yoke is broken and the man is freed. There is another yoke of an entirely different nature; it is in- III. THE SERVICE OF .JESUS CHRIST, "Take my yoke," he says; "my yoke is easy, and my burden is light." In that which is the service of love and of righteous- ness there is real liberty and lasting joy.-C. Vers. 21, 22, 24.-The broken and the strengthened arm. "I have broken the arm of Pharaoh King of Egypt;" "I will strengthen the arms of the King of Babylon." These words suggest to us three things. I. Gon's ACTION ON ALL THE NATIONS, God was in an especial sense "the God of lsrael," but certainly not in an exclusive sense. He was, as he is, the God of all the nations. He was observing, directing, overruling everywhere. If Egypt fell, it was because he "broke the arm of Pharaoh;" if Babylon triumphed, it was because he made it strong in the day of battle. Statesmen and warriors were supposing that all events were the outcome of their policy and of their strategy ; but, in fact, there was a power behind them and all their schemes, laying low or raising up, bringing into humiliation or causing to succeed. .And there has been no age of the world, as there has been no part of the earth, in which the Divine hand has not been engaged either in brraking or in building. II. THE BBOKEN ARM OF INIQUITY. We may truly say that God is continually occupied in "breaking the arm" of wrong and sin. He does so in one of two ways. I. Either by his direct active interposition ; so touching the chain of events at one of its links, as to bring about disaster; intervening at some point by the introduction of some factor which makes all the difference in the end. 2. Or by the steadfast action of his wise and holy laws-those laws which compel all wrong-doing to others and all violation of what is due to ourself to lead down to weakness, to misery, to death. Iniquity often seems very strong; it is sustained by stone fortresses, by armies and navies, by high rank, by great wealth, hy numbers, by deep-rooted customs, by vener- able institutions. Nevertheless, it is on its way to overthrow and ruin. For God has designed to "break its arm." He may do so by unexpected means; he may take longer time than we wish he would take in the proce~s; but he will accomplish it. He will bring Divine justice, Divine wisdom, Divine penalty, to bear upon and against it, and its power will be broken. It is a vain thing to be on the side of prevailiniz wrong ; for if we are, God is against us, and, sooner or later, we shall " be confounded." IIL THE STRENGTHENED ARM OF RECTITUDE. It may be that God will "strengthen the arm . . . of Baby Ion," of some "power" or of some man who has no claim on the ground of righteousness, doing this for the accomplishment of some wise and holy purpose. But there is no promise to unrighteousness. Those who regard not the works nor the Word of the Lord need not expect that he will "build them up" (~ee Ps. xxviii. 5). It is those wbo fear him, who seek to do his will and to follow in the footsteps of his Son,-it is they who may hope to have "their arm strengthened," thcit· work crowned with success, their hopes fulfilled. Not, indeed, that all good men will receive from God all that they would like to have; for we cannot "choose our own inheritanci:" with any deep wisdom, and it is well for us that many things on which we set our heart should be, as they are, denied us of God. But, making all needful fxceptions, the soul that earnestly seeks God's face and strives to live his life will find that his Divine Lord will" strengthen his arm" by; 1. Directing his course in ways of C(lmpetence and peace. 2. " Strengthening him with strength in his soul," and thus fitti1,g him for all duty, trial, and temptation. 3. Making him the source of blessing to those whom he seeks to serve in the fields of sacred usefulness.-O.
EXPOSITION.
CHAPTER XXXL prediction of the downfall of Egypt into a pambh, which is pnrtly a replica of those in Ver. 1.-Jn the eleventh year, etc. June, eh. xvii. and xix. 1-14, and which also finds B.c. 586. Two months all but six de.ye had a parallel in Dan. iv. 10-H. p~esed since the utteruneti of eh. xxx. 20- Ver. 2.-The parable is addressed, not to 2G, wiicn Ezekiel was moved to expand hie Pharaoh only, but to his multitude, i.e., as in 0D. xxxr.1-18.] THE BOOK OF TRE PROPHET EZEKIEL. 155