be the
bride, the Lamb's wife. The principles involved in the prophecy belong
to the region of purely spiritual religion, and are worth pondering,
apart from any question of the place and manner of fulfilment.

First comes the great truth that the foundation, so far as concerns the
history of a soul or of a community, of all other good is divine
forgiveness (v. 25). Ezekiel, the priest, casts the promise into
ceremonial form, and points to the sprinklings of the polluted under the
law, or to the ritual of consecration to the priesthood. That cleansing
is the removal of already contracted defilement, especially of the guilt
of idolatry. It is clearly distinguished from the operation on the
inward nature which follows; that is to say, it is the promise of
forgiveness, or of justification, not of sanctification.

From what deep fountains in the divine nature that 'clean water' was to
flow, Ezekiel does not know; but we have learned that a more precious
fluid than water is needed, and have to think of Him 'who came not by
water only, but by water and blood,' in whom we have redemption through
His blood, even the forgiveness of our sins. But the central idea of
this first promise is that it must be God's hand which sprinkles from an
evil conscience. Forgiveness is a divine prerogative. He only can, and
He will, cleanse from all filthiness. His pardon is universal. The most
ingrained sins cannot be too black to melt away from the soul. The
dye-stuffs of sin are very strong, but there is one solvent which they
cannot resist. There are no 'fast colours' which God's 'clean water'
cannot move. This cleansing of pardon underlies all the rest of the
blessings. It is ever the first thing needful when a soul returns to
God.

Then follows an equally exclusively divine act, the impartation of a new
nature, which shall secure future obedience (vs. 26, 27). Who can thrust
his hand into the depths of man's being, and withdraw one
life-principle and enshrine another, while yet the individuality of the
man remains untouched? God only. How profound the consciousness of
universal obstinacy and insensibility which regards human nature, apart
from such renewal, as possessing but a 'heart of stone'! There are no
sentimental illusions about the grim facts of humanity here. Superficial
views of sin and rose-tinted fancies about human nature will not admit
the truth of the Scripture doctrine of sinfulness, alienation from God.
They diagnose the