24 
 
THE  PREACHER'S  COMMENTARY 
 
 ON  THE 
 
 BOOK  OF  JEREMIAH. 
 
THE 
 
 !reac|tr's  CMpktf  Joniiletical 
 COMMENTARY 
 
 ON  THE 
 
 OLD    TESTAMENT 
 
 [ON  AN  ORIGINAL  PLAN), 
 
 [it|j  dLxiiizVil  anti  (JHxplattators  i^otcs,  EnHicrs,  ku  Set, 
 
 VAEIOUS   AUTHOES. 
 
 ILontnon: 
 EICHAED    D.    DICKINSON,   FAEEINGDON   STEEET. 
 
 1888. 
 
NOV  18  1975 
 THE  V-^^  ^ 
 
 PREACHER'S    COMMENTARY 
 
 ON  THE  BOOK  OF 
 
 JEREMIAH. 
 
 CONTAINING  : — 
 
 EXEGESIS :  Supplying  Expository  ISTotes  to  each  Chapter  on  Chronology, 
 Contemporaneous  History,  National  Affairs,  Geography,  Manners  and 
 Customs,  Literary  Criticisms,  <^'c. 
 
 HOMILETICS :  Consisting  of  over  Eight  Hundred  (mostly  original)  Outlines 
 and  Breviates  on  the  Sections,  Topics,  or  Verses  of  each  Chapter. 
 
 ILLUSTRATIONS:  Furnishing?  Side-lights  on  the  Homiletic  Themes. 
 
 BY   THE 
 
 REV.   W.    K    JELL  IE, 
 
 AL'THOR  OF  "  CROWDS  OF  THE  BIBLE,"  ETC. 
 
 'SeconD  €Dttion. 
 
 ^London: 
 EICHARD    D.    DICKINSON,   89   FAEEINGDON   STEEET. 
 
 1S88, 
 
BALLANTYNE,   HANSON   AND  CO 
 EDINBURGH   AND   LONDON 
 
PREFACE. 
 
 Many  of  the  choicest  hours  of  the  past  five  years  have  heen  devoted  to  the 
 production  of  this  Homiletic  Commentary  on  Jeremiah. 
 
 Judging  froin  the  surprisingly  few  sermons  or  outlines  on  texts  in  Jere- 
 miah with  lohich  our  search  through  homiletic  literature  for  aid  in  com2nling 
 this  volume  was  rewarded,  it  woidd  seem  that  this  inspired  hook  has  heen  to 
 most  preachers  an  untraversed,  or  at  best  an  unfrequented,  j)ath.  Owing  to 
 this  notable  scarcity  of  material,  the  task  of  preparing  this  Commentary  has 
 been  proportionately  greater  ;  for  there  has  been  but  slight  opportunity,  in  this 
 respect,  " to  boast  in  another  mans  line  of  things  made  ready  to  our  hand '' 
 (2  Cor.  X.  16). 
 
 Notivithstanding  this  paucity  of  resources,  this  volume  will  be  found  to 
 contain,  in  brief  or  f idler  form,  about  eight  hundred  and  fifty  outlines  for 
 sermons.  And,  that  it  may  be  understood  to  what  extent  this  Commentary 
 is  a  creation  rather  than  a  compilation  of  homilies  on  Jeremiah,  it  may  be 
 added,  that  of  these  eight  hundred  and  fifty  outlines,  it  has  been  our  personal 
 part  of  the  labour  to  construct  no  fewer  than  four  hundred  and  seventy 
 homiletic  plans  upon  texts  in  Jeremiah,  which  appear,  so  far  as  literature 
 afibrds  evidence,  to  have  been  hitherto  left  by  preachers  imused. 
 
 Thus,  in  addition  to  nearly  five  hundred  original  outlines,  this  volume 
 contains  over  three  hundred  which  have  cither  been  condensed  from  printed 
 sermons  by  renowned  preachers,  or  supplied  by  ministers  whose  aid  ivas 
 sought  in  order  to  bring  variety  into  the  "  Commentary."  The  sources  of  help 
 include  the  Eev.  Andrew  Fuller,  Dr.  Chalmers,  James  Sherinan,  C.  H. 
 Spurgeon,  T.  B.  Power,  M.A.,  W.  Hay  M.  E.  Aitken,  Robert  Hall,  TV.  H. 
 Murray  M'Cheyne,  Samuel  Martin,  J.  Kennedy,  31. A.,  D.D.,  Bishop  Bcginald 
 Heber,  Bean  Alford,  Br.  Jabez  Burns,  Charles  Simeon,  M.A.,  Br.  Guthrie, 
 "A.  K.  H.  B.,"  John  Foster,  Archbishop  Tillotson,  Pay  son,  T.  Gordon,  B.B., 
 Br.  South,  Job  Orton,  B.B.,  Edward  Borr  Grifiin,  B.B.,  Henry  Ward  Beecher, 
 Stephen  H.  Tyng,  Be  Witt  Talmage,  President  Bavies,  Albert  Barnes,  S. 
 Baker,  B.B.,  E.  Jarman,  W.  Whale,  S.  Thodey,  J.  Barren,  W.  Forsyth, 
 Matthew  Henry,  Hannam's  "Pulpit  Assistant"  "  The  Homilist,"  Brooks' 
 " Plans"  and  Origen's  " Homilies."  Where  no  name  is  found  at  the  foot  of 
 an  outline,  it  indicates  that  the  work  is  original. 
 
 Beference  to  the  Comments,  which  are  interwoven  with  the  outlines,  will 
 show  that  the  most  apt  and  helpful  suggestions  which  English  and  foreign 
 scholarship  has  afforded  respecting  the  meaning  of  verses  have  been  intro- 
 
vi  PREFACE. 
 
 duced ;  and  the  source  of  the  comment,  if  harrowed,  is  in  all  cases  acJcnoW' 
 ledged. 
 
 It  may  he  hoped,  without  immodesty,  that  many  a  student  and  preacher 
 
 may  find  encouragement  and  stimidus  from  this  "  Commentary  "  to  preach 
 
 more  freely  from  themes  in  this  suggestive  and  admonitory  "  hook  of  prophecy  ;" 
 
 for,  indeed,  many  of  the  messages  of  Jeremiah — faithful,  pensive,  rousing — 
 
 are  scarcely  less  suited  to  our  age  than  to  his  own. 
 
 In  the  production  of  the  volume  one  hope  and  aim  has  ruled — that  every 
 text  in  Jeremiah  on  which  it  seemed  possible  that  a  sermon  could  he  hased 
 should  he  forced  to  give  up  its  richest  meaning  and  most  practical  hints  ;  so 
 that  no  preacher  shall  turn  to  the  homilies  in  this  "  Commentary  "for  help  on 
 any  verse  in  Jeremiah  without  finding  here  vcduaUe  aids  to  thought  and 
 sermon  preparation. 
 
 The  Critical  and  Exegetical  Notes  heading  the  chapters  are  intended  to 
 supply  all  needful  information  for  the  satisfactory  exposition,  during  public 
 reading,  of  each  chapter.  The  Sectional  treatment  of  whole  paragraphs  may 
 help  to  a  hroader  survey  of  the  main  themes  contained  in  each  prophetic  mes- 
 sage than  can  he  gained  hy  isolating  every  verse.  The  Homilies  and  Outlines 
 on  successive  verses  will  offer  hints  for  sermons  on  every  single  text  ivhich 
 appeared  to  hold  a  homiletic  theme.  The  Noticeable  Topics  which  follow  this 
 verse-hy-verse  treatment  of  each  chapter  supply  more  lengthened  outlines  on 
 texts  of  special  significance.  The  Addenda  Section  to  each  chapter  supplies 
 "  Illustrations  and  Suggestive  Extracts  "  likely  to  he  useful  in  illuminating 
 or  enforcing  texts  to  which  they  apply. 
 
 The  threefold  index  will  render  reference  to  any  topic  prompt  and  easy. 
 
 In  sending  out  this  volume  to  fellow-workers  in  the  hroad  fields  of  Chris- 
 tian ministry  and  Scripture-teaching,  the  prayer  is  in  our  heart  that  the 
 Divine  "  Lord  of  His  servants  "  may  condescend  to  use  even  this  product  of 
 our  patient  studies  as  one  channel  along  which  to  answer  the  cry  addressed 
 at  times  hy  all  wearied  or  perplexed  workers  to  Sim  : — 
 
 "  Lord,  give  me  light  to  do  Thy  work. 
 For  only,  Lord,  from  Thee 
 Can  come  the  light  hy  which  these  eyes 
 The  work  of  Truth  can  see." 
 
 W.  H.JELLIE. 
 
 Ashley  Lodge,  Bristol,  November  1881. 
 
HOMILETIO   COMMENTARY 
 
 ON 
 
 JEREMIAH. 
 
 INTRODUCTORY. 
 I. 
 
 PERSONAL  CAREER  OF  THE  PROPHET. 
 
 I.  Parentage  and  calling.  Hilkiah,  his  father,  was  a  priest  of  tlie  house  of 
 Ilhamar  {Keil),  (1  Kings  11.  26),  of  V\m\%\i^?,  {Wordsworth),  (1  Chron.  vi.  13), 
 residing  in  the  sacerdotal  city  Anathoth  (now  called  Anata),  situate  within  easy 
 distance  of  Jerusalem,  "  about  three  Roman  miles  north  "  {Jerome). 
 
 («.)  Hishirth  was  an  Incident  of  great  domestic  joy  (xx.  15).  (6.)  Called  to  the 
 jirophetic  office,  according  to  Lange  and  Bishop  Wordsworth,  B.C.  627  ;  Keil  and 
 Dr.  William  Smith  use  the  more  recently  established  chronology,  and  give  the  date 
 as  B.C.  629  ;  but  the  "Speaker's  Commentary"  points  out  that  the  discovery  of  the 
 Assyrian  cuneiform  inscriptions  bearing  upon  the  Assyrian  period  of  Jewish  history 
 shows  an  entirely  altered  series  of  dates,  which  fix  the  year  of  Jeremiah's  call,  "  the 
 thirteenth  of  Josiah,"  as  B.C.  608.  (c.)  Quite  young  when  designated,  to  his  sacred 
 work,  "  a  child  "  (Jer.  i.  6).  {d.)  His  mission  was  defined  as  both  destructive  and 
 constructive  (i.  10);  should  iDe  devoted  to  Judah  yet  extend  to  other  nations, 
 (e.)  He  was  located  at  Jerusalem  (ii.  2),  yet  travelled  through  the  provinces  (xi.  6), 
 and  frequented  his  native  town  in  fulfilment  of  his  prophetic  ministry,  (/.)  His 
 tvork  was  to  follow  up  Josiah's  outward  national  reformation  by  calling  Judah  to 
 true  repentance  and  renewal  of  heart  and  life.  But  the  crisis  in  which  he  lived 
 involved  him  in  all  the  political  tumults  and  disasters  which  gathered  upon  his 
 nation. 
 
 II.  Temperament  and  character.  Instinctively  tender  and  retiring,  shrinking 
 from  public  life  and  political  prominence  (ix.  2),  keenly  sensitive  to  misinterpre- 
 tation and  injustice,  sympathetic  with  his  nation's  sorrows,  aflected  even  to  suffering 
 by  the  criminality  he  witnessed  and  denounced,  yet,  with  a  patriotism  glowing  and 
 inflexible,  clinging  to  his  doomed  nation  and  land  to  the  last  (xl.  4-6).  So  peace- 
 ful was  his  nature  that  antagonism  dismayed  him  (xx.  8,  9) ;  even  at  times  inclin- 
 ing him  to  suppress  the  severer  portions  of  his  Divine  message  (xxvi.  2).  Never- 
 theless, amid  all  the  hardships  and  sufferings  of  his  work,  he  became  evermore 
 unremitting  in  his  diligence,  unswerving  in  his  fidelity,  and  intrepid  in  the  discharge 
 of  his  prophetic  functions — alike  before  kings  and  nobles,  priests  and  populace. 
 "  More  of  a  John  than  a  Peter." — Lange.  "He  was  no  second  Elijah." — Uengsten- 
 herg.  "  The  most  sympathetic  of  the  prophets." — Gregory  Nazianz.  "  A  kind  of 
 feminine  tenderness  and  susceptibility." — Maurice.  "  But  his  weakness,  timidity, 
 and  impatience  belong  to  the  earlier  stage  of  his  career.  As  his  suflferings  became 
 more  intense  he  received  more  grace,  gained  fresh  courage,  and  derived  inspiration 
 from  difficulty  and  danger." — Wordsworth. 
 
 1  A 
 
EOMILETIC  COMMENTARY :  JEREMIAH, 
 
 III.  Scenes  of  his  prophetic  work.  Called  to  his  office  in  the  thirteenth  year  of 
 Josiab,  he  immediately  delivered  hi&  first  prophecy  in  Jerusalem  (ii.  2).  In  the  eight- 
 eenth of  Josiah  the  Book  of  the  Law  was  found,  and  the  king,  eager  for  prophetic 
 counsel,  sent  his  state  representatives  to  Huldah  the  prophetess.  Jeremiah  must  there- 
 fore have  been  absent  from  Jerusalem,  or  he  would  have  been  sought ;  but  as  "  the 
 king's  business  required  haste,"  and  as  Huldah  was  resident  at  Jerusalem,  she  was 
 consulted.  Yet  Jeremiah  was  not  far  distant,  for  his  second  prophecy  was  now 
 delivered  before  the  assembly  which  the  king  summoned  (2  Chron.  xxxiv.  29). 
 Most  probably  he  resided  at  Anathoth  during  the  first  five  years,  retiring  thither 
 immediately  he  had  uttered  his  first  prophecy  in  the  hearing  of  Jerusalem.  Being 
 near,  he  could  quickly  appear  on  the  scene  when  the  Book  of  the  Law  was  found ; 
 and  he  then  came  with  his  second  message  (iii.  6).  His  naturally  timid  and  retiring 
 disposition  might  have  rendered  necessary  that  royal  summons  ere  he  would  appear 
 in  Jerusalem  again.  For  during  that  residence  of  five  years  at  Anathoth  he  endured 
 no  little  abuse  and  misjudgment  from  the  "men  of  Anathoth"  (xi.  21),  making  him 
 reluctant,  unless  constrained,  to  resume  his  prophetic  functions. 
 
 After  these ^ve  years  at  Anathoth,  he  seems  to  have  received  God's  command  to 
 travel  through  "the  cities  of  Judah"  (xi.  6),  and,  returning  on  his  way  through 
 Anathoth,  his  townsmen,  exasperated  by  his  bold  reproofs  of  their  guilt,  conspired 
 against  his  life  (xi.  21). 
 
 From  this  time  he  dwelt  in  Jerusalem,  during  a  period  of  thirty-five  or  thirty- 
 six  years  proclaiming  the  word  of  the  Lord  in  the  temple  (xxvi.  1  sq.),  in  the 
 gales  of  the  city  (xvii.  19),  in  prison  (xxxii.  2),  in  the  king's  house  (xxii.  1,  xxxvii. 
 17),  in  i\i&  potter's  hoiise  (xviii.  1),  and  the  valley  of  Hinnom  (xix.  2),  until  the 
 Chaldean  captivity  led  him  away  to  Egypt. 
 
 In  Egypt  he  spent  the  concluding  years  of  his  prophetic  life. 
 
 IV.  Treatment  he  received  from  his  nation.  For  twenty-two  years  during 
 Josiah's  reign,  and  under  his  royal  protection,  his  mission  was  free  from  special 
 hardship,  excepting  the  Anathoth  antagonism.  Jehoahaz  seems  to  have  allowed 
 him  to  prophesy  unopposed,  but  heeded  him  not.  Throughout  the  eleven  years  of 
 Jehoiahim's  reign  he  was  maltreated  and  imperilled  (xxvi.)  The  next  king, 
 Jelioialdn,  received  his  admonitory  denunciations  without  resentment  or  molesta- 
 tion. Indignity  and  abuse  reached  their  culmination  under  Zedekiah.  With 
 implacable  hostility  the  princes  and  priests  persecuted  him  (xxxviii.  4),  and  the 
 king  could  not  restrain  them.  He  was  imprisoned  on  a  fictitious  charge  (xxxvii. 
 11  sq.),  "endured  all  sorts  of  torments  and  tortures"  {Josephus),  nor  regained  his 
 liberty  during  the  entire  period,  eleven  years,  of  Zedekiah's  reign.  Ultimately,  it 
 is  believed,  he  fell  a  martyr  at  the  hands  of  his  own  countrymen  in  Egypt. 
 
 V.  Length  of  his  official  ministry. 
 
 a.  It  began  when  he  was  very  young,  "a  child"  (i.  6).  The  word  1^^^  "a  boy," 
 is  used  for  infant  (Exod.  ii.  2),  and  also  of  Joseph  when  he  was  seventeen  years  old 
 (comp.  Gen.  xxxvii.  2  with  xli.  12).  Maurice  accepts  the  word  as  denoting  "  almost 
 a  child ; "  "  young  enough  to  make  the  most  literal  sense  of  the  text  reasonable." 
 Lange  suggests  twenty  years ;  Thornley  Smith  eighteen  to  twenty ;  Bagster  fourteen, 
 so  also  the  liabbins. 
 
 b.  It  continued  among  his  people  before  the  Captivity  for  forty  and  a  half  years 
 (i.  2,  3) ;  i.e.,  under  Josiah  eighteen  years,  Jehoahaz  three  months,  Jehoiakim  eleven 
 years,  Jehoiakin  three  months,  and  Zedekiah  eleven  years. 
 
 c.  It  was  carried  on  in  Egypt,  first  at  Tahpanhes  (xliii.  8),  and  "  ten  years  later 
 Pathros  (xli v.  1),  in  Upper  Egypt,  where,  at  a  festival  of  the  Moabitish  goddess, 
 Astarte,  Jeremiah  for  the  last  time  raised  his  prophetic  voice  in  warning  and 
 rebuke." — Lange.  It  is  certain  that  he  lived  some  years  in  Egypt,  till  about  B.C. 
 680  [Dr.  Smith),  570  {Lange).  His  labours  therefore  must  have  extended  over 
 fifty  years,  thus  showing  that 
 
 d.  His   prophetic  ministry  was  prolonged  till  he  was   about,   probably  over, 
 
 2 
 
EOMILETIC  COMMENT  A  R  Y :  JEREMIA  B. 
 
 seventy  years  of  age  [Lange  computes  it  as  seventy-seven].  According  to  Jerome, 
 Tertullian,  and  Pseudo-Epiphanivis,  he  was  stoned  to  death  at  Tahpanhes  [Daphne 
 of  Egypt) ;  and  his  sepulchre  used  to  be  pointed  out  near  Cairo. 
 
 VI.  Contemporaneous  prophets.  Nahum  {dr.  b.c.  625,  onwards).  Zephaniah 
 "in  the  days  of  Josiah"  (Zeph.  i.  1;  from  B.C.  G42-611).  Iluldah,  also  in 
 Josiah's  time  (2  Kings  xxii.  14).  Ilabakkuk,  probably  about  the  twelfth  or 
 thirteenth  year  of  Josiah  (cir.  B.C.  630,  Dr.  Smitli :  Lange  suggests  Jehoiakim's 
 reign).  Daniel,  carried  to  Babylon  "  in  the  third  year  of  Jehoiakim "  (Dan.  i. 
 1,  B.C.  604).  Urijah,  during  Jehoiakim's  reign  (b.c.  608-597),  and  slain  by  the 
 king  (Jer.  xxvi.  20-23).  Ezekiel,  "in  the  fifth  year  of  King  Jehoiakin's  captivity  " 
 (Ezek.  i.  2 ;  B.C.  595). 
 
 II. 
 
 STRUCTURE  AND  SCOPE  OF  HIS  PROPHECIES, 
 
 I.  Leading  topics,  (a.)  His  prophetic  programvie  was  simple ;  its  central 
 theme,  the  coming  supremacy  of  the  Chaldean  nation :  and  this  at  a  time  when 
 nothing  was  feared  from  Babylon,  and  Nebuchadnezzar  was  unknown,  when  Egypt 
 ■was  ascendant  and  Pharaoh-necho  the  terror  of  Judah.  He  foretold  the  overthrow 
 of  the  Jewish  nation  by  this  power  from  "  the  North;"  defined  the  term  of  the 
 Chaldean  ascendancy  and  Judah's  captivity,  and  predicted  the  emancipation  of 
 Judah  and  restoration  of  Jerusalem  when  the  seventy  years  had  expired.  (6.)  The 
 design  of  his  prophecies  was  threefold  : 
 
 a.  To  forewarn  the  Jews  of  impending  doom  on  account  of  national  pollution 
 and  apostasy. 
 
 /3.  To  invite  them  to  repentance,  promising  immediate  Divine  forgiveness  and 
 ultimate  redemption  from  Babylon. 
 
 y.  To  assure  the  godly  among  them  by  predictions  of  Messiah's  gracious 
 advent,  .and  the  spiritual  blessings  incident  to  His  reign. 
 
 II.  Literary  style.  The  book  is  an  admixture  of  prosaic  narrative  of  events,  and 
 poetic  utterances  of  prophecy.  While  his  style  in  the  narrative  parts  may  some- 
 times appear  unpolished  ["  rusticior,"  Je7-ome\  the  poetic  portions  are  often  distin- 
 guished by  an  eloquence  at  once  vigorous  and  sublime.  His  writings  throughout 
 are  characterised  by  a  reiteration  of  imagery  and  phrase,  and  a  ruggedness  of  form 
 natural  to  impassioned  sorrow  and  indignant  remonstrance.  Though  there  are 
 marks  of  "negligence  in  diction "  (A'"aY),  and  while  "not  disregarding  art  alto- 
 gether, he  has  far  less  polish  than  Isaiah"  {Lange) ;  yet  "  his  thought  is  ever  rich, 
 and  his  speech  incisive  and  clear"  {Keil) ;  whilst  "  of  all  the  prophets  his  genius 
 is  the  most  poetical  "  ( Umhriet). 
 
 IIL  Composition  and  compilation.  His  prophetic  utterances  were  first  com- 
 mitted to  writing  at  the  command  of  Jehovah  "  in  the  fourth  year  of  Jehoiakim  " 
 (xxxvi.  1),  for  the  purpose  of  their  being  read  in  the  Temple  by  Baruch  the  scribe 
 at  the  approaching  national  fast.  The  king,  incensed  by  their  contents,  destroyed 
 the  roll.  They  were  immediately  rewritten ;  Jeremiah  dictating  them  afresh 
 to  Baruch,  with  important  additions  (xxxvi.  32).  Other  portions,  subsequent  to 
 this  date  (4th  of  Jehoiakim — 11th  of  Zedekiah,  over  eighteen  years)  were  written 
 at  different  intervals  in  separate  parts  (xxx.  2,  xxix.  1,  li.  60).  The  entire  hook, 
 therefore,  includes  the  roll  ivritten  hy  Baruch,  the  various  fragments  penned  by 
 Jeremiah,  with  subsequent  additions  hy  the  prophet,  either  while  he  lingered  in 
 Palestine  under  Gedaliah,  or  while  in  Egypt  among  his  exiled  people.  Tlie  com- 
 plete prophecies  would  speak  with  accumulated  emphasis  to  the  heedless  captives  of 
 tiie  steadfastness  of  God's  word  and  the  consequences  of  disregarding  His  voice. 
 
 IV.  Order  and  arrangement,  [a.)  Chronologically  the  book  is  in  disorder  and 
 confusion:  e.g.,  xxi.  and  xxiv.  8-10,  belong  to  Zedekiah's  time,  the  latest  king  ; 
 M-hile  xxii.  11, 12,  refer  to  Jehoahaz,  the  second  king;  and  xxv.  deals  with  Jehoiakim, 
 
 o 
 
nOMILETIC  COMMENTARY :  JEREMIAH. 
 
 the  third  king.  Distinct  prophecies  are  mingled  together  regardless  of  date  of 
 delivery.  (6.)  Topically,  there  is  arrangement:  the  book  divides  itself  into  two 
 sections  according  to  the  reference  of  the  prophecies.  Thus,  i.  to  xlv.  relate  to  the 
 prophet's  own  country ;  xlvi.  to  li.  to  foreign  nations ;  while  lii.  is  a  historic 
 account  of  the  captivity  appended  after  the  whole  book,  i.-li.,  was  put  together, 
 and  the  inscription,  i.  1-3,  written.  This  might  have  been  the  latest  act  of  Jeremiah 
 himself. 
 
 V.  Genuineness  and  canonicity,  (a.)  The  prophet's  individuality  is  so  impressed 
 on  his  writings  as  to  disarm  suspicion  of  their  authenticity.  "  His  prophecies  are 
 his  autobiography." — Wordsworth.  The  expression,  attitude,  and  colouring  of  the 
 whole  book  (Ewald)  show  the  same  author.  [For  critical  comparison  of  the  dis- 
 crepancies between  the  LXX.  and  Hebrew  text,  see  Keil,  Lange,  Henderson,  and  Dr. 
 Smith.]  (b.)  The  canonicity  is  vindicated  by  New  Testatment  allusions  to  Jeremiah 
 and  his  writings  (Matt.  ii.  17,  xvi.  14,  Heb.  viii.  8-12),  and  by  the  list  of  canonical 
 books  in  Melito,  Origen,  Jerome,  and  the  Talmud.  Ecclesiasticus  (xlix.  7)  quotes 
 Jer.  i.  10,  and  Philo  affirms  that  the  prophet  was  an  "oracle." 
 
 VL  Verification  of  the  prophecies. 
 
 a.  During  Jeremiah's, life,  his  predictions  were  fulfilled  in — 
 
 (a)  The  captivity  of  Jehoiakin  and  his  queen-mother  (xxii.  24-26  ;  cf.  2  Kings 
 xxiv.  12). 
 
 (iS)  The  death  of  Hananiah,  the  deceitful  prophet,  at  the  time  foretold  (xxviii. 
 15-17). 
 
 (7)  The  inglorious  end  and  shameful  burial  of  Jehoiakim  (xxii.  18,  19, 
 xxxvi.  30). 
 
 (S)  The  fate  of  Zedekiah  (xxxii.  2,  3  ;  c/.  2  Chron.  xxxvi.  19,  and  Jer.  lii.  11). 
 
 (s)  The  invasion  of  Judah  by  the  king  of  Babylon,  and  Jewish  captivity  (xx. 
 4,  &c.). 
 
 (^)  The  rifling  of  the  temple  by  Nebuchadnezzar  (xxvii.  19-22). 
 
 (jj)  The  destruction  of  .Jerusalem  by  fire  (xxi.  10,  xxxii.  29,  xxxvii.  8-10). 
 
 (/)  The  Chaldean  subjugation  of  Egypt  (xliii.  10-12,  xliv.  29,  30);  and 
 supremacy  over  surrounding  nations  (xxvii.  1-8). 
 
 b.  After  the  prophet's  decease  : 
 
 («)  The  termination  of  the  Babylonish  captivity  after  seventy  years  (xxv.  11  ; 
 see  Dan.  ix.  2). 
 
 (/3)  The  return  of  the  Jews  to  their  own  country  (xxix.  10-14). 
 
 (7)  The  downfall  and  desolation  of  Babylon,  and  date  of  the  event  (xxv.  12). 
 
 (b)  The  advent  of  Messiah  (xxiii.  3-8,  xxxi.  31-34,  xxxiii.  6-9,  1.  4,  5). 
 Those  prophecies,  seen  by  exiled  Judah  fulfilled  in  their  most  literal  form,  effected 
 
 a  complete  revolution  in  the  esteem  with  which  Jeremiah  became  cherished.  His 
 predictions  of  their  deliverance  and  restoration,  and  his  promises  of  Messiah,  upheld 
 their  most  patriotic  and  ardent  hopes ;  and  he,  whom  they  had  molested  as  the 
 herald  of  their  national  doom,  became  revered  as  the  evangel  of  their  redemption. 
 Legends  gathered  around  his  name  investing  him  with  an  ideal  glory.  The  Jews 
 who  returned  from  their  captivity  regarded  him  as  "0  'TTiopyirr,;,"  even  in  the  sense 
 and  as  the  fulfilment  of  Deut.  xviii.  18,  and  believed  he  would  reappear  as  the  fore- 
 runner of  Messiah — a  belief  which  survived  the  interval,  and  of  which  we  have 
 traces  in  New  Testament  times  (Matt.  xvi.  14;  John  i.  21,  vi.  14,  vii.  40). 
 
HOMILETIC  COMMENTARY :  JEREMIAH.  chap.  i. 
 
 CHAPTER  I. 
 
 Criticai,  and  Exegetical  Notes.—!.  Chronology.  Ver.  1-3,  penned  cir.  B.C.  578  ;  ver.  4, 
 sq.  B.C.  629.  But  the  recently  discovered  Assyrian  chronology  would  make  the  date  of  the 
 "thirteenth  of  Josiah"  to  be  B.C.  608. 
 
 2.  Cotemporary  Scriptures.  2  Kings  xxii.  1,  2;  2  Chron.  xxxiv.  1-7.  Books  of  Habakkuk 
 and  Zephauiah. 
 
 3.  Historic  Facts.  Judah  tributary  to  Assur-Banipal,  king  of  Assyria ;  yet  the  kingdom  at 
 rest :  for  her  northern  foe,  Assyria,  had  ceased  invasions  since  Sennacherib's  overthrow  (2  Kiuga 
 xix.  35,  36,  B.C.  710) ;  and  her  southern  foe,  Egypt,  was  engrossed  and  disabled  from  aggression 
 by  intestine  wars.  Josiah  had  reigned  tliirteen  years ;  began  religious  reformation  of  Judah 
 B.C.  634  ;  was  vigorously  prosecuting  it  when  Jeremiah  began  his  prophetic  ministry,  B.C.  629 
 (or,  according  to  Assyrian  chronology,  B.C.  608). 
 
 4.  Cotemporary  History.  General  outline  :  International  ascendancy  had  been  temporarily 
 with  Assyria  {dr.  680-640)  during  the  reigns  of  Eisar-Haddon  and  Assur-Banipal  :  Saracus  saw 
 its  overtlirow.  Judah  was  tributary  to  Assyria  when  Josiah  reigned.  During  the  thirty-one 
 j'ears  of  Saracus,  Assyrian  power  was  being  undermined  by  the  defection  of  its  chief  province, 
 Babylonia,  over  which  Nabopolassar  was  appointed  governor  by  Saracus,  and  this  at  a  time  when 
 Egypt  was  consolidating  its  power  under  Psammeticus  (b.c.  664),  and  thus  menacing  Assyria. 
 The  Median  empire  was  founded  in  the  sixth  year  of  Josiah's  reign  (B.C.  633),  by  Cyaxares, 
 the  Ahasuerus  of  Dan.  ix.  1.  Four  years  after  Jeremiah  began  his  mission  (b.c  625),  Baby- 
 lonia, under  Nabopolassar,  rose  in  revolt  against  Assyria,  aided  by  Cyaxares  with  his  Median 
 forces,  took  Nineveh,  and  thereby  overthrew  the  Assyrian  domination,  and  with  it  the  empire, 
 on  whose  ruins  rose  the  Babylonian  empire,  Nabopolassar  its  king.  To  him  Judah's  tributary 
 dependence  was  now  transferred.  Egypt,  under  Psammeticus'  successor,  Pharaoh-Necho,  then 
 rose  against  Babylonia,  and,  by  victorious  war  at  Charchemish,  claimed  a  short-lived  interna- 
 tional ascendancy.  [Josiah  succeeded  by  Jehoahaz.]  This  defeat  was  soon  redressed  by  Nebu- 
 chadnezzar, son  and  successor  to  Nabopolassar,  in  a  decisive  conquest  over  Egypt  at  Charche- 
 mish, whereupon  he  became  monarch  of  the  all-powerful  Chaldean  dynasty.  Judah,  having 
 been  subject  to  Egypt,  was  then  reduced  to  vassalage  under  Chaldean  supremacy. 
 
 5.  Geographical  References.  Ver.  1.  " Anathoth,  inland  of  Benjamin"  {cf.  1  Chron,  vi. 
 60).  Situate  on  or  near  the  great  road  from  the  north  to  Jerusalem  {Dr.  Smith) ;  =  Anata, 
 I5  hour  distant  N.N.E.  of  Jerusalem  {Robinson).  Eemains  existing  of  walls  and  strung  founda- 
 tions. "A  poor  village  of  only  about  twenty  houses.'' — Dr.  Porter.  Ver.  15.  "Families  of  the 
 kingdoms  of  the  North;"  denoting  the  ''numerous  tribes  or  smaller  nations  of  which  the  king- 
 doms forming  the  Babylonian  empire  were  composed."  This  description  is  itself  a  prophecy 
 of  the  compound  elements,  the  admixture  of  petty  nationalities,  which  would  constitute  the 
 (then  non-existiuff,  but  destined  to  become)  ascendant  Chaldean  dynasty. 
 
 6.  Personal  Allusions.  Ver.  1.  "Jeremiah,"  see  Introduction,  p.  1.  "  Hilhiah,"  idem.,  also 
 Literary  Criticisms  below.  Ver.  2.  "Anion,  king  of  Judah,"  son  and  successor  of  Manasseh, 
 reigned  two  years,  B.C.  642-640,  killed  in  a  conspiracy  (2  Chron.  xxxiii.  21-24).  "Josiah,"  a 
 most  religious  king  (2  Kings  xxiii.  25).  Ascended  throne  in  eighth  year,  awoke  to  religious 
 life  and  divine  claims  in  sixteenth  year  (2  Chron.  xxxiv.  3,  B.C.  634),  commenced  reformation 
 of  Judah  in  twentieth  year  (B.C.  630),  restored  Temple  services,  re-established  worship  of 
 Jehovah,  and  cleansed  the  land  of  flagrant  vice  and  idolatry.  Book  of  the  Law  found  during 
 Temple  restoration.  Reigned  thirty-one  years;  during  the  latter  eighteen  years  Jeremiah  pro- 
 phesied in  Jerusalem.  Fell  in  war  at  Megiddo  when  resisting  Pharaoh-Necho,  king  of  Egypt, 
 in  his  advance  upon  Assyria  (B.C.  610).  Ewald  conjectures  that  Psalm  lix.  was  composed  by 
 Josiah  daring  a  siege  of  Jerusalem  by  Scythians.  " Jehoiakim"  (see  infra),  "He  was  an  im- 
 pious man,  and  impure  in  his  course  of  life." — Josephus.  The  nation,  fearing  his  despotic 
 character,  passed  him  by,  and  elected  Josiah's  second  son,  Jehoahaz,  as  king.  But  Pharaoh- 
 Necho,  returning  after  three  months  from  Assyria  (war  at  Charchemish),  deposed  Jehoahaz 
 and  enthroned  Jehoiakim  as  dependent  king.  Reigned  eleven  years;  slain  by  Nebuchadnezzar, 
 the  then  all-conquering  monarch  of  Chaldea  (B.C.  599).  "  Zedekiah"  (see  infra)  followed 
 Jehoiachin,  son  of  Jehoiakim,  he  reigning  only  three  mouths  and  ten  days.  He  was  the  youngest 
 son  of  Josiah,  name  Mattaniah  ;  placed  on  throne  by  Nebuchadnezzar  as  his  vassal,  who  named 
 him  Zedekiah.  "A  despiser  of  justice  and  dvitj." —Josephus.  "Not  so  much  bad  at  heart  as 
 weak  in  will." — Dr.  Smith.  In  eleventh  year  of  his  reign,  his  Chaldean  master  ravaged 
 Jerusalem,  put  out  the  king's  eyes,  and  carried  him,  with  the  nation,  into  Babylonian 
 captivity  (b.c  588). 
 
 7.  Natural  History.  Ver.  11.  "Rod  of  an  almond-tree."  Luz  {]T?)j  the  wild  tree  (Gen.  xxx. 
 37) ;  shaked  (Iptt^)  the  cultivated,  here  mentioned  :  so  suggests  Rosenmiiller.  Earliest  tree  to 
 bloom  ;  in  January  {Kitto).  Resembles  peach-tree  in  leaves  and  blossoms  ;  bears  white  flower 
 (allusion  made  in  Eccles.  xii.  5)  ;  and  almonds,  which  "in  the  warm  southern  latitude  mature 
 in  March  "  {Paxton). 
 
 poses 
 
 Manners  and  Customs.     Ver.  13.  "A  seething  pot,"  a  large  caldron  used  for  cooking  pur- 
 1  (2  Kings  iv.  38  ;  Ezek.  xxiv.  3-5).     Ver.  15.  "Set  his  throne  at  the  entering  of  the  gate." 
 
nOMILETIC  COMMENTARY:  J E REM  I  A  U. 
 
 Inside  the  gates  of  Oriental  cities  wide  covered  streets  or  squares  were  and  are  found :  the£e 
 were — {a.)  jdaces  of  concourse  {^e.]i.  wiu.l)  ;  (6.)  of  merchandise  (2 'K.{x)gsV\\.'l)  ;  (c.)  of  judicial 
 administration  (Deut.  xvi.  18,  xvii.  2,  xxv.  7  ;  Amos  v.  10,  12,  15)  ;  (d.)  of  royal  jvdgment  (2 
 Saui.  xix.  8,  XV.  2)  ;  (e.)  of  court  councils  (1  Kings  xxii.  10  sq.).  Possessing  the  gate  im,plicd 
 dominion  (Gen,  xx.  17  ;  Isa.  xxiv.  12).  These  words  were  literally  fulfilled;  see  Jer.  xxxix.  3. 
 [liefer  to  "Land  and  Book,"  pp.  26-28.] 
 
 9.  Literaiy  Criticisms.  Ver.  1-3.  "  Words  of  Jeremiah,"  &c.  The  title  to  the  entire 
 book;  not  merely  to  Baruch's  roll,  which  ends  with  Jehoiakim's  reign  (ch.  xxxvi.  12).  Yet 
 Jlcnderson  suggests  Baruch's  authorship.  Michaclis  thinks  Jeremiah  prefixed  them  to  the 
 whole  collection  of  his  prophecies  eie  he  gave  them  to  his  captive  countrymen  to  carry  with 
 them  to  Babylon.  But  Lange  remarks  that  the  book  contains  prophecies  of  later  date  than 
 Zedekiah  {ch.  xl.-xliv.),  and  supposes  Jeremiah  carried  on  the  writing,  under  Gedaliah,  or  in 
 Egypt.  Ver.  1.  "  Jlilkiah  of  the  ipficsts."  Clement  Alex.,  Jerome,  Eichhorn,  Umbriet,  and 
 others,  think  him  the  high  priest  of  that  name  (2  Kings  xxii.  4);  but  Henderson,  Words- 
 worth, Keil,  &c.,  object,  for  the  name  was  a  common  one;  and  the  high  priest  was  limited  to 
 the  line  of  Eleazar  and  the  house  Phineas,  not  Abiathar  ;  and  the  high  priest  would  live  at 
 Jerusalem,   not  Anathoth  ;   moreover,    he  would   have  been  "  designated   by   the  appellative 
 
 ~1"TiirF  injij^  tlie  ]iigh  priest,  or  at  least  i'J J'J,  the  priest,  by  way  of  eminence  ;  "  instead 
 "of  the  priests  at  Anathoth."  Yet  Lange  thinks  "it  is  possible,  but  cannot  be  proved,"  he  was 
 Hilkiah  who  found  the  "Book  of  the  Law; "  while  the  "Speaker's  Commentary  "  affirms  that  be- 
 yond a  doubt  he  was  the  high  priest.  Ver.  4.  "TAcn  the  word;"  rather.4ndor  iVow;  aconjunc- 
 tion,  not  adv,  of  time.  Ver.  5.  ^^  Sanctified  thee."  Henderson,  "separated  from  a  common  to 
 special  purpose;"  Keil,  "consecrated ;^'  but  Geseuius  points  to  this  passage  as  illustrating  the 
 Piel  significance  of  ^"JP,  "  ^^  declare  anyone  holy."  Ver.  6.  '^  I  cannot  speak,  for  I  am  a 
 child."  Sharpe  translates,  "  I  know  not  how  to  speak,  for  I  am  a  youth."  Keil,  "  I  know  not 
 how  to  speak,  for  I  am  too  young  "  (1  Kings  iii.  7).  The  Rabbins  understood  by  '¥J  a  boy 
 in  his  fourteenth  year.     Ver.  11.  "  A  rod  of  an  almond-tree."     Three  interpretations  of    'p.*^ ; 
 
 for  here  is  a  noticeable  paronomasia  ;   "I  see"     'p'^j  "Thou  hast  well  seen,  for  I  will    '1^*^, 
 &c.     Jerome,  "  a  watchful  twig  ;"  a  twig  whose  eyes  are  open,  whose  buds  have  burst;  denot- 
 ing God  would  be  "watchful"  over  His  word;  it  should  not  fail.      Keil,    "a  walcefal  rod," 
 suggestive  of  alacrity,  haste;  for  God  would  quickly  perform  His  word  (E.   V.,  "  I  will  hasten 
 
 my  word,"  &c.).  So  also  Henderson,  rendering  'R'^  to  be  awake,  vigilant ;  so  called  because 
 the  almond-tree  ivakes  earlier  than  all  other  trees  from  the  sleep  of  winter  ;  meaning  therefore 
 "  God's  determination  to  execute  with  all  promptitude  His  threatened  judgments."  Kimchi, 
 Lange,  Schmidt,  and  others,  render  the  words  "an  almond-tree  staff;"  the  reverse  of  leafy 
 and  blossoming  ;  stripped,  "a  threatening  rod  of  castigation  ;"  urging  that  an  instrument  of 
 chastisement  is  required  by  the  context.  "I  see  a  wakeful  rod;  for  I  will  be  swift  (alert)  to 
 strike,"  The  event  shall  follow  quick  upon  the  prediction.  Ver.  13.  "Face  toward  north." 
 Keil,  "  it  looketh  hither /row  the  north  ;  "  the  direction  whence  would  come  the  "  evil ; "  and 
 
 being  "blown"  (Jl'-^^j^  will  boil  over,  pouring  its  contents  upon  Judah.  Among  Arabs  a 
 steaming  pot  figures  tear  is  preparing.  Ver.  14.  "  Out  of  the  north,"  &c.  Not  from  south — viz., 
 from  Egypt,  whence  disaster  was  dreaded;  but  from  Chaldea,  which  as  yet  showed  no  menace. 
 All  armies  marching  from  the  Euphrates  towards  Palestine  entered  the  land  fi'om  the 
 noHh ;  thus  explaining  the  geographical  discrepancy;  Chaldea  being  on  the  east,  not  north, 
 
 Ver.  17.  ^'  Be  not  dismayed,  lest  I  dismay  thee."  Another  paronomasia  J'O'',  first  in  Niphil, 
 then  in  Hiphil.  "The  Niphil  signifies  broken  in  spiri:t  hy  terror  and  anxiety  ;  the  Hiphil,  to 
 throiD  into  terror  and  anguish." — Keil.  If  Jeremiah  appeared  before  his  adversaries  in  terror, 
 then  he  will  have  cause  to  he  terrified  for  them.  Sharpe  translates,  * '  Be  not  affi'ighted  at  their 
 faces,  lest  I  afright  thee  before  their  faces,"  for  the  repetition  of  the  verb  ilJjri  is  followed  in 
 each  case  by  D*!)  J3,  with  prefix    O  at  and  ?  to  or  before  respectively. 
 
 HOMILIES  AND  OUTLINES  UPON  SECTIONS  OF  CHAPTER  I. 
 
 Section      1-3.  God's  messenger  to  rebellious  Judah. 
 
 „         4-10.  The  prophet's  call,  consecration,  and  commission. 
 
 ,,       11-10.  Premonitory  visions. 
 
 ,,       17-19.  Fearless  performance  of  perilous  service. 
 
 Ver.  1-3.     Theme:  God's  Messenger  to  Eebbllious  Judah, 
 Introduction.      Jeremiali's  ministry  would  prove  lengthy  and  chequered.      For 
 forty  years  in  Jerusalem  he  would  sustain  the  arduous  duties  of  his  office,  amid  the 
 successive  reigus  of  five  kings,  under  each  of  whom  the  nation  sank  to  lower  stages 
 6 
 
HOMILETIC  COMMENTARY :  JEREMIAH.  chap.  i. 
 
 of  decrepitude  and  vassalage,  until  at  length  the  ruthless  Chaldean  forces  swejit 
 down  upon  the  apostate  and  impenitent  people,  and  wrought  the  captivity  of  Judab, 
 the  demolition  of  Jerusalem,  and  the  desolation  of  the  sacred  land. 
 
 That  so  prolonged  a  period  intervened  illustrates  the  Divine  forbearance  (Ps. 
 ciii.  8 ;  2  Pet.  iii.  9) ;  that  God  grants  lengthened  respite,  and  opportunity  to  re- 
 pent and  escape,  ere  He  rises  to  punish.  Through  "so  long  a  time"  He  spake 
 unto  them  by  His  prophet,  if  so  they  would  forsake  transgression  and  turn  aside 
 the  judgments  impending. 
 
 Yet,  however  long  the  interval  of  respite,  the  threatened  calamities  will  surely 
 come  (2  Pet.  iii.  10) ;  and  they  came  "  in  the  eleventh  year  of  Zedekiah,  in  the  carry- 
 ing away  Jerusalem  captive  "  (ver.  3). 
 
 I.  Godly  parentage  recognised  and  honoured.  "  Jeremiah,  son  of  Ililkiah  of 
 the  priest,"  ikc. 
 
 Besides  Jeremiah  (and  Nathan,  1  Kings  iv.  5,  Tholuck),  the  prophet  EzekieJ 
 (i.  3 ;  cf.  Josephus,  Ant.  x.  6,  1),  and  most  probably  Zechariah  (i.  1,  Kuhler),  were 
 of  sacerdotal  origin. — Lange. 
 
 1.  Sacred  ancestry  Divinely  selected.  Jeremiah  was  to  be  "sanctified"  for 
 God's  services  even  "before  birth"  (ver.  5):  it  was  appropriate  that  his  parents 
 should  be  holy  to  the  Lord.  So  John  the  Baptist  (Luke  i.  13)  and  Timothy 
 (2  Tim.  i.  5).  This  messenger  of  Jehovah  had  existence  in  the  Divine  mind  before 
 he  was  conceived  (rer.  4)  ;  and  his  birth  into  the  world  was  an  incident  of  Divine 
 arrangement.  Gk;4  appreciates,  recognises,  and  honours  religious  ancestry.  Samuel's 
 dignity,  which  so  greatly  honoured  Hannah,  the  reward  of  her  piety  and  prayers 
 (1  Sam.  i.  27,  28;  ii.  1).  Solomon  also  (1  Kings  ii.  1-4  sq.) ;  Esther  (ii.  5-7,  17)  ; 
 and,  in  a  special  sense,  the  Child  Jesus  (Matt.  i.  18,  23;  Luke  i.  28,  30),  Godly 
 parents  are  not  lost  sight  of  by  God;  and  their  offspring  are  objects  of  His  special 
 regard.     (See  Addenda,  '^Parentage.") 
 
 2.  The  child's  birth  a  home  joy  (xx.  10) :  "  Making  him  very  glad."  Possibly 
 the  child  was  a  gift  in  ansiuer  to  jjrayer,  and  hence  the  great  joy  ;  as  with  Hannah. 
 Surely  his  birth  was  anticijmted  by  prayer,  and  folloiued  by  dedication,  as  an  ex- 
 pression of  gladness  and  gratittule.  It  was  unsuspecting  joy,  for  they  knew  not 
 to  what  emin€7it  office,  and  to  what  a  career  of  suffering,  their  son  was  born.  How 
 is  a  child's  life  overshadowed  by  ignorance  and  mystery  \ 
 
 3.  Honour  to  the  household  through  the  child.  Hiikiah  had  been  unknown  to 
 history  and  Christendom  but  for  his  son  !  Who  would  have  heard  of  the  widow 
 Anthusa  but  for  her  son  Chrysostom?  Or  of  devout  Monica  but  for  her  son 
 Augustine  ?  Or  of  the  household  of  the  Wesleys  but  for  the  boys  John  and 
 Charles  ?  A  child  may  bring  dignity  and  undying  fame  to  his  family  and  to  his 
 birthplace.  For  Anathoth  is  thereby  raised  from  obscurity.  As  is  Stratford-on- 
 Avon  and  Olney,  &c.  The  son  may  tahe  higtier  office  than  his  parents  {cf.  ver.  1, 
 6)  ;  ^^ prophet"  more  than  a  "priest."  Loftier  honour  to  stand  and  speak  for  God 
 among  men  than  to  appear  for  men  before  God.  Hereditary  social  status  is  not 
 regarded  by  God  (1  Sam.  ii.  8). 
 
 II.  Social  seclusion  invaded  by  Divine  requirements.  The  messenger  of  God 
 was  born  ;  in  due  time  God  would  demand  him.  Boyhood  spent  in  studious  and 
 reverent  pursuits.  His  scriptural  knowledge  gained  during  those  years ;  his  pro- 
 phecies show  accurate  acquaintance  with  the  law.  At  length,  to  the  quiet  home 
 at  Anathoth,  God  came,  to  seek  for  Himself  a  prophet. 
 
 (a.)  God  can  seek  out  whom  He  chooses  ;  and  (6.)  S2)ea7c  to  whom  He  selects :  "  To 
 whom  the  word  of'the  Lord  came,"  &c.  (ver.  2). 
 
 1.  A  communication  from  God  works  wondrous  changes  in  him  ivho  receives  it 
 It  wrought  such  changes — 
 
 a.  In  Jeremiah  himself;  a  new  creature  that  moment ;  no  longer  a  mere  Anathoth 
 boy ;  awoke  to  a  7ieio  conscio2isness,  new  visions,  new  trusts. 
 
 h.  In  his  relation  to  others;  belonged  to  Hiikiah  before,  7iow  to  God;  had  some- 
 
nOMILETIC  COMMENTARY :  JEREMIAH. 
 
 thing  wliicli  was  not  his  own,  "  word  of  the  Lord;  "  not,  therefore,  to  be  kept  for 
 himself,  not  to  be  silenced;  he  must  speak  what  he  had  heard;  others  must  know 
 (1  Sam.  iii.  17 ;   1  John.  i.  3). 
 
 c.  In  his  lifers  worth  and  worJc.  Until  now  he  was  nothing  beyond  his  own 
 home,  now  of  worth  to  all  Jiidah ;  his  work  had  began,  and  it  was  a  ministry  for 
 his  nation.  Communication  from  God  implies  commission  for  God  (Acts  iv. 
 18,  20). 
 
 2.  Our  nattiral  inclinations  may  not  interfere  with  God's  claims.  To  Jeremiah 
 sechisioH  and  irresponsibility  would  have  been  far  more  congenial  than  publicity, 
 with  all  its  hazards  and  solicitudes  (ix.  2) ;  but  God  cannot  be  restncted  by  our  pre- 
 ferences, nor  determined  by  our  sense  of  aptitude  and  qualification  (ver.  6).  If  so, 
 the  "  natural  man  "  would  dominate  over  spiritual  laws  and  God's  demands.  Self 
 must  be  subordinate  when  God  calls.  "  Lord,  I  will  follow  Thee  ;  but  let  me  first"- 
 <fec.     Christ  would  hear  of  no  evasions  or  inclinations. 
 
 3.  God's  messengers  cannot  tarry  in  seclusion.  So  Anathoth  had  to  be  left 
 (ii.  2).  There  is  an  outside  world  which  must  see  and  hear  those  who  love  and 
 serve  the  Lord.  No  timidity  can  justify  seclusion ;  open  witness  for  Christ  is 
 needed.  The  tunes  loere  evil  for  Jeremiah,  the  sufferings  entailed  severe;  but  he 
 boldly  spoke  for  God  (Acts  iv.  29). 
 
 III.  Speech  for  God  the  outcome  of  inspiration  from  God  (ver.  1).  "  The 
 words  of  Jei-emiah."  Yet  his  first  outcry  was,  "  /  ca7inot  speak  "  (ver.  6).  Never- 
 theless, we  have  in  this  book  speeches  enough  to  disprove  his  own  plea.  The 
 explanation  lies  in  ver.  2,  "  To  whom  the  word  of  the  Lord  came." 
 
 1.  Natural  destitution  of  gifts,  no  disqualification  for  service.  He  found 
 "words"  (ver.  1).  See  xx.  9.  Moses  (Exod.  iv.  10).  When  duty  for  God  ^ve^'ie^ 
 upon  us,  our  ins^ifficiency  falls  out  of  the  question.  What  ample  assurance,  what 
 inexhaustible  resources,  what  provision  against  our  own  poverty,  dwell  iu  2  Cor. 
 ix.  8. 
 
 2.  Human  speech  the  channel  of  Divine  communications.  "  The  words  of  Jere- 
 miah ;  "  yet  they  but  expressed  and  conveyed  "  the  word  of  the  Lord."  Angels 
 brought  the  Laiu  (Heb.  ii.  2)  ;  but  all  God's  messages  have  come  through  human 
 speech;  even  "  :ZVte  Word"  (John  i.  1-14)  was  made  incarnate  that  Man  might 
 speak  to  man  (cf.  Heb.  i.  1,  2,  ii.  3,  4). 
 
 3.  The  piersonal  characteristics  of  inspired  messages.  Though  it  was  "  the  word 
 of  the  Lord  ;  "  these  communications  were  "  words  of  Jeremiah  ;  "  his  personality, 
 temperament,  experiences,  style  of  thought,  modes  of  expression,  are  all  stamped 
 upon  these  Divine  messages.  Inspiration  does  not  obliterate,  scarcely  subordinates 
 individuality.  Hence  the  graceful  variety  and  naturalness  of  the  Scriptures  ;  their 
 humanness  as  well  as  Divinity;  and  the  manifold  unity  of  the  whole.  God  employs 
 the  man,  his  own  true  self,  "  sanctifies  "  him  (ver.  5),  "  moves  him  by  the  Holy 
 Ghost"  (2  Pet.  i.  21);  but  does  not  do  violence  to  his  natural  gifts  and  qualities 
 of  character.  In  our  work  for  Him  whose  we  are,  all  our  faculties  are  needed ; 
 Christ  asks  our  every  talent,  our  whole  true  self. 
 
 IV.  God's  messenger  witnessing  amid  national  convulsions  and  overthrows 
 (ver.  2,  3).  Jeremiah  came  to  Judah  at  an  eventful  crisis  and  prophesied  amid  ap- 
 palling events.     But — 
 
 1.  His  mission  was  originated  to  meet  the  crisis.  To  help  Josiah  in  his  work  of 
 reformation  ;  to  resist  Jehoiakim  in  his  reckless  impiety ;  to  remonstrate  ivith 
 Zedekiah  iu  his  weakness  and  folly  ;  and  to  show  his  captive  nation  their  sin  and 
 their  Savio^ir.  God's  servants  are  called  to  their  mission  at  the  right  hour.  He 
 does  not  allow  any  age  to  be  destitute  of  a  messenger  from  Him.  There  may 
 always  be  heard  a  voice  for  God,  whatever  the  aspect  of  the  times.  Alas  !  (Isa. 
 i.  3.  4). 
 
 2.  However  circumstances  may  vary,  God's  prophet  must  do  his  work.  Friendly 
 or  hostile ;  Josiah  king  or  Jehoiakim ;  when  Judah  is  reforming,  or  hastening  back 
 
 8 
 
EOMILETIC  COMMENTARY:  JEREMIAH. 
 
 to  abomination,  whether  men  heed  or  oppose.  Times  of  calamity  afford  special 
 opportunities  for  God's  voice  to  be  heard.  When  kings  fall,  and  foes  are  at  the 
 gates,  and  the  kingdom  is  endangered,  then  God  should  be  heeded.  Judah  was  a 
 Theocracy — God's  nation ;  and  with  every  epoch  and  change  He  sent  directions, 
 warnings,  denunciations,  promises,  according  to  the  hour.  This  is  the  work  of 
 every  preacher,  every  Christian ;  to  address  himself  to  the  hour ;  to  make  God's 
 Word  heard  amid  confusion,  degeneracy,  disobedience  :  to  "  warn  the  people,"  lest 
 their  blood  be  upon  him. 
 
 3.  No  calamity  befalling  man  places  him  beyond  the  Divine  message.  Josiah's 
 death  was  an  evil  incident  to  Judah ;  the  kingdom  was  doomed  from  that  hour. 
 But  God  remained,  and  He  would  have  spoken  hopefully  to  the  bereft  nation  had 
 they  hearkened.  Nevertheless,  though  they  despised  His  Word,  it  came  still  to 
 Jeremiah  for  Judah ;  when  at  peace,  or  amid  war ;  before  the  Captivity  and  after ; 
 in  their  own  land  and  in  Egypt.  Nothing  befalls  us  but  God  observes ;  and  He 
 sends  some  "  word  "  for  us  suited  to  the  time.  Wherever  we  are,  amid  privileges 
 or  in  exile  from  all  joys,  still  He  sends  messages  of  mercy  and  promise.  Man  is 
 never  beyond  the  need  of  God's  message,  nor  beyond  its  reach,  nor  beyond  the 
 consequences  which  follow  on  reception  or  rejection  ;  "  life  unto  life  "  to  the  observant 
 and  obedient,  but  "death  unto  death"  to  those  who  will  not  heed  the  call  to 
 repentance  and  salvation.     "  Hear,  and  your  soul  shall  live." 
 
 Ver.  4-10.     Theme  :  The  Peophet's 
 
 Tlie  Divine  call  involves — 
 
 I.  With  respect  to  him  who  is  called : 
 
 a.  The  duty,  to  discharge  the  commis- 
 sion without  fear  of  man,  and  without 
 regard  to  his  own  tveahiess. 
 
 b.  The  privilege,  being  assured  of 
 Divine  protectio7i  and  aid,  and  certain 
 success  in  the  work. 
 
 II.  With  respect  to  those  to  whom  he 
 is  commissioned: 
 
 a.  The  urgency  of  their  believing 
 obedience. 
 
 h.  The  certainty  of  the  Divine  message 
 being  fulfilled ;  no  doubt  of  their  realis- 
 ing the  threatenings  ov promises  addressed 
 to  them. 
 
 ZiNDENDOEP  from  Lange. 
 
 Call  and  consecration.  The  inves- 
 titure of  Jeremiah  with  the  prophetic 
 office  is  effected  in  four  distinct  acts  : 
 
 I.  The  call  of  Jehovah,  4-8.  This 
 was  not  the  product  of  a  reflective  mus- 
 ing, nor  the  result  of  an  inward  impulse, 
 but  a  supernatural  Divine  revelation,  an 
 inspiration,  a  voice  from  without. 
 
 II.  His  Divine  consecration,  9,  10. 
 He  felt  the  hand  of  the  Lord  touch 
 him  :  "  a  palpable  pledge  of  His  sup- 
 port." Touching  his  mouth  meant  en- 
 dowment. Equipment  and  qualiticatiou 
 for  God's  work  must  be  from  God.  "  For 
 the  man  God  has  chosen  before  his  birth 
 
 Call,  Consecration',  and  Commission. 
 
 to  a  special  office  in  His  kingdom  He 
 equips  with  the  gifts  and  graces  needed 
 for  the  exercise  of  his  functions." 
 
 III.  Signs  which  unveil  his  mission. 
 These  he  "  saw  in  spirit."  God  inter- 
 preted them  to  him  as  confirmatory 
 tokens  of  his  Divine  commission ;  they 
 are  a  surety  of  the  Divine  promise  :  {a.) 
 Of  the  speedy  and  certain  fulfilment  of 
 the  word  of  God  proclaimed  by  him; 
 and  {b.^  the  contents  of  his  preaching;  dis- 
 aster and  ruin  which  the  North  will 
 pour  out  on  Judah. 
 
 IV.  Supernatural  ass7irances  of  help. 
 Jeremiah  is  charged  to  address  himself 
 stoutly  to  his  duties,  to  discharge  them 
 fearlessly,  and  is  assured  of  powerful 
 Divine  assistance.  "  Only  by  unshaken 
 confidence  in  the  power  of  the  Word  he 
 preaches  in  the  name  of  the  Lord  will 
 he  be  able  to  accomplish  anything." 
 God  will  furnish  strength,  will  make 
 him  valiant  and  impregnable. 
 
 Condensed  and  arranged  from  Keil. 
 
 Commission  of  the  Prophet.     In  all 
 
 cases  it  applies  equally  as  with  Jeremiah — 
 I.   As  to   the  work  in  the  vineyard  of 
 the  Lord: 
 
 1.  It  must  be  performed  by  men 
 whom  He  prepares  and  sends. 
 
 2.  It  is  a  work  both  difficult  and  dan- 
 qerous. 
 •^  9 
 
nOMILETTC  COMMENTARY:  JEREMIAH. 
 
 3.  Yet  it  is  rich  in  successes  and 
 rewards. 
 
 II.  As  to  the  ojjice  to  tvluch  the  Lord 
 appoints  : 
 
 1.  It  is  for  the  purpose  of  accom- 
 plishing His  will. 
 
 2.  It  needs  the  means  which  the 
 Lord  Himself  provides. 
 
 Naegelsbach  in  Lange. 
 
 Provision  for  the  Church. 
 
 I.  The  Lord  never  allows  His  Church 
 to  lack  the  strength  tvhich  time  and  place 
 demand.  He  does  not  seek  this,  or  wait 
 for  it :  He  makes  it  (ver,  18). 
 
 II.  He  chooses  to  Himself  despised  and 
 inefficient  agents  for  His  service.  Now 
 He  selects  one  who  to  himself  and  to 
 others  appears  too  young ;  as  else- 
 where He  chose  what  was  foolish,  weak, 
 and  base  in  the  sight  of  the  world  (1 
 Cor.  i.  19-29  ;  Matt.  xi.  25 ;  John.  vii. 
 48  ;  James  ii.  5).  "  It  is  not  always  the 
 greybeard  who  is  wanted." — Forster. 
 
 III.  JFhen  God  gives  office  He  gives 
 also  understanding,  (a.)  It  would  be  pre- 
 sumptuous to  begin  a  great  work  in  one's 
 own  strength.  (6.)  It  is  natural  in  view 
 of  a  great  and  difficult  task  that  one 
 should  be  afraid,  (c.)  But  it  would  be 
 wrong  if,  from  any  pusillanimous  despon- 
 dency or  love  of  ease,  one  should  take  no 
 heed  to  an  evident  call  of  God. 
 
 IV.  It  devolves  upon  God  to  protect 
 the  cause  of  His  servant.  Since  (a.)  It 
 is  not  our  cause,  but  His ;  and  (6.)  we 
 do  not  undertake  it  in  our  own  strength, 
 but  in  obedience  to  His  command. 
 
 V.  To  hear  a  Divine  office  ensures 
 Divine  succour.  When  the  office  is 
 received  from  the  Lord,  and  is  conducted 
 according  to  His  purpose  and  in  His 
 spirit,  there  the  Lord  Himself  is  present 
 with  weapons  of  defence  and  offence. 
 
 VI.  God's  Word  is  mighty,  however 
 weak  His  messenger. 
 
 a.  It  may  be  in  the  mouth  of  the 
 humblest  of  His  servants. 
 
 b.  It  is  nevertheless  a  hammer  which 
 breaks  the  rock  in  pieces. 
 
 c.  And  no  rock  is  too  hard  or  high  for  it. 
 Arranged  from  Naegelsbach 
 in  Lange. 
 
 Jeremiah's  Mission. 
 
 Some  saints  Lave  been  consecrated 
 from  the  womb.  The  Baptist  was ; 
 Jeremiah  was  (ver.  5).  The  time  came 
 for  calling  Jeremiah  out  to  his  work 
 (ver.  4,  &c.).  His  age  uncertain,  but 
 he  was  evidently  in  the  morning  of  life. 
 God's  call  was  clear,  precise,  peremptory. 
 Look — 
 
 I.  At  his  objection,  as  here  given. 
 Not  unreasonable  ;  for  his  age — 
 
 I.  Would  indicate  inexperience.  2. 
 Insufficient  knowledge.  3.  Modest  dif- 
 fidence. Yet,  4.  His  age  and  defects 
 time  would  remedy. 
 
 II.  How  God  overrules  his  objection. 
 
 1.  He  refers  to  his  pre-ordiuation. 
 "Knew,  sanctified,  ordained"  (ver.  5). 
 
 2.  He  refers  to  his  commission.  "Go 
 to  all  that  I  shall,"  &c.  (ver.  7). 
 
 3.  He  was  to  speak  God's  words. 
 Did  not  require  his  own  knowledge. 
 
 4.  He  pledged  His  Divine  presence 
 (ver.  8).     Shield,  help,  deliverer. 
 
 5.  Then  there  was  supernatural  com- 
 munication (ver.  9). 
 
 III.  Important  lessons  suggested. 
 
 1.  God,  and  not  man,  arranges  the 
 affairs  of  His  moral  kingdom.  He 
 plans  as  to  the  work  and  the  agency,  «fec. 
 
 2.  God  qualifies  the  instruments  He 
 employs. 
 
 3.  God  often  selects  His  agents  not 
 as  men  would  do.  Men  the  mature.  He 
 the  young ;  learned,  illiterate ;  the  re- 
 spectable, the  poor. 
 
 4.  God  gives  His  own  message  to 
 His  messengers.     "  My  words." 
 
 5.  The  ministry  of  God's  servants  is 
 mighty  for  good  or  evil  (ver.  10).  How 
 great  the  results ;  portentous  ;  solemn  ! 
 Jonah,  the  Baptist,  Jesus,  the  Apostles. 
 
 a.  Let  us  listen  when  God  speaks. 
 h.  Obey  when  He  commands, 
 c.  Trust  when  He  promises. 
 
 Rev.  J.  BuENS,  D.D.,  LL.D. 
 
 Ver.  11-16.     Theme:  Premonitory  Visions. 
 
 Introduction.  Jeremiah  glides,  almost  imperceptibly  to  himself,  from  being  a 
 hearer  into  the  office  of  a  seer.  He  had  listened  only  as  yet  (ver.  4-10),  now  he  is 
 asked  to  jienetrate  and  gaze.     It  is  a  preparatory  and  initiative  incident ;  his  first 
 
EOMILETIO  COMMENTARY :  JEREMIAH.  chap.  I. 
 
 exertion  of  the  prophetic  faculty  of  seeing  visions.  God  is  thereby  gently  leading 
 him  on  towards  the  prophetic  office.  Without  realising  that  he  is  undergoing  his 
 first  lesson,  he  passes  through  it.  God  allures  him,  surprises  him,  indeed,  into  the 
 exercise  of  the  perceptive  powers  needful  for  his  mission ;  and  He  thus  renders 
 self-evident  Jeremiah's  aptitude  for  the  work.  So  that  when  he  answered  the 
 Divine  inquiry,  "What  seest  thoul"  God  could  respond,  "  Thou  hast  ivell  seen;" 
 thus  virtually  saying  to  him.  You  already  prove  your  power  of  spiritual  discern- 
 ment, your  possession  of  the  prophetic  insight  (Addenda  to  chap.  1.  11). 
 
 In  this  cautious  manner,  dealing  so  tenderly  with  Jeremiah's  misgivings  and  sense 
 of  inability,  God  leads  him  on.  It  is  the  second  stage  in  the  process  of  his 
 induction.  First  he  hears  that  he  is  selected  to  this  mission.  Now  a  proof  is 
 unwittingly  supplied  hy  Jeremiah  to  himself  that  God  has  not  erred  in  entrusting 
 him  with  the  prophet's  office ;  for  he  shows  immediate  ability  to  discern  the  sym- 
 bolic force  and  teaching  of  things. 
 
 I.  Truths  pictured  in  symbols.  "  What  seest  thou  1 "  And  his  eye  rested  on 
 the  blossoming  bough  of  an  almond-tree.  "What  seest  thou?"  And  he  perceived 
 a  boiling  pot,  whose  contents  ran  over  from  the  north.  Each  thing  seen  held  a 
 truth ;  and  a  truth  which  ran  through  all  Jeremiah's  after  history  and  work. 
 
 1.  Helpfulness  of  objective  signs.  Better  for  God  to  s/ioi<;  Jeremiah  these  truths 
 than  to  merely  say  them.  Signs  are  impressive ;  they  are  remembered ;  they  fix 
 their  teaching  on  the  understanding. 
 
 The  childlike  temperament  of  man  is  always  assumed  by  God ;  He  teaches  him 
 hy  pictures;  not  tells  him  abstract  truths.  All  Bible  revelation  is  a  series  of 
 pictures,  an  array  of  symbols  which  hold  truths.  We  have  very  little  direct  teach- 
 ing compared  with  picture-teaching  in  the  Scriptures.  All  the  Temple,  its  services 
 and  incidents,  were  symbols.  All  Christ's  miracles  were  truths  acted  out  in  inci- 
 dent ;  parables  in  action. 
 
 2.  I'he  eye  an  avenue  of  instruction.  When  Pharaoh  and  the  magicians  saiv 
 Aaron's  rod  effect  mightier  results  than  their  rods  could  work,  they  needed  not  a 
 word  to  convince  them  of  the  supreme  power  of  Aaron's  God.  It  was  convincing 
 argument ;  the  lesson  was  trenchant  and  decisive.  Jeremiah  never  lost  the  lessons 
 of  these  visions  ;  he  knew  that  events  woidd  follow  quiclcly  upon  his  prediction  (ver. 
 12,  "  hasten  ") ;  and  that  calamity  would  come  upon  Judah  from  the  north  (ver.  14, 
 15).  Our  Lord  knew  the  value  of  lessons  seen;  hence  He  continually  appealed 
 to  His  hearers  to  look  at  things  around  and  heed  their  teaching :  "  Beliold  the  fowls 
 of  the  air,"  &c.  (Matt.  vi.  25).  "  Behold  a  sower,"  &c.  (xiii.  3).  "  Behold  my 
 hands,  and  feel  that  it  is  I"  (Luke  xxiv.  39).  This  Divine  plan  with  the  prophets, 
 and  Christ's  plan  with  His  apostles  and  the  multitudes,  suppUes  the  model  for 
 efi'ectively  teaching  sacred  truths. 
 
 3.  Hidden  meaning  in  things.  The  almond  bough,  the  seething  pot,  were  for 
 signs ;  and  Jeremiah  saw  their  significance.  Some  persons  see  nothing ;  "  have 
 eyes  but  see  not ; "  blind  with  a  blaiik  literalism.  Everything  is  merely  what  it  is. 
 They  have  no  imagination,  no  perceptive  power,  no  spiritual  vision. 
 
 "  The  primrose  on  the  river's  brim 
 A  yellow  primrose  was  to  him, 
 
 And  it  was  nothing  more."-' — Peter  Bell. 
 
 Yet,  to  discerning  eyes,  all  things  hold  hidden  truths,  a  Divine  suggestiveness. 
 The  world  is  full  of  parables,  in  which  sacred  teachings  are  portrayed,  and  in 
 which  the  enlightened  soul  perceives  some  counsel  or  promise  from  God. 
 '  To  a  few  even  the  Bible  is  nothing  more  than  a  printed  book,  sealed  and  silent, 
 with  no  revelation  for  them.  "The  veil  is  upon  their  heart."  Yea,  the  gracious 
 Jesus,  "  fairest  among  ten  thousand,  and  altogether  lovely,"  has  to  them  "  no  beauty 
 that  they  should  desire  Him." 
 
 This  barren  materialism  closes  the  universe  around  a  man  like  the  grim  walls  of 
 a  prison. 
 
 11 
 
nOMILETIC  COMMENTARY :  JEREMIAH. 
 
 **  Two  worlds  are  ours  :  'tis  only  Sin 
 Forbids  us  to  descry 
 The  mystic  heaven  and  earth  within, 
 Plain  as  the  sea  and  sky." 
 
 How  different  this  from  the  thoughts  breathed  in  Keble's  hymn,  "  There  is  a 
 book  who  runs  may  read  ! "  so  full  of  enlightened  discernment  of  the  sacred  side 
 of  natural  objects.  If  we  see  "the  deep  things  of  God,"  it  is  because  of  grace;  and 
 we  have  reason  to  say — 
 
 "  Thou,  who  hast  given  me  eyes  to  see 
 And  love  this  sight  so  fair, 
 Give  me  a  heart  to  find  out  Thee, 
 And  read  Thee  everywhere. — See  Addenda  to  chap,  i.,  "  Visions." 
 
 II.  The  Prophet's  initiation. 
 
 He  was  not  ushered  suddenly  into  the  dazzling  splendours  of  prophetic  visions, 
 making  heaviest  demands  on  spiritual  insight;  the  first  step  was  "simple,  the  grada- 
 tions gradual. 
 
 1.  The  learner  tested.  "  What  seest  thou  ?  "  Exert  your  own  perceptive  powers; 
 try  how  far  they  will  carry  you  towards  truth.  It  is  wise  to  educe  a  learner's 
 powers.  So  Jeremiah  looked  out  Ji7-st  upon  nature.  Would  he  see  anything  1 
 Among  all  the  arboreous  growths,  would  anything  suggestive  strike  him  1  Trees  were 
 all  black  in  winter's  death ;  no  fertility,  no  vitality ;  barrenness,  somnolence  every- 
 where !  But  lo  !  one  solitary  twig  among  the  trees  hears  blossom  ;  it  is  an  early  fulfil- 
 ment of  God's  word,  which  pledged  the  spring  :  he  calls  it  "  the  wakeful  tree,"  quick 
 to  bloom,  hastening  into  activity  with  earliest  dawn  of  spring.  And  God  commended 
 his  vision,  for  he  had  "  seen  ivell,"  or  aright. 
 
 He  then  turns  towards  the  habitations  of  men :  activity  is  everywhere ;  on  the 
 open  hearth  steams  the  caldron ;  many  things  are  happening  which  would  engross 
 the  idle  gazer ;  does  anything  stand  out  specially  on  Jeremiah's  vision  1  One  ob- 
 ject arrests  him,  and  he  sees  that  only,  all  else  is  excluded ;  it  has  a  signiBcance  to 
 his  mind — a  pot  boiling  over  in  a  certain  direction.  He  observes  every  minute  par- 
 ticular.    It  makes  evident  his  faculty  of  suggestive  discernment. 
 
 There  stands  a  Cross  on  Calvary.  Men  pass  by.  "  It  is  nothing  to  them  ; "  but 
 "  What  seest  thoxt  ?  "  All  depends  on  your  discernmezit.  Is  it  merely  a  symbol  of 
 sxiffering,  or  of  salvation  ? 
 
 2.  Progressive  stages  of  instruction.  The  first  vision  was  easier  far  than  the  second. 
 The  almond  bough  was  the  only  living  thing  within  his  gaze.  Noticeable,  there- 
 fore, by  contrast  with  surrounding  death ;  readily  discernible.  Having  passed  that 
 test,  the  second  demand  comes.  This  "  seething  pot "  was  only  one  of  many 
 noticeable  things ;  not  conspicuous ;  it  required  more  effort  on  his  part  to  detect 
 the  suggestive  object. 
 
 But  more.  The  trtith  taught  by  the  sign  was  harder  to  bear.  The  first  simply 
 taught  that  God  would  early  perform  His  ivord ;  the  second  indicated  mixed  ele- 
 ments in  tlie  pot,  boiling  over,  with  its  face  from  the  north,  meaning  that  mingled 
 nations  which  would  constitute  the  Northern  scourge,  which  would  overflow  its 
 boundaries  and  pour  calamities  on  Judah.  Thus  our  Lord  gave  to  His  disciples 
 teachings  "  as  they  were  able  to  bear  "  them,  holding  back  the  weightier  truths  till 
 they  had  learned  the  simpler. 
 
 God  has  more  to  show  us  of  Divine  purposes,  more  great  and  marvellous 
 truths ;  but  He  leads  on  as  we  are  fitted  to  discern  them.  The  Israelites  under 
 Sinai  heard  once  God's  voice,  then  entreated  that  it  might  never  speak  again; 
 but  Moses,  who,  reverently  regarded,  went  up  to  the  heights,  saw  visions  of 
 resplendent  glory,  and  talked  face  to  face  with  God.  Our  power  to  receive  visions 
 is  the  only  limit  to  larger  revelations. 
 
 3.  Personal  preparation.  The  visions  Jeremiah  would  eventually  behold  would 
 be  full  of  awf uhiess  and  dark  with  threatenings.  God  showed  him  an  outline  first, 
 that  he  might  be  prepared  to  meet  the  wider  portrayal  of  things  to  come. 
 
 1  *Jt 
 
HOMILETIC  COMMENTARY:  JEREMIAff.  chap.  i. 
 
 His  mind  received  the  germ  of  truth,  and  lie  had  been  exercised  in  prophetic 
 •perception.  His  eyps  had  now  been  Divinely  opened.  He  most  conclusively 
 showed  his  aptitude  for  sacred  communications.  He  could  "  see  well."  This  apti- 
 tude was  not  at  first  manifest ;  but  the  visions  had  taught  him  his  qualifications 
 and  mission.  He  was  to  be  a  seer,  a  "  prophet,"  It  is,  then,  right  to  remark  that, 
 If  God  calls  tis  to  use  2^oivers  in  His  service  which  we  do  not  tkink  we  possess,  (a.)  Be 
 assured  that  we  have  them  :  (b.)  He  will  teach  us  to  use  them  :  (c.)  They  will  be  suf- 
 ficient for  our  work  :  (d.)  They  will  grow  into  vigour  by  further  use.     Reflections  : 
 
 1.  God  never  errs  in  calling  us  to  service  for  Him ;  He  will  qualify  us. 
 
 2.  Cultivate  a  discerning  eye  of  signs  God  puts  before  us. 
 
 3.  Simplest  things  may  hold  sublime  teachings.  Christ's  parables  were  simple, 
 but  they  contained  truths  of  eternal  value  to  the  world. 
 
 III.  The  messages  taught  by  the  visions.  1.  That  his  prophetic  word  wotdd 
 he  followed  quickly  by  the  event  (ver.  12).  Some  prophecies  pointed  to  distant  years  ; 
 but  these  were  nigh.  Therefore  his  mission  teas  urgent;  the  judgments  gathered 
 thick  and  fast.  Comp,  Jonah,  his  preaching  to  Nineveh.  Analogy :  Our  testi- 
 mony of  the  nearing  hour  of  death ;  the  "  accepted  time  "  hastening  away ;  the 
 Spirit  grieved,  ready  to  depart.     "  To-day,  if  ye  will  hear  His  voice,"  &c. 
 
 2.  That  an  unexpected  foe  was  gathering  his  fo7-ces  for  their  destruction.  They 
 dreaded  Egypt ;  but  the  Chaldean  dynasty  would  soon  gather  together  the  "  families 
 of  the  kingdoms,"  and  become  a  scourge  to  Judah. 
 
 a.  Where  we  look  not  for  calamity  it  may  come  (ver.  14). 
 
 b.  God  prepares  retribution  for  transgressors  (ver.  15). 
 
 c.  Apostasy  from  Him  cannot  go  unpunished  (ver.  16).  (See  Addenda  to  chap. 
 i.,  "  Out  of  the  North.") 
 
 Such  was  the  prophet's  announcement !  The  Gospel  admonitions  and  denuncia- 
 tions are  equally  appalling.  May  they  who  hear  them  "  flee  from  the  wrath  to 
 come."  For  in  Christ  "we  have  redemption  through  His  blood,  even  the  forgive- 
 ness of  sins,  according  to  the  riches  of  His  grace  "  (Eph.  i.  7). 
 
 Ver.  17-19.     Theme:  Fearless  Performance  of  Perilous  Service. 
 
 Jehovah's  "  charge  "  to  His  servant.  3.  He  would  be  assailed,  as  a  "  de- 
 Paul's  charge  to  Timothy  is  empha-  fenced  city"  is  besieged,  ver.  19. 
 tic  and  vigorous  (2  Tim.  iv.  1-5),  "  Fight  against  thee." 
 jiointing  out  the  hazards  and  diflaculties  III.  Hostility  woidd  be  impotent. 
 of  his  ministry,  the  forms  of  hostility  An  "iron  pillar"  which  could  not  be 
 which  would  assail  his  word,  and  en-  overthrown ;  "  brazen  walls "  which  fire 
 couraging  him  to    assurance,  diligence,  could  not  consume. 
 
 and  fidelity.  Judah  would  be  overthrown,  and  Jeru- 
 
 But  this  is  a  charge  from  the  Almighty  salem  burned ;  but  not  God's  prophet : 
 
 God  Himself  to  His  prophet,  who  had  for 
 
 shown  much  reluctance  and  trejnbling.  1.     A    Divine  promise   of   safety   is 
 
 (See  Addenda  to  ch.  i.,  "/  cannot  speak.")  given  :  "  They  shall  not  prevail." 
 
 I.  Attitude  must  be  valiant,  ver.  17.  2.  The    Divine    Presence   would   be 
 
 1.  Not  craven:  "Stand,"  or  "arise."  around  him  :  "For  I  am  with  thee." 
 
 2.  Not  apologetic  :  "  Speak."  3.  The    Divine  Poiver  would  be  ex- 
 
 3.  Not  awed  by  men  :  "  Be  not  dis-  erted  for  him :  "  To  deliver  thee." 
 mayed." 
 
 4.  Not  forgetful   Whom  you  serve :  A  prophet's  work. 
 
 "Lest  I  confound  thee."  I.   The  Divinely-called proj^het  becomes 
 
 II.  Strength  shall  be  invincible,  ver.  18.  a  sacrifice  and  instrument  for  God. 
 
 1.  God  had  made  him  impregnable  :  1.  He  regards  only  God's  will  and 
 "  /  make  thee,"  &c.  command. 
 
 2.  His  work  would  be  "  against "  all  2.  Must  do  and  proclaim  what  the 
 ranks  of  the  people.  Lord  bids  him  do  and  preach. 
 
 13 
 
HOMILETIC  COMMENTARY :  JEREMIAH. 
 
 3.  Must  expose  himself  to  consequent 
 hostility. 
 
 4.  Must  meet  antagonism  with  fear- 
 lessness of  man  and  faith  in  God. 
 
 II.  The  wrong  and  resnlls  of  sin  must 
 be  proclaimed  to  all,  heedless  of  their 
 station,  ver.  18. 
 
 1.  The  anger  of  God  against  sin  will 
 certainly  overtake  them. 
 
 2.  The  preacher  must  set  forth  these 
 facts :  sin,  and  God's  consequent  dis- 
 pleasure. 
 
 3.  This  must  be  declared  to  the  whole 
 people  :  "  All  the  land." 
 
 4.  Equally  before  governors  as  sub- 
 jects ;  the  high  as  well  as  the  low. 
 
 III.  A  teacher,  in  view  of  gross  cor- 
 ruption, must  not  proceed  softly. 
 
 1.  Vigorously  overthrowing  wrong, 
 ver.  10. 
 
 2.  Having  by  the  Law  destroyed  the 
 kingdom  of  Satan  in  the  hearts  of 
 men ; 
 
 3.  He  must  seek  to  "  build  up  "  the 
 kingdom  of  Christ  therein  by  the  Gos- 
 pel. 
 
 IV.  Resentment  may  be  the  only  re- 
 turn men  make  for  faithful  work  for 
 God. 
 
 1.  Kings  and  suljects  equally  hate  a 
 reprover. 
 
 2.  Sense  of  its  justice  makes  reproof 
 more  exasperating. 
 
 3.  Yet  God's  witness  must  fearlessly 
 tell  the  whole  truth. 
 
 4.  In  courageous  service  God  will 
 protect  His  messenger. 
 
 Enlarged  and  evolved  from 
 Starke  in  Lange. 
 
 Servants  of  God. 
 
 I.  Their  duty. 
 
 a.  Always  to  have  their  loins  girded, 
 ver.  17. 
 
 6.  To  proclaim  without  fear  of  man 
 whatever  the  Lord  commands, 
 
 II.  Their  privilege. 
 
 a.  Mighty  through  the  power  of  God. 
 
 b.  Unyielding  to  any  power  on  earth. 
 
 III.  17ie  Lord's  requirements  of  His 
 servants. 
 
 a.  To  be  always  ready  for  His  ser- 
 vice :  "  Gird  loins." 
 
 6.  To  accomplish  what  is  bidden  with- 
 out delay  :   "Arise  and  speak." 
 
 IV.  The  Lord' s  promise  to  His  servants, 
 a.  That  He  will  be  with  tliem. 
 
 6.  That  no  earthly  power  shall  con- 
 quer them. 
 
 Naegelsbach,  in  Lange. 
 
 God's  witness. 
 
 I.  He  must  be  quick:  "Arise,"  and 
 lose  no  time. 
 
 II.  He  must  be  busy :  "  Speak  unto 
 them,"  in  season,  out  of  season. 
 
 III.  He  must  be  bold:  "Be  not  dis- 
 mayed." 
 
 IV.  He  must  be  faithful ;  for 
 
 1.  He  must  speak  all  that  he  is 
 charged  with.  Forget  nothing,  conceal 
 nothing. 
 
 2.  He  must  speak  to  all  that  he  is 
 charged  against. 
 
 a.  Because  he  has  reason  to  fear  the 
 wrath  of  God  if  he  should  be  false. 
 
 b.  Because  he  has  no  reason  to  fear 
 the  wrath  of  man  if  he  i?,  faithfid. 
 
 Matthew  Henry. 
 
 HOMILETIC  TREATMENT  OF  SUCCESSIVE  OR  SELECTED  VERSES 
 IN  CHAPTER  I. 
 
 Ver.  1.  "  The  ivord  of  Jeremiah."  A 
 revival  of  prophecy  marked  this  epoch. 
 Long  silent  under  Manasseli  and  Amon, 
 it  now  was  heard  again  (see  Intro,  i.  G). 
 
 The  name  "  Jeremiah  "  means  either 
 "  Jehovah  throws  down  "  (ILengstenberg 
 and  Lange,  deriving  the  name  from 
 "  Ramab "),  indicating  that  God  would 
 overthrow  by  him  His  foes:  or  ^^  Jeho- 
 vah exalts"  [Speaker's  Commentary,  from 
 word  "  Eam,"  high),  denoting  that  none 
 should  cast  down  him  whom  God  up- 
 holds. 
 
 14 
 
 But  the  name  was  borne  by  others  of 
 no  significant  character,  exalted  office, 
 or  special  mission.  (1  Chron.  v.  24, 
 xii.  4,  10,  13;  2  Kings  xxiii.  31; 
 Neh.  X.  3,  xii.  1  ;  Jer.  xxxv.  3.)  It  is 
 not  our  name  makes  us  great ;  the 
 mission  we  fulfil  and  the  grace  God 
 bestows,  these  make  our  lives  of  worth. 
 
 I.  The  voice  of  prophecy  heard 
 among  men.  He  was  entrusted  with 
 "words"  to  speak  to  Judah  and  the 
 nations. 
 
 1.     The    necessity  for   Divinely -sent 
 
HOMILETIC  COMMENTARY :  JEREMIAH. 
 
 CBKV   T. 
 
 words.  Nation  was  ignorant  (Book  of 
 T.aw  lost)  ;  indifferent  (to  conscience, 
 memory,  Divine  claims)  ;  insensible  (not 
 believing  in  or  preparing  against  loom- 
 ing peril).  Certainly  desirable  some 
 voice  should  appeal  for  God  and  truth. 
 
 2.  The  mission  of  Divinely-sent  words. 
 To  arouse  the  people  to  repentance,  to 
 true  lyiety  (not  merely  the  "  form  of 
 godliness"),  and  to  escape  by  national 
 humiliation  "  the  wrath  to  come  "  (chap, 
 xxxvi.  3). 
 
 3.  The  results  of  Divinely-sent  words. 
 Effect  of  Jeremiah's  preaching  on  Judah 
 would  be  either  (a. )  To  lead  back  the  heart 
 to  God,  and  so  prove  a  "  savour  of  life 
 unto  life  ;"  or  (6.)  to  increase  their  hard- 
 ness of  heart,  their  responsibility,  guilt, 
 and  doom  ;  "  a  savour  of  death  unto 
 death." 
 
 Divine  words,  by  a  Divinely-inspired 
 speaker,  cannot  be  heard  without  re- 
 sults, saving  or  hardening,  on  hearers. 
 
 So  when  Christ  spoke:  John  xv.  22, 
 ix.  41,  "Take  heed  how  ye  hear." 
 
 II.  The  messages  of  prophecy 
 brought  to  men. 
 
 Before  a  prophet  it  is  natural  to  ask, 
 What  words  he  comes  to  utter  1  (Acts 
 xvii.  18-20,  X.  33.) 
 
 1.  The  tidings  ivhich  the  *'  words  "  con- 
 vey. 
 
 a.  Of  mingled  import.  Nut  all  de- 
 nunciatory. Dark  though  Judah's 
 criminality,  God  did  not  send  only 
 words  of  wrath  and  menace,  but  pitiful, 
 pleading,  promising  also. 
 
 6.  Suggested  by  man's  spiritual  case. 
 Our  state,  mood,  actions,  call  forth 
 specific  "  words."  God's  messages  meet 
 man  in  every  circumstance  and  con- 
 dition. We  turn  from  the  vile  in  silent 
 loathing,  refuse  words  with  those  who 
 wrong  us ;  but  God  speaks  to  all. 
 
 c.  Foretelling  doom  and  redemption. 
 Doom  from  "  the  North  ;  "  redemption 
 by  the  *"  Lord  our  Righteousness." 
 Temporal  ruin  to  Judah  ;  but  a  darker 
 destiny  for  those  who  reject  the  salva- 
 tion of  Christ.  Temporal  restoration, 
 and  a  Messiah  incarnate  in  Palestine,  to 
 Judah ;  but  a  spiritual  return  to  God, 
 and  possession  of  Heavenly  Land,  for 
 those  who  rest  in  Jesus.  "  With  Him 
 in  paradise." 
 
 2.  The  calling  which  the  Prophet 
 fulfils. 
 
 a.  He  utters  what  he  receives  from 
 God.  Is  not  a  philosopher,  to  evolve 
 truths;  but  a  p>'^'ophet,  to  accept  a 
 message  and  utter  it.  His  are  not, 
 therefore,  earth-born  speeches,  not  of 
 human  wisdom  or  human  wishes. 
 Preachers  are  to  "  tell  what  seen  and 
 heard  "  (Luke  vii.  22). 
 
 h.  Announces  truths  with  a  grieving 
 heart.  Sorrowing  over  the  sin  he  has 
 to  denounce,  and  the  doom  he  has  to 
 pronounce.  Not  angry  with  the  people 
 (Num.  XX.  10);  "not  desiring  the 
 woeful  day"  (Jer.  xvii.  16);  but  with 
 tearful  pity  (chap.  ix.  1),  as  with  Paul 
 (Phil.  iii.  18). 
 
 c.  Suffering  at  the  hands  of  those  he 
 warns.  (John  iii.  20,  x.  31,  39; 
 Gal.  iv.  16.)  The  preacher  of  right- 
 eousness is  a  living  denunciation  of  those 
 who  love  sin  and  disobey  God.  So, 
 too,  is  every  Christian  whose  charac- 
 ter and  actions  speak  out  for  the 
 Lord  against  human  indifference  and 
 iniquity ;  therefore  he  is  maligned  and 
 maltreated. 
 
 3.  Hie  hearers  to  ivhom  the  words 
 apply.  To  Judah  first,  as  being  his 
 own  nation.  "Beginning  at  Jerusalem." 
 For  there  is  a  patriotism  of  Divine 
 service  (com p.  Rom.  ix.  1-3,  x.  1). 
 
 But  also  "  to  the  nations,"  ver.  4,  The 
 world  needs  the  "  woids."  "  Go  ye  into 
 all  the  world,  and  preach  the  Gospel  to 
 every  creature." 
 
 Ver.  2.  "To  whom  the  word  of  the 
 Lord  came  in  the  days  of  Josiah." 
 
 Theme:  The  Prophet's  timely  i^R- 
 
 RIVAL. 
 
 Jerusalem  and  Judah  had  already 
 heard  the  Divine  sentence  of  overthrow 
 from  former  prophets  ;  now  the  time  was 
 near;  and  as  the  interval  diminished, 
 God  raised  up  this  earnest,  pleading 
 witness  under  the  third  king  before  the 
 Captivity. 
 
 I.  God  discerns  the  spiritual  neces- 
 sities of  the  age. 
 
 He  had  given  Josiah  as  king ;  but 
 more  was  required. 
 
 1.  The  royal  reformation.  The  king, 
 alone  in  his  pious  zeal,  was  doing  all  a 
 king  could ;  rectifying  the  evil  customs, 
 
 15 
 
EOMILETIC  COMMENTARY:  JEREMIAH. 
 
 instituting  religious  observances,  stem- 
 ming crime,  establishing  Jehovah's  wor- 
 ship. But  notwithstanding  all,  there 
 remained  still : 
 
 2.  The  nations  degeneracy.  The 
 king's  work  could  not  reach  the  nation's 
 heart,  could  not  renew  Judah,  and 
 recall  the  people  to  spiritual  allegiance 
 to  Jehovah.  All  was  external  thus 
 far.  There  was  needed,  and  therefore 
 sent : 
 
 3.  The  sacred  call.  It  was  Jeremiah's 
 work  to  plead  for  God,  speak  to  the 
 heart  of  Judah,  allure  the  nation's  trust 
 and  love.  This  inner  work  remained  to 
 be  done.  And  the  prophet  came  upon 
 the  scene  to  supply  the  lack  which  the 
 king's  work  made  more  evident. 
 
 II.  God  sends  companionship  in 
 holy  and  arduous  work. 
 
 Jeremiah  came  to  the  aid  of  Josiah. 
 '•  At  first  no  man  stood  by  him."  But 
 lonely  service  will  weary  the  most  heroic 
 heart.  Christ  sent  His  disciples  "two 
 and  two."  All  sacred  ministry  asks 
 helpful  companionship. 
 
 1.  It  siqyplemented  the  royal  deficiency. 
 Not  only 
 
 a.  The  impotence  of  the  king,  who 
 could  not  attempt  the  persuasive  minis- 
 try, the  spiritual  pleading  with  the 
 people,  needful  to  awaken  their  sym- 
 pathetic response  to  his  reforming  plans ; 
 but 
 
 h.  The  ignorance  of  the  king.  The 
 Scriptures  were  lost ;  Josiah  did  not 
 know  the  Law  and  Covenants  until  after 
 he  had  reigned  eighteen  years,  when  the 
 Book  was  found.  A  child  of  guilty 
 Amon,  brought  up  in  a  corrupt  court, 
 he  could  have  received  no  religious 
 instruction.  Jeremiah  supplied  this 
 lack,  as  Aaron  supplemented  Moses'  de- 
 ficiency. 
 
 2.  It  sanctioned  the  royal  work. 
 Jeremiah's  timely  arrival  would  : 
 
 a.  Sliow  the  king  God's  approval  of 
 his  designs ;  and 
 
 0.  Impress  the  nation  with  the 
 urgency  and  need  of  a  complete  return 
 to  God. 
 
 III.  God  supplies  effective  helps  to 
 conversion. 
 
 Could    He   have   done    more    to   aid 
 
 Judah  to  return  to  Him  than  by  giviuir 
 
 16  ^      " 
 
 so  devotedly  religious  a  hing,  and  so 
 pathetically  patriotic  a  prophet  ? 
 
 1.  Guilt  and  ii-religion  were  con- 
 demned and  discouraged.  Both  king 
 and  prophet  expressed  Divine  disap- 
 proval of  wrong.  None  were  left  in 
 doubt  whether  to  "  call  good  evil  or  evil 
 good."  Sinners  cannot  plead  ignorance 
 or  unconsciousness,  of  sin. 
 
 2.  Galls  and  opportunities  were  offered 
 to  nevmess  of  life.  Oh,  how  theysurround 
 us  !  The  Gospel,  the  Cross,  the  Spirit, 
 our  instructors,  all  plead  with  us.  Jere- 
 miah's ministry  was  an  interval  of  hope 
 to  Judah.  We  have  "  an  accepted  time, 
 a  day  of  salvation." 
 
 3.  Neglect  of  God  was  left  without 
 justification  or  excuse.  They  would  not 
 hearken  (Heb.  x.  26-29).  "  How  shall 
 we  escape  if  we  neglect  so  great  salva- 
 tion]" 
 
 Ver.  2,  3.    Theme:  The  changeful 
 
 INCIDENTS  OP  A  LIFE's  WOEK. 
 
 Life  is  full  of  changes,  reverses,  and 
 uncertainties.  (See  Addenda  to  chap,  i., 
 *'  Changes.") 
 
 I.  His  mission  began  in  auspicious 
 times. 
 
 All  encouraging  and  helpful  to  the 
 prophet's  mission.  King  friendly  to  his 
 work ;  nation  aroused  by  royal  activities ; 
 Temple  services  re-established  ;  Book  of 
 Law  soon  found, 
 
 II.  His  office  continued  amid  regal 
 changes. 
 
 1.  The  various  character  of  kings. 
 Each  unlike  the  other.  Royal  goodness 
 not  hereditary.  (See  Critical  Notes,  5, 
 above.) 
 
 •  2.  The  royal  attitude  towards  the 
 prophet.  What  an  influence,  in  further- 
 ing or  retarding  the  servants  of  God, 
 the  throne  exerts  ! 
 
 3.  The  overthrow  of  royal  opponents. 
 Each  crowned  head  that  lifted  itself 
 against  God's  purpose  and  the  prophet's 
 mission  was  bowed  to  ignominious 
 shame  (Ps.  ii.  2-4). 
 
 III.  His  prophecies  closed  amid  na- 
 tional calamity.     Destruction  and  exile. 
 
 1.  His  warnings  fulfilled  upon  the 
 disobedient. 
 
 2.  His  messages  followed  the  captives. 
 He  still  was  with  them,  and  spoke  for 
 Gt)d  among  them  in  Egypt. 
 
HVMILETIO  COMMENTARY.  JEREMIAH. 
 
 CHAP.  I. 
 
 3.  His  promises  lighted  up  their 
 exile,  pointing  them  on  to  Eestoration 
 and  to  Christ. 
 
 Thus: 
 
 i.  We  cannot  perceive  the  end  of  a 
 thing  from  its  beginning.  A  career 
 began  amid  national  reformation,  closed 
 amid  utter  overthrow  and  ruin.  What 
 reverses  enter  life  !  How  may  promises 
 perish  amid  disaster ! 
 
 ii.  God  hides  the  sterner  duty  from 
 us  at  the  outset.  Strength  and  courage 
 and  faith  must  grow,  or  Jonahs  would 
 always  flee  from  life's  severer  ordeals 
 and  tasks.  "  He  tempers  the  wind  to 
 the  shorn  lamb,"  does  not  lay  upon  us 
 more  than  we  can  bear. 
 
 iii.  Sacred  work  must  he  done  regard- 
 less of  surroundings.  It  is  not  for  the 
 Lord's  servants  to  "  faint  in  the  day  of 
 adversity."  Kings  may  menace,  perils 
 may  arise :  but 
 
 "  Where  duty  calls  or  danger, 
 Be  never  wanting  there." 
 
 Painful  as  are  the  mutations  around  us — 
 and  they  were  to  Jeremiah — still  we 
 must  be  loyal  in  our  duty  to  God,  and 
 responsive  to  sacred  claims. 
 
 iv.  Our  mission  is  to  act  the  part  the 
 hour  demands.  Help  the  good  Josiah  ; 
 withstand  the  rebellious  Jehoiakim ; 
 chide  and  correct  the  compromising 
 Zedekiah ;  go  with  the  captives  into 
 their  affliction.  Suit  our  work  for  Christ 
 to  the  characters  around  us,  and  to  the 
 circumstances  in  which  we  find  them. 
 Human  life  is  not  stereotyped;  Chris- 
 tian work  must  be  versatile. 
 
 V.  Every  ci'isis  finds  the  dutiftd  servant 
 sufflcie7it  and  sustained.  For  God  is  able 
 to  make  him  stand ;  yea,  and  he  shall  be 
 holden  up.  So  this  prophet  found.  So 
 all  who  are  the  Lord's  (2  Cor.  ii.  14). 
 
 Ver.  5.  Foreknowledge  and  predes- 
 tination. 
 
 God's  address  here  is  unequivocal  and 
 emphatic.  Two  antagonistic  opinions 
 held  :  1.  Divine  purposes  are  absolute 
 with  man,  and  include  the  determina- 
 tion by  God  of  man's  will  and  life.  2. 
 Divine  purposes  are  conditional  on  man ; 
 they  foresee  and  accord  with  man's  own 
 determination. 
 
 Certainly  Jeremiah's  will  had  to  be 
 subordinated ;  but  it  was  a  free  subor- 
 
 dination. There  was  no  violation  of  his 
 liberty  of  action  ;  God  gently  conquered 
 his  reluctance  and  rectified  his  fears. 
 This  Divine  work  upon  him  gave  him 
 liberty,  set  him  free  from  enthralling 
 misgivings  and  dreadful  apprehensions  ; 
 raised  him  into  assurance  and  reliance 
 on  Jehovah;  his  subjugation  was  his 
 "  translation  from  the  bondage  of  cor- 
 ruption into  the  glorious  liberty  of  the 
 children  of  God." 
 I.  Facts  affirmed. 
 
 1.  The  unborn  child  foreknown  of  God. 
 "  Before  I  formed,  I  knew  thee."  The 
 Divine  idea  antedates  the  Divine  act 
 (Ps.  cxxxix.  16).  Yet  this  assertion  of 
 mere  foreknowledge  is  not  all  which 
 the  Hebrew  word  "knew"  implies. 
 "  Verbum  cognitionis  verbum  favoris 
 est."  It  is  to  be  taken  in  the  sense  of 
 having  a  regard  for ;  I  approved  of  thee. 
 "  I  know  him  (Abraham),  that  he  will 
 command  his  children,"  &c.  (Gen.  xviii. 
 19;  comp.  Ps.  1,  6;  ISTahum  1,  7.  See 
 cognate  N.  T.  word.  Matt.  vii.  23). 
 "  Those  who  k7iow  (revere  and  cherish) 
 Thy  name,"  &c.  (Ps.  ix.  10 ;  comp. 
 Hos.  viii.  2). 
 
 2.  A  life  predestinated  to  God's  service. 
 "  Before  birth  I  sanctified  thee."  Not 
 from  (after)  birth,  but  from  before  birth. 
 We  may  understand  the  word  "sanc- 
 tified "  as  meaning  (with  Henderson  and 
 Lange)  set  apart  to  sacred  service ;  they 
 contending  that  primarily  the  word 
 "  does  not  mean  to  be  pure  or  holy ; 
 that  God  had  cleansed  Jeremiah  from 
 the  pollution  of  original  sin,  or  had  re- 
 generated him  by  His  Spirit ;  but  that 
 He  had  separated  him  in  His  eternal 
 counsel  to  his  appointed  work."  So 
 Samson  (Judges  xiii.  5);  Isaiah  (xlix.  1); 
 John  the  Baptist  (Luke  i.  15) ;  Paul 
 (Gal.  i.  15).  Others  claim  that  the 
 primary  significance  is  to  be  p)ure,  clean 
 {Speaker's  Commentary) ;  and  here, 
 therefore,  "I  made  thee  holy,"  and 
 "  so  to  dedicate  to  holy  purposes " 
 (comp.  2  Sam.  viii.  11).  Keil  observes 
 and  infers  that  "  God  has  predetermined 
 before  our  birth  what  is  to  be  our  calling 
 on  earth,  and  He  has  accordingly  so  in- 
 fluenced our  origin  and  growth  in  the 
 womb  as  to  prepare  us  for  what  we  are 
 to    become    and    to    accomplish,"    &c 
 
 17 
 
CHAP.  I. 
 
 EOMILETIC  COMMENTARY :  JEREMIAH. 
 
 Three  interpretations:  {a.)  Eternal  separ- 
 ation to  God's  service.  (b.)  Absolute 
 sanctification  2'>i^o'''  ^o  birth;  personal 
 purity,  (c.)  Control  over  the  life  prior  to 
 birth  so  as  to  effect  inclivichial  adaptation 
 for  the  sacred  services  he  would  have  to 
 fulfil. 
 
 The  last  is  preferable.  He  whom  God 
 foreknows  is  born  with  a  Divinely  secured 
 aptitude  for  Divine  work.  (See  Addenda 
 to  chap,  i.,  ^'Fore-ordination.") 
 
 3.  God's  prophet  a  Divine  production. 
 "I  ordained," — i.e.,  "appointed"  or 
 "  gave.'^  A  prophet  is  a  Divine  benefac- 
 tion ;  he  is  born  as  a  boon  ;  his  ministry 
 is  a  gracious  bestowment.     Thus  : 
 
 a.  Gifted  witnesses  of  God  are  gifts  to 
 the  age  from  God(comp.  Eph.  iv.  11,  12). 
 How  melancholy  if  the  Divine  Father 
 sent  forth  no  messenger  to  an  erring 
 world  !  "  All  gone  out  of  the  way,  none 
 seeketh  after  God ;" — yet  God  leaves  men 
 to  their  own  wilfulness,  unchecked,  unin- 
 formed, uninvited  !  Dreadful  if  always 
 true — "  I  looked,  but  there  was  none  to 
 help,  and  I  wondered  that  there  was  no 
 intercessor."  But  comp.  Jer.  si.  7,  vii.  25. 
 
 h.  Their  presence  among  men  a  testi- 
 mony of  God,  and  their  voice  a  testi- 
 mony from  God.  A  prophet  ia  a  proof 
 that  God  is :  his  endowments  and  mis- 
 sion are  supernatural :  and  his  attesta- 
 tions are  miraculous :  and  his  word 
 speaks  from  God ;  inspired,  authorita- 
 tive. "He  that  heareth  you,  heareth  Me." 
 Such  are  the  assertions  of  this  verse. 
 
 II.  Truths  evolved. 
 
 1.  Events  of  time  do  hut  imf old  pro- 
 jects of  eternity.  Occurrences  on  earth, 
 as  if  the  veil  is  thrown  aside,  show 
 Divine  arrangements  till  then  hidden. 
 God  is  planning  ;  time  is  unrolling  His 
 j)lans,  "bringing  hidden  devices  to  pass." 
 God  is  interested  therefore  in  all  inci- 
 dents ;  they  lie  within  His  anticipation. 
 "  My  Father  worketh  hitherto." 
 
 2.  Opportxme  incidents  are  Divinely 
 reg\dated  events.  It  was  opportune  that 
 Jeremiah  came  just  at  that  juncture  of 
 Judah's  history,  while  Josiah  was  en- 
 deavouring to  reform  the  nation,  and 
 ere  the  foe  was  at  the  gates.  Was  it 
 merely  fortuitous,  a  coincidence  ?  Or 
 rather,  "  He  worketh  all  things  after  the 
 counsel  of  His  own  will." 
 
 18 
 
 3.  A  child's  birth  and  occupation  work 
 out  God's  purposes.  There  is  a  provi- 
 dence therefore  over  our  entrance  into 
 life.  Yes,  and  the  fitfulness  of  child- 
 hood, wilfulness  of  youth,  the  risk  and 
 uncertainty  of  opening  manhood  (as  we 
 see  them),  only  screen  the  movements 
 of  a  Hand  which  controls  all,  directing 
 the  life  into  appointed  paths.  We  work 
 into  and  work  out  Divine  intents. 
 
 4.  Messages  from  God  aivait  the  ad- 
 vent of  a  herald.  God  had  much  to  say 
 to  Judah,  even  while  Josiah  worked  on 
 alone  ;  but  Jeremiah's  hour  was  not  yet. 
 Startling  to  think  of  solemn  messages 
 laid  up  in  heaven,  kept  sealed,  until  a 
 babe  is  born  at  Anathoth,  and  nourished 
 into  youth.  But  the  word  of  the  Lord 
 comes  by  the  appointed  herald  at  the 
 needed  hour.  "  O  Lord,  send  by  whom 
 Thou  wilt  send." 
 
 Thus,  therefore,  a  man  pleading  for 
 God  is  God's  pleading  with  man. 
 
 Query.  Is  the  Divine  foreknowledge 
 and  predestination  true  only  of  earth's 
 greatest  sons,  and  God's  special  ivitnesses  ? 
 In  a  sense  true  of  all  men.  "  Known 
 unto  God  are  all  His  works,  from  the 
 beginning  of  the  world."  "A  man's 
 goings  are  of  the  Lord."  Each  should 
 realise  his  place  in  God's  plans,  and  ask, 
 "  Lord,  what  wilt  Tliou  have  me  to  do  ? " 
 
 "  Stand  up  !  thou  art  as  true  a  man 
 As  moves  the  human  mass  among  ; 
 As  much  a  part  of  the  great  plan 
 That  with  creation's  dawn  began, 
 As  any  of  the  throng. 
 
 "  The  great !  what  better  they  than  thee  ? 
 As  theirs,  is  not  thy  will  as  free  ? 
 Has  God  with  equal  favours  thee 
 Neglected  to  endow  ? 
 "  With  these,  and  passions  under  ban, 
 True  faith,  and  holy  trust  in  God, 
 Thou  art  the  peer  of  any  man  ! 
 Look  up,  then,  that  thy  little  span 
 Of  life  may  be  well  trod." 
 
 Ver.  6.  The  pleadings  of  fear. 
 
 Literally,  "Alas/  my  Lord  Jehovah  .^" 
 There  is  no  resistance  on  Jeremiah's 
 part,  but  he  shrinks  back  alarmed.  So 
 at  the  vision  of  the  cherubim,  Isaiah 
 cried,  "  Woe  is  me  !"  and  Ezekiel  "  sat 
 astonished  seven  days."  Jeremiah's 
 gentle  and  tender  spirit  submits,  but 
 with  a  cry  of  pain "  (SpeaJce)''s  Com- 
 mentary).    "  I  cannot  sjxalc,"  &c.     The 
 
EOMILETIC  COMMENTAIiY :  JEREMIAE. 
 
 Targum  paraplirases  this  correctly,  '*  / 
 cannot  projohesy" — i.e.,  I  have  not  the 
 powers  of  oratory  necessary  for  success. 
 The  prophets  of  Israel  were  the  national 
 preachers  in  religious  matters,  and  their 
 orators  in  political.  The  reluctance  ex- 
 hibited by  God's  servants  (Exod.  iv.  10, 
 vi.  12,  30 ;  Jonah  i,  3)  to  accept  the  call 
 shows  that  they  did  not  assume  the 
 office  under  the  impulse  of  self- deceiv- 
 ing fanaticism. 
 
 I.  Weakness  is  the  channel  of  Divine 
 efficiency.  God  works  by  weak  things 
 (1  Cor.  i.  26-29);  for  they  most  magnify 
 God  (Ps.  viii.  2). 
 
 II.  Conscious  disqualification  the 
 preparation  for  noblest  achievements. 
 Equipped  with  nothing  of  self,  there 
 was  room  for  God's  grace  to  clothe  him. 
 He  became  mighty  because  he  felt  him- 
 self nothing. 
 
 A  prophet's  qualification  is  not  apti- 
 tude for  uttering  Divine  discourses 
 or  foreseeing  calamities,  but  speaking 
 words  given  him  with  all  assurance,  and 
 as  an  ambassador.  (Addenda  to  chap,  i., 
 *'  /  am  a  child,"  and  "/  cannot  speak.") 
 
 III.  Terror  in  the  presence  of  re- 
 sponsibility. 
 
 a.  Overwhelmed  with  vastness.  "  Ah, 
 Lord  God  ! " 
 
 b.  Timidity  shrinks  appalled.    "  Ah  !  " 
 
 c.  Inexperience  dreads  duty.  A  child 
 to  speak  / 
 
 d.  Incapacity  urged.  "I  cannot  speak." 
 
 e.  Youth's  natural  misgivings.  "  I  am 
 a  child." 
 
 Ver.  5-7.  Theme  :  Feaes  and  com- 
 forts IN  PEOSPECT  OP  LABOUPv  FOR  GOD. 
 
 Here  is  a  young  man  trembling  on 
 the  threshold  of  a  life  of  arduous  ser- 
 vice. Here  is  the  Master  equipping  him 
 for  the  service,  dissipating  his  fears  and 
 assuring  his  heart. 
 
 The  scene  is  a  common  one.  Trem- 
 bling fingers  ever  gird  on  the  armour. 
 Nor  is  it  wonderful.  Think  of  magni- 
 tude of  the  undertaking,  feebleness  of 
 instrument,  deadly  hostility  of  foe.  God's 
 Davids  always  had  to  meet  the  world's 
 Goliaths  with  nothing  but  sling  and  stone. 
 
 I.  The  fear  of  God's  servants  in 
 prospect  of  labour. 
 
 1.  He  feels  his  weakness.     "A  child." 
 
 a.  Having  no  influence.  Men  will 
 listen  to  those  of  riper  years.  Speakers 
 who  can  appeal  to  public  services 
 rendered,  and  to  old  and  tried  friends, 
 thus  secure  attention.  Jeremiah  had 
 no  such  advantages. 
 
 b.  Having  no  experience.  How  can 
 a  "  child  "  find  the  clue  to  intricacies  of 
 human  heart?  How  successfully  com- 
 bat sophistries  of  man  1 
 
 c.  Being  unstable.  "  A  child "  is 
 easily  influenced,  soon  afraid.  While 
 seeking  to  deliver  othens,  himself  may 
 be  ensnared. 
 
 2.  He  feels  his  ignorance.  How  speak 
 of  themes  which  exhaust  vocabulary  of 
 angels  1  How  little  know  of  Thy  word 
 and  ways,  or  of  deplorable  and  dreadful 
 condition  of  men ! 
 
 Every  preacher  should  feel  this.  Think 
 of  the  surpassing  excellencies  of  Jesus; 
 and  we  but  beggars  outside  the  city 
 gate,  who  yet  have  to  tell  of  the  Majesty 
 dwelling  amidst  splendours  of  palace ! 
 We  only  know  in  part ;  have  seen  but 
 glimpses  of  the  King.  True,  we  know 
 enough  to  bless  ourselves,  but  not  enough 
 to  do  Him  the  honour  He  deserves. 
 
 How  little  we  know  of  man.  Each 
 different  from  his  fellow;  exposed  to 
 specific  temptations  and  sorrows. 
 
 3.  He  feels  his  unworthiness.  "A 
 child,"  undistinguished,  unknown. 
 
 4.  He  dreads  the  enmity  of  man. 
 Though  "  a  child  "  he  knows  the  hostility 
 of  man  to  truth.  Not  unnatural  to 
 dread  world's  malice.  "Crucified  to- 
 gether with  Christ,"  is  no  mere  poetic 
 fancy.  We  have  fellowship  with  His 
 shame,  scourging,  darkness,  distress. 
 Men  drove  rough  iron  into  the  Master's 
 hands,  will  not  bind  ours  with  silken 
 cords ;  placed  on  His  head  crown  of 
 thorns,  will  not  place  on  ours  crown  of 
 roses ;  gave  Him  vinegar,  not  us  wine ; 
 pierced  His  side,  will  not  merely  menace 
 ours  ! 
 
 II.  The  comforts  of  God's  servants 
 in  prospect  of  labour. 
 
 If  our  fears  be  many,  our  consola- 
 tions abound. 
 
 1.  Tlte  assurance  they  are  called  to  the 
 ivork.  "I  ordained  thee  a  prophet." 
 Despite  his  ignorance,  unwortbiness,  and 
 fear. 
 
 19 
 
HOMILETIC  COMMENTARY :  JEREMIAH. 
 
 2.  The  knowledge  of  the  purpose  of 
 9od.  "Thou  shalt  go  to  whom  I 
 send  thee."  Some  find  here  reason  for 
 inactivity  ;  they  say,  "  He  will  save  His 
 elect,"  and  then  fold  their  arms.  But 
 God's  purpose  is  not  only  that  Israel 
 shall  be  saved,  but  that  Jeremiah 
 should  "  go."  It  contemplates  the  means 
 as  well  as  end. 
 
 Eejoice  at  the  knowledge  that  it  is 
 part  of  Divine  plan  to  use  us. 
 
 3.  The  promise  of  the  presence  of  God. 
 "I  am  with  thee,"  &c.  (ver.  8).  "We 
 have  not  to  carry  out  His  purpose  with- 
 out His  help.  This  promise  a  sovereign 
 antidote  for  every  fear.  Was  he  weak  2 
 The  Almighty  was  near.  Ignorant  ? 
 The  "  wisdom "  was  at  hand.  Un- 
 worthy ?  The  Lord  of  glory  stood  by 
 him. 
 
 4.  The  fact  that  the  message  was  from 
 God.  "  Whatsoever  I  command  thee, 
 thou  shalt  speak."  We  have  not  to 
 guess  our  theme ;  we  have  the  mind  of 
 Christ.  The  teacher  sent  from  God  may 
 and  must  be  dogmatic. — ''Items  and 
 TvAgs." 
 
 Ver.  8.  He  had  never  occupied  any 
 public  station  or  performed  any  public 
 duty.  "  You  need  not  fear  their  faces 
 — the  thing  that  timid  young  men  are 
 most  wont  to  fear.  Think  only  that 
 the  Lord  is  with  you,  and  let  his  presence 
 be  your  joy  and  strength." 
 
 1.  His  ministry  would  lead  him  before 
 high  and  mighty  personages. 
 
 2.  His  messages  would  arouse  the 
 malignity  of  haughty  potentates. 
 
 Not  easy  to  confront  such  men,  to 
 condemn  them,  to  i7icur  their  hatred,  to 
 denounce  their  designs.  Fear  of  man  must 
 retire  heiove  fealty  to  God. 
 
 Ver.  9,  10.  Theme:  Incapacity  Di- 
 vinely EECTIFIED. 
 
 There  is  a  special  feature  in  Jeremiah's 
 preparation  and  equipment — no  human 
 prese7ice  came  upon  the  scene  to  render 
 aid,  as  with  Saul  of  Tarsus  (Acts  ix.  17) ; 
 nor  even  angelic  interposition,  as  with 
 Joshua  (Zech.  iii.  4,  5)  j  nay,  nor  yet 
 exalted  seraphim,  as  with  Isaiah  (vi.  6,  7) 
 — it  was  a  direct  act  of  Jehovah,  Al- 
 ready there  had  been  (ver.  8) — 
 
 I.  Courage  inspired.  For  God  re- 
 20 
 
 quires   valour,    and   a   dauntless   faith. 
 These  he  called  into  exercise. 
 
 II.  Ability  conferred  (ver.  9). 
 
 1.  The  act:  stretching  forth  of  the 
 Divine  hand  =  exertion  of  Divine  power. 
 Something  was  accomplished.  There 
 was  more  than  an  exertion;  an  emanation 
 of  power. 
 
 2.  The  touch  :  it  indicated  Divine 
 energy  communicated.  It  had  passed 
 into  him  whom  the  Hand  touched,  like 
 electric  fluid  into  a  receiver. 
 
 3.  The  localisation  of  power :  the 
 "  mouth."  Jeremiah's  power  was  to 
 be  in  speech ;  not  in  physical  vigour, 
 nor  even  mental  force,  but  in  uttering 
 God-given  "  words."  The  local  incapa- 
 city rectified. 
 
 III.  Communication  intriisted.  "  I 
 have  put  my  ivords  in  thy  mouth."  This 
 was  a  tangible  pledge  of  inspiration. 
 God  committed  His  messages  into  Jere- 
 miah's charge.  Henceforth  he  would 
 not  speak  of  himself,  but  "  as  the  Spirit 
 gave  him  utterance." 
 
 It  was  a  real,  not  imaginary  occur- 
 rence ;  a  positive  contact  of  Deity  with 
 the  now  divinely-endowed  prophet,  and 
 it  imparted  to  him  his  sacred  commission. 
 
 IV.  Installation  completed  (ver.  10). 
 
 1.  The  dividing  line  of  his  life.  "  This 
 day."  A  mere  Anathoth  youth  until 
 that  day ;  henceforth  God's  prophet. 
 "  All  things  become  new." 
 
 2.  His  exalted  mission.  "  Set  over," 
 &c.  God's  deputy  :  placed  as  overseer, 
 above  kings  and  nations,  to  supervise 
 and  control  events.  For  his  word  would 
 work  more  potently  than  royal  designs 
 or  strife  of  armies  (Jer.  xxiii.  29).  The 
 issue  showed  this  (comp.  Acts  v.  38, 
 39). 
 
 V.  Work  defined.  "  To  root  out,"  &c. 
 He  had  the  highest  authority  (comp. 
 Mark  i.  22).  He  moved  amid  magnates 
 doing  Heaven's  behests,  foreshadowing 
 the  Lord's  mission  (John  v.  2).  God's 
 Word  has  much  to  overthroio  and  demo- 
 lish— in  nations,  in  human  habits,  in 
 secret  afi"ections  and  thoughts.  AU 
 forms  of  sin  must  fall  before  its  con- 
 demnations (Heb.  iv.  12,  13).  On  the 
 scene  of  ruin  it  then  begins  "to  build 
 and  plant"  (comp.  Eph.  iii.  20-22, 
 ii.  10). 
 
BOMILETIC  COMMENTARY:  JEREMIAH. 
 
 CHAP.  I. 
 
 Such,  is  the  work  every  man  of  God 
 has  to  do.  Taking  the  sword  of  the 
 Spirit,  he  is  to  exterminate  and  slay  all 
 hostility  to  God;  and  then  to  rear  on 
 the  ruins  of  sin  a  "  holy  temple  unto 
 the  Lord."    "  Our  sufficiency  is  of  God." 
 
 Ver.  9.  Theme:  The  touch  of  God. 
 "  The  Lord  touched  my  viouth." 
 
 Query.  Was  the  act  objective,  or  only 
 subjective ;  an  actual  occurrence,  or 
 an  impression  on  the  inner  conscious- 
 ness? 
 
 "  The  Lord  cannot  literally  have  put 
 His  words  into  the  prophet's  mouth ; 
 He  can  only  have  given  him  the  charism 
 of  which  the  words  were  the  necessary 
 result." — Lange. 
 
 "  Attactus  oris  signum  est  notans  effi- 
 caciam  spiritus  sancti,  quippe  qui  digitus 
 Dei  sit,aperiens  labia  ministrorumverbi" 
 (Ps.  li.  13,  14,  17;  Luke  xxi.  15).— 
 Forster. 
 
 A  purely  subjective  transaction,  "as 
 the  moment  when  the  presentiment  first 
 flashed  clearly  through  the  soul  of  Jere- 
 miah that  his  prophetic  calling  was  of 
 Divine  appointment." — Ewald. 
 
 "A  x^hysical  and  literal  incident;" 
 and  that  "  the  Son  of  God,  in  pre-inti- 
 mation  of  His  blessed  incarnation,  ap- 
 peared to  Jeremiah  in  a  human  form." 
 — Starhe. 
 
 "The  hand  is  the  instrument  of 
 making  and  doing;  the  touching  of 
 Jeremiah's  mouth  by  the  hand  of  God 
 is  consequently  an  emblematic  token 
 that  God  frames  in  his  mouth  what  he 
 is  to  speak.  It  is  a  tangible  pledge  of 
 'ifi'^rvivsig,  inspiratio,  embodiment  of  that 
 influence  exercised  on  the  human  spirit 
 by  means  of  which  holy  men  of  God 
 speak,  being  moved  by  the  Holy  Ghost. 
 The  act  is  a  real  occurrence,  taking  place 
 not  indeed  in  the  earthly,  corporeal 
 sphere,  but  experienced  in  spirit,  and  of 
 the  nature  of  ecstasy." — Keil. 
 
 "  An  appropriate  symbolic  act.  .  .  . 
 The  touching  of  the  lips  of  Isaiah  with 
 a  live  coal  (chap.  vi.  7),  and  the  giving 
 of  a  book  to  Ezekiel  to  eat  (chap.  ii. 
 8-10),  were  similarly  symbolical  of  pro- 
 phetic qualification,  and  implied  a  gift 
 of  inspiration  (comp.  Dan.  x.  16).  In 
 all  these  instances  the  actions  occurred 
 in  supernatural  vision." — Ilendtrson. 
 
 "  The  symbol  of  the  bestowal  of  divine 
 grace  and  help,  by  which  that  want  of 
 eloquence,  which  the  prophet  had  pleaded 
 as  a  disqualification,  was  removed ;  and 
 distinctly  was  an  external  act,  impress- 
 ing itself  objectively  upon  his  conscious- 
 ness, though  in  what  manner  it  is  im- 
 possible for  us  to  tell." — Speaker's 
 Com. 
 
 I.  The  varied  consecLuences  of  the 
 Divine  touch. 
 
 Old  Testament. 
 
 1.  Expiation  (Isa.  vi.  6). 
 
 2.  Inspiration  (Jer.  i.  9  ;  comp.  Ezek. 
 ii.  8-10;  Isa.  li.  16;  comp.  Acts  ii. 
 3). 
 
 3.  Impartation  of  strength  (Dan.  x. 
 16). 
 
 New  Testament. 
 
 Blessing  infants  (Luke  xviii.  15). 
 
 Kemoving  organic  defects  (Mark  vii. 
 32,  viii.  22). 
 
 Curing  diseases  (Matt.  viii.  2,  15). 
 
 Upraising  the  prostrate  (Mark  ix. 
 27). 
 
 Awaking  the  dead  (Luke  vii.  14). 
 
 Eeviving  the  overwhelmed  soul  (Kev. 
 i.  17). 
 
 Infer : 
 
 1.  That  the  hand  of  power  and  re- 
 newal is  the  same  in  the  Old  and  New 
 Testaments.  " My  Father  worketh  hither- 
 to, and  I  work." 
 
 2.  That  all  remedial  changes  in  man 
 are  Divine.  "  He  that  sat  upon  the 
 throne  said,  Behold,  I  make  all  things 
 new  "  (Rev.  xxi.  5).  "  We  are  His  work- 
 manship" (Eph.  ii.  10). 
 
 II.  Human  need  of  the  transforming 
 touch  of  God. 
 
 1.  These  varied  incidents  denote  manh 
 varied  ailments  and  affiictions. 
 
 a.  Incompetent  for  Divine  work  (Isaiah, 
 Jeremiah,  Daniel). 
 
 h.  Suffering  from  physical  malforma- 
 tions and  maladies. 
 
 c.  Bowed  down  before  visions  of  glory 
 (John  on  Patmos). 
 
 2.  The  gracious  issues  of  the  Divine 
 touch  reveal  the  stdtability  and  stijiciency 
 of  grace  in  God. 
 
 Power  unlimited  is  in  His  hand.  The 
 everlasting  hills   tremble  and  smoke  if 
 
 21 
 
CHAP.  I. 
 
 HOMILETIC  COMMENTARY :  JEREMIAB. 
 
 He  toucli  them.  "Right  hand  of  the 
 Lord  doeth  valiantly,"  He  never  stretch- 
 ed forth  His  hand  to  work  on  frail 
 humanity  without  (a.)  immediate  results, 
 no  delay  in  the  remedy;  nor  without  (6.) 
 apjiropriate  results,  the  very  effect  de- 
 sired ensued ;  nor  witliout  (c.)  beneficent 
 results;  in  all  cases  "  He  put  His  hands 
 upon  them  and  blessed  them."  Con- 
 tact with  Christ  is  life-giving,  healthful, 
 saving. 
 
 Ver.   10.     Theme:  The  Pkophet  a 
 
 SUBVERTER  OP  KINGDOMS.  "  /  have  Set 
 thee  over  the  nations"  &c. 
 
 The  strict  and  literal  import  of  words 
 here  used  assign  to  the  Divine  teacher 
 a  sway  above  sceptres,  a  power  mightier 
 than  potentates,  a  spiritual  domination 
 over  dynasties  and  temporal  kings. 
 
 As  he  stands  before  God  he  is  a  mere 
 servant,  a  trembling  child ;  but  as  he 
 stands  in  God's  stead  among  men,  he  is 
 above  rulers  and  princes,  installed  as 
 vicegerent,  swaying  the  destinies  of 
 kingdoms. 
 
 This  title  (P^keed)  is  given  only  to 
 those  invested  with  high  authority — 
 Egyptian  officers  (Gen.  xli.  34),  Abime- 
 lech's  viceroy  (Judges  ix.  28),  the  high- 
 priest's  deputy  (2  Chron.  xxiv.  11),  the 
 Levitical  representative  (Neh.  xi.  22), 
 chief  governor  in  Temple  (Jer.  xx.  1). 
 Jeremiah  was  God's  highest  officer,  su- 
 preme above  monarchs  and  nations. 
 
 I.  His  official  supremacy  and  super- 
 vision.    "  I  have  set  thee  over,"  &c. 
 
 1.  JSmpoivered  tvith  a  sivay  superior 
 to  kings;  for  their  sway  was  soon 
 broken,  their  word  frustrated ;  but  his 
 endured  and  was  accomplished.  For 
 there  was  a  Power  behind  his  word,  and 
 therefore  power  in  his  word. 
 
 They  thought  to  defeat  Jeremiah's  in- 
 fluence by  imprisoning  him ;  but  his 
 sway  went  on.  "  The  tvord  of  God  was  not 
 bound ;  "  it  still  worked  towards  fulfil- 
 ment. Every  living  servant  of  God  is 
 thus  endowed  with  a  sway  and  a  dignity 
 above  potentates.  A  chained  prisoner 
 could  say  to  "King  Agrippa"  and 
 "  noble  Festus,"  "  I  would  to  God  ye 
 were  both  almost  and  altogether  such  as 
 I  am  I " 
 
 2.  Intrusted  with  the  destiny  of  king- 
 doms.    "  He  was  to  have  his  eye  upon 
 
 the  conduct  of  nations,  and  to  utter  pre- 
 dictions of  prosperity  or  adversity  ac- 
 cordingly." —  Henderson.  What  was 
 effected  in  accordance  with,  is  spoken  of 
 as  a  consequence  of,  his  word.  This 
 mode  of  speech  also  indicates  the  cer- 
 tainty of  the  events  he  announced  :  they 
 would  follow  as  effects  of  the  cause. 
 The  projihet's  word  would  thus  deter 
 mine  the  fate  of  nations  (comp.  Ezek. 
 xliii.  3;  Jer.  XXV.  15-17  St?.;  Hos.  vi.  5). 
 
 II.  The  irresistible  activity  of  his 
 word. 
 
 In  this  case  the  spiritual  was  ascen- 
 dant over  temporal  authority.  Divine 
 speech  is  more  stable  than  sceptres ; 
 words  are  mightier  than  swords.  "  His 
 words  were  at  the  same  time  deeds,  real 
 exhibitions  of  power." — Lange.  "  The 
 word  of  God  in  His  prophets  has  power 
 to  do  what  it  says  will  be  done." — Words- 
 worth. "  With  the  words  of  the  Lord 
 he  is  to  destroy  and  to  build  up  peoples 
 and  kingdoms.  The  Word  of  God  is  a 
 power  that  carries  out  His  will,  and 
 accomplishes  that  whereto  He  sends  it 
 (Isa.  Iv.  10  sq.).  Against  this  power 
 nothing  earthly  can  stand." — Keil. 
 
 "  At  first  we  should  say,  '  Such  words 
 can  never  be  applied  in  their  literal  im- 
 port to  any  seer  or  teacher  :  they  belong 
 to  the  warrior  and  the  conqueror.  We 
 must  explain  them  by  a  figure  of  speech 
 — he  who  discourses  of  the  fall  of  king- 
 doms is  represented  as  himself  the  over- 
 thrower  of  them.'  I  do  not  think  that 
 either  the  analogy  of  language  or  the 
 facts  of  the  case  justify  that  method  of 
 interpretation.  If  the  prophet  only 
 talked  of  what  was  happening  or  what 
 was  to  happen,  no  poetical  licence  could 
 permit  us  to  confound  him  with  the 
 subverters  of  thrones  and  societies.  But 
 have  we  yet  to  learn  that  a  great  teacher 
 or  reformer,  though  he  may  never  take 
 a  sword  into  his  hand,  does  that  which 
 swords  cannot  do ;  that  swordsmen,  in 
 fact,  only  carry  out  upon  the  surface 
 that  which  he  is  doing  underground? 
 The  uprooting  of  the  thoughts  and  prin- 
 ciples in  which  acts  originate,  the  plant- 
 ing the  seeds  of  life  which  are  hereafter 
 to  bring  forth  fruits  that  all  will  recog- 
 nise, are  his  functions.  If  he  has  re- 
 ceived any  inspiration,  any  vital  power 
 
EOMILETIO  COMMENTARY :  JEREMIAB. 
 
 CHAP.  t. 
 
 at  all,  it  must  be  one  wliich  enables  him 
 to  produce  a  movement  at  the  very 
 heart  of  human  life  and  society,  in  a 
 region  of  which  the  ordinary  statesman 
 knows  nothing." — Mmirice. 
 
 This  power  would  be  used  for  the 
 most  part  destructively ;  the  overthrow- 
 ing being  expressed  by  four  different 
 similes ;  yet  also  constructively,  though 
 to  a  lesser  extent — only  two  words  de- 
 scribing this  part  of  his  mission.  The 
 first  is  accomplished  by  prophesying 
 Divine  judgment ;  the  second,  by  pro- 
 mising Divine  mercy. 
 
 See  the  power  of  propliecy  (Ezek. 
 xxxvii.  7-10),  and  of  the  Living  Word 
 (Rev.  ii.  16,  xix,  15;  Isa.  xi.  4), 
 
 Ver.  15.  Theme  :  War  the  stroke 
 OF  God. 
 
 "I  will  call,"  =  /  am  calling.  The 
 present  tense  of  Hebrew  indicates  judg- 
 ment has  begun ;  the  Almighty  has 
 risen  up  to  decisive  action ;  a  Voice 
 which  will  be  obeyed  is  calling  for  the 
 long-delayed  retribution ;  Jehovah  is 
 summoning  His  hosts  to  the  war.  (See 
 Addenda  to  chap,  i.,  "  War") 
 
 I.  Divine  punishment  by  human 
 agency.     "  I  will  call,"  &c. 
 
 This  fact  is  the  basis  of  text.  What 
 man  does,  he  does  in  obedience  to  a  Force 
 higher  than  himself.     God  uses  him. 
 
 1.  Miraculous  forms  of  justice  are 
 needless. 
 
 God  has  them,  and  used  them  (2 
 Kings  vi.  15-17,  xix.  35). 
 
 But  the  armies  of  nations  are  His,  to 
 do  with  as  He  wills.  So  also  affliction, 
 accident,  reverses  of  fortune,  mental 
 and  physical  disasters.  Even  crafty 
 and  covetous  men,  who  can  wreck  strong 
 fortresses  of  wealth  and  position,  God 
 can  use. 
 
 2.  Common  incidents  of  calamity  are 
 not  the  less  s^ipernatural.  If  God  em- 
 ploys them,  though  His  hand  be  not 
 seen,  they  are  supernatural.  He  now 
 avoids  the  extraordinary  methods  of  old 
 times,  and  works  by  the  ordinary. 
 
 II.  Jehovah's  forces  of  retribution. 
 "All  the  families  of  the  kingdoms,"  &c.  = 
 Nebuchadnezzar's  motley  combination 
 which  made  up  the  Chaldean  army 
 comp.  Isa.  xiii.  4,  5). 
 
