Notes of a Sermon

By the late Rev. CHRISTOPHER MUNRO, Strathy.

Preached at Kilmuir, Skye, in February, 1861.

“Thus said he unto me, Prophesy unto the wind, prophesy, son of man, and say to the wind, Thus saith the Lord God; Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe upon these slain, that they may live. So I prophesied as he commanded me, and the breath came into them, and they lived, and stood upon their feet, an exceeding great army.”—EZEK. xxxvii. 9, 10.

A leaf is wanting in the MS., but at the point where it starts the preacher evidently represents Ezekiel as addressing the Lord.

“I AM sensible of my weakness, and feel the responsibility of the duty so much that I fear I may not be able to do justice, to deliver Thy message as correctly as possible, and that I may be the cause of the work failing, if it be necessary to observe such accuracy in speaking Thy word.” “If afraid of this, Ezekiel (the Lord may be implied as answering), I shall go with thee, and direct thee, teach thee and keep thee right, which surely is not more difficult for Me to do than put life in the dry bones.”

Ezekiel goes and declares and speaks the words put into his mouth, speaks to the bones and declares unto them that it was the Lord’s purpose to restore them to life, and describes the process or the order in which the work was to be accomplished. Supposing two or more unbelievers as rationalists were to hear him, such a colloquy as this might take place between them. “See this man in the garb of a prophet, in yonder glen, down below, as if he were preaching. Let us go and see what he is about, and hear what he says, for, if it be no other benefit, it will while away so much time.” They agree to go. As they approach, they begin to hear his voice, and they say, “Now, let us listen. “Ah,” says one, “he seems to be speaking to bones. Are there any bones here?” “Yes, I see the valley full of bones,” says the other.” He says he has a message from God to the bones. Surely he must be mad. Would the Creator, who is wise, ever think of sending so absurd a message? The thing is impossible. It is so contrary to all reason and to all experience that no sensible man could give heed to what he says. Shall we go up to him and remonstrate with him concerning his foolish procedure? We may; if it serve no other end, we’ll have some amusement, or get materials for turning the man and his doings into ridicule.”

Well, they come near, and accost the prophet, and ask him what he is doing there. “I am prophesying,” he replies. “To whom?” “To the dead bones you see all around.” “Who sent thee to prophesy? Surely you must be a false prophet, or else a man destitute of all common sense, when you spend time speaking to bones.” “I would say so too, but the Lord sent me and commanded me to speak to them His word.” “What did He command thee to say?” “That He will put life into them, and make them living men as they were at the beginning.” “Do you think that the all-wise Creator would send a message to bones, or that He will depart out of the ordinary course of nature to quicken men who have been long dead? We never heard of such a thing happening since men began to die, and we cannot believe that it is to take place now.” “I have no doubt (replies the prophet) of having been sent here by the Lord, and of having received this message, and I believe He is able to do what He has promised regarding them.” “But we question the fact of His sending you, and of His promising any such thing. And may you not see yourself that we have good ground for our opinion. It is contrary to reason to expect what you say is about to happen, and, moreover, we see no sign of any life among them, after all your prophesying and your pretensions to a heavenly message.” “All your reasoning and objections (the prophet again answers) do not move me, and if you have nothing more to state, you had better go your ways, and let me proceed with my work.” “There is no use speaking to this man; he is evidently of an unsound mind, a weak, fanatical, superstitious being, and so we better leave him and allow him to proceed in his own ways.”

Ezekiel proceeds with delivering his message, and it is possible he might have seen no effect upon them at first. Supposing he had not, he might have repeated it again and again, yet without any effect, and so begin to doubt himself and say unto the Lord, “I have now again and again declared Thy message, and see nothing of the result that I was led to expect. I am now beginning to grow weary, and to think it useless to speak any longer.” “Thou art very impatient, Ezekiel; why despair so soon? Did I say when your prophesying would take effect? Did I mention a day or an hour?” “No,” replies Ezekiel. “If not, what makes you think of giving up? Dost thou doubt My word, my power, my purpose, my promise?” “No, Lord.” “If not, why despond; why not exercise patience and hope, and why not wait until my time comes?” “True, I have been guilty of impatience, and will now proceed in Thy name and wait.”

