The Pulpit Commentary — Isaiah — Volume 2 — Section 420

Christ, to which all the ages looked forward, that God "remembers us in our low estate for his mercy endureth for ever," and that, though often mistaken, we shall never b; termed Forsaken. I. 'l'em IS A DIVINE REPLY. A reply to wbat? Why, to Zion's utterance in oh. xlix. 14, "The Lord hath forsaken me." Not, mark you, that there have been no Divine footprints in the past, no Divine provision and protection in Zion's yesterday: but n~w he hath forsaken us. Study life, especially what is called religious life, and you will find that this is always the foolish cry of the Church. It will live in the past. It will not believe that there are prophets and righteous men to-day. It will decorate the sepulchres of the fathers. It did so in Isaiah's. time; it does so now. It glorifies the days of Wickliffe and Luther, of Whitefield and Wesley, forgetful that God is the lid.ng God, and his voice is heard, his hand outstretched, his purpose workin"0 now. I know nothing in which the human mind is so fatally biased as in this backward looking and longing, whilst he is still nigh us in our breath and in our heart. For- saken? No, t.here are prophets of truth still ; heralds of mercy still ; national seers still, who search the very heart of nations. Wherever the Spirit of Christ is, there he is. There are wars, vices, wrongs, still; but their time is not so easy as it was-not so easy, indeed, as in some past ages which we glorify. The Spirit of Christ is becomina more and more the test of good and evil, of wisdom and nnwisdom, of the real and tb~ false, of the righteous and unrighteous. There is a light shining to-day that no breakers can put out, no wild storms of passion extinguish. " The Light that lighteth every n.an that cometh into the world" is here. Christ's arm is not shortened; more worn and weary spirits lean on it than ever. Christ's mercy is not exhausted ; his forgiveness is still the good cheer of millions of hearts. His revelations of immortality have not faded through the lapse of years. He alone bas given to the world its all- covering sky. We feel that whilst we still believe in him and cleave to him, the prophetic words are real and true, " Thon shalt no more be termed Forsaken." II. A Drvn."E HARMONY. The words do not stand alone. They are not mcrel.v a beautiful text, or an isolated flower, or a separate jewel. We have to take the moral strain of a book to see into the mind and meaning of the plan. We do not interpret Mendelssohn or Mozart by separate passages, neither should we so treat Isaiah. He is evidently the prophet of a golden age, no matter whether there are ten bands visible in the work or one. We test truth by its voice, not by its mere speaker. All prophets were not to be listened to and obeyed simply because they were prophets. "I have seen also in the prophets of Jerusalem an horrible thing: they commit adultery, and walk in lies: they strengthen also the bands of evil-doers. . . . 'l'hus saith the Lord of hosts, Hearken not unto the words of the prophets that prophesy unto you: they make you vain : they speak a vision of their own heart, and not out of the mouth of the Lord" (Jer. :x..x.iii. 14, 16); and again, "Let not your prophets deceive you" (Jer. xxix. 8); and again, "Mine band shall be upon the prophets that see vanity, and that divine lies" (Ezek. xiii. 9); "Thus saitb the Lord God: Woe nnto the foolish prophets. . . . 0 Israel, thy prophets are like foxes" (Ezek. xiii. 3, 4). Yes; there was a moral test then; an instinct wbich revealed the true prophet, as it reveals the true Saviour. Our Lord rested all on this: "If ye were of the truth, ye would hear my voice;" "My sheep hear my voice." A remarkable instance of this moral test is given us in Ezek. xiii. 22. The people were to set their faces against the propheta. Why? "Because with lies ye have ma.de the heart of the righteous sad, whom I have not made sad; and strengthened the hands of the wicked, that be should not return from his wicked way, by promising him life." '!'hat which was against righteousness and assisted evil was not to be believed. Why will men be so afraid of this test? Why do they seek to rest authority on the authors and writers of books, and not rest it, as God does, aod ever did, and only could, on the truth itself? It wa:i Isaiah's way, it was our Lord's way, it was St. Paul's way. "Commending ourselves to every man's conscience in the 8ight of God." I thus come to my word "harmony." It is harmonious with all within us. Isaiah is a prophet of righteousness, of Divine forbearance, of Divine forgiveness, of Divine pity, of Divine ministry, of Divine sacrifioe. lf asked-Is this a God to be trusted, worshipped, loved? the whole inward being exciaims, " Amen, and amen." IIL A. D1vura OOBSOLATIOl!T. It 18 really part of the" comfort ye" strain, as that OH. LXII. 1-12.) THE BOOK OF THE PROPHET ISAIAH. 435