The Pulpit Commentary — Isaiah — Volume 1 — Section 544

be theirs who hunger and thirst after righteousness, who have fixed their minds upon an Object, which still invites the moat boundless and unlimited appetite. The nobler aeneea are never weary of exercise upon objects which delight them. We rlo not surfeit upon noble music, nor do rare pictures cloy. The desires of the righteous are so agreeable to the ways of God that they find a continual freshness growing upon them in the performance of duty; like a stream, which, the further it has run, the more strength and force it hae to run further (South).-J. Vera. 17-24.-27111 reign of Hezekiah. Amidst all the agitation caused by the invasion of Sennacherib, and his perfidy, "the voices of true prophets were raised with power, pointing to the imperishable elements in the true community, and proclaiming the approach of a great crisis, the crushing weight of which should alight only on tbe faithlesR, whether among· the Assyrians or in Judah" (Ewald), Here we find a reflection of the excitement of the time. I. THE GLORY OF THE KING, His beauty is a moral beauty-that of a just rule (eh. xxxii. 1); an "ideal beauty-the evidence of God's extraordinary favour." The picture should be compared with that in Ps.. xlv. The eyes of the people shall see a land of distances. Looking northward. and southward, and eastward and westward, the boundaries of the kingdom shall still be extended, far as eye can reach. II. VANISHED TERRORS. The Assyrian officials who registered the amounts of the tribute,,who tested the silver and the gold, who counted the towers of the city about to ,fall their prey, shall have vanished. _The people themselves shall proudly and thankfully number those intact towers (Ps, xlviii. 13). No longer shall the jarring accents of the foreigner's sta.mmei·ing tongue fall upon their ears. III. THE STRENGTH AND SPLENDOUR OF ZION. Look upon her! Once more the festiv.e throngs shall gather there. Once more she shall be a honse of peace, or dwelling of confidence, a quiet resting-place. She had indeed seemed like the tent of wanderers, the pegs ready to be drawn out, the cords to be rent, at the bidding of the conqueror. The people had been threatened with removal ( eh. x:uvi.17). This fear shall have passed away. The majesty of Jehovah, like an all-protecting regis, terrifying to his enemies, assuring to his friends, shall be revealed in Zion's state. Tbat presence, which is " glorious in holiness, fearful in praises, doing wonders," shall have returned thither; that right hand, which is glorious in power, shall again have been stretched forth to deliver and to protect. Jehovah, and he a.lone, is the Defence of Jerusalem. What though she be unlike" populous No, situate among the rivers, with the waters round a.bout it, and the rampart of the sea" (Nab. iii. 8), or Babylon, "seated on the waters" (Jer, Ii. 13),-he shall be instead of rivers and canals to his holy city. It is the streams of a spiritual river which "shall make glad the city of Gad" (1's. xlvi. 4). IV. 'l'HE DIVINE RULER. By him kings reign and princes decreed justice. The earthly king is but representative of him who is enthroned in heaven, the "great King." Hezekiah is but his vicegerent, his inspired servant. The weak political power becomes strong through him. Though Zion be like a dismasted ship, she will prevail over .the proud, well-rigged ships of her foes. Sin will cease, punishment will be at end, and, with it, bodily suffering and sickness (eh. xx."l:v. 5, 6; lxv. 20; Mark ii. 10, 11). "A people, humbled by punishment, penitent and therefore pardone<l, will dwell in Jerusalem, The strength of Israel and all its salvation rest upon the forgive- ness of its sins." V. LESSONS. 1. National fudgments will only cease with national sins. "Humble repentance is to cure us of our sins and miseries; and there can no cw-e be wrought unless the plnster be as broad as the sore." 2. The most effectual way to avert national fudgments is the way of pe:rsonal, amendment. Particular sins often bring down geueral judgmente. Sin, like a leprosy, begins in a small compass, yet quickly overspreads the whole. 3, The foi·saking of sins begets hope ·in the mercy of God. Because he h.is promised upon that condition to remove them ; because he actually often bas so removed them; because, when mon are thus humbled, God has attained the end of bis judgments (South).-J. Ver. 17.-The glorious vision. "Thine eyes shall see the King in his beauty."  THE BOOK OF THE PROPHET ISAIAH, [ou, xxxm, 1-24-.