"dage through fear of death;" who can think with compofure of "the house appointed for all living;" who can spend an hour among the tombs, and fay, "Well, hither I have no reluctance to come when my "heavenly Father fends the fummons. I know in "whom I have believed; and am perfuaded that He " is able to keep that which I have committed to him "against that day." "O Death! where is thy fting? O Grave! where is thy victory? The fting "of death is fin, and the strength of fin is the law; "but thanks be to God, who giveth us the victory "through our Lord Jefus Chrift." SERMON XXI. SERVICE DONE FOR GOD REWARDED. EZEK. xxix. 17-20. And it came to pass in the feven and twentieth year, in the first month, in the first day of the month, the word of the Lord came unto me, faying, Son of man, Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon caufed his army to ferve a great fervice against Tyrus: every head was made bald, and every fhoulder was peeled; yet had he no wages, nor bis army for Tyrus, for the fervice that he had ferved against it: therefore thus faith the Lord God, behold, I will give the land of Egypt unto Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon; and he shall take her multitude, and take her spoil, and take her prey; and it fhall be the wages for his army. I have given him the land of Egypt for his labour wherewith he ferved against it, because they wrought for me, faith the Lord God. 66 SURELY the Lord will do nothing, tr but he revealeth his fecret unto his fervants the "prophets." When he would bring in the flood upon the ungodly world, he divulged his purpofe to Noah. From Abraham he would not hide the thing he was about to do in the deftruction of the cities of the plain. When by his judgments he refolved to punish the house of Eli, he lodged the heavy tidings with Samuel. To. Ifaiah, Jeremiah, and Ezekiel, he announced the revolutions and doom of the furrounding nations. Now this was done, first, for the honour of these distinguished fervants of God, by fhewing the confidential friendship with which he favoured them; and fecondly, for the conviction and confirmation of others. The truth of these predictions would increafingly appear in their fucceffive accomplishments. The inference was obvious and undeniable. Who could draw back the veil which conceals futurity? Who could pierce through the obfcurity of ages and generations, and foretell things to come? He, and He alone," who declareth the end from the beginning, and from ancient times the things that are not yet "done; faying, My counsel shall stand, and I will do "all my pleasure." The burden of the prophecy which is to engage your present thoughts, is the donation of Egypt to the king of Babylon for his trouble in taking Tyre. Tyre was a place famous for navigation, merchandise, and riches. Our prophet calls it, “The mart of 66 nations," and enumerates the various countries in whose commerce it traded. But trade is perpetually changing its refidence. It paffed from Tyre to Alexandria, from Alexandria to Venice, from Venice to Antwerp, from Antwerp to Amfterdam, from Amsterdam to London. And if there be any truth in hiftory, an abundance of commerce has generally, if not univerfally, proved the ruin of the countries in which it has prevailed. It pours in wealth; wealth is favourable to every fpecies of wickedness; and wickedness, by its natural tendency, as well as by the curfe of God, brings in calamity and mifery. So it was with Tyre. Luxury, pride, infolence, licentioufnefs of manners, indifference to the diftreffes of others, presumptuous confidence in their refources, all these abounded among them and foreboded the evil day; "Therefore thus faith the Lord God: Behold "I am against thee, O Tyrus, and will caufe many "nations to come up against thee, as the fea caufeth "his waves to come up. For behold, I will bring . upon Tyrus, Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon, a "king of kings, from the north, with horfes and with chariots, and with horsemen, and companies, and "much people. He fhall flay with the fword thy "daughters in the field: and he shall make a fort "against thee, and caft a mount against thee, and lift up the buckler against thee. And he fhall fet engines of war against thy walls, and with his axes he "fhall break down thy towers. And I will make "thee like the top of a rock; thou fhalt be a place "to fpread nets upon; I the Lord have spoken it." This prediction was now accomplished. Tyre had fallen, but not without immenfe labour and lofs. Thirteen years Nebuchadrezzar befieged it with a large army. Toiling for fo many feasons, night and day, fummer and winter, the foldiers endured incredible hardships; " ઃઃ every head was bald; every fhoul"der was peeled." For the walls were deemed im pregnable, and the place being open to the fea could eafily receive fresh supplies of provision and of men from the various colonies which they had in the Mediterranean. But its fate was determined. At length a breach was made; and further refiftance became ufelefs.. But numbers of the Tyrians escaped in their veffels, after taking their most valuable articles on board, and throwing the reft into the fea; fo that Nebuchadrezzar when he entered, instead of a rich booty to indemnify him for his loffes, found nothing but empty houses and ruins. This was no fmall mortification. Ezekiel is therefore commiffioned to infure him the acquifition of a country, where he would find lefs difficulty and more recompenfe; a country abounding in corn, in cattle, and all kinds of riches. "And it came to pafs in the feven and twentieth year, in the first month, in the first day of the "month, the word of the Lord came unto me, faying, "Son of man, Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon "caused his army to ferve a great fervice against Ty "rus: every head was made bald, and every fhoul"der was peeled; yet had he no wages, nor his ar my, for Tyrus, for the fervice that he had ferved : "against it therefore thus faith the Lord God, "Behold, I will give the land of Egypt unto Nebu"chadrezzar king of Babylon; and he shall take her ❝ multitude, and take her spoil, and take her prey ; "and it shall be the wages for his army. I have giv "en him the land of Egypt for his labour wherewith "he ferved againft it, because they wrought for me, "faith the Lord God." Thefe words furnish us with three reflections. |