creation came into being. The construction, "the LORD hath sent me and His Spirit' (Orig., Vitr., Knobel, Gesen., Herd., Alex., Hahn), is disproved by the loss of emphasis, the last clause having thus neither the same subject nor object with the rest of the verse, by the harshness of the construction, and the want of the objective sign. The Word, who speaks, is the mental object of the whole statement, first, as the Divine Revealer, and next, as divinely sent and revealed. The mission here is not the Incarnation, but the signal providence of the Return from Baby. lon. So in Zechariah, "After the glory hath He sent me to the nations that spoiled you; for he that toucheth you toucheth the apple of His eye, and ye shall know that the Lord of Hosts hath sent me" (Zech. ii. 7-9.) This mission of the Word to deliver captive Israel was an earnest of that fuller and later message, when "the Father sent the Son to be the Saviour of the world."Birks: Comm., pp. 246, 247. A TREASURY OF GREAT TRUTHS. xlviii. 16, 17. Come ye near unto me, &c. It is God in Christ who here speaks to us (see preceding note by Mr. Birks). A treasury of great truths; we can look only at a few of them. 1. THE GRACIOUS INVITATION GOD GIVES US. "Come ye near unto me." In all the means of grace God comes very near to us, and would have us approach Him. He says to us, as Isaac said to Jacob, "Come near to me, my son, that I may bless thee." He would not have us stand at a distance, but draw nigh; not treat Him as a stranger, but as a personal friend; not be content to be outer-court worshippers, but advance as to a footing of holy personal intimacy (1 John i. 3; H. E. I. 3427, 3428, 3448, 3449). God would have us close the ear to the voice of the tempter and the seductions of the world, and open the ear to the whispers of His Word and the pleadings of His Spirit within us. Those who would learn the lessons of heavenly wisdom must approach near to Him, and desire immediate communications from Him. Moses went up into the mount, while the elders stood afar off; we are permitted to imitate Moses, and we should do so. While Martha was troubled about many things, Mary sat at Jesus' feet. The tendency of irreligion and worldliness is to separate the soul further and further from God; the tendency of all the influences of the Spirit upon the spiritual mind is to bring us nearer to the God we worship. There should be one continual desire: "Nearer, my God, to Thee," &c. II. THE NEEDFUL WORK WHICH GOD ACCOMPLISHES IN HIS PEOPLE. 1. He is their Teacher. "I am the Lord thy God which teacheth thee to profit." No one can do this effectually but God. None but He has wisdom, patience, or power enough to deal with these hearts of ours which are always prone to depart from Him. The labyrinth of human ignorance has such a maze that none but He can penetrate it. Divine teaching consists in opening the eyes of the understanding to perceive spiritual objects, and inclining the will to choose and pursue them. It is most needful. God never acts in vain; unless His children needed His help as their teacher, He would not undertake to help them in this form. The necessity for His teaching. arises from our spiritual blindness and native distaste for divine things; through sin all the faculties of the soul are left in the same condition as the body would be without light. Hence certain important Scripture sayings (Ps. cxix. 8; Isa. xlii. 6, 7, &c.; H. E. I. 3399, 2877-2882). 2. He is their Guide. "Which leadeth thee by the way that thou shouldest go." He leads them as well as instructs them, and makes dark providences the means of giving them spiritual light; for His Word and His providence are mutual interpreters. How did He teach Job By philosophical lectures and a large scientific apparatus? No; but by strange and trying providences (H.E.İ 99, 100, 133, 134), deemer" is a title in which He rejoices, and we should too. 3. He is "the Holy One of Israel." This expresses at once His own perfection and the influence He exerts on His people-not only holy, but also the author of holiness. To produce that in them is the purpose of all His dealings with them (Heb. xii. 10; Tit. ii. 14; H. E. I. 2842, 2843). 4. He is thy God. Let this crowning and all-comprehensive fact be kept constantly in mind, prompting us to devout worship and thankful service of Him to whom we owe life, breath, and all things that minister to our present well-being, and enable us to look forward without fear to the eternal future-Samuel Thodey. DIVINE NAMES AND DIVINE WORK. xlviii. 17. Thus saith the Lord thy Redeemer, &c. These words were spoken in dark and troublous times. They are fraught with instruction and comfort. In them we have I. DIVINE NAMES. They convey ideas of overwhelming greatness and glory, mingled with awful mysteriousness, and are worthy our careful consideration. 1. "Lord." That is, Jehovah, the proper and incommunicable name of the Most High God. Represented in our version by the word LORD, printed in capitals. In the Pentateuch it is God's personal and covenant name. It is indicative of the attributes of self-existence, eternity, immutability, and perfect independence. How great and glorious is our God! (See outline on ch. xlii. 8.) 