The Pulpit Commentary — Ezekiel — Volume 2 — Section 392

he csn do M is the fact that he has done so on many occasions. It would be the height of folly to suppose that God ba.s not made the wisest possible arrangement for the well-heing of men. Yet if men abuse the arrangement and push God away from his rightful place, God can alter his system, and bring about his end by other agencies. He sustained the life of Abraham, gave him wealth and influence among men, while, at the i;ame time, be refused to give him a rood of land. He was the Special Protector of the Hebrew nation; yet be led them about the desert for the lifetime of a whole generation, where harvests could not be gathered, and where fand was not desired as a possession. Yet they wanted not for food or for clothing. God was to them better than all harvests. So Jesus Christ cslled away the twelve from their secular pursuits; yet be did not suffer them to want any good thing. JesUB himself preferred to have no encumbrance of land or wealth. He freely chose the state of poverty. To him, livina in such intimate union with bis Father, landed possession would have been a needles~ burden ; yet, not only were his own wants supplied, but be royally spread a table for others. What the Son did on earth was the visible effect of his Father's working. III. UNSELFISH SERVIOE BRINGS TO A MAN THE LARGEST GAIN. He who forgets himself in bis generous kindness is not forgotten by bis fellows-is not forgotten by God. The family of Zadok were prohibited from being landholders. N evertbeless, they shall not want. " Every dedicated thing in Israel shall be theirs." "'l'be first of all the firstfruits" shall be theirs. God out-distances all bis-creatures in generously rewarding faithful service. In his book every item of devoted toil and sacrifice is noted; for it ample reward is preparing. Just as one grain of corn will produce, in the harvest, a hundred grains, so consecrated service is living seed-it shall fructify into splendid results. Did Abraham ever regret his unswerving fidelity to God? Does St. Paul feel to-day that he made too great sacrifices of himself for others? Has any one been a loser for serving God? It almost savours of profanity to propose such a question. The true servants of God shall enjoy the tribute due to God himself. Statesmen, under a mighty king, are rewarded with e. goodly she.re of the revenue of the empire; so the tribute paid into God's temple God distributes among bis priests. For them who serve God well other men Jabour. Other men till the ground and prepare the produce. They who do the highest work shall have the best reward. 'l'hus it was predicted, " Strangers shall stand and feed your flock, and the sons of the alien shall be your ploughmen and your vine-dressers; but ye shall be called the Priests of the Lord." Like many other good things, the name and the office of the priest have been made a curse. Yet a true priest-God's servant to mankind-is a very fount of blessing. He is like salt in the earth-a preserving and purifying power. Wherever he comes he is a spring-season of life and joy. He is to be well cared for, so "the.the may cause the blessing to rest in thine house." IV. THE DEVOTED SERVANT OF GOD OBTAINS A PROPBIETORSBIP IN GoD. "I am their Inheritance ... I am their Possession." .An estate is not really ours because we call it ours. We cannot call e.nythiug ours unless it becomes a part and parcel of ourselves. If it adds to our character and our strength, then, and only then, is it ours. The land estate is often the master of the man. He lives to improve it rather than to be improved by it. We possess property when we really get some advantage out of it. So is it also with respect to God. If we make God our Friend, we extract advantage from him. If we believe his promises and open our souls to his vitalizing grac-.t:, we are enriched from him. God's wisdom becomes our wisdom. His righteous- ness becomes our righteousness. His love becomes a fountain of love in us. We are "partakers of the Divine nature." In a very emphatic sense God gives himself to us. Every capacity in us may be filled with God. If we are fully God'd property, God is our Portion-our Inheritance. This is trauscendant condescension, the sublimity of love. V. To POSSESS GoD 1s TO POBBEBB ALL THINGS. On this account it would have been a superfluity if Jesus bad been a Proprietor of wealth. Of what advantage would it have been for him to possess fields, if be could create a sufficient supply of bread by the magic of command? Although the poorest, he was yet the richest of men. It is understood that he who possesses the key of the bank possesses the con- tents of the bank. If the Creator be mine, if I can call him "my Father," then whatever his creation cont.a.ins of good is mine e.lso. It ill clear that I must, aa on. XLtv. 1-31.] THE BOOK OF THE PROPHET EZEKIEL. 407