 1.  Armies  assernble  at  His  Lidding. 
 
 Nebuchadnezzar  or  Cyrus  may  lead 
 their  war-hosts  to  the  siege,  but  God 
 reigns  over  rulers  ;  the  "  King  of  kings  " 
 doeth  "  according  to  His  will  among  the 
 armies  of  heaven  and  inhabitants  of 
 earth."  All  wars  have  behind  them  a 
 Divine  use. 
 
 2.  National  overthroiv  testifies  to  na- 
 tional sin.  So  in  Judah's  case.  Guilt 
 is  the  occasion  of  all  catastrophes,  ffis- 
 tory  shows  this  so  with  nations  (see 
 Nineveh,  Babylon,  Jerusalem ;  and  re- 
 cently Paris).  Experience  reveals  the 
 same  law  at  work  among  men. 
 
 III.  Military  counsels  fulfil  God's 
 cominands. 
 
 "  They  shall  set  every  one  his 
 throne,"  &c. ;  indicating  a  tribunal  of 
 judgment,  a  council  of  war  concerning 
 the  fate  of  Jerusalem.  The  decision 
 would  be  as  God  had  determined  (comp. 
 Critical  Notes,  above,  8). 
 
 1.  Over  decisions  of  coiirt  the  '^  Judge 
 of  all  the  earth"  presides.  This  still 
 true  concerning  senates,  chambers,  par- 
 liaments. See  the  fact  as  relating  to  our 
 Lord  (Acts  iv.  27,  28,  ii.  23  ;  Isa.  xiv. 
 24-27). 
 
 2.  Over  the  plots  of  armies  the  "  Lord 
 of  hosts  "  sways  rxde.  Their  stratagems 
 He  oft  defeated;  their  designs  He 
 sometimes  prospered.  (See  "  Scripture 
 battles.")  This  equally  true  of  2^lots  of 
 iviclced  against  righteous,  and  of  hellish 
 foes  (Ps.  xxxvii.   12,    13;  Ezek.  xxxv. 
 
 10  ;  Ptev.  XX.  9). 
 
 IV.  Foes  sweep  down  on  those  whom 
 God  abandons.  "  Every  one  his  throne 
 against  Jerusalem." 
 
 1.  The  protection  of  Providence  with- 
 dratvn,  they  invite  the  spoilers.  "  Where 
 the  carcase  is,  there  the  eagles  will 
 gather  together." 
 
 2.  The  restraint  of  Providence  tvith- 
 draivn,  the  spoilers  hasten  to  the  prey. 
 Just  as  serpents  in  the  wilderness  rushed 
 into  camp  as  soon  as  God's  restraining 
 care  was  forfeited. 
 
 a.  Unkept  by  God,  our  life  is^  hourly 
 imperilled.  How  different  this  from  Ps 
 xci.  1-7. 
 
 b.  Around  those  Divinely  forsaken  the 
 hosts  of  evil  quickly  assemble. 
 
 c.  Left  to  our  enemies  ensures  utter  ruin. 
 As  with  Judali  (2  Tbess.  ii.  10-12). 
 
 ^3 
 
HOMILETIC  COMMENTARY :  JEREMIAH. 
 
 Ver.  1 G.  "  /  loill  utter  my  judgments '^ 
 &c.  This  phrase,  "to  speak  or  pronounce 
 judgment,"  is  properly  to  have  a  lawsuit 
 with  one,  an  expression  peculiar  to 
 Jeremiah  [cf.  iv.  12,  xii,  1,  xxxix.  5), 
 is  equivalent  to  pleading  with  a  person 
 {cf.  xii.  1  with  ii.  35 ;  Ezek.  xx.  35), 
 and  signifies  not  only  remonstrating 
 against  wrong-doing,  but  also  the  pass- 
 ing of  condemnation,  and  so  includes 
 trial  and  sentencing. — Keil. 
 
 "  To  pronounce  a  judgment  or  judi- 
 cial sentence  upon  any  one.  Jehovah 
 threatened  the  Jews  with  punishment 
 on  account  of  their  rebellious  conduct ; 
 He  now  declares  He  will  carry  His 
 threatenings  into  effect  by  means  of  their 
 enemies,  who  would  sit  in  judgment  and 
 inflict  the  calamities  upon  them  they 
 merited.  The  sentences  delivered  by 
 the  foreign  princes  would  be  in  effect 
 the  judgments  of  God.  He  would  em- 
 ploy them  as  His  instruments  in  carrying 
 them  into  execution." — Henderson. 
 
 "  By  the  capture  of  Jerusalem  God  as 
 judge  pronounces  solemn  condemnation 
 upon  her." — Speaker's  Com. 
 
 "Viewed  in  one  light,  war  is  the 
 boiling  caldron  of  human  passion,  upset 
 by  hazard,  and  bringing  only  ruin  in  its 
 course  ;  in  the  other,  it  is  God  sitting  in 
 judgment,  with  the  kings  of  the  earth 
 as  His  assessors,  solemnly  pronouncing 
 judgment  upon  the  guilty." — Idem. 
 
 Through  these  idolatrous  enemies  of 
 God's  people  Jehovah  would  execute 
 His  judgments. 
 
 Theme :  Unconscious  Divine  agents. 
 
 I.  Divine  control  over  the  ivorTcings  of 
 the  human  will. 
 
 II.  The  ungodly  may  unknowingly 
 further  God's  designs.  So  Joseph's 
 brethren  who  sold  him.  So  Israel's 
 enemies  in  the  wilderness. 
 
 III.  HecJcless  hostility  may  hut  ohey 
 II is  behests.  "  The  wrath  of  man  shall 
 praise  Him."  Indulging  their  idolatrous 
 hatred,  they  wrecked  the  Temple  and 
 the  city  of  God,  and  thus  chastised 
 Judah  as  God  designed ;  and  fulfilled 
 prophecy,  thus  confirming  revelation  for 
 after-time. 
 
 IV.  Man  in  his  most  impious  moods 
 IS  still  a  subject  of  Divine  government. 
 
 2t 
 
 The  godless  cannot  repel  the  Almighty 
 from  their  lives.  He  may  work  by  their 
 very  impiety,  and  compel  them  blindly 
 to  obey  Him. 
 
 V.  T'o  be  in  the  hands  of  God  for  His 
 use  in  our  7'ebellion,  forewarns  our  being 
 in  His  hands  for  our  just  requital.  As 
 Egypt  (Jer.  xlvi.  13);  as  Chaldea  ( Jer. 
 1.  1-3,  9,  10). 
 
 Ver.  17.  I.  God's  method  of  holding 
 judgment.  Brings  nations  before  Jeru- 
 salem, and  lets  them  determine  the  fate 
 of  the  city.  Their  resolves  respecting 
 Jerusalem  would  express  God's  thought 
 and  plan. 
 
 II.  God's  chastisements  are  based  upon 
 deserts.  "  Judgments  touching  their 
 wickedness,"  &c.  They  would  suffer 
 nothing  they  had  not  merited.  Judicial 
 sentence,  righteous,  deserved. 
 
 Ver.  17.  Theme:  Heroism  in  God's 
 SEEVICE.  "Gird  up  thy  loins,  stand 
 and  speak,"  &c. 
 
 Girding  the  loins  =  resolute  prepara- 
 tion for  the  performance  of  duty.  A 
 metaphor  :  the  Orientals,  who  wore  long 
 robes,  bound  them  up  with  a  girdle  ere 
 attempted  work  or  started  on  journey 
 (comp.  2  Kings  iv.  29 ;  Job  xxxviii.  3 ; 
 Luke  xii.  35 ;  Eph.  vi.  14).  God  here 
 summons  Jeremiah  to 
 
 (a.)  Earnest  exertion  ;  (&.)  firm  pur- 
 pose ;  (c.)  ready  alacrity ;  (d.)  cheerful 
 hope,  not  despairing  that  good  might 
 ensue  from  his  ministry. 
 
 He  is  further  reminded  that 
 
 (a.)  Fear  is  a  snare  and  dishonour. 
 (6.)  God  is  greater  than  the  greatest, 
 therefore  should  His  servants  bear  them- 
 selves with  assurance.  (c.)  Cowardice 
 will  entail  confusion  and  contempt. 
 "  With  what  measure  ye  mete,  it  shall 
 be  measured  to  you  again."  (Addenda 
 to  chap,  i.,  "  Courage  before  Icings.") 
 
 I.  God  will  be  served  by  courageous, 
 not  by  craven  souls. 
 
 A  ministry  of  "  whispering  humble- 
 ness" is  puerile  and  revolting.  The  age 
 wants  men.  Men  appreciate  manly  for- 
 titude. God  is  dishonoured  by  a  fawn- 
 ing ambassador.  Lion-hearted  preachers 
 wanted. 
 
 II.  God's  work  regtuires  resolute 
 preparation  and  purpose. 
 
 "  Gird  and  stand,"  =  Equip  thyself. 
 
HOMILETW  COMMENTARY :  JEREMIAE.  chap.  I. 
 
 and  with  a  stalwart  heart  preach  My  all-covjquering  importunity,  "lest  their 
 
 words  to  the  land,  blood  be  required  at  thy  band  "  (Ezek. 
 
 \.  It  \^2i  determined  work.    "Whether  xxxiii.).     "  Necessity  is  laid  upon  me  ; 
 
 they  will  hear  or  forbear."  yea,  woe,"  &c.  (1  Cor.  ix.  1^6,  17). 
 
 2.  It  is  a  denounci7ig  work.  "  Speak  3.  With  tmabashed  fortitude,  remem- 
 to  them  all  that  I  command,"  "against  hexing  forWhom he speaJcs.  "I  command 
 kings,"  &c.,  ver.  18.  thee:"     "be    not    dismayed    at    their 
 
 3.  It  is  a  destructive  work.  "  To  root  faces."  For  who  is  man,  even  the 
 out,  pull  down,"  &c.,  ver.  10.  mightiest,  when  God  is  in  our  thought  ? 
 
 4.  It  is  a  Divine  work.  In  God's  What  can  man  do  to  silence  us,  when 
 stead  and  name,  speak.  "  Who  suffi-  we  bethink  of  the  eternal  issues  at  stake, 
 cient  1 "  and  the  urgency  of  redemption  t 
 
 III  God's  servants  must  confront  Ver.  18  and  19  suggest  further 
 
 all  menaces  with  a  dauntless  faitli  in  IV.  God's  witness  assured  of  invin- 
 
 Him.  cible  strength. 
 
 1.  As    one    hearing    aioful    tidings,  1.  The  hostile  array,  ver.  18. 
 which  must  not  be  trifled  with.    "  Stand  2.  Their  malevolent  treatment,  ver. 
 and  speak  all  I  command  thee."  19. 
 
 2.  As  a  messenger  who  will  himself  he  3.  His  impregnable  strength,  ver.  18. 
 condemned  if  he  fail  in  his  charge.  4.  His  Almighty  fortress,  yex.  19,  "I 
 Warn  the  people;  with  earnestness,  and  am  with  thee." 
 
 OUTLINES  ON  NOTICEABLE  TOPICS  AND  TEXTS. 
 
 Ver.  5.  Topic;  The  Divine  Formation  of  a  Human  Life.  Text:  "/ 
 formed  thee." 
 
 This  rectifies  the  scientific  idea  of  natural  development ;  asserts  an  Active  Cause 
 working  for  definite  ends  in  the  instance  of  an  individual ;  that  God  has  some- 
 thing to  do  with  our  formation  and  our  career. 
 
 It  also  explains  the  startling  individuality  of  character  and  work  which  is  often 
 apparent,  and  which  cannot  be  accounted  for  by  parentage  and  circumstances; 
 children  do  not  reproduce  their  ancestry  always ;  grand  departures  from  the  rule 
 have  given  the  ages  their  greatest  and  most  useful  men.  Hence  it  is  right  to 
 affirm  that 
 
 I.  Individuality  of  character  and  life  is  a  specific  creation  of  God. 
 
 1.  Our  natural  qualities  are  not  accidents  of  human  progeniture.  (See  Addenda 
 to  chap,  i.,  ^^  Divine  formation  of  a  life") 
 
 2.  Our  religious  disposition  is  not  determined  by  domestic  culture — e.g.,  Manas- 
 seh  was  the  wicked  son  of  good  Hezekiah,  Josiah  the  good  son  of  wicked  Amon. 
 
 3.  Our  personality  is  a  factor  in  society  which  God  authorises  and  employs. 
 Ergo,  a.  The  sacredness  of  our  individuality. 
 
 h.  God's  interest  in  each  life,  and  our  use  of  life. 
 
 c.  Our  place  in  Divine  regard.     His  readiness  to  befriend  and  bless.     His 
 
 desire  for  our  piety  and  salvation.     He  who  made  us,  made  us  for 
 
 Himself,  for  His  glory  and  our  weal. 
 II.  The  Divine  purposes  forecast  the  issues  of  human  birth. 
 
 1.  Our  existence  argues  that  there  is  a  place  for  us  in  the  world;  awaiting  us, 
 suited  to  us,  needing  us. 
 
 2.  Our  being  in  the  world  is  itself  an  incentive  to  the  faithful  use  of  life. 
 
 3.  Our  special  aptitudes  denote  and  designate  our  calling.  God  gives  us  our 
 distinctive  powers.  His  purpose  for  us  is  that  we  use  ourselves,  and  in  the  most 
 useful  way,  and  that  we  make  earthly  existence  a  pathway  to  eternal  blessedness 
 aud  reward. 
 
 25 
 
HOMILETIC  COMMENTARY :  JEREMIAH. 
 
 III.  A  mission  on  earth  is  predetermined  to  the  man  of  God.  "  I  ordained 
 thee  a  prophet." 
 
 God  does  not  ordain  the  careers  of  evil  men.  Men  are  free  to  resist  and  reverse 
 God's  plans  for  thera.     They  are  not  helpless  slaves  of  Divine  decrees. 
 
 1.  For  the  Divine  servant  there  awaits  a  Divine  service.  "  Lord,  what  wilt 
 Thon  have  me  to  do  ? " 
 
 2.  A  life  of  religious  usefulness  works  out  God's  plans.  Ergo,  His  plans  are 
 beneficent.  He  who  uses  life  to  bless  others,  and  brings  wanderers  back  to  God, 
 does  what  God  desires  and  designs. 
 
 3.  No  career  of  godly  activity  can  be  fruitless  or  unrewarded.  For  it  effects 
 what  God  arranged.     And  "God  is  not  unrighteous  to  forget  your  work,"  &c. 
 
 IV.  Ec[uipment  for  sacred  duties  is  the  effect  of  Divine  grace.  "  I  sanctified 
 thee." 
 
 Catholic  theologians  argue  that  Jeremiah  was  born  without  original  sin.  Neuman 
 interprets  the  statement  as  that  the  Holy  Spirit  was  communicated  to  him  before 
 birth.  Hoffman,  Henderson,  Lange,  &c.,  regard  the  word  as  denoting  the  sacred 
 designation  of  his  life. 
 
 1.  The  importance  of  a  good  life,  both  to  God  .And  man.  The  life  we  live  does 
 affect  Him  who  formed  us,  and  its  influence  on  others  may  be  vast  and  imperish- 
 able.    What  majestic  work  one  life  may  do  for  God ! 
 
 2.  A  life  wrecked  and  wasted  by  sin  is  a  calamity.  It  arrests  the  aim  of  God's 
 grace ;  it  adds  some  force  to  the  rule  of  evil ;  it  deprives  a  man  of  his  birthright ; 
 it  is  a  melancholy  perversion  and  an  irremediable  catastrophe.  Even  if  the  soul  is 
 saved  at  the  last,  the  life  is  lost. 
 
 3.  Divine  grace  avails  for  the  salvation  and  sanctification  of  each  one.  Jere- 
 miah, like  Paul,  only  illustrates  the  fulness  of  redemption,  the  abounding  grace  of 
 God  for  others  (1  Tim.  i.  16). 
 
 Ver.  7.  To2nc:  The  Hctman  Outcry  Silenced.  Text:  '■'The  Lord  said  unto 
 me,  Say  not/" 
 
 This  outcry  was  born  of  shrinking,  lowliness,  apprehension.  It  indicated  a  lack 
 of  fortitude  and  faith.  If  allowed  to  rule,  it  would  have  arrested  God's  plans,  and 
 deprived  Judah  of  one  of  her  noblest  prophets,  and  of  a  warning  ministry  urgently 
 needed. 
 
 I.  The  human  heart  is  prone  to  speak  out  against  God. 
 
 1.  In  self-assertion,  (a.)  Sometimes  2^'>'ide  objects  to  God's  commands  and  plans  : 
 "  I  dislike  this  kind  of  service,  this  mode  of  salvation.  It  levels  me  ! "  (6.)  Or 
 self-will  utters  itself  :  "  I  cannot  bow,  cannot  acquiesce,  cannot  think  it  right.  My 
 will,  not  Thine,  be  done  ! " 
 
 2.  In  self -excusing,  (a.)  Coivardice  tremblingly  pleads  :  "  I  cannot  take  up  that 
 cross.  I  should  make  shipwreck  of  faith.  I  am  not  fit  to  serve."  {b.)  Indifference 
 answers  with  subtle  voice :  "  Sacrifice  is  not  required  of  all.  God  cannot  have 
 given  pleasures  merely  to  deny  them.  It  is  not  urgent  that  I  seek  the  Lord,  or  do 
 His  bidding."  (c.)  Graceless Immility  urges  its  plea  :  "I  am  unworthy.  I  am  not 
 qualified.     Surely  God  doesn't  mean  or  want  me  !  " 
 
 II.  Heaven's  claims  override  all  human  reluctance. 
 
 1.  God  lias  rightfid  authority  over  His  creatures.  "  Thou,  Eelshazzar,  hast  not 
 humbled  thine  heart,  but  hast  lifted  up  thyself  against  the  Lord  of  heaven ;  and  the 
 God  in  whose  hand  thy  breath  is,  and  whose  are  all  thy  ways,  hast  thou  not  glori- 
 fied" (Dan.  V.  22,  23).  "Ye  call  me  Master  and  Lord,  and  ye  say  well,  for  so  I 
 am!"  (Johnxiii.  13). 
 
 2.  Man's  true  attitude  is  unhesitating  acqtiiescence.  "  Who  art  thou  that  repliest 
 against  thy  Malcer  1 " 
 
 3.  Divine  2)rescience  never  errs  in  demands.  It  is  folly,  therefore,  and  presump- 
 tion for  us  to  question.     He  does  not  mistake  the  man  or  the  appointment.     He 
 
 26 
 
HOMILETIC  COMMENTARY:  JEREMIAH.  chap.  I. 
 
 never  calls  to  service  or  salvation  the  wrong  person  (John  vi.  45  and  37 ;  Rev. 
 xxii.  17). 
 
 III.  God  silences  altercation,  and  summons  to  obedience.  "  Say  not ! "  "  Thou 
 shalt  go  ;  thou  shalt  speak." 
 
 With  unquestioning  promptitude  we  should  reply  to  His  call,  "  Speak,  Lord,  for 
 Thy  servant  heareth."     His  work  is  solemn,  urgent,  all-constraining. 
 
 1.  Our  luill  and  faculties  subordinated  to  God.  Even  as  Abraham  "  oJeye^i,  mo^ 
 hioxving  whither  he  went."  Do  not  raise  a  difficulty  in  the  way  of  God's  plans. 
 If  He  wants  to  «se  you,  let  Him ;  if  to  save  you,  let  Him ;  if  to  honour  you,  let 
 Him.     "  It  is  the  Lord  ;  let  Him  do  what  seemeth  Him  good  !  " 
 
 2.  Our  lives  expe7ided  in  service  for  God.  Times  of  sore  hardship  may  make  us 
 falter  ;  ready  again  to  sj)eak  out  against  God.  "  Then  I  said,  I  will  7wt  make  men- 
 tion of  Him,  nor  speak  any  more  in  His  name,"  &c.  (xx.  8,  9).  But  our  sole  course 
 is  to  "  endure  to  the  end." 
 
 3.  Our  entire  self  completely  abandoned  to  God.  No  word  of  excuse  (Luke  ix. 
 57-end,  xiv.  18).  No  looking  back.  No  reservation  (Luke  xviii.  28).  For  "ye 
 are  not  your  own."  Calvin's  motto  on  his  crest  was,  "  I  give  Thee  all ;  I  keep  back 
 nothing  for  myself."    (See  Addenda  to  chap,  i.,  "  Obedience.''^) 
 
 Ver.  10.  Tojnc:  Charge  to  Pastoes  :  their  Work  defined.  Text:  "  See  I 
 have  this  day  set  thee  over  nations  and  over  kingdoms  to  root  out,  and  to  2ndl  down, 
 and  to  destroy,  and  to  throw  doivn,  to  build,  and  to  plant." 
 
 Differences  between  the  prophet's  and  pastor's  office :  his  an  extraordinary, 
 yours  ordinary :  his  was  to  be  exercised  over  nations  and  kingdoms,  yours  over  a 
 church  and  congregation. 
 
 Yet,  even  in  his  case,  there  was  no  civil  power :  he  was  no  pope :  nor  was  he  in- 
 vested with  the  authority  of  a  modern  bishop  :  no  secular  sway ;  he  pulled  down 
 and  built  up  prophetically.  Though  you  have  no  such  power  as  this,  given  by 
 extraordinary  inspiration,  yet  in  the  way  of  declaring  God's  word,  "whosesoever 
 sins  you  remit,  they  are  remitted,  and  whosesoever  sins  you  retain,  they  are  re- 
 tained." 
 
 Your  labour  is  less,  yet  the  nature  of  your  work  is  the  same ;  and  the  same 
 spirit  of  faithfulness  is  required  over  a  few  things  as  over  many. 
 
 Your  work  is  divided  into  two  parts  : 
 
 1.  To  discourage  evil,  "  root  out,  pull  down,  destroy,  and  throw  down." 
 
 2.  To  encourage  good,  "  build  and  plant." 
 
 The  imagery  is  of  two  kinds  :  that  of  a  house,  and  that  of  a  garden. 
 
 1.  The  Church  is  God's  house,  God's  building,  and  you  are  appointed  to  "labour 
 together  with  God,"  to  pull  down,  destroj^,  and  throw  down  the  rubbish,  and  then 
 to  build  upon  a  new  and  good  foundation. 
 
 2.  The  Church  is  also  God's  garden,  and  you  are  appointed  to  work  in  it,  keep 
 it  in  order,  root  out  weeds,  plant  and  cultivate  the  godly  fruit. 
 
 I.  Inquire  what  are  the  evils  against  which,  you  must  contend,  and  the 
 methods  you  are  to  adopt  in  this  opposition.  ■      n  i    xi- 
 
 1.  By  your  imblic  ministry  root  out  errors  in  doctrine.  Respecting  God :  His 
 cliaracter,  His  ways  with  men,  His  law,  both  in  precepts  and  penalty.  Respecting 
 Christ :  defend  His  dignity,  maintain  His  atonement.  Respecting  your^  people  : 
 such  as  self-righteousness  and  presumptuous  hope.  Pull  down  also  the  vain  expec- 
 tations of  sinners. 
 
 2.  By  hading  the  Church,  in  the  exercise  of  faithful  discipline,  root  out  evil-doers. 
 Churches,  formerly  respectable  and  prosperous,  are  decaying  for  want  of  disciplme. 
 Some  pervert  the  parable  of  wheat  and  tares  as  excuse  for  negligence ;  but  the 
 field  is  the  xuorld,  not  the  Church. 
 
 3.  By  rendering  your  'pastoral  visits  subservient  to  the  purposes  of  conviction  and 
 
HOMILETIC  COMMENTARY:  JEREMIAH. 
 
 correction.  There  are  cases  which  you  could  not  toucli  in  the  pulpit  without  irri- 
 tating ;  others  whicli  do  not  fall  under  church  censure,  which  should  come  within 
 the  cognisance  of  the  pastor.  This  is  difficult ;  consequently  some  have  declined 
 it,  pleading  it  would  offend  and  damage  the  cause.  Leave  results  with  Christ. 
 Yet  all  may  be  done  without  offence  :  mingle  counsel  and  encouragement  with  cen- 
 sure, as  did  Paul  with  the  Corinthians. 
 
 II.  What  is  that  good  which  you  are  to  encourage :  what  the  work  denoted  by 
 building  and  planting  1 
 
 In  general,  encourage  and  impart  just  sentiments.  Encourage  and  cultivate  lioly 
 tempers  and  disjoositions.  A  company  of  modest,  humble,  upright,  diligent,  holy 
 people  evidences  "  a  good  minister,"     But  more  particularly — 
 
 1.  As  a  Builder. 
 
 1.  Be  sure  you  lay  a  right  foundation.  Christ  is  the  foundation  :  of  God's  lay- 
 ing, of  apostles'  and  prophets' ;  and  you  must  lay  Him  as  the  foundation  of  faith 
 and  holiness. 
 
 2.  See  that  your  materials  he  fitly  framed  together  (Eph.  ii.  21) :  implying 
 that 
 
 a.  They  be  hewed  and  squared.  What  could  a  company  of  proud,  prejudiced 
 professors  do  together  with  the  godly  ]     These  sins  must  be  cut  off. 
 
 h.  They  he  formed  hy  the  same  rule.  Whatever  variety,  in  some  respects  there 
 must  be  uniformity  :  similarity  of  views ;  hearts  renewed  after  image  of  Christ ; 
 for  "what  fellowship,"  &c.  (2  Cor.  vi.  14-18). 
 
 c.  Every  one  he  put  in  the  situation  for  which  he  is  formed.  Some  have  splendid 
 gifts,  stones  in  front  of  building,  for  ornament  and  strength.  Others  have  more 
 private  excellences,  affectionate  in  counsel,  grave  in  deportment.  Every  gift  should 
 be  disposed  of  as  that  it  shall  be  of  greatest  use  to  the  whole.  Offices  filled  by 
 men  because  of  their  property,  perverts  this  law. 
 
 3.  8o  frame  the  ivhole  as  that  it  may  he  a  fit  habitation  for  God.  It  must  be 
 God's  house,  not  yours.  Because  of  Nebuchadnezzar's  vanity,  "  This  is  the  house 
 /  have  built ! "  All  buildings  are  with  a  view  to  habitation.  Build  so  that  God 
 may  take  up  His  abode  with  you. 
 
 2.  As  a  Planter. 
 
 1,  Sow  "wholly  a  right  seed." 
 
 2,  Give  attention  to  the  plants  as  you  see  them  grow. 
 
 3,  Cultivate  them  by  every  means, 
 
 4,  Pray  that  they  may  be  watered  by  the  Holy  Spirit. 
 
 a.  While  pulling  down  or  building,  rooting  out  or  planting,  in  God's  house  and 
 vineyard,  do  not  overloolc  your  own.  Personal  religion  is  of  utmost  importance  to  a 
 minister. 
 
 b.  Consider  that  you  are  "  a  labourer  together  with  God."  He  that  employs  you 
 will  reward  you. — liev.  Andrew  Fuller. 
 
 Ver.  19.     Topic:  Opposition.     Text:  "  And  they  shall  fight  against  thee,"  dec. 
 
 Every  servant  of  God  sure  to  meet  opposition.  In  proportion  as  we  are  faithful 
 to  God  expect  to  be  assailed  by  man.  Doctrines,  habits,  and  acts  of  true  servants 
 of  God  antagonistic  to  maxims  and  tastes  of  world  :  they  are  protests  against  what 
 sinners  love.  Success  in  God's  service  fills  them  with  alarm  :  "  these  men  turn 
 world  upside  down ; "  and  would  expel  us  from  every  paradise  of  pleasure,  cut  off 
 every  supply  of  gratification,  and  abandon  us  to  a  life  of  melancholy. 
 
 I.  The  vehemence  of  our  foes.     "  Fight  against  thee." 
 
 Not  fight  against  princijde  so  much  as  persons.  Aim  to  wound  the  saint  more 
 than  refute  his  doctrine. 
 
 1.  Formerly  this  virulence  was  manifested  in  revolting  cruelties  ;  lit  fires  of 
 martyrdom ;  crowded  prisons  with  sufferers  for  conscience'  sake ;  drove  thousands 
 28 
 
HOMILETIC  COMMENTARY :  JEREMIAH. 
 
 CHAP.  I. 
 
 into  exile ;  even  disturbed  ashes  of  pious  dead  to  emphasise  their  execrations  of  the 
 living. 
 
 2.  Now  opposition  resorts  to  more  secret,  though  not  less  deadly  means.  Seeks  to 
 prison  confidence  and  joys ;  impede  progress,  disturb  peace,  destroy  spirituality. 
 
 The  angel  of  tolerance  and  specious  doctrine  is  seen,  not  the  foul  enemy :  but 
 the  same  implacable  heart  of  hate  prompts  hostility.  "They  shall  fight"  to  end 
 of  time,  though  methods  vary. 
 
 II.  The  certainty  of  our  security.     "  They  shall  not  prevail." 
 
 Saints  may  be  weary,  maimed,  fearful,  but  cannot  be  ultimately  defeated.  False 
 professors  will  fall  a  prey  :  indeed  they  tempt  the  tempter ;  but  true  men  are  sure 
 of  victory.     Issue  has  ever  been,  "  We  are  more  than  conquerors." 
 
 III.  The  source  of  our  confidence.     "  I  am  with  thee,  to  deliver  thee." 
 This  assures 
 
 1.  The  abiding  presence  of  the  Lord.  Near  to  observe  our  behaviour,  hear  our 
 entreaties,  stimulate  our  hearts. 
 
 2.  The  constant  manifestation  of  the  poiver  of  the  Lord.  "  To  deliver ;"  i.e.,  such 
 help  shall  be  vouchsafed  that  every  one  of  His  soldiers  shall  "  work  out  his  own 
 salvation." 
 
 Word  of  caution  :  Let  us  be  careful  that  our  enemies  are  the  enemies  of  truth ; 
 that  our  strict  adherence  to  Divine  commandments  is  the  sole  occasion  of  their 
 hostility. 
 
 If  we  suffer,  let  it  be  for  the  kingdom  of  heaven's  sake,  or  we  shall  not  inherit 
 the  benediction. 
 
 It  is  possible  to  fight  for  God,  and  yet  not  be  fighting  with  God,  nor  with 
 Divinely-appointed  means:  in  which  case  defeat  is  neither  wonderful  nor  un- 
 deserved.— "  Sermon  Framework." 
 
 ADDENDA  TO  CHAPTER  I:  ILLUSTRATIONS  AND  SUGGESTIVE  EXTRACTS. 
 
 Ver.  1,  ^^  Anathoth."  A  poor  village 
 of  some  twenty  houses,  built  among 
 white  rocks  and  white  ruins,  on  a  bare, 
 grey  mountain  side.  No  trees,  no  ver- 
 dure, no  richness,  no  grandeur,  no 
 beauty :  amid  mountain  solitudes  and 
 rocky  dells,  he  (Jeremiah)  mourned  and 
 wept  over  the  foreseen  calamities  of  his 
 beloved  country.  .  .  .  One  can  trace 
 in  nearly  all  the  images  and  illustrations 
 with  which  his  writings  abound,  the 
 influence  of  those  wild  scenes  amid 
 which  he  passed  his  boyhood.  Moun- 
 tains, rocks,  wild  beasts,  shepherds,  are 
 again  and  again  introduced. — Dr.  Porter^ s 
 ''Syria's  Holy  Places." 
 
 Hither  to  his  "  fields  "  Abiathar  was 
 banished  by  Solomon  after  the  failure  of 
 his  attempt  to  put  Adonijah  on  the 
 throne  (1  Kings  ii.  26),  This  was  the 
 native  place  of  Abiezer,  one  of  David's 
 thirty  captains  (2  Sam.  xxiii.  27),  and 
 of  Jehu  (1  Chron.  xii.  3).  The  "  men 
 of  Anathoth"  returned  from  the  cap- 
 tivity  with   Zerubbabel   (Ezra   ii.    23 ; 
 
 Neh.  vii.  27).  .  .  .  The  cultivation 
 of  the  priests  survives  in  tilled  fields  of 
 grain,  with  figs  and  olives.  .  .  .  The 
 quarries  still  supply  Jerusalem  with 
 building-stone. — Dr.  Smith's  Dictionary. 
 
 Mean  as  the  place  is  now,  it  was  then  a 
 walled  town,  and  its  ruins  still  afford  some 
 traces  of  its  ancient  importance. — Kitto. 
 
 "  Son  of  Hilhiah."  Parentage.  A 
 young  minister,  when  about  to  be  or- 
 dained, stated  that  at  one  period  of  his 
 life  he  was  nearly  an  infidel.  "  But," 
 said  he,  "there  was  one  argument  in 
 favour  of  Christianity  which  I  could 
 never  refute — the  consistent  conduct  of 
 my  father." 
 
 Richard  Cecil,  from  contemplating 
 his  mother's  holy  character  and  inward 
 peace,  was  persuaded  of  the  Faith,  and 
 led  to  consecrate  his  life  to  most  success- 
 ful devotion  to  the  Redeemer. 
 
 Plato,  seeing  a  child  do  mischief, 
 went  and  corrected  the  father  for  it. 
 
 Ver.  2,  3.  Mutations  of  life.  When 
 one  sea  floweth,  another  ebbeth.    When 
 
 29 
 
no  MI  LET IC  COMMENTARY:  JEREMIAH. 
 
 one  star  risetb,  another  setteth.  When 
 light  is  in  Goshen,  darkness  is  in  Egypt. 
 When  Mordecai  groweth  into  favour, 
 Haman  groweth  out  of  favour.  When 
 Benjamin  beginneth,  Kachel  endeth. 
 Thus  we  are  rising  or  setting,  getting  or 
 spending,  winning  or  losing,  growing  or 
 fading,  until  we  arrive  at  heaven  or 
 hell. — Henry  Smith. 
 
 Fredestination.  "If  Jeremiah  had 
 fancied  he  was  a  prophet  because  there 
 was  in  him  a  certain  aptitude  for 
 uttering  Divine  discourses  and  foreseeing 
 calamities,  who  can  tell  the  weariness 
 and  loathing  he  would  have  felt  for  his 
 task  when  it  led  to  no  seeming  results, 
 except  the  dislike  of  all  against  or  for 
 whom  it  was  exercised, — still  more  when 
 the  powers  and  graces  which  were 
 supposed  to  be  the  qualification  for  it 
 became  consciously  feeble.  Nothing 
 but  a  witness,  the  more  sure  for  being 
 secret,  '  thou  wast  marked  and  sealed 
 for  this  function  before  thou  hadst  done 
 good  or  evil ;  all  thy  powers  are  endow- 
 ments to  fit  thee  for  fulfilling  thy  voca- 
 tion, but  do  not  constitute  it ;  .  .  .  it 
 may  produce  nothing  but  pain  to  thy- 
 self and  to  those  who  are  brought  with- 
 in thy  influence  ;  .  .  .  still  the  words 
 must  be  spoken,  the  acts  must  be  done ; 
 for  they  are  not  thy  words  or  thy  acts; ' — 
 nothing  but  such  a  persuasion,  written 
 and  rewritten  in  a  man's  heart,  could 
 sustain  him  against  the  conflicts,  out- 
 ward and  inward,  which  pursue  the 
 true  prophet." — Maurice's  ^^ Frophets  and 
 Kings." 
 
 Ver.  5.  Divine  formation  of  a  life. 
 
 Fore-ordination.  "  Fropheta  nascitur 
 non  Jit.  A  man  is  not  educated  unto 
 a  prophet,  but  originally  formed  for  the 
 office.  Samuel  declared  a  message  from 
 God  to  Eli  when  he  was  a  little  child. 
 Note,  God  can,  when  He  pleases,  make 
 children  prophets,  and  ordain  strength 
 out  of  the  mouths  of  babes  and  suck- 
 lings."— M.  Henry. 
 
 Children  do  not  always  reproduce  their 
 I'iarents. 
 
 Origen  had  Christian  parents,  but 
 Clement  of  Alex.,  and  Justin  Martyr 
 Avere  born  and  trained  amid  heathenism  \ 
 rising  like  stars  out  of  night.  St. 
 Francis  of  Assisi,  again,  had  parents 
 30 
 
 who  were  gross,  brutal,  and  sordid; 
 whereas  he  himself  became  one  of  the 
 loveliest,  holiest,  and  most  self-abnegat- 
 ing of  men  which  Christendom  has 
 known.  Erasmus,  also,  the  eminent 
 Christian  scholar,  had  a  parentage  whose 
 history  was  one  of  sorrow,  shame,  and 
 monastic  bigotry;  yet  he  rose  to  great 
 usefulness  and  honour  in  the  Church. 
 Parentage  does  not  always  determine 
 the  character  and  career  of  the  child. 
 
 Ver.  6.  "  /  am  a  child."  Lowliness  of 
 mind.  "  Self-distrust  is  the  first  proof 
 we  give  of  having  obtained  a  knowledge 
 of  ourselves." — Zimmerman.  St.  Augus- 
 tine being  asked.  What  is  the  first  thing 
 in  religion  1  replied,  Humility ;  and 
 what  is  the  second  ?  Humility  :  and 
 what  the  third  ?  Humility.  "  Humility 
 is  the  truest  abstinence  in  the  world. 
 It  is  abstinence  from  self-love  and  self- 
 conceit,  the  hardest  and  severest  absti- 
 nence." "  Humility  leads  to  the  highest 
 distinction,  because  it  leads  to  self- 
 improvement." — Sir  B.  Brodie.  "We 
 must  be  little  children  in  our  own  sight, 
 in  order  to  be  prophets." — Bishop) 
 Wordsworth.  God  dwells  with  tlie 
 humble. 
 
 "  The    saint    that  wears  heaven's   brightest 
 crown 
 In  deepest  adoration  bends ; 
 The  weight  of  glory  bows  him  down 
 The  most  when  most  his  soul  ascends  ; 
 Nearest  the  throne  itself  must  be 
 The  footstool  of  humility. " 
 
 — MONTGOMEBT. 
 
 "  I  camiot  speak." 
 
 "Eloquence — a  plague  upon  the 
 word  when  we  are  talking  of  Jesus  and 
 of  souls  ! — has  no  gift  or  benediction." — 
 F.  W.  Faher. 
 
 "  The  sign-posts  that  point  the  way 
 by  the  side  of  the  road,  never  have  a 
 quotation  of  poetry  upon  them,  or  sen- 
 tences from  Isocrates  or  Sophocles. 
 There  is  just  the  word,  and  that  is 
 enough." — G.  H.  Simrgeon. 
 
 Having  heard  Massillon  preach  at 
 Versailles,  Louis  XIV.  said  to  him, 
 "  Father,  when  I  hear  others  preach,  I 
 am  very  well  pleased  with  them  ;  when 
 I  hear  you,  I  am  dissatisfied  with  my- 
 self % " 
 
 "  Even  the  world  honours  consistency 
 and   courage,  and   the   plainest   speaker 
 
EOMILETIC  COMMENTARY :  JEREMIAH. 
 
 will  have,  in  general,  tlie  most  hearers. 
 The  only  part  by  which  a  bull  can  be 
 safely  taken  is  the  horns." — Poiver. 
 Ver.  7.  Obedience. 
 
 "  Submit  yourself  to   God,    and    you    shall 
 find 
 God  fights  the  battles  of  a  will  resigned." 
 — Bishop  Ken. 
 
 "  We  can  have  no  idea  what  we  should 
 be  able  to  do  if  we  were  completely  lost 
 in  accord  with  God ;  if  we  sought  no 
 will  but  His ;  if  not  a  word  of  our 
 mouths,  not  a  beat  of  our  hearts,  not  a 
 thought  of  our  minds,  not  a  movement 
 of  our  souls  or  bodies  but  were  turned  to 
 Him  obediently,  in  the  spirit  of  Samuel, 
 '  Speak,  Lord,  for  Thy  servant  heareth.' 
 There  have  been  men  who  have  shown 
 what  a  man  can  do — a  Luther,  a  Calvin, 
 a  St.  Paul,  a  Moses — these  men  have 
 shown  what  a  man  can  do  when  he  only 
 seeks  to  obey  the  will  of  God." — A. 
 Monod. 
 
 "Blessed  is  that  simplicity  which 
 leaveth  the  difficult  paths  of  dispute, 
 and  goeth  on  in  the  plain  and  sure 
 path  of  God's  commandments." — Thomas 
 d,  Kempis. 
 
 Ver.  n.  ''  What  seest  thoti  ?  "  "  Pro- 
 phets have  need  of  good  eyes  ;  and  those 
 that  see  well  shall  be  commended,  and 
 not  only  those  that  speak  well." — M. 
 Henri/. 
 
 ''■Almond-tree."  The  rods  which  the 
 princes  of  Israel  bore  were  almond  rods, 
 at  once  the  ensign  of  their  office,  and 
 the  emblem  of  the  vigilance  which  be- 
 came them  as  leaders  of  God's  chosen 
 people  (Num.  xvii.  6-8).  Aaron's  rod, 
 that  blossomed  and  yielded  nuts,  was 
 an  almond  bough.  The  almond-tree  has 
 always  been  regarded  by  the  Jews  with 
 reverence.  Its  fruit  was  among  the 
 presents  which  Jacob  charged  his  sons 
 to  take  with  them  on  their  second  visit 
 to  Egypt  (Gen.  xliii.  11) ;  and  the  orna- 
 ments of  the  golden  candlesticks  were 
 made  after  the  pattern  of  almonds  (Exod. 
 XXV.  33) ;  and  even  to  this  day  the 
 modern  English  Jews  on  their  great 
 feast-days  carry  a  bough  of  flowering 
 almond  to  the  synagogue.  An  allusion 
 is  made  in  Eccles.  xii.  5,  to  the  white 
 or  silver  hair  which,  ere  one  is  well 
 aware,  covers  the  head  of  old  aire. 
 
 "  The  hope,  in  dreams,  of  a  happier  hour, 
 That  alights  on  misery's  brow, 
 Springs  out  of  the  silvery  almond  flower, 
 That  blooms  on  a  leafless  bough." 
 
 Ver.  11.  Visions.  Refer  to  Kebel's 
 hymn  for  Septuagesima  Sunday. 
 
 "  Earth  is  crammed  with  heaven, 
 
 And  every  common  bush  on  fire  with  God, 
 But  only  he  who  sees  takes  off  his  shoes." 
 — Unknown. 
 
 "  And    this   our  life,    exempt   from    public 
 haunt, 
 Finds  tongues  in  trees,  books  in  the  running 
 
 brooks. 
 Sermons  in  stones,  and  good  in  everything." 
 — "As  You  Like  It,"  Shakespeare. 
 
 Ver.  14.  "  Out  of  the  North."  ''  The 
 swelling  waters  of  a  flood  are  a  usual  type 
 of  an  overwhelming  calamity  (Ps.  Ixix. 
 1,  2),  and  especially  of  a  hostile  inva- 
 sion (Isa.  viii.  7,  8) ;  but  this  is  a  flood 
 of  scalding  waters,  whose  very  touch  is 
 death.  The  caldron  represents  the  great 
 military  empires  upon  the  Euphrates.  .  . 
 The  tide  of  passion  and  carnage  is  sure 
 finally  to  pour  itself  upon  Judea.  The 
 caldron  looks  ominously  towards  Jeru- 
 salem, but  it  has  not  yet  overturned ; 
 and  if  Judah  repent,  God  may  make  it 
 exhaust  its  fury  upon  itself  [Nineveh 
 and  Babylon  being  in  conflict],  or  a 
 defeat  instead  of  victory  at  Charchemish 
 may  alter  the  whole  tide  of  events. 
 But  if  Judah  remain  impenitent,  it  must 
 become  the  prey  of  whosoever  conquers 
 in  the  2:)lain3  of  Mesopotamia." — 
 Speaker's  Com. 
 
 Ver.  15.   War. 
 
 "  'Twas  man  himself 
 Brought  Death  into  the  world ;  and  man  him- 
 self 
 Gave  keenness  to  his  darts,  quickened  his  pace, 
 And  multiplied  destructions  on  mankind. 
 
 "  One  murder  made  a  villain  [Cain], 
 Millions  a  hero  [warrior].     Princes  were  pri- 
 vileged 
 To  kill,  and  numbers  sanctified  the  crime. 
 Ah  !  why  will  kings  forget  that  they  are  men, 
 And  men  that  they  are  brethren?" 
 
 "  Still  monarchs  dream 
 Of  universal  empire  growing  up 
 From  universal  ruin. " — Pobteus. 
 
 Ver.  17,  18.      "Be   not  dismayed." 
 
 Courage  before  kings. 
 
 Said  the  Roman  Emperor  to  Chrysos- 
 31 
 
CHAP.  I.  HOMILETIO  COMMENTARY:  JEREMIAH. 
 
 torn,  " I  will  hanisJi  thee"  "  Thou  canst  lease  you  !  "  Polycarp  answered, 
 not,"  was  his  answer,  "  for  the  world  is  "  Eighty  and  six  years  have  I  served 
 my  Father's  house."  "Then  will  I  kill  Him,  and  He  hath  done  me  no  wrong; 
 thee."  "  That  is  not  in  thy  power,  for  and  how  can  I  speak  evil  of  my  King, 
 my  life  is  hid  with  Christ  in  God."  "  I  my  Saviour?  "  The  pro-consul  replied, 
 v}\\\  deprive  thee  of  all  thou  possessest."  "I  have  wild  beasts;  to  these  I  will 
 "Nay,  for  my  treasure  is  in  heaven,  and  cast  you,  if  you  change  not  your  mind." 
 my  riches  are  within  me."  "  But  I  will  But  he  boldly  rejoined,  "Thou  seemest  not 
 exile  thee,  that  thou  shalt  not  have  a  to  hnoiu  what  I  am. ;  hear  me  freely  pro- 
 friend  or  companion  left."  "  Neither  fessing  it  to  thee — I  am  a  Christian." 
 canst  thou  do  that ;  for  my  Friend  is  ..  ^^^j  ^^^^  can  i^an  die  better  than  facing 
 He  who  will  never  leave  me,  and  from  fearful  odds, 
 
 whom  none  can  sever  me.     I  defy  thee,  For  the  ashes  of  his  fathers,  and  the  temple 
 
 proud  emperor;  thou  canst  do  me  no  harm  ^^  ^'^  gods."— Macaulay. 
 
 at  all !  " — From  "  Crowds  of  the  Bible."  "  He  holds  no  parley  with  unmanly  fears  ; 
 
 When   Polycarp  was   brought  before  Where  duty  bids  he  confidently  steers, 
 
 thp    nrn  consul     this     officer    addressed  Faces  a  thousand  dangers  at  her  call, 
 
 tne   pro-consul,    tnis    omcer    aaaressea  ^^^  trusting  in  his  God,  surmounts  them 
 
 mm  :  "  Eenounce  Christ  and  i  will  re-  all." Cowpee. 
 
 CHAPTER  II. 
 
 Critical  and  Exegetical  Notes.  — 1.  Chronology.  Most  probably  in  thirteenth  Josiah,  quickly 
 after  his  call.  Dr.  Dahler  (Stratsbourg)  would  interpose  chapters  iv.,  v.,  vi. ;  deferring  this  chapter 
 till  after  them.  But  Hitzig  sees  in  chap.  ii.  and  iii.  (where  they  think  this  discourse  ends) 
 all  the  characteristics  of  an  inaugural  prophetic  deliverance  ;  for  "  in  its  finished  completeness  it 
 gives  the  impression  of  a  first  uttered  outpouring  of  the  heart,  in  which  are  set  forth,  without 
 restraint,  Jehovah's  list  of  grievances  against  Israel."  We  may  safely  regard  this  as  Jeremiah's 
 earliest  public  utterance  ;  its  place  must  be  within  the  thirteenth  and  eighteenth  years  of  Josiah. 
 
 2.  Cotemporary  Scriptures,  as  in  chap.  i. 
 
 3.  Historic  Facts.  Josiah  engaged  in  his  religious  reformation  of  Judah.  Auspicious  advent 
 of  this  discourse  :  for  it  was  calculated  to  {a.)  Animate  the  king  and  nation  in  rectifying  dese- 
 crations and  apostasy  ;  and  (6. )  arrest  the  policy  of  the  Egyptian  party  in  Jerusalem  who  were 
 urging  alliance  with  that  power  (ver.  18). 
 
 4.  Cotemporary  History.  Egypt  rising  into  dominance  under  Psammeticus.  In  Jerusalem 
 this  event  was  hailed  with  satisfaction,  as  a  counterpoise  to  Assyrian  tyranny.  Nineveh's  down- 
 fall  was  approaching.  This  growth  of  Egyptian,  and  decay  of  Assyrian,  power  led  statesmen  in 
 Judea  to  covet  the  friendship  of  Egypt  (ver.  16,  18,  36).  In  consequence  of  Jeremiah's  pro- 
 test, it  seems  probable  that  Josiah's  course  became  changed;  he  turned  from  hope  in  E^ypt,  and 
 then  rose  in  fatal  resistance,  ^ee  Critical  Notes,  chaTpA.,  Pexsonal  allusions,  Q.  "Josiah."  The 
 exact  juncture  of  this  chapter  therefore  seems  to  be  when  the  king  and  counsellors  of  state  were 
 contemplating  a  protective  alliance  with  Egypt. 
 
 5.  Geographical  Eeferences.  Ver.  2  and  6.  "Wilderness,"  "land  of  deserts  and  pits," 
 &c,  "A  more  frightful  desert  it  had  hardly  been  our  lot  to  behold.  The  mountains 
 beyond  presented  a  most  hideous  aspect ;  precipices  and  naked  conical  peaks  of  chalky 
 and  gravelly  formation,  rising  one  upon  another,  without  a  sign  of  life  or  vegetation." 
 — Dr.  Robinson.  "The  whole  country  is  made  up  of  arid  and  barren  plains,  intersected 
 by  rocky  mountains,  amid  the  precipices  of  which  are  depths  and  caverns  of  the  most 
 horrid  gloom." — Henderson.  Ver.  7.  "A  plentiful  country;"  Hi.  a  Carmel  land;  a  beauti- 
 ful  garden  like  Carmel  (comp.  Isaiah  xxxiii.  9,  xxxv.  2).  The  name  used  metaphori- 
 cally, and  as  an  adjective,  also  in  Isaiah  x.  18,  xvi.  10,  xxxvii.  24.  Ver.  10.  "  Isles  of  Chittini : " 
 originally  the  name  of  the  inhabitants  of  Cyprus ;  Phoeuician  colonists,  who  founded  Citiuni 
 on  S.E.  coast.  Greeks  called  them  Kittaei.  The  Setenti/ render  Kittim  by  ktjtioi,  Ketii  or 
 Cetii.  They  extended  commerce  to  all  the  islands  and  maritime  coasts  of  the  Mediterranean ; 
 to  all  which  inclusively  the  name  "  Isles  of  Chittim  "  became  applied.  These  Chittceans  are 
 here  made  to  represent  the  peoples  on  the  West.  "  Kedar  "  (son  of  Ishmael,  Gen.  xxv.  13).  The 
 Kedarenes  were  a  pastoral  people  inhabiting  the  Arabian  desert ;  but  the  name  became  extended 
 to  the  Bedouins  generally,  who  occupied  the  regions  east  of  Palestine. — Henderson.  Kedar 
 thus  represents  the  East.  Ver.  16.  "  Nopli,"  called  by  Greeks  Memphis,  a  few  miles  south  of 
 Cairo ;  the  capital  of  Egypt  in  the  time  of  the  patriarchs,  Pharaoh,  and  the  Exodus.  Situate 
 just  at  that  point  of  the  Delta  where  the  Nile  separates  into  streams.  As  the  residence  of  the 
 court  of  the  Pharaohs,  it  was  the  scene  of  Joseph's  varying  fortunes  :  chief  seat  of  Egyptian 
 literature  and  idolatrous  worship  :  temple  of  Apis  there,  the  most  splendid  erection  in  Egypt : 
 the  pyramids  stood  close  by — the  sepulchres  of  the  kings.     "  Tahapanes,"  in  Greek  'I!d<pvrj, 
 
 32 
 
HOMILETIC  COMMENTARY :  JEREMIAH.  chap,  il 
 
 Daphne,  the  first  Egyptian  town  on  crossing  the  border  from  Palestine,  about  sixteen  miles  south 
 of  the  flourishing  seaport  Pelusium,  and  on  the  margin  of  the  Lake  Menzala,  thus  enjoying 
 facilities  of  traffic  with  the  Mediterranean  and  the  Red  Sea.  One  of  the  palaces  of  the  Pharaohs 
 stood  there  (Jer.  xliii.  9),  Being  one  of  the  most  influential  cities  of  Egypt,  it  and  the  capital 
 stood  for  the  country  and  the  government  itself,  Ver.  18,  "Sihor,"  a  Hebrew  word  =  "  the  black," 
 meaning  the  Nile,  whose  appearance  is  turbid  when  loaded  with  alluvial  matter,  and  whose 
 deposit  is  black  soil.  "  The  river  "  (of  Assyria)  means  the  Euphrates.  Ver.  23.  "Thy  way  in 
 the  valley : "  a  definite  locality  is  designated ;  the  vale  of  Hinnom.  This  runs  along  the  south 
 side  of  Mount  Zion,  and  was  infamous  for  the  celebration  of  the  horrid  rites  of  Moloch  (chap, 
 vii.  31,  xxxii.  35). 
 
 6.  Natural  History.  Ver.  15.  "The  young  lions  roared  upon  him,"  &c.  Never  roars  but 
 when  in  sight  of  prey  or  when  striking  it  down.  Roar  =  signal  of  attack  and  consequent 
 destruction  (Isa.  xxxi.  4;  Amos  iii.  4).  Entire  regions  are  sometimes  depopulated  by  his 
 fury  (Jer.  iv.  7).  These  are  mystical  lions  ;  but  the  valour  of  a  conquering  tyrant  and  the 
 rage  of  a  savage  lion  work  like  efi'ects.  Ver.  21.  "A  noble  vine,  a  degenerate  plant."  Noble, 
 properly  r£d(Zis/t  y  a  Sorek  vine,  producing  red  wine  (Prov.  xxiii.  31);  a  symbol  of  perpetual 
 blessedness  and  bounty  (Gen.  xlix.  11).  But  Israel  had  become  degenerate  branches;  not 
 "plant,"  but  sprouts  or  suckers  ;  evil  outgrowths  of  a  good  stock,  like  Deut.  xxxii.  32,  The 
 noble  vine  of  Palestine  (Num.  xiii.  23)  yields  clusters  weighing  ten  or  twelve  pounds,  and  the 
 grapes  are  like  plums.  Ver.  22.  "Nitre,  soap."  Nitre  is  the  natron  of  Egypt,  a  mineral 
 alkali  found  in  the  Nile  valley  after  the  water  has  evaporated.  Soap,  or  potash,  Borith,  is  a  vege- 
 table alkali  obtained  from  the  ashes  of  plants.  These  were  the  most  powerful  detergents  known 
 {Speaker' s  Com.).      Ver.  23.    " Swift  dromedary."     HIDi  a  young  female,  which  has  never 
 
 yet  had  a  foal.  "  Dromedary  "  is  famed  for  amazing  speed.  Arabs  affirm  it  will  get  over  as 
 much  ground  in  one  day  as  will  take  one  of  their  best  horses  ten  days.  Hence  used  to  carry 
 despatches  in  haste  (Esther  viii.  10).  Ver.  24.  "  Wild  ass,  snuffeth  up  the  wind.''  The  Onager, 
 of  the  mule  kind  {Henderson) :  "accustomed  to  the  desert "  =  v/ild,  reckless,  ungoverned,  obedient 
 to  nothing  but  desire:  "snuffeth  up  the  wind,"  i.e. ,  scenteth  the  male.  Extremely  swift,  of 
 slender  form  and  animated  gait.  Mr.  Morier,  alluding  to  its  peculiar  cry  with  its  nose  (Jer. 
 xiv.  6,  ii.  24),  says,  "  In  crossing  the  desert  we  gave  chase  to  two  wild  asses,  which  had  so 
 much  the  speed  of  our  horses,  that  when  they  had  got  to  some  distance  they  stood  still  and 
 looked  behind  at  us,  snorting  loudly  with  their  noses  in  the  air  "  (Journey  through  Persia,  quoted 
 by  Dr.  Paxton). 
 
 7.  Manners  and  Customs.  Ver.  3.  "First-fruits  of  His  increase;"  God's  consecrated 
 portion  of  the  harvest  (Exod.  xxiii.  19).  Ver.  13.  "Hewed  cisterns."  Tanks  for  rain- 
 water, common  in  East  in  cities  and  along  roads ;  wells  are  scarce.  These  cisterns  become 
 dilapidated,  cracked ;  and  in  consequence  the  rain  which  falls,  or  water  poured  into  them,  sinks 
 into  the  earth  and  becomes  lost.  "  The  Hebrews  give  the  nAme  living  water  to  that  vihich. 
 welled  from  a  fountain,  and  flowed  along,  as  if  possessing  the  property  of  life." — Henderson. 
 Ver.  20.  "  Upon  every  high  hill,"  &c.  Spots  chosen  for  idolatries  and  the  worship  of  nature 
 (Deut.  xii.  2;  1  Kings  xiv.  23;  Ezek.  vi.  13).  Ver.  32.  "Ornaments  and  attire."  Oriental 
 females  wear  profusion  of  decorations,  rings,  jewels,  bracelets,  &c.  {cf.  Isa.  Ixi.  10) :  "  attire  " 
 here  means  girdle,  sash,  worn  across  the  breasts  (Rev.  i.  13),  often  beautifully  embroidered  ;  an 
 object  of  great  pride  to  the  wearer.  Ver,  37,  "  Hands  upon  thine  head;  "  the  natural  attitude 
 of  mourning  (2  Sam.  xiii.  19).  "With  hands  clasped  upon  the  head,  Israel  would  retrace  her 
 steps,  disgraced  and  discarded." — Speaker's  Com. 
 
 8.  Literary  Criticisms.  Ver.  2.  "  Go,  ay  in  ears  of  Jerusalem ; "  a  form  of  address  im- 
 plying his  absence  from  the  city.  When  he  dwelt  there  the  address  assumed  an  altered  form 
 (chap.  xvii.  19,  xxxv.  13).  " I  remember  thee,"  =  ot  thee,  to  thy  credit,  for  thy  sake.  ""IDT 
 with  /  means  to  remember  to  one's  account  that  it  may  stand  him  in  good  stead  after- 
 wards. Cf.  Neh.  xiii.  22,  31  ;  Ps.  xcviii.  2."—Keil.  "Kindness  of  thy  youth;"  either  Mine 
 to  thee,  or  thine  to  Me;  God's  generous  regard  and  lavish  privileges  for  Israel,  or  Israel's 
 ardour  and  devotion  to  the  Lord.  The  latter  is  preferable.  Ver.  3.  "  Was  holiness." 
 Lange  renders  it  "a  Sanctuary."  Keil  favours  this:  "Israel  was  so  shielded  by  Him, 
 as  His  sanctuary,  that  whoever  touched  it  must  pay  the  penalty "  (Ps.  cxiv.  2).  But 
 Bishop  Hall,  Henderson,  and  Speaker's  Com.  =  an  offeHng  consecrated  ;  Sharpe,  "  holy  unto  the 
 Lord"  (r/.  Exod.  xix.  6,  with  Lev.  xx.  24,  Deut.  vii.  6).  Ver.  4.  "Families  of  the  house  of 
 Israel;"  not  Judah  only,  but  all  Israel  inclusively,  though  ten  tribes  were  dispersed;  not 
 merely  the  few  members  of  those  tribes  still  in  Jerusalem,  but  an  ideal  audience,  the  whole 
 nation.  Ver.  12.  "Be  horribly  afraid,  be  ye  very  desolate ;"  lit.,  shudder  and  be  withered 
 a.wa.y  (Lange).  An  evident  paronomasia— D^D^  ib'^.  Impassioned  personification:  "Be 
 horrified  ;  be  exceedingly  aghast "  at  the  monstrous  spectacle.  3"irT^  to  be  parched  up,  de- 
 prived of  vital  force  :  devastated.  "Places  devastated  have  such  an  unsightly  look."--3/a«rer. 
 "  They  have  forsaken  me,"  lit..  Me  have  they  forsaken  ;  force  in  the  initial  pronoun,  raising  into 
 prominence  Him  whom  they  have  thus  wronged.  Ver.  16.  "Broken  the  crown  of  thy  head,"  = 
 will  feed  down  the  cxo^n  (Henderson) ;  depasture  the  crown  (Lange);  feed  upon  thy  crown 
 
 0  33 
 
OHAP.  II.  EOMILETIC  COMMENTARY :  JEREMIAH. 
 
 {Keil).  n^"!  to  eat  up  by  grazing  (Micah  v.  5).  Gesenius,  "  They  devour  the  crown  of  the 
 head,"  "The  hair  of  the  head  being  held  in  high  estimation  by  the  Hebrews,  baldness  was 
 regarded  as  ignominious  and  humbling"  (c/.  chap,  xlvii.  5,  xlviii.  37).  This  fulfilled  both  in 
 the  sense  of  depopulating  the  land  and  draining  the  resources  of  the  nation  by  taxation.  "  Shave 
 thee  bald,"  points  to  extreme  devastation  and  misery  (cf.  Jer.  xliv.  12).  Ver.  17.  "Bast  thou 
 not  procured  this  ?  "  &c.,  i.e.,  Hath  not  thy  forsaking  Jehovah  procured  this  to  thyself  ?  "Led 
 thee  hy  the  %vay ;"  query,  in  ^chat  way?  A  distant  historic  way,  in  Arabian  wilderness?  (So 
 Speaker's  Com.  and  Keil.)  But  this  would  affirm  that  their  fathers'  sin  in  the  desert  originated 
 the  criminality  which  would  eventuate  in  Judah's  ruin.  But  Kimchi,  Hitzig,  Henderson  =  the 
 right  way,  the  way  of  lioliuess ;  not  through  the  wilderness  merely,  but  the  course  of  moral 
 training  under  tbe  Mosaic  dispensation.  Ver.  18.  "  To  drinh  the  waters,"  i.e.,  to  draw  fiom 
 these  sources,  Egypt  or  Assyria,  power  and  reinvigoration.  Ver.  20.  "  /  have  broken  : "  many 
 authorities  reject  the  Masoretic  punctuation,  which  makes  the  verb  first  person,  and  read  "Thou 
 hast  Iroken."  If  the  A.V.  stands,  it=  God's  emancipation  of  Israel  from  Egyptian  bondage.  If 
 "  thou  hast  broken  "  be  substituted,  it=  Israel's  rebellion  against  God's  rule.  "  Thou  wanderest," 
 &c.  ;  stretchest  thyself.  "Under  every  leafy  tree  thou  layest  thyself  down  as  a  harlot" 
 {Sp>eaher's  Com.),  indicating  her  ready  prostration  before  -objects  of  idolatrous  worship.  Ver.  22. 
 "Thine  iniqxuty  is  marked;"  is  a  stain,  is  ingrained;  i.e.,  a  filthy  blot  which  no  acids,  or 
 devices,  or  remedies  can  purge.  Ver.  23.  "Traversing  Jer  ways,"  =  rambling  in  her  courses  ; 
 "  running  in  all  directions  in  quest  of  a  male." — Henderson.  Ver.  24.  "  Snuffeth  up  the  wind 
 at  her  pleasure  ; "  a  symptom  of  excited  passions  {Lange).  "  In  her  occasion,"  Sec,  =  as  for  her 
 heat,  who  can  repel  it  ?  {Henderson).  Keil,  "  That  in  her  lust  panteth  for  air;  her  heat,  who 
 can  restrain  it  ?  "  "All  that  seek  her,"  &c.  :  she  will  not  hide  from  them,  herself  too  ready  to 
 be  found.  " /n  Ae7' ?)ion^/i ;"  at  the  pairing  season.  Ver.  25.  "  Withhold  thy  foot,"  &c.  Cease 
 this  wearing  and  feverish  rushing  after  idols ;  for  only  wounded  feet  and  a  dry  thirst  will  ensue. 
 "  No  longer  undertake  fruitless  journeys  to  places  of  idolatrous  worship,  which  wore  out  their 
 shoes,  injured  their  feet,  and  entailed  extreme  thirst." — Henderson.  "  God,  the  true  Husband, 
 exhorts  Israel  not  to  run  barefoot,  and  with  parched  throat,  like  a  shameless  adulteress,  after 
 strangers." — Speakers  Com.  Ver.  29.  "  Wherefore  xoill  ye  jjZeacZ  ?"  =  Why  do  ye,  or  to  what  purpose 
 will  ye,  contend  against  Me  ?  Their  propensity  to  complain  against  God  (see  Exod.  xvii.  2,  3, 
 7;  chap.  V.  19,  xiii.  22,  xvi.  10).  Ver.  30.  "  They  received,"  i.e.,  they  accepted  no  correction. 
 Ver.  31.  "  TFe  are  lords."  *m,  =to  ramble  about  in  an  unbridled  manner ;  they  had  thrown 
 off  the  reins,  and  wandered  at  will  after  idolatrous  gratification  (Hos.  xi.  12).  Ver.  33.  "  Taught 
 the  vncked  ones  thy  ways  ;  "  either  taught  idolatrous  nations  neto  idolatries,  or  taught  thy  ways 
 wickedness,  i.e.,  trained  thyself  to  habits  of  atrocity.  Ver.  34.  "  Not  found  it  hy  secret  search." 
 Henderson,  =  "  by  deep  search,  i.e.,  atrocities  have  not  been  perpetrated  in  subterraneous  caverns, 
 as  too  horrible  to  bear  the  light  of  day,  but  openly  in  the  valley  of  Hinnom,  within  the  sacred 
 precincts  of  the  Temple,  and  about  Jerusalem."  "But  upon  all  these,"  =  upon  all  thy  skirts. 
 Speaker's  Com.  gives  a  wholly  new  interpretation,  =</iOM  didst  not  find  them  (the  poor  innocents) 
 breaking  into  thy  house,  i.e.,  they  had  committed  no  crime  justifying  violence.  "By  secret 
 search,"  =  digging,  i.e.,  digging  through  the  walls  of  a  house  for  the  purpose  of  breaking  into  it. 
 (Lange  renders  the  words,  in  the  place  of  burglary.)  "But  upon  all  these,"  =  because  of  all  this, 
 i.e.,  thou  killedst  the  poor  innocents,  not  for  any  crime,  but  because  of  this  thy  lust  for  idolatry. 
 Ver.  37.  "  Go  forth  from  him,"  from  thence  ;  "  not  prosper  m  them,"  have  no  success  with  them. 
 Hastening  to  Egypt  in  hope  of  succour  and  strength,  at  a  time  when  Nineveh  is  tottering  be- 
 fore the  armies  of  Cyaxares  and  Nabopolassar,  thou  shalt  return  repelled  and  forlorn. 
 
 EOMILETIC  TREATMENT  OF  SECTIONS  OF  CHAPTER  IL 
 
 Section      1-3.  Beautiful  retrospect — ^reciprocation  of  love. 
 „  4-8.  Lamentable  changes — violated  faith. 
 
 „        9-13.  Facts  for  amazement — reckless  apostasies. 
 „       14-19.  Looming  disasters — outward  results  of  impiety. 
 „       20-29.  Baseness  of  idolatry — reflex  degradations  of  impiety. 
 „       30-37.  Affecting  expostulations — incorrigible  impenitence. 
 
 Yer.  1-3.  Piety  a  Recipkocation  of  Love. 
 
 By  Israel's  "  youth "  is  meant  tlie  period  spent  in  Egypt  and  of  the  exodus 
 thence  (Hos.  xi.  1,  ii.  15).  From  the  exodus  till  Sinai's  covenant  constitutes  the 
 season  of  plighted  affection  and  betrothal  (Exod.  xix.  4-8).  The  bridal  relation- 
 ship was  consummated  there,  and  God  was  a  Husband  unto  Israel  from  that  hour 
 {cf.  Keil  and  Bend.).  God  emphatically  calls  Himself  "  the  husband  of  her 
 youth "  (Joel  i.  8),  so  tender,  full  of  fond  memories,  sacred  and  intimate,  was  the 
 union. 
 
 34 
 
HOMILETIO  COMMENTARY:  JEREMIAH.  chap.  n. 
 
 Query,  whether  here  is  meant  Israel's  love  to  God,  or  God's  to  Israel  ?  Chrysostom 
 originated  the  latter  explanation ;  many  still  contend  for  it. — Graff.,  liosenm., 
 Venema,  due.  But  the  accumulated  decisions  of  interpreters  favour  the  former. 
 "The  kindness  (or  grace)  of  thy  youth,"  and  "thy  going  after  Me  in  the  wilder- 
 ness," can  refer  only  to  the  bride.  Yet  who  can  think  of  the  bride's  love  without 
 instantly  reverting  to  the  higher,  grander,  vaster  love  of  the  Bridegroom]  (See 
 Literary  Criticisms  above,  ver.  2.) 
 
 L  Love's  origin  and  alliance.     In  the  case  of 
 
 i.  JehovaJis  love  for  Israel,  it  led  to  (1.)  Perception  of  excellencies:  "the  grace 
 of  thy  youth ; "  for  although  there  was  little  to  admire  in  Israel  when  in  Egyptian 
 bondage,  or  when  released — a  wild  horde  in  the  desert — God  saw  graces,  appreciated 
 "  kindness ; "  for  love  is  quick  to  perceive  and  admire.  (2.)  Covenant  of  attachment  : 
 " espousals ;"  the  Lord  drew  Israel  into  plighted  alliance;  He  must  claim  her  all 
 for  Himself  as  His  beloved.  (3.)  Leading  her  forth  into  a  neiu  ivorld  and  a  new 
 life:  "after  Me  in  the  wilderness;"  a  different  but  better  scene  than  Egyptian 
 degradation  ;  life  spent  in  the  society  of  her  Bridegroom  ;  "  all  things  become  new." 
 
 ii.  Israel's  love  for  the  Lord  was  (1.)  Ardent :  it  was  her  "first  love;  "  glowing, 
 joyous,  full  of  graces  and  kindness  {cf  Exod.  xxxv.  20-29).  (2.)  Single:  she 
 asked  no  paramour  then,  sought  no  "  other  lord," — God  was  all-sufficient.  "  They 
 saw  no  man  save  Jesus  only!"  (3.)  Unhesitating:  she  ready  to  go  anywhere 
 "after"  Him;  even  into  "wilderness."  His  will  was  her  law,  her  bliss.  "Lord, 
 I  am  ready  to  go  with  Thee,  both  into  prison  and  to  death"  (Luke  xxii.  33). 
 "Let  us  go  also  that  we  may  die  with  Him  "  (John  xi.  16).  Such  is  the  attitude 
 of  "first  love."     (See  Addenda  to  chap,  ii.,  ^^  Love  of  thine  espousals") 
 
 II.  Love's  outgrowth  and  manifestation. 
 
 i.  God's  love  was  (1.)  Redeeming :  from  Egypt,  from  enemies,  from  perils,  from 
 wilderness.  (2.)  Disciplinary :  educating  her  and  preparing  her  for  higher  posi- 
 tion, nobler  advantages,  larger  enjoyments  and  privileges.  (3.)  Enduring  :  through 
 forty  years  in  desert.  (4.)  Unwearied :  never  alienated  or  exhausted  by  all  Israel's 
 forgetfulness  and  failings. 
 
 ii.  Israel's  love  was  (L)  Human,  therefore  variable  and  perishable.  (2.)  Yet 
 trustful,  surrendering  herself  and  her  future  to  God.  (3.)  Responsive,  going 
 after  Him,  carrying  out  His  precepts,  though  with  many  defects  and  even  occa- 
 sional disobedience.  (4.)  Grateftd ;  for  a  religious  regard  and  reverence  charac- 
 terised Israel's  early  career.     Alas  !  she  was  sometimes  also  querulous. 
 
 III.  Love's  honours  and  blessedness. 
 
 Its  object  must  be  beautified  and  enriched ;  love  ever  acts  thus. 
 
 i.  The  Bivine  affection  for  Israel  took  delight  in  lavishing  heauty  and  dignity 
 upon  its  object.  (1.)  It  robed  Israel  with  sanctity  ("  Israel "  was  holiness) ;  invested 
 her  with  national  distinction  and  privileges.  (2.)  It  constituted  Israel  God's  abode. 
 (See  Literary  Criticisms,  chap.  ii.  ver.  3).  (3.)  It  secured  to  Israel  Bivine  over- 
 shadowi7i^  {^' All  that  devour,  .  .  .  evil  shall  come  upon  them"). 
 
 ii.  Israel's  affectionate  allegiance  foii7id  expression.  (1.)  Rer  "Jirst fruits"  were 
 yielded  to  God :  this  was  the  gift  of  her  most  prized  possessions ;  it  avowed  that 
 God  was  first  in  her  thoughts,  and  first  to  receive  the  acknowledgment  of  her 
 grateful  love.  (2.)  Her  history  witnessed  for  God,  made  Jehovah  known  to  sur- 
 rounding nations;  His  character,  mighty  acts,  supreme  deity.  (3.)  Her  worship 
 was  a  sweet  savour  to  the  Lord  :  the  Tabernacle  services,  the  altar  sacrifices,  the  gifts 
 and  offerings  of  the  people,  all  were  precious  to  Him — an  oblation  of  love  (Ps. 
 Ixxvi.  1,  2,  Ixxxviii.,  xlviii.). 
 
 Truly  a  beautiful  retrospect.  Piety  flowing  forth  in  love  for  God,  in  faith  that 
 worketh  by  love,  in  zealous  attachment  and  lavish  offerings  and  loyal  devotion. 
 God  "  remembers"  it  with  delight.  It  is  the  garden  of  Eden,  luxuriant  and  lovely, 
 before  sin's  devastation  blighted  the  fair  scene.  Alas  !  that  on  the  sacred  blessed- 
 ness and  beauty  of  "first  love"  could  come  so  withering  a  blight ! 
 
CHAP.  n.  HOMILETIC  COMMENTARY :  JEREMIAH. 
 
 Ver.  4-8.  Lamentable  Changes — Violated  Faith. 
 (See  Addenda,  chap.  ii.  ver.  6  :  "  Neither  said  they,  Where  is  the  Lord  ?  ") 
 
 The  "  love  of  youth "  might  be  referred  either  to  Jehovah  or  Israel ;  for  early 
 affection  was  reciprocal.  But  there  can  be  no  double  reference  of  this  dark  fact — 
 vows  broken,  love  false,  loyalty  abandoned.  God  is  incapable  of  inconstancy 
 (James  i.  17).  It  is  only  in  man  to  deteriorate,  to  forget  (what  God  "remembers  " 
 ver.  2)  the  "  first  love  "  (Rev.  ii.  4,  5). 
 
 There  should  be  a  reason  for  all  our  courses  of  conduct ;  we  could  ordinarily 
 Justify  our  proceedings,  in  commerce,  politics,  &c.  It  should  be  so  in  spiritual  as 
 in  temporal  affairs.  God  here  reviews  Israel's  career,  sets  sins  in  array,  calls  her 
 to  justify  her  conduct,  summons  her  to  account.  Foreshadows  this  :  "  Every  one 
 must  give  account  to  God." 
 
 i.  A  startling  contrast  (ver.  5)  between  God's  fidelity  and  their  *in-fidelity. 
 ii.  An  unanswerable  challenge.  Their  conduct  was  without  reason,  iii.  An  appal- 
 ling charge.  Asked  not  after  God  (ver,  6,  8),  despoiled  God's  heritage  (ver.  7), 
 violated  duty  and  knowledge  (ver.  8).  The  guilt  of  backsliding  stands  out  in  vivid 
 portrayal  here.     (Addenda,  ver.  10,  11,  ^^  Idolatry.")     Thus  is  shown  : 
 
 I.  That  apostasy  from  God  is  wholly  unjustifiable. 
 
 The  question  of  its  guiltiness  remains  in  abeyance  till  the  appalling  injustice  of 
 it  is  proved  (ver.  5).  "  What  iniquity"  &c.  The  word  ^W,  dvel,  stands  opposed  to 
 P"]^,  tsedeh,  righteousness;  and  means  perversity,  wrongfulness;  the  contrary  of 
 good  faith  and  truthful  deed — injustice  therefore :  Ergo,  their  action  was  un- 
 justifiable. 
 
 1.  Goidd  they  adduce  any  provocations  to  apostasy  ?  Had  Jehovah /aiZedf  to  do 
 what  they  might  expect  of  Him  1  Had  He  done  aught  they  could  complain  of  ]  In 
 any  way  had  He  been  unkind,  unfaithful,  unjust  ?  If  so,  they  might  justify  their 
 having  "removed  far  from  Him"  (ver.  5).  Let  men  charge  God  with  wrong  done 
 to  them  individually  if  they  can,  and  so  prove  their  neglect  and  hostility  reasonable 
 and  right.  Against  all  complaints  shall  be  set  the  grand  facts  of  God's  love,  verity, 
 and  abounding  grace, 
 
 2.  Had  they  derived  any  advantages  from  ajjostasy  ?  "  Walked  after  vanity  " 
 (ver.  5) ;  "  after  things  that  do  not  profit "  (ver.  8).  To  lose  the  good  and  pursue 
 an  evil  is  a  double  loss,  a  twofold  calamity.  Losing  God  is  a  frightful  loss ;  but 
 losing  Him  means  the  surrender  of  all  and  failure  of  everything.  A  man  hanging 
 over  a  chasm  lets  go  his  only  hold — a  piece  of  projecting  rock,  to  grasp  shadows 
 thrown  across  the  perpendicular  sides  of  the  chasm  :  he  clutches  at  vanity,  and  falls 
 headlong  to  ruin.  See  Mark  viii.  36,  37.  Interrogate  men  as  to  the  szibstantial 
 "gains  of  godliness,"  The  world  will  yield  us  at  last  nought  but  a  grave;  but 
 "  when  heart  and  flesh  fail,  God  will  be  the  strength  of  my  heart,  and  my  portion 
 for  ever," 
 
 II.  That  apostasy  is  felt  by  God  to  be  a  gross  injustice. 
 It  is  unreasonable  in  itself,  and  equally  undeserved  by  God.     It  is  impossible  to 
 miss  the  fact  that  God  felt  their  conduct.     He  does  not  regard  it  impassively ;  it 
 occasions  grief  and  calls  forth  sadness.     Man's  conduct  affects  God. 
 
 1.  Heartless  ingratitude  for  favours  (ver.  6).  Did  not  heed  them  ;  felt  no  sense 
 of  obligation  for  them  ;  acted  as  if  none  had  ever  been  shown  them.  Flagrant,  in- 
 sensate, graceless  ingratitude,  (a.)  They  owed  to  God  all  their  deliverances :  from 
 Egypt  (Micah  vi.  4) ;  oppression  of  Pharaohs  (Exod.  iii.  7)  ;  from  pathless  and  inhos- 
 pitable deserts ;  "  land  of  pits,"  full  of  rents  and  fissures,  and  deep,  waterless  valleys, 
 parched  and  unfruitful,  of  deadly  terrors  and  dangers;  of  "shadow  of  death"  (so 
 Sheol  is  named.  Job  x.  21),  utterly  solitary,  offering  neither  path  nor  abode  for 
 travellers.  Instead  of  this  heartless  insensibility,  we  should  say  with  David,  "  Bless 
 36 
 
HOMILBTIC  COMMENTARY :  JEREMIAH. 
 
 the  Lord,"  &c.  (Ps.  ciii.  1-4).  (b.)  They  had  received  from  God  all  their  blessings 
 (ver.  7).  They  were  nothing,  had  nothing,  never  gained  anything  by  themselves 
 or  for  themselves.  "  What  hast  thou  which  thou  hast  not  received  1  "  We  are 
 indebted  to  God  for  "  all  things  richly  to  enjoy ;  "  and  for  redemption,  sanctifica- 
 tion,  and  heavenly  hope.     "  How  much  owest  thou  unto  my  Lord  1 " 
 
 2.  Base  abuse  of  favours.  Never  asked  after  the  Giver  (ver.  6,  8) :  pros- 
 tituted their  possessions  to  vile  idolatrous  uses  (ver.  7),  and  handed  God's  "  inheri- 
 tance" over  to  traitorous  rival  deities  (ver.  7).  Frightful  desecration.  Comp. 
 Rom.  vi.  1 ;  Heb.  vi.  7,  8,  x.  26-29. 
 
 3.  Glaring  dishonour  to  God,  ivho  had  put  His  glory  in  their  charge.  Selected  to 
 show  forth  the  praises  of  the  Lord  amid  the  nations,  to  be  "  holiness  unto  Him ;  " 
 they  had  "  defiled  "  and  "  made  an  abomination  "  (ver.  7)  of  sacred  things.  Can  this 
 be  less  than  a  gross  injustice?  Is  not  all  sin  a  flagrant  insult  to  God,  a  virulent 
 outrage  on  the  very  purpose  of  our  existence,  a  return  of  hate  for  wondrous 
 love] 
 
 III.  That  apostasy  is  an  offence  of  greatest  criminality. 
 There  may  be  an  unconscious  decline  from  religion,  unintentioned.     This  bad, 
 yet  not  defiant  and  designed.     But 
 
 1.  Consider  who  they  were  who  were  guilty  of  it  {\e.v.^).  "Priests:"  Chrysostom 
 remarks,  "  See,  the  evil  springs  from  the  head."  Had  they  done  their  duty,  the 
 apostasy  had  never  become  national.  Their  sin  was  heedlessness  of  their  work. 
 "  They  said  not,  Where  is  the  Lord  1 "  "  They  that  handle  the  laio"  —  exponents 
 of  the  Scriptures  :  the  preachers  of  those  days  ignored  God — "  knew  Him  not." 
 ^^Th.Q  pastors"  i.e.,  shepherds,  temporal  rulers,  civil  magistrates  {Targum  renders  it 
 Icings),  these  disobeyed  and  disregarded  Jehovah's  will.  "  The  prophets,  who 
 should  have  listened  to  no  voice,  nor  conveyed  any  message  save  Jehovah's,  con- 
 sulted Baal,  chose  an  alien  deity  and  a  false  inspiration  {cf  Luke  xii.  45-48). 
 What  is  our  case  ?     Can  we  shelter  ourselves  by  the  plea  of  ignorance  1 
 
 2.  Also  their  apostasy  was  deliberate  and  determined.  Positive  act :  "  defiled," 
 &c.  (ver.  7).     Negative  act :  "  Neither  said  ;  knew  not  "  (ver.  8). 
 
 3.  And  equally  insensate  and  insolent.  Turned  persistently  and  flauntingly  from 
 God,  and  "walked  after  vanity."  The  Hebrew  idiom,  "things  that  do  not  profit" 
 (ver.  8),  means  things  baleful  and  pernicious  (SpeaJce7''s  Com.).  Heed  1  Sam.  xii. 
 20,  21.  Hitzig  points  out  a  climax  in  the  guilt :  the  ministers  of  Temple  worship 
 took  no  heed  of  God ;  the  teachers  of  the  law  passed  deliberately  by  the  truths 
 they  knew ;  the  civil  powers  actively  disobeyed  the  law ;  the  prophets  deserted 
 God  entirely  for  a  lying  spirit.  It  is  an  evil  and  a  bitter  thing  to  sin  against  the 
 Lord.     What  a  fall  from  what  Israel  was  !     Begin  to  sin,  and  where  will  it  end  ? 
 
 Ver.  9-13.  Facts  for  Amazement— Reckless  Desertion  of  the 
 
 Fount  of  Life. 
 
 Comments : 
 
 The  fidelity  of  Jehovah  had  been  presented  in  contrast  with  Israel's  inconstancy 
 (ver.  5) ;  now  the  fidelity  of  the  heathen  is  adduced,  for  they  never  "  change  their 
 gods"  (ver.  11),  although  they  are  "no  gods."  How  astounding,  therefore,  is 
 Israel's  guilt  ! 
 
 Though  they  might  "consider  diligently"  (ver.  10),  they  would  find  no  parallel. 
 Yet  they  might  justly  desert  gods  who  "do  not  profit"  (ver.  11);  whereas,  God's 
 "people"  had  abandoned  that  which  was  "their  glory,"  without  hesitation  or 
 remorse. 
 
 "1133,  glory,  is  the  glory  in  which  the  invisible  God  manifested  His  majesty 
 in  the  world  and  amidst  His  people.  God  had  shown  His  glory  to  the  Israelites  in 
 glorious  deeds  of  His  omnipotence  and  grace,  like  those  mentioned  in  ver.  5  and 
 *  37 
 
CHAP.  n.  SOMILETIC  COMMENTAR  Y :  JEREMIA  H. 
 
 6.  The  Baals,  on  the  other  hand,  are  nothings,  phantoms  without  a  being,  that 
 bring  no  help  or  profit  to  their  worshippers." — Keil. 
 
 "  Though  the  worship  of  the  one  true  God  is  a  nation's  greatest  glory,  yet  it  is 
 irksome  because  it  puts  a  constraint  on  human  passions  doubly.  For,  first,  it 
 requires  obedience  to  a  law  revealed  from  above ;  and,  secondly,  it  endeavours  to 
 raise  men  to  something  higher  than  the  mere  level  of  human  nature.  Hence  a 
 true  religion  awakens  an  antagonism  in  man's  heart,  as  naturally  as  a  false  religion 
 pleases  and  soothes  it." — SpeaTcer''s  Com. 
 
 "Be  astonished,  0  ye  heavens."  "  The  greatness  of  the  crime  can  be  estimated 
 by  none  so  well  as  the  over-arching  heavens,  which  can  behold  and  compare  all  that 
 takes  place." — Lange. 
 
 "  These  strongest  terms  in  the  language  show  how  intensely  amazed  all  the  holy 
 /  in  heaven  are  at  the  monstrous  folly  of  human  sinning.  That  when  men  might 
 >  have  the  infinite  God  for  their  friend,  they  choose  to  have  Him  their  enemy;  might 
 have  Him  their  exhaustless  portion  of  unmeasured  and  eternal  good,  they  spurn  Him 
 away,  and  set  themselves  to  the  fruitless  task  of  making  some  ruinous  substitute  : 
 this  is  beyond  measure  amazing  !  Verily,  sin  is  the  mockery  of  human  reason  I  " — 
 Coivles. 
 
 "  The  heathen  are  guilty  of  but  one  sin,  idolatry :  the  covenant  people  commit 
 two,  in  that  they  abandon  the  true  God  to  serve  idols." — Speaker's  Com.  "  The  sin 
 is  twofold  :  (1.)  They  do  not  obey  the  Lord;  (2.)  They  will  labour  tooth  and  nail, 
 if  only  they  may  not  obey  Him." — Zinzendorf. 
 
 "  Forsake  the  foimtain,"  &c.  "  His  people,  who  have  the  true  religion,  have  the 
 ^  fountain  :  they  can  (1.)  obtain  water  without  difficulty ;  (2.)  as  much  as  they 
 '  '  want.  But  they  substitute  means  which  are  (1.)  difficult ;  (2.)  new ;  (3.)  insuf- 
 ficient ;  (4.)  deceptive  ;  (5.)  rejected  on  trial.  Hence  come  the  works  of  super- 
 erogation, the  many  ceremonies,  ecclesiastical  regulations,  which  are  unquestionably 
 tivice  as  difficidt  as  to  follow  the  Saviour  ;  and  they  have  no  promise  for  this  life  or 
 the  life  to  come." — Zinzendorf. 
 
 "What  can  quench  the  thirst  of  the  soul?  (1.)  It  cannot  be  quenched  by 
 drawing  from  the  broken  cisterns  of  earthly  good.  [Though  the  hewn  cisterns 
 please  us  better ;  and  the  cistern-water  of  this  world  is  more  to  our  taste  than  the 
 living  water,  the  living  God  and  His  Word. — Hochsietter.']  (2.)  It  can  be  quenched 
 only  by  drawing  from  the  fountain  of  life,  from  which  the  soul  originally  sprang, 
 even  from  God." — Naegelsb. 
 
 "  The  dead  gods  have  no  life  and  can  dispense  no  life ;  just  as  wells  with  rents 
 or  fissures  hold  no  water  [and  can  yield  none].  But  living  water,  i.e.,  that  origin- 
 al ates  and  nourishes  life,  is  a  significant  figure  for  God,  with  whom  is  the  fountain  of 
 life,  i.e.,  from  whose  Spirit  all  life  comes.  If  man  forsakes  the  living  God,  he 
 passes,  in  spite  of  himself,  into  the  service  of  dead,  unreal  gods.  For,  created  by 
 God  and  for  God,  he  cannot  live  without  God." — Keil.  Hence  the  labour  to  sub- 
 stitute the  loss. 
 
 Ver.  14-19.  Looming  Disasters — The  External  Eesult  of  Impiety. 
 
 Not  only  is  it  God's  ordinance,  but  an  inevitable  and  spontaneous  law,  that  evil 
 deeds  work  evil  issues.  To  trifle  with  fire  ensures  burning ;  to  desert  friends  in- 
 volves desertion  in  turn  ;  to  wound  Christ  inflicts  wounds  on  conscience ;  to  turn 
 from  Him  as  those  who  "  know  Him  not "  (ver.  8),  will  issue  in  the  doom  "  I 
 know  you  not,  depart !"  (Luke  xiii.  27). 
 
 I.  God's  free  son  in  unnatural  slavery  througli  sin  (ver.  4).  The  answer  to 
 the  inquiries  in  an  emphatic  negation.  Israel  is  Jehovah's  first-born  (Exod.  iv.  22); 
 how  is  it  he  has  become  a  spoil  1     Fallen  into  the  hands  of  oppressors. 
 
 1.  I^ot  born  to  slavery,  as  a  serf  of  the  soil  or  a  child  of  enslaved  parents. 
 Liberty,  spiritual  freedom  from  tyranny,  the  birthright  of  man.  We  are  none  of 
 38 
 
SOMILETIC  COMMENTARY:  JEREMIAH.  cnAP.  n. 
 
 txs  born  to  thraldom  to  any  spiritual  adversary.     If  become  slaves,  because  "  sold 
 our  birthright." 
 
 2.  Not  allowed  to  perish  in  bondage.  Ensnared  in  Egypt,  the  foe  had  them  in 
 his  power,  and  bitterly  oppressed  them.  Even  as  the  "  devil  led  us  captive  at  his 
 will "  after  wa  had  yielded  to  his  rule.     But  God  redeemed  Israel ;  us  also. 
 
 3.  Yet  enslaved  again  hy  the  spoiler,  through  wilful  desertion  of  God,  and 
 "  the  last  state  worse  than  the  first "  (Matt.  xii.  25). 
 
 II.  Furious  adversaries  lurking  for  Israel  (ver.  15,  16).  Quick  to  rush  down 
 upon  the  prey  who  strays  from  safety.  "  Night  and  day,  beasts  of  prey,  lurking,  are 
 devouring."     (See  Critical  Notes,  chup.  ii.  ;  Natural  History,  ver.  15.) 
 
 1.  Envious  of  God^s  heritage  (ver.  15);  for  it  is  a  heritage  to  be  coveted  (ver,  7). 
 "  These  two  nations  shall  be  mine,"  &c.  (Ezek.  xxxv.  10). 
 
 2.  Thirsting  for  destruction.  "  Your  adversary  walketh  about  seeking  whom  he 
 may  devour"  (1  Peter  v.  8). 
 
 3.  Implacable  in  their  fury  {wQV.  15,  16).  (See  Natural  History  on  \er.  15,  and 
 Literary  Criticisms  on  ver.  16.)    The  devil  "  hath  great  wrath  "  (Rev.  xii.  12). 
 
 III.  When  God  is  lost  false  remedies  are  sought  (ver.  18).  The  previous  verse 
 shows  why  and  hoiu  God  was  lost  by  Israel. 
 
 1.  Startling  ;  that  Israel,  once  redeemed  by  God  from  Egypt,  should  be  deserting 
 God  for  Egypt !  (2  Peter  ii.  19-22). 
 
 2.  Admonitory  ;  for  Israel  was  not  confident  of  Egypt's  sufficiency ;  the  night-hag 
 of  doubt  was  on  her  heart ;  so  she  provided  an  alternative  should  Egypt  fail — 
 Assyria.     Not  satisfied  or  sure.     Wicked  have  no  assurance,  no  peace. 
 
 3.  Israel's  substitutes  for  God.  These  rivers  (ver.  18)  were  to  compensate  the 
 loss  of  "  the  fountain  of  living  waters  "  Israel  had  forsaken.  The  Nile  was  the 
 life-giving  artery  of  Egypt ;  to  drink  the  waters  of  Sihor  therefore  meant  to 
 procure  for  herself  the  resources  of  life  which  Egypt  possessed.  So  with  Assyria. 
 For  ivhat  do  men  forsake  God  ?  (ver.  11). 
 
 IV.  Sinners  are  the  occasion  of  their  own  overthrow  (ver.  17-19).  The 
 confederacies  they  entered  into  were  the  agencies  of  their  desolation  (Pro v.  i.  31 3 
 Isa.  iii.  9). 
 
 1.  They  invite  the  enemy  by  abandoning  God.  He  was  their  defence  ;  awed  and 
 restrained  their  foes.  But  like  lions  they  crouch  (ver.  15),  ready  to  spring  upon 
 the  prey  which  wandered  exposed  and  unprotected.  Sinners  court  destruction, 
 tempt  the  tempter. 
 
 2.  They  evoke  God's  judgments.  Though  Divine  punishments  slumber — for  God 
 does  not  desire  the  death  of  a  sinner,  and  is  slow  to  anger — they  awake  at  impious 
 provocation  (Rom.  i.  18;  Eph.  v.  6). 
 
 3.  They  necessitate  the  penalties  of  apostasy.  God  ha-s  menaced  all  disobedience 
 and  defiance  with  dire  penalties.     "  Now  consider  this,"  &c.  (Ps.  1.  22). 
 
 Application  (ver.  19):  "Know  therefore  and  see,"  i.e.,  at  last  comprehend, 
 "  that  it  is  an  evil  thing  and  bitter,"  &c.  Evil  now  and  bitter  hereafter.  For 
 "  at  last  it  biteth  like  a  serpent  and  stingeth  like  an  adder  "  (Prov.  viii.  36).  A 
 gospel  counterpoise  (see  Eom.  v.  20,  21). 
 
 Yer.  20-29.   Eeflex  Degkadations  of  Idolatry. 
 
 Disasters  come  upon  the  im.pious  from  without,  but  the  whole  inward,  personal, 
 spiritual  debasement  which  idolatry  effected  in  the  apostate  was  the  greater 
 calamity.  Prostitution  of  the  soul  before  idols,  a  more  awful  disaster  than  any 
 external  degradation.  "  0  Israel!  thou  hast  destroyed  thyself;"  the  God-given 
 nature,  a  wreck  !  Sin  works  a  twofold  doom— debasement  and  destruction,  (i^or 
 explanation  of  words  and  similes,  see  Critical  Notes  on  chap.  ii.  above.) 
 
 "  The  sinful  corruptions  of  humanity— (i.)  Are  not  original  (ver.  21) ;  (n.)  ijut 
 
CHAP.  n. 
 
 HOMILETJC  COMMENTARY :  JEREMIAH. 
 
 very  deep  (ver.  22) ;  (iii.)  They  cannot  be  denied  away  (ver.  23,  24),  nor  removed 
 by  external  means  "  (ver.  22,  25). — Naegelsb.  in  Lai^e. 
 
 "  How  ruinous  a  course  it  is  to  trust  in  a  creature  !  (i.)  On  account  of  his 
 weakness  he  disgracefully  leaves  us  in  the  hour  of  our  need  (ver.  26,  27).  (ii.) 
 We  thus  insult  God  and  lose  His  help  (ver.  28)." — Idem. 
 
 I.  From  immemorial  antiquity  Israel  had  broken  the  yoTce  of  the  Divine  law  laid 
 upon  her,  and  torn  asunder  the  bands  of  decency  and  order  which  God's  com- 
 mands and  ordinances  put  on  her  (ver.  20).  "  Bands  "  are  not  the  cords  of  love 
 with  which  God  drew  Israel  (Hos.  xi.  4),  but  the  commands  of  God  designed  to 
 keep  her  within  the  bounds  of  purity  and  from  riot  in  idolatry.  These  broken 
 (Jer.  xxxi.  18  ;  Hos.  iv.  16). 
 
 II.  In  this  shameless  prostitution  to  false  gods  Israel  shows  her  utter  corruption 
 (ver.  21) ;  in  her  very  nature  as  much  as  in  her  conduct. 
 
 III.  From  the  defilement  of  her  sins,  not  even  the  most  powerful  means  of  purifying 
 could  cleanse  her  (ver.  22).     (See  Isa.  i.  18;  Ps.  li.  4,  9.) 
 
 IV.  Her  degradation  is  the  mo7'e  deep  in  that  she  denies  her  base  condition  (ver.  23). 
 Though  openly  practising  idolatry,  she  is  blinded  in  self-righteousness.  Her  con- 
 duct is  like  irrational  animals,  yielding  to  sexual  cravings.  With  unbridled  desire 
 she  abandons  herself  to  idolatrous  lust  (ver.  24). 
 
 V.  The  summons  to  self-restraint  defiantly  resisted.  Advice  is  fruitless,  for  /  love 
 the  aliens  (ver.  25). 
 
 VI.  Disgrace  and  desertion  in  the  evil  hour  will  eventually  follow  Israel's  sin 
 (ver.  26-28).  Shame  and  confusion  will  ensue  from  the  frustration  of  her  hopes 
 in  false  gods.  And  then  to  the  living  God  whom  she  has  long  deserted  she  will 
 make  appeals  in  vain. 
 
 VII.  God  will  send  transgressors,  tvho  seek  Him  in  their  panic,  back  to  the  gods  for 
 ivliom  they  rejected  Him  (ver.  28,  29).  Israel  had  gods  enough  (ver.  28) ;  ought 
 therefore  to  be  satisfied  and  secure !  Trouble  will  test  Israel's  hopes,  and  the 
 worth  of  her  idols.  God  will  not  accept  any  pleading  (ver.  29),  or  regard  *'  conten- 
 tion "from  those  who  ignored  and  deserted  Him  in  their  ^^  day  of  salvation.^' — 
 Arranged  from  Keil. 
 
 Ver.  30-37.  Affecting  Expostulations — Incoerigible  Impenitence. 
 
 When  man  quarrels  with  God,  the  fault  is  always  on  the  side  of  man  (Ps. 
 11.  G).     For 
 
 1.  God  chastises  us,  but  we  do  not  obey  (ver.  30). 
 
 2.  He  bestows  on  us  vast  blessings,  yet  we  do  not  adhere  to  Him  (ver.  31). 
 
 3.  He  makes  us  partakers  of  the  highest  glory,  yet  we  reject  it  with  disdain 
 (ver.  ?>2).—Naegsh. 
 
 An  unjust  imputation  repelled  by  Jehovah  (ver.  31).  To  an  ingenuous  mind 
 God  never  appears  so  irresistible  as  when  He  addresses  His  creatures  in  the  lan- 
 guage of  tender  expostulation.     Christians  treat  God  as  a  wilderness— 
 
 1.  \Vhen  they  are  reluctant  to  serve  Him. 
 
 2.  When  they  seek  their  happiness  in  the  world  [away  from  Godl.  The  ground 
 of  complaint  is  ui  them,  not  in  YLim.—Payson  J  & 
 
 Who  is  it  thus  vindicates  His  own  character?    Jehovah  Himself.     Answer  the 
 challenge  given  and  the  charge  brought  against  you. 
 I.  His  appeal  in  answer  to  charges  brought  against  Him. 
 n'''V    '^\^'^ll«'"'^el  chiding  (not  pleading)  with  God.l 
 
 rvilderlZ  iZrV^  w'"''  ^."'^^'^^'"f  *^  <>''  «  ^«^^  of  darkness  ?  Eescued  them  from 
 wilderness  (ver.  6).  Himself  met  their  every  want,  and  gave  them  full  and  peaceful 
 pc^ession  of  the  promused  land  (Deut.  xxxii.  10-14;  Neh.  ix.  21-25)        ^ 
 
 ^.  i/aj  He  in  His  conduct  to  us  deserved  any  such  humiliating  imputation  ?     We 
 
HOMILETIC  COMMENTARY:  JEREMIAB. 
 
 passing  througli  wilderness  :  lacked  ye  anything  ?  "  No  good  thing  withhold." 
 Given  Son,  Spirit ;  shown  kindness  and  care.  Charges  against  His  liberality  alto- 
 gether false  (Isa.  v.  3,  4). 
 
 II.  God  is  vindicated;  but  hear  His  charge  against  you.  He  complains,  and 
 justly,  of — 
 
 1.  The  fiagrancy  of  man's  rehellion.  Israel,  =  "We  are  lords,"  &c.  (ver.  31). 
 You  also  affected  independence.  Satan's  temptation.  "  Ye  shall  be  as  gods  "  (Gen. 
 iii.  5).  Independence  is  the  very  essence  of  the  Fall  (Rev.  iii.  17).  Shown  our- 
 selves proud,  daring,  impious,  self-sufficient  rebels. 
 
 2.  The  contemptzoousness  of  man's  neglect.  "Forgotten  Him"  (ver,  32)  after  all 
 His  mercies.  We  have  forgotten — (a.)  Our  obligations  to  Him.  (6.)  Our  depen- 
 dence on  Him.  (c.)  The  great  account  we  have  to  give  Him.  By  our  engrossing 
 attention  to  trifles  (ver.  32)  we  "  provoke  God  to  jealousy." 
 
 (a.)  Refrain  from  vindicating  yourselves  (ver.  35);  Hos.  v.  5j  Isa.  xxviii.  5. 
 Ponder  the  assertion  (Pro v.  xxviii.  13). 
 
 (/5.)  Humhle  yourselves  for  your  gialt.  Then  be  encouraged,  for  God's  goodness 
 was  Israel's  hope  (Deut.  vii.  7,  8),  and  His  love  and  mercy  avail  you  (Isa.  i  18). 
 — Rev.  G.  Simeon,  M.A. 
 
 HOMILIES  AND  OUTLINES  ON  SELECTED  VERSES  OF  CHAPTER  II. 
 
 Ver.  2.  Theme :  An  unfoegotten 
 PAST.     Text :  "  /  remember  thee." 
 
 As  we  advance  in  life — 
 
 1.  We  may,  as  Israel  did,  leave  the 
 best  things  we  once  possessed  in  the  rear. 
 We  may  acquire  more  outward  sub- 
 stance ;  Israel  did  (ver.  7) ;  may  amass 
 more,  yet  we  may  lose  our  early  sweet- 
 ness of  character,  ardour  of  piety,  sanc- 
 tity of  conscience.     And 
 
 2.  We  commonly  do  lose  all  recollec- 
 tion of  those  better  days.  We  allow 
 them  to  die  from  thought ;  perhaps 
 helplessly  so  :  it  may  be  we  prefer  it 
 should.  There  is  a  pang  in  memories 
 of  days  when  we  were  better,  though 
 we  had  less. 
 
 I.  The  unfading  memory  of  God. 
 "/  remember." 
 
 Not  only  as  a  necessity  that  a  mind 
 which  is  infinite  should  be  incapable  of 
 forgetting,  but  as  a  voluntary  and  inten- 
 tioned  act. 
 
 1.  Our  habits  are  forgetful.  The 
 past  glides  from  us,  will  it  or  not. 
 Much  of  the  good  which  the  past  held, 
 and  of  the  good  we  did,  fades  from  re- 
 collection ;  and  alas  !  much  of  the  evil 
 becomes  lost  to  memory.  Each  wave  of 
 time  rolling  in  upon  the  shore  oblite- 
 rates the  former  wave.  What  oblitera- 
 tions occur  in  life  !  What  erasure.s 
 from  memory ! 
 
 2.  Yet  no  part  of  our  life  is  lost. 
 Gone  from  us,  and  from  our  recalling, 
 but  not  from  God.  Nothing  we  have 
 been  or  done  fades  from  the  mind  of 
 Jehovah.  All  things  lie  in  His  im- 
 perishable thoughts.  "  God  is  not  un- 
 righteous to  forget  "  either  the  good  or 
 evil  which  the  past  contains ;  else  how 
 could  He  judge  our  years,  and  recom- 
 pense our  life  ? 
 
 3.  He  remembers  our  life  in  its  reli- 
 gious aspects.  For  that  is  the  only 
 cognisance  God  takes  of  our  existence. 
 Though  He  cares  for  us  and  ministers  to 
 us  temporally,  as  to  Israel  (ver.  6,  7), 
 He  regards  our  life  in  its  spiritual  bear- 
 ings, estimates  its  religious  qualities, 
 looks  for  the  moral  and  sacixd  eleme7its, 
 not  the  mere  material  accidents  of 
 human  existence.  We  may  think  much 
 of  our  affairs ;  God,  of  our  condition ; 
 we,  of  our  circumstances  and  experi- 
 ences ;  God,  of  the  state  the  soul  is  in, 
 and  the  aspects  of  our  life  religiously. 
 What  does  God  think  of  our  past  % 
 
 II.  The  memory  of  God  lingers 
 fondly  over  what  is  good  in  our  life. 
 
 There  are  persons  with  keen  recollec- 
 tions of  unkindly  and  condemnatory  in- 
 cidents ;  their  memories  are  storehouses 
 of  corruptions.  Morally,  they  have  bad 
 memories.  The  morbid  remember  all 
 that  is  evil  of  themselves;  the  malig- 
 nant, all  that  is  evil  of  others. 
 
 41 
 
CHAP.  n. 
 
 IIOMILETIC  COMMENTARY:  JEREMIAH. 
 
 1.  The  Divine  memorij  is  benignant 
 (ver.  2).  "  I  remember  tbee,"  is  liter- 
 ally to  thj  account.  God  keeps  the 
 good  of  our  life  in  thought : 
 
 a.  For  its  oivn  sake.  He  loves  every- 
 thing good.  Too  precious,  and  alas ! 
 too  scarce,  to  be  allowed  to  slip  from 
 thought. 
 
 b.  For  our  sake.  He  loves  us  for  the 
 good ;  it  makes  us  dearer  to  Him  ;  it  is 
 His  seal  upon  us,  "His  image  and 
 superscription"  (1  Tim.  ii.  19). 
 
 2.  The  good  of  our  life  may  all  lie  in 
 the  past.  It  did  with  Israel.  The  time 
 of  "  youth  "  was  the  best  time.  Alas  ! 
 "  her  goodness  was  as  the  morning 
 cloud  and  the  early  dew,  which  goeth 
 away."  Had  God  limited  His  attention 
 to  the  present  state  of  the  nation,  what 
 a  changed  order  of  things!  (ver.  11-13). 
 Oh,  sad  that  so  full  a  blossoming  should 
 issue  in  such  barrenness  and  dearth. 
 "Our  youth"  is  too  often  the  purest 
 and  brightest  era  of  our  life.  Let  the 
 mature  compare  themselves  now  with 
 themselves  then.  Nothing  sordid, 
 grasping,  subtle,  withered,  defiled  ;  but 
 manhood  and  womanhood,  how  deter- 
 iorated and  devastated  !  Let  the  aged 
 review  the  jjromise  of  youth. 
 
 "  Heaven  lies  about  us  in  our  infancy! 
 Shades  of  the  prison-house  begin  to  close 
 
 Upon  the  growing  hoy  ; 
 But  hebeholds  the  light,  and  whence  it  flows ; 
 
 He  sees  it  in  his  joy : 
 The  youth,  who  dailj'  farther  from  the  east 
 Must  travel,  still  is  Nature's  priest, 
 And  by  the  vision  splendid 
 Is  on  his  way  attended : 
 At  length  the  man  perceives  it  die  away, 
 And  fade  into  the  light  of  common  day." 
 — Wordsworth. 
 
 If,  therefore,  God  is  to  remember  sin- 
 cere goodness.  He  must  look  to  our 
 early  years.  How  generous  and  gra- 
 cious He  who  seeks  not  our  sins,  but  our 
 few  poor,  short-lived  virtues ! 
 
 III.  The  memory  of  God  lingers  over 
 the  good  of  our  life  for  our  advantage. 
 
 1.  Not  that  a  past  religious  life  can 
 exonerate  2)resent  sinfulness.  It  did  not 
 Israel :  nor  can  it  deliver  any  soul  from 
 the  consequences  of  degeneracy  (Ezek. 
 xxxiii.  12,  (kc). 
 
 2.  Yet  it  allures  the  Divine  tenderness 
 and  grace  (Maik  x.  20,  21), 
 
 42 
 
 3.  And  God  does  not  lightly  esteem 
 the  fact  of  oztr  former  relationship  of 
 love  with  Himself.  He  loves  still, 
 though  we  may  have  declined.  He 
 yearns  over  the  child  though  a  prodigal, 
 and  would  fain  reinstate  him  in  His 
 grace.  God  is  specially  pathetic  and 
 pleading  with  those  who  have  formerly 
 been  His.  He  cannot  reconcile  Him- 
 self to  their  alienation  and  loss. 
 
 4.  If  any  return  to  their  first  love, 
 He  will  remember  to  their  account  all 
 the  zeal  and  attachment  they  formerly 
 showed. 
 
 How  encouraging  this  to  spiritual  de- 
 linquents !  "  Come,  and  let  us  return 
 to  the  Lord,"  &c.  (Hos.  vi.  1-4). 
 
 Ver.  2,  3.  "  Every  important  histo- 
 rical appearance  has  its  paradise  or 
 golden  age,  as  now  with  Israel  (ver.  2, 
 3).  It  is  thus  with  humanity  in  gene- 
 ral, with  the  Christian  Church  (Acts.  ii. 
 41 — iv.  37),  with  the  Reformation,  so 
 also  with  individual  Churcltes  (Gal.  iv. 
 14)  and  with  individual  Christians. 
 This  period  of  first  nuptial  love  does 
 not,  however,  usually  continue  long 
 (Rev.  ii.  4). 
 
 I.  The  joyous  period  of  first  love. 
 
 1.  In  experience  extremely  precious. 
 
 2.  In  duration  relatively  brief. 
 
 3.  In  effect  a  source  of  everlasting 
 blessing. 
 
 II.  The  nuptial  state  of  Chrisfs  Church 
 in  its  stages. 
 
 1.  The  first  stage,  love. 
 
 2.  The  second  stage,  alienation.  (Ad- 
 denda to  chap.  ii.  2.) 
 
 3.  The  third  stage,  return. 
 
 III.  The  covenant  of  Christ  with  His 
 Church. 
 
 1.  Its  g7'ou7id,  election. 
 
 2.  Its  condition,  faith. 
 
 3.  Its  py-omise,  the  Church  an  inde- 
 structible sanctuary. — Naeg.  in  Lange. 
 
 Ver.  1-13.  Theme:  The  evil  nature 
 of  that  sin  which  is  committed  after  our 
 conversion  to  God. 
 
 Four  things  observable  which  aggra- 
 vate the  offence  : 
 
 I.  Committed  in  violation  of  solemn 
 voius  and  covenant  engagements. 
 
 Conversion  is  a  marriage,  wherein 
 Christ  resigns  Himself,  with  all  He  is 
 
EOMILETIC  COMMENTARY :  JEREMIAH. 
 
 and  has,  to  us ;  and  we  resign  our- 
 selves, with  all  we  are  and  have,  to 
 Christ.  "  Thy  vows,  O  God,  are  upon 
 me." 
 
 The  love  we  then  bore  to  Him  =  the 
 love  of  our  espousals.  At  that  time  we 
 took  Christ's  cause  for  our  cause,  His 
 people  for  ours.  His  will  for  our  law, 
 His  glory  for  our  end,  and  Himself  for 
 our  jDortion.  Did  we  love  Him  too  well 
 then  1  If  prince  espouse  poor  outcast, 
 give  himself  and  all  he  has  to  her,  only 
 requiring  her  heart  in  return,  shall  she 
 refuse  him  that,  grow  first  dissatisfied, 
 and  go  after  other  lovers  ?  "  O  my 
 soul !  thou  hast  said  unto  the  Lord, 
 Thou  art  my  Lord." 
 
 II.  Departwes  from  God  have  been 
 without  any  provocation  ivhatever  on  His 
 imrt  (ver.  5). 
 
 This  question  ought  to  open  every 
 spring  of  sensibility  and  self-abhorrence. 
 
 1.  Was  He  xvanting  in  forbearance 
 when  we  were  in  rebellion  ? 
 
 2.  Did  He  act  Mnfeelingly  when  we 
 were  ruined,  in  that  He  gave  His  own 
 Son  to  die  for  us  % 
 
 3.  Has  He  been  a  hard  Master  since 
 we  entered  His  service  %  Himself  ever 
 a  wilderness  to  us,  or  obedience  a  barren 
 path  ] 
 
 4.  Has  He  been  a  churlish  Father  to 
 us  1  Ever  refuse  us  free  access,  or 
 give  us  a  stone  1 
 
 5.  When  we  have  returned  to  Him 
 with  our  whole  heart,  has  He  not  al- 
 ways been  ready  to  receive  us,  and  bury 
 all  in  forgetfulness?  (Dan.  ix.  7). 
 
 III.  Sins  after  conversion  shoiv pecidiar 
 and  horrible  i7igratitttde  (ver.  6-8).  God 
 has  not  done  the  self-same  thing  for  us 
 as  for  Israel ;  but 
 
 1.  He  has  given,  not  Egypt  or 
 Ethiopia  for  oicr  ransom,  but  His  own 
 blood. 
 
 2.  Has  redeemed  us,  not  from  Egyp- 
 tian thraldom,  but  "  from  the  power  of 
 darkness,  and  translated  us  into  the 
 kingdom  of  His  dear  Son." 
 
 3.  We  never  supported  by  miracles 
 in  lonesome  deserts  of  Arabia,  but 
 "having  obtained  help  of  God,  we 
 continue." 
 
 4.  Did  not  possess  Canaan,  but  "  God 
 hath  provided  some  better  things  for  us." 
 
 Our  blessings  abundantly  transcend 
 theirs,  and  lay  us  under  far  greater 
 obligations.  To  have  slighted  and  dis- 
 honoured a  God  of  such  love  as  this  is 
 indeed  the  greater  sin. 
 
 IV.  Such  departures  from  God  are 
 expressive  of  the  most  ext7'eme  and  singidar 
 folly  {ver.  9-13). 
 
 We  should  so  judge  of  a  people  who 
 removed  their  tents  from  an  overflowing 
 fountain  and  settled  in  a  parched  desert, 
 there  to  trust  to  hewed  cisterns, 
 
 1.  It  is  an  exclmnge,  and  a  foolish 
 one ;  of  liberty  for  drudgery,  peace  for 
 remorse,  joyfulness  for  anguish,  abund- 
 ance for  penury  and  misery. 
 
 2.  It  is  singular  folly  (ver.  10,  11). 
 Israel,  the  only  people  in  the  world 
 having  a  God  worth  cleaving  to,  must  be 
 the  only  people  desiring  a  change.  The 
 people  of  the  only  true  God  alone  prove 
 untrue ! 
 
 This  not  more  extreme  and  singular 
 than  our  folly  when  we  shun  God  and 
 fly  for  happiness  to  sensual  and  carnal 
 gratification.  — Andreio  Fuller. 
 
 Ver.  5.     Theme:  Heaven's  appeal 
 
 TO  THE  SINNEK. 
 
 I.  The  sinner  is  Divinely  described. 
 
 "  They  are  gone  far  from  Me,  and  have 
 walked  after  vanity." 
 
 1.  Sin  is  departure  from  God.  Aliena- 
 tion of  sympathy  and  soul. 
 
 2.  Sin  is  a  prog7-ess  of  vanity.  "  An 
 idol  is  nothing  in  the  world"  (1  Cor. 
 viii.  4).  Everything  about  a  sinner's 
 life  is  vain.  Sin  is  going  from  the  real 
 to  the  unreal. 
 
 (1.)  The  pleasures  he  seeks  are  un- 
 satisfactory ;  all  empty,  and  eutside  him. 
 
 (2.)  The  honours  he  aspires  to  are 
 unreal ;  neither  enrich  nor  ennoble  the 
 soul. 
 
 II.  The  sinner  is  Divinely  challenged. 
 "  What  iniquity  found  in  Me  1 " 
 
 1.  Implies  that  if  iniquity  were  found 
 in  God,  there  would  be  some  justification 
 for  apostasy  on  the  sinner^s  part. 
 
 2.  That  the  discovery  of  such  iniquity 
 is  an  absolute  impossibility.  There  are 
 three  revelations  of  God,  and  each 
 shows  Him  of  absolute  perfection. 
 
 (1.)  Nature.  Keflected  in  the  uni- 
 verse, God  is  perfect. 
 
 43 
 
CHAF.  n. 
 
 HOMILETW  COMMENTARY:  JEREMIAH. 
 
 (2.)  Biography  of  Christ.  Perfect 
 grace,  perfect  truth. 
 
 (3.)  The  moral  soul.  They  declare 
 God  is  perfect.  All  men  feel  bound  to 
 love  Him;  indicates  innate  belief  in 
 His  perfection. 
 
 No  being  in  the  universe  can  find 
 iniquity  in  God.  Could  hell  find  it, 
 its  agony  would  be  mitigated,  if  not 
 removed. — Homilist. 
 
 Comments  : 
 
 Ver.  8.  Since  priests,  pastors,  and 
 prophets,  who  have  been  regularly  in- 
 ducted into  office,  may  be  deceivers,  it  is 
 necessary  to  try  the  spirits  according  to 
 the  criterion  given  in  1  John  iv.  1,  sq. 
 — Lange. 
 
 Ver,  9.  Their  ancestors,  themselves, 
 and  their  descendants,  constitute  a 
 unity — (1.)  In  moral  guilt.  (2.)  In  per- 
 sistent backsliding.  Ergo,  (3).  In  con- 
 sequent penalty. 
 
 Ver.  11.  "  Changed  their  glory. ^'  (See 
 Addenda  to  chap.  ii.  11.)  "Gods  no 
 gods." 
 
 1.  Israel  had  no  glory,  dignity,  or 
 renown  of  her  own  (Deut.  vii.  7). 
 
 2.  She  had  derived  from  Jehovah  all 
 the  qlory  she  ever  possessed  (Deut.  iv. 
 32-38). 
 
 3.  God  Himself  was  IsraeVs  croivn  of 
 glory  and  beauty  (Ps.  cvi.  20 ;  Eom.  i. 
 23). 
 
 4.  The  Shekinah,  shining  upon  and 
 filling  with  splendour  the  sanctuary,  was 
 the  glorious  symbol  of  God's  presence  with 
 Israel  (1  Kings  viii.  11 ;  cf  Rom.  ix.  4). 
 
 6.  Idolatry  endeavoured  to  materialise 
 that  ethereal  symbol  of  God :  golden  calf 
 (Exod.  xxxii.  2-5),  glittering,  brilliant ! 
 
 6.  The  substitution  of  profitless  idols 
 for  Jehovah  surrendered  all  IsraeVs  glory, 
 and  left  her  baser  than  when  God  found 
 her  (Deut.  xxviii.  15-29). 
 
 Ver.  12,  13.  Theme:  Two  astound- 
 ing EVILS.  (See  Literary  Criticisms, 
 ver.  12.) 
 
 To  forsake  God  does  not  mean  de- 
 parture from  His  j^resence  nor  escape 
 from  His  r^de,  but  moral  alienation  of 
 Boul. 
 
 I.  The  force  of  human  freedom. 
 
 Mightiest  rivers  cannot  break  from 
 their  source,  nor  greatest  planets  from 
 44 
 
 their  centre,  but  man  can  from  centre 
 and  fountain  of  his  being. 
 
 1.  This  freedom  is  a  matter  of  personal 
 consciousness.  This  is  the  invincible 
 and  ultimate  argument  re  human  respon- 
 sibility; men  feel  they  are  uncoerced 
 and  free. 
 
 2.  This  freedom  invests  human  exis- 
 tence with  transcendent  importance. 
 Makes  them  members  of  the  great  moral 
 empire  of  the  universe. 
 
 II.  The  enormity  of  human  wicked- 
 ness. 
 
 1.  y^h^i  ingratitude.  2.  Whattw;W- 
 tice.     3.  What  impiety. 
 
 III.  The  egregiousness  of  human 
 folly: 
 
 1.  In  ivithdrawing  from  the  satisfying 
 to  toil  for  the  unsatisfying, 
 
 2.  In  withdrawing  from  the  abundant 
 to  toil  for  the  scanty.  Well  may  the 
 heavens  be  "amazed  and  horrified"  at 
 the  freedom,  iniquity,  and  folly  which 
 they  witness  every  age  and  every  day, 
 developed  in  the  history  of  our  race. — 
 Homilist. 
 
 Comments : 
 
 Ver.  14.  ^ic/i/ior/i  thinks  the  prophet 
 here  proposes  to  Judah,  as  yet  spared, 
 the  case  of  Israel  (the  captive  ten  tribes), 
 as  a  warning  of  what  they  might  expect 
 if  they  confided  in  Egypt :  "  Was  Israel 
 of  meaner  birth  than  Judah?  Nay; 
 yet  if  Israel  fell  before  Assyria,  could 
 Judah  hope  a  better  fate  from  Egypt  ? " 
 But  the  two  parts  of  the  nation  are  not 
 separated  in  the  prophet's  thought  and 
 address  (cf.  ver.  13,  18,  36). 
 
 It  is  an  inquiry  :  How  comes  it  that 
 the  nation  which  is  not  a  slave  by 
 birth,  being  "Jehovah's  son.  His  first- 
 born" (Exod.  iv.  22),  is  to  sufi"er  the 
 miseries  of  slavery  1 
 
 JSpealcer's  Com.,  however,  renders  it : 
 If  Israel  is  a  slave,  he  is  home-born,  and 
 hence  held  in  respect  (Gen.  xiv.  14), 
 may  expect  kindness  as  well  as  protec- 
 tion. Cannot  Jehovah  guard  His  own 
 household]  How  happens  it  that  a 
 member  of  so  powerful  a  family  is 
 spoiled  1  Next  verse  gives  the  reason : 
 Israel  is  a  r^inaway  slave,  deserted  the 
 family  to  which  he  belonged ;  hence  his 
 trouble  and  misery.  By  leaving  his 
 master's  house  he  has  exposed  himself 
 
nOMILETIC  COMMENTARY :  JEREMIAH. 
 
 to  the  leasts  of  prey  in  the  wilderness 
 (ver,  15). 
 
 Theme:  Israel's  slavery  an  emblem 
 
 OF     THE     UNIVERSAL    HUMAN    SLAVERY 
 OF  SIN. 
 
 1.  In  both  it  is  not  original.  2.  Is 
 self-incurred.  3.  Is  severely  punished. 
 4.  The  punishment  is  the  means  of 
 salvation  (since  it  shows  sin  is  ruin- 
 ous, and  godliness  is  life  and  peace). — 
 Naegelshach. 
 
 Ver.  16.  "If  God  wishes  to  chastise 
 His  people,  He  usually  employs  the 
 ungodly  for  this  purpose  (Deut.  xxviii. 
 49,  50) ;  and  it  often  happens  that 
 injury  and  destruction  come  upon  the 
 ungodly  from  those  from  whom  they 
 have  promised  themselves  the  greatest 
 help." — Starke.  (See  Literary  Criti- 
 cisms^ ver.  16.) 
 
 Ver.  17.  Theme :  Eeckless  deser- 
 tion OF  the  right  way. 
 
 Suggests  a  retrospect.  Look  well 
 over  your  life  and  mark  your  career; 
 the  points  at  which  you  forsook  God. 
 Suggests  also  a  calamity.  How  are 
 your  present  misery  and  terror  to  be 
 accounted  for  ?  Examples  :  Youth  with 
 wasted  constitution.  Merchant  suddenly 
 bankrupt.  "  Brought  it  all  on  himself." 
 Man  is  too  ready  to  blame  others, 
 emphatically  God,  for  his  misfortunes. 
 Text  finds  the  cause  of  our  personal, 
 social,  and  spiritual  disasters  nearer 
 home. 
 
 I.  There  is  a  gracious  way  wherein 
 Jehovah,  leads. 
 
 Through  Arabian  desert  went  with 
 Israel.     But  a  way  of  life  is  meant. 
 
 1.  This  may  not  approve  itself  to  the 
 unregenerate. 
 
 2.  Yet  it  is  a  path  of  pleasantness 
 and  holy  joy  to  the  godly. 
 
 3.  Along  it  the  footsteps  of  God,  the 
 presence  of  Emmanuel,  are  realised  and 
 enjoyed. 
 
 4.  Attended  by  the  Lord  Himself 
 he  pilgrim  traverses  this  living  way, 
 which  leads  away  from  bondage  into 
 blessed  privilege  and  eternal  rest. 
 (See  Addenda  to  chap.  ii.  17.) 
 
 How  blessed,  and  safe,  and  favoured 
 that  life  which  has  Jesus  ever  with  it 
 
 all  the  way ;  the  life  which  is  ordered 
 so  as  to  please  Him,  and  never  lead  Him 
 to  depart;  a  loyal  career  of  piety  and  love! 
 
 II.  Man  betrays  a  fatal  refractori- 
 ness, and  deserts  the  gracious  way. 
 Youth,  though  trained  in  "  wisdom's 
 ways,"  forsakes  them  for  sin.  Even  re- 
 ligious persons  turn  aside  from  the  Lord 
 and  wander.     Hence  : 
 
 1.  The  criminality  of  those  who  desert 
 God.     "  The  Lord  thy  God." 
 
 2.  The  circumstances  under  which  re- 
 fractoriness asserts  itself.  "  When  He  led 
 thee."  Not  when  God  seemed  distant 
 or  angry. 
 
 3.  The  course  which  this  refractori- 
 ness pursued.  "  Thou  hast/orscr^-e/i  the 
 Lord."  Not  fell  back  in  the  way  be- 
 cause it  was  difficult  to  follow ;  but  an 
 entire  and  wilful  leaving  the  path  for 
 another. 
 
 III.  Sinners  accomplish  their  own 
 overthrow  by  their  wilful  impiety. 
 "  Thou  hast  procured  this  for  thyself." 
 (See  Literary  Criticisms,  ver.  17.) 
 
 1.  The  way  led  from  evil  to  good  (ver. 
 6,  7). 
 
 2.  Outside  the  way  perils  and  foes 
 lurlced  for  "prey  "  (ver.  15). 
 
 3.  Leaving  the  way  forfeited  God^s 
 guidance  and  protection. 
 
 4.  The  end  of  transgression  is  doom 
 (Matt.  vii.  13). 
 
 Ruin  is  entailed,  not  sent ;  doom  is 
 the  natural  issue  of  evil ;  the  guilty 
 perish  as  the  inevitable  outcome  of 
 wrong.  They  had,  therefore,  to  "  bear 
 their  own  iniquity,"  and  to  blame  them- 
 selves for  their  woes  (Ezek.  xxxiii.  11). 
 
 Ver.  19.  Theme:  Sin  its  own  pun- 
 ishment. 
 
 I.  Ln  the  dealings  of  God  with  good 
 men. 
 
 1.  Neglect  seci^et  devotion,  and  God 
 will  refuse  His  blessing  on  other  means 
 of  grace. 
 
 2.  Indulge  secret  sin,  and  God  wiU 
 bring  that  sin  into  open  light  and  con- 
 demnation. 
 
 3.  Idolise  created  good,  God  will  take 
 from  us  our  idol,  or  make  it  a  plague 
 to  us. 
 
 4.  Act  with  faithlessness  to  others, 
 God  will  permit  us  to  sufi"er  from  the 
 
 45 
 
CHAP.  n. 
 
 HOMILETIC  COMMENTARY:  JEREMIAH. 
 
 treaphery  of  others  ;  as  Jacob's  subtlety 
 with  Esavi  came  back  in  Laban's  treat- 
 ment of  him. 
 
 5.  Undutifnlness  to  parents  punished 
 by  the  defiance  of  our  own  children, 
 
 6.  Indifference  as  to  home  piety 
 returned  upon  us  in  the  irreligion  of 
 those  in  the  home.     Eli's  sons. 
 
 IL  In  the  dealings  of  God  with  tuicked 
 men. 
 
 1.  Those  who  resent  religious  per- 
 suasions aud  strive  to  stifle  conviction 
 are  deprived  of  godly  parents  and 
 friends,  and  left  to  a  fatal  peace. 
 
 2.  Those  who  repel  the  Gospel  because 
 of  its  humiliating  truths  are  allowed  to 
 "  believe  a  lie  and  be  damned,  because 
 they  have  pleasure  in  unrighteous- 
 ness." 
 
 3.  In  death  and  judgment,  the  punish- 
 ment of  the  sinner  will  reflect  his  sin. 
 He  who  Lad  said  to  Christ,  "  Depart,  I 
 desire  not  the  knowledge  of  Thy  ways," 
 will  hear  his  own  word  again,  "De- 
 part!" 
 
 The  essence  of  misery  in  that  world 
 will  consist  in  recollection.  Then  will 
 "  our  wickedness  reprove  us." 
 
 Application:  How  dreadful  a  thing 
 sin  is  in  all  its  operations  !  He  who 
 indulges  in  it  kindles  a  fire  that  will 
 burn  himself.  "  Be  sure  your  sin  will 
 find  you  out." 
 
 There  is  no  radical  cure  but  contri- 
 tion and  the  Cross. — A.  Fuller. 
 
 i.  The  nature  of  sin :  forsahing  the 
 Lord  as  oiir  God. 
 
 ii.  The  cause  of  sin :  because  His 
 fear  is  not  in  us. 
 
 iii.  The  malignity  of  sin  :  it  is  an  evil 
 and  bitter  thing. 
 
 iv.  The  fatal  consequences  of  sin : 
 forsaking  the  Lord  =  without  God. 
 
 V.  The  use  and  application  of  all  this : 
 repent  of  thy  sin. — If.  Hennj. 
 
 Ver.  20.  1.  The  sacred  yoke  of  God. 
 (See  Addenda  to  chap.  ii.  20,  "  Yoke.") 
 
 1.  The  Lord's  yoke  is  easy  (Matt, 
 xi.  29);yet 
 
 2.  It  seems  intolerable  to  our  flesh ; 
 nevertheless 
 
 3.  Heartrending  sacrifices  and  suffer- 
 ings are  the  substitutes  we  procure  for 
 ourselves  in  its  stead.  Children  given 
 to  Moloch,  and  infliction  of  self-torture 
 
 4G 
 
 (1  Kings  xviii.  28).  This,  rather  than 
 renounce  carnal  freedom  and  bow  to  the 
 chastisement  of  the  Spirit. 
 
 II.  The  sacred  yoke  refused.  The 
 endeavour  to  cast  that  yoke  oflf : 
 
 1.  An  ancient  one.  The  angels'  re- 
 volt ;  man's  fall ;  Israel's  apostasy. 
 
 2.  A  ruinous  one.  For  (a.)  It  de- 
 prives us  of  true  freedom;  and  (6.)  It 
 renders  us  the  servants  of  powers  hostile 
 to  God  and  destructive  to  ourselves. — 
 Arranged  from  Lange. 
 
 Ver.  22.  Theme:  Futile  self- 
 cleansing.  (See  Critical  Notes,  Natvy 
 ral  History,  ver.  22  ;  and  Addenda  to 
 chap.  ii.  22,  "  Iniquity  is  marked.") 
 
 I.  Sinners  make  vigorous  efforts  at 
 external  cleansing. 
 
 1.  Driven  thereto  by  remorse  or  ap- 
 prehension. 
 
 2.  Under  a  powerful  impulse  towards 
 improvement ;  or 
 
 3.  As  a  compromise  with  conscience  ; 
 balancing  inward  evil  by  outward  good. 
 
 II.  Approved  and  promising  means 
 may  be  adopted.     As  here : 
 
 1.  i?a^io?ia^ism  prescribes  its  "nitre" 
 of  cidtu7'e  and  respectability. 
 
 2.  Sacerdotalism  recommends  its 
 "  soap  "  of  confession,  penance,  gifts  to 
 the  Church,  vows  of  chastity,  &c. 
 
 3.  Self-righteo^is7iess  urges  more 
 "washing,"  tithes  and  phylacteries,  and 
 prayers;  that  "the  outside  of  the  cup 
 and  the  platter"  may  be  clean;  "/or 
 the  Pharisees  wash  oft." 
 
 III.  All  this  without  any  true  ap- 
 preciation of  holiness.  For  that  would 
 denote  loathing  of  sin  and  of  self,  which 
 God  accepts,  and  is  the  beginning  of  re- 
 demption. 
 
 1.  Israel  was  not  resolved  on  purify- 
 ing herself.  There  was  much  ado  about 
 reformation,  cleansing  Temple,  because 
 Josiah  was  resolute ;  but  she  still  loved 
 sin  (ver.  25). 
 
 2.  The  otdivard  effort  is  imp>otent  tvhen 
 ioithout  heart.  There  may  be  ostenta- 
 tious vigour,  but  it  is  the  inward  long- 
 ing and  purpose  which  give  effect  to  ac- 
 tion. "  The  Lord  looketh  not  on  out- 
 ward appearance,  but  searcheth  the 
 heart." 
 
 3.  Cleansing  without  holiness  is  self' 
 
HOMILETIC  COMMENTARY :  JEREMIAH. 
 
 deception  and  abhorrent.  It  is  tlie 
 devil's  piety,  a  wliited  wall,  a  delusion 
 to  man,  and  detestable  to  God  (Liike 
 xvi.  15). 
 
 IV.  Therefore  the  guilt  remains 
 deep  and  immovahle. 
 
 1.  For  the  sin  itself  is  not  superficial, 
 but  inherent. 
 
 2.  Superficial  cleansing  does  not 
 touch  the  seat  of  evil.  "  For  out  of  the 
 heart  proceeds  evil,"  &c. 
 
 3.  Till  sin  is  loathed  it  cannot  be  re- 
 moved. It  is  incarcerated  within  us, 
 protected  against  remedies. 
 
 4.  It  thus  lies  under  God's  eye  an  in- 
 delible stain. 
 
 Let  the  "  soul  abhor  itself,  and  o'epent 
 in  dust  and  ashes  ; "  and  lo !  there  stands 
 ready  a  Saviour,  "the  propitiation  for 
 our  sins,"  "mighty  to  save;"  who,  if 
 the  sinner  will  but  cry  to  Him,  "  Lord, 
 save,  I  perish  !  "  will  answer,  "  Thy  sins, 
 which  are  many,  are  all  forgiven  thee  ! " 
 "  Though  yoxir  sins  be  as  scarlet,"  &c. 
 (Isa.  i.  18). 
 
 Ver.  23.  Theme:  What  hast  thou 
 DONE  t  Text ;  "  jSee  thy  xvay  in  the 
 valley  ;  know  what  tho^i  hast  done." 
 
 God  undertakes  to  expostulate  with 
 His  people.  He  finds  them  priding 
 themselves  on,  and  surrounding  them- 
 selves with,  an  edifice  of  self-righteous- 
 ness, a  refuge  of  lies. 
 
 How  does  God  confute  this  self- 
 righteousness'?  By  simply  pointing  to 
 bare  fact.  The  prophet  takes  Israel  up 
 to  the  summit  of  the  hill,  and  points 
 down  to  the  valley  of  Jehoshaphat,  to 
 the  sight  of  all  those  idolatrous  em- 
 blems and  monuments  scattered  pro- 
 fusely there.  God  lays  hold  of  Israel, 
 as  it  were,  and  says,  "  How  canst  thou 
 say,  I  am  not  polluted  ?  See  thy  way," 
 &c.  Those  stones  cry  out  against  thee, 
 those  smouldering  fires  down  there, 
 through  which  your  children  passed, 
 are  indications  of  the  guilt  which  has 
 brought  darkness  and  judgment  down 
 upon  the  nation. 
 
