You will find that man changes his way, but never cures himself. This truth has had abundant illustration in the progress of the world's history, and may be a seasonable warning to us just at this moment.
Israel in the wilderness showed this. They made a calf first; afterward they made a captain. The unclean idol was followed by setting up one of themselves; but this was only change, and not cure.
Israel in the land did the same again. They had the gods of the nations as their gods till Babylon became the place of their captivity and judgment. But when returned to the land, though they did not return to their idols, they became infidel and presumptuous. Read their ways in Ezra and Nehemiah, and very specially in Malachi. Again it was change, and not cure.
The Lord in His teaching contemplates this (see Matt. 11 and Luke 11). It was first the unclean house, and then the swept and garnished house. But this was no cure. Some said the Lord did His works by Beelzebub, and others challenged Him for a sign. They may vary in the form of their enmity, but it is enmity still. And instead of all this change and variousness working a cure last state is worse than the first.
What transpires in the swept house is still worse than what had been witnessed and practiced in the unclean house.
This, beloved, is a serious truth, but it is seasonable. The nations are now hailing a change. Men's hearts are beating high, and promising them great things. It is well to remember that man may change his way, but he never can cure himself. The change only ends in something worse. In the "latter times" of Christendom we get certain forms of evil (1 Tim. 4), but when we read of "the last days," it is only a change of the former we get (2 Tim. 3). It is evil still, and no cure. In the awful disclosures of the Apocalypse we find this.
It is change, and not cure. The woman that corrupted the earth is removed, but the beast and his army takes the lead and conducts his strength against the Lord (chap. 19). The kings of the earth may hate the whore and put her down, but then this is only to give their power to the beast and put him up (chap. 17).
Thus changes are witnessed. One form of evil gives place (in the course of the dispensations, whether in Israel or in Christendom, but then it is only giving place) to another form of evil. There is no cure. Judgment must be executed, and that is not cure, but the making way for something new. The judgment will displace man and corruption, and make room for Christ and His power and righteousness.
The evil is incurable, and must be displaced by judgment. And just as man's change of his ways did not work a cure, so the Lord's different dealings with him have not worked correction. His piping has not led to dancing, nor His mourning to lamentation. "Let favor be showed to the wicked, yet will he not learn righteousness." All tells us that nothing remains but judgment. As says the same prophet, "When Thy judgments are in the earth, the inhabitants of the world will learn righteousness" (Isa. 26:9, 10). And again, "All nations shall come and worship before Thee; for Thy judgments are made manifest." Rev. 15:4.
The Reformation was a change, but no cure; and judgment awaits Christendom.