2. "Redeemer "—vindicator or deliverer. Isaiah addresses his countrymen as being actually in a state of captivity. (1.) Man is in a state of spiritual captivity-the worst sort of captivity. He is in bondage to sin (John viii. 34). Sin rules and reigns in him. He is a slave to his lusts (2 Pet. ii. 19). To Satan (2 Tim. ii. 16; Eph. ii. 2). To the law. Not having performed the requirements of that No law, he is placed under arrest to it 3. "The Holy One of Israel." This name is often applied to Him in Scripture. "There are other beings in the universe that are in a sense holyangels and saints are holy, but He is 'the Holy One.' His holiness is essential and underived. It is the eternal source and the absolute standard of all holiness in the universe. Other holy beings to Him are only as the dim stars of night to the unclouded sun of day. He is the immaculate fountain of all holiness, the Father of lights whence every ray of purity in the universe proceeds." His holiness is incomparable (Exod. xv. 11; 1 Sam. ii. 2; Isa. xl. 25; Rev. xv. 4). His holiness is manifested in His words and His works, especially the work of human redemption. Is pledged for the fulfilment of His promises (Ps. lxxxix. 35). Should produce reverential fear (Exod. xv. 11; 1 Sam. vi. 20; Ps. v. 7; Rev. xv. 4). II. DIVINE WORK. 1. Teaching. (1.) The need of a divine teacher, for we are ignorant as to spiritual knowledge (Eph. iv. 18). Naturally our understanding is so darkened that we see no beauty in Christ that we should desire Him (1 Cor. ii. 14). (2.) We have a divine teacher. God, by His Spirit (Luke xii. 12; John xiv. 26; 1 Cor. ii. 13; 1 John ii. 20, 27). By His incarnate Son. "God's great lesson-book is the cross of Christ. All truth is condensed there. Everything you have to learn, or to do, or enjoy, is written upon that page. It is the babe's alphabet, and it is the philosopher's compendium. There are the glories which are to be expanded throughout eternity. God holds the clue to that divine labyrinth of awful, blessed mystery. Only the Holy Spirit can unlock those spiritual passages."-J. Vaughan. 2. Leading or guiding. "I am thy conductor and guide." (1.) We need a divine guide. "We are pilgrims to He eternity. We are in the labyrinth of error and sin. Life is like a heath with paths stretching in various directions. Many appear pleasant and safe that lead astray. We are often bewildered, and often choose wrongly." (2.) We have a divine guide. God Himself engages to be our guide. He is the only infallible guide-infinitely wise, powerful, good, gracious. guides His people by His Word. Its precepts instruct; its revelations enlighten; its examples encourage and warn us. By His Spirit, acting directly upon our spirit (Isa. xxx. 21). By His providence, pointing out the way by the indications of circumstances and current events. By the example of Christ. By the counsel of His servants (Ps. lxxvii. 20). The wise and good are here to direct us. (3.) God guides His people in the way they should go, not in the way they would go-that is man's interpretation. There is a way in which we should walk-a divine way, clear to those who will see it. God's way is not always our way, but it is always the right, the best, the safest, and the happiest way. This assurance should always cheer and comfort us. Unconverted sinner! you must move forward-you must "go," it is the law of your being. But how will you "go" with God, or without Him? You are free to choose which you will do. Take God as your guide, the wisest, the best of all leaders. To refuse divine leadership is to grope in darkness, and ultimately to perish.-Alfred Tucker. GOD OUR TEACHER AND LEADER. xlviii. 17. I am the Lord thy God, who teacheth thee to profit, &c. How beautiful and impressive are the "I am's" of God! Only from God has the declaration "I am " its full meaning. But God does not isolate Himself. What He is, He is for His people. We must go out of ourselves to get real blessing for ourselves; and to whom shall we go? The heart must have a Person to love, to lean on, to live for. No doctrine, no idea, no creed can take the place of the Person "I am the Lord thy God.” The apostle of love seems to have taken special heed of the self-revelations of Christ; for in his pages we meet with some of the glorious "I am's" of Christ (John viii. 12; vi. 35; xiv. 6; x. 7; xv. 1; viii. 58; xi. 25). In the text God is revealed as our Teacher and Leader; and "Learn of Me," and "Follow Me," are two most important commands of Jesus Christ. I. There is an important relation between these two offices of our Divine Master. Not every teacher is a leader, not every leader a true teacher. Theory and practice are often divorced; words and works are not always wedded. But Christ is like a general who trains his soldiers in the barracks and leads them on the field, or like a traveller who braves the dangers and endures the toils of opening up a country, and then describes its beauties, dilates upon its capacities, and adds to the common fund of scientific knowledge. Does Jesus teach us to "pray and not to faint?" He also leads (Mark i. 35; Luke vi. 12); does He teach us to glorify God by our "good works?" He "went about doing good." Does He teach us to love our enemies, and pray for those who despitefully use us? How grandly are we led by His dying prayer, "Father, forgive them!" Are we to "seek first the kingdom of God," according to His teaching? It was His meat and drink to do His Father's will. He truly "teaches us to profit, and leads us by the way we should go." These are the two great forces which aid in the formation of Christian character, and the development of Christian life (H.E. I. 894-899). The teaching of our Master is sometimes out of the book of affliction and sorrow. We have been drawn away from Him by much resting in creature strength; He is jealous for our sakes; so He teaches us our folly, and weakness, and sin; and then leads us into His wisdom, and strength, and holiness. Perhaps His lesson comes out of the book of poverty and distress. He strips us, that we may be clothed with change of raiment. In multitudes of ways does our Lord teach His people, but ever to the end that He may lead them in the way in which they should go. All the way along He is Teacher and Leader, and we love to have it so. The thought of His instruction encourages us, while His leadership emboldens us. II. Contemplate the words "who leadeth thee." Read them in the light of Scripture thoughts and incidents. How they remind us of God leading His people from the thraldom of Egypt (Exod. xiii. 21). In Moses' song there is a beautiful figure to help us in understanding our Lord's leading (Deut. xxxii. 