Ezekiel 21:27 I will overturn, overturn, overturn, it: and it shall be no more, until he come whose right it is; and I will give it him. There is a well-known phrase which has been applied by one and another to various things in the world, just as anything happened to be a favourite of prejudice or fancy, "Esto perpetua." But methinks a sober and enlightened looker on the world will not find very many things on which he can deliberately pronounce it. He certainly cannot begin with the state of his own mind, taken entire and as it is. And if he cast a rapid glance of survey over the world, his attention will soon be arrested by many things which he would not wish exempted from such a denunciation as that of the text. Perhaps we should not proceed without first protesting against the passion for mere change and commotion; a restless discontent that everything should continue as it is. Yet Providence may occasionally make use even of this for its great purposes; may let loose the wild violence, and direct its operation, on what is decreed to be demolished. However, a good man wants not to excite to activity any such spirit while he beholds the things he wishes overturned. What things? At different times you have been moved with regret and indignation and almost horror as the several grand evils that are oppressing and blasting the world have unfolded their deformity and malignant effects to your view. I. Perhaps the first that will occur to the mind is — FALSE, PERNICIOUS RELIGION. Religion! the light of the world! turned into error, delusion, and darkness! Religion! the sacred bond of the creature to the glorious Creator! rent and reformed into a bondage to all that is in opposition to Him! Religion! designed as the purifier and elevator of man, — transformed into the promoter, even the creator and the sanction, of his corruption and degradation! Religion, in short, the happiness of man on earth, and the preparation for eternal happiness, converted into a cause of misery here and hereafter! Then, "overturn! overturn!" Imagine, in any country, a mighty fortress of a cruel tyrant, constituting the main strength of his occupancy, — even the most dreadful earthquake would be almost welcome to the people, if they saw that it was prostrating the massive walls, the impregnable towers of this fortress; their own humble abodes might be seen falling, but "look yonder! something else is also falling!" II. Again, what ruinations there must be on earth before Christianity is set quite clear and pure from all the corruptions of WORLDLY POLICY. "Overturn!" will still be his prayer with respect to all systems and institutions, which, by their principle, put religion on any ground where it must be necessarily and primarily a secular affair; where the spiritual interests shall be made formally subsidiary and servile to the secular; where secular regards will necessarily have the ascendancy; where the leading considerations will naturally be those of emolument and ambition. III. The history of the world presents, almost over its whole vast breadth, one melancholy spectacle of MANKIND SUBJECTED TO THE UNCONTROLLED WILL OF A FEW INDIVIDUALS, assuming the station of deities, and very many of them the worst of their race, "the basest of men!" Such a system resolutely maintained must come to a tremendous result. It will ultimately compel two vast orders of will and force into awful conflict; like that of the fire and water of the last day. For it cannot be that God has appointed the general human mind to subside in a quiet enslavement and stagnation. There will be mighty commotions; a "shaking of the nations," in all probability. But the omens are very dark as to any speedy results from them of a hind to satisfy a Christian and philanthropic spirit. The gloomy omens arise from this, — that God has His own controversy with all the nations. (John Foster.) Parallel Verses KJV: I will overturn, overturn, overturn, it: and it shall be no more, until he come whose right it is; and I will give it him. |
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