The Gift of a Son.
Literature.
Brooke (S. A.), The Old Testament and Modern Life, 303.
Brown (J. Baldwin), Risen Christ the King of Men, 325.
Calthrop (G.), The Lost Sheep Found, 295.
Carter (T. T.), The Spirit of Watchfulness, 35.
Davies (J. A.), Seven Words of Love, 78.
Dewhurst (E. M.), The King and His Servants, 21.
Gibbon (J. M.), In the Days of Yo%dh, 47.
Hall (E. H.), Discourses, 148.
Holland (H. S.), Christ or Ecclesiastes, 1.
Inge (W. R.), Faith and Knowledge, 87.
Keble (J.), Sermons for the Christian Year. Christmas — Epiphany, 49,
79. Lacey (R. L.), Faith and Life in India, 117. Leckie (J.), Ibrox Sermons, 229. Liddon (H. P.), Advent in St. PauPs, 257. Macgilvray (W.), Ministry of the Word, 1. Miller (J.), Sermons Literary and Scientific, 2ud Ser., 145. Moule (H. C. G.). Thoughts for the Sundays of tlie Year, 249. Murray (W. H.), Fruits of the Spirit, 146. Myres (W. M.), The Fragments that Remain^ 1. Owen (J. W.), Australian Sermons, 78. Parker (J.), Studies in Texts, iv. 171. Price (A. C.), Fifty Sermons, x. 97.
Sandford (C. W.), Counsel to English Churchmen Abroad, 247. Skrine (J. H.), The Hearths Counsel, 28. Smellie (A.), In the Hour of Silence, 19. Spurgeon (C. H.), Metropolitan Tabernacle Pulpit, iv. Nos, 214, 215 ;
V. No. 258 ; vi. No. 291 ; xii. No. 724. Thome (H. ), Notable Sayings of the Great Teacher, 250. Vaughan (J.), Sermons (Brighton Pulpit), N.S. xvii. Nos. 1103-1106. Wells (J.), Christ in the Present Age, 21. Christian World Pulpit, ix. 145 (Edmond) ; x. 392 (Anderson) ; xxii.
299 (Mursell); xxvi. 273 (Davies); xxxviii. 249 (Aveling) ; lix. 6
(Henson) ; Ixv. 113 (Gibbon) ; Ixxi. 9 (Henson) ; Ixxv. 28 (Stalker). Contemporary Pulpit, 1st Ser., vii. 75 (Saphir) j 2nd Ser., x. 357 (Scott
Holland). Homiletic Review, 1. 305 (Metcalf).
THE GIFT OF A SON.
For unto us a child Is born, unto us a son is given ; and the government shall be upon his shoulder : and his name shall be called Wonderful, Coun- sellor, Mighty God, Everlsisting Father, Prince of Peace. — ix. 6.
This prophecy was delivered by Isaiah in the reign of Ahaz, either publicly, in the presence of the king, or else (as is more probable) privately, to his own immediate followers, henceforth to be spoken of as the believing Eemnant. How much of the actual future it was given Isaiah to see, no one can say. It may be that he expected to see the beginning of such a reign within the limits of his own lifetime, just as St. Paul perhaps expected to be alive (1 Thess. iv. 15) at the Second Coming of our Lord. As a matter of fact, however, no child who could truly be described as in verse 6 was born until the birth of Jesus Christ. The day of Christ, in fact though not in all its circumstances, was shown to Isaiah in vision.
The subject is the Gift of a Son, and the obvious parts of it are (1) His Birth, (2) His Destination, and (3) His Name.
I.
His Birth.
" Ucio us a child is born, unto us a son is given." 1. A Child. — Why was the Eedeemer born ? Why did He coEge as a child ? Why was not an angel sent to redeem men ? Why did not God appear in the fulness of His glory ? Because (1) redemption must come from within. If a movement is to catch on, as the modern phrase is, it must be a movement from within the society. It was Luther the monk who became the reformer of Eoman Catholicism. (2) The Eedeemer must
I30 THE GREAT TEXTS OF THE BIBLE
be one of us in order to show what we may be. He is tempted in all points like as we are, yet without sin, that He may Himself become a faithful and merciful High Priest, with a true feeling for our infirmities, and that He may also be to us a true example. (3) He must be one towards whom we can have the feeling of family affection. The mother's love for her child must not be a hindrance to her love for her Saviour ; they must be two streams flowing into one another, making one fuller and richer stream of love.
They all were looking for a king
To slay their foes, and lift them high.
Thou cam'st a little baby thing. That made a woman cry.
IF The possession of a child of one's own opens up the possibility of an entirely new world of experience, and therefore of an entirely fresh revelation of the First Author and Supreme Object of all experience. I think I have told you before what my first thought was when I caught sight of a little living, moving, grumbling thing, mouthing its fingers and rubbing its fists in its eyes, on the floor before the fire. It was as if the Father in heaven had fairly (if it is not irreverent to say so) shaken hands, offered me His hand, and said, " Thou art forgiven." ^
2. This is the meaning of the phrase " unto us." As Isaiah used it, the phrase had a restricted meaning. Even when the fulfilment came, and the angels announced to the shepherds, " Unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord," it was still a Saviour for the people of Israel that was promised. But when the Saviour appeared men saw immediately that He could not be confined to Israel. Even the Samaritans recognised Him as the Saviour of the world.