Before he gave up prophesying, the Lord’s work began; proofs of His power being at work began to appear. There was a stir among the bones. A noise was heard, a shaking was observed, and a movement was taking place; a bone here and there moving, and taking with great precision its own place in the skeleton. This was a sight worth seeing, wonderful when considered, and surely the prophet would be glad and encouraged, and would with peculiar interest observe what was taking place. He had, however, to continue prophesying, for he was not to desist till the work was done. And as this was so, he did not give way to wonder and curiosity, and run about and take notice how the work was going on, or hurry away to tell others that they might come and see the movement going on among the dry bones, which resulted from his preaching. He knew his work better, and so continued at the post of duty. It is likely the prophecy and the word kept pace with each other.

The first part was, “O, ye dry bones, hear the word of the Lord.” The effect of hearing was a noise and a shaking, and each bone came to its bone. The bones now show symptoms of hearing. The whole of the message is summed up in one sentence, “Behold, I will cause breath to enter into you, and ye shall live.” This was good news to the dead. And it is to be noticed that its message consists of what the Lord was about to do, and not what they, or any other creature, could do. What He does comes of His goodwill, of His sovereign mercy and love. The bones could have no hand in the matter, no share in the work. Neither could Ezekiel; all he could do was to speak the word of the Lord. In putting breath into them there was something more necessary than merely to breathe on them. Therefore, He says, “I will lay sinews upon you, and bring up flesh upon you, and cover you with skin, and put breath in you, and ye shall live; and ye shall know that I am the Lord.” This work proceeded in a regular order, as all God’s work does. The hearing came in consequence of the call, “Hear ye the word of the Lord;” the sinews in connection with the promise that He would lay sinews on them; the flesh and the skin in the same manner. Thus the promise was fulfilled, and they were now ready for the last step—for the vital breath. The manner in which this took place is more minutely described, and must be deferred for consideration to some future time, if the Lord grant any.

Important Lessons from this Chapter

Let me then, at present, direct your attention to some of the more important lessons taught us in this part of the chapter.

1. We may find here a general notion of that which constitutes the gospel. To express more correctly what I mean, we have the import of the gospel stated in a short compass, namely, a sovereign purpose on the part of God to save a people for Himself from among sinners of mankind, who are by nature dead in trespasses and sins, and the manner in which He executes it, together with its results. This purpose includes all that it was necessary to contrive and to execute in order to save sinners consistently with the glory of God. In one word, it contains all that is meant by the covenant of grace—the fixing on the Son to be its head, the work given Him to do, the promises also given Him by the Father as to the fruits of His work, as well as those given Him in reference to the support needed by Him in carrying on His work. The end of all this was to bestow life on them; this was the command given Him by the Father, even to bestow eternal life on His people.

2. We thus learn, seeing sinners are dead, how entirely salvation is from God. Nothing can be more evident than that the dead cannot come to life, except through the exercise of divine power, and as clear is it that the sinner’s salvation must come from God, and not from any other quarter.

3. We may also learn what external means the Lord has appointed for applying this salvation—namely, the preaching of the gospel by human instrumentality, by men sent by God Himself, to whom He commits the message of reconciliation and life.

4. We have here an intimation of the view in which God sees man by nature, and according to which they are to be addressed as dead souls, as “dry bones.” “O, ye dry bones, hear the word of the Lord.” This is similar to the command, “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved.” “Thou art lost—sinful—dead in sins; hear, ye dead, hear, ye dry bones.” It was evident to the prophet that they were dry bones, so that he could not apply any other name to them. Men must be addressed as sinners, not as good, righteous people, or as people who need only advice, persuasion, and entreaty, but as individuals who need divine power to quicken them. Men now, as in former times, may not believe this, but it is the teaching of God’s Word throughout. If men are so dead, the preaching of the word by itself cannot quicken sinners more than the words of the prophet could cause life to enter the bones. If it is, however, God’s appointed way, it must be employed and persevered in, because He commands it.

