Chapter XXI: Part 21

II. But this passion, powerful as it is, may be controlled and conquered. "The Medes . . . shall not regard silver; and as for gold, they shall not delight in it." This means, not that they should be exempt from the influence of this worldwide passion, but that in thee it would be temporarily overborne by another more powerful passion--the passion for revenge. For years the dominion of Babylon over them had been maintained by the most relentless rigour and frightful cruelties; and when the hour for successful revolt came, the one thought of the Medes would be--_Revenge!_ That one intense longing would consume all others; the men on whom it had laid hold would forget their thirst for riches.

This really is only an instance and illustration of what Dr. Chalmers used to call "the explosive power of a new affection." Many other affections come up to the human heart, and expel avarice; _e.g.,_ love of wife or children, ambition, vanity, &c. We see, therefore, that the love of money can be conquered, and as reasonable men always in danger of being overcome by it, we should ask by what passion or principle it can be conquered most nobly. That principle and that passion is the love of Christ. Of those who are truly possessed by it, it may be truly said that they do not regard silver; and as for gold, they do not delight in it. They may have much money, and by their splendid genius for business may be constantly gaining much more; but they possess it, it does not possess them; they are _its_ masters. By the use of it they are ennobled. Let us pray that our hearts may be garrisoned by this more powerful and noble passion; then all the assaults of avarice upon them shall be made in vain. We shall meet them as Christ Himself met the offer of all the wealth and glory of the world; and the result will be, that we shall possess the true riches which will be valuable in the eternal world (Matt. iv. 8-10, vi. 19-21).

FOOTNOTES:

[1] In many of those who seem utterly free from the love of
money, it is only dormant; like the thirst for blood in
that tiger which, captured when a cub, was brought up as a
household pet, but showed itself to be a tiger indeed when,
licking a slight wound in its master's hand, it first
tasted blood. So, many who appear to be utterly free from
the love of money are so simply because they have never
possessed more than sufficed for their bare necessities.
Let them possess more, and avarice will show itself. This
is the explanation of the familiar fact, that many who
become prosperous become niggardly; they may continue to
give, but it is always in a steadily diminishing proportion
to their income (H. E. I., 4013; P. D., 3068, 3488).

SPARE THE CHILDREN.

(_Sunday-School Anniversary Sermon._)

xiii. 18. _Their eye shall not spare children._

This declaration is made concerning the Medes, by whom the power of Babylon was destined to be broken. So thoroughly bent will they be upon their mission of revenge, that they will not be turned away from it by any appeals to their avarice (ver. 17) or to their pity (text). The helplessness of infancy and the innocence of youth, which are naturally so impressive and persuasive, will not avail to stay them in their devastating career.

We should display a singular ignorance of the world in which we live, if we were therefore to pronounce the Medes exceptional monsters of iniquity. Alas! there are many imitators of their relentless cruelty. In our own land children are not spared in relation to evils even more terrible than war. Youth is always beset by dangers, even when it is most carefully guarded; but when it is specially under the influence of wicked men, it is often ruthlessly sacrificed. Wide-spread is the spirit of evil which knows not how to pity it. Examples of its existence and operations are to be found--1. In houses where the most hurtful principles and vicious practices are continually set before children. From their youth up they are not spared from the most disastrous influences (H. E. I., 775-779). 2. In business, where often the most sacred interests of childhood are sacrificed for the sake of gain. Their health, by inflicting upon them excessive labour. Even their morality, by fiends who tempt them into haunts of vice. Compared with these incarnations of diabolical cruelty, the Medes were merciful.

The season of childhood appeals to our concern and should awake our compassion--1. By its _helplessness._ It has to lean upon others. 2. By its _ignorance._ It has had no time to learn (H. E. I., 780). 3. By its _inexperience._ Unless it is aided by the guidance of mature wisdom, it must almost necessarily go astray. 4. By its _peculiar susceptibility to every kind of moral influence._ To these appeals let us give reverent, cheerful, and thoughtful heed. Let us not be content to shudder at this prediction concerning the Medes, or at such historical records as that of the slaughter of the children of Bethlehem (Matt. ii.); let us make the children the objects of our care. 1. Let us spare _our own children,_ from all unreasonable demands upon them, from the mischiefs that will inevitably come upon them if we do not carefully train them in the way they should go. 2. Let us spare _the children of the poor_ from the evils of ignorance. These evils are terrible and far-reaching. Not to rescue them from these evils when we have the power to do so, is to doom them to them. In the Sunday-school we have a means to rescue which we cannot neglect without sin.--_William Manning._

SODOM AND GOMORRAH.

xiii. 19. _And Babylon, the glory of the kingdoms, &c._

The anticipated destruction of Babylon is here compared to that of Sodom and Gomorrah, because of its completeness, and because of the hopelessness of any return to that city to its former glory (vers. 20-22). The fate of Sodom and Gomorrah should be pondered, not merely because it is here used as a symbol of the fate of Babylon, but also because of the solemn lessons it affords in relation to sin. That memorable overthrow occurred--I. _As a Divine vengeance upon long-continued and unmitigated wickedness_ (Gen. xviii. 20, 21). II. _Notwithstanding the influence of a good man in their midst_ (2 Pet. ii. 7, 8). A man like Lot, even though he perhaps suffered injury to his own character, could not live among people like the Sodomites without being a witness for better things and a testimony against their crimes. III. _Notwithstanding the fervent intercessions on their behalf of an eminently godly man_ (Gen. xviii. 23, &c.). IV. _The overthrow came at last without any suspicion on the part of their guilty inhabitants that their doom was so near_ (Prov. xxix. 1).

