_ Vers. 18-26.-The degradation of the_ pivine. The holy indignation of the prophet 1s aroused as he sees the Godhead so p1tifully presented to the mind, so shl\mefully represented to t~e eyes of men. He has in view the power and majesty of the Supreme One, and places m contrast the creatures of hnma.n imagination, the fabrications of the human hand. We have the degradation of the Divine- !: As IT APPE.rn1m TO_ THE Hl:BR;EW PROPHET. He beheld: 1. The power and the maJesty of God, shown in (1) Ins immeasurable exaltation above nil his c,eatures (vcr. _22); (2) the perfect ease with which he formed the most wonderful objects in crcal10n (ver. 22); (3) the absolute control he exercises over the micrhtiest of the chil<lren ?f men _(,·crs. 23, 24); (4) the knowledge and wisdom he displays in ordering the phys1c:1.l universe (ver. 26). 2. The utter folly of the heathen in their way of presenting Deity to their minds; attempting to fashion nn image which should hear a resemblance to the Lord (vers. 18-20), as if anything that the hnn,l of man cau fashion could bear the gmallest resemblr.ncc to, or be in any way fitted to suggest the idea oi, the Majesty of heaven; tbe practical and the common issue of such idolatry being the actua.l acceptance oi the graven image as constituting the very object of worship. We ma.y regard the degradation of the Divine- 11. .As IT APPEARS To us IN OUR ow·N TIME. 1. We have the true thought of God, as revealed to us b_y Jesus Christ-that of a Divine Father conferring on us our being and our powers, l'i,iting us with constant loving-kindnesse,, divinely interested in our highest well-being, interposing to restore us to his love and his likeness, giving his own Son to redeem us 11nd 1,is own Spirit to renew us, disciplining us with fatherly care, and reju;cing in onr filial nffection and obedience with parental joy. 2. We have tlw degraded tl,ouy!,t of God which men still entertain. (1) The fetish of the heathen world: a l>t i11g, ordinarily represented by an idol, whose malignant hostility is deprecated and averted by gifts and self-inflicted penalties. (2) '!'he fiction of the philosopher: an impersonal power, an abstraction or generalization, an ideal humanity, etc.-something in which a few trained intellects may rest, but which no human heart can trust or love, and no human soul strive to resemble. (3) The god of the ungodly: a being acc.,pted by the mind hut hanished by the heart, unrecognized by the conscience, neµ;lected in the life. This last is the guiltiest degradation of the Divine; for "this is the condemnation, that light is come," etc., and "He that knoweth his Lord's will and doeth it not shall he beaten with many stripes."--0.
Ver. '16.-The di.•tinguishing love of God. "He calleth them all by names by the greatness of l,is n,ight, for that he is strong in power." 'l'he infinitude of Go l is no argument at all against his observance of the individual a.nd the minute; rightly regarded, it is a strun"' i,,ference in favour of it. Because he is infinite in wisdom he compasses all th~t is ~ost vast and extensive; and for the same reason, "by the greatness of his mi"ht, for that he is strong in power "-he has a perfect mastery over all the particulars of his creation. He not only summons the mighty armies of the skies and marshals the whole host of heaven, but he is familiar with each separate star: " He calleth them all by names." This inrlividual attention applies to: 1. 'l'he inanimate creation (text). 2. The sentient, unintelligent creation: "Not a sparrow falls to the ground," etc.; and this fact constitutes a strung reason for forbearing from cruelty towards every living creature, and for treating all the members of the animal world with constant kindness. 3. The whole hurnan world. Even if this doctrine were not true in other realms, it certainly must be in this. As we could not think and feel as we wish to do of the human father who failed to diRtin'.:uish his children from each other, so also could we not reverence an,l love the henvcnly Father if he failed to distinguish us. But ho does n~t fail; "he calls us all liy names ; " he is the true and good Shepherd, who "calls his own sheep by name." Each one of us is: (1) The object of ltis Divine thought and care. Every child of 11 ,au can say, "The Lord thinketh on me." (2) The object of liis parental yearmng. .Away in the far country, each prodigal may be sure that there is a wronged, waiting, Oil, XL. 1-31.] THE DOOK OF THE PROPHET ISAIAH. 87