M;d. The prophet heare a ,oice, saying, he were "extreme to mark what is done Cut ye up, cast ye up; i.e. make a highway amiss," none could abide it (I's. cxxx. 3). to the holy mountain by heapiug up He remits somewhat, therefore, from the material (eh. b.ii. 10); and, having made it, claims of strict justice, and is content to removt> every obstructiou from the path of take lower ground. Were it otherwise, my (righteous) _people. Tbe voice is, pro- man's spirit should fail before him. Man, bably, an angelic one. i.e., would be utterly unable to justify him- Vere. 15-21.-A PROillSE OF SALVATION self, and would faint and fade away before TO THE HUMBLE AND PENITEKT, WITH A the Divine fury. The souls which God has made would, one and all, perish. He, how- FURTHER THREAT AGAINST THE WICKED. ever, has not made them for this purpose, The prophet, in this portion of his discourse, but that they should live (Deut. xxx. 19; whereof "comfort" is the key-note (eh. Ezek. xviii. 31) ; and has therefore devised xl. 1), can ..ever continue threatening long for them a way of salvation (see eh. liii. mthout relapsing into a tone of tenderness 5-10). Ver. 17.-Forthe iniquity of his covetous- and pity. He now sets ~<>ainst his long ness was I wroth. Among the sins that denunciation (in vers. 3-12) an ample pro- angered God most against the Jews of the mise (vers. 15-19), and against his brief later kingdom of Judah was their covetous- encouragement (in vers. 13, 14) e. short ness-that desire of unjust gain which led menace (vers. 20, 21). them continually to oppress their weaker brethren, to remove their neighbours' land- Ver. 15.-For. The ground of the pro- marks, to harass them with lawsuits, to mise of salvation in ver. 15 is God's com- obtain from the courts corrupt judgments bined might and mercy, whioh are now set against them, and so to strip them of their forth. The high and lofty One (comp. eh. inheritances (see eh. i. 15-23; iii. 5, 14, vi. 1, where the same words are translated 15 ; v. 8, 23 ; J er. vi. 13; Ezek. xxxiii. 31, " high and lifted up"). In God's loftiness etc.). This was far from beiug their only are included at once his exalted majesty sin; but it was their besetting sin, and it and his almighty power. He is •• higb" in led ou to a number of others. It would himself, transcending thought., and "lofty" seem even to have been the principal cause or "lifted up" in that he is absolute Lord of those judicial murders with which they of his creatures, and therefore big h above a.re so constantly taxed by the prophets (eh. them. That inhabiteth eternity. So the i. I 5, 21 ; xxxiii. 15 ; lix. 3 ; J er. ii. 34; LXX., KaTo,1r&,11 Tbv al&va. But the Hebrew xix. 4; Ezek. vii. 23; xi. 6; Hos. iv. 2; is Iese abstract, and would perhaps be best Micah iii. 10 ; vii. 2, etc.). Isaiah selects translated "that liveth eternally." I dwell the sin of covetousness here, as typical or in the high and holy place. Solomon's representative of the entire class of Judah's "heaven of heavens " (1 Kings viii 27), besetting sins-the most striking indication which, however, "cannot contain him;" St. of that alienation of their hearts from God, Paul's" light which no man can approach which constituted their real guilt, and was unto" (1 Tim. vL 16); Zechariah's "holy the true cause of their punishment. And habitation " (Zech. ii. 13). With him also smote him. The form of tho verb marks that is of a contrite-literally, crushed-and repeated action. God gave Judah many humble spirit. " Though the Lord be high, warnings before the final catastrophe. He yet bath he respect unto the lo"".IY " (Ps. punished Judah by the hand of Sargon, by cxxxviii. 6) ; "He humbleth himself to that of Sennacherib (2 Kings xviii. 14-16), consider the things that are in heaven and by that of Manasseh (2 Chron. xxxiii. 11), earth" (Ps. cxiii. 6). He ie not an Epicurean by that of Pharaoh-Nacho (2 Chron. xxxv. Deity, too far exalted above man.to have a'!1y 20-24), by that of the Syrinna, the l\foabites regnrd for Lim, or concern himself with and the Ammonites (2 Kings xxiv. 2), man's welfare (see Job xxii. 12, 13). On and others, during the hundred and forty the contrary he conclescends to " dwell years which intervened between the acces- wit.Ii" man dnly let man have a "humble" sion of Hezekiah and the completion of the an,l '' crusi'1ed," or "bruised," spirit. To Captivity. I hid me (comp. eh. viii. 17; rel'ive the opirit of the humble, When God liv. 8). condc~cend~ to visit the contrite and humble Ver, 18.-1 h&ve seen his w&ys, and will spirit, the immediate effect ia to comfort, heal him. God had seen the wanderings of couHole, revive. His presence is a well of his people in perverse ways, and his heart life, springing up within the 110ul to ever- had been touched with pity thereat. The lasting life (John iv. 14). good Shepherd follows and recalls the Ver. 16.-1 will not contend for ever. wanderers of the flook. When they have God "will not always chide, neither will he suffered hurt he "heals" thom. He is keep hie e.nger for ever" (Ps. oiii 9). If willing to " lead" them also-to go before 01t. Lvtt. 1-21.J THE BOOK OF THE PROPHET ISAIAH. 359
them, and show them tbe way that they and to him that is near; i.e. either "to both should walk in (eh. xlix. 10; Ezek. xxxiv. the Gentiles Rnd the Jews," or "to both the 11-16), and "restore comforts" to them, scattered members of the Jewish body" especially to such of tbem e.e bo.ve begun to (eh. xi. 11; xliii. 5, 6) "and the collected "mourn" over their perversity. nation in Canaan." Ver. 19.-1 create the fruit of the lips; Ver. 20.-The wicked are like the troubled litero.lly, creating the fruit of the lip,. The sea. A striking metaphor, bnt one whi<-h clause is best attached to the preceding occurs nowhere else in the Old Testament., verse. By hie tender treatment of the and once only in the New (Jude 1:1). The wanderers, God brings forth fruit from their sea's restless action well expresses the un- lips in tbe shape of praise and thanksgiving. quiet of the wicked; and the mud and mire Peace, peace; or, perfect peace, as in eh. that it casts up resembles their evil thoughti x.xvi. 3. Judah'a prophets were apt to say and evil deeds. " There is no peace " for to her, "Peace, peace," when there was no such persons, either bodily or spiritual, peace (J er. vi. 14 ; viii. 11 ; Ezek. xiii. 10). either in this world or the world to come. Isaiah is now commissioned to give the pro- Ver. 21.-Comp. eh. xlviii. 22, where the mise from the mouth of God (comp. John prophet ends another section of this part of xiv. 27; u. 21, 26). To him the.t ie :far oft', his work with almost the same words.