II. Hm PRBFEOT RIGHTEOU8NE88. (Vcrs. 2, I>.) The powerful empll'e-city ,tnight bo&l!t of it! antiquity, its defences, its soldiery, but its iniquity Bhould l'CC!live •ita desert-it should be humbled. ;to the very dust; it should be a heap, .a ruin, a d,eaert. The rightrousness er God will assuredly be vindicated in time. God must not be judged ae if a few decades were much in his measurement. Only w,.it his time 1 and: when the cup of human guilt is full, the ,arm of Divine retribution will deal its atroke. Then shall the shoutings of impious arrogancy be silenced; it shall be dum:b with •shame (ver. 6). ; :. . . . , .. III. His Drvn.'E OOMPASSION. (Ver. 4.) When the raging ~mpest.of human 'per- secution threatens to overtake and destroy the h11mble and the helpless, .then the pitiful One will appear on their behalf. A Strength to the poor and the. needy, a Shadow from the heat, will he prove to be; as the saving cloud shelters from the scorching heat (ver. 5), so will Divine interposition deliver:from the consuming fires.of• human wrath. And this gracious pity is not an unusual or occasional feeHng in .his heart-it is his constant attitude, it is his abiding spirit. In every sge and in every land be regards the poor and the needy, the suffering and the down-troil.den, witb a peculiar kindness; he is always ready to shelter them in the pavilion of bis power. Therefore: l. Let the guilty fear. (Ver. 3.) What God has done in holy retribution he is prepared to do again, and will do again if heedlessness lead to impenitence, and impenitence to greater and more arrogant rebellion. 2. Let cthe opptessed hope. : The destruction of the strong city of sin is the relief and the rescue of the holy. Not only the "strong people," but the obedient and humble people-,,-the people· of 'God...... will "glorify" his Name (ver. 3). 3, Let the redumed praise Godior bis rigbteous judgment and his merciful deliverances. "I will praise thee." Not only those deliv~r.ed· fix>Di power and bondage of the human enemy, but •those who have: been ra.nsomed and redeemed from the tyranny and the slavery of ein. , 4. Let every :man claim 'a ,direct per,onal interest in God. By approaching to him, by communion.,with hi~,:by reconoiliatioo to him, by joyful engagement in his service, let each;one .of .us claim.the right to say with holy exultation, "0 Lord, tho~ art my God."-C. • Ver. 6.-Divine pro'!1isionfor the human s01.ll. In tqe vegetable and animal kingdom ■ God has made full and rich provision for all the wants and craviogs of our body-for its revival, its nourishment, its streugth, its enjoyment. I1{the gospel of his grace he has granted UB the most ample and generous provision for, our spiritual nature. In Christ Jesus, in" the truth as it is in him," ani in his holy service, we have all we need for- L OuB BPIEITUAL BEVIVAL. Food, especially wine, is given to revive a~ :well.as to nourish. "Give strong drink unto him that is ready to perish" (Prov•. xx:u. 6). :Many a buuian life has been saved by the restoring cup administerechvith a wise hand. 'l'be wine of heavenly truth is for a revival indeed. l<'rom him who is the 0 .true•Vine," (John xv. 1) comes that reanimating virtue which calls from spiritual death• the soul that was about to perish in its sin. ' • , . IL NounrsHKENT. Food iR, above all things,,for sustenance. We partake of the kind and welcome growths of the garden and the fie!~ that the waste of ,our syste~ may be repaired, and that life may be preserved in its fulness and integrity.. Without constant refreshment from "the Word of the truth of the gospel," if we did not sit down daily to the table which God has spread for us in his.heavenly wisdom, our souls would soon fade and fail and die. As we eat of the " Bread of life," as we drink of "the river that makes glad the city of God,'' we find our life sustained; we "live unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord." · · ·'· IIL STRENGTH. "A feast of fat things full of marrow." That which is amplej not only to sustain life, but to augment its force. '" Of wines on the l~es '',:-wines ~~at have acquired, and will presumably impart, strength'. lo Jesua Christ ls ·everythn~g to confer spiritual vigour, manliness, power; . ,Communion with him, the.. a~udy of his life and character, active service in hie ca-ase, the direct eommunications which proceed from his upholding, energizing Spirit,-ali these minister to spiritual etrengt~ ; they aye all open to every disciple, so that the Chrietil\n teacher has a right to say, impera- tively, to the disciple,•• Be strong in the Lord" (Eph. Ti. 10). . ". l V. JoY. Wine and gladne5s are closely associated in Scripture (see Pa. iv. 7 ~ civ. ltl) OH, :uv. 1-12.J 'l'HE BOOK Ob' THE PROPHET ISAIAH. 407
Feasting andjoy are also intime.tely connected, Tho provision which ia made in the feast of the gospel is one that givee ·a purer, truer, more lllanly, more luting joy; for it is the joy oJ,thd soul, and it ls a joy in God. ,V. ADAPTATION. The wine of this feast W88 to be strong for those who wanted strength-" on tho lees;" it was also to be "well refined" for those who wanted the coarse flavour removed e.nd desired purity as well as power (see Jer. xlviii. 11). The same Divine truth, deli\'ered from the same lips, contained within the same covers, has /urea for those who need to be mightily wrought upon, and refinement for those whose moral perceptions are clear and whose spiritual taste is fine and cultured, There is everything on the table of our Lord to meet the varied cravings of these hearts of ours. 1. Thie is a.feast which we are not at liberty to decline; for "the Lord of hosts has made it "-has prepared it with exceeding ea.re a.nd a.t great cost, 2. It is open to every hungering soul. It is made" unto all people.!' It is free to all. "Ho, every one that thirsteth:," etc,-C.