But why dwell upon a fate so awful, and that occurred so long ago? Because it is a solemn warning to men to-day. Listen to our Saviour's teaching on this point (Matt. xi. 20-24). From this we learn that the fate of those who reject Christ will be more severe even than that which befell those guilty cities--1. Because of clearer light against which they sinned. It cannot be in any way a trivial thing to possess the Gospel (2 Cor. ii. 16). 2. Because of the more abundant opportunities of salvation which were afforded them. 3. Because of the more abundant and excellent examples set before them. 4. Because of the multiplied examples of warning to which they should have given heed.--_William Manning._

THE JOY OF SALVATION.

xiv. 3, 4. _And it shall come to pass in the day, &c._

In these verses is described the feeling of relief and joy of Israel in view of release from the Babylonish captivity. So profound will be their sense of God's deliverance and favour, that they will look with contempt even upon the imperious and exacting Babylon, whose glory will be smitten, whose strength will be destroyed.

This is an experience known to men in their spiritual seekings and findings of God. Blessed is that "rest" which follows many a season of sorrow, and fear, and hard bondage wherein men are made to serve. Consider--

I. SOME JOYFUL DELIVERANCES, of which we may be said to have here a type. Every soul engaged in a true search after God can recall such experiences: first there was the "sorrow," then the "joy;" first the "fear," then the confidence; first the "bondage," and then the rescue and the liberty. _E.g.,_ 1. _The time of spiritual conversion._ That is often preceded by deep conviction, anguish, and gloom. Alarming are those awakenings whose first mission is to show us our guilt and danger. Then we feel the grievousness of the bondage of sin. It is a time of exile, want, servitude. What a glorious day is that in which the Lord gives us rest for our sorrow and fear, by removing from us the terrors of the law, and leading us into the liberty of the Gospel! This is the deliverance to which our Saviour calls us (Matt. xi. 28). 2. _The light which comes after a period of great mental conflict and doubt respecting Divine things_ also illustrates our subject. Honest and reverent doubt, which intercepts a true seeker after God, is no sin. To creatures who have everything to learn, doubt is but a part of the process of learning; all original research, all independent inquiry, has more or less of it. But doubt may become a hard master, a ruthless tyrant; that which comes from mere prying curiosity, idle speculation, empty cavilling, is certain to do so; in this case doubt, instead of being a pathway, becomes a prison (H. E. I., 4867, 4868). But doubt in any case is a source of unhappiness; it should lead, not to scepticism (H. E. I., 4867, 4868; P. D., 910), but to prayer (P. D., 915, 916). Those whose prayers for deliverance from it have been answered, know how blessed is that day when the Lord gives them "rest." 3. _The period of victory which follows a season of severe temptation_ is another illustration. In most virtues weak, there are sides of our character specially exposed to assault. The sin which most easily besets us proves our oppressor, our tyrant (H. E. I., 4482-4484, 4497-4499). Recall the conflicts you have often had, how often sin has wellnigh proved fatal to you. What a gracious day was that when the Lord came to your help, and gave you rest from your enemy! 4. _The heavenly life hereafter_ will be a still better realisation of the thought before us. To many of God's people the general character of their earthly life is so mysterious, burdensome, and sad, that it _all_ seems a bondage to them. To such, death will come as the day of the Lord to give them "rest" (H. E. I., 220, 1623-1628).

II. THE REAL INSIGNIFICANCE OF OUR FOES, which in the day of our deliverance will be made plain to us, and which should be apprehended by our faith even now (ver. 4). 1. Greater is He that is in than all that can be against us, and therefore, if we be faithful, our victory is sure (1 John iv. 4; Rom. viii. 37; H. E. I., 934, 2368, 2791). 2. By Him even our very foes and oppressors shall be made to help us. In the case of Israel, their masters were to become their servants, their oppressors their subjects (ver. 2). It is so in the spiritual life; our very sorrows, fears, nay, our sins, may be made to serve great ends; a vanquished fear, a defeated sin, will leave us stronger to meet the next. Let us so live and strive, by the grace of God, that, having triumphed over every evil habit, every ignoble doubt, every besetting sin, we may be able to say at last, "How hath the oppressor ceased!"--_William Manning._

THE GRAVE AND ITS MYSTERIES.

xiv. 9-12. _Hell from beneath is moved for thee, &c._

I. There is an invisible world (H. E. I., 2173-2175). II. Its inhabitants stand in a mysterious relation to this. III. Are conscious of passing events. IV. Despise all earthly distinctions. V. Await the coming of their fellows. VI. Receive them according to their moral character.--_J. Lyth, D.D.: Homiletical Treasury,_ part i. p. 20.

THE CONTRASTS OF DEATH.

xiv. 11. _Thy pomp is brought down to the grave._

We are perpetually reminded of the shortness and uncertainty of life (H. E. I., 1561). But these truths, so elementary, so familiar, so important, and so much forgotten, are most vividly brought before our minds when a prince is laid low. Then we see that only one thing is important, because only one thing is permanent, and that is _character,_ by which our whole future is determined. Happy is he, whether peasant or prince, whose is the character of the regenerate, who possesses a good hope through grace; wretched is he, whether slave or monarch, who lives and dies without it. Reflect--

I. ON THE DEATH OF THE WICKED. Always solemn, but especially so when it is that of a wicked man who was prosperous. Everything succeeded with him; he had everything his heart wished for. But death came; broke up a whole system of being and comforts, without furnishing any equivalent for it; and introduced him to eternal perdition. Death obscures the glory of the prosperous transgressors, robs them of that in which they delighted, reduces their wealth to poverty, their honours to eternal shame, their happiness to eternal misery. What a transition--from the vanities of earth to the realities and retributions of the eternal world! from the flattery of their dependants to the presence of the Judge of all! You who are living only for earthly things, think of these things. (H. E. I., 1567-1569; P. D., 684, 741).

