The Pulpit Commentary — Isaiah — Volume 1 — Section 419

of the prayer-obamber is in times of distress the opening of the door into another world than this--a scene of serenity and elevation. In the presence of our Father who seeth In secret, the problems of the hour ate solved, or cease unduly to harass the mind', 'l'hat whioh threatened to crush us is surmounted by the new energy of the spirit here Imparted. .. Prayer ardent opens heaven, lets down a stream Of glory on the consecrated hour Of man in audience with the Deity ; Who worships the great God. that instant joins The first in heaven, and sets ID;8 ,foot on hell." _.1 ; J And it is but for" a little moment" that the wrat,b•will last (cf. eh. x. 24 25 • ii:v.''7-- 8 • I's. xn. 6). ''Just as Noah, behind whom Jehovah shut the door de the ark ~~ ltid<len in the ark while the floods of jud,,,ament poured down without so should the Church be shut off from the world without in its life of prayer, beca.us~ a. judgment of Jehornh was at hand" (Delitzsch). IV. THE COMl~G FORTH OF JEHOVAH'. (Cf.Micahi.8'.)' Wbefeis'th:e''''place• of Jehovah? It 1s the supernatural sphere; and every great manifestation of judgment mingled with mercy is a" coming forth of Jehovah." Here it is expresslyforjudgmeiit to punish men who have incurred blood-guilt, which is, in other words, sin; Yet in the l1ea.rt of judgrnent still his pity and consola.tion°Hve, and we" should keep it constantly before our eyes, when the wicked slay, mock, and ridicule us, and inflict upon us every kind -0f outrage aud cruelty, God will at length make known that the cry of innocent blood bas not been uttered in vain; for he never can forget his own people " (Luke xviii. 7).---J. • •• • Ver. 9.-Seeking God in Oi.e night. "With my soul have· I _desire!l thee in th~ night." When God's judgments are in the earth,. even the righteous• become more earnest. They need the quickening of spirit which comes from marking "th,e w~y,n the sure way, and sometimes the swift way, of God'sjudgn:ients. But'tbe night must be ta.ken in a personal sense as well as in a national sense: ' • - • . I. WE DESIRE GoD IN THE l\'IGHT OF OUR BORROWS. ''fbick clouds come over the heart. We are no longer surrounded by bright skies and pleasant sounds. We have come to the wilderness side of life. The 'morning of our expectations has given, place to the noonday of onr toil, and to the evening of our disappointment: The beat\tiful dream is over, and earthly joys a.re only passing guests. At eventide. they aro ·genie. 'l'he soul, sitting alone, feels how unrequited has' been the love of God; Alone in·'the darkness it seeks Lis face. -' • , ' - : , • . ' II. WE DESIRE Gon IN THE NIGHT OF OUR DOUBTS. ·These will come. 'Old evidences do not afford us the same basis of faith. New difficulties come face to face with the intellect. Mysteries born of experience oppress the heart. _Before, perhaps; we were hard aud dogmatic to all who differed from us; before we Were inclined to think that doubt was in itself a sin, and not the exquisite action of: a- sincere mind. Now we sit in darkness, and there is temJ_JOrary eclipse of faith. What we want i~ _God himself-the living God, God in Christ; and we are thankful if we can but" touch him." We Jee\ how blessed religion is, even when our evidences are darkened·; and with· our .sou.I we <lesi1·e God in the night. • IIL WE DESIRE GoD IN THE NIGHT OF oun SEPARATIONS.· They must come. Be tl,e tie ever so tender, it must be cut; and we must say or look farewell, or perchance hear of the death of some beloved one in a foreign land. 'l'hese tragedi~ll ate about us every day. New habiliments of mourning are put on every hour. No "to.uch of a vanished hand." Nothit1g below but empty space! Then the soul cries, "0 God; be !Jot far from me! " . , IV. WE Dl!:BIBE Goo IN THE NIGHT OF oun OWN DEPARTURE, Ahd it is night;. I 'I'o the Christian, who looks through it to the morniug, who bf!ievea in the better country, and who sees the light of the new_Jerusalcrn flickering up into the sky as he ascends through the darkness,-~till to him, strong as be may be in faith and hope, death is a <lark hour. But One alone can lighten that. Not lover, acquaiutance,. mother, or friend. No. " When I pass through the valley of the shadow of deat.h ('/,,O'U, 'art with tue."-W. M. B. CID, xxv1. 1----21,] THE BOOK OF THE PROPHET ISAIAH. ~