The Pulpit Commentary — Micah — Section 101

prorligal son remote from his father's house and in a far country. How far is the human soul, In its unregenerate state, from God? How far is selfishness frora benevolenoe, error from truth, pollution from holiness, wrong from right? The moral spa.co or gulf that lies between is immea.surable. II. THAT BAOB1FIOEB THE MOST OOBTLY ABE UTTERLY INSUFFICIENT TO SECURE THIS FELLOWSHIP. "Shall I come before him with burnt offerings, with calves of a year old?" Buch offerings were presented under the Law (Lev. i., etc.). "Will the Lord be pleBBed with thousands of rams, or with ten thousands of rivers of oil?" This also was enjoined in Leviticus. Oil was to be poured on the meat offering. "Shall I give my firstbom for my transgression, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?" The Jews offered many human sacrifices in the valley of Hinnom. They ea.used theiT -children to· pass· through the fire in honour of Moloch. The idea is-Are there any eacri.fices I can make, however costly and however painful, in order to commend me to the favour and friendship of Almighty God? The interrogatory implies a negative- No. Ofi'er the cattle upon a thousand hills: can they be a satisfaction for sin? Caa they e9mmend you to Infinite Love? All a.re his. How men ea.me at first to suppose that human sacrifices could be acceptable to God is one of the greatest enigmas in history. "Though a ma.n give his body to be burned, without charity he is nothing." Two things are here presented. 1. Th8 great cry of a sin-convicted soul is for God. No sooner is conviction of sin struck into the human soul, than it turns itself a.way at once from the world to God: "I want God; I have lost him; God I must have; oh that I knew where I might find him I" 2. Worldly possessions, in the estimation of Q sin-convicted soul, are comparatively worthless. He is prepared to make any sacrifices. Holocausts, thousands of rams, ten thousands of rivers of oil; what a.re they ? Nothing in comparison with the interests of the soul. "What shall it pro.fit a man if be gaiu the whole world," etc.? It feels this when convicted of sin. III. THAT MORAL EXCELLENCE IS THE ONE METHOD B-Y WHICH THIS FELLOWSHIP CA.::11: BE OBTAINED. "He bath showed thee, 0 man [Hebrew,' Adam,' the whole race, Jew and Gen bile alike], what is good; and what doth the Lord require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?" This moral excellence consists of two parts, social and religioll.8. 1. That which refers to man. (1) "Dr justly;" " Whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do y~ even so to them.,. "Render to all men their due." (2) "Love mercy. n Mere justice is not enough, there must be tender commiserntion for the suffering; the poor and the distressed mnst b:! remembered. Mercy must not only be shown, but loved. To help the needy must be delight.- --2. That which refers to God. "Walk humbly with thy God." Wal.king with God implies consciousness of the Divine presence, harmony with the Divine will, progress -in Divine excellence. This is moral excellence-the moral excellence that God has revealed to all men, Jew and Gentile, the entire race, and which he requires from all; and this is the condition of fellowship with him. How is this moral excellence to be attained? it may be asked. Philosophically, I know but of one way -faith in him who is the Revelation, the Incarnation, the Example of all moral excellence-Jesus Christ. CoNCLUBION. Learn from this what religion is-how transcendent! It is the soul going away from sin and the world to God. Not merely to temples, theologies, ceremonies, but to God; and to him, not through intellectual systems or ceremonial observances, but through a true life, both in relation to man and God.-D. T. ,,. Ver.·9.-God's voice to cities. "The Lord's voice crieth unto the city, and the mau of-wisdom shall see thy Na.me: hear ye the rod, and who bath appointed it." We raise three remarks from· this verse. ' I.· THAT Goo HAS A "VOICE" TO CITIES, "The Lord's voice crieth unto the city.• The city meant here is Jerusalem. He speaks to a city: 1. Through its comme1·ce.. 'l'he failures that follow fraud, indolence, chicanery; 2. Through its mortality. The funeral processions that darken the streets, the cemeteries that lie within and around. 3. Through its churches. The sermons that are preachl-<l, the ageuts that are employed to enlighten the ignorant, to comfort the distressed, reclaim the lost. Heavenly Wisdom '' standeth at the corner of the streets; she crieth aloud," etc. II. 'l'l!E Wllll!l IN CITIES RECOGNIZE THE VOICE. "The man of willdom shall see thy 104 THE BOOK OF MICAII. [cu. vr. 1-lG.