glory In the life of the Lord Jesus Christ on the earth? It comes out of the fact that even he, in his earthly manifestation, was a. tool In the hands of God, and liked to be a tool. He fitted his mind into the mind of God 110 as to say, "Lo, I come to do thy will, 0 God ; " "My meat and my drink is to do the will of my Father who is in heaven." The truth before us, in this our text, staggers and crushes us if we attempt to resist it. It is one rich indeed in comfort and help.if we will accept it, fit our will and pleasure into God's will and pleasure for us, and say, "God's plan for me is my plan for myself. God's place, God's work, God's difficulties, God'R sorrows, God's helps for me, are the very things that I would have chosen for myself, if I had wisdom enough to choose." The trutb of the text will be a stumbling-block to us until we truly know God. Then it becomes to us a. glory and a boasting. Why should the infant of a day be set to steer the vessel when the Lord of winds and seas is on board? Why should a stranger lead himself through the trackless forests of life when the all-seeing, all- knowing Father-God offers the guiding hand? What can be better for us than to be axe, saw, staff, in the bands of him who is good, wise, loving, strong, our Almighty Father ?-R. T, Ver. 20.-Staying upon the Holy One. "The remnant of Israel, and the escaped of the house of Jacob, shall no longer rely upon smiter, but shall rely upon Jehovah, Israel's Holy One, in• faithfulness" (Cheyne's translation). The point of the verse is that the remnant of Israel is thoroughly weaned from it~ false confidences, and returns to the true God. The only hope for preserving the liberties of J ndah, Israel, and Syria was for them to combine against the growing power of Assyria. But, instead of that, Israel and Syria combined against Judah, and so both weakened their own hands, and drove Judah to seek the help of Assyria, which inevitably hastened the overthrow of all the three kingdoms. However politic the appeal of Judah to Assyria might seem to be, it was utterly unworthy of the people of Jehovah, who had so often proved his faithfulness and power; so they had, by bitter experience, to learn that they should "cease from man," and trust wholly in the living God (Jer. xvii. 5-8). "Their experience of the failure of that false policy should lead them to see that faith in God was, after all, the truest wisdom." From this we learn for ourselves that the sanctified experiences of our life will bring about the same results; self-trusts, and trusts in man, will be wholly broken down, and trust in God will be fully established. We may dwell on the following stages in the experience of life. I. I OAN. This expresses the spirit of confidence, conscious strength, and hopeful- ness which characterizes youth. Nothing seems to be impossible. Life mnst yield its best to energy. II. I WILL. This is man's first effort to meet the sense of failure. Things will not go just as he wishes. He cannot attain all be can desire. But at first he will not admit this. So he calls on will to buttress ability, and make united effort to master disability. The very energy of man's will is a half-confession of man's weakness. III. I CANNOT, This is the issue of the strife, sooner or later, for every man. Strength and will try hard to shape life otherwise than God appoints; and however cheering temporary successes may prove, every year brings its disappointments and its distresses, and at last the cry rises, more or less bitterly," It is not in man that walketb. to d ircct his steps." IV. I CAN, THROUGH mr.r WHO BTRENGTHENETH ME. 'l'his is the right issue of human experience. The great life-lesson. The teaching of God's Spirit. The meetness for the heavenly service, Untried trust is only profession. Experience brings us to "staying upon the Holy One."-R, T, Ver. 27.-The power of the anointing. This verse ia an exceedingly difficult one, because containing a poetical figure which modern associations do not readily explain. Literally, it seems to read, "The yoke shall be destroyed from before the oil," or " the fat." For various explanations see the Expository portion of the Commentary. What is clear is, that the yoke referred to is the bondage of Assyria laid on the house of David, 'fliis yoke shall be presently removed. The deep reason for the removal is that on the house of David lies the oil, the anointing oil which consecrated it to Jeh11Vah. Jehovah will surely deliver those who are in covenant relations with him 202 THE BOOK OF THE PROPHE'l' ISAIAH. [ou. XL 11-16.
(comp. eh. xxxvii. 35). The refQrence may bo (1) for Hezekiah's sake; (2) for David's sake; (3) for his people's sake; (4) for Messiah's sake. The. passage which best explains the figure of the text is 1 John ii. 27: "But the anointing which ye have received of him abideth in you, and ye need not that any man teach you: but as the same anointing: teacheth you of all things, and is truth, and: is no lie, and even as it hath t.aught you, ye shall 11bide in him." Taking the above as the.view of the passage, the subject set before us is this: A. man's consecration to. God is a constant considera- tion shaping the Divine doolings. Israel was an anointed race, the house of David was an anointed family, therefore for them no calamity could be overwhelming; all must be subject to gracious Divine mitigations, and all must be made remedial in their influence. . I. To THE " ANOINTED " BURDENS AND YOKES MUST OOME, 1. Because they are lJ,Oi perfect. 2. Because they are being perfected. 3. Because. such burdens and yokes are precise and efficient moral agencies in the work of perfecting, (For the Christian ~etting of this truth, see Heb. xii. 4-11.) II. ON THE .. ANOTh'TED" BURDENS AND YOKES CANNOT STAY. Because, having a definite object, they have also a limited time. They would become unmitigated and useless evils if they remained after their moral purpose had been wrought. This may be applied to all the calamities and afflictions of life. The degree, the ti01e, the form, are all in strict Divine control. In fact, all affliction is''. but for e._ moment." ., , III. FOB THE " ANOINTED " THERE IS HELP IN BEARING BURDENS AND YOKES WHILE: THEY MUST STAY. God is with e.lLloyal Hebrew youths when they_are in the fires. "When thou passest through the water, I will be with thee." When thorns pierce, "my grace is sufficient for thee." "Therefore we may boldly say, The Lord ie my Helper; I will not fear what man can do unto me."-R. '£. _