The Pulpit Commentary — Isaiah — Volume 1 — Section 268

that reaches us eo =ely, that moves us so mightily, as an argument in which our children'e fortunes are concerned. Whatever "touohes them touches the apple of our eye." And here God is sa)"ing to those who were llhowing signs of wandering from hie service, " If you fall into great sin and grievous condemnation, you not only do your- sel\'"es irreparable wrong, but you involve your children also in misery and shame. The penalty of your guilt will go down to them." II. Tm: INF.VITABLE RESULT OF RIGHTEOUS LAW. It is likely, in a very high degree that the children of e\'"il-doers will follow in the steps of their parente,and stoop to th~ shame to which they fall. All things are against them. 1. They are without tlie inuntive which comes from inheriting a good name and the natural desire to perpetuate it. 2. 'l'he_r a:0 w~hted with the positive and most serious cl_is_advantag~ of bearing a name which 1s dishonoured. S. They are depressed by a pos1t1ve and disheartening sense of shame, if they have not imbibed the spirit and acquired the habits of their parcc.ts. In the latter case (which is by far the worse of the two): 4. They s1'jfer in their character, and therefore in their career, from the degenerating influences to which they are subjected. And without the preserving and directing principles which make life a true success, impelled by the passions, the prejudices, the ambitions which con- stitute it a lamentable failure, they do not rise to "renown;" they sink down in.t'o disregard, into actual disrepute, into open shame. (1) This is not positively inevitable. A determination to pursue a holy course, under the guidance of God, in the service of Jesus Christ, will redeem the unlikeliest life from failure, and lift it up to honour and usefulness. (2) If not for other reasons, then / 01· the sake of our children, let us walk in the ways of godliness ; for their present and lasting interests are bound up.in the choice we make as to the path we will ourselves pursue.-0, Vers. 24-27.-Divine purpose and Di~ potoer, We have our thoughts directed in this passage to- I. THE DIVINE PURPOSE. "I have thought •.• I have purposed . . . this is the purpose . . . upon the whole earth," etc. God had a special purpose respecting Assyria, and he may have had a distinct purpose in inspiring Isaiah to pronounce.at this especial time what it was, viz. that, in the dark days of Babylonian captivity, his people might remember its fulfilment, and be assured of an accomplishment for which they had still to wait. But these expressions suggest to us the existence of Divine purposes in the mind of God, dating from the remote past and stretching on into the far future. God's purposes in regard to his creatures have been or are: 1. Oreative. In the " far back- warcl and abysm of time" he determined to call worlds, beings, intelligent and immortal spirits, into existence, to be the objects of his thought, care, love; to many of whom he himself should be the Object of worship, affection, service. 2. Ministrative. His purpose was that of boundless benefaction--of conferring on multitudes and millions of sentient beings a life of happiness and, to a vast number, that of true dignity and worth. 8. Punitive. His purpose has been to punish, never indeed under the impulse of mere resentment, but always iu the ir.terests of righteousness and, ultimately, in that of true happiness also. 4. Restorative. He has purposed, and does purpose, to restore; either (1) his people to a heritage they have forfeited, or (2) those who have wandered from his service to the spiritual and moral integrity from which they have fallen. II. THE DIVINE POWER. "So shall it come to pass . . . so shall it stand . , • I will break . . . I will tread under fooi ... This is the hand that is stretched out .•. Who shall dil!&nnul . . . who shall turn back" (his hand)? It is true that: 1. God has taken time to effect his purpose; e.g. the building of this world for man's residence, the preparation of the world for Christ's coming. 2. God has permitted bis rebellious children to lessen the sum of happiness and worth they would otherwise have possessed. 3. God's 'beneficent design for the redemption of the world by the gospel has been hindered by external opposition and by internal shortcoming. Yet it remains true, and this is the larger as it is the brighter half of the truth, that: (1) God's purpose ?f ber.eficence, if it can be said to have been checked, has not been defeated: from hie strong and bountiful hand he has been bestowing life, joy, blessedness, excellency, which I.a quite incalculable, which entirely baffles our imagination as it is beyond our reckon- ing. (2) God's purpose of puniahment has been and will be fulfilled; witness the Flood, ihe out.ea.sting of the guilty Ca.na.anites, the destruction or" the cities of the plain," the en. uv. 1-32,] THE BOOK OF THE PROPHET ISAIAH. 261