Ver. 16.-Light and right. "I will make dnrkness light before them, and crooked things straight." These words are prophecy and history also; for Christ has fulfilled these words. T. DARK:!."ESS ILLUMINED. There was: 1. Darkness over the face of God. 2. Darlc- ness over the destiny of man. But Christ has revealed the Divine fatherhood, and brought life and immortality to light. IT. WRONG RIGHTE~"ED. Crooked or warped things have been twisted or "wrung"- from which our word "wrong" comes; and Christ Jesus has brought in an everlasting righteousness. 1. Man's way was wrong. 2. Man's ideal was wrong, it was self i'llistead of God. 3. Man's heart was wrong. And there are "crooked" thiogs in experience, in addition to crooked tastes and tempers. And Christ makes the path of duty clear to us, and removes the mountains from our paths.-W. M. S. V ers. 19, 20.-Spi,ritual blindness. " Who is blind, but my servant ? " It is said, "None are so blind as those that won't see." Cau any be so blind as those who have been illumined of the Spirit, and who have seen the beauties of holiness, and the deformities of sin, whilst yet they turn back to their old paths? I. THE BLINDNESS OF 11rnIFFERENCE. The heart has lust its first love, and the King is not "beautiful" now. Like human love sometimes, which does not know how blessed it is in its estate of home, until it is aroused by accident, danger, or death to a. sense of the value of the heart it has slighted. So at times even the Christian becomes indifferent. "I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first love." II. THE BLINDNESS OF INATTE1'"TION. (Ver. 20.) "Seeing many things, but thou obseruest not." 1. Christians do not always see the value of their principles. 2. Nor do they mark the privileges and comforts which are the outcome of faith. 3. Nor do they observe the misery of the men of this world. 4. Nor do they see the slave's fetters beneath the false liberty of the sinner. Others are blind by nature and habit. But who so blind as the Lord's servants ?-W. M. S.
Vers. 1--4.-The characteristics of the true Leader. Taking these words as applicable to the Anointed of the Lord, and then, secondarily, to every one who is equipped and sent of him to lead and save men, we have the following features indicated. I. THE SPIRIT OF OBEDIENCE. "My Servant" (ver. l). Jesus Christ was the Servant of Jehovah; he was "about his Father's business" from the beginning. He came" to work the work of him that sent him." It was his" meat to do the Father's will, and to finish his work." It was his joy to know, at the end of his career, that he had "finished the work which the Father had given him to do." The spirit of obedience, of active conformity to the known will of "him that sent him," possessed and characterized our Lord in a very marked degree. IL THE EXCELLENCY WHICH ATTRACTS. "Whom I uphold; my Chosen, in whom my soul deligbteth;" in other words, that One "in whom I am well pleased." There was in our Lord everything which satisfies and attracts. Excellency is often found in con- junction with characteristics which are so uninviting and even repelling that there is a measure of admiration felt, but no delight, no good pleasure; the soul is not drawn in affection and attachment. Jesus Christ was One in whose spirit, attitude, behaviour, was everything that called forth the pleasure of the Father, and that now evokes the love and the delight of his disciples. OH. XLII. 1-26.J THE BO'.)K OF THE PROPHET ISAI.A.Il. 127