 /  challenge  you  to  take  a  general  vieio 
 of  your  fast  life.  "  See  thy  way ;  know 
 what  thou  hast  done." 
 
 1.  Look  at  your  life  ire  the  light  of 
 God's  Divine  pujyose.      God  sent  you 
 
 into  the  world  with  a  noble  destiny; 
 to  reflect  His  glory  and  scatter  heavenly 
 blessings.  He  gave  thee  a  body  to  be  a 
 temple  of  the  Holy  Ghost:  what  hast 
 thou  done  1  Desecrated  that  sacred  shrine. 
 Gave  thee  an  intelligence  to  know  Him, 
 but  He  has  not  been  in  thy  thoughts :  a 
 heart  to  glow  with  Divine  love ;  but  it 
 only  glows  under  the  blighting  breath 
 of  sin. 
 
 2.  In  the  light  of  your  social  position, 
 and  the  circumstances  by  ivhich  you  have 
 been  surrounded.  God  has  given  some 
 position,  wealth,  business:  what  done 
 with  it?  God  asks  it,  but  you  return 
 Nabal's  answer  (1  Sam.  xxv.  11). 
 
 3.  In  the  light  of  the  responsibilities  of 
 the  domestic  relationship.  God  has  made 
 you  a  member  of  a  family.  Parents, 
 negligent  of  souls  of  your  children,  con- 
 cerned more  for  their  social  prospects, 
 is  prayer  ever  heard  among  your  chil- 
 dren 1  What  hast  thou  done  ?  Trained 
 thy  children  for  hell. 
 
 4.  In  the  light  of  your  relationship  to 
 the  best  and  tenderest  of  fathers.  What 
 done  to  your  Father  in  heaven?  Pro- 
 digal son.  That  is  how  God's  mercy  is 
 treated  ;  waste  Divinely-given  substance 
 in  selfishness  and  sin.  What  hast  thou 
 done  1  Turned  thy  back  on  thy  Father's 
 love,  spurned  His  oflFers  of  mercy,  and 
 deafened  thine  ear  against  His  call. 
 
 5.  In  the  light  of  the  tender  dealings 
 of  the  Holy  Spirit  of  God.  You  can 
 remember  in  childhood  and  youth  how 
 that  Spirit  strove  with  you.  In  those 
 early  days  there  was,  at  times,  a 
 strange  overshadowing,  a  Voice  that 
 seemed  to  say,  "  Come  ! "  It  was  the 
 Holy  Spirit  who  longed  to  win  you. 
 What  hast  thou  done  to  that  Holy 
 Spirit  of  God?  "Ye  do  always  resist 
 the  Holy  Ghost." 
 
 6.  In  the  light  of  your  relationships 
 with  Him,  who,  because  He  loved  you, 
 was  content  to  hang  as  your  sidjstitute 
 upon  the  cross  of  shame.  I  plead  for 
 Him.  I  hold  Him  up  crucified  before 
 you.  What  hast  thou  done  to  that  blood 
 of  His?  Infatuated  Jews  cried,  "His 
 blood  be  on  us  and  our  children  ! "  and 
 it  fell  as  showers  of  judgment.  "Is  it 
 nothing  to  you,  all  ye  that  pass  by  ? " 
 Have  you  taken  home  to  your  heart  the 
 
 47 
 
CHAF.  IL 
 
 HOMILETIC  COMMENTARY:  JEREMIAH. 
 
 message,  "The  blood  of  Jesus  Christ 
 cleanseth  from  all  sin;"  and  looked 
 up  with  eyes  of  gratitude  to  your 
 Saviour's  face,  and  said,  "0  my 
 Saviour  !  Thy  blood  was  shed  for  me,  for 
 me,  for  me  ? " — Aithen. 
 
 Ver.  24.   Theme:  Self- VINDICATING 
 
 SINNERS  KEPEOVED. 
 
 Circumstances  under  which  we  sin 
 aggravates  the  guilt.  Mercies  received 
 by  us ;  resolutions  they  have  prompted ; 
 degree  of  our  degeneration;  all  are 
 marked  by  God.  But  one  evil  tran- 
 scends all  others,  a  self-justifying  spirit ; 
 this  is  pre-eminently  offensive  to  the 
 Divine  Majesty. 
 
 I.  The  self-vindicating  ways  of  sin- 
 ners. 
 
 It  might  be  supposed  that,  when 
 men's  iniquities  are  so  visible,  they 
 would  fall  under  the  accusation  and 
 humble  themselves  before  God.  In- 
 stead, they  justify  themselves  against 
 the  charge :  some 
 
 1.  In  a  way  of  direct  denial ;  as  Cain 
 (Gen.  iv.  9,  and  text). 
 
 2.  In  a  way  of  vain  excuse;  as  Saul 
 (1  Sam.  XV.  13-15). 
 
 3.  In  a  way  of  hypocritical  palliation  ; 
 as  Adam  and  Eve  (Gen.  iii.  11-13). 
 
 II.  God  substantiates  His  charge 
 against  His  offending  people. 
 
 However  we  may  justify  ourselves, 
 God  will  set  before  us  the  things  that 
 we  have  done  (Ps.  1.  21)  : 
 
 1,  By  an  appeal  to  fact.  "  See  thy 
 way  in  the  valley ;  know  what  thou  hast 
 done."  Not  discovered  by  "secret 
 search"  (ver.  34);  it  is  done  without 
 concealment.  So,  look  at  your  whole 
 lives,  one  continued  scene  of  rebellion 
 against  God.  All  your  very  religion  a 
 shadow,  full  of  shameful  unreality  and 
 slips.    What  palliations  can  exonerate  1 
 
 2.  By  a  most  apt  comparison.  (See 
 Crilical  Notes,  Natural  History,  Literary 
 Criticisms,  above ;  also  Addenda,  ver,  23.) 
 Dromedary  and  wild  ass,  when  seekinf' 
 their  mate,  are  so  bent  upon  attainment 
 of  their  desire,  that  efforts  to  catch  them 
 are  vain  ;  no  one  will  weary  himself 
 with  so  fruitless  a  labour.  But  when 
 their  time  of  pregnancy  has  advanced  they 
 fitll  comparatively  an  easy  prey  to  the 
 
 43 
 
 pursuer.  So  to  little  purpose  that  you 
 are  followed  with  invitations  and  en- 
 treaties :  you  "  will  not  hear  voice  of 
 charmer,  charm  he  never  so  wisely." 
 
 Applicatio7i :  There  is  a  time  when  we 
 may  hope  to  prevail  over  sinners.  "  In 
 her  month"  (ver,  24).  Happy  if  you 
 have  become  "  weary  and  heavy  laden  " 
 with  your  sins,  and  will  be  led  back  to 
 God.  "  Only  acknowledge  thine  ini- 
 quity" (iii,  13).  Come  burdened  to 
 Jesus,  and  He  will  "  give  you  rest " 
 (1  John  i,  8,  9). — Simeon. 
 
 Ver.  25.  Comments. 
 
 Schmidt  interprets  the  words  "  With- 
 hold thy  foot,"  &c.,  as  being  led  barefoot 
 away  into  captivity,  the  penalty  of 
 apostasy.  Hitzig  thinks  the  reference  is 
 to  penances  performed  barefoot  to  idols, 
 and  the  thirst  the  result  of  vociferous  in- 
 vocations. Eichhom  regards  it  as  re- 
 ferring to  idolatrous  acts,  viewed  as  those 
 of  a  lewd  person,  who  both  exposes  her- 
 self and  cries  out  for  paramours.  Uw/- 
 brief,  =  God  entreats  Israel  as  His  bride 
 to  refrain  from  rushing  like  an  adultress, 
 barefoot,  and  with  parched  throat,  after 
 strangers. 
 
 The  natural  meaning :  Abstain  from 
 incontinence  (idolatry) ;  do  not  so 
 shamelessly  pursue  lovers,  nor  thirst 
 after  sexual  intercourse.  (See  Literary 
 Criticisms  on  ver.  28.) 
 
 "  There  is  no  hope,"  &c.  "  The  plea 
 of  despair  is  not  half  honest ;  it  is  taken 
 up  as  an  apology  for  rushing  madly  and 
 headlong  into  sin." — Cowles. 
 
 Ver.  26.  If  ^' kings  and 'princes"  are 
 authorised  to  determine  a  nation's  reli- 
 gion, and  ^^  priests  and  prophets"  to  lord 
 it  over  individual  conscience  and  judg- 
 ment, why,  then,  this  people  was  not  to 
 blame.  Piety,  if  left  to  their  imperious 
 care,  would  soon  fall  into  a  lamentable 
 plight.  Let  each  man  be  his  own 
 "  king  "  and  "  priest "  religiously  ;  "  be 
 fully  persuaded  in  his  own  mind,"  and 
 act  as  he  knows  God  requires. — (See 
 Addenda  to  chap.  ii.  ver.  26,  '^  Kings  and 
 2iriests.") 
 
 Ver.  27.  ''Trouble"  is  a  fine  self, 
 revealer,  and  a  faithful  witness  for  God, 
 Pleasure  and  prosperity  act  on  men  as  opi- 
 ates, lull  and  befool  them ;  but  affliction 
 and  trouble  are  quick  restoratives  ;  they 
 
HOMILETIC  COMMENTARY:  JEREMIAH. 
 
 bring    men  to   their  senses.     (See  Ad- 
 denda to  chap.  ii.  ver.  27,  "  Troubled) 
 
 Ver.  28.  1.  Shame  is  the  only  gain  of 
 impiety;  it  eventually  covers  us  with 
 confusion, 
 
 2.  Subterfuges  for  God  will  be  an 
 encumbrance  and  a  torture  to  us  when 
 we  find  out  our  stupidity  and  their  use- 
 lessness. 
 
 3.  We  shall  want  a  helper  to  "  arise 
 and  save "  in  the  evil  times  which  are 
 coming.  May  our  hope  not  make  us 
 ashamed  ! 
 
 4.  Necessity  teaches  men  to  pray  ;  but 
 it  is  a  desperate  thing  to  be  calling  upon 
 "  vanities  "  in  the  day  of  our  dismay. 
 
 5.  God  may  send  back  pleaders  to 
 their  cherished  delusions.  Then  will 
 they  know  themselves  as  "having  no 
 hope,  and  without  God  in  the  world," 
 
 Ver.  30.  ^^  In  vain  have  I  smitten  you  " 
 God  deals  two  different  strokes,  one  for 
 grace,  another  for  justice  ;  to  save,  or  to 
 afflict ;  to  convert,  or  to  make  sinners 
 know  their  crime. 
 
 The  smiting  was  by  God's  prophets, 
 whose  words  are  the  "  rod  of  His 
 mouth,"  and  fall  with  different  effects  on 
 men,  according  as  they  "hear  or  for- 
 bear," proving  a  "  savour  of  life  "  to  some, 
 and  "  of  death  "  to  others. 
 
 This  smiting  by  the  prophets  with 
 "  the  sword  of  the  Spirit  "  was  answered 
 by  their  smiting  the  prophets  with  the 
 material  sword  of  slaughtering  revenge 
 (1  Kings  xviii.  13;  Neh.  ix.  26;  Matt. 
 xxiii.  37).  (See  Literary  Criticisms, 
 ver.  30.) 
 
 1.  To  accept  chastisement,  sent  by 
 word  or  deed,  is  a  sign  of  wisdom  (Prov. 
 viii.  10;  cf.  Heb.  xii.  9). 
 
 2.  To  profit  by  it  requires  that  we 
 enter  into  the  Divine  purpose  and  re- 
 spond (Heb.  xii.  5,  10),  (See  Addenda 
 to  chap.  ii.  ver.  30,  " Correction") 
 
 Ver.  31.  "Where  God  bestows  most 
 benefits,  there  He  receives  the  least  grati- 
 tude."— Forster.  God  is  "  a  desert"  to 
 none.  This  is  true — 1.  In  reference  to  all 
 vien  (comp.  Matt,  v,  45).  (a.)  He  regards 
 their  bodily  wants,  {b.)  He  provides  for 
 and  seeks  their  spiritual  good.  2.  He  was 
 always  a  fruitful  land  to  Israel,  (a.) 
 When  He  blessed  them  and  punished 
 the  heathen,  (6.)  When  He  blessed  the 
 D 
 
 heathen  and  punished  them,  (c.)  Even 
 when  He  allowed  the  Church  of  Christ 
 to  pass  from  the  Jews  to  the  heathen. — 
 From  Homilies  on  Jeremiah,  by  Jerome, 
 quoted  in  Lange, 
 
 What  an  attitude  of  graceless  defiance 
 and  antagonism  this  for  man  to  assume  ! 
 1,  We  refuse  the  Divine  control  com- 
 pletely. "We  are  lords,"  i.e.,  ramble 
 unrestrained.  2.  We  are  determined 
 never  to  return  to  the  Lord.  "  We  wil\ 
 come  no  more  unto  Thee."  It  is  an  idle 
 boast.  (1.)  None  can  escape  God's  con- 
 trol (cf.  Acts  xvii.  28;  Heb.  ix.  27). 
 (2.)  Every  said  must  come  bach  to  God 
 (Rom.  xiv,  10-12).  Who  then  shall 
 stand  before  Him'?  (See  Literary  Cri- 
 ticisms, ver.  31.) 
 
 Ver.  32.  (See  Critical  Notes,  Manners 
 and  Customs,  ver.  32.) 
 
 1.  The  world's  trifles  are  esteemed 
 more  than  God's  graces. 
 
 2.  Adornment  of  the  person  engrosses 
 more  time  and  thought  than  enriching 
 the  soul. 
 
 3.  God  receives  worse  treatment 
 from  frivolous  worldlings  than  their 
 paltry  trinkets.  They  preserve  and  prize 
 them ;  but  "  God  is  not  in  all  their 
 thoughts." 
 
 Ver.  33,  Fine  irony.  Hoiv  good  thou 
 maJcest  thy  xvay .'  =  amendest(cf  chap.  vii. 
 3,  5),  in  order  to  gain  love.  To  succeed 
 in  wickedness,  to  live  immorally,  necessi- 
 tates no  little  study,  self-accommodation, 
 and  effort.  Evil  costs  more  pains  than 
 godliness,  and  requites  with  penalties. 
 
 Ver.  35.  " Obsti7iate impenitence.  {l-)lt 
 is  blind  to  its  own  guilt.  (2.)  Blas- 
 phemes God  by  accusing  Him  of  unjust 
 anger.  (3.)  Will  not  escape  just  punish- 
 ment."— Naeg.  in  Lange. 
 
 i.  Self -justification,  ii.  Delusive  hope, 
 iii.  Divine  testing,  iv.  Certain  refuta- 
 tion. 
 
 Ver.  36,  37.  Fear,  defeat,  failure. 
 
 I.  Fearful  lest  her  confidences  should 
 fail,  the  soul  anxiously  multiplies  human 
 reliances  ;  "  gaddest  about  so  much  to 
 change  her  way ; "  to  make  sure  of 
 Egypt  when  Assyria  seems  declining. 
 
 II.  Dishonoured  by  this  desertion  of 
 Him  for  other  "  confidences,"  God  will 
 defeat  her  human  hopes.  "The  Lord 
 hath  rejected  thy  confidences  "  {desjnsed 
 
 49 
 
CHAP.  II. 
 
 HOMILETIC  COMMBTTTARY :  JEREMIAH. 
 
 themV    "thou  Shalt  not    prosper    in  ing  failure  and  shame.     "Thoushaltgo 
 
 ^^y'  forth  from  him"  (from  thence),  "thine 
 
 III   AH  contrivances  to  prevent  herself  hands  upon  thine  head."     (See  Critical 
 
 beiuf'  left  desolate  issue  in  overwhelm-  Notes,  Manners  and  Customs,  ver.  37.) 
 
 NOTICEABLE  TOPICS  IN   CHAPTER   II. 
 
 Topic:  Early  Piety  the  Beauty  of  Youth.     Text:  '^  I  remember  the  kindness 
 
 of  thy  yoicth"  (ver.   2). 
 
 Introduction.  The  sacred  grace  of  bygone  days  made  Israel  lovely  in  God's  remem- 
 brance. The  religious  earnestness  of  the  young  ruler  secured  for  him  this — "  Jesus 
 lookinf^upon  him,  loved  him.''  Younglives  consecrated  totheLord  are  sure  of  Heaven's 
 approval  and  blessing.     (See  Addenda,  chap.  ii.  ver.  2,  "  Fiety  the  heaiity  of  youth.") 
 
 I.  A  picture  of  a  beautiful  youth. 
 
 A  portrait  hangs  on  your  wall ;  you  say,  "  A  lovely  face  ! "  But  something 
 more  beautiful  and  valuable  than  "  good  looks."  What  ?  The  character,  virtues, 
 life.  God  would  not  estimate  by  looks,  appearance.  He  wants  "  the  ornament  of 
 a  meek  and  quiet  spirit."  See  what  Scripture  says  about  appearance  as  compared 
 with  the  inward  spiritual  qualities  (1  Pet.  iii.  4).  Israel's  youth  had  not  been 
 vitiated  by  sin ;  it  was  given  up  to  God  in  its  freshness  and  beauty.  Shall  yours 
 be  ?  God  says  of  it  that  it  was — 1.  F\dl  of  kindness  (to  Him).  2.  Secretly  loving 
 and  clinging.  "  Espousals :  went  after  me."  Jesus  asks  each,  "  Lovest  thou  me  ? " 
 "  Follow  me." 
 
 II.  An  eye  that  fondly  gazes  on  it. 
 
 What  loving  eyes,  of  mother,  father,  look  often  on  that  portrait  on  the  wall !  "  I 
 remember  thee."  God  could  not  draw  His  gaze  off  from  that  picture  of  Israel's 
 early  piety.  Oh,  how  God  lingers  with  eyes  of  tender  regard  over  each  youthful 
 life,  specially  over  those  who  are  early  His  !  "  I  love  them  that  love  Me,  and  those 
 who  seek  !Me  early  shall  find  Me."  1.  God  had  Himself  formed  and  graced  this 
 yorith  with  beauty.  He  was  a  Father  to  Israel,  and  all  her  loveliness  was  derived 
 from  Him.  So  all  our  goodness  is  His  gracious  work.  2.  God  cherished  Israel  as 
 being  pecidiarly  precious  (Deut.  vii.  6-8).  Oh,  what  hopes  a  father  entertains  about 
 his  child  ;  what  love  he  lavishes  ! 
 
 III.  A  special  desire  to  preserve  it. 
 
 Nothing,  no  one,  must  be  allowed  to  injure  that  much-prized  portrait.  So  God 
 laid  penalties  against  all  who  should  touch  or  damage  Israel  (ver.  3).  For — 1. 
 There  tvas  no  equal  in  the  world.  All  the  world  was  idolatrous,  but  "  Israel  was  holi- 
 ness." Think  what  it  must  be  for  an  only  child  to  be  lost.  God  does  not  want  to 
 lose  you,  i.e.,  your  youth,  your  piety.  He  asks  that  your  religion  be  preserved.  It 
 is  an  incomparably  precious  jewel.  Your  character  is  the  best  thing  about  you  ; 
 that  gone,  you  are  nothing  to  God.  2.  It  could  not  be  replaced.  Youth  once  gone 
 never  can  be  recalled.  Youthftd  piety  cannot  be  recalled  once  lost.  You  may 
 return  to  God  later  in  life,  but  the  best  part  of  you  would  then  be  wanting.  A 
 fl.iwer  with  its  loaves  falling  off  is  not  so  beautiful  as  the  opening  bud. 
 
 IV.  A  dreadful  peril  threatening  it. 
 
 Precious  things  always  seem  most  in  danger.  A  portrait  not  valued  would  never 
 get  damaged  ;  but  that  one  precious  thing,  why,  everything  seems  to  threaten  it. 
 There  are  dreadful  perils  menacing  a  godly  youth.  1.  Ofemive  enemies  (ver.  3, 
 n?^  L  2.  Awm^ows  enemies  {''all  that  devour").  3.  Destructive  enemies 
 (devour  ).  Remember  him  who  "  seeketh  whom  he  may  devour"  (1  Pet.  v.  16  ; 
 cf  JNIutt.  xviii.  6,  7).  Think  how  Israel  was  spoiled  (ver.  14).  We  need  the 
 preserving  care  of  Jesus.  He  can  keep  us  in  safety,  and  guard  our  souls  from  the 
 spoiler  (1  Tim.  i.  12).  ^'         o 
 
 60 
 
EOMILETia  COMMENTARY :  JEREMIAH.  chap.  ii. 
 
 Topic:  DiSTEUST  of  God  issuing  in  Desertion.     Text:  '' My  people  have  for- 
 saken Me,  and  hewed  out  cisterns  "  (ver.  1 3). 
 
 "Faith  and  unfaith  can  ne'er  be  equal  powers; 
 Unfaith  in  aught  is  want  of  faith  in  all." 
 
 Let  distrust  begin,  it  will  widen  into  alienation.  It  may  be  small  at  outset,  a 
 "  little  pitted  speck  "  in  the  ripe  fruit  of  our  faith,  a  mere  doiiht  of  God's  promises ; 
 but  the  leak  has  sprung,  the  fire  has  started,  the  poison  has  entered  the  blood. 
 The  "  speck  "  spread,  "  rotted  inward,"  and  "  slowly  mouldered  all."  This  is  the 
 principle  of  the  text,  the  growth  of  unfaith,  the  ultimate  issues  of  distrust  of  God. 
 
 Not  applicable  to  those  who  have  never  loved  and  trusted  God;  but  to  "My 
 people,"  who  had  experienced  enough  to  ensure  their  fearless  love.  We  have 
 known  fuller  demonstration  of  Divine  sufficiency  and  grace  in  Jesus  in  our  per- 
 sonal redemption  and  adoption.  In  us  "perfect  love  should  cast  out  fear."  Yet 
 doubt  has  been  cherished,  and  has  issued  in  desertion. 
 
 I.  A  fact  for  amazement :  God  was  theirs,  yet  they  deserted  Him.  "  Be 
 astonished,  saith  the  Lord."  It  is  a  cry  of  amazement  from  God.  "0  ye 
 heavens ! "  peopled  with  myriads  of  holy  ones,  did  ye  ever  know  such  a  wrong 
 done  to  your  faithful  and  gracious  King  ?  Silence  your  songs ;  "  be  horribly 
 afraid  ;  "  for  what  may  not  ensue,  now  that  "  My  people  "  can  act  thus  1 
 
 1.  There  is  overfioiving  plenitude  in  God.  "  i^ozm^am ;"  spontaneously,  from 
 indwelling  resources,  giving  forth  streams:  '^living  water;"  unceasing,  never 
 stagnant,  always  fresh  and  refreshing  :  "  living  waters  ;  "  many  streams,  diverse  and 
 multiplied,  suiting  every  taste,  slaking  every  thirst. 
 
 2.  It  is  God's  purpose  that  we  should  find  our  all  in  Him.  (a.)  Human  thirst  is 
 God's  work  in  us.  (6.)  Thirsts  are  implanted  within  us  to  lead  us  to  God  for 
 supply,  (c.)  We  may  therefore  be  satisfied  fully,  and  can  be  satisfied  alone  in  Him. 
 Did  our  faith  never  falter,  "  we  might  ask  what  we  will  and  it  should  be  done." 
 Sad  that  we  have  let  "  unfaith  "  come  in ;  and,  in  our  want  of  faith,  have  sought 
 to  provide  substitutes  should  God  fail ! 
 
 II.  An  effort  of  compensation  :  Having  forsaken  God,  they  constructed  for 
 themselves  laboured  contrivances.  Withdrawal  of  faith  from  God  does  not  better 
 us,  but  beggars  us ;  not  set  us  at  rest,  but  drives  us  to  wearying  toils.  Having 
 lost  our  good  in  God,  we  wander  piteously,  crying,  "  Who  will  show  us  any  good  1 " 
 See  how  this  works  : 
 
 1.  I  become  perplexed.  God  bids,  "  If  lack  wisdom,  ask  of  God."  Instead  of 
 going  to  Fountain,  "  committing  my  way  and  trusting  in  Him,"  I  seek  counsellors ; 
 but  they  do  not  agree,  and  perplex  me  the  more.     "  They  hold  no  water." 
 
 2.  I  am  in  grief ;  heart  aches  for  consolation.  I  might  "  lean  on  Jesus'  bosom  ; " 
 but  hard  thoughts  drive  me  to  avoid  Him.  I  seek  human  words  of  comfort,  and 
 they  fall  on  my  ear — vapid,  succourless.  "Miserable  comforters  are  ye  all!" 
 "  They  hold  no  water." 
 
 3.  The  Church  droops;  numbers  minish,  agencies  fail.  We  must  get  a  more 
 earnest  pastor,  more  efi'ective  preacher,  make  our  services  more  attractive  1  So 
 popular  preacher  comes,  sensational  services  are  arranged,  week-night  entertain- 
 ments planned.  But  can  these  bring  the  "  Breath  of  the  Lord  "  ?  "  They  hold 
 no  water;"  and  the  spiritual  life  of  the  Church  is  parched  and  perishing  still. 
 
 4.  When  persons  lose  vital  godliness,  they  often  grow  valiant  sectarians  and 
 doctrinal  bigots — their  tenets  are  their  "  cisterns  ;  "  or  they  substitute  punctilious 
 observances  for  spontaneous  piety. 
 
 (a.)  Man  has  the  power  to  construct  promising  appliances.  (6.)  He  makes  toil- 
 some efforts  to  satisfy  his  soul  in  dearth ;  but  thus  saith  the  Lord,  "  Wherefore 
 labour  for  that  which  satisfieth  not  1  Hearken  diligently  unto  Me."  A  voice  from 
 the  Gospel  age  speaks,  "  If  any  man  thirst,  come  unto  Me  and  drink  !  " 
 
 51 
 
CHAP.  n. 
 
 nOMJLETIC  COMMENTARY :  JEREMIAH. 
 
 m  A  desolating  failure :  Man's  toilsome  devices  prove  of  no  avail.  "  Broken ; " 
 for  God  is  not  careful  to  preserve  them  (ver.  37).  Better  ''  broken  "  than  that  we 
 should  be  sustained  by  delusions.  ,  ,  ,     , 
 
 1.  Men  have  left  God  for  pleasure.  Issue  :  "  The  worm,  the  canker,  and  the 
 grief  are  mine  alone."  ^         ,      .  .    >, 
 
 2.  For  success.     Issue  :  "  All  vanity  and  vexation  of  spirit. 
 
 3."  Turned  from  Jesus  to  culture.     Issue  :  "  0  wretched  man  that  I  am,"  &c. 
 
 4!  From  Bible  to  rationalism.     Issue  :  "  Leap  in  the  dark." 
 
 Content  yourselves  with  God,     We  are  not  to  be  creators  but  recipients.     Shut 
 
 door  of  your  hearts  on  "  unfaith."     Keep  near  Fountain.     "  Ho,  every  one  that 
 
 thirsteth,  come  ye  to  the  waters  ! " 
 
 Topic :  God  no  Baeren  Wilderness.     Text :  "  Have  I  been  a  wilderness  unto 
 Israel,  a  land  of  darkness  ?"  (ver.  31). 
 
 In  the  text  there  are  three  general  parts  considerable :  a  demand,  an  expostula- 
 tion, and  an  invitation. 
 
 I.  A  demand.     "  Have  I  been  a  wilderness,"  &c. 
 
 i.  It  hath  the  force  of  a  remonstrance  or  protestation,  i.e.,  I  have  not  been  so. 
 Not  a  "  wilderness,"  which  is  an  expression  of  unprofitahleness ;  not  "  a  land  of 
 darkness,"  \i'h.\c\i  =  uncomfortdbleness.  Theme:  That  God's  people  do  not  serve 
 Him  in  vain  and  for  no  profit ;  neither  are  they  losers  by  their  servings  of  Him. 
 This  is  evident  from  daily  experience  and  observation ;  and  it  is  founded  upon 
 God's  royalty,  nobleness,  and  magnificence.  Men  are  wrongly  opinionated  respect- 
 ing God,  and  the  reasons  are  : 
 
 1.  Because  God  is  pleased  sometimes  to  suspend  and  delay  the  expressions  of 
 His  goodness  to  them. 
 
 2.  Because  God  does  not  always  reward  them  in  that  way  and  kind  as  they 
 desire  and  expect  from  Him. 
 
 ii.  It  hath  the  force  of  a  remembrance  or  seasonable  intimation,  i.e.,  I  have  been 
 the  contrary,  I  have  in  reality  been  a  paradise.  It  is  an  ironical  inquiry  suggest- 
 ing the  very  reverse,  intimating  God's  great  goodness  and  overflowing  bounty. 
 Theme :  That  God  takes  care  of  His  Church,  and  provides  all  things  necessary — 
 means  of  illumination  and  instruction,  means  of  fructification  and  increase.  His 
 providence  works  wonderfully  for  it,  keeping  it  from  enemies,  preserving  it  from 
 dangers  and  destruction. 
 
 The  more  God  does  for  any  people,  the  more  He  expects  from  them.  Their 
 thankfulness  is  to  be  answerable  to  His  mercies,  and  their  obedience  to  their  thank- 
 fulness. 
 
 iii.  It  hath  the  force  of  a  reproach  or  implicit  exprobration,  i.e.,  Israel  hath 
 rather  been  a  wilderness  to  Me  /  And  so  it  represents  to  us  the  unfruitf ulness  of 
 God's  people.     Three  things  aggravate  this  unfruitfulness  : 
 
 (1.)  The  mercies  which  they  enjoy.  (2.)  The  means  (of  improvement ;  advantages) 
 they  partake  of.  (3.)  The  expectations  which  are  upon  them  ;  for  God  had  occasion 
 to  expect  fruitful  returns.  It  is  a  sad  thing  to  be  under  the  upbraidings  of  the 
 Almighty,  for  there  is  certain  to  be  occasion  for  it  when  He  reproaches. 
 
 IV.  It  hath  the  force  of  an  a2:)peal  or  provocation  to  them,  i.e.,  let  Israel  speak 
 what  they  know  of  Me.  God  here  submits  Himself  to  the  judgment  of  their  con- 
 sciences. He  challenges  them  to  say  the  worst  of  Him.  This  is  grounded  upon 
 His  own  mnocency.  Thus  He  justifies  all  His  dispensations  with  His  people  ;  for 
 It  they  consider,  they  must  acknowledge  that  His  ways  are  equal  and  theirs 
 unequal  (Kzck.  xxvui.  29).  In  His  goodness  to  His  whole  Church  in  general,  and 
 to  our  own  persons  in  particular,  God  has  approved  Himself  to  our  consciences  by 
 manifold  expressions. 
 
 n.  An  expostulation.  "  Wherefore  say  My  people,  We  are  lords,  we  will  come 
 no  more  unto  Thee?"  ^      j  r    r    j  > 
 
 62 
 
EOMILETIC  COMMENTARY :  JEREMIAH.  chap.  h. 
 
 i.  The  charge  ;  it  is  twofold : 
 
 1.  Their  assertion  ;  "  we  are  lords,"  whereby  they  hold  forth  their  own  greatness, 
 eelf-sufficiency,  and  independence.  When  men  will  be  their  own  masters,  and  do 
 what  they  will  without  control,  God  suffers  them  to  be  so,  and  gives  them  up  to 
 liberty.  But  this  is  the  greatest  misery  in  this  world ;  for  with  our  nature 
 corrupted  by  sin  we  need  One  better  than  ourselves  to  guide  and  restrain  us. 
 
 2.  Their  resolution;  "we  will  come  no  more,"  &c.,  which  is  a  twofold  sin — (a.) 
 The  denial  of  their  address.  This  refusal  to  come  showed  disi-esjyect,  want  of  due 
 affection  for  God ;  for  when  men  come  not  at  God,  it  is  a  sign  they  do  not  love 
 Him  nor  regard  Him  as  they  should  :  ingratitude  ;  for  they  had  received  so  many 
 kindnesses  from  God,  that  His  mercies  should  have  provoked  attendance  upon 
 Him  :  stubbornness  ;  resisted  even  God's  call  and  persuasion.  Ahasuerus  took  ill 
 Vashti's  refusal  to  come  when  commanded.  Yet  God  has  invited  us  often  by  the 
 ministry.  Providence,  and  Spirit.  (6.)  The  discontinua^ice  of  address,  "no  more 
 come,"  which  denotes  their  self-sufficiency  and  their  apostasy.  "  We  are  lords,"  and 
 can  shift  for  ourselves. 
 
 ii.  The  censure,  "wherefore  ?"  which  signifies  that 
 
 1,  It  was  without  reason;  they  had  no  cause  at  all  for  it;  God  had  given  them 
 neither  occasion  or  provocation. 
 
 2.  It  was  against  reason.  Consider  their  relation — "  My  people."  What  an 
 unnatural  thing  for  them  to  refuse  to  come  near  God  !  And  their  indebtedness ; 
 kindness  is  a  strong  engagement ;  love  constrains  response ;  yet  here  it  was  all 
 restrained  and  reversed. 
 
 III.  An  invitation.     "  0  ye  generation,  see  ye  the  word  of  the  Lord  ! " 
 
 By  "  generation  "  he  meant  the  people  of  the  time.  There  is  a  reflection  in  the 
 phrase  upon  the  sinfulness  and  wretchedness  of  the  age,  as  if  to  say,  Into  what  a 
 time  and  age  are  we  fallen  !     Here  then  consider : 
 
 Unto  what  this  generation  is  invited.  "  To  see  the  Word  of  the  Lord,"  i.e., 
 mind  it  and  attend  to  it.  They  had  heard  the  Word  often,  but  it  had  done  no 
 good  ;  now  called  to  "  see  "  it. 
 
 The  weightiness  and  seriousness  of  it  in  its  twofold  bearing — 1.  As  it  respects 
 God's  own  justification,  "  Have  I  been  a  wilderness  ?  "  and  2.  As  it  respects  Isi^aeVs 
 condemnation,  "  Wherefore  say  My  people,"  &c. 
 
 What  improvement  have  we  in  this  generation  made  of  our  favours  ?  Have  we 
 shown  faithfulness  and  fruitfulness  ?  God  has  been  no  "  ivilderness  "  to  us  :  have 
 we  to  Him  1  ISTo  "  dai^lcness,"  for  the  light  of  truth  and  the  Gospel  shines  around 
 us  :  have  we  "  walked  in  the  light "  ?  Have  we  waxed  proud  and  self-confident, 
 saying,  "  We  are  lords  "  ?  &c.  Certainly  the  abominations  which  in  these  days 
 abound  speak  loudly  against  us.  If  so,  it  is  most  unreasonable.  And  God  calls 
 us  to  repentance  and  amendment  of  life. — T.  Horton,  D.D.,  Londo7i,  a.d.  1678. 
 
 ADDENDA  TO  CHAPTER  II.    ILLUSTRATIONS  AND  SUGGESTIVE  EXTRACTS. 
 
 Ver.  2.  "  Love  of  thine  espousals :"  iia  Ill-requited: — 
 
 Divine  origin  : —  «  A  mighty  pain  to  love  it  is, 
 
 And  'tis  a  pain  that  pain  to  miss; 
 "  Yes,  love  indeed  is  light  from  heaven,  But  of  all  pains,  the  greatest  pain 
 
 A  spark  of  that  immortal  fire  It  is  to  love,  and  love  in  vain." 
 
 With  angels  shared,  by  Alia  given,  — CoWLEY. 
 
 To  lift  from  earth  our  low  desire.  «,  j      _      x       .j  ,■,  „      u  rrj^e  j-g- 
 
 Devotion  wafts  the  mind  above,  I   Jememoei   tuy  yotim.  xne  re 
 
 But  heaven  itself  descends  in  love  ;  trospect  on  youth  is  too  often  like  look- 
 
 A  feeling  from  the  Godhead  caught,  ing  back  on  what  was  a  fair  and  promis- 
 
 To  wean  from  self  each  sordid  thought ;  jjj     country,  but  is  now  desolated    by 
 
 A  ray  of  Him  who  formed  the  whole,  °  i    i     •        4.  t.       rv„  ;*■  ;„  y,^ra 
 
 A  ilory  circling  round  the  soul. "  ^n  overwhelmmg  torrent.     Or   t  is  like 
 
 — LvKov.  visitmc  the  grave  of  a  friend  whom  we 
 
 53 
 
CHAP.  n. 
 
 HOMILETIC  COMMENTARY:  JEREMIAH. 
 
 have  injured,  and  are  precluded  by  his 
 death  from  the   possibiUty  of  making 
 him  an  atonement." — J.  Foster. 
 Piety  the  beauty  of  youth. 
 
 "  What  is  beauty  ?    Not  the  show 
 Of  shapely  form  and  features.     No  ! 
 These  are  but  flowers 
 That  have  their  dated  hours 
 To  breathe  their  momentary  sweets,  then  go. 
 'Tis  the  stainless  soul  within 
 That  outshines  the  fairest  skin. " 
 
 — SiK  A.  Hunt. 
 
 "  Natwalists  inform  us  that  Oriental 
 pearls  are  generated  of  the  morning  dew. 
 That  field  is  full  of  the  richest  corn 
 which  is  cleansed  of  its  noxious  weeds 
 in  the  spring.  Jesus  was  carried  in 
 triumph  upon  a  colt,  the  foal  of  an  uss." 
 — Seeker. 
 
 Ver.  6.  "  Neither  said  they,  Where  is 
 the  Lord  that  brought  us  from  Egypt" 
 Ingratitiide.  "  Philip,  King  of  Mace- 
 donia, caused  a  soldier  of  his,  that  had 
 oflfered  unkindness  to  one  that  had 
 kindly  entertained  him,  to  be  branded 
 in  the  forehead  with  these  two  words : 
 Hospes  ingratiis.  Unthankfulness  is  a 
 monster  in  nature,  a  solecism  in  manners, 
 a  parodox  in  divinity,  a  parching  wind 
 to  dry  up  the  fountain  of  further  favour." 
 — Trapp.  The  Dead  Sea  drinks  in  the 
 Jordan,  and  is  never  the  sweeter;  and 
 the  ocean  dl  rivers,  and  is  never  the 
 fresher ;  thus,  we  take  all  God's  mercies 
 with  insensibility. 
 
 Ver.  10,  11.  '■^Nation  changed  their 
 gods."  Idolatry.  "We  perceive,  as 
 much  from  the  words  of  the  prophet  as 
 from  the  history,  that  this  idolatry  has 
 now  become  deep  and  radical.  The 
 state  of  mind  latent  in  them  is  .  .  .  the 
 utter  incapacity  for  acknowledging  a 
 God  not  appealing  to  the  senses,  which 
 Jeremiah  discovers  in  his  contempo- 
 raries. He  boldly  sets  up  the  faith  of 
 the  heathen  as  a  lesson  to  the  Israelites." 
 — "  Kings  and  Prophets  ;  "  Maurice. 
 
 "  A  long  course  of  sin  was  needed  so 
 to  deaden  and  blind  the  heart  of  man 
 as  to  make  idolatry  possible.  Age  after 
 age  gave  in  its  contribution,  .° .  .  so 
 that,  besides  the  original  sin  of  each 
 man,  there  was  a  sinful  tradition  of 
 mankind.  .  .  .  Every  generation  be- 
 queathed to  the  next  a  further  measure 
 of  declension  from  God."— Dr  }ranninn 
 5i  ''' 
 
 Ver.  11."  Gods  ivhich  are  yet  no  gods." 
 At  Buhapurum,  a  child  about  eight 
 years  old,  educated  in  Christian  faith, 
 was  ridiculed  on  that  account  by  some 
 heathen  persons  older  than  himself. 
 "Show  us  your  God,"  said  they.  "I 
 cannot  do  that,"  answered  the  child, 
 "  but  I  can  soon  show  you  yours."  Tak- 
 ing a  stone,  and  daubing  it  with  some 
 resemblance  to  a  human  face,  he  placed 
 it  upon  the  ground,  and  pushing  it 
 towards  them  with  his  foot,  "  There,"  he 
 said,  "  is  such  a  god  as  you  worship." — 
 "Dictionary  of  Illusti^ations ;"  Dickenson. 
 
 Ver.  17.  ".^e  led  thee  by  the  way." 
 The  blessed  pilgrimage.  "Faith  is  the 
 rod  with  which  he  cleaves  Eed  Seas  of 
 difficulty ;  and  God's  Word  is  a  pillar  of 
 guiding  light  amid  the  rocks  of  a  sandy 
 wilderness ;  and  Sabbaths  are  wells  of 
 water ;  and  Ordinances  are  beautiful  and 
 shady  palm-trees ;  and  Prayer  brings 
 down  manna  every  morning ;  and  the 
 sight  of  the  Cross  heals  the  bite  of  fiery 
 serpents ;  and  Hope  is  a  spy  going  be- 
 forehand to  bring  back  the  clusters  of 
 Eshcol;  and  God's  presence  is,  at  the 
 last,  as  the  ark  in  the  midst  of  the 
 river ;  and  the  pilgrim  passes  dry-shod 
 into  '  the  land  that  floweth  with  milk 
 and  honey.'  " — J.  Stoughton. 
 
 Ver.  19.  ^^  Thine  oivn  wickedness  shall 
 correct  thee  and  reprove  thee."  Sin  its  oivn, 
 punishment.  "Look  for  the  man  who 
 has  practised  a  vice  so  long  that  he 
 curses  it  and  clings  to  it ;  that  he  pur- 
 sues it  because  he  feels  a  great  law  of 
 his  nature  driving  him  on  towards  it, 
 but,  reaching  it,  knows  it  will  gnaw  his 
 heart  and  tear  his  vitals,  and  make  him 
 roll  himself  in  the  dust  with  anguish." — 
 Sidney  Smith. 
 
 When  Nicephorus  Phocas  had  built  a 
 strong  wall  about  his  palace  for  his  own 
 security  in  the  night-time,  he  heard  a 
 voice  crying  to  him,  "  O  Emperor ! 
 though  thou  build  thy  walls  as  high 
 as  the  clouds,  yet,  if  sin  be  within,  it 
 will  overthrow  all !" 
 
 Ver.  20.  ''Yoke."  The  yoke  was  laid 
 upon  the  neck  of  the  beast,  and  fastened 
 with  thongs  to  it  and  to  the  plough- 
 beam.  It  thus  symbolised  slavery  or 
 severe  rule  (as  Egyptian),  while  break- 
 ing it  suggested  welcome   deliverance. 
 
EOMILETIC  COMMENTARY :  JEREMIAH. 
 
 Breaking  the  yoke  equally  represents  the 
 rejection  of  authority,  as  in  this  verse, 
 and  chap.  v.  5. 
 
 Ver.  22.  "  Thine  iniquity  is  marhed." 
 Let  a  blot  lie  a  while  on  a  pure  sheet  of 
 white  satin  paper;  try  to  remove  it. 
 Erasure  may  ultimately  rid  the  sheet  of 
 that  "one  dark  spot,"  but  the  paper  is 
 injured,  the  satin  gloss  is  gone,  and  if 
 you  try  to  write  on  the  place  again,  tlce 
 lines  smear.  Sin  effects  permanent  in- 
 jury, cannot  be  removed  by  most  careful 
 efforts;  the  "mark"  remains  when  all 
 is  done.  Holiness  is  not  mere  clean- 
 ness ;  it  has  no  mark  of  injury.  It  is 
 pure  light ;  the  concentration  of  all  the 
 prismatic  colours  into  unity. 
 
 Ver.  23.  ''Sivift  dromedary."  "The 
 camels  of  the  Bible  are  of  two  kinds,  the 
 difference  being  the  result  simply  of 
 breeding  and  training.  The  first  kind, 
 used  as  a  heast  of  burden,  will  carry  from 
 500  to  1000  pounds  twenty-four  miles 
 a  day.  The  second,  used  to  convey  in- 
 telligence, will  travel  upwards  of  100 
 miles  in  twenty-four  hours;  this  kind 
 is  called  the  dromedary." — "  Topics  for 
 Teachers  ;  "  Gray. 
 
 Ver.  26.  "Kings  and  priests."  No  hu- 
 man authorities  to  dictate  our  religion. 
 One  of  the  ancient  fathers  replied  to 
 a  clamorous  disputant  who  shouted 
 "Rear  me,  hear  me,"  "I  will  neither 
 
 hear  thee,  nor  do  thou  hear  me,  but  let 
 us  both  hear  Christ." — Dictionary  of 
 Illustrations. 
 
 Ver.  27.  "  In  the  time  of  their  trouble," 
 &c.  The  armies  of  Media  and  Lydia  were 
 in  violent  conflict  on  the  30  th  September, 
 B.C.  610  (while  Josiah  was  occupied  in 
 reforming  Judah),  when  suddenly,  to 
 them,  occurred  an  eclipse  of  the  sun, 
 known  as  Thales'  eclipse.  It  over- 
 whelmed both  armies  with  such  terror 
 that  they  gave  up  the  contest,  and  peace 
 was  negotiated  and  settled  in  the  camp. 
 Happy  if  the  eclipse  of  trouble,  suddenly 
 coming  upon  us  when  we  are  at  war 
 against  God,  should  lead  us  to  cease  a 
 life  of  antagonism,  and  sue  for  peace. 
 
 Ver.  30.  "  In  vain  have  I  smitten  your 
 children,  .  .  .  connection."  Mr.  Cecil  ob- 
 served in  the  Botanical  Gardens  a  pome- 
 granate-tree cut  almost  through  near 
 the  root,  and  asked  the  gardener  for  the 
 reason.  He  explained  that  the  tree 
 used  to  shoot  so  strong  as  to  bear  only 
 leaves ;  but  now  that  it  was  nearly  cut 
 through,  it  began  to  bear  fruit  well. 
 Alas !  that  affliction  on  man  should  be 
 profitless,  when  nature  accepts  it  and 
 turns  it  to  account. 
 
 "The  good  are  better  made  by  ill, 
 As  odours  crushed  are  Bweeter  still." 
 —Rogers. 
 
 CHAPTER  III. 
 
 Ckitical  and  Exeqetical  Notes.— 1.  Chronology.  Exact  date  of  ciapter  uncertain.  It. 
 naturally  divides  itself  at  ver.  5,  although  Dahler,  Umbriet,  and  Neuman  contend  for  the 
 unity  of  the  chapter  as  a  single  prophecy.  Doubtless  there  is  a  continuity  of  imagery  and 
 reasonmg  (ver.  ij  8),  but  the  inscription  to  ver.  6  is  a  difficulty,  and  their  transference  of  that 
 inscription  to  ver.  1  is  unwarranted.  "  The  Targum,"  Vulgate,  Jerome,  Rosenmuller  Words- 
 worth, and  Henderson  regard  ver.  1-5  as  a  separate  and  complete  prophecy,  and  plead  that 
 the  abrupt  commencement  "  to  say"  or  "saying"  (ver.  1)  is  not  without  parallel  (Judges 
 xvi.  2),  and  indicates  a  Divine  message.  But  Luther,  Kimchi,  Maurer,  Hitzig  Starke,  Keil, 
 and  "  Speaker's  Commentary"  connect  ver.  1-5  with  chap.  ii.  as  a  completion  of  that  prophecy, 
 and  read  thus  :  "  The  Lord  hath  rejected  thy  confidences,"  &c.  (n.  d7),  saying,  If  a  man,  &c, 
 (iii.  1).     This  is  preferable.  .         .,,  ,         j     jj 
 
 Ver.  6  onwards  to  vi.  30  gives  a  lengthy  prophecy,  forming  either  one  prolonged  address 
 (Hend.)QT  a  condensation  into  one  uniform  whole  of  a  series  of  addresses  {Kal)  delivered  during 
 
 °Date'o7  ver.  1-5,  the  13th  of  Josiah  ;  date  of  ver.  6  sg.,  17th  of  Josiah  {Maurei^  ;  ieforethe 
 18th,  the  year  of  Josiah's  great  reformation  (Eend.)  ;  after  the  18th  {Eagster,  Blayney,  &c.). 
 M.  Henry  gives  the  date  B.C.  620,  i.e.,  the  21st  year  of  Josiah.  _  ,q     ,t     u 
 
 2.  Cotemporary  Scriptures.  With  iii.  6  to  vi.  may  agree  2  Chron.  xxxiv.-xxxv.  18  ;  Z,epli. 
 i.-iii.  ;  2  Kings  xxii.-xxiii.  25 ;  Nahum  and  Habakkuk.  ,  -r        i  i-  v,- 
 
 3.  Historic  Facts.  Josiah,  personally  journeying  through  Judah  and  Israel,  continues  his 
 purification  of  the  nation  ;  returns  to  Jerusalem  in  his  18th  year,  immediately  repairs  tbe 
 Temple  for  the  restoration  of  Jehovah's  worship  therein.  Judah's  ostentatious  return  to 
 Jehovah  a  solemn  mockory  (ver.  10).     (Comp.  B.  p.  61,  "  Actual  State  oJJudali.  ) 
 
 4.  Cotemporary  History.     During  these  six  years,  Nabopolassar  rebels  agamst  the  king  ot 
 
 00 
 
CHAP.  HI.  HOMILETIC  COMMENTARY :  JEREMIAH. 
 
 Assyria,  becomes  king  of  Babylon,  and  thus  founds  the  Babylonian  empire.  Cyaxaies 
 (Ahasuerus,  Dan.  ix.  1)  succeeds  Phraortes  on  the  Median  throne,  and  begins  to  make  Media  a 
 Kreat  power  (B.C.  625).     Psammeticus  continues  to  reign  over  Egypt  at  Nineveh. 
 
 5  Geographical  Eeferences.  Ver.  12.  "  Toioards  the  north,"  i.e.,  to  Mesopotamia,  Assyria, 
 Jledia,  where  the  captive  ten  tribes  were  located  by  Tiglath-Pilesar  (B.C.  740;  c/.  2  Kings  xv. 
 29,  xvi.  7-9;  Amos  i.  4,  5),  and  Shalmanezar,  or  rather  Sargon,  his  son  (for  Assyrian  monu- 
 me'uts  show  that  Shalmanezar  died  duriug  the  siege  of  Samaria,  and  that  Sargon  carried  Israel 
 cajitive),  cir.  B.C.  720;  cf.  2  Kings  xvii.  6,  xviii.  9-11.   (Comp.  A.  p.  60,  "  Facts  re  Outcast  Israel") 
 
 6.  Na'tural  History.  Ver.  3.  "Latter  rain,"  i.e.,  the  vernal  rain,  which  fell  about  April, 
 perfecting  the  harvest;  the  "former"  rain  came  early  in  November,  preparing  the  earth  for 
 cultiv.ition.     (Comp.  C.  p.  62,  "  The  Zand  Withered  hy  Drought.") 
 
 7.  Manners  and  Customs.  Ver.  1,  8.  "  Divorce."  The  law  found  in  Deut.  xxiv.  1-4.  The 
 "bill"  was  a  legal  document ;  it  guaranteed  legal  cognisance  of,  and  justifiable  reasons  for,  the 
 husband's  deed.  Ver.  2.  "  The  Arabian  in  the  imlderness."  The  Bedouin  lurking  and  eager  for 
 plimder  ;   tlms  did  Israel  look  out  for  idolatry  as  for  booty. 
 
 8.  Literary  Criticisms.     Ver.  1.   "  Yet  return  again  to  Me."     "  Targum,"  Jerome,  and  A.  V. 
 
 regard  ^T^}  as  the  imperative.  Keil  renders  it  as  interrogative,  "  Wouldst  thou  return 
 to  me?"  as' being  forbidden.  "Speaker's  Commentary"  takes  the  verb  as  an  infinitive  ; 
 "And  to  return  to  me  !  "  that  is.  And  thinkesfc  thoa  to  return  to  Me/  "  Israel  could  no  more 
 take  her  place  as  wife."  Henderson  says  it  is  the  infinitive  absolute,  and  as  such  may  be  used 
 as  an  imperative.  Lange  gives  as  the  sense,  "  Although,  in  accordance  with  legal  regulations, 
 I  ought  not  to  receive  you,  yet  I  say,  Return  to  me."  Certainly  ver.  14,  20,  22,  and  iv.  1, 
 bear  out  Lange's  sense  of  the  words.     (See  on  ver.  14  below.) 
 
 Ver.  5.  "  Behold  thou  hast  spoken,"  i.e.,  fairly,  used  devout  speeches  to  Jehovah  ;  but  actions 
 have  contradicted  words  ;  "and  hast  done  evil  as  thou  couldst,"  i.e.,  without  self-reslraint. 
 No;/es,  "doest  evil  with  all  thy  might."     Calvin,  "with  incorrigible  persistency." 
 
 Ver.  7.  "Her  treacherous  sister"  should  be  rendered,  "and  Treacherous,  her  sister,"  as  being 
 her  appellative.     Falsehood,  Faithless — not  an  adjective,. but  Judah's  name. 
 
 Ver.  9.  "Lightness,"  as  if  /p  were  the  infinitive  of  '2p)  levity.     It  is  rather  derived  from 
 
 7ip   a  cry,  noise  ;  the  tumult  of  her  idolatrous  revelries.     Some  take  it  as  the  cry  which  rose 
 
 to  heaven  against  her;  but  it  is  here  said  to  "  have  defiled  the  land;"  thereioie  "her  riotous 
 orgies  "  is  the  more  correct. 
 
 Ver.  12.   "  Turn,  thou  backsliding  ;  "  lit.,  "  turn  thou  that  hast  turned."   Note  the  paronomasia 
 
 ?T;  .  T,  '  " Not  cause  mine  anger  to  fall."  Lange,  "not  lower  my  face  against  you." 
 Keil,  "not  look  darkly  upon."     Rend.,  "not  continue  to  frown." 
 
 Ver.  14.  "  I  am  married  unto  you."  ^i'^.  Eitzig,  Umbriet,  I  will  be  your  lord,  master; 
 ^.uggestive  of  severe  domination.  Hengstenberg,  Lange,  Keil,  "  your  husband  ;  "  for  Jehovah 
 had  been,  and  would  ever  be,  that  to  Israel.  Kimchi,  Rosenmiiller,  De  Wette,  Gesenius,  Hender- 
 son contend  for  the  .signification,  loathing,  disdain  :  "  I  have  rrjected  you"  since  both  here  and 
 xxxi.  32  is  taught  that  God  had  abandoned  Israel  in  consequence  of  her  stubborn  apostasy. 
 The  A.  V.  is  consistent  with  the  prevailing  language  of  this  chapter  (see  above  on  ver.  1). 
 Jerome  translates,  "quia  ego  virvester. " 
 
 Ver.  16.  "Neither  shall  that  be  done  any  more,"  i.e.,  the  Ark  being  lost,  no  effort  would  be 
 made  to  replace  it.      "  Neither  shall  it  be  made  any  more."    (Comp.  D.  p.  62,  "  The  Ark  Losi.") 
 
 Ver.  19.  "  But  I  said,  Hok,"  &c.  ;  not  "but,"  as  if  it  were  a  difficulty  ;  and  "  how  shall  I." 
 The  sentence  need  not  be  taken  interrogatively,  hwt  How  gloriously  will  I:  with  what  honours  ! 
 "Of  the  hosts  of  nations;  lit.,  beauty  of  beauties  :  -niJ^Il^ ''11!*^  not  "  hosts."  The  Hebrew 
 idiom  means  a  heritage  of  the  chief  beauty  of  nations.— /Speayter's  C'om. 
 
 Ver.  21.  "  For  they  have  pei-verted  ;  "  rather  "  because"  supplying  the  reason  of  their  weep- 
 ing, the  burden  of  their  grief. 
 
 Ver.  23,  "  Truly  in  vain  from  the  hills,"  &c.  Umbriet,  "Verily  a  lie  is  from  the  hills,  tumult 
 of  the  _  mountains."  Lange,  "As  certainly  as  the  hills  are  false,  and  mountains  an  empty 
 f.'mi    'rr  .'.   '.'^'^"^y  *^®  ^°^"<i  from  the  hills,  from  the  mountains,  is  become  falsehood." 
 
 The  Targum  gives  as  the  sense.  Delusive  and  profitless  were  our  idolatrous  observances  upon 
 the  heights.  The  word  li^H  jg  rendered  the  "noise  of  revelry"  in  Amos  v.  23  ;  and  here  = 
 "the  noisy  gatherings  for  idle  worship  on  the  hill- tops. "—>Spea;fcej-'s  Com. 
 
 Ver.  24.  "  Shame,"  r)V2i}'] ;  m.^  ^/^g  shame,  i.e.,  Baal ;  comp.  chap.  xi.  13,  where  the  word 
 nmi  is  rendered  "that  shameful  thing,  even  altars  to  Baal "  (r/.  Hos.  ix.  10).  Gesenius  =  "  an 
 idol  which  deceives  the  hope  of  the  worshippers,  and  puts  them  to  shame."  Calmet  says  :- 
 i.;if  ii«;^'-e^^8'  "'Stead  of  pronouncing  the  name  of  Baal,  of  which  they  had  a  dread,  used  in 
 Its  place  the  name  ;  Bosheth '-shame,  confusion.     Thus:  Mephi-Bosheth,  for  Mephi-Baal." 
 
 ver.  zo.  trelte  doun,  i.e.,  prostrate  ourselves  in  abasement,  abashed  at  the  memory  of 
 our  aisgraceful  deeUs.  •' 
 
BOMILETIC  COMMENT  A  R  Y .-  JEkEMIAff.  chap,  lit. 
 
 HOMILIES  AND  OUTLINES  ON  SECTIONS  OF  CHAPTER  IIL 
 
 Section  1-5.  The  verdict  of  law  and  the  appeal  of  love. 
 ,,       6-11.   Israel's  divorce  :  its  lessons  lost  upon  Judah. 
 ,,     12-14.  Israel  invited  to  renew  her  marriage  by  repentance. 
 ,,     15-20.  Eestoration  to  lost  spiritual  privileges  open  to  both  Israel  and  Judah. 
 ,,    21-25.  Their  penitential  return  to  the  Lord  their  God. 
 
 Ver.  1-5.  The  Vekdict  of  Law  and  the  Appeal  of  Love. 
 
 Judah,  by  her  idolatry,  had  broken  her  marriage  vows  to  God.  Her  consequent 
 rejection  has  not  been  declared  by  Jeremiah,  but  ver.  1  implies  it.  She  is 
 spiritually  divorced  from  her  Husband.  God  has  "  put  away  His  wife."  A 
 solemn  truth  :  sin  breaks  off  our  relationship  with  God.  The  sinner  may  have 
 "  many  lovers  "  (ver.  1),  but  he  is  "  without  God  ; "  how  will  he  do,  then,  on  whom 
 call,  in  calamity,  death,  judgment?  "Return"  is  indeed  desirable,  if  it  may  be. 
 Can  the  guilty  one  "  go  in  unto  the  King,  which  is  not  according  to  law"  ?  (Esther 
 iv.  IG). 
 
 L  Legal  prohibition  (ver.  1;  cf.  Deut.  xxiv.  4).  A  man  may  not  again  marry 
 his  divorced  wife  after  she  has  united  herself  with  another.  1.  There  are  legal 
 penalties  to  sin.  2.  The  apostate  from  God  is  divorced  from  Him.  3.  It  is  con- 
 trary to  law  for  the  guilty  to  find  grace.  "  The  soul  that  sinneth,  it  shall  die." 
 That  is  law ;  no  more  return  to  God ;  but  having  gone  away  voluntarily,  to  "  go 
 away"  compidsorily  and  eternally  (Matt.  xxv.  46). 
 
 II.  Condemnatory  facts  (ver.  2,  3).  Declares:  1.  Her  unlimited  abandonment 
 to  guilt  (ver.  2).  2.  Her  shameless  effrontery  and  persistency  (ver.  3).  Otir  sins 
 are  (1.)  not  imaginary,  but  positive ;  (2.)  not  difficult  to  find,  but  glaring;  (3.)  not 
 mere  indiscretions,  but  appalling ;  (4.)  not  few,  but  multitudinous.  And  our 
 apostasy  from  God  has  made  us  (1.)  insensible  to  affliction  ("showers  withheld")  ; 
 (2.)  hardened  in  shamelessness.    "  Sin  is  not  a  conjugal,  but  an  adulterous  relation." 
 
 III.  Conjugal  relationship  recalled  (ver.  4).  "  My  Father,  Thou  toast  the 
 Husband  of  my  youth"  {cf.  Prov,  ii.  17  ;  see  also  Jer.  iii.  20).  1.  God  reminds 
 her  of  what  she  was  in  her  youth.  How  have  we  deteriorated  and  fallen  !  2. 
 God  laments  her  present  life  of  falsity.  Backsliding  grieves  the  Lord.  3,  God 
 would  awaken  her  from  insensibility  to  penitent  reflections.  4,  God  shows  Him- 
 self still  a  loyal,  loving  Husband,  He  does  not  drive  the  backslider  or  the  sinner 
 away,  but  mourns,  "  How  can  I  give  thee  up  1 "  (chap,  ii,  2),  Yea,  He  still  calls  to 
 faithless  Judah,  ^'Return  to  Me"  (iii.  1), 
 
 IV.  Desperate  trifling  with  God  (ver.  5),  1.  Judah  responds  with  fair  ivords. 
 "  Will  he  reserve,"  &c.,  is  Judah's  soliloquy  upon  hearing  God's  appeal  (ver,  4).  The 
 prophet  chides  her,  "  Behold,  thou  hast  spoken  ! "  Such  is  thine  answer  to  God's 
 patient  and  pleading  remonstrance.  The  language  shows — (1.)  Conscious  demerit, 
 "  anger; "  (2.)  dread  of  punishment ;  (3.)  belief  in  mercy  :  that  He  will  not  keep 
 it  to  the  end.  But  there  is  no  cry  of  repentance  and  self-abhorrence.  Have  we 
 only  thus  spoken  1  or  not  rather  Job  xlii,  6  1  2.  Judah  persisted  in  foid  deeds. 
 Although  "  thou  hast  spoken "  thus,  yet  "  thoio  hast  done  evil  persistently."  To 
 deprecate  the  continuance  of  Divine  displeasure,  and  yet  by  our  conduct  to  "  pro- 
 voke the  Holy  One  of  Israel  to  anger,"  is  the  most  solemn  trifling.  How  deplorable 
 the  state  of  a  soul  which  sins  on  uiirestrained  by  conscience  or  fear  of  God's  ivrath 
 (ver,  5)  j  and  more,  unmoved  by  the  2)cithos  of  love  (ver,  4). 
 
 Ver.  6-11.  Israel's  Divorce:  its  Lessons  Lost  upon  Judah. 
 
 The  kingdom  of  Israel  had  been  destroyed,  and  the  ten  tribes  driven  into  exile 
 as  the  Divine  punishment  of  idolatry  and  apostasy.  This  fact  was  daily  evident 
 to  Judah  ;    Israel  cast   off  from   God,  abandoned  to   captivity  for  her  criminal 
 
 57 
 
CHAP.  m.  nOMILETIC  COMMENTARY:  JEREMIAH. 
 
 impiety.    What  effect  would  this  produce  upon  «  her  sister  Judah  "?— restrain  her  ? 
 Keep  her  watchful,  loyal?     Alas  !  (ver.  10,  11). 
 
 I.  Though  both  were  guilty,  there  was  a  distinction  and  a  difference  of 
 criminality  in  their  respective  sins.  1.  The  distinction.  Israel's  sin  was  apostasy 
 (ver.  6).  Judah's  siu  was  treachery  (ver.  7).  Apostasy,  i.e.,  utter  desertion  of 
 God,  is  contrasted  vaifW  falsehood,  i.e.,  criminal  hypocrisy,  dissimulation,  a  show  of 
 piety  covering  the  vilest  impiety.  2.  The  degree.  Judah  had  the  warning  of 
 Israel's  example  and  ruin.  Yet  (1.)  Israel  abandoned  herself  to  impiety  (ver.  6), 
 and  Judah,  instead  of  avoiding  her  sin,  did  the  same.  She  "saw  it"  (ver.  7),  yet, 
 with  open  eyes,  knowing  the  doom,  she  trod  the  same  course ;  (2.)  Israel  had  gone 
 into  exile  for  her  iniquity;  yet  Judah  despised  the  warning.  She  "feared  not" 
 (ver.  8) ;  (3.)  Israel  refused  to  return  at  God's  call  (ver.  7),  but  Judah  professedly 
 did  respond,  yet  j:ilayed  a  false  part  (ver.  10).  Feigned  a  piety  she  inwardly 
 loathed  (Gal.  vi.  7). 
 
 II.  Hypocrisy  calls  forth  severer  reproaches  from  God  than  apostasy  (ver.  11). 
 Judah  had  knoivledge,  "  saw "  (ver.  7),  yet  cared  nothing,  "  feared  not "  (ver.  8), 
 and  mocked  God  (ver.  10).  Whereas  Israel  acted  blindly,  madly,  wickedly,  but 
 without  deliberation  or  design.  1.  Hypocrisy  is  deliberate,  not  merely  impetuous. 
 2.  Flauntingly  insolent,  not  merely  indifferent.  3.  Trifling  and  pretentious,  not 
 madly  blind.  The  pharisee  worse  than  the  publican  ;  traitor  worse  than  the  rebel. 
 A  deeper  depravity  of  heart  underlies  the  sin.  A  greater  provocation  to  God  is 
 furnished  by  the  sin.  To  delude  man  by  a  mock  piety  is  bad,  but  to  attempt  to 
 ])ass  a  counterfeit  repentance  on  God  is  daringly  blasphemous.  (Comp.  the 
 Saviour's  "  anger "  and  awful  "  woes "  against  the  pretentious,  hypocritical 
 Pharisees,  Mark  iii.  5,  and  Matt,  xxiii.) 
 
 Ver.  12-14.   Israel  Invited  to  Renew  her  Marriage  by  Repentance. 
 
 "  Backsliding : "  a  metaphor  taken  from  oxen  which  refuse  to  draw  in  the  yoke 
 put  upon  them  (Hos.  iv.  16). 
 
 i.  God  sends  messages  of  mercy  and  not  of  judgment  (ver.  12).  Well  might  He 
 have  cast  them  off  utterly.  But  He  delighteth  in  mercy,  and  "  willeth  not  the 
 death  of  the  sinner."  By  many  prophets  did  He  thus  invite  them  to  return  (2 
 Chron.  xxxvi.  15) ;  they  even  "wearied  Him"  with  their  obstinacy  (Isa.  xliii.  24). 
 
 ii.  God  requires  that  they  humble  theynselves  before  Him  (ver.  1 3).  This  indis- 
 pensable. Not  consistent  with  His  honour  that  He  should  receive  them  while  they 
 hardened  themselves  against  Him.  To  compensate  for  their  wickedness  was  impos- 
 sible, but  must  confess  it,  and  humble  themselves  on  account  of  it. 
 
 iii.  God  urges  the  most  affecting  considerations  in  order  to  prevail  upon  them. 
 1.  The  merciful  disposition  He  felt  towards  them  (ver.  12).  2.  The  relation  under 
 which  He  still  regarded  them  (ver.  14).  3.  The  benefits  which  He  was  still  ready 
 to  confer  upon  them  (ver.  14  sq.).—From  Simeon. 
 
 Ver.  15-20.   Restoration  to  Lost  Spiritual  Privileges  Open  to  both 
 
 Israel  and  Judah. 
 
 Conditional  on  true  repentance  (ver.  13),  God  pictures  a  bright  future  for  His 
 ernng  people. 
 
 i.  Suffering  a  common  exile  (ver.  18)  in  "the  land  of  the  north;"  Israel  in 
 Assyria,  Judah  m  Babylonia ;  because  of  faithlessness  (ver.  20). 
 
 II.  Duration  of  their  banishment  limited  (ver.  16,  18).  "In  those  days  "—God 
 foresees  the  dawn.     "  Seasons  are  in  His  power  "  (Acts  i.  7). 
 
 III.  Simultaneous  return  from  exile  Nev.  m.  "  Come  together."  Israel  went 
 into  captivity  100  years  before  Judah.     Redemption  simultaneous. 
 
 IV.  Jiestoration  to  the  lost  inheritance  (ver.  18  ;  comp.  Amos  ix.  15).  Laid  waste 
 by  conquerors,  yet  the  land  was  sacred ;  kept  for  them  by  God,  for  them  to 
 reoccupy  (Luke  xxi.  24).  J  > 
 
 58 
 
EOMILETIC  COMMENTARY :  JEREMIAH.  chap.  m. 
 
 V.  Enriched  with  national  prosperity  (ver,  16).  "Multiplied  and  increased  in 
 the  land."     This  is  frequently  portrayed  (see  xxiii.  3  ;  Ezek.  xxxvi.  11). 
 
 vi.  Blessed  with  spiritual  privileges  (ver.  16,  17).  Transcending  the  value  of  the 
 ark  and  the  Shekinah  in  the  Temple. 
 
 vii.  Sacred  relationship  again  realised  (ver,  19).  "Thou  shalt  call  me,  My 
 Father."     The  veil  upon  their  heart  removed  :  light  and  love  ! 
 
 viii.  Revolt  no  moj-e  possible.  "  Neither  shall  any  more  walk  after  evil  heart " 
 (ver.  17).     "  Not  turn  from  Me  "  (ver.  19).     Loyal :  God  all  in  all. 
 
 ix.  Bided  by  wise  governors  (ver.  15).  Civil  rulers,  who  will  reign  righteously, 
 foster  righteousness,  and  encourage  the  people  to  piety. 
 
 X.  Glorified  in  the  esteem  of  the  world  (ver.  17).  Attracting  the  heathen  (ver. 
 19).  "A  goodly  heritage  of  the  hosts  of  the  nations."  Admired  and  envied 
 throughout  the  world. 
 
 "  That  this  prophecy  was  fulfilled  by  the  return  under  Zerubbahel  and  Ezra  is 
 opposed  by  the  fact — (i.)  That  not  even  the  whole  of  Jiidah,  while  but  a  few  of 
 Israel,  then  returned  ;  (ii.)  That  not  even  Judah  had  then  retiirned  to  the  Lord,  still 
 less  were  the  heathen  converted  (ver.  17).  Its  fulfilment  by  the  founding  of  the 
 Christian  Church,  is  contradicted  by  the  fact — (i.)  That  the  reunion  of  Judah  and 
 Israel  had  7iot  talcen  place  (Israel  being  still  lost) ;  (ii.)  That  Israel  in  general  has 
 rejected  the  Lord,  and  refused  to  enter  the  Christian  Church ;  (iii.)  That  though 
 the  heathen  are  being  drawn  to  the  Lord  and  the  Jerusalem  that  is  above  (Gal.  iv. 
 26),  yet  this  has  not  talcen  place  in  such  a  measure  or  manner  as  to  fulfil  ver.  17, 
 which  predicts  the  conversion  of  all  nations,  and  the  removal  of  their  hardness  of 
 heart.  We  must,  therefore,  still  wait  for  the  complete  fulfilment  of  this  prophecy." 
 — Naeg.  in  Lange. 
 
 "  The  fulfilment  is  accomplished  gradually.  It  begins  with  the  end  of  the  Baby- 
 lonian exile,  in  so  far  as  at  that  time  individual  members  of  the  ten  tribes  may 
 have  returned  into  the  land  of  their  fathers.  It  is  continued  in  Messianic  times 
 during  the  lives  of  the  apostles,  by  the  reception,  on  the  part  of  the  Israelites,  of 
 the  salvation  that  had  appeared  in  Christ.  It  is  carried  on  throughout  the  whole 
 history  of  the  Church,  and  attains  its  completion  in  the  final  conversion  of  Israel." 
 — Keil. 
 
 Ver.  21-25.  Their  Penitential  Eeturn  to  the  Lord  their  God. 
 
 In  prophetic  prevision  Jeremiah  beholds  his  nation,  broken-hearted  for  sin, 
 seeking  Jehovah  with  tears,  contrition,  and  shame.  The  revelries  of  idolatry  are 
 silenced  on  the  heights,  and  cries  of  poignant  grief  sound  loud  throughout  the 
 scene.  A  nation  weeps  for  her  sin  :  exiles  come  home  with  supplications ;  God's 
 people  are  restored  to  their  long-lost  rest.  Here  is  fulfilled  the  condition  of  the 
 sinner's  forgiveness  and  acceptance  (ver.  13).     Their  case  proves — 
 
 I.  That  privileged  people  may  so  sin  as  to  necessitate  bitterest  repentance. 
 Israel  and  Judah  had  all  sacred  persuasions  to  spiritual  fidelity  (Kom.  ix.  4,  5).  We 
 may  stand  amid  religious  surroundings  and  helps,  yet  may  equally  fall  (Rom.  xi. 
 20).  Seethe  sin  of  this  people  :  1.  Erring  from  the  right  zvay  {ver.  21);  ""per- 
 verted their  way  :  "  began  with  inconsistent  conduct ;  turning  aside.  2.  Neglect  of 
 God  (ver.  21) ;  "  forgotten  the  Lord  :"  advanced  from  error  and  inconsistency  into 
 habitual  disregard  of  God ;  practical  irreligion.  3.  Positive  resistance  and  dis- 
 obedience (ver.  25);  "sinned  against  the  Lord:"  no  longer  negative,  but  wilful, 
 intentional  antagonism.  4.  Defiance  of  Divine  remonstrance  and  appeals  (ver.  25) ; 
 "  not  obeyed  His  voice  : "  though  He  called,  they  refused  ;  despised  His  prophets, 
 message,  warnings:  they  would  not  allow  God  a  hearing.  This  had  become  a 
 settled  state  of  things  (ver.  25) ;  "  we  and  our  fathers,  from  our  youth  even  unto 
 this  day."  What  a  warning  that  we  "take  heed  lest  we  fall"  !  None  but  may 
 repeat  their  sins. 
 
 II.  That  most  criminal  revolt  from  God  may  terminate  in  penitential  return 
 
 59 
 
CDAP.  ni.  nOMlLETiC  COMMENTARY:  JEREMIAB. 
 
 (ver.  21).  If  these  might,  who  may  not  1  1.  There  is  hope  for  the  ^rwto'es^.  2. 
 Those  longest  in  sin  may  awake  to  loathe  it.  3.  True  repentance  is  possible  to 
 backsliders.  4.  The  end  of  life  is  oiot  too  late  for  return.  "After  so  long  a  time," 
 Israel  "  arose  and  came  to  the  Father."  "  At  evening  time  light."  Let  none  close  the 
 door  of  hope,  of  opportunity,  of  mercy,  on  others  or  on  themselves.  God  keeps  it  open 
 to  the  last,  and  for  the  loorst.    (Addenda  to  chap,  iii.,  ver.  25,  "  Even  unto  this  day") 
 
 III.  That  an  evil  course  of  life  wastes  and  debases  those  who  follow  it 
 (ver.  24,  25).  (Addenda  to  chap,  iii.,  "/S'/iame,"  and  " /S'wi  t/eiases.")  1.  Sinners 
 are  despoiled  of  se(/-?rsj!5ec« ;  "shame."  2.  Sinning  is  an  exi^ensive  \\iiiMvj ;  "de- 
 voured the  labour,  flocks  and  herds."  3,  Sinful  parents  cannot  hold  back  even 
 their  oivn  cliikhen  from  destruction;  "  sons  and  daughters."  Moloch  asks  them. 
 Society  demands  the  children  of  godless  parents ;  and  how  can  they  restrain  them 
 from  sacrificing  to  pleasure,  vanity,  vice?  4.  Sin  lays  low  all  its  followers  in 
 abasement  and  confusion  (ver.  25).  Well  if  it  does  this  ere  too  late.  But  the  gnUty 
 ivill  see  themselves  vile  and  foolish  ;  the  day  must  come. 
 
 IV.  That  a  voice  of  gracious  expostulation  pleads  with  the  guilty  to  return 
 (ver.  22).  1.  God's  call  pursues  men  when  they  desert  Him.  2.  A  Divine  plead- 
 ing is  heard  in  every  heart.  3.  Even  the  vilest  are  conscious  that  a  pitying  Father 
 awaits  their  return.  4.  Man's  duty  is  to  act  on  that  thought;  "return."  5. 
 There  is  "  healing"  for  every  wrong  in  God's  graciousness.  6.  Appropriate  address 
 from  the  penitent ;  "  we  come  to  Thee ; "  for  God  calls  men  to  Himself,  not  to 
 ceremonies,  and  self-improvement,  and  human  remedies.  7.  All-sufficiency  and 
 perfect  tvelcome  assured ;  "for  Thou  art  //<e  Zoj-cZ,"  therefore  " nothing  too  hard ; " 
 "  the  Lord  our  God,"  therefore  He  is  ready  to  greet  and  receive  them. 
 
 V.  That  hopes  of  salvation  are  found  to  be  delusive  until  the  soul  rests  in 
 God  (ver.  23). 
 
 1.  False  hopes:  in  stro7ig  things,  "hills  and  mountains;"  in  numerous  objects, 
 "  multitude,"  =  the  many  gods  and  scenes  of  idolatry. 
 
 2.  True  hope:  "  truly  in  the  Lord,"  &c.     "Look  unto  Me,  and  be  ye  saved,  for 
 
 I  am  God,  and  there  is  none  else  "  (Isa.  xlv.  22)  ;  "  neither  is  there  salvation  in 
 any  other  :  for  there  is  none  other  name  under  heaven  given  among  men  where- 
 by we  must  be  saved  "  (Acts  iv.  12). 
 
 HISTORIC  EVENTS  INDICATED  IN  CHAPTER  III. 
 
 A.  Facts  connected  with  the  career  of  outcast  Israel  (ver.  12,  14,  18).  (See 
 Addenda  to  chap,  iii.,  "  The  lost  Ten  Tribes.") 
 
 i.  Outcast,  yet  not  lost  (ver.  12).  God  knew  where  they  were.  Denationalised 
 and  exiled ;  yet  God  directed  a  message  to  them  in  "the  north."  (See  GeograjMcal 
 reference  on  ver.  12  above.)  Since  the  first  captivity  by  Tiglath-pilesar,  115  years 
 had  passed,  and  nearly  100  since  Sargon  (son  of  Shalmanezar)  swept  the  land 
 clean  of  Israelites,  and  bore  them  away  into  the  northern  provinces  of  Assyria 
 T  1  !®^  ^j"'  ■^^'  ^^^"  "^^"^  outcast,  they  were  to  lose  all  connection  with 
 Jenovah  and  all  recognition  of  their  former  history.  This  was  easy ;  for  their 
 Habitual  idolatry  would  lead  them  into  speedy  surrender  of  all  relics  of  their 
 7eligious  distinction;  and,  as  their  numbers  were  not  vast,  they  would  not  long  pre- 
 serve any  national  distinctness,  but  become  absorbed  amid  the  admixture  of  peoples 
 «  men  the  Assyrian  conquests  gathered  together  in  the  north.  But  though  long  lost 
 to  tlicmselves,  they  were  not  lost  to  God.     He  knew  luhere  to  address  them.     And 
 
 II  1 «  r  7'.  ^"^  '''^'  '^'"'^  ^^^^1^  ^^^  time  of  their  return  shall  arrive  (Isa.  xi. 
 11,  lb  ;  cf.  ver.  18).  ^ 
 
 Jty  ^-^""'*''''''  y^  '^'li  ^'loved  (ver.  14).  "I  am  married  unto  you."  God  re- 
 spects and  preserves  His  relationship  to  Israel  unchanged,  although  she  had  been 
 banuked  a  hundred  years,  and  Vf^s  fading  from  national  existence.  This  sanctions 
 laul.as^on,   "God  hath  nut  cast  away   His  people"  (Rom.  xi.    1,  2).     And 
 
HOMILETIC  COMMENTARY:  JEREMIAH.  chap.  m. 
 
 this  unchanging  relationship  and  imperishable  love  are  asserted  by  God  in  terms 
 of  the  most  unequivocal  and  solemn  character  (Jer.  xxxi.  37). 
 
 iii.  Destined  to  local  and  spiritual  restoration.  "  I  will  take  you  one  of  a  city 
 and  two  of  a  family,  and  I  will  bring  you  to  Zion  "  (ver.  14).  "  In  those  days  the 
 house  of  Judah  shall  walk  to  the  house  of  Israel,  and  they  shall  come  together  out 
 of  the  land  of  the  north,"  &c.  (ver.  18).  This  promise  cannot  be  limited  to  the 
 return  from  exile  under  the  edict  of  Cyrus.  The  two  kingdoms,  Judah  and  Israel, 
 have  not  yet  "  come  together,"  nor  have  they  yet  used  the  language  of  ver.  22. 
 Nor  has  Israel  learned  to  cry  "  My  Father !"  (ver.  19),  Their  joint  restoration 
 and  conversion  to  God  are  therefore  yet  future  (c/.  Ezek.  xxxvii.  16  to  end).  God 
 will  keep  and  fulfil  His  covenant  promises. 
 
 B.  The  actual  state  of  Judah  under  the  eye  of  God  (ver.  4,  10).  The 
 words  "from  this  time,"  mark  the  epoch  as  special.  Judah  hath  "turned  unto  Me 
 feignedly,"  asserts  a  national  show  of  repentance.  For  this  incident,  Judah  pro- 
 fessedly repentant  before  Jehovah,  we  must  turn  to  2  Chron.  xxxv.  1-19,  the 
 national  celebration  of  the  passover,  which  succeeded  Josiah's  reforms,  and 
 asserted  Judah's  restoration  to  the  Lord.  That  this  chapter  coincides  with  that 
 incident  is  confirmed  by  the  reference  to  the  ark,  both  in  the  arrangements  for  that 
 passover  (2  Chron.  xxxv.  3),  and  in  this  prophecy  (iii.  16).  Yet,  notwithstanding 
 the  great  parade  of  national  repentance,  God  declares  it  to  be  unreal  (ver.  10). 
 
 Theme  :  Reformation  no  gxiarantee  of  religion.  A  ritual  piety  not  necessarily  real 
 piety,  (Addenda  to  chap,  iii.,  ver.  10,  "Ritucd"  and  "Feignedly.")  In  Judah's  case  it 
 was  the  result  of  authority  and  policy.  Josiah  ordered  it :  not  spontaneous ;  therefore 
 not  sincere.  The  king  had  cleansed  the  land,  and  brought  the  nation  to  yield  a  for- 
 mal homage  to  Jehovah  :  the  prophet  proclaimed  it  utterly  corrupt  and  hypocritical, 
 
 I,  External  reform  may  he  unattended  by  spiritual  regeneration.  Ostensible 
 repentance,  external  rectitude,  these  co-existed  with  a  heart  withheld  from  God, 
 Judah  had  not  cried,  "  My  Father,"  &c.  (ver.  4). 
 
 1.  To  rectify  evil  habits  does  not  prove  iniuard  reneiual.  *'  Garnished  sepulchres  " 
 may  contain  "  all  uncleanness." 
 
 2.  A  revival  of  ritual  may  not  result  from  revival  of  religion.  The  passover 
 observed  with  ostentatious  care  was  a  mockery,  Esthetic  ritual  cannot  argue 
 religious  affections,  sanctified  lives  :  decorated  altars  may  not  imply  devotional 
 worshippers.  As  well  urge  that  "  hewed  cisterns "  guarantee  pure  and  "  living 
 water."     Pharisaism  in  general  may  be  but  another  name  for  falsity, 
 
 II.  The  distinctive  province  of  the  king  and  the  prophet  in  the  realm  of 
 religion.  As  far  as  the  king  went,  all  was  right.  He  could  do  no  more  :  effected 
 complete  revolution  in  religious  habits  of  Judah,  rectified  abuses  of  Temple,  re- 
 established true  religion. 
 
 1,  Royalty  can  dictate  the  forms  and  mode  of  religion.  History  often  shown  this. 
 What  then  1  Are  people  thereby  made  religious  ?  Would  another  "  Act  of  Uni- 
 formity "  ensure  piety  throughout  England  ?  Can  the  king  rule  conscience,  sway 
 hearts  1 
 
 2.  Human  effort  pauses  where  trxie  religion  only  begins.  God  commences  with  the 
 "heart"  (ver.  10),  Man's  work  must  stop  there  :  he  can  carry  reform  no  further 
 than  "  making  clean  the  outside  of  the  cup  and  platter,"  Hence  God  sent  the 
 prophet  to  work  where  the  king  could  not,  to  arouse  the  nation's  inward  and 
 spiritual  response  to  the  royal  reform :  to  appeal  to  Judah  "  from  that  time,"  so 
 propitious  for  a  real  repentance,  "  to  cry  unto  Him,  My  Father," 
 
 III,  Reformation  without  spiritual  renewal  may  prove  a  perilous  delusion. 
 It  may  quiet  and  lull.  Possibly  Judah  felt  herself  religious,  having  done  so  much 
 that  was  pious,  Eeformed  sinners  are  not  easily  won  to  repentance.  They  fortify 
 themselves  in  a  self-satisfied  pride.  1.  Outward  piety  may  co-exist  with  inward 
 sin.     A  compromise :  but  loathsome  to  God,  who  "  looketh  not  on  appearance." 
 
OHAF.  in. 
 
 nOMILETIC  COMMENTARY :  JEREMIAH. 
 
 2  Outward  piety  is  more  readily  accepted  than  repentance.  It  costs  no  self-humilia- 
 tions  and  heart-conflicts  ;  no  "  crucifixion  of  the  affections  and  lusts;"  no  abase- 
 ment before  God.  3.  Outward  piety  is  evanescent  and  tvortJiless.  The  king's  work 
 was  effective  :  the  people  responded  :  Judah  became  religious.  But  what  ensued  1 
 Revulsion  when  the  king  died.  Nation  rushed  back  to  idolatry  and  vice  so  soon 
 as  the  outward  restraint  was  gone.  Test  such  a  piety,  and  it  dies.  Take  the  king 
 away  who  smiled  on  it,  remove  the  advantages  of  such  a  religion,  and  the  thing  is 
 Therefore  God  was  still  angry  with  Judah,  and  doom  was  not  averted. 
 
 cone 
 
 C.  The  land  withered  by  drought  because  of  sin  (ver.  3).  "  Therefore  the 
 showers  withholden,  no  latter  rain," 
 
 Clearly  affirmed  that  fertility  of  the  land  dependent  on  conduct  of  the  people 
 ((/.  chap.  ix.  12,  13;  Lev.  xxvi.  19,  20;  Deut.  xxviii.  23,  24).  The  '' latter  rain  " 
 was  formerly  essential  to  the  beauty  and  fruitfulness  of  the  country  :  these  have 
 been  permanently  withdrawn  ;  hence  the  sterility  of  the  land  as  it  now  lies,  so 
 markedly  in  contrast  with  the  ancient  accounts  of  its  teeming  productiveness  and 
 delightful  richness.  Usually  this  is  accounted  for  by  the  reduced  population  and 
 nef^lect  of  culture.  They  may  be  the  effect  rather  than  the  cause :  cultivation 
 discouraged  and  population  minished  in  consequence  of  a  disadvantageous  change 
 in  the  climate  and  seasons.  Observe  that  rain  and  consequent  fertility  -wexe  promised 
 conditionally  (see  Deut.  xi.  13-15);  the  people's  faithfulness  was  therefore  essential 
 to  their  being  enjoyed  and  retained ;  that  gone,  these  have  ceased.  This  a  ques- 
 tion of  fact,  certified  by  competent  authority.  The  physical  condition  of  the 
 climate,  the  seasons,  and  the  soil  have  been  tested  with  a  view  to  agriculture.  Grass 
 seed,  carried  from  England  and  sown  there,  would  perish  the  very  first  summer. 
 The  harvest  is  marred  and  impoverished  because  of  drought.  Vegetables  cannot 
 keep  alive  ;  flowers  cannot  blow  and  yield  their  sweets.  The  land  has  lost,  what  it 
 must  formerly  have  enjoyed,  "  the  latter  rain."  God  has,  as  it  were,  turned  the  key 
 upon  the  refreshing  and  fructifying  bounties  of  th'B  skies.  He  has  commanded  the 
 clouds  that  they  rain  not  as  formerly  upon  the  inheritance  of  His  disobedient 
 people.  Only  in  this  way  can  be  explained  the  present  state  of  the  heights,  which 
 were  once  mountains  clothed  with  grass,  but  have  become  bare  rocks.  The  grass 
 must  have  perished  under  the  hot  sun,  which  now  burns  from  April  to  November, 
 the  soil  become  loose  and  pulverised,  unable  to  resist  the  high  winds  of  the  sum- 
 mer and  the  floods  of  winter.  This,  repeated  year  after  year,  would  soon  lay  bare 
 the  rocks.  All  this  is  to  be  remedied ;  promises  portray  the  land  again  fruitful, 
 the  mountains  rich  with  produce.  It  will  require  no  miracle  to  do  this  ;  only  the 
 restoration  of  "  the  rain  in  its  due  season."  {Of.  Kitto's  JBible  Ilhistrations  on  this 
 text.)  The  temporary  withholding  of  all  the  rains  for  three  and  a  half  years 
 during  Elijah's  ministry  (1  Kings  xvii.  1 ;  Luke  iv.  25)  has  become  permanent  as 
 respects  the  vernal  rain  ;  sin  being  the  occasion  in  each  case. 
 
 D.  The  Ark  lost  in  the  Babylonian  Captivity  (ver.  16).  (Comp.  Literary 
 Criticisvis  on  ver.  16.) 
 
 lilanasseh  removed  the  ark  from  its  place  in  the  Temple  to  make  way  for  the 
 "^carved  imagej'  which,  in  his  reckless  idolatry,  he  reared  in  the  holy  place  (2 
 Chron.  xxxiii.  7).  This  explains  its  reinstatement  by  Josiah  (2  Chron.  xxxv.  3). 
 In  all  probability  this  ark  was  carried  away  or  destroyed  by  Nebuchadnezzar  (2 
 Esdras  x.  21,  22) ;  for  it  disappeared  together  with  the  two  tables  of  stone  it  con- 
 tained at  the  Babylonish  captivity,  when  the  Temple  was  plundered  and  destroyed. 
 Jewish  authorities  all  are  agreed  that  it  was  never  restored,  or  replaced  in  the  second 
 Temple.  The  Jews  think  it  will  be  restored  when  Messiah  appears,  but  this  verse 
 dissipates  the  delusion. 
 62 
 
nOMILETIC  COMMENTARY :  J  EBB  MI  AH. 
 
 HOMILIES  ON  SELECTED  VERSES  IN  CHAPTER  in. 
 
 Ver.   4.    Them:   God's  tender  ex- 
 postulation WITH  THE  YOUNG. 
 I.  The  particulars  of  the  proposal. 
 
 1.  That  you  should  make  God  your 
 "Father."  Not  merely  call  Him  so, 
 but  that  you  become  His  children.  By 
 disobedience  you  have  put  yourself  out 
 of  His  family,  like  the  prodigal.  Hoiv 
 can  you  become  His  children  ?  (Gal,  iii. 
 26  ;  John  i.  12).  By  faith  we  are  made 
 one  with  Christ,  and  admitted  into  "  the 
 household  of  God  "  (see  Gal.  iv.  6). 
 
 2.  That  you  should  choose  God  for 
 the  "  Guide  of  your  youth."  This  im- 
 plies that  you  regard  His  authority,  fol- 
 low His  will,  comply  with  His  direc- 
 tions :  these  are  made  known  to  us  : 
 
 a.  By  His  Word.  "  Lamp  to  our 
 feet,"  &c. :  reveals  Christ  as  "  the  Way. 
 Truth,"  &c.     "  Follow  me." 
 
 h.  By  His  Spirit.  Enlightens  and 
 directs  our  conscience,  influences  our 
 hearts  and  desires.  "  Grieve  not  the 
 Holy  Spirit  of  God." 
 
 3.  That  you  do  these  things  without 
 delay.  "From  this  time."  A  sad  pro- 
 pensity to  answer  with  Felix,  "  Go  thy 
 way  for  this  time,"  &c.  But  God  coun- 
 sels that  no  time  is  so  favourable  as 
 the  present.  "To-day,  if  hear  His 
 voice." 
 
 II.  The  motives  for  compliance. 
 
 1.  The  grace  and  condescension  of 
 the  proposal.  "  What  manner  of  love  ! " 
 (1  John  iii.  1).  Can  you  refuse  to  be 
 drawn  by  these  "  cords  of  love  "  1 
 
 2.  The  reasonableness  of  such  a  pro- 
 ceeding. Your  own  interests  urge  your 
 compliance.  Where  find  a  Father  like 
 God  1  Numberless  evils  from  which  He 
 alone  can  save  you.  No  other  Guide  can 
 conduct  through  intricate  paths  to  eter- 
 nal rest. 
 
 3.  The  seasonableness  of  the  proposal. 
 Opportunities  lost  are  gone  for  ever. 
 Present  time  is  your  own.  "Now  is 
 accepted  time."  "  Wilt  thou  not  from 
 this  time  cry,"  &c.  1 
 
 "  From  this  time  : "  perhaps  this  is  a 
 special  date  with  you  :  of  affliction,  deli- 
 verance, rejoicing.  Perhaps  conscious 
 now  of  a  secret  desire  to  give  yourself 
 up  to  God. — Rev.  Ed.  Cooper,  ^^Prac- 
 tical Sermons, "  1816. 
 
 Theme:  Youth's  gracious  hour; 
 God's  timely  call. 
 
 Enticements  and  appeals  fall  around 
 the  young.  "Take  me  as  your  guide  !" 
 cries  Pleasure,  Society,  Gain,  Sin  in 
 gay  form.  Vice  with  smooth  lips. 
 Around  none  so  many  calls ;  mature 
 and  aged  heard  same  voices  in  their 
 youth,  but  silent  now  to  them.  With- 
 in none  so  many  cravings  :  as  young  life 
 unfolds  expectation  awakes,  curiosity 
 impels ;  hence  snares  surround  and  se- 
 ducers are  alert.  Falls  a  voice  from 
 heaven  on  the  young  :  text.  (Addenda 
 to  chap,  iii.,  ver.  4,  "  The  guide  of  my 
 youth.") 
 
 I.  Youth's  reckless  wanderings. 
 "  From  this  time  cry  to  Me."  Had  not 
 done  so  hitherto :  other  voices  heeded  and 
 followed  :  Vanity ;  Fancy ;  Indulgence  ; 
 Avarice ;  Scepticism.  How  few  young 
 have  made  God  their  Guide !  Tread 
 "broad  road  to  destruction." 
 
 II.  Youth's  eminent  value.  Young 
 life  more  coveted  than  mature.  Splen- 
 did triumph  for  Satan  when  rutins  a 
 young  character  !  What  a  history  a 
 young  man  or  woman  may  mark  out ; 
 may  go  through  the  years  like  angel  of 
 light ;  or  a  firebrand.  God  values  young 
 life.  "Eemember  Creator  in  days  of 
 youth."  What  a  salvation  is  effected 
 when  young  soul  is  gathered  into 
 grace ! 
 
 III.  Youth's  urgent  need.     "Guide." 
 
 1.  Way  of  life  is  beset  with  dangers. 
 Evil  examples;  evil  counsellors.  "Cora- 
 pass  sea  and  land  to  make  proselyte." 
 
 2.  Young  are  themselves  readily 
 deceived.  Through  their  own  wayward 
 propensities  and  inexperience.  Hence 
 easily  fall  into  temptation.  Certainly 
 ill  adapted  to  hold  the  rudder  of  their 
 own  life,  and  steer  amid  the  hidden 
 rocks. 
 
 IV.  Youth's  precious  opportunity. 
 "  From  this  time;  my  youth."  Young 
 life  most  easily  guided.  Call  the  moun- 
 tain wanderer  back  ere  he  fall !  Young 
 — 1.  Not  yet  fettered  in  the  captivity 
 of  habit.  2.  Not  enthralled  by  settled 
 companionships  of  life.  3.  Not  lost 
 the  sacred  influences  of  early  teaching. 
 4.  Not  yet  insensible   to  Divine  influ- 
 
 63 
 
I 
 
 OHAF.  ni. 
 
 EOMILETIC  COMMENTARY:  JEREMIAE. 
 
 ences.     5.  Not  forfeited  opportunity  of 
 
 grace.     "  From  this  time  cry." 
 
 V.  Youth's  happy  resolution.  "My 
 Father,  Thou  art  my  Guide." 
 
 The  resolve  indicates:  1.  Discrimina- 
 tion ;  2,  Decision ;  3.  Distinction ;  for 
 he  will  "  come  out  from  among  them, 
 be  separate,"  <kc. 
 
 Who  now  ready  with  the  cry?  Be 
 resolved.  "Be  not  like  dumb  driven 
 cattle."     "  Choose  ye  this  day." 
 
 Ver.  5.  Theme:  The  sinner's  des- 
 perate DEPRAVITY,  "  Behold  thou  hast 
 spoken  and  done  evil  as  thou  couldst." 
 
 Men  are  as  depraved  as  they  can 
 possibly  be  in  present  circumstances. 
 Charge  made  by  the  infinitely  Holy 
 One  against  every  member  of  the 
 human  family.  Substantiated  by  con- 
 sidering : 
 
 I.  That  God,  in  His  providence,  has 
 surrounded  the  sinner  with  many  circum- 
 stances operating  powerjidly  to  modify 
 human  character. 
 
 I.  Education.  2.  Human  law  has  a 
 similar  effect.  3.  The  law  of  God.  4. 
 The  troublesome  supervision  of  consci- 
 ence. 5.  The  whole  Gospel,  interfering 
 with  the  sinful  pleasures  and  follies  of 
 men.  6.  All  the  Gospel  institutions. 
 7.  The  desire  in  man  for  heaven.  8. 
 The  fear  of  hell.  9.  The  expectation  of 
 judgment.  10.  Public  sentiment.  11. 
 The  domestic  affections.  These  are 
 all  so  many  golden  chains,  restraining 
 the  sinner  from  wrong.  Ought  to 
 thank  God  for  these  modifying  circum- 
 stances. A  man's  state  is  hopeful  in 
 proportion  as  he  is  held  by  these  moral 
 bonds. 
 
 II.  By  these  circumstances  every  sin- 
 ner is  actually  restrained  in  his  ivicked- 
 7iess,  and  held  bach  in  his  doivnward 
 career.     In  proof  of  which,  observe  : 
 
 1.  Men  are  uneasy  under  these  cir- 
 cumstances, which  shows  them  to  be 
 restraints.  2.  Men  are  constantly  try- 
 ing to  alter  their  circumstances.  3. 
 When  men  succeed  in  altering  their  cir- 
 cumstances in  any  of  these  respects,  they 
 usually  show  out  a  worse  character.  4. 
 When  these  restraints  are  all  removed, 
 men  are  uniformly  far  more  wicked  than 
 if  they  had  not  been  imposed. 
 64 
 
 III.  That  every  sinner  does  make  the 
 attemjyt,  and  succeeds,  as  far  as  God  will 
 let  him,  to  sunder  these  ligatures  that 
 would  hold  him  fast  to  reason,  hope,  and 
 heaven.  Trace  his  steps,  and  see  how  he 
 breaks  over  and  breaks  through  the  re- 
 straints of — 1.  Education  ;  2.  Human 
 laws ;  3.  God's  laws ;  4.  Supervision 
 of  conscience ;  5.  Institutions  of  the 
 Gospel ;  6.  Thoughts  of  heaven  and  fear 
 of  hell ;  7.  Public  sentiment ;  8.  Do- 
 mestic affections. 
 
 Such  is  the  obstinacy,  rebelliousness, 
 ingratitude  of  the  sinner.  Must  he  not 
 then  be  "  born  again,"  have  new  heart 
 and  right  spirit,  or  never  enter  king- 
 dom of  God  ?  —  "  Freacher's  Trea- 
 sury." 
 
 Comments:  Ver.  6-10.  Judah  the 
 guiltier  sister. 
 
 The  two  kingdoms  are  described  as 
 sisters  in  iniquity.  In  Ezekiel  (xxiii.  4) 
 the  same  metaphor  is  applied  to  the  two 
 metropolises  of  those  kingdoms,  Sama- 
 ria and  Jerusalem  :  "  Aholah  and  Aho- 
 libah."  (Addenda  to  chap,  iii.,  ver.  7, 
 "  Falsity.") 
 
 Israel  is  stigmatised  as  Apostasy  and 
 Judah  as  Falsity  :  but  the  heavier  sin  is 
 laid  to  Judah's  account.  Her  crimin- 
 ality is  marked  as  having  three  stages  :  (1) 
 she  '^saw"  Israel's  sin,  yet  repeated  it  her- 
 self;  (2)  she  '^feared  not"  the  penalties 
 with  which  she  beheld  Israel  punished ; 
 and  (3)  she  "feigned"  a  piety  when  her 
 practices  were  impious.  Hence  she  is 
 called  "  Falsity  :  "  and  her  threefold  sin 
 is  most  solemnly  emphasised. 
 
 "She  sinned  against  greater  convic- 
 tions."—  W.  Lowth. 
 
 "Aliorum  tormenta  aliorum  remedia 
 sunt." — Jerome. 
 
 "Though  the  reform  of  Josiah  was 
 only  a  pseudo-revival,  it  furnishes  us 
 with  the  means  of  judging  how  deep  a 
 genuine  revival  ought  to  go,  Mark  ix. 
 43-48."— Xa?i^e. 
 
 This  external  renovation  of  Judah, 
 which  swept  the  land  of  abuses,  was  un- 
 comprising  and  severe.  Yet  was  not 
 enough.  God  was  not  content.  How 
 then  will  they  do  who  profess  and  be- 
 lieve themselves  Christians,  whose 
 lives   are    not   self-denying   and   pure? 
 
EOMILETIC  COMMENTARY :  JEREMIAH. 
 
 God  requires  "truth  in  the  inward 
 parts,"  and  thoroughness  in  religious 
 conduct.  "  No  fellowship  between 
 light  and  darkness ; "  no  accommodat- 
 ing our  piety  to  convenience,  circum- 
 stances, and  sinful  ease. 
 
 Ver.  10.  ''^  Judah  hath  not  turned  to 
 me  ivith  her  whole  heart,  hut  feignedly," 
 i.e.,  in  falsehood. 
 
 i.  False  repentance.  1.  Its  ground — 
 servile  fear.  2.  Its  eflfect — external  re- 
 form. 
 
 ii.  True  repentance.  1.  Its  ground — 
 love  to  God.  2.  Its  effect — honest 
 fruits  of  sanctification. — Lange. 
 
 Ver.  11.  Theme:  Comparative  Cei- 
 
 MINALITY. 
 
 This  subject  may  not  be  used  for  self- 
 preference  and  self-complacency,  or  in- 
 calculable injury  may  ensue  (2  Cor.  x. 
 12).  Both  had  sinned  grievously: 
 Israel  more  openly ;  Judah  in  a  more 
 covert  way.  God  declared  Judah's  cri- 
 minality exceeded  that  of  Israel.  Let 
 me 
 
 I.  State  this  decision  of  the  Lord. 
 Israel,  from  the  time  they  became  a 
 
 distinct  nation,  cast  off  God ;  therefore 
 given  into  Assyrian  captivity  and  di- 
 vorced by  God. 
 
 Judah  had  retained  the  worship  of 
 God,  but  revelled  in  idolatry  at  the  same 
 time,  and  paid  divine  honours  to  idols 
 (Zeph.  i.  5). 
 
 Because  of  their  ajyparent  superiority, 
 Judah  would  scarcely  own  her  relation- 
 ship to  Israel  (Ezek.  xxxiii.  24). 
 
 Though  tlieir  sins  were  ostensibly  less, 
 they  were  committed  with  tenfold  aggra- 
 vations ;  for  their  advantages  had  been 
 greater,  larger  number  of  p7'ophets  sent 
 them,  enjoyed  stated  ordinances,  2)re- 
 sence  of  God  was  in  their  midst  (in 
 Temple). 
 
 Despising  and  abusing  all  these,  their 
 guilt  was  greater. 
 
 We  argue  that  awj  religion  is  better 
 than  none;  that  the  appearance  of  re- 
 gard for  God  is  better  than  avowed  con- 
 tempt. God  pronounces  other :  the 
 fo7-m  without  the  jjower  of  godliness  is 
 more  offensive  than  entire  impiety. 
 Therefore  text. 
 
 II.  Confii'm  this  decision  of  the  Lord. 
 
 Specious  insincerity  is  worse  than 
 open  profaneness,  because 
 
 1.  It  argues  a  deeper  depravity  of 
 heart.  Sin  is  committed  against  con- 
 science, against  the  motions  of  God's 
 Spirit  within. 
 
 2.  It  casts  more  dishonour  npo7i  God. 
 A  sinner  openly  casts  off  God's  yoke ; 
 but  the  hypocrite  professedly  says,  "  I 
 am  God's  servant,  know  my  duty  and 
 perform  it ! "  It  degrades  holiness, 
 the  name  of  God  is  blasphemed,  and 
 the  way  of  truth  is  evil  spoken  of, 
 
 3.  It  does  more  extensive  injury  to 
 man.  His  example  encourages  sinners 
 in  sin,  and  gives  the  ungodly  a  reason 
 to  contemn  true  Christians  as  being 
 "righteous  over -much."  He  thus 
 offends  God's  people,  and  casts  a  stum- 
 bling-block before  the  guilty.    Address  : 
 
 (1.)  Those  who  are  careless  about  reli- 
 gion. You  justify  yourselves  on  the 
 ground  that  you  are  not  hypocrites  and 
 make  no  profession.  Yet  think  of  the 
 judgments  which  fell  on  Israel. 
 
 (2.)  Tlh.o?,Q\i]io2yr  of  ess  religion.  God 
 will  have  "  your  whole  heart ; "  no  feign- 
 edness.  Christ  said  to  Laodicea,  "  I 
 would  thou  wert  cold  or  hot,"  &c.  Ba 
 not  "  lukewarm,"  but  wholly  the  Lord's. 
 — Rev.  G.  Simeon,  M.A. 
 
 Comments  : 
 
 Ver.  11.  To  what  reflections  should 
 the  declaration  of  Scripture  give  rise, 
 that  the  Divine  judgment  is  determined 
 by  the  comparison  of  men  with  each 
 other  ?  1.  We  should  reflect  that  it  is 
 impossible  for  us  to  institute  this  com- 
 parison with  perfect  justice  ourselves. 
 2.  We  should  therefore  draw  from  com- 
 ]iarison  with  others  occasion  neither  for 
 despair  nor  false  comfort.  3.  We  should 
 rather  allow  this  comparison  to  be  a 
 motive  to  severe  self-discipline. 
 
 Vers.  12,  13.  God's  call  to  rejientance. 
 1.  Its  ground  (I  am  merciful).  2.  Its 
 object  (to  obtain  grace).  3.  Its  condi- 
 tion (acknowledge  thy  sin). — Lange. 
 (Addenda  to  chap.  iii.  ver.  13,  "  Acknoio- 
 ledge  thy  sin.") 
 
 Ver.  13.  Theme:  TAKING  SIDE  WITH 
 God  AGAINST  OURSELVES  AND  OUR 
 SIN.   "Only  acknowledge  thine  iniquity." 
 
 Just  as  the  publican,  abhorrent  with 
 65 
 
IIOMILETIC  COMMENTARY :  JEREMIAH. 
 
 himself,  and  ashamed  of  long  resistance  of 
 God,  bowed  in  abasement  and  confession. 
 Holding  out  against  God  no  longer; 
 hiding  sin  from  God — refusing  to  own 
 it — no  longer.  Return  to  God  might 
 be  through  misery — not  regret  for  the 
 sin  which  caused  it ;  or  from  policy — • 
 desiring  escape  from  evils  and  gain  of 
 benefits,  without  heart-grief  or  spiritual 
 surrender. 
 
 I.  What  God  asks  of  tlie  sinner. 
 "Acknowledge;"    which    means — 1. 
 
 Capitulation  of  his  pride;  realises  him- 
 self vile.  2.  Contrition  within  his  heart ; 
 laments  and  upbraids  his  folly  and  re- 
 bellion. 3.  Confession  upon  his  lips ; 
 all  covered  with  shame,  coming  back 
 prodigal-like,  publican-like  to  God. 
 "Acknowledge;"  "If  we  confess  our 
 sin,  God  will  forgive,"  &c. 
 
 II.  What  God  arrays  before  the 
 sinner. 
 
 "  Only  acknowledge  that,"  &e. 
 
 1.  Spiritual  relationship  violated. 
 "  Transgressed  against  the  Lord  thy 
 God."  It  is  the  sin  of  faithlessness ; 
 not  of  one  who  never  knew  the  Lord. 
 
 2.  Spiritiial  prostitution  pr'actised. 
 "  Scattered  thy  ways  to  strangers." 
 
 3.  Spiritual  independence  asserted. 
 "  Hast  not  obeyed ; "  resented  God's 
 control. 
 
 These  three  aspects  of  sin,  as  God 
 regards  it,  show  the  course  of  evil  to 
 be  an  outrage,  debasing,  defiant  against 
 all  law  and  all  love. 
 
 III.  What  God  assures  to  the  sin- 
 ner. Elsewhere  in  His  Word  are  given 
 precious  assurances  to  the  soul  who 
 confesses  sin  (Luke  xviii.  14:1  John 
 i.  9). 
 
 Here  : 
 
 1.  lieception  to  His  unalienated  love 
 (ver.  U.)  "  I  am  married."  Israel's  dis- 
 loyalty had  not  estranged  Him.  God 
 keeps  the  door  wide  open  for  the 
 v^randerer. 
 
 2.  Jieinstatement  in  tlie  covenant  privi- 
 leges of  Z ion  (ver.  14).  Her  wandering 
 liad  surrendered  all— far  off,  in  oppres- 
 sion ;  but  "  made  nigh,"  brought  again 
 "  to  Zion."  (Addenda  on  ver.  13,  "t^c- 
 knoiuledge  iniquity") 
 
 Ver.  14.  To  Backsliders. 
 
 God,  the  loving  Husband.    Sin,  spiri- 
 
 tual  adultery.  He  hates  "  putting 
 away,"  and  invites  return  (ver.  1). 
 
 I.  The  nature  of  backsliding.  It  is 
 going  back — 1.  Easily ;  2.  Gradually  ; 
 3.  Silently. 
 
 Backsliding  is  generally  preceded  by 
 — 1.  Pride  (Prov.  xvi.  18);  2.  Vain 
 confidence  (Matt.  xxvi.  33)  ;  3.  Negli- 
 gence (Matt.  xxvi.  58). 
 
 A  man  may  be — 
 
 1.  Enticed  by  sinful  pleasures  (2 
 Sam.  xi.). 
 
 2.  Led  back  by  sinful  companions 
 (1  Kings  xi.). 
 
 3.  Driven  back  by  sinful  fears  (Matt, 
 xxvi.  69-74). 
 
 II.  The  misery  of  backsliding. 
 
 1.  Heavy  losses.  (1.)  His  self-respect. 
 (2.)  Tender  conscience.  (3.)  Sweetest 
 enjoyments.     (4.)  Brightest  hopes. 
 
 2.  Severe  disappointme7it.  His  holy 
 expectations  are  lost  (of  what  he  might 
 have  been,  and  done  for  Christ,  and 
 the  after  rewards). 
 
 3.  Terrible  disgrace.  (1.)  Before  the 
 world,  as  a  hypocrite.  (2.)  Before  the 
 Church,  as  "  the  thief  "  (Jer.  ii.  12).  (3.) 
 Before  God  (Ps.  li.  3-9). 
 
 III.  The  remedy  for  backsliding. 
 "  Return,"  &c. 
 
 1.  Immediately.  (1.)  Delay  makes  your 
 case  worse.  (2.)  God  is  willing  to  par- 
 don. (3.)  The  Church  is  waiting  to  re- 
 ceive you. 
 
 2.  Humbly.  (1.)  Confessing  sin,  (2.) 
 Abhorring  sin  (Hos.  xiv.  8).  (3.)  For- 
 saking sin. 
 
 3.  Believingly.  Remember — (1.)  The 
 love  of  your  espousals.  (2.)  The  in- 
 dividuality of  your  relationship.  (3.) 
 The  love  of  your  Husband.  (4.)  Your 
 own  duty. — Tlte  Study. 
 
 Comments :  Ver.  14. 
 
 On  "  /  will  take  you  one  of  a  city," 
 &c..  Dr.  Blayney  remarks :  "  This  pas- 
 sage relates  to  their  call  into  the  Chris- 
 tian Church,  into  which  they  were 
 brought,  not  all  at  a  time,  nor  in  a 
 national  capacity,  but  severally  as  in- 
 dividuals, here  and  there  one  "  {cf.  Isa. 
 xxvii.  12). 
 
 On  "  /  am  married  to  you,"  the 
 Rev.  F.  D.  Maurice,  M.A.,  writes: 
 "  These  words  affirm  that  a  mysterious 
 bond,  which  no  sin  of  theirs  had  been  able 
 
EOMILETIC  COMMENTARY :  JEREMIAH. 
 
 to  break,  united  even  those  tribes  wbicli 
 were  gone  into  captivity  to  the  God  of 
 Abraham  ;  that  He  was  still  holding  in- 
 tercourse vrith  them  (ver.  12),  and  seek- 
 ing to  bring  their  hearts  back  to  Him- 
 self."— Prophets  and  Kings. 
 
 "  God  keeps  His  covenant,  which 
 men  have  broken  by  their  sins,  as  strictly 
 and  securely  as  though  they  had  never 
 broken  it." — Starke. 
 
 Ver.  15.  '^  Fastors;"  refer  to  notes 
 on  ii.  8.  Not  military  usurpers,  such 
 as  Israel  had  herself  preferred  (Hos. 
 viii.  4),  but  men  "after  God's  heart" 
 (1  Sam.  ziii.  4). 
 
 "  The  evangelical  pastorate — i.  Its 
 standard;  'after  My  heart.'  ii.  Its 
 task;  to  feed  them  with  doctrine  and 
 wisdom." — Lange. 
 
 Ver.  16,  17.  Theme:  A  Bright  and 
 Blessed  Vision.  ''It  shall  come  to 
 pass  in  those  days." 
 
 It  was  an  outlook  beyond  the  Cap- 
 tivity ;  beyond  even  the  return  which 
 Cyrus  granted, — the  prophet's  eye  saw 
 a  glory  which  excelled  the  gladness  of 
 tliat  event :  the  Messianic  age.  "  Those 
 days"  point  definitely  to  Christ's  advent 
 And  kingdom  (c/.  chap,  xxxiii.  14-16). 
 
 In  a  loiver  and  lesser  sense  these  pre- 
 dicted events  may  have  been  verified 
 in  the  return  from  Babylonian  captivity, 
 but  were  fulfilled  in  Christ. 
 
 I.  Tlie  spiritual  kingdom  :  a  vision 
 of  joyous  prosperity  (ver.  16.)  "  Multi- 
 plied and  increased  in  the  land."  The 
 "  little  flock  "  shall  have  and  "  possess 
 the  kingdom."  "  Little  one  become  a 
 thousand,"  &c. 
 
 "  Far  and  wide,  though  all  unknowing, 
 Pants  for  Thee  each  mortal  breast ; 
 Human  tears  for  Thee  are  flowing, 
 Human  hearts  in  Thee  would  rest. 
 Saviour  !  lo,  the  isles  are  waiting, 
 Stretched  the  hand  and  strained  the 
 sight."  —A.  C.  Coxe; 
 
 The  realisation  of  the  world's  hope  is 
 in  the  kingdom  of  Jesus. 
 
 II.  The  spiritual  kingdom :  symbols 
 and  external  forms  abandoned. 
 
 "  They  shall  say  no  more  The  Ark  of 
 the  covenant,"  &c.  (ver.  16).  The  Ark 
 was  but  a  shadow  of  Christ — in  Him 
 dwelt  the  law ;  on  Him  rested  the  She- 
 
 kinah.  The  real  displaces  and  abrogates 
 the  sign;  and  hearts  no  more  rest  in 
 signs  when  the  real  has  come.  Who 
 would  longer  bend  over  a  portrait  of  a 
 child,  when  lo  !  the  long-absent  boy  is 
 now  returned  and  in  the  home  ?  From 
 the  picture  the  heart  turns  to  embrace 
 the  living  one.  (Addenda  to  chap.  iii. 
 ver.  16,  17,  "Symbols") 
 
 III.  The  spiritual  kingdom  :  loving 
 allegiance  to  the  Lord. 
 
 Ver.  17.  Gathering  to  and  around  "the 
 throne  of  the  Lord"  =  binding  themselves 
 loyally  to  Him  :  the  heart  fixed  on  Him  : 
 no  God  but  Him  :  His  "  throne,"  or 
 rule,  drawing  men  into  happy  subjection 
 (c/.  Matt.  xi.  29,  30). 
 
 IV.  The  spiritual  kingdom  :  inward 
 love  manifested  in  holy  life. 
 
 Ver.  17.  "No  more  walk  after  evil 
 heart."  Loyally  adhering  to  God,  the 
 life  shall  be  free  from  self-will  and  pur- 
 suit of  selfish  delights,  walking  in  the 
 Saviour's  steps,  following  the  Lord 
 fully.  This  Christian  walk  will  be  the 
 outward  evidence  of  the  inward  allegi- 
 ance to  God's  throne. 
 
 Comments : 
 
 Ver.  17.  Not  the  Ark  "shall  be  called 
 the  throne  of  the  Lord,"  as  formerly 
 it  had  been,  but  ^'  Jeritsalem,"  i.e.,  the 
 Christian  Church  (Rev.  xxi.  2  ;  Gal.  iv. 
 26;  Zech.  ii.  10,  11). — Speakers  Com- 
 mentary. 
 
 The  Ark  had  just  been  restored  to  its 
 place  in  the  Temple  with  much  solem- 
 nity and  jubilant  celebration  by  king, 
 and  priests,  and  people.  What  a  sub- 
 lime and  far-reaching  vision  was  this  of 
 the  prophet's,  which  descried  an  age 
 when  the  Ark  would  be  counted  as  no- 
 thing !  And  how  much  more  glorious 
 that  age ! 
 
 "They  will  have  the  true  Ark  in 
 Christ.  When  the  prophet  says  that  the 
 Ark  will  no  longer  be  remembered,  and 
 yet  Jerusalem  will  be  called  the  throne 
 of  the  Lord  (ver.  17),  he  means  that  the 
 whole  Levitical  economy — of  which  the 
 Ark  was  the  centre  and  the  key — would 
 pass  away,  and  be  succeeded  and  con- 
 summated in  the  presence  and  glory  of 
 the  Lord  in  His  Church." 
 
 '■^Jerusalem''  (the  Church),  will  re- 
 ceive all  nations  into  her  bosom  :  where 
 
 07 
 
CHAP.  ITT. 
 
 IIOMILETIC  COMMENTARY :  JEREMIAH. 
 
 Christ  is  enthroned  as  king  (Ileb.  xii. 
 22). —  ]Vordsw<jrth. 
 
 Ver.  IG.  Theme:  Cheist,  the  teue 
 Ark  of  the  covenant. 
 
 i.  A  most  alarming  and  tiniuelcome 
 announcement.  That  the  Ark  would  dis- 
 appear, and  another  not  made.  "It  was 
 the  most  costly  jewel  of  the  people,  the 
 central  point  of  ttieir  whole  existence." 
 Overlaid  with  gold,  overshadowed  by 
 glory  (Heb.  ix.  4,  5),  visible  symbol  of 
 Divine  presence :  borne  by  priests  around 
 Jericho  :  national  amaze  when  it  was 
 taken  by  Pidlistines,  joy  when  restored  : 
 disasters  befell  nation  in  Saul's  days  be- 
 cause Ark  neglected ;  prosperity  under 
 David  because  honoured  and  a  "resting- 
 place"  provided;  and,  finally,  the  display 
 of  Divine  glory  when  Solomon  trans- 
 ferred Ark  to  the  Temple. 
 
 All  this  taught  Israel  that  their  safety 
 and  prosperity  were  connected  with  Aik 
 of  covenant.  Called  "  Ark  of  God's 
 strength"  (2  Chron.  vi.  41). 
 
 By  some  regarded  with  superstitious 
 awe  rather  than  reverential  fear ;  yet 
 by  all  as  of  incalculable  value  to  the 
 nation. 
 
 ii.  A  bitter  and  irreconcilable  loss. 
 
 1.  Prophecy  soon  fulfilled.  After  de- 
 ptruction  of  Temple  by  Nebuchadnezzar, 
 the  Ark  was  no  more  seen.  Absent 
 from  second  Temple,  which  was  built 
 soon  after  return  from  Babylon.  This 
 a  solemn  and  i)erpetual  intimation  to 
 them  of  the  approaching  removal  of  the 
 whole  typical  system. 
 
 2.  Loss  deeply  lamented.  These  re- 
 turned Jews  did  not  cease  to  remember 
 the  Ark,  but  fondly  hoped  for  its  re- 
 Ftoration.  This  prophecy,  that  an  age 
 was  nearing  when  the  Ark  "  would  not 
 come  to  mind,"  remained,  therefore, 
 unfulfilled  in  them. 
 
 iii.  A  surpassing  comiiensation  pre- 
 dicted. The  prophecy,  that  the  Ark 
 would  be  no  more  remembered  or  sought, 
 im])lied  a  compensation  which  would" far 
 exceed  their  loss;  so  that  what  they 
 once  deplored  as  a  privation,  they  would 
 rejoice  and  glory  in  as  an  unspeakable 
 gain. 
 
 1.  The  prediction  must  liave  seemed 
 incredible  at  the  time:  yet  afterwards 
 63 
 
 proved  consolatory.  For  in  their  loss  of 
 the  Ark,  this  prophecy  assured  them 
 God  had  better  things  in  store. 
 
 2.  How  was  the  prediction  fulfilled  1 
 In  the  appearing  of  Christ,  the  antitype 
 of  the  Ark,  Himself  "  the  brightness 
 of  the  Father's  glory,"  God  manifest  in 
 the  flesh. 
 
 iv.  The  realisation  in  CJirist  of  all 
 the  Ark  symbolised. 
 
 1,  The  Divine  nearness.  2.  The 
 Deity  bending  mercifully  over  men  :  for 
 the  mercy-seat  was  overshadowed.  3. 
 The  helpful  and  healing  grace  of  God. 
 
 1.  Israelites  who  early  became  Chris- 
 tians, and  enjoyed  the  presence  of  Christ 
 on  earth,  must  have  readily  surrendered 
 and  forgotten  the  Ark  in  the  realisation 
 of  Jesus  and  His  tender  grace. 
 
 2.  Believers,  though  now  not  realising 
 Christ  bodily  among  them,  experience 
 His  Spirit's  indwelling,  revealing  Christ 
 within.     So  that  1  Peter  i.  8. 
 
 3.  Contrite  sinners  can  rejoice  in 
 the  tenderness,  lowliness,  and  compas- 
 sion of  Christ.  None  need  any  awful 
 visible  token  of  the  Divine  nearness. 
 
 All  can  come  with  boldness  to  the 
 throne  of  grace  :  "  having  boldness  to 
 enter  the  holiest  by  the  blood  of  Jesus." 
 
 Arranged  from  Dr.  Gordon!  s  '■'•Christ 
 as  made  known  to  the  Ancient  Church." 
 
 Ver.  17.  The  Chuech  Christ's 
 THRONE.  (Addenda  to  chap.  iii.  ^'Jerusa- 
 lem, God's  throne.") 
 
 a.  Jerusalem  had  been  of  old  the 
 throne  of  God:  the  symbol  of  God  rested 
 on  the  Ark.  Hence  called  the  "  city  of 
 tlie  Great  King." 
 
 b.  Jerusalem  became  the  throne  of 
 God  as  never  before  when  Emmanuel 
 visited  her.  "  Thou  art  the  Son  of  God  : 
 Thou  the  King  of  Israel."  Yet  she  re- 
 jected her  King. 
 
 c.  Christ  by  His  death  founded  a 
 kingdom  in  which  His  Church  has  be- 
 come the  true  throne  of  God.  This  is 
 Zion,  on  which  God  hath  set  His  King. 
 There  He  sways  kingly  power. 
 
 I.  In  the  conversion  of  sinners  the 
 kingly  jioiuer  and  authority  of  Christ  is 
 manifested.  Each  case  is  a  victory  of 
 Christ  over  the  "  enmity  "  of  the  carnal 
 mind  and  the  resistance  of  hellish  foes. 
 
HOMILETIC  COMMENTARY :  JEREMIAH. 
 
 Soul  delivered  "  from  power  of  Satan 
 unto  God." 
 
 II.  In  maintaining  His  ascendancy 
 over  the  lives  and  affections  of  His  con- 
 verts. "  Law  in  their  members  "  at  war 
 with  Him,  The  world  strives  to  wrest 
 them  from  His  rule.  Satan  strives  to 
 recover  his  lost  power.  But  they  are  held 
 "  in  obedience  to  Christ,"  and  "  kept 
 by  tlie  power  of  God  unto  salvation." 
 
 HI.  In  governing  the  world  provideii- 
 tiallyfor  His  Chtircli's  advantage.  Christ 
 reigns  as  Mediator  :  "  works  all  things 
 for  our  good "  and  His  glory ;  and  hy, 
 and /or,  and /Voj/i  His  Church  He  puts 
 forth  His  power,  that  shall  subdue  all 
 enemies  under  His  feet.  How  does 
 Christ's  rule  affect  individual  members 
 of  His  Church  % 
 
 1.  To  what  extent  can  and  may  they 
 enjoy  personally  the  presence  of  their 
 King?  Sits  enthroned  in  their  heart 
 and  affections  individually. 
 
 2.  Christ  must  hold  unrivalled  and 
 unlimited  sway  and  sovereignty  over 
 their  lives.  His  kingship  absolute  : 
 their  affections  undivided  :  they  habitu- 
 ally and  entirely  under  the  constrain- 
 ing influences  of  His  love, 
 
 3.  They  will  recognise  that  His  care 
 extends  to  every  individual  believer, 
 sending  expressions  of  His  kindness  and 
 love  to  each,  and  never — save  in  faith- 
 fulness— afflicting  them. 
 
 In  proportion  as  they  are  thus  subject 
 unto  Christ  in  everything  do  they  enjoy 
 the  liberty  of  the  sons  of  God. — Idem. 
 
 Vers.  18,  19.  Theme:  Division  and 
 Reunion. 
 
 As  the  separation  of  the  Jcingdoms, 
 Israel  and  Judah,  might  indicate  the 
 denominational  divisions  in  Christen- 
 dom, so  the  reunion  here  promised  may 
 suggest  the  method  and  basis  of  all  true 
 union.  This  must  rest  on  a  double 
 negative  and  positive  basis: 
 
 i.  On  the  fundamental  ret%irn  of  loth 
 from  the  false  ground  on  which  they 
 have  been  standing  (typified  by  the  exit 
 of  both  tribes  from  tlie  north  country, 
 the  land  of  captivity). 
 
 ii.  On  unreserved,  sincere  devotion  to 
 the  Lord,  who  is  for  both  the  only  source 
 of  life  and  truth  (typified  in  the  words, 
 '•■  Thou  shalt  call  me,  My  Father  '). 
 
 iii.  The  i-esidt  of  this  will  be  a  condi- 
 tion of  glorious  prosperity  in  the  Church 
 (typified  in  the  first  clause  of  ver.  19). — 
 Lange.  (See  Addenda  to  chap.  iii.  on 
 "  Denominationalism.") 
 
 Ver.  19.  Theme:  The  true  souiice 
 
 OF  SALVATION. 
 
 By  Jeremiah  God  speaks  as  if  at  a 
 loss  how  to  exercise  towards  them  the 
 mercy  He  was  inclined  to  bestow. 
 
 I.  How  the  obstructions  to  the  resto- 
 ration of  the  Jews  shall  be  sur- 
 mounted. 
 
 1.  God  Himself  presents  to  them  the 
 formidable  dijiculty.  Jews  always  had 
 been  perverse.  In  wilderness  :  when  in 
 promised  land  :  till  at  length  He  gave  up 
 ten  tribes  into  hands  of  Assyria,  and  the 
 other  two  into  hands  of  Chaldeans. 
 After  restoration  from  Babylon,  still  as 
 rebellious  :  at  last  filled  up  the  measure 
 of  iniquity  in  the  murder  of  their  Messiah. 
 Now,  though  scattered  1900  years 
 over  the  earth,  as  obdurate  as  ever. 
 How  restored  to  the  favour  of  God  1  (1.) 
 Extent  of  their  wickedness  forbids 
 it.  (2.)  Honour  of  God  forbids  it.  To 
 admit  rebels  to  privileges  encourages 
 rebellion.  Appear  an  excess  of  genero- 
 sity subversive  of  all  moral  government. 
 
 2.  These  obstacles,  though  formidable, 
 shall  be  surmounted.  God  had  expressed 
 His  desire  for  their  reconciliation. 
 "Wilt  thou  not  cry,  My  Father?"  (ver, 
 4).  Now  He  determines  to  effect  it  by 
 His  almighty  power.  "  Thou  sbalt 
 cry.  My  Father."  This  will  overcome 
 every  obstacle.  "  If  God  will  work, 
 who  will  let  it  1 "  Vain  was  the  resist- 
 ance of  Pharaoh,  the  sea,  the  wilderness, 
 the  united  nations.  As  God  spake  the 
 universe  into  existence,  so  will  He  form 
 the  "new  creation." 
 
 II.  How  alone  the  difficulties  in 
 the  way  of  our  salvation  can  ever 
 be  overcome. 
 
 1.  There  are  immense  difficulties  in 
 the  tvay  of  our  salvation.  Our  wicked- 
 ness equals  or  exceeds  the  Jews'.  If 
 they  "  crucified  the  Lord  of  glory," 
 have  we  not  "  crucified  Him  afresh  "  ? 
 Jews  of  Christ's  day  were  more  criminal 
 than  Sodom,  &c.,  because  they  had 
 greater  light  3  but  we  have  far  greater 
 
 69 
 
CHAF.  III. 
 
 HOMILETIC  COMMENTARY :  JEREMIAH. 
 
 knowledse   and   advantages  than   even 
 they.     Yet  Heb.  x.  29. 
 
 2.  But  these  shall  he  overcome.  If  we 
 looked  to  ourselves,  salvation  hopeless  ; 
 but  are  to  look  to  Him.  He  will  inter- 
 fere for  us  in  a  way  of  sovereign  grace 
 and  by  the  exercise  of  His  almighty 
 joower.  (a.)  His  grace  is  His  own,  to 
 dispense  as  He  will.  Says,  "  Thou  shall 
 call  me,  My  Father."  {h.)  And  His  power 
 will  perform  it.  "  Thou  shalt  not  turn 
 from  me  "  (Isa.  xlvi.  10). 
 
 i.  To  those  who  question  the  possi- 
 bility of  their  own  salvation.    God  is  able. 
 
 ii.  To  those  who  have  entertained  no 
 such  fears.  You  think  salvation  easy  ; 
 but  only  Christ's  blood  could  atone  for 
 such  sin  as  yours  ;  only  the  Divine  Spirit 
 could  renew  your  depraved  heart. 
 
 iii.  To  those  who  profess  to  have 
 been  brought  into  the  family  of  God. 
 Obey  and  trust  Him  as  your  "  Father  ; " 
 let  nothing  lead  you  to  "turn  away 
 from  Him." — Rev.  C.  Simeon,  M.A. 
 
 Note  :  God  does  not  (ver.  19)  raise 
 difficulties  into  sight ;  it  is  not  a  cry  of 
 amazement  but  of  admiration;  not  a 
 contemplation  of  obstacles,  physical, 
 moral,  or  spiritual,  in  the  way  of  His 
 plans,  but  a  joyous  outlook  on  the 
 gracious  purposes  He  cherishes  ;  not  an 
 allusion  to  the  demerits  and  crimes  of 
 Israel  banished,  but  to  the  splendours, 
 blessedness,  and  exaltation  of  Israel,  by 
 Divine  grace  restored.  "  How  will  I  put 
 thee?"     (So  all  modern  commentators.) 
 
 The  words  "  Thou  shalt  call  me,  My 
 Father,"  <fec.,  do  not  furnish  an  answer 
 to  a  foregoing  inquiry  as  to  obstacles  ; 
 they  are  a  continuance  of  the  strain  of 
 adinii-ing  coiitemplation. 
 
 Ver.  20.  "  Surely  as  a  wife  treacher- 
 onsly,"  &c.  The  remembrance  of  Israel's 
 past  conduct  rises  unbidden  in  the 
 mind  to  cross,  like  a  dark  cloud,  this 
 bright  hope  of  Israel's  return  to  God, 
 of  its  consequent  restoration  to  its  place 
 as  a  child,  and  of  its  filial  love  to 
 Jehovah.  The  prophet  brushes  away 
 the  passing  doubt,  and  a  vision  of 
 penitent  Israel  opens  before  his  gaze. 
 
 Ver.  21-25.   True  Repentance. 
 
 1.  It  2yroceeds  from  the  inmost  heart ; 
 the  weejnng  (ver.  21)  and  their  shame 
 her.  25)  evince  this. 
 70 
 
 2.  It  is  free  from  all  dissimulation, 
 which  might  originate  in  a  spirit  of 
 compromise,  or  be  prompted  by  alarm 
 at  consequences  of  wickedness.  Its 
 principle  is  sorrow  at  having  grieved 
 God  by  the  abuse  of  His  love  (see 
 ver.  21). 
 
 3.  It  is  made  hiown  hy  the  honest 
 fruits  of  repentance ;  i.e.  apostasies 
 healed  (ver.  22),  detestation  of  evil 
 (ver.  24),  and  yearning  for  the  Lord 
 (ver.  25). 
 
 i.  Its  form:  "weeping  and  supplica- 
 tions" (ver.  21).  ii.  Its  subject:  (a.) 
 Forgetting  God  and  sinning  against 
 Him  (ver.  21,  25).  (6.)  The  destruc- 
 tion resulting  fi'om  sin's  deceptions  (ver. 
 23  s^".).  iii.  Its  object  :  salvation  in  God 
 (ver.  24). — Homily  hy  Origen ;  comp. 
 Lange. 
 
 Prayers  and  tears  well  become  those 
 whose  consciences  tell  them  that  they 
 have  "perverted  their  way"  (ver.  21). 
 
 1.  They  come  devoting  themselves  to 
 God  as  theirs  (ver.  22). 
 
 2.  They  come  disclaiming  all  expecta- 
 tions of  relief  and  succour  but  from 
 God  only  (ver.  23). 
 
 3.  They  come  depending  upon  God 
 only  as  their  (true  and  rightful)  Lord 
 (ver.  23). 
 
 4.  They  come  justifying  God,  judg- 
 ing themselves  for  their  sin  (ver.  24, 
 25). — M.  Henry. 
 
 (See  Addenda  to  chap.  iii.  ver.  24,  25, 
 ''Shame.") 
 
 Ver.    25.     Theme:    Peosteate    in 
 
 ABASEMENT. 
 
 Guilt  wastes  the  sinner''s  substance 
 (ver,  24),  as  it  did  the  younger  son's 
 when  he  rushed  into  prodigality. 
 
