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.)

This was his testimony, first concerning himself. We believe him. And
this was his testimony, secondly, concerning the author of the prophecy
which he quoted: "_Isaiah the prophet_."

Again we believe him, and as confidently, concerning the second
statement as the first. And the Apostle John was so confident of its
truth that he put it on record.

The passage quoted (Isaiah xl. 3) belongs to that part of the book which
our critic and his fellow critics have decided was predicted by some
stray prophet, unknown to the world, to the Jewish people or the church.
We prefer the statement of John the Baptist, and its indorsement by John
the Apostle.

The reader will now recall that we have already heard Matthew's
corroboration of the testimony of John the Baptist concerning Isaiah's
claim to this prophecy. (See Matt iii. 3.)

In the gospel of the Apostle John he puts on record his personal
testimony concerning the author of the book bearing Isaiah's name.
Explaining the amazing unbelief of the Jews, he says (xii. 37, 38): "But
though he (Jesus) did so many signs before them, yet they believed not
on him: _that the word of Isaiah the prophet_ might be fulfilled, which
he spake:

"Lord, who hath believed our report? and to whom hath the arm of the
Lord been revealed?" (R.V.)

The reader will see that this inspired writer of the fourth gospel is
quoting from Isaiah liii. 1, thus testifying to Isaiah's authorship.

Our literary critics have decided that this chapter was forbidden ground
to Isaiah, that, if we are to believe them, he had no connection with
this prophecy.

We are asked to believe that the author of this fifty-third chapter,