system, and using it unsparingly to crush all her rivals, is ruined by being brought into conto.ct with a mililary system superior to her own. Spain, elevated to the first position in Europe by her colonial greatness, is corrupted by her colonial wealth, and sinks faster th11n she had risen. States formed by conquest usually perish by conquest; governments founded on revolutioo are, for the most part, destroyed by revolution. '!'he retributive justice which shows itself in the world's history does not consist io the mere fact that eio is punished, but rather io the remarkable adaptation of the punishment which is dealt out to the sin that has provoked it. Vers. 25-29.- Wiclced men used by God a., instrumenti for working out his purposes. 'l'he psalmist declares the wicked to be "God'R sword" (Pe. xvii. 13). In a later chnpler Isaiah calls Assyria "the rod of God's anger" ( eh. x. 5). Nothing is more clearly set forth in Lhe prophetical writings than the fact that- I. CONQUERING NATIONS ARE RAISED UP BY Goo TO CHASTISE THE NATIONS THAT ARE BIB ENEMIES. l. Assyria was "the axe" with which God hewed down offending peoples (eh. x. 14), "the rod" wherewith he smote them. God exalted her, in order that she might "lay waste defenced cities into ruinous heaps" (eh. xxxvii. 26). This was her raison d'etre, the purpose of her existence ( eh. xxxvii. 26). She was sent against one openly wicked or " hypocritical nation" after another, and given a charge " to take the spoil, and to take the prey, and to tread them down like the mire in the streets" (eh. x. 6). 2. Babylon was raised up for the castigation of Tyre (Ezek. xxvi. 7), of Egypt (Ezek. xxix. 19, 20; xxx. 10-26), and of Judah (Jer. xxv. 9). 3. Media and l'er•ia were raised up to work the will of God upon Assyria and Babylon (Isa. xiii. 17; xxi. 2; Jer. Ii. 11, etc.). 4. Greece and Macedon were raised up to punish Persia and Media (Uan. viii. 5-8); and so on. Each of these nations was ungodly-full of impurity, pride, selfishness, greed, cruelty. Yet God made use of them for his purposes, and does not scruple to call their rulers" his servants," "his shepherds," "those who performed all his pleasure" (eh. xliv. 28; Jer. xxv.11; xxvii. 6, etc.). II. BAD MEN ARE EXALTED TO POWER TO CHASTISE BO'fH NATIONS AND INDIVIDUALS. Samson, Sennacherib, and Nebuchadnezzar seem to have beco rather instruments for punishing nations and states. But such men as Joab, Jehn, Hazael, effected God's purposes mainly with respect to individuals. God made use of them, and of their sinful tempers, to execute vengeance upon certain special offenders. Jehu was anointed king by God's prophet to punish Jezebel and the house of Ahab (2 Kings ix. 2-2G; x. 1-11). Fired by ambition, he rushed into crime, and "the blood of Jezreel" was afterwards avenged upon his house (Hos. i. 4). But for Joab the crimes of Abner and of Absalom would probably have gone unpunished. Be may be viewed as God's instru- mont to requite their ill deeds; but as he punished the one treacherously and the other against his king's commands, their blood, or at any rate that of Abner, "returned upon .the head of J oab" (1 Kings ii. 33). Hazael's case is like that of J ehu, only not set before us with such distinctness. He was "God's sword" to the wicked Benhadad; but not thereby excused. God turns the wickedness of men into particular channels, making it effect his ends; but it is wickedness none the less.
HOMILIES BY VARIOUS AUTHORS. Vers. 1-7.-Tlui parable of the vineyard. I. NOTICE TllE ART OF TIIE PA.RADLE. It has been remarked, "A proverb finds him who a sermon flies." Pictures from nature are acceptable to all, especially or that nature which is familiar to the imagination of the listener. Through the imagination we may glide into our listener's heart and conscience. The truth comes with much more power when it is made to glauce from an object intermediate between the mind and its naked reality. A great secret of teaching is to leave the learner much of the work to do. Here, as he looks upon the bright picture drawn by the prophot, the wrappings of the parable gradually fall aside, and the truth itself stands out. • II. TnE PICTURE OF THE VINEYARD. The close touch of 11ccuracy suits the parable. Then follows a short song. 1. Situation of the vineyard. It lay on " the horn of Ben- Shamen," ,,.. son of fatness ; on a fertile height. The Roman poet sung that the vini 86 THE BOOK OF THE PROPHE'l' lSAIA.U.