II. THE DEATH OF THE RIGHTEOUS. 1. The hour of terror, of consummate terror, to the wicked, is to the Christian the hour of peace, of hope, of joy. This arises from his union with Christ, the Conqueror of death. What will make a deathbed easy?--a broken league with sin, a good hope through grace, a lively faith in Christ (H. E. I., 1590-1593). 2. The hour that terminates the prosperous worldling's glory, introduces the Christian to an eternal weight of glory (P. D., 669, 694, 757). 3. The hour that brings the sinner to the second death commences the perfectness of the Christian's life (H. E. I., 1595-1600; P. D., 711).--_Samuel Thodey._

THE CONQUEROR CONQUERED.

xiv. 11. _Thy pomp is brought down to the grave._

One of the most effectual means of comforting the Church in times of oppression, is by predicting the downfall of her enemies. Here Babylon is doomed; her monarch, whose conquests had been so far-reaching, whose power had proved so irresistible, is represented as having met with a mightier than himself; as descending to the abode of the dead; as leaving behind him a body which, instead of being honoured with a royal funeral, has no other covering than the dust and the worms; and as being himself insulted by the astonished mockery of the meanest of those who had preceded him into the invisible world. His removal from the world has been as the cessation of a devastating hurricane, and the whole earth rejoices thereat; it re-echoes with songs of gladness that the dreaded victor has himself been vanquished. Well may the world rejoice that its crowned scourges are not immortal!

+I. Let us recall some familiar truths concerning this conqueror of conquerors.+ 1. _He assaults all ranks and all ages_ (H. E. I., 1536, 1557; P. D., 677, 700, 707, 751, 752). The world is an unwalled cemetery. Much of the dust we tread on once lived. What is the history of the world but the history of the reign of death? From Abel to the infant who died a moment ago, death has executed his commission without a single pause; sometimes in quiet forms, dust mingling with its native dust; sometimes on a grander scale, by battles, earthquakes, &c. There are a thousand doors out of life; they all stand open; and through some of them death will lead us all; for, like the great Being whose servant he is, with him there is "no respect of persons."[1] 2. _He is not arrested in his career from any respect for the places of men,_ however heroic and useful they may be. How powerful man often appears in his collective grandeur, binding the ocean in chains, controlling the elements, numbering the stars, building great cities which look like temples erected to Time and destined to outlast his reign, founding empires, and spreading himself out by commerce and enterprise to distant islands and continents; and he has always still greater projects behind. But while man plants, death receives his commission; the ground sinks beneath him, his power suddenly collapses. Few histories would be more instructive or impressive than that of the unfinished projects of men of might and genius, _e.g.,_ Cæsar and his proposed digest of law, Cuvier and his proposed compendium of science (Ps. cxlvi. 4; H. E. I., 3266, 3273). 3. _He determines all character._ Passing to and fro, he finds character everywhere in the course of formation; suddenly he brings the process to an end, and with their character precisely in the state in which he found it, those whom he strikes down go into the eternal world. A certain fact, a solemn consideration this!

+II. Let me remind you of the strange insensibility of mankind to the existence and operations of this power, from which none of us can escape, and which may so unexpectedly bring all our plans and purposes to an end.+ Few men give any practical heed to the fact that they are mortal (H. E. I., 1557-1565; P. D., 69). The conduct of mankind in neglecting the concerns of immortality reverses all the elements of wisdom. Men bury themselves in the concerns of time, and forget that their consciences will have an awful resurrection in another world. This insensibility is the more unpardonable since God uses so many means to arouse and to instruct us. Reflect on the momentous character of life, its shortness, its grand purpose, its solemn issues; look to the grand vision beyond the shades of death.

+III. In order that we may be delivered from this prevalent insensibility, let us recall some of the advantages arising from a frequent contemplation of, and a Scriptural preparation for, the approach of death.+ 1. _Preparation for death quite changes its aspect._ To a Christian it would be a dreadful thing not to die; his would be the case of a child who was never to come of age, of an exile who was never to go home (H. E. I., 1571-1578; P. D. 667, 669, 747). 2. _Preparation for death exalts the character of life._ It dispels much of the gloom of life; the bright prospect at the end irradiates all the intervening way. 3. _In preparing for death we become imbued with the temper and the tastes of heaven_ (H. E. I., 1566, 2731-2737).--_Samuel Thodey._

FOOTNOTES:

[1] When I look upon the tombs of the great, every emotion of
envy dies in me; when I read the epitaphs of the beautiful,
every inordinate desire goes out; when I meet with the
grief of parents on a tombstone, my heart melts with
compassion; when I see the tombs of the parents themselves,
I consider the vanity of grieving for those we must so
quickly follow; when I see kings lying by those who deposed
them, when I consider rival wits placed side by side, or
the holy men who divided the world with their contests and
disputes, I reflect with sorrow and astonishment on the
little competitions, factions, and debates of mankind; when
I read the several dates of some that died as yesterday,
and some of six hundred years ago, I consider that great
day when we shall all be contemporaries and make our
appearance together.--_Addison._

THE SEED OF EVILDOERS.

xiv. 20. _The seed of evildoers shall never be renowned._

I. _This is the verdict of the Scriptures._ They abound in evidence that confirms it. Whatever may be the resources of wicked men, true glory does not lie in their path, and nought that they can do will avail to secure honourable memory for their wickedness. On the contrary, their name and deeds will be attended with disaster and covered with shame. And this in spite--1. Of the _wealth_ which may be connected with evil-doing (Job xxi. 7-21; Ps. iii. 5-7, &c.); or, 2. The _power_ it may have (Ps. lxxiii. 3-8, 18-20), even if it be a confederated power (Prov. xi. 21); or, 3. The _ingenuity_ with which it may conduct its work (Ps xxxvi. 2-4; Micah ii. 1-3). These are but a few of the declarations of the Bible on this subject.

