the worse. IIL SIN MAY BE SEEN IN THE LIGHT OF REPEATED WARNING. The disaster which fell upon Samaria and upon Sodom was in the nature of warning to them. It was the clearest warning, written in largest characters. Beside these matter-of-fact warnings, they were rebuked by a succession of messengers from God. The sin which was great prior to Samaria's fall was greater still after that fall To continue in sin after repeated warning is to contract fresh sin. Contumely and insubordination are now added, Warning despised is itself a sin. IV. THE MEASURE OF SIN IS BEEN IN THE LIGHT OF ITS INJURIOUS INFLUEN0B o:r,;- OTHERS. The inhabitants of Jerusalem had encouraged others to commit idolatry. Other peoples were cloaking themselves under Israel's name. All sin (like some diseases) is terribly contagious. The Jews were inducing others to say, "Well, if these sticklers for e.n invisible God betake themselves to idols, there must be e. rea.son. Their Jehovah must have failed them. After all, idolatry must be at least permissible." "Thou bast justified thy sisters in all thine abomination." V. THE DOOM OF BIN MAY BE SEEN IN THE LIGHT OF GOD1S 00NSISTENT JUSTICE, "When thy sisters, Sodom and her daughters, shall return to their former estate . . . then thou and thy daughters shall return to your former estate." God has not one tribunal for the Jews and another for the Canaanites. Out of one statute-book all shall be alike judged. Human conduct in every land and in every age she.II be measured by one standard rule. As God has dealt with transgressors in former ages, so 11Bsuredly will ne deal with transgressors in times to come. Other things may change, but God and law and righteousness never.-D. Vers. 60-63.-A rift in the storm-cloud. Human life is a season of probation, Far better to be chastised here, however severely, than to bear the sentence of doom e.t the last assize. Present correct~ons have a merciful design. Above the moral tempest cal ml_v beams the star of mercy. To restoration repentance is needful. I. THE souncE OF REPENTANCE. "I," said God, "will remember my covenant with thee,." Although God may severely punish, he does not cast off, if there be a vestige of Lr 1,e. Though they bad forgotten God, God had not forgotten them; nor bad be for- 0
gutte11 Lis covenant. Though gleams of anger were in his eye, and vengeance bared his arm, the love of bis heart bad not dried up. He ploughed up the field deeply, that tbe ott xv:r. 1-63.J TliE BOOK Ol)I 'l'HE PROPHET EZEKIEL. 293