The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1897-05-17
GOSPEL OF THE SECOND ISAIAH. !.
DR.. Blanchard's Sermon at Conpre.s
Square Church,

ssStudies in the Higher Criticism YES
terday morning. The subject was .The
Glorious Gospel of the Second Isaiah. -
The texts were taken from Timothy
III verse: According to the glorious
gospel of the blessed God which was COM
mitted to my trust, y and Isaiah, XIV
Esd verse: 81 have sworn by myself, the
word is gone out of my mouth in righte-
BUSINESS and shall not return. That unto
me every knee shall bow and every tongue
shall swear. !"
An aged Carthusian monk was asked
by fiippant questioner how he managed
to live so long. The monk replied in
Latin. In English his words would be:
have meditated on the years OF the
past; [ have held in mind the eternal
years. The answer was profound one.
Great thoughts refresh the body and soul
OF man. So shall he be refreshed who
studies the years of the past, the eternal
years OF the eternal God, the eternal provi-
dence as shown in history, as he considers
the glorious gospel Of the Second Isaiah.
The points to be considered were:
1.-The time when the second part of
Isaiah was written. :.
1.-THE purpose of the writing.
llI.-The gospel which he delivered.
lV.-The eternal inspiration of that
gospel.
All the higher critics now agree that
while the first part of one Isaiah was
written in the eighth century before
Christ, the second part, from chapter
XII onward, was written during the lat
ter part of the captivity at Babylon.
Somewhere about 536 B. C. is it's date.
We can see this because Cyrus is spoken
OF as the Lords anointed;'' Jerusalem
is in ruins the people are in exile Not
by Isaiah then, but by an unknown and
great genius was the marvellous book
composed
Its purpose was to inspire the Jews to
return to Jerusalem. Too many were
content to remain at Babylon. They did
not wish to cross the desert nor rebuild
the ruined city. Most men love to be at
ease. The few are ready to dare danger
in order to do great deeds. One of these
was the unknown second Isaiah. He
made his appeal; he succeeded in MAX
ing part of his countrylnen resolve to re-
turn. DIR. Blanchard here dwelt at some
length on the Importance of that return.
1t was one of the greatest movement in
history. Matthew Arnold saw this, and
SO did Ernest Renan. Dr. Blanchard had
shown the great Importance of this return
in his historical lectures and in sermons.
The man who gave power to the Jews to
dare to cross the desert was the second
Isaiah. Great is his Importance there
fore in the history of mankind.
His gospel was that God is the sover-
eign of the universe-that he had chosen
Isaiah to be the servant of jehovah y
that he who suffers and learned to trust
in God becomes the helper of the nations.
Nations might oppose, but God would
overthrow. To him, at last, every knee
should bow and every tongue should
swear Isaiah does not teach vicarious
atonement, but vicarious suffering Isaiah
suffered SO as to be strong. Isaiah had
no thought Of Jesus or the false dogma
of theological atonement, viz: that he
who suffers bears in himself the suffer-
ings which others ought to endure. The
suffering servan6,' whether Israel, or
only the remnant, or some idealized per-
sonage, lived in his own time. Cyrus the
King, was the Lords anointed. God
would make Israel the savior of the ma
lions.
Great are the words of this announcer
of his great message. Comfort We, com
fort ye, my people highway shall be
made for you through the desert no enc
my shall overcome you Zion shall be re-
deemed it shall be light to the Gentiles,
a blessing to all the world. The word of
the Lord hath spoken it, He who reads
these chapters which tell of the doom of
Babylon, of the servant of Jehovah. of
Zion awakened, of the servant exalted. of
Zion exalted, of the Judgment of the ma
tions, will feel something of the power by
which this great unknown prophet per-
suaded part of his people to return to
Jerusalem. The eternal inspiration Of
this gospel of the sovereign of God all
subsequent history sho VS. Would that
men could fully feel the grandeur of the
thought! Would that the preacher could
fittingly present it! He must be content
with only striving to make it clear. On
the cross Jesus was strengthened by this
glorious gospel of the second Isaiah.
Nothing outward gave him inspiration.
Mocking soldiers, dying thieves, affrighted
apostles, spear thrust in side, these gave
no promise of Gods overruling love.
But faith within gave power. He believed
in Gods overruling, the cross and death
would serve mankind. So Paul was
strengthened. Nothing outward comfort
ed him. Felix, Nero, dungeon, sickness,
death, all seemed triumphant. But faith
within his soul was mighty. He believed
that at last God would be all in all. So
were the Pilgrim Fathers strengthened
SO were the fathers of the revolution so
was Lincoln in the darkest DAYS of the
rebellion. All these believed that Gods
will would finally be done, that, at last.
L