The Pulpit Commentary — Isaiah — Volume 2 — Section 103

mankind may gaze, and by which they may be convinced. But judgment must go by defRult. The gods" can show no prophecies, cannot so mnch as speak, are dumb, not gods (Hab. ii. 18)." And they must be known for what they are-" nothing in the world." III. SUMMARY OF EVIDENCE. Jehovah raised up Cyrus. When called from the north, be came; and from the east, he shall proclaim Jehovah's Name, and diffuse his worship. Some see (combining this oracle with that in eh. !xv. 3---7) the announcement of a spiritual change in Cyrus. He is made to say that Jehovah gave him all the king- doms of the earth, and charged him to build a house at Jerusalem (Ezra i. 2). He may have come to believe in the God of the Jews, and so to be their brother. The Persians were monotheists, and held a missionary religion. And the Jews may have recognized such a religion as that of Jehovah (cf. Mai. i. 11; Acts x. 35; xvii. 23). And project- ing themselves to the time of the fulfilment of the prediction, Jehovah and his wor- shippers point to it as evidence of the truth of the reli~ion. And while Jehovah announces the good news of his return to Zion, that is, of Israel's redemption, the idols are dumb. They have no help, no counsel, to give; for they are vanity, i;othingness, wind and chaos. Compare with this nothingness the sentences of Jehovah in eh. x. 12; Jer. xxv. 12. Such is the conclusion of the trial. The idols are utterly destitute of strength to aid their friends or distress their foes. Jehovah alone is worthy of con- fidence and regard, as the true God, Protector, and Guide. In times of deep,,st distress he can raise up a deliverer like Cyrus, and in his own way and time rescue his people from all their calamitics.-J. Ver. 6.-Mutual help. "They helped every one his neighbour; and every one said to his brother, Be of good courage." The subject is-Helpfulness. Not mere help, but fulness of help. There may be a help that is tardy, that is somewhat sparse and niggardly; and there may be help which is not helpful in the best sense. This help to which our text refers was accompanied by encouragement-that truest and wisest of all help, which, by giving courage, gives strength. Buildings cannot be built by an archi- tect alone. The infe1ior hand is as needful as the superior. Read the description: •• So the carpenter encouraged the goldsmith, and he that smnotheth with the hammer him that smote the anvil, saying, It is ready for the soldering." Each man in his place, and fit for his place. So it must be in human life; and, as civilization develops, each man must attend more and more upon one thing. It will not do to play at art, or archi- tecture, or merchandise, or ministry. Each in his placP.. So it must be in the Church- there must be mutual help, mutual encouragement. We ought to feel indebted to each other. We ought to be inspirational to each other. L HELP IB TO BE UNIVERSAL. They helped "every one." It will not do to evade our own share of toil. Work cannot be done by command or contrivance, but by the constraint of a ready mind. Socialism seems to be disturbing the Continent. It may be a destructive power, but never can be a constructive one. U human beings were machines to be set in order by one hand, it might ho so; but they are not. See how Proudhon and Fourier adjust all the social arrangements to a nicety; the Phalange, or the body of associated labourers; the Phalanstete, or the habitation assigned to each, where the four great departments of nature-the material, the organic, the auimal, aDLl the social-are provided for. What a scheme I How philosophic it looks-on paper! But what madness to try and make it work, when the derangement of one part would be the derangement of the complicated whole I Who is to restrain the leaders and organizers from craft and selfishness and guile? Difficult as it is to secure good govern- ment in general functions in society, who oould secure it in a ramified system? Then one will not work, and another will drink, and auother will laugh, and another will sleep, and in one brief day some will be better off than others, and the perfect arrange- ments will fly to pieces before the touchstone of actual life. No; God meant diversity. God meant diligence to be rewarded. Riches and honour come of the Lord, and if there were no incentives to progress and culture and invention, there would be no advancin~ civilization. Socialism cannot make men work; it would want an army to compel them. The right way is Christ's way. Look every man also on the things of another. Use ability, genius, education, wealth, honour, wtll, so as to bless others. None are more despicable than those who look alone to being helped. Everything must be read1  106 THE BOOK OF THE PROPHET ISAIAH, [cH. XLI. 1-2!?,