The Pulpit Commentary — Isaiah — Volume 2 — Section 27

things, to bo concerned for the honour of our heavenly Father, for the glory of our Divine Rrdcemor: thRt he is revered, and that his will is done on earth should ho our fi~t consideration. (2) 'l'ho fact that it is an unselfish, and therefore pre-eminently Christian and Divine inspiration. (3) The fact that it is an enlarging end ennobling sentime?~· They_ whose_ hearts a~e filled and_ whose li:v~s !'re fashioned by this pure and holy BOhc1tude will be hfted up IIl soul by its elevatrng rnfluenco; they will rise above all that is mean and small; they will attain to loftiness of view and dignity ot character. 2. The manifestatio'M which it will assume are (1) great pain and shame when the Name of God is dishonoured (text); (2) great joy when his kingdom is seen to be advancing llI!d himself being honoured in the world; (3) earnest and lifelong effort to hear witness to his presence, his power, his holiness, his love, and the blessed- ness of his great salvation.--C. Ver. 10.-The God in whom we trust. To trust in God- I. OUGHT TO SEEM ·ro us THE MOST SIMPLE AND NATURAL THING. 1 . .All power is his. We shrink from weakness as a snppor~, but we lean our whole weicrht on streno-th with perfect willingness and readiness: and it is Almighty God; it is h~ to whom ,f'all power is given in heaven and on earth," who invites our confidence. 2. .All wisdom is his. Power without wisdom may lead astray, may work more harm than help: it is the only wise God "who asks us to put our trust in him. 3. .All kindness is his. Power with wisdom but without love might be arrayed against us, might overwhelm us with confusion: it is the God whose "new, best Name is love," that offers us the shelter of his wing. 4. All faithfulness is his. Love that might last but a little while is of little worth; it might change into indifference or even into hatred and hostility: it is the "Father of lights with whom is no variableness," it is "Jesus Christ, the same yesterday, and t.<rday, and for ever," who says ~ us, "Come unto me," "Trust in me," "Abide in me," "Cast all your care on me." Surely it should be the simplest, the most natural, thing to yield instant and eager response to the Divine iavitation, and to put our heart's whole trust in "the Lord our God." Yet to trust in him- II. Is MUCH MORE RARE THAN IT SHOULD BE. Do we find men leaning on God, and so leaning on him that their hearts are full of peace, of spiritual rest, of bope, of heavenly joy? Is" the God in whom we trust" a phrase that has as large and full a meaning to our minds as it should have? Is not a living, sustaiuing, rejoicing trust in God a comparatively rare, rather than a constant and universal thing, even in Christia □ hearts? And why is it so, if so it be? Is it not because we allow ourselves to be so saaly imposed upon by the temporal and the superfieial? We persist in representing to ourselves that the visible, the audible, the tangible, the material, is the real, the true, and the fiuhstantial. We, who walk by faith and not by sight, whose life is spiritual, who are citizens of hea,·en, ought to understand that it is this which is illusive, evanescent, unreal, and that the invisible, the intangible, the eternal, is the real and the reliable; we ought to know and to rt'alize that he, whom not having seen we love, the invisible but ever-present, the almighty and never-failing Saviour, is the One who is worthy of our confidence, and in the deepest and fullest sense it should be true that it is the Lord in whom we trost. III. ls A PRIVILEGE OF WHICH WE NEED TO AVAIL OURSELVES CONTINUALLY, 1. In pro1perity,for God's sake. For God wills that we should be ever trusting in him, "in whom are all our springs," and from whom we derive everything we enjoy. To trace our well-being to ourselves, and to trust in the arm of flesh instead of referring all to the living God, brings down his deep displeasure (see Deut. x. 8-18). 2. In adver- sity,for owr own sake. For then God alone can help and save us. We ourselves shall have failed ; misfortune, disaster, will have baffled and beaten us; our friends will fail us; human sympathy and succour will avail somewhat, but it will leave much more undone than it will do. Divine interposition alone will supply our need-the pity of tl,e Divine Friend; the help of the heavenly Father; the minilltry of the Holy Ghost, the Comforter and the Sanctifier of the hearts of men.--C. Vers. 14-20.-Righteousnese in prayer. Hezekiah's was the effectual prayer of a righteous man. It was effectual becau6<J it was right-minded. Had he gone to the Lord ill an unacceptable spirit, he would ha vc met with a very diJrerent respGnse. Our on, xxxvn. 1-38.J 'fHE BOOK OF THE PROPHET ISAIAH. 29