The Pulpit Commentary — Ezekiel — Volume 2 — Section 194

"The land is given us for inheritance," God placed his edict," The mountains of Israel shall be desolate, that none shall pass t~rough." The ministers of Divine vengeance ha.d received their commission, and the time fer revoking it had passed. Wild beasts, the pestilence, and the sword had heard the fiat of God, and proceeded to do their deadly work. No fortress could protect them against such insidious enemies. Into every secret cave of the mountains wild beasts and miasma would force their way. The army of God is a. hundredfold more difficult to oppose or to elude than any host of human king. Sane men will promptly yield. V. THE GREAT LESSON LEARNT TOO LATE. "Then shall they know that I am the Lord." The light which they had sullenly barred out of their minds all their lifetime shall find its way within in the hour of death. Some men will listen to no warning voice except the warning voice of death. They learn at last what, had they learnt before, would have been their salvation. But now to them the lesson is useless; it serves only to admonish others. Crowds of men are practical infidels all through life, although they profess to believe in a reigning God; but death scatters the clouds of unbelief, and is a startling revelation of the invisible world. Amid the excitements and the turmoil of life they would not reflect, nor ponder, nor decide. They preferred to remain in the haze of doubt. At no point would they brace up their moral energy to say, "I know." Yet there comes an hour when faith, and righteousness, and God, and judgment will be real. " Then shall they know."-D. Vers. 30-33.-Superficial ,·eligiousness. The Fall in Eden is an old story, yet it is repeated every day in our midst. Each one of us is in a garden of privilege. To each of us daily comes Divine commands and Divine prohibitions. The path by which we may rise to higher things, yea, to a higher life, lies open before us. It is straight and clearly seen. The path which runs downward to destruction is hard by. The tempter is still busy with his seductive whispers and false blandishments. Everything in our personal destiny hangs on this pivot, viz. whether we will listen to the voice of God or t-0 the wily voice of the devil. Conscience or inclination-which shall rule us? I. THE TRUE PROPHET BRINGS A Ji.'ESSA.GE FROM GoD. 1. A prophet possesses a spiritual organ by which he can receive communications from God. He is in touch with God. All his best facnlties are enlarged and vitalized, so that the knowledge of God's will can be reached and received. 'l'o such a one God conveys special informa- tion, and delegates him to convey it to others. He is put in trust with the heavenly wisdom for the well-being of his fellow-men. 2. Such a revelation is known and recognized, partly by the internal character of the message, partly by the character and endowments of the man. Except where prejudice and guilty habits blind the vision, the bearers of the message feel and confess that it comes from a Divine origin. 3. Such a message must always conform to the known character of God. If the message is trivial, unimportant, puerile, baneful, it is clearly not from God. Falsehood is intro- duced somewhere. If it is a. message salutary, elevating, purifying, benevolent, certainly it is Divine. It may run counter to a man's inclinations ; it often will; nevertheless, if its tendency is to lead men to faith and holineBB, it has the signature of God. II. THE PROPHET'S MESSA.GE EXCITES PUBLIC ATTENTION. 1. There is a craving to know the unknown. Men long to see the unseen-long to scan the future. Especially in times of adversity, in hours of serious illness, men yearn to know what the immediate future will bring. In times of health there is a prurient curiosity to gaze into the distant future, the great eternity. But in times of pressing personal danger a feeling of self-interest is vividly astir. Men naturally want to have clear and accurate know- ledge respecting God, and respecting his dispositions manward. They want to know what the womb of the future contains for them. 2. The message will be welcome in proportion as it gratifies inclination, flatters pride, and opens a vista of sunny hope. Fidelity on the part of the prophet often exposes bis message and himself to publio contempt. 3. Shallow hearers discuss the messenger rather than his message. They "talkeu about him by the walls and in the doors of the houses." It was a matter of street-gossip rather than of heart-searching and personal profit. Was the preacher el,,qucnt or dull? Was bis voice mellifluent or harsh? Was hie style plain or ornate? These are the trivial questions men ask, instead of-What word from God did he C!H. XXXIII, 1-33.] THE BOOK OF THE PROPHET EZEKIEL. 201