274 What more could God do for Israel than He had done? What more can He do for the church than He has done? Having given unto It His Son, will He not with Him also freely give us all things? “ At ease in Zion!” Jerusalem, rich, prosperous, bountifully blessed of God, having a good time. Where would you look for humility if not among God’s people? But where you look for a holy people you find them in the swim of earthly pleasure. Where you look for self-sacriflce you find self-indulgence. Where you look for spirituality, you find worldliness. ' “ At ease!” Luxury has left its mark upon the church, the nation and the individual. (Ezek. 16:49.) “Behold, this was the iniquity ol thy sister Sodom, pride, fulness of bread, and abundance of idleness was in her and in her daughters, neither did she strengthen the hand of the poor and needy.” The more we sin, the less able are we to realize the consequences. Sin hard ens. Whatever weakens the reason, blunts the sensibilities, deadens the con science, robs one of has spiritual power. God’s trumpet call of “Woe! Woe! Woe!” announces a coming judgment. Some hope that it will not be in their day. Some try not to think about it at all. God warned Israel (Jer. 44:4, 5) “Howbeit I sent unto you all my ser vants the prophets, rising early and send ing them, saying, Oh, do not this abomin able thing that I hate. But they hearkened not, nor inclined their ear to turn from their wickedness.” There is a “ woe” for the rich, and for the full (Luke 6:24-26) “But woe unto you that are rich! for ye have received your consolation. Woe unto you that are full! for ye shall hunger. Woe unto you that laugh now! for ye shall mourn and weep.” The rich man said, “ I will build greater,” but God said, “ Thou fool.” (Luke 16:19-26) Men say, “ My Lord delayeth His com ing” (Matt. 24:48). Others say, “Where is the sign of His coming?” (2 Pet. 3 :4). God says, “ Take heed” (Luke 21:34, 36; 1 Thess. 5:31
THE K I N G ’ S BUS I NE S S “And take heed to yourselves, lest at any time your hearts be overcharged with surfeiting, and drunkenness, and cares of this life, and so that day come upon you unawares. For as a snare shall it come on them that dwell on the face of the whole earth.” “For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape.” PRACTICAL POINTS (1) Persistent abuse of privileges provokes the judgment of Jehovah. (2) God will settle accounts with all of those who sit at ease in Zion. (3) The prophet’s position is not popular, but profitable. (4) “ Pride goeth before destruc tion, and a haughty spirit before a fall” (Prov. 16:18). (5) You may put off the evil day, but you cannot postpone the judgment. (6) Self-indulgence and spirituality are fierce foes. (7) “ Pleasures are l i k e poppies spread, You sieze the bloom, the flower is fled.” (8) Prosperous a n d bountifully blessed, yet preparing for the judgment. (9) Though “ Peace and safety” be on the lips of men, judgment is proph esied in the Word of God. v. 1. At ease in Zion. If you are idle you are on the road to ruin and there are few stopping places upon it. It is rather a precipice than a road.— Beecher. Idleness COMMENTS FROM is an inlet to dis- MANY SOURCES order and makes Keith h . Brooks way for licen tiousness. People that have nothing to do quickly tire of their own company.— Collier. Chief of the nations. Great nations and great men are apt to overvalue themselves and to overlook their neighbors, because they think they overtop them. For a check to their pride the prophet bids them take notice of those cities that were within the compass of their knowl edge (v. 2), that had been as illustrious in their time as ever Zion or Samaria, and yet were destroyed. The examples of others’ ruin forbid us to be secure.— Henry.
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