The Pulpit Commentary — Isaiah — Volume 2 — Section 24

HOMILIES BY VARIOUS AUTHORS. Vere. 1-18.-Hezelciah's resources, The conduct of the king on hearing the haughty message of the Assyrian is that of a man of habitually religious mind and religious practice. 1. He rends liis garments and covers himself with sackcloth. This was sig- nificant of sorrow and of self-humiliation: "Humble yourselves beneath tbe mighty hand of God, and he will exalt you in due time." Instead of searching far and wide for the causes of our distress, it were well to look first into our own hearts, and that closely. There, where the mischief has begun, the remedy and the hope may be revealed. 2, He sends a deputation to the minister of God; also clothed in sackcloth. They give the king's message to Isaiah, "This day is a day of trouble, punishment, and con- tumely." 'l'he outward forms and shows of grief could not denote them truly. They had "That within which passed show, Beneath the tro.ppings o.nd the suits of woe.n The mourning garb expresses the need of the rending of the heart, and the bowing down of its pride before the judgments of God. Human extremity is confessed: "There is no strength to bring forth." The toil over insoluble problems-the matchiug of one'~ strength against o. superhuman enterprise, the comparison of 011e's i<lea of what should be with one's sense of the absence of resources for its accomplishment, brings utter exhaustion. It is under such conditions that men learn that whatever strength they had at any time is from God, that whatever help is needed must come from him now. In the house of Goel, in the attitude of humility and penitence, in communion with men of God, let UR bo found in the day of distress. I. Tm: HUMAN INTERCESSOR. In common life we recognize the principle of inter- cession, We shelter ourselves behind the worth of another; we seek to gain interest with the powerful and tho good. 'l'o carry things by personal interest and partiality doubtless opens the door to abuses; but Rftor all it is founded itself upon love. Logic says," Let esrery case be judged by its merits, every man stand or ft11l by merit or <lemerit of his person." Love, softening down the hard lines of logical principle, or concealing them with flowing ornament, says, "Let fellow-feeling and pity, kinship of bloo<l or of mind, havo their influence on the decision." 'l'he great truth of the mediation of Christ is reflected in a weaker but still emphatic way in tho office of an Abrnham, a Moses, a Samuel. Scripture expressly recognizes: "'rhe prayer of a righteous man availeth much" (cf. Jer. xv. 1). Our objection t? the Romish doctrine o_f the intl:rcession of saints should not carry us too for. H might load us to a cohl demal of tho rnnuonee of loving thought upon ono nnothor's weal. What limit is there to the for-reaching i11n ,1- ences of love? Because some assume to know too much of those inlluenc~s aud the 26 THE DOOR OF 'l'HE PROPHE'l' ISAIAII. [en. xxxv11. 1-88,