The Green Forest tribune., 1911-10-06

TIME-This prophecy of the Life giv- ing stream was written B. c. 572, Tin the beginning of the year" It was near the middle of the TO years captivity (605-536). The earlier prophecies of this second part of Ezekiel were written P or 13 years be- fore in 586, D.
 PLACE-It was written at Tel-abib on the river Chebar in Babylonia, to the exiles scattered throughout that region.
 PLACE IN HISTORY-It belongs to the second part of EzetSiel's prophecies, the object of which was to prepare the people for their return. It was like eaven work ing during the 36 years before the people were fitted to begin anew in Palestine.
 Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylonia.
 Daniel still living as a statesman.
 In our last lesson we studied the warnings by which God, through his prophet Ezekiel, would persuade Is- rael to so repent and return to God, that it would not be necessary to per init Jerusalem and the Temple to be destroyed. The people refused. The city was destroyed The Temple was burned, and it's treasures borne away by the Chaldeans. The best of the people, those In which were the great est possibilities of good, and the larg- est capacity for being trained, were sent into far distant exile, for their schooling; very much as their ances. tors were disciplined and trained in the wilderness that they might be en- abled to take possession of the Prom ised Land
 They were as sheep without shep- hard TNhajr form u-bn had placed as shepherds over his peo- pie in their own land. had proved false, and instead of leading them to the green pastures and still waters of obedience and righteousness, had done none of the things ruler-shepherd ought to do They killed the flock in- stead of feeding it. They neglected the sick. They left the flock to be torn by wild beasts They let them be scattered upon the face of the earth, and none did search or seek after them." Now God promised them a true shepherd
 Ezekiel became one of the Society of Encouragers. The new day was yet nearly 50 years in the future. but the promise and the hope and the goal were from this time before their eyes. The possibility of redemption, of new life of blessing. of a glorious and perfect heaven. is one of the first es- sentials for escaping from a life of sin The assurance of a perfect earth, of the transformation of this world into the kingdom of heaven, is strength, courage, success for those laboring for this object
 In order to attain this hope, and realize this promise, it was abso lutely necessary that they should have change Of heart. The heart in Scripture denotes the center of mans personal activities. It is the organ of thought the seat of the affections, and all moral impulses, of choice. and love. From right heart flows a right fife. from a wrong heart flows a wrong life
 A home of worship, temple or church, hours Of Bible study and wor- hip, sacred days, some forms of serv- ce or ritual, persons set apart for re- igious teaching-are essential to the ultivation of religion and the prog ess of the truth These forms and irs must indeed be filled with the spirit. They that worship God must worship him in spirit and in truth"
 Hence these visions of Ezekiel And in fact, there grew up among the ex- les, religious organizations, syna- gogues, schools, Sabbath Keeping which prepared them for their return and their restoration as the visible people of God The temple was the symbol of Gods permanent presence, The glory of the Lord came into the house. The glory of the Lord filled the house" and his voice was like a noise of many waters; and the earth shined with his glory" And he said unto me, Son of Man, the place of my throne, and the place of the soles of my feet where will dwell in the midst of the children of Israel for ever, and ny holy nam9, shall be the house of israel no more defiled"
 One thing only was wanting, the wa ters of eternal life the Holy Spirit in each one who receives, a well 0. water springing up into everlasting life. It is the stream of salvation widening into the gospel. flowing trough the centuries
 On the east side of the Jerusalem emple there is a valley which leads the Dead sea. The healing waters a soft flowing stream. regarded as g hOi nf tho influence of the divine presence in Is rael, came from God, through his sane tuary, the source Of all good, all pow CT for salvation So six centuries later the powers which have changed the world, the widened stream of sal vation, came from the risen Saviour
 It cannot be useless to insist upon
 clear understanding of the relative
 ositions of the threshold from be- aw which the waters proceed forth,
 nd the Dead sea which is to be heal cd thereby.
 The river brings life, wherever it's waters flow, The Dead sea, wherein 1t is impossible for any form of life to flourish, not even saltwater fish," it fills with fish as many and great as in the Mediterranean itself It leals the heavy sulphurous waters nd they are filled with living things
 So the new life that God was bring. ng to the exiles. would change all heir discouragements and hardness of heart. their tendencies to sin and idolatry, all their heather surround f,,a,,
 ened their consciences and darkened