The Pulpit Commentary — Isaiah — Volume 1 — Section 90

may be re~arded as introducing the person by whom the Church is to be delivered and saved; and the terms employed appear to bear an intimation of his Divine and human natures. The figure of the" Branch" suggests his divinity (comp. Jer. xxiii. 5; xxxiii. 15; Zech. iii. 8; vi. 12). The figure" fruit of the earth" suggests his humanity. That this may have been the thought of the prophet is indicated by the adjectives which are use<l, 1' Beautiful, and glorious" are adjectives of admiration applied to Messiah, regai'cled: as the" Branch." "Excellent and comely" are adjectives of appreciation and relation to us, and are applied to him regarded as the "fruit or the earth." I. THE DIVINE MESSIAH 0AN BE A SUFFICIENT REVEALER OF GoD. Illustrate from the way in which our Lord constantly urged that he only spoke the words given him by the Father, and only did the works of the Father. II. TeE HUMAN MESSIAH 0AN BE IN SYMPATHY WITB MEN. Illustrate the "High Priest who can be touched with the feeling of our infirmities." In view of the troubl,·s and distresses which Isaiah pictures, and which Messiah is to rectify, it is evident that he must be divinely strong if he is to master, heal, recover, cleanse, and bring on restored blessings; and it is equally evident that he must be human, to sympathize with and come helpfully near to those whom he would bless and save.-R. T. •;•,Ver. 3.-Therolloftheliving. "Every.one that is written among the living in Jerusalem." Ji'or the figure of" Jehovah's book," or the" book of life," see Ex.od. xxxii. 32; Ps. lvi. 8; lxix. 28; Mal. iii. 16; Dan. xii 1; Phil. iv, 3; Rev. xiii. 8; xxi. 27. ,Matthew Heury says," Those that are kept alive in killing, dying times were written for life in the book of Divine providence; and shall we not suppose those who are rescued from a greater death to be such as were written in the Lamb's book of Hfe?" We have a further description of them, which really explains their being on the:roll; they are "called ·holy." Now, God never calls people what they are not. In olden times names were always significant, and expressed the personality to which they were applied; thus Jacob was called Israel, because he was a "priuce." Vve have, then, two answering views of the godly man. Here he is "holy;" in heaven his name is in the "book of the living." Following this out in a medita.tive way, we dwell on- I. THE BELIEVER'S PRESENT CHARACTER, In some sense he is" holy," for God calll! him "holy." Illustrate the following senses in which we may be called "holy," even while we tarry amidst the human frailties: 1. Holy, as separated from self-service and the world's service. 2. Holy, a.s consecrated to God's service. 3. Holy, as called to pursue holiness. 4. Holy, as in some measure actually holy. 5. Holy, as standing in the holiness of the Lord Jesus Christ. II. THE DELIE"VEn's ETERNAL BEOURITY. Name is among the living ones. Illustrate: 1. ''l'he necessary permanence of all goodness. Evil can die; good can never die. Eternal life is in everything and every one who is good.. 2. God rewards holiness with immortality. , That is the" crown of lii'e." Upon all goodness God's special favour and protection rests. 3. The holy are the natural citizens of the heavenly, which is the secure eternal home; How, then, ·can our na:nes be written in the book of life? Illus- trate (1) the way of regeneration; (2) the way of consecration ; ( 3) the way of sancti- fication., If, through grace, we are numbered e.mong the holy here, then one day the great voice will speak to us out of the heavenly and s.iy, "He that is holy, let him be holy etill."-U. 1'. Ver. 4.-0hr-ist's purified Church. We are often addressing the truths revealed in Christ Jesus to the individual, but perhaps we unduly neglect their bearings on the Church ne a whole which Christ has founded in the earth; those relations in which Christ himself stands to the Church, as the kingdom over which he is now actually ruling. It would be well for us distinctly to apprehend this truth, that the gospel only completes its work when, having renewed the individuals, it has also brought them into a fellowship of love and service one with another. 1'he revelation which is made in Jesus Christ, the Son of God, is a revelation of our common sonship to Go,l, and so of our common brotherhood one with the other. We can only reach to feel or to keep the full joy of our sonship through realizing and living out day by day our brotherhood. 'J.'ho best brothers are the best sous.  76 THE DOOR OF· THl!.i .PROPBET ISAIAH. [on. 1v. 1-11,