lonian conqueet, but was partly due to the Ver. 21.-Drunken, but not with wine after-misoondnot of the Jews left in tho (comp. eh. xxix. 9; and see above, ver. 17, count1T. which shows that the appearance of drunken- Yer." 19.-Theae two things. What nre ness had been produced by Jerusalem drink- the "t'IIJ() things," it is &eked, since four are ing the cup of God's wrath). mentioned-deeolation, and destruction, and Ver. 22.-The Lord ... that ploadeth the the famine, and the sword! The right cause of his people (comp. Jer. 1. 3-1, whioh answer seems to be that of Aben Ezra and contains au allusion to this pe.sse.ge). As Kimchi, that the two things are "desola- his people he.ve a relentless adversary, who tion," or rather" wo.sting" within, procluC('d accuses them contiuually, and plendso.gninst by " famine ; " and "destruction" without, them (Rev. xii. 10), so it is needful that they produced by "the sword." Who shall be should have an untiring advoco.te. God sorry for thee! rather, who will mourn with himself is this Advocate. The dregs of the thee f Jerusalem is without friends; no man oup (see the comment on ver. 17, ad fin.). c-.ondoles '1"ith her over her misfortunes. God Ver. 23.-I will put it into the hand of nloue feels compassion; bnt even he scaroe them that e.ffl.iot thee. Dabylon, the op- knows how to comfort. lly whom 1 rather, pressor of Judah, shall in her turn be made lww1 (comp. Amos vii. 2, 5). to drink of the cup of which Judah had so Ver. 20.-Thy sons have fainted, they lie; long drunk, and shall suffer nearly the same rather, thy ,011s fainted ; they lay. The woes which she had inflicted. Meanwhile, prophet describes the siege and capture of Judah should cease to di-ink of the cup, and J erusa.lem as past, because his standpoint have "a time of refreshing." llow down, is the time of the Captivity. He depicts the that we may go over; i.e. "submit your- inhabitants of J ernsa.lem as "faint" through selves to the uttermost, that we may put famine, and so weak that they lie prostrate upon you the most extreme indignity." The abont the streets. As a wild bull in a net; metaphor is drawn from the actual practise rather, like a gazelle in a net-panting, ex- of conquerors, who made captive kings pros- hausted, incapable of the least resistance. trate themselves, and ple.ced their feet upon They are fnll of the fury of the Lord; i.e. their necks, or otherwise trampled upon the fury of the Lord has been fully poured them (see Josh. x. 24; an<l comp. 'Ancient out upon them. Monarchies,' vol. iii. p. 7).
HOMILETICS Ver. 7.-The servants of God must not fear the reproach of men, The reproach of men is a thing of small accou.nt- L BECAUSE MEN A.RE API' TO BE ]IUSTA.KEN IN THEIR JUDGMENTB. 'l'he bulk of men have no wish even to be fair in their judgments. They praise and blame, acquit and condemn, either as their own interests-party or other-are concerned, or some- times quite at random, according as the fancy takes them. Even such as wish to be fair very often misjudge, either (1) from a want of capacity to judge aright in a delicate case; or (2) from not possessing sufficient data upon which to form a right judgment. It is to be remembered that men's motives are hidden, and can only be guessed a.t by others; yet the motive is the main point in an action, and that on which its moral character almost wholly depends. If we mistake the motive, we may condemn severely what, if we had really known the motive, we should have highly praised. II. BECAUSE MEN'S JUDGM.ENTB BO FREQUENTLY CHANGE. The i<ld of a nation to-day becomes their detestation to-morrow ; or, if not to-morrow, at any rate within a few years. Nothing is more fickle than the popular voice, which will cry one day, " Hosanna to the Son of David I" and, a week later, "Crucify him l crucify him!" The opinion formed of a man by bis contemporaries is frequently reversed by posterity; and even posterity is not always steadfast, a later age often contradicting the decisions of an earlier. Historic characters, long condemned with almost absolute unanimity, are rehabilitated from time to time by clever writers, and arc given niches in the Valhalla of the future. Ill. BECAUSE HAN HIMSELF 18 ALTOGETHER SO FLEETING, BO WEAK, AND BO LITTLE WORTHY OF REG.A.ED. "Cease ye from man, whose breath is in his nostrils: for wherein is he to be accounted of?" (eh. ii. 22). At the best, what is human praise or blame? A.n opinion, founded on imperfect data, which can at most affect us during the brief term of our sojourn here. What are reproaches and revilings? The weak urr. LI, 1-23.] THE BOOK OF THE PROPHET ISAIAH. 263