A Sermon by Peter MacBride
Ezekiel 44:4-9. Then brought he me the way of the north gate before the house: and I looked, and, behold, the glory of the Lord filled the house of the Lord: and I fell upon my face. And the Lord said unto me, Son of man, mark well, and behold with thine eyes, and hear with thine ears all that I say unto thee concerning all the ordinances of the house of the Lord, and all the laws thereof; and mark well the entering in of the house, with every going forth of the sanctuary. And thou shalt say to the rebellious, even to the house of Israel, Thus saith the Lord God, O ye house of Israel, let it suffice you of all your abominations, in that ye have brought into My sanctuary strangers, uncircumcised in heart, and uncircumcised in flesh, to be in my sanctuary, to pollute it, even My house, when ye offer My bread, the fat and the blood, and they have broken My covenant because of all your abominations. And ye have not kept the charge of Mine holy things: but ye have set keepers of My charge in My sanctuary for yourselves. Thus saith the Lord God; No stranger, uncircumcised in heart, nor uncircumcised in flesh, shall enter into My sanctuary, of any stranger that is among the children of Israel.
We learn from Scripture itself that some parts of it are hard to be understood, and the concluding part of the prophet Ezekiel is generally reckoned to be of this description. Yet in such portions of the Word of God, while there are difficulties not easy to be understood or to explain, we may see some Divine light beaming forth even in them; and often other parts connected with them are clear, so that no part of Scripture is utterly uninteresting or useless. “All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness”. Such is this portion of the Word of God, where we will find much that is instructive and edifying if we are led by the Spirit.
In this passage we have a remarkable prophecy of the revival of true religion, the establishment of ordinances after the restoration from the desolation of the Babylonian captivity. Here we may see how, though the Church may be brought low and its worship overturned, that worship is again set up in purity, and how the Lord returns to that worship to bless it. We also see how true religion is rendered permanent on the earth and how those things that appear against them do ultimately lead to the purity, enlightenment and establishment of God’s cause on the earth; for although, after the return from Babylon, the worship of God was established and set up, yet the emblem here will not receive its full accomplishment till the latter days.
1. How the glory of the Lord fills the house. The prophet had seen this was the case at the setting up of the worship of the Lord. He first saw it set up, and then he saw the glory of the Lord coming and filling the house.
(1.) What is the source of God’s return to His house? This is entirely from Himself, not from anything in man. Every approach of God to sinful creatures is from Himself. It flows from His sovereign mercy and from the love in which there is mercy. He loves sinners. He loved them in Jesus Christ, His only begotten Son, and in Him He provides a way in which He might come near to the children of men, in consistency with the glory of His own nature and to the glory of all that He is. It is in virtue of the covenant thus established with Jesus Christ that the Lord returns in this manner.
(2.) As to the agent whereby this glory is manifested: this is in a special way Himself – more especially God in the Person of the Spirit, who, remember, is God. It is particularly a divine act to come thus into His house and to fill it; it is especially the work of the Spirit of God. This is not to be done by setting up a form of worship; it is equally not to be done by any individual, nor even by the angels of heaven; it is especially the work of God Himself to shine in His Church and fill His house with His glory. In order to approach this, we not only need ordinances, but we need God in those ordinances. We need God Himself to draw near to us; otherwise our house, however beautiful, may after all be left desolate.
(3.) Consider the work by which this is done. It is a gracious, renewing, quickening work. It is gracious, inasmuch as it flows entirely from divine grace and mercy. It shows mercy to the soul. There may be the presence of God, there may be the work of God, there may be much of the operation of the Spirit, which is not of this nature. But where God really manifests His glory, there grace and mercy are shown. There is something that specially distinguishes all who are subjects of it; they only receive it who are the objects of divine love and are redeemed by Jesus Christ. It is a renewing work. Nothing short of this dispels the face of the covering that is spread over all nations and all men by nature. Nothing but this opens the eye to see divine glory.
Jesus said, “Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God”: He is not able to see the kingdom of God, not able to see the glory of that kingdom or of God Himself. It is therefore a work that renews the soul after the image of God. It is a quickening work. It quickens the individual in whom it is wrought, by giving divine life to that individual, through the death of the Lord Jesus. It is the life of the grace of God that particularly distinguishes the true people of God. You do not distinguish them by their knowledge, or by their profession, or even by their outward conduct, but by this – they are living souls. There is a life in true religion, and therefore a sense, a feeling, an activity, to which the religion of infidels must always be a stranger. This life shows itself in faith and all things connected with it.
