The people of God had wandered far from him. He had sent them prophets, and wise and eloquent men, who had warned and instructed them; yet they persevered in their evil ways. At last, having done all that could be devised or invented to bring them back to him, he found there was no remedy; then his Spirit was withdrawn, and Israel fell into the hands of his enemies (2 Kings 17: 3–23), never to be delivered. With this fearful example present, few will be warned to flee the wrath of God. Like Ephraim, men of the present day are joined to their idols; not always of wood, or stone, or silver, or gold; but this world's good, of one kind or another, claims the attention and the affections from its seeming importance. The present moment, the current value of the treasures of earth, of par value at present, these call the mind's attention. Unbelief blinds the mind to those things which faith points out as of most importance in the future. Prosperity props up the worldling, who walks in a show of religion; and plenty stupefies him, until he walks, like a drunken man, the brink of ruin; and with the speech of self-security upon his lips, he falls to rise no more. May God help us to heed the testimony given us, and now to arise from our low state to a new life.