fail, their spirits rise; when it promises to succeed, they fall." How mnch do we all euffer from "ills that never arrive" I II. 'l'IMIDITY CORRECTED BY RELIGION. Its cause is touched-forgetfulness of God. Is forgetfulness the result of want of faith, or the ori;dn of faithlessness? Both may be true. Faith needs to be fed from memory, and memory exerts its proper activity under the instigation of faith. Old truths need constantly to be recalled, and to become new truths through the act of attentiou-the "giving heed to the things we have heard, lest at e.ny time we let them slip." That God is Creator of heaven and earth is an elementary truth of religion. How much may be deduced from it! He who made the earth made the nations that dwell on the face of it; therefore made Israel, and every mem her of Israel. God creates to preserve. His character of Deliverer flows from that of Cree.tor. There is, then, hope for the fettered captive. For he who is Almighty in nature is equally so in the sphere of human life. He who raises storms is able to still them, so the.this friends have no cau~e to fear. The commitment of the truth t0 the Jewish people, their protection and restoration, seems to be compared to the vast work of creation. The lesson for the timid apprehensive heart is to learn that Omni- potence is engaged in its protection and defence. "This awful God is ours, Our Father and our Friend." J. Vers. 17-23.-Encouragement for Jerusalem. The prophet, or chorns of prophets, is supposed to salute the holy city with a cheering cry. I. PICTURES OF DISTRESS. The draught from the cup of Divine u•rath. "The cnp of his fury"-" the goblet-cup of reeling." These are figures for the horror and bewilder- ment caused by a great catastrophe. It is "to drink the wine of astonishment" (Ps. Ix. 3; Ezek. xxiii. 2). Then there is utter helplessness. No guide for Jerusalem to be found in all her sons; no strong and helping hand to grasp hers in the hour of b1lr dire need. Desolation, death, famine, aud sword-the latter without, the former within (Ezek. vii.15)-such is the state of the city. The aifticted mother and her sons. It is a picture resembling that or Niobe and her doomed offspring. The sons of this mother- city swoon, and lie at the corners of the streets. "Israel the mountain people is likened to a gazelle, which all its swiftness and grace have not saved frow the hunter's snare." All these things are signs of" the fury of Jehovah, the rebuke of Goil." II. UNEXPECTED ENCOURAGEMENT. "'l'he transition from threatening to promise is marked by" therefore" (eh. x. 24; xxvii. 9; xxx. 18). The Lord J ehovab, the God who is the Advocate of bis people, speaks. This cup, which makes men reel with the madness of bewilderment, shall be taken from them, and put into the hands of their tormentors-the proud conquerors who had placed their feet upon their necks (cf. Josh. x. 24; Ps. cxxix. 3). Such sudden transitions remind us of the fact of providence, and of the coincidence of human extremity with Divine opportunity. God will not leave himself at any age without a witness in the world-which shall see that the hand of Divine power is not shortened, nor the bowels of Divine goodness straitened; but that God is as able and ready to save his Church as ever. "The difficulty of affairs has baffied and laughed at all resistances of created power, and so made the omnipoteutAuthor of the delivere.nco visible and conspicuous."-J. Ver. 2.-Ancient memories. "Look unto Abraham your father." It is wise to surround the young with the statues of great and brave and wise men, and to have hanging in the halls of a ne.tion the portraits of their true leailers. So in the Hebrews we are in a chamber of inspired images of the heroes and heroines of faith. I. THE EYE IB ALWAYS ON SOME OBJECT. We are looking always to objects that elevate or that debase us. Isre.el at this time was looking to military leaders, longing for some Messiah who should gather together a power sufficient to break the iron yoke of oppression. They were looking, not to the faithful Abrahams, but to the warrior Sauls. '1.'he eye thus becomes a window to the heart. II. THEY HAD FOilGOTTEN THEIR ANCIENT POWER. Abraham was a man of faith. He believed in God, and he lived a life of faith in God. When the spirit of Abraham 268 THE BOOK OF THE PROPHET ISAIAH. [CII. LI. 1-28,
filled their hearts, then they acted e.s men who believed that "righteousness exalteth a nat.ion." The true Hebrew power was rig~teousness. 'l'heir psalms glorified, not the 8word, but the moral Law of God. The right hand of the Most High was with them when they were a nation that loved righteousness and hated iniquity. "Therefore God, thy God, hath exalt,ed thee above thy fellows." The call to all godly men in every age is," Look to Abraham."-W. M. S.
Ver. 12.-God ~he. Oomfort.er. "I, e_ven I, am he that oomforteth you." All depends upon who 1t 1s that comforts us in the great crises of life. We a~ so apt to lean on those that excuse our weaknesses and comfort us in our sins. I. Goo HIMSELF IS A CoMFORTER. 'l'his is his nature. There is emphasis in it. "I c,·en I"-the Lord of hosts; the God of whom it is said, "There is nothing too hard for the Lord." We gain comfort when we gain confidence. It is faithlessness that makes us feeble. Let us re~d the revelation of what God is, and study the history of what God has done for his saints iu every age, and we shall find comfort. II. ~~N AT_ THE BEST IS BUT !""AN· Why be afraid of him? Study yourself, your fa.1lrn!!s, timorousness, and frailty, and be sure that your brother man is just like this. 1. We are unrel1,$onably afraid of men. 'fheir power is limited. Their pretension is greater than their power. Do not be deceived by appearances. 2. We are the subjects of forgetfulness. "Man shall be made as grass!" We cannot have a better i.maue of the feebleness of human strength. We think too much of man, and forget the Lord our Maker. Look at the heavens. Look at the foundations of the earth. What can shake what God upholds? "Where is the fury of the oppressor?" Ask Pharaoh; and be at rest.-W. M. S.