Ezekiel 23:1-35

The Reader will enter into the beauties of this Chapter, and the design of it also, if he takes with him the consideration all the way along as he reads it, that the whole scope of the Chapter is to set forth the wonderful baseness and stupidity of the Lord's Israel in committing fornication against the Lord. The Reader will not, I should hope, need to be put in mind, that the Lord all along, and in every part of his blessed scripture, is continually expressing his attachment to Israel, under the figure of the marriage state. And while we consider that sweet union of our nature with the person of Christ the Son of God, it will appear, that nothing can be more just and proper. Now then, when the Son of God by the assumption of our nature, becomes one with his people, for his Church to commit fornication with stocks and stones, and to set up dunghill gods, when brought into covenant relation with the Lord of life and glory; surely such base, worthless, unprincipled conduct, could not but be most glaringly offensive to the Lord God. And accordingly we find, not only in this Chapter, but in the writings of other Prophets, with what indignation the Lord speaks of it. See Hosea 1:1; Hosea 2:1; Hosea 3:1 throughout, Jeremiah 2:1; Jeremiah 3:1 etc. I hope the Reader will not fail to follow up the doctrine as relating to the Gospel Church in the present hour. Is not every one, who calls himself a truly converted soul to God in Christ, in the present day of the Church in a greater or less degree guilty of the same spiritual fornication, that is, not living wholly to the Lord, in resting altogether for salvation upon the merits, blood, and righteousness of the Lord Jesus Christ? To mingle anything with this, or to be looking to any object in a way of salvation but Christ, is in the language of this Chapter, to be doting upon our lovers, whose flesh is the flesh of asses, and whose issue is like the issue of horses: neither of which can profit or bring advantage. The Lord deliver all his redeemed ones from so dreadful a delusion!