(4.) Consider the time when this glory fills the house of an individual soul, or of a number of individuals. This begins at the conversion of the soul, and it goes on as true religion advances in the soul. As it begins in the conversion of the soul, so the work goes on and is more and more manifest. Let me observe that this constitutes all the value of the means of grace, that God should in this manner come in them. What does it signify that we have the means, that we have ordinances? What does it signify what we have if God is a stranger in the means? If He does not come in this manner and in these means, and if He does not fill the house with His glory, what does it signify what we have? “Ichabod” may be written on the temple when God is gone, when the glory of God is gone. What is a table, what is a church without God? They are just slaughter houses where sacrifices are preparing for the damnation of hell. And yet, how much we rest satisfied without God at all!
To have God constitutes the foundation of all true religion. There is no religion at all where God is not, where He does not come near to manifest His glory. There is nothing agreeable to Him in the worship you offer, or in your attendance on means where this is not the case. If God does not shine in the means of grace, so as to make His glory known to you, what religion do you have? No religion at all! If God and you are strangers, as to His shining forth in these means, you are only deceiving yourselves; your souls are utter strangers to genuine religion. Rest assured that these things lie at the very foundation of true religion for the worship of God that is spiritually acceptable. The lack of this, even in a measure, is very painfully felt by the true children of God. They learn to distinguish between the mere temple and the glory of God in the temple. The absence of God and of His glory from the temple and from their own hearts is exceedingly painful to them. What occasions the mourning of mourners in Zion? Is it not ultimately to be reduced to this, that the Lord is absent from them?
More particularly, what is absent from them? It is the presence of God as manifesting or making known His glory in this manner. This is at the foundation of everything else. What causes them to mourn at His ordinances, but the absence of God from them and of His coming in this manner to their souls? This is perceived by grace. Some indeed who are partakers of grace may not be conscious of this absence, but however that may be, that is not a sign of grace. Grace is conscious of Him; the gracious soul mourns over His absence, while others are entirely satisfied. A child of God mourns first as to his own soul, then as to God’s absence from the means of grace, and then as to those who are strangers to these things. This is the character of the people of God.
Their souls in this manner mourn after God: and much encouragement is given to them. “Blessed are they that mourn, for they shall be comforted.” “I will gather them that are sorrowful for the solemn assembly, who are of thee, to whom the reproach of it was a burden. Behold, at that time I will undo all that afflict thee; and I will save her that halteth, and gather her that was driven out; and I will get them praise and fame in every land where they have been put to shame. At that time will I bring you again, even in the time that I gather you; for I will make you a name and a praise among all people of the earth, when I turn back your captivity before your eyes, saith the Lord.” This therefore is what believers primarily seek in the means of grace. They are not satisfied to go through a round of forms; they seek after God in the means of grace; they seek to draw near to God. Where there is anything of true grace, there is something of an earnest seeking after God’s gracious approaches to them, and their gracious approaches, in consequence, unto God.
How desirable for us to be brought to seek Him! Is it not manifest that many individuals are total strangers to God? Are you sure you ever saw Him? Are you sure that your soul and God ever met? Will eternity disclose a Being you never dreamt of? Shall eternity disclose a Being that shall turn your soul and body into hell? But some may ask, Do you mean to say that every believer is certain of that? I do not mean to say that; but I say this, If the absence of God from believers causes sorrow, much more does concern whether He has ever appeared at all.
But some may say, I am sure of it. Are you sure of it? I say, Take care lest you be deceived in that, for some have made themselves sure who were certainly deceived. You have deceitful hearts; you live in a deceitful world; you are exposed to the wiles of the great adversary. Take care lest you be deceived. Remember these things, and in religion take to do with God. What kind of religion is it if God is a stranger to you, or if He is an unknown God to you, or if you worship you know not what?
To be destitute of right affections towards God is the very essence of irreligion; and to possess these affections, the essence of religion.
It is . . . most lamentably common for men to make the discharge of their duties towards each other a substitute for those which they owe to God, and an excuse for neglecting them; as if the Divine Being were the only one in the universe who can, with propriety, be forgotten, and as if He might be utterly neglected without any criminality on our part.
J. A. James
1MacBride (1797-1846) was latterly minister of Rothesay Free Church. This is the first part of a sermon, preached in John Knox’s Free Church, Glasgow, on 24 October 1845, and taken down by a hearer. It has not previously been published.