eucb speculations are not altogether innocent (' Analogy,' part i. eh. ii.); but they are, perhaps, not greatly to be blamed, unless where they lead on to positive dissatis- faction, to complaints, and to murmurings. I. MURMURING IB FOOLISH. Since: I. It is vain, idie; it can produce no change. God will not alter his arrangements because we are dissati8fied with them. "With him is no variableness, neither shadow of turning" (JM. i.17). The laws which be gives are laws "which shall not be broken" (Ps. cxlviii. 6, Prayer-book Version). "Since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation" (2 Pet. iii. 4). If we could affect the operation of God's laws, change them, modify them, the case would be different; there would then be some result of our querulous- ness. But, as it is, there is no result-we effect nothing. 2. It is founded on igno- rance. We know so little of God's entire scheme of things that we cannot possibly tell whether any part of the scheme to which we object may not be a necessary condition to, or inseparably bound up with, some other part or parts on which we set the highest value. That to which we object may conceivably be the very thing which, if we knew all, we should most prize. 3. It is the preference of a lesser good over a greater. What- ever we may say in moments of suffering, ennui, or dissatisfaction, we do not really believe in our inmost hearts that any portion of God's arrangement of the universe is actually wrong and could be set right by our wisdom. We know that" whatever is, is best." Were we actually empowered to make a change, we should hesitate. We should be afraid of doing harm. How foolish, then, to grumble at arrangements which we should fear to disturb! II. MURMURING IB WICKED. Since: 1. It is a form of rebellion against God, and so of the basest ingratitude, inasmuch as God is our great Benefactor, to whom we owe everything. 2. It is always selfish. We are never tempted to murmur except when the oµeration of some law of God's universe interferes with our own immediate comfort, or our profit, or our imagined advantage. But in such cases we know that our disad- vantage must be compensated by some overplus of advantage to others, or the law would 1.ot exist; so that our murmuring implies a desire that others should s•.1ffe1 instead of ourselves, which is pure selfishness. 3. It argues pride. If we bad a right sense of our own demerit and ill deserving, we should accept any and every chastening at God's hands as far less than our due. We should " humble ourselves under the mighty hand of God," and take thankfully whatever suffering he sent us. It is only " when we are so proud as to imagine we do not need chastening that we can murmur.
Vera. 14-23.-The conversicm of the Gentiles gradual, but ultimately complete. Three stages in the conversion of the Gentiles seem to be marked-one in ver. 3; another in ver. 20; a third in ver. 23. I. THE FIDST STAGE. The nations within a certain moderate radius of Palestine are naturally the first to come in-Egypt and Ethiopia, in Africa; and by parity of reasoning, Syria, Mesopotamia, and Asia Minor, in Asia; Greece, Italy, and Southern Gaul, in Europe. This was very much the range of Hebrew influence during the five centuries preceding Christianity, and of Christian influence during two centuries afterwards. II. THE SECOND STAGE. The circle gradually widens, and a time comes when the gospel may be said, roughly, to have penetrated everywhere, and "the earth" to be "full of the knowledge of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea" (eh. xi. 9). Mis- sionaries have visited the remotest ends of the earth; and the nations generally may be challenged to "assemble themselves, and come,'' and make their choice between true religion and their own false and absurd systems (ver. 20). But conversion bas not kept pace with preaching. On many nations very little, on some no, impression bas been made. Prayer is still offered widely to deities "that cannot save." 'l'his is the state of things at the present day. Scarcely a nation in the world has not beard of the salvation of God; but II large number-as much as three-fourths of the population of the globe, we are told-have not yet accepted it. III. THE THIRD STAGE. God bas "sworn by himself, the word is gone out of his mouth in righteousness, and shall not return "-that ultimately "unto him every knee shall bow, and every tongue shall swear" (ver. 23). In "a new heaven and a new earth" (ch. lxv. 17) the Messiah," the Ancient of days" (Dan. vii. 6), will rule over a. 180 THE BOOK OF THE PROPHET ISAIAH. [oH. XLV. 1-26.
ki_ngdom which will contain" all people, ~ations, and languages" (Dan. vii. 14). How this ":iI_l be bi:ought about,_what exactly will be t!1e sceue of the kingdom, what the con- Jitwn of 1ts members, 1s not revealed, otherwise than in mystical word~ and cannot ~,e laid down with_ defi11iteness; b~t in t)iat kin~dom, beyond a doubt," ah people will tall down before Jehovah, all nations will do him service "-the prophecies of Isaiah will have full effect: "all flesh will worship before the Lord" ( eh. !xvi. 23),