The Pulpit Commentary — Ezekiel — Volume 2 — Section 252

They well knew his faithfolness. No word of his had ever failed, nor ever would. If he had fulfilled his threats of evil, much more would he fulfil his promises of good. III. Gon's GIFTS ABE SUSPENDED UPON HU.MAN PBAYEB. 1. This was an honour conferred _upon men. God takes imperfect men into partnership with himself. Great though his power may be, he loves to ally himself with men, so that he may inspire them with, a sacred ambition, and lift them to a higher level of life. He would have us to feel a responsibility respecting the welfare of mankind. This expands both mind and heart. 2. Prayer itself is salutary. No other occupation of the human mind is so salutary. There is hope for the lowest sunk, if he has begun to pray. Prayer generates humility. It dissolves self-trust and fosters trust in God. It enhances the value of God's gifts if we have to ask for them. Prayer serves to purify 3nd elevate the nobler emotions. It brings onr wills into submission to the Eternal Will. 3. The most successful prayer is united prayer. The request must be made" by the house of Israel." This union of hearts in prayer promotes sympathy, brotherly love, concord, co-operation. Social piety is fostered. 'l'be whole people is prepared for the blessing. The furrows are opened to receive the heavenly rain. This announce- ment forecasts that of the New Testament-that if "two shall agree on earth as touching anything they shall ask, it shall be done for them of my Father which is in heaven."-D. Vere. 1-15.-Encouragement in ezile. Israel was in e. very deplorable condition. It was away from its native land, in the power and in the service of the enemy; its own "inheritance" was peopled by o. poor and weak remnant; it was the prey and the butt of the merciless mocker; its fortunes were low, its heart was sad indeed; it could not sing the Lord's song in such a strange land as that in which it was exiled. But after words of condemnation comes the language of hope. The prophet of God is commissioned to break iuto their gloom with some beams of promise. Here e.re gracious words from his mouth ; here is 11, prophecy delivered to "the moun- tains of Israel," which may well have filled the hearts of the people of God with great joy and gladness. The lessons we glean from the passage (vers. 1-15) are- I. THAT SOMETHING IS LEFT US WHEN AN ENEMY HAS DONE HIS WORST. Ae Matthew Henry well remarks, the mountains, the hills, the rivers, and the valleys, the desolate wastes and the forsaken cities (ver. 4) "remained to be spoken to, . . . these the Chaldeans could not carry away with them." They might deport and depopulate, but they could not destroy the land which Jehovah had given to his people. Still the mountains stood, and still the rivers ran, and still the valleys stretched beneath the 111n and received the rains of heaven. 1. Our human enemy may do much to harm us, but his· power is very limited after all. At the most and the worst, he can but " kill the body; after that he hath no more that he can do." He cannot kill the soul; he cannot take away faith, or love, or peace, or hope from the human heart; he cannot rob us of our real inheritance. 2. Or if our spiritual enemy injures us in a more dca,lly way than the tyrant or the persecutor can do; if be gain dominion over us and rob us of our rectitude, and so of our peace and rest in God; even then there remains I\ spiritual nature which is capable of redemption; the soil remains, which, sown ogain with the good seed of the kingdom, may yet bring forth very precious fruit. II. THAT THE TENnEN0Y OF em IS TO A DANOEROUB EXTREME. Edom and other heathen lands carried their enmity and their cruelty so far that they brought down upon themselves the righteous anger of God. "Because they ho.ve made you deso!:ite, and swallowed you up on every side," etc. (ver. 3), "therefore, thus saith the Lord, surely in the :lire," etc. (ver. 6). 'l'hese persecuting nations had succeeded only too well; they had filled their hands with spoil, and their souls with spiteful pleasure (ver. 5); and the extremity to which they pushed their triumph led to their discomfi- ture. Such is sin everywhere. It leads to extravagance and excess; to a most guilty and ruinous indulgence; or to a high-handed arrogance and blasphemy which call forth the deep displeasure of the righteous God, and bring dowu the strong, stern hand of judgment. When we once give way to temptation, of whatever kind it be, we enter e. path which leads and lures us on much further than we at :first meant to go; aud the end of it is condemnation and doom. III. THAT Gon PITIES BIS PEOPLE, THOUGH THEY BUFFER AT HIB OWN HAND. It  2GO THE BOOK OF THE PROPHET EZEKIEL. [oH, xxxv1. 1-38,