THE REV. J. J. LIAS, M.A., ON THE UNITY OF ISAIAir. GO 



Dr. Skinner, himself, calls the result " somewhat surprising," 

 but instead of furnishing the full and formal demonstration 

 necessary for a scientific enquiry, attempts to defend it in some 

 paragraphs in which figure prominently such phrases as "may 

 be," " appear to," " probably," " must have," " might have," and 

 the like. In the physical sciences, such for example as astronomy, 

 how would a theory or treatise be received if it were based upon 

 such uncertain premisses as these ? 



This analysis leaves to Isaiah only some 24J chapters, yet the 

 critics constantly speak of Isaiah's characteristics and style, as 

 if these could be fully deduced from such slight material.* 



Characteristics Common to the Entire Book. 



I proceed to certain striking characteristics of the whole of 

 the book that bears the name of Isaiah, many of which may be 

 seen at a glance and plead strongly for its essential unity. 



(1) The marked detachment of Isaiah's personality from his 

 prophecies. If we examine the books of Jeremiah, Ezekiel and 

 Daniel, we find that in these we cannot get rid of the person- 

 ality of the writer. Jeremiah is pessimistic, sensitive, anxious, 

 and frequently shrinks from delivering the message with which 

 he is entrusted. Ezekiel constantly sees visions, and introduces 

 himself into his prophecies ; the personality of Daniel is even 

 more prominent ; but Isaiah relates only one vision, and only 

 once describes the circumstances under which his prophecy was 

 delivered. In the four historical chapters, no doubt. Isaiah 

 appears as a prominent actor, but these four chapters are history, 

 not prophecy; they are his contribution to the Jewish national 

 records. In all the rest he goes his solitary way : his own 

 personality completely lost in the wondrous message with which 

 he is commissioned. 



(2) The majestic imagery in which the writer revels, the 

 poetic elevation of style, the love of nature, all of which charac- 

 terize every chapter, almost every verse of the whole book. The 

 Isaiah of ' the critics, who wrote but 24^- chapters or less, has 

 no monopoly of these remarkable qualities, as every genuine 

 student of the book knows, even though he be limited to our 

 English translation. The style of the book throughout is unique 



* Professor Skinner, in his Commentary, intended for immature minds, 

 makes the admission (p. lxxi) that a considerable number of recent 

 critics "deny several other passages to Isaiah," while others "dispute 

 the genuineness of all the promises of salvation found in a particular 

 section." 



