The Globe-republican., 1902-08-07
Downright. 1922


gressions and our sins be upon US. and
we pine away in them, how should we
then liye?''-Ezekiel xxxiii-, TO-
The house of Israel had become very
wicked and were suffering in captivity
the punishment of their sins
They were like tares sown emong
good wheat They were permitted to
with his sickle to cut them down and
cast them into the fire to save the
wheat.
They cried cut in desaipr, not seeing
any way open for their return to right
eousness. They were hopeless
1t never entered their minds that
they could reform I'VE are too far
gone" they thought within them
selves, and the measure OF our iniqui-
ties more than outwefghs any full re-
pentance."
The burden had increased until they
felt it crushing them down-down-
down.
How remove its weight? How could
they release themselves from it? But
again they cried in their despair, de-
spOndiCS: Even if the burden be re-
moved, how should we then live?''
They were simple people, these chill
dren of Israel Wicked for long
space of time, then good for a short
period. They aIternated the evil and
the good, with the evil IN excess, ana
only a trace of good in the whole mass
Thus they lived their lives, but the
time came when a dark specter arose
before them Repentance they knew
was necessary, but of what use re-
pentance? A mountain was pressing
them down, and a spoonful of earth
removed here and there would make
no impression on it's monstrous weight.
A grain weight taken from ton is not
perceptible. They were lost, so they
thought.
But the eye of the Lord was upon
them mot a sparrow falleth-" So
he made it the duty of Ezekiel to save
them from themselves. He was to
show them that reform was the great
lever that would lift the mountain of
sin from their hearts. They were to
be taught how to use that lever; how
to remove that load.
Repentance is good and right and
proper. but repentance and relapse are
too often twin broth ers, boon com
panions- Reform was and is the pan
acea. That means a change, a return
to gather up the good that is cast away
on the pathway of life, a retracing of
the steps back to the forks where the
straight road was rejected and the
crooked one accepted.
Therefore, Ezekiel was commanded
to expostulate with them and to ban
ish their respondent apprehen sions.
me MOSI commencement u ISo1-
son them out of their despair, to reani-
mate their hope
"Say unto them: AS live I have no
pleasure in the death of the wicked
but that the wicked turn from his
way and live; turn We, turn We from
your evil ways; for why will ye die. o
house of Israe1?''
The Lord was imp1oring a wicked
people to turn and live
Surely, this means reformation;
grief. sorrow, repentance will com e.,
but reform first; retrace your steps;
begin again.
~As for the wickedness of the wick
ed, he shall rot fall thereby in the day
that he turneth from his wickedness.
If he restore the pledge, give again
that he had robbed, walk in the stat
uteS of life without committing in
EQUITY. he shall surely live, he shall not
die
We are forced to the true thought
in the commands of Ezekiel, that the
work of reformation, in the time of
great moral declension, is a difficult
but not an impossible or impracticable
work.
Take now thy soul, o man, and free
1T from the CALLING chains of sin; per
NIT it no longer to be the galley slave
of a tyrant. 'Tis difficult, but not i'm
possible.
How difficult it is to reform, long
experience demonstrates.
The sons of Belial. in time of
moral depression, are numerous and
daring. The spirits of darkness have
their prey almost within their clutch
They are emboldened by impunity.
They declare themselves independent
both of God and man; they are
Ieagued by common interests to de-
fend their usurped immunities- They
are watchfuI and Jealous, and the mo-
ment an effort is made to reform every
mouth is open against the work; their
c1amors and threatenings, like the
croakings of the frogs of Egypt, fill
the land.
Strange it is. how difficult the lesson
to learn, that sin is infamy and that
reformation is glory and honor
Men lament bitterly the prevailing
evils of the day, and multiply predic
lions of divine judgment and speedy
min There are signs in the heavens
upon the EARTH a fiery cross appears
at night; the waves of ocean rise VI
and overflow the land; vast noun
tain exp1odes and destroys tens OF
thousands Then the tinidS the