The Pulpit Commentary — Isaiah — Volume 1 — Section 302

with a stranger, the King of Damascus. And these new institutions were carefully fenced, i.e. apparently they were established as a state religion. "And the very next morning he had brought into blossom what he had sown. The foreign layer had shot up like a hot-house plant, i.e. the alliance had speedily grown into a hearty agree- ment, and had already produced one blossom at any rate, viz. the plan of a joint attack upon Judah. But this plantation, so flattering and promising for Israel, and which had succeeded so rapidly, and to all appearance so happily, was a harvest heap for the day of judgment." The closing words of this strophe are impressive: "The day of grief and desperate sorrow; " or, " The day of deep wounds and deadly sorrow of heat." Let us fix on these words. Let us forget Ephraim for the moment, and think of tho individual, think of ourselves. The words hint at remorse, which has been called "the echo of a lost virtue." It will come upon all of us in so far a.s, remem- bering many things not to be neglected, self-interest, duty to family, Church, country, we have yet forgotten the one thing needful-have not brought all our life's concerns into that unity which reference to the Supreme Will imparts. Life should be direct and simple; a simple piety can onl_y render it so. There may be mindfuloess about many things, distractiog us from the central interest. How can it avail us to have remembered to be prudent, to have regarded public opinion, to have taken care to be with the majority, to swim with the stream., and in the end we find that this has been a. turning or the back on God, and so an illusion, a misconception of life? 1''or if God be remembered, nothing important will be forgotten; if he be forgotten, nothing is truly seen-attention is beguiled by fantasy, and life becomes the pursuit of a dream.--;J. Vers. 12-14.-Sounds from afar. In the distance the prophet hears a vague tumult, like that of the sea with its roaring, incoming tide. It is the noise of the invading host. Readers will recollect the powerful passage describing the eve of the battle of Waterloo-the dull distant sound repeated until the conviction flashes," It is-it is-the cannon's opening roar!" So does the prophet listen to the uproar of the advancing Assyrians. I. THE POETIC REPRESENTATION. It is one of sublimity an<l terror, appealing through the sense of hearing to the imagination, and calling up indefinable aiarm and sorrow. He hears in the distance the· gathering of a multitude of nations, represented by the imperial name of Asshur. These hosts spread out in long line like the rolling wave, one excited surging mass, threatening to carry everything before it into destruction. Such an image may represent any great movement which seems at any time to threaten the spiritual life of a Church, of a nation. Never was there a time when anxious listeners did not hear such rising sounds in the distance; the statesman trembling for the welfare of institutions, the believer for the stability of fa.i.th. Is there just cause for alarm? Let the prophet answer. II. THE PROPHECY OF JUDGMENT. Remarkable is the picture of the sudden change. The power of the Divine w·ord is instsnto.neously felt. "It cost.~ God simply a threatening word, and the mass all flies apart, and falls into dust, nnd whirls about in all directions, like the chaff of threshing-floors in high situations, or like dust whirled up by the storm." In the evening the destruction of the Assyrians begins, and in the morning they are completely destroyed. And the oracle ends with an expression of triumph over this portion and lot of the spoiler and the plunderer. LESSONS. 1. The Church, Christianity, religion, civilizatioo, seem in every age to be threatened; yet they are ever safe. Force, numbers, armies, have but the show of strength when confronted with the spiritual world. 2. God is ever in his heaven- cannot and will not desert his place. 3. His judgments and rebukes are the expression of the eternal truth of things, and must prevail.-,J. Ver. 14.-The gloomy evening. "Behold at evening-tide trouble." We all love beautiful evenings, whether on land or sea. 'l'hen, when the cloud~ of purple and amber across the horizon constitute a royal chariot for the settiog sun, we gaze with admiration and <leliaht on the glorious close of day. J. 'l'R~UDLE 18 NEVER 80 SAD AS IN THE EVENING. At morning or midday we have n,ore of 1trength to bear it; we can brace our energies to fight the battle or to <•ndure  788 THE ROOK OF TBE PR0PIIET :nMIAlI1 [oh'. :ir:hr, 1--H,