5. We have an account here of the effect produced when God sends forth His power. The dry bones come to each other; then come the sinews, flesh and skin, and then life which is accompanied by faith and knowledge of the true God. So is it when He sends forth His power to convert sinners by the preaching of the gospel. There is just a noise and a shaking among them. There is produced conviction of sin, faith in the existence of God and of His being lawgiver, king and judge. The sinner at this stage is led to consider, to lay to heart and realise his relation to God, his duties towards Him, his chief end, and his destiny as an immortal and responsible being, and sees that he has sinned as to all his duties to God, and believes that he is therefore under the wrath and curse of God. He considers himself lost and undone, and is found exercised or occupied with the question, “What must I do to be saved?” He abstains from open sins; he endeavours to conform his conduct to the word of God; he studies and examines the Scriptures; he prays, and he uses all the means of grace. He is no longer a trifler in this matter; he carries about with him a sense of divine and eternal things; he makes progress in knowledge, not only of the law but of the doctrines of the gospel. The understanding is enlightened, the reason is exercised, the conscience asserts its place and performs its office. The necessity of a change of heart and will is not only believed but felt. Thus the man is brought into some shape, and moulded intellectually and externally according to the truth, but there is no life. Evangelical hope, repentance and love are not present till the soul is quickened. There may be much stir and noise where there is yet no life. There may be much conviction, brokenness of spirit or hope, much conformity without, much use of means, where there is no union to Jesus, without which there is no life, and consequently no salvation. This life, however, is to be communicated, and where this great change takes place, it is followed by the knowledge of the true God.

The Bible

This knowledge is spiritual, for God is a spirit. Man lost it, as was observed in the first discourse on this vision. Adam was possessed of it at his creation, but none of his posterity has it in the least degree by nature. The creature’s obtaining it is to him like coming to a new state of existence. In Scripture this change is compared to one passing from darkness into light and from death into life. All old things pass away, and all things are made new. The Bible is to him a new book. Formerly he read it but understood it not; he felt little or no interest in it; he had no delight in it, and was ready to get weary and listless, when he either read it himself or heard another read it. But now it is to him the word of the living God, the word of the blessed Saviour, the voice of the good Shepherd, of his beloved One, the words of eternal life. He therefore becomes earnest in studying it that he may know it and do it. He sees light here to guide him, and looks in it for all that can be known in this life of divine things, of God’s character, will and salvation, for all also that can be known here concerning the world of spirits, concerning the future state of all living. He seeks not to false gods or visions. To the law and to the testimony is now his rule, and all others are laid aside as useless and sinful.

Prayer

Prayer is a new thing. Formerly he might have been satisfied with going through a form, but now he looks upon this duty or religious exercise in the light of a means whereby intercourse with God is maintained, in which there is access to Him, or to His throne where the soul can make known his wants and find mercy and grace, or the supply of all his need.

The Means of Grace

The means of grace are likewise new. He uses these that he may grow in grace and in the knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.

The Sabbath

The Sabbath is new. He formerly felt it a burden, and considered it hard to be restrained from vanity and worldly talk and conversation; now he is disposed to call it a delight, the honourable of the Lord: he delights in it as a season which the Lord has sanctified for Himself and commands to be devoted to His service. He delights in the Lord’s house and in the meetings of His people; he is joyful when it is said unto him, “Let us go up into the house of God.” He aims at walking in the ways of all the divine commandments, endeavours to give new obedience thereto. He is enlightened in the knowledge of Jesus as the Saviour, receives Him and trusts on Him alone for salvation. He needs Him as his mediator, as his prophet priest and king. He believes in Him in this prophetic office as one whose office is to reveal the Father, to reveal His will and to teach the way of life. He needs Him in His priestly office as one who made an atonement for sin, for the creature feels that he is a sinner and can have no intercourse with God but through this atoning Mediator. He needs Him in his kingly office to save him from iniquity, from all evil and from his foes which he finds increasing continually. “O Lord, how are my foes increased? Against me many rise.” The soul sees in Christ an all-sufficient fulness. He hears Christ inviting the like of him to come to Him, and he comes and trusts in Him. The Lord Jesus is infinitely worthy of all this: the sinner believes Him to be so, rejoices because of its truth, and esteems Him altogether lovely.

