Understandest thou what thou readest?" ... Now, the passage of the
Scriptures which he was reading was this: "He was led as a sheep to the
slaughter and as a lamb before his shearer, dumb, so he opened not his
mouth. In his humiliation his judgment was taken away: his generation
who shall declare? For his life is taken from the earth," (R.V., Acts
viii. 30-33.)

Our critics have robbed Isaiah of this passage. It was written, so their
literary skill claims to have discovered, by some prophet who has
successfully concealed himself, and finally disappeared from sight,
leaving no hope that his name will ever be discovered.

Luke informs us that he knew who the prophet was that penned that
touching description of the coming Messiah, and that his name was
Isaiah. This question he has settled.

Turning to the gospel of John, we are furnished the testimony of one of
whom our Lord said, "Verily I say unto you, Among them that are born of
woman, there hath not risen a greater than John the Baptist." This
witness comes before us, therefore, indorsed by Jesus Christ himself,
"The faithful Witness." We ask him, therefore, to speak for himself as
to who is the author of that part of prophecy which the critics are
attempting to wrest from Isaiah.

When the priests and Levites came to ask him, "Who art thou? That we may
give an answer to them that sent us. What sayest thou of thyself?" he
replied, "I am the Voice of one crying in the wilderness, make straight
the way of the Lord, _as said Isaiah the prophet_." (See John i. 22, 23,
R.V.)