Ver. 14.-Jaua OUf' Immanue.l. I. REASONS FOR BELIEVING THIS, 1. None but Jesus was ever born of a pure virgin. 2. None but Jesus was ever" Goel with us." 3. None but Jesus ever knew truly" to refuse the evil and choose the good." II. DUTIES FLOWING FROM THE DELIEF. 1. If Jesus is "God with us," we must obey him. 2. lf Jesus is "God with us," we must trust him. 3. If Jesus is "God with us," we must strive to imitate him. 4. If Jesus is" God with us," we must continually worship and pray to him. 5. If Jesus is "God with us," we must love him. III. DoOTRINES INCLUDED IN THE BELIEF, 1. The Divinity or Christ, since he is " God with us." 2. His humanity, since he is conceived and born of a woman, and eat.s earthly food. 3. His love and pardoning grace, since he is "with us," not against us; on our side, not our adversary. 4. His atonement for our sins, since without atonement he could not pardon. Vere. 17-20.-OtM' pleasant vices whips for our own backs. Ahaz has made up his mind to "hire " the keen razor that lies beyond the far waters of the Euphrates, in Mesopotamia and Assyria Proper. He means to meet the danger which he sees to be impending, by his own wisdom and in his own strength. His ally, Tiglath-Pileser, "the great king, the King of Assyria" (2 Kings xviii. 28), shall crush the hosts of Pekah and Rezin, save Judah and Jerusalem from harm, nay, perhaps exalt Judah to the position which was his before Israel revolted under Jeroboam. But God has decreed otherwise. He will endorse Ahaz's scheme to a certain extent; he will employ the sword of Tiglath- Pileser to destroy Rezin (2 Kings xvi. 9) and chastise Pekah (' Records of the Past,' voL v. p. 52); but he will then make him a scourge to chastise Ahaz himself. The razor hired by Ahaz shall shave Judaia. as clean as Samaria, exhausting the land utterly, and leaving it with comparatively few inhabitants. Ahaz shall find that he is not really "helped" by hi8 ally, but only "distressed" and injured (2 Chron. xxviii. 20, 21). In all this we have a specimen of one of the ordinary modes in which God works out his wi!L He "hoists us with our own petard," scourges us with the whip which we have ourselves made for another purpose. Ambition brings men into places where they are fain to cry," Uneasy lies the head that wears a crown." Avarice indulged makes them grudge themselves the slightest enjoyment. Successful plotting deprives them of all feeling of security, putting their lives and liberties into the power of those who may at any time betray them. The attainment of the highest position at which they have ever aimed leaves them a prey to ennui and disappointment. Rebekah'a flan for the advancement of her favourite BOn succeeds; but it deprives her of her sons society for 1, great part of her life, Absalom's rebellion against David raises him to the throne, but brings him to an untimely end within a few months. Judas carries out his scheme of betrayal with complete eucceBB, and in consequence of hie suCceBII hangs himselL 11A an. vu. 1-25.] THE BOOK OF 'fHE PROPHET ISAIAH. 133
our youth we forge those fetters of habit which make us miserable in our old age. We plan, and scheme, and build castles, and laboriously achieve the accomplishment of our plans to a certain extent, with the result that we a.re utterly dissa.tisfied, and wonld like to pull all down and begin a.gain. "Our mischief falls on our own head, and our wicked- ness on our own pate " (Ps. vii. 16). God turns our wisdom into foolishness, and crushes us beneath the structures that our own hands have erected.