Here then we see in what state sinners are, and how they can be delivered out of it, and the effects that follow this deliverance, from the consideration of which each here may learn whether he has been delivered or not.

Have you been awakened in any measure to a sense of your sinful and miserable condition? According to this portion of Scripture, have there been any noise and shaking among the dry bones? Have you been led to consider seriously what sin is, and what are your relation and duty towards God? Have you been led to study the Bible as the Word of God, and to conform your life to its precepts and directions? If not, there is as yet no life in you. You are dead, and, if so, how sad to think of your despising God, His truth, and salvation! Some, I fear, never think of Him at all, never think of calling on His name, of bowing before Him for mercy to their souls, for being delivered from death or from sin. How long are you determined not to have anything to do with your Creator, while sitting on a throne of mercy, while inviting you to come and to reason with Him, that your sins may be cleansed away, and that you may live. There is no folly like this. Harken diligently, then, to His word, till He may render it a life-giving word, and that thus you may be made a partaker of eternal life.

Have you been moved and awakened, and life breathed into you? Then you must know the Lord God in Christ Jesus. This is the result, as you read here of being quickened unto life. And if you know Him, then you trust in Him, you fear Him, and endeavour to obey Him and love Him. You must acknowledge the fact that you are not your own, but His, that you are not at liberty to act as others do, or as the world without God do; but be ready to say, “Whatever others do. I and my house will serve the Lord.” If you thus know Him, grow in knowledge and in grace. Follow closely in the footsteps of the flock, in the footsteps of Him who is their chief shepherd and great ensample, and when this Shepherd shall appear, then you shall be acknowledged as His, and obtain the reward, even that crown of glory that fadeth not away. To be crowned by Him with a crown of this description is of infinite blessedness.

Some of low degree in this life are apt to be elated if the high and honourable take any favourable notice of them, and more so if they bestow favours upon them, if they confer honours that are in themselves empty and perishing. But what are all favours and honours and rewards bestowed by men, however high and rich, compared to what Christ shall bestow on them who are His? And what disappointment like theirs who are vainly expecting to enter heaven when they shall be separated from his people and moved away to His left hand, which will at once deprive them of all hopes for ever and ever!

Is He not coming, is not the great day of the Lord fast approaching? Is not the time given for preparing for this greatest of all events rapidly shortening? Is it not near its termination with not a few? O, who can bear it, if unprepared for it? None.

The world seem to be becoming more and more forgetful of this day, and to live as if it were not to take place. Their indifference, however, shall not prevent its approach, for it is ordained by Him whose counsel shall stand, whose word shall not fall to the ground, but abideth for ever and ever. Be not deceived then as to its truths. Slumber not, lest you be found sleeping without oil in your lamps, and so be shut out, and dwell in the blackness of darkness for ever.

A Sabbath-Breaker’s End.—The case of Dawson Reid, which had for some time been pending before the Sheriff, was decided towards the close of last month by a sentence of eight months’ imprisonment. The accusation laid and proved against the offender was forgery of two documents—the one a cheque, the other a receipt. What renders the case significant is that Reid was the secretary and moving spirit of the profane Sabbath Steam-boat Company, whose beginnings were chronicled in this magazine four years ago. Churchgoers who had occasion to cross Jamaica Bridge on their way to the forenoon service were constantly grieved during the summer months by the spectacle of Reid’s steamboat with her steam up and a string of ungodly persons making for her with necks stretched out as for a precious boon. The Sadducean press of our country have made a conspiracy against the Sabbath, and the whole scheme of life and thought that the Sabbath involves. But in Dawson Reid they have a manifestation of the folly and danger involved in this return to paganism. The Sabbath is the keystone of the Decalogue, and if this be removed, the whole fabric of the moral character is in danger of sudden collapse. In Reid’s case Sabbath profanation culminated in theft and forgery—crimes that have made him a menace to society, and resulted in changing his vision of affluence as a shipowner into the prospect of the dismal career of a jailbird. “The Lord is known by the judgment which He executeth, the sinner is snared in the works of his own hand.”