_Fill thy hand with coals of fire from between the cherubims and scatter them over the city._ DIVINE FORCES AND HUMAN AGENTS IS RETRIBUTION I. There are in the economy of God, terrific forces for the destruction of evil. The whirling globe of fire was but a symbol of the manifold elements that, thr... [ Continue Reading ]
_And there appeared in the cherubims the form of a man’s hand under their wings._ THE HAND AND THE WING There are two proofs of our religious life. The first is our great thoughts of God; the second is our great deeds for God. On the first we soar up to Him as on a wing; with the second we labour f... [ Continue Reading ]
_The four wheels by the cherubims._ THE DIVINE GOVERNMENT I. This vision represents the absolute and universal government of God. 1. That God does possess and wield such a government is indicated by the reference to the throne--an object which is in itself the symbol of supreme power. It is indic... [ Continue Reading ]
_Full of eyes round about._ DIVINE VIGILANCE God has been called “All eye.” This is the terrible pain of living, that there is no privacy, no solitude, no possibility of a man getting absolutely with himself and by himself. Wherever we are we are in public. We can, indeed, exclude the vulgar public... [ Continue Reading ]
_O wheel._ THE WHEEL OF PROVIDENCE I take this figure to refer to Divine providence--the actual dealings of the Creator with His creatures; so various, so complicated, and yet so harmonious after all. I. The changes in God’s providence. The chariot that we see here is not of the old rude type, not... [ Continue Reading ]
_Every one had four faces; the first face was the face of a cherub._ THE CHRISTIAN MINISTRY The text seems to have a decided reference to the angelic hosts,--those ministers of God who do His pleasure. To resemble these should be the great desire of every Christian, that God’s will may be done on... [ Continue Reading ]
_When they stood, these stood; and when they were lifted up, these lifted up themselves also._ FEET AND WINGS Flying creatures have wings for the air and feet for the ground. This touch of nature is put on God’s cherubim. The prophet intends no special religious lesson here, but the fact he cites... [ Continue Reading ]
_Then the glory of the Lord departed._ DEPARTING GLORY 1. How unwilling the Lord is to depart, and leave that people He hath dwelt amongst, and been engaged unto! 2. There is no visible church but may fall, and cease to be. God is not tied to any place, to any people; but if they corrupt His wors... [ Continue Reading ]
_The likeness of the hands of a man was under their wings._ WING AND HAND In two places in Ezekiel we are told there were hands under the wings: human hands; hands like ours. If this world is ever brought to God, it will be by appreciation of the fact that supernatural and human agencies are to go... [ Continue Reading ]