 But  that  is  not  the  worst :  it  works 
 devastation  of  the  soul;  spoils  the 
 character  and  dignity  of  the  man. 
 How  dreadful  that  God's  living  "  image  " 
 on  earth,  God's  own  nourished  and  be- 
 loved child,  should  thus  "  lie  down  in 
 shame  ! " 
 
 I.  An  awakened  sinner's  self-ab- 
 horrent attitude. 
 
 1.  Appalled  at  the  heinousness  of  his 
 sin. 
 
 2.  Horrified  at  the  indignity  done  to 
 God. 
 
HOMILETIC  COMMENTARY :  JEREMIAH. 
 
 3.  Alarmed  at  the  doom  he  has 
 merited. 
 
 4.  Overwhelmed  by  the  grace  he  has 
 experienced. 
 
 II.  An  adoring  sinner's  lowly 
 approach  to  the  Saviour. 
 
 1.  To  hide  his  whole  past  life  in  his 
 forgiveness  and  atonement.  For  all  his 
 whole  career  "from  youth  even  to  this 
 day"  plagues  him.  He  must  quench 
 the  burning  fire  of  his  own  memory  in 
 
 the  "fountain  opened  for  sin  and   un- 
 cleanness." 
 
 2.  To  draw  all  his  hope  for  the 
 future  from  Christ.  Having  all  along 
 "not  obeyed,"  his  long-continued  sinful- 
 ness has  enslaved  him ;  he  cannot  do  the 
 good  he  would.  He  must  be  saved  from 
 himself.  "  Lord,  save  me,  or  I  perish." 
 "  Can  the  Ethiopian  change  his  skin  ? " 
 &c.  (chap.  xiii.  23).  (Addenda  to  chap.  iii. 
 ver.  25,  "  We  lie  down  in  our  shame") 
 
 ADDENDA  TO  CHAPTER  III.     ILLUSTRATIONS  AND  SUGGESTIVE  EXTRACTS. 
 
 Ver.  3.  "  No  latter  rai7i."  "  Because 
 we  obstruct  God's  access  to  us,  His 
 beneficence  does  not  reach  us.  We 
 throw  heaven  and  earth  into  confusion 
 by  our  sins.  For  were  we  in  right 
 order  as  to  our  obedience  to  God, 
 doubtless  all  the  elements  would  be 
 conformable.  But  as  our  lusts  tumultate 
 against  God,  as  we  provoke  Him  by  our 
 pride,  perverseness,  and  obstinacy,  it 
 must  needs  be  that  all  things  above  and 
 below  should  be  in  disorder.  This  is 
 to  be  ascribed  to  our  sins." — Calvin. 
 
 Ver.  4.  "  The  guide  of  my  youth." 
 Are  we  walking  through  life  as  directed 
 by  our  own  mind  and  heart,  or  by  the 
 Word,  Spirit,  and  providence  of  God  1 
 1,  We  are  all  travellers — (a.)  as  to  time  ; 
 from  youth  to  age  :  (6.)  as  to  'place  ;  from 
 cradle  to  grave  :  (c.)  as  to  circumstances  ; 
 from  wealth  to  poverty  or  the  contrary : 
 (cZ.)  as  to  mind  ;  from  ignorance  to  know- 
 ledge :  (e.)  as  to  character  ;  improving  or 
 otherwise  :  (/.)  as  to  destiny ;  to  heaven 
 or  hell.  2.  We  need  a  guide  who  will 
 cheer,  sustain,  protect,  direct  us  on  our 
 way.  God  the  only  safe  guide  for  the 
 youthful  traveller  (Ps.  xxv.  9,  xxxi.  3, 
 xxxii.  8;  Isa.  Iviii.  11). 
 
 Ver.  7.  "  Treacherous  Judah." 
 Falsity  ;  hypocrisy. 
 
 "  Sataa  was  the  first 
 That  practised  falsehood  under  saintly  show. " 
 
 — Milton. 
 
 "  An  evil  soul  producing  holy  witness 
 Is  like  a  villain  with  a  smiling  cheek, 
 A  goodly  apple  rotten  at  the  core. 
 Oh,  what  a  goodly  outside  falsehood  hath  ! " 
 — Shakespeare. 
 
 "The  dial  of  our  faces  does  not  in- 
 fallibly show  the  time   of  day  in  our 
 
 hearts ;  the  humblest  looks  may  enamel 
 the  former,  while  unbounded  pride 
 covers  the  latter.  Unclean  spirits  may 
 inhabit  the  chamber  when  they  look  not 
 out  at  the  window.  A  hypocrite  may 
 be  both  the  fairest  and  the  foulest 
 creature  in  the  world  ;  fairest  outwardly 
 in  the  eyes  of  man,  foulest  inwardly  in 
 the  sight  of  God.  Unclean  swans 
 cover  their  black  flesh  with  white 
 feathers.  "• — /Seeker. 
 
 Ver.   10.  External  reform ;  ritual. 
 
 "We  make  beautiful  churches  more 
 often  than  we  do  beautiful  Christians. 
 We  carve  marbles,  and  rear  fine  propor- 
 tions in  stone  \  we  decorate  walls  and 
 altars ;  but  these  are  only  physical 
 representations,  material  symbols,  while 
 the  quality  of  beauty  is  in  holiness. 
 The  beauty  of  love  in  all  its  infinite 
 inflections,  the  beauty  of  justice  and  of 
 truth,  these  languish." — Rev.  H.  W. 
 Beecher. 
 
 "  We  are  not  to  judge  a  man  by  the 
 loudness  of  his  profession.  The  one 
 determining  question  is  not  *  Have  you 
 a  label  outside  1 '  but  *  Have  you  the 
 grace  of  God  in  your  heart?'" — Dr. 
 Joseph  Parker. 
 
 "  Feignedly."  "It  is  possible  for  a 
 man  to  have  a  pulpit,  and  to  have  no 
 God;  to  have  a  Bible,  and  no  Holy 
 Ghost."— /c/m. 
 
 Ver.  12.  The  lost  Ten  Tribes.  The 
 Beni-Eechab,  sons  of  Kechab,  still  exist 
 as  a  distinct  and  easily  distinguish- 
 able people,  in  number  about  60,000. 
 They  boast  their  descent  from  Rechab, 
 profess  pure  Judaism ;  all  understand 
 Hebrew ;  live  near  Mecca. — Comp. 
 Grey's  "  Topics.'' 
 
 71 
 
cnAr.  in. 
 
 nOMILETIC  COMMENTARY :  J ER  EM  I  AH. 
 
 There  is  a  vast  population  in  Afghan- 
 istan, of  very  evident  Isnielitish  origin, 
 their  customs,  traditions  and  names 
 giving  proof.  The  Jews  of  Bokhara 
 themselves  suggest  that  the  Ten  Tribes 
 will  be  found  in  the  vast  interior  of 
 China. 
 
 Sir  W.  Penn  traces  them  in  the 
 American  Indians;  others  have  re- 
 cognised them  in  the  Nestorians  of 
 Orooniiah,  the  Fiilashahs  of  Abyssinia. 
 In  British  India  there  are  many  indica- 
 tions of  their  presence  ;  e.g.,  the  Karens 
 of  Burmah,  distinct  from  the  Burmese, 
 possessing  traditions  of  the  Fall,  the 
 Flood,  and  the  Divine  anger  against 
 their  nation  for  worshipping  idols. 
 
 Dr.  Smith,  however,  remarks  in  his 
 "  0.  T.  History;'  that  "  The  very  wild- 
 ness  of  the  speculations  of  those  who 
 Lave  sought  them  at  the  foot  of  the 
 Himalayas  and  on  the  coast  of  Malabar, 
 among  the  Nestorians  of  Abyssinia 
 and  the  Indians  of  North  America, 
 proves  sufRcieutly  the  liopelessness  of 
 the  attempt." 
 
 "Like  the  dew  on  the  mountain  (Hos.  xiii.  12), 
 Like  the  foam  on  tlie  river  (x.  7), 
 Like  the  bubble  on  the  fountain, 
 They  are  gone,  and  for  ever." 
 
 Ver.  13.  "  Only  aclcnowledge  thine 
 iniquity.''  "  Pardon  can  only  be  secured 
 by  the  consent  of  both  parties.  I  may 
 have  offended  you.  You  may  come  to 
 me  and  say,  *  You  have  deeply  grieved 
 me  ;  but  I  forgive.'  I  can  snap  my 
 fingers  in  your  face  and  say,  '  Take  your 
 forgiveness  away;  I  don't  want  to  be 
 forgiven  by  you.'  Observe,  therefore, 
 that  you  have  not  the  power  to  forgive 
 me.  You  can  forgive  the  crime,  but 
 you  cannot  forgive  the  sinner.  But  if 
 I  come  to  you  and  say,  *  I  have  injured 
 you  ;  I  see  I  mu.st  have  given  you  pain  ; 
 I  did  you  wrong;  I  am  sorry  in  my 
 heart,'  and  you  then  say,  'With  my 
 heart  I  forgive  you ; '  then  the  transac- 
 ti(m  is  based  on  moral  principles.  It 
 is  80  with  God.  God  cannot  pass  an 
 act  of  universal  amnesty :  He  cannot 
 open  all  the  prison-doors  of  the  universe 
 and  say  to  the  criminals,  '  Come  forth  ; 
 I  forgive  you  all'  But  if  they  in  their  • 
 condemned  cells  would  but  heave  one 
 72 
 
 sigh  of  penitence,  and  utter  one  cry  for 
 God's  forgiving  mercy,  every  bolt  would 
 fall  off,  every  lock  fly  back,  and  there 
 would  be  no  prison  in  all  the  universe 
 of  God."— Parker. 
 
 Ancient  Hymn,  by  John  Mardley,  15G2, 
 ON  Jer.  iii.  12-25. 
 
 "■  0  Lord,  turn  not  Thy  face  away 
 
 From  them  that  lowly  lie  (ver.  2.5), 
 Lamenting  sore  their  sinful  life 
 With  tears  and  bitter  cry  (ver.  21). 
 
 "  Thy  mercy-gates  are  open  wide 
 
 To  them  that  mourn  for  sin  (ver.  13), 
 Oh,  shut  them  not  against  us,  Lord, 
 But  let  us  enter  in  (ver.  12). 
 
 "  We  need  not  to  confess  our  fault, 
 For  surely  Thou  canst  tell ; 
 What  we  have  done  and  what  we  are 
 Thou  knowest  very  well  (ver.  20) . 
 
 "  Wherefore  to  beg,  and  to  entreat, 
 
 With  tears  we  come  to  Thee  (ver.  21,  22), 
 As  children  that  have  done  amiss 
 Fall  at  their  father's  knee  (ver.  19). 
 
 "Mercy,  0  Lord,  mercy  we  seek, 
 This  is  the  total  sum  : 
 For  mercy.  Lord,  is  all  our  prayer, 
 Oh,  let  Thy  mercy  come  "  !  (ver.  22). 
 
 Ver.  IG,  17.  Symbols  of  the  spiritual. 
 "  The  time  is  coming  when  institu- 
 tionalism  shall  be  lost  in  spirituality ; 
 for  the  seer  said,  'I  saw  no  temple 
 therein.'  .  .  .  Why  should  we  have  the 
 sign  when  we  have  the  substance  1  for 
 He  Himself  is  the  Temple,  and  there 
 needeth  no  outward  building,  no  outward 
 light.  He  is  Temple,  He  is  Light; — 
 and  when  we  stand  before  Him,  all  that 
 is  material,  visible,  and  most  helpful  by 
 the  way,  will  be  no  longer  necessary." — 
 Parker. 
 
 "Jerusalem;  God's  throne." 
 
 "  Lord,  Thou  didst  love  Jerusalem, 
 
 Once  she  was  all  Thine  own  ; 
 Her  love  Thy  fairest  heritage, 
 
 Her  power  Thy  glory's  throne  : 
 Till  evil  came  and  blighted 
 
 Thy  long-loved  olive-tree. 
 And  Salem's  shrines  were  liglittd 
 
 For  other  gods  than  Thee. 
 
 "  Then  sunk  the  star  of  Solyma, 
 Then  passed  her  glory's  day. 
 Like  heath  that  in  the  wilderness 
 
 The  light  wind  blows  away. 
 Silent  and  waste  her  bowers 
 
 Where  once  the  mighty  trod. 
 And  sunk  those  guilty  towers 
 Where  Baal  reigned  as  God." 
 
 — JIOOBE. 
 
HOMILETIC  COMMENTARY :  JEREMIAH. 
 
 Ver.   18.  Denommationalism. 
 
 "  I  do  not  want  the  walls  of  separa- 
 tion between  different  orders  of  Chris- 
 tians to  be  destroyed,  but  only  lowered, 
 that  we  may  shake  hands  a  little  easier 
 over  them." — Roioland  UilL 
 
 Vers.  24  and  25.  "  Shame"  cf.  v.  3, 
 "  refuseth  to  be  ashamed." 
 
 "  Shame  is  a  great  restraint  upon 
 sinners  at  first ;  but  that  soon  falls  otf ; 
 and  when  men  have  once  lost  their 
 innocence,  their  modesty  is  not  like  to 
 be  long  troublesome  to  them.  For  im- 
 pudence comes  on  with  vice,  and  grows 
 up  with.  it.  When  men  have  the  heart 
 to  do  a  very  bad  thing,  they  seldom 
 want  the  face  to  bear  it  out." — Tillotson. 
 
 The  legend  says,  that  a  sinner  being 
 at  confession,  the  devil  appeared,  saying 
 that  he  came  to  make  restitution.  Being 
 asked  what  he  came  to  restore,  he  said, 
 ^^  Shame :  for  it  is  shame  that  I  have 
 stolen  from  this  sinner  to  make  him 
 shameless  in  sinning ;  and  now  I  have 
 come  to  restore  it  to  him,  to  make  him 
 ashamed  to  confess  his  sins." — Dictionary 
 of  Illustration. 
 
 Ver.  25.  Sin  debases  the  soid.  As 
 Josiah  in  God's  name  desecrated   and 
 
 polluted  the  idolatrous  altars  in  the  land 
 by  burning  dead  priests'  bones  thereon 
 (2  Chron.  xxxiv.  5) ;  so  do  transgressors 
 against  God  degrade  their  spiritual 
 nature,  and  profane  the  altar  within 
 their  hearts  which  God  intended  for 
 His  homage  and  resting-place. 
 
 '^ -Eveii  unto  this  day."  "As  it  is 
 never  too  soon  to  be  good,  so  it  is  never 
 too  late  to  amend  :  1  will,  therefore, 
 neither  neglect  the  time  present,  nor 
 despair  of  the  time  past.  If  I  had 
 been  sooner  good,  I  might,  perhaps, 
 have  been  better;  if  I  am  longer  bad,  I 
 shall,  I  am  sure,  be  worse." —  Wai^wich's 
 "  Spare  Minutes.'^ 
 
 ''  We  lie  down  in  our  shame.'* 
 
 "  Weary  with  my  load  of  siu, 
 All  diseased  aud  faiut  within, 
 See  me,  Lord,  Thy  grace  entreat. 
 See  me  prostrate  at  Thy  feet ; 
 Here  before  Thy  cross  I  lie, 
 Here  I  live,  or  here  I  die. 
 
 "  I  have  tried  and  tried  in  vain 
 Many  ways  to  ease  my  pain ; 
 Now  all  other  hope  is  past, 
 Only  this  is  left  at  last ; 
 Here  before  Thy  cross  I  lie, 
 Here  I  live,  or  here  I  die." — 
 
 Wade  Robinson. 
 
 CHAPTER  IV. 
 
 Critical  and  Exegetical  Notes. — Chronology  of  the  chapter,  Contemporary  Scriptures,  His- 
 toric Facts,  Contemporary  History  as  in  cap.  iii.  1.  Geographical  Eeferences.  Ver  5.  "  He- 
 fenced  cities."  Some  existed  in  Canaan  before  Israelites  took  possession  (Numb.  xiii.  28). 
 Solomon  erected  others  : — Tadmor,  Gezer,  Hazor,  Bethlehem,  Megiddo,  &c.  (1  Kings  ix.  15-19). 
 But  Jerusalem,  fortified  by  David  (2  Sam.  v.  7,  9,  10),  was  the  chief  stronghold  of  the  nation 
 (ver.  6).  When  Titus,  later  in  history,  besieged  Jerusalem,  he  viewed  with  amazement,  and 
 expressed  his  admiration  of,  its  impregnable  strength  (see  Josephus  Wars,  Book  vi.  ch.  ix.  §  1). 
 Ver.  11.  "  High  places  in  the  wilderness  ;  ranges  of  bare  hills  by  which  the  sandy  deserts  to  the 
 east  of  Palestine  are  intersected  (Hend.).  Ver.  15.  "  Dan  ?t.x\6.  Mount  Ephraim."  Daw,  the  most 
 northern  landmark  of  Palestine,  the  border  town,  at  the  foot  of  Mount  Lebanon,  near  source  of 
 Jordan.  Its  original  name,  Laish  (cf.  Joshua  xviii.  7,  xix.  47) ;  captured  by  a  detachment  of  the 
 tribe  of  Dan,  who  went  thither  to  colonise,  because  the  limited  area  assigned  to  the  tribe  was  too 
 strait  for  them  :  these  gave  the  name  Dan  to  the  town.  Mount  Ephraim,  a  range  of  high  lands, 
 rounded  limestone  hills,  broken  up  by  intersecting  luxuriant  valleys,  running  through  the 
 territory  allotted  to  the  tribe  of  Ephraim  :  the  name  specially  denoted  the  mountainous  district 
 ranging  from  Ebal  and  Gerizim  southward  to  Bethel,  in  length  about  twenty  miles.  Thus 
 Dan  was  the  northern  frontier  of  Palestine  :  Mount  Ephraim,  the  northern  boundary  of  Judea, 
 Their  connection  here  denotes  that  scarcely  would  news  that  the  enemy  had  appeared  at  Dan 
 (where  the  northern  invaders  would  iirst  show  themselves)  be  published,  ere  the  foe  would,  in 
 rapid  march,  have  penetrated  to  the  very  centre  of  the  Holy  Land,  and  scaled  the  frontier  of 
 Judea.  Ver.'  29.  "  Climb  up  upon  the  rocks."  The  fastnesses  of  mountainous  rocks  proved 
 secure  asylums  from  hostile  invaders ;  where  also,  unable  to  resist  them  in  the  open  field,  the 
 Israelites  made  unconquerable  resistance  (Judges  vi.  2,  xx.  47,  1  Sam.  xiii.  6,  xiv.  4  sq.,  Isa.  ii. 
 19,  xsxiii.  16). 
 
 2,  Natural  History.  Ver.  3.  "  FalJoio-ground : "  land  left  untilled,  not  touched  by  plough  or 
 sown  with  seed,  for  the  Sabbatical  year  ;  hence  hard,  needing  to  be  "  broken  up,"  and  overgrown 
 with  thorns,  which  muat  be  cleansed  away.  Ver.  11.  "Dry  wind:"  the  E.  wind  which  was 
 dry  or  withering  (Ezek.  xix.  12),  or  the  Simoom,  frequently  mentioned  in  Old  Testament, 
 
 73 
 
CHAP    IV. 
 
 IIOMILETIC  COMMENTARY:  JEREMIAH. 
 
 which  blew  from  the  Arabian  desert,  blasting  vegetation  and  human  life  :  "  not  to  fan  and 
 cleanse  "  the  grain,  but  ravage  and  destroy.  Ver.  V6.  "  Clouds  and  whirlwind :  "  the  Simoom 
 raises  "  clouds  "  of  sand  and  dust,  which  whirl  up  and  cover  the  sky :  these  are  the  "  chariots,"  ami 
 the  hurricanes  the  "  swift  horses  "  suggested  by  the  simile.  "  Horses  :"  the  Chaldean  cavalry, 
 which  were  exceeding  swift.  "Eagles:"  Xenophon  tells  us  that  the  Assyrian  armies  {ergo, 
 the  Chaldean)  bore  the  eagle  with  wings  outspread  as  a  military  ensign  upon  their  banners  (cf. 
 Hab.  i.  8  •  Isa.  viii.  8  ;  Jer.  xlviii.  40;  Hos.  viii.  1).  So  also  the  Persians,  and  the  Romans 
 after  them.     In  Leviticus  xi.  13,  the  eagle  is  ranked  among  the  unclean  birds. 
 
 3.  Manners  and  Customs.  Ver.  6.  ''  Set  up  the  standard : "  to  rally  the  inhabitants  of  the 
 country  around  to  the defenced  cities  for  refuge  from  invaders.  Not  a  military  standard  (/^l) 
 but  a  signal  (D^)  a  flag,  some  well-understood  beacon  to  warn  or  summon  the  people.  Ver. 
 13.  "  Chariots  :  "  formed  a  marked  feature  of  Nebuchadnezzar's  army  (Ezek.  xxiii.  24,  xxvi.  7). 
 Their  invention  has  been  attributed  to  Ericthonius  of  Athens,  B.C.  1486;  but  Scripture  shows 
 that  Egyptians  used  them  earlier  than  that  (Ex.  xiv.  7 ;  cf.  2  Kings  xviii.  24).  Solomon  im- 
 ported  them  from  Egypt  (1  Kings  x.  28,  29).  Ver.  16.  "  Give  out  their  voice  against,"  ka.  : 
 the  war-shout  raised  by  armies  when  about  to  give  battle.  Instance  in  Judg.  vii.  20.  This  was 
 the  custom  with  Hebrews,  who  also  sometimes  sang  a  war  song  (2  Chron.  xx.  21)  immediately 
 before  the  attack.  Greek  armies  did  the  same.  Ver.  17.  "Keepers  of  a  field."  Watch  was 
 kept  over  pasturing  flocks  (Luke  ii.  8)  and  over  cultivated  fields  and  plantations  :  these 
 "  keepers  "  constructed,  for  shelter  from  sun  by  day  and  security  by  night,  booths  (Job  xxvii.  18) ; 
 probably  then,  as  now,  a  simple  framework  covered  with  branches  of  trees,  and  raised  on  four 
 poles.  These  fields  were  surrounded  by  keepers  placed  at  given  distances,  one  of  whom  raised 
 the  cry  on  danger  appearing,  which  the  others  in  turn  took  up,  till  echoing  voices  sounded 
 around  the  whole  scene.  With  these  booths  are  compared  the  tents  of  besiegers,  and  their  cry 
 over  danger,  with  the  war-shout  of  the  foe.  Ver.  20.  "Tents:"  the  ordinary  habitations 
 of  Israelites  (2  Sam.  xviii.  17)  :  not  only  did  the  nomads  like  the  Rechabites  live  in  them,  bub 
 the  mass  of  the  population  engaged  in  pastoral  pursuits  (/Speaker's  Com.).  Ver.  30.  ^' Crim- 
 son," a.  rich  shade  of  scarlet,  a  deeper  dye  :  '^ornaments  of  gold,"  rings  in  nose  and  earn, 
 anklets,  embroidered  girdles,  &c.  "  Hen  test  thy  face  with  painting  :"  "face"  should  be  "eyes."' 
 Among  Eastern  females  then,  and  now,  the  custom  prevailed  of  using  a  metallic  ore,  reduce(? 
 to  an  impalpable  powder,  stibium,  cohol,  antimony,  mixed  into  a  paste  with  oil  or  vinegar,  foi 
 darkening  the  eyes.  A  smooth  cylindrical  piece  of  silver,  ivory,  or  wood,  shaped  like  a  quill, 
 about  two  inches  long,  was  dipped  into  the  stibium,  and  drawn  horizontally  through  between 
 the  closed  eyelids.  This  increased  the  lustre  of  the  eyes,  imparted  a  jetty  blackness  to  the 
 edges  of  the  lids,  showing  off'  the  whiteness  of  the  eyes  to  great  advantage.  Frequent  use  in- 
 jured the  eyes,  making  them  look  as  if  "rent."  The  eyebrows  and  outer  angles  of  the  eyes 
 were  by  this  "painting"  artificially  extended  across  the  face,  and  the  eyes  apparently  enlarged. 
 Large  dark  eyes  are  regarded  as  essential  to  Oriental  beauty. 
 
 "  There  with  a  tiring  pin  their  eyebrows  dye. 
 Till  the  full  arch  gives  lustre  to  the  eye 
 That,  trembling,  darts  lascivious  glances." 
 
 — Juvenal's  Satire  II.  137-40, 
 
 Xenophon  describes  it  as  a  custom  among  the  Medes  in  the  time  of  the  elder  Cyrus  :  so 
 great  the  antiquity  and  prevalence  of  this  device  of  vanity.  The  earliest  record  of  this  custom 
 is  in  2  Kings  ix.  30,  Jezebel. 
 
 4.  Literary  Criticisms.  Ver.  1,  "Not  remove:"  Hend.  Noyes  and  De  Wette,  "not  be  a 
 fugitive."  Lange,  "then  waver  not."  But  Keil,  Ewald,  Hitzig,  and  Speakers  Com.  regard  the 
 words  as  a  second  condition,  "and  strayest,  or  wanderest  not:"  i.e.,  "if  thou  put  away 
 abominations,  and  wanderest  not,  and  swearest  by  Jehovah,  then  shall  the  nations,"  &c.  It 
 requires  abandonment  of  idols,  the  end  of  wanderings,  the  oath  of  fidelity.  Ver.  5.  "  Cry, 
 gather  together  :"  Ta.ther,  make  full,  meaning  "  cr;/  with  full  voice,"  aloud.  Ver.  6.  "Retire, 
 stay  not.  Hend.  "flee  for  refuge,  stand  not  still."  Speaker's  Com.  " gather  your  goods  to- 
 gether, linger  not : "  the  same  verb  in  Ex.  ix.  19  used  for  removing  property  to  a  safe  place. 
 Keil,  save  yourselves  by  flight."  Sharpe,  "  flee  in  haste,  stay  not."  "  /  will  bring."  I  am 
 bniiging.     Ver.  12.   "A  full  wind  :  "  i.e.,  a  stronger  wind  than  that  which  comes  to  winnow  : 
 
 suail  come  unto  me  :"  rather  for  me,  as  my  instrument,  to  eff"ect  my  purpose.  Ver.  14. 
 ''^^am  thoughts:"  i.e.,  idolatrous,  iniquitous  thoughts.  ^.^<  =  sin  of  idolatry  :  cf  Hosea  iv. 
 15,  v.  8,  and  the  Ileb.  of  Amos  v.  5,  where  Beth-el  (the  hJuse  of  Jehovah)  is  called  Beth-ami 
 (the  house  of  idolatry).  Ver.  15.  "  Publish  affliction : "  the  same  word  as  in  ver.  14.  ]'!.^i  here 
 mea.nme  calamity :  this  use  of  the  same  word  links  together  iniquity  and  calamity.     Ver.  19. 
 
 At  my  very  heart:     translated  as  if  the  Hebrew  words  were  idiomatic  :  but  literally,  "  at  the 
 
 ,■>  ^',  the  ^prmievaljhaos  reproduced.      Ver.   24,      '\Eills  moved  lightly:"   rather, 
 J  the  violent  agitations  of  mountains  during  earthquake.     Ver, 
 
 vehement  motion.     ^/p7pDH 
 
 7i 
 
UOMILETIC  COMMENTARY :  JEREMIAH. 
 
 29.  "The  whole  city:"  should  read,  either  the  whole  land  (Targum  and  Lxx ),  or  every  city 
 (Keil,  i^peaJcer's  Com..,  Sec).  Ver.  30.  ''Arid  when  thou  art  spoiled,"  ka.  Omit  italics  iu  A.  V. 
 "And  thou  spoiled,"  i.e.,    "And  thou,  0  spoiled  one  :"  viz.  Jerusalem  :  addressed  as  a  woman 
 
 who  decks  herself  in  her  best  attire  to  attract  lovers  ;  although  the  masculine  form  11  '^ 
 is  used  :  but  Keil  suggests,  "  it  is  to  be  regarded  as  adverbial,  and  so  is  without  inflection  ; " 
 Hand,  suggests  that  Di;,  people,  denoting  the  inhabitants,  is  to  be  understood.  Ver.  31. 
 " My  soul  is  wearied  because  of  murderers : "  Keil,  "sinketh  powerless  beneath  murderers." 
 Speaker's  Com.,  "sinks  exhausted  before  them."     Noyes,  "  I  am  dying  of  murderers." 
 
 HOMILIES  AND  OUTLINES  ON  SECTIONS  OF  CHAPTER  IV. 
 
 Section  1-4.    Return  to  God  would  recover  favours  for  Israel,  and  avert  doom  from  Judah. 
 „        5-18.   Judah  refusing  to  return,  her  doom  is  graphically  portrayed. 
 „      19-26.   Jeremiah  beholds  the  beautiful  land  utterly  devastated. 
 „      27-31.  Abandoned  to  judgment,  yet  not  consigned  to  destruction. 
 
 Vers.  1-4.   Return  to  God  recovers  favours,  and  averts  doom. 
 
 Jehovah  requires  of  the  sinful  more  than  return  to  good  habits,  or  to  religious 
 observances :  they  must  obey  the  call  "  Return  to  Me  !  "  Man  must  come  back  to 
 God  Himself.     It  is  possible  :  God  desires  it :  and  the  Way  we  hioiv, 
 
 I.  Securing  God's  acceptance  must  precede  possession  of  God's  inheritance. 
 "  If  thou  wilt  return  [to  thy  inheritance  iu  Canaan],  O  Israel,  return  unto  Me, 
 saith  the  Lord."  Enemies  cannot  occupy  God's  cherished  possession.  It  is  a  gift 
 of  grace,  dependent  on  man's  loyalty  and  love.  Sin  forfeits  all  right  to  it ; 
 siirrenders  even  the  occupancy  (as  Israel).  1.  Reconciliation  is  the  pathway  to  privi- 
 leges. 2.  Repentance  is  the  door  to  reconciliation.  3.  God's  favour  is  the  qualifi- 
 cation for  Canaan. 
 
 II.  Surrounding  nations  won  to  God  hy  the  event  of  Israel's  conversion. 
 This  is  portrayed  in  Scripture  as — 1.  A  great  prophetic  fact.  Israel's  return  will 
 inaugurate  the  millennial  glory,  the  ingathering  of  the  nations  to  Christ.  The  vi^orld 
 cannot  become  the  Lord's  until  this  event  is  realised.  "  All  nations  shall  be  blessed 
 in  Him  : "  when  He  "  the  God  of  Israel  doth  wondrous  things  "  (cf.  Ps.  Ixxii.  17-19 ; 
 Rom.  xi.  12-15).  2.  A  grand  perennial  p)rinciple.  The  same  truth  is  constantly 
 working  itself  out  in  present  experience :  society  is  awakened  to  seek  Christ  in 
 &QZ&oxi^  ol  revival  of  the  Church ;  circles  of  acquaintance  are  impressed  religiously 
 by  the  conversion  of  one  of  their  company ;  homes  are  won  to  Jesus  by  the  return 
 of  a  single  member  to  the  Lord.  If  true  that  "  one  sinner  destroyeth  much 
 good  ; "  equally  true  that  one  conversion  elfects  wide  and  salutary  results. 
 
 III.  Gathering  fury  against  sin  may  he  arrested  by  true  Repentance  (ver.  3,  4), 
 Clearly  it  is  afSrmed  that — 1.  Divine  anger  accumulates  as  human  sin  grows.  Thus 
 prolonged  guilt  and  excessive  guilt  "heaps  up  wrath  against  the  day  of  wrath." 
 Man  feeds  the  fire,  and  heats  its  fury,  by  every  act  of  sin.  2.  Divine  anger  may 
 be  appeased  by  sincere  human  contrition.  "  God  is  angry  with  the  wicked,"  but 
 only  as  long  as  they  persist  in  wickedness.  That  ended,  anger  ceases.  It  is  not 
 anger  with  the  man  apart  from  this  evil  quality ;  it  is  the  man  plus  his  sin  who 
 entails  the  displeasure.  Sorrow  in  man's  heart  at  once  quenches  the  fire  of  God's 
 displeasure.  Horrifying  as  had  been  Judah's  criminality,  contrition  would  avert 
 its  just  retribution.  Hence,  the  si7iner's  escape  is  conditional  upon  himself  Will 
 he  deplore  and  desert  his  sin?  God  may  desire  to  save;  may  provide  salvation; 
 but  nothing  avails  until  sorrow  awakes  in  the  soul  of  man.  The  yearning  father 
 forbears  to  embrace  his  boy  until  he  "  comes  to  himself  "  and  returns. 
 
 IV.  Impenitence  will  eventually  be  punished  with  woful  destruction. 
 There  are  three  aspects  of  God's  anger  denoted  :  1.  It  is  fiery  ;  "  like  lire,"  held 
 in  restraint  now,  but  to  "come  forth,"  and  burn  with  "fury"  (Heb.  xii.  29).  2. 
 It  is  unquenchable :  i.e.,  when  once  God  lets  it  loose  ;  it  "  will  burn  that  none  caa 
 
 75 
 
nOMILETIC  COMMENTARY :  JEREMIAH. 
 
 quench  it "  (Matt,  iii  12).  3.  It  is  merited;  "  because  of  the  evil  of  your  doings." 
 This  will  create  in  the  sufferer's  heart  "  the  worm  that  dieth  not,"  and  occasiou  the 
 "  wailing  and  gnashing  of  teeth."     Comp.  Ezek.  xxxiii.  17-20. 
 
 Vers.  5-18.  Judah  Impenitent  :  Her  Doom  Portrayed, 
 
 Lange  points  out  "  Three  Emblems  "  under  which  the  coming  disasters  are  here 
 represented:  First  Emblem,  the  Lion  (vers.  5-10):  Second  Emblem,  the  Tempest 
 (vers.  11-13):  Third  Emblem,  the  Keepers  (vers.  14-18).  Modern  German 
 criticism  has  attempted  to  fix  this  prophecy  on  a  Scythian,  not  Chaldean,  invasion  ; 
 which  is  affirmed,  but  wholly  without  historic  proof,  to  have  occurred  in  the  7th  or 
 8  th  year  of  Josiah.  It  is  the  outcome  of  a  rationalistic  dislike  of  the  supernatural 
 element  in  prophecy :  hence  these  critics  first  fix  on  an  imaginary  event,  and  then 
 proceed  to  show  that  the  prophet's  words  are  mere  "  disguised  descriptions  of 
 historical  events  "  already  past,  or  menaces  of  events  clearly  within  the  sight  of  a 
 sagacious  observer.  [See  Eichhorn,  Ewald,  Hitzig,  Dahler,  &c.]  There  is  no  his- 
 torical evidence  of  a  Scythian  invasion  of  Judea.  Heroditus  (i.  103-105)  records 
 that  the  Scythians  invaded  Media,  and  dominated  for  28  years  over  Asia :  that 
 they  came  to  Syrian  Palestine,  on  their  way  against  Egypt,  and  that  Psammeticus, 
 king  of  Egypt,  induced  their  withdrawal  by  giving  them  presents  ;  and  that  they 
 committed  no  violence  beyond  plundering  the  temple  of  Ascalon.  There  is 
 abundant  proof  against  even  this  having  occurred  in  Josiah's  reign.  All  the 
 description  is  minutely  suggestive  of  the  Chaldean  invasion  ;  this  was  the  Divinely- 
 employed  agent  of  Judah's  overthrow.      Her  doom 
 
 i.  Solemnly  forewarned  (vers.  5,  6)  throughout  the  whole  land ;  loudly  and 
 clearly  ;  measures  of  defence  counselled  ;  haste  and  precautions  advised. 
 
 ii.  Appallingly  real  (vers.  7,  8,  13,  15,  IG),  whence  ("  the  north ;")  savage  (ver. 
 7);  swift  (13);  approaching  (15)  ;  for  war  (16  "give  out  their  voice"). 
 
 iii.  Paralysing  all  resources  of  help  and  counsel  (vers.  9,  10)  ;  surpassing  all  ex- 
 pectation ;  rendering  powerless  all  opposition  ;  refuting  all  false  promises. 
 
 iv.  Effecting  God's  purposes  (vers.  11,  12).  It  would  be  in  eflect  God's 
 "  sentence ; "  righteous  therefore  and  irrevocable. 
 
 v.  Bitterly  retributive  (vers.  17,  18),  the  fruit  of  her  severing  herself  from  God's 
 favour  and  protection ;  tlie  penalty  of  her  sin  ;  bitter  as  death. 
 
 vi.  Salvatio7i  yet  possible  (ver.  14).  "Out  of  the  heart  are  the  issues  of  life." 
 A  cleansed  heart  would  ensure  salvation. 
 
 Vers.  19-26.     A  Mournful  Vision  :  the  Holy  Land  utterly  devastated. 
 
 The  insensate  nation  foresaw  no  calamity,  feared  no  foe.  Vivid  as  all  was  to 
 the  prophet's  perception  they  dreamed  on  heedlessly ;  sleeping  amid  iniquity 
 while  sudden  destruction  sped  towards  them.  He  saw  the  sword,  they  mocked  at 
 his  warnings.  So  Noah  in  his  generation  :  so  every  prophet :  so  our  Divine  Lord  : 
 80  the  preacher  of  God  to-day.  His  eye  is  open  to  nearing  woe  :  but  the  people 
 inock,  despise  and  reject,  repudiate  warning,  and  betake  themselves,  besotted  and 
 blinded,  to  iniquity. 
 
 L  The  Seer's  anguish  constrains  him  to  speak  (ver.  19).  This  throws  li^ht 
 on  \  /  o 
 
 I.  The  Seer's  sufferings.  He  feels  what  he  foresees  :  his  whole  nature  is  wrung 
 with  grief  at  the  vision  which  none  but  himself  can  perceive. '  The  finer  the  mans 
 nature,  the  keener  his  anguish.  The  clearer  his  penetrations,  the  more  intense  his 
 suflerings.  The  nobler  his  patriotism,  the  heavier  lies  the  burden  of  his  nation's  woe 
 upon  lus  heart.     The  higher  his  piety,  the  more  bitter  his  grief  over  all. 
 
 II.  The  Seer's  mission.  Imvardly  constrained,  he  speaks  out  of  a  full  and  an 
 agonising  heart :  "I  cannot  hold  my  peace."     Divinely  enlightened,  he  sees  what 
 
 1 0 
 
HOMILETIC  COMMENTARY :  JEREMIAH. 
 
 is  hid  from  the  people,  and  "  cannot  but  speak  the  things  he  has  seen  and  heard." 
 Loving  his  'people,  he  would  fain  shield  them  from  the  woe  he  forecasts,  and 
 "  snatch  them  as  brands  out  of  the  burning." 
 
 II.  The  miseries  of  the  perishing  become  the  prophet's  own  (ver.  20,  21). 
 "  My  tents  spoiled !  "  &c.     This  suggests  the  true  attitude  of  God's  messenger. 
 
 1.  Identification  of  interests  (Rom.  xi.  1) :  himself  bound  up  with  them  :  suffer- 
 ing what  they  suffer.     This  is  the  real  shepherding  of  the  flock. 
 
 2.  Intense  sym])athy  of  soul.  He  hears  and  sees  all  as  if  he  were  involved. 
 There  is  no  proud  distinguishing  and  justifying  of  himself.  He  and  his  people  are 
 one.     [Addenda  ver.  19.     Prophet's  distress.] 
 
 III.  Rejection  of  God's  messenger,  the  act  of  madness  (ver.  22).  No  uncom- 
 mon incident.  Every  age  rejects  and  ignores  its  benefactors,  teachers,  and  saviours. 
 The  more  evidently  these  bear  the  seal  and  dignity  of  God's  messengers,  the  more 
 "  the  world  hates  them."     "If  it  hated  Me,"  says  Jesus,  "  it  will  yoa.'^ 
 
 1.  Suicidal  folly :  "My  people  is  foolish,  they  have  not  known  Me:"  they 
 frivolously  ignored  this  man  whom  God  had  sent  to  speak  to  them. 
 
 2.  Besotted  blindness  :  "  they  are  sottish  children,"  &c.  Their  intelligence,  dis- 
 cernment, and  religious  education,  all  were  darkened  by  sin  (2  Cor.  iv.  3,  4). 
 
 3.  /Spiritual  perversity  :  "  wise  to  do  evil,"  not  naturally  witless ;  "but  to  do 
 good  they  have  no  knowledge,"  their  religious  nature  brutalised. 
 
 IV.  The  horrifying  vision  of  gathering  calamity  described  (vers.  23-2G).  1. 
 Appalling  disorder  and  gloom  (ver.  23) ;  i.e.,  the  withdrawal  of  all  peace  and 
 privilege  in  which  God  has  established  Judah.  2.  Terrifying  ovej-throw  {ver.  24) ; 
 i.e.,  the  casting  down  utterly  and  hopelessly  of  every  natural  stronghold  in  which 
 Judah  had  been  wont  to  trust,  and  thought  to  flee.  3.  All  life  perished  (ver.  25) ; 
 i.e.,  none  should  escape  ;  calamity  would  fall  on  every  one.  4.  /Sacrilege  and  ruin 
 (ver.  26)  ;  nothing,  however  beautiful,  cultured  or  revered,  spared  :  lovely  gardens, 
 noble  and  wealthy  cities,  all  gone.  Nothing  left  of  all  human  trusts  and  treasures: 
 if,  therefore,  "without  God,"  total  loss  (see  Eev.  vi.  12-17). 
 
 Vers.  27-31.  Abandoned  to  Judgment,  yet  not  Consigned  to  Destruction. 
 
 There  is  a  reserve  of  mercy  in  all  God's  strokes ;  He  softens  the  severity,  keeps 
 open  the  door  of  hope,  makes  a  "  way  of  escape."  Stars  shine,  though  obscured, 
 through  the  stormiest  night  :  and  a  promise  may  be  heard  even  amid  God's 
 heaviest  denunciations  (Gen.  iii.  14,  15). 
 
 I.  Merciless  forces  are  under  the  Divine  restraint  (ver.  27).  Though  the 
 land  should  be  desolated,  yet  "  /  will  not  malce  a  full  end."  The  overthrow  of 
 Judah  by  the  Chaldeans  was  God's  work  ;  and  the  limitation  of  the  Chaldeaii 
 policy  of  extermination  was  equally  of  the  Lord. 
 
 1.  Their  reckless  implacability.  Look  at  the  Chaldean  army,  it  promised  little 
 restraint ;  it  menaced  with  heedless,  merciless  destruction.  Nebuchadnezzar  seems 
 to  have  organised  into  a  consolidated  army  wild  hordes  of  freebooters,  mere  relics 
 of  those  nations  Assyria  had  overthrown  and  absorbed.  These  he  gathered  to- 
 gether, and  with  them  swept  the  lands  (2  Kings  xxiv.  1,  2,  cf.  Habak.  i.  5-12). 
 Little  consideration  or  mercy  from  them  ! 
 
 2.  There  is  use  even  for  them  in  God's  Providence.  They  are  His  scourge  of  re- 
 bellious Judah,  So  Habakkuk  avers  (i.  12)  ;  these  very  Chaldeans  God  "ordained 
 them  for  judgment,"  &c.     He  maketh  the  wrath  of  man  to  praise  Hira. 
 
 3.  There  is  a  limit  to  their  power  and  fury.  "  Yet  will  I  not  make  a  full  end" 
 (Comp,  iii.  14).  The  ten  tribes  are  lost,  witljout  national  existence ;  greater 
 nations  than  Judah  disappear  for  ever— Nineveh,  Babylon  (Jer.  li.  G4),  the 
 Assyrians,  Greeks,  Romans.  But  the  Jews  are  not  annihilated.  "Hitherto  shalt 
 thou  come  and  no  further,"  &c.     God  is  mightier  than  mightiest  forces ;  merciful 
 
 77 
 
CHAP.  IV.  nOMILETIC  COMMENTARY:  JEREMIAH. 
 
 even  when  using  merciless  agencies ;  while  "  the  end  of  the  Lord  is  very  pitiful  * 
 (J as.  V.  11). 
 
 II.  Divine  plans  lie  behind  all  great  events.  The  rise  and  fall  of  empires,  the 
 downfall  and  enthronement  of  kings;  all  are  according  to  the  mind  of  Him  who  is 
 Kinf'  of  kings,  and  doeth  according  to  His  will  among  the  inhabitants  of  the  earth. 
 Here  is  shown  that  God  regulates — 1.  Even  disasters  :  such  as  to  make  heaven  and 
 earth  mourn  (ver.  28).  2.  £ven  victories  of  the  wicked:  He  permits  these  to 
 triumph  over  the  people  whom  God  had  once  chosen  ;  as  Chaldeans  over  Judah 
 "  the  house  of  David."  3.  Even  the  punishment  of  God's  people  :  sore  afflictions, 
 humiliations,  and  disasters  which  overtake  us  (ver.  29).  4.  Eve^i  the  ruin  of  sin- 
 ners:  God  allows  it ;  purposes  it ;  and  "  will  not  repent : "  so  Judah  was  ruined  ! 
 
 III.  Rebellion  reduced  to  ultimate  defeat  and  despair  (ver.  30,  31).  Slow  in- 
 deed to  yield  to  God,  yet  yield  it  shall. 
 
 1.  Even  in  her  overthrow  Judah  sought  other  helpers,  not  God  (ver.  30).  She 
 sought  by  skilful  and  foolish  appliances  to  win  favour,  to  gain  lovers,  and  so  do 
 without  God,  and  avoid  submission  and  repentance.  Sinners  will  hold  out 
 against  God  to  the  last.  Yes,  even  in  the  hour  of  affliction,  of  disaster  and  death, 
 the  "  rebellious  "  will  refuse  to  seek  the  Lord,  or  cry  to  the  Crucified  One  to  save. 
 
 2.  She  realised  at  length  her  absolute  and  completed  misery  (ver.  31).  "  The 
 daughter  of  Zion  bewaileth  herself,"  &c.  Observe  :  her  grief  and  anguish  is  not 
 for  her  sin,  but  for  "  herself  " — "  woe  is  me  now  ! "  for  her  misery  ;  and  also  her 
 helpless,  hoi^eless  ruin :  "  my  soul  wearied  because  of  murderers."  Such  are  the 
 issues  of  rebellion  :  such  the  shame  and  woe  to  which  the  guilty  are  abandoned. 
 God  has  reserved  to  Judah  a  last  hope  (ver.  27)  ;  just  so,  He  calls  to  us  "after  so 
 long  a  time."     Heed  ver.  14.     [Addenda  ver.  31.      Woe-strickenJ\ 
 
 EO  MI  LIES  AND  COMMENTS  ON  VERSES  OF  CHAPTER  IV. 
 
 Ver.    1.      Theme:   God   gained   or  Theme:  Sin  banished,  or  the  soul 
 
 Heaven  lost.     "If  thou  wouldst  re-  banished.      "If   put   away   abomina- 
 
 turn  [to  thine  inheritance,  thou  must  tions,  thou  shalt  not  remove;"  i.e.   (as 
 
 first]  return  unto  Me."  some  render  it),  no  longer  be  a  wanderer, 
 
 I.  The  alien  outcast  may  return  to  an  outcast  in  a  far-off  land.  (Addenda 
 God.     By  conversion  ;  renewal  of  heart ;  ver.  1.     Banished  recalled.) 
 
 prayer    for    pardon    and     acceptance ;         I.  Sin  cannot  dwell  where  God  is. 
 
 humble  faith.  And  God  dwelt  amid  Israel  when  she 
 
 II.  The  far-off  banished  one  may  was  "holiness"  (ii.  3).  Becoming 
 find  God.  None  too  distant  from  Him  guilty  she  was  banished ;  remaining 
 to  pray,  to  be  heard,  to  be  assured  of  guilty  she  must  keep  afar  from  God. 
 acceptance,  to  be  restored  to  the  long  Our  guilt  separates  us  necessarily  from 
 lost  love  and  peace  and  bliss.  Israel  in  Him  (Isa.  lix.  2).  See  instances  of 
 a  strange  country,  removed  from  her  conscious  unworthiness  (Isa.  vi.  5 ;  Lk. 
 land  and  altars  and  temple,  could  never-  v.  8). 
 
 theless  seek  Ilim  in  spirit.  II.    Sinners    cannot   possess   God's 
 
 III.  The  returning  soul  shall  be  heritage  {cf.  1.  Cor.  vi.  9,  sq.  Rev. 
 brought  home.  When  God  is  found,  xxi.  27).  Retaining  sin  in  the  heart 
 the  soul  back  again  in  His  love,  heaven  ensures  exclusion :  for  it  creates  unfit- 
 )s  sure  to  follow.  God  kept  Canaan  for  ness,  and  would  incur  the  frown  of  God 
 Israel,  keeps  it  still  empty  awaiting  her  and  the  horror  of  the  holy  ones— thus 
 return  Seek  Ilim,  not  heaven  ;  He  ivill  depriving  heaven  of  all  heavenliness  to 
 give  that.  Our  sole  concern  is  to  find  the  condemned  soul.  Any  defilement, 
 the  lather.  "It  is  His  good  pleasure  even  hidden,  would  destroy  in  the  soul 
 to  give  us  the  kingdom."  "  Jesus  said,  the  sense  of  fitness  for  God's  glorious 
 1  am  the  way,  &c.  :  no  man  cometh  heritage,  and  make  his  existence  self- 
 unto  the  I'ather  but  by  Me."  co?idevmed ;  this  would  desolate  heaven 
 
 to 
 
ROM  I  LET  10  COMMENTARY :  JEREMIAH. 
 
 of  joy.     Only  "the  pure  in  heart  can 
 see  God." 
 
 III.  Sin  may  be  separated  from  the 
 soul.  "Put  away  abomination"  {cf. 
 Isa.  i.  18;  Zech.  iii.  4;  xiii.  1,  2; 
 Matt.  i.  21;  1  Cor.  vi.  11).  Other 
 methods  have  been  tried  :  but  "  who 
 can  bring  a  clean  thing  out  of  an  un- 
 clean 1 "  Jesus  only.  (Addenda  ver. 
 1.     Sin  banished,  or  no  heaven.) 
 
 IV.  Sinners  may  then  have  a  right 
 to  the  Divine  presence. 
 
 1.  A  right  to  enter  through  the  gates 
 (comp.  Rev.  xxii.  14),  where  the  proper 
 reading  is,  "  Blessed  are  they  that  have 
 washed  their  robes,  that  they  may  have 
 right,"  &c. 
 
 2.  Fitness  to  abide  in  God's  sight 
 (Rev.  xiv.  4,  5). 
 
 3.  Assured  of  endless  rest  therein. 
 "  To  go  no  more  out."  "  Thou  shalt 
 not  remove."  "And  so  shall  they  be 
 for  ever  with  the  Lord." 
 
 Note.  If  the  words  "  thou  shalt  not 
 remove"  be  rendered  as  with  Henderson, 
 "  not  be  a  fugitive,"  (comp.  Gen.  iv. 
 12-14).  i.  2'he  horrors  of  banishment ; 
 ii.  The  conditions  on  which  that  state  may 
 be  reversed.     "  Put  away,"  &c. 
 
 Or  if  rendered,  "  then  waver  not " 
 (Lange  &  Wordsworth)  i.e.,  be  steadfast 
 in  thy  repentance,  or  be  prompt  and 
 firm  and  thorough  in  thy  conversion. 
 i.  Sin  cannot  be  ^nit  away  'partially :  it 
 is  dishonest,  revolting  to  God.  ii.  Only 
 resolute  and  entire  repentance  will  avail 
 before  God.  He  will  accept  us  only 
 then. 
 
 Observe  how  God  views  idols  :  "  abo- 
 minations." He  would  have  everything 
 which  interposes  between  the  soul  and 
 Himself  "put  out  of  His  sight."  His 
 love  of  man  is  such  that  He  cannot  con- 
 sent to  divided  allegiance.  His  loathing 
 of  sin  is  so  intense  that  He  cannot 
 allow  it  to  remain  under  His  eye. 
 
 Comments :  Ver.  2.  Concerning 
 Swearing  by  Oath.  "And  thou 
 shalt  swear,  the  Lord  liveth,"  &c. 
 
 The  A.V.  makes  this  verse  unin- 
 telligible. The  phrase,  The  Lord 
 liveth,  is  the  regular  form  of  the  Jewish 
 oath,  and  means,  not  the  thing  sworn 
 to,  but  the  thing  sworn  by — By  the  life 
 of  Jehovah.    But  every  nation  swears  by 
 
 the  highest  object  of  its  worship  (Dent. 
 X.  20,  &c.),  and  the  prophecy  that 
 Egyptians  should  swear  to  Jehovah  (Isa. 
 xix.  18),  implied  their  conversion  to  the 
 true  faith.  Here,  similarly,  the  oath  is  a 
 confession  of  faith  in  Jehovah,  as  the 
 true  God.      (Speaker's  Com.) 
 
 To  swear  by  Jehovah,  means  to  bind 
 one's  self  by  a  solemn  profession  to  adhere 
 to  His  worship  and  service  (comp.  Deut. 
 vi.  13 ;  x.  20;  Isa.  xix.  18  ;  Amos.  viii. 
 14).  And  the  profession  should  be  not 
 alone,  or  merely  that  of  the  lips,  but 
 accompanied  with  uprightness  of  heart 
 and  strictest  rectitude  of  conduct. — • 
 Henderson. 
 
 Thou  shalt  swear,  7iot  by  thine  idols 
 (Amos.  viii.  14 ;  Zeph.  i.  5),  but  by  the 
 Lord  ;  not  ivith  vain  oaths,  but  fur  such 
 causes,  and  with  such  conditions,  as 
 constitute  a  righteous  oath  (Words- 
 worth). A  good  oath  has  always  these 
 three  concomitants — truth,  judgment, 
 and  justice.  If  these  are  wanting,  an 
 oath  becomes  a  perjury  (Jerome). 
 [Addenda  ver.  2.     Thou  shalt  sivear."] 
 
 That  we  may  not  take  God's  name 
 in  vain,  we  must  swear  in  : 
 
 1.  "  Truth  :  "  commanded  Lev.  xix. 
 12:  we  must  not  swear  falsely  to  per- 
 jure ourselves,  in  assertion,  either  in 
 cognito,  when  we  know,  or  in  dubio, 
 when  we  know  not,  nor  in  promission, 
 when  either  we  resolve  not  to  perform, 
 or  do  not  perform. 
 
 2.  '^Justice;"  which  requires  that 
 we  only  swear  i7i  honestis  et  possibilibus, 
 in  things  honest  and  possible ;  for  that 
 which  is  dishonest  is  not  just,  and  an 
 impossible  matter  is  not  at  all  to  be 
 sworn  to.  A  thing  impossible  or  dis- 
 honest is  so,  either  from  the  very  be- 
 ginning, or  cometh  to  be  so  afterwards. 
 Thus  Herod's  oath  was  unlawful  both 
 in  the  making  and  the  keeping  of 
 it ;  for  in  keeping  it  he  added  two 
 other  sins  to  that  of  i^ash  siuearing : 
 manslaughter  and  foolish  superstition. 
 "When  an  evil  thing  is  promised,  cut 
 the  thread : "  as  David  did  (1  Sam. 
 XXV,  22,  32). 
 
 3.  ^^  Judgment :"  which  requireth 
 three  things  of  us.  (a.)  That  we  take  an 
 oath  reverently,  not  rashly,  Eccles.  v.  2. 
 (|S.)  To  take  it  as  a  holy  thing,  and  there- 
 
 79 
 
nOMILETIC  COMMENTARY :  JEREMIAH. 
 
 fore  not  make  it  common.  (7.)  We  must 
 account  it  a  matter  spiritual,  and  not 
 say,  juravi  linguA,  mentem  injuratam 
 gero,  I  swore  with  my  tongue,  my  mind 
 and  intention  were  not  sworn  ;  for  God 
 will  take  that  sense  which  the  words 
 carry.  God  so  understands  an  oath  as 
 he  who  propounds  it. — Bishop  Andrewes. 
 Swearing  by  Jehovah  involves  the 
 acknowledgment  of  His  deity.  For  no 
 one  would  swear  by  Him  who  was  not 
 convinced  that  He  is  the  witness  of 
 truth  and  the  avenger  of  falsehood.  But 
 to  swear  by  others  robs  God  of  His 
 glory  and  gives  it  to  idols  (isa.  xlii.  8). 
 — Lange. 
 
 I'heme :     Isi^  ■  el's    Return    shall 
 
 ALLURK    THE    GeNTILES    TO    THE    LORD. 
 
 If  Israel  repents,  it  will  become  the 
 means  of  making  the  Gentiles  partakers 
 of  the  patriarchal  promise  (Gen.  xxii. 
 18).  Two  great  truths  taught :  i.  That 
 the  Gentiles  were  to  be  members  of  the 
 Church  of  the  Messiah  ;  ii.  That  Israel's 
 peculiar  office  was  to  be  God's  mediator 
 in  this  great  work.  — Speaker'' s  Com. 
 
 i.  If  the  heathen  "  bless  themselves  " 
 ill  Jehovah,  they  are  become  partakers 
 of  the  salvation  which  comes  from  Him. 
 ii.  If  this  blessing  comes  to  them  in 
 consequence  of  Israel's  conversion,  then 
 Israel  is  the  channel  of  their  salvation. 
 Israel's  apostasy  has  delayed  this :  Is- 
 rael's conversion  is  necessary  to  the  com- 
 [tletion  of  the  Divine  plan  of  universal 
 redemption. — Comp.  Keil. 
 
 When  the  long-deluded  and  spiritu- 
 ally-oppressed heathen  come  to  "  know 
 the  only  true  God,  and  Jesus  Christ 
 whom  He  has  sent,"  they  will  indeed 
 "  hless  themselves,"  for  Christianity 
 blesses  its  possessor ;  but  they  will 
 "f/fory  in  Ilim,''  for  it  is  a  worthy  fact 
 for  glorying  that  not  vain  idols  are  our 
 gods,  but  that  Jehovah  is  ours, — ours 
 to  trust,  ind  claim,  and  love  :  that 
 Jesus  has  redeemed,  loved,  and  acknow- 
 ledged us  as  His ! 
 
 M.  Henry  says,  If  the  scattered  Is- 
 raelites will  thus  return  to  God,— i. 
 They  shall  he  blessed  themselves,  for  so 
 ver.  i.  may  read— brought  back  out  of 
 captivity  to  their  own  land  (Deut.  iv. 
 29,  XXX.  2),  or,  shall  return  to  Me  as  their 
 80 
 
 rest  even  while  in  exile,  ii.  They  shall 
 be  blessings  to  others ;  for  their  return 
 shall  be  a  means  of  others  turning  to 
 Him  who  never  knew  Him ;  Israel 
 would  influence  the  nations,  among  whom 
 scattered,  to  '*  bless  themselves  in  Him," 
 i.e.,  shall  find  their  blessedness  in  Him, 
 shall  join  themselves  to  Him,  and  "  shall 
 glory  "  in  the  blessed  change  they  have 
 made. 
 
 Ver.  3.  Theme :  Soul  Agriculture. 
 "  Break  up  your  fallow  ground,  and  sow 
 not  among  thorns." 
 
 Frequent  Scripture  use  of  imagery  of 
 tillage  as  illustrative  of  soul-training. 
 Agriculture,  perhaps  the  oldest,  most 
 necessary,  and  best  understood  of  all  the 
 arts  :  also,  most  suggestive  of  the  moral 
 culture  of  the  human  soul. 
 
 Three  things  essential  to  successful 
 agriculture  : 
 
 I.  Proper  attention  to  the  soil. 
 Analogy  between  the  material  soil  and 
 the  human  soul  in  two  respects:  there 
 is — 
 
 1.  Variety  of  condition.  Christ  speaks 
 of  the  "  wayside  "  soil,  "  stony  places," 
 "thorny  ground,"  and  "good  ground." 
 Their  counterpart  in  men. 
 
 2.  Capability  of  iviprovement.  Farmer 
 changes  the  character  of  the  soil,  bad 
 into  good :  pulverises  stones,  mollifies 
 the  hard  clay,  burns  weeds,  &c.  So 
 hardened  heart  must  be  broken,  thorny 
 cleansed.  Unless  hearts  thus  prepared 
 for  truth,  precious  grain  is  wasted  on 
 them.  But  can  men  alter  soil  of  their 
 hearts  1  Yes  :  Commanded  in  text, 
 "  Break  up,"  ifcc. 
 
 II.  Proper  attention  to  the  seed.  In 
 its  selection  and  its  growth.  Soil  might 
 be  good,  yet  if  seed  bad,  harvest  bad. 
 
 1.  Care  in  selection  of  true  spirit%t,al 
 seed.  It  is  the  Gospel :  (a.)  perfect  in 
 itself ;  (6.)  fitted  to  grow  in  all  climates  ; 
 (c.)  but  it  does  not  sow  itself  ;  (d.)  it  is 
 the  support  of  life. 
 
 2.  Attention  must  be  also  2^ciid  to  its 
 groivth.  Carefully  the  farmer  watches, 
 specially  the  first  stages ;  uproots  weeds, 
 scares  off  fowls  of  heaven.  (Compare 
 Matt.  xiii.  25  ;  Hos.  viii.  7.) 
 
 III.  Proper  attention  to  the  season. 
 There   "  is  a  time  to   sow  : "   a   season 
 
HOMILETIC  COMMENTARY :  JEREMIAH. 
 
 when  the  earth  has  its  fecund  power, 
 and  a  time  when  it  departs.  And  there 
 are  seasons  for  spiritual  culture :  1. 
 Youth.  2.  The  season  of  moral  serious- 
 ness, when  the  heart  has  been  softened. 
 Many  try  when  faculties  are  shattered, 
 in  old  age,  on  dying  beds.  The  time 
 comes  when  the  heart  cannot  grow 
 Christianity. 
 
 Con. :  Earnest  in  work  of  soul-tillage. 
 Why]  (a.)  The  field  is  in  a  deplorable 
 condition  (Pro v.  xxiv.  31).  (6.)  No  work 
 will  prove  so  remunerative,  (c.)  There  is 
 no  time  to  lose  :  "  Go,  work  to-day  in  my 
 vineyard." — Condensed  from  "Somilist." 
 Comments  : 
 
 "  To  the  me7i  of  Judah ; "  the  word  is 
 sing.,  to  each  man.  Every  one  is  called 
 to  personal  contrition.  Repentance, 
 reformation,  religion,  is  imperative  with 
 each  man  singly  :  every  one  must  pre- 
 pare his  heart  and  come  back  himself  to 
 God. 
 
 "  Jjreak  up  fallow."  The  seeds  of 
 contrition  must  not  be  sown  yet.  Pre- 
 paration is  essential ;  it  must  engage 
 anxious  and  watchful  concern  :  not  be 
 done  offhand  ;  let  it  be  attempted  with 
 utmost  painstaking  and  seriousness. 
 There  must  not  be  left  one  foul  and 
 thorny  sin  in  the  heart ;  it  must  be 
 cleansed  thoroughly.  Only  then  will 
 the  repentance  be  real  and  permanent, 
 and  accepted  by  God. 
 
 Ver.  4.  Theme:  The  fire  of  God's 
 WEATH.  "Lest  my  fury  come  forth  like 
 fire,  and  burn,"  &c. 
 
 Sin  ignites  the  unquenchable  fire. 
 Impenitence  invites  it. 
 
 I.  God's  fury  is  a  terrible  and  a 
 consuming  reality.  Not  a  shadowy 
 menace,  not  a  mere  figure  of  speecli, 
 not  an  extravagance  of  fancy,  but  an 
 appalling  fact.  The  necessary  counter- 
 part and  consequence  of  insulted  and 
 incensed  love.  It  is  a  "/re/"  it  is  a 
 "burning"  fire;  it  is  a" furious"  fire. 
 It  must  be  a  fearful  thing  to  encounter 
 and  endure  I 
 
 II.  Grod's  fury  is  restrained  that 
 men  may  avert  and  escape  it.  '^  Lest 
 my  fury  come  forth."  1.  God  Himself 
 is  slow  to  let  loose  the  terrors  of  His 
 anger  against   sin.     2.  Man   has  it   in 
 
 F 
 
 his  own  power  to  prevent  its  direful 
 ravages.  3.  Solemn  forewarnings  and 
 appeals  are  Divinely  sent  that  the 
 wicked  may  escape.  Compare  text  and 
 Nineveh's  conduct  (Jonah  iii.  5-10). 
 
 III.  God's  fury  will  eventually 
 overtake  the  defiant  transgressors. 
 Disobey  God's  call  to  repent,  abuse  the 
 opportunity  of  escape,  and  "the  fury 
 will  come  forth  like  fire."  1.  Historic 
 occu7Tences  show  this  to  be  true  (Gen. 
 xix.  24,  25 ;  Lev.  x.  2 ;  Numb.  xvi. 
 31-35).  2.  Prophetic  warnings  ^oint  to 
 the  same  issues  of  sin  (Matt.  xi.  21-24, 
 XXV.  41  ;  Heb.  x.  26,  27). 
 
 IV.  God's  fury  once  kindled  can 
 never  more  be  quenched.  Fire  is  the 
 symbol  of  destruction.  The  declaration 
 that  "none  can  quench  it"  implies  hope 
 gone  for  ever, — ameliorations  and  escape 
 utterly  lost, — irretrievably  past.  From 
 that  burning  there  will  be  no  Saviour  to 
 snatch  us  as  brands.  Nothing  can  as- 
 suage its  terrors, — none  can  quench  its 
 flames.  Christ's  redeeming  work  avails 
 now,  not  then, 
 
 V.  God's  fury  is  the  inevitable  conse- 
 quence of  man's  iniquity.  "God  is 
 love  ;"  and  "  loves  the  world  "  (1  John  iv. 
 16).  The  Divine  displeasure  is  created 
 by  man.  God's  fury  is  the  necessary  in- 
 dignation caused  hy  sin.  And  it  must 
 fall  on  the  resolute  sinner ;  for  bis  sin 
 has  reversed  the  love,  and  left  only  this 
 just  anger.  Alienated  love  means  in- 
 curred wrath.  Not  that  God  xoills  it  so 
 (2  Pet.  iii.  9) ;  it  is  the  issue  of  an  in- 
 evitable law, — God's  love  estranged  by 
 guilt  (for  He  cannot  love  where  guilt  is 
 cherished),  leaves  nothing  but  the  in- 
 dignation against  sin  in  the  Divine 
 heart  towards  the  relentless  sinner. 
 
 When,  therefore,  at  the  last,  the 
 sinner  meets  God,  he  calls  forth,  not 
 love — he  has  estranged  that — but  the 
 wrath  he  has  kindled  :  '^because  of  the 
 evil  of  his  doings."  "  Flee  from  the 
 wrath  to  come."  (Addenda,  ver.  4, 
 "  Unqiienchahle  fire.") 
 
 Ver.  5-8.  Alakm  sounded  :  flee 
 TO  THE  STRONGHOLDS.  (Addenda,  ver. 
 7,  "  The  lion:') 
 
 i.  The  enemy  advances  (ver.  7).  The 
 Hon  is  rousing  himself ;  already  he  has 
 
 81 
 
CHAP.    IV. 
 
 HOMILETIC  COMMENTARY:  JEREMIAH. 
 
 left  his  lair.  He  is  a  "  destroyer"  He 
 comes  to  ''desolate"  and  to  "devour" 
 (1  Pet.  V.  8). 
 
 ii.  Strongholds  are  accessible  (ver.  5). 
 Leave  the  open  country.  Do  not  expose 
 yourselves  to  the  spiritual  foe.  Fortify 
 yourselves  in  Divine  securities.  Mount 
 the  watch-tower ;  "  strengthen  the 
 things  that  remain;"  pray  always;  have 
 faith  in  God  ;  "resist  the  devil." 
 
 iii.  Zion  the  refuge  from  danger  (ver. 
 6).  It  was  the  strongest  and  best  forti- 
 fied of  all  the  cities.  Fugitives  from 
 the  world,  from  sin,  from  pursuing  foes, 
 may  hide  themselves  in  Zion.  The 
 Church  is  a  place  of  defence,  of  security, 
 oijteace  :  for  God  guards  the  walls,  and 
 the  King  reigns  within.  (Addenda,  ver, 
 6,  " Zion  a  refuge") 
 
 iv.  The  summons  to  safety  (ver.  5, 
 6).  This  the  preacher's  work.  "  And 
 let  him  that  heareth  say.  Come  ! " 
 Everywhere  perils  menace  the  souls  of 
 men.  1.  The  imjiortunity  of  the  call 
 (ver,  5).  2.  The  inclusiveness  of  the 
 summons,  —  none  excluded.  All  may 
 hear  and  hide  themselves  from  evil.  3. 
 The  way  of  safety  dearly  pointed  out. 
 "Setup  standard  towards  Zion  ;"  visible, 
 unmistakable,  direct.  4.  Urgent  haste. 
 "  Retire,  stay  not."  "Now  is  the  day 
 of  salvation."  "  Escape  for  thy  life  ; 
 tarry  not  in  all  the  plain,  flee  to  the 
 mountains,  lest  thou  be  consumed." 
 
 V.  Bitter  wailing  over  ruin  (ver.  8). 
 Their  fortresses  are  useless  if  God  be  not 
 ])ropitiated.  In  vain  to  hide  from  peril 
 if  God  be  ignored.  1.  Defences  are  de- 
 lusio7is  unless  Christ  is  our  Saviour.  2. 
 Salvalioji  is  imiiossihle  unless  Divine 
 anger  is  averted  by  repentance.  3.  Woful 
 the  overthroio  of  the  spoiler.  4.  We  may 
 "  turn  back  the  Lord's  anger  "  by  fleeing 
 to  Christ  (Isa.  xii.). 
 
 Comments. 
 
 Ver.  9.  i.  liuin  S7irj)asses  all  anticipa- 
 tion. The  terror  of  the  event  paralyses  all 
 with  amaze  and  dismay.  Is  there  no  fore- 
 warning in  this  1  Will  the  future  over- 
 throw of  transgressors  be  less  appalling] 
 
 ii.  Helpers  are  found  heljdess  in  the 
 day  of  calamity.  The  rulers  and  leaders 
 to  whom  the  people  looked  prove  their 
 impotency\!\icn  their  aid  is  most  needed, 
 and  their  perplexity  when  their  devices 
 82 
 
 and  resources  should  have  been  most 
 ready.  "  Cursed  is  the  man  that  trust- 
 eth  in  man,"  &c. 
 
 iii.  Religious  advisers  ivhom  God  does 
 not  warrant  and  ordain  are  seen  to  be 
 mockers  and  delusions  in  the  judgment, 
 — "  priests  and  prophets."  The  people 
 despised  the  true  prophet,  God's 
 messenger,  and  preferred  their  own 
 idolatrous  priests  and  temporising 
 teachers.  They  "  believed  a  lie,"  and 
 "the  storm  shall  sweep  away  the  refuges 
 of  lies."  Alas  !  this  is  still  done  (2  Tim. 
 iv.  3,  4) ;  and  the  dire  result  is  ever  the 
 same  (2  Thess.  ii.  10-12). 
 
 Ver.  10.  Theme ;  God  eepeo ached 
 AS  THE  Author  op  man's  delusions. 
 "  Ah,  Lord  God !  surely  Thou  hast 
 greatly  deceived  this  people,  saying,  Ye 
 shall  have  peace ;  whereas  the  sword 
 reacheth  unto  the  soul," 
 
 Frequently  in  Scripture  the  immedi- 
 ate cause  and  occasions  of  events  are 
 overlooked,  and  occurrences  are  un- 
 hesitatingly traced  to  the  Divine  First 
 Cause.  This  is  only  in  keeping  with 
 bold  Oriental  modes  of  expression. 
 Thus  God  is  said  to  have  hardened  Fha- 
 raoNs  heart  (Exod.  iv.  21,  vii.  3,  13,  ix. 
 12) ;  yet  it  is  as  emphatically  recorded 
 that  Pharaoh  himself  hardened  his  own 
 heart  (Exod.  viii.  15,  32,  ix.  34).  So 
 concerning  Christ's  crucifixion  (cf.  Rom. 
 viii.  32  ;  Acts  ii.  23),  and  equally  con- 
 cerning the  delusions  of  Antichrist  (cf. 
 ver.  11  with  ver.  12  of  2  Thess.  ii. ;  their 
 own  hostile  minds  predisposed  them  to 
 entertain  delusions). 
 
 Inquire :  By  whom  had  God  said, 
 "  Ye  shall  have  peace  1 "  Henderson 
 suggests,  by  the  false  prophets  who  had 
 prophesied,  "Peace,  peace,  when  there 
 was  no  peace."  Supporting  this  view, 
 Keil  appeals  to  the  striking  passages, 
 chap.  xiv.  13,  xxiii.  17,  and  explains 
 that  God  not  only  permitted  these  lying 
 spirits  to  appear  and  work,  but  ordained 
 and  brought  them  forth  for  the  hardening 
 of  the  people's  hearts;  as  in  Ahab's  case, 
 that  he  might  perish  for  his  ungodliness 
 (1  Kings  xxii.  20-23).  Most  commen- 
 tators prefer  this  view. 
 
 Dr.  Payne  Smith  (Speaker's  Com- 
 mentary) prefers  to  refer  the  words  of 
 
EOMILETIC  COMMENTARY :  JEREMIAH. 
 
 peace  to  real  prophecies  of  future  bless- 
 edness promised  to  the  Jews,  and 
 suggests  that  Jeremiah  was  perplexed 
 with  the  twofold  (and  seemingly  con- 
 tradictory) aspects  of  prophecy,  at  times 
 bright  with  promises  of  glory  and  power, 
 at  others  dark  with  threatenings  of 
 national  humiliation ;  and  could  not 
 now  reconcile  the  doom  he  now  pro- 
 nounced with  his  own  previous  prophecy, 
 or  with  the  predictions  of  his  inspired 
 predecessors.  Prophets  did  not  under- 
 stand their  own  messages  (1  Pet.  i. 
 10,  11). 
 
 Lange  remarks,  this  is  only  the 
 opinion  of  the  prophet  (that  God  had 
 deceived  the  people),  who  here  inter- 
 rupts the  discourse  revealed  to  him  by 
 the  expression  of  his  own  subjective 
 view. 
 
 Theme:   Warning    against    false 
 
 PEACE. 
 
 It  is — (i.)  A  lie,  for  men  say  there  is 
 peace  when  the  sword  reaches  even  to  the 
 soul,  (ii.)  A  misfortune,  for  it  will  dis- 
 appoint the  heart  of  those  who  cherish 
 it. — Naeg.  in  Lange. 
 
 Theme:  Soeeqw  and  suepeise  at 
 
 THE  OUTBREAK  OF  WAR. 
 
 These  words  express  deep  disappoint- 
 ment at  the  frustration  of  a  nation's 
 hopes  of  peace,  and  at  the  niysterious- 
 ness  of  the  Divine  purposes.  God  can- 
 not lie  nor  deceive,  but  His  purposes 
 go  forward  with  a  vastness  of  design  and 
 comprehension  as  to  surpass  the  grasp 
 of  human  calculation,  thus  deceiving 
 those  who  had  prejudged  them.  We 
 find  our  wisdom  to  have  been  a  phan- 
 tom, our  prophetic  discernment  a 
 delusion. 
 
 I.  Sadly,  but  truly,  these  words 
 point  out  the  real  nature  of  war. 
 
 "  The  sword  reachetb,'"  &c.  So  it  is 
 wherever  the  consequences  of  war  are 
 felt.  1.  It  sweeps  away  the  young  and 
 promising,  cuts  down  the  nation's 
 bravest  sons.  2.  It  discourages  enter- 
 prise, and  increases  penury  and  want. 
 3.  It  blunts  the  moral  feelings,  deadens 
 the  conscience,  and  does  violence  to  the 
 gentlest  and  noblest  inspirations  of 
 Christianity.     4.    It    depopulates    and 
 
 desolates  the  scenes  over  which  it 
 sweeps  ;  as  Nineveh,  Babylon,  Carthage. 
 
 II.  How  should  we  as  Christians  and 
 patriots  meet  a  time  of  war  % 
 
 1.  Implore  God's  blessings  on  our 
 armies  and  our  fleets,  that  they  may  be 
 instruments  in  His  hands  for  His  ends. 
 2.  Let  prayer  be  accompanied  by  deep 
 humiliation  before  God ;  for  our  sins, 
 and  the  sins  of  our  age,  bring  war.  3. 
 Active  and  special  benevolence  should 
 awake ;  for  the  calamities  of  the  time 
 will  call  for  special  succour.  4.  Let  us 
 be  found  waiting  God's  will,  not  de- 
 pressed by  reverses,  nor  unduly  elated 
 by  victory;  but  humbling  ourselves 
 under  His  mighty  hand,  that  He  may 
 exalt  ns  in  due  time. — Part  of  Quebec 
 Serrdon,  by  Henry  Alford,  B.D.,  a.d. 
 1854. 
 
 i.  The  delusive  prophecy.  Guilesome 
 voices  speak  flattery  to  sinners, 
 
 ii.  The  agonising  discovery.  "  Sword 
 pierceth,"  &c.  Experience  at  length 
 disperses  delusions. 
 
 iii.  The  7-eproach  against  God.  Un- 
 founded ;  for  He  has  clearly  menaced 
 evil  with  punishment.     (Comp.  ver.  18.) 
 
 Ver.  11-13.  Theme:  The  blast  of 
 THE  Almighty. 
 
 Winds,  God  created  (Amos  iv.  13), 
 holds  in  His  fist  (Prov.  xxx.  4),  rideth 
 upon  them  (Ps.  civ.  3),  lets  loose  (Jer. 
 X.  13),  Christ  can  quell  (Matt.  viii.  26 ; 
 xiv.  32).  (Addenda,  ver.  11,  "^^as^  of 
 the  Almighty") 
 
 I.  Winds  can  fulfil  Divine  behests. 
 "  Stormy  winds  fulfilling  His  word " 
 (Ps.  cxlviii.  8). 
 
 1.  They  travel  where  He  directs. 
 "  Towards  the  daughter  of  My  people  " 
 (ver.  11). 
 
 2.  They  awake  to  serve  God's  designs. 
 "Shall  come  unto,  i.e.,  for  Me"  (ver. 
 12). 
 
 3.  They  carry  out  His  sentence  upon 
 man.  "  Now,  I  will  give  sentence," 
 &c.  (ver.  12).  Winds  are  God's  judicial 
 agents. 
 
 II.  Winds  are  typical  of  human 
 agencies. 
 
 The  simoom  was  a  figure  of  the 
 mighty  Babylonian  conqueror.  The 
 "clouds"  (ver.    13),   were  His  armies; 
 
 83 
 
HOMILETIC  COMMENTARY :  JEREMIAH. 
 
 the  "  whirlwind  "  His  cavalry ;  suggest- 
 ing that  the  Chaldean  forces  would  be 
 numerous  (as  clouds),  invincible  (as 
 whirlwind),  swift  to  overtake  and  seize 
 the  prey  (as  eagles). 
 
 Winds  typify  human  agencies,  in  that 
 they  are  : — 
 
 1.  Variable;  some  "to  fan  and 
 cleanse,"  others  work  "  woe  and  spoil." 
 
 2.  Wilful,  yet  controlled  ;  "  blowing 
 where  it  listeth,"  as  men  obey  their  own 
 impulses ;  as  Nebuchadnezzar  did  in 
 rising  against  Judea;  yet  obeying  a 
 Higher  law  and  will. 
 
 3.  Powerful,  yet  easily  restrained  by 
 God.  Mighty  was  this  "  full  wind," 
 yet  Nebuchadnezzar  (like  Pilate)  "  could 
 have  no  power  at  all,  except  it  were 
 given  him  from  above."  (Comp.  2 
 Kings  xix.  7,  35.) 
 
 Stand  in  aive  of  Him  whom  "  even 
 the  winds  obey."  Rejoice  that  "  all 
 power"  is  intrusted  to  Jesus,  over  nature, 
 over  men.  Safe  from  harm,  even  amid 
 raiglitiest  agencies,  are  those  He  keeps. 
 He  is  a  refuge  from  wind,  and  all  hostile 
 powers.  Not  befriended  by  Him,  "  woe 
 unto  us  "  (ver.  13). 
 
 Ver.  14.    Theme:  Purity  necessary 
 
 TO  SALVATION. 
 
 "  Wash  heart,"  tc.  Apply  primarily 
 to  Jews,  but  equally  to  mankind 
 universally. 
 
 I.  The  natural  depravity  of  the 
 human  heart.  "Wash  thine  heart 
 from  wickedness,"  suggests  the  total 
 corruption  of  human  nature. 
 
 1.  This  doctrine  requires  definition. 
 Depravity  of  the  heart  includes— (a.) 
 Tlie  entire  absence  of  the  Divine  image. 
 (6.)  A  natural  aversion  to  God  and  god- 
 liness.^ (c.)  A  universal  propensity  or 
 disposition  to  evil. 
 
 2.  T/iis  doctrine  demands  evidence. 
 Cannot  be  denied  without  violation  of 
 conscience,  contempt  of  reason,  rejection 
 of  Scripture,  (a.)  It  is  divinely  revealed. 
 {h.)  Practically  exemplified,  (o.)  Deeply 
 laineiitcd. 
 
 II.  The  spiritual  purity  which  the 
 Lord  requires.  "0  Jerusalem,  wash 
 thine  heart  from  wickedness ;  how  lon«- 
 vain  thoughts,"  <fec.  ?     Implies—  ° 
 
 1.  The  possibility  of  obtaining  purity 
 84 
 
 of  heart.  This  appears — (o.)  From  the 
 design  of  redemption  (Heb.  ix.  13,  14). 
 (6.)  The  ability  of  the  Saviour  (.John  i. 
 16;  1  Cor.  i.  30).  (c.)  The  promises  of 
 Scripture  (Ezek,  xxxvi.  26,  27  ;  1  Pet. 
 i.  3,  4).  (d.)  The  experience  of  believers 
 (Rom.  vi.  22  ;  1  John  i.  7). 
 
 2.  The  important  duty  of  seeking 
 purity  of  heart.  This  exhortation  simply 
 inculcates  an  immediate  and  diligent 
 use  of  the  means  of  grace  necessary  to 
 salvation  (Ezek.  xviii.  31).  (a.)  We 
 must  repent  of  our  sins  (Isa.  Iv.  7 ; 
 Actsiii.  19).  (6.)  Believe  in  Jesus  Christ 
 (Acts  xxvi.  18 ;  Heb.  xii.  24).  (c.)  Give 
 ourselves  unto  prayer  (Ps.  li.  10;  1 
 Thess.  V.  23).  {d)  Seek  the  Lord  with- 
 out delay.  For  "  how  long,"  saith  God, 
 "  shall  thy  vain,"  wicked,  unbelieving, 
 impenitent  "thoughts  lodge  within 
 thee  % "  (Isa.  Iv.  6 ;  2  Cor.  vi.  2). 
 
 III.  The  absolute  necessity  of  per- 
 sonal holiness.  "  That  thou  mayest  be 
 saved."  "  If  I  wash  thee  not,  thou 
 hast  no  part  with  Me  :"  purity  and  sal- 
 vation go  together. 
 
 1.  Personal  holiness  is  a  necessary 
 property  of  religion.  Not  consist  of — (a.) 
 Ceremonial  observances  (Gal.  vL  15). 
 (6.)  But  dwells  in  the  heart,  sanctifying 
 every  power  (1  Cor.  vi.  19,  20;  1  Pet. 
 i.  15,  16).  (c.)  Without  internal  piety 
 and  purity,  profession  of  religion  is 
 empty  parade  and  profitless  (Kom. 
 xiv.  7). 
 
 2.  Personal  holiness  is  a  necessary 
 meetness  for  heaven,  (a. )  Reason  assures 
 us  that  there  must  be  agreement  between 
 the  faculty  of  enjoyment  and  the  object 
 enjoyed.  God  is  holy ;  we  must  be  to 
 enjoy  His  presence.  (6.)  Scripture  as- 
 sures us  that  "  without  holiness  no  man 
 can  see  the  Lord  "  (Matt.  v.  8  ;  1  Cor. 
 iv.  9,  10). 
 
 These  reflections  should,  (i.)  excite  deep 
 humility  and  self-abasement  in  us  as 
 fallen  sinners ;  (ii.)  promote  an  earnest 
 application  to  Jesus,  whose  "blood 
 cleanseth  from  all  sin."  —  From 
 "  Sketches  of  Four  Hundred  Sermons." 
 
 Theme:  Characteristics  and   cos- 
 
 RECTIVES  OF  VAIN  THOUGHTS. 
 
 Vanity  of  thoughts  may  prevail  in 
 persons  who  would  be  appalled  at  one 
 
EOMILETIG  COMMENTARY:  J  ERE  MI  AS. 
 
 CHAf.   IV. 
 
 great  substantial  sin.  Yet  a  month, 
 year,  a  life  of  vain  thoughts  !  in  a  being 
 preparing  for  an  eternity  of  seriousness 
 and  thought !  it  is  truly  an  awful  ac- 
 count !  yet  with  many,  this  stands  for 
 little  in  comparison  with  some  one  or 
 two  very  wrong  external  actions. 
 
 Observe  :  What  a  mighty  amount  of 
 thinhing  there  is  in  htcman  spirits  that 
 does  not  come  under  the  censure  of  the 
 text.  "Vain,"  implies  something  trifl- 
 ing, insignificant,  empty.  1.  It  does 
 not  include  wiclced  thoughts ;  impious, 
 malignant,  evil  schemings,  &c.,  these 
 are  not  trivial ;  yet  how  much  of  this 
 order  of  thinking !  A  man's  thoughts 
 are  within  his  own  jurisdiction,  and 
 may  be  concealed ;  he  need  not  be  ex- 
 posed to  censure  and  shame  for  them ; 
 unless,  therefore,  he  govern  himself  in  the 
 fear  of  God,  they  will,  in  their  mere 
 animal  play,  run  to  vanity,  if  not  worse. 
 2.  If  the  thoughts  are  left  unrestrained 
 to  commit  folly,  they  will  commit  an 
 immensity  of  it.  The  thinking  power 
 is  never  tired  or  exhausted  in  this 
 frivolity.  Never  stagnant  pool  was 
 more  prolific  of  flies,  nor  the  swarm 
 about  it  more  wild  and  worthless. 
 
 I.  Characteristics  of  vain  thoughts. 
 
 i.  Those  thoughts  are  "  vain "  from 
 which  we  do  not  and  cannot  reap  any 
 good.  Survey  thoughts' — excluding  the 
 noxious — and  ask,  Have  they  given 
 me  anything  worth  having;  made  me 
 wiser  ;  cleared  away  any  previous  igno- 
 rance ;  rectified  any  judgment;  fixed 
 or  forwarded  any  purpose  ;  or  while  ten 
 thousand  ideas  have  passed  through  my 
 mind,  might  I  as  well  have  had  none  ? 
 These  passing  visitants  have  occupied 
 his  faculties  and  consumed  his  time; 
 gone  away  and  paid  him  nothing  ! 
 
 ii.  Thoughts  are  "  vain  "  which  can- 
 not associate  in  any  agreement  ivith  use- 
 ful and  valuable  ones.  If  serious  and 
 useful  thoughts  be  admitted  into  a  mind 
 filled  with  frivolities,  they  are  resisted 
 and  resented  as  intruders. 
 
 iii.  Thoughts  are  "  vain  "  which  have 
 to  he  hept  out  in  order  for  the  mind  to 
 attend  to  any  serious  or  good  purpose. 
 Experienced  this  necessity  and  its  dif- 
 fictdty.  Like  a  man  sitting  down  to 
 study  in  a  room'  fiUed  wdth  a  moving, 
 
 talking  crowd.  This  mental  mob  has 
 forced  its  way  in,  baffled  and  mocked 
 you! 
 
 iv.  Thoughts  are  "  vain  "  which  divell 
 largely  and  habitually  on  trifling  things. 
 Sad  propensity  to  allow  mind  to  waste 
 itself  on  trifles ;  on  personal  display, 
 fashion  and  routine,  amusements,  bub- 
 bling incidents  on  the  stream  of  society. 
 Would  that  some  stern,  alarming  voice 
 might  break  in  upon  such  thoughts  with, 
 "What  is  all  this  to  thee  1  hast  thou 
 nothing  else  to  think  of  before  thou  die 
 and  appear  before  Godi" 
 
 V.  Thoughts  are  "  vain  "  which  trifle 
 with  important  ones.  Great  things  may 
 be  thought  of  idly  as  mere  matters  of 
 curiosity  and  speculation,  or  to  throw 
 them  into  ludicrous  and  fanciful  forms. 
 
 vi.  Thoughts  are  "vain"  ivhich  are 
 ficlde,  not  remaining  with  any  continu- 
 ance on  a  subject.  In  this  ungoverned 
 state,  anything  can  divert  thoughts : 
 without  regulated  connection,  no  rational 
 links,  no  leading  to  any  ultimate  ob- 
 ject. Nothing  is  avoided,  repelled,  or 
 selected. 
 
 vii.  Thoughts  are  "vain"  when  the 
 mind  has  some  specially  favourite  trifle, 
 some  cherished  idolised  toy.  Trifling 
 in  all  but  its  power  to  fascinate  and 
 fasten  itself  upon  a  human  soul !  What 
 shall  we  call  this  enslavement  of  the 
 whole  mind  to  some  essentially  worth- 
 less object  of  attention,  but  the  magnet- 
 ism of  Satan  / 
 
 viii.  Thoughts  are  "  vain "  wliich 
 continually  return  to  things  justly  claim- 
 ing a  measure  of  attention  when  the 
 thinhing  of  them  can  be  of  no  advantage. 
 The  mind  wanders  uselessly  over  the 
 same  enumeration,  comparison,  calcula- 
 tion ;  when  nothing  can  be  more  useless. 
 
 ix.  Thoughts  are  "  vain "  when  the 
 mind  dwells  on  fancies  of  how  things 
 might  be  or  might  have  been,  when  the 
 reality  of  how  they  are  is  before  us. 
 
 X.  Thoughts  are  "vain "  which  men 
 indulge  concerning  notions  and  schem- 
 ings of  worldly  felicity. 
 
 Need  of  a  corrective  discipline ;  that 
 we  be  earnest  to  have  so  pernicious  an 
 evil  rectified,  that  our  thinking  and  im- 
 mortal spirits,  which  should  be  temples 
 of  the  Most  High,  may  not  be  the  de^ 
 
 85 
 
CfHAP.  IV. 
 
 UOMILETIC  COMMENTARY :  JEREMIAH. 
 
 graded  recesses  of  every  vanity  with 
 which  the  Spirit  cannot  dwell. 
 
 II.  Correctives  of  vain  thoughts. 
 Evidently  they — 1.  Waste  the  activity  of 
 the  thinking  2:irinciple ;  2.  They  put  us 
 out  of  the  relation  we  are  placed  in  to 
 the  highest  objects  and  interests — to  God, 
 Christ,  eternity.  3.  They  unfit  us  for 
 matters  of  iiractical  duty,  making  life's 
 true  work  irksome. 
 
 Observe :  The  evil  habits  of  vain 
 thinking  is  utterly  imsuitcd  to  the  con- 
 dition of  an  immortal  spirit  on  earth,  and 
 fatally  at  variance  with  its  high  destiny. 
 It  might  suit  a  creature  whose  utmost 
 scope  is  to  amuse  away  a  few  years  on 
 earth,  and  then  sink  in  the  dust  wholly 
 and  for  ever ! 
 
 Conscious  that  this  vanity  of  thought 
 is  a  besetting  evil,  we  should  earnestly 
 desire  any  corrective  remedy.  But  this 
 vice  of  the  mind  is  but  a  symptom  of 
 general  degeneracy,  and  cannot  be  reme- 
 died without  the  grand  sources  of  our 
 thoughts — the  passions  and  affections — 
 be  in  a  rectified  state.  There  are  no 
 expedients  which  can  avail  indepen- 
 dently of  resolute  exertion, — no  dexter- 
 ous device  can  cure  this  habitual  pro- 
 pensity,— no  wand  of  enchantment  can 
 wave  off  the  infesting  swarm.  But,  as 
 parts  of  a  persevering  discvplirie — 
 
 i.  Have  specified  subjects  of  serious 
 interest  to  turn  to  when  thought 
 reverts  to  these  vanities  :  recollections  of 
 a  perilous  situation,  a  dying  scene,  pro- 
 vidential interpositions.  These  memory 
 will  furnish.  Conscience  offers  subjects  ; 
 what  a  man  regards  as  his  greatest  sin, 
 itc. 
 
 ii.  Malce  a  sudden  charge  of  guilt  on 
 your  mind  when  vain  thoughts  prevail. 
 Enforce  the  thought  "  God  sees."  This 
 will  act  as  a  lightning  flash  which  arrests 
 levity. 
 
 iii.  Have  recourse  to  the  direct  act  of 
 devotion.  How  will  they  appear  when 
 we  confess  and  deplore  them  before 
 Godi 
 
 iv.  Interrupt  and  stop  them  by  the 
 question,  What  is  just  now  my  most  2)ress- 
 ing  duty?  Judgment  and  conscience 
 will  then  speak  and  chide  fur  neglect- 
 ing it. 
 
 v.  Have  recourse  to  so7ne  practical 
 8G 
 
 occupation,  matter  of  business,  or  a  visit 
 to  some  house  of  mourning. 
 
 vi.  Co7istrai7i  our  habitual  thinJcing  to 
 go  along  ivith  the  thoughts  of  those  who 
 have  thought  the  best,  by  reading  the 
 most  valuable  books.  How  lamentable 
 the  light  reading  of  the  age  !  Study 
 the  Bible. 
 
 vii.  Think  to  a  certain  purpose, — 
 towards  a  purposed  end.  What  a  num- 
 ber of  things  we  need  to  aim  at  by  a 
 course  of  thought ! 
 
 viii.  Reflect  on  hoiv  many  things  we 
 have  to  do  with  which  "  vain  thoughts  " 
 interfere ;  and  also,  what  would  have 
 been  the  result  of  good  thoughts  instead 
 of  so  many  vain  1 
 
 ix.  Discipline  of  the  thoughts  greatly 
 depends  on  the  comjmny  a  man  keeps 
 (Prov.  xiii.  20).  Society  can  be  found 
 or  avoided  in  which  every  vanity  of  the 
 soul  may  be  indulged  or  confirmed. 
 
 X.  If  the  complaint  be  urged  that  this 
 discipline  involves  much  that  is  hard 
 and  difficult,  we  answer.  It  is  just  ais 
 hard  as  to  do  justice  to  a  rational  and 
 immortal  spirit  placed  here  a  little  while 
 by  God  for  its  improvement,  and  then  to 
 go  where  God  appoints.  Ha7'd,  yet  sc 
 indispensable.  How  welcome,  then,  the 
 promises  of  the  Spirit's  help, — the  mi- 
 vitations  to  pray  !  We  shall  eagerly  act 
 on  them  if  we  care  for  our  spiritual- 
 progress  through  this  world,  and  our 
 appointment  and  employments  in  the 
 world  to  come.  —  Lectures  by  John 
 Foster,  a.d.  1822.  (Addenda,  ver.  14, 
 " Vain  thoughts") 
 
 Comments : 
 
 Ver.  15.  "A  voice  declareth  from 
 Dan,"  &c.  It  is  high  time  to  set  about 
 personal  cleansing,  and  for  abandoning 
 delusive  thoughts,  for  already  the 
 calamity  is  announced, — it  swiftly  ap- 
 proaches,— it  scales  the  heights  which 
 shelter  Judah.  (See  Geographical 
 References.)  "The  messenger  comes 
 from  each  successive  place  towards  which 
 the  foe  approaches." — Hitzig.  (Addenda, 
 ver.  15,  ''Dan:') 
 
 Ver.  16.  The  words  should  probably 
 read  thus  :  "  Proclaim  ye  to  the  heathen. 
 Behold  ! "  (Saint  Jerome  points  out 
 that  the  heathen  are  hereby  summoned 
 to   witness    the  chastisement  of   Jeru- 
 
aOMILETIO  COMMENTARY:  JEREMIAH. 
 
 CHAP.   IV. 
 
 salem.)  Thus  they  would  learn  that 
 the  God  of  the  Jews  had  ordained  the 
 overthrow  of  His  people ;  that  it  was 
 not  the  tiiumph  of  impious  and  idola- 
 trous forces  against  God  and  His  people, 
 but  that  He  had  consigned  Judah  to 
 spoliation  on  account  of  her  treachery 
 and  neglect  of  Him.  This  would  prove 
 a  solemn  warning  to  the  nations  around 
 (ver.  17),  giving  clearly  the  explanation 
 why  God  permitted  Judah's  foes  to 
 triumph. 
 
 Ver.  18.  The  address  reverts  to  Jeru- 
 salem :  against  her  Jeremiah  had  to  pub- 
 lish (ver,  16)  that  watchers,  besiegers, 
 were  advancing  ;  it  throws  on  Jerusalem 
 the  whole  blame  of  the  calamities.  Here 
 consider  : 
 
 I.  That  sinners  have  the  j)ower  of 
 awakening  terrible  forces  of  judgment. 
 "  Thy  way  and  doings  have  procured 
 these  things  ;"  brought  mighty  armies, 
 — devastating  powers  !  Truly  sin  is  a 
 dreadful  and  prodigious  factor  in  human 
 history. 
 
 II.  That  sinners  inevitably  entail  retri- 
 butive miseries.  "  Unto  thee."  Sin 
 awakes  mighty  forces — it  can  do  that ; 
 but  sinners  bring  those  forces  of  misery 
 against  themselves,  and  they  cannot  evade 
 them.  The  eagles  will  sweep  down  on 
 the  carcass  they  scent.  (Addenda,  ver, 
 18,  ''Bitter  at  last.") 
 
 III.  That  the  penalties  of  sin  are  un- 
 utterably distressing.  "It  is  bitter" 
 (comp.  ii,  19).  "The  wages  of  sin  is 
 death."  The  miseries  of  the  siege  and 
 captivity  were  but  faint  foreshadowings 
 of  the  woes  consequent  on  rejecting 
 Christ  and  losing  heaven. 
 
 IV.  That  the  ivound  and  woe  of  sin 
 reach  to  the  very  heart.  Neither  is  super- 
 ficial nor  evanescent,  but  the  rottenness 
 and  also  the  wretchedness  goes  to  the 
 very  core  (ver.  10). 
 
 Ver.     19-21.       Theme  :     A    seer's 
 
 ANGUISH  OVER  THE  SINNER'S  DOOM, 
 
 Henderson  and  Dr.  Payne  Smith,  op- 
 posing all  other  commentators,  regard 
 these  words  as  the  outcry  of  the  anguish- 
 siricJcen  nation.  And  truly  the  lost  soul 
 may  utter  such  an  exclamation  of  terror 
 and  grief  in  the  hour  of  his  judgment. 
 
 Yet  the  words  are  more  naturally  the 
 lament  of  the  prophet. 
 
 I,  The  occasion  of  these  impassioned 
 outcries. 
 
 1.  His  grief  was  ^ainW/c  ;  distressed 
 over  the  national  calamities  which  were 
 coming  upon  his  people  and  his  land. 
 
 2.  His  grief  was  persoiial,  for  he  felt 
 individually  the  shame  and  woe  which 
 the  people's  disloyalty  to  their  God  and 
 their  faith  were  entailing.  By  identifica- 
 tion of  interest  he  felt  himself  inculpated 
 by  their  idolatries  and  vice ;  and  by  in- 
 tensity of  sympathy  he  felt  the  throes  of 
 anguish  and  ruin  which  ensued. 
 
 3.  His  grief  was  pioics;  the  religious 
 disasters  looming  over  Zion  filled  him 
 with  amaze  and  sorrow.  Temple  de- 
 famed and  razed ;  Judah  reduced  to 
 captivity,  land  laid  waste,  sanctities  of 
 his  nation  profaned  ;  and  more,  Jehovah 
 contemned  by  the  victorious  heathen, 
 who  would  scorn  the  God  of  the  land 
 they  subdued,  and  of  the  people  they 
 oppressed. 
 
 II.  The  lessons  of  the  prophet's* 
 distress.  Moses's  distress  over  sinning 
 Israel  as  he  descended  Sinai,  the  Psalm- 
 ist's deeply  troubled  state  over  trans- 
 gressors (Ps.  cxix.  136,  158),  our  Lord's 
 pitying  tears  at  the  sight  of  doomed 
 Jerusalem,  Paul's  "  great  heaviness  and 
 continual  sorrow  of  heart "  for  his  kins- 
 men (Rom.  ix.  2,  3),  and  Jeremiah's 
 pathos  of  lamentation,  encourage  and 
 summon  us  to  godly  sorrow  over  the 
 guilty  and  the  perishing. 
 
 1.  There  is  enough  of  wrong  around 
 us  to  evoke  saddest  emotions. 
 
 2.  Philanthropy  and  compassion  for 
 humanity  should  move  us  to  deepest 
 sorrow. 
 
 3.  Fellowship  with  Christ  will  make 
 us  deplore  the  devastations  of  sin. 
 
 4.  The  keener  our  sense  of  right 
 and  our  love  of  God,  the  more  intense 
 will  be  our  repugnance  towards, 
 and  our  distress  over,  scenes  of  ini- 
 quity. 
 
 5.  Memory  of  our  own  redemption 
 will  awake  in  us  bitter  regrets  that 
 others  remain  sunken  in  wrong  and 
 the  woes  of  wrong. 
 
 6.  Perception  of  the  foul  agency 
 which   triumphs    in   human    overthrow 
 
 87 
 
CRAP.  IV. 
 
 UOMILETIC  COMMENTARY :  JEREMIAH. 
 
 •will  deepen  our  revulsion  and  horror. 
 It  was  the  king  of  Babylon  in  Judah's 
 case  —  imperious,  blasphemous,  impla- 
 cable; it  is  the  "  adversary  the  devil" 
 in  our  case  now. 
 
 Hence  :  1.  The  shamefulness  of  in- 
 difference towards  others  in  peril.  2. 
 The  inarticulate  call  to  our  commisera- 
 tion which  comes  from  souls  despoiled. 
 
 3.  The  urgency  of  faithful  warning 
 and  friendly  help,  though  it  cost  us 
 suffering  and  sacrifices,  as  with  Jeremiah. 
 
 4.  The  grandeur  of  Christ's  mission; 
 His  love  and  redemption.  5.  The  in- 
 spiration which  lies  in  the  fact  that  there 
 is  hope  of  our  doing  good  even  to  those 
 who  hate  us  while  we  seek  their  wel- 
 fare. 
 
 They  who  feel  for  the  woes  of  others, 
 and  seek  to  redress  them,  cannot  fail  to 
 fulfil  a  ministry  of  amelioration,  and 
 shall  not  miss  the  reward  of  loving  ser- 
 vice and  patient  suflering  (Matt.  v.  12). 
 
 Ver.  22.  Tlieme :  Judah's  Divinely- 
 sent  TEACHER  IGNORED. 
 
 I.  Teachers  are  valueless  unless 
 men  will  be  listeners.  But  "my 
 people  are  foolish."  Indifference  to  the 
 teachings  of  Jeremiah  was  suicidal, 
 wilful,  sliameful.  So  is  the  disregard  of 
 the  world. 
 
 II.  Man's  heedless  attitude  frus- 
 trates God's  messengers.  They  would 
 arouse  men  to  their  peril  and  point 
 them  to  escape  and  redemption,  but 
 they  put  life  and  salvation  from  them. 
 
 III.  The  insensate  spiritual  con- 
 dition of  transgressors,  (a. )  Blinded — 
 "  not  known  me,"  whom  God  in  mercy 
 sent.  "Have  no  understanding"  oi 
 their  peril,  value  of  Divine  messages, 
 urgency  of  seeking  salvation.  (6.)  De- 
 based  —  mentally,  "  foolish  ;"  morally, 
 "sottish;"  foolish  heart  darkened  (Rom. 
 i.  21,  22).  (c.)  Perverted — their  spiri- 
 tual nature  distorted,  thrown  into  cala- 
 mitous confusion  and  contrariety  ;  wise 
 in  evil,  witless  respecting  good. 
 
 Hence  easily  deluded,  wilfully  igno- 
 rant, lamentably  degenerate.  (Comp. 
 John  iii.  21.) 
 
 Ver.  23-26. 
 
 TIVE  VISION. 
 
 88 
 
 A    SOLEMNLY-SUGGES- 
 
 The  prophet  sees  bursting  over  Judah 
 a  visitation  which  convulses  the  whole 
 world.  In  the  vivid  poetic  language  of 
 this  picture,  the  mind  is  led  back  to 
 what  earth  was  before  creation,  and  led 
 forward  to  what  earth  will  become  at  the 
 judgment.  It  suggests  that  sin  gathers 
 into  the  present  the  dreary  desolations  of 
 the  past  and  the  terrible  devastations  of 
 the  future. 
 
 I.  Chaos  reproduced.  (Comp,  ver. 
 23  with  Gen.  i.  2.)  Thus— 1.  Sin  de- 
 faces scenes  of  beauty  (comp.  Gen.  i. 
 31) ;  alas !  all  again  in  chaos.  2.  Sin 
 despoils  the  Spirit's  work ;  He  brooded 
 over  and  beautified  earth  (Gen.  i.  2).  3. 
 Sin  enwraps  the  world  in  gloom — shuts 
 out  light,  God,  hope,  and  happiness. 
 
 II.  Judgment  depicted.  (Comp.  ver. 
 24-26  with  Eev.  vi.  12-17.) 
 
 Jeremiah  glances  again  into  the  awful 
 future,  and' — 1.  He  beholds  the  material 
 world  in  wild  convulsion  (ver.  24,  comp. 
 Rev.  vi.  14).  2.  Scenes  of  the  living 
 changed  into  sepulchral  solitude  (ver. 
 25,  comp.  Ezek.  xxxviii.  20).  3.  The 
 works  and  memorials  of  man  swept 
 away:  plantations  and  cities  (ver.  26, 
 comp.  2  Pet.  iii.  10).  4.  God's  presence 
 awakens  a  panic  of  terror  (ver.  26,  "a^ 
 the  2'>resence"  lit./rom  the  face  of  Jehovah, 
 from  the  face  of  the  heat  of  His  nostril ; 
 comp.  Rev.  xx.  11,  vi.  16,  17). 
 
 It  is  as  if  the  final  judgment  of  the 
 world  had  already  arrived.  Infer — 1. 
 Retribution  must  not  necessarily  be  de- 
 ferred till  the  distant  judgment-day. 
 2.  In  a  sinner's  downfall,  the  horrors  of 
 the  final  judgment  are  all  realised.  3.  If 
 God  be  not  propitiated.  His  presence 
 will  terrify  us  whenever  it  appears — in 
 temporal  calamities,  hour  of  death,  or 
 day  of  retribution.  4.  Flee  now  to 
 God ;  not  then  from  God.  (Addenda, 
 ver.  26,  "  BroTcen  doivn  at  the  presence  of 
 God")  Loivth  remarks  :  "  These  par- 
 ticular judgments  are  an  earnest  of  the 
 general  judgment." 
 
 Ver.  27-29.  Lest  it  should  be 
 thought  the  prophet  has  spoken  only 
 under  strong  poetic  feeling,  an  ex- 
 travagant imagination,  there  comes  the 
 emphatic,  "Thus  haih  the  Lord  said." 
 It  is  not  fancy,  but  solemn  fact. 
 
HO  M I  LET  I C  COMMENTARY:  JEREMIAH. 
 
 CHAP.  IV. 
 
 I.  God's  irrevocable  purpose  (ver. 
 28).  '•  I  have  spoken  ;  not  turn  back." 
 The  day  of  redemption  past, — probation 
 terminated,  —  escape  impossible,  —  re- 
 pentance no  avail. 
 
 II.  God's  avenging  decision  limited 
 by  His  mercy  (ver.  27).  "  Yet  not  make 
 full  end."  This  always  attested  of 
 Judali  :  the  sword  should  not  wholly 
 destroy.  (Comp.  Lev.  xsvi.  44  j  Amos 
 ix.  8.) 
 
 III.  Earth  clad  in  woful  mourn- 
 ing (ver.  28).  The  heavens  shrouded 
 in  sombre  clouds  in  sympathy  with 
 earth's  misery.  (Comp.  Rev.  vi.  12, 
 i.  7.) 
 
 IV.  Hiding-places  sought :  strong- 
 holds abandoned  in  despair.  Their 
 refuges  prove  insufficient,  insecure,  as 
 will  all  human  strongholds.  When 
 these  defenced  "  cities  "  fail,  the  recesses 
 of  forests  and  mountains  will  be  sought. 
 Implies  :  (a.)  Great  terror  of  the  foe. 
 (6.)  Deliverance  will  then  be  craved, 
 redemption  sought  too  late,  (c.)  No 
 evading  the  judgment;  flight  will  not 
 ensure  escape. 
 
 v.  Melancholy  desertion  of  happy 
 scenes  (ver.  29).  "  Every  city  for- 
 saken," &c.  Homes  gone  for  ever. 
 Scenes  of  plenty  and  pleasure  aban- 
 doned perforce.  Families  driven  from 
 earth's  fond  scenes  into  exile.  So  at 
 the  judgment — but  worse. 
 
 Ver.  30.  Spoiled  yet  adorned. 
 Jerusalem  simulates  the  beauty  which 
 has  been  "  spoiled  "  in  the  vain  hope  of 
 attracting  to  her  side  the  succour  of 
 Egypt  against  Chaldea.  (Addenda,  ver. 
 30,  ''  Finery,  Flattery.") 
 
 i.  Vain  devices  for  covering  misery, 
 "  Clothest  with  crimson,"  "deckest  with 
 ornaments  of  gold,"  paiutest  thine  eyes. 
 Real  wealth  never  feels  the  necessity  of 
 gaudy  parade.  True  beauty  never  resorts 
 to  artificial  decorations.  Implies  con- 
 scious deformity  and  penury, 
 
 ii.  Adversity  transforms  flatterers  into 
 foes.  "Lovers  seek  thy  life."  This 
 shows  the  character,  the  worth,  the 
 treachery  of  ungodly  confidences.  Turn 
 from  God  to  them  in  prosperity,  they 
 will  turn  from  or  turn  upon  their  dupes 
 in  their  evil  day. 
 
 iii.  Forlorn  attempts  to  regain  love 
 loin  loathing.  "Despise  thee."  Their 
 "  love"  was  only  for  self-aggrandisement ; 
 it  was  sordid  and  selfish  ;  now  nothing 
 can  accrue  to  them  from  Jerusalem 
 she  is  contemned.  Yes  ;  and  her  despi- 
 cable efforts  hypocritically  to  hide  her 
 miserable  plight  create  nausea  and  revul- 
 sion. Even  the  ungodly  hate  deceit, 
 loathe  decorated  deformity. 
 
 Ver.  31.  The  LXX.,  Syriac,  Vulgate, 
 &c.,  take  the  participle  as  passive,  and 
 render,  2Iy  soul  faints  because  of  tin 
 slain.  Better  as  in  A.  V. ;  or.  My  soul 
 is  overpowered  before  murderers. 
 
 ^^  Spreadeth  her  hands."  A  pleading 
 gesture,  expressing  a  prayer  for  protec- 
 tion :  as  she  falls  before  assassins  she 
 beseeches  help. 
 
 "  Woe  is  me  now  I"  Her  full  and 
 irremediable  wretchedness  is  at  last 
 realised  by  her ;  she  cries  out  terrified 
 by  her  perils  and  pains.  Yet  not  to  God. 
 Therefore  none  befriends  her.  (Addenda 
 to  chap.  iv.  ver.  31,  "Woesti'icken.") 
 
 NOTICEABLE  TOPICS  IN  CHAPTER  lY. 
 
 Ver.  2.    Topic:  An  Ancient  Homily  "On  Swearing." 
 sivear,  The  Lord  liveth,"  &c. 
 
 Text:  ''Thou  shall 
 
 I.  The  command.  Did  Christ  countermand  this?  (Matt.  v.  34).  The  Son 
 forbid  in  the  Gospel  what  the  Father  bids  in  the  law  ?  Jerome  says,  "  Oaths  were 
 permitted  the  Jews  of  policy,  because  they  heard  heathen  swear  by  their  gods." 
 But  the  explanation  which  accords  both  commands  is  :  God  bids  thee  swear,  so  thy 
 oath  be  truthful  and  needful ;  Christ  forbids  swearing  which  is  truthless  and  needless. 
 Christ  came  not  to  destroy  the  law ;  He  but  forbids  the  gloss  of  the  Pharisees,  who 
 taught  oaths  were  not  perjury  though  false,  so  that  they  swore  not  by  God's  self 
 directly.     Yet,  also,  Christ  would  have  His  followers'  tongues  so  true  as  they  shall 
 
 89 
 
EOMILETIC  COMMENTARY :  JEREMIAH. 
 
 not  need  to  swear.  Iluly  men's  words  are  oaths.  The  abuse  of  swearing  God 
 abominates,  man  abhors.  But  not  everything  that  is  abused  by  wicked  men  must 
 therefore  not  be  used  by  sober  men.  Schismatics  are  they  who  have  refused  oaths  ; 
 Essenes  among  Jews,  Anabaptists  among  Christians.  Btillinger  saith,  "He  is  not 
 worthy  the  name  of  Christian  who  refuseth  to  swear  by  the  name  of  Christ."  For, 
 what  do  I  when  I  swear,  but  call  on  God  to  be  eitlier  witness  to  my  truth  or 
 avenger  of  my  falsehood  %  I  therein  confess  the  Lord  to  be  my  God, — I  acknow- 
 ledge His  truth,  justice,  and  omniscience. 
 
 Precedents  from  Scripture  : — Moses  swore  (Josh.  xiv.  5).  David  often — to  Saul, 
 to  Jonathan.  Abraham,  Isaac,  Jacob  did — patriarchs  before  the  law  ;  and  Paul, 
 after  the  law  and  under  the  Gospel,  swore.  Christ  used  His  "  Amen,  amen ;"  and 
 God  "swore  by  His  own  self."     What  He  bid.  He  did. 
 
 Oaths,  puhlic,  as  between  princes  and  before  magistrates,  and  private,  as  between 
 man  and  man,  are  lawful,  so  the  swearer  take  them  with  religious  heart  and  ii; 
 cause  important.  He  takes  God's  name  in  vain  that  swears  when  he  needs  not, 
 and  "  God  will  not  hold  him  guiltless." 
 
 II.  The  form.  God  bade  us  "  sivear  ;"  now  He  tells  us  how  :  ^^The  Lordlivethr 
 It  is,  then,  impiety  to  swear  by  creatures ;  grand  sacrilege  to  swear  by  anything  but 
 God.  The  name  of  a  strange  god  was  not  to  be  heard  in  the  mouth  of  God's 
 people  (Exod.  xxiii.  13).  Saith  the  old  man  in  Aristophanes,  "  He  but  jests  that 
 swears  by  Jupiter."  To  swear  by  anything  but  God  lessens  the  religion  of  an 
 oath.  When  the  Jews  swore  by  Baal,  and  the  Gentiles  by  Jupiter,  they  thought 
 them  gods,  for  they  prayed  and  sacrificed  to  them ;  yet  Baal  was  but  a  beast, 
 Jupiter  but  a  man.  God  prevents  all  evasion  by  the  name  He  here  gives,  ^'the 
 Lord;"  not  any  god  the  swearer  would  substitute, — as  Papists  swear  by  angels, 
 called  in  Scripture,  ^''  Elohim,^'  and  superstition  worships  them  as  gods.  Many 
 forms  are  used  by  men  of  Scripture  variable  from  this  form,  but  in  all  the  mean- 
 ing is,  "  The  Lord  liveth." 
 
 III.  Three  particulars.  ^^  hi  truth  "  Perjury  is  impious, — makes  that  which 
 is  the  sign,  ensign,  and  seal  of  truth,  the  cloak  of  falsehood.  It  was  death  with  the 
 Egyptians;  St.  Auijiistine  would  have  it  so  with  Christians  too.  "God  wall 
 destroy,"  saith  David,  "  all  that  speak  lies."  What  will  He  do  to  them  that  swear 
 lies  ?  The  Pope,  Clirist's  vicar,  panders  perjury !  Swear  promissorily  fealty  to 
 thy  sovereign,  the  Pope  will  assoil  thee  ;  forswear  assertorily  anything  to  the 
 magistrate,  the  Pope  will  pardon  thee.  Faith  is  not  to  be  kept  with  heretics. 
 Equivocation  is  even  commended.  How  dare  thou  dally  with  God  before  whom 
 thou  swearest  ?  He  is  not  mocked  !  An  oath  is  a  hedge  to  fence  thy  faith : 
 break  it  not ;  thou  betrayest  thy  truth  :  leap  not  over  it ;  there  is  a  pit  behind  it, 
 without  bottom, — it  is  hell. 
 
 "/?i  judgment"  Swear  not  upon  guess  only, — oaths  must  not  be  adventured 
 Some  swear  where  no  cause  is,  no  gain  is,  no  gainsayer  is,  but  only  of  bad  use. 
 Augustine  saith,  "  The  world  hath  many  evil  customs,  but  this  of  swearing  is  bad 
 above  all  that  is  bad."  It  makes  God's  holy  name  vile,  and  engenders  perjury, 
 Philo  saith,  "  Oaths  are  no  tenise  balls  to  toss  upon  the  tongue." 
 
 "  In  righteousness"  To  any  act  against  right  or  religion  bind  not  thyself,  let 
 not  any  bind  thee.  Oaths  must  not  cross  either  piety  towards  God  or  charity  to- 
 wards rnen.  Such  an  oath  was  Herod's  :  much  better  had  he  broken  his  oath 
 than  slain  a  prophet.  Bind  not  two  sins  together.  It  is  sin  to  make  it,  not  to 
 break  it.  ^  Saint  ,Terome  saith  of  unlawful  oaths,  "  It  is  condemnation  if  thou  break 
 them ;  it  is  damnation  if  thou  keep  them." — Condensed  from  Sermons  hy  Rev. 
 Richard  Gierke,  D.D.,  one  of  the  translators  of  the  English  Bible,  preacher  in 
 Canterbury  Cathedral.     Dated  a.d.  1G37. 
 
 90 
 
HOMILETIC  COMMENTARY:  JEREMIAH. 
 
 Ver.  3.     Topic:  Unfit  Soil  Prepared  for  the  Blessing.     Text:  ^'- Break  uj> 
 
 your  fallow  ground.^'' 
 
 A  call  to  vigorous  preparation  for  spiritual  blessing.  Many  are  conscious  of 
 earnest  longing  for  salvation,  more  grace,  spiritual  renewal  and  revival ;  but 
 "  the  desire  of  the  slothful  killeth  him,  for  his  hands  refuse  to  labour."  A  delusion 
 to  rest  with  desire. 
 
 I.  Hardening  forces  have  been  acting  on  the  soil.  "  Break  up  : "  hard,  there- 
 fore.    "  Your  fallow  ground  ;"  seriously  inquire  to  what  this  applies  in  you. 
 
 1.  Wliat  is  the  falloiv  ground  %vit1iin  manf  1.  The  heedless  mind.  2.  The 
 callous  heart.  3.  The  seared  conscience.  4.  The  irreverent  soul.  5.  The  formal 
 Church  :  first  love  dead,  flame  extinct,  sanctuary  a  garnished  sepulchre.  (Addenda, 
 ver.  3.  '^  Fallow  gro^md.") 
 
 2.  How  has  your  ground  hecome  fallow  ?  1.  By  neglect:  becomes  hard  itself; 
 need  do  nothing.  2.  Action  of  time  :  years  find  you  harder.  3.  The  cold  of  in- 
 difi"erence.  4.  Eains  and  sun  cake  the  soil ;  the  Saviour's  action,  the  Spirit's 
 influence  make  the  unyielding  soul  more  alien. 
 
 II.  Sowers  can  only  work  on  lands  which  are  prepared.  They  are  forced  into 
 inactivity  by  the  ground  being  fallow. 
 
 1.  The  soivers  are  Christ,  the  Spirit,  the  preacher,  the  worher  for  human  salvation. 
 They  can  only  sow  the  Gospel  where  they  find  the  soil  clean  and  ready.  This  is 
 the  husbandman's  command  (Luke  x.  10-12).  Your  stolid  unconcern  is  an 
 effectual  obstacle. 
 
 2.  All  spiritual  agencies  are  thwarted  hy  unpreparedness.  Seed  may  be  the  best, 
 but  useless  on  hard  soil.  Sun  may  shine,  but  not  germinate.  Rains  fall,  only  to 
 wash  the  seed  off.     Best  Christian  appliances,  services,  sermons,  &c.,  no  avail. 
 
 3.  Therefore,  where  there  is  no  readiness,  the  sacred  blessings  are  withheld. 
 "  Christ  did  no  mighty  works  because  of  unbelief." 
 
 III.  Sowing  time  is  the  season  for  gathering  in  the  living  seed.  Do  nothing 
 to  anticipate  the  auspicious  hour  of  grace,  and  it  will  come  and  find  you  unfit  to 
 receive  the  Gospel,  the  salvation  God  would  willingly  give.  Make  ready  for  the 
 Lord. 
 
 1.  There  is  a  sjoecial  time  of  grace.  2.  The  season  qidckly  p)asses  hy.  3.  It 
 may  come  to  us  in  vain.  It  was  no^v  with  Jerusalem  ;  she  was  not  ready  to  benefit  by 
 it.  Later  on,  when  Jesus  "  wept  over  the  city,"  she  "  knew  not  the  day  of  her 
 visitation."  We  may  awake  to  righteousness  too  late;  the  sowing-time  past,  the 
 "  convenient  season  "  gone. 
 
 IV.  The  plough  must  be  driven  through  the  sterile  soil.  Sowers  are  waiting, 
 seed  is  ready,  season  is  here  and  passing  (text).  1.  Put  the  plough  through  your 
 indifference;  rouse  yourself  into  attention.  2.  Through  your  indecision;  "How 
 long  halt  ye  ? "  3.  Through  your  inaction  ;  bestir  yourself ;  read,  pray,  repent, 
 reform.  4.  Through  your  hcthits  of  sin;  weep  for  them,  desert  them ;  listen  to 
 chidiugs  of  conscience  ;  open  heart  to  the  Saviour  who  knocks.  "  Seek  ye  the  Lord 
 while  He  may  be  found,  call  upon  Him  while  near,"  &c. 
 
 All  this  will  not  make  you  spiritually  renewed.  Ploughing  does  not  ensure  the 
 harvest,  yet  it  is  j^reparation  for  it.  It  is  your  part ;  and  God  requires  that 
 part  of  you.  "He  hath  commanded  all  men  everywhere  to  repent;"  "Break 
 up,"  &c.  It  will  not  be  done  for  you  ;  it  must  be  done  by  you.  "  Prove  me  now 
 herewith,  and  see  if  I  will  not  open  the  windows  of  heaven,"  &c. 
 
 Ver.  14.     Topic:  The  Vanity  of  Thoughts.     {Ancient  Homily.)     Text: 
 "  How  long  shall  thy  vain  thoughts  lodge  within  thee?^' 
 
 Heart  compared  to  house,  to  entertain  and  lodge  guests ;  into  which,  before 
 conversion,  all  the  light,  wanton  thoughts  that  post  up  and  down  in  the  world 
 
CHAP.  IV.  HOMILETIC  COMMENTARY:  JEREMIAB. 
 
 have  open  access — lodgeth  them ;  while  they,  like  unruly  gallants,  revel  day  and 
 night,  and  defile  those  rooms  they  lodge  in.  "■  Hoiv  long?"  whilst  I,  with  my 
 Spirit,  and  Son,  and  train  of  graces,  stand  and  knock,  and  cannot  find  admittance  1 
 Those  vuiu  guests  must  be  turned  out  o..  doors  without  warning ;  "  the  time  past 
 must  suffice."  Kept  out  they  cannot  always  be ;  yet  if  they  enter,  "  lodge  "  they 
 must  not.  *'  Let  not  the  sun  go  down  on  your  wrath,"  or  a  worse  guest  may 
 enter ;  "  neither  give  place  to  the  devil."  Bad  thoughts  may  pass  as  strangers 
 through  a  believer's  heart,  making  a  thoroughfare  of  it,  but  not  a  lodging-place. 
 
 I.  What  is  meant  by  thoughts. 
 
 i.  The  internal  acts  of  the  mhid;  reasonings,  resolutions,  consultations,  desires, 
 cares,  <fcc.  1.  The  thinking,  meditating,  musing  power  in  man,  which  enables 
 him  to  conceive,  apprehend,  fancy.  2.  Thoughts  which  the  mind  frames  within 
 itself  (Prov.  vi.  14;  James  i.  15;  Isa.  lix.  4-7).  These  difi'er  from  thoughts  in- 
 jected and  cast  in,  which  are  children  of  another's  begetting,  and  which  do  not 
 become  ours  unless  we  "  lodge  "  them.  3.  Thoughts  which  the  mind  in  and  by 
 itself  begets  and  entertains. 
 
 ii.  Let  us  see  what  vanity  is.  1.  Unprofitableness  (Eccles.  i.  2,  3).  2.  Light- 
 ness (Ps.  Ixii.  9).  3.  Folly  (Prov.  xii.  11).  4.  Inconstancy  (Ps.  cxliv.  4, 
 cxlvi.  4).  5.  Wicked  and  sinful  (2  Chrou.  xiii.  7 ;  Prov.  xxiv.  9).  Such  quali- 
 ties are  linked  to  the  word  vanity.  Vain  thoughts  are  sins.  1.  The  law  judgeth 
 them  (Heb.  iv.  12  ;  1  Cor.  xiv.  25),  and  Christ  rebukes  them  (Matt.  ix.  4).  2. 
 They  are  capable  of  pardon,  and  unless  pardoned  we  cannot  be  saved  (Acts  viii.  22). 
 3.  They  are  to  be  repented  of  (Isa.  Iv.  7  ;  2  Cor.  x.  4,  5).  4.  They  defile  a  man 
 (Matt.  XV.  15-17).  6.  They  are  abominable  to  the  Lord  (Prov.  xv.  26).  6 
 They  hinder  and  spoil  all  the  good  we  should  do  (Isa.  xxix.  16).  Our  thoughts 
 are  the  first  motioners  of  all  the  evil  in  us. 
 
 II.  The  particulars  wherein  this  vanity  of  the  thinking,  meditating  power 
 of  man  consists. 
 
 i.  In  regard  to  thvilcing  ivhat  is  good.  1.  A  ivant  of  ability  to  raise  and  extract 
 holy  and  useful  considerations  and  thoughts  from  the  occurrences  and  occasions 
 which  surround  us.  (Comp.  Ps.  cvii.  43  with  Ps.  xcii.  4-6.)  2.  A  loathness  to 
 entertain  holy  thoughts.  (Comp.  Ps.  cxix.  59  with  Rom.  i.  28.)  3.  The  mind 
 will  not  long  be  inte7it  on  good  thoughts.  4.  If  the  mind  doth  think  of  good 
 things,  it  doth  so  unseasonably ;  intrudes  on  prayer  and  interrupts  it  (Prov. 
 xvi.  3). 
 
 ii.  The  readiness  of  the  mind  to  thinlc  on  evil  and  vain  things.  1.  This  vanity 
 shows  itself  in /oo/MHess  (Mark  vii.  22),  which  proves  itself  in  the  unsettledness 
 and  independence  of  our  thoughts.  2.  On  the  other  hand,  if  any  strong  lust  or 
 passion  be  up,  our  thoughts  are  too  fixed  and  intent.  3.  A  restless  curiosity  con- 
 cerning things  )iot  affecting  us  (1  Tim.  vi.  4,  20,  iv.  7 ;  Prov.  xv.  14).  4.  Taking 
 thought  to  fulfil  the  lusts  of  our  flesh  (Rom.  xiii.  14).  5.  Representing,  or 
 acting  over,  sins  in  our  imagination  (Jude  8). 
 
 Having  discovered  the  vanity  of  your  thoughts  and  estate  thereby — 1.  Be 
 humbled  for  them  (Isa.  Iv.  7).  2.  Let  us  make  conscience  of  them  for  ever  (Prov. 
 IV.  33),  dreading  the  revelations  of  the  judgment  (1  Cor.  iv.  5).  After  the  judg- 
 ment men's  thoughts  will  prove  their  greatest  executioners. 
 
 III.  Remedies  against  vain  thoughts.  (Addenda,  ver.  2,  "  Thou  shall  siuear,"  dec.) 
 
 1.  Get  the  heart  furnished  and  enriched  with  a  good  stock  of  sanctified  and 
 heavenly  knowledge  in  spiritual  truths  (Matt.  xiii.  35  ;  Prov.  vi.  22  ;  Deut.  vi. 
 0,  1). 
 
 2.  Endeavour  to  preserve  and  keep  up  lively,  holy,  and  spiritual  affections  in 
 the  heart  (Mai,  iii.  16  ;  Ps.  cxix.  97). 
 
 3.  Of  all  apprehensions  else,  get  the  heart  possessed  with  deep  and  powerful 
 apprehensions   of   God's  holiness,  majesty,  omniscience,   and  omnipresence   (Ps. 
 
 92 
 
EOMILETIC  COMMENTARY :  JEREMIAH. 
 
 4.  In  the  morning  when  thou  awakest,  as  did  David  (Ps.  cxix.  18),  prevent  the 
 vain  thoughts  the  heart  naturally  engenders  by  filling  it  with  thoughts  of  God. 
 
 5.  Have  a  watchful  eye  upon  thy  heart  all  day ;  though  vain  thoughts  crowd  in, 
 let  them  know  that  they  pass  not  unseen.  Vagrant  thoughts  will  not  make  their 
 rendezvous  wh%re  strict  watch  is  kept.  Complain  of  them ;  whip  them  if  they  will 
 pass  in. 
 
 6.  Please  not  thy  fancy  too  much  with  vanities  and  curious  flights  (Job  xxxi. 
 1 ;  Prov.  iv.  25). 
 
 7.  Be  diligent  in  thy  calling  (2  Thess.  iii.  11;  1  Tim.  v.  13);  only  encumber 
 not  the  mind  too  much  (Luke  x.  41). 
 
 8.  In  thy  calling  and  all  thy  ways  commit  thy  goings  to  the  Lord  (Prov.  xvi. 
 3).  A  few  thoughts  of  faith  would  keep  us  from  many  thoughts  of  cares  and  fears. 
 When  such  waves  toss  and  turmoil  the  heart,  thoughts  of  faith  bring  calm  and 
 rest. — Condensation  of  a  Homily  hy  Rev.  Thomas  Goodivin,  B.D.     Dated  a.d.  1638. 
 
 Ver.  19.     Topic:  The  Prophet's  Lamentations  over  his  People's  Doom. 
 
 {Ancient  Homily.) 
 
 Jeremiah  travails  with  the  miseries  and  calamities  of  his  people,  and  bemoans 
 them,  to  draw  his  people  to  the  same  affections  and  dispositions  with  himself. 
 
 I.  The  complaint  or  lamentation  itself.  We  have  three  particulars — i.  The 
 parts  affected.  Signify  the  soul  and  inward  man.  Gregory  Myssen  regards  them 
 as  "  the  intellectual  and  discursive  faculty  of  the  soul."  Because  of  :  1.  The 
 iecrecy  of  it,  the  mind  and  soul  being  inward  and  hidden.  2.  Because  the  mind 
 receives  and  digests  the  thoughts.  3.  The  mind  is  the  mother  of  thoughts,  con- 
 ceiving and  generating  them.  ii.  The  grief  of  those  parts.  "  Heart  is  pained,"  &c., 
 both  as  to  the  kind  ("  pained  ")  and  the  effect  of  the  grief  ("  heart  maketh  noise  in 
 me").  From ;which  infer  :  1.  God  need  not  go  far  for  the  punishment  of  wicked 
 men ;  He  can  do  it  from  within  themselves ;  punish  a  man  with  his  own  affections 
 and  thoughts.  2.  What  good  cause  we  have  to  regulate  and  control  our  affections, 
 avoid  passion  and  excess  of  emotion,  take  care  to  be  pacific,  and  enjoy  a  sabbatic 
 tranquillity  in  our  spirits,  iii.  The  passage  or  vent.  "  I  cannot  hold  my  peace." 
 Passion  will  make  way,  and  force  itself  forth.  It  did  here  in  :  1.  The  speech  of 
 discovery;  iov  he  cannot  help  revealing  these  workings  of  his  own  spirit.  God's 
 ministers  find  a  necessity  in  themselves  to  discover  their  thoughts  to  their  people 
 (Jer.  XX.  9  ;  Job  xxxiii.  18-20).  Moreover,  love  constrains  him  hereunto  (Acts  xx. 
 20),  that  his  weeping  and  mourning  might  be  a  forerunner  of  theirs :  also  the 
 consideration  of  his  calling,  as  watchman  and  guide,  urged  him  to  give  warnings  of 
 sin  and  judgment.  2.  The  speech  of  lamentation:  he  must  bewail  and  utter  com- 
 plaint, his  anguish  was  so  great  (as  Job  vii.  11). 
 
 II.  The  ground  or  occasion  of  his  lamentation.  "  Because,"  &c.  i.  The 
 tidings  or  report  itself.  "  Sound  of  trumpet,  alarm  of  war."  This  not  literally  in 
 a  military  case.  1.  The  tmmjM  of  Providence.  2.  The  trumpet  of  the  Woi'd  (Lsa. 
 Iviii.  1).  3.  The  trumpet  of  vision,  or  extraordinary  prophetical  revelation,  ii. 
 The  conveyance  of  it  to  the  prophet.  "  Thou  hast  heard,  0  my  soul."  1.  The  soul 
 through  the  corporeal  organ  of  hearing,  2.  The  sold  immediately,  as  being  that 
 which  had  communion  with  God.  3.  The  soul  emphatically ;  that  is  heard  indeed 
 which  is  heard  by  the  soul.  Hence  (a.)  God's  excellency :  He  speaks.  (6.)  Man's 
 duty:  he  hears,  iii.  The  improvement  or  use  he  makes  of  it.  1.  His  meditations 
 aroused  his  affections,  (a.)  This  is  the  aim  of  a  revelation.  (6.)  We  should  en- 
 deavour to  bring  revelations  for  others  to  our  own  spiritual  advancement  and 
 profit.  2.  What  these  affections  were  which  the  tidings  aroused,  (a.)  Anger  at  his 
 people's  obstinacy.  (&.)  i^ear  of  the  coming  judgment,  (c.)  G7-ief  at  his  people's 
 state  and  doom.  Yet  there  was  no  such  thing  yet  as  war  among  them ;  neverthe- 
 less the  certainty  of  it  pained  him.     To  shut  up  all  :  I.    We  see  horv  prophets  and 
 
IIOMILETIC  COMMENTARY :  JEREMIAH. 
 
 ministers  should  he  affected  in  themselves  by  the  threatenings  and  denunciations  of 
 judgment.  2.  We  learn  hoio  all  should  he  affected  hy  Divine  warnings.  If  so 
 dreadful  in  apprehension,  what  will  it  be  in  the  infliction  ?  3.  Let  us  endeavour  to 
 meet  God  hy  speedy  and  unfeicjned  repentance  (Amos  iv.  12). — Abstract  of  Sermon 
 hy  Rev.  Thomas  Eorton,  D.D.     Dated  a.d.  1679.  « 
 
 ADDENDA  TO  CHAPTER  IV.    ILLUSTRATIONS  AND  SUGGESTIVE  EXTRACTS. 
 