II. _This is also the verdict of human experience._ As a matter of fact, we see that a wicked course of life is regarded as a shame. It is held up as a beacon to be avoided, whilst the career of the good is held up as a model to be followed. History is full of examples of men whose names are held in universal detestation, notwithstanding their connection with ingenuity, wealth, and power. Each of us knows how well the fact is proved by myriads of examples in social life. A persistently wicked course is known to be a blighted one, and any attempt to invest it with glory or renown is felt to be wrong. We recoil even from the thought that it should be possible for such a course to command the homage of men.

III. _This truth gives us great hope for the future of our world._ If it were possible for wrongdoing to gain for itself imperishable renown, we might tremble for the safety of those principles of righteousness and truth which have always been regarded as the main support and stay of good men. Reckless folly and wild presumption would become exalted and enthroned, and we might well shudder at the possibility that, under the attractions of successful wickedness, men would rush in masses and bow down to Evil, declaring it to be their Good. This abandoned idolatry, this deep depravity, is now reached only in isolated cases, and such are regarded even by godless men as deplorable and hopeless. It is a hopeful fact that evildoers have to carry on much of their work in the dark, for it is a sure token that, as the light widens and deepens, the works of darkness must fall; their covering will be removed, and their shelter will be gone.

IV. _This truth is also one of encouragement to every individual Christian in his efforts after a Christ-like life._ Evil-doing does not fail for want of effort; its attempts are bold, its struggles are determined. Yet it is doomed always to wear the name of dishonour and shame; a wicked man will never get glory for his wickedness. But Christian life is in itself true and real honour; its glory is as a shining light, shining more and more unto the perfect day. The Christian is a son of God, and no higher dignity than this is conceivable (H. E. I., 1073-1076); he is traversing a path which will for ever lead him on to scenes of new splendour and blessedness. Seeing that this is our high calling and destiny, let us neither fear nor envy the seed of evildoers, however strong or secure they may be, but with greater persistency than ever let us "hold fast the confidence and the rejoicing of the hope firm unto the end."--_William Manning._

This is--1. Matter of observation; 2. The natural effects of bad training and example (H. E. I., 777-779); 3. The judicial appointment of God (H. E. I., 824).--_J. Lyth, D.D.: Homiletical Treasury,_ part i. p. 21.

A MEMORABLE ANSWER.

xiv. 32. _What shall one answer? &c._

Translators and interpreters differ as to whether the answer in this verse was intended to be given _by_ or _to_ the messengers of the nations; as to the nations whose messengers are here spoken of; and as to the time when they came on their errand. Adopting the view which represents them as coming to Jerusalem to congratulate Hezekiah after the marvellous deliverance of that city from the Assyrians (chap. xxxvii. 36-38), we remind you--

+I. That the wonders of God's love to His Church often surprise strangers as well as friends.+ For the deliverances wrought for her are often--1. _Surprisingly seasonable, e.g.,_ the overthrow of the Egyptian host in the Red Sea, when everything seemed to favour Pharaoh and to be against Israel (Exod. xv. 13-15); the deliverance of Jerusalem from Sennacherib. 2. _Astonishing because brought about by unlikely means._ Who could have anticipated the manner of the deliverance of Jerusalem on this occasion? [Give other examples.] 3. _Astonishing because vouchsafed in spite of great provocations and unworthiness._ Every such deliverance is a work of grace as well as of power.

+II. In such times of deliverance friends and enemies alike wonder at the secure foundations on which the Church is built.+ The literal Zion was a marvel of architecture (Ps. xlviii. 13), and in this respect it was a worthy symbol of the Church.[1] 1. The strength and stability of the spiritual Zion is guaranteed by the character and resources of the Builder: _"The Lord hath founded Zion."_ 2. Therefore we should not fear the might of any of the adversaries that come up against her (H. E. I., 1246-1251).

+III. The stability and security of Zion are sources of delighted satisfaction to the humblest of her inhabitants:+ _"The poor of His people shall trust in it."_ They know they are under the guardianship of One who is "mighty to save," and who encircles the least as well as the greatest in arms of His love. Their consciousness of poverty and weakness leads them to rest in Him with an undivided trust, and they thus attain unconsciously to the blessedness of those who trust is in God only, the peace which rests on the only foundation that cannot be moved.--_Samuel Thodey._

Mark what the text affirms, _"The Lord hath founded Zion;"_ this is the guarantee of His love and of her stability: _"the poor of His people shall trust in it,"_ or, as the margin has it, _"shall betake themselves unto it:"_ this is the one purpose of Her Divine mission upon earth--the care, the teaching, the education, the guidance of the poor.

