Moses, Moses. And he said, Here am L" IV. When commencing his arduous life-work, a similar impression was wrought upon Joshua. One day he looked towards Jericho, and lo I "there stood a. man over against him with his sword <lrawn in his band." In answer to Joshua's question he said, " A s
Captain of the Lord's host have I come ••. Loose thy shoe from off thy foot; for the pla.ce whereon thou standest is holy." V. In the times of the judges Gideon and Manoah beheld angels who delivered messages, and ascended in the smoke of sacrificial fires. Samuel, when little lad, a
beard the \'ery voice of God speaking his own name, and entrusting him with prophetic messages. Solomon was honoured by God's appearing to him in a night-dream, and dering the be&t<>wment of the beat bleBBinga upon him. Elijah, after the lightning, clH, vt, 1-18.j 'rt1E BOOK OF THE PROPHET ISAIAH. 121
and thunder, and earthquake, and wind had passed, heard God in the "still small voice." Job exclaims, as in the rapture of a vision, "I have heard of thee by the bearing of the ear: but now mine eye seeth thee, wherefore I abhor myself.n Jeremiah was directly set apart for his prophetic work. " The Lord put forth his band, and touched my mouth. And the Lord said unto me, Behold, I have put my words in thy mouth." VI. In the ·New Testament records we find similar scenes. Manifestations of angels to shepherds. A wonderful scene of transfiguration for om Lord himself. The descending sheet, and its strange contents, for Peter. The overwhelming light and Yoice on the road to Damascus, and the elevation into the third heavens, to see the unspeakable, for St. Paul. And the apocalyptic vision for St. John. Isaiah's vision is in fullest sympathy with all these. For its explanation, see the exegetical portion of the Commentary. It bore upon the prophet, through its symbols, overwhelming impressions (1) of the holines!, (2) of the direct claims of God.-R. 'l'. Ver. 5.-&eing God and the sense of sin. " Then said I, Woe is me I for I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips." To Isaiah a work of unusual solemnity bad been entrusted, one that needed to be done in a most serious and reverent spirit. He was at once the prophet of the Lord's terrur and of the Lord's mercy. He was to denounce sin wHb the solemnity of one who knew what God's thought of sin was. He was to produce the conviction of sin before God in the corrupt minds and hearts of the people, and be was to announce the coming, presently, of the great Messenger of Divine mercy. Therefore it was necessary for him to have bis own soul filled with the infinite glory and holiness of God, and filled with a very humbling sense of sin. These effects were wrought by the vision granted to him. It took its form from its design. All about it is holy. It is the holy place. The seraphim bow before the infinitely Holy. They cry," Holy, holy." The threshold and the posts tremble before the Holy. And the soul of the·prophet is abased. He is humbled in the sight or his own uncleanness, and the uncleanness of his people ; for how can a man seem pure before his Maker? I. A MAN NEEDS VISIONS OF Goo WHO BAB THE WORK OF DENOUNCING BIN, No man should dare to touch that work whose own soul is not oppressed with the evil of ilin. •Denunciation of sin is no flippant, easy work; it involves a tremendous expense of feeling. We talk about sin so freely, that for many of us it bas lost its exceeding sinfulness. We confess it so often in familiar general terms, that it bas lost almost all its terror. It may have been thus with Isaiah. He may have been ~o constantly talking about sin, that he had exhausted his feeling of its evil, and could even speak lightly about abomination that it is said " God hateth." Certainly we need such visions of God to fill our minds and hearts with seriousness; we well may pray," Lord, show me thyselr." II. WHEN A MAN BAB VISIONS OF GoD, HE AT FIRST FEELS HELPLESS, AND DARES NOT tJNDEBTAKE Goo's WORK. Compare the feelings of Moses and Jeremiah, after their visions. 'l'he first feeling will be, "I dare not." "Who is sufficient for these things?" But this will soon pass into humble dependence on Divine strength, and patient readiness to go where God sends, and do what God bids. When a. man before God says," Woe is me I" etc., he will soon respond to God's call, saying, "Here am I ; send me."-R. T. Ver. 5.-The troe inspiration for workers. "Mine eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts." What a scene is presented in this chapter for our imaginations to reproduce I The throng of worshippers had left the courts of the sacred temple; the chanting, in alternate parts, of the choir of singers, clothed in white linen, had die,l into silence. Other devout Israelites were praying apart, and white-robed priests silently presented their prayers in the fragrant cloud of incense which rose from the golden altar of the holy place; "then the veil of the temple seemed to be withdrawn, and the holy of holies discovered to the prophet's eye. He saw the Lord, sitting as a King upon his throne, actually governing and judging. His train, the symbol of dignity and glory, filled the holy place, while around him hovered the attendant seraphim, spirits of purity, zeal, and love, chanting in alternate choirs tho holiness of their Lord. The threshold vibrated with the sound, and the white cloud of the Divine preaence, as if descending to mingle its1iH with the e.scenrling incense of prayer, filled 122 THE BOOK OF THE PROPHET ISAIAtt. [on. VI. 1-18.