p. 134 | A Sublime Passage

Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Oct 11, 1870

A Sublime Passage.

“Who hath measured the waters in the hollow of his hand, and meted out heaven with the span, and comprehended the dust of the earth in a measure, and weighed the mountains in scales, and the hills in a balance? Who hath directed the spirit of the Lord, or being his counselor hath taught him? With whom took he counsel, and who instructed him, and taught him in the path of judgment, and taught him knowledge, and shewed to him the way of understanding? Behold the nations are as a drop of a bucket, and are counted as the small dust of the balance; behold he taketh up the isles as a very little thing. And Lebanon is not sufficient to burn, nor the beasts thereof sufficient for a burnt-offering. All nations before him are as nothing; and they are counted to him less than nothing, and vanity.” Isa. 40:12–17.

The grandeur of this passage in sentiment and expression as much exceeds all the admired sublimity of uninspired writers, as the light of the sun does that of a taper; and we should consider it not only in the sublimity of a poet, but also of a prophet, speaking of the infinite God in language worthy of his subject, as far as human language possibly can be so. No representations of this kind in the writings of men, which have not evidently been taken from the Scriptures, give satisfaction to the reflecting mind, but always appear to degrade the subject. But here the mind grasps the majestic sentiments, yet cannot contain them; and the reflecting reader is satisfied that thus it becomes JEHOVAH to speak of himself, if he would convey any ideas of his incomprehensible perfections to our narrow and clouded understanding. Scott.

As we cannot comprehend the mysterious nature and majesty of the Lord our God; let us learn to admire and adore those displays of perfections which are made in his works and in his word. Let us abase ourselves before him, deeply sensible of our meanness as creatures, and our vileness as sinners; and let us never presume to object to his appointments, or decisions, as if we were qualified to “teach him knowledge,” before whom “all nations are as nothing and vanity.” And what are all man’s attempts to expiate his own sins, and merit an eternal inheritance? It costs more than the whole creation to ransom our souls; and “must have been let alone forever,” if “the only begotten of the Father” had not given himself for us, a sacrifice of infinite value. With this God is well pleased; but all the power, wisdom, pride, and ostentations of sinful creatures, are with him “less than nothing,” abominable as well as vain. Surely fallen man’s boasted reason is a blind guide in religion, when he has always been prone to represent God by images made like to corruptible man or the inferior creatures.—Scott’s Practical Observations.