The Pulpit Commentary — Isaiah — Volume 2 — Section 312

Yers. 6-IO.-S11pera'h01J,nding goodness. The prevailing thought here is the prevalence of God's gooilness over his severity. For a small moment he had forsaken, but with great mercies he would comfort his people. Against the "little wrath" in which his face was hidden there was to be set the "everlasting kindness" with which he would redeem them. The largely preponderant, completely outweighing, superabounding good- ness of the Lord is manifest on every side. We see it- I. IK THE NATURAL WORLD. There is a great deal of misery beneath the sky. How could it be otherwise when there is so much of cruelty and sin? But if we look long at all that happens as the direct result of God's handiwork, we shall .find that "mercy triumphs over wrath," good over ill. There is a large and blessed preponderance of light o'l'er darkne~s, of pleasure_ c:iver pain, of joy over sorrow, of hope over despair, of confidence over distrust, of fert1hty over barrenness, of plenty over poverty, of society over solitude, of life over death. But for the disturbing and destructive element of sin, this would obviously be the case in a very much larger degree than it is now. II. IN THE CHURCH OF GoD. The Church of God has been represented at different times by different communities. At one time by the suffering community in Egypt; at another, by the Church in the wilderness; at another, by the distracted society under the judges; at another, by the triumphant nation under David and Solomon; at another, by Israel in exile ; at another, by the returned and rejoicing people of God who had come home from captivity. It is now represented by the Churches of Christ scattered o~er many lands, and forming apparently many distinct religious bodies. Sometimes God bas lifted upon his people the light of his countenance, and they have rejoiced in his manifested favonr; at other times he has withdrawn bis face, and made his people to feel the weight or his chastening hand. But upon the whole it has been found, and in the end it will be found, that his manifestations of mercy and grace have triumphed greatly over those of wrath and penalty. There were times in the history of the Jewish Church when its light nearly went out in the surrounding darkness, but it did not expire; by the Divine hand it was guarded and fed, and has now become, under other conditions, a glorieus sun, giving light and heat to all the nations. Mountains and hills, in the shape of kingdoms and powers, have departed and been removed ; but God's kindness to his Church will not depart, nor will his faithfulness fail. With everlasting kindne~s will God be merciful to the Church which bears the name, and teaches the truth, and extends the kingdom, of his Son. III. IN THE CAREER OF HIS FAITHFUL SERVANTS. There is no uniform course which the life of piety is found to take; it takes almo~t every variety of ways. Sometimes it lies much in the sunshine and but little in the shadow; and sometimes it is shaded nearly the whole way through. And how many kinds of shadow fall on: the good man's path ! It is the apparent withdrawal of God's favour from his soul; or it is the false charge which takes away his fair fame; or it is overwhelming loss involving others as well as himself in struggle or even in penury; or it is early separation from those most dearly beloved. There is "the hiding of God's face;" the hour comes when nothing but the Master's words will utter the feelings of the heart, "My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?" But all this i11 temporary; nay, everything being counted, it is but momentary. God has in reserve infinite resources which, afterwardll if not now, yooder if not here, will make np a thousandfold for all that he sends of trial and suffering. Let the faithful soul build on the immovable rock of God's integrity. Mountains may melt and hills may flee away, the foundations of the solid earth may Le ibroken up, but God's kindness cannot J.epart, because his Word cannot fail; that is ,the ooe absolutely and eternally impossible thing.---C. Ver. 18.-The prize of life, a,nd its pwrfflit. "All t,by children shall be taugM OH. LIV, I-17.] THE BOOK OF THE PROPHET ISAIAH. 823