.y ers. 10-25.-A new song to Jelwvah. Cau~ht up _l~ his ecs~asy to a high place of VISlon, the prophet sees all the n~t•_on~ of mankmd d~nvrng bless111g from the ministry of Israel, and calls upon them to JO!Il m a song of praise. God's goodness in providing a Redeemer demands the thanksgiving of all the world. I. THE SONG AND THE SINGERS. The new song is named in the Psalter (xcvi. 1 , xcviii. 1), meaning a song inspired by the sense of new mercies. All parts of the earth are to join in the chorus: the sailors, and even all the finny inhabit,mts of the deep (Ps. xxxiv. 1); the nomads and the d1vellers in cities and among the rocks-shall join to swell the volume of this mighty song. ' lL THE GREAT DEEDS OF TRE ALMIGHTY. It is a great and terrible day of Jehovah, Be, breaking his long silence and reserve, will rnarch forth like a mighty hero, with a loud battle-shout, and put forth all his prowess, (For similar pictures or the Gou ofwa.r seech.xxviii.21; x..x..xi.4; lix.16,17; Zech.ix.13,14; xiv.3.) Thewholeimaaery bespeaks the most intense emotion. God may be silent, may seem to disregard the prayers of his people; but he is not dead, nor is be sleeping, like a llaal. He is waiting; he is ripening bis pnrposes. Ile is looking for his opportunity. When he comes forth his J,rogress will be marked by /udgment and by redemption, 'l'hese a.re the two sides, the dark and the bright, of his work. As Judge and Avenger, he will devastate the moun- tains and bills-the bigh places of heathendom ; aud the fertile vineyards on their slopes, and all the temples, faues, and altars, will be demolished. Under the figures is expressed tlie coming of a great spiritual revolution. The old corrupt order and custom of the world must first give way before the new and holy can come in. And then, amidst the uismay of the false worshippers, light will at the same time appear to the righteous. "I will lead the blind by a way which they knew not; through paths they have not known I will make them to go: I will tnrn darkness into light before them, and rough places into a table-land. Those things I will surely do, and I will not let them slip." By the "blind" appears to be meant, not so much the spiritually ignorant as the per- plexed, distressed, desponding-those who "walk in obscurity" (eh. !ix. 9, 10). It is the la.n,,,auage of tenderness, and the language of strong assurance, founded on superior knowledge. What more common than the experience of the Christian, "Darkness is about me; my way is hedged in; there is no outlook, no prospect "? Yet suddenly-it may be while he is on his knees, it may he in some moment of refreshing sleep-a change comes. The clouds lift; the hosts of the enemy fall back ; the " large place " is reached. Then he sees how blind, how "faint-hearted, incredulous, and undiscern- ing" he has been. Let us tread the path of duty, which is the path of faith; it will surely lead, before our journey closes, out to those "shining table-lancls to which our God himself is Sun and Moon." And let us lay the reproach of the " blind and deaf servant" to heart. We are among the faint-hearted and the incredulous-despite all our experience of God's goodness-whom he here addresses. We are like" the man of mature years and experience, by which he has failed to profit." And thus we are reduced to that mood of humility in which there is every hope. Why this contrast between the design of God t-0 exalt his law of righteousness by means of Israel, and Israel's despoiled and captive estate? Clearly it is because of Israel's sins-because, though chosen of God, they would not walk in God's ways. So let every argument end between ourselves and God" that thou mightest be justified when thou speakest, and be clear when thou jndgest." Let us return unto him and be sa.ved.-J.
Ver. 3.-The tenderness of God. "A bruised reed shall he not break." Then he ia very =like Ull. We are often over-indignant with wrong done to ourselves. We cu. xr,n. 1-25.J THE DOOK OF THE PROPHET ISAIAH. 125