And so, brethren, 'all things work together for good to them that love,'
to them that trust, to them that keep close, to them that obey. And for
such the old faithful promise will be faithful and new once more,
'Because He hath set His love upon Me, therefore will I deliver
Him'--that will be the summing up of our lives; 'and I will set Him on
high because He hath known My Name,' that will be the meaning of our
deaths.




THE LORD'S FURNACE

'The Lord, whose fire is in Zion, and His furnace in Jerusalem.'--
ISAIAH xxxi. 9.


This very remarkable characterisation of God stands here as a kind of
seal, set upon the preceding prophecy. It is the reason why that will
certainly be fulfilled. And what precedes is mainly a promise of a
deliverance for Israel, which was to be a destruction for Israel's
enemies. It is put in very graphic and remarkable metaphors: 'Like as a
lion roareth on his prey when a multitude of shepherds is called forth
against him, he will not be afraid of their voice, nor abase himself for
the noise of them: so shall the Lord of hosts come down to fight for
Mount Zion.' The enemies of Israel are picturesquely and poetically
represented as a crowd of shepherds vainly trying to scare a lion by
their shouts. He stands undaunted, with his strong paw on his prey, and
the boldest of them durst not venture to drag it from beneath his claws.
So, says Isaiah, with singularly daring imagery, God will put all His