11, 12). Passing on, we come to the poem of the shepherdking (Ps. xxiii.) And then we find David's putting into the lips of wisdom. the words, "I lead in the way of righteousness." Take another example; now from Isaiah (xlii. 16). How soothing the words of Jeremiah ! (xxxi. 9). III. What spirit shall we manifest in view of this truth? "Suffer thyself, O Christian, to be led! Presume not at any time either to linger or to precede. Follow thy Shepherd patiently, gladly, and constantly. Keep close to His footsteps. Go unhesitatingly through this dry and thirsty land of sorrows, trials, and disappointments. Let no hurry of business delay, no burden of care prevent thee. Let not the sorrows of thy heart prove too overwhelming to deter, no joys of this life too captivating to detain thee from thy God" (Stephenson on Psalm xxiii.) "When we cannot see our way, Cannot fail the way to show." CONCLUSION.-Let us take our place by the psalmist, and with him in a spirit of humility, resignation, trustfulness, and hope, put up these petitions (Ps. v. 8; xxvi. 5; xxvii. 11; xxxi. 3 ; lxi. 2; cxxxix. 24; cxliii. 10). Thus shall we on earth have a true foretaste of the blessedness of that sinless place, where "the Lamb, who is in the midst of the throne, shall lead them, and God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes."-Walter J. Mayers: Christian World Pulpit, vol. xvii. pp. 228-230. THE BENEFIT OF AFFLICTIONS. xlviii. 17. I am the Lord thy God, which teacheth thee to profit. God can make all the objects by which men are surrounded, and all the scenes through which they are called to pass, produce just such effects in their minds as He sees best. He can blast prosperity, and bless adversity. He can make afflictions instructive and beneficial. It was while His people were in a state of adversity, and despairing of relief, that He undertook to comfort them, by reminding them of His power over them, His relation to them, and His tender regard for their spiritual good (ver. 12, 13, 16, 17). We find no intimation here that God would put an end to the afflictions of His people, but only that He was able to sanctify them, or cause them to have a salutary and desirable effect. I. Afflictions may be profitable to the children of God. They are not in themselves joyous, but grievous; it is natural to dread them; even our Saviour recoiled from the prospect of His approaching sufferings; nevertheless they may eventually prove very beneficial : 1. By turning off their attention from the world. Living in the world, and compelled in some measure to its concerns, they are prone to "mind earthly things" too exclusively; but afflictions have a direct tendency to turn away their eyes from beholding vanity, and to prepare them to attend to things of everlasting consequence. 2. By turning off their affections from the world. Many of its objects have an immense fascination for the human heart, and we are always in danger of giving them that place in our hearts which is due to God alone. But in the time of affliction men learn that in the world there is nothing to soothe and comfort them. When they find how little it can do for them, how apt it is to deceive them, and rob them of superior happiness, they learn to hate rather than to love it. 3. By raising their affections to God, the source of all good. By taking away every other ground of dependence and consolation, they may be said to drive them to the Fountain of all good. Thus they operate even upon the ungodly (Ps. cvii. 17-19). Much more is this likely to be their effect upon the righteous. II. GOD is able to make afflictions profitable to His children. Afflictions do not necessarily sanctify; they make some men worse, and not better (2 Chron. xxviii. 22; Rev. ix. 20, xvi. 9, 21; H. E. I. 229–233); but God is able to teach each of His children how to turn them into sources of blessing: 1. He is able to bring Himself into their view. As when the sun rises men cannot see the stars, so when God presents Himself before the minds of His people, they cannot see anything else. Or rather, they see Him in all things in the providences and afflictions which have befallen them. But barely bringing Himself into their view, and turning off their attention from all created objects, will not afford relief; because men may behold God and be troubled (Ex. xiv. 24). It is therefore necessary to observe 2. That He can draw their affections as well as their attention towards Himself. When He brings Himself into view of the afflicted, He can awaken every holy affection in their hearts, and give them a sensible enjoyment of Himself, which is far better than the enjoyment of sons, or of daughters, or of any earthly good (H. E. I. 116-142, 204221). III. These facts are fountains of consolation for God's afflicted children. What a deep and exhaustless well of comfort is this, that God bears a covenant relation to them, and has engaged to treat them as children! All His dispensations towards them. are the genuine expressions of His fatherly care and kindness (Heb. xii. |