The Pulpit Commentary — Isaiah — Volume 1 — Section 307

are removed, and the orchards are alive.with men, women, and children, It is a rnerr.y time, and t.he laugh and the song echo far and wide. Everywhere the poople 11ro in tho trees, 'shaking' them with all t)1eir might, to bring down the fruit. 'l'he effort ie to make a_ clear sweep of all t.he crop; but in spite of shaking and beating, there is always a gleaning left-' two or three berries in the top of the uttermost boughs, four or fivo in the outerrnc,st fruitful brnnches.' These are afterwards gleaned up by tho very poor, who have no trees of their own." Matthew Henry well expresses the thoucrht to :which this figure directs us; "Morey is here reserved, in a parenthesis, in t.he mfost of Judgment, for a remnant that should escape the common ruin of the kingdom of tho ten tribe:;. Though the Assyrians took all the care they could that none should slip out of their n_et, .yet th~ meek of tho earth were hidden in the day of the Lord's anger, and had their lives given them for a prey, and made comfortable to them by_ their retirement to the land of Judah, where they had the liberty of God's c.ourts."• God's remnants are illustrated. in the Flood; fate of Sodom; O:ipt-ivity; Elijah's time; and siego by the Romans of Jerusalem. .Always there has been "a remnant. accordincr0 to tho election of grace." This remnant has shown iu every age that God's jlldgments are never- L Vnn>rcTrvE. They are always, and for every one-- II. DISCIPLINARY. And they are so mitigat;ed as-- III. NEVER TO CRUSH OUT HOPE FOR TBB FUTURE.-R. T. Ver. 7.-Eyes turned to God only. Cheyne's translation is,." In that day :eh~ll the earth-born look towards his Maker, and his eyes shall have regard to, the Holy. One of Israel" The reference seems to be to those who, after the_ .Assyrian conquest .of Israel accepted Hezekiah's invitation, returned to Jerusalem,. giving, up ,.their confidence. in idols, and looking with single eye to Jehovah, and serving him with sincere hearts. The figure suggests for consideration the possible attitudes of human_ vision towards God. ---- -. - ,. ' - - . I. THERE 1s THE BLINDED VISION. Two things blind: 1. lgnorance,.as illustrated in the case of the heathen. 2. Wilfulness, as illustrated in all who are li.ving :in sin. The one blindness is a calamity, calling forth:our pity; the :ot.her is a crime, calling for onr indignation. There is also a judicial blindness-the stroke of God upon those who have misused their eyesight, keeping it fixed on vanity, not lifted up to the heavens, "from whence cometh man's help." They who will not see shall not be able fu~ • -. II. THERE IS THE DIMMED VISION. Inflnenced by surrounding atmospheres of ,(1) thought; (2) social custom; (3) familiar errors. Nowadays m:en are sadly suffe1ing from dimmed vision. FogB of prevailing unbelief are for a time half hiding God, and even Christians are troubled lest the dimness should prove to be in their eyes. The evil is only in the medium through which the eye looks,. : UL THERE IS THE DIVIDED VISION. Which can see both God and .self, and tries bard to keep both, side by side, in the field. Of some in the olden times it was said, '' They feared the Lord, and served other gods;" and this must be the description of very many in the modern. "Their heart is divided." They cannot see "Jesus only." IV. THERE IB THE CLEARED _VISION. Oftentimes cleansed and purified by the medicine of affliction, as in the association of the text. God's. chastisements are his teaching us to 6/le. V. THERE IS THE CONCENTRATED VISION. Eyes turned to God only. The sign of entire devotement; full consecration. An eye single, and fixed on one object. This one thing I will do, "I will lift up mine eyes unto t.he hills." Plead tho call and per- suasion of the ritien and living Christ," Anoint thine eyes with eye-salve, that thou mayest see."-R. T. Ver. 10.-God owr Rock. Here called the "Rock of thy fortress;" and contra.sting with the fortress-cities, which proved no defence, and the fortress-rocks, in which tbo rduget:s had found safe shelter. 'fhe city represented man's power to defend ; the rock repres~nts God's power, According to the circumstances of the age, and in view of _the machinery of war then in use, the steep rock wae a better safety than the walled mty. The figure of God as a Rock is found very early in Scripture, and was perhaps associated with the fact of God's revealipg him.solf from the mount, or rock, of Sinai, Moses on. xv1~. l,-14,] THE BOOK OF THE.. PROPHET ISAIAH. 30:J