The Pulpit Commentary — Ezekiel — Volume 2 — Section 282

after many days more these best blessings of God will still endure. The things which are not seen are eternal (2 Cor. iv. 18). No moth nor rust corrupt the heavenly trea.5ures. When all things on earth fade these shall abide, the everlasting inheritance of God's people. Ver. 10.-" An evil thought." I. AN EVIL THOUGHT MAY COME UNBIDDEN. "Thinas come into" the mind. Like a bird of passage from a distant continent, like a str;y seed dropped into a well-tilled garden, like a breath of infection on a healthy person, evil may come from without uusought and even unsuspected. Every one must be conscious of the way in which a thought will flash into his mind. But often a sugges- tion of evil may come from some visible external thing. An evil sight will suggest an e" il thought; therefore w11 need to pray that God may turn away our eyes from behold- ing vanity. Bad comparnons will prompt evil thoughts; therefore we have to be 011 our guard as to what society we frequent. We cannot but be in the world, though we should not be of it. Sights and sounds of evil assail us on every side-in visible occurrences, in conversation, in newspapers, in books. It is impossible to bo.r every avenue against the intrusion of an evil thought. It may come to the purest soul. II. A,J;;I. EVIL THOUGHT IS A DANGEROUS GUEST, The Americans and the Australians are much concerned at the character of persons who pour into their territories from the overflowing population of Europe. Hence their regulations setting conditions to the reception of emigrants. We cannot always prevent the incoming of evil thoughts, but we must beware of the mischief of their presence when they have come. 1. An evil thought tends to spread. It is like the little leaven that leavens the whole lump, like the worthless seed which, growing up, produces a host of new seeds, and so makes the weeds take possession of the soil. A striking idea starts a whole chain of thoughts. 2 . .An ev£l thought tends to rouse an evil desire. 'l'he active evil from without appeals to the latent evil within the soul. Thus while in one place St. James writes of Satan as our tempter (Jas. iv. 7), in another he says that we are tempted by our own evil desires (Jas. i. 14). The evil thought is most ,langerous because it is lodged in an evil nature. Unhappily, the seed of evil falls on congenial soil. The germ of sin attacks one who bas what the doctors would call a sinful diathesis, a temperament that is naturally prone to sin. _ III. .AN EVIL THOUGHT SHOULD BE QUICKLY EXPELLED. We cannot prevent its c0mir,g; but we may refuse to give it quarter. If we harbour it we consent to its presence, and take the guilt of it on ourselves. Thus we make it no longer a foreign intruder, but our own thonght. The practical question is how may the evil thought be cast out? 1. Directly, by resisting it. We should pray against an evil thought, and firmly set our foot upon it when it has come near to us. 2. Indirectly, by encouraging a better thotight. An empty mind is always ready to receive bad guests. 'fhe last state of the house from which the evil spirit was cast out became worse tha11 the first, because, though it was swept and garnished, it was left empty (Matt. xii. 4-1). 'l'here a.re plants the very vigour of which, when they a.re once well established, will prevent the growth of weeds ar- ong them ; in the struggle for existence they are stronger than the weeds. The p esen.::e of Christ in the heo.rt is the best antidote to evil thoughts. Ver. 14.-ne day of security. I. THERE IS A DAY OF SECURITY. Then God's people dwell safely. We talk of the warfare of the Christian life. There is a lifelong war. But this is not a perpetual battle. There are lulls in the storm, and quiet seasons in the Christian contest. .it such times there is a temptation to unreasonable ease and con- fidence, just as in times of trouble people are ready to despair and imagine that "nil these things are against" them. Still, the day of security ha!! its blessing, and iC this is not abused it may be welcomed ae helpful. 1. It a.fords an opportunity for recover- ing strength. 'l'he soldier cannot bu always fighting. Repose is essential as a pre- paration for future exertion. 2. It enables us to per/orm 2uitt work. The whole of Christian experienc-e is not covered by the idea of warfare. '!'here are such things ns ,~orking in the vineyard, fruit-bearing, bnikling up the house of God, etc., which his servants have to attend to, and which can be best accomplislied without distracting thoughts, in times of security. 3. It oj[era us a foretaste of heavenlv bl~ea11esa, oH, xxxvw. 1-23.J THE BOOK OF THE PROPHET EZEKIEL. 291