The Pulpit Commentary — Isaiah — Volume 1 — Section 367

the strength and ene1·gy of their foes. We hl\'Ve 'hoord many a man Iauah 0 at threatened :langer, 11nd say, "I am safe," and show, as Jerusalem did, the folly of joy wUh no bett€r basis than ~elf-security. • II. Joy IS ILL TIMED WREN IT EXPRESSES TRE RECKLESSNESS 01!' DESl'AIR. Some think that WRS 1·11ther the spirit of Jerusalem at this time-the spirit which says, "Let us eat and drink; for to-morrow we die" (see vers. 12, 13). 'Self-restraint is' ·very dependent on hope. Illustrate by the wild ·excitement and foolish things done when shipwreck is imminent; or by the riotings of the man who knows he is within an hour of l)Rnkmptcy. "I said of laughter, It is mad." There is an old saying which explains such reckless, heartless joy: "\Vhom the gods would destroy they fil'st dcment.. '' All snch joy is foolish and perilous, especially because it keeps men frotn the duty of the hour, the doing of which might be the mean.s of delivering them from the <langer. • ' III. Joy IS ILL TIMED WHENEVER IT HAS NO ROOTAGE OF RELIANCE ON Gon. Joy in God is the foundation of all joy. We can rejoice in whaf we possess·;· for 'it is God-given. We can rejoice in what we lose ; for the Lord taketh away. We can rejoice in the future ; for "the Lord doth provide." We can rejoi'ce in the darkness and peril; for "he that keepeth Israel neither slumbers nor sleeps."-R. T. • Ver. 2.-The moral influ~nce of pe.~tile'll,Ce. "Thy slain men are not slain with the sword." "'l'he words imply something like a reproach of cowardice, Those who had perished had not died fighting bravely in battle, but by the pestilence· which then, as at all times, was prevalent in the crowded streets. of a besieged city.'' • The law of epidemic disease is found to be this-the conditions which are pecuJiarly favourable to the development of 'l'ice and immorality are exactly the conditions most favoufable to epidemic disease. Illustrative references may be made to overcrowding in houses, and t.o want of cleanliness, and neglect of adequate sanitary precautions. From the picture given in the passage now before us we gather the following sentences. I. PESTILENCE CREATES FRIGHT. And this prepares the way .for the march of the pestilence; partly because those in whom are the seeds of disease go to other places, carrying the evil with them; and partly because fear lowers vitality, and soHmits the power of resistance to disease. Fright in time of pestilence was painfully exhibited in the recent visit of the cholera to the towns iu the south of France. , Il. I'EsTILEll"CE BREAKS UP soCIAL LIFE. By the flight, from the infected neighbour- hood, of all whose means permit. By the disturbance of commerce, business, educa- tion, etc. W or~e than this, danger of life nourishes self-interest, so that ,nien are ready t,o sacrifice others to save themselves. At such times the worst of humanity is revealed in the many, and the best of humanity in the few. . m. PEEiTIL~CE OFTEN LEADS TO RECKLESSNESS. As was most painfully seen in the time of the great plague of London, and as is indicated by Isaiah in the text. Despair flings the rr.ins ou the neck of lust. IV. PEBTILE?-CE llAKEB HEROES. Madame de Genlis tells of an incident in connection with the peste at Marseilles. The true nature of the disease was unknown, and could only be discovered by a post-mortem examination, but that was certain death to the operator. All the doctors drew back. 'l'ben a young surgeon, named Guyon, of' gre~t celebrity in his profession, devoted himself for the safety of his country. He made the necessary examination, recorded his observations, made his suggestions, placed the papers in a vase of vinegar, r.etired to the lazaretto, and in twelve hours was dead-a hero made by the pestilence.-R. T. Ver. 4.-" .A. time to weep." "Thererore I say, Look away from me; let me weep bitterly." Eastern weeping is excessive, unrestrained. Westerns go to the other extreme, and severely repress all expressions and signs of emotion. Eastern g~i~f i~ often exaggerated, and it is in danger of being conventional a~d even hypocr1t1_c"1'. Public weeping, at least on the part of the prophets, became a testimony an~ a warn~ll~• It belonged to their teaching by signs. Isaiah's weeping here drew pubhc _attent~on, a.nd led to inquiries as to the meaning of such exceeding distress. 'l'he followmg pomts are sufficiently suggestive to need no more than brief statement. L WE llAY WEEP Ill Al!TlCIPATION. If we can see trouble ahead, and our distress do. xxn. 1-25.J THE BOOK OF THE PROPHET ISAIAH. 367