The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1902-02-01
THE KING IN
HIS BEAUTY.

| A 0Ss uVu PAOoShSu AhS ANSs'
John Shape. Jan. 18th. 1902.
! Text: "Thine eyes shall see the
King 10 his beauty" Isaiah 53:l7.
The prophecies Of Isaiah for their
masterful style, lofty tone, sub
Unity and elegan Of utterauce are
unsurpassed DO any of prophecies
of the Old Testament. II il no
wonder that Isaiah is sometimes
called Evangelist as well az Proph-
ct. That sublime prophecy Of the
Messiah's suffering Qound in the
53rd chapter is so true to circum-
stances attending the trial aud
murder of our Lord. that it seems
as il it might have been written
amid gathered gloom at the foot
Of the cross the day Of erucitixion.
The prophecy which finds ex-
PRECISION in the text, written 2627
years ago (725 B. c. found it's
partial fultillment 10 the Bethlehem
Advent OF our Lord. is being con-
tinuously fulfilled in the onward
march OF Christian progress today
and will be complete when the king
10 His beauty shall come again to
earth to raise the Christian dead,
to be admired ia all them that he.
lieve. and to ascend with praising
Myriads OF the Redeemed TO reign
triumphartly and glorlous'y for
ever.
Isaiah was the son OF Amos and
belonged to kingdom of Judah. lie
prophecied during the reigus Of
Uzziah, lothian, Ahaz and Hcze-
kiah, with the events OF the relgns
OF the last two OF whom, most of
the book is connected. These two
kings were widely different in char
acter and conduct Ahaz formed
an alliance with the AssyrIans and
Isaiah iorce!ully and promptly
prophecies the nation $ punishment.
Ilezekiah rejected such an alll-
ance and met the Assyrian assault
that followed with supreme trust in
Jehovah-and triumphed. Isaiah
is Immediately Transformed into a
prophet Of hope and optimism, speak
ing in exalted strains of captivity,
restoration and supremacy Of the
kingdom. His prophecies reach
the highest Messlanic conceptions
Of the Old Testament lie sets
forth preditions concerning the Mes
siah that read like the iwrltings of
the New Testament. lie speaks of
the birth. name, character, family,
miracles. rejectioa, suffering death.
burial. resurrection aud final glory
OF the Divine King. and Of The es.
tablIshmsnt and peIfSction OF his
king DOM He prophecies speci.
cally OF His forunner. speaks OF the
power OF the Messlahs preaching
and declares both his rejectln. by
the Jews and his con .eption by the
Gentiles.
In synopsis of lsaiah's prophe.
cies by Delitzch our text Is seen to
be takeu from the last chapter of
the "Book OF Woes Comprised be.
tween the 18th aud 5Srd chapters,
In this 33rd chapter the certainty
and awtulness OF punis hment is
mingled with the prophecy and
promise Of future slorv, and it ls in
this latter idea we find the sug.
gcstlveness for The morning sermon
Chime eyes shall behold the king
in his beauty"
Consider the value OF vision on
present duties. The prophet was
man of marvellous vision but he did
no, overlook the coldness and dis
cour,' "'nent of present. conditions.
Fa,i lulness is that prophet who
is wi'!un\ blIud to his people fail.
ures while prophecying smoo,hes
things to their. satisfaction. Cen
serious is the preacher who can find |
nothing 10 praise in his people;
faithfulness is the preacher who
never condemns. The true prophet
is always hopeful. lie sces the
future while looking at the present.
lie does not overlook the present
he looks through it, Clouds are
there on his horizon, but he always
looks for silver lining, aud il he
finds 1t not, sends out ravs of hope
tha al shoots through and through
with golden glory, The secret ot
optimism Is open to the man ot
vision. lie succeeds because he
SEES success before he grasps It.
Henry Ward Beecher used to
Say: mo man ever fails until ho
[ails inside. - The converse is true
namely, No man ever succeeds an
til he succeeds inside. To be sure
a caution is needed here, The man
Tho gets visions fresh from God by
he wholesale needs to be watched.
am usually as much afraid of
aim as | am a man with gun. He
whose vision is clearer and wider
han tho Word OF God IS either
Gods favorite Or his own fool. God
cts US see things to day, that
prophets and apostles never dream
ID Of, hut II Word is usull y the
enc through which we look. Light
8 constantly breaking the Bible,
'ut only the open-eyed man can
zee II. "Open thou our eyes that
vc may behold wonderols things
'ut Of thy law"
Now there is such a thing as the
historic vision ol the king. True
ubjects will besure to see him. The
ling was seen at the Mauger. at
us baptism, at the triumphant
ntrv into Jerusalem. after the mir
Gle ci the loaves when they would
ave made him king and when he
tands before PLATE and answers
firm al iYclu The nueaiion 9. .Artthnn