Ver. 21.-Sins of will and sins offraiity. '' When ye tnm to the right hand, and when ye tnm to the left.'' This is an evident recognition of the infirmities and wander- ings of those who do, of set purpose of heart, mean to serve God. The verse is a gracious assurance that, in such times of frailty, God's people shall have due warning and cor- rection. We may take as types of the two kinds of sin-sins of will and sine of frailty -the two persons who were present to the mind of Christ when he spoke as in John xii. 10; a.nd these two persons will illustrate the classes who were in the mind of Isaiah when he gave the warning of the text-the boldly wilful who persisted in the policy of seeking aid from Egypt, and the frail ones whose faith faltered under the pressure of the anxiety of the times and the delay of the Divine intervention. They were swayed to this side or to that, but, nevertheless, tried hard to keep steadily, right on. L JUDAS, TYPE OF THOSE WHO ARE REABT·WBONG, 1NS1NCERE1 RULED BY CONSIDER.A• TIONS OF SELF-INTEREST. There are no minute details given of the process of Judas'e apostasy. There was, indeed, nothing unusual about it. 'l'he covetous spirit made him connect himl!elf with Christ chiefly for personal ends. The essential thing in any one who unites with Christ is surrender of 6e?fand 6elf-will, and this surrender Juclas never made. 'l'he point, however, to be specially dwelt on here is that his great sin waa a matter of will, plan, resolve, determiuation. He did not drift into it; ho waij no.I enticed into it; he was not taken at unaware&: he schemed it; ho willed it; the guilt of it fully rested Dn him. ,v1ieuever men sin with their wills and openly, they must come under the crushings of Divine judgment. Sins of will are rebellions that must be mastered. The distinction between sins of will and sins of frailty may be further shown in King Saul and King David. II. PETEil, TYPE OF THE BINCEBE BUT FAULTY J.ND FRAIL. Compare David. Peter was hasty, impulsi vc, uncertain, sometimes even weak. "'l'he spirit was willing, but ihe flesh was weak." He swayed now to this side, s.nd now to that, and needed jus& an. xxx. 1-33.J 'l'HE BOOK OF 'fHE PROPHF,T ISAIAH. 609
euch warnings as are provided in the above text. The Apostlo John urges on those who are sincere Christians, that if they" eay they have no sin, they deceive themselves, and the truth ie not in them." And these, which at first are" goings aside,"" frailties," w.ill soon grow to become" wilfulnesses," if they nre not checked and corrected. There- fore may we rejoice in God, and assure our hearts in his promise that the v&k6 shall call us back when our feet incline to wander to the right or the left.-R. T. Ver. 29.-Tliejoy-scmg of the delivered. Reference is to the deliverance of Hezekiah and Judah from the yoke of the Assyrians and the fear of their overwhelming attack. Illustrating the pleasure Eastern people feel in" night-songs," Roberts says, "Music is considered far more enchanting at night than at any other period; it gives cheerfulness Ill darkness, and pleasure to the heart." Nothing is more common than for adults to sing themselves to sleep; thus; as they recline, they beat a tabret and chant the praises of their gods till, through heaviness, they can scarcely articulate a;word. In passing through a village or town at midnight may be beard people at their nightly song, to grace the festive scene, to beguile away their time, to charm their fears, or to procure refreshing sleep." I. Gon GIVES BONGS IN THE NIGHT OF OUR FEARS. .A striking illustration is found in the times of Jehoshaphat (2 Chron. xx.). A time of exceeding peril and fear came through an invasion of Moabites and .Ammonites; the matter was committed to God in prayer; deliverance was assured, and we read that the singers went out before the army, to praise the beauty of holiness, and say, "Praise the Lord, for his mercy en.dureth for ever." They were to sing their songs of trust while yet the deliverance tarried. Singing songs when we are well out of fears is easy work; singing songs even while struggling with our fears is the beautiful triumph of faith. II. Goo GIVES BONGS IN THE NIGHT OF WEEPING. Weeping represents troubles being borne, not troubles only feared. Smiles can break through tears. God give.s heart-rest that can give forth a song, even to the sons and daughters of pain and grief. III. Goo GIVES BONGS IN THE NIGHT OF WEARY PILGRIMAGE. For often times "wait- ing work,'' and the work of keeping steadily on, is very trying and hard. Many a man knows the painful depression of" patient continuance in well-doing." This is typified in the long, dreary journey of Israelites from distant parts of the country to the feasts at Jerusalem. Weary work, indeed, in those slow-travelling days. It is said that each band of pilgrims on its way to Jerusalem was headed by a person who played the flute. Nothing cheers a journey like a song. See the power of music on a soldier's march. Then "Sing on your heavenward we.y, Ye ransomed sinners, sing." IV. Gon GIVES BONGS IN THE NIGHT OF DEATH. Songs in the soul, when lips are sealed in weakness. How often those who watch beside dying saints see the lips moving, and catch faint sounds of the old trustful hymns learned in childhood! Familiar texts and well-loved hymns are the wings that bear many a soul througb the long dark valley into the holy realms of light and love and song.-R. T. Ver. 33.-The mission of Tophet. "Fire, being the most destructive of all the elements, is chosen by the sacred writers to symbolize th8 agency by which God punishes or destroys the wicked. We are not to assume from prophetical figures that material fire ie the precise agent to be used. It was not the agency employed in the destruction of Sennacherib, who is the king mentioned in the text. He was killed by his two sons, whilst worshipping in the house of Nisroch his god (eh. xxxvii. 38). 'l'ophet properly begins just where the Valley of Hinnorn bends round to the east, having the cliffs of Zion on the north, the Hill of Evil Counsel on the south. It terminates at Beer 'Ayub, where it joins the Valley of Jehoshaphat. 'l'he cliffs on the south side especially abound in ancient tombs. Hern the dead carcases of beasts, and every offal and abomination, were cast, and left to be either devo•ircd by that worm that never died, or consumed by that fire that was never quenched. Hinnom was condemned to this infamous service, perhaps, because in it, when Israel fell into idolatry, they offered their chihlren in sacri- fice to Baal." 'fophct came to represent the place of punishment., esi,ccially that kind, of p11nishroent which is dcetruotive ralhrr than remedial. 510 THE BOOK OF 'l.'HE PROPHET ISAIAH. [OH, llXI, 1-9,