I. THE SECURITY OF THE CHURCH. 1. The strongest, most fundamental title to protection is creation. Even among ourselves no one frames an object in order to destroy it; he who makes, makes that he may preserve. Thus is creation in itself a presumptive title to protection; and it is abundantly plain that the strength of such a bond will ever increase with the cost of the object produced. In one sense the whole material universe cost its Creator nothing, for its production was to Him a thing of infinite ease; but this cannot be said of the Church. He spoke to bid the one, He died to make the other exist. When He beholds His Church, He sees in it the monument of His own inexpressible sorrow; He feels this offspring of His Divine agonies drawn closer to His eternal heart by the thought of all it cost to give her being. 2. In this Church of His is His own _honour_ pledged. He hath not covenanted with the world that now is to immortalise it; but He has passed His own word for the perpetuity of His Church (Matt. xvi. 18; Isa. lx. 20, 21). 3. The Church, in its ultimate perfection, is set forth as the very _reward_ of all the sorrows of its Lord. To "see of the travail of His soul and be satisfied" is His destined crown; this "joy set before Him" was that which enabled Him to "endure the cross, despising the shame." (See also Eph. v. 25-27.) Shall He be defrauded of His recompense? 4. There is more than creation to bind the Church to Christ, more than promise, more than reward; there is communion, oneness, identification. A man may desert his child; he cannot desert himself. Even though the Redeemer could forget His espoused bride; even though He could deny His plighted promise; yea, though He could abandon His own reward, He cannot abandon His own body (1 Cor. xii. 27; Eph. i. 23, v. 30). With such a union there can be no separation; if Christ be immortal, the Church is so; when He dies she shall perish, but not till then.

II. THE MISSION OF THE CHURCH. _"The poor of His people shall trust in it."_ The Church of Christ is one vast institute for the benefit of the poor. The poor were the special objects of Christ's solicitude and tenderness, and they have been, and should be, the special objects of the Church's care. Even in her worst days she has had an open hand for the poor. She should ever follow the example of her Lord in caring for their temporal needs. But it is in the doctrine she preaches, and the way she preaches it, that the Church is indeed the poor man's consoler.[2]--_William Archer Butler, M.A.,: Sermons, Doctrinal and Practical, Second Series,_ pp. 227-237.

FOOTNOTES:

[1] See notes to outline: THE DUTY OF GLADNESS, chap. xii. 6.

[2] It is in meeting his sorrow with tidings of glory to come,
in brightening the gloom of his humble home with the
hallowed light of eternity, in soothing his days of hard
and heavy toil with her peaceful Sabbaths, in watching over
his bed of sickness with a patience as unwearied as if his
poor chambers were gorgeous with gilded ceilings and silken
tapestry; it is in these things that the Church carries on
that loveliest attribute of Her Lord, "Thou hast been a
strength to the poor, a strength to the needy in his
distress."--_Archer Butler._

GOD'S OUTCASTS.

xvi. 4. _Let Mine outcasts dwell with thee, Moab._

+I. In the most deserted condition of His people, God acknowledges them as His own.+ _"Mine outcasts."_ Sennacherib thought them his; but though forsaken by all the world, God claims them as His own, and avows His interest in them. Men pursue an opposite course; when individuals sink in the social scale, the kindly warmth of friendship is chilled, and the bond of intercourse broken (H. E. I., 23, 24, 2152-2157; P. D., 1422). But God is a friend who sticketh closer than any brother.[1] True, they sometimes esteem themselves outcasts even from Him (Ps. xlii. 2), and still more frequently are thought to be so by the ungodly (Ps. xlii. 3); but in this the ungodly make a mistake, which in their case is natural, and God's people should never wrong Him by suspecting Him of fickleness (chap. xlix. 15).

+II. God provides a refuge for His people when and where it might be least expected.+ _"With thee, Moab."_ Moab was not a neutral, but a hostile state, one of Israel's most inveterate foes, always on the outlook for opportunities to display its hostility. Strange, therefore, that Moab should be selected as a protector for Jehovah's outcasts; strange, but not unexampled. God often raises up friends for His people in unexpected quarters, supplies their needs by unexpected means, or turns their foes into friends (Prov. xvi. 7). Esau's heart was suddenly changed; Joseph found favour in the eyes of the keeper of the prison; Elijah was fed by ravens; the hungry lions forbore to touch Daniel, &c.[2]

+III. God would have His people to be only sojourners in Moab.+ His outcasts were merely to _dwell_ there; they were not to be incorporated with the Moabitish nation; they were not to adopt either the social customs or the religious beliefs of that people. In like manner He would have His people remember always that in this world they are only sojourners (1 Pet. ii. 11; H. E. I., 5026-5065).

+IV. God is preparing to bring His outcast and scattered people home.+ He hath prepared for them a city, and He will bring them to the city He hath prepared for them (John xiv. 1-3). Let them recognise, rejoice in, and live in harmony with this gracious purpose (Phil. iii. 17-21).--_Samuel Thodey._

FOOTNOTES:

[1] Philip Henry says, "God's people may be an outcast
people--cast out from men's love, their synagogue, their
country; but God will own His people when men cast them
out. They are outcasts, but they are His; and somehow or
other He will provide a dwelling for them." He adds, that
though many of the rejected ministers were brought very
low, had many children, were greatly harassed by
persecutors, and their friends were unable to support them,
yet in all his acquaintance he never knew, nor had heard
of, any Nonconformist minister being in prison for debt.

[2] "I have long looked for you," said a persecuting magistrate
to a poor woman, "and now I commit you to prison; and then
what will you do?" "If it please my Heavenly Father," she
replied, "I shall be fed at your table;" and so she was,
for his own wife, who sat by, sent her daily food (Ps.
lxxxiv. 11, 12).

