The Pulpit Commentary — Isaiah — Volume 1 — Section 553

Ver. 14.-TI"no can stand the testi'Tl1Jfiru., The terms" devouring fire" 11 everlast. ing burnings," do not mean hell; they mean God in visible, material judgments, euoh as may be ~ymbolized by the destruction of the Assyrian army; and such as the pre- sence of that army became to the people of Jerusalem. The appeal of Isaia.h seems to be this: See the fright into which the people have fallen at the presence of this hostile army. See who has been calm and strong in this hour of national peril. How, then, would it be with men in the more awful times of God's testiug judgments? The man who alone can dwell in the" devouring fire" is the good man. He that is able to abide " the everlasting burnings" is " the man that walketh righteously and spea.keth uprightly." Maclaren says, "The prophet bas been calling all men, far and near, to behold II great act of Divine judgment, in which God has been manifested in flaming glory, consuming evil; now be represents the" sinners in Zion," the unworthy members of the nation, as seized with sudden terror, and anxiously asking this question, which in effect means, "Who among us can abide peacefully, joyfully, fed and brightened, not consumed and annihilated, by that flashing brightness and purity?" The pro- phet's answer is the answer of common sense: "Like draws to like. A holy God must have holy companions." I. THE TESTING FIRES, These are future, but they are not altogether future. Per- haps we shall presently come to see that the passing testings are more serious than the future ones. Every life-work must be tried with fire ; it is being tried with fire. Every day we are in the "everlasting burnings." Life is God's testing fire. This ie illustrated by the influence national calamities have upon nations. Through baptisms of blood and devouring fires nations come forth purified. "'.l.'hrough much tribulation [God's testing for 1lll] we must all enter the kingdom." II. THE EFFECT OF THE TESTING FIBEB ON THE EVIL-MINDED. Symbolized in the panic of the godless folk in Jerusalem when Sennache1ib drew nigh. At the sound of threatening they took alarm, and hurried to Egypt for help. Their vain self-confi- dences fell about them as soon as the test was applied. Can we face the judicial and punitive action of that Divine Providence which_works even here? aud how can we face the judicial and punitive action in the future? Ill. THE EFFECT OF THE TESTING FIBEB ON THE GOOD-MINDED, They cannot escape from the common earthly conditions. The fires try every man's spirit and every man'11 work. There are some-should we not be among them ?--on whom even the" second death" bath no power.-R. T. Ver. 16.-God's witness to character. Connect this verse with the description of the righteous man given in ver. 15, observing how very practica! is the righteousness which God requires and approves. The good man walks upnghtly, speaks worthy tliing8, wantti nothing that is hie neighbour's, will neither be bought nor forced to do that which is wrong, refuses to listen to evil, and shuts his eyes that he may not see it. God is on the side of such a good man, and whatever may be the disabilities in which he is placed by his fellow-men, he may be quite sure of safety and provision. "God is a Refuge for him.'' "None of them that trust in him shall be desolate." "The Lord doth provide." I. 'fHE GOOD HAN HUST BE IN THE WOBLD, BUT IIE SHALL BE ABOVE IT. Our Lord prayed thus: "I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world, but tha~ thou sbouldest keep them from the evil." Put into Eastern figure, before earthly troubles the good man ie u safe as a people hid behind the "munitions of rocks" OB. x.xx.m. 1-24.] THE BOOK OF THE PfiOPHP,T ISAIAH. 557