The Pulpit Commentary — Isaiah — Volume 1 — Section 134

the house. The eternal archetypes of the Hebrew symbolic worship were revealed to Isaiah; anrl, as the centre of them all, his eyes saw the King, the Lord of hosLB, o{ whom the actual rulers, from David to Uzziah, had qeen but the temporary and sub- ordinate viceroys. In that presence, even the spirits. of the. fire, which consumes all impurity while none can mix with it, cover their faces and thelt feet, consciou.~, that they are not pure in God's sight, but justly chargeable with imperfecLion; and 111uch more does Isaiah shrink from the aspiring thoughts he )lad hitherto entertained o,f his fitness to be the preacher of that God to bis countrymen; he, a man of t\nclean lips, sharing the uncleanness of the people among whom he ,dwells, . In utter self~ abasement be realizes the exceeding sinfulness of sin, and the separa~on it makes between man and the holy God" (Sir E. Strachey). This was e. yision of Gop. grn.,n~ed to a worker, 11 man actively engaged in God's servipe, and about ,to enter on more serious and more arduous duties. Visions have _seldom, if over, .been,,granted to indi,idu:i.ls merely as helps to their private religious lire. They are gracious aids to workeN; and God's willing ~crvant.s can only reach adequate convictions, (eel worthy impulses, or gain a suital,le and inspiring impression of the dignity o( their work, through some direct m1mifestat.ion of God himself to their souls. No man can.do great things save as he is sustained by the conviction that God has sent.him to.do ~bem,a.n~ is with hbn in the doing. The smallness of our aims, our ewleavours,: and our 3:ttain~. ments, reveal bow small and how unworthy are our views of God. , It is evident that we cannot yet be said to have seen him. He has r;.ot yet overawe~ us. with his' giory and his claims, and swelled our souls with great thoughts, great resolves, ana a: great consecration. Those ouly who have seen" the King iu his be.auty" can give their rery noblo,;t powers, can lay down their lives, in his service. • , ;, . ; L CAN THEllE DE PERSONAL REVELATIONS OF Goo TO HIS WORKERS IN OUR DAY?, We have sadly lost in spiritual power, in self-abnegation, and in holy enthrisiaam for the gLry of the Lord, because we have so easily sett led, this question by an_sw.~ri.ng, "Certainly not. God does not now give visions. Christian workers now need no~ expect such. We are left now to the ordinary illuminations of the.Holy Spirit.'}. ~ut will this answer bear looking at and thinking a pout, and, testing b_y the light of 1:i,c_tual cxperieuce? God's forms of Divine dealing do indeed differ ii;i._ different age11, ,but t~e essential features of God's relationship with men do not chauge;, He. can• reveal. him- self still to individual souls; and be is not limited to the particular foi;rms_ of :vis,i_o'1 which he has used in ancient times. He may adapt bis visions to th~,altered (lfrcuin~ stances of each age; and if once be appeared in human forcn.,to meet ,the sight,9f_bodily, eyes, he may now reveal bis glory in the spheres that lie. open to, the v.isiap. of, the loving and believing soul It he be the living God, ruling, guiding, cboosing,,oli} his instruments, fashioning them for his purposes, and sending them upon his cor:pmissi.ons,, Le must still b:i.ve visions for his servants. They will take less of outward sy~bo!i.: shape, they will relate more to thought and less to dreams; but that only .ma\{.es_ them more immediate and •direct Divine communications-contacts of the J;)ivina Spirit with the human spirit without the intervention of any ea,rthly symbols•. God spoke to the boy Samuel with an audible vojce, he"spoke, aftenyards to the" man Samuel in a spirit-voice; but both were his voice,. rhe New Testament prop;iise is, '' Blessed are the pure in heart : for they shall see God." IL WHEN IN 0011 LIFE MAY WE LOOK FOil SUCH DIVINE VISIONS TO WORKERS? Is there any special time or occasion at which they mi;iy be expected? 'l'l;tey .will not rwcessarily come at the beginnings of our special labours, thougli that might seem to be the most fitting time. They do often come a:t the outset, but someti"!IE?S we ~re 1iermitt.ed for a while to" go the warfare at our;owri charges;" we have a peqo_d 9f ,tr1a~ and of comparative failure, as Isaiah appears to have had, and then we are renewed in.our consecration by some holy scenes of communion and revelation. Among tho visions of tbe Old Testament we find several that were granted in 'the very midst .?~ J(fe's work: e.g. Abrab.tm's, Moses', Joohua'H, this of Isaiah; compare our Lord's \ran~,figul'.3.t1on, and Paul's asceut tu glory. The times for God's personal disclosure~ of himself t~ 3: iµan can never be fixed and anticipated. Like oLher workings of grace, t~ey e.re dmnely, sovereignly free; the fitting occasion for them the unsearchable Wisdom alone can decide. This only may we say-N-0 Christian man has eyer ,become truly_g1;cat and nobl~ and enthusiastic, JlO man has become utterly self-denying in the Lofd e ~prk~  011, VI, 1-13.] THE BOOK OF 'l'llE PROPHET ISAIAH. 123