The Pulpit Commentary — Isaiah — Volume 1 — Section 522

II. IN TUE BTRIOT DIBOIPLINE AT FIRST EBTABLISBED IR BIS CHURCH, "]?urge out ••. the old leaven" (1 Cor. v. 7); "Put away from among yourselves that wickea person" (1 Cor, v, 13); "Now I have written unto you not to keep company, if any man that is called a brother be a. fornicator, or covetous, or an idolater, or a railer, or a drunkard, or an extortioner; with such a. one no not to eat" (1 Cor. v. 11). The apostles "delivered to Satan n those who sinned grievously (1 Cor, v. 5; 1 Tim. i. 20)-cut them off from the communion of the fa.Hhfal (Gal. v. 12), and only restored them after con- fession and penance. " The prvncea ruled in fudgment " (eh. xxxii. 1). III. IN THE SOLEMN DEOLARATIONB MADE OF A FINAL JUDOMENT ACCORDING TO WO!lKS. "I saw the dead, small and great; stand before God; and the books were opened : anrl another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works. And the sea gave up the dead which were in it ; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works" (Rev. xx. 12, 13; comp. Matt, vii, 23; xii. 37; xiii, 39--43; xxv, 31--46, etc.). ! Ver. 2.-Wnat (Jhrist is to his peop'l& The prophet enumerates (in ver. 2) some of the chief relations in which Messiah, when he came, would stand to bis people. All his announcements a.re fulfilled. in Obrist. I. CHBIBT 1e A HIDING-PLACE FROM THE WIND, When the winds of afll.iction blow, .then "the blast of the terrible ones" is upon us, above all, when the breath of the wrath of God seems to sweep down on us and scorch us up, there is one Refuge only to which we can flee--one " Hiding-place "-Christ. In the time of natural grief and trouble, he lets ue find a Refuge in him ; when our enemies threaten, be "bides us in the secret of his presence from the pride of man," and "keeps us secretly in a pavilion from the strife of tongues" (Ps. xxxi. 20) ; when we shrink from the thought of God's wrath, and the breath which is "like a stream of brimstone" (eh. xxx. 33), he offers himself to us as our Shelter. How many saints have not found comfort, unspeakable comfort. in the blessed words- " Bock of Ages, cleft for me, Let me hide myself in Thee"? II. CHmBT IS A COVERT FBOM THE TEMPEST. Christ not only bides us away from wind and storm, tempest and evil of all kinds, but is himself our Coverture. He is "a Tabernacle for a Covert from storm and from rain" (eh. iv. 6). His merits "cover up" our sins, and make atonement for them. His righteousness is the" white raiment" which clothes us, so that " the shame of our nakedness doth not appear" (Rev. iii. 18). Ill. CHRIST IS AS RIVERS OP' WATER. Rivers give refreshment. They are the great source of life, fertility, delight, in a parched and desert land. In the wilderness of this life, in the dry arid waste which our tired feet have to traverse, any refreshment that we enjoy comes from Christ-is Christ. He pours upon us the refreshing "dew of his blessing." He gives us to drink out of himselr; and then " out of our belly there flow rivers of living water" (John vii. 37, 38). The water that he imparts to us is" a well of water springing up into everlasting life n (John iv. 14). Ile is unto us "a place of broad rivers and streams" (eh. x.u.iii. 21), refreshing, life-giving, exhaustless. IV. CHRIST IB AS THE SHADOW OP' A GREAT BOCK IN A WEARY LAND. 'l'he world is "a. weary land.'' We are travellers across its waste. A bot sun beats down upon our heads; a scorching soil is under our feet. But we have a Rock with us-a Rock which "follows us "-and "that Rock is Christ" (1 Cor. x. 4). In the shadow of that Rock ! we may at any time, and at all times, find rest, renovation, refreshment, protection, delight. '.l.'he traveller in the desert comes, once and again, upon "a great rock," as he plods his weary way over the vast solitude, and rejoices at the sight, and toils for hours to reach the blessed refuge of its shade. Our" Rock" is ready to give us shaJe when- ever we please-it is near us constn.ntly ; we have but to flee to it, to cling to it, t-0 remain in ita shadow. Vera. 9--12.-The need of r=ing women in critical times from a state of self-satis- .faction Ollld self-c~mplacency. Women are less apprehensive than men, more inclined o2G THE BOOK ·OF THE PROPHE'r ISAIAH. [au. xnu. 1-20.