The Pulpit Commentary — Ezekiel — Volume 2 — Section 330

again to the windows which were to be provided. in this sacred edifice. The Ohurch of Christ must be well furnished. with windows, and they must not be closed, but open. For it has to-- I. ACQUAINT ITSELF WITH DIVINE TRUTH, 'l'hrough the open window we look out and see the busy street and the ways of men; or we see the fields and the hills and the work of God. We acquaint ourselves with what is passing in the world. The Church of Christ_ must keep its windows open, and be actively engaged in learning all that it can acqwre of the heart and ways of men, and also of the truth and the purposes of God. It, after its Lord, is to be" the light of the world" (Matt. v. 14). It is to be the aource of all sacred knowledge to the world; it is to enlighten men on the two supreme subjects of their own spiritual nature, with all its possibilities of good and evil, and of the Divine Being, with all his holiness and his grace, with all his power and his patience, with all his expectation from them and all his nearness to them and his abiding in them, And if it is to discharge this high and noble function, the Church must not only treasure what it has gained of heavenly wisdom, but it must be always le,a,rning of God, always admitting the light of heaven, always be recipient of his truth as that truth bears on the present life of men, as it affects the spiritual and social struggles they are now passing through. The Church that would not close its door must keep its windows open, must honestly and earnestly believe that "God ha, yet more light and truth To break forth from his Word," II. ADMIT HEAVENLY INFLUENCES. The open window means the admission, not o::ily of the light, but also the air of heaven; and we need the cleansing air quite as much as the enlightening ray. Shut up to ourselves, our souls become defiled, deterio- rated, enfeebled ; open to the renewing and cleansing air of heaven, they are purified, ennobled, strengthened. It is a very great advantage to live or to worship in a building of good rather than of poor dimensions, because its air is purer and more healthful. It is a very great benefit to belong to a Church that is not cramped and bound within narrow limits, in which there is ample room for the circulation of all reverent and earnest thought; that is the most spiritually healthful condition. But however large and free be the community, we must have the incoming of the influences which are outside, which are from above-the quickening, illumining, kindling, cleansing, power of the Spirit of God. Without this we shall surely suffer deterioration and decline- a decline that slopes towards death itself. We must keep the heart open, we must keep the Christian Church open, to the best and highest influences, if we would be and do what Ch.rist calls us to accomplish. ill ENGAGE m HOLY AOTIVITIEB, We cannot work in the dark; we pray thus- "Lord, give me light to do thy work I" And we do well to pray thus. But we must take care that we do not shut out the light by our own bad building, by our own institutions, habits, organizations, prejudices, We must make our arrangements, lay our plans, form our habits, so that we receive all that we can gain with a special view to Christian work, The Church that is not learn- ing of Christ in order to labour for him, is lacking in one most important characteristic; it is missing one main end of its e:xistence. Let us take care that our institutions, our societies, our Churches, are so constructed that we shall be in the best possible position, be under the most favourable conditions, for earnest and efficient work, Otherwise we shall not be such a spiritual "temple" as our Lord will look upon with approval; and his measuring angel (see ver. 3) will have no satisfactory entry to make in his record and to repeat to his Lord.-C. Vers. 26, 31.-Spiritual ascent. " There were seven steps to go up to it "-tho outer court; "and the goicg up to it [the inner court] had eight steps.'' Translating this icto the Christian analogue, we learn- I. THAT TO BE IN THE KINGDOM OF CHRIST IS TO OCOUPY A NOBLE HEIGHT, The base of the temple was the summit of a " very high mountain" (ver. 2); to be any- w_here within even its outer precincts was to be far abovo the world. 'l'o be in tho ~ipgdom pf Goq, even to be the least thereip, is to stand in the J>lace of very hi9h oil. xL. 1-49.] THE BOOK OF THE PROPHET EZEKIEL. 341