Vere. 9, IO.-Theforce in reserve. It has been said that the battle goes to him who has the best force in reserve. The general who brings all his regiments to the front may expect to be beaten ; but he who holds a. strong force in reserve may look for victory. In the great spiritual struggle now proceeding, the people of God have in reserve that on which they can and will fall back with infinite advantage to their cause. J. Otra URGENT NEED OF EFFE0TUAL SUCCOUR. The battle seems to go against us. We note: 1. The prevalence of evil-of poverty, of misery, of vice, of crime, of unbelief, of superstition, of gross idolatry. 2. The crmiparative failwre of the Church to subdue it. Looking at the entire field of activity, we are obliged to own that complete victory is a very long way off; that the millions of men and women whom the gospel has not reached, and those other millions whose spirit a.ad whose lire it has not succeeded in transforming, present a view which is very disappointing. Or looking at particular fields of Christian work, either at home or abroad, regarding the towns and villages of our own land, we do not find that the truth of God has the redeeming and elevating influence which answers to our hopes. We are not conquering the evil which surrounds and assails us; our heart sinks at the thought of the stupendous work before us, which seems to grow rather than to lessen, spite of all our struggle. II. THE DIVINE FORCE IN RESERVE. Behind us is the arm of the Lord, and on this we lean. 1. It is a great thing that we are armed with a truth which is so fitted to do the renewing work on which we are engaged, a truth which so exquisitely meets the necessities of the human soul. 2. It is a great thing that this truth has triumphed gloriously in the case of individual men, families, tribes, and even nations. 3. But our last and best hope is in the presence and power of God. "The Lord of hosts is with u.~, the God of Jacob is our Refuge." There are two sustaining thoughts here. One is that Almighty God cannot be defeated. The "e.rm of the Lord" is the power of the Omnipotent; it is the overcoming energy of him who is the Source of all might and strength, and in whom reside all riches and all resources whatever. The other is that God has shown the exceeding greatness of his power many times before, and can work as glorious marvels in the future as in the past. He who smot~ Egypt could slay .Assyria; he who made a passage across the sea could open a way from Babylon to Jerusalem. The God who has smitten the idolatries of Europe can slay the super- stitions of Asia. He who has turned the sensuality and savagery of the islands of the sea. into purity and peace can and will overcome the mightiest obstacles which remain, subdue the most hostile forces, and cause the "armies of Israel'' to be crowned with victory. (1) Strive with all strenuousness and self-sacrifice, as if everything depended on our fidelity. (2) Look with confidence to the action of the arm of Omnipotence.-C. Vere. 17-23.-Spiritual stupefaction. The passage presents one of the most pitiable of all possible spectacles-a nation reduced to utter helplessness and prostration, lying like one that is brought down by intoxication to a motionless stupidity. We learn from this picture, and from the opening summons and concluding promise- I. THAT THE HUMAN SPIRIT AS WELL AS THE HUM.AN BODY IS SUBJECT TO STUPE- FA0TION. It is a striking and suggestive fact that the very thing which at first excites will ultimately stupefy. This is notoriously the case with intoxicants; these first stimulate, then dull and deaden the system. It is also true, though in a less degree, of those things which are called narcotics: both opium and tobacco at first awaken and enlarge faculty; but this conditiou soon passes away, and is succeeded by one of depression, inactivity, and (in the case of the more noxious drug) stupor und insensi- bility. So is it with things which act hurtfully·upon the soul. At first they excite, then they blunt and deaden. 'fhis applies to : 1. Continuous enjoyment of any kind. 2. Excessive responsibilities, demandi □g exertion beyond the power to maintain them. 3. Heavy and repeated trials. It was from this last that Israel wos suffering. The nation had been required to drink of the cup of Divine retribution, a.ad, owing to her persistency in evil, had been compelled to drain that cup. Beside the two evils speci- fied (ver. 19), desolation or famine and the violence of the enemy, was the sense of her utter friendlessness (ver.18); and in: addition to this was her abject humiliation (ver. 23). ISAlAH-U, 'R 274 THE BOOK OF THE PROPHET IS,\IAH, [oH, LT, 1-23.
These call\mities would account for her pitiable despondency, her attiturle of despair. The sore and a?cumulated trials which sometimes befall individual men may not justify, but they cxpl:un, the complete brokenness and despondeucy of their spirit. They give themselves up as those abandoned to an evil courso and a fatal doom• they are in a ~tat<i of spiritual stupefaction. ' II. THAT THE STRONGEST AND SHARPEST SUMMONS TO AROUSE IS THE FRIENDLIEST YOICE WE CAN THEN REAR. " Awake, aw:1 ke, stand up." These are the words of the God 0f Israel. And from whomsoever or from whatsoever shall come the summons to arouse ourselves from a guilty and perilous spiritual torpor, however harsh be the tone how- ever startling be the terms of the awakening, that voice is of the friendliest and may be taken to be none other than the voice of God. ' Ill. TIIAT FOR THE N.,TION OR THE SPIRIT THAT HEARKENS AND ARISES THERE MAY BE COMPJ,ETE RECOVERY. (Vers. 22, 23.) Jehovah would turn humiliation into triumph for his pe~ple, s.r~ogance in_to disa_ster for her enemies. As complete a reversal, though of an entirely different kmd, will God grant to those who arouse themselves from spiritual torpor and walk in his ways: for them shall be peace instead of insensibility ; holy usefulness instead of disgraceful helplessness; sacred joy instead of a miserable despair.-C.