The Pulpit Commentary — Isaiah — Volume 2 — Section 342

~er. 1.- Goa;s nea:n~s a,rlea. . "My salvation is near _to ?ome;" therefore "keep ye 1udgment, and do Justice. Isaiah announced God's dehvermg and redeeming from Babylon as close at han<l, and used this fact as a plea by which to urge immediate moral preparation. "When God is corning to us in a way of mercy we must go forth to meet him in a way of duty." Illustration may be found in Ps. 1. 23; Mai. iv. 4-6. John the Baptist had a similar commission to this of Isaiah. He was to ea.II to repent- ance on the ground of the fact that the "kingdom uf heaven was at hand." Further illustration may be found in the preparing of roads for a coming Ea.stern king, and the preparations made in our towns when the sovereign is about to visit them. The general subject suggested is the call to be ready for every display of Divine grace. Our getting the blessing of any near coming of God to us depends on our preparedness for the manifestation. We may note two points. I. PREPARATIONS FOB GoD's COMING ARE SPIRITUAL. They are right states of mind and feeling. They are cleansings of thought and heart. They are humiliations on account of sin and shortcoming. They are the putting away of doubts, and the nourishing of trust. They are ·cherishings of all reverent sentiments. They are earnest efforts to gain an open and receptive mood of soul. Sabbath worship and sacraments.I seasons are times of special nearness of God, and they are dependent on the spiritual moods with which we approach them. Fitting moods are gained by times of meditation and prayer. A point of importance to impress is that spiritual preparations a.re quite as necessary in view of God's mercies, benedictions, and prosperities, as in view of his chastisements and judgmeuts. So easily we miss observing the necessity for spiritual readiness to receive Divine bestowals and blessings. See St. Paul's teaching con- cerning self-examination before partaking of the sacramental feast (1 Cor. xi. 28). II. SPmITUAL PREPARATION FINDS EXPRESSION IN ALTERED CONDUCT. On this the prophet dwells. Because God's salvation is near, meu ought to readjust their conduct and rearrange their relations. They should keep judgment aud do justice; or love the right aud try to do it, remembering always that the "right" includes the "kind." Just a.s, if a visitor is expected at a house, all kinds of house-preparations are made, but the heart-welcome is the chief thing, so when God would come to us, we must fit up the house of conduct for him, but take good heed that this only expresses the hearty welcome of our souls. In conclusion, show how these two mutually help each other. Soul-culture aids in mastery of life and conduct. The wise ordering of life brings good oµportunity for soul-culture. Jesus ea.me to save from sin; but there was little preparation for him, He came a.a a babe, and there was no room for him in the inn.-R. T. Ver. 2.-The sabbath a test of obedience. It is singular to find l8s.iah now making so much or-the sabhath when, in the earlier part of his prophecy, he had, in the name of God, spoken of it so scornfully (see eh. i. 13, "The new moons and sabbs.ths, the calling of assemblies, I cannot away with"). Matthew Arnold refers to this contrast, and says, "That related to a time when the kingdom of Judah yet stood, when the service of the temple was in full course, the whole exterior part of the Jews' religion splendid and prominent. At such a time a prophet might naturally undervalue the whole of thiB exterior part in comparison with the inward part. But during the exile in Babylon all the services and sacrifices of the temple bad ceased, and the one teatimop.y of fa,ithfulnesu to their religion which tho Jews among an idolatrous people 011. LVI. 1-12.] THE BOOK OF THE PROPHET ISAIAH. 353