Vers. 8, 9.-No condemnation for those whom God justifies. Those whom God has justified may still be, sometimes are, arraignerl (1) by Satan; (2) by their fellow-men. I. SATAN'S ARRAIGNMENT VAIN. "Hast thou considered my servant Job," said Jehovah to Satan," that there is none like him in the earth, a perfect and an upright man, one that feareth God, and escheweth evil?" To which the answer was given, "Doth Job fear God for nought?" (Job i. 8, 9). Satan arraigned Job as selfish, hypocritical, irreligious, and was allowed to put him to the proof; but with the result t.bat Job's integrity was established, and the accuser put to shame. Satan, however, gains no wiw.om by experience. Still he remains "the accuser of the bretl,ren, which accuseth them before God day and. night" (Rev. xii. 10). All that can be saiu against them, doubtless, he says-misrepresents their motives, exposes their shortcomings, exaggerates their failings and their sins. But to what purpose? "'fhey overcame him by the blood of tbe Lamb" (Ilev. xii. 11). To them whom God has justified, whom God has forgiven, past sins are blotted out, past shortcomings are made up. The merits of Christ suffice to cover all their iniquities. Let them but have true faith in him, let them but cling to him, and then "their sins, though they be as scarlet, shall be white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool " (eh. i. 18). II. MAN'S ABBAIGNIIENT mLE. Man's arraignment of his fellow-men can have no effect at all excepting in this world. He may bring them before tribunals, obtain their condemnation, their execution, their temporal disgrace. He may gibbet them in history, misrepresent, malign, blacken their names and their reputations. But over thtir real selves he is powerless. God justifies them, pardous them, receives them into his kingdom, looks on them with favour, reckons them among his saints, gives them the blessing of eternal communion with him in heaven. What matters it to them that somewhere, in a paltry planet, ignorant and ephemeral mortals speak evil of them and brand their memories? "It is God that justifieth." One justifying word from him may well outweigh any amount of human dispraise, of human contumely. Their end in this world may have been "without honour;" but their entrance into the next is with words at once of pwmise and of high honour, "Well done, good and faithful servant; enter thou into the joy of thy Lord."
HOMILIES BY VARIOUS AUTHORS. Vers. 4.-9.-Jehovah and his Servant. The passage is to be compared with eh. xiii. 1-4; xlix. 1-9. The manner in which God is referred to is peculiarly solemn-by his doulile name, the Lord Jehovah. I. THE SERVANT'S ENDOWMENTS AND TEMPER. The tongue of disciples. 'fhe "facility of well-trained scholars" (eh. viii. 6; liv. 13)-" a discipled tongue, speaking notliing but what it has learned from God." A tongue the object of which is comfort to the weary. Not to astonish, dazzle, bewilder, but to edify and console. "Tbe wisdom of Heaven does not bespeak man in an unknown tongue; nor design, what would be more miraculous than all miracles, that men should be saved by what they could not under- stand." But true eloquence implies the faculty of listening. "'!'be things we have heard declare we unto you." 'fhey are things imparted to the wakened soul, in the clear conscious hours of calm contemplation, and in the mood of devout sympathy. " The Servant was not a mechanical organ of revelation, but had a spiritual sympathy with it, even when it told of suffering for himself. It is not that bare assent to the truth which is seldom followed by spiritual effects. Nothing is more common than to see men of rare knowledge and raiseu speculations in the things of God, who have no relish and savour of them in their hearts and affections. Their practice bids defiance to their knowledge. They never know God so as to obey him, and therefore never know him at all. 'l'o hear the Word of God, and to hear God speaking in his Word, are 1.h~s vastly different" (South). Now, Jehovah had opened an ear_to his Servant; and on. L. 1--11.J THE BOOK OF THE PROPHET ISAIAH. 251