■engfirs. No particular "book" is intended thing of nought; ro.ther, and depifl-, th~ -,epher being without the article, bnt the jWJt [of their right] by empty chargea. '' Turn- words of any ,wrHing put forth with Divfoe ing aside the just" means turning them nuthority. Tbe eyes of the blind shall see from their right (Amos v. 12; Exod. xxiii. al.so out of obsourity. Men ehnll shake 6); and bat-tohu. is not "for nothing" but oft' the "deop sleep" (vcr. 10) in which "by nothing," i.e. by some vain empty pre- they hnve long lain, and hnve once more tence. " eyes to see" the truth. Ver. 22.-The Lord, who redeemed Abra- Ver. 19.-The meek , . , the poor. The ham; rather, who deli,;ered Abraham, as "evangelical prophet" anticipates the the verb user! is often rendered (see Job gospel in this, nmong other points-that he xxxiii. 28; Pa. lv. 18; lxix. 18; lxxviii. promises his choicest blessings, not to the 42, etc.). God's directions to Abraham to rich and mighty, but to the poor and meek remove from a land of idolaters (Josh. xxiv. (comp. eh. lvii. 15; lxi. 1). 2, 3 ; Acts vii. 2, 3) were practical Iy o. Ver. 2O.-The terrible one ... the scorner. "deliverance." The work thus commenced "The terrible one" mny be the foreign would not be suffered to remain incomplete. enemy, as in ver. 5, or, possibly, the native Israel-the true IsraE:1-wouhl not be oppr!'ssor (eh. i. 23; v. 23, etc.)-a still more ashamed, or wax pale through fear any fearful evil. "The scorner" is the godless more; they would be God's children, his true ri,an, who scoffs at religion (eh. xxviii. 14, worshippers, and would have no need to 22). Both classes would be " consumed" experience ei tber fear or shame. and "brought to nought" when the new Ver. 23.-The work of mine hands; i.e. ·state· of things· was established. All that regenerated and "created anew unto good watoh for iniquity; i.e. "all those who, for works" (Eph. ii. 10)-God's work, and no the furtherance of their iniquitous schemes, longer denying themselves to be such (ver. rise up early and late take rest, and eat the 16). They shall sanctify my Name, and bread of carefulness" (Pa. cxxvil. 2). sanctify, etc.; rather, they shall sanctify my Ver. 21.-That make a man an offender Name, they shall even sanctify the Holy One for a word.. The mean in~ of this clause· is of Jacob, and fear the God oj I~rael.. The very doubtful ... Kay translates," That lead last two clauses arc e::.egetical of t:ie first n men into sin by words; Mr. Cheyne, (Kay). "Thnt make out people to· be sinners by Ver. 21.-They also that erred in spirit; their words," i.e. by bearing false· witness i.e. those who were blind and deaf (ver. against them; while Delitzsch upholds the 18). Shall come to Ullderstanding; literally, rendering. of the Authorized Version. Mr. shall know understanding; i.e. recover their Ve.nee Smith has other suggestions(' Pro- power of spiritual discernment. They that phecies,' p. 171). 'l'here seems to be, on murmured. The reference co.nnot be to the the· whole, no sufficient reason for setting "murmuring" in Egypt, though the verb e.side the o.uthorized rendering, which con- used occurs only elsewhere in Deut. i. 27 demns one form of oppression-the severe and Ps. cvi. 25, where that murmuring is punishment of mere words. And lay a spoken of. We must look for some later snare for him that reproveth in the gate, discontent, which we may find in quite "The gate" was the place where judgment recent "murmuring resistance to the admo- was given and public assemblies held. If nitions of Jehovah" (Delitzsch), without any one boldly stood up and reproved the going be.ck so far nsthe time of the Exodus. oppressors "in the gate," they instantly set Shall learn dootrine ; i.e. " sho.11 willingly t.o work to lay a trap for him and bring him receive the tenching, of God's prophets, and to ruin. And tum aside the just for a profit by it."
HOMILETICS. Vera. 1--4.-" Woe to Arz'et l" The lesson of this section seems to be that even those nearest and dearest to God, who bear his name, who are in e. certain sense bis, are not exempt from suffering nt his hands, Even Jerusalem," the city where David dwelt"- " God's lion," his champion, his" mighty one "-was shortly to experi~nce all the horrors of a prolonged siege, to be brought down to the dust-to be distressed, weakened, humiliated. The memory of David would not save her; her name of "Ariel" wouhl not exempt her. She would have to go through the fearful ordeal. The Christian may humbly ask-Wherefore? I. BEOAUSE, HAVING BINNED, SHE DESEilVED PUNISHMENT. God cannot allow sin to go unpunished. His attribute of perfect justice requires that even for pardoned sin 'tllere should bo a :penalty, It is well for sinners when the penalty is exacted in this 47-l TllE BOOK OF TRE l?MPBET 1SAIAH, [en. :u1x.. 1-24.