96. The Marshes.

But the miry places thereof and the marishes thereof shall not be healed; they shall be given to salt. - Ezekiel 47:11.

THE prophet saw in vision the flow of the life-giving river, and marked its wonderful and beneficial effects.

Let the chapter be read, and a brief abstract of it be given.

The prophet also observed that here and there the river carried no blessing: there were marshes which remained as barren as ever.

I. THERE ARE SOME MEN WHOM THE GOSPEL DOES NOT BLESS.

l. It stagnates in them: they hear in vain; learn but do not practice; feel but do not decide; resolve but do not perform.

2. It mingles with their corruptions, as clear water with the mire of the marshes. They see with blinded eye, understand in a carnal manner, and receive truth but not in the power of it.

3. It becomes food for their sins, even as rank sour grass is produced by the stagnant waters of "miry places."

· Their unbelief makes mysteries into apologies for infidelity.

· Their enmity is stirred by the sovereignty of grace.

· Their impenitence takes liberties from grace, and makes excuses out of divine mercy.

· Their carnal security feeds on the fact of having heard the gospel.

4. It makes them worse and worse. The more rain, the more mire.

· The more grace misused, the more wicked the heart.

· The more unsanctified knowledge, the greater the capacity for evil.

· The more false profession, the more treachery.

II. SOME OF THESE WE HAVE KNOWN.

These marshes are at no great distance. They constitute an eye-sore, and a heart-sore, near at hand.

1. The talkative man, who lives in sin: flooded with knowledge, but destitute of love: fluent expression but no experience.

2. Those critics who note only the faults of Christians, and are quick to dwell on them; but are false themselves.

3. Those who receive orthodox truth, and yet love the world.

4. Those who feel impressed and moved, but never obey the word. They delight to hear the gospel, and only the gospel, and yet they have no spiritual life.5. Those who are mere officials, and attend to religion in a mechanical manner. Judas is both treasurer and traitor, apostle and apostate. His descendants are among us.

III. SUCH PERSONS ARE IN A TERRIBLE PLIGHT.

Their condition is more than commonly dreadful.

1. Because they are not aware of it: they think it is well with them.

2. Because the ordinary means of blessing men have failed in their case. That which is a river of life to others is not so to them.

3. In some instances the very best means have failed. A special river of gracious opportunity has flowed down to them, but its streams have visited them in vain.

4. No known means now remain: "What shall I do unto thee?" What more can be hoped for from the economy of mercy?

5. Their ruin appears certain: they will be given over; left to themselves, to be barren marshes.

6. Their ruin is as terrible as it is sure: much like that of the cities of the plain — given to salt; only their doom will be less tolerable than that of Sodom and Gomorrah.

IV. FROM THESE WE MAY LEARN.

1. A lesson of warning, lest we ourselves be visibly visited by grace streams, and yet never profit thereby.

2. A lesson of arousing, lest we rest in ordinances, which in themselves are not necessarily a saving blessing.

3. A lesson of gratitude: if we are indeed healed by the life-river, let us bless the effectual grace of the Lord our God.

4. A lesson of quickening to ministers and other workers, that they may look well to the results of their labor, and not be making marshes where they wish to create fields rich with harvest.