 Ver.  1.  Sin  banished,  or  no  heaven. 
 "  The  first  physic  to  recover  our  souls  is 
 not  cordials,  but  corrosives  ;  not  an  im- 
 mediate stepping  into  heaven  by  a  present 
 assurance,  but  mourning,  lamentation, 
 and  a  bitter  bewailing  of  our  former 
 transgressions.  With  Mary  Magdalene, 
 we  must  wash  Christ's  feet  with  our 
 tears  of  sorrow  before  we  may  anoint 
 His  head  with  the  '  oil  of  gladness.'  " — 
 Browning. 
 
 A  poor  man  told  Rowland  Hill  that 
 the  way  to  heaven  comprised  three  steps : 
 ''  Out  of  self,  unto  Christ,  into  heaven." 
 
 When  Ben's  master  died,  they  told  him 
 he  had  gone  to  heaven.  Ben  shook  hisr 
 head.  "I'fraid  massa  no  gone  there." 
 "  But  why,  Ben  ? "  '"Cos  when  massa 
 go  North,  or  go  journey  to  the  Springs, 
 he  talk  about  it  long  time,  and  get  ready. 
 I  never  hear  him  talk  about  going  to 
 heaven,  never  see  him  get  ready  to  go 
 there." 
 
 "  I  know  the  way  to  heaven,"  said  a 
 little  girl  to  her  brother.  "  Do  tell 
 me,"  the  boy  answered.  "Well,  just 
 commence  going  up,  and  keep  on  goino- 
 up  all  the  time,  and  you'll  get  there. 
 But,  Johnny,  you  mzist  not  turn  back." 
 
 The  banished  recalled : — 
 
 "  Driven  from  their  home,  their  pathway  lost, 
 'Mid  clouds  that  came  upon  the  world's 
 fair  morn, 
 By  gloom  and  shadows  cross'd, 
 Wandered  a  race  forlorn. 
 
 "  There  sat  One  o'er  heaven's  highest  hall, 
 Who,  in  strange  charity,  to  exile  went 
 These  exiles  to  recall 
 
 To  that,  His  heavenly  tent. 
 "  He  gave  Himself,  their  staff  and  stay, 
 
 To  feeble  knees,  strength  to  the  sinking 
 Boul ; 
 He  was  Himself  the  Way, 
 He  was  Himself  the  Goal." 
 
 — From  the  Latin. 
 Ver.    2.    "Thou   shalt    sivear,"   Sc. 
 "  Every  time,  whenever  thou  shalt  find 
 thyself  to  have  let  slip  an  oath,  punish 
 94 
 
 thyself  for  it  by  missing  the  next  meal." 
 — Chrysostom. 
 
 "  It  is  great  sin  to  swear  unto  a  sin, 
 But  greater  sin  to  keep  a  sinful  oath. 
 Who  can  he  bound  by  any  solemn  vow 
 To  do  a  murderous  deed,  to  rob  a  man, 
 To  reave  the  orphan  of  his  patrimony, 
 To  wring  the  widow  from  her  custom'd  right; 
 And  have  no  other  reason  for  this  wrong, 
 But  that  he  was  bound  by  solemn  oath?" 
 — Shakespeare,  2  Henry  VI.  v.  1. 
 
 Ver.  3.  '■^  Falloiu  ground."  Illus- 
 trates :  1.  Culture  of  the  Church  (1  Cor. 
 iii.  9).  2.  Of  the  heart.  The  longer 
 we  leave  the  heart  uncultivated  the 
 harder  to  break  up.  If  we  do  the  till- 
 ing, God  will  rain  righteousness  (Hos.  x. 
 12).  Break  it  up  with  thought,  soften 
 it  with  repentance,  plant  it  with  truth. 
 — Topics  for  Teachers. 
 
 "  Have  you  ever  read  the  '  Ancient 
 Mariner?'  I  dare  say  you  thought  it 
 one  of  the  strangest  imaginations  ever 
 put  together,  especially  that  part  where 
 the  old  mariner  represents  the  corpses  of 
 all  the  dead  men  rising  up  to  man  the 
 ship, — dead  men  pulling  the  ropes,  dead 
 men  steering,  dead  men  spreading  sails. 
 But  I  have  lived  to  see  that  time  :  have 
 seen  it  done.  I  have  gone  into  cMirches 
 and  have  seen  a  dead  man  in  the  pulpit, 
 a  dead  man  as  a  deacon,  a  dead  man 
 holding  the  plate,  and  dead  men  sitting 
 to  hear." — Spurgeon. 
 
 Ver.  4.  Unquenchable  fire.  A  finger 
 of  lightning  will  write  on  the  sky,  "For 
 ever  !  "  and  the  thunder-peal  echo  among 
 the  crags  of  death,  "  For  ever  !  "  0  those 
 fire-bells  will  never  stop  ringing,  because 
 the  conflagration  will  never  be  done  !  (2 
 Thess.  i.  9.)   It  is  not  I,  but  God  says  it. 
 
 Sir  Francis  Newport,  in  his  last  mo- 
 ments, caught  a  glimpse  of  the  eternal 
 world ;  he  looked  into  it  before  he  en- 
 tered it.  The  last  words  he  uttered  were, 
 "Oh,  the  insufi"erable  pangs  of  hell!" 
 The  lost  soul  will  crj',  "  I  cannot  stand 
 
HOMILETIC  COMMENTARY :  JEREMIAH. 
 
 CHAP.  IV. 
 
 this ;  is  there  no  way  out  1  "  And  the 
 echo  will  answer,  "No  way  out  for 
 ever  ! " — De  Witt  Talmage. 
 
 Ver.  6.  Zion  a  refiige.  "  I  wish  they 
 were  within  the  enclosure  where  the 
 boar  out  of  the  wood  could  not  waste 
 them  nor  the  wild  beast  of  the  field  de- 
 vour them." — H.  Ward  Beecher. 
 
 Ver.  7.  ''The  lion."  Nebuchad- 
 nezzar, king  of  Babylon,  whose  monarchy 
 is  represented  by  a  lion  (Dan.  vii.  4). 
 He  is  called  "  the  destroyer  of  the  Gen- 
 tiles," or  rather  "  nations ; "  Judea  and 
 all  the  neighbouring  countries  being 
 given  up  into  his  hands  by  God's  decree 
 (Jer.  XXV.  9,  xxvii.  6). — W.  Loivtli. 
 
 Ver.  11.  Bla&t  of  the  Almighty. 
 Thevenot  mentions  the  death  of  20,000 
 men  who  perished  in  one  night  by  one 
 (if  those  burning  winds.  Si7'  J.  Chardin 
 describes  this  wind  as  making  a  great 
 hissing  noise;  that  it  appears  red  and 
 fiery,  and  kills  those  it  strikes  by  stifling 
 them.  Maillet  mentions  its  being  felt 
 in  the  desert  between  Egypt  and  Mecca, 
 in  part  of  which  Israel  wandered  forty 
 years. 
 
 A  party  of  travellers  in  the  desert 
 were  overtaken  by  the  fierce  simoom. 
 Like  blinding  snow  driven  by  the  winds 
 of  March  came  the  hot  sand.  Before 
 the  simoom  had  reached  its  height,  they 
 came  suddenly  upon  a  rude  building  of 
 stone,  well  protected  with  roof  and 
 doors,  which  the  hand  of  charity  had 
 erected  there  for  shelter.  With  joy  they 
 rushed  into  it,  closed  the  doors,  and  were 
 safe.     (Comp.  Isa.  xxvi.  20,  21.) 
 
 Ver.  U.  «  Vain  thoughts."  "  If 
 the  flow  of  a  day's  mind-and-heart  ex- 
 periences were  written,  it  would  be  a 
 volume,  and  one's  life  a  Bodleian  Lib- 
 rary ;  but  the  '  book  of  remembrance ' 
 is  yonder,  and  the  life  is  daguerreotyped 
 on  the  sensitive  pages  of  the  future." — 
 Beecher. 
 
 "  In  hotter  climates,  the  locusts  swarm 
 so  thickly  in  the  air  as  sometimes  to 
 hide  from  the  traveller  the  light  of  the 
 sun,  and  cast  a  cold,  dark  shadow  on  his 
 pathway.  So  it  is  in  the  world  of  mind : 
 swarms  of  vain  thoughts  are  ever  float- 
 ing over  some  minds,  intercepting  the 
 beams  of  truth  from  falling  on  the 
 heart,    and    thus    keeping    that    heart 
 
 barren   of   all  virtue  and  goodness." — 
 Rev.  R.  Roberts. 
 
 "  'Tis  not  in  things  o'er  thought  to  domineer: 
 Guard  well  thy  thought ;  our  thoughts  are 
 heard  in  heaven."  — Young. 
 
 Ver.  15.  I)a7i.  "In  consequence  of 
 a  large  portion  of  the  canton  of  Dan 
 continuing  in  the  possession  of  the 
 Philistines,  it  was  found  too  small  for 
 its  population,  and  600  Danites,  with 
 their  families,  emigrated  to  the  northern 
 extremity  of  Palestine,  attacked  Laish, 
 a  Zidonian  city  near  Lebanon,  took  pos- 
 session of  it,  and  changed  its  name  to 
 Dan.  This  place  is  notorious  in  sacred 
 history  as  the  spot  where  Jeroboam 
 established  his  golden  calves  (1  Kings 
 xii.  29),  and  as  the  place  which  Nebu- 
 chadnezzar first  seized  on  his  invasion 
 of  Canaan." — Faxton's  ''Sacred  Geo- 
 graphy." 
 
 Ver.  18.  "Bitter  at  heart."  On  the 
 walls  of  one  of  the  Egyptian  temples  is 
 said  to  be  the  inscription,  "The  impious 
 shall  commit  iniquity  without  recom- 
 pense, but  not  without  remorse." 
 
 "  Through  many  a  clime  'tis  mine  to  go, 
 With  many  a  retrospection  curst ; 
 And  all  my  solace  is  to  know, 
 
 Whate'er  betides,  I've  known  the  worst. 
 What  is  that  worst  ?     Nay  !  do  not  ask  ; 
 
 In  pity  from  the  search  forbear. 
 Smile  on  :  nor  venture  to  unmask 
 
 Man's    heart,   and  view   the   hell's  that 
 there."  — Byron. 
 
 "  'Tis  very  true,  my  grief  lies  all  within  ; 
 And  these  external  manners  of  lament 
 Are  merely  shadows  of  the  unseen  grief 
 That   swells  with  silence  in  the   tortured 
 
 soul  : 
 There  lies  the  substance." 
 
 — Shakespeare. 
 
 Ver.  19.  Prophet'' s  distress.  "  God's 
 ministers  must  have  their  hearts  fired, 
 not  with  passion,  but  with  love.  The 
 thunderbolt  may  crash,  but  the  sun 
 melts.  It  is  better  to  love  as  a  pastor 
 than  speak  as  an  angel." — Watson,  a.d. 
 1649. 
 
 Ver.  26.  "Broken  down  at  the  pre 
 sence  of  the  Lord."  "  Oh,  that  you  might 
 all  be  stirred  by  a  dread  of  the  Almighty  ! 
 I  announce  to  you  the  judgment  to 
 come ;  it  shall  break  upon  the  earth, 
 that  day  of  wonder  and  of  terror,  when 
 from  the  sea,  and  the  mountain,  and  the 
 desert  shall  swarm  the  buried  families 
 
 95 
 
CHAP.  V. 
 
 UOMILETIC  COMMENTARY:  JEREMIAH. 
 
 of  tbe  human  kind,  and  the  dead  shall  affords  not  a  sadder  sight  than  a  poor 
 
 stand  before  their  God  :  no  shelter  for  Christless  soul  shivering  upon  the  brink 
 
 the  proud,  no  mask  for  the  hypocrite,  of  eternity.     To  see  the  poor  soul  that 
 
 no  standing-place  for  the  presumptuous."  now  begins  to  wake   out   of  its   long 
 
 ,y- ,  -M  dream,  at  its  entrance  into  the  world  or 
 
 Ver.  30.    Finery :  Flattery.  realities,  shrinking  back  into  the  body 
 
 j^i.  x-L     i.1  •  and  crying,  0 1  cannot,  I  dare  not  die!" 
 
 "  Ah !  when  the  means  are  gone  that  buy  this      -^     »' 
 
 The  ^breath  is  gone  whereof  this  praise  is  *'  Come     home,      wandering,      tired, 
 
 made.  grieved,  soul !      Love  where   thy  love 
 
 Feast-won,  fast-lost;    one  cloud  of  winter  ^j^^^^^  ^^^  ^^  j^g^^      L^^e  Him  that  will 
 
 Thesf  Sra^e  couch'd."-SHAKESPEARK  "ot  reject  thee  nor  deceive  thee,  nor  re- 
 
 quite   thee  with  injuries  as  the  world 
 
 "  ^L'K^Ko'w^f :.'n,;M.»-«.».  doth      God  will  receive  thee  whea  the 
 
 world  doth  cast  thee  on,  it  thou  cast  on 
 
 Ver.  31.     Woe-striden.    "  The  world  the  world  for  Him  !  " — Baxter. 
 
 CHAPTER  V. 
 
 Ceitical  and  ExEQETiCAt  NoTES. — 1.  Chronology  of  the  chapter.  The  description  here  of 
 unblushing  immorality  and  total  disorganisation  leads  Kimchi  and  others  to  date  this  chapter 
 after  Josiah's  times  ;  but  it  ia  not  necessary  ;  ostentatious  reform  and  superficial  religion  may 
 be  synchronous  with  abandoned  impiety  and  grossest  corruption.  Matthew  Henry  boldly  puts 
 an  interval  of  twelve  years  between  the  fourth  and  this  chapter,  two  years  after  Josiah's  death, 
 but  without  argument  or  evidence. 
 
 2.  Cotemporary  Scriptures.  2  Chron.  xxxv.  1-19  ;  2  Kings  xxiii.  1-27;  Zeph.  i.-iii. ;  and, 
 probably,  Nalmm  and  Habakkuk. 
 
 3.  National  History  and  Cotemporary  History,  as  chap.  iii. 
 
 4.  Geographical  Eeferences  in  this  chapter.  Ver.  1.  "Broad  places  of  Jerusalem,"  open 
 spaces  just  within  the  gates  of  the  city,  places  of  concourse,  the  markets,  &c.  (See  on  chap.  i. 
 15).  Ver.  22.  "  The  sand  for  the  bound  of  the  sea."  Seas  known  to  the  sacred  writers  were — 
 1.  Mediterranean,  situate  in  the  middle  of  the  then  known  regions  of  the  earth,  separating  the 
 three  great  continents  Europe,  Asia,  and  Africa;  2320  miles  by  1080  at  extreme  measurements, 
 5000  feet  deep  at  Straits  of  Gibraltar,  inhabited  by  over  440  different  species  of  fish,  called  the 
 Great  Sea  (Num.  xxxiv.  6,  7),  Sea  of  the  Philistines  (Exod.  xxiii.  31).  On  its  shores  were  situate 
 the  mightiest  empires  of  the  world,  Assyrian,  Persian,  Grecian,  Roman.  Western  boundary  of 
 Palestine.  2.  Red  Sea,  a  huge  gulf  of  the  Indian  Ocean,  interposed  between  Egypt  and 
 Arabia;  1400  miles  by  150  ;  area,  about  180,000  square  miles  ;  depth,  about  6000  feet ;  divided 
 .it  northern  end  into  Gulf  of  Suez,  190  miles  by  20,  and  Gulf  of  Akabah,  112  by  15  ;  between 
 these  gulfs  lies  the  peninsula  of  Sinai.  3.  Bead  Sea,  inland  sea ;  believed  originally  to  have 
 been  a  huge  basin  in  the  channel  which  connected  the  Mediterranean  and  Red  Sea  ;  situate  south- 
 east of  Palestine,  48  miles  by  10  at  extreme  measurements,  300  square  miles  area,  depth  about 
 1300  feet,  and  the  surface  1300  feet  below  level  of  the  ocean.  4.  Sea  of  Galilee,  also  called 
 Sea  of  Tiberias,  north-east  of  Palestine,  700  feet  below  level  of  Mediterranean,  12  miles  by  6, 
 depth  about  700  feet. 
 
 "  How  pleasant  to  me  is  thy  deep  blue  wave,  0  Sea  of  Galilee  ! 
 For  the  glorious  One  who  came  to  save  hath  often  stood  by  thee." 
 
 ^oQ?®'?°°ui^"'^^^°°^'  ^-scription  of  the  Balylonians  (ver.  15).  ''Mighty  nation,"  called 
 (1,  23),  the  hammer  of  the  whole  earth;"  "ancient  nation,"  the  empire  was  founded  by 
 Nimrod  soon  after  the  Flood  (Gen.  x.  8,  10,  xi.  4,  9).  Isaiah  suggests  (xxiii.  13)  that  the 
 Chaldeans  were  a  younger  branch  of  that  venerable  stock,  vet  to  earliest  times  their  origin  is 
 traceable  when  they  were  one  of  the  Cushite  tribes  (Dr.  W.  Smith),  a  fact  proved  by  the  relics 
 of  their  language  which,  as  a  dialect  of  Babylonia,  was  retained  in  use  as  the  learned  languaRe 
 or  scientific  and  religious  literature  (Dan.  i.  4).  Henderson  states  that  originally  they  in- 
 habited  the  Carduchian  Mountains  and  the  northern  parts  of  Mesopotamia,  and  afterwards 
 migrated  into  the  Babylonian  territory  ;  "whose  language"  the  Jews  knew  not,  nor  could  un- 
 derstand, either  because  the  Chaldee,  though  only  a  dialect  of  the  Hebrew,  was  so  different  in 
 ita  words  and  construction  as  to  be  foreign  to  a  Jew,  or  (as  Henderson  suggests)  because  the 
 
HOMILETIC  COMMENTARY :  JEREMIAH. 
 
 people  had  retained  their  native  Cushite  tongue,  probably  the  mother  of  the  present  Kurdish, 
 a  language  totally  different  from  any  of  Semitic  origin,  in  close  affinity  with  the  Persic. 
 
 6.  Natural  History.  Ver.  6.  "Lion"  (see  notes  on  ii.  15,  iv.  7).  '■'Wolf  of  the  evenings :" 
 formerly  abundant  in  Palestine,  now  seen  occasionally  :  character  and  habits  described  Gen. 
 slis.  27.  Inferior  to  lion  in  strength  and  to  leopard  in  courage,  yet  if  possible  more  rapa- 
 cious and  fierce  (especially  in  the  evening)  than  either  (Habak.  i.  8) ;  generally  chooses  as  his 
 prey  the  weaker  animals,  lambs  and  kids ;  his  depredations  destructive  in  the  extreme,  for  he 
 assails  not  only  what  his  ravenous  hunger  craves,  but  every  living  thing  he  meets.  He 
 "dwells  alone,  shunning  even  his  own  species,  except  for  occasional  combined  attack." 
 "Leopard  shall  watch  over  cities : "  predacious  (Hos.  siii.  7) ;  swift  (Hab.  i.  8) ;  "  has  a  ferocious 
 air,  a  restless  eye,  a  cruel  aspect ;  "  is  very  nimble  in  his  movements,  swift  and  subtle, 
 gluttonous  and  rapacious.  Homer  says  the  leopard  can  never  bo  satisfied  with  prey  (Paxton'a 
 "Natural  History  "). 
 
 Ver.  17.  '' Vines  and  fig-trees."  "Vines"  (notes  on  ii.  21).  "  i^/gr-ireea ;"  very  abundant 
 in  Palestine  (Deut.  viii.  8)  ;  a  single  tree  would  produce  280  lbs.  of  figs. 
 
 Ver.  24.  "Former  and  latter  rain"  (see  Critical  Notes  on  iii.  3).  "  Weehs  of  harvest:" 
 seven  weeks  which  intervened  between  the  feasts  of  Passover  and  Pentecost  (Deut.  xvi.  9). 
 P>arley  harvest  began  quickly  after  Passover  ;  wheat,  which  ripens  later,  was  reaped  just  before 
 Peutecost,  at  which  sheaves  were  offered  (Exod.  xxxiv.  22).  Rain  never  fell  during  those  weeks 
 (1  Sam.  xii.  17;  Prov.  xxiv.  1  ;  Amos  iv.  7).  The  regularity  of  weather  and  seasons  was  con- 
 sequent upon  a  special  Providence  and  covenant  promises  (Deut.  xi.  11-14).  The  climate  and 
 seasons  are  now  very  uncertain  ;  for  the  Providence  has  been  alienated,  and  the  covenant  with- 
 drawn because  of  sin  (Deut.  xi.  17). 
 
 7.  Manners  and  Customs.  Ver.  1.  "  Executeth  judgment :"  see  Lit.  Crit.  below.  Ver.  5. 
 "  Broke7i  the  yoke  and  hurst  the  bonds  "{see  notes  on  ii.  20);  implement  of  husbandry  ;  three 
 Hebrew  words  translated  yoke,  ZD^D    niDiQ,   and  71^;  the   last  here.      Ver.  10.    "Walls 
 
 '  T 
 
 and  battlements:"  the  old  wall  began  on  the  north  of  Jerusalem  at  the  tower  called 
 Hippicus,  and  terminated  at  the  west  cloister  of  the  Temple  :  its  southern  direction  was  over 
 the  pool  of  Siloam  to  the  eastern  cloister  of  the  Temple.  Josephus  says  there  were  sixty  towers 
 on  this  wall.  The  city  was  divided  into  the  High  Town  on  the  west,  and  the  Low  Town  on  the 
 east.  When  David  acquired  possession  of  both,  he  "  built  the  city  round  about,  even  from  Millo 
 round  about  "  (2  Sam.  v.  9)  ;  and  "  Joab  repaired  the  rest  of  the  city  "  (1  Chron.  xi.  8),  i.e.,  the 
 High  Town  ;  connecting  the  two  divisions  of  the  city  together,  and  surrounding  the  whole 
 with  fortifications  (Josephus  Antiq.  VII.  iii.  2).  These  walls  of  David  were  strengthened  and 
 elaborated  by  Solomon  (1  Kings  iii.  1,  xi.  27).  Josephus  says  that  Solomon  "having  repaired 
 the  walls  of  Jerusalem,  made  them  much  greater  and  stronger  than  they  were  before  "  (Ant. 
 VIII.  ii.  1);  and  that  "  the  walls  that  encompassed  Jerusalem  might  correspond  to  the  dignity 
 of  the  city,  he  both  repaired  them  and  made  them  higher,  and  built  great  towers  upon  them  " 
 (Ant.  VIII.  vi.  1).  Ver.  16.  "Quiver  :"  Layard's  "Monuments  of  Nineveh  "  represent  the 
 enormous  and  powerful  bows  carried  by  the  Assyrian  warriors.  The  bowmen  and  cavalry 
 formed  the  main  strength  of  Chaldean  armies.  "  Quiver"  was  the  case  in  which  each  soldier 
 packed  and  carried  his  arrows,  and  was  probably  slung  over  the  shoulder.  Ver.  17.  "Im- 
 poverish  thy  cities:"  see  Lit.  Crit.  below.  Ver.  27.  ''Cage  fall  of  birds :  "cage,"  ^^t'l), 
 rendered  in  Amos  viii.  1,  "basket,"  because  made  of  wickerwork  :  in  this  birds  were  secured 
 by  the  fowler,  and  the  door  left  open  as  a  decoy  to  birds  which  were  free,  who  no  sooner 
 entered  than  the  door  fell. 
 
 8.  Literary  Criticism.  Ver.  1.  "  Executeth  judgment : "  lit.  doing  right;  no  allusion  here 
 to  conduct  of  public  judicial  officers,  but  to  general  behaviour  of  men.  "  Seeketh  the  truth  :  " 
 not  verbal,  but  p-ac<icaZ  truth;  i.e.,  integrity,  good-faith,  truth  in  actions.  Ver.  3.  "Upon 
 the  truth,"  i.e.,  practical  truth  (as  in  ver.  1)  ;  fidelity  as  opposed  to  falseness  (ver.  2)  Ver.  4. 
 "  Therefore  : "  too  vigorous  a  rendering  ;  then,  and.  Ver.  6.  "  Wolf  of  the  evenings:  "  H^^, 
 evening;  HIll^  desert:  the  word  here  is  a  plural  form  Di^ir.  The  prevailing  conclusions 
 of  commentators  derive  this  plural  from,  (121^ ;  thus,  vjolfof  the  deserts  :  but  Gesenius  gives 
 this  plural  from  "^^V  evening  ;  and  De  Wett,  Hend.,  and  Noyes  retain  wolf  of  the  evenings. 
 Ver.  7.  "How  shall  I  pardon?"  more  correctly.  What  reason,  why  should  I,  how  can  I ? 
 "  Though  I  fed  them  to  the  full:"  thirty-three  of  De  Rossi's  MSS.,  the  Sept.,  Vulg.,  Syriac, 
 Arabic,  Tayum,  and  many  expositors,  ancient  and  modern,  retain  this  reading  from  the  word 
 ^3.ii7NtV  appealing  to  V.  28  and  Deut.  xxxii.  15;  Hos.  xiii.  6;  Neh.  ix.  25,  as  parallels; 
 •where  bountifulness  of  earthly  enjoyments  issued  in  apostasy.  But  the  word  should  be 
 J^3,Ii^J^T  and  I  made  them  swear:  the  preponderance  of  existing  MSS.  supports  this  pointing, 
 and  inost  modern  commentators  prefer  it  ;  i.e.,  God  made  them  pledge  allegiance  to  Himself; 
 both  originally  at  Sinai  (Exod.  xxiv.  7),  and  recently  during  Josiah's  reforms  (2  Kings  xxiii.  3  ; 
 2  Chron.  xxxiv.  7  seq.).  Ver.  8.  "  Fed  horses  in  the  morning:"  a  difficulty  with  the  word 
 rendered  "  lu  the  morning."      This  derives  □^Sli'O  from  DDU^    to  nse  early  in  the  morning. 
 
 a  '  •  '^'  97 
 
IIOMILETIC  COMMENTARY :  JEREMIAH. 
 
 Hitzig  traces  the  word  to  "^V^ ^  to  draw;  hence  "draught  horses."  Evvald,  altering  the 
 word  to  D"'p^D  gives  "lustful horses"  But  the  safer  and  most  preferable  derivation  of  the 
 word  is  from  HDIi^  the  Hiphil  particle;  to  wander  (Maurer,  Keil,  Umbriet,  Speaker's  Com.), 
 "  thet/  rove  about"  Ver.  10.  "Walls  and  hattlemtnts : "  hattlements  is  a  false  rendering: 
 tendrils  i.e.,  of  the  vine  (ii.  21)  or  branches  (Isa.  xviii.  5).  The  walls  of  the  vineyard  are  to  be 
 scaled  nnd  while  the  stock  of  the  vine  is  to  be  spared,  all  her  tendrils  are  to  be  torn  or  hewn 
 oflf.  Ver.  12.  "It  is  not  he,"  i.e.,  not  God,  who  has  spoken  of  judgments;  therefore  the 
 menaces  were  false,  "wind"  (ver.  13) ;  or  "i/e  is  not,"  i.e.,  there  is  no  God  to  punish  as  is 
 predicted  (Ps.  xiv.  1).  Ver.  13.  "  Thus  shall  it  be  done  unto  them,"  or,  so  be  it  done;  may  the 
 calamities  they  threaten  come  upon  the  prophets  themselves.  Ver.  15.  "  A  mighty  nation  :" 
 the  word  signifies  perennial,  as  of  an  ever-flowing  stream,  or  enduring,  as  rocks  ;  the  same 
 word  is  used  of  both.  "An  ancient  nation:"  D^'^^D^  from  eternity,  of  immemorial 
 antiquity.  Ver.  17.  "Impoverish  cities,"  break  in  pieces,  batter  doicn:  "with  the  sword," 
 with  weapons,  or  hy  force  of  arms.  Ver,  28.  "Yet  they  prosper,"  rather,  that  they  may  prosper, 
 viz.,  the  '-fatherless."  Ver.  31.  "Rule  by  their  means:"  lit.  at  their  hand;  Sep.  and  Vulg. 
 suggest,  "  the  priests  applattd  %cith  their  hands  "  the  false  prophecies  of  peace  :  the  Syriac,  "  held 
 their  hands,"  i.e.,  strengthened  and  supported  the  false  prophets.  Hather,  at  or  under  their 
 hands;  the  priests  rule  as  the  false  prophets  direct. 
 
 EOMILIES  AND  OUTLINES  ON  SECTIONS  OF  CHAPTER  V. 
 
 Section  1-9.  A  profligate  people  ripe  for  vengeance. 
 ,,    10-19.   Forewarning  despised,  judgment  prepared. 
 ,,    20-25.   Solemn  reasons  for  fearing  God.  ♦ 
 
 „    26-31.  Spiritual  criminality  of  most  hideous  form. 
 
 Ver.  1-9.  A  PROFLIGATE  People  PtiPE  for  Vengeance. 
 
 The  facts :  not  an  upright  or  godly  man  could  be  found  in  Jerusalem  (ver.  1,  2). 
 All  were  spiritually  incorrigible  and  defiant  (ver.  3).  Excusing  the  poor  in  part, 
 because  of  their  spiritual  ignorance,  it  was  yet  found  that  the  rich  and  learned 
 were  insolently  impious  (ver.  4,  5).  All  this  necessitated  direct  punishment  and 
 destruction  (ver.  6).  God  could  discover  no  ground  for  pardon  or  pity  in  their 
 case  (ver.  7,  8).     Vengeance  must  fall  on  them  (ver.  9). 
 
 I.  Lenient  conditions  of  pardon  (ver.  1).  Find  a  good  man,  and  I  will  pardon 
 the  city!  1.  Appalling  corruption  of  society.  Either:  {\.)  Though  many  esteemed 
 themselves  good  and  pious,  God  saw  all  to  he  vile.  Or  :  (2.)  If  any  were  true  and 
 righteous  he  dare  not  openly  show  his  religion  (Isa.  lix.  14).  2.  Easy  terms  of 
 mercy.  God  asked  "  teii  righteous "  in  Sodom :  but  would  spare  Jerusalem 
 for  one/  (1.)  How  He  loved  and  desired  to  spare  the  city.  (2.)  Hoiv  slow  to  anger 
 and  of  great  kindness. 
 
 II.  Blasphemous  show  of  piety.  Though  utterly  iniquitous,  the  profession  of 
 religion  had  not  been  abandoned  (ver.  2).  1.  It  gratified  and  quieted  their 
 conscience.     2.  But  it  incensed  the  God  of  truth  (Isa.  xxix.  13  ;   Prov.  xii,  22). 
 
 III.  Hardened  resistance  of  God  (ver.  3).  Their  gross  irreligion  was  not  be- 
 cause God  had  not  done  all  He  could  to  restrain  and  correct  them.  Yet  He  whose 
 "  eyes  are  upon  the  truth  "  saw  only  falsity.  1.  God  had  afflicted  them  in  mercy; 
 but  the  "  stroke  "  awakened  no  penitential  response.  2.  God  had  corrected  them 
 mih  severity;  but  they  resisted  the  design  of  the  Lord  in  thus  "consuming" 
 them.  Instead:  3.  They  fortified  themselves  against  God  and  His  judgments. 
 And,  4.   Deliberately  refused  to  return  to  Him. 
 
 IV.  Prevailing  social  corruption  (ver.  4,  5).  1.  From  the  lowest  grade  to  the 
 highest  society  was  godless.  2.  Ignorance  or  knowledge  altered  not  their  case;  "  the 
 poor  know  not,"  &c.,  but  "  the  great  have  hiown  the  way  of  the  Lord  ;  "  yet  from 
 the  least  to  the  greatest  everyone  was  evil  (chap.  vi.  13).  The  poor  blindly 
 wander,  but  the  rich  are  blasphemously  wilful :  but  so  it  was,  «  all  flesh  had  cor- 
 rupted  Its   way."     What  a  catalogue  of  sins  is  here  given!     Ver.   1.  Total  ab- 
 
nOMlLETIC  COMMENTARY :  JEREMIAH. 
 
 sence  of  integrity  in  public  life ;  ver.  2,  Hypocrisy  in  religion ;  ver.  3,  Incor- 
 rigible hardness  of  heart;  ver.  4,  Degradation  of  the  poor;  ver.  5,  Debauchery 
 of  the  rich ;  ver.  7,  8,  Shameless  idolatry  and  frightful  immorality.  Surely 
 these  had  sunk  to  the  "  depths  of  Satan." 
 
 V.  Righteous  punishment  threatened  (ver.  6).  1.  Its  nature  definitely  Tcnown 
 to  God ;  for  He  fixes  positive  consequences  to  sin ;  not  merely  gives  the  sinner  up 
 to  indefinite  miseries.  2.  Its  severity  fully  determined.  For  "  every  one,"  there- 
 fore none  shall  elude  it ;  "  torn  in  pieces,"  therefore  none  shall  outbrave  it.  3.  Its 
 justice  unquestionable;  ^^  because  their  transgressions,"  iSic.  God's  dealings  even 
 with  rebels  are  not  arbitrary  or  extreme :  He  lets  each  transgressor  mete  out  his 
 own  misery  by  the  decision  of  merit. 
 
 VI.  An  insulted  God  avenged  (ver.  9).  1.  Can  any  challenge  the  justice? 
 What  are  "  tliese  things"  to  which  God  makes  appeal  1  (1.)  God's  own  children  had 
 forsaken  Him  (ver.  7).  (2.)  Openly  identified  themselves  with  idols.  (3.)  Violated 
 His  laws.  (4.)  Utterly  polluted  the  homes  and  the  city  (ver.  7,  8).  2.  Can  any 
 siiggest  reasons  of  mercy  ?  (1.)  Should  such  vileness  he  tolerated?  (ver.  7,  8).  (2.) 
 Ought  snch falsity  to  be  connived  at]  (ver.  1,  2).  (3.)  Can  any  Divine  correction 
 avail  1  (ver.  3).  (4.)  Are  there  any  who  merit  to  be  spared  ]  (ver.  1,  4,  5).  (5.)  Is  the 
 judgment  heavier  than  is  deserved  1  (ver.  G).  3.  Can  any  hope  to  evade  God's 
 vengeance?  (1.)  I^ot  by  subtle  devices  a7id  deception  (ver.  2,  3).  (2.)  Yet  by  peni- 
 tential pleading  for  pardon  (ver.  1).     (3.)  Calvary  is  our  sole  hojye. 
 
 Ver.  10-19.  Fokewaening  Despised:  Judgment  Prepared. 
 
 Multitudes  are  ruined  by  fancying  that  God  will  not  be  so  strict  to  punish 
 iniquity  as  His  Word  forewarns  (ver.  12).  This  was  Satan's  first  snare  laid  for 
 man  (Gen.  iii.  4) ;  and  men  easily  fall  into  it  still.  Sinners  are  ready  to  deny  a 
 message  to  be  from  God  which  troubles  them  in,  and  would  drive  them  from,  their 
 sins  (ver.  13). 
 
 I.  Grod  disowns  them  (ver.  10).  "They  are  not  the  Lord's"  (see  Lit.  Grit,  on 
 **  battlements "),  i.e.,  such  vile  outgrowths  from  the  stock  of  David  God  will  not 
 regard  as  His  people.  1.  They  acted  deceitfully  with  God  (ver.  11).  2.  They 
 talked  defiantly  against  God  (ver.  12,  13),  showing — (1.)  An  absence  of  reverence  or 
 regard  for  God  Himself, — "  it  is  not  He,"  rather  "  He  is  not"  (see  Lit.  Grit.)  ;  (2.) 
 Utter  heedlessness  of  God's  Wo}-d, — mere  "wind"  (ver.  13);  3.  Thej  tvickedly  menaced 
 God's  messenger  (ver.  1 3), — "  Thus  shall  it  be  done,"  &c.  This  filled  up  the  measure 
 of  their  iniquity  (Matt,  xxiii.  30-33).  Thus  had  they  ruthlessly  broken  every  link 
 that  united  them  with  the  Lord,  and  defaced  every  feature  which  identified  them 
 with  Him  and  His  true  people.  "  Now,  if  any  man  have  not  the  spirit  of  Christ, 
 he  is  none  of  His  "  (IJom.  viii.  9).  "  I  never  knew  you :  depart  from  Me,  ye  that 
 work  iniquity  "  (Matt.  vii.  23). 
 
 n.  Grod  dooms  them.  Jehovah  speaks,  and  there  is  a  dreadful  "  wherefore " 
 determining  His  utterance  ;  it  is  a  deliverance  of  Judah  to  wrath.  1.  The  threaten- 
 ings  they  derided  shall  devour  them  as  fire  (ver.  14),  burn  within  their  consciences 
 and  memories, — the  fire  never  to  be  quenched  :  an  inward  terror  at  the  wrath  of 
 God  should  consume  them  as  wood,  burning  up  their  complacency,  their  fearless- 
 ness, their  hopes,  their  delusions.  2.  The  foe  they  disregarded  shoxdd  waste  and 
 ruin  them.  (1.)  Protection  and  defences  should  fail ;  "walls"  scaled  (ver.  10), 
 "fenced  cities"  destroyed  (ver.  17).  (2.)  A  scourging  adversary  should  desolate 
 them ;  God  would  bring  it,  for  He  commands  nations  to  do  His  will  (ver.  15). 
 (a.)  Dreadful  in  itself  (ver.  15)  ;  (6.)  terrible  in  war  (ver.  16)  ;  (c.)  wasting  the 
 country  (ver.  17)  ;  {d.)  destroying  the  cities  (ver.  17) ;  (e.)  implacable  in  slaughter 
 (ver.  6). 
 
 III.  God  deserts  them  (ver.  19).  As  they  had  deserted  Him.  "  With  what 
 measure  ye  mete,"  &c.      1.  Sinners  dare  to  challenge  the  justice  of  God  in  their 
 
 99 
 
HOMILETIC  COMMENTARY :  JEREMIAH. 
 
 overthrow  (ver.  19,  comp.  Matt.  xxv.  44).  2.  God  justifies  His  dealings  with 
 transgressors  (ver.  19) ;  their  punishment  corresponds  to  their  sin :  having 
 "served  strange  gods"  wilfully,  they  shall  "serve  strangers"  compulsorily.  Yet, 
 3.  God  limits°the  severity  of  their  punishment  (ver.  18),  for  His  promises  must  be 
 fulfilled  to  Judah,  and  His  mercy  must  be  illustrated  before  the  world  as  well  as 
 His  justice  ;  and  the  enemy  whom  God  employs  to  punish  shall  see  that  God  gives 
 not  the  sceptre  into  his  hand.  God  is  the  Supreme  King  ;  His  sceptre  rules  over 
 mighty  nations  (ver.  15),  and  is  stretched  over  even  the  guiltiest  sinners  (ver.  IS), 
 that  their  repentance  might  lead  to  their  redemption. 
 
 Ver.  20-25.  Solemn  Reasons  foe  FEARiNa  the  Lord, 
 
 First :  Argument  from  God's  government  of  the  sea  (ver.  22,  23).  Preliminary 
 remarks  :  1.  God,  the  author  and  governor  of  the  sea,  "  placed  sand  for  bound 
 of  the  sea."  2.  God  binds  the  sea  within  limits  of  law,  "  by  perpetual  decree." 
 3.  God's  laws  are  permanent  in  their  control.  4.  God  is  ever  present  in  His  laws 
 and  contrivances:  "Tremble  at  My  presence  which  placed  the  sand,"  &c.  5. 
 God's  presence  in  His  all-pervading  laws  should  have  a  restraining  and  reverencing 
 influence  upon  men  :   "  Fear  ye  not  me  %   saith  the  Lord,"  &c. 
 
 I.  God's  government  of  the  sea.  1.  His  government  of  the  sea  is  suited  to 
 imjiress  man  tvifh  an  idea  of  infinite  power.  2.  To  impress  man  with  the  idea  of 
 consummate  tvisdom.  3.  Of  special  goodness.  Twofold  :  (a.)  negatively,  in  check- 
 ing the  threatening  invasion  of  the  sea  ;  (6.)  afiirmatively,  in  giving  rain,  &c.  (ver. 
 24).  Its  obedience  is  a  matter  of  necessity:  waves  may  "toss  themselves,"  but 
 God  absolutely  controls.  Its  voice  to  man  is,  "  Fear  Him,  obey  His  commands, 
 willingly  bend  to  His  will,  ere  He  crush  thee." 
 
 II.  Man's  revolting  tendencies.  1.  God  has  prescribed  the  bounds  of  man's 
 actions  and  thoughts  by  befitting  laws.  As  the  sea  has  "  bounds,"  so  there  are 
 limits  to  every  finite  being.  2.  To  overstep  these  limits  is  rebellion  against  the 
 Great  Lawgiver.  3.  Man  has  revolted  (ver.  23),  diflfering  in  this  from  the  sea. 
 (Nature  protests  and  remonstrates  against  human  lawlessness.)  4.  Man  can  do 
 what  the  sea  can  not:  (a.)  man  has  "a  heart,"  the  sea  has  not ;  a  will-power ;  (b.) 
 this  power  in  man  has  been  prostituted  to  evil:  '' rebellious  heart."  CoN.  :  1. 
 God  must  govern  heart  and  will  by  Heart  and  Will  influences.  2.  It  is  easier  for 
 God  to  rule  oceans  than  man,  because  "  he  has  a  rebellious  heart."  3.  Man,  as  a 
 rebel,  contrasts  unfavourably  with  the  material  creation,  and  God  notices  it  with 
 painful  emotion  :  "  Fear  ye  not  Me?"  &c. — Homilist. 
 
 Second :  Argument  from  God's  bestoivment  of  the  harvest  (ver.  24,  25).  The 
 history  of  Judah  in  Jeremiah's  time  shows  His  dealings  with  a  sinful  and  impeni- 
 tent nation,  and  off"ers  awful  warnings  of  tlie  fate  of  such  as  resist  His  grace, 
 despise  His  long-suffering,  and  harden  themselves  against  His  loving  correction. 
 1.  What  befell  the  Jews  may  befall  any  nation  whose  offences  against  God  are 
 equally  great  and  grievous.  2.  The  sins  which  provoked  the  indignation  of 
 Heaven  may  be  learned,  (a.)  Idolatry  and  worship  of  false  gods  (ver.  19).  {b.) 
 Habitual  and  impious  perjury  (ver.  2).  (c.)  Scandalous  uncleanness  (ver.  7). 
 {d.)  Covetous  and  oppressive  to  the  poor  (ver.  26).  (e.)  Destitute  of  a  habitual 
 sense  of  God's  presence  and  power  in  the  ordinary  and  natural  dispensations  of 
 His  mercy  and  Providence  (ver.  24). 
 
 I.  Until  the  Gospel  was  communicated  to  the  world,  attentive  observance  of  the 
 dispensation  of  Providence  was  the  prhicipal  means  whereby  God's  Spirit  drew  the 
 Gentiles  to  Himself,  and  led  them  to  piety  and  obedience.  1.  It  was  the  religion 
 of  Nature.  Paul  attested  this  at  Lystra  (Acts  xiv.  15-17),  and  urged  it  upon  the 
 liomans  (Rom.  L  19,  20).  2.  From  God's  ivorks  alone,  His  being,  power,  mercy, 
 may  be  fully  and  satisfactorily  proved,  even  without  the  advantages  of  revelation : 
 they  show  desirjn ;  they  attest  a  Creator,  and  an  all-wise  Author :  while  "visible 
 100  ' 
 
no  MI  LET IC  COMMENTARY :  JEREMIAH. 
 
 things,"  iiigbt  and  day,  witness  of  the  Most  High,  His  greatness  and  His  goodness. 
 All  His  works  appeal  to  us :  "  Let  us  now  fear  the  Lord." 
 
 IL  Although  we  enjoy  the  full  light  of  the  glorious  Gospel,  we  can  never  too 
 closely  keep  in  mind  the  fact  that  all  things  we  see  and  enjoy  are  ordained  by  God. 
 \.  We  have  less  need  than  the  heathen  to  learn  about  God  from  His  outward  and 
 visible  works ;  yet,  2.  We  are  beholden  to  His  Providence  for  all  essential  natural 
 blessings.  3.  Nothing  in  nature  could  reach  maturity  but  for  the  fatherly  care  of 
 God.  Thus  learning  our  total  dependence  on  God,  three  consequences  will  follow  : 
 (1.)  A  perfect  resignation  to  His  will  and  trust  in  His  mercy.  He  who  has  not 
 withheld  His  own  Son  from  our  spiritual  necessity,  will  not  deny  us  anything  needful 
 to  us.  (2.)  We  must  not  pride  ourselves  in  our  worldly  goods  as  if  they  were  our 
 own,  nor  set  our  hearts  upon  them  as  if  sure  of  keeping  them  for  ever.  (3.)  As  God 
 gives  us  all  things,  there  is  only  one  way  of  obtaining  in  this  world  whatever  is 
 needful  and  good  for  us,  i.e.,  constantly  make  known  our  wants  to  Him  in  prayer. 
 
 IIL  From  the  natural  events  around  us  we  may  learn  :  1.  Diligence  in  our  spiri- 
 tual concerns,  that  the  Word  of  Life  may  ripen  in  our  hearts.  2.  Pray  that  the 
 Heavenly  Sower  will  not  pass  us  by  in  barrenness.  3.  When  observing  the  tender 
 blade,  reflect  on  the  weakness  of  our  advance  in  piety,  and  entreat  Him  who  tem- 
 pers all  the  elements  to  "work  all  things  together  for  our  good."  4.  When  the 
 harvest  hour  is  nigh,  let  us  think  how  short  our  time  is,  and  pray  that  we  may 
 not  be  found  blasted  or  unfruitful. — Arranged  from  Sermon  by  Bishop  Reginald 
 Heber.     Dated  a.d.  1838. 
 
 Ver.  26-31.  Spiritual  Criminality  of  most  Hideous  Form. 
 
 Guilt  has  its  climax  :  sinners  see  it  not  as  a  "  wonder  and  a  horror"  (ver.  30), 
 because  they  descend  by  gradual  stages  to  the  utmost  depths  of  defilement,  and 
 grow  accustomed  to  the  horrible  distortion  of  the  life  and  affections ;  moreover,  as 
 they  sink  into  the  loathsome  depths,  their  perception  becomes  darkened,  and  sensi- 
 bilities grow  sottish  (ver.  21).  Else  sinners  woidd  be  horrified  at  themselves.  But 
 the  spectacle  of  man  distorted  and  debased  is  a  "  wonderful  and  a  horrible  thing  " 
 to  the  good  and  to  God ;  ^'wonderful,"  that  man  can  sink  to  such  depths,  considering 
 what  he  was  and  might  become  ;  "  horrible"  that  so  fair  a  creature  could  become  so 
 foul,  that  God's  people  can  be  rendered  so  hideously  the  children  of  the  devil. 
 
 I.  The  predacious  cruelty  of  the  wicked  (ver.  26,  27).  Devoid  of  honourable 
 feeling,  they  will  wrong  any  one  so  as  to  advance  themselves.  1.  Malicious. 
 2.  Cunning.  3.  Treacherous.  They  who  trust  the  wicked  walk  into  swamps,  follow 
 a  ghastly  shadow,  tread  the  ways  to  hell. 
 
 II.  The  gains  of  guilt  and  oppression  (ver.  27,  28).  Men  of  no  conscience  or 
 restraints  can  prosper  and  aggrandise  themselves  more  easily  than  the  good ;  nor 
 wonder  :  earth  is  their  heaven  ;  "in  life  they  have  their  good  things;"  the  god  of 
 this  world  feeds  their  sensual  souls ;  but  woe  follows  all.  1.  Society  accords  place 
 and  power  to  the  successful ;  "  become  great."  2.  Wealth  is  within  the  reach  of  the 
 scheming  and  extortionate;  "  waxen  rich."  3.  Self-indulgence  and  luxury  become 
 their  rule  ;  "  waxen  fat,  and  shine."  4.  They  may  be  pitied  who  are  in  their  power 
 (ver.  28) ;  for  avarice  and  oppression  have  rendered  them  heartless  and  selfish, 
 dead  to  all  sense  of  justice,  or  compassion  for  the  suffering  and  injured. 
 
 III.  The  horrifying  extremes  of  sin.  To  what  it  will  grow.  1.  The  social 
 leaders  surpiass  all  ordinary  bounds  of  wickedness  (ver.  28) ;  i.e.,  they  cast  off  all 
 restraint ;  "  fear  not  God,  nor  regard  men ; "  use  their  power  and  wealth  for  grossest 
 tyranny  and  foulest  immorality  (ver.  8).  2.  The  religious  leaders  beguile  the  people 
 with  imiJostures  ;  "  prophets  and  priests  "  combine  to  decoy  and  destroy  souls.  Awful 
 when  spiritual  guides  plot  their  people's  ruin  !  3.  The  godless  nation  luxuriates  in 
 delusions.  Enjoy  the  deceptions ;  abandon  themselves  to  licentiousness  and  vile- 
 ness;  cast  off  Jehovah  and  make  gods  of  their  own  gratifications  and  lusts.  Such 
 a  scene  is  only  fit  for  the  "  blackness  of  darkness." 
 
 101 
 
CHAP.  V. 
 
 HOMILETIC  COMMENTARY :  JEREMIAH. 
 
 IV.  The  fearful  issues  of  all.  1.  There  comes  an  "  end  thereof"  (ver.  31).  2. 
 Sinners  ivould  then  gladly  ''do"  anyOiing  to  escape.  3.  The  terrible  reckoning  will 
 surely  come  (ver.  29).  God  Himself  will  comfort  them  :  ''visit  them."  Vengeance 
 will  break  forth  on  such  transgressors.  There  will  be  bitterness  and  woe  at  "  the 
 end,"  without  amelioration  or  redemption. 
 
 EOMILIES  AND  COMMENTS  ON  VERSES  OF  CHAPTER  V. 
 
 Ver.  1.     Theme:  A  city  saved  fok 
 
 ONE    GOOD    MAN. 
 
 There  were  good  men  at  this  time  in 
 Jerusalem:  king  Josiah,  Baruch  the 
 scribe,  Zephaniah  the  prophet ;  but  the 
 righteous  were  driven  into  seclusion  by 
 the  public  immorality  and  hostility,  so 
 that  in  "  the  streets  and  broad  places  " 
 not  one  could  be  found.  JVote :  There 
 may  be  holy  men  praying  and  weeping 
 in  secret,  though  none  in  the  highways  : 
 they  may  be  forced  to  retreat  from 
 places  of  power  and  publicity,  yet  "  God 
 knoweth  them  that  are  His."  The  pro- 
 phet appeals  to  the  people  to  6nd  one 
 good  man  among  and  of  themselves. 
 (Addenda  on  ver.  1,  '^Streets  of  Jerusa- 
 lem," "  Seek  a  man.") 
 
 Great  truths  suggested:  — 
 
 I.  Doom  suspended  while  a  Saviour 
 is  sought.  God  arrests  the  sword 
 while  the  search  is  everywhere  diligently 
 prosecuted. 
 
 1.  j?7te  high  value  of  one  good  life  : 
 in  God's  esteem ;  in  a  nation's  ex- 
 perience. Evils  are  thereby  averted 
 from  many  who  neither  appreciate  nor 
 recognise  their  benefactor.  "  Ye  are 
 the  salt  of  the  earth."  (Addenda,  ver. 
 1,  "  One  true  man  woidd  avert  woe.") 
 
 2.  l^he  saving  mission  of  a  holy  man. 
 One  man  of  prayer  may  call  down 
 mercy  on  numbers  :  one  zealous  Chris- 
 tian may  snatch  hundreds  as  brands 
 from  the  burning.  The  lone  missionary 
 among  heathen.  The  earnest  preacher 
 of  Jesus  among  a  congregation.  The 
 diligent  worker  for  Christ  in  society, 
 
 3.  The  sublime  fulfilment  of  this  in 
 Jesus.  Then  there  was  "  One  Man"  in 
 the  city.  We  "  can  find  a  Man,"  for 
 whose  sake  God  "  will  pardon."  But  as 
 yet  Christ  had  not  come. 
 
 II.  Doom  necessitated  because  no 
 
 Saviour  could  be  found.    There  was 
 
 not  one    good    man    to    hold  the   gap 
 
 against  tlie  foe.     ^Yhat  a  dreadful  state 
 
 103 
 
 of  society ;  how  utterly  and  hopelessly 
 corrupt.  Equally  true  in  God's  sight, 
 "  whose  eyes  are  upon  the  truth  "  (ver. 
 3),  that  "  there  is  none  righteous,  no 
 not  one."  Nowhere  from  among  men 
 could  a  sinless  saviour  be  found. 
 
 1.  The  Christless  sinner's  perplexity. 
 He  can  discover  no  Saviour.  The 
 agonising  devices  of  heathenism  show 
 this.  The  terror  of  men  who  have 
 sought  hope  apart  from  the  Gospel 
 attests  the  same  fact.  The  plaintive 
 lament  of  the  restless  soul,  "  Oh,  that  I 
 knew  where  I  might  find  Him  /"  confirms 
 the  truth.  There  is  "  no  man,"  and 
 therefore  *'  no  pardon,"  till  Jesus  is 
 found. 
 
 2.  The  perilous  state  of  humanity. 
 The  sword  was  unsheathed  against 
 Jerusalem :  wrath  is  declared  against 
 all  mankind,  "  for  that  all  have  sinned." 
 The  cry  appropriate  to  all  is,  "  Lord, 
 save,  we  perish  / "  Dire  and  awful  is 
 the  nearing  doom  (ver.  15,  16  ;  comp. 
 Rom.  ii.  9;  Rev.  ix.  14-17). 
 
 3.  The  effectual  resources  of  God. 
 Not  for  Jerusalem,  but  for  humanity, 
 God  found  a  Saviour.  She  "  knew  not 
 the  day  of  her  visitation  "  (Isa.  lix.  16, 
 17,  20  ;  Job  xxxiii  24).  The  very  depths 
 of  human  sin,  and  absence  of  even  one 
 true  man  among  men,  forms  only  the 
 dark  background  to  throw  out  into 
 greater  distinctness  and  beauty  the 
 perfections  of  Jesus  (Ps.  xlv.  2  ;  Heb. 
 vii.  26). 
 
 CoTmne?its  :  "  The  wicked  world  has 
 in  the  pious  and  believing  a  noble 
 treasure  and  defence." — Lange. 
 
 "  See  how  ready  God  is  to  forgive, 
 how  swift  to  show  mercy.  So  pleasing 
 would  it  be  to  God  to  find  any  such, 
 that  for  their  sakes  He  would  pardon  the 
 city ;  if  there  were  but  ten  righteous 
 men  in  Sodom,  if  but  one  of  a  thousand, 
 of  ten  thousand  in  Jerusalem,  it  should 
 be  .spared." — M.  Henry. 
 
TIOMILETIC  COMMENTARY :  JEREMIAH. 
 
 Sodom  could  not  be  destroyed  while 
 one  righteous  man  was  in  it  (Gen. 
 xix.  13,  16) ;  and  Zoar  was  spared  by 
 the  sole  worth  of  that  same  one  man 
 (ver.  20-22). 
 
 Ver,     2.     Theme :      Pious     speech 
 
 CLOAKING    AN    IMPIOUS    SOUL. 
 
 Comments  :  "  Though  they  make  an 
 outward  and  fashionable  profession  of 
 the  name  of  the  Lord  in  worshi])ping 
 Him,  in  sivearing  hy  Him,  yet  it  is  but 
 in  falsehood  and  hypocrisy." — Bishop 
 Hall. 
 
 "Js  the  Lord  liveth:"  the  common 
 form  of  oath  among  the  Jews  ;  yet  this 
 sacred  oath  used  only  to  deceive  and 
 defraud. — Wogan. 
 
 '^  Thep  swear  falsely"  that  is  (1.) 
 They  are  not  sincere  in  the  profession 
 they  make  to  God,  but  are  false  to  Him. 
 (l'.)  Though  they  appeal  to  no  other 
 God,  they  mahe  no  conscience  of  calling 
 Jehovah  to  ivitnss  to  a  lie.  They  do  not 
 swear  by  idols,  yet  they  forswear  them- 
 selves ;  which  is  an  affront  to  the  God 
 of  truth,  as  swearing  by  idols  wrould  have 
 been  an  affront  to  the  only  true  God. — 
 M.  Henry. 
 
 Ver.  3.  The  virtue  for  which  God's 
 EYES  search.  "  Eyes  upon  truth  :  " 
 comp.  Ps.  li.  6  j  John  iv.  23.  Eyes  upon 
 an  object  denote  (i.)  diligent  inspection  ; 
 nothing  escapes ;  (ii.)  delicate  percep- 
 tion ;  the  least  is  not  lost  to  sight, 
 though  but  as  a  grain  of  mustard-seed  ; 
 (iii.)  desirous  expectation  ;  so  anxious  to 
 find  the  grace  He  loves. 
 
 Naegelsbach  renders  the  words  : 
 "  Lord,  thine  eyes  look  for  faith  ;  "  and 
 remarks  (a.)  The  Lord  seeks  it,  for  He 
 regards  it.  (b.)  He  sought  by  manifold 
 chastisements  to  bring  the  people  to  it, 
 but  in  vain.  And  asks,  Why  does  God 
 impose  faith  as  the  only  condition  of 
 salvation  ?  (i.)  Because  faith  gives  the 
 greatest  glory  to  God.  (ii.)  Because  it  is 
 at  the  same  time  the  easiest  and  most 
 difficult  exercise  of  the  human  heart. 
 For  (a.)  to  believe,  i.e.,  to  accept  God's 
 grace  as  a  free  gift,  every  one  is,  and 
 must  be,  able  to  do.  (b.)  He  who  can 
 do  it  has  vanquished  himself  at  the  one 
 point,  and  won  all. 
 
 "  God  looks  to  the  faith,  the  upright 
 purpose  of  the  heart,  and  without  it  the 
 nominal  fealty  of  an  oath  is  an  abomina- 
 tion."— /Speaker's  Com. 
 
 Ver.  3.  Theme:  God's  chastise- 
 ments designed  for  man's  conver- 
 sion. 
 
 Here  is  only  a  complaint  of  the  mis- 
 improvement  of  afflictions,  yet  the  right 
 use  is  indicated :  they  should  have 
 "  grieved "  for  their  undutifulness  to 
 God,  and  with  relentings  for  sin  they 
 should  have  "  received  correction  ; "  sub- 
 mitted to  the  rod  as  to  the  chastisement 
 of  a  Father,  without  sullen  murmuring 
 or  fainting ;  their  "  faces  "  should  have 
 been  flushed  with  ingenuous  shame,  and 
 washed  with  penitential  tears :  they 
 ought  immediately  to  have  "  returned 
 to  God."  Hence  ingenuous  sorrow, 
 shame,  and  repentance,  a  submissive, 
 corrigible  temper,  and  a  sincere  conver- 
 sion to  God,  are  the  designed  ends  of 
 the  afflictions  He  sends  upon  impenitent 
 sinners. 
 
 The  Gospel  is  preached.  Holy  /Spirit 
 communicated,  to  arouse  consciences. 
 When  Word  disregarded,  conscience 
 slighted,  Spirit  resisted,  then  our  Hea- 
 venly Father  uses  the  rod  ;  the  one  end 
 being  that  we  turn  to  the  Lord.  In- 
 quire, What  is  it  to  ttcrn  to  the  Lord  ? 
 
 I.  Tu7-ning  to  the  Lord  presupposes  a 
 deep  conviction  that  you  have  gone 
 astray,  both  from  way  of  duty  and  of 
 safety.  You  will  never  leave  your  present 
 course  till  plainly  see  it  leads  you  down 
 to  chambers  of  death  ;  nor  "  turn  to  the 
 Lord,"  till  realise  that  your  interests 
 and  duty  render  it  urgent  and  necessary. 
 
 I.  If  God  should  open  the  eyes  of  the 
 unconverted,  what  astonishing  and  un- 
 suspected views  would  present  them- 
 selves of  your  past  course  and  present 
 condition  !  That  all  your  highest  inter- 
 ests have  been  neglected.  2.  You  would 
 see  the  exceeding  sinfulness  of  sin.  3. 
 The  purity  and  strictness  of  God's  law, 
 the  equity  and  terror  of  its  penalty.  4. 
 Your  obligations  to  Him  as  your  Creator, 
 Preserver,  and  Ptedeemer.  Oh,  that  expe- 
 rience may  be  your  teacher  of  the  reality 
 of  these  things  ! 
 
 II.  Turning  to  God  supposes  a  fidl 
 
 103 
 
CH.\r.  V. 
 
 nOMILETIC  COMMENTARY:  JEREMIAH. 
 
 conviction  of  the  necessity  of  immedi- 
 ate response.  1.  Because  if  you  die  in 
 your  present  condition  you  will  certainly 
 be  lost.  2.  Because  you  bave  no  time 
 for  delay.  And,  3.  It  will  wound  your 
 heart  to  think  this  work  has  not  been 
 done  long  ago.  Dying  men  bear  testi- 
 mony that  the  present  hour  is  the  most 
 fit  season  for  turning  to  God. 
 
 III.  If  affiictions  should  prove  the 
 means  of  turning  yov,  to  God,  they  will 
 rouse  you  to  most  earnest  persevering 
 endeavours  tliat  you  may  truly  find 
 Him.  Pray  without  ceasing  :  "  Behold, 
 he  prayeth  !  "  Accustom  yourselves  to 
 solemn  meditation;  hear  and  read  God's 
 Word.  Seek  the  society  of  those  who 
 know  the  Lord.  These  will  promote 
 your  conversion.  Also,  you  will  guard 
 against  whatever  would  hinder  it ;  shun 
 wicked  courses  ;  moderate  your  pursuits 
 of  the  world ;  avoid  evil  company. 
 "With  fear  and  trembling"  the  awak- 
 ened sinner  would  begin  to  "  work  out 
 his  salvation." 
 
 IV.  If  afflictions  should  tiirn  you-  to 
 God,  you  would  he  made  deeply  sensible 
 of  your  inability,  that  the  Holy  Spirit's 
 grace  was  essential  to  your  true  con- 
 version. 1.  Your  endeavours  avail  to 
 avoid  hindrances  and  seek  helps.  2. 
 Yet  your  own  heart  is  against  you,  and 
 the  disease  of  sin  is  irrecoverable  but  by 
 Divine  grace.  Then  the  prayer  will 
 arise,  "  Turn  me  and  I  shall  be  turned  " 
 (Jer.  xxxi.  18). 
 
 V.  If  ever  you  turn  to  the  Lord,  you 
 will  realise  that  Christ  is  the  only  way 
 of  access  to  God.  You  will  come  as 
 crinunals  upon  the  footing  of  grace,  not 
 merit;  will  renounce  all  your  right- 
 eousness ;  a  broken-hearted  rebel.  Till 
 such,  you  have  nothing  to  do  with 
 Jesus. 
 
 VI.  If  you  are  turned  to  God,  you  will 
 experience  a  great  change  in  temper 
 and  conduct.  1.  Eeart  and  ^nind  will 
 take  a  new  bias ;  thoughts  and  alfections 
 towards  God ;  aspirations  towards  hea- 
 ven ;  Jesus  dear  to  you  ;  "  all  things 
 become  new."  Turned  to  God  and  holi- 
 ness ;  turned  from  sin  and  its  pleasures. 
 Also,  2.  Your  jiractices  Avill  follow  the 
 inward  impulse  and  principle  of  reli- 
 gion. 
 
 104 
 
 VII.  If  turned  to  the  Lord,  your 
 mind  will  habitually  retain  that 
 turn.  Your  religion  not  a  transient  fit, 
 but  2yermanent  and  persevering. 
 
 Application  :  Do  you  in  your  con- 
 sciences hope  yoii,  have  been  converted 
 and  turned  to  God  1  Does  your  case 
 answer  to  this  description  1  But  some 
 of  you  may  have  discovered  yourselves  as 
 7inco7iverted.  Are  you  willing  to  turn  to 
 God  with  all  your  hearts  ?  "  Come, 
 and  let  us  return  to  the  Lord,  for  He 
 hath  torn  "  &c.  (Hos.  vi.  1). — Hev.  J. 
 Davies,  A.M.,  President  of  College,  New 
 Jersey,  a.d.  1756. 
 
 Ver.  4.  Theme :  Ignorance  may  ex- 
 cuse IREELIGION. 
 
 I.  Their    sad     disadvantages.    1, 
 
 "  Poor,"  living  in  rudeness  and  ne- 
 glect, their  existence  absorbed  in  strug- 
 gles to  live.  2.  ^'Foolish,"  ignorant 
 and  erring  from  lack  of  training  and 
 teaching.  Their  intellectual  life  wholly 
 neglected. 
 
 II.  Their  spiritual  deprivations.  1. 
 '^  Knoiv  not  the  way  of  the  Lord;"  un- 
 taught as  to  the  manner  of  life  He  re- 
 quires, the  true  religion  He  revealed.  2. 
 "  Nor  the  judgment  of  their  God ;  "  that 
 which  He  had  pronounced  right :  for 
 false  prophets  confused  and  misled 
 them,  and  they  followed  as  those  who 
 were  "  blind."  A  pitiful  case  :  spiritual 
 dupes. 
 
 III.  Their  excusable  deficiencies. 
 God  does  not  reap  where  He  has  not 
 sown.  To  whom  little  is  given,  of  them 
 He  asks  little.  He  judges  according  to 
 what  we  have,  not  what  we  have  not 
 (Numb.  xii.  11).  1.  God's  tender  con- 
 sideration. 2.  Discriminating  commis- 
 eration. (Addenda,  ver.  4,  "■  Ignoranc& 
 and  irreligion.") 
 
 Comments  : 
 
 i.  Prevailing  ignorance  is  the  lament- 
 able cause  of  abounding  impiety  and  ini- 
 quity. What  can  come  from  them  that 
 sit  in  darkness  but  "  works  of  darkness"  1 
 
 ii.  This  is  commonly  a  reigning  sin 
 among  poor  people.  There  are  the 
 devil's  poor,  as  well  as  God's,  who 
 might  ''know  the  way  of  the  Lord" 
 without  book-learning ;  but  they  are 
 "  willingly  ignorant." — M.  Henry. 
 
IIOMILETIC  COMMENTARY:  JEREMIAH. 
 
 Ver.  5.  r/te?ne  ,•  Knowledge  SHOULD 
 
 ENSURE  PIETY. 
 
 It  is  a  dramatic  contrast.  The  pro- 
 ]ihet  assumes  to  imagine  and  expect 
 that  their  advantages  would  be  accom- 
 panied with  appropriate  religious  re- 
 sponses :  superior  socially,  superior 
 spiritually.  "  The  great ;  "  i.e.,  the 
 wealthy  and  educated,  removed  beyond 
 blinding  care  for  their  daily  wants ; 
 "  they  hive  known"  possessed  the  ad- 
 vantages of  education  and  religious  know- 
 ledge. Yet  these,  instructed  in  the  law, 
 and  who  ought  to  teach  their  inferiors 
 (Micah  iii.  1),  have  violated  every  pre- 
 cept and  been  defiant  of  God.  (i.)  Abuse 
 of  advantages,  (ii.)  Proportionate  guilt. 
 (iii.)  Heavier  condemnation  (Luke  xii. 
 47). 
 
 "  /  will  speah  xmto  the  great  men." 
 Zinzendorf  remarks:  "A  preacher  has 
 no  more  miserable  and  ignorant  hearers 
 than  the  respectable.  While  they  are 
 spelling  their  way  back  to  the  cross, 
 and  are  getting  so  far  as  to  hiotv  lioiv  to 
 learn  that  we  are  saved  alone  by  the 
 grace  of  the  Lord  Jesus ;  till  we  get 
 them  so  far  as  to  understand  that  the 
 command  of  the  New  Testament  is  to 
 believe,  and  all  that  morality  can  lug 
 about  for  eighty  years  is  gone  with  the 
 word,  '  Son,  be  of  good  courage,  thy  sins 
 are  forgiven  thee,'  the  ignorant  would 
 have  been  able  to  do  it  thrice.  A  teacher 
 greatly  deceives  himself  if  he  seeks 
 among  the  respectable  that  comfort  in 
 his  office  which  he  does  not  meet  with 
 among  the  common  people." — Quoted 
 in  Lange. 
 
 Yer.    4,    5.    The    ignorance    of 
 
 THE  poor  and  the  INSOLENCE  OE  THE 
 GREAT. 
 
 I.  The  character  of  many  of 
 the  poor  as  here  described.  Seeing 
 them  impudent  in  sin,  and  unre- 
 formed  by  the  judgments  of  God, 
 Jeremiah  says,  "  Surely  these  are  the 
 poor,"  &c. 
 
 1.  Their  obstinacy  in  sin  was  owing 
 to  their  ignorance — (L)  Of  religion  ; 
 "  the  way  of  the  Lord."  (2.)  Of  God's 
 providences;  "  the  judgments-  of  our 
 God."  Ignorance  is  still  the  source  of 
 error  and  sin.     (a.)  jMen  misapprehend 
 
 the  nature  of  God;  presume  upon  His 
 mercy.  (&.)  Form  vague  and  incorrect 
 views  of  the  salvation  of  Christ ;  ignore 
 that  it  is  a  "  doctrine  according  to 
 godliness"  (Eph.  iv.  18.) 
 
 2.  Their  ignorance  was  in  great 
 meastcre  occasioned  by  their  poverty, 
 (a.)  This  deprived  them  of  education; 
 uninformed  as  to  principles  and  religion. 
 (b.)  All  their  thoughts  and  cares  are 
 about  their  tvorldly  tvaaiis.  (c.)  They 
 absent  themselves  from  God's  house  be- 
 cause of  poor  attire,  (d.)  They  associate 
 tvith  persons  like-circumstanced  and  like- 
 minded,  who  encourage  one  another  in 
 neglect  of  religion ;  and,  (e.)  They 
 thereby  lose  all  self-respect,  sin  im- 
 IDudently  and  "  glory  in  their  shame." 
 Yet  their  ignorance  was  culpable  ;  they 
 lived  in  a  land  of  light,  had  more  ad- 
 vantages than  the  rest  of  the  world. 
 So  with  the  poor  in  Britain,  who  yet 
 live  in  a  most  stupid  and  lamentable 
 ignorance  as  to  God,  their  souls,  and 
 eternity. 
 
 II.  The  character  of  the  great  as 
 here  described.  Not  only  men  of 
 honourable  birth,  large  fortunes  and 
 considerable  learning ;  but  those  of  easy 
 circumstances,  educated,  having  capa- 
 city and  leisure  to  learn  Divine  things. 
 
 1.  They  had  a  better  knowledge  of 
 religion  than  the  poor.  Their  minds 
 cultured  ;  kept  from  learning  the  man- 
 ners of  the  vulgar ;  attained  a  general 
 knowledge  of  the  world ;  had  some 
 knowledge  of  religion — its  theory  ;  they 
 could  consequently  enter  into  the  pro- 
 phet's reasoning  and  address. 
 
 2.  They  acted  as  bad  as  the  poor,  or 
 worse.  Like  headstrong,  refractory  oxen, 
 that  struggle  and  break  the  yoke.  Men 
 should  submit  to  the  restraints  of  reason 
 and  conscience,  to  the  authority  and  law 
 of  God.  But  though  light  -was  in  their 
 understandings,  their  wills  were  per- 
 verse and  affections  misplaced.  They 
 would  not  submit  to  prophets'  reproofs, 
 offered  violence  to  reason  and  conscience, 
 "  broke  the  bands  of  the  Lord  asunder  " 
 (Ps.  ii.  5). 
 
 3.  Their  conduct  was  chiefly  owing  to 
 their  greatness,  (a.)  Lifted  up  with 
 pride,  they  resented  admonition,  (b.) 
 They  think  religion  is  only  to  restrain 
 
 105 
 
CHAP.  V. 
 
 HOMILETIC  COMMENTARY :  JEREMIAH. 
 
 tlie  vulgar,  not  to  bind  those  in  rank, 
 (c-.)  They  shrink  from  showing  reverence 
 lor  God  and  being  exact  in  religious 
 observances,  {d.)  Worldly  things  have 
 mischievous  influence  upon  their  hearts. 
 {e.)  Flattered  by  others,  they  forget  or  but 
 formally  pay  homage  to  the  Most  High. 
 (/)  They  mind  earthly  things,  neglect- 
 ing the  culture  and  interests  of  the  soul. 
 
 Christ  met  chief  opposition  from  the 
 great,  learned,  and  rich  men. 
 
 Ap])Ucation:  1.  Learn  what  is  the  most 
 important  and  profitable  hnoivledge.  2. 
 The  advantages  of  being  placed  in  the 
 middle  condition  of  life  (Prov.  xxx.  8).  3. 
 What  an  excellent  ckaritij  it  is  to  furnish 
 (lie  poor  with  the  means  of  knowledge. 
 Let  "  the  poor  "  know  that  to  be  ■wil- 
 fully ignorant  is  an  inexcusable  crime. 
 And  "the  great"  that  they  "have  no 
 cloak  for  their  sin,"  if  they  allow  their 
 wealth  to  fortify  themselves  against 
 God's  truth  and  calls.  "  The  rich  and 
 {)Oor  meet  together "  at  death  :  "  the 
 small  and  great"  shall  stand  before  the 
 bar  of  Christ  in  judgment. — Rev.  Job 
 Orton,  A.D.  1775,  Abstract. 
 
 Ver.  7.  Theme:  IMPOSSIBILITY  OF 
 PARDON. 
 
 Can  it  be  ?  Is  it  in  accordance  with 
 God's  dealings  with  man  1  (Comp.  Isa. 
 i.  18;  Mic.  vii.  18.) 
 
 I.  Pardon  is  possible  to  chiefest 
 sinners. 
 
 II.  Yet  only  on  the  terms  of  repentance 
 and  return  to  God. 
 
 III.  But,  by  '^forsaking  Him,"  men 
 forsake  all  jwssibility  of  salvation. 
 
 "  When  I  fed  them  to  the  full,"  itc. 
 (See  Literary  Criticisms  on  verse ;  also 
 Addenda  to  chap,  v.,  ver.  7.) 
 
 Ver.  9.  Theme:  An  OUTRAGED 
 AND  AVENGING  GoD.  (See  Literary 
 Criticisms  on  ver.  7,  "  /  fed  them  to 
 the  full.") 
 
 God  had  bound  them  in  oath  to 
 allegiance;  yet  they  violated  their 
 spiritual  relationship  by  abandoning 
 themselves  to  idols;  and,  in  following 
 the  defiling  indulgences  of  idolatrous 
 orgies,  they  had  repudiated  God's  laws 
 which  they   covenanted,    at   Sinai   and 
 
 under  Josiah's  reformation,  to  keep(Exod 
 IOC  i  ^         • 
 
 xxiv.  3,  7  ;  2  Kings  xxiii.  3) ;  and  thus 
 violated  the  sanctity  of  social  relationship. 
 
 I.  By  evil  deeds  of  men  God  is  out- 
 raged. 
 
 II.  For  evil  deeds  of  men  God  will  be 
 avenged.  "The  harlots'  houses"  are 
 preferentially  and  metaphorically,  if  not 
 exclusively,  idol  temples;  but  the 
 charge  glides  from  this  religious  sense, 
 viz.,  spiritual  inconstancy  to  God,  into 
 the  physical  sense,  viz.,  carnal  unclean- 
 ness  among  themselves  ;  for  prostitution 
 formed  part  of  idolatrous  worship. 
 
 Ver.  10.     Theme :  A  commission  to 
 
 DESTBOY. 
 
 How  alien  it  is  to  the  Divine  heart 
 to  destroy  is  clear  from  Ezek.  xviii. 
 31,  32;  John  iii.  16.  And  Zion  was 
 God's  beloved  city,  dear  to  His  eye  (Ps. 
 xlviii.).  Yet,  though  slow  to  anger, 
 averse  from  destroying,  and  tender 
 towards  Jerusalem,  the  edict  goes  forth. 
 God  summons  the  foe  to  waste  and 
 destroy  the  Holy  City,  and  those  who 
 dwelt  therein. 
 
 I.  The  scene  depicted.  A  vineyard 
 enclosed  by  walls  (see  Lit.  Crit.  ou 
 verse) ;  the  enemy  scales  them  ;  his 
 swords  ruthlessly  cut  off  branches,  shoots, 
 down  to  the  very  root-stem,  but  there 
 his  destructive  work  ends.  Its  mean- 
 ing:  Judah,  a  noble  vine  (ii.  21),  but 
 its  outgrowth  had  deteriorated,  yielding 
 now  only  sour  aTid  poisonous  grapes 
 (Deut.  xxxiv.  32,  33).  All  these  sinful 
 descendants  of  the  stock  of  David  should 
 perish.,  but  the  race  must  not  become 
 extinct. 
 
 II.  The  destruction  commanded. 
 Judea  is  God's  vineyard  (Isa.  v.  1-7) ; 
 none  could  enter  except  He  permitted. 
 But  He  calls  the  invader,  and  commis- 
 sions him  to  use  his  weapon  freely. 
 What  a  lamentable  case  for  that  people  ! 
 Not  only  had  God  withdrawn  His  care — 
 a  negative  calamity,  but  He  summoned 
 the  enemy  to  destroy — a  positive  cala- 
 mity. 
 
 III.  The  reservation  enjoined.  The 
 wilful  destroyer  was  not  free :  limits 
 were  imposed.  Our  enemies  are  not 
 omnipotent.  God's  will  rules  the  issues 
 of  war  :  His  mercy  limits  the  ravages  of 
 justice.     The  Jews  must  not  be  exter- 
 
no  MI  LET IC  COMMENTARY :  JEREMIAH. 
 
 minated ;  for  the  promise   must    stand 
 (Lev.  xxvi.  44). 
 IV.    The     explanation    furnished. 
 
 This  overthrow,  this  abandonment  of 
 God's  people  to  an  imperious,  impious 
 foe,  is  startling, — requires  explanation  : 
 given,  "  They  are  not  the  Lord's."  Yet 
 they  were  outgrowths  of  the  stock  of 
 David.  1.  Ancestral  privileges  may  be 
 forfeited.  2.  Descendants  do  not  always 
 retain  the  same  piety  which  distinguished 
 their  forefathers.  3.  Consequently  the 
 covenant  of  promise  is  annihilated. 
 Every  man  stands  out  singly  responsible 
 to  God ;  he  cannot  escape  the  punish- 
 ment of  his  own  sin  by  any  ancestral 
 relationships.  The  children  of  best  of 
 parents  may  come  to  ruin. 
 
 Ver.  11.  (See  chap.  iii.  20.)  Though 
 Judah  and  Israel  were  at  variance  with 
 each  other,  they  agreed  in  wronging  the 
 Lord,who  had  given  them  all  the  national 
 blessings,  victories  and  honours  they 
 ever  knew.  Israel  had  reaped  the  bitter 
 fruits :  0  that  -Judah  would  be  fore- 
 warned !  Otherwise,  they  would  be 
 united  in  misery.  Alike  faithless,  a  like 
 fate. 
 
 Ver.  12,  13.  Theme:  Alienation, 
 THE  ROAD  TO  Atheism.  "  They  have 
 belied  the  Lord,"  i.e.,  denied  Him, 
 Either  :  1.  Denied  that  God  was  such  as 
 Jeremiah  described, — a  punisher  of  evil- 
 doers ;  or,  2.  Denied  that  the  coming 
 disasters  were  in  any  sense  God's  doing, — 
 He  has  nothing  to  do  with  it,  they  come 
 apart  from  Him ;  or,  3.  Denied  the  ex- 
 istence of  Jehovah  as  God,  as  their  God, 
 — repudiated  Him,  wanted  to  hear 
 nothing  of  or  from  Him. 
 
 I.  Moral  degeneracy  produces  mental 
 obscurity.  Sin  deadens  the  sensibility, 
 excludes  God  from  thought,  until  prac- 
 tical indifference  and  defiance  of  Him 
 rule  the  life.  Easy  and  natural,  when 
 we  dislike  God,  to  ignore  Him  and  revolt 
 from  His  claims. 
 
 II.  Mental  ohscurity  issues  in  spiri- 
 tual darkness.  Conscience  seared,  past 
 feeling,  desiring  not  the  knowledge  of 
 God's  ways,  till  "  the  fool  says  in  his 
 heart.  There  is  no  God."  And  ''the 
 god  of  this  world  blinds  the  minds  of 
 them  that  believe  not." 
 
 Theme:  Obstinate  unbelief,  i. 
 Its  natiire.  It  denies  God,  and  there- 
 fore despises  (a.)  God's  Word,  {b.)  God's 
 messengers.  ii.  Its  ptmishment.  The 
 tables  are  turned,  (a.)  The  unbeliever, 
 before  fire,  now  becomes  wood,  {b.) 
 The  Word  of  God,  before  regarded  as 
 wood,  becomes  fire. — Naeg. 
 
 ^''The  Word  is  not  in  them,"  rather 
 spealcer  is  not,  &c.  It  is  not  a  noun, 
 but  a  verb  with  the  article  instead  of 
 the  possessive  pronoun  ;  so  that  literally 
 it  means.  And  he  who  speaketh  is  not  in 
 them,  i.e.,  there  is  no  one  who  speaketh 
 in  them, — what  the  prophets  say  has 
 no  higher  authority  than  themselves. — 
 Speaker  s  Com. 
 
 Ver.  14.  Theme:  God's  method  op 
 confuting  unbelief.  (Addenda,  ver. 
 14,  "i/y  ivords  shall  devour  them.") 
 
 i.  Withering  the  intellectual  vanity  in 
 the  unbeliever:  giving  to  His  Word  a 
 fiery  penetrating  power,  consuming  his 
 pride,  confidence,  and  hopes.  It  may 
 be  as  a  "  fire  in  his  bones,"  destroying 
 all  peace,  ravaging  his  conscience  and 
 heart  with  burning  terrors. 
 
 ii.  Fidfilling  His  Word  upon  the  un- 
 believer :  he  finds  out  its  truth  by  ex- 
 periencing the  doom  it  threatened  :  the 
 fire  of  Divine  anger  descends  upon 
 him. 
 
 Note  :  Unbelief  m^cst  and  will  be  con- 
 sumed with  fire.  Happy  he  in  whom  it 
 is  consumed  in  this  life  by  God's  Word  ; 
 but,  failing  this,  it  will  be  consumed  in 
 the  life  to  come  by  God's  wrath.  "The 
 wicked  shall  be  turned  into  hell,  and  all 
 them  that  forget  God." 
 
 Ver.  15-17.  Theme:  Wrathful 
 agents  of  destruction. 
 
 God  can  summon  them  :  historically 
 He  has  done  so  ;  prophetically  He  will. 
 This  "  day  of  salvation "  intervenes. 
 "For  God  has  not  appointed  us  to 
 wrath,  but  to  obtain  salvation  by  our 
 Lord  Jesus  Christ."  Yet  2  Thess. 
 i.  7-10.  In  the  past  He  used  the 
 armies  of  earth;  in  the  future  He  will 
 use  the  "  armies  of  heaven."  ^^Mighty  " 
 were  the  Chaldeans  (ver.  15)  :  He  will 
 come  with  "  mighty  angels  "  (comp.  Rev. 
 c.   1,  xviii.  21;  Ps.    ciii.    20);  agents 
 
 107 
 
ITOMJLETIC  COMMENTARY:  JEREMIAH. 
 
 of  Divine  wrulh  (Rev.  xvi.  1  ;    2  Thess. 
 i"  8  ;  2  Kings  xx.  35). 
 
 I.  Unmeasured  resources  of  Divine 
 justice.  Jews  knew  nothing  of  Chal- 
 deans (ver.  15) ;  we  cannot  penetrate 
 the  unknown  realms,  or  measure  the 
 might  and  terrors  of  God's  ministers 
 (MTitt  xxvi.  53). 
 
 II.  Pitiable  insecurity  of  trans- 
 gressors. They  make  "  defences,"  and 
 trust  in  them  (ver.  17) ;  but  what  can 
 shut  away  affliction,  death,  the  judg- 
 ment ? 
 
 III.  Merciful  interval  of  propitia- 
 tion. Why  forewarned?  That  we 
 may  "  fiee  from  the  wrath  to  come" 
 (Heb.  vi.  18). 
 
 Ver.  1 8.  Theme :  A  limit  to  just 
 JUDGMENTS.  Light  gleams  beyond  the 
 dreadful  vision.  Would  that  a  word  as 
 definite  could  anywhere  be  found  to 
 encourage  hope  after  the  great  judgment 
 of  the  world !  How  contrasted  with 
 i\i\5  promise  for  Judah  are  the  deliberate, 
 multiform,  and  emphasized  threatenings 
 of  the  New  Testament  as  to  the  eternal 
 fate  of  the  rebel  soul ! 
 
 Ver.  19.  Theme:  God's  explana- 
 tion OF  man's  spiritual  miseries. 
 The  bewildering  inquiry  is  ever  rising, 
 AVhy  is  humanity  spiritually  enslaved 
 and  banislied  ?  Why  under  alien 
 tyranny?  Why  outlawed  from  the 
 promised  land  ?  God  answers  all  : 
 Man  makes  his  own  misery  ;  seeks  his 
 own  enslavement ;  forfeits  his  rightful 
 inheritance.  And  this,  not  because 
 God  has  made  man  subject  to  sin,  but 
 despite  God's  remedies  for  man's  re- 
 demption from  sin.  He  forges  bis 
 own  chains,  and  procures  his  own 
 banishment. 
 
 I.  Wilful  self-destruction, 
 
 1.  Desertion  of  our  only  Saviour. 
 For  God  was  Judah's  Saviour  (Isa. 
 xlv.  21).  Even  as  revealed  in  Jesus 
 and  on  Calvary,  men  "  despise  the  Lord 
 that  bought  them." 
 
 2.  Deliberate  enslavement  to  alien  gods. 
 Admitted  "strange  gods"  to  Jehovah's 
 territory  ;  then  "  served  them."  This 
 is  voluntary  slavery  (Rom.  vi.  16  ; 
 2  Pet.  ii.  19).  "  Thou  has  destroyed 
 thyself." 
 
 108 
 
 II.  Retribution  in  kind.  "  Answer 
 them,  Like  as,"  &c.  The  penalty  cor- 
 responds to  the  sin.  1.  Forsaken.  They 
 having  "  forsaken "  God,  would  be 
 "  forsaken  "  by  God  ;  left  to  the  enemy 
 and  to  exile.  2.  Serve  strangers.  They 
 bad  preferred  strangers,  foreign  gods, 
 and  voluntarily  bowed  to  them  ;  they 
 should  perforce  serve  strangers,  foreign 
 rulers,  and  know  the  bitterness  of  alien 
 tyranny.  3.  In  a  land  not  theirs.  They 
 had  introduced  these  strange  gods  into 
 a  land  which  was  not  theirs,  but 
 Jehovah's  ;  they  should  be  carried  into  a 
 land  not  theirs,  slaves  into  captivity. 
 
 Serve  the  spiritual  usurper,  rejecting 
 Christ,  you  shall  be  "  led  captive  at  his 
 will  "  into  grievous  exile,  "  a  land  not 
 yours,"  but  "  prepared  for  the  devil  and 
 his  angels  "  (Deut.  xxviii.  47,  48). 
 
 Ver.  21.  Theme :  Indifference. 
 An  evil  ruinous  to  the  soul  :  indifference 
 to  true  and  saving  religion.  How  it 
 prevails  !     Text  exhibits  it. 
 
 I.  What  God  has  done  to  produce 
 pious  consideration. 
 
 1.  He  has  given  powers  of  mind 
 adapted  to  it.  "Eyes,"  to  see,  discern, 
 read,  &c.  "  Ears,"  to  hearken,  messen- 
 gers of  truth.  "  Understanding,"  to 
 know,  weigh,  reflect,  &c. 
 
 2.  He  has  given  us  the  means  to  answer 
 to  these  powers.  His  Word ;  His 
 servants ;  His  providence,  &c.  So 
 men  are  excuseless. 
 
 3.  His  Holy  Spirit  to  strive,  convince, 
 &c. 
 
 II.  The  indifference  men  often  ex- 
 hibit. 
 
 1.  The  indifference  of  some  is  total, 
 ivithout  any  concern.  Like  stocks  and 
 stones. 
 
 2.  Others  are  considerate  only  of  the 
 externals  of  religion.  They  hear  and 
 see  and  attend,  &c.,  to  the  outward,  and 
 that  only. 
 
 3.  The  consideration  of  some  is  only 
 to  the  intellectual  pjarts  of  the  truth.  A 
 mental  study;  philosophical  attention; 
 such  as  they  give  to  literature. 
 
 4.  The  consideration  of  others  is 
 occasional.  Under  very  arousing  dis- 
 courses, providences,  sickness,  bereave- 
 ments, &c. 
 
EOMILETIO  COMMENTARY :  JEREMIAH. 
 
 III.  The  consecLuences  of  tMs  in- 
 difference. 
 
 1.  It  is  extreemly  ^'foolish."  Moral 
 insanity :  opposite  of  wisdom  and 
 prudence. 
 
 2.  Detrimental  to  the  soul.  Makes  ifc 
 *•  blind,"  "  deaf  ; ''  robbing  it  of  spiritual 
 food  and  enjoyment ;  degrading  it. 
 
 3.  Specially  offensive  to  God.  Infa- 
 tuated rebellion ;  ingratitude. 
 
 4.  Must  end  in  the  soul's  ruin.  Now 
 is  the  period  of  soul's  probation.  No 
 moral  fitness  without  devout  considera- 
 tion. ' 
 
 Application.  1.  Examine  and  test 
 yourselves.  2.  Seek  the  quickening  in- 
 fluences of  the  Divine  Spirit.  3.  Be 
 resolved  and  wise  now,  lest  perish. — 
 Rev.  Jahez  Burns,  D.D. 
 
 Ver,  20-24.  Theme :  Persuasives 
 TO  THB  FEAR  OP  GoD.  The  prophet 
 having  reproved  their  sin  and  threatened 
 God's  judgments,  is  sent  on  another 
 errand  which  he  must  "publish  in 
 Judah," — to  persuade  them  to  fear  God. 
 This  would  be  an  effectual  principle  in 
 their  reformation,  as  its  absence  ex- 
 plained their  apostasy. 
 
 I.  He  complains  of  the  shameful 
 stupidity  of  this  people.  1.  Their 
 understandings  were  darkened.  They 
 possessed  intellectual  faculties  and 
 capacities,  but  did  not  employ  and  im- 
 prove them  (ver.  21).  Note:  We 
 cannot  judge  men  by  the  advantages 
 and  opportunities  they  enjoy  :  sit  in 
 darkness  in  land  of  light ;  live  in  sin  in 
 holy  land ;  bad  in  best  of  places.  2. 
 Their  wills  were  stubborn;  not  submit 
 to  rules  of  Divine  law  (ver.  23).  Observe; 
 The  revolting  heart  is  a  rebellious  one  : 
 those  who  withdraw  from  their  allegi- 
 ance to  God  do  not  stop  there,  but,  by 
 siding  with  Satan,  take  up  arms  against 
 Him. 
 
 II.  He  ascribes  this  to  the  want  of 
 the  fear  of  God.  1.  Their  being  with- 
 out understanding  (ver.  21)  he  accounts 
 for  by  this  absence  of  fear  (ver.  22).  If 
 you  keep  up  awe  of  God,  you  would  be 
 more  observant  of  what  He  says.  2. 
 Their  rebellion  and  revolt  (ver.  23)  he 
 explains  likewise  (ver.  24).  They  did 
 not  encourage  the  "fear  of  the  Lord," 
 hence  apostasy.     Because  we  neglect  to 
 
 stir  up  our  hearts  to  holy  awe  of  God, 
 we  are  so  apt  to  rebel. 
 
 III.  He  suggests  some  things  proper 
 to  possess  us  with  a  holy  fear  of  God. 
 
 1.  We  must  fear  the  Lord  and  Ills 
 greatness  (ver.  22).  Shall  we  not 
 "  tremble  at  His  presence,"  be  afraid  of 
 affronting  or  trifling  with  Him  who,  in 
 nature  and  providence,  gives  such  incon- 
 testable proofs  of  almighty  power  and 
 sovereign  dominion  1  He  keeps  and 
 manages  the  sea  !  (1.)  By  this  we  see 
 His  universal  sovereignty  ;  therefore  to 
 be  had  in  reverence.  (2.)  This  shows 
 how  easily  He  cotdd  drown  the  world 
 again,  by  withdrawing  His  ^^  decree;" 
 therefore  we  lie  continually  at  His 
 mercy,  and  should  fear  to  make  Him 
 our  enemy.  (3.)  Even  the  unridy  waves 
 obey  Him, — neither  revolt  nor  rebel;  why 
 then  should  our  hearts  %  (ver.  23). 
 
 2.  We  must  fear  the  Lord  and  His 
 goodness  (Hos.  iii.  5).  We  must  "  fear 
 the  Lord  our  God"  (ver.  24),  i.e.,  worship 
 Him,  give  Him  glory,  and  keep  our- 
 selves in  His  love.  (1.)  Because  He  is 
 always  doing  us  good.  (2.)  Because 
 these  blessings  are  conseqtient  upon  His 
 promise  (Gen.  viii.  22).  3.  Because  we 
 have  such  a  necessary  dependence  upon 
 Him.  The  fruitful  seasons  rendered  the 
 heathen  inexcusable  in  their  contempt  of 
 Him  (Acts  xiv.  17),  yet  the  Jews  were 
 not  wrought  upon  to  fear  Him,  though 
 it  appears  how  much  it  is  our  interest  to 
 do  so. — M.  Henry.  (Addenda,  ver.  22, 
 '^  Sand  for  bound  of  the  sea.") 
 
 On  the  fear  of  God.  i.  Motives  from 
 without.  1 .  God's  displays  of  power  (ver. 
 22,24).  2.  God's  displays  of  grace,  ii. 
 Inner  conditions.  1.  That  we  open  our 
 eyes  and  ears  (ver.  21.)  2.  That  we 
 allow  ourselves  to  be  impelled  by  what  we 
 see  and  hear  (ver.  23). — Naeg.  in  Lange. 
 (Addenda,  ver.  23,  "  Revolting  heart.") 
 
 "  Neither  does  God's  power  move  the 
 obdurate  people  to  the  fear  of  Him,  nor 
 do  the  proofs  of  His  love  make  any  im- 
 pre.ssion." — Keil. 
 
 "  This  is  a  glorious  discovery  of  the 
 omnipotence  and  majesty  of  God.  But 
 that  men  are  so  secure,  and  think  not  of 
 Him  who  allows  them  to  live  so  securely, 
 this  is  indeed  an  insane  business." — Zi:/i^ 
 zendorf,  quoted  in  Lange. 
 
 109 
 
CHAP.  T. 
 
 no  MI  LET IQ  COMMENTARY:  JEREMIAH. 
 
 "  They  lutd  the  power  of  perception, 
 and  were  responsible  for  the  exercise  of 
 it." — Henderson. 
 
 "  The  sea,  the  mightiest  of  God's 
 works,  cannot  prevail,  cannot  break 
 His  laws,  because  God  has  not  endowed 
 it  with  free-will.  Man,  physically  im- 
 potent, can  prevail,  because,  being  made 
 in  God's  image,  he  is  free." — Speaker's 
 Com. 
 
 "  The  appeal  to  God's  care  for  man 
 (ver.  24),  offers  proof  which  addresses 
 itself  chiefly  to  the  thoughtful ;  hence  he 
 says,  '  in  their  heart.'  By  the  intelligent 
 study  of  God's  dealings,  'men  perceive 
 that  they  are  not  merely  acts  of  power, 
 but  also  of  love." — Ibid.  (Addenda, 
 ver.  22,  ^^  Tremble  ai  my  presence,  ivhich 
 made  the  sea.") 
 
 Ver.  22-24.  Theme :  Adoration  of 
 God  in  naturk. 
 
 This  the  end  of  all  the  privileges 
 with  which  Israel  had  been  crowned 
 from  one  generation  to  another !  they 
 had  a  revolling  and  rebellious  heart. 
 And  as  was  the  heart,  so  the  life, — 
 revolted  and  gone  from  their  God  and 
 Father.  There  was  to  them  no  Lord  of 
 heaven  and  earth  to  fear  for  His  power 
 or  love  for  His  goodness. 
 
 i.  The  more  blessings  they  enjoyed,  the 
 more  thanhfid  they  should  have  been. 
 Yet  it  seems  that  the  more  gracious  our 
 Heavenly  Father,  the  more  thoughtless 
 are  His  children  ;  the  more  boundless 
 His  love,  the  more  resolute  man's  in- 
 gratitude. 
 
 ii.  Having  rejected  God  spiritually, 
 He  yet  continued  to  manifest  Himself 
 to  them  in  nature.  They  absolutely 
 refused  Him  as  the  object  of  soul-homage 
 and  love  ;  would  have  no  God  but  idols, 
 no  king  but  their  own  wild  will.  Either 
 He  must  altogether  hide  Himself,  or 
 reveal  Himself  no  longer  in  grace,  but 
 in  nature. 
 
 iii.  Gratitude  to  God  for  the  fruits  of 
 the  seasons  is  a  common  ground  on  which 
 to  argue  effectually  even  with  the  dark- 
 est heathen.  Thus  Paul  at  Lystra  (Acts 
 xiv.  15-17).  No  one  except  those  who 
 "  say  in  their  hearts  there  is  no  God  " 
 doubt  God's  gifts  in  nature's  bounties. 
 
 iv.  The  heathen  are  denied  excuse  far 
 110 
 
 their  ignorance  and  idolatry,  because  of 
 the  marks  of  God's  love  and  power  in 
 the  world  around  them  (Rom.  i.  2U, 
 21). 
 
 v.  Yet  the  heathen,  in  outward  forms 
 at  least,  surpassed  Jeius  and  Christians. 
 Though  they  "felt  after  God"  rather 
 than  reached  Him,  the  great  multitude 
 of  the  heathen  never  denied  God  in  His 
 gifts.  They  made  offerings  and  sacri- 
 fices in  acknowledgment  of  harvest,  and 
 saug  thanksgivings  to  their  gods.  It 
 wanted  but  a  little  more  knowledge  for 
 tlieni  to  join  in  David's  song  (Ps.  Ixv. 
 9-13). 
 
 vi.  There  was,  then,  great  sin  on  tlte 
 part  of  Israel  when,  even  as  natural 
 men,  they  ignored  the  mercies  of  God's 
 ordinary  providence,  and  were  not  soft- 
 ened and  converted  by  His  unmerited 
 goodness  (ver.  24). 
 
 vii.  A  bounteous  season  ought  to 
 awaken  love  and  thankfulness  to  God. 
 Yet  this  is  not  the  feeling  of  all  who 
 bear  the  name  of  Christ.  Peculiar  to 
 Christians  to  be  ashamed  of  confessing 
 God  as  the  Orderer  and  Giver  of  all 
 things.  Where  heathen  and  Mahometans 
 would  have  a  manly  pleasure,  as  a  matter 
 of  course,  in  acknowledging  the  heavenly 
 Giver,  Christians  falter. 
 
 viii.  God  is  exceedingly  jealous  of  the 
 honour  due  unto  His  name.  He  plagued 
 guilty  and  thankless  nations.  He  may 
 do  the  same  to  us  (Deut.  xi.  13-17, 
 viii.  10-18).  Bethink  that  this  God 
 might  call  a  man  away  in  the  midst  of 
 his  thanklessness  and  unbelief  !  What 
 measureless  woe  filled  the  heart  of  the 
 Son  of  God  as  He  thought  of  the  curse 
 upon  sin  and  sinners, — self-condemned, 
 by  the  hardness  of  their  hearts,  to  the 
 dwelling-place  of  the  thankless  and 
 wicked ! 
 
 ix.  The  eye  is  blind  to  God  in  natural 
 wonders,  and  the  ear  deaf  amid  His 
 works,  because  the  heart  has  not  embraced 
 Him  in  the  Gospel  of  His  Son.  We 
 refuse  to  bless  the  Creator  because  we 
 have  no  portion  in  the  Piedeemer.  Come 
 to  Him  before  you  are  removed  from 
 the  world  of  nature  and  of  grace. — 
 Arranged  from  "  Sermons  by  Rev.  J. 
 Garbett.  (Addenda,  ver.  24,  "  God,  that 
 givetlc  rain.") 
 
nOMILETIC  COMMENTARY :  JEREMIAH. 
 
 Ver.  26.  Theme :  Wicked  professors 
 
 THE  BANE  OF  THE  ChURCH. 
 
 Men  as  atrociously  wicked  might  be 
 found  among  the  people  of  Jehovah  as 
 among  the  worst  of  the  Gentiles.  They 
 were  guilty  of  overreaching  and  defraud- 
 ing one  another,  and  thus  their  houses 
 were  replenished  with  the  gains  of  de- 
 ceit.    Thus  in  every  age  :  thus  now. 
 
 The  Church  in  glory  is  pure,  unde- 
 filed ;  not  so  on  earth.  No  society  of 
 Christians  is  endued  with  the  spirit  of 
 infallibility ;  hence  tares  grow  with 
 wheat. 
 
 I.  God  has  a  people  on  earth.  "  My 
 people  "  (comp.  Isa.  Ixiii.  7-9  ;  Rom.  ix. 
 23-26).  1.  His  creation  (Isa.  xliii.  21). 
 2.  Called  by  Him,  "  from  darkness  to 
 light."  3.  Privileged  people ;  pardoned, 
 regenerated,  adopted.  (Comp.  also 
 Rom.  ii.  28,  29 ;  Phil.  iii.  3 ;  1  Pet.  ii. 
 9). 
 
 II.  In  the  Church  there  is  an  un- 
 happy admixture  of  ''wicked  men." 
 This  truth  illustrated  in  Lord's  parables 
 — of  ten  virgins,  tares  and  wheat,  net 
 cast  into  sea. 
 
 God's  people  are  not  sinless,  yet  not 
 a^^oii'ecZ/j^  "  wicked  "  (Job  X.  7,15).  A 
 real  Christian  is  anxious  to  be  right  (Ps. 
 cxxxix.  23).  Yet  among  them  "  wicked 
 men  "  are  found.     This  applies — 
 
 1.  To  those  religioxis  establishments 
 whose  constitution  and  discipline  offer 
 no  restraints  to  the  admission  of  such 
 characters.  The  gate  is  not  strait,  but 
 wide.  Baptismal  regeneration  of  infants 
 necessitates  a  lax  admission  to  co7nmu- 
 nion,  &c. 
 
 2.  The  ,  description  is  applicable  to 
 mere  hearers  of  the  Gospel.  They  are 
 among  God's  people  (Ezek.  xxxiii.  31). 
 Gospel  preached  to  them  in  vain  ;  Holy 
 Ghost  resisted ;  neglect  great  salvation. 
 Is  not  this  wicked  ? 
 
 3.  Applicable  to  those  who  have 
 entered  the  Church  without  real  conver- 
 sion. "Walk  according  to  the  course 
 of  this  world,  and  are  by  nature  children 
 of  wrath."  Such  in  our  religious  assem- 
 blages.    None  in  heaven. 
 
 (1.)  Some  professors  are  secretly  wicTced 
 (Tit.  i.  16  ;  1  Tim.  v.  6).  As  Achan  in 
 camp  of  Israel,  Judas  among  tlie  twelve, 
 Ananias  at  Jerusalem,  Simon  Magus  in 
 
 Samaria,  Jezebel  at  Thyatira :  such   in 
 all  churches  of  saints. 
 
 (2.)  Some  professors  are  deceivers; 
 hypocrites  impose  on  others,  and  also 
 on  themselves.  Say  "  The  temple  of 
 the  Lord  are  we,"  but  are  of  the  syna- 
 gogue of  Satan  (John  viii.  54  ;  Rev.  ii. 
 2,  9). 
 
 4.  Applicable  to  those  wdfidly  in- 
 active in  the  Church.  They  belie  their 
 profession.     Where  is  their  zeal  ?  &c. 
 
 5.  Applicable  to  those  who  interrupt 
 the  peace  and  harmony  of  the  Church. 
 
 Some  have  entered  through  the  gate 
 of  human  excitement,  of  creature  passion, 
 of  filthy  lucre,  of  ambition. 
 
 III.  This  mixture  of  the  wicked 
 with  the  godly  is  a  fact.  "Are  found," 
 &c.     By  whom  are  they  discovered  ? 
 
 1.  Frequently  by  themselves  (1  John 
 ii.  19). 
 
 2.  Persecution  has,  and  so  has  temp>ta- 
 tion. 
 
 3.  By  Christians,  to  whom  their  un- 
 holy course,  &c.,  is  a  grief. 
 
 4.  They  are  found  by  God  (Rev.  iii. 
 18,  23).     Odious  to  Him. 
 
 5.  Some  will  not  be  found  till  the  day 
 of  judgment  {M^tt.  in.   12,  xiii.  28-30). 
 
 IV.  The  injurious  influence  of  the 
 conduct  of  such  professors. 
 
 1.  They  bring  reproach  upon  religion 
 (Rom.  ii.  24). 
 
 2.  The  hearts  of  the  godly  are  grieved 
 and  their  hands  weakened  (Josh.  vii. 
 12,  25  ;  1  John  ii,  7  ;  Phil.  iii.  18). 
 
 3.  The  Church  is  in  danger  of  being 
 injured  by  them  (Hos.  v.  3).  A  little 
 leaven  will  leaven  the  lump  (1  Cor.  v. 
 6-8;  Gal.  v.  9,  10). 
 
 4.  It  frequently  prevents  accessions  to 
 the  Church. 
 
 5.  The  guilt  of  such  persons  is  highly 
 aggravated,  and  their  punishment  ivill  be 
 awful.  "Many  stripes"  (Isa.  v.  5; 
 Hos.  X.  1 ;  Matt.  xi.  21). 
 
 Application  :  1.  Self-examination. 
 "  Lord,  is  it  1 1 "  2.  That  may  be  a 
 true  Church  though  disorderly  persons 
 are  found  in  it.  3.  How  little  is  a  mere 
 profession  of  religion  to  be  trusted  in  or 
 boasted  of.  The  goat,  though  folded 
 among  the  sheep,  is  a  goat  still,  and  must 
 finally  be  separated  from  the  flock  (Matt. 
 XXV.  32,  ZZ).— Helps  for  the  Ptdpit. 
 
 Ill 
 
CHAP.  V. 
 
 IIOMILETIC  COMMENTARY :  JEREMIAH. 
 
 Ver.    2G-29.      Theme :   Deceits   of 
 
 THE  "WICKED. 
 
 God  retains  His  claim  :  "  My  people." 
 Sees  the  snaies  (ver.  2G)  and  miseries 
 (ver.  28)  they  endure.  Estimates  the 
 evil  influences  to  which  they  are  ex- 
 l)osed  (ver.  26),  and  the  calamities 
 vrought  by  the  wicked  (ver.  27). 
 
 I.  Wickedness  forces  itself  into 
 every  society.  The  Church,  the 
 hunie. 
 
 I.  By  hypocritical  pretensions,  2. 
 For  predacious  ends.  The  "  wicked " 
 are  active,  deceptive,  plotting. 
 
 II.  Wickedness  is  intent  on  human 
 ruin  (John  viii.  41,  44). 
 
 1.  Angry  at  goodness.  2.  Eeckless  in 
 mischief.  3.  Envious  of  happuiess.  4. 
 Greedy  of  gain.  Alas  !  "  vien  "  are  the 
 spoiler's  prey. 
 
 III.  Wickedness  can  boast  appalling 
 success  (ver.  27). 
 
 1.  Evil  devices  prosper.  2.  Evil- 
 doers aggrandise  themselves.  Fill  their 
 "  houses  "  with  the  gains  of  ungodliness  : 
 alas !  fill  the  abode  of  doom  with  de- 
 coyed and  destroyed  souls. 
 
 IV.  Wickedness  thrives  by  utter 
 heartlessness  (ver.  28;  Isa.  xxxii.  17). 
 Even  "  the  tender  mercies  of  the  wicked 
 are  cruel."  1.  The  man  who  will  wrong 
 God  will  not  scruple  to  wrong  his  fel- 
 lows. 2.  Mournful  when  the  wicked 
 are  in  great  power.  3.  How  contrasted 
 the  treatment  of  the  poor  and  oppressed 
 by  Christ  (Ps.  Ixxii.  12-14).  4.  What 
 need  to  pray  and  work  that  "  the  wick- 
 edness of  the  wicked  may  come  to  an 
 end." 
 
 V.  Wickedness  ensures  God's  sure 
 revenge  (ver.  29).  God  will :  1.  Avenge 
 His  insulted  honour,  2.  His  outraged 
 laws.  3.  The  suffering  victims.  4. 
 The  spoliation  of  His  heritage.  Oh, 
 the  doom  of  him  on  whom  lies  the  blood 
 of  murdered  souls  !  (Addenda,  ver.  26, 
 '_'  ThcT/  set  a  trap;"  ver.  27,  ''Metributioii 
 in  hind.") 
 
 Ver.  30,  31.  A  cry  of  ^VARNING  in 
 
 A  PERIOD  OF  UNIVERSAL  APOSTASY. 
 
 i.    The   condition   of    the   people    is 
 
 shocking  and  abominable  :  for  (a.)  The 
 
 leaders  of  the  people  mislead  them.    (6.) 
 
 The  people  wish  to  be  misled,     ii.  The 
 
 112 
 
 guilt 
 
 consequences    correspond    to    the   ^ 
 (comp.  ver.  25,  14,  16). — Naeg. 
 
 "  My  2>eo2)le  love  to  have  it  so."  It  is 
 a  criterion  of  false  teaching  that  it 
 lightens  the  yoke  of  God's  law,  removes 
 His  fear  from  the  conscience,  and  leaves 
 man  to  his  own  nature  ;  and  with  this 
 man  is  only  too  ready  to  be  content. — 
 Speaher's  Com. 
 
 "  The  credulous  confidence  of  the 
 ignorant  has  in  all  ages  been  at  the 
 command  of  an  interested  priesthood." 
 — Ilend. 
 
 "  It  appears  clear  from  various  parts 
 of  the  Old  Testament,  that  a  great  num- 
 ber of  persons  pretending  to  prophecy 
 arose  among  the  Hebrews,  by  whom  the 
 exertions  of  the  true  prophets  were 
 greatly  counteracted,  and  the  ruin  of  the 
 nation  accelerated." — Ihid, 
 
 "  Like  sought,  like  found.  The 
 people  wish  to  have  false  preachers,  and 
 get  them,  and  a  blind  man  leads  the 
 blind,  until  both  fall  into  the  ditch 
 (Luke  vi.  39)." — Cramer. 
 
 The  fatal  consequences.     Consider  : 
 
 i.  What  reckoning  would  he  for  their 
 wickedness  (ver.  29).  Sometimes  mercy 
 rejoices  against  judgment ;  How  shall 
 I  give  thee  tip  ?  Here  judgment  is 
 reasoning  against  mercy ;  Shall  I  not 
 visit  ?     It  denotes  : 
 
 1.  The  certainty  and  necessity  of 
 God's  judgments.  Vengeance  must 
 come. 
 
 2.  The  justice  and  eqidty  of  God's 
 judgments.  He  aj^peals  to  the  sinner's 
 own  conscience.  Do  not  such  guilty 
 abominations  merit  punishment. 
 
 ii.  What  was  the  direct  tendency  of 
 their  wickedness  (ver.  31),  i.e. — 
 
 1.  What  a  pitch  of  wickedness  you 
 will  come  to  at  last !  "  What  will  you 
 do  1 "  What  will  this  grow  to  ?  Worse 
 and  worse. 
 
 2.  What  a  pit  of  destruction  you  will 
 come  to  at  last !  Nothing  can  be  ex- 
 pected but  a  deluge  of  wrath  from  God. 
 
 Note:  Those  who  walk  in  bad  ways 
 would  do  well  to  consider  the  tendency 
 of  them  both  to  greater  sin  and  utter 
 rain. — M.  Henry. 
 
 Theme:  The  DISMAL  OUTLOOK. 
 Text  :   '•  What  will  you  do  in  the  end 
 
HOMILETIC  COMMENTARY:  JEREMIAH. 
 
 thereof?"  A  troublesome  question, 
 ghastly  in  its  subtle  suggestiveness. 
 Lifts  veil  of  imagination  on  dark  out- 
 look. Vague  horrors.  There  is  some- 
 thing beyond  the  immediate  present. 
 That  beyond  is  solemn  and  dreadful 
 enough  to  dwarf  the  consideration  of 
 the  present.  Man  has  a  future.  Life 
 goes  on  to  stupendous  issues.  All 
 things  verge  to  a  crisis.  "  What  will 
 you  do  in  the  end  thereof  1 " 
 
 L  That  wicked  courses  come  to  an 
 "  end."  The  book  of  human  history  will 
 close.  Angel  swear,  "  Time  shall  be  no 
 more  ? "  The  Archangel's  trump  will 
 sound.     Every  life  must  be  reckoned. 
 
 L  The  interval  may  be  delusively 
 pleasant. 
 
 2.  Men  may  dream  away  life  in 
 heedlessness. 
 
 3.  The  inevitable  close  comes  on. 
 Death.     Judgment. 
 
 IL  The  in  "the  end"  wicked 
 courses  are  calamitous.  Boat  in  the 
 current  over  the  rapids.  Spendthrift 
 comes  to  penury.  Prodigality  leads  to 
 squandered  health  and  "  husks." 
 
 L  The  terror  of  a  defencek'ss  soul. 
 "What  do?" 
 
 2.  The  urgency  of  preparation. 
 "  Do  "  something  now. 
 
 3.  The  value  of  a  good  hope.  Need 
 to  do  nothing  but  hide  in  Christ.  How 
 blessed  to  feel  sure  (2  Tim.  i.  12). 
 
 IIL  That  in  the  calamitous  "  end  " 
 the  wicked  will  have  no  refuge  or 
 plea.  "  What  will  you  do  ?  "  Having 
 "  neglected  great  salvation ; "  alienated 
 infinite  love;  despised  and  offended 
 Jesus  ;  lost  your  sole  interval  of  escape  1 
 
 1.  Utter  dismay  (Isa.  ii.  19 ;  Kev. 
 vi.  16). 
 
 2.  Utterly  defenceless.  Deserted  by 
 all  human  comforters ;  every  false  hope 
 gone ;  and  the  sinner's  Friend  your 
 avenging  Judge.  Not  a  plea  left  you 
 to  excuse  or  extenuate  your  guilt. 
 
 IV.  That  without  a  refuge  or  plea 
 "  the  end  "  of  all  is  irremediable  ruin 
 (ver.  29).  (Addenda,  ver.  31,  "  What 
 do  in  the  end  ?  ") 
 
 1.  Use  the  auspicious  present.  2.  For- 
 sake evil  and  live,  3.  Flee  for  refuge 
 to  the  hope  set  before  you  in  the  Gospel. 
 
 NOTICEABLE  TOPICS  IN  CHAPTER  V. 
 
 Topic :  Harvest  SEEMOisr.    Text :  "  If  either  say  they  in  their  heart,  Let  us  now  fear 
 the  Lord  :  He  reserveth  unto  us  the  appointed  weeks  of  harvest "  (ver.  24). 
 
 Three  lamentable  habits  and  attitudes  of  thought : 
 
 1.  Readiness  to  see  the  worst  side  of  God's  natural  providences.  "  He  giveth 
 rain;"  untimely,  insufficient,  or  excessive. 
 
 2.  Bowing  the  God  of  nature  out  of  all  active  management  of  His  own  world. 
 A  delusion  to  suppose  weather,  rains,  and  fine  "  weeks  of  harvest "  are  regulated  by 
 special  providence.  God  is  above  such  affairs  :  so  say  not,  "  Let  us  fear,  Lord," 
 &c. 
 
 3.  Ignoring  the  fact  that  human  conduct  affects  God's  providential  dispensations 
 (ver.  25).  There  is  a  continual  administration  of  judgment  going  on  in  this  life, 
 admonitory  of  the  final, 
 
 I.  The  benignant  order  of  natural  providences.     "  Early  rain,"  and  "  latter ; 
 but  rain  "  reserved  "   during   "  weeks  of  harvest."      Without  "  early,"  seed  not 
 germinate ;  if  "  latter  "  not  come,  grain  dried  and  withered  prematurely ;  then 
 ripening  suns. 
 
 1.  Lach  aspect  of  nature  is  ivelcomed  in  its  season.  God  rolls  the  seasons  round, 
 and  every  change  is  beneficent  and  congenial.  So  in  the  ages  of  man :  childhood 
 lovely,  youth  winning,  mature  have  grace,  snowy  age  majestic.  But  these  are 
 only  welcomed  in  their  season.  "  Snow  in  harvest"  not  welcomed  ;  ruinous.  So 
 childishness  in  manhood,  &c.     "  In  season." 
 
 2.  The  certain  revolution  of  the  seasons.  Every  year  appointed  times  come 
 round.  Cannot  alter ;  cannot  hasten  spring,  nor  delay  winter.  So  seasons  of  life. 
 (1.)  Seasons  cannot  he  hurried.     Youth  must  bear  its  yoke,  manhood  its  toils; 
 
 H  113 
 
no  MI  LET  I C  COMMENTARY  :  JEREMIAH. 
 
 reaping  and  rest  cannot  be  forestalled.      "Race  not  to  swift,"  &c.      (2.)  Seasons 
 cannot  be  delayed.      Winter  refuses  to   pause.      Youth  not  long  with  the  young  : 
 ace  comes  on ;  or,  what  is  oftener  than  age,  death. 
 *Let  not  seasons  pass  unused,  lest  "  weeks  of  harvest"  bring  no  ingathering. 
 
 II.  An  interval  reserved  for  harvest  ingathering.  God  kept  these  "  weeks  " 
 from  intrusion  of  unseasonable  weather,  and  "  rain." 
 
 1.  The  reaping  season  has  a  fixed  duration  ;  "  weeks."  Soon  gone.  Squander 
 golden  opportunity  :  *'  past !  "  "  What  hands  do,  with  might."  All  gracious  seasons 
 are  brief.  Therefore  reapers  ply  with  industry.  Men,  wise  in  worldly  concerns, 
 take  heed  that  fine  opportunities  not  squandered.  Eight ;  God  sends  favourable 
 times,  when,  if  equal  to  occasion,  reap  large  gains.  Make  most  of  every  good 
 occasion  in  life.  Special  opportunities  oi  grace  :  "  Work  while  day."  Gather  in 
 while  you  may,  fruits  of  Spirit,  bounties  of  Divine  love,  blessings  of  redemption. 
 
 2.  The  ivork  of  harvest  ingathering.  Fields  laden,  swept  with  scythe,  crops 
 garnered.  Some  will  complain,  dissatisfied  with  results  :  so  ever.  Fear  many 
 will  be  surprised  at  results  of  life,  when  "  reap  what  sown."  None  expect  a  bad 
 end  or  adverse  judgment  before  God.  Strange  infatuation  !  Madness  to  "  sow  to 
 flesh  "  and  expect  other  than  "  corruption."  Bitter  the  ingathering  of  lost  hopes 
 and  ruined  joys  !     But  glad  the  ingathering  of  the  Christian  ;  joyous  the  harvest. 
 
 3.  The  Divine  law  of  imUtijdying.  From  handfuls  come  "  harvest."  ''  Thirty, 
 sixty,  a  hundred."  "  Heap  up  treasures."  Sow  wind,  reap  whirlwind.  Live 
 benignly  and  devoutly,  "  receive  into  everlasting  habitations."  Same  in  quality, 
 but  increased  in  quantity.  Think  on  this  immeasurable  and  eternal  reaping  of 
 the  issues  of  life  !     Ingathering  will  come,  for  God  hath  "reserved  weeks." 
 
 III.  Man's  becoming  response  to  God's  gracious  bestowments.  "  Let  us  now 
 fear  the  Lord." 
 
 1.  With  discerning  adoration,  let  us  receive  God^s  favours.  "Bless the  Lord,  and 
 forget  not  benefits."     "  What  render  unto  the  Lord  1 " 
 
 2.  With  diligent  promj^titude  let  us  use  the  auspicious  seasons  God  sends.  Turn 
 "weeks "to  account;  waste  them  not  for  "more  convenient  season."  Wise 
 husbandman  works  eagerly  to  "  fill  his  barns."  Make  your  hearts  garners  of 
 spiritual  peace  and  joy. 
 
 3.  With  devoutest  service  let  lis  shoiv  our  ^^fear  of  the  Lord."  The  harvest-song 
 God  loves,  but  the,  harvest-fruits  He  requires.  Lay  on  His  altar  life  and  love. 
 "  I  beseech  you  by  mercies  of  Lord,  present  your  bodies  living  sacrifice,"  &c. — 
 (Addenda,  ver.  24,  "  God  recognised  in  the  harvest") 
 
 ADDENDA  TO  CHAPTER  V.    ILLUSTRATIONS  AND  SUGGESTIVE  EXTRACTS. 
 
 Ver.  I.    "Streets  of  Jerusalem."     In  the  prophet  of  the  thoroughfares;  and 
 
 ancient  times  the  streets  of  Jerusalem  this    because    the    "broad   places   and 
 
 seemed  to  have   names.       (They    have  streets  "  were  scenes  of  idolatry,  altars 
 
 none  now.)      Several    are    mentioned  :  and  idols  being  erected  therein. 
 "East     Street"    (2    Chron.    xxix.    4),  '' Seeh,  if  ye  can  find  a  man."     Dioge- 
 
 Q\  <fw^  ^'^  ^^®  '^°"^^  ^^  ^^^  "  {^^^^  ^-  ^^^>  *^®  ^y^^^'  having  lighted  a  lamp, 
 
 9),^"Water-gate  Street"  (Neb.  viii.  1,  3),  ranged  the  streets  peering  about  as  if 
 
 "  Ephrami-Gate  Street "  (Neh.  viii.  1 6),  searching  for  something.     Being  asked 
 
 '  Bakers  Street  '  (Jer.  xxxvii.  21).  what  he  looked  for,   he  answered,  "A 
 
 The   number  of  the  "streets"  was  man;"  or,  as  is  usually  recorded,  "An 
 
 great  (Jer.  XI.    13).      Jeremiah  makes  honest  man!"     But  the  words  in  Laer- 
 
 treqnent   allusion   to   the    "streets    of  tius  are  a.^^wTro^   ^9,™,  "  I  seek  a  man." 
 
 Jerusalem     (Jer.  v._  1 ;  vii.  17,  34  ;  ix.  He  sought  not  alone  a  man  with  honesty 
 
 1  '  ?''q    >i  \   '   u^'   ^^'    ^^'^^"-  ^^  >  aiid  truth  in  his  character,  but  a  man  in 
 
 xiiv.  b,  J   11).      He   was   distinctively  whom  all  ri^ht  and  noble  qualities  were 
 
EOMILETIC  COMMENTARY :  JEREMIAH. 
 
 combined.  He  constantly  reviled  the 
 society  of  Greece  with  its  lack  of  man- 
 hood. 
 
 "The  host  of  Nola  being  bid  to 
 summon  the  good  men  of  the  town  to 
 appear  before  the  Roman  censor,  gat  him 
 to  the  churchyard,  and  there  called  at 
 the  graves  of  the  dead;  for  he  knew 
 not  where  to  call  for  a  good  man  alive." 
 — Trapjx 
 
 One  true  man  would  avert  the  coming 
 woe.  "  Ghislerus  reminds  us  of  a  story 
 which  Pliny  relates  of  King  Demetrius, 
 who  retired  from  the  city  of  Rhodium 
 because  he  could  not  take  it  on  its  only 
 accessible  side  without  destroying  some 
 celebrated  paintings  of  Protogenes." — 
 Lange.  This  one  man's  merits  saved 
 the  city. 
 
 "  When  the  good  man  mends  his  armour, 
 And  trims  his  helmet's  plume, 
 When  the  goodwife's  shuttle  merrily 
 
 Goes  flashing  through  the  loom, 
 With  weeping  and  with  laughter 
 
 Still  is  the  story  told 
 How  well  Horatius  kept  the  bridge. 
 In  the  brave  days  of  old." 
 
 — Lays  of  Ancient  Rome. 
 
 Ver.  4.  Ignorance  and  irreligion. 
 Ignorance  of  the  price  of  pearls  makes 
 the  idiot  slight  them.  Ignorance  of  the 
 worth  of  diamonds  makes  the  fool  choose 
 a  pebble  before  them.  Ignorance  of  the 
 satisfaction  learning  affords  makes  the 
 peasant  despise  it.  So  with  religion. — 
 Anthony  Hornech. 
 
 Ver.  7.  "  When  I  fed  them  to  the  fidl," 
 itc.  Fulness  in  good  men  often  breeds 
 forgetfulness,  and  in  bad  men  filthiness. 
 Gula  vestibidum  luxurice — gluttony  is 
 the  gallery  that  incontinency  walketh 
 through.  The  Israelites  ate  and  drank, 
 and  rose  up  to  play,  sciL,  with  their 
 Midianitish  mistresses.  Fulness  of  bread 
 made  way  to  Sodom's  sin.  Lunatics, 
 when  the  moon  is  declining  and  in  the 
 wane,  are  sober  enough ;  but  when  full, 
 more  wild  and  exorbitant. — Trapp. 
 
 Ver.  14.  "  My  words  shall  devour 
 them."  "  Though  men  were  hard  as 
 rocks,  the  Word  is  a  hammer  which  can 
 break  them  ;  though  as  sharp  as  briers 
 and  thorns,  the  Word  is  a  fire  which 
 can  devour  and  torment  them." — Bishop 
 Reyyiolds. 
 
 An  infidel  said,  "  There  is  one  thing 
 
 that  mars  all  the  pleasure  of  my  life." 
 "  Indeed  !  "  replied  his  friend ;  "  what 
 is  that  1 "  He  answered,  "I  am  afraid 
 the  Bible  is  true.  If  I  could  know  for 
 certain  that  death  is  an  eternal  sleep,  my 
 joy  would  be  complete.  But  here  is  the 
 thorn  that  stings  me,  the  sword  that 
 pierces  to  my  very  soul :  if  the  Bible  is 
 true,  I  am  lost  for  ever." 
 
 Ver.  22.  "  Tremble  at  my  presence, 
 ivhich  have  made  the  sea  ?  " 
 
 "  Thou  glorious  mirror,  where  the  Almighty's 
 
 form 
 Glasses  itself  in  tempests  ;  in  all  time, 
 Calm  or  convulsed, — in  bi'eeze,  or  gale,  or 
 
 storm, 
 Icing  the  pole,  or  in  the  torrid  clime 
 Dark     heaving,    boundless,     eternal,    and 
 
 sublime — 
 The  image  of  eternity,  the  throne 
 Of  the  Invisible."  — Btkon. 
 
 "  In  contemplation  of  created  things 
 
 By  steps  we  may  ascend  to  God." — MHiTON. 
 
 "Sand  for  the  bound  of  the  sea." 
 Modern  science  has  shown  that  the 
 resisting  power  of  sand  is  enormous. 
 By  the  mechanical  laws  which  govern 
 it,  the  shock  of  a  blow  is  distributed 
 laterally,  and  produces  little  effect.  An 
 egg  buried  a  few  inches  deep  in  the 
 sand  would  not  be  broken  by  heavy 
 blows  falling  upon  the  surface.  And  so 
 a  wave  which  would  shatter  rocks  falls 
 powerless  upon  sand. — Dr.  Payne  Smith. 
 
 Ver.  23.  "Revolting  heart."  The 
 forcible  and  true  meaning  of  the  word 
 "  revolt "  has  become  obscured.  It 
 suggests  affections  which  had  been 
 drawn  bach  from  God  through  dislike  of 
 His  claims  ;  then  followed  active  resist- 
 ance," rebellion." 
 
 Ver.  24.  God  recognised  in  the  har- 
 vest. Dr.  Guthrie  tells  us,  that  as  a 
 traveller  in  a  lonely  district  drew  near 
 to  a  cottage,  he  heard  a  man  exclaiming, 
 "  Thanks  be  to  God  for  this  and  Christ !" 
 So  earnest  was  the  tone  of  the  speaker, 
 that  the  traveller  ventured  to  go  in  to 
 see  what  the  gift  was  that  called  forth 
 such  thanksgiving.  It  was  but  a  crust 
 of  bread,  on  which  the  poor  occupant  of 
 that  cottage  was  about  to  make  his  mid- 
 day meal.  To  the  devout  old  man  a 
 crust  and  Christ  was  something  to  thank 
 God  for.  How  much  more  it  behoves 
 us,  when  the  valleys  are  covered  with 
 
 115 
 
CHAP.  VI. 
 
 HOMTLFA'IC  COMMENTARY :  JEREMIAH. 
 
 corn,  and  when  the  fruits  of  the  earth 
 are  safely  stored  in  the  garner,  to  lift  up 
 our  hands  and  our  hearts  unto  God,  and 
 say,  "  Thanks  be  unto  God  for  all  this 
 and  Christ !  "—A'ev.  R.  A.  Bertram. 
 
 ''God,  that  giveth  rain."  The  vast 
 reservoir  of  the  ocean  provided  for  the 
 supply  of  vapour ;  the  laws  which  cause 
 these  vapours  to  rise  and  float  in  the  air ; 
 the  winds  which  waft  them  to  the  land ; 
 the  attraction  there  exercised  upon  them 
 by  trees,  mountains,  &c. ;  the  currents 
 of  air  moving  in  different  directions, 
 which,  by  their  differences  of  tempera- 
 ture cause  the  vapour  to  condense  and 
 be  deposited  in  drops ;  the  laws  of  con- 
 gelation, which  store  up  part  of  the  win- 
 ter excess  in  the  shape  of  snow  and  ice 
 upon  the  mountains  for  summer  use; 
 the  diversified  strata  of  the  earth,  which 
 store  up  another  portion,  causing  it  in 
 some  places  to  break  forth  in  springs, 
 in  others  keeping  it  out  of  the  reach  of 
 evaporation,  but  available  for  man's  use 
 by  the  digging  of  wells :  all  these  com- 
 plicated arrangements  show  such  a 
 thoughtful  care  for  the  supply  of  one 
 of  the  first  necessaries  of  human  life, 
 that  those  capable  of  understanding 
 them  ought  to  say  in  their  hearts,  "  Let 
 us  fear  the  Lord." — Speaker's  Com. 
 
 Ver.  26.  "  The?/  set  a  trap;  tliey  catch 
 me7i." 
 
 "  Proud  Nimrod  first  the  bloody  chase  be- 
 gan, 
 A  mighty  hunter — and  his  prey  was  man." 
 — Pope. 
 
 Plans  adopted  for  catching  birds.  1. 
 Trap  ;  the  usual  method  (Job  xviii.  9  ; 
 
 Eccles.  ix.  12;  Prov.  vii.  23);  made  of 
 two  parts — a  net  stretched  over  a  frame, 
 a  stick  supporting  it,  so  placed  as  to 
 give  way  with  the  least  touch  (Amos  iii. 
 5,  "gin;"  Ps.  Ixix.  22,  "trap").  2. 
 Snare;  was  a  cord  (Job  xviii.  10,  cf.  Ps. 
 xviii.  5,  cxvi.  3,  cxl.  5)  so  placed  as 
 to  catch  a  bird  by  the  leg.  3.  Decoy ; 
 (Jer.  V.  26,  27),  a  cage  filled  with  birds, 
 the  door  being  kept  open  by  stick  (or 
 cord),  which  suddenly  closed  on  the  en- 
 trance of  any  bird. 
 
 Hunting,  with  its  snares,  may  remind 
 us  of  that  mighty  hunter,  Satan,  and 
 his  devices.  Decoys,  snares  for  the  un- 
 wary. Hence  the  duty  of  watchfulness. 
 "  In  vain  the  net  is  spread  in  the  sight 
 of  any  bird"  (Prov.  i.  17). — /.  Comper 
 Grey,  "  Topics J^ 
 
 Ver.  27.  ^'Retribution  in  kind.''' 
 "  They  that  will  be  rich  fall  into  a 
 snare"  (1  Tim.  vi.  9).  "Thou  fool! 
 this  night  thy  soul  is  required  of 
 thee ;  then  whose  shall  those  things  be 
 which  thou  hast  provided  1  So  is  he  that 
 layeth  up  treasure  for  himself  and  is  not 
 rich  towards  God"  (Luke  xii.  20,  21). 
 
 Ver.  31.  "  What  do  in  the  end  ?  "  On 
 that  day,  if  all  your  unforgiven  sins  are 
 against  you ;  if  Jesus  Christ,  wounded 
 and  driven  back,  is  against  you ;  if  the 
 Holy  Ghost  is  against  you,  with  whom 
 you  have  striven  ;  if  the  ofi'ended  Lord 
 God  Almighty  is  against  you ;  ah !  com- 
 ing as  you  are,  into  that  day,  you  must 
 perish.  It  will  be  too  late  to  pray  then. 
 Even  the  granite  rocks  will  fall  the 
 other  way  as  you  pray  to  them,  "  Fall 
 on  us,"  &c. — Talmage. 
 
 CHAPTER  VL 
 
 Ckitioai  anxi  Exegetical  Notes. — 1.  Chronological  and  Historical  position  of  this  chapter 
 the  same.     (Comp.  notes  on  iii.,  iv.,  v.) 
 
 2.  Geographical  References.— Ver.  1.  "TeJcoa  ;"  a  small  town  of  defence  in  Judah  (2  Chron. 
 xi.  6),  six  Roman  miles  from  Bethlehem  (Jerome),  lies  on  the  range  of  hills  which  stretch 
 from  ne.ar  Hebron  eastward  ;  about  eleven  miles  due  south  of  Jerusalem.  Its  ruins  scarcely 
 cover  five  acres  :  they  consist  of  walls  of  bouses,  broken  columns,  cisterns,  &c.  Birthplace  of 
 Amos  (vii.  14).  Tekoites  helped  in  rebuilding  vpalls  of  Jerusalem  after  Captivity  (Neh. 
 iii.  5,  27).  Town  now  called  Tekua.  " Beth-haccarem  :"  means  vineyard  house;  situate  half- 
 way between  Tekoa  and  Jerusalem,  on  a  mountain,  probably  "  Herodium,"  the  site  of  Herod's 
 castle  ;  known  now  as  Frank  Mountain.  Town  had  a  ruler  in  Nehemiah's  time  (Neh.  iii.  14). 
 This  verse  indicates  that  it  was  used  as  a  beacon  station.  Jerome,  who  wrote  at  Bethlehem, 
 •ays,  "  Every  one  knows  that  Jerusalem  is  situated  in  the  tribe  of  Benjamin  As  for  Tekoa,  we 
 116 
 
HOMILETIC  COMMENTARY :  JEREMIAH. 
 
 Bee  every  day  with  our  owu  eyes  that  it  is  a  little  town  upon  a  hill  about  twelve  [Roman] 
 miles  from  Jerusalem.  Between  these  is  another  village,  called  in  the  Hebrew  and  Syriac 
 tongues  Bethacharma,  which  also  is  placed  upon  a  hill."  Ver.  20.  "  Sheha:  "  the  kingdom  of 
 Sheba  in  Southern  Arabia,  embracing  the  greater  part  of  the  Yemen  (Dr.  W.  Smith),  Arabia 
 Felix ;  or  the  chief  city  of  Yemen,  the  priucipal  province  of  Arabia  (Kalisch).  Arabic,  Seba. 
 (Comp.  Ezek.  xxvii.  22.)  The  tribe  and  home  of  the  Sabaens  in  Southern  Arabia  (Naeg.). 
 '^Afar  country  ;"  India;  ^^ cane,"  brought  thence  in  the  caravans.  Ver.  22.  ''Sides  of  the 
 earth;"  i.e.,  most  remote  regions  ;  the  scenes  of  their  captivity;  and  from  whence  they 
 would  return  (ch.  xxxi.  8) ;   Chaldea,  therefore. 
 