FRUITLESS SUPPLICATIONS.[1]

xvi. 12. _He shall come to his sanctuary to pray; but he
shall not prevail._

In the profoundly affecting picture which the prophet draws of the calamities coming on the Moabites, he represents them as at length, every other means of relief being exhausted, coming with sad and weary hearts to their sanctuary to call upon their god for deliverance. Their supplications were destined to fail, for they were presented to that which had no power to hear or save (Ps. cxv. 4-8). This line in this dark picture reminds us of two facts in the life of the men of our own time, who see clearly the folly of idolatry.

+I. In times of sorrow they are often seen in the sanctuary.+ Many who at other times lead openly irreligious lives are then seen using the forms of devotion. This is natural (H. E. I., 3718); it is not wrong; that which is wrong is the infrequency with which the sanctuary is visited and prayer offered by them (H. E. I., 3878, 3879). It is natural and fitting that in time of trouble man should seek God in the sanctuary, for the sanctuary is the place--1. Of _special promise_ (Exod. xx. 24; Deut. xii. 5; 1 Kings ix. 3; Matt. xviii. 20). 2. Of _special means._ Everything there tends to the production and increase of a devotional spirit (H. E. I., 5078). 3. Of _special memory_--of memories of help obtained, of sorrows solaced in former times.

II. But all this makes more remarkable the other fact of which these words may well remind us, that +many of the supplications that are offered in the sanctuary are offered in vain.+ We know that this is a fact: how is it to be explained? In such ways as these--1. _Many of the suppliants have little or no faith,_ and faith is the essential condition of blessing (H. E. I., 3827-3830). 2. _Many of the suppliants are not really in earnest,_ and lukewarmness is an offence to the Divine Being (H. E. I., 3814, 3815, 3831-3838). 3. _Many of the suppliants are not really penitent._ Their prayers are mere calls for help in time of distress, and God has nowhere promised to help the impenitent and rebellious (H. E. I., 3846, 3858; P. D., 3595).

To point out the causes of the weakness and failure of such prayers is also to point out the remedies that must be applied if the suppliants would have their prayers "prevail."--_William Manning._

In times of trouble, men--1. Feel their need of help. 2. Generally have recourse to fallacious sources (H. E. I., 172-175). 3. Meet with disappointment, because God is forgotten or unknown.--_J. Lyth, D.D.: Homiletical Treasury,_ part i. p. 23.

FOOTNOTES:

[1] See Outlines: WORTHLESS HUSKS, and REASONS FOR THE
REJECTION OF PRAYER, chap. i. 15.

DIMINUTIONS AND CHANGES OF LIFE.

xvii. 5-7. _And it shall be as when the harvestman, &c._

God's visitations of judgment are the subject of the prophet's burdens (ver. 1). So the text. Adversities and sorrows set in. Blessings gone, except a few. "Two or three berries," &c.

+I. The various illustrations of the text.+ 1. _In the adverse changes of life._ Many who were rich and prosperous are now poor. All gone, except two or three berries. Some so through their own folly, &c.; others by the allotment of Providence, sickness, &c. (H. E. I., 4403-4406, 4975-4986). 2. _In the failure of bodily health and vigour._ Once strong and robust, &c.; now left but a few berries, &c. 3. _In the bereavements of kindred and friends._ Once a crowd of them--parents, brothers, sisters, children--but they have gone, one after another. 4. _In the powers and capacities for useful activity._ Once active, useful, but now frailty and weakness have superseded. This is distressing to the sensitive, &c. Pushed aside by another generation. 5. It will apply to _times and seasons of probation._ How wise was old Barzillai! (2 Sam. xix. 31). The indications of age, &c. (Eccl. xii. 1). Few years left, &c., or even days.

+II. The uses we should make of the subject.+ 1. _It should impress us with the vanity of earthly things._ All fleeting, all retiring; like the seasons, like streams. 2. _The folly of earthly-mindedness._ How extreme! Grasping shadows, resting on the moving wave, building castles in the air, &c. 3. _The necessity of wisely using our opportunities._ For the best ends. Working while it is day--now, while we have light and life. 4. _Seeking a fitness for the world of the future_ (Heb. x. 34; xi. 13-16). 5. _Believing and devotional confidence in God._

_Application:_--Christ is ever the same. In all His offices, work, and graciousness, He is without a shadow of turning.--_Jabez Burns, D.D.: 150 Sketches of Sermons,_ pp. 296, 297.

This striking passage depicts the process of God's judgments upon Israel. We may take it as suggestive--

+I. Of the sweeping destructiveness of calamities in human life+ (ver. 5). How often has the picture been realised!--1. _In the history of nations._ The process of the depopulation and misery with which Israel was threatened, may be imagined from the view given in chap. iii. 1-8. Modern parallels may easily be found, the wars of the Roses, the plague of London, &c. 2. _In the social calamities of families._ One after another is broken up, one relationship after another is severed, until only an "outmost" branch is left as a remnant. Widow, orphans, friendless. Such are those who remain to tell the tale. 3. _In the physical calamities of individuals._ 4. _In the degradation of the soul through the deceitfulness of sin._ In some extreme cases, what a sad understanding of character and destruction of capacity do we behold.

