The Pulpit Commentary — Isaiah — Volume 2 — Section 69

mouth of hie prophets, and made the comfort which they strove to give effectual. Again, sometimes he comforts us by his Word. Many a time has the despairing soul found peace and joy in the promises of the gospel, which are indeed potent to raise up hope in the most dt•Rpondent, and to comfort the most unhappy. But frequently- perhaps we may say mostly-God gives his comfort himself, without intermediary. The stricken Roul stays itselr upon him, leans on him, makes its moan to him ; and be "comes to it," and with bis blessed presence puts an end to the soul's trouble, dispels the darkness, drives away despair and fear, infuses hope, breathes peace, imparts comfort (see Ps. lxxi. 2; eh. Ii. 3; !xvi. 13; 2 Cor. i. 3, 4; 2 'Ihess. ii. 17, etc.). III. THE RESULTS OF OOMFORT. The immediate result of comfort is peace anrl happi- ness. The soul comfort~d by God is at least contented, blissful. The further results should be (1) gratitude for the great mercy and loving-kindness sbowe,l to us; (2) perseverance in well-doing, the fruit and necessary result of gratitude, the eh ief means which creatures have of showing forth their thankfulness to God for any and every mercy vouchsafed to them; (3) praise and thanksgiving, the natural utterance of the mouth, when the heart is really touched with gratitude, and sensible of G, d'~ goodness. As David says, "What shall I render unto the Loni for all his benefits toward me? I will take the cup of salvation, and call upon the Name of the Lord. I will pay my vows unto the Lord . . . in the presence of all his people . . . J will offer to thee the sacrifice of thanksgiving, and will call upon the Name of the Lord" (Ps. cxvi. 12-17). Vers. 4-8.-God's promises sure. With Isaiah it is enough that "the mouth of the Lord has spoken" a thing (eh. i. 20; xl. 6). "God is not a man, that be should lie; neither the son of man, that he should repent" (Numb. xxiii. 19). What be has promised, he will perform; what he bas said, he will do, in the sense in which be said it. It is true, bis promises are of two kinds (1) unconditional, and (2) conditional; and, though both kinds are sure, they arc not sure in the same way. I. Gon's UNQONDITIONAL PROMISES ABSOLUTELY CERTAIN OF ACCOMPLISHMENT. God has promised that be will never again destroy mankind by a flood (Gen. ix. 11). He has pledged himself ,that" while the enrth remaineth, seed time and harvest, nnd cold and beat, and summer and winter, and day and night shall not cease" (Gen. viii. 22). By his Son be has declared that " the gates of bell shall not prevail against his Church" (Matt. xvi. 18), that he will send his Son to earth a second time to judge the quick and dead (Matt. xxv. 31-45), and that then the wicked "shall go away into everlasting punishment, but the righteous into life eternal" (Matt. xxv. 46). These are uncondi- tional promises, and are absolutely certain of fulfilment. Nothing can come in their way. God's veracity is pledged to them, and, as he is true, he must aml will bring them to pass. II. Gon's CONDITIONAL PROMISES ARE CERTAIN OF ACCOMPLISHMENT, IF THE CONDI- TION BE FULFILLED. The bulk of God's promises to mankind are "covenant promises," and, by the nature of a "covenant promise," they depend on a condition or conditions which have to be fulfilled. 'l'he promises to the Israelites that they should possess . Cannan, to David that his seed should sit upon his throne, and to captive Israel thal it should be restored, were of this ruiture. So are all promises of temporal and spiritual blessings to individuals. Even wh.,re the condition is not expressed, it is understood. A single example will suffice to show the nature of this kind of promise. A covenant was made with David to establish his seed for ever, nnd set up his throne to all genera- tions (Ps. lxxxix. 3, 4). 'l'bis covenant was to stand fast, so long as his children walked in his ways. If, however, they forsook God's Law, and walked not in his judgments; if they broke his stA.tutes, and kept not his commandments, then their transgressious were to be visited with the rod, and their iniquity with stripes. The Anointed of tho Lord was to be cut off and abhorred; the covenant with him was to be mado void, and his crown to be cast to the ground (Pa. lxxxix. 30-39). In these cases God's parl ,if the covenant remains sure; it is man's which is uncertain. If man foils, then God is, by hie very faithfulness, bound to mark his sense of the failure by non-fulfilment of the promises which wero made conditional on a certain course of human action. Unless roan foils, God's promises remain firm. No one can pretend to poiut out any ca.!o in which the covenant has been observed by man, and God's part in it has been that or a defaulter,  72 THE BOOK OF 'l'HE PROPHET ISAIAH. (ou. xt. 1-31.