 3.  Personal  Allusions. — Ver.  1.  '' Children  of  Benjamin:"  Jeremiah's  fellow-countrymen, 
 he  being  of  that  tribe,  Anathoth  being  one  of  the  cities  of  Benjamin.  Originally  the  tribal 
 territory  was  bounded  on  the  north  by  Ephraim,  and  south  by  the  hills  of  Jerusalem ;  but  the 
 limits  were  soon  extended  southward  to  the  valley  of  Hinuom, 
 
 4.  Natural  History. — Ver.  20.  "Sweet  cane:"  probably  the  Calamus  aromaticus,  native  of 
 Central  India,  remarkable  for  its  fragrance  (Dr.  Royle)  ;  or  it  may  be  the  lemon  grass  of  India 
 and  Arabia  (Dr.  W.  Smith).  The  sweet  cane,  or  calamus  (Exod.  xxx.  23),  when  dried  and 
 pulverised,  is  richly  fragrant  (so  Dioscorides  informs  us)  ;  while  according  to  Strabo  its  origin 
 must  be  traced  to  Sheba  in  Arabia.  Pliny  says  it  was  common  to  India  and  Syria.  The  best 
 came  from  India. 
 
 5.  Manners  and  Customs. — Ver.  1.  "Set  up  a  sign  of  fire  :"  when  the  enemy  approached, 
 the  besieged  made  their  peril  known  and  summoned  assistance  by  raising  a  column  of  smoke 
 in  the  daytime,  or  piling  a  blazing  fire  in  the  night.  Or  a  lighted  torch  was  "  lifted  up"  and 
 waved  violently  as  a  "sign"  of  pressing  danger.  Here  it  may  mean,  kindle  a  fire  on  the  heights, 
 mountain  tops.  Ver.  4.  "Go  up  at  noon:"  the  noon  was  generally  too  hot  for  aught  but 
 rest ;  but  the  eagerness  of  the  Chaldean  army  is  such  that  they  are  alert  even  at  midday.  Ver. 
 6.  "  Mew  trees  and  cast  a  mount :  "  the  besiegers  in  all  ancient  sieges  ruthlessly  cut  down  the 
 trees  around  the  city,  and  with  them  filled  up  ditches  and  constructed  embankments.  From 
 these  "  mounts  "  they  attacked  the  city  (2  Sam.  xx.  15  ;  Jer.  xxxii.  24).  The  Jews  were  em- 
 phatically forbidden  to  hew  down  fruit-bearing  trees  (Deut.  xx.  19,  20).  .  (See  Addenda  on  ver. 
 ti.)  Ver.  9.  "  Tur7i  back  thine  hand  :"  the  gleaner  is  to  bring  his  hand  back  again  along  the 
 branches,  and  go  carefully  once  more  over  the  tendrils,  lest  any  clusters  escape  :  thus  would 
 Nebuchadnezzar  repeat  his  invasions  till  the  land  was  swept  clean  of  inhabitants.  Ver.  17. 
 "  Watchmen:"  sentinels  (1  Sam.  xiv.  16).  The  watchmen  patrolled  the  city  during  the  night 
 and  called  the  hours.  In  times  of  alarm  and  danger,  watchmen  were  posted  ij.  towers  over 
 the  city's  gates  (Isa.  xxi.  8,  Ixii.  6).  They  were  menaced  with  heaviest  punishments  if  faith- 
 less to  their  trust  (Ezek.  xxxiii.  2-6).  Metaphorically,  this  was  the  office  of  prophets  (see  refs. 
 above,  and  Hab.  ii.  1).  "  Bow  and  spear : "  for  "  bow  "  see  notes  on  iv.  29,  v.  16.  "  Spear :  " 
 a,  javelin  for  hurling  at  the  enemy  ;  or  lance  (ch.  1.  42),  iised  by  mounted  soldiers,  rushing  upon 
 the  enemy  at  full  speed  with  lances  levelled  against  their  foe.  Layard's  "Mon.  of  Nin."  show 
 this  the  ordinary  weapon  of  war  used  by  the  Babylonians.  Ver.  26 .  "  Walloiv  thyself  in  ashes  :  " 
 to  throw  ashes  upon  the  head,  the  symbol  of  intense  grief  (2  Sam.  xiii.  19)  ;  but  to  "  sit  down 
 in  them"  (Job  ii.  8)  is  a  more  desperate  manifestation  of  misery  and  sorrow  :  to  "  wallow  in 
 ashes  "  indicates  a  grief  wholly  unbearable  ;  a  superlative  figure  of  wretchedness.  Ver.  27-30. 
 "A  tower  and  fortress  to  try,"  &c.  (For  correct  rendering  of  words  see  Lit.  Crit.  below.) 
 Metaphorical  language  taken  from  metallurgy;  smelting  and  f  roving  ore;  "brass,"  "iron," 
 "  lead,"  "silver."  In  ancient  times,  ere  the  use  of  quicksilver  was  known,  lead  was  employed 
 as  a  flux  to  assist  the  silver  to  melt ;  its  action  being  so  penetrating  that  it  ran  through  other 
 metals,  dissolving  them,  and  gathering  to  itself  the  alloy,  thus  separating  the  precious  metals 
 from  dross.  But  in  Judah's  case  the  smelter  or  assayer  could  obtain  no  pure  silver  at  all ;  the 
 refiner's  art  in  their  case  failed. 
 
 6.  Literary  Citicisms. — Ver.  1.  "  Gather  yourselves  to  flee : "  same  word  as  in  iv.  6, 
 translated  "  retire  :"  see  notes  m  loc.  Bend.,  "  Flee  for  refuge  ;  "  Keil  and  Lange,  simjily 
 "&ee;"  Blayney,  "Retire  in  a  body."  "Blow  iuTehoa:"  an  alUteration,  ^^pj^  V_S\)Pi'^ 
 surely  not  a  literary  vanity,  having  no  design  beyond  producing  a  paronomasia  (as  Keil  con- 
 ceives), but  because  Tekoa  was  the  most  southerly  town  where  the  fugitives  would  halt  when 
 driven  by  alarm  of  war  from  Jerusalem.  Ver.  2.  "  I  have  likened,"  d:c.  In  Hosea  iv.  5,  this  word 
 is  rendered  "'  destroy;  "  i.e.,  reduced  to  silence  by  destroying.  Keil,  "  I  lay  waste."  Speaker's 
 Com.  retains  "likened.  "  Comely  and  delicate  :"  Speaker's  Com.  takes  m^  as  in  Isa.  Ixv.  10, 
 "fold  ; "  Jer.  xxiii.  3,  "  folds  ;  "  i.e.,  a  pasture  on  which  "  the  shepherds  "  (ver.  3.)  have  inade 
 a  temporary  encampment ;  so  that  the  verse  stands  in  full,  "  To  a  pasturage,  yea,  a  luxuriant, 
 have  I  likened  the  daughter  of  Zion."  With  this  interpretation  ver.  3  naturally  coincides. 
 Lange,  "Thou  art  like  the  meadow,  the  tenderly  cared  for."  Sharpe,  "I  will  destroy  the 
 comely  and  delicate  daughter  of  Zion."  Ver.  3.  "In  his  place;"  ht.  "They  shall  pasture 
 each  his  hand  ;  "  i.e.,  what  lies  to  hand,  close  beside  him  (2  Sarn.  xiv.  30).  Ver.  4.  "  Prepare 
 war:"  sanctify  vfa.r ;  i.e.,  prepare  by  religious  inaugurations  (q/".  Deut.  xx.  2;  Ezek.  xxi.  21- 
 23  ;  Isa.  xiii.  3).  "  Woe  unto  us:"  this  is  an  outcry,  not  of  the  assailed  but  the  assailing 
 armies  which  lament  beinj;  held  back  from  attack  till  noun  heat  subsides  (see  Maimrrs,  d:c.,  on 
 
 il7 
 
CHAP.  VI. 
 
 HOMILETIC  COMMENTARY :  JEREMIAE. 
 
 verse  above)  that  time  sped  faster  than  their  designs ;  so  eager  were  they  to  execute  the  over- 
 
 triflingly,  as  but  a  frivolous  matter  ;  as  if  there  were  nothing  serious  or  dangerous.  Ver. 
 15.  ♦'  Were  they  ashamed,"  &c.  :  not  iuterrog.  They  were  put  to  shame;  nevertheless  they 
 are  not  ashamed.  Ver.  16.  "  The  good  way : "  Keil  urges  that  ^itSH  cannot  be  accus. 
 appended  to,  but  is  genit.  dependent  on  'Jl"l'7;  lience  "way  of  the  good;"  leads  to  the  good, 
 to  salvation;  but  he  is  alone  in  suggesting  this.  Ver.  18.  "  What  is  among  them;"  or,  what 
 happens  in  their  midst,  what  befalls  them.  Vulg.,  "  what  great  things  I  will  do  to  them." 
 Ver.  25.  "Fear  on  every  side:"  Magor-Missabib  (ch.  xx.  3);  an  ever-recurring  phrase  in 
 Jeremiah's  preaching  (xx.  10,  xlvi.  5,  xlix.  29).  This  text,  so  frequently  reiterated,  he  took 
 from  Ps.  xxxi.  13 ;  effectively  expounded  in  his  discourses,  and  certainly  suited  to  his  age. 
 Ver,  27.  "Tower:"  ])n3.  from  ^HB  to  search  out,  to  prove,  especially  metals  (Gesen.) 
 (oomp.  ix.  7  and  Job  sxiii.  10),  whence  the  derived  noun  ^1113.^  a  trier,  assayer  of  metals. 
 *'FoHress:"1)i2D  from  "1^21^  to  cut  off,  cut  out,  dig  out,  used  oi  metals  O^i^.,  ore  of  gold 
 and  silver  (Job  xxii.  24)  ;  the  metal  as  cut  out  or  dug  out  from  mines).  Although  "I^ZIQ  is  an 
 irregular  form  to  be  derived  from  this  root,  and  might  have  as  its  origin  "^^^^  to  fortify,  yet  the 
 previous  word  seems  to  determine  its  connection  with  metallurgy.  Hence  Ewald,  "a  cutter  oj 
 ores,"  i.e. ,  in  order  to  separate  bad  metal  from  good.  ' '  I  have  set  thee  an  assayer  and  tester  of  ores." 
 Ver.  28.  Grievous  revolters;"  D''~l"liD  ''ID*  paronomasia;  superlative  form  of  sentence; 
 " rebels  of  rebels  "  (/Speato-'s  Com.) ;  "  rebels  of  the  rebellious "  (Hitzig).  Ver.  29.  "Bellows 
 are  burned ; "  "10^    either  Niphil  of  "iT^H    to  burn,  or  the  root  "IHJ    to  snort  (cf.  viii.  16), 
 
 i.e.,  blow  furiously  in  the  process  of  smelting  the  ore.  Lange,  Speaker's  Com.,  and  Keil  prefer 
 the  former;  the  very  bellows  are  burned  with  the  intense  heat  of  the  fire.  Mend.,  Rosen., 
 Umbriet,  &c.,  the  latter;  the  roaring  noise  occasioned  by  blowing  the  bellows.  V  Wicked  are 
 not  plucked  away;"  i.e.,  separated;  the  dross  cannot  be  removed  by  all  the  smelter's  arts. 
 Nothing  satisfactory  results ;  the  ore  is  hopelessly  and  irremediably  base. 
 
 HOMILIES  ON  SECTIONS  OF  CHAPTER  VI. 
 
 Section      1-9.  A  vision  of  retributive  war. 
 
 ,,      10-17.  God's  messenger  bafiOied  and  repudiated. 
 
 ,,      18-26.  Bitter  issues  of  impious  effrontery. 
 
 ,,      27-30.  A  frustrated  ministry  of  grace. 
 
 Ver.  1-9.    A  Vision  of  Eetributive  War. 
 
 As  yet  no  invader  had  set  foot  on  the  land ;  the  city  apprehended  no  assault : 
 this  forewarning  cry  (ver.  1)  sounded,  therefore,  like  a  groundless  alarm.  But  the 
 improbable  quickly  glides  into  the  actual  in  common  life,  and  emphatically  so  in 
 Divine  providence.  To  ignore  a  warning  cry  is  to  invite  the  sword.  God  never 
 foreshadows  evil  too  soon,  never  sends  a  seer  with  message  of  terror  without  the 
 danger  being  imminent,  and  always  gives  forewarning  that  the  imperilled  may 
 escape.  ^   (See  Addenda  to  chap.  vi.  ver.  1,  "  Set  up  a  sign  of  fire.") 
 
 I.  Vivid  portrayal  of  imminent  calamity.  Clearly  and  forcibly  delineated, 
 so  that  none  could  plead  ignorance  of  danger.  Nor  caYi  any  now  hide  themselves 
 under  the  excuse  that  they  knew  not  the  calamities  which  menace  sin.  1.  Zioii 
 offers  a  choice  prize  to  the  foe  (ver.  2,  3).  2.  The  enemy  is  impatient  to  conquer 
 (ver.  4,  5).  3.  God  commissions  and  commands  the  assaidt  (ver.  4,  6),  even  as  He 
 did  the  attack  on  Job  (ii.  3-7),  and  on  Paul  (2  Cor.  xii.  7) ;  but  in  their  case  with 
 how  ditlcrent  a  design  and  result!  4.  From  the  destroTjers  hand  none  would 
 escape  (ver.  9).  (See  Manners  and  Customs,  above  on  ver.  9.)  Thus  "  the  daui^hter 
 of  Zion  "  would  find  the  threatened  evil  not  imaginary,  or  easily  avoided.  When 
 bod  commands  vengeance  on  those  who  defy  or  despise  Him,  who  shall  "  stay 
 Mis  hand?"  Where  escape  be  found?  "Behold,  ye  despisers,  and  wonder  and 
 perish. 
 
 118 
 
EOMILETIC  COMMENTARY :  JEREMIAH. 
 
 II.  Urgent  appeals  to  seek  safety  in  retreat.  Hide  ere  calamity  comes,  not 
 delay  until  destruction  overtakes,  (a.)  Tlieir  defenced  city,  Zion,  though,  the  strongest 
 fortress  in  the  land,  was  condemned  to  overthrow;  therefore  "flee!"  (ver.  1). 
 Equally,  {b.)  the  strongholds  of  sinners  wnll  be  overthrown;  by  affliction,  calamity, 
 ruthless  changes  which  befall  men  in  this  life,  and  certainly  by  the  fi7ial  judgment : 
 forsake  them ;  "  flee  for  refuge  to  the  hope  set  before  you." 
 
 1.  They  would  need  shelter  themselves  (ver.  1) ;  though  they  might  deem 
 Jerusalem  secure,  as  sinners  do  their  "  refuge  of  lies,"  God  forewarned  them 
 that  they  would  want  a  raore  safe  retreat ;  and  He  hieiv.  2.  They  should  warn 
 and  rally  their  neighbours  (ver.  1),  fur  they  were  involved  in  like  doom,  and 
 needed  like  salvation.  3.  Timely  wisdom  might  propitiate  God  and  obtain  mercy 
 (ver.  8). 
 
 III.  Pathetic  denunciations  of  their  hardened  impiety.  No  appeals,  how- 
 ever plaintive  and  powerful,  could  rouse  this  guilty  people  to  fear  the  evil  or 
 seek  defence.  1.  Delineation  of  appalling  guilt.  It  was  (a.)  Everywhere  prevalent ; 
 "  wholly  oppression "  (ver.  6) ;  every  social  grade  lost  to  all  except  extortion  and 
 worldly  aggrandisement.  (6.)  Spontaneous  and  ceaseless  (ver.  7),  like  a  stream  of 
 foul  and  poisonous  waters  which  would  not  cease.  2.  Announcement  of  consequent 
 doom,  (a.)  Attendant  sufferings  (ver.  7),  "  grief  and  wounds;"  yet  alas!  these  did  not 
 dispose  them  to  seek  the  Divine  remedy,  the  one  Physician,  (6.)  Abandonment  by 
 God  (ver.  8).  Pitifully  God  pleads,  and  expostulates,  and  warns  (ver.  8) ;  but  the 
 nation  is  unimpressionable ;  "  desolation  "  therefore  follows.  How  lamentable  the 
 contrast  in  Zion's  condition  !  (ver.  3,  comp.  ver.  8).  Sinners  who  despise  God's 
 warnings  and  mercy  entail  on  themselves  the  saddest  desolations. 
 
 Ver.  10-17.  God's  Messenger  Baffled  and  Kepddiated. 
 A  heavy  "  burden  of  the  Lord"  to  carry ;  it  wearied  the  prophet's  spirit.  Who 
 would  not  sorrow  to  "  prophesy  evil "  against  his  own  people  1  Patriotism  and 
 philanthropy  alike  shrink.  Yet,  when  only  by  prophesying  evil  can  the  people  be 
 aroused  to  realise  their  peril  and  "  flee,"  both  patriotism  and  philanthropy  urge  to 
 the  sorrowful  task.  Then,  even  the  meek  and  gentle  Jesus  must  reiterate  His 
 "  woes,"  and  the  noble-hearted  Paul  must  "  with  many  tears  "  portray  his  nation's 
 spiritual  blindness  and  doom. 
 
 I.  A  prophet  in  despair  for  an  audience  (ver.  10).  "  To  whom  shall  I  speak?" 
 c&c.  None  who  either  could  or  would  "  hear."  1.  Deaf;  "  ear  uncircumcised ; " 
 closed  with  a  foreskin ;  a  suggestive  figure  to  Jews ;  shutting  out  the  sound.  2. 
 Decisive  (see  Lit.  Grit,  on  verse).  3.  Depreciating;  "no  delight  in  it ; "  lost  all 
 regard  and  desire  for  communications  from  God.  Prophet  found  none  heedful  (Isa. 
 liii.  1). 
 
 II.  A  prophet  irresistibly  constrained  to  preach  (ver.  11).  Silence  was  not 
 optional  ov  2}ossible;  speak  he  must,  "  whether  men  would  hear  or  forbear."  1.  A 
 mighty  ins2nration  filled  him.  2.  His  weakness  compelled  him  to  yield;  he  grew 
 "  weary  "  with  keeping  silence  and  restraining  the  sorrowful  message.  3.  The  luhole 
 truth  must  be  outpoured.  4.  For  it  refers  to  all,  and  all  must  be  foreioarned.  Mes- 
 sages for  every  one,  all  ages  included,  from  "  children "  to  "  aged."  God's  mes- 
 senger must  utter  the  truths  he  brings. 
 
 III.  A  prophet  bearing  evil  tidings  (ver.  11,  12).  Bethink  1.  How  unwilling 
 is  the  gracious  God  to  send  them.  2.  How  dreadful  is  man's  rebellion  which  neces- 
 sitates them.  3.  Hoio  beautifully  the  Gospel  reverses  them.  4.  How,  in  every  case, 
 timely  repentance  of  sin  averts  them  (cf.  Jonah  iii.  5). 
 
 IV.  A  prophet  defeated  by  lying  messengers  (ver.  13-15).  Forgery  and  falsehood 
 tread  upon  the  heels  of  truth;  the  "enemy  "  with  "tares"  follows  the  footsteps  of 
 the  "  sower"  who  carries  "  good  seed."  "  Lying  spirits  "  are  ever  in  conflict  with 
 prophets  of  truth.  1.  Willing  dupes.  The  people  were  more  prepared  for  the 
 "false"  than  for  the  "true"  (ver.  13).      Sordid  hearts  set  on  this  world  love  flat- 
 
 110 
 
CHAP.  VI.  HOMILETIC  COMMENTARY:  JEREMIAH. 
 
 tery,  care  not  for  Divine  communications.  2.  Plausible  teachers  (ver.  14).  They 
 abound;  trifle  with  human  wrong;  "  heal  slightly; "  their  influence  is  disastrous ;  delude 
 sufferers,  but  not  deliver  them.  3.  Shameless  ungodliness  {\ev.  15).  The  effect  of 
 resisting  Divine  messages  and  warnings  is  to  harden  sinners  in  their  iniquity.  Jere- 
 miah saw  that  his  ministry  was  neutralised  by  the  false  teachings  which  abounded, 
 and  by  the  impious  indiSerence  of  the  i^eople. 
 
 V.  A  prophet  treated  with  open  repudiation  (ver.  16,  17).  Here  is  suggested, 
 1.  A  j^reacher's  varied  modes  of  appeal,  (a.)  He  appealed  to  their  judgment: 
 "Stand  in  ways  and  see;"  examine  whether  the  "  old  paths"  are  not  safest  and 
 happiest,  (h.)  To  their  self-love,  their  spiritual  advantage  :  "  Rest  to  your  souls." 
 (c.)  To  their  fears  and  apprehensions :  "Hearken  to  sound  of  trumpet;  "  the  threat- 
 enings  of  evil.  2.  The  hostile  attitude  of  sinners,  (a.)  They  ivill  not  stir  themselves 
 to  action  (ver.  16),  either  to  test  whether  their  way  is  good  or  leads  to  good,  nor  yet 
 to  gain  the  "  rest  of  soul"  which  God  offers  and  they  truly  need  :  "  We  will  not 
 walk  therein."  (6.)  They  will  not  listen  to  the  voice  of  sacred  teachers  (ver.  17); 
 they  have  no  desire  to  learn  their  malady,  to  be  healed  thoroughly,  to  be  guided 
 into  the  "  good  way,"  to  gain  the  precious  "  rest "  which  Jesus  gives ;  and  they 
 fearlessly  answer  all  appeals  from  God's  servants  with  "  We  will  not  hearken." 
 
 Ver.  18-26.  Bitter  Issues  of  Impious  Efpkontery. 
 
 Rejecters  of  God's  Word  imprecate  His  wrath  (ver.  19).  Defiance  of  His  warn- 
 ings and  pleadings  merits  but  brief  forbearance.  Insulted  mercy  interposes  no 
 longer  between  the  guilty  and  their  doom.  God  has  other  resources  at  command 
 when  His  messages  are  despised.  He  would  persuade  to  repentance  ;  but,  that 
 failing.  He  can  summon  calamities  and  subdue  those  who  revolt  (ver.  22-26). 
 Yet  is  He  "slow  to  anger,"  and  never  calls  for  judgment  till  defiance  is  not  alone 
 outspoken  (ver.  16,  17),  but  incorrigible  (ver.  28).  Even  then  God  treats  their 
 case,  not  vengefully  and  imperiously,  but  judicially  ;  calls  them  to  trial  and  judg- 
 ment, and  appeals  to  the  universe  concerning  the  equity  of  His  proceedings. 
 
 I.  The  court  of  witness  (ver;  18,  19).  God  calls  upon  "  the  nations,''  Gentiles; 
 "  the  congregation,"  probably  counsellors  of  state  ;  "  the  earth,"  i.e.,  all  humanity, 
 to  observe  His  procedure  with  these  Jewish  criminals.  It  foreshadows  another 
 judgment,  to  be  conducted  in  the  sight  of  the  whole  universe.  How  appalling  the 
 event !   how  solemnly  does  God  conduct  the  sinner's  trial ! 
 
 II.  The  offender  arraigned.  Who  is  the  criminal?  (ver.  19),  ''this  people:' 
 God  emphasises  the  identity  :  "  this  people."  ISTot  a  people  without  a  history,  with- 
 out national  distinction,  without  a  noble  ancestry,  without  religious  advantages, 
 without  inducements  to  piety.  Every  item  relating  to  "  this  people  "  formed  a 
 reaso?i  for  faithful,  loving  allegiance  with  their  God,  and  z,  protest  against  their  sin. 
 
 III.  The  accusation  against  Judah  (ver.  19).  It  was  not  so  much  practical 
 irreligion,  though  practices  were  evil  and  loathsome  (ver.  13,  15)  ;  it  was  the 
 alienation  of  the  intelligence  and  heart,  expressed  here  as  "fruit  of  their  thoughts." 
 "An  evil  heart  of  unbelief  in  departing  from  the  living  God."  This  showed  itself 
 in  their  effrontery,— meeting  God's  pleadings  with  an  unblushing  refusal  (ver.  16, 
 17) :  "  Paid  no  heed  to  My  words,  and  My  law  have  they  spurned."  Insolent  in- 
 difference to  God. 
 
 IV.  The  mocking  pretence  of  piety  (ver.  20).  They  made  a  "fair  show"  of 
 religion,  though  their  heart  liad  revolted.  "  To  obey  is  better  than  sacrifice,  and 
 to  hmrken  thau  the  fat  of  rams."  God  repudiates  a  religion  of  ritual :  "  He  looketh 
 at  the  heart."  This  blatant  hypocrisy,  keeping  up  a  parade  of  loyalty  to  God 
 while  their  "thoughts"  Avere  estranged  and  hostile,  made  them  more  criminal  and 
 offensive.  It  amounted  to  a  confession  that  they  knew  Jehovah  deserved  worship, 
 yet,  "  knowing  the  Lord's  will,  they  did  it  not.'* 
 
 V.  The  sentence  of  retribution  (ver.  21).     1.  The  Author  of  calamity  :  "  I  will 
 
 120  ^ 
 
EOMILETIC  COMMENTARY :  JEREMIAH.  chap.  n. 
 
 lay."  &c.  2.  The/o/'m  of  calamity  :  "stumbling-blocks,"  i.e.,  incursions  of  Baby- 
 lonians, 3.  The  fZ^siJresses  of  calamity  :  "  they  shall /aZ^, ...  shall  ^:)m5A."  4.  The 
 fZemsteiw?is  of  calamity  :  totality  is  implied  in  the  enumeration  of  "fathers  and 
 sons  together,  neighbour  and  friend." 
 
 VI.  The  avenging  scourge  (ver.  22,  23).  1.  Remote:  "north,  sides  of 
 earth."  2.  Mighty  :  "  great  nation."  3.  Warlike  :  "  lay  hold  on  bow,"  &c.  4. 
 Barbarous  :  "  cruel,  no  mercy."  5.  Ferocious  :  "  voice  roareth,"  &c.  6.  Deter- 
 mined:  "ride  on  horses,  set  in  array  as  men  for  war,"  &c.  Consider,  therefore, 
 that  a  messenger  with  gracious  words  from  God  being  rejected,  emissaries  with 
 avenging  wrath  from  God  will  follow. 
 
 VII.  The  consternation  of  the  condemned  (ver.  24,  25).  1.  The  terror  of 
 anticipation  (ver.  24)  suggests  the  sinner's  anguish  of  fear,  dreading  death,  and 
 meeting  the  Judge,  and  enduring  the  dire  sentence  beyond.  2.  Hiding  from 
 destruction  (ver.  25),  even  as  in  Rev.  vi.  15  ei  seq. 
 
 VIII.  The  anguish  of  punishment  (ver.  2G).  1.  Abject  wretchedness :  "  wallow 
 in  ashes."  2.  Excruciating  grief :  "most  bitter  lamentation."  3.  Melancholy  loss: 
 "  as  for  only  son,"  for  "  spoiler  come  upon  us."  The  loss  of  God's  love,  the  sacred 
 inheritance,  inward  peace,  all  comfort ;  and  the  endurance  of  shame,  misery,  and 
 bitter  oppression.  "  There  shall  be  weeping  and  gnashing  of  teeth."  Oh,  that  the 
 "  mourning  "  were  timely, — not  after  the  ruin  as  a  fridtless  consequence,  but  before 
 the  ruin  as  a  preventative.  For  penitential  tears  might  avert  the  doom.  Weeping 
 for  suffering  brings  no  remedy,  but  weeping  for  sin  ere  judgment  comes,  prepares 
 the  mourner  to  welcome  the  Saviour. 
 
 Ver.  27-30.    A  Frustrated  Ministry  of  Grace. 
 
 (See  Lit,  Crit.  on  verses.)  In  language  of  metallurgy,  God  sets  forth  the 
 design  of  Jeremiah's  ministry  in  the  midst  of  Judah,  and  the  hopeless  moral  con- 
 dition of  the  nation  ;  for  not  even  the  most  earnest  efforts  to  call  them  back  to  true 
 religion  could  regenerate  or  restore  a  people  so  irremediably  debased.  (See  Ad- 
 denda to  chap.  vi.  30,  "  Reprobate  silver.") 
 
 I.  A  tentative  ministry  (ver.  27).  "An  assayer  and  tester  of  metals."  God'a 
 preachers  prove  their  hearers,  test  their  real  state,  their  thoughts  and  aims,  their 
 spiritual  attitude.  Even  as  with  our  Lord  (Matt.  iii.  12) ;  and  the  Word  of  God 
 (Heb.  iv.  12,  13). 
 
 II.  Base  material  (ver.  28).  Either  (1.)  their  ignoble  quality ;  mere  "copper 
 and  iron,"  not  silver  and  gold  ;  or  (2.)  their  obduracy  ;  hard  and  defiant.  Described 
 as  "  7-evolte7's  ;  "  i.e.,  they  resist  good  :  ^' walk  ivith  slanders  ;"  i.e.,  they  deprecate 
 good;  "all  corrupters;"  i.e.,  they  mar  and  spoil  whatever  good  they  hear  or 
 find ;  communicate  their  own  badness  to  others. 
 
 III.  Unavailing  remedies.  1.  Intense  zeal  effected  nothing.  Jeremiah's 
 fervour,  metaphorically  suggested  in  the  "bellows"  which  became  burned  by  the  very 
 fierceness  of  the  heat  produced,  indicates  the  prophet's  self-consuming  earnestness 
 to  reform  Judah.  2.  Prolonged  endeavours  proved  impotent.  The  smelter  con- 
 tinued his  toils  and  kept  the  heat  at  full  glow  till  the  very  "  lead  was  consumed." 
 3.  Evil  was  inseparable.  The  founder's  work  could  not  effect  a  separation  of 
 Judah  from  her  corruptions  and  idolatries  (John  iii.  19  ;  Matt,  xxiii.  37). 
 
 IV.  Hopeless  abandonment.  1.  God  despairs  of  them  ;  gives  over  any  further 
 effort  to  restore  them  to  piety.  2.  God  surrenders  them ;  as  worthless  :  no  longer 
 will  He  claim  them,  or  own  them.  "  None  of  His,"  is  the  sentence  of  their 
 irrevocable  doom.  They  are  "  cast  away."  All  divine  grace  and  forbearance 
 became  lost  upon  them ;  they  frustrated  every  effort  on  God's  part  for  their  good. 
 Be  came  seeking  fruit,  yet  found  not.  Regenerative  aids  were  applied  (Luke 
 xiii.  8)  ;  opportunity  was  patiently  allowed  for  utilising  advantages ;  all  failed,  and 
 the  tree  was  cut  down,  for  it  "  cumbered  the  ground."  The  lesson  :  "  Except 
 repent,  likewise  perish  "  (Luke  ^ni.  5). 
 
 121 
 
fcQAP.   VI. 
 
 HOMILETIC  COMMENTARY:  JEREMIAH. 
 
 HOMILIES  AND  OUTLINES  ON  VERSES  OF  CHAPTER  VL 
 
 Ver.  1.     Theme :  Ironical  calls  to 
 
 BALVATION. 
 
 Impossible  that  the  prophet  could 
 encourage  hope  that  they  would  escape 
 the  foe  by  quitting  Jerusalem — the  for- 
 tress most  capable  of  resisting  the  Chal- 
 dean army — and  securing  themselves  in 
 Tekoa  and  Bethhaccerem.  The  call  is 
 full  of  irony  :  Seek  a  secure  refuge  from 
 the  advancing  enemy,  and  evade  God's 
 threatened  judgments  if  any  method  of 
 escape  avail:  none  shall  be  found,  de- 
 structions will  be  great.  Let  the  soul 
 who  is  without  Christ,  defenceless 
 against  death  and  judgment,  see  well 
 to  his  resources  of  safety  when  "  sudden 
 destruction  cometh  upon  him." 
 
 I.  Mocking  challenges.  Having  re- 
 fused God's  salvation,  save  yourselves  ! 
 Desert  the  Eock  of  Ages  ;  shelter  your- 
 selves in  a  more  secure  fortress.  Re- 
 jecting Divine  grace,  take  care  of  your 
 own  spiritual  interests.  Apply  to  re- 
 jecters of  Christ,  self-righteous,  fatalists. 
 
 1.  Leave  your  impregnahle  fortress, 
 on  whose  strength  you  complacently 
 relied  :  "  Flee  out  of  Jerusalem."  When 
 the  peril  and  panic  come,  men  will  see 
 at  once  they  must  surrender  their  old 
 defences,  their  cherished  delusions, 
 their  refuted  theories,  their  failing 
 hopes. 
 
 2.  Find  a  safe  retreat,  if  you  can. 
 Tekoa  is  the  remotest  city  of  defence, 
 most  distant  from  the  foe  who  advances 
 from  the  north  ;  flee  to  that.  Or,  if  you 
 deem  a  mountain  height  safer,  hasten  to 
 Bethhaccerem.  Is  there  no  sure  refuge 
 for  the  soul  which  finds  itself  suddenly 
 driven  forth  from  its  complacent  assur- 
 ances, its  falling  strongholds  1  "  Oh 
 where  can  rest  be  found  1 " 
 
 3.  Defend  yourselves  against  assault. 
 "Blow  a  trumpet;"  muster  all  your 
 forces  of  resistance."  Struggle  with  the 
 foe  ere  you  yield :  do  not  let  death 
 easily  vanquish  you;  will  not  courage 
 serve  you  in  that  emergency  1  will  not 
 your  righteousness  save  you  from  the 
 charges  of  the  foe  1  "  When  the  enemy 
 cometh  in  like  a  flood,"  when  Justice 
 calls  the  sinner  to  God's  bar,  let  him 
 summon  to  his  aid  all  his  resources  of 
 
 122 
 
 self-sufficiency,  and  stand  in  his  own 
 integrity  if  he  can. 
 
 4.  Ealiy  others  to  resistance  of  the 
 foe.  "  Set  up  sign,"  &c.  Warn  them 
 of  peril,  point  them  to  safety ;  for 
 none  should  limit  his  efforts  to  self- 
 salvation.  Let  those  who  can  save 
 themselves  lend  aid  also  to  others. 
 "  Each  is  his  brother's  keeper  ;  "  owes 
 duties  of  help  and  deliverance  to  those 
 in  peril.  Will  they  who  are  secure  in 
 their  own  religious  theories  and  refuges 
 "  rescue  the  perishing,"  and  save  him 
 that  hath  no  helper  ?  That  is  a  poor 
 substitute  for  Christianity  which  leaves 
 a  soul  so  impotent  that  it  has  no  hope  or 
 help  to  spare  for  others  in  danger.  A 
 Christian  is  both  saved  himself,  and  he 
 can  "  save  a  soul  from  death "  (Jas. 
 V.  20). 
 
 II.  Menacing  realities.  Man's  re- 
 sources of  salvation  are  mere  fictions, 
 but  the  perils  from  which  he  needs 
 salvation  are  appalling  facts. 
 
 1.  Insecure  defences.  Zion  would 
 become  a  retreat  at  the  first  (ch.  iv.  6) ; 
 yet  here  the  refugees  and  residents 
 within  Jerusalem  are  forwarned  that  its 
 fortifications  would  not  protect  them. 
 The  stoutest  stronghold  loould  fail.  No 
 security  in  which  the  sinner  intrenches 
 himself  will  prove  a  source  of  safety 
 when  the  "  evil "  comes.  Our  defences 
 cannot  keep  out  sorrow,  nor  conscience^ 
 nor  terror  of  an  outraged  God,  nor 
 death,  nor  the  punishments  of  sin. 
 
 2.  Invincible  foes.  Irresistible  in  their 
 force,  and  Divinely  authorised  in  their 
 assault,  certain  therefore  to  conquer. 
 Ours  is  an  unequal  war  with  powers 
 mightier  than  we,  a  hopeless  struggle 
 against  the  evils  which  God  lets  loose 
 upon  those  who  refuse  His  salvation. 
 Confront  them  not;  brave  not  rashly 
 the  fearful  issues.  "  A  jorwcZen^  man 
 foreseeth  the  evil,  and  hideth  himself" 
 "  Flee  for  refuge,"  &c. 
 
 3.  Inevitable  ruin.  "  A  great 
 destruction."  "  Great "  in  what  it 
 destroys:  God's  nation;  the  human 
 soul ;  precious  hopes.  "  Great  "  in  the 
 completeness  of  the  overthroio :  dire  de- 
 vastation ;  irremediable    ruin.     For  no 
 
nOMILETIC  COMMENTARY:  JEREMIAH. 
 
 ray  of  light  illumes  the  profound  gloom 
 of  man's  final  appalling  overthrow. 
 "  Seek  ye  the  Lord  ;  seek  righteousness, 
 seek  meekness ;  it  may  be  ye  shall  be 
 hid  in  the  day  of  the  Lord's  anger." 
 
 Ver.  2.     Theme :  Delicacy  and  de- 
 
 BIEABLENESS  OP  ZiON. 
 
 (a.)  As  a  possession  of  God's  people. 
 No  spot  so  sacred,  so  restful,  so  longed 
 for,  so  beloved.  Type  of  the  Christian's 
 home. 
 
 (6.)  As  a  prize  for  the  spoiler.  Every 
 nation  coveted  it,  and  fought  for  it. 
 Even  as — if  Milton  be  right — Satan 
 conspired  to  grasp  the  Eternal  City  of 
 light,  and  as  sinners  still  crave  to 
 secure  it ;  for  every  man  eyes  the 
 splendid  prize.  "  Blessed  are  they  that 
 have  right  to  enter  through  the  gates 
 into  the  city."  (cf.  Rev.  xxii.  14,  15). 
 Contemplate  the : 
 
 I.  Pre-eminent  graces  Divinely 
 lavished  upon  her.  "  Beautiful  for 
 situation,"  &c.  Her  temple  the  "per- 
 fection of  beauty."  The  pride  and 
 glory  of  God's  people.  "  Glorious 
 things  are  spoken  of  thee,  0  city  of 
 God."  Suggests  the  Celestial  City, 
 the  "  realm  and  home  "  of  Christ's  re- 
 deemed people  (Rev.  xxi.). 
 
 II.  Honours  and  privileges  enjoyed 
 within  her. 
 
 To  "  ascend  the  hUl  of  the  Lord,  and 
 stand  within  His  holy  place,"  was  the 
 rapturous  dream  of  Jewish  youths,  the 
 holiest  joy  of  devout  Israelites.  "  Thither 
 the  tribes  go  up."  With  songs  to  Zion  : 
 *'  Lift  up  your  heads,  0  ye  gates,"  &c. 
 There  realised  "  in  Thy  presence  fulness 
 of  joy." 
 
 III.  Sacred  facts  attested  by  her 
 history. 
 
 That  "  God  will  in  very  deed  dwell 
 with  man  upon  the  earth  ; "  that  He 
 has  "  desired  to  dwell "  amid  His  people  ; 
 that  propitiation  may  be  made  before 
 Him,  and  offerings  presented  for  His 
 acceptance  ;  that  "  streams  make  glad 
 the  city  of  God," 
 
 "  Streams  of  mercy  never  ceasing  ; " 
 
 that  there  may  be  blessed  communica- 
 tion between  *'  God  who  is  in  heaven, 
 and  man  upon  the  earth  ; "  that  '"  the 
 
 High  Priest  enters  into  the  holy  place  for 
 us,"  and  we  are  free  to  seek  God's  face. 
 
 IV.  Glorious  promises  encircling 
 her  future. 
 
 Nations  shall  gather  there ;  God's 
 light  shine  thence  ;  millennial  glories 
 centre  there  (Isa.  ii.  2-4).  And  when 
 *'  the  first  earth  shall  have  passed  away" 
 (Rev.  xxi.  1),  then  the  New  Jerusalertx 
 shall  "  descend  out  of  heaven  from  God, 
 having  the  glory  of  God,"  and  "  the 
 nations  of  them  which  are  saved  shall 
 walk  in  the  light  of  it ; "  while  "  the 
 glory  and  honour  of  the  nations  "  shall 
 be  accumulated  within  it. 
 
 Within  that  "  holy  city "  only  they 
 can  have  a  place  "who  are  written 
 in  the  Lamb's  book  of  life." 
 
 Note  :  The  word  "  woman "  is  not 
 in  the  Hebrew  text;  some  supply  the 
 word  pasturage: — I  have  likened  the 
 daughter  of  Zion  to  an  inviting  and 
 luxuriant  pasturage. 
 
 1.  Where  only  the  flock  of  God  may 
 feed.  2.  Where  green  pastures  and  still 
 waters  abound.  3.  Where  the  Good 
 Shepherd  guards  the  sheep  He  "  knows." 
 4.  Wherein  no  '■'  ravening  wolf  "  may  in- 
 trude. 5.  Where  blessed  rest  of  soul 
 may  be  enjoyed. 
 
 Ver.  3.     Comments  : 
 
 ^'Shepherds,'"  i.e.,  hostile  leaders; 
 "  ivith  their  fiochs,"  i.e.,  armies  [cf.  i.  15, 
 iv.  17,  xlix.  20,  1.  45)  ;  ^' pitch  their 
 tents,"  besiege ;  '■'■feed  every  one  in  his 
 place,"  consume  all  that  is  near  him; 
 so  abundant  is  the  pasturage,  the 
 treasures,  that  each  one  is  satiated  with 
 the  booty  he  plunders.  The  Chaldean 
 princes  with  their  armies  would  sack 
 Jerusalem,  consuming  and  appropriating 
 all  her  rich  possessions. 
 
 Ver.  4,  5.  Theme :  Impatience  to 
 POSSESS  Jerusalem. 
 
 The  sentences  arrange  themselves 
 thus  : 
 
 I.  A  royal  proclamation  of  war. 
 This  emanates  from  the  palace  at 
 Babylon  :  "  Prepare  ye  war  against 
 her."  Yet  it  originates  with  the  King 
 of  kings,  whose  will  Nebuchadnezzar 
 works  out.  "  Prepare  : "  properly 
 sanctify  war.  Religious  solemnities 
 always  preceded  war  in  ancient  tiK7es. 
 
 123 
 
HOMILETIC  COMMENTARY:  JEREMIAH. 
 
 This  royal  summons  implied  a  set  pur- 
 pose^ due  preparation,  aud  prompt 
 action. 
 
 Christ  calls  His  army  to  war  against 
 " spiritual  Avickedness  in  high  places;" 
 and  on  their  part  there  must  be  (a.) 
 set  purpose;  (b.)  religious  preparation ; 
 (c.)  prompt  action. 
 
 "  Soldiers  of  Christ,  arise  !  " 
 
 The  King  of  kings  calls  His  forces  to 
 conflict  (Eph.  vi.  11  et  seq.). 
 
 II.  The  eagerness  of  invading  armies. 
 No  sooner  commissioned  than  they  en- 
 courage each  other  to  instant  and  con- 
 certed action.  "Arise,  and  let  us  go 
 up  at  noon/" 
 
 (a.)  Their  imiiatience  of  conquest; 
 would  make  assault  at  once, 
 
 (6.)  Their  indifference  as  to  conve- 
 nience or  comfort ;  "  at  noon,"  though 
 the  scorching  sun  usually  led  to  suspen- 
 sion of  hostility  until  the  fierce  heat  was 
 gone. 
 
 All  this  should  have  analogy  in  our 
 efforts  to  u'in  the  kingdom ;  delaying 
 not  an  hour,  disregarding  all  thought  of 
 "  a  more  convenient  season."  "  The 
 kingdom  of  heaven  suffereth  violence, 
 aud  the  violent  take  it  by  force." 
 "  Arise,  and  let  us  go  up  !  " 
 
 III.  A  cry  of  restle.ss  disappoint- 
 ment. "  Woe  unto  us,  for  the  day 
 goeth  away,"  &c.  (See  Addenda  to 
 chap.  vi.  4,  "  Prop>itious  opportunities 
 lost.") 
 
 (a.)  Propitious  hours  for  acg^idring 
 conquest  soon  end.  They  set  to  the  task 
 promptly,  yet  the  "  day  went  away  "  all 
 too  quickly ;  '•  the  shadows  of  evening  " 
 fell  upon  them  with  their  designs  in- 
 complete. "■  The  night  Cometh!"  "What 
 thou  doest,  do  quickly."  Nevertheless, 
 the  light  fades  too  soon,  our  plans  are 
 not  accomplished  so  easily  or  so  early  as 
 we  had  thought.     "  Redeem  the  time." 
 
 (6.)  Belay  in  conquest  lamented  as  a 
 grievous  loss.  "Alas!  for  us."  They 
 feel  themselves  seriously  to  be  losers  by 
 even  a  temporary  postponement  of  vic- 
 tory. And  are  we  not  sufferers,  lamen- 
 tably losers,  by  the  delay  of  spiritual 
 conquests  ?  Every  hour  which  interposes 
 between  us  and  the  accomplishment  of 
 our  ainis,  in  seeking  victory  over  sin 
 124 
 
 and  hostile  forces,  and  in  attempting  to 
 possess  ourselves  of  the  Divine  heritage, 
 is  a  painful  loss,  a  personal  calamity. 
 With  alacrity  let  us  besiege  the  king- 
 dom, losing  not  an  hour. 
 
 IV.  No  obstacle  should  defer  their 
 assault.  "  Arise,  let  us  go  by  night !  " 
 Not  even  the  darkness  should  stay  their 
 zeal. 
 
 (a.)  Their  dauntless  purpose  ;  nothing 
 deters  or  defeats  them.  "  The  king's 
 business  requires  haste."  Determina- 
 tion despises  difficulties. 
 
 (6.)  The  unfavourable  season.  How 
 many  have  their  "  night  season,"  all 
 dark  and  bewildering :  yet  keep  on 
 vigorously'',  not  suspending  your  efforts 
 to  gain  victory  over  evil,  to  seize  the 
 prize,  to  secure  the  precious  spoils  of 
 the  kingdom.  Wrestle  on,  as  did  Jacob, 
 through  the  night. 
 
 (c.)  Eeivards  encouraged  their  persis- 
 tence  ;  "  palaces."  These  contained  rare 
 treasures  and  vast  wealth  ;  hence  their 
 zeal.  But  who  wins  the  "  kingdom  of 
 heaven "  by  determined  assault  gains 
 "  unsearchable  riches  "  and  "  many  man- 
 sions." Arise  !  let  us  claim  those  pala- 
 ces. 
 
 Ver.  6.  Theme :  Set  apart  for 
 JUDGMENT.  "  This  is  the  city  to  he 
 visited." 
 
 God  points  out  Jerusalem  to  the  in- 
 vaders :  their  stroke  must  not  miss  its 
 true  mark  ;  judgment  shall  not  miscarry. 
 He  leads  forth  the  guUty  one  to  her 
 merited  doom ;  He  leads  on  His  mini- 
 sters of  justice  to  the  right  transgressor. 
 How  terrifying  this  thought :  a  soul 
 branded,  set  apart,  delivered  over  to 
 the  "  due  reward  of  sin  "  ! 
 
 I.  Individuality  of  the  transgressor. 
 "  This  is  the  city."  Each  stands  out 
 distinct  in  the  Divine  gaze.  We  are 
 not  massed  together  in  a  general  estimate 
 by  God.  "  Every  one  shall  give  account 
 of  himself  to  God."  Each  sinner  dwells 
 alone  in  God's  thoughts.  Therefore, 
 "  though  hand  join  in  hand,"  God  does 
 not  lose  sight  of  the  individuality  of 
 each ;  He  discriminates.  You  are  dis- 
 tinctively watched  by  the  eye  which 
 never  errs. 
 
 II.  Definiteness  of  human  sin.  "  She 
 
nOMILETIO  COMMENTARY :  JEREMIAH. 
 
 CHAP.   Tt. 
 
 is  wholly  oppression."  All  sin  is  not 
 alike,  either  in  nature  or  degree.  The 
 "Judge  of  all"  distinguishes;  associ- 
 ates the  special  iniquity  with  the  indivi- 
 dual transgressor.  "  He  sets  our  secret 
 sin  in  the  light  of  His  countenance." 
 Jerusalem  is  '^  oppressio7i;"  that  is  her 
 distinctive  crime  :  she  is  "  ivholly  op- 
 pression ;  "  that  marks  the  extent  of  her 
 criminality.  Your  sin  is  known  to  God  ; 
 and  "  be  sure  your  sin  will  find  you 
 out." 
 
 III.  Public  presentation  of  the 
 criminal.  "  This  is  the  city."  God 
 exposes  her  to  view;  of  angels,  that 
 they  may  know  how  "  righteous  are 
 His  judgments; "  of  men,  fellow-sin- 
 ners, that  they  may  be  warned,  lest 
 they  "  come  into  like  condemnation ;  " 
 oi  foes,  that  their  assault  may  be  directed 
 to  the  right  object ;  for  "  every  one  shall 
 hear  his  oiun  iniquity."  The  great  judg- 
 ment of  men  will  be  public,  and  the 
 transgressor  will  be  placed  in  the  open 
 gaze  of  the  universe. 
 
 IV.  Deliberate  consignment  to  pun- 
 ishment. "The  city  to  he  visited,'' 
 punished.  What  !  so  fair  a  city,  so 
 delicate  (ver.  2),  so  long  honoured  by 
 God,  "  the  joy  of  the  whole  earth,"  the 
 "city  of  the  great  King"  !  Ask  you 
 incredulously.  Can  a  soul,  so  noble, 
 formed  for  God,  long  privileged  with 
 sacred  favours,  be  abandoned  to  foes? 
 Look  for  answer  on  Jerusalem,  ravaged 
 and  consumed  with  fire  !  Beauty  only 
 intensified  her  loathsomeness  when 
 linked  to  villany.  Nobleness  adds  to 
 the  horrors  of  degradation  when  it  be- 
 comes prostituted  to  baseness.  Shall 
 God  spare  Jerusalem,  or  us,  because  of 
 an  historic  dignity  ?  That  fact  increases 
 our  guilt,  for  we  abused  our  birthright, 
 sold  it  for  a  mess  of  pottage.  "  The 
 righteousness  of  the  righteous  shall  not 
 deliver  him  in  the  day  of  his  transgres- 
 sion" (Ezek.  xxxiii.  12).  "Depart from 
 Me,  all  ye  workers  of  iniquity."  "  If 
 any  man  draw  back,  3£y  soul  shall  have 
 no  pleasure  in  him"  (Heb.  x.  38). 
 
 Ver.  7.  Theme :  Spontaneity  and 
 SPOLIATIONS  OP  GUILT.  "  As  a  fountain 
 casteth  out  her  waters,"  &c. 
 
 Within  ourselves  is  such  a  fountain. 
 
 From  the  fount  of  evil,  even  in  child- 
 hood, flows  such  waters  as  disobedience, 
 passion,  falsehood,  &c.  In  youth,  they 
 flow  more  abundantly,  "  increase  untu 
 more  ungodliness ; "  impurity,  vanity, 
 wilfulness,  outraging  conscience,  wrong- 
 ing Christ,  &c.  In  maturity  the  streams 
 pour  forth  in  steady,  habitual  wrong  : 
 "  All  the  imaginations  of  the  heart  are 
 only  evil  continually."  Such  the  case 
 of  a  depraved  heart,  into  which  no 
 purifying  grace  enters.  Yet,  as  the 
 tree  cast  into  the  bitter  waters  made 
 them  sweet  (Exod.  xv.25),so  Divine  love 
 can  make  all  the  outgoings  of  the  human 
 heart  pure  and  good. 
 I.  The  exhaustless  outflow  of  sin. 
 
 1.  As  something  which  is  natural 
 to  us :  "  Casteth  out  her  waters,  her 
 wickedness."  Leave  ourselves  free,  and 
 sin  follows  naturally. 
 
 2.  As  something  which  easily  gratifies 
 itself:  the  waters  flow  forth  spontan- 
 eously, without  effort.  We  "  enjoy  the 
 pleasures  of  sin."  Wrong-doing  is  con- 
 genial, gratifying.  "  Out  of  the  heart 
 proceed  (easily  and  pleasurably)  evil 
 thoughts,"  &c. 
 
 3.  As  something  which  has  a  peren- 
 nial source.  Its  waters  never  pause. 
 The  more  we  sin,  the  more  copious  our 
 capacity  and  versatile  our  resources  of 
 sinning.  Guilt  never  runs  dry.  "  As 
 a  fountain,"  whose  waters  ceaselessly 
 flow,  sin  will  not  be  restrained ;  it  will 
 find  and  force  a  way  out. 
 
 4.  As  something  which  pours  itself 
 out  in  plenit%ide.  Good  and  gracious 
 thoughts  and  deeds  come  forth  even 
 from  the  best  of  us  in  feeble  quantities; 
 but  the  heart  "  casts  out  her  wickedness  " 
 in  full  flow  :  "  Out  of  the  ahundance  of 
 the  heart."  What  copious  streams  of 
 evU  flow  forth  from  one  sinner !  What 
 magnitude  of  sins  in  one  life,  one  day  ! 
 If  they  could  be  reckoned  up  !  (See 
 Addenda  to  chap.  vi.  7,  "  Continuity 
 of  sin.") 
 
 II.  The  woful  outrages  of  sin. 
 "  Violence  and  spoil,"  &c. 
 
 The  outflow  of  sin  is  pleasurable  to 
 the  sinner ;  it  is  gratifying  as  being 
 natural.  It  costs  no  effort  or  restraint. 
 But  it  works  direful  ravages  on  others — 
 e.g.,  drunkenness,  libertinism,  extortion 
 
 125 
 
HOMILETIC  COMMENTARY:  JEREMIAH. 
 
 malice,  &c.,  destroys  homes,  breaks  hearts. 
 Like  deadly  blight  across  fair  plantation, 
 or  fire  over  golden  harvest  fields.  Look 
 on  the  disease  and  death  in  the  world, 
 all  the  bitter  effects  of  sin. 
 
 L  The  external  ivrongs  done  by  sin. 
 "  Violence  and  spoil." 
 
 2.  The  internal  wounds  suffered  hy  the 
 sinner.     "  Grief  and  wounds." 
 
 Man  estimates  the  external  ravages  of 
 sin  above  the  internal  miseries  j  he  cries 
 out  because  of  "  violence,"  &c. ;  he 
 laments  the  misfortunes,  the  "  spoil," 
 which  sin  brings  upon  his  life. 
 
 But  God  looks  within.  ''  Before  Me 
 continually  is  grief  and  wounds."  What 
 a  spectacle  of  inward  corrxiption  does 
 the  eye  of  God  behold  !  Oh,  the  hidden 
 griefs  of  sinners !  How  dreadful  the 
 spoliations  of  conscience,  of  affections, 
 of  the  godlike  soul  1 
 
 There  avails  for  us  the  healing,  re- 
 deeming grace  of  Jesus.  He  is  "  ac- 
 quainted with  grief,''  our  grief ;  and 
 He  can  heal  our  ^'wounds,"  for  "He 
 was  wounded  for  our  transgressions, 
 and  with  His  stripes  we  are  healed." 
 
 Ver.   8.    Theme:   God's   unwilling 
 
 SEPARATION  FROM   JuDAH.       "  Lest   my 
 
 Boul  depart  from  thee." 
 
 It  implies  God's  sotd  was  knit  to,  fixed 
 upon  His  people.  "  Depart,"  is  a  strong- 
 ly expressive  word ;  be  torn  from  thee. 
 "  God  was  tenderly  attached  to  the  holy 
 city,  had  chosen  to  put  His  name  there, 
 and  nothing  but  the  extreme  wickedness 
 of  its  inhabitants  could  have  moved  Him 
 to  withdraw  His  affection  from  it." — 
 Henderson. 
 
 "  Note:  \.  The  God  of  mercy  is  loth 
 to  depart  even  from  a  provoking  people, 
 and  is  earnest  with  them  by  true  repent- 
 ance and  reformation  to  prevent  things 
 from  coming  to  that  extremity.  2.  Their 
 case  is  very  miserable  from  whom  God's 
 soul  is  disjoined ;  it  intimates  the  loss 
 not  only  of  outward  blessings,  but  of 
 those  comforts  and  favours  which  are 
 the  more  immediate  and  peculiar  tokens 
 of  His  love  and  presence.  3.  Those  who 
 forsake  God  are  certainly  undone  ;  when 
 God's  soul  departs  from  Jerusalem  she 
 soon  becomes  desolate  and  uninhabited 
 (Matt,  xxiii.  38)."— i/.  Uenry. 
 126 
 
 i.  The  infinite  goodness  and  patience 
 of  God  towards  a  sinful  people,  and  His 
 great  unwillingness  to  bring  ruin  upon 
 them. 
 
 ii.  The  proper  and  effectual  means  of 
 preventing  the  misery  and  ruin  of  a  sin- 
 ful people.     "  Be  thou  instructed." 
 
 iii.  The  miserable  case  and  condition 
 of  a  people  when  God  takes  off  His 
 affection  from  them. — Tillotson.  (See 
 Addenda  to  chap.  vi.  8,  "  God's  ivith- 
 drawment  from  man.") 
 
 Ver.  9.     Comments : 
 
 The  Jews  are  the  grapes,  too  choice 
 to  let  any  remain  unplucked ;  the  Chal- 
 deans are  the  unsparing  gleaners,  intent 
 on  thoroughly  cleansing  the  vine  of  all 
 its  valuable  produce. 
 
 As  the  vintagers  return  again  and 
 again  to  the  vine  so  long  as  any  clusters 
 can  be  gathered,  so  would  the  Baby- 
 lonians renew  their  invasions  till  all 
 Judah  was  carried  into  captivity,  and 
 the  land  left  bare  :  "  They  shall 
 thoroughly  glean,"  &c. 
 
 This  is  God's  address  to  the  Chal- 
 deans, "  Turn  bach  thine  hand,"  &c.  ; 
 and  they  literally  obeyed  the  Divine 
 bidding  (cf  Iii.  28-30).  (See  Addenda 
 to  chap,  vi  9,  "  Glean  Israel  as  a 
 vine.") 
 
 Ver.  10.  Theme :  Preaching  ren- 
 dered USELESS. 
 
 This  is  marvellous,  that  words  from 
 God  could  become  void  of  effect.  For 
 bethink  : 
 
 1.  That  preaching  is  God's  chosen 
 method  of  awakening  and  conversion. 
 
 2.  That  preaching  is  the  appropriate 
 and  established  agency  by  which  the 
 Holy  Spirit  works  in  quickening  human 
 souls. 
 
 3.  That  there  is  a  conscience  in  man 
 upon  which  Divine  messages  act  with 
 startling  force. 
 
 4.  That  the  Word  ,of  God  is  itself 
 quick  and  powerful. 
 
 5.  That  manifold  Divine  promises 
 guarantee  the  preacher  against  failure 
 when  speaking  for  God.     Yet  text. 
 
 I.  A  bearer  of  tidings  from  Heaven 
 finds  none  to  whom  to  address  them. 
 He  stands  like  one  who  arrives  with  a 
 proclamation  on  the  borders  of  an  un- 
 
nOMILETIC  COMMENTARY:  JEREMIAH. 
 
 inhabited  desert,  bewildered  to  discover 
 no  hearers.  What  is  he  to  dol  The 
 case  is  no  better  when  a  preacher  finds 
 hearers,  but  they  refuse  him  a  hearing, 
 or  let  him  preach  on  ivithout  the  slightest 
 heed.     The  prophet  is  : 
 
 1.  In  distress  that  none  ivere  preimred 
 to  regard  his  "  warnings  ; "  amazed  at 
 their  stolidity,  defiant  unconcern,  im- 
 movable complacency,  indifi'erence  to 
 peril.  Men  still  obdurate  and  frivo- 
 lous. 
 
 2.  In  perplexity  as  to  what  course  to 
 adopt  to  enlist  their  attention.  He 
 could,  of  course,  "  speak  and  give 
 warning ; "  but  he  wished  so  to  do  this 
 "  that  they  may  hear."  Always  the 
 preacher's  perplexity,  how  to  arouse 
 men's  serious  heed  to  the  things  he 
 speaks.  Without  this  responsive  atten- 
 tion, the  preacher  warns  to  no  purpose, 
 without  hope  of  success.  Paul  tried  all 
 resources  (1  Cor.  ix.  20-23).  Yet 
 what  solemn  tidings  Jeremiah  brought ! 
 What  '^ glad  tidings"  the  Christian 
 preacher  brings  !  (Isa.  lii.  7-10). 
 
 II.  Men  who  need  these  tidings 
 from  Heaven  are  without  capacity 
 for  hearing  Divine  truths.  Other 
 sounds  can  enter  their  ears,  but  not 
 sounds  from  Heaven.  A  whisp>er  from 
 earth  concerning  "  earthly  things "  is 
 instantly  and  eagerly  heard,  but  the 
 thunder  s  roar  from  the  skies  concerning 
 "heavenly  things"  finds  them  deaf  to 
 sound.  Why  ]  "  Their  ear  is  un- 
 circumcised." 
 
 1.  They  do  not  want  to  hear:  hearing 
 disquiets  them. 
 
 2.  They  do  not  intend  to  hear :  have 
 resolved  to  hear  nothing  from  God, 
 nothing  against  themselves  or  their 
 sins.  Thus  "  they  cannot  hearken." 
 Prejudice  deafens  men ;  ^mhelief 
 deafens ;  wilful  ignorance  deafens 
 (comp.  Gal.  iii.  1).  Hence  men  hear 
 from  God  and  of  Christ  in  vain.  Yet 
 THEY  NEED  these  tidings.  Judah  did, 
 so  as  to  escajye  destruction  which  was 
 imminent.  We  need  tidings  from 
 Heaven,  for  they  announce  the  only 
 salvation  available,  the  Jesus  our  souls 
 want. 
 
 III.  Divine  messages  repelled  by 
 men  with  antipathy  and  scorn. 
 
 Note  :  The  prophets  cry  of  amaze- 
 ment and  fear.  "  Behold  the  word," 
 &c.  It  fills  him  with  alarm.  To 
 trifle  with  ivords  from  Jehovah/  To 
 throw  from  us  the  saving  truths  of  the 
 Gospel !  How  astounding  man's  con- 
 duct in  putting  aside  with  heedlessness 
 the  invaluable  messages  of  Heaven ! 
 (See  Addenda  to  chap.  vi.  10,  "God's 
 Word ;  no  delight  in  it.") 
 
 1.  God's  chiding  tvords  are  resented  as 
 a  cahimny,  as  an  undeserved  "  re- 
 proach ;  "  they  felt  themselves  aggrieved 
 and  affronted  by  the  remonstrances  and 
 condemnations  Jeremiah  brought.  What 
 blinding  pride,  what  besotting  vanity 
 this  reveals  !  They  determine  not  to 
 hearken  to  God's  Word  because  it 
 lashes  their  sins. 
 
 2.  God's  pleading  words  are  received 
 with  contumely  ;  depreciated  and  darided 
 as  being  uncalled  for.  What  had  they 
 to  fearl  They  saw  no  danger,  recog- 
 nised no  urgency  in  propitiating  God. 
 "  They  have  no  delight  in  it,"  means 
 they  turn  away  with  aversion,  they 
 appreciate  not  the  Divine  mercy  which 
 sends  the  "  Word  ; "  they  believe  not  in 
 the  necessity  for  such  a  message. 
 Hence  they  scorn.  "  They  would  none 
 of  my  counsel;  they  despised  all  my 
 reproof  "  (Prov.  i.  30).  Jerome  remarks  : 
 "  Inability  ["  they  cannot  hearken "] 
 which  proceeds  from  scorn  and  unbelief 
 is  not  exempted  from  punishment." 
 God  must  rebuke  such  wilful  insensi- 
 bility (comp.  ver.  19). 
 
 Ver.  11-13.  Pkeaching  made  in- 
 evitable. 
 
 If  men  repudiate  the  preacher's  word 
 (see  above  on  ver.  10),  may  he  keep 
 silence?  Silence  is  impossible,  he  can- 
 not restrain  himself;  speech  is  impera- 
 tive, for  God  commands  him  to  speak  : 
 "  Pour  it  out."  God's  communications 
 to  him  must  be  communicated  to  men. 
 "  We  cannot  but  speak  the  things  we 
 have  seen  and  heard."  "  Woe  is  unto 
 me  if  I  preach  not  the  Gospel,"  Thus 
 utterance  is  necessitated : 
 
 I.  By  the  irresistible  force  of  in- 
 ward Divine  impulse.  "  I  am  ftdl  of 
 the  fury  of  the  Lord  ;  I  am  weary  with 
 holding  in." 
 
 127 
 
CHAP.  VI. 
 
 EOMILETIC  COMMENTARY :  JEREMIAH. 
 
 1.  ffoiv  umviUiTig  to  proclaim  the  evil 
 tidings  !  Sad  task  for  God's  messenger. 
 "  Tell  you  even  weeping." 
 
 2.  How  exhausting  the  burden  of  the 
 Lord  !  "  Wearies  "  the  heart.  Painful 
 to  have  to  utter  sad  truths  ;  more  'pain- 
 ful to  refrain. 
 
 "  God's  anger  at  the  wickness  of  the 
 people  had  been,  as  it  were,  poured  into 
 Jeremiah's  heart,  and  he  tried  to  re- 
 strain it  in  vain." — Speaker's  Com. 
 
 This  '■^ fury"  was  not  Jeremiah's 
 liolij  ardour,  which  was  irrepressible  in 
 him,  but  burning  displeasure  Divinely 
 awakened  in  him  towards  the  insensate 
 nation.  "  The  fury  of  the  Lord,"  which 
 did  not  refer  to  or  reflect  upon  himself, 
 therefore  must  not  be  kept  to  himself, 
 but  poured  out. 
 
 II.  By  the  necessity  of  society  to 
 hear  the  Divine  threatenings.  1. 
 Whether  they  ivish  to  hear  them  or  not. 
 2.  Whether  they  regard  and  act  upon 
 them  or  not.  3.  Whether  they  profit  by 
 their  hearing,  or,  by  abusing  warning, 
 increase  their  condemnation.  God  (a.) 
 alloivs  none  to  dwell  in  ignorance ;  He 
 ''sets  before  us  life  and  death;"  (6.) 
 leaves  vian  without  excuse  ;  if  he  despise 
 warning  and  perish,  his  blood  is  upon 
 his  own  head.  But,  whether  as  "  life 
 unto  life,  or  death  unto  death,"  men 
 must  hear. 
 
 III.  By  the  inclusive  application 
 of  the  solemn  messages.  They  relate 
 to  all  ages  and  sexes.  (See  Addenda  to 
 chap.  vi.  11.) 
 
 1.  The  inclusive  consequences  of  sin. 
 From  "child"  to  "aged,"  "man  and 
 wife,"  all  had  sinned, — all  condemned. 
 "  So  death  passed  upon  all,  for  that  all 
 have  sinned."  Disease  of  sin  is  upon 
 all. 
 
 2.  The  comprehensive  displeasure  of 
 God.  "Pour  it  out"  (the  fury  of  the 
 Lord),  upon  the  children,  young  men, 
 parents,  of  ripe  years,  and  very  aged. 
 This  anger  of  God  is  justified  by  ver. 
 lo. 
 
 IV.  By  the  terrible  character  of 
 the  nearing  woes  (ver.  12). 
 
 1.  The  merciless  severity   of  the  in- 
 vading foe.      Less    severe  than    "  our 
 adversary  the  devil "  (1  Pet.  v.  8 ;  Rev. 
 xii.  1 2  ;  Luke  xii.  5). 
 128 
 
 2.  The  clear  and  emphatic  predictions 
 of  these  woes.  (See  Deut.  xxviii.  30.) 
 Possessions  greatly  prized,  "  houses  and 
 fields ; "  treasures  jealously  guarded, 
 "  wives."  Homes  seized,  affections  dis- 
 regarded, life's  dearest  ties  severed.  So 
 in  the  "judgment  to  come,"  smners 
 will  lose  all  they  had,  and  be  sundered 
 from  all  they  love.  Our  woe,  if  un- 
 saved, is  clearly  foretold  (Heb.  x. 
 26-29). 
 
 3.  The  hand  of  God  will  accomplish 
 the  sinners  overthrow.  "  For  I  will 
 stretch  out  my  hand,"  &c.  (cf.  Heb. 
 X.  30,  31). 
 
 v.  By  the  appalling  corruptions 
 which  invoked  the  judgments  (ver. 
 13).  Against  such  sinfulness  the 
 preacher  must  protest  and  pronounce. 
 Amid  such  a  corrupted  society,  God's 
 messenger  can  only  utter  woes.  He  has 
 no  promise  or  pleading  for  men  sunk 
 in  wilful  and  defiant  iniquity.  (See 
 Addenda  to  chap.  vi.  13,  ^' Covetotis- 
 ness.") 
 
 "  Knowing  the  terrors  of  the  Lord,  tve 
 2)ersuade  men." 
 
 Ver.  14.  Theme:  Healing  oub 
 WOUNDS  SLIGHTLY.  (See  Addenda 
 to  chap.  vi.  14,  ^' Peace  where  no 
 peace.") 
 
 Accommodating  prophets,  who  taught 
 delusions,  because  corrupt  hearers  said, 
 "  Prophesy  unto  us  smooth  things  ;  pro- 
 phesy deceits."  Thus  lulled  to  sleep  in 
 their  sins,  while  heaviest  judgments  of 
 God  impended.  Lament  such  delusive 
 ministrations  (Ezek.  xiii.  22 ;  Deut. 
 xxix.  19,  20).  Yet  men  love  to  deceive 
 themselves,  to  silence  convictions  of  con- 
 science.    Show  : 
 
 I.  What  need  we  all  have  of  heal- 
 ing. Sin  has  affected  all  the  powers  of 
 our  souls.  1.  Asserted  in  Scriptures.  2. 
 Confirmed  by  experience.  But,  as  many 
 think  themselves  healed  whilst  in  perish- 
 ing condition,  show : 
 
 II.  Who  they  are  that  heal  their 
 wounds  slightly.  1.  They  ivho  rely  on 
 the  uncovenanted  mercy  of  God,  fatally 
 deceive  their  souls  by  expecting  mercy 
 contrary  to  Gospel.  2.  They  who  take 
 refuge  in  a  round  of  duties ;  no  attain- 
 ments can  stand  in  the  place  of  Christ 
 
nOMILETIC  COMMENTARY:  JEREMIAH. 
 
 (Phil.  iii.  9).  3.  They  tvho  rest  in  a 
 faith  that  is  unproductive  of  good  tvorks  ; 
 but  the  faith  that  apprehends  Christ 
 will  "  work  by  love,"  and  "  purify  the 
 heart,"  and  "  overcome  the  world." 
 
 III.  How  we  may  have  them  healed 
 effectually. 
 
 1,  27ie  Lord  Jesus  has  provided  a 
 remedy  for  sin  (Isa.  liii.  5),  2.  That  re- 
 medy applied  hy  faith  shall  be  effectual 
 for  all  who  trust  in  it  (Isa.  i.  18). 
 
 Address :  i.  Those  lolio  feel  not  their 
 need  of  healing.  Christianity  is  a  remedy, 
 and  presupposes  a  deep  malady,  which 
 nothing  finite  can  heal.  ii.  Those  who, 
 after  having  derived  some  benefits  from 
 Christ,  have  relapsed  into  sin.  If  con- 
 tinue thus,  ''last  end  worse  than  first" 
 (Jer.  iii.  12),  iii.  Those  who  are  enjoy- 
 ing health  in  their  souls.  A  man  under 
 power  of  sin  feels  spiritual  duties  irk- 
 some ;  but  he  whose  "soul  prospers, 
 and  is  in  health,"  finds  the  ways  of  God 
 full  of  delight. — Sirneon. 
 
 Theme  :  Evils  of  false   security. 
 
 Though  people  live  thoughtlessly  about 
 their  souls,  they  generall}'  satisfy  them- 
 selves with  some  maxim  of  security  :  on 
 the  strength  of  this  they  hush  within 
 them  every  alarm  of  conscience.  A  large 
 class  of  such  slender  and  sentimental 
 religionists,  who  profess  reverence,  main- 
 tain outward  decencies,  are  visited  with 
 occasional  tender  thoughts  of  its  solemni- 
 ties, would  be  shocked  at  infidel  opinion, 
 and  have  their  minds  comfortably  made 
 up.  Yet  in  their  tranquillity  there  is 
 not  a  single  ingredient  of  the  Gospel, 
 "joy  and  peace  in  believing." 
 
 This  deceitful  complacency  needs  salu- 
 tary alarm.  How  is  it  persons  reach 
 this  state  of  easy  confidence  ? 
 
 1.  There  is  a  disposition  to  acknow- 
 ledge, in  a  general  way,  that  they  are 
 sinners,  though  also  to  palliate  the 
 enormity  of  sin,  and  to  gloss  it  over 
 with  the  gentle  epithet  of  an  infirmity. 
 
 2.  Then  to  make  all  right,  and  secure, 
 and  comfortable,  the  sentiment  is  che- 
 rished that  God  is  a  merciful  God,  and 
 will  overlook  our  infirmities. 
 
 A  slight  hurt  needs  but  a  slight 
 remedy ;  being  but  gently  alarmed,  a 
 gentle  application  avails  to  pacify. 
 
 I.  This  mercy,  so  slenderly  spoken  of 
 and  vaguely  trusted  in,  is  not  the  mercy 
 which  has  been  made  the  subject  of  an 
 actual  offer  from  God  to  man.  He  has 
 stepped  forth  to  relieve  us  from  the  debt 
 of  sin  ;  but  He  has  taken  His  own  way 
 of  it  (John  iii.  3G). 
 
 II.  The  evils  of  such  a  false  confidence. 
 
 1.  It  casts  an  asp)ersion  on  the  character 
 of  God.  Those  who  find  their  way  to 
 comfort  without  any  reference  to  Christ, 
 ignore  God's  truth  or  His  righteousness  ; 
 His  threatenings,  purposes,  the  everlast- 
 ing distinction  between  obedience  and 
 sin,  itc,  become  a  meaningless  parade. 
 
 2.  It  is  hostile  to  the  cause  of  practical 
 righteousness.  Though  a  man  confess  to 
 "  infirmities,"  he  will  smother  all  appre- 
 hensions, and  regale  his  fancy  with  the 
 smile  of  an  indulgent  God.  It  tends  to 
 obliterate  all  restraints,  on  the  specious 
 plea  of  all-availing  mercy,  and  leaves 
 every  man  to  sin  just  as  much  as  he 
 likes.  Thus  "  peace,  where  there  is  no 
 peace,"  spreads  its  deadly  poison  over 
 the  face  of  society,  and  a  sentiment  of 
 deep  and  fatal  tranquillity  concerning 
 salvation  and  God's  demands  on  the 
 soul  takes  up  its  firm  residence  in  a 
 world  which  sends  up  a  cry  of  rebellion 
 against  Him.  This  is  a  sore  evil, — 
 Chalmers. 
 
 Ver.  15.  Theme:  Shamelessness  in 
 SIN  the  ceetain  forerunner  of  de- 
 struction. 
 
 He  who  has  thus  sinned  himself 
 past  feeling,  may  be  justly  supposed  to 
 have  sinned  himself  past  grace. 
 
 i.  Extraordinary  guilt.  "  They  had 
 committed  abomination." 
 
 ii.  Their  deportment  xinder  their  guilt. 
 *'  They  were  not  at  all  ashamed,  neither 
 could  they  blush." 
 
 iii.  God^s  high  resentment  of  their 
 monstrous  shamelessness,  implied  in  the 
 vehement  interrogation,  "  Were  they 
 ashamed  ■? " 
 
 iv.  The  judgment  consequent  there- 
 upon.    "  Therefore  shall  they  fall,"  &c. 
 
 I.  Show  what  shame  is,  and  its  in- 
 fluence upon  men's  manners, 
 
 II.  By  what  ways  men  come  to  cast 
 off  shame,  and  grow  impudent  in  sin. 
 1.  By  the  commission  of  great  sins.     2. 
 
 129 
 
HOMILETIC  COMMENTARY :  JEREMIAH. 
 
 Custom  in  sinning.  3.  Criminal  ex- 
 ample of  great  persons,  4.  General  and 
 conmion  practice.  5,  To  have  been  once 
 greatly  and  irrecoverably  ashamed. 
 
 III.  The  several  degrees  of  shame- 
 lessness  in  sin.  1.  Showing  respect  to 
 sinful  persons.  2.  Defending  sin.  3. 
 Glorying  in  it. 
 
 IV.  Why  it  brings  down  judgment 
 and  destruction  upon  the  sinner.  1. 
 Because  shamelessness  in  sin  presupposes 
 a  long  course  of  sin.  2.  Because  of  its 
 destructive  influence  upon  the  govern- 
 ment of  the  world. 
 
 V.  What  those  judgments  are  by 
 which  it  procures  the  sinner's  destruc- 
 tion. Scripture  supplies  instances  of 
 judgment  on  shameless  sinners.  1.  A 
 sudden  and  disastrous  death  :  e.g.,  Zimri, 
 slain  by  sword  of  Phinehas.  2.  War 
 and  desolation  :  e.g.,  Benjamites  (Judges 
 xix.,  XX.).  3.  Captivity:  e.g.,  Judab, 
 whom  the  prophet  here  denounces. 
 
 Where  there  is  no  place  for  shame, 
 there  can  be  "  no  place  for  repentance." 
 Shamelessness  means  impenitence,  and 
 impenitence,  destruction. — R.  South, 
 D.D. 
 
 Ver.  1 6.     Theme :  The  Old  Paths, 
 
 I.  The  denomination  :  "  Old  paths," 
 i.e.,  -way  of  obedience,  worship,  piety. 
 "Old,"  because:  1.  Ordained  from 
 eternity.  2.  Herein  all  tlie  saints  have 
 walked.  3.  Tried,  and  found  pleasant 
 and  profitable. 
 
 II.  The  description  :  "  Good  way." 
 A  path  may  be  "  old,"  yet  not  "good  ;  " 
 this  is  both.  When  may  a  path  be 
 called  "good"?  1.  When  safe.  2. 
 Direct.  3.  Frequented.  4.  Pleasaiit. 
 5.  Firm  and  passable. 
 
 m.  The  directions  :  "Stand,  see, 
 ask,  walk."  None  can  find  this 
 path  at  random,  none  walk  in  it 
 ignorant  of  where  they  are.  They  who 
 seek  this  path  should  be :  1.  Cautious 
 in  their  observations.  2.  Earnest  in 
 their  inquiries.  3.  Prompt  in  entering 
 thereon. 
 
 IV.  The  destination  :  "  Ye  shall  find 
 rest  to  your  souls."  1.  In  the  journey 
 many  blessings  of  rest  will  be  enjoyed 
 as  contentment,  satisfaction,  cheerful- 
 ness, security.  2.  ^/ilmfarc^s  there  will 
 130 
 
 be  fulness    of   rest :  the   path  leads  to 
 eternal  repose,  happiness,  glory. 
 
 It  is  the  path  of  faith ;  they  who 
 tread  it  first  journey  to  the  cross;  then, 
 leaning  on  arm  of  the  Beloved,  travel  to 
 home  of  saints.  Christ  beckons  to  all 
 who  inquire,  and  says,  "  I  am  the  Way." 
 — "Sermon  Framework." 
 
 Theme  :  The  good  old  way. 
 
 Whatever  bears  stamp  of  antiquity 
 upon  it  finds  favourable  reception ;  in- 
 novations are  distrusted.     Inquire : 
 
 I.  What  is  that  old  and  good  way  ? 
 Not  holiness  alone,  but,  1.  A  penitential 
 affiance  in  God,  through  Christ's  media- 
 tion (John  xiv.  6).  2.  A  clieerful 
 obedience  to  Him  :  "  Take  my  yoke,"  &c. 
 (Matt.  xi.  29).  Both  of  these  bear  mark 
 of  antiquity,  from  "  righteous  Abel " 
 downwards.  And  they  must  be  good, 
 for  (a.)  Appointed  by  God  Himself. 
 (b.)  Approved  by  all  His  saints,  (c.) 
 Tend  to  the  perfecting  of  our  nature  ; 
 and  {d.)  To  the  adornment  of  our  religion. 
 
 II.  What  is  our  duty  respecting  it  ? 
 It  becomes  us,  1.  To  inquire  after  it; 
 not  presume  we  are  right,  but  "stand 
 and  see ; "  ask  those  whom  God  has 
 appointed  as  guides,  search  sacred 
 oracles,  implore  teaching  of  Holy  Spirit. 
 2.  To  walk  in  it.  Knowledge  useless 
 without  practice.  Come  into  it,  renounc- 
 ing every  other  :  continue  in  it. 
 
 III.  Encouragement  given  to  us. 
 They  who  walk  herein  shall  find :  1. 
 Rest  in  their  way  (Rom,  v,  1,  2).  "  The 
 work  of  righteousness  is  peace,"  &c,  2. 
 Rest  in  their  end.  "  Ptest  remaining  to 
 the  people  of  God." — Hannum. 
 
 I.  The  way.  This  cannot  be  the  way 
 of  the  wicked  (Ps.  xxxvi.  4).  It  is  the 
 way  of  scriptural  piety ;  the  course  of 
 faith  and  love.  Called  "  a  way,"  because 
 leads  to  enjoyment  of  eternal  life  (Matt, 
 vii.  14);  is  the  certain  way  to  it  (Rom. 
 ii.  7),  and  the  only  way  (Heb.  xii.  14). 
 
 1.  Called  the  old  way.  Moses  was 
 actuated  hj  faith  (Heb.  xi.  24-27) ;  and 
 taught  the  way  of  love  (Deut.  vi.  4,  5). 
 Old  as  the  days  of  JVoah  (Heb.  xi.  7) 
 and  F7ioch  (Gen.  v.  24).  Certainly  for 
 us  as  old  as  Christianity  (John  xiv.  1, 
 XV.  12). 
 
 2.  Called  the  good   way;    for   those 
 
EOMILETIC  COMMENTARY:  JEREMIAH. 
 
 CHAP.  VI. 
 
 walking  in  it  are  good  (Jas.  iii.  17); 
 and  do  good — to  their  families  (Deut. 
 V,  29),  their  country  (Prov.  xiv.  34),  and 
 to  the  world  (Matt.  v.  13,  14).  And 
 the  ivay  itself  is  good;  in  its  origin 
 (Ps.  cxliii.  10),  and  its  tendency  (Prov. 
 xix.  23). 
 
 II.  God's  command. 
 
 1.  "  Stand  ye  in  the  tvays  and  see." 
 (1.)  Some  facts  are  here  assumed  :  that 
 though  but  one  good  way,  there  are 
 many  evil  icays;  that  all  men  are  ivalh- 
 ing  in  evil  ways  (Isa.  liii.  6) ;  that  ive 
 are  naturally  ignorant  of  the  good  old 
 way  (Jer.  x.  23) ;  yet  we  are  capable  of 
 discovering  and  walking  in  it.  (2.)  Some 
 duties  are  here  enjoined  :  make  an  im- 
 mediate -pause  for  purposes  of  examina- 
 tion ;  "  stand "  (Hag.  i.  5) ;  seriously 
 examine  in  what  way  you  are  walking  ; 
 "see"  (2  Cor.  xiii.  5);  observe  well  the 
 tendency  of  evil  tvays  (Rom.  vi.  21). 
 
 2.  "  Ask  for  the  old  paths,  where  is 
 the  good  way."  Inquire  by  searching 
 Scriptures  (John  V.  39);  asking  direction 
 of  God  (Jas.  i.  5) ;  associating  with  the 
 pious  (Prov.  xiii.  20). 
 
 3.  "And  walk  therein."  (1.)  Get 
 into  it :  not  remain  out  of  it,  by  delay 
 (Job  xxii.  21,  xxxvi.  18) ;  not  stop 
 short  of  it,  by  resting  in  deficient  at- 
 tainment, merely  talking  of,  thinking 
 about,  or  desiring  it  (Matt.  xi.  29 ; 
 John  xiv.  6).  (2.)  Keep  in  it:  by 
 resisting  temptation  (1  Pet.  v.  8,  9 ; 
 Luke  xxi.  36),  by  improving  in  piety 
 (2  Cor.  vii.  1). 
 
 III.  The  promise.  "  Rest  for  your 
 souls." 
 
 1.  The  blessing  promised.  (1.)  In 
 this  world  :  from  anguish  of  guilt  (Isa. 
 xii.  5) ;  from  oppression  of  Satan  (Matt. 
 xi.  28)  ;  from  torturing  fears  (Ps.  xxxiv. 
 4) ;  from  inward  defilement  (John  xv. 
 2 ;  1  Cor.  i.  9).  (2.)  Glorious  rest  in 
 heaven:  from  all  temptation  (Job  iii.  17), 
 suffering  (Rev.  xxi.  4),  danger  (Matt. 
 vi.  20).  Rest  for  your  souls;  the  con- 
 sciousness of  enjoyment  in  this  life  (Rom. 
 viii.  1,  2),  and  after  death  (Rev.  vii,  14, 
 17).  "Rest"  such  as  souls  require: 
 eternal  (Ps.  xvi.  11). 
 
 2.  Its  certainty.  "  Ye  shall  find." 
 Seek  it  as  God  requires  you,  and  it  is 
 certain.      (1.)    From  His  all-sufficiency 
 
 (Gen.  xiv.  22) ;  His  kindness  (Isa.  xiv. 
 19)  ;  His  truth  (1  Thess.  v.  24). 
 
 Application :  Falsehood  of  some  ob- 
 jections to  a  course  of  piety — 
 
 1.  "  That  this  strict  religion  is  a  new 
 way."  N"ay  ;  sin  is  Satan's  novelty.  2. 
 "  Tliat  it  is  an  injurious  way;  unfavour- 
 able to  the  interests  of  men."  Rather, 
 the  good  way,  most  beneficial  (1  Tim. 
 iv.  8).  3.  "  Tliat  it  is  a  melancholy 
 way."  No ;  peace  through  life  (Luke 
 i.  78,  79),  peace  in  death  (Ps.  xxxvii. 
 37),  and  rest  for  ever  (Rev.  xiv.  13). — 
 "Sketches  of  Four  Hundred  Sermons." 
 
 Theme  :  Resolute  spiritual  inac- 
 tion. *'  Walk  therein ;  but  they  said, 
 We  will  not  walk  therein." 
 
 It  is  more  than  an  invitation  from 
 God ;  an  imperative  demand. 
 
 I.  The  summons  to  spiritual  exer- 
 tion. Ruin  may  ensue  from  mere  sloth: 
 "  neglect  of  salvation."  Need  not  be 
 active  resistance,  only  inactive  indiffer- 
 ence. "  Therefore  he  saith.  Awake, 
 thou  that  sleepest,  arise  from  the  dead," 
 &c.     We  are  called  to  exertion — 
 
 I.  To  discover  the  right.  2.  To  gain 
 the  good,     3.  To  find  the  sacred  rest. 
 
 Indolence  is  disastrotis  in  itself  and 
 issues,  offensive  to  God,  and  prohibited 
 alike  by  the  Gospel  of  Christ  and  the 
 cravings  of  our  soul. 
 
 II.  The  necessity  of  personal  effort. 
 Never  yet  did  a  soul  glide  passively  and 
 insensibly  into  salvation,  "from  death 
 unto  life."  1.  An  erroneous  and  wander- 
 ing life  is  one  of  activity.  "  We  have 
 turned  every  one  to  his  own  way."  2. 
 Our  spiritual  return  demands  both  our 
 volition  and  endeavour  :  repentance  and 
 reformation  must  be  done  by  us,  cannot 
 be  done  for  us.  3,  No  force  from  with- 
 out ourselves  will  set  us  right.  God 
 commands,  persuades,  and  calls  ;  Christ 
 invites  and  pleads  ;  the  Spirit  strives ; 
 but  no  power /orces.  We  must  "walk." 
 Active,  earnest  concurrence. 
 
 III.  The  defiance  of  godless  inaction. 
 "We  will  not  walk!"  1.  No  disposi- 
 tion to  leave  the  evil :  prefer  wrong  ways. 
 2.  No  effort  to  find  the  good  way  :  "  Men 
 love  darkness  rather  than  light;"  "Ye 
 will  not  come  unto  Me  that  ye  might 
 have  life."      3,   No  app)reciation  of  the 
 
 131 
 
CnAF.  VI. 
 
 nOMILETIC  COMMENTARY:  JEREMIAIT. 
 
 offered  rest :  enjoy  rioting  and  pleasures 
 of  sin.  4.  1^0  apprehension  of  the  awful 
 issiies:  eternal  unrest  of  soul.  "No 
 peace  to  wicked,"  "tribulation  and 
 anguish,"  &c.  (Rom.  ii  9).  "It  is 
 high  time  to  awake  out  of  sleep." 
 "  /Strive  to  enter  in  at  the  straight  gate." 
 "Let  «s  labour  therefore  to  enter  into 
 that  rest "  (Heb,  iv.  11).  (See  Addenda 
 to  chap.  vi.  16,  "liestfor  your  souls.") 
 
 Ver.  17.  Theme :  Reckless  inat- 
 tention TO  WARNING. 
 
 "Watchmen,"  used  of  sentinels  (1  Sara, 
 xiv.  16),  but  metaphorically  of  prophets 
 (Isa.  lii.  8;  Ezek.  iii.  17;  Hab.  ii.  1). 
 "  Sound  of  trumpet "  was  the  signal  for 
 flight  (see  ver.  1 ;  cf.  Amos  iii.  6). 
 
 I.  Approaching  calamity  (ver  19). 
 
 I.  Merited.  2.  Devastating.  3.  Long- 
 delayed.  4.  Unrecognised.  5.  Lmminent. 
 Compare  the  nearing  invasion  by  Baby- 
 lonish foes  to  the  subtle  yet  terrible^ 
 spiritual  disasters  approaching  the  sinner. 
 
 II.  Reiterated  forewarnings.  Not 
 one  watchman,  but  many,  through  the 
 successive  years  of  Judah's  {and  our) 
 decline.  1.  God's  rehictance.  2.  Mans 
 oppo7-timities.  3.  JVone  left  unwarned. 
 4.  All  called  to  escape. 
 
 III.  Rousing  alarms.  "  Sound  of 
 trumpet."  The  case  is  too  urgent  for 
 gentle  means,  the  peril  too  appalling  ! 
 1.  Clearly  heard  by  all.  2.  Easy  to 
 undei-stand.  3.  Startling  calls  from  God. 
 4.  Offers  of  propitious  intei-val.  Escape 
 possible,  if  men  will  but  listen  and  hide. 
 
 IV.  Deliberate  inattention.  "We 
 will  not  hearken.  1.  Lncredulity : 
 "  Surely  a  false  alarm."  2.  Insensibility  : 
 "  We  have  nothing  to  fear  ;  deserve  no 
 judgments."  3.  Wilful  delusion  :"  Rave 
 no  desire  or  intention  to  be  disturbed  in 
 our  sins."  4.  liuinous  infatuation: 
 meanwhile  the  northern  foe  speeds  to- 
 wards his  unsuspecting  prey  (ver.  22). 
 So  likewise  do  death  and  doom  hasten 
 to  the  Christless  :  and  "  how  shall  ye 
 escape  if  ye  neglect  so  great  salvation  1 " 
 
 Ver.  18.  Comments. 
 
 "Hear,  ye  nations.'"  As  the  Jewish 
 Church  refuses  to  hear  God's  voice 
 speaking  by  the  prophets,  He  now  sum- 
 mons the  Gentiles  to  witness  its  con- 
 demnation.— Speaker's  Com. 
 132 
 
 ^' And  Icnoiv,  0  congregation"  i.e., 
 the  few  godly  souls  in  the  midst  of 
 apostate  Judah  forming  the  "  congre- 
 gation of  My  people  ;  "  or  else  the  states- 
 men and  counsellors  of  surrounding 
 nations,  who  are  called  to  observe  in 
 Judah's  overthrow  that  "  verily  therb  is 
 a  God  that  judgeth  in  the  earth." 
 
 "  What  is  among  them,"  i.e.,  what 
 deeds  are  committed  by  Judah,  and  what 
 punishments  (righteous  and  inevitable) 
 are  to  be  inflicted  upon  them. 
 
 Ver.    18-21.     Theme:    The    kight- 
 
 EOUS  JUDGMENTS  OF  GOD. 
 
 i.  They  do  not  shun  publicity,  but 
 rather  appeal  to  the  moral  sense  of  the 
 whole  world,  ii.  They  bring  upon  men 
 their  merited  recompense,  iii.  They  can 
 be  averted,  not  by  outward  worship,  but 
 by  honest  submission  to  God's  Word  (ver. 
 19,  20).— Lange. 
 
 Ver.  19.    Comments. 
 
 "  Hear,  0  earth."  A  decree  so  so- 
 lemnly proclaimed  can  be  of  no  light 
 importance  ;  and,  therefore,  the  Fathers, 
 not  without  reason,  understood  it  of  the 
 rejection  of  the  Jews  from  being  the 
 Church. — Speaker's  Com. 
 
 God  appeals  to  the  whole  world  as  to 
 the  equity  of  His  proceedings.  Observe 
 what  is  doing  among  those  of  Judah  and 
 Jerusalem;  you  hear  of  the  desolations 
 brought  upon  them  ;  the  earth  rings  with 
 it,  trembles  under  it ;  you  all  wonder 
 that  I  should  "  bring  evil  upon  this 
 people  "  that  are  in  covenant  with  Me, 
 profess  relation  to  Me,  have  worshipped 
 Me,  and  been  highly  favoured  by  Me. 
 "  Know,"  then  : 
 
 i.  That  it  is  the  natural  product  of 
 their  devices.  The  "  evil  "  is  "  the  fruit 
 of  their  thoughts."  They  thought  to 
 strengthen  themselves  by  alliance  with 
 foreigners,  and  by  these  forbiden  alli- 
 ances shall  they  be  overthrown. 
 
 ii.  That  it  is  the  just  punishment  of 
 their  disobedience  and  rebellion:  "because 
 they  have  not  hearkened,"  &c.  They 
 would  never  have  been  ruined  thus  by 
 the  judgments  of  God's  hand  if  they  had 
 not  refused  to  be  ruled  by  the  judg- 
 ments of  His  mouth. — M.  Henry. 
 
 Ver.  20.     Theme:  Substitutes  for 
 
 PIETY  REPUDIATED. 
 
nOMILETIO  COMMENTARY:  JEREMIAH. 
 
 The  text  reads  literally,  "  To  what 
 purpose  is  this  to  me  that  incense  com- 
 eth  from  Sheba,"  &c.  God  wanted  what 
 was  nearer  home,  their  faithful  allegiance 
 and  their  heart's  love  ]  and  what  was  of 
 greater  value,  "truth  in  theinward  parts." 
 
 Note  that  God  repudiated  this  ritual 
 homage  at  a  time  when  Josiah  was  en- 
 gaged on  temple  restoration  ;  thus  em- 
 phatically refusing  the  most  elaborate 
 and  devoutly  arranged  ceremonialism  as 
 a  substitute  for  personal  holiness  and 
 practical  piety. 
 
 I.  The  resources  of  religious  insin- 
 cerity. "  Incense  from  Sheba  ;  sweet 
 cane  from  a  far  country," 
 
 I.  Costly  substitutes.  2.  Foreign  ivi- 
 portations.  3.  Fragrant  offerings.  So 
 the  modern  innovations  in  Christian 
 sanctuaries  :  ritualism  is  costly,  foreign 
 in  its  origin,  and  not  a  little  fragrance 
 mingles  with  its  sensational  services.  So 
 the  theological  vagaries  of  our  age,  the- 
 ories which  cost  the  sacrifice  of  precious 
 truths,  foreign  speculations  which  in- 
 trude upon  the  simple  Word  of  God, 
 fragrant  to  many  who  have  lost  all  en- 
 joyment of  the  "■  things  of  Christ."  Men 
 take  great  trouble  to  substitute  the 
 true. 
 
 II.  The  performance  of  superficial 
 worship. 
 
 1.  The  outward  forms  of  religion  may 
 he  continued  where  inward  homage  has 
 •perished ;  *'  burnt-offerings  and  sacri- 
 fices.'' 2.  Externals  are  frequently  mul- 
 tiplied as  an  extenuation  of  conscious 
 inward  defalcations.  3.  Outtvard  hom- 
 age is  proper  and  phasing  to  God  as  an 
 expression  of  heart  allegiance :  "  show 
 faith  by  works."  4.  Mere  external  piety 
 is  a  solemn  mockery  and  a  hollow  pre- 
 tence :  their  altar  offerings  and  personal 
 sacrifices  were  both  a  "  lie  unto  God." 
 
 III.  The  rejection  of  heartless  piety. 
 *'  Not  acceptable,  nor  sweet  unto  Me." 
 Sacrifice  and  incense  were  asked  by  God 
 as  suggestive  of  repentance,  and  an  in- 
 centive to  their  faith  in  a  Mediator ; 
 but  they  became  an  abomination  and 
 outrage  when  used  to  cover  and  exciise 
 sin.  1.  ^^  Acceptahle"  offerings  necessi- 
 tate truth  in  the  offer ei'.  "  To  obey  is 
 better  than  sacrifice."  2.  Sacrifices  are 
 only  "  sweet  "  as  they  express  the  heart's 
 
 true  love  of  God.  "  The  sacrifices  of 
 God  are  a  broken  spirit,"  &c.  He  prizes 
 the  oblations  of  contrition,  affection,  and 
 faith ;  these  are  "  in  the  sight  of  God 
 of  great  price."  Let  all  our  sacrifices 
 bear  to  God  "  the  sweet  savour  of  Christ," 
 being  offered  in  dependence  on  His 
 merits  and  mediation  ;  for  "  with  such- 
 sacrifices  God  is  well  pleased." 
 
 Ver.  21.  Comments. 
 
 "  Stumhling-hloclcs."  The  Babylonian 
 invaders  (so  Keil,  Hend.),  who  would  be 
 instruments  of  Judah's  utter  overthrow, 
 eventuating  in  indiscriminate  ruin.  But 
 another  meaning  may  be  given :  The 
 Jews  having  established  themselves  in 
 courses  of  insincerity  toicards  God,  would 
 sink  into  such  general  habits  of  insin- 
 cerity among  themselves  (for  the  step  is 
 natural  from  falsity  with  God  to  falsity 
 one  with  another),  as  to  lead  to  utter 
 social  hypocrisy,  anarchy,  recrimination, 
 antagonism,  ruin.  Every  tie  of  family 
 ».vA  friendship)  severed  by  the  prevailing 
 deceitfulness  which  wrecked  all  honour 
 and  alienated  all  affection.  This  is 
 indeed  but  the  fulfilment  of  a  natural 
 and  moral  law  ;  the  ultimate  overthrow 
 of  deceivers,  taken  in  their  own  nets ; 
 Haraan  hanged  on  the  gallows  he  made 
 for  Mordecai. 
 
 "  /will  lay  stumbling-blocks ;  "  for  it 
 is  God's  punitive  law  which  works  this 
 infliction  on  the  sinner  of  his  own  sin. 
 "  With  what  measure  ye  mete,  it  shall 
 be  measured  to  you  again." 
 
 Ver.  22-26.  See  Homily  on  section, 
 supra. 
 
 1.  Hoiv  furioiis  the  foe  (ver.  22,  23). 
 2.  How  terrifying  their  attitude  (ver. 
 23).  *'  Set  in  array,"  &c.  3.  Hoio  in- 
 defensible and  weak  the  assailed.  "Against 
 thee,  0  daughter  of  Zion."     *'  Hide  me, 
 
 0  my  Saviour,  hide  !  "  4.  Hotv  para- 
 lysed with  apprehension  (ver.  24).  5. 
 How  encompassed  by  the  merciless  adver- 
 sary {y&x.  25).  To  "flee"  (ver.  1)  is 
 noiv  impossible.  What  a  literal  fore- 
 shadowing and  exposition  is  here  of 
 events  at  the  "  day  of  the  Lord  "  !  (conip. 
 
 1  Thess.  v.  2,  3).  "  Then  sudden  de- 
 struction Cometh  upon  them,  as  travail 
 upon  a  woman  with  child ;  and  tltey 
 shall  not  escape." 
 
 133 
 
nOMILETIC  COMMENTARY :  JEREMIAH. 
 
 Ver.  26.  Theme  :  A  woful  spec- 
 tacle OF  KUIN. 
 
 Ou  the  coming  disasters  tlie  prophet's 
 eye  now  gazed ;  he  foresaw  it  in  all  its 
 vivid  details,  and  from  his  pallid  lips 
 rose  a  wail  of  consternation,  a  cry  of 
 anguish  over  Zion. 
 
 1.  A  sight  for  patriotic  anguish. 
 "  0  daughter  of  my  people  !  "  He  loved 
 his  nation,  felt  her  woes,  pitied  her  very 
 weakness,  lamented  the  dreadful  spolia- 
 tion at  hand  ;  yet  could  not  i7it€rpose  or 
 save.  How  distressing  this  helpless 
 pity  !  A  father  watches  his  dearest 
 daughter  agonise  and  die ;  but  can  do 
 nothing — only  writhe  and  weep.  A 
 patriot  sees  his  nation  wounded, 
 wronged ;  yet  is  powerless  to  rescue  or 
 avenge.  A  pastor  beholds  the  tender 
 ones  of  his  flock  fall  a  prey  to  the  de- 
 spoiler  ;  cannot  deliver,  only  deplore. 
 But  Jesus  sary  humanity  perishing;  with 
 infinite  pity  He  sorroived,  and  with  in- 
 finite power  He  saved. 
 
 n.  Judah  abandoned  to  misery, 
 "  Gird  with  sackcloth,  and  wallow  in 
 ashes."  Yet  this  was  not  repentant 
 anguish ;  for  she  still  loved  the  sins  which 
 wrought  her  woe.  Nor  was  it  remedial 
 anguish ;  for  now  rescue  and  redemption 
 were  for  ever  gone  ;  her  day  of  hope  had 
 passed.  "The  spoiler  is  come/"  1.  It 
 was  permanent  abandonment  to  misery. 
 "  Gird  thee  with  sackcloth  ; "  not  merely 
 clothe  thee  with  it  as  if  for  a  day  only, 
 but  fasten  it  to  thee  as  thine  unchange- 
 able attire  ;  for  the  woe  will  not  be 
 transient. 
 
 2.  It  was  extreme  abandonment. 
 "Wallow  thyself  in  ashes."  To  cast 
 ashes  upon  the  head  showed  deep  grief  ; 
 to  sit  down  in  ashes,  yet  deeper  distress ; 
 but  to  "  wallow "  in  them  expresses 
 unbearable  anguish  and  intense  self- 
 abhorrence.  Oh,  how  dreadful  this  con- 
 dition for  the  tender  and  "delicate 
 daughter  of  Zion"  !  (ver.  2)  ;  how  fearful 
 the  degradation  and  misery  with  which 
 a  sinful  career  chises  ! 
 
 III.  The  woful  grief  of  despair. 
 "  Make  thee  mourning,  as  for  an  only 
 son;  most  bitter  lamentation."  Lit.  "a 
 lamentation  of  bitternesses"  (plural):  su''- 
 gesting  the  many  and  aggravated 
 occasions  for  her  grief,  1.  For  ]ier 
 134 
 
 wilful  career  of  rebellion  against  her 
 patient  God.  2.  For  the  depths  and 
 intensity  of  her  iniqiuties.  3.  For  the 
 repudiation  of  her  many  opj)o?'tu7iities 
 of  escape.  4,  For  the  shameful  and 
 excruciating  ruin  into  which  she  has 
 fallen.  5.  For  the  utter  loss  of  all  her 
 honour  and  happiness.  6.  For  the  dis- 
 honours which  her  conduct  and  ruin  cast 
 upon  Jehovah^s  name.  7.  For  the  most 
 bitter  thought  that  hope  and  redemption 
 tvere  finally  and  irretrievably  forfeited. 
 "  Oh,  that  thou  hadst  known,  even  thou, 
 in  this  thy  day,  the  things  which  belong 
 unto  thy  peace  !  but  now  they  are  hid 
 from  thine  eyes"  (Luke  xix,  41-44), 
 
 IV,  Merciless  spoliation  of  the  foe. 
 "  The  spoiler  shall  suddenly  come  upon 
 thee,"  Contrast  Zion — "the  perfection 
 of  beauty  "  before  Nebuchadnezzar  laid 
 hand  upon  her ;  and  the  wild  waste — 
 blackened  with  fire,  temple  and  walls 
 demolished,  and  all  her  people  carried 
 away — to  which  she  was  reduced.  How 
 rightly  called  "  tlie  spoiler  "  I  Contrast 
 man — "  in  image  of  God,"  redeemed  by 
 Jesus,  visited  by  the  Holy  Spirit ;  -vyith 
 what  he  becomes  when  "  earthly,  sensual, 
 devilish  ;  "  and  when  the  soul  is  finally 
 surrendered  to  the  arch-spoiler's  ruin. 
 
 Is  there  no  hope  ?  None  was  left  for 
 Judah ;  but  for  us  it  is  written,  "  God 
 hath  not  appointed  us  to  wrath,  but  to 
 obtain  salvation  by  our  Lord  Jesus 
 Christ ! " 
 
 Ver,  27,     Comments- 
 
 "  /  have  set  thee  for  a  tower;  "  rather  for 
 a  prover  or  refiner  of  metals.  (Comp,  ix. 
 7.)  "I  will  melt  them  and  try  them  " 
 (same  verb).  The  prophet  was  set  by  God 
 to  be  a  touchstone  to  try  the  people,  and 
 prove  what  manner  of  spirit  they  were 
 of.  If  they  received  his  word,  they  were 
 sterling  ore ;  if  not,  they  were  reprobate 
 silver,  mere  dross.  In  a  larger  sense, 
 the  Written  Word,  and  also  the  Incar- 
 nate Word,  are  set  for  the  trial  of  the 
 world,  "  that  the  thoughts  of  many 
 hearts  may  be  revealed." —  Wordsworth. 
 
 "  The  power  dwells  in  Christ's  word 
 generally  to  compel  men  to  separation 
 and  decision ;  for  no  one  can  remain 
 neutral  towards  Him  long.  He  makes 
 manifest  the  real  condition  of  the  heart." 
 — Naeg. 
 
HO  MI  LET IC  COMMENTARY:  J  ERE  MI AU. 
 
 Ver.  28.  This  gives  the  issue  of  the 
 testing ;  the  moral  character  of  the 
 people  is  hopelessly,  irremediably  bad  ; 
 Jeremiah's  ministry  had  made  that  evi- 
 dent ;  they  were  like  brass  and  iron, 
 base  and  obdurate. 
 
 Ver.  29.  "  Bellows,"  the  prophets  : 
 "  are  burned,"  consumed,  worn  out  by 
 continual  blowing.  Prophecy  has  ex- 
 hausted all  its  fervour  upon  Judah. 
 Jeremiah's  heart,  consumed  by  the  in- 
 tensity and  heat  of  divine  inspiration, 
 can  labour  no  longer. 
 
 "  As  the  bellows  of  the  refiner  are 
 burnt  in  the  midst  of  the  fire,  so  the  voice 
 of  the  prophet  is  silenced  which  said, 
 Turn  ye  to  My  law  !  And  as  the  lead 
 which  melts  in  the  fire,  so  the  words  of 
 the  prophets  who  prophesy  to  them  are 
 made  of  none  effect,  and  the  people  are 
 not  profited  by  the  teaching  of  their 
 preacher,  and  do  not  repent  of  their 
 sins." — Targum. 
 
 "  The  lead  is  consumed  of  the  fire." 
 Anciently,  instead  of  quicksilver,  lead 
 ■was  used  for  the  liquefaction  of  silver, 
 so  as  to  separate  the  base  ingredients 
 from  the  precious  metal.  "  When  gold- 
 smiths wish  to  purify  the  silver,  they 
 add  lead  to  it.  When  preachers  would 
 try  their  hearers,  they  must  apply  the 
 law.  The  fire  is  God's  Word  (Jer. 
 xxiii.  29)  ;  the  bellows,  the  Holy  Spirit 
 in  the  mouth  of  the  teacher  ;  the  metal, 
 the  hearers." — Cramer. 
 
 "  The  tvicked  are  not  plucTced  away." 
 "  The  had  are  not  separated,"  i.e.,  the 
 base  ingredients,  the  bad  principles  and 
 habits  which  prevail  so  much,  and  adhere 
 so  closely,  that  all  the  endeavours  and 
 pains  of  the  refiner  prove  ineflfectual,  so 
 that  nothing  remains  but  to  throw  them 
 aside  as  a  metal  disallowed  and  cried 
 down  (ver,  30)  by  authority,  as  counter- 
 feiting silver,  but  not  capable  of  being 
 brought  to  the  sterling  standard. — Dr. 
 Blayney.  (See  Addenda  to  chap.  vi. 
 27-30.) 
 
 i.  God's  dealings  and  messages  are 
 designed  to  separate  sinners  from  their 
 tins.  ii.  He  uses  all  means  to  qualify  sin- 
 ners for  salvation  ere  He  consigns  them 
 to  destruction,  iii.  God  proclaims  them 
 "  re2orohate"  and  "castaivay"  upon  whom 
 the  energies  of  His  grace  are  spent  in  vain. 
 
 Ver,    29.       Theme :     The    bellows 
 
 BURNED. 
 
 Prophets  spoke  in  parables  to  excite 
 attention,  to  illuminate  a  doctrine,  to 
 fix  truth  on  the  memory.  "  The  bellows 
 are  burned."     Words  apply  : 
 
 I.  To  the  prophet  himself.  He  com- 
 plains that  he  spake  with  such  pathos, 
 energy,  force  of  heart,  that  he  exhausted 
 himself  without  being  able  to  melt  the 
 people's  hearts  ;  so  hard  was  the  ore 
 that  the  bellows  were  burned  before  the 
 metal  was  melted  ;  the  pi'ophet  was  ex- 
 hausted before  the  people  were  impressed. 
 So  also  with  Noah,  Isaiah,  John  the 
 Baptist,  Jesus  Himself,  though  "  never 
 man  spake  like  that  Man."  Nor  since, 
 by  apostles,  confessors,  zeal-consuming 
 preachers  has  the  iron-hearted  world 
 become  melted ;  but  they  themselves 
 have  suffered  and  perished  amid  their 
 work.     "  Bellows  h^crned." 
 
 I.  It  is  the  preacher's  business  to 
 continue  labouring  till  he  is  worn  out. 
 2.  The  Gospel  he  preaches  is  the  in- 
 fallible test  between  the  precious  and 
 the  vile. 
 
 II.  To  the  afflictions  which  God 
 sends  upon  ungodly  men.  Sent  to  see  if 
 they  will  melt  in  the  furnace  or  not.  But 
 where  there  is  no  grace  in  aflHiction  the 
 afflictions  are  sooner  exhausted  than  the 
 si7iner's  heart  is  made  to  melt  under  the 
 heat  caused  thereby — e.g.,  Pharaoh,  not 
 softened  by  all  the  plagues.  Ahaz, 
 "  when  he  was  afflicted,  he  sinned  yet 
 more  and  more."  Jerusalem,  often 
 chastised,  yet  incorrigible.  Sinners,  upon 
 whom  God's  judgments  exert  no  melting 
 power. 
 
 III.  To  the  chastisements  which 
 God  sends  upon  His  own  people.  The 
 Great  Refiner  will  have  His  gold  pure, 
 and  will  utterly  remove  our  tin.  There 
 are  unloving  children,  who  will  even 
 rebel  till  they  draw  down  blows  upon 
 themselves.  Do  not  let  it  be  said  that 
 the  bellows  are  used  till  they  are  worn 
 out  before  our  afflictions  melt  us  to  re- 
 pentance and  cause  us  to  let  go  our  sins, 
 
 IV.  The  time  is  coming  when  the 
 excitement  of  ungodly  men  toill  fail 
 them.  Many  activities  are  kept  up 
 by  outward  energies  inciting  men.  1. 
 Excitement  in  pursuit  of  ivenlih.     Yet 
 
 135 
 
IIOMILETIC  COMMENTARY :  JEREMIAH. 
 
 how  little  will  the  joys  of  wealth  stimu-  pends  on  such  special  ministrations.  Is 
 late  yon  in  your  last  moments!  2.  the  fire  in  our  soul  burning  less  vehemently 
 Excitement  in  imrsuing  fame.  Alas!  than  in  years  past  ?  Our  obligations  to 
 men  burn  away  their  lives  for  the  ap-  live  for  Christ  are  the  same ;  our  Mas- 
 probation  of  fcUow-crcatures ;  and  these  ter's  claiins  on  our  love  are  as  strong ; 
 lires  will  die  down  into  darkness.  3.  the  objects  for  wliich  we  served  God  in 
 Living  for  pleasure  ;  but  satiety  follows,  the  past  areas  important.  Should  we 
 and  the  flame  of  joy  goes  out,  4,  grow  less  heavenly  the  nearer  we  come 
 //y/)ocm^  is  with  some  their  "bellows;"  to  the  New  Jerusalem?  Of  the  true 
 but  this  feigned  zeal  and  pretended  piety  excitements  of  a  Christian's  zeal  it  can 
 will  end  in  black  despair,  never  be  said  "  the  bellows  are  burned  ;" 
 V.  To  those  excitements  whicli  keep  but  if  zeal  is  flagging,  some  other  motive 
 alive  the  Christian's  zeal.  In  certain  than  a  heavenly  must  have  acted  at 
 Churches  we  have  seen  great  blazings  of  the  first,  "  Examine  yourselves  whether 
 enthusiasm,  misnamed  "  revivals,"  mere  ye  be  in  the  faith ;  "  if  not,  no  wonder 
 agitations.       Genuine  revivals  I  love  ;  your  piety  declines. 
 
 but  these  spurious  things  are  fanaticism.  ««  r  (.     „     «  ■      t,  c 
 
 \\n  -4. 4.1,    R  4-       4.  -)    rri  J^^*  ^^^"^y  fiy'"g  ^°^^  confess 
 
 Why  was  it  the  fire  soon  went  out  ?    The  We  bring  Thy  Gospel  fresh  renown  ; 
 
 man  who  blew  the  bellows  left  the  scene  And  when  our  lives  and  labours  cease 
 
 of  excitement,    and     darkness    ensued.  ^biy  we  possess  the  promised  crown." 
 
 Our  earnestness  is  worthless  which  de-  -  — C.  11.  Spurgeon. 
 
 NOTICEABLE  TOPICS  IN  CHAPTER    VI. 
 
 Topic :  Difficulties  of  Old  Age  without  Religion,    Text :  "  Woe  unto  us  !  for 
 the  day  goeth  away ;  for  the  shadows  of  the  evening  are  stretched  out"  (ver,  4). 
 
 A  painful  subject,  but  one  to  which  it  is  necessary  to  call  the  attention  of 
 procrastinating  man  :  the  difiiculties  and  sorrows  of  old  age  without  a  vital 
 union  with  Christ  and  the  comforts  of  His  love, 
 
 I,  That  period  of  life  during  which  the  Saviour  grants  to  men  the  privileges  of 
 the  Gospel  is  known  under  the  appellation  of  a  day  of  grace  ;  a  day  in  which  He 
 ivaitsfor  the  sinner^ s  repentance,  and  is  peculiarly  ready  to  aid  his  efforts. 
 
 The  great  object  to  attain  during  continuance  of  this  "day"  is  reconciliation  to 
 God.  They  who  "  seek  Him  early  "  are  promised  they  "  shall  find  Him."  If  man  be 
 wise  in  the  morning  of  that  day  of  privilege,  the  way  of  return  to  God  is  filled  with 
 encouragement.  In  old  age  this  reconciliation  is  rendered  painful  and  embarrassing 
 by  this  difliculty,  "  The  day  goeth  away."  Period  of  grace  almost  come  to  a  close. 
 The  aged  sinner  must  necessarily  reflect  on  long  duration  of  mercy  passed  unim- 
 ioroved.  Every  privilege  of  the  Gospel  brought  individual  responsibility ;  render 
 account  therefor  to  holy  God, 
 
 *'  Day  goeth  away: "  it  has  been  enjoyed  in  the  fulness  of  its  privileges ;  but  since 
 unimproved,  tended  only  to  increase  the  guilt  and  danger  of  the  said.  For  fifty  years 
 the  Redeemer  has  called  you,  angels  of  mercy  have  watched  for  conversion.  Divine 
 Providence  crowned  your  way  with  loving-kindness  and  tender  mercy.  How  hard 
 and  difficidt  now  to  arouse  yoiir  sotd ;  or,  if  aroused,  how  difficult  to  combat  your 
 fears  of  being  too  late,  of  hope  being  lost  through  long  delay  ! 
 
 II.  Second  difliculty  to  prevent  the  return  of  the  aged  sinner  to  Christ  is,  the  short 
 period  of  grace  now  left  to  him.     "  The  shadows  of  evening  are  stretched  out." 
 
 Many  wasted  years  gone  ;  very  few  noio  remain  for  the  soul's  salvation.  As  life 
 passes  away,  the  luork  to  be  done  increases,  yet  time  is  diminished.  Death  now 
 stands  at  the  door.  Aged  sinner  is  tempted  to  despair  of  escaping  the  ruin  so  close 
 upon  him.  Satan  uses  this  difliculty  which  his  own  heart  presents,  and  allures  him 
 to  quiet  himself  under  the  load  of  his  sins  :  there  is  now  no  opportunity  for  any  sluw 
 Work  of  grace. 
 136 
 
no  MI  LET IC  COMMENTARY :  J  ERE  MT AH. 
 
 III.  Third  difficulty  in  the  way  of  aged  sinners  arises  from  the  increased  hardness 
 of  their  hearts. 
 
 When  young,  conviction  agitated  their  minds:  solemn  proclamation  of  Divine 
 truth  awoke  attention  ;  their  eyes  could  weep  under  gospel  preaching  ;  affections 
 could  be  attracted  by  hopes  and  promises  ;  often  felt  excited  towards  a  life  of  holi- 
 ness and  peace.  Noiv,  no  such  feelings.  Unmoved.  This  hardness  of  heart,  the 
 necessary  accompaniment  of  age,  and  of  a  long  continuance  in  an  unconverted  state, 
 forms  a  serious  difficulty  to  returning  to  God. 
 
 IV.  Fourth  difficulty,  as  hedging  up  the  aged  sinner's  return,  is  the  pride  of 
 character  which  attends  the  advanced  periods  of  life. 
 
 Heart  may  be  moved,  conscience  awakened,  desire  roused  to  lay  down  burden  and 
 find  peace  ;  but  an  assumed  dignity  and  coldness  of  manner,  are  drawn  over  a  broken 
 and  bleeding  spirit,  because  the  achwwledgment  tvoidd  be  humiliating  to  the  age  and 
 station  of  the  individual.  Yet  soul  must  humble  himself,  if  find  rest.  Age  furnishes 
 no  exception  ;  rather  requires  deeper  abasement.  This  acknowledgment  of  sin  and 
 misery,  to  children,  domestics,  and  friends — confession  that  all  these  years  he  has  been 
 tvrong,  is  painful  and  repulsive. 
 
 Your  time  is  short,  difficulties  are  many.  Yet  "  nothing  impossible  with  God." 
 Immediately  turn  to  Christ.    Flee  for  refuge  ! — Rev.  Stephen  H.  Tyug,  Philadelphia. 
 
 Topic:  The  Good  Way.     Children's  Sermon,     Ttxt :  ^' Ask  for  the 
 good  ivay"  (ver.  16). 
 
 A  dream  of  children  who  went  through  gate,  regardless  of  placard  warning  of 
 danger,  because  bright  and  smiling  flowers  grew  among  the  tall  grass.  Went  on 
 picking  them ;  merry  voices  rang  with  glee ;  unconsciously  went  further  into  the 
 tangled  wood,  lost  all  knowledge  of  way  out,  and  terrified  to  find  among  the  thick 
 grass  loathsome  and  poisonous  snakes  ;  hurrying  from  them  they  slipped  down  over 
 hidden  rocks  into  deep  stagnant  water,  and  lost.  "  Turn  ye  from  evil  ways,  for 
 ^vhy  ivill  ye  die?"  (See  Isa.  xxx.  31.)  Keep  in  "the  old  paths,"  where  taught  to 
 tread,  though  others  invite. 
 
 I.  Wrong  ways  are  not  so  happy  as  they  promise  to  be. 
 
 We  do  not  deny  that  ways  look  inviting  and  "  seem  right,"  even  promise  to  prove 
 "  good,"  but  are  evil  and  "  end  in  death."  "  Pleasures  of  sin,"  although  "  ivages  of 
 sin  is  death."  Very  inviting,  or  not  so  many  go.  Excursion  train  dashed  off  gaily  ; 
 but  line  insecure,  and  dreadful  disaster  ensued  :  loould  so  many  have  gone  had  they 
 knoivn  the  way  was  dangerous  1  If  you  leave  "  old  paths  "  because  you  think  new 
 ways  not  disastrous  and  more  enjoyable. 
 
 1.  Inviting  ways  do  not  ahvays  prove  "  good."  Do  not  judge  that  to  be  best 
 which  looks  most  attractive.  Flowers  not  sweetest  which  are  gayest.  Nor  fruit. 
 You  find  out  the  delusion  by  trying  them.  Yes  ;  you  say,  '*  We  should  like  to  try 
 for  ourselves  the  different  ways,  even  those  forbidden  ! "  Eather  prove  for  your- 
 selves than  take  the  word  of  others.  But  on  a  bottle  at  home  is  a  label  "Poison:" 
 will  you  take  the  word  of  others,  or  try  for  yourselves  ?  On  rocks  a  lighthouse, 
 warning  ships  of  ruin  :  will  any  captain  be  so  rash  as  try  for  himself,  and  steer  ship 
 to  death  1  (Pro v.  xiv.  12.)  Scenes  of  amusement,  self-indulgences,  courses  of  irreligion, 
 neglect  of  sanctuary  and  prayer :  these  invite  you  from  "  old  paths  j "  but  remember 
 the  degradation  and  misery  of  the  prodigal  son  ! 
 
 2.  Your  own  tvay  is  not  ahvays  happiest  or  best  (Prov,  xiii.  15).  We  all  like  to 
 have  "  our  own  way."  Many  of  us  did  for  years,  but  heard  Voice  of  Mercy  call 
 "  Ptepent ! "  Remember  that  having  their  own  ivay  is  just  what  the  world  of  sinners 
 is  doing !  (Isa.  liii.  6.)  As  silly  sheep.  Will  you  do  as  the  doomed  world?  Why, 
 all  home  and  Sabbath  teaching  is  to  warn  you  from  that !  (Comp.  text  with  ver.  7.) 
 By  doing  this  you  "  grieve  the  Spirit,"  set  yourself  against  Christ,  allow  yourself  to 
 he  led  captive  by  devil,  and  court  doom.     In  Pilgrim's  Progress,  Christian  got  out  of 
 
 137 
 
IIOMILETIC  COMMENTARY :  JEREMIAH. 
 
 "  Slou"]),"  but,  instead  of  going  to  "  Wicket  Gate,"  turned  aside  and  wandered 
 into  terrors  and  troubles.  But  "  Evangelist "  met  him,  and  put  liim  in  right  way 
 again.  Who  is  Evangelist  ?  Eead  Bible  ;  obey  text ;  hear  Jesus,  "  I  am  the  Way  !  " 
 "°Follow  Me ! " 
 
 II.  The  good  way  is  happier  far  than  it  looks. 
 
 False  thought  that  Christian  life  means  sadness,  "  all  joy  darkened."  Yet  true 
 that  Jesus  says,  "  Take  up  cross  and  come  after  Me." 
 
 1.  Why  is  not  the  Christian  ivatj  all  easy  ?  Bird  teaching  young  to  fly,  how  dis- 
 tressed the  young  seem  !  She  might  have  spared  them.  Would  it  have  been 
 kindest  ?  No  ;  better  they  should  learn  to  soar,  though  not  easy.  So  child  learns 
 to  walk ;  youth  to  breast  the  stream  ;  boy  brave  the  ordeals  and  trials  of  school. 
 Nobler  men.  Boy  with  every  fancy  gratified,  no  hardships  or  self-denials,  becomes 
 selfish,  self-willed,  ruined.     Crosses  are  rugged  blessings. 
 
 2.  Though  not  so  attractive  as  other  paths,  the  Christian  way  is  really  best.  Two 
 heaps  of  coins  :  new  bright  copper,  old  dull  gold :  yet  the  gold,  though  smaller  and 
 duller,  the  best. 
 
 3.  The  Christian  way  brings  rest  to  those  tvho  tread  it.  Walking  through  open 
 country,  became  lost  amid  different  paths ;  worried  and  wearied ;  at  length  right, 
 and  soon  at  "rest;"  for  knew  it  was  the  07ie  right  %vay,  and  led  safe  home.  Not 
 wait  till  home  (heaven)  before  have  "  rest."     Peace  within  noiv  (Prov.  xii.  28). 
 
 Think  how  many  have  gone  that  "good  way"  to  heaven  !  B.C.  612  Jeremiah 
 called  it  "old."  Now  nearly  a.d.  1900.  Yet  millions  tread  therein  (Matt.  vii. 
 13,  14).  Take  your  place  with  the  Christian  followers.  "  Ways  of  pleasantness, 
 and  paths  all  peace." 
 
 Topic:  The  Ancient  Paths.     Text:  "  Ask  for  the  old  paths"  (ver.  16). 
 
 In  Palestine  paths  are  the  only  thoroughfares  ;  through  indolence  or  selfishness 
 even  these  became  obliterated  ;  then  men  who  went  from  tribe  to  tribe  were  obliged 
 to  thread  their  way  through  thickets  and  over  rocks  in  the  most  inconvenient  way. 
 Transition  is  easy  from  an  outward  physical  path  to  a  moral  meaning :  roads  men  walk 
 with  their  feet  suggest  the  road  men's  thoughts  habitually  walk  in,  the  path  in  which 
 their  feelings  are  accustomed  to  move,  the  way  in  which  their  conduct  naturally 
 flows. 
 
 In  this  secondary  sense  use  text  to  point  out  the  necessity,  in  all  tvho  loould 
 go  right,  of  keeping  iipon  the  old  ways,  the  ascertained  ways,  which,  in  the  experi- 
 ence of  mankind,  have  been  proved  beneficial.  We  are  not  to  hold  on  to  anything 
 as  if  it  were  the  perfect  form  of  thought,  or  the  final  form  of  principle  ;  but  we  are 
 to  hold  on  to  all  those  things  which  long  and  ripe  experience  had  shown  to  be 
 beneficial  until  something  more  beneficial  can  be  put  in  their  place. 
 
 L  Our  boast  of  novelty,  our  glorying  in  our  newness,  as  if  we  were  in  advance 
 of  everybody  and  everything  else,  is  a  fanciful  mistake.  Our  thoughts,  and  all  the 
 channels  of  our  thoughts,  are  the  result  of  the  thought  and  experience  of  thousands 
 of  years  that  are  gone  by.  Political  habits  and  customs,  knowledge  of  right  and 
 equity — these  have  been  gradually  unfolded  through  ages  past.  Combinations  are 
 new,  elements  are  old.  We  did  not  first  dig  up  the  precious  gold,  nor  first  unlock 
 the  secrets  of  philosophy.  Yet  we  congratulate  ourselves  that  we  do  not  belong  to 
 the  old,  slowly-moving  ages  ;  are  proud  of  our  progressiveness,  and  it  is  fashionable 
 to  make  it  a  matter  of  boasting. 
 
 II.  The  present  time  is  noticeable  for  an  extraordinary  outbreak  of  activity 
 along  new  lines  of  thought  and  belief.  Historic  researches,  disclosures  of  truths 
 of  the  past,  scientific  discoveries  and  prophecies,  have  set  imagination  on  fire ;  and 
 men  feel  as  though  old  things  were  passing  away,  and  all  becoming  new.  The 
 consequences  are 
 
 (a.)  Men  are  inclined  to  doubt  generally  the  social  and  moral  results  of  past 
 138 
 
HOMILETIC  COMMENTARY:  JEREMIAH. 
 
 experience,  to  repudiate  long  accepted  social  maxims  and  customs,  (b.)  General 
 distrust  is  being  throivn  ujion  religious  teachings  :  not  positive  unbelief,  but  uncer- 
 tainty. And  by  shaking  confidence  in  religion  its  real  power  is  destroyed.  Thus 
 thousands  are  abandoning  old  paths — old  thoughts,  usages,  customs,  habits,  con- 
 victions, virtues.  Tendency  developed  in  this  direction  in  art  and  literature. 
 Leading  men  in  history  and  science  are  tending  away  from  the  old  grounds  of 
 Christianity.  This  is  a  fact  of  profound  importance,  and  should  command  the 
 attention  of  those  who  believe  Christianity  to  be  of  God. 
 
 III.  Consider  that  there  are  certain  great  permanencies  of  thought,  character, 
 and  custom,  especially  necessary  in  our  time.  Note :  (a.)  That  77ioral  and  social 
 progress  can  never  be  so  rapid  as  jjhi/sical  develojiments.  Men  cannot  be  changed 
 in  their  principles,  feelings,  and  inner  life  in  the  same  ratio  as  external  changes  go 
 on.  Progress  is  always  fastest  in  the  lowest  stages.  You  can  teach  men  to 
 accomplish  great  physical  results,  as  in  steam,  telegraphy,  &c.  ;  but  if  you  go 
 higher  and  teach  them  to  be  more  just,  merciful,  and  pure,  the  process  is  slower. 
 There  is  no  proportion  between  the  rapidity  with  which  we  develop  in  physical  things 
 and  the  rapidity  with  which  we  develop  in  that  part  of  our  manhood  which  is 
 highest  and  divinest.  (6.)  There  is  danger  in  giving  tip  any  belief  or  custom  which 
 has  been  entivined  in  our  moral  sense.  Regard  as  sacred  the  first  principles  of  truth. 
 What  would  be  thought  of  a  man  who  considered  it  necessary  to  perfection  in 
 literature  that  he  should  despise  the  alphabet  1  It  was  as  necessary  to  Isaac  Newton 
 when  he  was  fifty  as  when  he  was  five  years  of  age.  It  goes  on  with  a  man  all  his  life 
 long.  It  is  not  safe  to  remove  even  the  imperfect  things  of  man's  earlier  life  until 
 they  are  superseded  by  something  higher.  Better  the  Parsee  should  worship  light 
 than  by  astronomical  proofs  to  destroy  his  delusions,  and  so  leave  him  with  no 
 God.  So  with  heathenism  ;  with  those  who  slavishly  bow  their  souls  to  authority 
 of  the  Church  ;  with  votaries  of  Romish  error, — it  is  not  safe  to  take  away  a  man's 
 view  because  it  is  inaccurate,  unless  you  give  him  a  more  accurate  view.  You 
 thereby  destroy  his  faith,  however  faulty,  and  thus  have  destroyed  the  life  that 
 was  in  him,  and  left  him  a  desert,  (c.)  Li  the  transition  from  a  lower  to  a  higher 
 form  of  belief  there  is  peril.  Dangerous  to  pass  from  one  religion  espoused  in 
 youth,  to  another  espoused  in  manhood.  Many  have  sailed  out  of  the  harbour  of 
 Popery,  and  been  wrecked  ere  they  reached  the  harbour  of  Protestantism.  Thou- 
 sands have  deserted  the  orthodoxy  in  which  early  taught,  and  never  got  into  any 
 other  religion  at  all.  Hence,  we  are  not  to  think  it  our  duty  in  a  headlong  way 
 to  change  men's  belief  simply  because  they  are  erroneous.  As  if  changing  from 
 one  mode  of  belief  to  another  was  going  to  change  the  conscience,  reason,  moral 
 susceptibility,  and  character. 
 
 IV.  The  relinquishment  of  trust  or  of  practice  should  always  be  from  worse 
 to  better.  If  a  man  has  a  poor  way  of  looking  at  religion,  care  less  to  convince 
 him  of  his  poverty  than  quietly  to  convince  him  of  a  better  way.  If  you  want  a 
 traveller  to  have  a  better  road,  make  that  better  road,  and  then  he  will  need  no  argu- 
 ment to  persuade  him  to  walk  in  it.  If  you  are  teaching  that  one  intellectual  system 
 is  better  than  another,  and  that  one  religious  organisation,  church,  or  creed,  is  better, 
 prove  it  by  presenting  better  fruit  than  the  other,  and  men  will  need  little  argument 
 beyond.  The  first  proof  that  a  man  holds  a  better  system  of  religion  than  his 
 neighbour,  should  be  in  himself  :  the  life  will  be  the  evidence.  If  a  Church  breeds 
 meekness,  fortitude,  love,  courage,  disinterestedness  ;  if  it  makes  noble  men — 
 uncrowned  but  undoubted  princes — then  it  is  a  Church,  a  living  epistle  which  will 
 convince  men.     What  we  want  is  not  change,  except  for  betterment. 
 
 V.  All  new  truths,  like  new  wines,  must  have  a  period  of  fermentation. 
 Daring  leaders  in  science — I  believe  them  to  be  men  who  are  throwing  out  ore  which, 
 when  it  is  smelted  and  purified,  is  to  be  precious  indeed.  Germs  of  truth  are  in  their 
 moral  teaching.  But,  shall  men  abandon  old  beliefs,  and  take  these  germs  of 
 truth  that  lie  in  the  heavens  like  mere  nebulous  clouds  ? 
 
 133 
 
I 
 
 HOMILETIC  COMMENTARY:  JEREMIAH. 
 
 (a.)  All  tniths  are  at  first  on  probation  ;  must  be  scrutinised,  persecuted,  ran- 
 sacked vindicated.  We  are  not  wise  if  we  follow  these  new  lights  before  knowing 
 what  they  are,  their  extent  and  practical  application. 
 
 (6.)  Guard  against  wild  and  unreasonable  urgency  in  throwing  off  traditional 
 faiths  and  truths,  for  those  you  can  discover  for  ymirselves.  Accept  what  other  men 
 construct  for  you.  This  is  a  factor  in  civilisation.  Yet  when  men  come  to 
 questions  of  religious  belief  they  deem  it  unmanly  that  others  should  think  for 
 them  !  We  are  so  related,  by  the  laws  of  God,  one  to  another,  that  no  man  can 
 think  out  everything  for  himself.  Is  it  then  wiser  to  plunge  into  the  realm  of 
 nothingness  or  the  unknown,  to  give  up  your  belief  at  once  when  its  validity  is 
 questioned  1  or  is  it  not  wiser  to  hold  on  to  the  faith  of  your  father  and  mother  till 
 you  can  see  something  better  still  1  It  is  wiser  for  man  to  abide  by  the  truths 
 and  laws  of  God  till  better  ones  can  be  substituted. 
 