+II. Of the hopefulness of human life even when it is at its worst+ (ver. 6). Though the reaper has made sure work, yet enough remains to give hope. There is here true gospel, suggesting such thoughts as these:--1. _Begin at the point of your ability, however low it may be._ Every man is rightly expected to make use of whatever power he has. If it is only sight, or only hearing, or only one hand, one talent out of ten, he must use it. The loss of the other nine will not excuse his neglect of the one he has. 2. _Beginning thus low down, yet in earnest, we have the assurance of improvement and progress._ We have abundant illustration of this in the history of the "remnant" that was left in Israel (2 Chron. xxx. 11; xxxiv. 6, 9, &c.). We see here an encouragement for every sinner who will awake, though late, to the true purposes of life. Redemption is the favourite work of God. He is on the side of feeble, struggling men, and delights to encourage and help "the remnant" which is spared (H. E. I., 934-941, 956, 958, 2368, 4790-4792; P. D., 474). The very purpose for which Christ came into the world was to help the struggling, to save the lost. Those who have been brought down to the extremity and need and the verge of despair may find friendship and help in Him (H. E. I., 928, 929).--_William Manning._

SANCTIFIED AFFLICTION.

xvii. 7, 8. _At that day shall a man look, &c._

In the prophecies of terror to guilty nations there is always some provision of comfort for God's faithful and penitent people. His prophets were commissioned to minister hope to His friends, while they foretold misery to His enemies. In the text Isaiah, predicting the overthrow of the ten tribes, furnishes consolation to the faithful remnant who had not yielded to the prevalent idolatry (ver. 6), and declares that the judgments he announced would result in the conversion of many who had been ensnared by it. We are thus led to consider _the designs of God in the afflictions of His people._

+I. To recall their wandering hearts to Himself.+ _"At that day shall a man look to his Maker"_ (H. E. I., 56-59, 66-70). This is the result of sanctified affliction. Whenever it is seen, it shows that the processes of grace have been combined with the trials of providence, and that the health of the spirit has been restored by the Physician of souls. Otherwise affliction hardens, and the man goes back with greater eagerness to worldliness or iniquity, as the retreating wave presently rolls back upon the beach with greater velocity than before (H. E. I., 223-228). But not so if the healing influence has been sought and found. Then "a man will look to his maker"--1. With a _suppliant_ eye, to find in Him sources of consolation and a rock of defence such as the world cannot furnish (Ps. cxxiii. 1, 2; Jonah ii. 1). 2. With a _penitent_ eye (Luke xxii. 62; Zech. xii. 10). 3. With a _confiding_ and _believing_ eye (chap. viii. 17). 4. With a _rejoicing_ eye (Rom. v. 11; Hab. iii. 18).

+II. To raise their estimate of the holiness of the Divine character and the rectitude of the Divine dispensations.+ _"Shall have respect unto the Holy One of Israel."_ Sin begins with a diminished sense of God's holiness, and conversion is marked by a renewed impression of it (Ps. li. 4).

+III. To separate them from all sinful and idolatrous dependencies.+ _"He shall not look,"_ &c. The sin of the ten tribes was idolatry (2 Kings xvii. 16), but here it is foretold that it shall be brought to an end. Those who had been guilty of this folly and this sin would not even _look_ at the altars and the images they had fashioned with such care. So God aims by his afflictive providences to separate His people from everything in which they put an exaggerated and unworthy trust (H. E. I., 110, 111).

+IV. To endear the mercy that mingles with the trials.+ This appears--1. In the moderate degree in which God's people are corrected, compared with the final and exterminating judgments which fall upon the wicked. Damascus was to be utterly destroyed (ver. 1), but a remnant was to be left to Israel (ver. 5; see also chap. xxvii. 7-9). God's people always see that He has afflicted them less than they deserve (Lam. iii. 22).[1] 2. In the alleviations of their trials (H. E. I., 117-121). 3. In the triumphant issue of the whole. They are delivered from the idolatry by which they were degraded (H. E. I., 116).--_Samuel Thodey._

FOOTNOTES:

[1] See Outline: GOD'S RELUCTANCE TO PUNISH, chap. i. 9.

FORGETFULNESS OF GOD.

xvii. 10, 11. _Because thou hast forgotten, &c._

+I. It is possible to forget the God of our salvation.+ 1. The majority of men habitually forget Him. He very seldom holds a real and commanding place in the hearts of any of us. We are all prone to have our hearts wholly filled with the cares or pleasures of life. Even if our aims be in themselves lawful, we seldom recognise God in framing or prosecuting them. Hence the shock which the thought of God's nearness gives us in times of calamity, sickness, or expected death. The very shock shows that we are open to the prophet's charge. 2. This forgetfulness of God, to which we are all so prone, should be recognised to be a state of peril and guilt. Who is so near to us as God? who so essential to us? who has so many claims upon our grateful and continued remembrance? To be forgetful of Him is a sin of which we should think with shame.

+II. This forgetfulness of God leads to false trusts.+ The throne of our heart cannot remain vacant; if God be not there, unworthy objects will surely take His place. The "pleasant plants" and foreign shoots (or "strange slips") here represent the pursuit of lust and idolatry, and that fatal reliance on human help which is so often denounced (chap. ii. 22; Jer. xvii. 5). The sin denounced by the prophet has not become obsolete. All round about us are men who have forgotten God, and are seeking and putting their trust in pleasure, pomp, money, or knowledge. There is a pursuit of knowledge, even a "science" falsely so called that deliberately excludes God from its range, and pronounces Him unknowable! These are the things for which men live, to which they devote all they are and have, from which they look for the happiness for which their hearts crave; these are their _gods!_ Forgetfulness of God necessarily leads to idolatry in some form or other; desires and tendencies, in themselves right when under right control, become occasions of guilt; God is shifted from the centre of operations, and the trust of men itself inevitably on unworthy objects (H. E. I., 39).

