their barking, they remain ap&thetic, and wine. Here we have mention of a third 'utter no waraing at all. It is as if they defect. 'l'he prophets of the time are not passed their lives in sleep. only negligent of their duty, aud covetous, Ver. 11. - Y88, they are greedy dogs. but they are given to excess in wine o.nd to Another defect is noted. Not only do they long revels, such as even the heathen con- fail in the way of neglect of duty, but they sidered to be disgraceful (comp. eh. xxviii. are actively culpable. Being worldly and 7, where both priests and prophets a.re taxed not spiritually minded, they are "greedy" with h&bituo.l drunkenness). To-morrow shall after gain. Anciently, the taking of a gift, be as this day; i.e. the drinking shall con- or fee. from those who came to consult them tinue-we will have a two days' bout of it. was regarded as no dishonour to the pro- And muoh more abundant; rather, "ery ex- phetic office (Numb. xxii. 7 ; l Sam. ix. 7 ; ceedingly abu11dant. Tbere is no comparison I Kings xiv. 3); but the nobler class of pro- of one day with the other; but simply a. phets declined to make a profit of their pron1ise that on both days the drinking spiritual powers, and would receive no fee shall be without stint. (On the drunken- (2 Kings v. 16; Matt. x. 8; Acts viii. 20). ness occasionally prevalent in Oriental coun- In Ezekiel and Micah the taking of gifts by tries, see Herod., i. 133; Xen., 'Cyrop.,' prophets is regarded as discreditable (Ezek. viii. 8, § 10; Dur. Sam. Fr., 13; and com- xiii. 19; xxii. 25; Micah iii. 3). From his pare the remarks of Sir H. Rawlinson on quarter; rather, f-0 the uttermost (Kay), or the inebriety of the modern Persians in the every one, without exception (Cheyne). author's 'Herodotus,' vol i. p. 219, edition Ver. 12.-Come ye, say they, I will fetoh of 1862.)
HOMILETICS. Vers. ~7.-0utward defects and defilements no hindrance to full communion in the Church of God. In the infancy of humanity, and with a people so carnal as the Israelites, it was necessary to teach the great doctrines of purity and holiness by a. material symbolism. Hence the multitude of regulations in the Law concerning defects, blemishes, sources of outward defilement, methods of removing defilements, clean and unclean meats, and the like. God strove to train his people by these out- ward shows to the recognition of the eternal distinction between inward purity and impurity, and to a proper sense of the fact that impurity is an utter disqualification for communion with him and with his Church. But these distinctions were never intended to be lasting.· Our Lord himself declared to his disciples, "Not that which goeth into the mouth defileth a man; but that which cometh out of the mouth, this defileth a man. . . . Those things which proceed out of the mouth come forth from the heart; and they defile the man. For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies: these are the things which defile a man; but to eat with unwashen hands defileth not a man" (Matt. xv. 11-20). It was long before the Jews could fully understand this doctrine, or believe that the Levitical Law on all points of external defilement was absolutely done away (see Acts x. 9-35 ; xi. 3-18; xv. 5---20; 1 Cor. viii. 4--13). There was u.t first a great objection to receive any Gentiles into the Christian Chmch, and many miracles had to be wrought to overcome it. There was, after this, a line of separation drawn, and a claim set up by those of the favoured nation to form a higher gra.de than the Gentile Christians, with whom they refused to eat (Gal. ii. 11-14). So persistent is the spirit of formalism, that, notwithstanding our Lord's teaching and that of his apostles, it was centuries before the Church was wholly freed from dissension and difficulty in this matter (Burton, 'Chmch of the First Three Centuries,' vol. i. pp. 348-351).
Vera. 9-12.-When their spiritual guides go astray, the flock of Christ suffers. Spiritual guides are bound to watch for the flock, as "they that must give account" (Heb. xiii. 17). It is ill for the flock when they e.re even negligent in their duties- still worse when they engage actively in evil comsee. Israel's guides at this time were open to both charges, and are blamed on both accounts. Isaiah taxes them with beina- 0
1. BLIND GUIDES, destitute of spiritual wisdom and spiritual discernment. "The priest's lips should keep knowledge" (Mal. ii. 7). It is the office of priests and lllinit;ters to guide aright the souls committed to their charge, and for this purpose 0H, Lvt.1-12.] THE BOOK or THE PROPHET ISAIAH. 347