The Pulpit Commentary — Isaiah — Volume 2 — Section 148

the prodigals home, and to make the prodigals sons again. It ls the "grace of God that bringetb salvation." We may have laid bold of the truth that Christ/or us is the Gift of grace. It may be that we need to gain firm hold of that other and answering truth, that the Holy Ghost in w is the Provision of grace. We want more than the doctrine concerning these high things. We want a living impression which gives to them practical and persuasive power on our hearts. When we can reahy feel that our salvation is throughout, from beginning to ending, from predestination to calling, from calling to justification, from justification to sanctification, and right through to glorifica- tion, wholly of graC(', then the last lingering confidence in our own doings will pass right away, and we shall rejoice altogether in" God our Saviour."-R, T. Ver. 14.-God the Redeemer. Proof of the existence of God is not the proper subject of a revelation made to man in a book. 'fhe being of God is assumed by making a revelation in a book. The proper subject of a book-revelation is not God creating. That we might learn from the things created. Not God providing. '£hat we could sufficiently understand by due observation of life. Not God ruling. That would be impressed upon us with ever-increasing force by the history of the aO'es as they accumulated. The great subject of a book revelation must be God redee':ning. 'l'hat we could not learn from the perfect order of creation. That we could not reach by the keenest observations of bis providence. That is not traced upon human history save as the deeper, hidden lines which we need some key to decipher. With that our Scriptures are full. That must be told in human language, and shown in human signs. No researches of science will declare it; no natural relations of men involve it; no creature is commissioned to show it forth. No inquiry of the human mind can reach it. God the Redeemer. This is the unknown mystery-unknown till God himself declares it. Too glorious to be received by men until it is seen proved over and over again, and at last gets its most melting display in that cross whereon God's beloved Son dies in agony, for the glorifying for e"er of the redeeming love of God. The Scriptures may have side information on matters of creation, providence, science, government, and duty; but these are not its great message, Creation is God's first work ; redemption is his second and greater, called for by the world's confusion and man's moral ruin. That second thought God could tell to man in no other way than hy words; only words could reveal the deep fact of the pitying love of God, which the heart, not the head, of man alone can grasp. The heart wants to be spoken to with human words. L REDEMPTION 18 Goo's OONBTANT wou:. Our Bible is full of it. It is the promi- nent thing on every page. Clouds of curse and woe hang heavy over the very first page of human history. The darkness of Divine indignations drops down on man and woman and tempting serpent. But right across the great thunder-clouds God threw a brilliant rainbow of promise. In symbol it said, "Redemption is coming." In wordd it read thus: "The seed of the woman shall bruise the serpent's head." Abraham stands forth the head of a new race. Behold a man redeemed from Chaldean idolatries, redeemed unto God. A mystery hangs round the second patriarch, Isaac. Behold a sacrifice redeemed by God, through the substitution of the ram caught in the thicket I Jacob reads his life, and sees everywhere the "angel who redeemed him from all evil." The national life of the Jewish people started in a glorious redemption, which was to be remembered for ever as giving the first and foundation-truth concerning God. .A mighty host fled hurriedly forth from Egypt, and found themselves hemmed in by lofty hill-r:wge8, a flowing sea, and foes pressing hard upon their rear. Bnt there is a pathway through the mighty waters, and the delivered sing of God their Salva~ion. Redemption is a constant theme in the Mosaic system. The story of the wandermgs is a series of illustrations of redeeming grace. God was ever delivering in the time of the Judges. David was redeemed from Saul, .Asa from the Ethiopians, Hezekiah from the .A.Esyrians, The saints from all the ages unite to say, "I know that my Redeemer liveth." II. ALL Goo's ll.EOE!IIPTIONS OISPLAy BIS POWEB, ms HOLINESS, AND BIB LOVE. IC they did not, they could be no redemption for us. If there is n_ot Divine power. in them, then he cannot reach our case. If but one of those redemptions start a quest10n of the Divine righteousness, then we can have no confidence ill the worthiness of his on, nm. 1-28.J THE BOO]{ OF THE PROPHET ISAIAII. 153