When the idole disappoint their worahip• idea of the Windneae. impliod in MY regard pen, and prove to he unable to ·•ve them, for idols may have prompted the imRgery. t.hey are treRt.ed ";th seom and ignominy. Ver. 21.-To go into; or, cu thty oo mto; The AfriORn boots his fetish on such occa- i.e. " as they .make their escape, they shall sions. The lernelites would fling theirs to .fling the idols awny," The olefts of the the moles and tlie ba.ts. Idols of silver . . . rooks (comp. .Exod. xxxiii. 22, the only idols of gold (comp. Exod. xx. 23; Pa. other passage of Scripture where the word nv. 4: CXXXV. 15; eh. XXX. 22; xxxi. 7; occurs). The tops of the ragged rooks ; Hoe. viii. 4; xiii. 2). A passage of Habak- rather, IJ,e rent8, or crevices. 'l'he idea of lmk (ii. 19) shows that sometimes the me.in hiding themselves from the awful majesty bulk of the idol was of stone, which was of God is kept up throughout (of. vers. 10 overlaid ,..;th " coating of one or other of &.nd 19; and see also Luke xilii. 30). the two precious metals; but it would seem Ver. 22.-Cee.ae ye from , man. This that ordinarily the entire image was either verse is regarded by. many. o.s a late ma.r- of gold or silver (comp. Exod. xxxii. gine.l note, which has accidentally crept into 4, 24; l Kings xii. 28). No doubt it wns the text (Diestel, Studer, Cheyne). It is thought that the god worshipped through omitted in the Septuagint, and interrupts the image was more honoured, and there- the ecqnence of eh. iii. on oh. ii. somewhat fore better pleased, by the more costly awkwardly. If retained, it must be re- material. Whioh they made each one for garded as an appeal to Israel on t.he part himself; rather, which they (i.e. I.he manu- of the prophet to give up their trust · iD facturers) have made for him. Idol-ma.king man, whence had liowed all their other was a trade, as we sec by the Acts of the errors. Whose breath· -is in, his nostrils ; Apostles (xix. 24-27). To the moles; i.e. "whose life is a .mere. breath ; who, if lit.era1ly, t-0 the dif,-hol.es. The metaphor he ceases to breathe, ceases to live." For TUust not be pressed. They would throw wherein is he to be aooounted of 1 or, for of the idols into holes and comers, pits and what GCC-O'Ulllt is he f Surely, ·of no aocount caverns, where moles and bats might be at all. expect.ed to be the only visitants. Some
HOMILETICS. Veni. 1-4.-Hope and fear to be both calkd out as motives by the preach~ .. Already in the fu-st chapter Iea.ia.h has appealed to both motives, and while for.· the most part denouncing Israel's sins, and declaring their coming puni~hment, has taken ·care· to intersperse among these warnings announcements of a more cheerful' char11.Cter''(see particularly vers. 9, 19, and 25--27). Now, being about to devote aliriost two whole chapters to denunciations, he prefaces them with one of the. most i::Jorious and joy- inspiring of ell his prophecies, thus setting forth a light which not·a11 the gloom of the succeeding sections can wholly obscure, but which casts some portion of its· radiance into their dark,,st places. The reasons for thus intermingling light and darkness, joy and sorrow, warning and promise, would seem to be-- , . l. ON AOCOUNT OF TIIE INTEBMIXTUBE OF GOOD AND EVIL IN THE WORLD. Tares are always mmgled with the good seed. In no nation, in no state,of society; is the whole mass utterly corrupt. 'l'here is always "a remnant" (eh. i. 9). Nay, more-'-in· no man is the character wholly evil, absolutely without redeeming points, altogether •wicked. The preacher has to take care lest be " break the bruised reed," or "quench the· smoking tlax" (Matt. xii. 20). He must tenderly nurture what there is of good in a corrupt ~ociety or character; anJ this can only be done by comforting announcements, cheerful ,·iews, words of promise. On the other hand, never is there any state of society or human charo.cter without some defilement of"evil, sowe darker shades, some blemishes (tu say the least) and imperfections. Never, therefore, can tbc·preacher dispense with tire motive of fear. Never must he give himself up wholly ro "speaking smooth things," else will he BSl!uredly "prophesy deceits" (eh. xxx. 10). 11 ON ACCOUNT OF THE DOUBLE DA]';GE!t OF DESPAIR ON THE ONE HAND, AND OVER• CONFIDENCE oN THE OTHER. If all that iB preached is denunciation: df ~in, declaration of God's wrath against sinners, and threatenings of his vengeanee, the soul may bE1 me.de tWl whom God has not made sad-the timid may be scared, 'nndthe penitent" swallowed up with ovcrmuch sorrow" (2 Cor. ii. 7). Nay, absolute despair may he· p~0~':1:ceq, ltnd the soul lutit which we sought merely to rouse. 'l'o prevent such a res1.Jlt, it 1s needful constantly to set forth, not only God's judgmente, but his mercies; not only his wroth, THE ·.BOOK OF THE :PROPHET ISAIAH.