The Pulpit Commentary — Isaiah — Volume 1 — Section 44

bat~ful is the separation between a worshipping and an obedient heart. God bae encouraged outward worship, that it might express, and strengthen while it expresses, the love and trust of an obedient heart. The husk becomes worthless when the worm of self and pride ha.s eaten out the kernel. The dress is hideous which no longer clothes e. warm living body, but covers, and scarcely hides, the skeleton of rebellion, 'l'he voice is hateful that is only a voice, and utters no joy, no trust, no love of the heart. Be true in thy worship, be spiritual, and God will look down on thee wit.h delight and acceptance. Be formal, be insincere, and God will frown thee from his presence; from thine ha.nds he will reject the costliest sacrifices and the grandest show of devotion. Our cherished sins will as surely be an offence to God as were those which are referred to in this chapter. Ours, indeed, are not sins of violence and blood, but rather sins of secret indulgence. We have seen the light of the sun as effectually hidden by thin light mists as by black thunder-clouds. And God's face has often been hidden by the mists of little transgressions. He notices sins of will. He observes sins of inadvertence. He sees sins of neglect. He reckons sins of nourished evil thouO'hts. :More souls have died away from the love of God through the subtle plague-breath of little heart-sins than have fallen under the strokes of temptation in open conflict with evil. And what shall we do, if it is revealed to us that secret evils have come in upon our souls, and that the devil's work of woe has been progressing in us, and the work of God's grace in us is flagging and failing? What shall we do if we can detect stains of secret disobediences, unforgivings, and self-indulgences? Let us not stay away from worship; but let us at once obey in this: "Wash you, make you clean; put away the evil of your doings from before mine eyes; cease to do evil; learn to do well."-R. T. Vers. 16, 17.-0onditions of .Divine acceptance. The prophet has been dealing with the insufficiency of mere ceremonial as a ground of acceptance before God. He is equa.lly severe on mere professions of penitence, that find no adequate expression in changed moral conduct and hearty return to the rules of duty and charity. I. IT WOULD BE MISCHIEVOUS TO ACCEPT THE HABDENED. Mischievous for the har- dened themselves, who would be made yet harder by a goodness they could not fail to misunderstand. :Mischievous for all others, in whose minds moral distinctions would be confused, and the Divine righteousness sullied. Under no pretence, by no equivo- cations, through no disguises, can God possibly accept the guilty and impenitent. In this, as in all else, the Judge of all the earth will do right. II. IT IS HOPELESS TO ACCEPT MERE PROFESSORS. For they are self-deluded, and would be kept from awakening to their true state, if God accepted them as they are. The man who is iatisfied with profession, and fails to aim at godly living, can never appreciate Divine acceptance or rightly respond to it. Divine acceptance is one great help to righteousness, and thiB the professor neither admires nor seeks. What good is it to accept professors? God cannot get beyond their fine outer shell. 'l'hey are apples of Sodom, acceptaLle neither to God nor man. " He that doeth righteousness is righteous, even as he is righteous." Ill Goo ACCEPTS ONLy THOSE WHOSE PENITENCE ll'INDB EXPRESSION m EFFORTS TO DO .RIGHT. '!'hey only show that they are sincerely desirous of help; and they only are in a moral condition to receive, and to use well, Divine forgiveness and favour. Show how intensely practical the plea is in the text: " Put away just those very sine that you have been so freely indulging in. But do not be satisfied with any mere negation of evil; seek opportunities of doing justice; take care to blend justice with charity; do the right, and do the kind to all those who cannot right themselves." Goodness as a sentiment is of little value. Goodness as a life God looks for, and man asks from bis fellows. "I will show thee my faith by my works."-R. T. Ver. 18.-Reasonin,q with God about Q'UT sins. Conceive a man respcnding to this appeal, what may we tLink be would say to God, and what may we suppose God would reply? I. FIRST PLEA. " Thou art revealed as the great God, inhabiting eternity, whose Name is Holy; who art of purer eyes than to look upon iniquity. I am afraid thou wouldBt not concern thyself about the sin, much less about the forgiveness, of such oreatures 1111 we are." What is God's answer? "I have a great interest in that little OH, I, 1-31.] THE BOOK OF THE PROPHET !SAIA H. 29