+III. These false trusts lead to bitter disappointments.+ _"The harvest shall be a heap in the day of grief and of desperate sorrow."_ At the very time when abundance of fruit was expected, nothing awaits the anxious toiler but disappointment and failure. Mildew, or blight, or drought, or fire has done its deadly work, and nothing is left but rotting masses, heaps of useless and decaying vegetation. What a sad picture! barrenness and dearth where there should be life and plenty! Yet this is a true picture of the fate of many who have persisted in their rejection of God, and in their clinging to false hopes. A life dedicated to fashion, pleasure, money-getting, or worldly ambition, necessarily ends in a reaping-time of blighted hopes, of darkened prospects, of remorse and despair (H. E. I., 246-248, 5021-5025; P. D., 138, 162, 255, 3592). 1. This result of a godless life will be found even in those cases where all the good that was striven after has been realised; the heart is still left unsatisfied (Eccl. i. 12-ii. 17). 2. "Desperate sorrow" is the natural result of discovering that the time for securing a profitable harvest is gone (Jer. viii. 20; P. D., 2254).

Earnestly consider God's claims upon you; renounce all false trusts; sow for that harvest in which there can be no real disappointment (Gal. vi. 7). Redeem the time that yet remains; to the worst of us a gracious promise is still held out (Mal. iii. 7; Ps. cxvi. 7).--_William Manning._

THE PUNISHMENT OF THE WICKED.

xvii. 12. _Woe to the multitude, &c._

These verses appear to have no connection with the prophecies that precede or follow them, but they seem to indicate the character and result of the great invasion of Sennacherib. As a description of that event, they are most beautiful and graphic, sufficient to create terror in the most thoughtless and boastful sinners. For they remind them of the ease with which the overthrow of the rebellious is effected when God visits them in the midst of their pride and self-confidence. In regard to the punishment here depicted, think--I. _Of the striking contrasts which the day of visitation reveals respecting the conduct and the position of the wicked._ Verse 12 shows us the vast and varied host in fancied security; we have a magnificent picture of a state of might, pomp, vainglory, self-confidence; but ere we reach the end of verse 13, we see it scattered! Even while it gloried in its strength, the storm that was to scatter it had already gathered over it. We see the same contrast in everyday life; wicked men secure, strong, boastful--the next moment utterly cast down (Ps. lxxiii. 18-20); or, by the near approach of death, transformed into the subjects of pitiable despair (P. D., 684). II. _Of the restless execution of the sentence of doom._ In pursuit of their wicked schemes, sinners are often led to a daring defiance of all who threaten their progress, even of God Himself; _e.g.,_ Pharaoh (Exod. v. 2), Sennacherib (2 Kings xviii. 17, &c.). But how sharp is the rebuke which God administers; with what terrible energy are His decrees executed! The profane boasters become as chaff, as gossamer before the whirlwind (H. E. I., 2298). III. _Of the swiftness with which the sentence of doom is executed_ (ver. 14). The morning dawns upon their noise and pomp, but fast as the beams of light does their judgment overtake them; trouble comes at the eventide, and by the next morning they are not (P. D., 3413). It is true that the punishment of the wicked often seems to be delayed (Eccl. viii. 11); but--1. Sin and punishment are inseparable (H. E. I., 4603-4610); and, 2. Whenever the punishment comes it is sudden. Such is the blinding and delusive power of cherished sin that its penalty always finds the sinner unprepared to receive it; it is always a surprise and a shock to him.

1. Nations and armies cannot successfully evade the penalties of their sins; how much less can the individual sinner do so! 2. The certainty of the punishment of all unrepented sin should lead us seriously to reflect upon the attitude we are assuming before God. 3. The subject should lead to repentance, but not to despair (Ps. cxxx. 7; John iii. 16, 17).--_William Manning._

AN ALTAR AND A SAVIOUR FOR EGYPT.

xix. 18-20. _In that day shall five cities, &c._

+I. God is able to raise up monuments and trophies of His grace in the most unlikely places+ (vers. 18, 19). For the historical fulfilments of these predictions, see the ordinary commentaries. They should teach us not to despair of the progress of religion in the most unlikely _places,_ the most unlikely _times,_ among the most unlikely _persons._ The grace of God is able to subdue the hardest hearts, to enlighten the darkest minds, to convert the most guilty natures, to cast out Satan where his power seems strongest and his interest most secure. Despair not of your own salvation (H. E. I., 2376), of the salvation of those dear to you, of the final triumph of the cause of truth (H. E. I., 979, 1166-1168). But recollect that all that has been done has been done by the use of appropriate means: the altar to God in Egypt was built by human hands, the Ark was not built by miracle but by means; all the triumphs we anticipate are to be achieved by the diffusion of Divine truth, by the prayers and efforts of the Church. What effort are _you_ making?

+II. God often overrules the trials of life to produce a spirit of prayer, and to bring men to Himself.+ _"They shall cry unto the Lord because of their oppressors."_[1]

+III. It is God's prerogative to raise up a Saviour+ (ver. 20). Whatever comforts or deliverances you have had through the medium of creatures, the hand of God is to be pre-eminently acknowledged in them all. Spiritually we need a great Saviour, and God has provided one equal to the emergency of the case. Our guilt is very great, our danger very threatening, our enemies very powerful, our ruin very awful, but help is laid on One that is mighty. The greatness of Christ as a Saviour appears from the essential dignity of His nature (Heb. i. 1), from the certain efficacy of His atonement (Heb. vii. 25), from the countless number of the redeemed (Rev. vii. 9), from the completeness of the salvation He imparts (1 Cor. i. 30).--_Samuel Thodey._

FOOTNOTES:

[1] See Outline: SANCTIFIED AFFLICTION, chap. xvii. 7, 8.

CHASTISEMENT.

xix. 22. _And the Lord shall smite Egypt, &c._