Vers. 19-22.-Turning to God. It is the intention of God's chastisements, e.nd their natural, though perhaps scarcely their ordinary, result, to stir the soul to penitence, and produce a turning of the heart to God. When the spirit of the man is truly touched; the steps on the path of repentance are commonly- I. THE UTTERANCE OF A CRY. "Men and brethren, what shall we do?" (Acts ii. 37). "Sirs, what must I do to be saved?" (Acts xvi. 30). "Lord, what wilt thou have me to do?" (Acts ix. 6). "Lord, save us, we perish!" (Matt. viii. 25). Some bitter cry or other is wrung from the lips of the awakened sinner, who feels his own weakness and guilt, despairs of saving himself, and makes appeal to him who is alone "mighty to save," in tones of e.arnest entreaty and extreme longing for help. • The "cry" iii answered as soon as heard (ver. 19). By external teaching, or an inward secret voice, men are warned what they must do as the nei.:t step on the path which leads to life. This is- II. THE FORSAKING OF THEm SINS. Be it impurity, be it lying, be it idolatry, that bas separated between the sinner and God, he must at once set himself to cast it off, and rid himself of it. "Ye shall defile the covering of thy graven images" (ver. 22). "Put a way the evil r-f your doings : cease to do evil" ( eh. i. 16). It is sin, and sin only, that separates ns from God. If we would be at one with him, sin must be put away. .All, however, is not completed yet. Those who truly turn to God will not be content with a negative goodness; they will follow up the forsaking of their sin8 by- III. THE EARNEST ENDEAVOtJR TO LEAD A LIFE OF ACTIVE WELL-DOING. "Cease to do evil; learn to do well," Eays the prophet ( eh. i. 16). It is not enough to" put off the old man;" we must" put on the new man, which after God is createll in righteousness and true holiness" (Eph. iv. 24). For every weed that we pluck from our hearts, we must put in a flower; for every vice that we uproot, we must plant a. virtue. God wills that we should " add to our faith virtue ; and to virtue knowledge; and to knowledge temperance ; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness ; and to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity" (2 Pet. i. 5-7). We must endeavour, by "patient continuance in well-doing," at once to improve our own characters, to help the brethren, and to rebuke, if we cannot convince, the gainsayer. Vere. 23-26.-The glorie, of Christ', kingdom shown in figure. Isaiah gives ua several descriptions of Christ's kingdom, all of them more or less allegorical (see eh. iv, 2~ ; xi. 1-9 ; xxxv. 1-10; Ix. 1-22). In the preseat description all is allegory, 'l'he blesi;ings of the kingdom are- I. RxcH AND ABUNDANT HARVESTS, by which would seem to be signified a. great con- version of the nations by the preaching of the gospel (comp. Matt. ix. 37, 38; John iv. 35), together with the display of a great zeal to do abundant good works (Matt. vil. 16-20). <1B, xxL 1-88.] THE BOOK OF THE PROPHET ISAUH. 497
If, FnEQUENT RAIN; i.e. nn abundant shedding upon the earth or the dew of God's blessing; a continued pouring down from him of refreshing, invigorating, healthful, life-giving influences. By these the rich harvests wouid be produced, the pastur~ made luxuriant, and God's creatures upon the earth, both men and animals, rendered ho.ppy. III. CONDUITS EVERYWHERE, TO CONVEY THE LIFE-GIVING FJ,UID FAR AND wnm. '.J.'hese appear to represent appointed means of grace-artificially constructed channels whereby the heavenly influences are ordinarily communicated to the faithful. They flow everywhere, not only in the valleys and plains, but also upon the mountains and high hills-the remotest and most inaccessible parts of the kingdom. IV. FLOODS OF LIGHT EVERYWHERE AND AT ALL TIMES; i.e. general illnmioation and enlightenment-the spread of spiritual knowledge and true wisdom through all parts of the Church and all ranks of Christians; the disappearance of spiritual darkness, of ignorance, folly, and blinded consciences. This appears to be mentioned as the crowning glory of all, beyond which description cannot go, and with which therefore the allegorical sketch comes to an end, Vers. 29, 32.-The punishments of nations/or deliverance, rather than/or vengeance. God "ha.th no pleasure in the death of him that dieth" (Ezek. xviii. 32). His justice compels him to punish the wicked, and sometimes requires the destruction even of a nation; but the main object of the Almighty in all such de11tructions is not to take vengeance on the oppressor, but to deliver the oppressed. Assyria, and the nations leagued with her, ho.d now by their wickedness, their pride, their blasphemy, their cruelty, their idolatry, their impurity, provoked him, as scarcely ever had be been provoked before. He was about to inflict a signal punishment, the fame of which would spread far and wide. But it was not on the punishment itself, or on the sufferings of those affected by it, that his own eye was fixed. It was on the consequences which would follow to his own people. They would "have a. song, as in the night when a. holy solemnity is kept;" they would have "gladness of heart, as when one goeth wi&h o. pipe to come into the mountain of the Lord." The result to them would be the removal of a constant and terrible fear; a feeling of satisfaction and safety; a sense of relief which would for a tin1e be jubilant, and show itself in musio and song, perhaps in shouting and dancing. 'l'he punishment of the Assyrians would be to them deliverance -11, deliverance which, it might bo hoped, would convert the heart of the nation to God.