The Pulpit Commentary — Isaiah — Volume 1 — Section 186

Ver. 6.-Spirit1.aZ empire,· "And the government shall be upon his shoulder." 1.: TiiE ACHIEVEMENT WHICH LAY OUTSIDE THE PURPO8E OJ' THE SON OF Gon. For what end wns that wondrous Child «born, that holy Son given? He came not to restore afal,len.human dyr.asty. The most ardent and eager hopes of his countrymen were directed to the overthrow of the Roman power and to the re-establishment of the kingdom of David in all, and more than all, its pristine glory. Jesus Christ distinctly disavowed any such purpose as this, His kingdom, be said, was not "of this world." II. THE BPmlTUAL EMPIRE WHICH HE CAME TO ESTABLISH. We shall see what and how truly. great this was if we consider: 1. In what c1m,:lition Ohrist found Che w<rrld when he came. He found it (1) with its mind full of fatal error-the favoured people having sunk into a dreary, wit.berin.g formalism, and the whole Gentile world into idolatry or unbelief; (2) with its heart full of pridP,, selfishness, and hatred; (3) with its life full of unrighteousness and impurity. 2. Wl,at he came to accomplish in regard to it. He came to undo all this; to expel this blighting error; to uproot this pride, cruelty, and selfishness; to abolish this iniquity and enormity; to plant and nourish in the mind a,nd .heart and life of man the beautiful and admirable opposites of all this -truth, .humility, Jove, righteousness; and so to exercise a beneficent and transcendent power, and, so to take the ,government of the world upon his shoulder. 3. The only way by which he could gain his end. ,Christ knew that the one way to exert thi~ renovating power, to wield this victorious .influence, was by winning the world's devotion to himself through his own.dying love. ,Therefore he deliberately entered and deter- minately pursued the path which led to Getb<:lernane and to Calvary. Lifted up before the eyes of a wondering and believing world,. he would draw all men unto himself, anri thus to :truth, to holiness, to Gdd, ,4, •The extent to which he has succeeded. In spite of lh~ mieera,ble corruptions which have dishonoured and enfeebled his Church, and in spite of the languor and inactivity by which- large periods of its history have beeu marked, we find that (1) error is dying and truth reviving under every sky; the heathen temple is being closed; the hoary systems of misbelief, pierced and penetrated by modern science and assailed by Christian truth, a.re shaking to their fall; (2) pride is being humbled:; (3) philanthropy-a pitiful, generous, self-sacrificing regard for the unfortun11te ·and,, the abandoned-'-is ·taking the place of bard-hearted indifference; (4) the Prince of Peace is being honoured where the god of war was once worshipped. (5) Righteousness and purity are returning to human life. Slavery, lust, drunkenness, profanity, are· not .yet dead; but their death-warrant has been signed and they are doomed to die. 'l'he·thougbt .of Jesus Christ is taking possession of the human mind; his prin- ciples are reaching, and regulating human life; bis Spirit is changing the human world ; the government is being laid upon his shoulder. (1) Let us rejoiai in the growing power of that Son that was born to our race.· The empire of the Cresars, of tho Pharaohs, of thti Napoleons, is nothing but a memory, a history; the rule of Jesus Christ is a benign, a. mighty, a growing power, an abiding and extending influence. That is a fruitless, sapless stump ;:thi,s is a tree,ofUfe; bearing all manner of fruits;" and the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations." (2) Let us t'ake care that we ar11 among the mbfects of his spiritual realm. ·His ,is the .future of tlie world; to be separated i'rom him is to looe the heritage~ to forfeit the citizenship ,vhich will soon be the one thing worth possess- ing. (3) Let us recognize the true wisdom; not to strive after outward grandeur. In this attempt we may fall and be bruised or even broken, or we may succeed and be satiated and thirst again. The true wisdom is found in shedding a sweet and sanctifyin~ influence over all whom we cau reach and bless.-C. . Ver. 6.-.Tlie wonderful Lord. "His nanHi shall be called Wonderful." And well may lie have been named Wonderful, whose word1J, whose works, and whose love were such:as,those of Jesus Ohrist. We look at- L THE 'MARVEL OF HIS TEAOHmG. l;. It struok his contemporaries with awe anJ with astoniohment (see Matt. v. 28, 29; xiii. 54; xxii. 22). 2. It strikes us with wonder lliill. '.l'hat a Jew, brought up at Nazar'lth, receiving a very slight education, having 176 THE BOOK OF THE PROPHET ISAIAH. [oH. 1x. l-2L