 VI.  We  do  well  to  look  cautiously  at  new  truths  and  those  who  advocate 
 them.  There  is  a  tendency  to  praise  scientific  men  as  though  they  were  the  only 
 persons  who  applied  themselves  to  find  out  facts.  But  remember  scientific  men 
 are  no  better  than  other  men  ;  no  more  likely  to  be  right  in  spirit,  just  as  likely  to 
 be  vain  and  arrogant.  They  are  all  human  ;  are  to  be  absolute  authorities  for  no- 
 body. There  is  a  conceit,  a  dogmatism,  a  bigotry  of  science,  as  really  as  there  is  of 
 religion.     Application  : 
 
 1.  That  all  the  tendencies  which  narrow  the  moral  sense  and  enlarge  the  liberty  of 
 the  passions  are  dangerous.  2.  All  tendencies  which  increase  self-conceit  are  to  be 
 suspected  and  disowned.  "  Seest  thou  a  man  wise  in  his  own  conceit?  There  is 
 more  hope  of  a  fool  than  of  him."  3.  Those  tendencies  which  extinguish  in  a  man  all 
 spiritual  elements,  such  as  arise  from  faith  in  God,  in  our  spirituality  and  immor- 
 tality, must  inevitably  degrade  our  manhood.  No  heroism  ever  grows  out  of 
 abnegation  of  these  great  truths.  4.  All  tendencies  which  talce  away  your  hope  of 
 a7id  belief  in  another  world,  take  away  your  motive  for  striving  to  reach  a  higher 
 life.     Without  this  hope  men  will  have  a  weary  pilgrimage  in  a  world  of  unbelief. 
 
 Make  better  paths  if  you  will,  but  abandon  not  the  old  :  and  least  of  all  abandon 
 that  one  which  leads  straight  to  Jerusalem.  For  along  that  way  the  ransomed  of 
 the  Lord  shall  return  with  songs  unto  Zion. — H.  Ward  Beecher. 
 
 ADDENDA  TO  CHAPTER  VI.    ILLUSTRATIONS  AND  SUGGESTIVE  EXTRACTS. 
 
 Ver.  1.  "Set  up  a  sign  of  fire.'"  Propitious  opportunities  lost. 
 Fire  signs  are  used  as  a  telegraph  in  "  Opportunities  are  the  golden  spots  of 
 some  parts  of  the  South  Seas.  A  native  time.  Like  the  pearl  in  the  oyster-shell, 
 at  Tanna,  in  giving  me  the  news  one  of  much  more  value  than  the  shell  that 
 morning,  said,  "  There  will  be  a  party  contains  it.  There  is  much  time  in  a 
 over  frora  the  island  of  Aneiteum  to-  short  opportunity." — Flavel. 
 day  or  to-morrow."  "How  do  you  The  proverb,  "  Take  time  by  the  fore- 
 know?" "Because  we  saw  a  great  lock,"  had  its  origin  in  the  old  pictures 
 bonfire  rising  there  last  night."  The  of  Father  Time,  who  appeared  as  bald- 
 natives  of  heathen  islands  are  also  in  the  headed,  excepting  a  lock  of  hair  upon 
 liabit  of  kindling  fires  as  a  smohe  signal  his  forehead.  Our  fathers  were  accus- 
 to  attract  the  notice  of  a  vessel  which  tomed  to  bury  an  hour-glass  with  the 
 may  be  off  their  shore.  Sometimes,  dead,  as  a  symbol  of  time  and  oppor- 
 when  we  are  wondering  whether  there  tunity  utterly  past  away. — ./.  G.  Fil- 
 ure  any  natives  among  the  dense  bush  Idngton. 
 
 which  we  see  from  the  ship,  up  goes  a  Grotius,  the  laborious  scholar,  had  fot 
 
 column  of  smoke  and  removes  all  doubt."  his  motto,  "  Hora  ruit."     Seneca  taught 
 
 — Twner's  "  Polynesia."  that  time  was  the  only  thing  of  which 
 
 Ver.  4.     "  Woe  unto  us,  for  the  day  it  is  a  virtue  to  be  covetous.  . 
 
 goeih  away."  "  In  the  city  of  Basle,  Switzerland,  it 
 
 140  y                ,                      , 
 
HOMILETIC  COMMENTARY :  JEREMIAH. 
 
 was  the  custom  to  have  all  the  clocks  of 
 the  city  an  hour  a-head  of  time,  for 
 the  following  reason  :  Once  an  enemy 
 •was  moving  upon  the  city,  and  their 
 stratagem  was  to  take  the  city  at  12 
 o'clock  ;  but  the  cathedral  clock,  by  mis- 
 take, struck  1  instead  of  12,  and  so  the 
 enemy  thought  that  they  were  too  late 
 to  carry  out  the  stratagem,  and  gave  up 
 the  assault,  and  the  city  was  saved." — 
 Talmage. 
 
 Ver.  6.  " Ileio  ye  down  trees'^  The 
 importance  of  preserving  fruit-bearing 
 trees  from  destruction  in  sieges  [cf.  Deut. 
 XX,  19,  20]  is  evident,  when  we  remem- 
 ber how  much  larger  a  proportion  of 
 man's  subsistence  than  in  our  climates 
 is,  in  the  East,  derived  from  fruit-bearing 
 trees.  Among  the  Syro- Arabian  nations, 
 their  destruction  is  regarded  as  a  sacri- 
 lege. It  is  related  that  in  one  of  his 
 wars,  Mohammed  cut  down  the  date- 
 trees  of  the  Ben  Nadi  (a  tribe  of  Jews 
 in  Arabia) ;  and,  in  order  to  justify  this 
 act  to  his  own  indignant  followers,  he 
 had  to  produce  a  pretended  revelation 
 sanctioning  the  deed  :  "This  revelation 
 came  down  :  What  palm-trees  ye  cut 
 down,  or  left  standing  on  their  root>;, 
 were  so  cut  down  or  left  by  the  will  of 
 God,  that  He  might  disgrace  the  evil- 
 doers.'^  Plutarch  says  that  similar  regu- 
 lations restrained  the  Egyptians  from 
 destroying  fruit-trees.  Other  nations 
 were  less  scrupulous,  as  among  them 
 the  Assyrians  (and,  doubtless,  the  Baby- 
 lonians also) ;  for,  in  at  least  one  in- 
 stance, we  have  noticed  a  palm-tree 
 being  cut  down  outside  a  besieged  city. 
 Josephus  expressly  records  the  destruc- 
 tion of  trees  by  the  Romans.  So  com- 
 l)letely  has  this  prophecy  been  fulfilled, 
 that  the  neighbourhood  of  Jerusalem 
 has  become  entirely  divested  of  trees  in 
 the  course  of  the  successive  sieges  to 
 which  the  city  has  been  exposed.  When 
 the  Crusaders  under  Godfrey  commenced 
 their  siege,  no  timber  could  be  found  for 
 the  construction  of  their  engines.- — 
 Kitto. 
 
 Ver.  7.  Continuity  of  sin.  "  If  you 
 commit  one  sin,  it  is  like  the  melting  of 
 the  lower  glacier  upon  the  Alps,  the 
 others  must  follow  in  time.  Set  the 
 coral  insect  at  work,  you  cannot  decree 
 
 where  it  shall  stay  its  work.  It  -will  not 
 build  its  rock  just  as  high  as  you  please, 
 it  will  not  stay  until  an  island  be 
 created. " — Spurgeon. 
 
 Ver.  8.  "  Lest  my  soul  depart  from 
 thee." 
 
 God's  withdrawment  from  man. 
 "  Think  of  God  sending  a  famine  upon 
 the  soul,  of  minds  pining  and  dying 
 because  Divine  messages  have  been  with- 
 drawn !  We  know  what  the  effect 
 would  be  if  God  were  to  withdraw  the 
 dew,  or  to  trouble  the  air  with  a  plague, 
 or  to  avert  the  beams  of  the  sun ;  the 
 garden  would  be  a  desert,  the  fruitful 
 field  a  sandy  plain,  the  wind  a  bearer  of 
 death,  summer  a  stormy  night,  and  life 
 itself  a  cruel  variation  of  death :  so 
 penetrating,  so  boundless  is  the  influence 
 of  God  in  nature.  Is  it  conceivable 
 that  the  withdrawment  of  God's  influ- 
 ence would  be  less  disastrous  upon  the 
 spirit  of  man  ?  " — Joseph  Parker. 
 
 Ver.  9.  "  Glean  Israel  as  a  vine.'^ 
 "  God  has  two  kinds  of  vintage  :  one  is 
 in  grace,  when  He  plucks  His  glorious 
 grapes,  tbe  fruit  of  good  works,  and 
 says,  '  Destroy  it  not,  for  there  is  a  bless- 
 ing with  it '  (Isa.  Ixv.  8).  But  where  He 
 finds  only  poisonous  berries  (Isa.  v.  2), 
 He  employs  other  vintagers  with  iron 
 gloves,  and  presses  them  out  in  His 
 anger  (Rev.  xiv.  20),  till  neither  stem 
 nor  stalk  is  left." — Cramer. 
 
 Ver.  10.  ''God's  Word:  no  delight 
 in  it."  A  wealthy  gentleman  invited 
 his  servants,  on  a  festive  occasion,  into 
 his  house  to  receive  presents.  "  What 
 will  you  have?"  said  he,  addressing  the 
 groom,  "  this  Bible,  or  a  twenty-dollar 
 note  1"  "I  would  take  the  Bible,  sir, 
 but  I  cannot  read ;  so  I  think  the  money 
 will  do  me  more  good."  "  And  you  ?" 
 he  asked  the  gardener.  "  There  is  ill- 
 ness at  home,  sir,  and  I  sadly  want  the 
 money."  "  You  can  read,"  said  the  old 
 man,  turning  to  the  cook,  "will  you 
 have  this  Bible  1 "  "I  can  read,"  was 
 her  reply,  "but  I  never  have  time  to 
 look  into  a  book,  and  I  need  fresh  gar- 
 ments most."  Last  came  the  errand- 
 boy.  "  My  lad,"  said  his  kind  benefac- 
 tor, "  will  you  take  these  twenty  dollars, 
 for  you  surely  want  new  clothes,  or 
 would  you  like  the  Bible  1 "     "  Thank 
 
 141 
 
nOMILETIC  COMMENTARY :  JEREMIAH. 
 
 you,  sir,  my  mother  has  taught  me  that 
 the  law  of  the  Lord  is  better  than  thou- 
 sands of  gold  and  silver,  I  will  have  the 
 good  book,  if  you  please."  As  the  boy 
 received  the  Bible  and  uncls/sped  its 
 covers,  a  bright  gold  piece  rolled  on  the 
 floor.  Quickly  turning  its  pages,  he 
 found  them  interleaved  with  bank  notes, 
 while  his  fellow-servants,  discovering 
 the  mistake  of  their  worldly  covetous- 
 ness,  hastily  departed  in  chagrin. — 
 Dictionary  of  Illustrations. 
 
 Ver.  11,  "J.  classification  of  society." 
 "  Children,  young  men,"  &c.  Five 
 stages  of  human  life  are  successively 
 marked  out.  The  children,  with  no 
 higher  object  in  life  than  a  game  of  play 
 in  the  streets  (Zech.  viii.  5).  The  yo^iths, 
 in  what  in  modern  phrase  we  should  call 
 their  clubs,  for  such  is  the  meaning  of 
 the  word  rendered  "assembly,"  whether 
 they  meet  there  for  friendly  converse 
 (Ps.  Ixxxix.  7),  for  merriment  (Jer.  xv. 
 17),  or  for  that  love  of  secret  combina- 
 tion so  natural  at  their  age  (Prov.  xv. 
 22,  of.  Ps.  Iv.  14).  Next  comes  middle 
 age,  represented  by  the  "  husband  with 
 his  wife."  Then  the  elder,  the  man  who 
 has  grown-up  children  (here  called  "  the 
 aged "),  but  is  strong  and  vigorous. 
 Lastly,  the  man  wliose  "  days  are  fidl," 
 whose  work  is  done,  and  who  has  but 
 one  thing  left — to  die. — Speaker's  Com. 
 
 Ver.  13.  ^^  Every  one  given  to  covet- 
 ousness."  As  the  dog  in  iEsop's  fable 
 lost  the  real  flesh  for  the  shadow  of  it, 
 so  the  covetous  man  casts  away  the  true 
 riches  for  the  love  of  the  shadowy. — 
 Adams. 
 
 Ver.  14.  "Peace,  where  there  is  no 
 2^eace."  It  is  a  lamentable  fact  that, 
 without  any  hireling  shepherd  to  cry 
 "  Peace,"  men  will  cry  that  for  them- 
 selves. They  need  not  the  syren  song 
 to  entice  them  to  the  rocks  of  presump- 
 tion and  rash  confidence.  There  is  a 
 tendency  in  their  own  hearts  to  put  sweet 
 for  bitter, — to  think  well  of  their  evil 
 estate  and  foster  themselves  in  proud  con- 
 ceit. Let  men  alone,  let  no  deluderseek 
 to  deceive  them,  hush  fur  ever  every 
 false  and  tempting  voice,  they  will  them- 
 selves, impelled  by  their  own  pride,  run 
 to  an  evil  conceit,  and  make  themselves 
 at  ease,  though  God  Himself  is  in  arms 
 142 
 
 against  them.  To  be  tormented  on 
 account  of  sin  is  the  path  to  peace,  and 
 happy  shall  I  be  if  I  can  hurl  a  firebrand 
 into  your  hearts. — Sintrgeon. 
 
 Ver.  16.  "Oldj^ciih:  good  way." 
 The  case  assumed  is  that  of  a  traveller, 
 who,  on  his  journey,  finds  himself  at  the 
 opening  of  many  ways,  and  knows  not 
 with  any  assurance  which  of  them  leads 
 by  the  safest  and  most  direct  road  to 
 his  resting-place.  He  seeks  a  most 
 ancient  city,  the  way  to  which  men  have 
 traversed  in  all  ages.  That  fresh  foot- 
 path, through  the  flowery  meadows — 
 that  bridle-path  round  by  the  marshes — 
 this  fresh  cutting  through  the  hills, — 
 these  will  not  do  for  him  :  he  must  ask 
 for  the  old  path.  But  there  may  be 
 more  old  paths  than  one.  The  broad 
 and  pleasant  way  that  leadeth  to  de- 
 struction is  as  old  as  the  straight  road 
 that  leadeth  unto  life,  and  far  better 
 frequented.  It  is,  therefore,  necessary 
 to  seek  not  only  "the  old  path,"  but  the 
 good  way."  Although  every  old  way 
 may  not  be  good,  the  good  way  is  cer- 
 tainly old ;  if,  therefore,  the  traveller 
 finds  and  follows  the  way  that  is  both 
 old  and  good,  he  is  safe — he  shall  with- 
 out fail  reach  his  home  at  last,  and 
 "  find  rest  for  his  soul." — Kitto. 
 
 Ver.  16.  "  Rest  for  your  soids."  St. 
 Augustine,  after  having  given  himself 
 to  every  form  of  pleasure  and  gratifi- 
 cation which  the  world  provided,  was 
 at  length  brought  to  repose  in  the 
 faith,  and  began  his  "Confessions"  with 
 the  words,  "  Thou,  0  Lord,  hast  created 
 us  for  Thyself,  and  restless  is  our  heart 
 until  it  finds  rest  in  Thee,"  Dryden 
 used  to  avow  himself  contented  when 
 sitting  under  the  statue  of  Shakespeare  ; 
 and  Bufi'on,  the  naturalist,  spoke  of  the 
 happiness  he  felt  when  sitting  at  the 
 feet  of  Sir  Isaac  Newton  ;  but  we  know 
 Him  who  invites  us  to  sit  at  His  feet, 
 thus  choosing,  as  Mary  did,  "  the  good 
 part,"  and  says,  "  Learn  of  me,  and  ye 
 shall  find  rest  to  your  souls." 
 
 Ver.  27-30.  The  prophet,  in  the 
 first  figure,  represents  himself  as  a  trier 
 of  metals,  who  first  takes  the  rough  ore 
 in  hand  in  order  mineralogically  to  dis- 
 tinguish its  constituent  parts.  In  the 
 second  figure,  the  ore  is  exposed  to  fire, 
 
HOMILETIC  COMMENTARY :  JEREMIAH.  chap.  vir. 
 
 in  order  in  tliat  way  to  test  its  metallic  spiration ;  the  flux,  his   earnestness   in 
 
 vahie  (ver.   29).     In   what   follows,    he  preaching.     But  in  vain  does  the  fervour 
 
 makes  use  of  a  third  figure  :  Israel  is  of  prophecy  essay  to  melt  the  hearts  of 
 
 here  definitely  presented  as  silver  ore  ;  the  people.     They  are  so  utterly  corrupt 
 
 but  in  the  smelting,  it  appears  that  the  that  no  particle  even  of  pure  metal  can 
 
 silver  is  so  mingled  with  the  stone  that  be  found  in  them.     All  the  refiner's  art 
 
 the  production  of  clear,  pure  silver  is  is  in  vain.     They  have  rejected  all  God's 
 
 impossible. — Naeg.  gifts  and  motives  for  their  repentance, 
 
 Ver.   30.     "  Reprobate  silver."     This,  and,    therefore,   Jehovah    has    rejected 
 
 then,    is    the    end  :     "  The    Lord   hath  them  as  an  alloy  too  utterly  adulterate 
 
 rejected   them."     The  smelter  is  God's  to   repay  the   refiner's  toils. — Speaker's 
 
 prophet,  the  bellows  the  breath  of  in-  Com. 
 
 CHAPTER  VII. 
 
 Critical  and  Exegetical  Notes.  1.  Chronology  of  the  chapter.  Keil  reg:ards  chaps,  vii. 
 to  X.  as  later  addresses,  delivered  during  Josiah's  reign.  Bagster  places  an  interval  of  merely 
 two  years  between  chaps,  vi.  and  vii.,  dating  this  B.C.  610,  two  years  before  Josiah's  death. 
 The  A.  V.  places  it  ten  years  after  Jehoiakim  became  king.  But  Dahler,  Graf,  Naeg.,  Lange, 
 Hend.,  and  Dr.  Payne  Smith  identify  this  chapter  with  chap.  xxvi.  (c/.  the  corresponding 
 verses,  vii.  2,  13,  14,  with  xxvi.  2,  5,  6  respectively),  and,  therefore,  date  chap.  vii.  "m  the 
 beginning  of  the  reign  of  JehoiaJcim."  Yet  identity  of  verses  is  not  itself  conclusive  of  chapters 
 being  synchronous,  for  the  book  abounds  in  repetitions  of  theme  and  language.  Besides  (as 
 Keilpointa  out)  there  is  no  trace  in  this  discourse,  chap,  vii.-x.,  of  the  hostility  towards  Jere- 
 miah which  became  so  impetuous  and  implacable  in  Jehoiakim's  days  (contrast  this  address 
 with  chap.  xxvi.  14,  15,  sq.).  However,  this  chapter  depicts  such  idolatrous  degradations  as 
 agree  more  with  the  relapse  under  Jehoiakim  than  with  the  reforms  of  Josiah's  reign  (see  viii. 
 9,  18,  31). 
 
 Jehoiakim  came  to  the  throne  B.C.  608.     Assyrian  chronology  changes  that  date  to  B.C.  589. 
 
 2.  Cotemporary  Scriptures  :  2  Kings  xxiii.  34-37  ;  2  Chron.  xxxvi.  4,  5  ;  cf.  Habak.  i. 
 Ezekiel  lived  through  the  epoch  of  Josiah's  death,  the  abject  dethronisation  of  Jehoahaz,  and 
 Jehoiakim's  installation  as  king  ;  but  his  prophecies  date  after  the  first  group  of  captives  had 
 been  carried  into  Babylon. 
 
 3.  National  History,  b.c.  605  [Assyrian  date,  586].  Josiah  had  fallen  in  battle  with 
 Pharaoh  Necho  at  Megiddo  (2  Kings  xxiii.  29,  30).  Jehoahaz  had  reigned  three  months,  and 
 now  Jehoiakim  was  king — Pharaoh  Necho  having  placed  him  on  the  throne  of  Judah  as  vassal 
 king,  and  laid  the  land  under  tribute  to  Egypt  (2  Kings  xxiii.  33,  35).  During  his  wicked 
 and  abject  reign  the  nation  hastened  back  to  idolatry  and  vice. 
 
 4.  Cotemporaneous  History.  Two  years  before  Josiah's  death  Nineveh  was  wrested  from 
 Egypt  by  the  combined  assault  of  the  Medes  (under  Cyaxares)  and  Babylonians  (under  Nabo- 
 polassar) — these  two  rising  empires  being  intent  on  crushing  the  despotism  of  the  Pharaohs. 
 Against  this  Babylonian  usurper  Pharaoh  Necho  marched  b.  c.  608  ;  and  by  successful  war  at  Char- 
 chemish,  recovered  a  temporary  Egyptian  ascendancy.  This  ascendancy  terminated  finally 
 in  the  fourth  year  of  Jehoiakim,  when  Nebuchadnezzar  led  his  father's  forces  against  Necho, 
 vanquished  Egypt,  and  inaugurated  the  Chaldean  dominion.     Cf.  Critical  Notes  on  chap.  i. 
 
 5.  Geograplucal  Eeferences.  Ver.  12.  "  Shiloh,"  situate  north  of  Bethel,  in  tribe  of  Ben- 
 jamin (Judges  xxi.  19),  distinguished  as  being  the  first  sacred  resting-place  of  the  ark,  and 
 therefore  the  centre  of  the  nation's  worship.  Ark  abode  there  for  a  period  of  cir.  300  years 
 (Josh,  xviii.  1 ;  1  Sam.  iv.  3,  4).  Scene  of  Samuel's  call,  and  Eli's  judgeship.  Must  have 
 been  a  populous  town  then  ;  still  existed  in  the  reign  of  Jeroboam  I.  (1  Kings  xiv.  2) ;  but  in 
 Jeremiah's  time  it  had  sunk  to  a  mean  village.  Divine  displeasure  over  idolatry  led  to  its 
 degradation  from  historic  eminence.  Dr  Eobinson  traced  its  site  in  the  Arabic  Seiliin.  Jerome 
 wrote,  "  At  Silo,  where  once  was  the  tabernacle  and  ark  of  the  Lord,  there  can  scarcely  be 
 pointed  out  the  foundation  of  an  altar."  Ver.  31.  *'  Valley  of  the  Son  of  Binnom,"  skirting  the 
 western  base  of  Mount  Zion,  and  meeting  the  valley  of  Jehosaphat ;  a  most  picturesque  scene, 
 with  gardens,  groves,  and  cool  refreshing  shade ;  regarded  as  the  temple  of  Palestine. 
 Jerome  says,  "  The  valley  of  Hinnom  was  watered  by  the  springs  of  Siloam,  and  was  pleasant 
 and  well  wooded  ;  and  at  this  day  delightful  gardens  are  situate  there  "  (cf.  Personal  References 
 below).  "  The  high  places  of  Tophet "  were  artificial  mounts  on  which  sacrificial  altars  were 
 reared,  on  the  heights  on  the  south  side  of  the  valley,  and  facing  Mount  Zion. 
 
 6.  Personal  Eeferences.  Ver.  15.  "  Ephraim,"  put  for  Israel,  the  ten  tribes  God  had 
 "cast  out."     Their  having  had  the  ark  so  long  did  not  protect  them  from  banishment;  nor 
 
CHAP.  VII.  UOMILETIC  COMMENTARY :  JEREMIAH. 
 
 would  Judah  escape,  though  possessing  the  Temple  (ver.  4).  Ver.  18.  Queen  of  Heaven— i.e., 
 the  moon.     She  was  revered  as  a  deity  by  Persians  and  Syrians.     Her  name  DJlD^  was  a 
 
 fern,  form  of  ^7D  Molech,  ov'^')J2  Melech.  In  Babylonia  her  name  ^a.&  Molatta.  She  was 
 regarded  as  the  wife  of  Molech  or  Baal,  the  king  of  heaven.  The  sun  and  moon  were  wor- 
 shipped thus  as  being  the  generative  powers  of  nature.  Ver.  31.  "  Tophet,"  perhaps  a  contemptu- 
 ous name  given  by  Jeremiah  to  their  god,  Baal  [see  Literary  Criticism  on  chap.  iii.  24]  ;  or 
 else  not  a  proper  name  at  all,  the  word  "  Tophet "  meaning  merely  a  thing  or  place  of  abhor- 
 rence; and  any  place  where  human  sacrifices  were  offered  was  stigmatised  as  a  Tophet,  or  place 
 of  horror  (See  Addenda  to  chap.  v.  31,  "High  Places  of  Tophet").  Ver  31.  "  Son  of  Hinnom," 
 a  name  without  traceable  personal  identification.  Mentioned  in  connection  with  the  "  valley  " 
 so  early  as  in  Josh.  xv.  8.  Possibly  he  was  some  ancient  or  fabulous  hero.  The  valley 
 called  Vale  Ben-Hinnom  in  the  Old  Testament,  is  sometimes  in  Heb.  shortened  into  Ge- 
 Hinnom,  Diin"J  ;  is  rendered  by  the  LXX.  Taievva ;    and  hence  the  New  Testament  name 
 
 Gehenna.  To  end  the  idolatrous  abominations  practised  there,  Josiah  had  poured  into  the 
 valley  the  city's  refuse  and  corruption,  to  consume  which  perpetual  fires  were  kept  burning. 
 From  the  torturous  fires  of  Molech,  and  tlie  ever-burning  fires  to  consume  the  loathsome 
 refuse  cast  into  it,  Gehenna  became  suggestive  and  figurative  of  the  place  of  eternal  torment. 
 
 7.  Manners  and  Customs.  Ver.  18.  "  Make  cakes  to  queen  of  heaven :  probably  specially 
 prepared  for  her  worship,  made  round  and  flat  like  the  disc  of  the  moon,  and  burnt  to  her 
 honour,  with  added  libations.  Ver.  21.  "  jB.trHi  q^en'n^rs"  were  wholly  consumed  upon  the 
 altar  fire ;  "  sacrifices  "  were  in  part  eaten  by  the  offerers.  This  "  Eating  the  flesh  "  was  regarded 
 as  a  reconciliation  meal,  God  and  the  oflerer  dividing  and  sharing  the  sacrifice.  Ver.  29.  Cut 
 off  thine  hair : "  the  ancient  sign  of  mourning  {cf.  Job  i.  20  ;  Mic.  i.  16).  "  Lamentation  onhigh 
 places"  {cf.  Isa.  xv.  2;  Judges  xi.  37,  38).  Ver.  30.  "Abominations  in  the  house:"  this 
 refers  to  wliat  Manasseh  had  done  (2  Kings  xxi.  3-5),  and  of  which  sacrifice  tlie  people  had 
 never  repented,  notwithstanding  Josiah's  external  reforms.  Ver.  31.  "  Bum  sons  and 
 daughters  in  the  fire:"  probably  not  burnt  alive,  but  first  slain  (see  Ezek.  xvi.  21).  Ver.  34. 
 "  Voice  (or  sound)  of  the  bridegroom  and  bride :  "  an  allusion  to  the  musical  procession  with 
 which  the  bridal  pair  were  accompanied  through  the  streets  j  a  custom  still,  in  many  parts  of 
 the  East,  among  the  Jews. 
 
 8.  Literary  Criticisms.  Ver.  3.  "  I  will  catise  you  to  dwell."  ZTewd.  would  give  to  the  Piel 
 form  of  the  verb  a  continuative  force,  "  I  will  still  cause  you  to  divell:"  for  they  were  already 
 there  ;  and  this  is  no  promise  of  re-occupancy.  Blayney  and  the  Vuhjatc  adopt,  "  I  will  dwell 
 with  you."  Speakers  Com.,  "I  will  let  you  dwell."  Ver.  4.  "Temple  of  the  Lord  are 
 these,"  i.e.,  the  sacred  buildings  of  the  Temple  {Hend.)  Or,  as  the  pronoun  is  masc,  some 
 think  the  Jeivs  themselves.  liut  the  Jews  boasted  in  their  material  edifices,  and  were  not 
 sufficiently  spiritual  to  claim  for  themselves  a  personally  indwelling  God.  Ver.  7.  "  For  ever 
 and  ever,"  lit.  "  to  from  eternity  and  unto  eternity  :  "  the  strongest  Heb.  formula  for  perpetuity. 
 The  antecedent  may  be  either,  I  gave  the  land,  or  I  will  cause  you  to  dwell.  Ver.  9.  "  Will  ye 
 steal,"  &c.,  a  succession  of  infinitives.  "  What!  to  steal,  to  murder,"  &c.  Ver.  10.  *'  We  are 
 delivered  to  do  all,"  d-c,  i.e.,  by  Temple  attendances  and  observances  "  We  are  secured  "  against 
 evil  consequences  while  we  continue  to  sin;  no  harm  will  come  to  us.  It  expresses  daring 
 self-justification,  and  blasphemous  self-assurance.  (Comp.  Noticeable  Topics,  end  of  chap. 
 Sermon  by  Horton).  Ver.  12.  "Set  My  name  at  the  first,"  i.e.,  in  the  first  period  of  the 
 Jewish  commonwealth.  (See  above.  Geographical  References.  "  Shiloh  ").  Ver.  18.  "  Queen 
 of  heaven,"  margin  oi  A.  V.  "frame,  or  workmanship  of  lieaven."  The  Syriac  and  LXX  so 
 translate  ;  although  in  corresponding  verses  (chap  xliv.  17,  18,  19),  the  LXX  render  the  word 
 "queen"  i]  ^aaiXiaaa  tGjv  ovpavwv.  The  Vulgate  has  "  regina  cxli  "  in  every  instance.  Ver. 
 22.  "For  I  spake  not,"  d;c.,  if  this  be  taken  as  a  denial  of  their  Divine  institution,  it  must  be 
 understood  as  slating  that  God  imposed  moral  duties  (ver.  23)  at  an  earlier  date  than  He 
 instituted  the  sacrificial  code  (cf.  Exod.  xv.  26,  xix.  5,  with  Deut.  v.  and  vi).  Or  vls  a  repudiation 
 of  their  sacrifices  it  suggests  their  repulsiveness  to  God  when  alone,  unattended  with  perfor- 
 mance of  the  higher  obligations  :  "  I  spake  not  "  that  sacrifices  might  be  presented,  while  moral 
 duties  were  at  the  same  time  refused.    The  words  may  be  rendered,  "  I  spake  not  to  your  fathers 
 
 (see  criticisms  on  the  word,  chap.  v.  3).  Ver.  29.  "  Cut  hair,"  in.,  a  diadem  (2  Sam.  i.  10). 
 The  Nazarite's  hair  so  called  (Numb.  vi.  7,  rendered  "consecration")  as  being  the  symbol  of 
 ills  consecration  to  God,  ergo  of  his  royalty  and  dignity  :  and  hence,  leaving  the  primary  mean- 
 ing, the  long,  unshorn  han  of  a  woman.  This  "  diadem  "  she  must  "  cast  away,"  for  she  is  no 
 Jonger  consecrate  to  God  :  she  has  violated  her  sanctity  and  forfeited  her  alliance  with 
 Jehovah.  "" 
 
 144 
 
HOMILETIO  COMMENTARY :  JEREMIAH.  chap.  vn. 
 
 EOMILETIC  OUTLINES  ON  SECTIONS  OF  CHAPTER  VII. 
 
 Terses      1-7.  Righteous  requirements  and  gracious  promise. 
 ,,         8-15.  Demoralising  trust  placed  in  external  piety. 
 ,,       16-20.  Indignity  done  to  God  in  uniting  His  worship  with  idolatry. 
 „       21-28.  Reliance  on  the  value  of  outward  religious  service  refuted. 
 „      29-34.  Retribution  for  idolatrous  abominations. 
 
 Ver.  1-7.  Righteous  Requikements  and  Gracious  Promise. 
 
 Jehoiakim,  an  irreligious  king ;  consequently  the  maintenance  of  divine  worship 
 was  not  now,  as  when  Josiah  reigned,  an  object  of  public  care  and  royal  encourage- 
 ment. Probably  this  concourse  in  the  temple  assembled  on  a  public  fast-day. 
 Jeremiah  commissioned  to  use  the  opportunity  for  making  known  God's  revulsion 
 from  "a  form  of  godliness,  not  having  the  power  thereof."         * 
 
 1.  Express  comrmmication  from  Jehovah  :  ''word  which  came  to  Jeremiah  from 
 the  Lord."  2.  Proclaimed  in  a  solemn  scene :  "  stand  in  the  gate  of  the  Lord's 
 house."  3.  Addressed  to  a  vast  audience:  "hear,  all  Judah."  4.  Relating  to 
 'professedly  godly  persons ;  "  that  enter  in  at  these  gates  to  worship  the  Lord."  5. 
 Spolcen  ivith  the  weight  and  sanction  of  Highest  A  xithority  :  not  the  outcome  of  his 
 own  patriotic  fervour,  or  pious  solicitude,  but  "  Thus  saith  the  Lord  of  hosts,  the 
 God  of  Israel."  6.  Stinimoni7ig  to  thorough  reformation:  "amend,"  kc.  (ver.  4). 
 7.  Granting  gracious  permission  and  opportunity  :  the  door  of  hope  not  closed,  the 
 day  of  grace  prolonged. 
 
 I.  In  what  Divinely  approved  piety  consists.  God  leaves  them  in  no  uncer- 
 tainty as  to  what  He  demands  of  man  :  we  do  not  grope  in  darkness  towards  truth  ; 
 are  not  left  to  conjectures  and  adventures.  "  This  is  the  way,  walk  ye  in  it." 
 "  The  wayfaring  man,  though  a  fool,  shall  not  err  therein."  Here  is  urged  both  a 
 refusal  and  a  requirement. 
 
 1.  Repudiation  of  superficial  piety  (ver.  2,  4).  Mere  "entering"  sanctuary, 
 formal  "  worship,"  pride  in  religious  externals.  "  Not  they  who  say  unto  Me, 
 Lord,  Lord,"  &c.     (Addenda  to  chap,  vii.  4,  "  Ecclesiasticism") 
 
 2.  Delineation  of  essential  righteousness  (ver.  5,  6).  Personal  goodness,  justice 
 and  mercy  to  others,  fidelity  to  God.  Compare  our  Lord's  reply  to  question, 
 "  What  do  to  inherit  eternal  life  %  "  (Luke  x.  27). 
 
 II.  To  what  extent  true  reformation  must  be  carried.  "  Thoroughly  .  .  , 
 thoroughly  "  (ver.  5).  With  resolution,  with  sincerity,  with  completeness.  Note 
 what  it  embraces  ;  self,  "  amend,"  &c.  ;  others,  "  execute  judgment,"  &c.  ;  God,  no 
 "  other  gods." 
 
 1.  Personal  renewal:  "ways" — i.e.,  general  principles  and  methods  of  life: 
 "  doings  " — i.e.,  separate  and  minute  deeds.  Entire  change  of  self.  "  Neither 
 circumcision,  &c.,  but  a  new  creature." 
 
 2.  Uprightness  of  conduct:  specially  acting  justly  and  mercifully.  We  are 
 "created  in  Christ  Jesus  unto  good  works." 
 
 3.  Cessation  from  wrong  :  and  this  wrong  is  of  three  forms — harming  the  weak, 
 "  hurting "  ourselves,  and  dishonouring  God  (ver.  6). 
 
 III.  With  what  rewards  godliness  is  encouraged.  Civil  and  sacred  privileges 
 (ver.  7). 
 
 1.  Present  advantages.  "In  this  place;"  Jerusalem  or  temple;  where  holy 
 comforts  and  favours  cluster,  the  meeting-place  of  God.  "  Godliness  hath  the 
 promise  of  the  life  which  now  is." 
 
 2.  Imperishable  prospects.  "  This  land  for  ever."  "  Begotten  to  a  lively  hope, 
 io  an  inheritance  incorruptible,  and  fadeth  not  away." 
 
 IV.  To  what  disasters  irreligion  tends.  The  conditional  promise  implies  a 
 lossible  reverse,  dark  and  sad. 
 
 K  145 
 
CHAP.  TIT.  EOMTLETIC  COMMENTARY :  JEREMIAH. 
 
 1.  Loss  of  boasted  heritages.  Not  "  dwell  in  this  place  ;"  the  temple  and  city, 
 with  all  civil  and  religious  advantages  forfeited ;  exiles. 
 
 2.  Banishment  from  God  Himself.  "  Removed  from  land  "  into  captivity.  To 
 be  cast  out  from  where  God  dwelt,  "  Zion,"  equivalent  to  a  Jew  to  being  banished 
 from  Him  who  dwelt  in  Zion.  "  Depart  from  Me,  ye  cursed."  "  Punished  with 
 everlasting  destruction,  from  the  presence  of  the  Lord,  and  the  glory  of  His  power." 
 
 Ver.  8-15.  Demoralising  Trust  placed  in  External  Piety. 
 
 A  startling  truism  that  evil  simulates  good.  Satan  himself  takes  the  form  of 
 *'  angel  of  light "  in  order  to  cover  his  own  hideousness  and  deceive  others.  Sinners 
 hide  conscious  wrong  by  pretentious  righteousness.     Two  results : 
 
 1.  Self-deception.  A  dangerous  device  to  assume  a  mock  piety.  Deceivers  come 
 to  " deceive  themselves."  Reflex  action  of  insincerity:  "believe  a  lie,"  and  thus 
 ignore  danger  while  courting  and  hastening  to  destruction.  Wicked  taken  in  their 
 own  net,  fall  into  pit  digged  for  others,  are  hung  on  gallows  themselves  prepared 
 for  different  use. 
 
 2.  Self-degradation.  Pretence  of  goodness  blinds  sinnersto  the  revulsion  and 
 awfulness  of  iniquity :  "  conscience  seared."  Evil  looks  less  heinous  to  sinners 
 themselves  when  clothed  with  the  garb  of  pietism.  Licence  is  thus  given  to 
 iniquity,  and  sin  grows  at  once  bolder,  self-excusing,  shameless,  and  runs  un- 
 checked to  vile  excesses.  Christ  pronounced  those  men  worst  and  most  hopeless 
 who  robed  villainy  with  piety  (Matt,  xxiii.  25-33). 
 
 I.  The  attitude  of  devotional  sincerity  (ver.  10).  1.  In  right  place:  "this 
 house."  2.  In  right  post2ire:  "stand  before  Me."  "Ye  outwardly  appear 
 righteous  unto  men"  (Matt,  xxiii.  28).  Judged  of  at  that  moment,  all  seemed 
 well.  But  what  manner  of  men  were  they  when  away  from  God's  house  ?  Life 
 has  two  sides  :  most  men  seem  good  ivhen  in  holy  scenes  and  on  sacred  occasions  ; 
 what  is  their  conduct  elsewhere  1  Moreover,  there  may  be  vast  difference  in  a 
 man's  outer  and  inner  life ;  and  God  looks  within ;  so  that  even  when  stand- 
 ing piously  before  Him  they  may  be  loathsome  in  His  sight.  Attitude  is  not 
 everything. 
 
 II.  The  subtlety  of  religious  delusions.  1.  False  triists:  "in  lying  words" 
 (ver.  9),  and  "  this  house  wherein  ye  trust  "  (ver.  14).  Ready  to  believe  in  smooth 
 words  of  lying  prophets  (v.  31),  or  to  rest  upon  mere  cant  phrases  (vii.  4),  or  to 
 repose  on  religious  externals  (ver.  14).  2.  Pres^lmpt^lous  assurance:  "We  are 
 delivered"  (ver.  10) — i.e.,  having  performed  our  religious  observances  in  the 
 temple,  we  have  atoned  for  past  sins,  and  are  free  to  start  afresh.  Romanists 
 assume  the  same  licence :  attend  "  mass,"  and  so  leave  all  burdens  behind,  and 
 gain  liberty  for  indulgences  in  sin.  Protestants,  too,  who  "  attend  the  Sacrament " 
 and  return  to  worldliness.  They  also  who  trust  in  penitent  prayers,  and  excuse 
 themselves  in  wrong  :  "  sin  that  grace  may  abound."     God  hates  every  false  way. 
 
 III.  The  degradations  of  spiritual  falsity.  The  delusion  that  sin  may  be  con- 
 tmued  with  impunity  or  easily  escaped  acts  as  an  encouragement  to  every  form  of 
 ■wrong.  Hypocrites,  who  make  external  ceremonies  a  kind  of  expiation,  readily 
 fall  into  the  seductions  of  sin,  and  follow  the  enticements  of  their  own  evil  hearts. 
 To  what  depths  did  these  sink !  1.  Glaring  immoralities  (ver.  9).  2.  Revolting 
 idolatries  (xer.  9).     3.  Ecclesiastical  profanities  {ver.  II). 
 
 IV.  The  futility  of  sacred  messages.  '*  I  spake  unto  you,  rising  up  early," 
 &c.  (ver.  13).  1.  Instructions  and  admoiiitions  were  not  withheld :  thus  God  did 
 His  part  to  restrain  and  rectify  them.  2.  Invitations  to  true  religion  were  sent : 
 "  I  called  you  : "  thus  they  were  allured  and  entreated  as  well  as  warned.  3. 
 Indifference  and  insensibility  marked  their  conduct :  they  were  without  disposition 
 to  repent,  without  desire  for  holiness ;  so  they  trifled  still  by  offering  to  God  a 
 ceremonial  piety,  but  refusing  practical  godliness.     Note  :  The  most  potent  and 
 
 146 
 
HOMILETia  COMMENTARY :  JEREMIAH.  chap.  vii. 
 
 urgent  messages  from  God  are  neutralised  by  the  carnal  security  in  which  hypocrites 
 entrench  themselves. 
 
 v.  The  overthrow  of  sinners  and  their  subterfuges  (ver.  14,  15).  1.  Zion 
 seemed  a  secure  possession.  They  "  trusted  "  in  it ;  relied  upon  the  fact  that  God 
 had  given  it  in  covenant  with  their  fathers ;  they  deemed  it  inalienable  and 
 imperishable  (Ps.  cxxxii.  14).  Yet,  being  used  for  evil  ends  (ver.  11),  and  made 
 a  delusive  trust  (ver,  4,  14),  it  had  lost  its  worth  in  God's  sight,  and  should  come 
 to  ruin  as  Shiloh  had  done.  Nothing  retains  its  sacredness  or  its  security  when 
 prostituted  to  purposes  of  falsehood  and  impiety.  2.  Judah  believed  herself  safe 
 from  banishment.  David  was  of  Judah ;  God  had  made  special  promises  to  this 
 royal  tribe.  Messiah  was  to  come  of  it.  Judah  arrogated  to  herself  a  safety 
 Israel  did  not  possess.  But  no  privileges  or  promises  screen  the  guilty  from  judg- 
 ment. God's  special  plans  never  interfere  with  His  common  laws.  Sinners  are 
 condemned,  wicked  shaU  not  escape ;  and  these  laws  will  not  be  suspended,  even 
 though  we  seek  to  hide  ourselves  behind  covenants  and  decrees. 
 
 Application  :  Delusion  works  demoralisation.     Demoralisation  ensures  destruction. 
 
 Ver.  16-20.  Indignity  to  Jehovah  in  uniting  His  Worship  with  Idolatky. 
 
 "  Seest  thou  what  they  do  %  "  (ver.  17).  The  sight  was  abhorrent  to  God.  They 
 had  professed  to  accept  Him  as  their  Lord,  by  standing  before  Him  in  His  house 
 (ver.  10) ;  but  their  conduct  outside  the  temple,  in  the  very  "streets  of  Jerusalem," 
 as  well  as  throughout  the  "  cities  of  Judah,"  was  flauntingly  audacious  and  provoking. 
 Such  hypocrisy  was  loathsome  to  God. 
 
 Comproinises,  combining  God's  worship  with  idolatrous  practises,  incense  Jehovah. 
 They  dishonour  Him,  rob  worship  of  all  worth,  render  religion  a  mockery  and 
 homage  a  vanity.     By  their  compromises  they  wronged  and  provoked  God  ;  for 
 
 1.  They  divided  His  glory,  by  raising  idols  to  equality  with  Him.  2.  They 
 degraded  His  glory,  by  lowering  Him  to  equality  with  them.  For  by  sharing 
 worship  between  God  and  "  other  gods,"  they  treated  Him  as  worthy  no  more  homage 
 than  they. 
 
 I.  Man's  astounding  insolence  towards  Jehovah.  Their  idolatrous  conduct 
 had  as  its  motive  malice ;  and  as  its  end,  "  that  they  might  provoke  God  to  anger  " 
 (ver.  18).  They  aimed  at  that  result.  But,  in  so  doing,  men  may  ignite  a  fire  they 
 would  fain  yet  cannot  quench.  1.  The  Divine  anger  is  a  solemn  reality.  2.  Man's 
 conduct  is  capable  of  pi'ovokiug  the  anger  of  the  Almighty  !  3.  Indignity  to 
 God  evokes  indignation  from  God.  Wonderful  man's  power !  Terrible  this  dire 
 abuse  of  it ! 
 
 II.  Outrages  done  to  God  revert  on  the  sinner  (ver.  19).  Which  means,  Is  it 
 Me  they  provoke ;  or  will  they  not  rather  provoke  themselves  to  wrath  against 
 themselves,  and  to  confusion  and  shame  ?  1.  They  injure  themselves  more  than  they 
 incense  God.  2.  They  will  bear  the  heavier  consequences  of  their  wickedness.  God 
 is  dishonoured  and  provoked  thereby,  but  they  ensure  destruction  to  themselves  and 
 "  revelation  of  the  righteous  judgment  of  God."  Sinners  will  then  be  ivrathfid  roiih 
 themselves  ;  "  gnashing  of  teeth  :  "  and  reap  "  shame  "  for  every  dishonour  they  have 
 done  to  the  Lord. 
 
 in.  Pitiful  intercession  refused  on  their  behalf  (ver.  16).  Jeremiah  was  com- 
 passionate, and  ready  to  interpose  with  prayers  :  but,  1.  God  corrects  the  prophefs 
 mistaken  charity.  Piety  before  patriotism  ;  what  is  due  to  God  before  unthinking 
 intervention  on  the  behalf  of  wrongdoers.  Pity  must  not  blindly  interpose  to 
 prevent  justice.  "  Shall  not  the  Judge  of  aU  the  earth  do  right  1 "  2.  God  directs 
 attention  to  their  guilty  deeds.  "Seest  thou,"  &c.  (ver.  17).  Jehovah  sees  ;  and  He 
 fathoms  the  depths  of  malice  which  prompt  men's  hostile  actions. 
 
 IV.  Anger  provoked  in  God  will  be  assuredly  poured  out  (ver.  20).  1.  -4  s  a 
 deluge,  in  fulness  and  fury :  "poured  out."     2.    Falling  upo7i  the  whole  people  : 
 
 147 
 
nOMILETIC  COMMENTARY :  JEREMIAH. 
 
 on  the  offenders  tliemselves  ("  man"),  and  their  treasures  ("this  place,  on  beasts, 
 trees,  fruits  ").  3.  Unquenchable  m  its  ravaging  luorh :  for  it  will  be  a  deluge  of 
 "  fire,"  and  will  "  burn  "  inextinguishably.  "Who  will  dwell  with  the  everlasting 
 burnint's  1 "     "  Flee  to  the  mountain,  lest  thou  be  consumed." 
 
 Ver.  21-28.  Reliance  on  the  Value  of  Outward  Reliqious  Service  Refuted. 
 
 Jeremiah  swept  this  false  security  utterly  from  beneath  them :  their  ceremonial 
 observances  were  worthless  in  themselves,  except  as  an  expression  of  spiritual  homage 
 and  loyalty,  and  were  without  Divine  sanction,  except  as  they  were  accompanied  by 
 practical  godliness.  He  appeals  to  the  original  covenant  of  God  with  them,  and 
 affirms  :  i.  That  the  moral  code  was  primarily  given  ;  the  ceremonial  laws  followed 
 at  a  later  date,  and  as  a  concession  to  their  weakness,  when,  by  the  worship  of  the 
 golden  calf,  they  had  proved  themselves  unworthy  of,  and  unfitted  for,  a  purely 
 spiritual  dispensation,  ii.  That  the  moral  code  was  of  primary  importance.  God 
 could  readily  dispense  with  sacrificial  off'erings  if  their  practical  obedience  were 
 maintained ;  but  however  lavish  their  sacrifices,  all  were  repulsive  if  obedience  was 
 withheld. 
 
 Henry — "  See  with  what  contempt  God  here  speaks  of  their  ceremonial  service 
 (ver.  21).  Go  on  in,  and  add  to,  your  sacrifices,  and  '  eat  flesh,'  for  that  is  all 
 the  good  you  will  obtain  from  them ;  no  other  benefit  while  you  live  in  dis- 
 obedience ! 
 
 "I.  He  shows  them  that  obedience  was  the  only  thing  He  required  of  them 
 (ver.  22,  23).  He  appeals  to  the  original  contract  when  they  were  first  formed 
 into  a  people  (Exod.  xv.  26).  The  condition  of  their  being  God's  people  was,  'If 
 you  will  obey  my  voice  indeed '  (Exod.  xix.  5).  Afterwards  He  gave  them  cere- 
 monial institutions,  as  trials  of  their  obedience,  and  assistances  to  their  repentance 
 and  faith.  The  Levitical  law  begins  thus,  '  If  any  man  of  you  will  bring  an  offer- 
 ing' (Lev.  i.  2.  ii.  1),  as  if  intended  rather  to  regulate  sacrifice  than  to  require  it. 
 
 "  II.  He  shows  them  that  disobedience  was  the  only  thing  which  offended 
 Him.  They  broke  God's  commandments  in  their  conversation,  while  observing 
 them,  in  some  instances,  in  their  devotion  (ver.  24,  25).  1.  They  set  up  their  own 
 will  in  competition  with  God's.  '  Hearkened  not,  nor  inclined  their  ear  '  to  God's 
 laws  ;  and  made  iheir  oivn  counsels  their  guide,  and  evil  imaginations  became  their 
 law.  2.  If  they  began  well,  they  did  not  proceed,  but  soon  flew  off  :  '  went  back- 
 ward.' 3.  When  God  sent  messages  to  them  hy  His  prophets,  they  were  still  dis- 
 obedient (ver.  25).  As  deaf  to  the  prophets  as  they  were  to  the  law  (ver.  26).  4. 
 Their  practice  and  character  ivere  still  the  same  :  worse,  and  not  better,  than  their 
 fathers.  («.)  Jeremiah  can  himself  witness  to  their  disobedience  (ver.  27).  (6.) 
 He  must  therefore  own  they  deserved  God's  displeasure  and  abandonment  to  de- 
 struction (ver.  28).  Notorious  for  their  obstinacy,  incapable  of  receiving  or  uttering 
 *  truth  : '  false  both  to  God  and  man." 
 
 Ver.  29-34.  Retribution  for  Idolatrous  Abominations. 
 
 "Cut  off  thine  hair,"  &c.  (see  Lit.  Grit,  supra  on  ver.  29) :  both  as  a  token  of 
 extreme  woe,  and  also  of  the  loss  of  the  consecrated  character, 
 
 I.  A  mournful  occasion  for  bitterest  grief  (ver.  29).  1.  Loss  of  holiness 
 entails  loss  of  happiness.  2.  Rejection  by  God  and  abandonment  to  His  wrath 
 suggest  alarming  calamities.  Spiritual,  in  that  the  soul  loses  her  light,  her 
 security,  her  comfort,  her  hope ;  and  temporal,  in  that  protection,  promises,  bene- 
 factions, are  all  forfeited  and  alienated.  A  desolate  case !  Yet  not  loss  of  God 
 alone,  but  the  positive  woes  of  "  Eis  wrath."  All  good  things  withdrawn,  all  evil 
 things  threatened. 
 
 II.  A  revolting  spectacle  of  impious  desecration  (ver.  30,  31),     1.  Insulted 
 
 148 
 
so  MI  LET  IC  COMMENTARY :  JEREMIAH. 
 
 God  to  His  face  in  His  own  house  hy  their  abominations.  A  loathsome  intrusion  upon 
 and  pollution  of  sacred  scenes.  Equally  so  when  sin  is  cherished  in  our  hearts 
 (Ezek.  xiv.  4).  2.  Practised  the  most  heinous  atrocities  in  their  idolatrous  homage 
 (ver.  31).  Deeds  so  dreadful  as  never  tft  have  "come  into  the  mind"  of  God. 
 Zvlan's  fertility  in  wicked  inventions. 
 
 Ill  A  terrible  visitation  of  righteous  judgments  (ver.  32,  33).  1.  Slaughterers 
 (of  their  own  children)  shall  he  visited  with  slaughter  (from  the  Chaldeans)  2.  The 
 scene  of  cruel  death  (of  helpless  infants)  shall  he  burdened  with  the  dead  ;  the  victims 
 of  the  avenging  sword  should  be  more  than  graves  could  inter.  3.  Ravaging 
 heasts  of  prey  would  usurp  the  very  spot  ivhere  now  living  men  assembled  for  idolatrous 
 ceremonies  ;  so  complete  would  be  the  devastation  of  human  life.  "  Ge-Hinnom," 
 a  figure  oi  hell.     (See  Personal  Allusions,  ver.  31,  above.) 
 
 IV.  A  woful  desolation  of  happy  scenes  (ver.  34).  1.  All  joy  silenced  in 
 the  noio  cheerful  streets.  2.  All  Hfe  departed  fi'om  now  crowded  cities.  3.  All 
 beauty  and  fertility  swept  from  the  now  luxuriant  soil ;  "  the  land  desolate."  Music, 
 life,  and  fertility  :  these  symbolise  the  sum  of  Divine  favours:  God's  choicest 
 benefactions.  Their  loss  portrays  illimitable  woe.  So  utterly  does  sin  reverse  all 
 the  blessedness  of  life  and  the  hopes  of  religion. 
 
 HOMILETIC  OUTLINES  ON  SUCCESSIVE  VERSES  OF  CHAPTER  VIL 
 
 Ver.  1,  2.  Preliminary  Notes. 
 Though  the  people  were  rioting  in 
 idolatry  they  yet  visited  God's  temple  ; 
 and  even  came  thither  from  "  all  Judah  " 
 (ver.  2) :  "  all  the  cities  of  Judah " 
 (xxvi.  2).  This  discourse  must  have 
 been  delivered  on  a  public  feast-day  or 
 fast-day,  for  on  no  ordinary  occasion 
 would  so  representative  an  assembly  be 
 convened.  Probably  it  was  an  assembly 
 specially  summoned ;  the  apathy  and 
 alienation  of  the  people  being  too  settled 
 to  allow  of  their  coming  together  in  such 
 vast  numbers  from  distant  "  cities,"  un- 
 less called  to  Jerusalem  by  royal  edict, 
 or  impelled  to  come  in  consequence  of 
 national  calamities.  The  occasion  was 
 well  suited  for  a  searching  and  solemn 
 appeal  to  the  national  conscience.  Jere- 
 miah seems  to  have  stood  in  the  inner 
 gate,  and  faced  the  crowds  as  they 
 thronged  in  at  the  outer  gates  into  the 
 open  court.  He  detained  them  there 
 with  his  faithful  discourse  ere  they 
 passed  through  "the  gate,"  where  he 
 himself  stood,  into  the  inner  court, 
 where  worship  was  performed  and  sac- 
 rifice offered.  He  thus  stood  between 
 them  and  further  religious  mockeries, 
 calling  them  to  pause,  reflect,  and 
 repent. 
 
 Ver.  2. 
 
 PREACH. 
 
 Theme:   A  commission    to 
 
 Certainly,  this  is  not  running  without 
 being  sent.  Some  mistake  their  avoca- 
 tion,— rush  to  a  "  charge "  which  God 
 has  not  committed  to  them.  The  result : 
 "  Things  without  life,  giving  sound." 
 Nothing  higher  than  that;  words,  but 
 no  "  word," — no  definite  inessage  for 
 men  from  God.  How  difi'erent  when 
 the  speaker  mtist  testify  the  truth 
 Divinely  intrusted  to  him  !  (Rom.  x. 
 15).  Jeremiah's  case  is  identical  with 
 that  of  every  true  preacher  (ver.  1). 
 
 I.  The  Divine  regulation  of  the 
 preacher's  work.  1.  The  scene  of  the 
 preacher's  labour  :  "  stand  in  the  gate," 
 &c.,  definitely  localised  by  God.  2.  The 
 opportunity  :  "ye  that  enter ^^  the  very 
 hour  fixed  by  God,  as  they  were  enter- 
 ing; an  auspicious  and  appropriate 
 moment.  3.  The  audience  :  "  all  ye  of 
 Judah,"  and  ye  of  Judah  "  that  enter;" 
 extensive,  yet  limited  ;  for  the  Gospel 
 and  truth  are  for  all,  yet  only  for  those 
 who  will  hear.  4.  The  topic :  "  this 
 word,"  definite  and  direct.  Many 
 themes  might  fill  our  thoughts  and  our 
 speech,  but  God  has  Something  to  say, 
 and  "we  cannot  but  speak  the  things,"&c. 
 Note  its  origin  (ver,  1).  (Addenda  to 
 chap,  vii.,  '■'■  The  Preacher.  ) 
 
 II.  The  preacher's  performance  of 
 his  Divine  commission.  Like  Jere- 
 miah, who  subordinated  himself  and  his 
 powers  to  God's  requirements,  he  fulfils 
 
 149 
 
HOMILETIC  COMMENTARY :  JEREMIAH. 
 
 his  "  charge."  1.  In  literal  obedience. 
 "  Stands  "  where  he  is  directed,  speaks 
 what  he  is  commanded.  2.  With  fear- 
 ifiss  ardour.  "Proclaimed;"  not 
 cowardlily  whispered  it,  nor  humbly 
 apologised  for  it.  3.  As  JehovaKs  wit- 
 ness (ver.  3) :  an  ambassador,  a  spokes- 
 man for  God  and  in  His  name.  It 
 makes  obedience  easy,  though  the  duty 
 be  onerous  and  dangerous,  to  realise 
 that  there  is  a  solemn  Authority  behind 
 us  and  our  words. 
 
 III.  The  practical  lessons  of  this 
 prophetic  incident.  (See  Preliminary 
 Notes  on  ver.  1,  above.)  1.  Large 
 audiences  present  special  opportunities; 
 and  a  preacher,  like  "Wisdom,  cries  in 
 the  chief  places  of  concourse."  2.  Pro- 
 fessedly religious  persons  need  the 
 preacher's  word.  Simply  because  they 
 "  enter  gates  to  worship  "  does  not  show 
 them  beyond  error  and  without  need  of 
 earnest  ministrations.  3.  Before  men 
 ■worship,  they  require  solemn  and  special 
 warning  ;  need  be  summoned  to  pause 
 and  know  what  worship  God  accepts 
 and  demands  (Phil.  iii.  3),  4.  God  dis- 
 cerns the  sjnrit,  as  well  as  the  attitude, 
 of  those  who  enter  His  temple  for  out- 
 ward worship.  5.  Re  sends  messages 
 according  to  the  condition  of  the  people  : 
 warning  for  those  in  error,  consolation 
 for  the  sad,  calls  for  the  weary,  &c. 
 Hence,  hearers  should  seriously  take  heed 
 to  what  they  hear  :  for  the  message  sug- 
 gests God's  estimate  of  them  and  their 
 needs. 
 
 Ver.  3.  (See  on  ver.  5-7.)  "  Yoxir 
 ways,"  =  gewQXdl  lines  of  conduct,  com- 
 mon habits,  prevailing  laws  of  feeling, 
 thought,  and  practice.  "  YoiLr  doings," 
 =  the  separate  and  individual  acts  which, 
 by  frequency  and  repetition,  form  habits. 
 "  I  will  cause  you  to  divell,"  i.e.  peace- 
 ably, protected  from  the  spoiler  and 
 from  captivity.  It  promises  nothing 
 new,  but  pledges  the  continuance  of  the 
 blessings  long  enjoyed  (ver.  7).  "  7» 
 this  place,"  primarily,  the  temple,  as 
 the  central  joy  and  privilege  of  Israel ; 
 and,  secondarily,  "  the  land,"  of  which 
 the  temple  is  the  ornament  and 
 glory. 
 
 T)ieme :  Sinners  summoned  to  self- 
 150 
 
 IMPROVEMENT.  "  Thus  saith  the  Lord, 
 Amend  your  ways  /" 
 
 Faulty  conduct  is  to  be  rectified. 
 God  asks  practical  righteousness  ;  cor- 
 recting the  wrong  of  our  life,  culturing 
 the  good  and  the  godly. 
 
 Unwarrantable  to  teach  that  human 
 virtue  and  goodness  are  nothing  to  God, 
 are,  indeed,  repulsive  to  Him.  "  He 
 hath  shown  thee,  0  man,  what  is  good  : " 
 and  both  summons  to  attempt  it,  and 
 approves  its  attainment. 
 
 Equally  unscriptural  to  teach  that 
 God  bids  men  desist  from  effort  to  rise 
 out  of  evil  into  a  good  and  godly  life 
 (Isa.  Iv.  6,  7  ;  Eom.  viii.  13).  True, 
 no  self-improvement  can  save  a  soul. 
 Jesus  alone  saves.  But  there  is  room 
 for  the  free  action  of  a  man  to  "  cease 
 from  evil  and  do  good  "  both  before  and 
 after  his  conversion  to  Christ. 
 
 This  Divine  call 
 
 I.  Marks  out  the  prevailing  faulti- 
 ness  of  an  irreligious  life.  Both  your 
 "  ways  and  doings,"  in  large  and  small 
 matters,  in  principles  and  practices. 
 Yet,  observe,  here  is  no  call  to  ahandon 
 altogether  their  course  of  life,  but  to 
 alter  it ;  remedy  the  errors  and  mistakes 
 and  blemishes.  Ceremonialism  not  it- 
 self wrong  and  forbidden,  but  it  should 
 be  accompanied  by  practical  righteous- 
 ness. 1.  The  direction  of  the  life  may 
 not  be  xoholly  wrong :  not  required  to 
 reverse  or  abandon  their  ways,  but 
 "  amend  them."  2.  Yet  good  deeds  may 
 he  performed  in  an  evil  manner :  life,  a 
 series  of  faults,  in  spirit  and  method. 
 3.  So  a  life  ostensibly  good  may  bereptd- 
 sive  to  God  :  so  much  so,  as  to  threaten 
 the  loss  of  God  and  the  "holy  city." 
 
 II.  Sanctions  man's  resolute  efforts 
 to  rectify  his  faults.  "  Amend."  So 
 far  from  repudiating  man's  endeavour  to 
 reform  his  wrongs,  and  acquire  virtue 
 and  goodness,  God  here  calls  to  it. 
 Hence  it  is  :  1.  Possible  to  man.  2.  Ap- 
 proved  hy  God.  3.  Incumbent  on  each. 
 (Mark  X.  20,  21.) 
 
 III.  Pledges  God's  beneficent  recog- 
 nition of  man's  diligent  reform.  1. 
 This  implies  a  terrifying  alternative : 
 that,  neglecting  the  duty  of  rectifying 
 existing  evils,  God  would  outlaw  them. 
 2.  This  covenants  a  gracious  recomj^ense : 
 
HOMILETIC  COMMENTARY :  JEREMIAH. 
 
 that,  "  redeeming  the  time,"  and  living 
 "soberly,  righteously,  and  godly  in  this 
 present  world,"  He  would  retain  them 
 in  His  merciful  favour,  and  give  them  a 
 perpetual  heritage  in  Canaan,  For  this 
 end,  "  the  grace  of  God  hath  appeared  " 
 (Titus  ii.  11-15);  and  Christ  "gave 
 Himself  for  us  ; "  and  to  such  rectitude 
 of  life  men  are  to  be  "  exhorted  with 
 all  authority." 
 
 Ver.  4.  Theme :  Sanctimonious  self- 
 delusions. 
 
 When  religious  sincerity  is  absent 
 from  the  heart,  all  religious  words  upon 
 the  lips,  whether  pious  talk  or  sanctuary 
 exercises,  are  "  lying  tvords."  Gene- 
 rally, too,  when  the  heart's  religion  is 
 false,  the  lip  religion  is  more  emphatic  : 
 it  utters  itself  with  a  threefold  fervour. 
 Hollow  things  emit  most  sound.  So 
 "  The  temple  of  the  Lord,"  thrice  over  : 
 words  must  speak  eut  lustily  when  the 
 consciousness  bears  no  witness.  Mighty 
 rivers  flow  in  silence ;  shallow  streams 
 compensate  for  their  poverty  by  making 
 more  noise. 
 
 First,  Concerning  lying  words. 
 
 I.  They  falsify  God's  character : 
 implying  that  God  would  not  destroy 
 His  temple,  though  profaned ;  that  He 
 connived  at  their  criminality  :  their  sins 
 would  not  lead  the  glory  to  depart,  or 
 the  sanctuary  to  be  destroyed. 
 
 II.  They  delude  men's  souls :  allure 
 to  false  trusts,  import  a  vain  hope  be- 
 tween a  sinner  and  the  punishment  of 
 sin.  "  The  temple"  promised  tbem  a 
 guarantee  against  and  an  asylum  from 
 ruin,  thus  encouraging  presumption  and 
 iuiquity. 
 
 III.  They  pervert  sacred  things : 
 God's  house  was  abused, — became  a 
 rendezvous  of  villainy,  evil  felt  itself 
 secure  there.  God's  altar  was  perverted ; 
 instead  of  its  sacrifices  being  regarded 
 as  a  surrender  of  sin,  they  were  offered 
 to  condone  and  license  sin.  God's  cove- 
 nants were  misused.  He  had,  indeed, 
 promised  to  dwell  for  ever  in  Zion,  and 
 to  give  His  people  a  lasting  heritage  and 
 resting-place  there ;  but  they  ignored 
 the  conditions  of  this  promise,  that  they 
 should  be  a  "holy  people,"  and  keep  un- 
 stained His  "  holy  sanctuary." 
 
 Thus  sinners  allow  themselves  to 
 "  continue  in  sin  that  grace  may 
 abound  j"  silence,  rebukes  of  conscience 
 by  boasting  the  cleansing  blood  of 
 Christ;  make  the  cross  an  asylum  for 
 sin  rather  than  a  resting-place  from 
 sin. 
 
 Second,  Concerning  trusting  in  lying 
 words. 
 
 The  triple  repetition  of  "  the  temple 
 of  the  Lord "  may  express  the  intense 
 feeling,  the  vigorous  assurance,  with 
 which  this  confidence  in  their  safety, 
 because  they  had  the  sanctuary  among 
 them,  was  cherished.  The  triple  utter- 
 ance seems  to  denote  intensity.  (Comp. 
 also  Isa.  vi.  3;  Jer.  xxii.  29.)  Or,  the 
 repetition  may  suggest  the  frequency 
 with  which  this  boast  of  possess- 
 ing God's  temple  was  heard  among 
 them.  Henry  says,  "  It  was  the  cant  of 
 the  times.  If  they  heard  an  awakening 
 sermon,  they  lulled  themselves  asleep 
 again  with  this,  '  We  cannot  but  do 
 well,  for  we  have  the  temple  of  the  Lord 
 among  us.'  It  is  common  for  those  who 
 are  farthest  from  God  to  boast  them- 
 selves most  of  their  being  near  to  the 
 church." 
 
 Jeremiah's  remonstrance  against  this 
 delusive  and  sanctimonious  cry  suggests, 
 concerning  the  Jews — 
 
 I.  A  preference  for  peaceful  pro- 
 phesyings.  Most  probably  this  illusory 
 boast  in  having  the  temple  was  the 
 theme  of  false  prophets,  who  prophesied 
 smooth  things  among  them  (comp.  Mic. 
 iii.  11).  The  sentence  looks  like  a  quo- 
 tation from  the  teachings  of  one  of  these 
 deceitful  leaders ;  which  was  speedily 
 caught  up  into  popular  currency,  and 
 become  the  answering  retort  whenever 
 Jeremiah  denounced  the  people  or  fore- 
 told the  coming  woes.  They  sought  to 
 drown  his  serious  words  with  this  mock- 
 ing boast.  They  desired  only  to  hear 
 what  flattered  them,  even  though  it  be- 
 guiled them. 
 
 II.  A  repose  on  false  securities. 
 This  audacious  ajipeal  to  the  temple 
 may  be  thus  interpreted  :  "  The  temple 
 of  the  Lord"  in  Jerusalem  has  been 
 consecrated  as  His  abode;  therefore, 
 enemies  shall  not  conquer  and  capture 
 the  city  ;  we  are,  therefore,  safe  within 
 
 151 
 
CHAP.  VII. 
 
 HOMILETIG  COMMENTARY:  JEREMIAH. 
 
 its  shelter.  "  The  temple  of  the  Lord  " 
 is  the  throne  of  Eis  glory  ;  and  He  will 
 not  vacate  His  throne  for  heathen  to 
 possess  it ;  an  invincible  stronghold  have 
 we ;  we  are,  therefore,  safe  under  its 
 strong  protection.  '"'  The  temple  of  the 
 Lord  "  has  been  give7i  in  covenant  to  His 
 people  ;  it  cannot  therefore  be  alienated. 
 God's  word  may  not  fail ;  we,  therefore, 
 are  safe  in  enjoyment  of  covenanted 
 blessings.  Thus  men  say  still,  "  We  are 
 in  the  church  ! "  "  We  have  been  bap- 
 tized !  "  "  We  are  the  elect !"  Eefuges 
 of  lies. 
 
 III.  A  vaunting  over  external 
 sanctities.  "  Men  in  all  ages  have 
 evinced  a  proneness  to  attribute  to 
 external  and  ceremonial  circumstances  a 
 virtue  which  does  not  inhere  in  them  " 
 (ffend.).  Because,  forsooth,  these  Jews 
 p)resented  themselves  thrice  a  year  in  this 
 temple,  they  imagined  they  had  done  all 
 Jehovah  required  of  them  :  He  could 
 not  withdraw  His  favour  from  such  a 
 pious  nation  !  Or,  because  within  the 
 temple  the  sacrifices  and  ceremonies  went 
 on  continually,  they  were  doing  all 
 that  was  required  by  Him,  and  were 
 entitled  to  His  gracious  regard.  Or, 
 because  as  a  nation  they  maintained  hy 
 their  contributions  the  temple  fabrics 
 and  ministries,  they  had  purchased  a 
 right  to  Divine  care  and  blessings : 
 "  These  temple  edifices  were  only  kept 
 up  at  great  cost ;  how  generous  have  we 
 been  for  God's  cause,  how  deserving 
 therefore  are  we"  (comp.  Zeph.  iii.  11). 
 God  accepts  no  substitute  for  personal 
 holiness.  Punctilious  outivard  observ- 
 ance, lavish  and  ceaseless  sacrifices,  free 
 bestoivment  of  wealth,  all  are  repudiated 
 when  they  are  made  the  boast  of  the 
 proud  and  the  excuse  of  impiety.  (Ad- 
 denda to  chap.  vii.  4,  ^^  Ecclesiasti- 
 cism") 
 
 Ver.  5.  Theme :  Tiiokoughness.  "  If 
 ye  will  thoroughly  amend,  and  thoroughly 
 execute  judgment." 
 
 Over  against  their  self-delusive  words 
 (ver.  4),  Jeremiah  places  the  indispens- 
 able requirements  of  Jehovah  :  not  an 
 outward  ceremonial  piety,  but  a  personal 
 religious  life  ;  not  a  partial  and  evasive 
 obedience,  but  a  righteousness  all-iu- 
 152 
 
 elusive  and  practical, — ^'thoroughly" 
 (Luke  xi.  42).  Only  when  temple- 
 worship  (ver.  2)  is  the  expression  of 
 sincere  and  sanctified  hearts,  and  is 
 attended  and  attested  by  works  of  right- 
 eousness, is  it  accepted  of  God.  He 
 asks  that  our  whole  life,  equally  in 
 sacred  and  secular  scenes,  "  towards 
 God  and  towards  men,"  be  holiness  unto 
 the  Lord. 
 
 I.  The  largeness  of  the  Divine  out- 
 goings toward  men  justifies  His  demand 
 for  thoroughness.  He  who  asks  "  tho- 
 roughness "  should  himself  so  act,  or 
 there  is  inconsistency  in  the  demand. 
 But  certainly  in  the  lavishment  of  God's 
 gifts,  the  beneficence  of  His  dealings, 
 the  wealth  of  His  covenanted  promises, 
 and  His  faultless  fidelity  in  fulfilling 
 His  word.  He  had  done  all  things 
 "  thoroughly  "  for  Judah. 
 
 In  general,  and  with  universal  appli- 
 cation, it  stands  that :  1.  There  is  no 
 incompleteness  in  God's  works,  or  paucity 
 in  His  provisions  for  human  good. 
 Look  out  on  nature,  look  into  revela- 
 tion, ponder  redemption,  and  all  show 
 God's  works  and  ways  for  man  to  be 
 lavish,  perfect,  "  thorough."  2.  There  is 
 no  neglect  by  God  of  one  side  of  human 
 need  while  attending  to  the  other.  He  did 
 not  overlook  their  temporal  good  while 
 working  for  their  spiritual,  nor  vice 
 versa.  Judah  had  been  thus  one-sided ; 
 but  not  God.  Ergo,  as  God's  ways 
 with  men  are  characterised  by  thorough- 
 ness. He  is  justified  in  asking  and  en- 
 titled to  receive  thoroughness  in  man's 
 response  of  obedience  and  love.  (Ad- 
 denda to  chap.  vii.  5,  "  Thoroughness^^ 
 
 II.  The  sphere  and  action  of 
 religion  compasses  our  whole  life 
 with  thoroughness.  There  is  no  part 
 or  phase  of  our  life  which  escapes  the 
 control  of  religion ;  so  that  he  who  is 
 tridy  religious,  responsive  to  the  dictates 
 and  demands  of  religion,  is  thoroughly 
 religious.     Thus : 
 
 1.  It  claims  and  controls  the  whole  of 
 our  natiire  and  faculties. 
 
 2.  It  asserts  an  empire  over  every  act 
 of  our  life,  "  tvhatsoever  we  do." 
 
 3.  It  extends  its  sway  to,  and  utters 
 its  counsels  ttpon,  all  the  relationships 
 and  duties  of  society.     (See  ver.  5,  6.) 
 
HOMILETIC  COMMENTARY:  JERISMIAB. 
 
 CHAP.  Vlr. 
 
 4.  It  reaches  all  along  the  path  of  our 
 life,  from  birth  into  eternity.  Religion 
 is  thorough  in  its  comprehensive  rule 
 OYsr,  and  directions  for,  the  life  of 
 man. 
 
 III.  The  response  which  God  re- 
 ceives from  man  should  be  dis- 
 tinguished by  thoroughness.  Where- 
 ever  else  man  practises  reservation,  here 
 he  should  hold  back  no  part  of  the 
 price.  Our  godliness  should  be  thorough 
 if  it  is  to  be  happy  to  ourselves  or 
 honouring  to  God. 
 
 1.  It  is  the  natural  issue  of  holiest 
 accejytance  of  religion.  The  heart  that 
 finds  and  resolves  for  Christ,  and  obeys 
 its  own  instinctive  promptings,  cannot 
 yield  a  mere  partial  response. 
 
 2.  It  is  the  inevitable  retu7-n  of  filial 
 gratitude.  "  How  much  owe  I  unto 
 my  Lord  ? "  '*  Ye  are  not  your  own  ; 
 body,  soul  and  spirit  are  the  Lord's." 
 
 3.  It  is  the  essential  law  of  piety. 
 God  deserves  all.  "  Love  the  Lord  thy 
 God  with  all  thine  heart,  &c.,  and 
 neighbour  as  thyself."  He  who  re- 
 sponds rightly  yields  himself  fully  to 
 all  the  claims  of  God  (Rom.  xii.  1). 
 
 IV.  The  piety  which  refuses  full 
 obedience  to  God  is  a  lamentable  vio- 
 lation of  the  sacred  law  of  thorough- 
 ness. Christ  says,  "  I  would  thou  wert 
 cold  or  hot."  He  loathes  the  "luke- 
 warm." He  Himself  held  nothing  back 
 from,  us;  gave  Himself,  His  life.  His 
 redemption,  His  perfect  virtue,  all 
 for  us  ;  "  what  shall  we  render  unto  the 
 Lord  ?  "  Less  than  "  all  for  Christ "  is 
 wholly  undeserving. 
 
 1.  It  is  a  mean  return  for  the  grace  we 
 have  received. 
 
 2.  It  is  a  worthless  fidflment  of 
 religious  obligations.  God  abhors  a  com- 
 promising piety,  a  divided  heart. 
 
 3.  It  is  a  discreditable  exhibition  of 
 godliness.  Degrades  piety  in  the  eyes 
 of  scoffers,  and  evokes  swift  rebuke. 
 (Gomp.  Acts  V.  1-11.) 
 
 "  Thine  am  I  by  all  ties  ; 
 But  chiefly  Thine, 
 That  through  Thy  sacrifice, 
 Thou,  Lord,  art  mine  : 
 By  Thine  own  cords  of  love,  so  sweetly  wound 
 Around  me,  I  to  Thee  am  closely  bound." 
 
 Only  in  full  dedication  of  our  love  to 
 
 God  and  life  for  men  in  Christ's  name, 
 can  we  approach  the  standard  of  godly 
 thoroughness. 
 
 Ver.  5,  6.  Comments. 
 
 In  th\is  particularising  the  evils  they 
 must  discard,  the  prophet  (1.)  impilies 
 that  justice  and  equity  were  violated, 
 that  cruelty  and  perfidiousness,  fraud 
 and  rapine,  prevailed  amongst  them ;  and 
 (2.)  enjoins  wgow  them  the  observance  of 
 the  moral  law  as  evidence  of  their 
 sincere  repentance  and  loyalty  to  God. 
 He  thus  demanded  "  fruits  meet  for 
 repentance,"  which  would  make  their 
 religion  a  practical  reality,  not  a  mere 
 lofty  sentiment. 
 
 "  Shedding  innocent  blood"  refers  (1.) 
 To  judicial  murders  (condemnation  of 
 innocent  persons).  (2.)  To  violent 
 attacks  on  prophets  and  godly  men,  as 
 in  Manasseh's  case  (2  Kings  xxi.  16)." — 
 Keil.     (Comp.  chap.  xxvi.  15,  23.) 
 
 "  Innocent  blood  "  probably  points 
 with  indignant  emphasis  to  the  murder 
 and  sacrifice  of  infants  to  Molech 
 (ver.  31.) 
 
 Ver.  7.  Theme  ;  The  everlasting 
 INHERITANCE.  "  I  gave  to  your  fathers 
 for  ever  and  ever." 
 
 I.  Its  duration  conditional.  God 
 covenants  with  men  for  an  inalienable 
 heritage ;  but  the  terms  require  that 
 they  do  not  themselves  alienate  it  by 
 unfaithfulness  and  apostasy. 
 
 II.  Its  forfeiture  possible.  Men's 
 sins  neutralise  sacred  covenants.  No 
 standing  in  grace  but  our  sin  may  over- 
 throw. We  may  lose  our  securest  and 
 most  boasted  possessions. 
 
 III.  Its  continual  enjoyment  desired. 
 (1.)  By  God;  for  He  gave  the  inheritance 
 to  them,  and  pleads  with  them  to  retain 
 it.  (2.)  By  man  ;  for  as  the  Jews  valued 
 and  hoped  to  keep  their  land,  so  we 
 desire  to  preserve  for  ourselves  a  place 
 in  grace,  and  obtain  an  eternal  home  in 
 the  promised  land.  But  desire  is  not 
 sufficient ;  obligations  must  be  fulfilled. 
 "7/  ye  amend,  &c.,  then  will  I  cause 
 you  to  dwell  in  this  land,"  &c.  (Addenda 
 to  chap,  vii.,  "  Covenant.") 
 
 Note  the  terms  of  their  "  everlasting 
 possession  "  of  Canaan,  in  the  original 
 
 153 
 
CHAP,  vn 
 
 HOMILETIC  COMMENTARY.  JEREMIAH. 
 
 covena7it  (Gen.  xvii.  8)  :  "I  will  be  their 
 God."  But  instead,  "  they  walk  after 
 oilier  gods"  (see  ver.  6);  hence  the 
 covenant  was  broken,  and  the  gift 
 reverted  to  its  Donor. 
 
 Ver.  8.     Theme:  Injuriousness   of 
 
 FALSE  THEORIES. 
 
 These  "lying  words"were  either  teach- 
 ings of  delusive  prophets,  or  their  own 
 unwarantable  arguments.  (See  on  ver. 
 4,  above.)  They  "cannot  profit,"  i.e., 
 they  tend  to  mischief, 
 
 Calvin  remarks  that  their  words  of 
 falsehood  turned  to  a  contrary  end  what 
 God  had  instituted.  Services  performed 
 Mi  the  temple  were  designed  to  preserve 
 unity  of  faith  among  the  whole  people. 
 Sacrifices  were  intended  to  show  the 
 people  :  1.  The?/  deserved  the  death 
 which  victims  endured.  2.  Expiation 
 was  only  hj  blood,  typical  of  the  blood 
 of  Jesus  Christ.  But  there  was  no  re- 
 pentance for  sin,  no  true  appropriation 
 of  sacrificial  merit  —  for  they  were 
 not  led  to  holy  faith  ;  nay,  their  cere- 
 monies licensed  them  to  freer  sin.  Thus 
 they  were  "  lying  words,"  when  the 
 signs  were  separated  from  their  end. 
 
 Dealing  dishonestly  with  God  brings 
 delusions  upon  ourselves  j  and  the 
 three  steps  are  :  1.  Wilful  dishonest?/. 
 2.  Seli-delusion.  3.  Inevitable  destruc- 
 tion. 
 
 Ver.    9,    10.      Theme:    Detestable 
 
 GUILT  UNDER  SANCTION  OF  RELIGION. 
 
 "  Will  ye  steal,  murder,  &c.,  and  come 
 and  stand  before  Me,  and  say.  We  are 
 delivered  to  do  all  these  abominations  ?  " 
 
 An  outcry  of  Divine  revulsion  and 
 indignation.  In  the  presence  of  such 
 profanity  even  God  stands  appalled ; 
 and  utters  Himself  in  exclamations  of 
 horror :  "  What  !  to  steal  ?  to  murder  ? 
 d;c.  And  yet  come  and  stand  before 
 Me  in  this  house  ! " 
 
 1.  What  appalling  criminality  is  here  ! 
 Surely  sucli  sins  could  only  have  been 
 perpetrated  in  some  "  dark  place  of  the 
 earth,  full  of  the  habitations  of  cruelty." 
 But  lo  !  ill  Jerusalem ! — in  the  very 
 centre  of  sacred  revelations  and  holy 
 privileges. 
 
 2.  What   treachery  against  Jehovah 
 
 154 
 
 is  here  !  Surely  the  result  of  ignorance  : 
 "  they  knew  not  what  they  did  ;  "  for 
 had  they  known  the  right,  they  never 
 could  have  done  such  wrongs  (ver.  10), 
 insulted  God  and  polluted  His  house. 
 Alas  !  they  knew  the  right ;  but  sinned 
 thus  foully  amid  fullest  light,  and  not- 
 withstanding the  persuasions  and  pro- 
 tests of  God's  prophet.  Consider,  with 
 amaze  : 
 
 I.  Into  what  revolting  inic[uities 
 godly  men  may  relapse  (ver.  9).  Yes, 
 "  godly  men  ;  "  for  thej''  believed,  and 
 boasted  themselves  such  (ver.  10). 
 
 1.  The  glaring  enormity  of  their  sins. 
 Set  forth  in  two  trios  :  (a.)  Violation  of 
 civil  laws  and  domestic  decencies  : 
 "  steal,  murder,  commit  adultery  ;  " 
 outraged  the  security  of  property,  sacred- 
 ness  of  life,  sanctity  of  homes,  (b.) 
 Violation  of  sacred  laws  and  Divine 
 obligations  :  "  swear  falsely,  incense  to 
 Baal,  walk  after  other  gods."  "  Swear 
 falsely "  may  mean  perjury,  or  be  an 
 allusion  to  former  charges  (comp.  iv.  2, 
 V.  2),  of  swearing  by  false  gods.  Then 
 this  second  trio  of  crimes  points  to  their 
 idolatrous  oaths,  idolatrous  homage, 
 idolatrous  service :  "  swear,  burn  in- 
 cense, walk  after." 
 
 2.  The  special  aggravation  of  their 
 g?iilt.  They  knew  better;  their  guilt  was 
 wilful,  habitual,  and  persistent ;  their 
 sins  were  manifold ;  they  committed 
 themselves  to  evil  fearlessly,  without 
 restraint,  in  open  shamelessness ;  they 
 did  not  even  shun  the  worst  and  most 
 horrible  forms  of  sin — violence  to  pro- 
 perty, life,  and  virtue ;  they  wronged 
 each  other  and  then  insulted  God.  (a.) 
 Rejection  of  God's  laws.  (6.)  Outrage 
 of  social  rights  and  happiness.  (c.) 
 Adoration  presented  to  that  abominable 
 thing,  Baal,  (d.)  Substitution  of  un- 
 hiowji  deities  in  God's  stead  :  thus  they 
 deserted  Jehovah  notwithstanding  all 
 they  "  knew "  of  His  grace,  miraculous 
 favours,  and  resplendent  glories,  and 
 sought  out  idols  of  whom  they  knew 
 nothing.  Thereby  they  injured  their 
 own  selves,  their  happiness,  peace,  and 
 safety ;  "  to  your  own  hurt "  (ver.  6). 
 Wrong  always  avenges  itself  tipon  wrong- 
 doers.    (Comp.  Heb.  x.  26,  sq.). 
 
 II.  Unto  what  audacious  effronteries 
 
HOMILETIC  COMMENTARY :  JEREMIAB. 
 
 CSAP.  VII. 
 
 and  excuses    hypocrisy  may  attain. 
 (Ver.  10;  cf.  Ezek.  xxiii.  39.) 
 
 1.  Their  detestable  attitude  of  piety. 
 There  was  no  piety  in  their  hearts,  yet 
 there  they  "  stand "  in  their  brazen 
 hypocrisy  "  before  Me,"  as  though  hav- 
 ing done  nothing  offensive,  and  having 
 no  cause  for  confusion  of  face. 
 
 2.  Their  insolent  polhdion  of  holy 
 scenes.  "In  this  house,"  where  such  godly 
 kings  and  worshippers  have  done  true 
 homage  ;  where  your  pious  king  Josiah 
 so  recently  restored  religious  services. 
 *'  Which  is  called  by  My  name," — which 
 bears  My  name  {Hitzig)  ;  on  which  my 
 glory  rests  (Keil).  In  the  holy  place 
 of  the  tabernacles  of  the  Most  High 
 these  polluted  hypocrites  dared  to 
 come  ! 
 
 3.  Their  blasphemous  language  of  self- 
 extenuation.  "  We  are  delivered,"  &c.  ; 
 i.e.,  by  our  temple  sacrifices  we  have 
 atoned  for  our  sins,  and  therefore  are 
 free  to  start  afresh  upon  new  courses  of 
 wickedness  {Speaker's  Com.)  We  are 
 discharged  from  our  guilt ;  now  it  shall 
 do  us  no  hurt  {Henry).  We  have 
 appeased  God's  wrath  by  our  offerings, 
 and  turned  aside  all  punishment  for  our 
 sins,  now  we  may  go  on  again  in  "  doing 
 abominations."  Their  standing  before 
 God  and  service  in  the  temple,  were 
 jmt  in  substitution  for  the  holy  living 
 God  required,  and  used  as  an  excuse  for 
 continuance  in  si7i,  and  as  a  guarantee 
 against  threatened  punishment.  (Addenda 
 to  chap,  vii.,  "  Insolent  profanity,") 
 
 ["  They  thought  themselves  freed 
 from  guilt  when  they  had  offered  their 
 sacrifices,  and  at  liberty  again  to  be 
 immoral  and  idolatrous.  We  might 
 think  such  a  state  of  infatuation  im- 
 possible, but  it  has  existed  among 
 those  calling  themselves  Christians,  and 
 exists  now.  Gatatcer  mentions  a  com- 
 mon saying  among  ignorant  Papists, 
 '  We  must  sin  to  be  shriven,  and 
 shriven  to  sin.'  The  turning  of  the 
 grace  of  God  into  lasciviousness  is  the 
 same  thing." — Ed.  of  Calvin.l 
 
 Ver.  11.     Theme:  Robbeky  in  the 
 
 ■  SANCTUARY. 
 
 It  was  no  mere  conjecture,  an  ex- 
 aggerated supposition.     "  Behold,  even  I 
 
 have  seen  it,   saith   the  Lord."      The 
 charge  points  to  : 
 
 I.  The  robbery  of  the  temple  ser- 
 vices of  their  cleansing  design.  By 
 such  miscreants  as  you  are  (ver.  9),  con- 
 sorting here  and  coming  here  with  the 
 design  to  secure  immunity  to  sin  and 
 impunity  from  punishment,  ye  rob  My 
 temple  of  its  true  end,  its  services  of 
 their  significance  and  intention,  and 
 make  this  house  an  asylum  for  malefac- 
 tors,— a  robbers'  retreat.  There  they 
 comforted  themselves  in  their  iniquities, 
 acquired  fresh  assurance  in  sinning,  and 
 used  the  place  designed  to  terminate 
 sin,  by  exinating  it  on  the  altar  and 
 extinguishing  it  in  the  heart,  as  a  shelter 
 for  encouraging,  licensing,  and  fortify- 
 ing themselves  in  iniquity. 
 
 II.  The  spoliation  of  its  services 
 of  their  acceptableness  to  God.  They 
 were  fragrant  and  well-pleasing  to  Him 
 as  expressions  of  penitence  for  sin  and 
 the  return  of  the  soul  in  humility  and 
 faith  to  Him  ;  but  abhorrent  when,  as 
 now,  they  were  used  superstitiously  as 
 convenient  external  methods  for  quieting 
 the  conscience  and  licensing  crime. 
 Better  that  there  be  no  temple  and  no 
 sacrifices,  than  that  men  should  use 
 them  so  perversely.  Thus  they  robbed 
 the  services  of  all  worth  to  God,  and 
 made  them  an  evil  savour  to  Him. 
 
 III.  The  discredit  cast  upon  Jeho- 
 vah's holiness  and  glory.  These  vile 
 worshippers,  encouraging  their  pro- 
 fanity in  God's  very  house,  virtually 
 made  God  the  patron  of  their  enormi- 
 ties. So  all  who  use  Christianity  as  a 
 cloak  for  their  sins,  or  as  a  convenient 
 expiation  of  daily  evils,  which  are 
 neither  repented  of  nor  abandoned,  make 
 Christ  a  minister  of  sin.  Religion  is 
 thereby  travestied,  and  the  holy  Lord 
 degraded,  —  His  character  is  contami- 
 nated. It  was  charged  upon  Christ, 
 "  Friend  of  publicans  and  sinners,"  as 
 implying  He  Himself  was  no  better 
 than  those  who  gathered  around  Him, 
 ignoring  the  fact  that  Christ  only  be- 
 friended sinners  in  order  to  save  them 
 from  further  sinning. 
 
 IV.  The  withholding  from  God  of 
 His  true  deserts.  "He  desired  not 
 sacrifice ;    the   sacrifices  of  God   are  a 
 
 155 
 
tfHAP.  VII. 
 
 BOMILETIC  COMMENTARY :  JEREMIAH. 
 
 broken  heart  and  contrite  spirit."  He 
 asked  not  ceremonial  homage,  but  the 
 adoration  of  the  reverent  soul;  not 
 altar-services,  but  life  obedience.  "  Will 
 a  man  rob  God  1 "  Yes  :  see  Malachi 
 i.  7,  10,  13,  14,  iii.  8.  So  do  all  who 
 offer  Him  the  mere  "form  of  godliness ;" 
 hymns  sung  without  heart,  prayers  of- 
 fered with  spiritless  routine,  service 
 rendered  without  joyous  love,  gifts  be- 
 stown  without  grace  in  the  heart,  pro- 
 fession made  where  there  is  no  true 
 piety  behind ;  the  flippant  cry,  Lord, 
 Lord  !  but  not  doing  the  things  that  He 
 commands ;  the  Olivet  "  Hosannah  ! " 
 followed  by  the  Pretorium  "  Crucify 
 Him!"  the  impulsive  testimony,  "I 
 will  go  with  Thee  to  prison  and  judg- 
 ment," ending  in,  "  I  know  not  the  man." 
 Heartless  piety  is  a  robbery  of  the  best 
 and  most  prized  offerings  which  the  holy 
 God  can  receive. 
 
 V.  The  grief  and  indignation  of 
 God  over  such  profanity.  "Behold, 
 even  I  have  seen  it."  His  eyes  behold, 
 and  His  eyelids  try  the  children  of  men. 
 The  fair  show  in  the  flesh  carries  well 
 with  men,  but  Jesus,  when  He  found  the 
 leafy  tree  fruitless,  cursed  it !  "I  hate 
 robbery  for  a  burnt-offering."  (Ad- 
 denda to  chap,  vii.,  "  tSacrilege.") 
 
 Note  :  The  limestone  ranges  of  Pales- 
 tine were  full  of  inaccessible  caves, 
 whither  robbers  sheltered  themselves 
 securely  from  the  penalties  of  their 
 violent  deeds.  In  like  manner,  these 
 "  robbers  "  sought  refuge  in  the  sanc- 
 tuary from  the  conseqtcences  of  guilt,  but 
 were  in  no  disposition  to  abandon  their 
 evil  tuays  ;  for  they  "  loved  the  gains  " 
 and  indulgences  "  of  unrighteousness," 
 the  "  pleasures  of  sin." 
 
 "■Ben  of  rollers  ;  "  words  adopted  by 
 Christ  in  upbraiding  the  defilers  of  the 
 temple  (Matt.  xxi.  13),  and  suggesting 
 the  parallel  in  the  spiritual  prostitution 
 and  moral  degradation  of  Jerusalem  in 
 Jeremiah's  days  and  our  Lord's  time. 
 The  like  evil  state  merited  like  condem- 
 nation, and  led  on  to  like  disasters  and 
 overthrow. 
 
 Ver.  12-14.    Theme :  Violated  sanc- 
 
 TUARIES  DOOMED. 
 
 No  place,  however  sacred,  Shiloh  or 
 1J6 
 
 Jerusalem,  will  be  spared  from  over- 
 throw, when  wickedness  has  desecrated 
 its  sanctity.  Jehovah  Himself  will 
 "overturn  and  overturn"  where  His 
 reign  is  impeded  and  His  holiness  im- 
 pugned by  profanity.  Nothing  evil 
 shall  escape,  because,  forsooth,  it  once 
 bore  a  better  character.  Shiloh,  God's 
 first  resting-place,  falls  into  disrepute 
 because  of  iniquity.  Even  "angels,  who 
 kept  not  their  first  estate,"  were  outcast 
 from  their  former  dignity  and  blessed- 
 ness. Israel,  though  once  "  holiness  to 
 the  Lord  "  (ii.  3),  was  banished  into  cap- 
 tivity. "  The  righteousness  of  the  righte- 
 ous man  shall  not  deliver  him  in  the  day 
 of  his  transgression  "  (Ezek.  xxxiii.  1 2). 
 Violated  sanctuaries  are  overthrown. 
 
 I.  A  historic  fact  (ver.  12).  1. 
 Easily  verified :  "Go  to  Shiloh  and  see." 
 2.  Fully  accounted  for  :  "  On  account  of 
 the  wickedness,"  &c.  3.  God's  own  worh  : 
 "  See  what  /  did  to  it."  Where  "  I  set 
 My  name  at  the  first,"  there  see  My  work 
 of  desolation.  For  God  will  let  no  pro- 
 faned thing  stand. 
 
 II.  A  present  peril  (ver.  13,  14). 
 
 1.  No  exemption  because  of  special 
 favour.  Shiloh  was  God's  "first" 
 resting-place;  it  had,  therefore,  the 
 tender  charm  of  being  His  earliest  abode, 
 and  the  honour  of  antiquity. 
 
 2.  Like  provocations  evoke  like  conse- 
 quences (ver.  13).  The  evils  which  came 
 upon  "my  people  Israel"  will  not  be 
 evaded  by  Judah  if  Jerusalem  is  dese- 
 crated by  "  abominations  "  as  Shiloh 
 was  by  "  wickedness." 
 
 3.  No  self-assurance  of  immunity  ivill 
 avert  the  result.  "This  house  wherein  ye 
 trust"  (ver.  14),  and  of  whose  security 
 ye  boast  (ver.  4),  will  perish  notwith- 
 standing. Our  confidence  will  be  of  no 
 avail. 
 
 III.  A  symbolic  truth.  Pass  from 
 material  fabrics  to  the  larger  application, 
 and — 1.  There  are  temples  still  which 
 bear  God's  holy  name, — not  only  sanc- 
 tuaries, but  ecclesiastical  systems  and 
 sects,  on  which  Christians  pride  them- 
 selves, and  of  which  they  boast  (ver.  4). 
 And  there  are  personal  shri)ies,  believing 
 hearts,  where  Christ  has  rested  ;  and 
 many,  many  are  the  Christian  hearts 
 wherein  His  Spirit  still  dwells,  as  truly 
 
EOMILETIC  COMMENTARY:  JEREMIAH, 
 
 as  in  the  "  house  at  Shiloh  "  and  "  temple 
 at  Jerusalem"  (2  Cor.  vi.  16;  Eph.  ii. 
 21,  22).  2.  GocVs  indwelling  presence 
 may  he  alienated  and  lost.  Not  a  safe 
 theory  that  "  once  a  Christian  always  a 
 Christian."  3.  To  retain  the  Divine 
 presence  we  must  maintain  the  ^'holiness 
 which  hecometh  His  house."  4.  There 
 are  souls  which  have  hioivn  the  light  and 
 love  of  God  now  desolated.  Like  ancient 
 Shiloh  and  beautiful  Jerusalem,  and  the 
 graceful  churches  of  Asia — forsaken  :  so 
 Judas  and  Demas,  and  those  who  have 
 "made  shipwreck  of  faith  and  a  good 
 conscience."  (See  Heb.  x.  38.)  And 
 "  if  any  man  defile  the  temple  of  God, 
 him  shall  God  destroy  ;  for  the  temple  of 
 God  is  holy,  which  temple  ye  are"  (1 
 Cur.  iii.  16,  17). 
 
 Ver.  13.   Theme:  God's  earnestness 
 
 IN  DEALING  WITH  SINNERS. 
 
 The  earnestness  and  activity  which 
 prophets  exhibited  in  seeking  to  rouse 
 the  nation  to  realise  and  avert  the  near- 
 ing  destruction,  God  appropriates  to 
 Himself  :  it  was  Jehovah  Himself  earnest 
 and  active.  His  prophets  were  but 
 channels  along  which  the  Divine  fervour 
 flowed.  It  was  God  who  "rose  early 
 and  spake."     Shows 
 
 I.  Deep  solicitude.  "Rising  up 
 early,  I  spake,  I  called."  1.  Appre- 
 hensive  of  Judah's  danger.  2.  Anxious 
 for  Judah's  salvation.  3.  Awake  to 
 Judah's  help.  God  did  not,  does  not, 
 wait  till  entreated  to  act  for  imperilled 
 sinners'  good :  He  "  rises  early,"  ere 
 men  realise  peril,  and  "  seeks  to  save." 
 
 II.  Zealous  effort.  Solicitude  does 
 not  remain  passive:  rises  and  calls.  1. 
 God  is  astir  when  efforts  are  made  for 
 human  weal:  "Rising  up."  2.  God  works 
 at  most  auspicious  hours:  "Early;" 
 while  opportunity  is  yet  before  the 
 sinner,  and  when  his  heart  is  most  open 
 to  sacred  influences.  3.  God  Himself 
 speaks  to  man  hy  those  He  sends:  "I 
 spake."  He  is  too  concerned  individu- 
 ally in  man's  welfare  to  stand  apart  from 
 endeavouring  to  rescue  and  help. 
 
 III.  Incessant  ministries.  "  Rising 
 up  early  and  speaking,"  a  metaphor 
 for  ceaseless  vigilance  and  endeavour. 
 (Comp.    XXV.    4,   xxvi.    5,     xxix.    19.) 
 
 1.  Abundantly.   2.  Assiduously.    3.  Con- 
 tinuously. 
 
 IV.  Pleading  appeals.  God's  mes- 
 sages were  characterised  by  the  same 
 qualities  as  His  efforts;  they  were 
 earnest  and  fervent  also.  1.  Direct  in 
 their  aim  :  "  Spake  to  you."  2.  Diverse 
 in  their  tone  :  "  I  spake,"  with  quiet 
 solemnity ;  "  I  called,  with  urgent  im- 
 portunity. 
 
 V.  Barren  results.  "Ye  heard  not, 
 ye  answered  not."  1.  Heedlessness  of 
 the  heavenly  word.  2.  Resistance  of 
 Divine  importunity.  3.  Abuse  of '^  the 
 abundant  grace."  4.  Provocative  of 
 merited  xvrath  (ver.  14).  When  speak- 
 ing is  fruitless,  God  acts  :  "  Therefore 
 will  I  do;'  &c. 
 
 •'  God  is  earnest,  do  not  stay  : 
 Thou  may'st  perish  e'en  to-day." 
 
 Ver.  15.  Theme :  Ruined  nation- 
 alities. 
 
 How  do  Jehovah's  majesty  and  might 
 stand  out  upon  our  thought  when 
 we  see  Him  dealing  thus  with  whole 
 nations  !  What  magnitude  !  To  Him 
 the  "  nations  are  but  as  a  drop  in  the 
 bucket  : "  it  awes  and  solemnises  us  to 
 see  God  lifting  up  an  entire  kingdom, 
 "  Ephraim,"  and  "  casting  it  out  of 
 sight,"  from  their  land  and  their  God;  and 
 now  declaring  He  will  do  similarly  with 
 Judah.     Who  will  not  fear  before  Him  ? 
 
 "  All  your  brethren:"  whose  were  the 
 covenants,  and  promises,  and  fathers,  as 
 much  as  they  are  yours ;  yet  their  sacred 
 ancestry  and  privileges  afforded  them  no 
 protection. 
 
 ^'The  whole  seed  of  Ephraim:"  i.e.,  the 
 ten  tribes ;  superior,  therefore,  in  num- 
 bers, resources  for  defence,  and  power  of 
 resistance.  Yet  all  proved  worthless 
 when  God's  disfavour  was  incurred. 
 Profaned  places  and  profane  people  God 
 abhors  and  will  reject. 
 
 I.  There  is  comprehensive  breadth 
 in  God's  proceedings.  Moves  with 
 majestic  tread,  controls  great  nations 
 with  His  will,  determines  the  fate  of 
 empires  with  a  word.  Greater  still  : 
 He  "loved  the  world,"  and  will  judge 
 "  all  peoples  and  nations." 
 
 II.  There  is  appalling  magnitude  in 
 God's  overthrows.    The  whole  ten  tribes 
 
 157 
 
HOMILETIC  COMMENTARY:  JEREMIAB. 
 
 outcast  from  Him  :  now  Judah  to  be 
 swept  away  in  contempt !  For  "  casting 
 out "  is  an  act  of  contempt  as  well  as 
 violence.  What  mighty  empires  are 
 wrecks  !  Great  Babylon,  Nineveh, 
 Kome,  God  stamped  them  into  dust. 
 
 III.  There  is  solemn  forewarning  in 
 God's  judgments.  God  proceeds  uni- 
 formly in  the  administrations  of  His 
 justice.  What  He  did  to  Israel  for  her 
 "  wickedness,"  He  will  do  also  for  Judah 
 if  her  cause  of  condemnation  be  equal 
 (ver.  14).  The  experiences  of  others 
 stand  as  an  admonition  and  a  warning. 
 Like  sins  incur  like  sentences  (Luke  xiii. 
 2-5). 
 
 Ver.    16.      Theme:      Intekcessoey 
 
 PRAYER  FORBIDDEN. 
 
 Jeremiah  did  sometimes  check  himself 
 in  uttering  direful  prophecies,  and  be- 
 take himself  to  passionate  and  mournful 
 prayer  ;  stopped  short,  as  it  were,  God's 
 word  of  doom  to  man,  and  interposed 
 man's  word  of  pleading  to  God.  (Comp. 
 xiv.  7-9,  19-22,  xviii.  20.)  What 
 preacher  has  not  likewise  interrupted 
 proclamation  with  invocation  %  Who, 
 that  carries  dark  tidings,  has  not  paused 
 first  near  God  in  the  anguish  of  prayer  ? 
 Pity,  patriotism,  piety,  all  conspire  often 
 to  drive  the  prophet  from  his  feet  to  his 
 knees  (comp.  1  Sam.  xii.  23.)  (Addenda 
 to  chap,  vii.,  "  Intercessory  'prayer."^ 
 
 I.  A  specification  of  the  varied  as- 
 pects of  prayer. 
 
 General  petitions  :  "  Pray."  Suppli- 
 catory entreaty  (with  loud  voice  and 
 pathos)  :  "  Lift  up  cry."  Importunate 
 pleading  ;  "  Make  intercession." 
 
 [There  are  three  things  forbidden.  Be 
 not  an  intercessor  (i.e.,  undertake  not 
 their  cause  as  one  who  mediates  between 
 a  judge  and  a  criminal)-  nor  a  depreca- 
 tor  of  evils  (i.e.,  lamenting  their  woes, 
 and  crying  suppliantly  for  mercy)  ;  nor 
 a  solicitor  of  favours  (i.e.,  entreating  Me 
 to  deal  graciously  with  them).  Inter- 
 ceding mercy,  lamenting  evils,  entreat- 
 ing favours. — Ud.  of  Calvin.] 
 
 II.  The  power  of  earnest  prayer 
 Divinely  acknowledged.  He  bids 
 Jeremiah  restrain  it,  refrain  from  it.  It 
 would  stand  in  God's  way  as  a  barrier,  a 
 hindrance.       Thus   with   Moses  (Exod. 
 
 158 
 
 xxxii.  10).  "Let  Me  alone!"  pleads 
 God.  The  Almighty  is  both  restrained 
 and  constrained  by  "  the  effectual  fer- 
 vent prayer  of  a  righteous  man  "  (Num. 
 xi.  2,  xiv.  13-20,  xvi.  22). 
 
 III.  Prevailing  intercessory  prayer 
 is  dependent  on  conditions. 
 
 1.  The  state  of  the  people  must  he  re- 
 mediable.  2.  The  hour  of  hope  must  not 
 have  been  lost.  When  Moses  prevailed 
 the  people  were  but  stepping  into  the 
 Theocracy;  they  sinned,  but  it  was 
 through  lack  of  training  and  knowledge. 
 Now  they  had  known  all  inducements 
 to  godliness,  nothing  more  could  be 
 done  to  keep  them  right ;  God  had  ex- 
 hausted His  resources  of  persuasion  upon 
 them.  In  this  condition  neither  the  in- 
 tercession of  Moses,  Samuel,  or  Jere- 
 miah could  avail  for  them  (see  chap.  xv. 
 1).  Their  day  of  grace  was  gone.  (See 
 also  John  v.  16.) 
 
 IV.  No  prayerful  outcry  may  inter- 
 pose to  stay  God's  imperative  justice. 
 And  now  their  case  demanded  retribu- 
 tion, for  every  persuasive  had  been 
 abused.  The  Intercessor  could  plead, 
 "  Let  be  this  year  also  !  "  and  was  heard, 
 because  there  were  yet  other  remediable 
 processes  availing  ;  "  Till  I  dig  about  it," 
 &c.  But  if  after  that  it  continued  fruit- 
 less, "  Cut  it  down  ! "  This  was  Judah's 
 case. 
 
 "  God  here  forbids  prayer  for  them, 
 for  they  have  sinned  unto  death,  there- 
 fore, pray  not  for  their  life,  the  life  of 
 their  souls  (1   John  v.  16).     See  here: 
 
 1.  That  God's  prophets  are  praying  men. 
 
 2.  That  God's  praying  pirophets  have  a 
 great  interest  in  heaven,  how  little  soever 
 they  have  on  earth.  3.  It  is  an  ill  omen 
 to  a  people  when  God  restrains  the 
 spirits  of  His  ministers  and  people  from 
 praying  for  those  condemned.  4.  Those 
 that  will  not  regard  good  minister^ 
 preaching  cannot  expect  any  benefit  by 
 their  praying.  If  you  will  not  hear  us 
 when  we  speak  from  God  to  you,  God  will 
 not  hear  us  when  we  speak  to  Rim  for 
 you." — Henry. 
 
 Ver.  17,  18.     Theme:    Unabashed 
 
 APOSTASY. 
 
 Not  hidden  from  gaze,  but  in  open 
 streets,  shameless  !     Though  Jehovah's 
 
HOMILETIC  COMMENTARY :  JEREMIAH. 
 
 CHAP.  VII. 
 
 temple  rose  in  dignity  before  their  eyes, 
 and  even  threw  its  colossal  shadow 
 across  the  streets  vphere  they  practised 
 their  idolatries,  they  were  not  restrained, 
 "  neither  could  they  blush." 
 
 I.  Religious  devotion  the  secret  of 
 general  and  tireless  activities.  Though 
 erroneous,  nevertheless  it  impels  to  ser- 
 vice and  sacrifice  as  nothing  else  can  do. 
 Much  more  should  it  inspire  diligence 
 when  true.  All  hands  to  the  work. 
 And  "  both  hands  earnestly,"  for  much 
 to  be  done. 
 
 I.  Enlists  all  ages  and  sexes.  2. 
 Incites  each  to  appr^opriate  effort.  3. 
 Combination  in  service  effects  speedy  re- 
 sults and  sure  szoccess, 
 
 II.  Noble  energies  lavished  upon 
 ignoble  superstitions. 
 
 For  what  end  was  all  this  1  Alas  ! 
 look  out  upon  heathen  scenes,  where  de- 
 votees squander  years,  treasures,  life ; 
 and  for  what  ?  Look  also  on  votaries 
 of  pleasure,  pursuers  of  wealth,  &c.  ; 
 the  eager  lives  with  which  modern 
 civilised  society  is  full ;  for  what  end  do 
 men  live  and  labour  1 
 
 III.  Prostituted  homage  awakens 
 the  indignation  of  God.  For  here  it 
 was  not  done  in  ignorance,  but  wantonly 
 and  wilfully. 
 
 1.  Perversion  of  the  true  aim  and  de- 
 sign of  man^s  being.  God  made  man  for 
 Himself — a  jealous  God.  2.  Ignores 
 God's  claim  on  human  service,  loyalty, 
 and  love.  He  merited  their  trust  and 
 devotion.  3.  Enslaves  men's  soul  in 
 ruinous  vices.  "  O  Israel !  destroyed 
 thyself."  4.  Provoking  Heaven's  wrath 
 by  despising  His  love.  Deliberate  design, 
 "that  they  may  provoke,"  &c.  What 
 a  reversion  of  our  true  7'elation  to  God, 
 and  our  experience  at  His  hand ;  for 
 "  God  hath  not  appointed  us  to  wrath, 
 but  to  obtain  salvation  by  our  Lord 
 Jesus  Christ ! " 
 
 Ver.  19.  Theme :  Keflex  conse- 
 quences OF  SIN. 
 
 They  harmed  themselves  more  than 
 God  (cf.  Deut.  xxxii.  16,  21  ;  Job 
 XXXV.  6,  8 ;  Prov.  viii.  23)  :  for 
 
 i.  They  forfeited  present  consolation 
 and  assurance.  "  There  is  no  place  to 
 the  wicked." 
 
 ii.  They  entailed  failure  confusion  and 
 calamity.  Shame  would  come,  and  with 
 it  ruin. 
 
 Ver.  21.  Theme:  Sacrifices  con- 
 temned AND  COUNTERMANDED. 
 
 *'  Put  yoicr  burnt-offerings,"  &c.  / 
 will  not  accept  them.  Take  away  your 
 burnt-offerings  which  ye  are  about  to 
 lay  upon  Mine  altar  as  a  whole  burnt- 
 sacrifice  to  Me.  I  will  have  none  of 
 them  (comp.  vi.  20) ;  put  them  on  your 
 own  tables,  and  eat  them  yourselves. 
 They  are  not  burnt-offerings,  holy  to 
 God,  but  are  mere  flesh,  to  be  eaten  by 
 men.  So  our  Lord  said  to  the  Jews 
 concerning  the  temple,  "rbwr  house"  (it 
 is  no  longer  God's,  for  ye  have  profaned 
 it  by  your  sins,  and  therefore  He  has 
 forsaken  it)  "  is  left  unto  you  desolate." 
 —  Wordsworth. 
 
 Ver.  22.    "  I  spake  not  concerning 
 
 SACRIFICES." 
 
 The  apparent  contradiction  between 
 this  statement  and  the  fact  that  the 
 Mosaic  institutes  abound  in  sacrificial 
 enactments  may  be  removed  in  two 
 ways  : 
 
 i.  That  moral  obligation  was  incul- 
 cated upon  the  Hebreivs  before  the  sacri- 
 ficial code  (cf  Exod.  xv.  26,  xix.  5). 
 Then  follows  the  proclamation  of  the 
 moral  code,  amidst  all  the  solemnities  of 
 Sinai.  Not  till  afterivards  were  regula- 
 tions given  respecting  sacrifices,  which 
 properly  belonged  to  the  Levitical  law. 
 Hence  God  reminds  them  here,  "  I  spake 
 not  in  the  day  that  I  brought  them  out 
 of  Egypt." 
 
 ii.  It  is  not  unusual  for  the  Hebrews 
 to  express  in  absolute  terms  what  i^o  be 
 understood  relatively  and  comparatively. 
 Thus  "  to  hate,"  =  to  love  less  (Gen,  xxix. 
 30,  31  ;  Mai.  i.  2,  3).  According  to 
 this  idiom  the  meaning  will  be  :  That 
 ritual  observances  were  regarded  by  God 
 as  matters  of  secondary  importance 
 (see  Luke  xiv.  26  ;  Matt.  x.  37 ;  Hos. 
 vi.  6 ;  1  Sam.  xv.  22) ;  and  that  when 
 these  are  substituted  for  moral  duties 
 and  supreme  love  to  Himself,  God  re- 
 torts with  merited  reprobation  (comp. 
 Hend.).  Similarly  our  Lord  states 
 negatively  what  was  of  inferior  import- 
 ISO 
 
CHAP.  Vll. 
 
 EOMILETIC  COMMENTARY :  JEREMIAH. 
 
 ance  :  "  Labour  not  for  the  meat  which 
 perisheth  ;  but  for  that  which  endur- 
 eth  "  (John  vi,  27). 
 
 Calvi7i  thinks  "Jeremiah  seems  to 
 speak  too  contemptibly  of  sacrifices ; 
 for  they  were  seals  of  God's  grace,  and 
 had  been  instituted  to  lead  men  to  re- 
 pentance of  sin,  and  to  realise  they 
 merited  the  death  which  the  victim  en- 
 dured. But  it  is  true  that  God  com- 
 manded nothing  respecting  mere  sacri- 
 fices for  their  own  sake ;  it  was  never 
 His  will  to  be  served  with  mere  external 
 rites;  His  design  in  instituting  them 
 was  to  remind  the  Jews  of  their  sin,  and 
 also  to  show  to  them  the  way  of  recon- 
 ciliation." 
 
 Vene7na  suggests  that  there  is  a  re- 
 pudiation of  sacrifices  as  the  basis  of 
 God's  covenant  with  His  people.  Obedi- 
 ence and  not  sacrifice  was  the  condition 
 of  this  sacred  relationship.  God  did  not 
 say,  "  If  you  sacrifice  to  Me,  I  will  be 
 your  God  ; "  but,  "  If  you  obey  My 
 voice,  I  will  be  your  God  and  you  shall 
 be  My  people." 
 
 Evidently  the  antithesis,  "  JVot  con- 
 cerning sacrifice.  .  .  .  But  this  thing. 
 Obey  !  " — points  to  the  basis  and  terms 
 of  the  Sinaitic  covenant;  and  what  is 
 here  afl&rmed  is,  that  when  that  covenant 
 was  made  and  entered  into,  obedience 
 was  the  supreme  and  essential  factor  in 
 that  covenant.  To  withhold  obedience, 
 therefore,  and  to  substitute  mere  sacrifice, 
 was  to  withhold  that  on  which  the  con- 
 tinuance of  God's  covenant  relationship 
 absolutely  depended.  In  Amos  v.  25, 
 God  reminds  them  that  for  forty  years 
 He  dispensed  altogether  with  sacrifices, 
 ergo,  they  could  not  be  of  primary 
 importance. 
 
 Note  :  Hitzig,  Graf,  and  others  find 
 in  this  passage  proof  that  Jeremiah  was 
 ignorant  of  tliat  part  of  the  Pentateuch 
 which  contains  sacrificial  enactments ; 
 "  that  at  his  time  nothing  was  known  of 
 the  legislation  on  sacrifice  given  by  God 
 on  Sinai."  This  gives  them  an  argu- 
 ment for  denying  that  Moses  was  the 
 author  of  the  middle  books  of  the  Pen- 
 tateuch, .and  for  ascribing  their  author- 
 ship to  Ezra.  But  this  is  manifestly  a 
 "wresting  the  Scriptures,"  No  canon 
 of  critic i.sui  can  sustain  such  an  inter- 
 160 
 
 pretation  of  these  words.  They  do  not 
 deny  the  Divine  authority  of  sacrifices, 
 but  assign  to  them  a  subservient  place. 
 (Addenda  to  chap,  vii.,  "  Sacrifices.") 
 
 Ver.    22,   23.     Theme :    Sacrifices 
 
 SUBSTITUTED  ■FOR  OBEDIENCE. 
 
 An  external  piety  offered  to  God, 
 while  righteousness  and  true  holiness 
 are  withheld, 
 
 I.  Men  are  constantly  adopting 
 expedients  by  which  to  evade  obedi- 
 ence. Obedience  entails  self -con  quest, 
 and  daily  service,  and  a  surrendered  life  ; 
 sacrifice,  on  the  contrary,  is  soon  offered, 
 and  costs  less.  1.  An  easier  offering. 
 2.  A  shorter  process.  3.  A  smaller  sur- 
 render. 
 
 II,  God  prefers  an  obedient  life  to 
 any  sacrificial  oblation. 
 
 Obedience  is  preferable  to  sacrifice  : 
 1.  As  denoting  a  better  spirit.  2. 
 As  involving  a  fuller  compliance.  3, 
 As  containing  a  gentler  law — not  suff'er- 
 ing,  but  service.  "  Fori  desired  mercy, 
 not  sacrifice,  and  the  knowledge  of 
 God  more  than  burnt-offerings,"  "  And 
 to  love  Him  with  all  the  understanding, 
 &c.,  is  more  than  all  whole  burnt-offer- 
 ing and  sacrifice.  Jesus  saw  that  he 
 ansivered  disci-eetly,  and  said,  Thou  art 
 not  far  from  the  kingdom  of  God  !  " 
 
 Ver,  24.  God  had  commanded  them 
 (ver.  23),  "  Walk  ye  in  all  the  way," 
 (fee, ;  but  instead,  they  "  walked  in  the 
 counsels  and  in  the  imaginations  (pro- 
 perly, stubbornness)  of  their  evil  heart." 
 (See  on  chap.  iii.  17.)  The  result  was  : 
 they  moved  in  a  totally  opposite  direction 
 from  that  in  which  God  designed.  Note  : 
 God's  way  for  us  is  not  merely  deserted, 
 but  positively  reversed,  when  we  follow 
 our  own  way.  (Comp.  Isa.  liii.  6  ;  Heb. 
 iii.  12.)  To  pursue  our  "counsels"  we 
 have  to  turn  our  back  upon  both  God 
 and  His  commands. 
 
 Theme:  Backward, 
 
 On  going  backward  in  regard  to  the 
 great  matter  of  practical  religion. 
 
 I.  Illustrations  of  going  backward 
 in  regard  to  religion. 
 
 An  advanced  state  of  religious  know- 
 ledge, of  moral  purity,  of  spiritual  power 
 may  be  attained,  from  which  men  may  go 
 backward.     Illustrations : 
 
HO  MI  LET IC  COMMENTARY:  JEREMIAH. 
 
 1.  From  the  history  of  the  Jeivish 
 nation.  Compare  best  days  of  Solomon, 
 ■when  temple  was  dedicated,  with  these 
 when  Jeremiah  preached  at  gate.  Na- 
 tional mind,  darkened,  conscience  en- 
 feebled, heart  hardened.  People  gone 
 backward  in  Divine  knowledge,  moral 
 rectitude,  devout  feeling  (Isa.  i.  3,  4, 
 21-23). 
 
 2.  Churches  may  go  backward — e.g., 
 Galatia  (Gal.  iii.  1-3,  v.  7,  8),  Ephesus 
 (Rev.  ii.  4),  Sardis  (Rev.  iii.  1). 
 
 3.  Individual  life  furnishes  saddest 
 illustrations,  (a.)  Brought  up  in  Chris- 
 tian home;  go  back  into  thoughtless- 
 ness, dissipation,  and  infidelity.  {b.) 
 Awakened  by  the  power  of  truth,  and 
 gained  a  place  in  the  household  of  faith  ; 
 go  backward  and  "  make  shipwreck  of 
 faith  and  good  conscience.  (c.)  Trod 
 noblest  heights  of  Christian  service  ;  go 
 backward  to  stagnation  and  ease.  "  Demas 
 hath  forsaken,"  &c.  (2.  Tim.  iv.  10). 
 
 II.  Consider,  for  conviction  and  warn- 
 ing, some  of  the  causes  of  this  going 
 backward.  Negatively  ;  (1.)  God  never 
 causes  a  human  being  to  go  backivard 
 from  what  is  pure  and  good  and  true. 
 (2.)  Nor  must  the  charge  be  laid  at  the 
 door  of  men  or  of  Satan.  1.  The  pri- 
 mary cause  of  retrogression  must  be 
 sought  in  man  himself,  in  his  inclina- 
 tion to  the  things  which  are  behind ;  in 
 spiritual  feebleness.  2.  The  seco7idary 
 causes  are  temptations ;  the  lusts,  plea- 
 sures, and  gains  he  desires  to  enjoy.  3. 
 His  weakness  in  yielding  residts  from 
 neglect  of  the  means  of  strength,  the 
 Word  of  God,  prayer,  means  of  instruc- 
 tion and  grace. 
 
 III.  Contemplate  some  consequences 
 of  going  backward  in  regard  to  religion. 
 Jewish  history  full  of  records  of  misery, 
 afHiction,  desolation,  conquest,  captivity, 
 which  resulted  from  apostasy.  But  what 
 are  the  consequences  of  apostasy  from 
 Christian  profession  and  life  ?  1.  The 
 displeasure  of  the  great  God(S.Q\>.  x.  38). 
 2.  Such  as  turn  back  are  liable  to  sink 
 into  the  very  lowest  depths  of  ir religion 
 (2  Pet.  ii.  20-22).  3.  Experience  of 
 deepestremorse  and  reproach  of  conscience. 
 
 (1.)  Stand  fast  in  the  Lord.  (2.) 
 Despair  not,  but  return. — Rev.  E.  Ann, 
 "  Christian  World  Pulpit." 
 
 Ver.  24-29.  Theme :  Disobedience 
 TO  God's  Word. 
 
 I.  Its  cause.  1.  Not  neglect  07i  God's 
 part  to  make  known  His  Word  to  men 
 (ver.  25).  2.  'Sot  the  hnpei feet  2:)erform- 
 ance  hy  the  preacher  of  his  duties  (ver. 
 27) ;  but,  3.  The  hardness  of  men's 
 hearts ;  who  («.)  walk  after  their  evil 
 imaginations  and  counsels  (ver.  24) ; 
 (6.)  do  not  hear  or  believe  (ver.  28), 
 and  do  not  wish  to  improve  (ver.  26). 
 
 II.  Its  consequences.  1.  Increasing 
 moral  corruption  (ver,  24,  26).  2. 
 Rejection  on  the  part  of  God  (ver.  29). 
 — Naeg. 
 
 Ver.  25-28.  Theme;  Sad  chahaoter- 
 
 ISTICS  OP  AN  UNBELIEVING  EPOCH. 
 
 i.  Contemp)t  of  the  preaching  of  the 
 Divine  Word. 
 
 ii.  Siiff-necTcedness  in  respect  to  the 
 visitations  of  Divine  chastisements. 
 
 iii.  Increase  of  wickedness  in  sjnte  of 
 all  the  warnings  of  the  past, — From 
 Lange. 
 
 Theme :  A  people  ripe  for  destruc- 
 tion.    When  ? 
 
 i.  When  it  despises  the  visitations  of 
 Divine  grace  (ver,  25). 
 
 ii.  When  it  hardens  itself  in  unbelief 
 against  God's  Word  and  voice  (ver.  26, 
 27). 
 
 iii.  When  in  spite  of  Divine  judg- 
 ments it  departs  the  more  into  sin  (ver. 
 26,  'Id).— Idem. 
 
 Theme :  Israel  a  warning  example 
 
 OP  PREVAILING  UNBELIEF. 
 
 Their  example  is  admonitory  to  us  in 
 our  own  times. 
 
 i.  With  respect  to  tJieir  ingratitude 
 for  God's  gracious  visitations, 
 
 ii.  With  respect  to  their  opposition  to 
 the  true  friends  of  the  nation. 
 
 iii.  With  respect  to  their  frivolity  in 
 view  of  inevitable  destruction. — Idem. 
 
 Ver.  27.  Theme  :  God's  foreknow- 
 ledge OP  the  sinner's  refusal  of  His 
 Word. 
 
 The  infinitely  perfect  God  knows  all 
 things.  Ignorance  incompatible  with 
 His  originating  and  governing  power. 
 This  true  not  only  of  material  things, 
 but  of  mind,  thoughts,  and  actions  of 
 all  His  intelligent  and  moral  creatures. 
 
 101 
 
HOMILETIC  COMMENTARY :  JEREMIAH. 
 
 So  that  all  we  freely  do  is  known  to 
 Him,  and  His  government  is  adapted  to 
 all  such  creatures.  Jeremiah  is  to  tell 
 Judah  God's  will,  make  known  His 
 Word;  yet  it  is  added,  "They  will  not 
 hearken."  We  understand  their  condi- 
 tion as  described  ver.  23,  24 ;  Ezek. 
 ii.  7.  But  there  is  a  peculiarity  in 
 telling  them,  and  yet  knowing  they  will 
 not  regard. 
 
 I.  Seek  for  instances  illustrative  of 
 text,  where  God  knew  His  Word  would 
 not  be  regarded,  nor  His  messages 
 answered. 
 
 1.  The  original  transgression  of  our 
 first  parents.  God's  Word  clear,  easy, 
 distinct ;  yet  He  knew  how  they  would 
 act ;  saw  hearts. 
 
 2.  The  old  world.  He  saw  rise  of 
 evil  and  progress;  yet  Noah  preached 
 1 20  years,  built  ark  ;  Spirit  strove. 
 
 3.  Pharaoh.  Moses  and  Aaron  are 
 sent,  miracles  wrought,  God's  messages 
 proclaimed,  demands  enforced ;  yet  He 
 knew  Pharaoh  would  harden  his  heart 
 and  sin  to  his  destruction. 
 
 4.  Jeivs  as  a  rMiion.  How  prophets 
 and  holy  men  went  to  them,  John 
 also  and  Christ.  Yet  God  knew  their 
 unbelief  and  cruelty.  Christ  referred  to 
 this  in  His  own  ministry ;  He  declared 
 their  obstinacy  and  ruin.  So  that  text  is 
 but  one  of  many  cases  in  Word  of  God. 
 
 II.  How  can  this  be  explained  and 
 defended  ?  Unless  God  did  know  re- 
 sults such  as  described : 
 
 1.  He  looidd  he  imperfect;  not  the 
 all-wise,  infallible  God,  and  He  could 
 not  govern  His  world.  But  His  perfect 
 knowledge  of  the  future 
 
 2.  Does  not  make  Him  the  cause  of 
 the  rebellion  He  foretells.  He  does  not 
 predestinate  it,  but  foreknows  it.  Just 
 as  He  foreknew  Noah's  sin,  yet  did  not 
 make  him  drunk ;  murder  of  Abel,  yet 
 (lid  not  impel  Cain  to  the  deed,  &c. 
 The  astronomer  by  calculation  foreknows 
 every  visible  and  invisible  eclipse  of  the 
 year,  but  does  not  produce  them. 
 
 3.  He  never  influences  men  to  do  wrong 
 because  He  foresees  it  (Acts  ii.  23). 
 Though  God  designed  His  Son  to  be 
 a  Saviour,  and  hence  a  sacrifice,  and 
 foresaw  the  conduct  of  the  Jews,  they 
 freely  and  wickedly  crucified  Him. 
 
 162 
 
 4.  There  are  many  ends  to  he  attained 
 hy  God.  By  His  speaking,  though  He 
 knows  men  will  not  hearken  : 
 
 (a.)  God  exhibits  His  true  desire  for 
 their  salvation.  He  truly,  earnestly 
 calls.  (6.)  He  thereby  treats  men  as 
 reasonable  and  responsible  beings,  (c.) 
 He  thus  leaves  them  without  excuse. 
 "  I  called,  but  ye  refused,"  &c. 
 
 Conclusion:  (1.)  Man's  free  agency  is 
 his  glory.  (2.)  God's  infinite  goodness 
 is  undoubted.  (3.)  Our  duty  is  most 
 manifest ;  to  hear,  obey,  believe.  (4.) 
 Thus  men  will  be  finally  inexcusable, 
 having  had  means  employed  for  their 
 restoration  to  holiness  and  God. — J. 
 Burnes,  D.D. 
 
 Comments. 
 
 "  £ut  they  will  not  hearken  unto  thee." 
 Howbeit,  speak — "whether  they  will 
 hear,  or  whether  they  will  forbear" — 
 for  a  testimony  against  them. — Trapp. 
 
 "  It  was  a  most  gj'ievous  trial  to  the 
 prophet  to  know  that  his  words  would 
 pass  away  with  the  air  and  produce  no 
 good.  His  mind  must  have  been  greatly 
 depressed ;  for  he  doubtless  laboured  for 
 the  good  of  his  own  nation.  Yet  his 
 sympathy  and  sorrow  (for  he  loved  his 
 nation  and  felt  great  grief  in  declaring 
 God's  coming  judgments)  did  not  pre- 
 vent him  from  executing  in  a  bold  man- 
 ner and  with  unshaken  zeal  what  God 
 had  committed  to  him.  .  .  .  God  then 
 declares  to  his  servant  what  would  be 
 the  issue,  in  order  that  he  might  not 
 cease  to  execute  his  office  with  in- 
 vincible courage,  even  if  no  fruit  ap- 
 peared."— Calvin. 
 
 Ver.  28.  "  This  is  a  nation  that  oheyeth 
 not,'^  &c.  Rather,  This  is  the  nation. 
 "  Israel  occupies  so  unique  a  position 
 among  all  nations  that  for  it  to  disobey 
 God  is  marvellous.  (See  Isa.  i.  3 ;  Jer. 
 ii.  11.)" — Speaker's  Com, 
 
 The  prophet  is  not  here  bidden  to 
 address  the  Jews,  but  to  pronounce  on 
 them  a  sentence,  that  the  whole  world 
 might  know  how  base  and  detestable 
 had  been  their  contumacy,  and  how 
 abominable  their  impiety. — Calvin. 
 
 "  Trxith  is  perished."  The  ancient 
 versions  and  the  Targum  render  njlDhi 
 (truth)  by  visng,  fides,  faith  or  fidelity. 
 
HOMILETIC  COMMENTARY :  JEREMIAH. 
 
 CHAP.  VII. 
 
 (See  on  chap,  v.  3.)  Their  conduct  was 
 utterly  perfidious  toward  man  as  well  as 
 God. 
 
 "Is  cut  oE  from  their  mouth^' — i.e., 
 their  language  has  become  wholly  in- 
 sincere, mere  mockery,  profession  with- 
 out intention  ;  their  lips  flippantly  used 
 Jehovah's  name,  and  could  "  swear  by 
 Him "  (chap.  v.  2) ;  but  duplicity, 
 falsity,  was  their  settled  habit  in  speech 
 as  in  practice.  No  "truth"  remained 
 in  either  their  word  or  deed. 
 
 Ver.  29.     Comments. 
 
 "  Ciit  off  tJiine  hai7\"  The  word  ren- 
 dered "  hair  "  is  nezer,  and  signifies  a 
 crown.  From  it  the  Nazarites  obtained 
 their  name,  for  their  hair  was  the  badge 
 of  their  consecration  to  God,  their  crown 
 (Num.  vi.  5,  7).  Cutting  off'  this  hair 
 was  equivalent  to  abandonment  of  the 
 consecrated  character.  Her  profanation 
 entailed  the  loss  of  her  crown  (comp. 
 Lam.  v.  16) ;  her  dignity,  as  well  as 
 her  adornment  and  beauty  (1  Cor.  xi. 
 15)  were  forfeit. 
 
 Neumann  would  retain  the  literal  in- 
 terpretation of  the  word,  and  regard  the 
 command  as  implying  the  abandonment 
 by  Judah  of  national  dignity,  the  total 
 forfeiture  of  the  crown ;  for  her  royalty, 
 the  kingly  office,  was  lost  entirely  to  the 
 nation  in  the  Babylonish  captivity,  never 
 again  restored. 
 
 Ver.  29-34.     Here  is 
 
 I.  A  loud  call  to  weeping  and 
 mourning  (ver.  29).  Jerusalem  had 
 been — 1.  A  joyous  city;  now  she  must 
 "take  up  lamentation."  2.  A  conse- 
 crated city  ;  now  she  must  "  cut  off  her 
 hair,"  in  token  both  of  sorrow  and 
 slavery ;  she  must  be  degraded,  separa- 
 ted from  God,  as  she  had  been  separated 
 to  Him.  It  is  time  for  those  who  have 
 lost  their  holiness  to  lay  aside  their  joy. 
 
 II.  Just  cause  given  for  this  great 
 lamentation. 
 
 1.  The  sin  of  Jerusalem  appears  here 
 very  heinous  (ver.  30).  Two  things 
 charged  upon  them  in  their  idolatry: 
 (a.)  They  were  very  impudent  in  it 
 toivards  God,  and  set  Him  at  defiance 
 (ver.  30).  (b.)  They  were  very  barbar- 
 ous in  it  towards  their  own  children  (ver. 
 31).  (Addenda  to  chap.  vii.  31,  ''High 
 places  of  Tophet.") 
 
 2.  The  destruction  of  Jerusalem  ao- 
 pears  here  very  terrible.  General  misery 
 (ver.  29).  Sin  makes  those  the  "gene- 
 ration of  God's  wrath  "  who  had  been 
 the  generation  of  His  love.  He  disowns 
 them.  And  He  will  give  them  up  to 
 the  terrors  of  their  own  guilt.  (a.) 
 Death  shall  triumph  over  them  (ver.  32, 
 33).  So  great  shall  be  the  slaughter 
 that  even  the  spacious  valley  of  Tophet 
 shall  not  be  able  to  contain  the  slain. 
 (6.)  Joy  shall  depart  from  them  (xQV.  34). 
 God  can  soon  mar  the  mirth  of  the 
 most  jovial,  and  make  it  to  cease  ;  which 
 is  a  reason  why  we  should  "  rejoice 
 with  trembling "  (with  reverence).  — 
 Henry. 
 
 Ver.  30.  "  They  have  set  their  abomi- 
 nations in  the  house."  So  do  those  now 
 that  broach  heresies  in  the  Church. — 
 Trapp. 
 
