The Pulpit Commentary — Isaiah — Volume 1 — Section 396

Immense passiQD for eeneual enjoyment and nothing t.o enjoy. These are the two features of God's hell upon earth.-R. T. Ver, 13.-The miuion of rtJ1TVTUJ11ts. Explaining the figure used in this verse, 'l'homeon ea.ye, "Early in autumn the olive berries begin to drop of themselves, or a.re shaken off by the wind. They a.re allowed to remain under the trees for some time, guarded by the watchman of the town-a very familiar Bible character. Then a proclamation is me.de by the governor that all who have trees go out and pick what bas fallen. Previous to this, not even the owners are allowed to gather olives in the groves. This proclamation is repeated once or twice, according to the season. In November comes the general and final summons, which sends forth all Hasbeiye.. No olives are now safe unless the owner looks after them, for the watchmen a.re removed, and the orchards a.re a.Jive with men, women-, and children. Everywhere the people are in the trees,• she.king' them with all their might, to bring down the fruit. The effort is to make a clear sweep of all the crop; but, in epite of shaking and beating, there is always a gleaning left. 'l'hese are gathered by the very poor, who have no trees of their own; and by industry they collect enough to keep a lamp in their habitation during the dismal nights of winter, and to cook their mess of pottage and bitter herbs." Reference may be to the few poor who were left in the land of Judah to till the fields, when the great mass of the people were carried a.way captive. God has always kept a remnant. Noah and hie family in the time of the Flood. Seven thousand in the time of Ahab, an election of grace. And remnants have always their witnes, to make and their work to do. • I. REMNANTS WITNESS OF Goo's JUDGMENTS. They compel 118 to ask-Why are they thus but remnants? and so the Divine dealings a.re recalled to mind. There was punishment because there was sin ; there was overwhelming punishment because the cup of iniquity had become full. The nation is destroyed as a nation because the world must be taught, over and over age.in, that " righteo11Sness exalteth a nation, but sin is a rebuke to any people." II. REMNANTS WITNESS TO GoD'B MERCY IN JUDGMENT. They say God's judgments are never absolutely destructive. God cuts down the tree, but leaves the stock in the ground. God removes the nation, but·leaves a few to keep up possession and rights. Self-vindication is only a part of God's meaning in his judgmente. Correction is his chief purpose, and his mercifulness calls for repentance. III. REMNANTS wiTNESS TO Goo's RESTORING MERCY TBBOUGB JUDGMENT. For they only keep possession till better days, though their possession declares that the better days will come. The "election of grace" has this to say : "All Israel shall be saved." These points may be applied to the few that are kept faithful in times of worldliness and spiritual decay in connection with Christ's Church.-R. T. Ver. 15.-Man's duty in times of refining. " Wherefore glorify ye the Lord in the east;" margin," fires" (Revised Version). The word translated" fires" in the Autho- rized Version is a difficult one. It points to the" land of the sun," which would be the east country, to which Judah was taken for its captivity, and which was to it as a refining fire; or some think to the " land of volcanic fires," which would be the shores of the Mediterranean Sea. ,v e prefer to see a tigure.tive reference to the refining fires of the time of exile. It is in strict keeping with the mission of Isaiah that he should thus bid the people "glorify God in the fires." Whether the passage directly refers to the flight of the people to the islands of the sea, or to the great deportation into Che.Idea, the general truth is set before us that, when we are iu God's chastising and correcting hand, our supreme desire and endeavour should be to "glorify God in the fires.n And this is done- I. WHEN THE BUFFERING IS RECOGNIZED AS CHASTISEMENT, Su1fering is often spoken of as if it were accident, hereditary taint, or the fault of other people ; but God is not glorified until we _see _and admit t~e.t it is fatherly chastisement.. '1:he_burden of woe restin" on humamty 1s overwhelmmg, unless we can see that God 1s 1n 1t, and thereby is but°chastening his children betimes. The world is God's erring child. It glorifies the Father to see that he will not let him go on in sin. "What son is he whom the father chaeteneth not?••  808