The Pulpit Commentary — Isaiah — Volume 2 — Section 185

"Righteousness." (3) Spiritual power to resist temptation. "Strength." (4) Joy ,,f heart, showing itself in praise. "Shall glory." IV. OUR PRIVILEaE AND DU'l'Y IN RELATION TO IT. Since there is, indeed, such a hope for mankind, since that is to be the final issue of all strife and suffering and toil, let each nation, each Church, each family, each Christian man, see to it that its (his) cont.ribution is forthcoming, so that, when the fields are ripe, it (he) may have a, share in the joy of harvest.-C. Ver. 2.-The sP,eret of assured success. These figures indicate the removal of all obstacles and hindrances out of the way of him who is calle<i of God, entrusted with some particular work for God, and helped of God in the doing of that work. Historical illustration is found in the fact, as statecl hy the older writers, that in some unaccount- able way the river-gates of Baby Ion were found open on the approach of Cyrus; or, as stated on the authority of the monuments, that the city capitulated, as a consequence of the defeat of Nabonidus in the field. Professor Sayce says," Another fact of an equall.v revolutionary kind, which the inscriptions teach us, is that Babylon was nnt besieged and taken by Cyrus. It opened its gates to his general long b.·fore he came near it, and needed neither fighting nor battle for its occupation." Grote, in his' History of Greece,' says, "The way in which the city was treated wonld lead us to suppose that its acquisition cannot have cost the conqueror either much Lime or much loss . . . it is certain that the vast walls and gates were left untouche,l." The assurances of the text are even better fulfilled by moving obstacles ont of the way, Lhan by Cyrus actually mastering them. Herodotus tells us that Babylon bad a hundred gates of brass, with posts and hooks of the same metal. I. OBS'l'ACLES IN THE WAY SHOULD BE NO HINDRANCE TO us. There is hardly any- thing worth doing in life that is not difficult to do. Tbe difference between m•an is seen in their attitude in face of difficulties. Illustrate by the position of Israel before the Red Sea. It was a brave thing for Moses to command Israel to "go forw,ml;" but it was a type of the right attitude for us always to t!lke when the way seems obstructed. "I cannot" must give place to "I will, God helping me." II. THE ONE THING TO BEEK IS THE ASSURANCE THAT WE ABE DOING Goo's WILL. This distinguishes the good man from the mere man of energy. The Cy111s here referred to was raised up by God, and entrusted with a particular work. But it is true that still God calls individuals to special service. He makes plain to them bis "'ill. Ami our first anxiety should be to be sure that we are where he has set us, and are doing just what he would have us do. Once let these things be settled, and oppositions and hindrances count for nothing. We want more faith in Divine proviu.ence, in the inward inspirations and outward directings of God. Where he sets us we must bear, conquer, nnd do. Ill. WAYS ALWAYS OPEN BEFORE THE OBEDIENT, RESOLUTE, TRUSTFUL MAN. Firm- ness, moral courage, persistency, and, above all, real faith in God, compel difficulties to yiolu.. They are always according to the size of the man himself. If he is big with faith, they grow small; if be is little with fears, they grow big. Ohstacles are searching tests of character. Men of faith are like the mountain streams that make their way Jown amid the rocks; if they cannot get over the rocks, they go round them, but they will not be stopped.-R. T. Vera. 4, 5.-Tlie Divine s11rnaming. "I that call thee by thy name." "I have titleJ. thee" (Chcyne's translatiun). Some think the reference i8 to the name Cyrus, or Koresh, rcgarJed as a new title for one who was originally known as Agradntes. Others, with more probability, think the reference is to the honourable epithets," my shep- herd," "my nno:nted." Our knowled)(e of Cyrus has been modified, in some very important particulars, by recent discoveries of Bahylonhin inscriptions. Professor Sayce is of opinion that," We must give up the bdief that Cyrus was a monotheist, bent on destroying the idols of Babylon. On the contrary, from the time when we first hear of him, he is a worshipper of Bel-Merodach, the patron-god of Babylon; and the first carG of himself and his sou, after his conqnest of Babylonia, is to restoro the Baby- lonian gods to the shrines from which they had been impiously n·moved by Nabonidos." "'l'he theory," he says, "which heh! that Cyrus had allowed the Jews to return  190 THE BOOK OF THE PHOPHET ISAIAH. [orr. nv. 1-25.