 Ver.  31.  Theme :  Sinfulness  of 
 "WILL- WORSHIP.  "  Which  I  commanded 
 them  not." 
 
 Hence  it  is  justly  concluded  that 
 i.  To  add  anything  to  God's  Word  (as 
 of  necessity  to  salvation),  and  to  enforce 
 it  as  an  article  of  saving  faith ;  and 
 ii.  To  propose  anything  as  an  object  of 
 ivorship  which  God  has  not  authorised, 
 is  hateful  in  His  sight.  Here,  therefore, 
 is  a  solemn  protest  against  the  worship 
 of  the  Virgin  Mary,  the  invocation  of 
 saints  and  angels,  and  other  like  acts  of 
 "  will-worship  "  (Col.  ii,  23),  as  prayers 
 for  the  dead.  What  is  not  "  com- 
 manded "  in  Scripture  is,  therefore, 
 forbidden  as  an  object  of  worship. — 
 ]Voirlsivorth. 
 
 "  The  purpose  of  God  was  to  teach 
 His  people  both  unto  ivhom  they  should 
 offer  sacrifice,  and  what  sacrifice  was  to 
 be  offered.  To  burn  their  sons  in  fire 
 unto  Baal  He  did  not  command  them ; 
 He  spake  no  such  thing,  neither  came  it 
 into  His  mind;  therefore  this  they 
 ought  not  to  have  done.  The  prophet 
 chooses  rather  to  charge  them  with  the 
 fault  of  making  a  laio  unto  themselves, 
 than  with  the  crime  of  transgressing  a 
 law  which  God  made.  For  when  the 
 Lord  hath  once  Himself  precisely  set 
 down  a  form  of  executing  that  wherein 
 we  are  to  serve  Him,  the  fault  appeareth 
 
 1G3 
 
CHAP.  vn.  UOMILETIC  COMMENTARY  :  JEREMIAH. 
 
 greater  to  do  that  which  ive  are  not,  than  ciple  were  adopted  by  the  Papists,  all 
 
 nottodothatwhich  weare,co»i?wan(ied"  those   fictitious   modes   of    worship   in 
 
 Hooker,    "JScdes.    FoL,"    quoted   in  which  they  absurdly  exercise  themselves 
 
 Wordsioorth.  would  fall  to  the  ground.     When  God 
 
 On  creating  objects  of  superstitious  says  that  '  it  never  came  into  His  mind,' 
 
 homage.  He  suggests  that  men  assume  too  much 
 
 "  God  here  cuts  ofi^  from  men  every  wisdom    when     they   devise    what    He 
 
 occasion  for  evasions,  since  He  condemns  never   required — nay,    what    He   never 
 
 by  this  one  phrase,   '  I  have  not  com-  knew." — Calvin. 
 
 manded  them,'  whatever  the  Jews  de-  Ver.  30-34. 
 
 vised.  There  is,  then,  no  other  argument  i.  Sacrilege  (ver.  30),  and  ii.  Super- 
 needed  to  condemn  superstitions  than  stitions  (ver.  31),  would  entail  iii. 
 that  they  are  not  commanded  by  God;  Slaughter  (ver.  32,  33)  and  iv.  Sorrow 
 for  when  men  allow  themselves  to  wor-  (ver.  34)  ;  joy  silenced,  homes  solitary, 
 ship  God  according  to  their  own  fancies,  and  the  land  spoiled,  "  The  wages  of 
 and  attend  not  to  His  commands,  they  sin  is  death."  (Addenda  to  chap.  vii. 
 pervert  true  religion.     And  if  this  prin-  32,  ''Punishment.") 
 
 NOTICEABLE  TOPICS  IN  CHAPTER    VII. 
 Topic :  The  Doctrine  of  the  Chuech  (ver.  3-7). 
 
 I.  The  Church,  externally.  Fulfils  beneficent  purposes,  administers  external 
 benefits.  1.  What  are  her  ministries  ?  The  Word,  sacrament,  &c.  2.  How  far 
 are  her  external  ministries  essential  ]  Komanism  and  Protestantism  reply  differently. 
 3.  What  reasons  have  we  for  guarding  against  danger  1  The  Church  may  be  over- 
 estimated (ver.  4). 
 
 II.  The  Church  internally.  Her  true  constitution  and  character  are  indicated. 
 1.  It  i.s  essentially  a  community  of  saints  and  true  believers  (ver.  5-7).  2.  Its 
 existence  is  manifested — («.)  In  the  holy  walk  of  its  members  (ver.  3,  5,  6).  (6.) 
 In  the  blessings  of  the  Divine  presence  (ver.  3,  7). — J!faeg. 
 
 Topic  :  External  Ecclesiasticism  (ver.  8-15). 
 
 An  earnest  warning  against  mere  outward  adherence  to,  and  trust  in,  church 
 ordinances  and  services,  unaccompanied  by  practical  piety  and  heart  religion. 
 
 I.  Its  essence.  1.  False  confidence  in  church  testimony  (ver.  8).  2.  Delusive 
 trust  in  the  unconditional  saving  efficacy  of  sanctuary  rites  (ver.  10). 
 
 II.  Its  consequences.  1.  Demoralisation  (ver.  9,  10).  2.  Desecration  of  the 
 holy  (ver.  11).     5.   Destruction  of  the  offenders  (ver.  12-15).— Idem. 
 
 Topic :  Abuse  of  Religion  :  Immorality  Justified  by  Temple  Observances 
 
 (ver.  9,  10). 
 
 Nothing  more  usual  among  hypocrites  than  to  mingle  and  confound  in  their 
 lives  what  is  commendable  and  what  is  sinful — virtue  and  vice — palliating  their 
 wickedness  with  some  pretences  and  appearance  of  goodness.  Here  they  attended 
 upon  the  ordinances  of  the  temple,  and  from  them  drew  a  licence  to  sinful  courses, 
 crying,  "  The  temple  of  the  Lord,"  &c.  (ver.  4). 
 
 I.  Their  abominable  hypocrisy.  Consisting  in  their  profaneness,  in  "  theft, 
 murder,"  &c.  (ver.  9) ;  and  their  formality,  in  "  coming  and  standing  before  God 
 in  His  house."     These  words  may  be  taken  in  a  sense 
 
 i.  Absolutely  and  positively.     This  question.  Will  ye  steal,  &c.,  has  included  in 
 
 it  an  assertion,  ye  do  so ;    and  an  accusation,  for   by  God's  direction   Jeremiah 
 
 charged  upon  this  people  their  guilt  in  these  respects.     Eegard  this  profaneness  and 
 
 formality  as  meeting  in  the  same  persons.     1.   Their  consistency ;  they  may  go 
 
 164 
 
HOMILETIC  COMMENTARY :  JEREMIAH.  chap,  vii. 
 
 together,  it  is  possible.  Men  may  "steal,"  &c.,  and  yet  "come  before  God  in  His 
 house; "  and  men  may  "stand  before  God,"  &c.,  and  yet  be  guilty  of  such  crimes. 
 The  7'eason  is,  that  bare  external  works  of  religion  have  no  changing  or  improving 
 influence  upon  the  heart.  On  the  other  side,  corrupt  affections,  -which  tend  to  such 
 wicked  practices,  do  not  restrain  men  from  external  performance  of  religious  duties. 
 It  is  no  impediment  to  wrong-doing  now  and  then  to  go  to  church ;  yea,  frequent- 
 ing ordinances  may  give  licence  to  lust.  2.  Their  concomitancy ;  they  do  go 
 together.  No  rare  business  for  profane  men  to  be  at  the  duties  of  religion.  There 
 is,  double  ground  iov  it.  (a.)  To  blind  the  eyes  of  men.  (6.)  To  stop  the  mouth  of 
 conscience.  All  this  shows  a  sad  and  miserable  condition.  Its  relevancy  to  Fopei-y, 
 which  encourages  outward  attendance  upon  ordinances,  yet  lets  loose  "the  lusts 
 which  war  against  the  soul." 
 
 ii.  Interrogatively  and  expostulatory.  "Will  ye  steal,  .  .  .  and  come  and 
 stand,"  &c.  %  The  Lord  calls  this  people  to  an  account  for  this  admixture  of  pro- 
 faneness  and  formality.     This  expostulation  has  a  double  emphasis  with  it. 
 
 1.  How  can  ye  do  so  in  regard  of  yourselves  f  How  satisfy  your  minds  and 
 consciences  with  such  kind  of  doings?  God  appeals  to  their  oy/u  judgment,  can 
 ye  think  it  fitting  ?  This  is  the  great  unhappiness  of  hypocrites  and  formalists, 
 they  are  condemned  of  themselves.     Their  actions  were  incong7-uous  and  repugnant. 
 
 2.  Hoio  can  ye  do  so  in  regard  of  Me  ?  Can  ye  think  to  please  Me  by  such 
 ways?  The  Lord  thus  not  only  argues  with  them,  but  reproves  them,  (a.)  He 
 taxes  them  for  their  formality  in  that  they  thought  to  propitiate  Him  by  their  bare 
 external  performances.  He  requires  external  duties  of  religion  ;  their  actions  in 
 this  respect  were  good,  but  th.Qix  affections  v^qvq  bad  (comp.  Isa.  xxix.  13;  Matt. 
 XV.  8  ;  Ezek.  xxxiii.  31).  This  was  odious  in  God's  sight,  as  a  piece  of  sacrilege 
 — robbing  God  of  His  due  ;  of  dissimulation — pretends  to  worship,  but  denies  God 
 the  frame  of  his  heart,  although  "  He  desires  truth  in  the  inward  parts  ;  "  and  it 
 is  unprofitahle — neither  bettering  the  heart,  nor  restraining  from  evil  practices. 
 (&.)  He  taxes  them  for  their  presumption,  in  that  they  durst  approach  Him  in  their 
 sinful  indulgence  (comp.  Isa.  i.  11,  12,  Ivi.  3;  Ps.  1.  16,  17;  Lev.  x.  3).  Here 
 is  an  aggravation  of  their  sinfulness ;  for  there  is  a  trespassing  upon  God  in  His 
 majesty — to  come  before  Him  in  such  vile  habits  showed  they  did  not  much  regard 
 Him  ;  and  there  is  a  suspicion  of  God  iii  His  wisdorn — they  think  He  will  not  see 
 or  take  notice  of  their  vileness,  and  assay  to  flatter  Him  by  some  fair  pretences. 
 Also,  here  is  an  intimation  of  their  greater  danger.  Will  ye  do  it  ?  Dare  ye  be 
 so  bold  1  Do  ye  consider  the  hazard  ye  run  ?  There  are  thi-ee  sorts  of  judgments 
 which  are  commonly  consequent  upon  such  daringly  guilty  conduct :  Spiritual — 
 become  more  hardened  and  confirmed,  increase  their  corruptions  ;  Temporal — He 
 inflicts  grievous  calamity  on  such,  of  which  Scripture  supplies  instances :  Eternal 
 — the  vengeance  of  everlasting  destruction  ;  "  hypocrites  have  their  portion  in  the 
 lake,"  &c.     The  greater  sin  has  always  the  greater  danger. 
 
 II.  Their  notorious  stupidity.  "  And  say,  We  are  delivered  to  do  all  these 
 abominations  !  "  Difl"erent  translations.  The  Septuagint  (and  Arabic)  read  the 
 words  thus  :  We  have  ivithdraivn  or  abstained  from  all,  &c.,  i.e.,  they  impudently 
 deny  their  manifest  wickedness.  The  Syriac  thus  :  Deliver  us,  because  tve  have 
 abstained,  &c.;  more  impudent  still,  not  only  to  deny  their  notorious  guilt,  but  also 
 plead  innocency  as  meritorious  of  preservation.  But  there  are  other  translations 
 specially  to  attend  to.  The  Chaldee  paraphrase  (with  which  agrees  the  Geneva  and 
 Old  English  translation)  :  "  We  are  delivered,  though,"  &c.  The  rendering  of  St. 
 Jerome  and  the  Vulgate  :  "  We  are  delivered,  becaiise,"  &c.  The  authorised  English 
 version  :  "  We  are  delivered,  that  tve  may,"  &c.,  i.e.,  it  is  lawful  to  commit,  &c. 
 
 1.  Their  security  and  insensibleness  of  their  present  condition  in  regard  of  sin  : 
 "  We  are  delivered,  though  we  commit,  &c.  ;  making  their  iniquities  no  hindrance 
 to  their  preservation,  as  in  Isa.  xxviii.  15.  There  is  a  various  ground  for  this 
 carnal   security  :  (a.)  A  false  conceit  in  them  of  the  mercy  and  indulgmcy  of  God 
 
 1G5 
 
CHAP.  vn.  HOMILETIC  COMMENT AR  Y :  JEREMIA  H. 
 
 (Ps.  ix.  7).  (h.)  A  freedom  and  preservation  from  judgment  and  punishment  at 
 tlie present.  "We  are  delivered,  and  therefore  shall  he"  (Eccles.  viii.  11),  (c.) 
 Carnal  refuges  and  reliances ;  they  think  it  impossible  they  will  be  punished  ;  and 
 the  Lord  in  this  expostulation,  Do  ye  say  so  1  implies,  Ye  are  mistaken  in 
 saying  so. 
 
 2.  Their  stupidity ;  according  to  the  reading,  "  We  are  delivered,  because,"  &e. 
 Thinking  that  not  only  shall  they  receive  no  hurt  in  their  sins,  but  that  they  shall 
 have  good  for  them  ;  that  the  more  they  abound  in  abominations^  the  more  they 
 shall  abound  in  deliverances  (comp.  Jer.  xliv.  17).  Our  iniquities  are  advantageous 
 to  us! 
 
 3.  Their  incorrigibleness  and  persistency,  or  their  ingratitude  and  perverse  im- 
 provement of  God's  deliverances  and  preservations  of  them  :  "  We  are  delivered  to 
 commit  them,"  i.e.,  as  an  opportunity  for  the  more  free  commission  of  them.  As  if 
 God  had  delivered  them  on  purpose  that  they  might  "  continue  in  sin."  This  is 
 met  by  the  remonstrance  of  the  text :  *'  Will  ye  say  so  ?  "  What  a  fearful  thing  is 
 this !  Such  a  mood  calls  for  heaviest  judgments,  for  they  are  the  worst  of  sinners : 
 means  are  2ierverted  and  mercy  is  abused ;  they  are  not  bettered  by  God's  spiritual 
 physic,  and  His  "goodness,"  which  should  "lead  to  repentance,"  is  turned  into  an 
 occasion  of  wantonness.  God  will  surely  bring  His  dire  woes  on  such,  and  make 
 them  at  last  and  effectually  to  know  that  they  are  not  "  delivered  to  commit  all 
 these  abominations." — Th.  Horton,  D.D.,  A..D.  1678. 
 
 Tojnc :  What  can  Children  do  for  God  1     {Gldldren's  Sermon)  :  "  The  children 
 gathered  wood"  (ver.  18). 
 
 A  description  here  of  honours  which  heathen  pay  to  their  gods.  Though  these 
 idols  were  such  stupid  things,  every  one  works  for  them.  Should  not,  therefore, 
 every  one  do  work  for  our  God  1  He  is  better  than  idols  ;  and  had  done  for  us 
 great  things ;  and  for  such  a  God  you  ought  to  work. 
 
 I.  God  is  setting  up  a  kingdom  in  this  world.  A  very  glorious  and  gracious 
 kingdom:  "righteousness,  peace  and  joy  in  the  Holy  Ghost."  Righteousness' — teaches 
 us  to  do  justice  ;  peace — to  love  peace  and  pursue  it ;  joy — God  makes  all  happy 
 who  come  into  His  kingdom. 
 
 II.  God  expects  us  all  to  work  to  set  up  this  kingdom.  Christ  came  to  set  it 
 up ;  ministers  preach  and  labour  for  it ;  missionaries  go  to  heathen ;  all  God's 
 people  aid.     Every  one  has  something  to  do ;  and  God  expects  each  should  do  it. 
 
 III.  Children  can  do  something  to  set  up  this  kingdom.  The  children  did 
 something  Avhen  Christ  rode  into  Jerusalem ;  "  spread  garments "  and  cried 
 "  Hosanna  !  "  1.  You  can  pray;  that  God  would  make  you  subjects  of  this 
 kingdom.  2.  You  can  talk;  speak  to  others  about  Jesus,  pardon,  God,  heaven. 
 3.  You  can  work ;  give  to  missionary  society,  deny  yourselves  to  send  Bibles  to 
 heathen. 
 
 IV.  Children  are  always  happy  when  trying  to  set  up  this  kingdom.  Why  ? 
 Because  make  others  happy.  Angels  are  happy  because  they  are  employed  in 
 maknig  others  happy.  God  is  happy,  for  He  blesses  every  one.  And,  when  we 
 act  like  God,  we  ourselves  are  happy. 
 
 y.  God  will  never  forget  the  labours  of  little  children  for  Him.  When 
 children  wanted  to  come  to  Jesus,  He  noticed  their  disposition,  and  said, 
 "Never  prevent  a  child  from  coming  to  Me!"  then  took  in  arms  and  blessed. 
 When  they^sang  in  temple,  He  noticed  their  song,  and  said,  "  Hearest  thou  what 
 these  say  %  "  Josiah  was  only  eight  years  old  when  he  became  king ;  and,  because 
 he  was  a  good  boy,  it  is  put  down  in  the  Book  of  God  that  he  gave  money  to  the 
 priests  to  build  God's  house,  and  did  everything  in  his  power  to  serve  God.  God 
 loves  everything  done  for  Him  by  children,  because  it  is  a  proof  of  their  obedience 
 and  love.  May  He  give  you  His  Holy  Spirit  and  bless  you,  make  you  willing  to 
 IGG 
 
EOMILETIG  COMMENTARY:  JEREMIAH.  chap.  vn. 
 
 labour  for  Christ  now,  that  have  His  approval  when  you  die,  and  dwell  with  Him 
 in  heaven. — James  Sherman,  a.d.  1844. 
 
 Topic :  Saceed  Overthrows  ;  Monumental  Warnings.     "  See  what  I  did  to 
 
 Shiloh"  (ver.   12). 
 
 The  world  is  full  of  historic  overthrows  :  Nineveh,  Babylon,  Rome,  Herculaneum ; 
 each  with  an  admonitory  lesson — that  its  peculiar  guiltiness  evokes  Heaven's  curse. 
 But  even  hol^  edifices  are  among  the  ruins ;  though  sanctioned  both  by  antiquity 
 and  Divine  authority.  Sin  shakes  the  strongest  foundation,  and  the  structure  falls. 
 Confidence  in  the  inalienable  sacredness  and  therefore  security  of  a  place  is  a  delu- 
 sion against  which  the  ruins  of  holy  scenes  admonish  us.  Sacredness  does  give 
 security  ;  but  if  the  former  is  lost,  the  latter  is  forfeit.     Henry  remarks  : 
 
 I.  Shiloli  was  ruined,  though  it  had  God's  sanctuary  in  it,  when  by  wicked- 
 ness it  profaned  that  sanctuary.  There  God  "  set  His  name  at  the  first "  (Josh, 
 xviii.  1);  but  sin  arose.  Was  it  protected  by  its  having  the  tabernacle?  God 
 forsook  it  (Ps.  Ixxviii.  60)  ;  and  we  read  of  the  city  afterwards  only  as  a  monument 
 of  Divine  vengeance  upon  holy  places  when  they  harbour  wicked  people.  It  is  good 
 to  consult  precedents  and  make  use  of  them.  "  Remember  Lot's  wife ;  "  remember 
 Shiloh,  and  seven  Churches  of  Asia ;  and  know  that  the  ark  and  candlestick  are 
 movable  things  (Rev.  ii.  5  ;  Matt.  xxi.  43). 
 
 II.  Shiloh's  fate  would  be  Jerusalem's  doom,  unless  speedy  and  sincere  repen- 
 tance prevent  it  not.  1.  Jerusalem  was  as  sinfid  as  ever  Shiloh  was  (ver.  13).  2. 
 Jerusalem  should  he  as  miserable  as  ever  Shiloh  was  (ver.  14). 
 
 "  The  tabernacle  and  the  sanctuary  at  Shiloh  have  disappeared  ;  so  also  the  temple 
 built  by  Solomon,  and  the  Ark  of  the  Covenant  itself ;  and  even  the  temple  re-erected 
 without  the  ark  by  Zerubbabel ;  so  too  the  temple  of  Herod,  All  the  places  con- 
 secrated by  the  presence  of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ  and  the  ministry  of  His  apostles 
 have  been  destroyed,  and  given  up  to  the  abomination  of  desolation  :  Jerusalem, 
 with  tlie  Mount  of  Olives  and  Golgotha,  Bethlehem,  Nazareth,  the  whole  of 
 Palestine,  Asia  Minor  and  Greece,  became  Christian,  and  yet  fell  a  prey  to  the 
 Crescent.  All  the  less  may  Rome  count  on  perpetuity,  since  the  chair  of  Peter 
 rests  not  on  Divine,  but  on  arbitrary  human  institution," — Ifaeg. 
 
 ADDENDA  TO  CHAP.    VI I.  :  ILLUSTRATIONS  AND  SUGGESTIVE  EXTRACTS. 
 
 Ver.  4.  "  Proclaim  there  this  word."  fanatics,  the  very  name  of  the  temple  of 
 The  preacher.  Jehovah  as  an  all-sufficing  talisman." — 
 
 ,, ,,.   ^,    ^         X- J.     1  i.  n   ^      A Stanley,^''  Jewish  Church." 
 
 "  He  that  negotiates  between  God  and  man,  ^   ,, -r.   ■  ^  ■       j.        ■  it  a 
 
 As  God's  ambassador,  the  grand  concerns  It  IS  much  easier   tO   give  oneseif  to 
 
 Of  judgment  and  of  mercy,  should  beware  a  church  or  a  sect  than  to  God." — Top- 
 
 Of  lightness  in  his  speech.     'Tis  pitiful  lady. 
 
 To  court  a  grin  when  you  should  woo  a  u  j^jg^    seem  to  think,   Only   let    me 
 
 To  break  a  jest  when  pity  should  inspire  get  into  the  Church  that  has  apostolicity, 
 
 Pathetic  exhortation ;  and  address  and  catholicity,  and  orthodoxy  !  ,  ,  ,  An 
 
 The  skittish  fancies  with  facetious  tales  organised  institution  I  believe  in  ;  but 
 
 When  sent_  with  God's  commission^to^the  ^j^^  -^^^  Testament  idea  of  a  Church  was 
 
 '^  ■  ■  a  moral  society  of  those  who  had  a  com- 
 
 Ver.  4.     "  The  temple  of  the  Lord  P'  mon  faith,  hope  and  love.     That  Church 
 
 Ecclesiasticism.     "  They  clung  with  a  which  is  most  positive  about  its  apos- 
 
 desperate  tenacity  to  the  hope  that  the  tolicity,   that  thinks  there  is  no  other 
 
 local  sanctity  of  Jerusalem  was  a  suffi-  Church  but  itself  in  the  world,  is  a  mere 
 
 cient    safeguard    against  all  calamities;  crustaceous,  not  a  spiritual,  Church.    And 
 
 and  repeated,  with°that  energy  of  itera-  that  Church  which  has  the  most  altars, 
 
 tiun    which    only    beloiii^s    to    Eastern  the  most  vestments,  the  most  externali- 
 
 ^  167 
 
CHAP.  VI  r. 
 
 IIOMlLETia  COMMENTARY :  JEREMIAE. 
 
 ties,  the  most  things  that  appeal  to  the 
 lower  nature  of  men,  which  has  the  most 
 physical  embodiment,  and  therefore 
 occupies  the  largest  space  in  men's 
 sight,  is  farthest  from  the  true  spiritual 
 Church. " — Beecher. 
 
 Ver.  5.  Thoroughness.  "  I  have 
 tried  for  twenty  years  to  be  a  half-way 
 Christian,"  said  a  business  man  on  whom 
 life's  cares  pressed  heavily,  and  over 
 whom  worldly  allurements  were  very 
 powerful,  "  and  find  it  is  impossible ; 
 we  must  be  at  one  or  the  other  extreme. 
 And  as  for  myself,  I  am  determined  to 
 do  my  whole  duty,  and  be  a  complete 
 Christian." 
 
 A  proud  Indian  chief  became  deeply 
 convicted  of  sin,  and,  trembling  under  a 
 sense  of  guilt,  sought  the  missionary, 
 and  proffered  his  belt  of  wampum  to  be 
 freed  from  his  anguish  of  fear.  "  No," 
 said  the  missionary,  "  Christ  cannot 
 accept  such  a  sacrifice."  The  Indian 
 departed,  but  soon  returned  offering  his 
 rifle  and  the  skins  he  had  taken  in  hunt- 
 ing. "  No,"  was  the  reply,  "  Christ  can- 
 not accept  such  a  sacrifice."  Again  the 
 Indian  went  away,  but  with  a  troubled 
 conscience  once  more  returned,  and 
 offered  his  wigwam,  wife,  child,  every- 
 thing, for  peace  and  pardon.  "  No," 
 was  still  the  reply,  "  Christ  cannot  ac- 
 cept such  a  sacrifice."  The  chief  seemed 
 oppressed  with  surprise  for  a  moment ; 
 then,  lifting  up  tearful  eyes  to  heaven, 
 he  feelingly  cried  out,  "  Here,  Lord,  take 
 poor  Indian  too  ! " — Dictionary  of  Ilhis- 
 trations. 
 
 "  Place  not  thy  amendment  only  in 
 increasing  thy  devotion,  but  in  bettering 
 thy  life.  This  is  the  damning  hypocrisy 
 of  this  age,  that  it  slights  all  good 
 morality  and  spends  its  zeal  in  matters 
 of  ceremony,  and  a  form  of  godliness 
 without  the  power  of  it." — Fuller. 
 
 Ver.  7.  Covenant.  "  God's  promises 
 are  with  a  condition,  which  is  as  an  oar 
 in  a  boat  or  stern  of  a  ship,  and  turns 
 the  promise  another  way." — Trapp. 
 
 The  two  Rabbis.  A  little  while  after 
 the  city  of  Jerusalem  was  destroyed, 
 two  Jewish  rabbis  were  walking  over 
 its  ruins.  Both  seemed  affected  at  the 
 mournful  sight,  but  one  wept,  the 
 other  smiled.  Turning  to  his  companion. 
 IGS 
 
 the  one  asked,  "  How  can  you  smile  now, 
 when  you  see  our  holy  city  laid  low  in 
 ruins  %^'  "  Nay,"  replied  the  other,  "  let 
 me  rather  ask  you.  Why  do  you  weep  ?" 
 "  I  weep,"  said  the  first,  "  because  I  be- 
 hold around  me  the  fearful  judgments  of 
 the  Almighty.  Our  beautiful  city  is  no 
 more — our  holy  temple  is  laid  waste — 
 our  brethren,  where  are  they  now  1 " 
 "  All  that,"  replied  the  other,  "  is  the 
 reason  why  I  smile.  I  see,  like  you, 
 how  sure  God's  judgments  are ;  but  I 
 can  learn  how  true  must  be  His  promises. 
 God  hath  said,  '  I  will  destroy  Jerusa- 
 lem.' I  see  He  has ;  but  He  has  also 
 said,  'I  will  rebuild  Jerusalem.'  Shall 
 I  not  believe  His  word  1 " 
 
 Ver.  10.  Insolent  profanity.  The 
 very  heathen  refused  to  admit  any 
 polluted  person  to  their  religious 
 services.  That  saying  of  ./Eneas  to 
 his  father,  when  he  came  from  the 
 war,  is  a  clear  proof:  Tit  genitor,  &c., 
 "Father,  do  you  meddle  with  the 
 sacrifices ;  but  as  for  me,  it  is  a  sinful 
 thing  to  touch  them  till  I  have  washed 
 myself  in  the  fountain."  This  was  an 
 outward  external  rite  amongst  them  for 
 cleansing  themselves.  These  heathen 
 cried  out  to  the  people  that  came  to 
 sacrifice,  "  All  you  that  are  unclean  and 
 profane,  go  far  from  these  sacrifices." 
 Not  only  the  Word  of  God,  but  the  very 
 light  of  hature  taught  them  not  to 
 meddle  with  holy  things  till  they  were 
 sanctified. — Caryl. 
 
 In  the  mystical  sacrifices  of  Ceres, 
 profane  persons  were  excluded,  the 
 priest  calling  out^  sxaj  iV.a;  oeng  aXir^og. 
 
 "  I  venerate  the  man  whose  heart  is  wai-m, 
 Whose  hands  are  pure,  whose  doctrines  and 
 
 whose  life, 
 Coincident,  exhibit  lucid  proof 
 That  he  is  honest  in  the  sacred  cause." 
 
 — COWPEE. 
 
 Ver.  11.  Sacrilege.  The  spirit  of 
 God  will  not  have  holy  things  profaned. 
 Belshazzar  converted  the  consecrated 
 vessels  of  the  temple  into  instruments  of 
 luxury  and  intemperance.  Herod  pol- 
 luted the  sepulchres  of  saints  by  a  sacri- 
 legious search  for  treasures  presumed  to 
 be  hidden  there,  and  God  made  fire  to 
 rise  out  of  the  earth  and  consume  the 
 searchers.       Antiochus    ransacked    the 
 
HOMILETIC  COMMENTARY :  JEREMIaB. 
 
 CHAP.  VH. 
 
 temple  of  tlie  Lord.  Heliodorus  emp- 
 tied the  treasures  of  their  consecrated 
 monies.  Pompey  defiled  the  Sabbath 
 and  the  sanctuary.  Crassus  robbed  the 
 house  of  God  of  10,000  talents.  But 
 inquire  into  the  event  of  these  inso- 
 lences, and  we  shall  find  that  true  then 
 of  which  later  ages  give  many  examples, 
 that  ruin  is  the  child  of  sacrilege,  that 
 mischief  setteth  a  period  to  the  lives 
 and  designs  of  profane  men. — Bishop 
 Reynolds. 
 
 Ver,  16.  Intercessory  prayer. 
 Luther  had  boundless  confidence  in  the 
 power  and  prevalency  of  prayer.  "At 
 the  time  the  Diet  of  Nuremberg  was 
 held,"  says  Tholuck,  "Luther  was 
 earnestly  praying  in  his  own  dwelling  ; 
 and  at  the  very  hour  when  the  edict 
 granting  free  toleration  to  all  Protestants 
 was  issued,  he  ran  out  of  his  house,  cry- 
 ing out,  '  We  have  gained  the  victory  ! 
 Do  you  understand  that  %'  "  On  another 
 occasion,  Melancthon  was  sinking  into 
 death  through  severe  illness,  and  Luther 
 entered  his  chamber.  "  We  cannot  spare 
 you  yet !  "  was  Luther's  exclamation  to 
 his  dying  friend ;  and  then  he  threw 
 himself  upon  his  knees  in  wrestling 
 prayer.  Then,  seizing  Melancthon's 
 hand,  he  said,  "  Be  of  good  courage, 
 Philip  :  thou  shalt  not  die  ! "  After  his 
 recovery,  Melancthon  wrote  to  Camera- 
 rius,  "  If  Luther  had  not  come  to  me,  I 
 should  certainly  have  died  ;  he  recalled 
 me  from  the  gates  of  the  grave." 
 
 "  More  things  are  wrought  by  prayer 
 Than  this  world  dreams  of.     Wherefore,  let 
 
 thy  voice 
 Rise  like  a  fountain  for  me  night  and  day," 
 
 &c.    — Tennyson's  "  Morte  d' Arthur." 
 
 Ver.  22.  Sacrifices.  •  Christ  never 
 despised  sacrifice,  but  relatively  He 
 undervalued  it.  The  idea  of  sacrifice 
 among  the  Jews  had  taken  precedence 
 of  humanity,  justice,  and  right.  (See 
 Matt.  V.  23,  24.)  What  does  it  mean 
 but  this.  Do  not  think  that  sacrifice  to 
 God  is  the  highest  religious  duty.  Sacri- 
 fice depends  for  its  value  on  preceding 
 moral  qualities.  A  principle  is  higher 
 than  the  ordinance  which  you  take  to 
 exhibit  that  principle.  The  life  of 
 religion  in  the  soul  is  first  in  import- 
 ance :    the   instruments    by  which   you 
 
 develop  that  life  are  of  secondary  con- 
 sideration.— H.  W.  Beecher. 
 
 Ver.  23.  Obedience.  Some  persons 
 Avould  make  religion  to  consist  of  little 
 else  than  a  self-denying  course  of  the 
 practice  of  virtue  and  obedience.  They 
 make  it  a  kind  of  house-of-correction 
 work.  But  no  !  I  love  the  service  of 
 my  God ;  like  the  bird,  I  fly  on  the 
 wings  of  obedience  to  His  holy  will. — 
 Chalmers. 
 
 Ver.  31.  "High  j^laces  of  Tophef' 
 In  the  parallel  passages  (xix.  5,  xxxii. 
 35),  Jeremiah  substitutes  the  word 
 "  Baal,"  thus  identifying  the  two  names. 
 Probably  "  Tophet"  was  a  contemptuous 
 name  for  "  Baal,"  derived  from  5]!)n,  to 
 spit  out,  an  object,  therefore,  of  loathing. 
 The  word  occurs  in  Job  xvii.  6,  and  is 
 rendered  "  tabret,"  i.e.,  "  I  was  as  a  con- 
 temptuous thing."  And  it  is  to  be 
 noticed  that  in  the  consecutive  verses 
 (Isa.  XXX.  32,  33)  the  word  occurs  twice, 
 and  is  rendered  "  tabret "  and  "  Tophet  " 
 respectively.  Dr.  W.  Smith  affirms 
 that  "  the  Hebrew  words  are  nearly 
 identical,"  and  hence  concludes  that 
 "Tophet  was  probably  the  king's  'music- 
 grove  '  or  garden,  denoting  originally 
 nothing  evil  or  hateful."  But  Ewald, 
 Hitzig,  Gesenius,  and  others,  appeal  to 
 Isa.  XXX.  33,  "Fire  and  much  wood;  the 
 breath  of  the  Lord,  like  a  stream  of 
 brimstone,  doth  kindle  it,"  in  favour  of 
 the  meaning,  place  of  burning,  from 
 ^Pi     to   burn.      This   beautiful   valley 
 
 Josiah  "defiled"  (2  Kings  xxiii.  10), 
 pouring  into  it  all  the  filth  of  the  city, 
 till  it  became  a  foul  and  revolting  scene. 
 Others  suggest  its  significance  to  be  "  a 
 drum,"  because  that  instrument  was  em 
 ployed  to  drown  the  cries  of  victims  who 
 were  "  caused  to  pass  through  the  fire." 
 "To  the  worship  of  Molech  a  temple 
 was  dedicated  in  the  valley  of  Hinnom, 
 and  infants  sacrificed,  to  drown  whose 
 cries,  when  the  little  innocents  were 
 locked  in  the  burning  embraces  of  the 
 brazen  image,  a  loud  flourish  of  trum 
 pets  and  cymbals  was  constantly  kept 
 up,  whence  the  place  was  called  Tophet. 
 Hezekiah  and  Manasseh,  both  slaves  to 
 this  revolting  superstition,  immolated 
 their  sons  to  the  savage  divinity."— 
 raxtoii. 
 
 169 
 
cfi  A  P.  viii.  HOMILETIC  COMMENTAR  Y :  JEREMIAB. 
 
 Ver.   32.      Punishment.      The  seed  reflect  in  intensity  their  origin.     What- 
 
 holds  in  embryo  the  form  iuto  which,  soever  a  man  soweth,  that  shall  he  also 
 
 by  an  inviolable  law,  it  will  develop ;  reap." 
 
 the   full  development  will  be   but   an  "  Punishment  is  the  recoil  of  crime ; 
 
 enlargement  and  likeness  of  the  germ.  and  the  strength  of  the  back-stroke  is 
 
 Sin  is  thus  embryonic ;  our  guilty  deeds  in  proportion  to  the  original  blow." — 
 
 will   expand    into    results    which   will  French. 
 
 CHAPTER  VIII. 
 
 Critical  and  Exegktioal  Notes. — Chronology  and  History,  as  in  cLap.  vii.  Observe,  how- 
 ever, that  a  new  section  in  this  extended  prophetic  address  commenced  with  ver.  4,  which 
 continues  to  chap.  ix.  22. 
 
 1.  Geographical  Reference.  Ver.  22.  "  Gilead : "  a  mountainous  region,  bounded  on  the 
 west  by  Jordan,  east  by  high  plateau  of  Arabia,  north  by  Bashan,  south  by  valley  of  Heshbon  ; 
 covering  an  area  of  cir.  60  miles  by  20.  The  mountains  of  Gilead  have  an  elevation  of  between 
 2000  and  3000  feet.  The  valleys  of  Gilead  are  richly  wooded,  presenting  all  the  noble  features 
 of  forest  scenery.  The  torrent-beds  are  filled  with  oleanders.  The  district  so  charmed  the 
 lleubenites  and  Gadites  that  they  asked  it  for  their  inheritance  rather  than  pass  "  over 
 Jordan  "  (Num.  xxxii.  1-5). 
 
 2.  Personal  Allusions.  Ver.  S.  "^SmSes  ;"  the  Sopherim,  students  and  interpreters  of  the 
 written  law,  who  probably  owed  their  elevation  into  a  distinctly-recognised  order  to  Shaphan 
 (2  Chron.  xxxiv.  13,  15) ;  their  employ  was  to  write  out  the  law,  classify  its  contents,  enume- 
 rate its  clauses  and  letters,  with  "every  jot  and  tittle  "  (cf.  ii.  8).  Ver.  9.  "  The  wise  men:" 
 specified  also  in  chap,  xviii.  18  as  a  distinct  class  ;  but  probably  here  used  of  those  who  prided 
 themselves  on  their  knowledge,  learned  men  of  all  orders  of  society  {cf.  ix.  23). 
 
 3.  Natural  History.  Ver.  7.  "  Stork  : "  Chasidah,  a  name  suggestive  of  piety  and  benevolence, 
 from  ipPTj  zeal,  benignity  ;  specially  careful  for  her  young  and  her  aged  parents,  makes  her 
 nest  on  high  (Ps.  civ.  17),  soars  very  loftily  ("  in  the  heaven"),  far  above  the  range  of  human 
 vision,  annually  migrates  as  soon  as  cold  warns  her  of  winter's  approach  ;  arrives  in  Palestine 
 about  the  middle  of  March,  where  it  rests  for  about  six  weeks.  "Turtle,"  i.e.,  turtle-dove, 
 Thor :  heralds  the  spring  (Cant.  ii.  12)  with  sweet  voice  (Cant.  ii.  14),  yet  mournful  tones 
 (Nah.  ii.  9)  ;  its  plumage  rich  (Ps.  Ixviii.  13),  nestles  in  rocks  (Jer.  xliii.  28),  has  eyes  of 
 peculiar  softness  and  lustre  (Cant.  i.  15,  v.  12),  migratory.  "Crane  :"  Sus,  means  the  swift, 
 also  a  bird  of  passage,  very  noisy,  with  a  harsh  note ;  in  appearance  resembling  the  stork. 
 '■  Sivallow :  "  here  A gur  [the  words  Sus  and  Agur  are  used  interchangeably  in  Scripture  for 
 swallow  and  crane  ;  diflicult,  therefore,  to  fix  the  name  on  either]  ;  the  swallow  prefers  popu- 
 lous scenes,  and  builds  her  nest  in  dwellings  of  mankind  ;  her  note  is  quick  and  querulous 
 (Isa.  xxxviii.  14),  her  migration  is  annual.  Ver.  13.  "  Grajyes  on  the  vine:"  Anabim,  cluster 
 of  grapes  (Gen.  xl.  10).  (See  notes  on  chap.  ii.  21,  vi.  9.)  "Figs:"  Tenim,  three  kinds  in 
 Palestine— the  early,  the  summer,  and  the  winter  fig  ;  tree  grows  to  vast  dimensions,  and 
 abounds  throughout  the  land  (Deut.  viii.  8).  (See  notes  on  chap.  v.  17.)  Ver.  14.  "  Water  of 
 gall,"  i.e.,  poisonous  water  ;  lit.  water  of  the 'poisonous  ^ilant,  Ti^i>^T^D,  Gesenius  pronounces 
 it  the  poppy  ;  but  Spealcer's  Com.  refers  to  the  same  word  in  Deut.  xxxii.  32,  where  the  further 
 description,  "their  grapes  are  grapes  of  gall,"  necessitates  the  abandonment  of  the  poppy, 
 which  has  no  berries  ("  grapes  ") ;  and  concludes,  "  probably  it  was  the  belladonna  or  night- 
 shade, ^to  the  berries  of  which  the  grapes  of  Israel  were  compared."  In  Hos.  x.  4,  rosh  is  ren- 
 dered "  hemlock,"  and  in  Job  xx.  16,  "  poison  "  of  asps.  The  Targum  renders  it  *'  the  cup  of 
 malediction.'  Ver.  17.  "Serpents,  cockatrices,"  i.e.,  serpents,  even  cockatrices,  or  vipers: 
 Isiphoni,  small  but  very  venomous  vipers,  basilisks  which  cannot  be  charmed.  Its  name, 
 Isiphoni,  given  to  it  on  account  of  its  remarkable  hissing  ;  its  sting  deadly  (Prov.  xxiii.  32, 
 where  rendered  "  adder  ").  So  fatal  is  its  wound,  that  natural  historians  assert  that  all  other 
 serpents  hurry  away  and  hide  themselves  at  its  hiss,  and  that  its  very  breath  will  blast  plants 
 and  poison  the  air.  "  This  dreadful  snake  is  not  a  native  of  Canaan,  but  abounds  in  the  miry 
 helds  of  Lgypt '  {Dr.  Porter).  Ver.  22.  "  Balm  in  Gilead : "  this  balsam  early  mentioned  in 
 hcripture  (Gen.  xxxvii.  25)  as  an  article  of  commerce  with  Midianitish  merchants,  who  carried 
 
 r-  ^^P^ ;  sufliciently  valued  as  to  be  among  the  presents  sent  by  Jacob  to  Joseph  (Gen. 
 xliii.  11),  and  possessed  of  acknowledged  medicinal  properties.  It  cannot  be  identified  with 
 any  particular  tree.  Pliny  and  Strabo  attest  the  celebrated  virtue  of  the  opobahamiLm  or  myro- 
 oaiann-x;  but  Bocharfc  selects  the  resin  drawn  from  the  terebinth  as  the  " balm  "  here  alluded 
 10,  ilicre  ^s  now  no  tree  in  Gilcud  which  yields  sucli  balsam,  but  it  may  be  found  in  Arabia  and 
 1  <0 
 
EOMILETW  COMMENTARY :  JEREMIAH.  chap.  vrti. 
 
 Egypt.  A  fragrant  and  medicinal  balsam  is  used  and  sold  among  Turks  which  is  obtained 
 from  Mecca. 
 
 4.  Manners  and  Customs.  Ver.  1.  "They  shall  bring  out  the  bones,"  &c.  :  ornaments  and 
 treasures    were    buried   with    the  dead ;    the   enemies,   knowing    this,    would    ransack   the 
 
 sepulchres,  and  plunder  the  dead  of  their  insignia  and  valuables,  Eefer  to  Josephus, 
 Antiq.  vii.  ch.  15,  §  3,  for  account  of  Hyrcanus  rifling  the  sepulchre  of  David,  robbing  it  of 
 3000  talents  ;  and  to  Heredotus  i.  187,  for  statement  of  like  act  of  Darius  with  grave  of  Nito- 
 cris.  A  customary  arrangement  for  crown,  sceptre,  and  royal  insignia  to  be  interred  witli 
 kings  ;  nobles  and  the  wealthy  imitated  this  by  burying  other  treasures  and  valuables.  Ver.  8. 
 "Pen  of  the  scribes  :  "  the  pen  or  style  was  of  iron,  pointed  (c/.  vii.  1),  though  this  "  iron  pen," 
 or  graver  of  steel,  was  probably  used  only  for  tracing  letters  upon  stone  or  metallic  plates. 
 When  tablets  of  wood  covered  with  wax,  skins,  and  parchments  received  the  writing,  a  metal 
 stylus  or  a  reed  formed  the  "pen."  Ver.  22.  "Is  there  no  physician  there?"  The  inquiry 
 suggests  that  practitioners  in  the  medical  art  had  established  themselves  in  Gilead,  who  both 
 collected  the  "  balm,"  and  applied  it  to  the  suffering  who  resorted  thither  for  healing. 
 
 5.  Literary  Criticism.  Ver.  1.  "  Atthatiime  :"  points  back  to  chap.  vii.  32,  "  the  days  come." 
 Ver.  4.  "  Shall  they  fall  .  .  .  shall  he  turn?"  More  correctly.  Shall  mew  fall  and  not  arise  ? 
 shall  one  turn,  &c.  ?  An  appeal  to  the  general  experience  and  conduct  of  men — viz.,  that  it  is 
 customary  for  men  to  arise  after  having  fallen,  &c.  Ver.  6.  "  No  man  repented  him,"  &c. :  lit. 
 is  0  xncin  has  jnty  u}}on  his  \f'ickedness;  the  sinner  would  compassionate  and  commiserate  him- 
 self did  he  fully  realise  his  sin  and  its  consequences.  Ver.  8.  "  Certainly  in  vain  made  he  it," 
 &c.  Margin,  "The  false  pen  of  the  scribes  worketh  for  falsehood."  Lange  also,  taking  the 
 verb  nii^i^  as  emphatically  to  work,  translates  thus  :  "Behold  he  has  ivorhed  for  a  lie,  i.e.,  has 
 
 done  lying  work  ;  the  pen  of  the  scribes  has  produced  lies."  Keil  and  Speaker'' s  Com.  render  the 
 words  :  "  Lo  !  the  lying  pen  of  the  scribes  hath  made  it  (the  law  of  the  Lord)  into  a  lie."  The 
 VvlgatehdiS,  "  Verily,  falsehood  has  the  false  pen  of  the  scribe  wrought."  Ver.  10-12.  The 
 LXX.  omits  from  the  words,  "  for  every  one  from  the  least,"  &c.,to  the  end  of  ver.  12.  They 
 are  a  repetition  of  words  from  chap.  vi.  12-15.  Jeremiah  frequently  quotes  his  former  utter- 
 ances ;  hence  Hitzig's  suggestion  that  they  are  an  interpolation  is  without  force.  Ver.  13.  "  And 
 the  things  that  I  have  given  them  shall  jmss  away  from  them  :  "  the  old  translators  (Chald.,  Syr., 
 Vulg.)  render  the  passage,  "  What  I  have  given  them  they  have  trangressed."  Ewald  sustains 
 this.  The  A.V.  translation  suggests  the  meaning,  they  should  lose  God's  beneficent  gifts. 
 Umbriet,  Venema,  Keil,  and  Speaker's  Com.  render  the  words,  "  So  I  appoint  unto  them  those 
 that  shall  pass  over Jhem:  "  ^JIJ^  to  appoint ;  and  15^^,  to  overrun  (cf.  Isa.  viii.  8).  Bitxig  and 
 Graf.,  "I  deliver  them  up  to  mem  who  pass  over  them."  Ver.  14.  "Be  silent,"  from  HDl, 
 the  Niphil  form  (nDIJ)^  meaning  to  perish;  then  "put  to  silence,"  from  01^7)  ^^P^'^  ^°'"™ 
 CD^H)  meaning  to  destroy  ;  hence,  Jehovah  hath  decreed  our  ruin.  Ver.  18.  "When  /  would 
 comfort  myself,"  &c.  :  lit.,  "  Oh,  my  comfort  in  the  sorrow  !  my  heart  within  me  is  faint ;  "  an 
 outcry  of  anguish.  Noyes  renders  it,  "  Oh,  where  is  consolation  for  my  sorrow  ?  "  Ver.  19. 
 "Behold  the  voice  .  .  .  because  of  them  in  a  far  country."  More  correctly,  "Behold!  the 
 sound  of  the  cry  of  the  daughter  of  my  people/rom  a  distant  land ;  "  her  cry  being,  "Is  not  the 
 Lord  in  Zion  ? "  &c.,  from  which  she  is  now  an  exile.  To  this  question  God  returns  the  counter- 
 question,  "Why  have  they  provoked  Me  ? "  &c.  Ver.  21.  "lam  hurt,"  am  broken,  i.e.,  in 
 heart.  "  I  am  black,"  am  in  mourning  (A'czT)  ;  I  go  mourning  {Spcakei-'s  Com.).  Ver.  22.  "The 
 health,"  &c.  Why,  then,  has  no  bandage  (of  balsam)  been  laid  upon  my  people  ?  (So  Keil, 
 Speaker's  Com.)  But  "health "  is  the  more  uniform  rendering  of  the  word  [cf.  xxx.  17,  xxxiii.  6). 
 Eend.  remarks,  "  n3^")i<  health,  properly  means  length,  from  the  circumstances  of  long  linen 
 bandages  being  employed  in  binding  up  wounds." 
 
 HOMILIES  AND  OUTLINES  ON  SECTIONS  OF  CHAPTER  VIII. 
 
 Section    1-3.  The  dead  :  their  graves  dishonoured. 
 
 „         4-12.  The  living  :  their  unabashed  iniquity. 
 
 ,,       13-17.  Maledictions:  God's  messages  of  doom. 
 
 „      18-22.  Lamentations  :  the  prophet's  dismay. 
 
 Ver.  1-3.  The  Dead  :  Theie  Graves  Dishonouked. 
 
 This  would  be  done  by  the  Chaldean  hordes  in  search  for  booty.  Jeremiah, 
 however,  suggests  not  the  motive  of  this  sacrilegious  disturbance  of  the  dead ;  he 
 regards  only  the  fact  as  the  punitive  judgment  of  an  offended  God.  Even  plunderers 
 may  carry  into  effect  the  righteous  displeasure  and  retribution  of  the  Most  High. 
 
 171 
 
OHAP.  viit.  EOMILETIC  COMMENTARY :  JEREMIAB. 
 
 "  At  the  time  of  the  siege  of  Jerusalem,  not  only  will  they  bury  in  Tophet  (vii. 
 ?2-34)  till  there  be  no  more  room,  such  -will  be  the  carnage;  but  they  who  bury 
 there  will  also  open  the  graves  of  those  who  are  buried,  the  kings  and  princes  of 
 Judah,  and  expose  them  to  public  contumely  and  shame.  Perhaps  the  corpse  of 
 King  Jehoiachim  was  then  disinterred  (xxii.  19)." — Wordsworth. 
 
 "  Their  dead  bodies  should  lie  unburied  in  the  sight  of  these  their  deities  (ver.  2), 
 whom  these  idolaters  had  worshipped  while  they  were  alive,  and  thought  they  could 
 never  do  enough  for,  but  who  could  do  them  no  good  either  alive  or  dead." — Trapjx 
 
 "  In  their  reckless  search,  the  barbarians  would  never  think  of  replacing  the  bones 
 which  they  had  disturbed,  but  would  leave  them  exposed  to  open  gaze.  The  objects 
 of  idolatrous  worship  are  here  introduced  with  admirable  effect,  as  unconcerned 
 spectators  of  the  indignity  offered  to  their  former  worshippers.  The  condition  of 
 survivors  (ver.  3)  would  be  more  pitiable  than  that  of  the  dead." — Henderson. 
 
 I.  The  sanctuaries  of  the  dead  profaned  (ver  1).  What  a  conception  does  this 
 fact  supply  of  the  barbarity  of  the  Chaldean  hordes !  Nothing  sacred  in  their 
 esteem.  War  lets  loose  the  worst  passions  of  the  best  armies,  but  never  did  an 
 army  equal  in  lawless  badness  this  Babylonian  host.  Lust  and  greed  drove  them 
 on  to  ruthless  violation  of  everything  they  met.  (See  Addenda  to  chap.  viii.  1, 
 "  Graves  disturbed.") 
 
 II.  The  pitiless  indifference  of  idol  deities  (ver.  2).  How  does  this  statement 
 set  before  these  idolaters  the  worthlessness  of  their  gods !  In  their  most  evil  hour 
 their  chosen  deities  will  neither  commiserate  or  help  them.  Suggestive  of  man's 
 treatment  from  those  he  substitutes  for  the  true  and  gracious  Lord ;  contemptuous 
 unconcern  in  his  day  of  calamity. 
 
 III.  The  horror  and  anguish  of  survivors  (ver.  3).  There  is  something  worse 
 than  death ;  yea,  than  a  dishonoured  burial :  life,  when  itself  '•  evil ; "  when 
 "driven"  away  by  God;  when  abandoned  to  "^jiZaces"  of  exile,  among  foes  and 
 scoffers  and  cruel  despots.  To  live  experiencing  and  enduring  God's  vengeance  is 
 the  direst  calamity  man  can  bear  (comp.  Job  iii.  21,  22  ;  Rev.  ix.  6).  (Addenda  to 
 chap.  viii.  3,  "  Death  desired.") 
 
 Ver.  4-12.  The  Living:  Their  Unabashed  Iniquity. 
 
 I.  They  would  not  attend  to  the  dictates  of  reason  (ver.  4,  5).  The  most 
 careful  traveller  may  miss  his  Avay ;  but  then,  as  soon  as  he  is  aware  of  it,  "  will  he 
 not  return  ?  "  JSTo  man  in  his  wits  will  go  on  in  a  way  that  he  knows  will  never 
 bring  him  to  his  journey's  end  :  "  ivhi/  then  has  this  2^eople  slidden  hack  with  a 
 2^erpetual  hlackslidirig  ? "  The  nature  of  sin  :  it  is — (1.)  backsliding;  (2.) perpetual, 
 unless  Divine  grace  prevent  it;  (3.)  a  cherished  deceit;  (4.)  of  which  its  dupes 
 refuse  to  be  undeceived. 
 
 II.  They  would  not  attend  to  the  dictates  of  conscience  (ver  6).  Observe : 
 1.  What  expectations  there  were  from  them,  that  they  would  bethink  themselves  :  "I 
 hearkened  and  heard.  (Comp.  Job.  xxxiii.  27.)  2.  Ifoiv  these  expectations  luere 
 disappointed :  "  They  spake  not  aright ; "  and  the  only  speaking  "  aright "  would 
 have  been  in  words  of  "  repentance  of  wickedness ; "  but  this  was  refused,  (a.) 
 They  did  not  take  even  the  first  step  towards  repentance :  "  None  said.  What  have 
 I  done?"  (6.)  They  were  so  far  from  repenting  that  they  went  on  resolutely  in 
 their  sins  :  "  Every  one  turned  to  his  course,"  &c. 
 
 III.  They  would  not  attend  to  the  dictates  of  Providence  (ver.  7).  Though 
 they  are  "my  people,"  yet,  1.  Thei/  tvere  heedless  of  God's  dealings  with  them: 
 "  Know  not  the  judgments  of  the  Lord."  2.  The  inferior  creatures  around  them 
 showed  more  sagacity.     (Addenda  on  ver.  7,  "Stork,"  "  Turtle;'  &c.) 
 
 IV.  They  would  not  attend  to  the  dictates  of  the  written  Word  (ver.  8,  9). 
 Many  enjoy  abundance  of  the  means  of  grace,  but  they  do  not  answer  the  end  of 
 their  having  them.    Those  who  are  "  wise  "  yet  do  uo  better  for  their  souls  with  their 
 
 172 
 
HOMILETIO  COMMENTARY:  JEREMIAH.  chap.  vra. 
 
 wisdom  than  they  who  pretended  to  none,  will  have  reason  to  be  "  ashamed,"  aad 
 will  be  taken  in  their  own  snare.  1.  He  threatens  the  judgments  of  God  againsi 
 them  (ver.  10).  2.  He  gives  a  reason  for  those  judgments:  they  were  greedy  of 
 wealth,  "given  to  covetousness;"  they  made  7io  conscience  of  speaking  truth,  "every 
 one  dealeth  falsely;"  ihej  flattered  people  in  their  sins  (ver.  11);  they  were  lost  to 
 all  sense'of  vi7'tne  and  honour  (ver.  12),  "they  could  not  blush."  Such  as  these 
 were  ripe  for  ruin. — Henry. 
 
 Ver.  13-17.  Maledictions:  God's  Messages  of  Doom. 
 
 A  succession  of  varied  images  and  ideas ;  vine,  stronghold,  trouble,  invasion, 
 serpents  :  Jeremiah's  quick  transitions  from  figure  to  fact  is  characteristic.  Also 
 observe  the  frequent  change  of  speakers  in  this  section  :  God  speaks  in  ver.  13, 
 the  people  in  ver.  14,  15;  Jeremiah  himself,  ver.  16;  Jehovah  again,  ver.  17;  a 
 style  indicative  of  the  passion  and  intensity  of  the  prophet.  Both  the  varied 
 imagery  and  the  interchange  of  speakers  denotes  the  deep  emotion  under  which 
 Jeremiah  now  speaks :  the  dreadful  theme  harrows  his  own  spirit.  Behind  his 
 impetuous  thoughts  and  words  lay  this  great  grief :  "  How  can  I  endure  to  see  the 
 destruction  of  my  people  ? "  To  announce  "  glad  tidings  of  good  things  "  is  a  far 
 easier  and  happier  task  than  to  bear  messages  of  wrath.  Yet  we  must  not  say, 
 "  Peace,  peace,  where  there  is  no  peace"  (ver.  11);  but  tell  fully  what  God  bids. 
 A  series  of  maledictions  under  varied  images. 
 
 I.  The  vine:  Fruitless  things  God  will  consume  (ver.  13).  "There  are  no 
 grapes,"  &c.  (not,  there  shall  be).  Fruitlessness  is  the  reason  why  God  will 
 "consume."  Keil  translates  ver.  13:  "Away,  away  will  I  sweep  them,  saith 
 Jehovah. :  no  grapes  on  the  vine,  and  no  figs  on  the  fig-tree,  and  the  leaf  is 
 withered;  so  I  appoint  unto  them  those  that  shall  pass  over  them."  And  the 
 Speaker's  Com.  thus  comments :  "  These  intermediate  clauses  describe  the 
 present  state  of  the  Jews,  and  not,  as  in  the  Authorised  Version,  the  result  of 
 God's  judgment.  Judah  is  a  vine  which  bears  no  fruit,  a  tree  which  makes  even 
 no  profession  of  life,  for  her  leaf  is  dry."  Others  regard  the  words  as  threatening 
 the  Jews  with  the  deprivation  of  the  fruits  of  the  earth  ;  but  the  former  interpreta- 
 tion has  fuller  authority  and  significance. 
 
 II.  Strongholds:  Defences  cannot  exclude  the  penalties  of  sin  (ver.  14).  The 
 people  awake  at  length  to  the  urgency  of  the  case :  would  shelter  themselves  in 
 fortified  cities;  yet  withal  they  realise  their  sure  destruction:  "Zei  us  perish  (be 
 silent)  there."  Strong  walls  cannot  exclude  God's  judgments :  "  The  Lord  our 
 God  hath  decreed  our  destruction."  (See  Literary  Criticisms  on  ver.  supra.)  Sin 
 must  eventuate  in  overthrow :  "  Because  we  have  sinned,"  &c.  Though  they  rally 
 one  another  to  flee,  yet  they  are  conscious  they  cannot  escape ;  they  are  irremediably 
 lost.     It  is  mournful  abandonment  to  despair. 
 
 III.  Trouble:  Sinners'  false  hopes  assuredly  shattered  (ver.  15).  False 
 prophets  had  beguiled  them  to  "  look  for  peace ; "  now  they  experience  th6  utter 
 reverse :  "  no  good,"  for  where  can  "  good  "  be  found  when  God  is  lost  ?  "  and 
 behold  trouble,"  properly  "terror;"  so  overwhelming  would  the  calamity  prove. 
 Suggestive  of  the  sinner's  anguish  of  dread — in  death,  in  judgment. 
 
 IV.  Invasion:  Terrible  forces  of  retributive  justice  (ver.  16).  (See  on  chap, 
 iv.  15.)  The  border-line  crossed  by  the  foe.  Health  may  be  our  border-line,  or  a 
 carnal  confidence  ;  the  enemy  will  pass  that  line,  and  then,  oh  our  dismay  !  There 
 are  "  strong  ones,"  rushing  cavalry,  which  scour  the  land ;  no  resisting  their  fury  or 
 checking  their  impetuous  speed.     The  resxdt  :  "  devoured." 
 
 V.  Serpents:  Alleviation  and  avoidance  of  misery  impossible  (ver.  17) :  "not 
 be  charmed,"  and  "  they  will  bite  you."  No  incantation,  devices,  or  persuasives 
 will  disarm  the  attack  of  the  foe  ;  the  venomous  bite  will  inevitably  bring  death. 
 Such  is  the  issue  of  the  "  Serpent's  "  bite.    No  crafty  measures  will  avert  the  miseries 
 
 173 
 
CHAP.  VIII.  HOMILETIC  COMMENTARY :  JEREMIAH. 
 
 which  follow  upon  sin  :  "  At  last  it  biteth  like  a  serpent,   and  stingeth  like  an 
 adder." 
 
 Ver.  18-22.  Lamentations  :  The  Pkophet's  Dismay, 
 
 As  Jeremiah  regards  his  people's  ruin,  his  heart  is  sorely  oppressed  with  grief  and 
 horror.  (Addenda  to  chap.  viii.  18,  '^Bitter  lamentations")  He  was  wholly 
 unlike  those  fastidious  philanthropists 
 
 "  Who  sigh  for  wretchedness,  yet  shun  the  wretched, 
 Nursing  in  some  delicious  solitude 
 Their  dainty  loves  and  slothful  sympathies." 
 
 — Coleridge,  "Religious  Musings." 
 
 I.  A  disastrous  event  (ver.  19).  The  invaders  have  carried  the  people  into  a 
 "  far  country."  (See  Lit.  Crit.  supra.)  From  the  scene  of  their  exile  their  bitter 
 laments  come  ringing  upon  the  prophet's  troubled  ear.  Yet  their  complaining  cry, 
 "  Is  not  the  Lord  in  Zion  1 "  is  answered  by  God's  accusing  inquiry  concerning  their 
 prolonged  and  provoking  apostasy. 
 
 II.  A  grievous  reflection  (ver.  20).  The  day  of  hope  and  remedy  is  irretrievably 
 gone !  This  is  the  bitter  outcry  of  the  wretched  exiles  themselves.  Sinners  will 
 one  day  see  and  bewail  their  impiety  and  folly.  (Addenda,  chap.  viii.  20,  "  Oppor- 
 tunity lost.") 
 
 III.  A  stricken  mourner  (ver.  18,  21).  He  can  lay  hold  on  no  comfort  in  his 
 sorrow  ;  calls  after  it  as  lost,  and  his  burdened  heart  is  sick  within  him ;  while  also 
 he  himself  suffers  (ver.  21)  the  agonies  which  he  witnesses  his  people  bear.  In 
 this  Jeremiah  was  a  type  of  Him  who  was  "stricken  and  ajfflicted;"  for  "surely 
 He  hath  borne  our  griefs." 
 
 IV.  A  bewildered  inquiry  (ver.  22).  (1.)  A  remedy  existed:  "balm."  (2.) 
 Skilled  administrators  of  the  remedy  could  be  found :  "  physicians  there "  (these 
 physicians  were  her  priests  and  prophets,  scribes  and  wise  men ;  comp.  ver.  8-11) ; 
 yet  she  had  suffered  many  things  of  many  physicians,  without  being  healed  of  any. 
 For  there  is  but  one  True  Physician  for  the  maladies  of  sin,  and  to  Him  she  had 
 not  applied.  '^Why?"  The  prophet  is  staggered  at  Judah's  neglect  of  Him: 
 what  is  her  reason?  "Neglect  of  the  great  salvation"  is  therefore  unreasonable, 
 unjustifiable,  astounding.  For  because  of  such  neglect  unutterable  miseries  and 
 grievous  wounds  remain,  and  must  continually  be  borne.  Verily,  man's  wilful 
 repudiation  of  the  Divine  remedy  is  appalling,  and  he  thereby  "  wrongs  his  own 
 soul." 
 
 HOMILETIC  TREATMENT  OF  SELECTED  VERSES  IN  CHAPTER  VIII. 
 
 Ver.  1-3.      Theme :  The  deab  dis-  that  slain  should  be  unburied,  but  here 
 
 HONOURED,  YET  DEATH  DESIRED.     (Ad-  the  gravcs  of  the  buricd  are  to  be  mali- 
 
 denda  to  chap.  viii.  1,  3,  "  Bead  mo-  ciously  opened. 
 tested;  Death  desired.'')  "II.  Death  shall  now  be,  what  it 
 
 Note :  Burial  is  an  expression  of  our  never  used  to   be,  the    choice  of  the 
 
 hope  of  resurrection  ;  hence  our  common  living.     And   this,  not  in   a  believing 
 
 reverence  for  places  of  sepulture,  and  hope  of  happiness  in  the  other  life,  but 
 
 our  horror  at  sacrilegious  violation   of  in  an  utter  despair  of  any  ease  in  this 
 
 the  grave.  Mq:'— Henry. 
 
 "The  dreadful  desolation  which  the 
 Chaldean  army  would  make  in  the  land  Ver.  2.     Theme :   Phases  of  idola- 
 
 would   strangely  alter  the   property  of  trous  homage. 
 death  itself,  and  for  the  worse  too  :  "  There  is  great  force  in  the  piled-up 
 
 "  I.  Death  shall  not  now  he,  as  it  verbs  by  which  their  worship  of   the 
 
 always  used   to  be,  the  repose  of  the  heavenly  bodies  is  described. 
 dead.      Threatened   in  former  chapter  "1.    With  their  hearts  they  'loved' 
 
 174 
 
HOMILETIC  COMMENTARY :  JEREMIAH. 
 
 CHAP.  vm. 
 
 them.  2.  With  costly  offerings  tliey 
 *  served '  them.  3.  With  submissive  fol- 
 lowing they  '  walked  after '  them.  4. 
 Freqiienting  their  temples,  in  order  to 
 gain  their  favour,  they  '  sought '  them. 
 5.  Bowing  down  before  them  and  pub- 
 licly honouring  them,  they  '  worshipped ' 
 them. 
 
 "  Yet  these  gods,  thus  served  with 
 heart  and  hand,  do  nothing  whatever 
 for  their  worshippers,  except  to  aid  their 
 hones  to  decay.  Hitzig  well  points  out 
 how  the  prophet,  beginning  with  the 
 Kiart  ('  loved '),  describes  their  worship 
 in  the  various  stages  of  development,  and 
 then  contrasts  its  fulness  with  the 
 miserable  reward  which  ensues." — 
 Spealcer's  Com. 
 
 I.  Progressive  stages  of  idolatrous 
 service. 
 
 II.  Absolute  entirety  of  idolatrous 
 self-subjection. 
 
 III.  Pitiless  abandonment  by  idols 
 of  their  votaries. 
 
 IV.  Melancholy  doom  of  idolatrous 
 victims. 
 
 Ver.  4.  Theme :  That  mek  habitu- 
 ally TRY  TO  RIGHT  THEMSELVES. 
 
 When  the//  fall,  they  are  not  so  sense- 
 less as  to  lie  there  ;  they  can  and  they 
 do  get  up.  When  they  err  and  lose 
 their  loay,  they  do  not  madly  resolve  to 
 accept  their  mistake  and  continue  to  go 
 wrong ;  they  refuse  to  proceed  along  a 
 road  which  leads  they  know  not  where, 
 but  certainly  where  they  do  not  wish  to 
 go ;  and  they  retrace  their  steps. 
 
 Basil  uses  the  text  as  a  motive  for  re- 
 pentance. 
 
 Chrysostom  finds  in  it  an  argument 
 that  no  sinner  need  despair  of  repentance. 
 
 It  suggests  :  i.  The  sinner' s  power  to 
 help  himself,  ii.  The  stupidity  of  doing 
 nothing  to  better  his  case.  iii.  The 
 extent  to  which  Ids  self-help  can  attain. 
 iv.  The  common  proneness  of  man  to  fall 
 and  err.  v.  The  necessity  for  direction, 
 that  he  may  not  continue  to  tvander  and 
 so  be  lost.  vi.  That  God  ap)p)roves  man's 
 efforts  to  retrace  his  errors,  vii.  Grace 
 will  certainly  avail  for  those  who  desire 
 to  tread  the  7'ight  way. 
 
 Ver.  5.  Theme  ;  Perpetual  back- 
 sliding.    (Addenda  to  chap.    viii.    5.) 
 
 I.  The  causes  of  backsliding. 
 
 I.  Fear  of  man.  2.  Intercourse  with 
 worldly  society.  3.  Presumption.  4. 
 Secret  sin.     5.  Neglect  of  prayer. 
 
 II.  The  symptoms  of  backsliding. 
 
 1.  Absence  of  pleasure  in  attending 
 to  the  secret  exercises  of  religion.  2. 
 Irregular  and  unprofitable  attendance  on 
 public  ordinances.  3.  Unwillingness  to 
 act  or  suffer  for  the  honour  of  Christ. 
 
 4.  Uncharitable  feelings  toward  fellow- 
 Christians.  5.  Indulgence  in  sins  once 
 abandoned. 
 
 III.  The  forms  of  backsliding. 
 
 1.  Declension  into  error.  2.  Into 
 unbelief.  3.  Into  lukewarmness  or 
 want  of  love.      4.  Into  prayerlessness. 
 
 5.  Into  immorality.  6.  Into  open  re 
 jection  of  a  Christian  profession. 
 
 IV.  The  evils  of  backsliding. 
 
 1.  Its  evils  to  the  backslider :  (1.)  It 
 diminishes  his  happiness.  (2.)  It  arrests 
 his  progress.  (3.)  It  destroys  his  use- 
 fulness. 
 
 2.  Its  evils  to  others  :  (1.)  It  staggers 
 the  anxious  inquirer.  (2.)  Seduces  the 
 weak  Christian.  (3.)  Embarrasses  all 
 the  friends  of  religion.  (4.)  Supplies 
 materials  to  the  mocker. 
 
 V.  The  cure  of  backsliding. 
 
 1.  Let  the  backslider  remember  from 
 whence  he  has  fallen.  2.  Let  him  re- 
 flect on  his  guilt  and  danger.  3.  Let 
 him  return  to  God,  from  whom  he  has 
 wandered.  4.  Let  him  live  near  Christ. 
 5.  Let  him  forsake  the  sin  into  which 
 he  has  fallen.  6.  Let  him  learn  to  de- 
 pend on  the  promised  aid  of  the  Holy 
 Spirit. — Brooks,  "  Plans." 
 
 Ver.  6.  "  What  have  I  done  1 " 
 (Addenda  to  chap.  viii.  6,  "Self- 
 interrogation.") 
 
 1.  In  reference  to  God.  2.  To  my- 
 self. 3.  To  Christ.  4.  To  Christians, 
 5.   To  the  unconverted. — Brooks. 
 
 "  The  thought  expressed  here  is 
 best  explained  by  what  St.  Paul  says  in 
 1  Cor.  xi.  31  :  'For  if  we  would  judge 
 ourselves,  we  should  not  be  judged. ' " — 
 Speaker's  Com. 
 
 Ver.  6,  7.     Theme  :  Man  on  earth. 
 Text  leads  us  to  look  upon  man  on 
 earth  in  three  aspects  : 
 I.  As  the  special  object  of  Divine 
 175 
 
CHAP.  VTTI. 
 
 nOMILETIC  COMMENTARY :  JEREMIAH. 
 
 attention.  "  I  hearkened  and  heard," 
 says  God ;  expressing  deep  interest.  Two 
 things  show  His  special  interest  in  man 
 071  earth  : 
 
 (a.)  The  language  He  emi:)loys  in  the 
 Bible.  "  As  I  live,  saith  the  Lord,"  &c. 
 "  Lo,  these  three  years  I  came  seeking 
 fruit,"  &c.  _ 
 
 (6.)  The  provision  He  has  made  in  the 
 Bible.     Why  this  special  attention  ? 
 
 i.  We  mayimagine  t\i^\jman^s spiritual 
 infirmities  on  earth  would  draw  towards 
 him  the  special  notice  of  his  Maker. 
 The  diseased  child  attracts  most  parental 
 sympathy  and  attention.  This  world  is 
 the  invalid  member  of  God's  family. 
 
 ii.  We  may  imagine  that  man!s 
 critical  'position  on  earth  would  draw 
 towards  him,  &c.  Here,  he  has  practi- 
 cally to  decide  his  destiny. 
 
 iii.  We  may  imagine  that  man^s 
 social  influence  on  earth  would  draw,  &c. 
 Who  can  tell  the  influence,  for  good  or 
 evil,  of  one  man  on  this  earth  1  One 
 may  send  thousands  to  hell,  or  "  turn 
 many  to  righteousness." 
 
 II.  As  the  prohationary  subject  of 
 redemptive  discipline. 
 
 Under  this  system  three  things  are 
 required  of  him  : 
 
 1.  Hectitude  of  language.  "  They 
 spake  not  aright,"  i.e.,  in  accordance 
 with  moral  truth. 
 
 2.  Contrition  of  heart.  *'  No  man 
 repented  of  his  wickedness."  Kepen- 
 tance  is  essential  to  his  recovery. 
 
 3.  &/f-sea7'ching  thought.  "  What 
 have  I  done  1 "  in  relation  to  my  soul, 
 the  universe,  God  1  When  prodigal 
 began  to  think  he  came  to  himself. 
 
 III.  As  the  wicked  abuser  of  the 
 system  under  which  he  lives. 
 
 In  two  ways,  as  here  specified  : 
 
 1.  Recldess  obstinacy.  "Every  one 
 turned  to  his  course."  And  the  way 
 of  each  was  from  God;  as  infidel; 
 drunkard,  &c.  *'  As  the  horse  rusheth  " 
 (Job  xxix.) 
 
 2.  Unnatural  ignorance.  "  Yea,  the 
 stork  in  the  heaven  knoweth,"  &c.  (1.) 
 These  creatures  have  remarkable  instincts, 
 suitable  to  the  external  circumstances  of 
 their  nature.  So  have  you.  They  have 
 instincts  of  perceiving  coming  changes, 
 and   of   adjusting  themselves  to    those 
 
 17G 
 
 changes.  (2.)  These  creatures  invari- 
 ably render  obedience  to  their  instincts. 
 You  do  not.  How  unnatural! — Homilist. 
 (Addenda  to  chap.  viii.  7,  "Stork," 
 dec). 
 
 Ver.  8.  "  Lying  pen  of  the  scribes." 
 (of.  '^Personal  Allusions,"  on  ver. 
 supra,  and  Addenda.) 
 
 Ver.    8,    9.     Theme :   Intellectual 
 
 VANITY  PERVERTING  REVELATION. 
 
 "  The  law  of  the  Lord  is  with  us ; " 
 that  was  the  state  of  their  case ;  but 
 what  did  they  do  with  it,  and  what  did 
 it  do  for  them  ?  What  we  have  is  of 
 subordinate  importance  to  the  use  we 
 make  of  it  and  the  advantage  it  secures 
 to  us.  Men  now  have  the  Word  of 
 God ;  how  do  they  treat  it,  what  does 
 it  profit  them  ? 
 
 I.  Sourcesof  sacred  wisdom.  "Law 
 of  Lord  is  with  us."  They  "  knew  the 
 Holy  Scriptures,  which  are  able  to  make 
 wise  unto  salvation."  The  Jews,  having 
 in  there  possession  these  sacred  oracles, 
 might  have  attained  to  the  "wisdom 
 which  is  from  above,"  and  consequently 
 been  the  wisest  people  on  earth.  We 
 possess  a  revelation  which  "makes  the 
 simple  wise,"  and  teaches  holiest  and 
 most  precious  truth  to  man. 
 
 II.  Perversion  of  the  sources  of 
 sacred  wisdom.  "  Pen  of  scribes  made 
 it  a  lie."  (See  Lit.  Grit,  supra,  on 
 ver.).  By  false  interpretation,  and 
 delusive  application  of  the  law.  This 
 is  the  constant  result  of  : 
 
 1.  Wilf  id  trifling  with  the  Scriptures. 
 2.  Intellectual  conceit,  which  reverses 
 and  mutilates  Scripture  language.  3. 
 Narrow  bigotry,  which  will  bend  revela- 
 tion to  its  own  shibboleth.  4.  Blind 
 hostility,  which  rebels  against  the  plain 
 Word,  and  hence  explains  away  literal 
 teachings.  5.  Dainty  sentimentalism, 
 which  softens  and  practically  neutralises 
 distasteful  teachings,  strong  anathemas, 
 and  bold  declarations. 
 
 III.  Arrogant  pretension  to  the 
 possession  of  sacred  wisdom.  "  We 
 are  Avise  ; "  for  no  other  reason  than 
 that  they  had  the  Scriptures,  and  knew 
 the  letter.  "  The  law  of  the  Law  is  with 
 us,"  is  a  boast  of  more  than  outward 
 possession  of  it,  but  also  of  inward  ac 
 
EOMILETIC  COMMENTARY :  JEREMIAH. 
 
 CHAP.  VIII. 
 
 quaintance  with  it,  mastery  of  its  con- 
 tents. Such  a  familiarity  did  not,  does 
 not,  always  engender  reverence,  or  lead  to 
 obedience.  It  fostered  vanity  of  mind, 
 intellectual  conceit,  and  became  a  snare. 
 These  scribes  rose,  indeed,  to  be  "  wise 
 above  what  is  within." 
 
 IV.  Delusion  resulting  from  the 
 arrogance  of  wisdom  (ver.  9).  Thus, 
 "  He  taketh  the  wise  in  their  own  crafti- 
 ness." God  will  refute  such  irreverent 
 and  merely  literary  wisdom.  Christ 
 thanked  the  Father  that  "from  the  wise 
 and  prudent "  He  had  "  hid "  the  pre- 
 cious truth.  God  denies  real  light  to 
 the  intellectually  proud,  as  they  exclude 
 themselves  from  a  saving  knoivledge  of 
 the  truth.  Lo  wliness  and  submissiveness 
 are  qualifications  for  Divine  enlighten- 
 ment,— "  revealed  them  unto  babes." 
 
 V.  Refutation  of  man's  vaunted 
 wisdom.  God  asks,  "  What  wisdom  is 
 in  them  1 "  With  all  their  knowledge 
 and  their  satisfied  vanity,  they  had  prac- 
 tically "rejected  the  word  of  the  Lord." 
 It  is  "  he  that  doeth  His  will  shall  know 
 of  the  doctrine  : "  hence  God  repudiates 
 their  boast, — denounces  them  as  inflated 
 fools,  "  wise  (only)  in  their  own  con- 
 ceits," and  predicts  their  coming  shame. 
 Intellectual  vanity  easily  leads  to  tam- 
 pering with  and  perverting  God's  Word  ; 
 and  then  the  condemnation  is  inherited 
 with  which  the  volume  of  the  book 
 closes  (Rev.  xxii.  18,  19). 
 
 Comments  : 
 
 Ver.  10-12.  Almost  identical  with 
 chap.  vi.  12-15;  yet  some  distinctive 
 dissimilarities  exist  sufficient  to  refute 
 Hitzig's  suggestion  that  they  are  an  in- 
 terpolation. The  LXX.  omit  them. 
 Jeremiah,  however,  frequently  repro- 
 duces his  figures  and  phrases :  e.g. 
 (comp.  v.  15  with  xiv.  19). 
 
 "  To  those  that  shall  inherit  them " 
 (ver.  10).  "  Eather  to  those  that  shall 
 take  possession  of  them,  i.e.,  to  conquer- 
 ors who  shall  take  them  by  force.  To 
 "  inherit  "  is  to  obtain  legally,  but  the 
 verb  here  used  is  that  applied  to  Ahab's 
 seizure  of  Naboth's  vineyard  (1  Kings 
 xxi.  15),  to  the  subjugation  of  Palestine 
 by  the  Israelites  (Lev.  xx.  24),  to  the 
 Babylonian  conquests  (Isa.  xiv.  21)." — 
 Speaker'' s  Com. 
 
 M 
 
 Ver.  13.  Theme:  Threatening  op 
 COMING  PUNISHMENT,  i.  Severity  of  the 
 visitation.  (a.)  Certain :  "  surely," 
 (b.) Desolating:  " consume."  (c.)  Agonis- 
 ing: "  consume."  ii.  Reason  of  the  visi- 
 tation, (a.)  Fruitlessness :  "no  grapes, 
 no  figs : "  i.e.,  there  are  none.  (6.)  Decay  : 
 "leaf  is  withered."  In  consequence  of 
 barrenness  Christ  cursed  the  fig-tree, 
 iii.  Selected  agency  of  the  visitation. 
 Eead,  "  I  appoint  those  who  will  pass 
 over  them."  (a.)  God  regulates  punish- 
 ment :  "  I  appoint."  (6.)  Unconscious 
 agents  fulfilling  His  word  :  "  them  that 
 shall  pass  over  them."  Note  :  1.  God 
 has  fixed  and  serious  designs  concerning 
 men.  2.  He  has  His  agents  ready  and 
 able  to  carry  them  out.  3.  When  we  talk 
 of  peace  and  safety,  see  no  invader,  sus- 
 pect no  foe  ;  yea,  while  the  enemy  him- 
 self is  without  plan  of  attach,  the  design 
 for  our  overthrow  stands  complete.  4. 
 Hence,  the  certainty  that  "  the  wicked 
 shall  not  go  unpunished,"  and  the 
 urgency  of  our  forsaking  evil,  and  seek- 
 ing reconciliation  with  God. 
 
 Ver.    14,    15.      Theme :    Defiance 
 
 REDUCED  TO  DESPAIR. 
 
 Until  now,  Judah  had  resented  God's 
 warning  and  messages  :  had  carried  on 
 the  war  of  resistance  against  His  Word  ; 
 entrenched  in  her  carnal  security  and 
 insolent  indifi'erence,  had  refused  to 
 repent  or  yield.  This  verse  shows  her 
 \diwxte6.  confidence  gone  ;  she  must  "flee 
 to  defenced  cities :"  and  her  proud  spirit 
 broken ;  she  must  "  be  silent  there." 
 Yet  the  opening  sentence,  "  Why  sit 
 still  ? "  may  be,  not  a  panic  cry,  that  her 
 peril  is  imminent,  but  a  summons  of  her 
 dejected  soul  to  self-help :  one  more 
 effort  to  keep  above  surrender  and 
 despair. 
 
 I.  A  rallying-call  to  action  and  self- 
 defence.  "  Why  sit  still  %  Let  us  go 
 to  defenced  cities."  (See  Homily  on 
 iv.  5.) 
 
 Calvin  remarks  that  these  words  show 
 "  that  they  (as  hypocrites  are  wont  to 
 do)  had  recourse  to  expedients,  by  which 
 they  thought  to  protect  themselves 
 against  God's  wrath.  They  (hypocrites) 
 indeed  feel  their  evils,  and  seek  to  apply 
 remedies;  but  they  stop  at  the  nearest 
 
 177 
 
CHAP.  VIII. 
 
 nOMILETIC  COMMENTARY:  J EB  EM  I  AH. 
 
 reliefs,  without"  seeking  to  pacify  God, 
 and  to  return  into  favour  with  Him ; 
 and  think  themselves  to  be  safe  if  they 
 betake  themselves  to  this  or  that  hiding- 
 place." 
 
 I.  Self-chiding :  "  Why  do  we  sit 
 still?"  2.  Self-reliance:  "Assemble 
 yourselves,  and  let  us  enter,"  3.  Self- 
 delusion  :  "  enter  into  the  defenced  cities, 
 and  let  us  be  silent  there."  Silent  there : 
 some  render  the  words,  rest  there  :  TV2H^ 
 to  rest  or  be  silent.  Merely  defend  our- 
 selves in  quiet,  until  the  storm  blow 
 over. 
 
 II.  A  despairing  recognition  of  their 
 woful  case.  "  Let  us  be  silent  there  ; 
 for  the  Lord  our  God  hath  put  us  to 
 silence,  and  given  us  water  of  gall  to 
 drink."  Authority  determines  the  word 
 "silent"  to  mean  ^^ perish^'  lit.  be 
 put  to  silence,  from  DD'^,  All  that 
 they  can  promise  themselves,  in  fleeing 
 to  fortified  cities,  is  a  little  respite.  1. 
 Salvation  is  beyond  hope  :  the  "  defenced 
 cities "  will  fall ;  they  cannot  expect, 
 therefore,  to  be  saved,  but  only  to  put 
 off  a  little  longer  the  inevitable  ruin. 
 2.  Destruction  is  determined  for  them  : 
 "  Jehovah  hath  put  us  to  silence,"  i.e., 
 hath  decreed  our  destruction,  and  there 
 is  now  no  escape.  And  "  hath  given  us 
 water  of  gall;"  i.e.,  of  poison.  (See 
 '^Natural  History"  on  verse.)  This 
 simile  suggests  the  bitter  suffering  in- 
 cident to  their  nearing  ruin.  Horsley 
 renders  the  words,  "  And  let  us  sit  there 
 in  despair,  since  the  Lord  our  God  hath 
 brought  us  to  despair^'  &c.  For  God 
 had  at  last  reduced  their  defiance  of 
 Him,  and  their  self-confident  indiffer- 
 ence, to  utter  despair.  (Addenda,  chap, 
 viii.  14,  "  Defiance  issuing  in  despair.") 
 
 III.  A  paralysing  acknowledgment 
 of  sin's  merited  judgment.  "The 
 Lord  hath  put  us  to  silence,  &c.,  because 
 we  have  sinned  against  the  Lord.'' 
 Suggests 
 
 1.  God  is  against  sin:  He  will  not 
 condone  it. 
 
 2.  Si7i  hath  entailed  death.  God 
 decrees  destruction,  and  gives  the  poison- 
 ous cup  to  the  sinner, — which  is  the 
 decree  bro7ight  home  to  the  transgressor 
 against  whose  sin  that  decree  has  gone 
 
 178 
 
 forth.  Flee  where  they  might,  they 
 would  carry  their  impiety  with  them, 
 and,  therefore,  God's  decree  against  ini- 
 quity ^ovld.  follow  them  into  their  forti- 
 fications, and  wrath  Divine  would  fall 
 upon  them  there.  There  is  no  escaping 
 the  sentence  and  doom  which  sin  entails, 
 for  there  is  no  evading  God,  nor  shutting 
 off  from  us  the  operation  of  His  omnipre- 
 sent laws.  Men  will  realise  this  at  last. 
 IV.  A  melancholy  confutation  of 
 the  sinner's  vain  hopes  (ver.  15). 
 
 1.  Flattering  expectations  are  easily 
 cherished.  By  (1.)  The  sinner's  own 
 foolish  vanity.  (2.)  By  the  false  coun- 
 sellors to  whom  he  listens.  (See  Notes 
 on  chap.  iv.  10,  and  also  viii.  11.) 
 
 2.  Experience  scatters  our  false  expec- 
 tations. Man  has  the  making  of  his 
 expectations ;  God  of  his  experiences. 
 Our  expectations  are  what  we  desire; 
 our  experiences  what  we  deserve. 
 
 Ver.  18.  Theme:  Comfort  in  sor- 
 row. I.  Need  of  comfort.  II.  Attempt 
 to  comfort  ourselves.  III.  Such  attempt 
 vicious  and  vain. — ./.  Farren.  (Ad- 
 denda to  chap.  viii.  18,  "  Bitter  lamen- 
 tations.") 
 
 Ver.  19,  20.     Theme:  A  bitter  cry 
 
 FROM  SCENES  OP  EXILE. 
 
 "  This  verse  should  be  translated 
 thus  : — '  Behold  the  voice  of  the  cry  for 
 help  of  the  daughter  of  my  people  from 
 a  distant  land !  Is  not  Jehovah  in 
 Zion  ?  Is  not  her  King  there  ?  Why 
 have  they  provoked  Me  to  anger  with  their 
 carved  images,  with  foreign  vanities  ? ' 
 The  invaders  have  not  merely  wasted 
 the  land  (ver.  16),  but  carried  the  rem- 
 nant into  captivity.  The  prophet  seems 
 to  hear  their  loud  cry  for  help,  but  their 
 complaint,  Is  there  no  Jehovah  in  Zion  f 
 is  met  by  God  demanding  of  them  the 
 reason  why,  instead  of  worshipping 
 Him,  they  have  set  up  idols." — Speaker's 
 Com. 
 
 "  Because  they  have  chosen  the  empty 
 idols  from  abroad  ("  strange,"  foreign 
 "  vanities "),  Jehovah,  the  Almighty 
 God  of  Zion,  has  cast  them  out  into  a 
 far  country  amidst  strange  people." — 
 Keil. 
 
 "The  common   cant  was,  Is  not  the 
 
EOMILETIC  COMMENTARY :  JEREMIAH. 
 
 Lord  in  Zion  ?  And  will  not  Zion's 
 God  protect  Zion's  king  and  kingdom  ? 
 This  outcry  of  theirs  reflects  upon  God, 
 as  if  His  power  and  promise  were 
 broken  or  weakened;  and,  therefore, 
 He  returns  an  answer  to  it  immediately, 
 Why  have  they  provoked  Me  1  &c.  They 
 have  withdrawn  from  their  allegiance  to 
 Him,  and  so  have  thrown  themselves 
 out  of  His  protection," — Henry. 
 
 In  the  midst  of  their  bitterness  and 
 woe,  they  remember  the  God  whom  they 
 had  forgotten  in  their  prosperity  ;  but 
 til  is  remembrance  is  not  a  gracious  one, 
 — they  do  not  remember  Him  to  hum- 
 ble themselves  before  Him,  but  to  bring 
 accusations  against  Him. 
 
 I.  "We  have  a  cry :  That  is  how  the 
 prayer  is  described.  1.  It  had  in  it  a 
 meaning :  "  the  voice  of  their  cry." 
 2.  The  matter  of  the  voice  :  "  for  them 
 that  dwell  in  a  far  country  "  [interpreting 
 the  words  as  Zion's  agonising  appeal  to 
 God  for  those  "  afar-ofi^,"  like  the  pro- 
 digal "in  a  far  coimfry"].  3.  Their 
 settled  estrangement  from  God  is  implied, 
 *•  them  that  divell  in  a  far  country." 
 4.  This  prayer  for  those  long  estranged 
 is  from  God's  own  people  :  "  the  cry  of 
 the  daughter  of  my  people." 
 
 II.  The  question  :  "  Is  not  the  Lord 
 in  Zion?  is  not  her  king  in  herl" 
 Surely,  yes.  Then  if  the  Lord  be  in  the 
 midst  of  Zion,  1.  Why  do  we  pray  as  if 
 He  were  not  1  Rather  pray,  knowing 
 Him  near  to  answer  as  by  fire,  2.  Why 
 do  you  despond  because  of  your  tveahiess  ? 
 God  is  all-suflacient.  3.  Why  those 
 great  fears  about  the  prosperity  of  the 
 Church  f  The  battle  is  the  Lord's  :  let 
 us  go  on  and  conquer. 
 
 III.  Another  ciuestion  :  "  Why  have 
 they  provoked  Me  ? "  &c.  1.  Here  is  a 
 question  for  the  Lord's  people.  It  is  a 
 very  solemn  thing  when  God  is  in  His 
 Church,  how  that  Church  behaves 
 herself.  2.  This  text  has  a  particidar 
 voice  to  sinners.  You  have  been  saying, 
 God  is  amid  His  people  ;  how  is  it  I 
 remain  unblessed,  unsaved  ?  Because 
 of  your  "  vanities,"  your  idols,  your 
 sins. 
 
 IV.  Another  cry  :  "  The  harvest  is 
 past,"  &c.  (ver.  20).  We  thought  God 
 would  keep  us  in  the  days  of  harvest ; 
 
 but  the  harvest  is  past.  We  dreamed  He 
 would  chase  away  our  enemies  when  the 
 summer  months  had  come ;  but  the 
 summer  is  ended,  and  still  Chaldea  has 
 her  foot  upon  Judah's  neck — still  we 
 drink  the  wormwood  and  the  gall :  we 
 are  not  saved. 
 
 What  harvest,  what  summers  (spiritu- 
 ally) we  have  had :  ingathering  of  souls  ; 
 yet  you  are  not  saved  1  Some  in  your 
 home  converted,  &c.,  but  you  not  saved. 
 The  day  is  near  when  you  will  have  to 
 cry  in  the  sight  of  the  apjyroach  of  death, 
 "  The  harvest  is  past,  &c.,  and  /  not 
 saved. ^"  Yes,  a  day  comes  when,  being 
 in  torments,  you  will  cry  those  words  1 
 We  are  looking  for  Christ's  coming  :  and 
 then,  seeing  Him  gather  His  harvest  into 
 the  sky,  the  cry  again  will  rise,  "  Harvest 
 paat:  we  not  saved/" — Spur g eon. 
 
 Ver.  20.  Theme :  The  lost  harvest. 
 "  Harvest  is  past,"  &c. 
 
 Language  descriptive  of  the  awful 
 position  of  those  who,  having  trifled 
 away  gracious  opportunities,  are  found 
 at  close  of  life  unforgiven  and  unre- 
 newed.    Consider  : 
 
 I.  That  the  means  and  oppor- 
 tunities of  securing  salvation  are 
 graciously  afforded  to  men. 
 
 II.  That  these  means  and  oppor- 
 tunities will  soon  pass  away. 
 
 III.  That  when  once  past,  they  will 
 have  disappeared  for  ever.  Irretriev- 
 able despair  ! — Sunday  at  Home. 
 
 Theme :  The  unavailing  lamenta- 
 tion.    Bethink : 
 
 I.  That  God  has  given  you  the  gra- 
 cious seasons  of  summer  and  harvest. 
 
 1.  The  summer  (a.)  of  life;  (6.)  of  rea- 
 son; (c.)  of  opportunities.  2.  The 
 harvest  (a.)  of  knowledge  ;  (p.)  of  privi- 
 leges;   (c.)  of  blessings. 
 
 II.  That  these  may  pass  away  un- 
 improved.      1.    Many   do    not    thinlc. 
 
 2.  Will  not  forsake  their  siiis.  3.  Will 
 not  believe.     4.    Will  procrastinate. 
 
 III.  That  the  regrets  of  such  wiU 
 he  awful  and  unavailing.  1.  Some- 
 times their  regrets  are  expressed  in  this 
 world.  2.  They  will  surely  be  uttered  in 
 eternity.  Regrets  (1.)  of  intense  agony, 
 of   recollection,    of    self-condemnation; 
 
 ijy 
 
CHAP.  VIII. 
 
 HOMILETIC  COMMENTARY :  JEREMIAH. 
 
 (2.)  regrets  will  he  unavailing, — no  space 
 for  repentance,  no  ear  for  prayer,  no 
 fountain,  no  cross  !  (3.)  of  hlack  despair, 
 "  harvest  past,"  &c. 
 
 1.  None  would  choose  this  portion. 
 2.  Who  would  risk  it?  3.  Who  will 
 flee  from  it?  How  is  the  "harvest," 
 &c. — Jabez  Bums. 
 
 Theme :  Life's  solemn  opportunity. 
 
 I.  What    considerations   involved. 
 
 1.  The  object:  "harvest."  2.  The  oppor- 
 tunity/:"  summer."  3.  HhQ  limitation  : 
 "  past,"  "  ended."  4.  The  neglect  irre- 
 parable :  "  We  not  saved." 
 
 II.  To  what  circumstances  applic- 
 able.    1.  Neglect  of  decision  for  God, 
 
 2.  Neglect  of  spiritual  culture.  3. 
 Neglect  of  Christian  service. 
 
 III.  What  lessons  enforced.  Im- 
 portance of — 1.  Present  opportunity. 
 2.  Present  dedication. — J.  Farren. 
 
 Theme :  Cautions  and  consola- 
 tions. 
 
 Text  may  be  accommodated  so  as  to 
 admit  of  a  general  application,  and  be 
 interpreted  in  a  spiritual  sense.  Then 
 this  lamentation  may  be  understood  as 
 the 
 
 I.  Language  of  final  and  absolute 
 despair.  That,  having  neglected  means, 
 wasted  opportunity,  resisted  Spirit, 
 "  hated  knowledge,  and  did  not  choose 
 the  fear  of  the  Lord,"  now  they  have 
 no  longer  hope  of  mercy :  nothing  to 
 expect  but  judgment  and  misery  1  Let 
 us  dread  the  doom  of  the  foolish 
 virgins. 
 
 II.  Language  of  deep  and  humbling 
 conviction.  That,  having  abused  their 
 only  opportunity  for  seeking  salvation, 
 for  attending  to  "  the  one  thing  need- 
 ful," for  fulfilling  the  solemn  object  of 
 life,  it  is  gone  for  ever;  their  day  of 
 grace  is  over,  they  must  therefore  perish 
 without  remedy  !  Awakened  at  last  to 
 the  interests  of  their  souls,  but  awakened 
 too  late.     "  Redeem  the  time." 
 
 III.  Language  of  distressing  and 
 gloomy  despondency.  Such  despond- 
 ency as  the  afflicted  and  tempted  servants 
 of  Jesus  Christ  sometimes  experience  : 
 their  minds  clouded,  peace  gone,  hope 
 perished,  they   take   up   unrighteously 
 
 the  melancholy  cry  of  text :  "  After  all 
 we  have  thought  ^and  felt,  we  find  we 
 have  been  deceiving  ourselves,  we  have 
 not  really  known  and  loved  the  Lord, 
 our  present  gloom  is  proof  against  our 
 being  His  j  we  are  undone ;  harvest  is 
 past ! "  &c.  They  are  "  in  heaviness 
 through  manifold  temptations." 
 
 Some  have  a  well-assured  hope  that 
 their  harvest  is  not  passed,  that  they 
 are  saved  I  For  they  have  fled  to  Christ 
 for  refuge,  have  in  themselves  the  wit- 
 ness of  the  Spirit,  Remember,  that  for 
 these  who  have  reasons  for  hope  and  joy, 
 the  term  of  life  is  the  "  summer "  in 
 which  they  must  labour  in  the  service, 
 and  for  the  glory,  of  their  Lord.  —Rev. 
 Ed.  Cooper,  A. D.  1816. 
 
 Theme:  Neglected  opportunities. 
 
 I.  There  are  certain  seasons  which 
 may  be  called  the  soul's    harvests. 
 
 1.  Times  of  religious  privilege.  2.  Times 
 of  special  religious  action.  3.  In  a  sense, 
 the  whole  of  life  is  a  harvest  time.  4. 
 Now  is  emphatically  a  season  of  harvest. 
 
 II.  These  seasons  have  their  period 
 of  close.      1.  By  national  judgments. 
 
 2.  By  providential  removal  3.  By  the 
 withdrawing  of  the  Holy  Ghost.  4.  By 
 death. 
 
 III.  That  these  seasons  may  pass 
 without  due  impression.  1.  Proved 
 from  the  fact  that  many  take  no  heed 
 concerning  their  souls  at  all.  2.  Many 
 are  convicted,  but  never  converted.  3. 
 Exhort  all  to  seek  the  Lord  without 
 delay,  for 
 
 IV.  The  remorse  of  those  who  allow 
 such  seasons  to  pass  without  due  im- 
 pression, will  be — 1.  Fearfuh  2.  Un- 
 availing.— A.  F.  Barfield,  "  Christian 
 World  Pulpit:' 
 
 Theme:  Seasons  op  grace  unim- 
 proved AND  lost. 
 
 Summer  and  harvest  are  proper  seasons 
 of  action;  opportunities  for  arnues  to 
 take  the  field,  subdue  enemies,  and  bring 
 about  deliverance  of  an  oppressed  people. 
 The  winter  that  follows  is  7iot  a  fit  season 
 for  action.  An  awful  thing  when  favour- 
 able seasons  for  saving  a  people  from 
 temporal  enemies  and  calamities  are  lost ; 
 but   infinit-ely   more    alarming    to   lose 
 
EOMILETIC  COMMENTARY :  JEREMIAH. 
 
 CHAT.  viir. 
 
 favourable  seasons  of  saving  their  souls. 
 TMs  is  ground  for  deepest  lamentation 
 when  forced  to  say,  "  Harvest  is  past," 
 &c.     Consider : 
 
 I.  Favourable  seasons,  which  we 
 should  be  careful  to  improve  to  the 
 salvation  of  our  souls. 
 
 1.  The  summer  days  of  youth.  Hope- 
 ful season  :  God  loves  "  first  ripe  fruits :" 
 young  prayers,  young  tears,  young  faith, 
 love,  &c.  (Eccles.  xii.  1). 
 
 2.  When  persons  enjoy  lively  means 
 and  ordinances;  when  Christ  crucified 
 is  set  before  them  with  holy  fervour  and 
 feeling. 
 
 3.  When  there  is  a  noise  and  sltahing 
 among  the  dry  hones :  work  of  convic- 
 tion and  conversion  is  going  forward,  &c. 
 
 4.  When  Satan's  power  is  restrained, 
 and  churches  have  rest  from  evil :  this  is 
 a  calm  summer  day. 
 
 5.  When  Qod  is  visiting  mankind  with 
 alarming  providences:  then  the  inhabi- 
 tants of  the  earth  should  learn  righteous- 
 ness. 
 
 II.  Who  may  he  said  to  have  lost  their 
 summer  days  and  favourable  seasons  of 
 grace  ]  We  cannot  be  positive  as  to  any 
 while  life  remains,  yet  of  some,  sad 
 grounds  to  fear. 
 
 1.  Those  who  have  had  the  Spirit  long 
 striving  with  them,  but  have  resisted  His 
 striving  and  repelled  Him  (Ezek.  xxiv.  1 3). 
 
 2.  Those  who  persist  in  sinful  courses 
 and  harden  themselves  against  the  re- 
 proofs of  the  Almighty  (Prov.  xxix.  1). 
 
 3.  Those  who  sin  presumptuously,  sin 
 in  the  face  of  light,  in  hopes  of  repent- 
 ance and  pardon  (Num.  xv.  30). 
 
 4.  Those  who  are  so  determinately  hent 
 on  sin  that  God,  their  own  consciences, 
 and  God's  ministers  cease  to  reprove 
 them  (Ezek.  iii.  27,  Hos.  iv.  17). 
 
 5.  Those  who  deliberately  relapse  into 
 sin  after  having  been  Divinely  corrected 
 and  aroused  to  resolutions  (Isa.  i.  5). 
 
 6.  Those  who  give  themselves  up  to 
 commit  sin  tvith  greediness,  and  glory  in 
 it  (Ephes.  iv.  19,  Phil.  iii.  19). 
 
 7.  Those  who  7nock  the  offers  of  the 
 Gospel,  and  despise  those  who  bring 
 them  (2  Chron.  xxxvi.  16).  "Harvest 
 is  past,"  &c. 
 
 III.  The  causes  why  men  lose  their 
 hopeful  seasons. 
 
 1.  Unhelief ;  did  men  believe  God's 
 Word,  threatenings,  and  wrath  to  come, 
 they  would  improve  their  seasons  of 
 grace,  and  flee  to  Christ. 
 
 2.  Promise  themselves  time;  leisure 
 to  attend  to  work  of  salvation ;  regard 
 death  and  eternity  as  distant. 
 
 3.  Indulge  sloth;  do  not  "give  aU 
 diligence"  to  the  duties  of  religion, 
 public  and  private. 
 
 4.  Love  of  carnal  company  and  sensual 
 delights  :  amid  sinful  pleasures  they  trifle 
 away  their  summer  days. 
 
 Application  : 
 
 (1.)  How  dreadful  will  he  the  end  of 
 those  who  have  lost  all  their  opportunities 
 of  salvation !  Remembrance  of  them 
 will  not  ameliorate  but  embitter  their 
 case. 
 
 (2.)  Such  characters  act  as  if  devoid 
 of  reason  (Jer.  viii.  7,  Prov.  vi.  8)  j  worse 
 than  the  brutes  that  perish. 
 
 (3.)  Let  us  endeavour  to  improve 
 Gospel  seasons,  the  summer  and  har- 
 vest for  our  souls,  with  greatest  care. 
 — Hannum. 
 
 There  is  in  this  text 
 
 I.  The  acknowledgment  of  oppor- 
 tunity. 
 
 II.  The  confession  of  neglect. 
 
 III.  The  anticipation  of  doom. 
 
 J.  W.  W.,from  Lange.  (Addenda  to 
 chap.  viii.  ver.  20,  "  Opportunity  Lost.") 
 
 Ver.  21.  Comments ; 
 
 "  For  the  hurt  of  the  daughter  of  my 
 people  I  am  hurt."  The  hopeless  case 
 of  the  people  and  kingdom  moves  the 
 seer  so  deeply  that  he  bursts  forth  with 
 the  cry,  *'  For  the  breaking  of  my  people 
 I  am  broken  "  (the  Hopbil  form  =  the 
 breaking  of  the  heart).  "  /  am  black:*' 
 used  of  wearing  mourning — in  other 
 words,  to  be  in  mourning  (cf.  Ps.  xxxv. 
 14,  xxxviii.  7).  ^'Astonishment  hath 
 taken  hold : "  horror  hath  taken  hold 
 on  me  (vi.  24,  Mic.  iv.  9).  Help  is 
 nowhere  to  be  found. — Kiel. 
 
 "Because  of  the  breaking  ...  I  am 
 broken : "  the  words  of  the  prophet, 
 whose  heart  is  crushed  by  the  sad  cry 
 of  his  countrymen. — Speaker's  Com. 
 
 "  Astonished  : "  the  astonishment  with 
 which  he  was  seized  he  no  doubt  sets 
 down    as    being    the    opposite    of    the 
 
 181 
 
CHAP.  VIII. 
 
 EOMILETIC  COMMENTARY :  JEREMIAH. 
 
 people's  torpor  and  insensibility;  for 
 they  had  no  fear  for  themselves. — 
 Calvi7i,. 
 
 "  I  am  contemned  for  bewailing  my 
 people's  misery,  who  neither  feel  nor 
 fear  hurt." — Trapp. 
 
 "  Observe  here : 
 
 i.  How  great  his  griefs  were  (ver.  21). 
 For  their  sin,  and  the  miseries  incurred 
 by  it.  It  becomes  ^is  to  lament  the 
 miseries  of  our  fellow-creatures,  much 
 more  to  lay  to  heart  the  calamities  of 
 our  country,  and  especially  of  the  Church 
 of  God.  Jeremiah  had  prophesied  the 
 destruction  of  Jerusalem,  yet  he  did  not 
 rejoice  in  the  proof  of  the  truth  of  it  by 
 its  accomplishment,  preferring  the  wel- 
 fare of  his  country  before  his  own  repu- 
 tation. If  Jerusalem  had  repented  and 
 been  spared,  he  would  have  been  far 
 from  fretting,  as  Jonah  did.  Jeremiah 
 had  many  enemies  in  Judah  and  Jerusa- 
 lem, that  hated,  reproached,  and  perse- 
 cuted him;  and  in  the  judgments  brought 
 upon  them  God  reckoned  with  them  for 
 it,  and  pleaded  His  prophet's  cause ;  yet 
 he  was  far  from  rejoicing  in  it,  so  truly 
 did  he  forgive  his  enemies  and  desire  that 
 God  would  forgive  them. 
 
 ii.  IIow  small  his  hopes  were  (ver.  22). 
 No  medicine  proper  for  a  sick  and  dying 
 kingdom ;  no  skilful,  faithful  hand  to 
 apply  the  balm.  He  looks  upon  the 
 case  to  be  deplorable  and  beyond  relief. 
 The  desolations  made  are  irreparable, 
 and  the  disease  has  come  to  such  a 
 height  that  there  is  no  checking  it," — 
 Henry. 
 
 "  Our  connection  with  those  who 
 hear  us  continually  is  so  full,  so  intimate, 
 so  tender,  no  one  can  understand  it  who 
 has  not  experienced  it.  We  get  love, 
 we  get  somewhat  from  the  heart  which 
 was  broken  for  its  enemies,  and  which 
 could  cry  on  the  cross  :  Father,  forgive 
 them,  they  know  not  what  they  do," — 
 Zinzendorf. 
 
 Ver,    22.      Theme :    A    cure    for 
 
 DISEASED  SOULS. 
 
 I.  That  mankind  universally  are  in 
 a  diseased  state. 
 
 The  soul  of  man  is  meant,  hence  the 
 diseases  are  those  of  the  soul.  That 
 the  distempers  of  the  mind  are  com- 
 pared to  wounds,  disease,  and  sickness, 
 182 
 
 will  appear  from  Ps.  xxxviii.  5,  ciii.  3  j 
 Ezek.  xxxiv.  4;  Matt,  ix.  13.  Point 
 out  some  of  these  diseases  : 
 
 1.  Atheism,  infidelity,  or  unbelief  of 
 Divine  truths. 
 
 2.  Ignorance  of  God  and  Gospel 
 truths,  even  among  those  who  profess  to 
 know  Him  (Hos.  iv.  6).  They  may  be 
 cured  (Rev.  iii.  17,  18), 
 
 3.  Hardness  of  heart.  (Ezek,  xxxvL 
 26  ;  Phil,  i,  6), 
 
 4.  Earthly  mindedness.  Other  plagues 
 kill  their  thousands,  this  kills  its  tens  of 
 thousands.  Pharaoh's  words  are  true  of 
 them  (Exod.  xiv.  3).  Yet  there  is  help 
 for  this  (Col.  iii.  12). 
 
 5.  Aversion  to  spiritual  duties.  Many 
 would  rather  toil  their  bodies  a  whole 
 day  than  spend  a  quarter  of  an  hour  on 
 their  knees  in  secret  with  God.  (Mai. 
 i.  13).  Relief  for  this  (Ps.  ex,  3;  Isa. 
 xl.  31  ;  Ezek,  xxxvi.  27), 
 
 6.  Hypocrisy  and  formality  in  God's 
 service  (Isa,  xxix,  13).  This  also  may 
 be  healed  (Jer.  xxxi.  33;  Prov.  iv.  18; 
 2  Cor.  iv.  16). 
 
 7.  Trusting  to  our  own  righteousnesi 
 (Rom.  X.  10). 
 
 8.  Indwelling  corruption  (Ps.  Ixv.  3  ; 
 Isa.  Ixiv.  6).  Yet  there  is  help  for  this 
 (Mic.  vii.  19  ;  Rom.  vii.  24,  25). 
 
 9.  Backsliding.  This  is  a  spiritual 
 consumption,  yet  may  be  cured  (Deut. 
 XXX.  6  ;  Hos.  xiv.  4-6). 
 
 There  are  several  symptoms  which 
 seem  to  render  our  diseases  almost 
 desperate  and  incurable. 
 
 a.  When  the  body  is  universally 
 affected,  and  with  a  complication  of 
 diseases,  the  case  is  truly  alarming  :  and 
 this  is  the  state  of  the  soul  (Isa.  i.  5,  6). 
 Still  we  may  be  recovered ;  David  was 
 (Ps.  ciii.  2,  3). 
 
 jS.  When  diseases  are  of  long  continue 
 ance  (Ps.  li.  5  ;  Deut.  xxviii.  59).  Yet 
 the  Lord  can  make  dry  bones  live  (Ezek, 
 xxxvii). 
 
 y.  When  all  around  consider  their 
 case  desjierate.  Often  the  case  with 
 sinners  (Ezek.  xxxvii.  3,  11).  Yet  see 
 the  promise  (Jer.  xxx.  17). 
 
 b.  When  its  threatening  symptoms  are 
 not  observed,  so  as  to  provide  timely 
 remedies.  Our  case  not  unlike  Israel's 
 (Isa.  Ivii.  17). 
 
HOMILETIC  COMMENTARY :  JEREMIAB. 
 
 CHAP.  VIII. 
 
 e.  When  the  patient  becomes  lethargic, 
 loses  his  senses,  and  cannot  be  awakened 
 (Isa.  xxvi.  11  ;  xxix.  10).  Still  there 
 is  hope  (Jer.  xxxiii.  6). 
 
 II.  That  there  is  a  physician  who 
 can  cure  all  diseases. 
 
 God  Himself  (Exod.  xv.  26).  Our 
 cure  is  the  work  of  the  whole  Trinity, 
 but  especially  of  Jesus  Christ  (Luke  iv. 
 18  ;  Matt.  ix.  12,  13).  In  this  office  of 
 Healer,  He  was  typified  by  the  brazen 
 serpent  {3 ohn  iii.  14);  by  the  Sun  of 
 Righteousness  (Mai,  iv.  2)  ;  by  the  Tree 
 of  Life  (Rev.  xxii.  2).  Being  God-man, 
 He  is  nobly  qualified  :  for 
 
 1.  He  is  infinite  in  knowledge,  and 
 understands  all  diseases,  with  the  proper 
 remedies,  so  that  He  never  can  err  (John 
 xxi.  17). 
 
 2.  He  has  sovereign  axdhority,  and 
 almighty  power,  so  that  He  can  com- 
 mand diseases  to  obey  (Matt.  ix.  2). 
 
 3.  He  has  infinite  pity,  ready  to  help 
 the  distressed,  even  unasked,  hence 
 represented  as  Good  Samaritan  (Luke 
 X.  33). 
 
 4.  He  has  wonderful  patience  towards 
 the  distressed ;  bears  with  their  ingrati- 
 tude, and  works  their  perfect  cure. 
 
 III.  The  remedy  which  He  applies 
 to  effect  the  cure. 
 
 It  is  His  oivn  blood.  This  is  the  true 
 "  Balm  of  Gilead  "  (Isa.  liii.  5).  Scrip- 
 ture speaks  of  other  means  of  healing, 
 subservient  to  the  blood  : 
 
 1 .  The  Spirit  of  God,  with  His  gracious 
 operations  on  the  soul  (Gal.  iii.  13,  14). 
 
 2.  The  word  and  ordinances  of  Christ ; 
 these  are  the  "leaves  of  the  Tree  of  Life," 
 &c.  (Rev.  xxi.  2 ;  comp.  Ps.  cvii.  20). 
 
 3.  Afflictions :  making  us  mourn  our 
 wounds,  and  apply  for  remedy  (Isa.  xxii. 
 9). 
 
 4.  Faithful  ministers.  The  Great 
 Physician  sends  them  to  dispense  whole- 
 some doctrines  (1  Tim.  vi.  3  ;  Tit.  ii.  1). 
 
 5.  Pious  Christians  help  by  their 
 prayers  (Jas.  v.  15). 
 
 The  Physician's  method  of  apply- 
 ing the  remedy.     He 
 
 a.  Makes  simmers  sensible  that  they  are 
 side  (Matt.  ix.  12).  This  implies  ^dis- 
 covery of  the  nature  of  sin,  grief  over 
 it  (Ps.  xxxviii.  6,  18),  despair  of  healing 
 ourselves  (Hos.  xiv.  3),  and  willingness 
 
 to  submit  to  the  Physician's  prescrip- 
 tions (Acts  ix.  6). 
 
 /^.  Works  faith  in  the  soul,  by  His 
 Holy  Spirit  ;  i.e.,  persuades  and  en- 
 ables him  to  embrace  Christ  as  his 
 Saviour,  and  apply  the  balm  to  his 
 wounded  soul.  Then  danger  is  over 
 (John  v.  24). 
 
 7.  Accomplishes  and  perfects  the  cure 
 by  the  sanctifying  influences  of  the 
 Spirit  (Matt.  v.  8). 
 
 IV.  The  reasons  why  so  few  are 
 healed,  notwithstanding  there  is  balm 
 iu  Gilead,  and  a  physician  there.  Cause 
 in  us :  for 
 
 1.  Many  are  ignorant  of  their  disease, 
 and  wilfully  so. 
 
 2.  Many  are  in  love  with  their  disease, 
 more  than  with  their  physician.  God 
 may  say  of  them  (Ps.  Iii.  3). 
 
 3.  Many  neglect  the  season  of  healing 
 (Jer.  viii.  20) 
 
 4.  Many  will  not  trust  Christ  wholly 
 for  healing. 
 
 5.  Many  will  not  submit  to  the  pre- 
 scriptions of  Christ ;  to  self-examination, 
 repentance,  godly  sorrow,  mortification  ; 
 therefore  are  unhealed.     To  conclude  : 
 
 a.  Let  those  in  a  diseased  state  see 
 their  danger,  for  it  is  great ;  if  they 
 do  not  apply  to  this  Physician,  they 
 cannot  be  healed. 
 
 /3.  Balm  of  Gilead  is  freely  offered  in 
 the  Gospel  (Isa.  xlv.  22  ;  Ezek.  xviii. 
 32). 
 
 y.  Consider  how  long  you  have  slighted 
 this  balm  already.  Now  improve  your 
 day,  like  the  people  of  Capernaum  (Luke 
 iv.  40 ;  2  Cor.  vi.  2). 
 
 b.  Those  whom  Christ  has  healed, 
 manifest  their  gratitude  by  living  to  His 
 
 •  glory. — Hannuni. 
 
 (Addenda  to  chap.  viii.  22.  "  Balm 
 of  Gilead.") 
 
 Ver.  22.    Theme  :  Reasons  for  the 
 
 IRKELIGION  OF  THE  MASSES, 
 
 "  Why  health  of  my  people  not  re- 
 covered ?  " 
 
 Prophet  referring  to  degeneracy  and 
 misery  of  Jews.  Ask  same  question 
 respecting  the  moral  state  of  the  masses 
 of  our  own  nation.     Necessary  to  look 
 
 I.  At  our  moral  and  evangelical 
 resources. 
 
 183 
 
cflAP.viit.  BOMILETIC  COMMENTARY :  JEREMIAB. 
 
 1,  No  country  in  the  world  in  all  (iv.)  Want  of  spiritual  self-denial,  (v.) 
 respects  equal  in  privileges.  Coldness  in  prayer.     No  sense  of  the 
 
 2.  No  age  comparable  to  this  :  (a.)  ruin  of  souls,  (vi.)  Feeble  faith;  not 
 Plenitude   of   God's  Word.     (6.)  Good  proving  God. 
 
 books,     (c.)  Evangelical  ministry,     {d.)  2.  Reasons  in  the  persons  themselves. 
 
 Rich  variety  of  social  institutions ;  for  Feel   they   are    separated    from   other 
 
 Young      Men;       Temperance;       City  classes;     neglected;     despised    on    ac- 
 
 Missions  ;  Open  Air  Services,  &c.  count  of  their  poverty,  &c, 
 
 II.  The  fearful  evils  wMch  still  3.  Reasons  in  the  world.  Seductive 
 exist.     Of  these  :  temptations,  dissipating  scenes,  especially 
 
 1.  Avowed  infidelity.  Every  form  of  on  Lord's  day.  So  Gospel  is  not  heard 
 scepticism.  and   believed.      Souls   lost.      Sin  un- 
 
 2.  General  neglect  of  Divine  worship,  cured.     Crowds  perishing. 
 
 3.  Prevailing  crime.  Application  : 
 
 4.  Juvenile  precocity  and  profligacy.  1.  We  appeal  to  Church  of  Christ. 
 
 5.  Overwhelming  intemperance.  Great  responsibility. 
 
 III.  The  affecting  inciuiry  pre-  2.  Sinners  are  inexcusable.  Every 
 sented.     "  Why  then,"  &c.  man  must  give  account. 
 
 Three  classes  of  reasons  :  3.  God's  mercy   and   grace   are   all- 
 
 1.  In  the  Church  :  (i.)  Prevalence  of  sufficient, 
 spiritual    indifference.       (ii.)    Sectarian  4.  The  provisions  of  the  Gospel  are 
 
 contentions,     (iii.)  Fewness  of  workers,  freely  published. — Rev.  Jabez  Burns. 
 
 NOTICEABLE  TOPICS  IN  CHAPTER  VIII. 
 Topic :  Intekrogating  our  conduct.     Text :  "  What  have  I  done  ?  "  (ver  6.) 
 
 How  attentive  God  is  to  us  and  our  actions  !  He  sees  His  prodigals  when  yet 
 a  great  way  off ;  to  Him  there  is  music  in  our  sigh,  and  beauty  in  a  tear.  In  this 
 verse  He  represents  Himself  as  looking  upon  man's  heart,  and  listening — if  possibly 
 He  may  hear  something  good.  And  how  amiable  God  is,  that  turns  aside,  with 
 grief  in  His  heart,  exclaiming,  "  I  did  listen,  but  no  man  spake  aright,"  &c.  Never 
 do  we  have  a  desire  towards  God,  or  breathe  a  prayer  to  heaven,  but  God  has  been 
 watching  and  hearkening  for  it  :  it  was  but  one  tear  on  the  cheek,  yet  the  Father 
 noticed  it  as  a  hopeful  sign  ;  but  one  throb  went  through  the  heart,  yet  He  heeded 
 it  as  an  omen  that  not  quite  hardened  by  sin.     Text,  "  What  have  I  done  ?"  calls  for 
 
 I.  Words  of  earnest  persuasion,  urging  all,  and  especially  the  unconverted,  to 
 ask  this  question,  each  for  himself,  and  solemnly  answer  it.  Few  men  like  to  take 
 the  trouble  to  review  their  own  lives.  Like  silly  ostrich,  when  hard  pressed  by 
 hunters,  bury  their  sight  from  real  evils  and  danger.     But  remember 
 
 I.  Searching  yourself  can  do  you  no  hurt.  Little  can  be  lost  by  taking  stock. 
 You  cannot  be  any  worse  for  a  little  self-examination.  2.  Yon  may  he  a  great  deal 
 tetter  for  the  process  :  for,  if  your  affairs  are  all  right  with  God,  you  may  cheer  and 
 comfort  yourself  ;  but  there  are  many  probabilities  that  they  are  wrong  ;  so  many 
 nre  deceived,  and  anything  rather  than  self-delusion.  3.  The  time  for  self-exami- 
 nation is  sliort :  soon  you  will  know  the  secret,  death  will  rend  off  the  mask. 
 4.  Though  you  may  deceive  yourself,  you  cannot  God.  The  everlasting  Jehovah  will 
 grasp  the  balances  of  justice,  put  His  law  in  one  scale  and  the  sinner  in  the  other : 
 "  Weighed  and  found  wanting  !  " 
 
 Various  exc^ises  will  arise  to  check  this  inquiry  :  you  will  plead  you  are  members 
 of  churches,  have  often  received  the  sacramental  bread  and  wine.  Easy  thing  in 
 this  age  to  make  profession  of  religion.  Christ  had  one  hypocrite  in  His  twelve  ! 
 Rest  on  no  profession.  Neither  put  off  this  question  because  too  busy  to  attend  to 
 spiritual  concerns.  Know  not  how  near  death  is  to  thee.  May  the  Lord  prepare 
 each  for  death  and  judgmtnt  by  leading  all  to  ask,  "  What  have  I  done  % " 
 
 II.  Words  of  assistance  in  trying  to  answer  the  question. 
 
 184 
 
EOMILETIC  COMMENTARY:  JEREMIAH.  chap.  vin. 
 
 1.  To  Christians  :  "  What  hast  thou  done  ? "  You  reply,  *•'  Nothing  to  save 
 myself;  that  was  done  forme.  Nothing  to  make  a  righteousness  for  myself;  Christ 
 said,  It  is  finished  !  Nothing  to  merit  heaven;  Jesus  did  that  for  me  before  I  was 
 born  !  "  Yes  ;  but  say,  What  hast  thou  done  for  Him  ?  for  His  Church  'i  for  the 
 salvation  of  the  tvorld  ?  to  promote  thine  own  spiritual  growth  in  grace  ? 
 
 2.  To  moralists :  "  What  hast  thou  done  1 "  You  answer,  "  All  I  ought  to  have 
 done  !  You  may  tell  me  of  sins,  but  I  have  done  my  duty  :  observed  Sabbath, 
 said  prayers,  given  to  poor,  &c.  ;  and  if  good  works  have  any  merit,  I  have  done 
 a  great  deal !  "  True,  if  any  merit ;  but  very  unfortunate  that  they  have  not,  for 
 our  good  works,  if  we  do  them  to  save  ourselves  by  them,  are  no  better  than  our 
 sins.  Christ  will  never  go  shares  with  you  in  the  work  of  salvation.  Your 
 morality  is  no  help  to  you  whatever  as  to  eternal  things. 
 
 3.  To  the  worldly  :  "  What  done  ] "  "  It  is  very  little  I  do  amiss  ;  now  and  then 
 just  a  little  mirth."  Stop ;  let  us  have  the  right  name  for  that  mirth.  What  do 
 you  call  it  in  any  one  else?  "  Drunlcenness."  "  I  have  been  a  little  loose  in  talk 
 sometimes ! "  Write  it  down,  "  Lascivious  conversation."  Sometimes  you  have 
 been  out  on  the  Sabbath  ?  "  Sahhath-hr caking."  You  may  have  quoted  texts  of 
 Scripture  to  make  jokes  of  them,  and  used  God's  name  in  foolish  talk  1  '*  Stuearing." 
 Did  you  ever  adulterate  in  your  trade  1  "  Stealing."  Wished  you  could  get  your 
 neighbour's  prosperity ?  ^^  Covetousness,  which  is  idolatry."  Ever  really  prayed? 
 "  Prayerlessness."  Neglected  God  and  Bible  1  "  Despising  Him."  Few  but  will 
 feel  these  sins  lie  at  their  door.  May  the  Spirit  touch  your  consciences,  and  convince 
 you  of  your  sins  ! 
 
 4.  To  the  imconverted :  "  What  done  ?  "  By  your  sins  you  have  destroyed  your 
 soul,  resisted  the  gospel,  spurned  Christ.  Yes ;  and  think  what  you  have  done  to 
 your  children  :  taught  them  the  ways  of  spiritual  ruin.  To  your  companions : 
 tempted  some  to  take  the  first  stray  step  into  folly,  indulgence,  iniquity.  Doth  not 
 your  heart  quail  within  you  because  of  self-ruin  and  ruin  of  others  f 
 
 III.  Words  of  affectionate  admonition  to  those  who  have  had  to  answer  the 
 question  against  themselves. 
 
 1.  Solemn  that  the  years  roll  on  and  yet  you  are  xmsaved.  You,  not  altogether 
 hardened,  yet  "  done  "  nothing  to  determine  for  Christ,  and  lay  hold  on  eternity. 
 2.  There  will  be  a  time  when  you  will  ask  the  question,  but  it  will  be  too  late. 
 "  On  the  death-hed  1 "  No,  not  too  late  there ;  but  when  breath  has  gone  out  of 
 your  body.  After  the  suicide  has  taken  the  fatal  leap,  he  may  cry,  "  What  have  I 
 done  1 "  but  too  late  !  Some  mocking  spirit  in  mid-air  echoes,  "  Lost,  lost,  lost !  " 
 In  the  dreadftd  jtidgment,  too,  the  soul  will  ask  that  question,  as  the  eye  of  the 
 Judge  fixes  itself  upon  him  :  He  turns  to  your  page  in  the  book,  but  it  has  never 
 been  blotted  with  His  blood.  If  you  only  knew  what  they  feel,  and  could  see 
 what  they  endure,  who  have  lost  opportunity  and  lost  themselves,  you  would,  ere 
 too  late,  pause  and  ask,  "  What  have  I  done  ? "  As  immortal  spirits,  bound  for 
 endless  weal  or  woe,  fly  ye  to  Christ,  seek  for  mercy  at  His  hand,  trust  in  Him,  and 
 be  saved. — Spurgeon.     (Comp.  Addenda  to  chap.  viii.  6,  "  Self-interrogation.") 
 
 Tipic:  The  Ravages  of  Sin:  A  Pathetic  Remonstrance.  Text:  ''Is  there  no 
 halm  in  Gilead  ?  is  there  no  physician  there  7  Why,  then,  is  not  the  health 
 of  the  daughter  of  my  2>Gople  recovered  ?  "  (ver.  22). — (Addenda,  "  Balm  of 
 Gilead.") 
 
 "  Astonishment "  (ver.  21)  over  "  health  not  recovered  "  (ver.  22)  is  followed 
 by  lament  for  "the  slain"  (ix.  1).  (1.)  Between  the  tivo  there  is  a  distinction: 
 *'  health  "  lacking,  the  soul  diseased,  impotent,  suffering,  prostrate,  perishing,  but 
 not  "slain."  (2.)  Between  the  two  there  is  a  connexion;  let  the  disease  go  un- 
 checked, unhealed,  the  plague  not  stayed,  and  the  issue  will  be — the  sufi"ering 
 victim  of  sin  "  slain."     That  sad  word  "  slain  "  suggests  the  destroyer's  work  done; 
 
 185 
 
CHAP.  viit.  BOMILETIC  COMMENTARY:  JEREMIAH. 
 
 the  ruin  of  the  "  daughter  of  my  people "  is  complete.  Therefore,  the  prophet 
 lifts  his  voice  in  the  cry  of  anguish  in  which  there  sounds  no  strain  of  hope  (ix.  1). 
 But,  in  this  text,  the  case  is  less  severe  ;  the  malady  rages,  but  recovery  is  possible, 
 "  health  may  be  restored."  To  such  as  have  lost  spiritual  health,  and  all  as  yet 
 unsaved,  come  the  hopeful  tidings  of  "  balm  in  Gilead  and  a  physician  there." 
 Four  topics  : 
 I.  A  malady.  "  Health  not  recovered  : "  needed  "  balm  and  physician." 
 The  malady  which  has  devastated  the  health  of  humanity  is  sin.  What  is  sin 
 but  a  disease  of  soul  ?     Analogy  : 
 
 1.  In  the  manner  of  its  development.  Disease  lies  concealed  in  blood  before 
 it  assumes  visible  signs.  Began  in  thought,  grew  into  a  desire,  advanced  into  an 
 intention,  issued  in  act. 
 
 2.  In  the  rapidity  of  its  progress.  Bursts  forth  into  fierce  forms,  whole  system 
 inflamed.  Malady  quickly  spreads  through  the  whole  nature,  vitiating  mind,  cor- 
 rupting character,  consuming  goodness,  till  "  yield  members  to  uncleanness,  and 
 from  iniquity  unto  iniquity." 
 
 3.  In  its  contagious  influence.  Springs  from  one  to  another,  speeding  and 
 spreading  misery  and  death.  Plague  of  London  started  from  one  person.  So, 
 *'  by  one  man  sin  entered  into  world,"  &c.  Broke  out  in  Eden,  pervaded  earth, 
 &c.  "  Evil  communications  corrupt  good  manners."  "  One  sinner  destroyeth  much 
 good." 
 
 4.  In  its  fatal  termination.  Unless  arrested,  disease  soon  completes  its  ravages, 
 and  victim  sinks  to  the  dead.  And  what  the  termination  of  sin  ?  "  Wages  of  sin 
 is  death."  "  Every  man  is  tempted  when  he  is  drawn  away  of  his  own  lust  and 
 enticed.  Then  when  lust  hath  conceived  it  bringeth  forth  sin  ;  and  sin,  when  it  is 
 finished,  bringeth  forth  death.'" 
 
 II.  A  remedy.  "  Balm  in  Gilead."  Remedy  equal  to  the  disease,  for  "  health" 
 might  have  been  "recovered." 
 
 Gilead  a  mountain  ;  balsam  trees  flourished  ;  gum  had  medicinal  properties, 
 highly  valued  and  widely  celebrated.  Thus  extracted  :  Incision  with  axe  or  spear; 
 issues  a  glutinous  sap.  Concerning  its  virtues,  ancient  botanists  and  physicians 
 eloquent  in  praise. 
 
 Led  by  analogy  from  Gilead  to  Calvary;  from  balsam-tree  to  Cross  ;  from  issuing 
 sap  to  Blood;  from  incision  by  axe  to  "  with  spear  pierced  His  side."  Concerning 
 its  healing  virtues,  ten  thousand  times  ten  thousand  tongues  eloquent.  "  Health 
 restored  :  "  in  heaven,  never  more  sick  ! 
 
 1.  It  was  highly  precious.  So  valued  that  Pompey  and  Titus  carried  some  back 
 with  them  to  Rome.     "  Precious  blood  of  Christ." 
 
 2.  It  had  peculiar  p7'operties.  Healing  virtues  in  "  balm "  special  to  it. 
 "  Makes  wounded  spirit  whole,  calms  troubled  breast." 
 
 3.  It  was  easily  obtained.  Readily  flowed  forth.  "  Seek,  and  ye  shall  find." 
 "  Whosoever  call  on  name  of  Lord  shall  be  saved." 
 
 4.  It  was  efectual  in  its  operation.  "  Whole  head  may  be  sick,"  &c.  Yet  heal- 
 ing virtue  therein.     "  Though  sins  be  as  scarlet,"  &c. 
 
 "  Dear  dying  Lamb,  Thy  precious  blood 
 Shall  never  lose  its  power." 
 
 in.  A  healer.  There  is  "a  physician  there."  This  a  name  which  Jesus 
 assumed  :  "  They  that  be  whole  need  not  a  physician,  but  they  that  are  sick.  I 
 came  not  to  call  the  righteous,  but  sinners  to  repentance." 
 
 1.  He  is  acquainted  with  the  nattire  of  the  disease.  Knows  the  cause  of  its  com- 
 mencement, mode  of  development,  phases  it  assumes,  issues  to  which  it  leads. 
 Knows  seat  of  disease,  and  how  to  assail  it :  "  Out  of  heart  proceed  evil  thoughts," 
 «tc.     Familiar  with  the  malady  and  mode  of  treatment. 
 
 2.  He  is  skiljul  in  administering  the  remedy.     Has  had  long  experience  and 
 
 186 
 
HOMILETIC  COMMENTARY :  JEREMIAH.  chap.  vilL 
 
 extensive  practice.  Every  land,  every  age.  "  He  went  about  doing  good,  and 
 healing  all  manner  of  diseases  and  sickness  among  the  people.  (Comp.  Kom.  vii. 
 24,  25.) 
 
 3.  He  is  ivilling  to  aford  relief.  Never  wearied,  "  waits  to  be  gracious ; " 
 "  desires  not  death  of  sinner,  but  that  all  come  to  repentance  ; "  chides  with  the 
 dying,  "  Ye  will  not  come  unto  me  that  ye  might  have  life  ; "  assures,  **  I  will  in 
 no  wise  cast  out." 
 
 4.  His  ability  to  heal  is  widely  attested.  In  owr  midst :  "  Ye  are  washed,"  &c. 
 In  heaven  :  "  Great  multitudes ;  made  white  in  blood  of  Lamb." 
 
 IV.  A  remonstrance.  "  Why  their  health  not  recovered  ? "  Many  unhealed ; 
 what  the  explanation  1 
 
 1.  Some  urge  that  they  are  not  suffering  from  any  malady.  N"ot  deny  existence 
 and  ravages  of  sin  as  general  truth,  but  repudiate  charge  of  personal  corruption, 
 infection,  and  peril.  Thus  put  "balm"  and  "physician"  from  them.  For  that 
 is  the  issue  ;  if  men  are  not  fatally  diseased,  Christ  came  not  for  them ;  they  have 
 no  place  in  His  redemptive  mission.  Because  of  this  folly — ignoring  their  need  of 
 the  Divine  remedy — "health  is  not  recovered." 
 
 2.  Others  urge  that  they  are  not  in  a  condition  of  serious  danger.  Admit  per- 
 sonal sin,  need  remedy,  but  no  occasion  for  alarm ;  they  "  know  not  that  they  are 
 wretched,  and  poor,  and  miserable,  and  blind,  and  naked."  Delusion  is  a  symptom 
 of  this  malady  of  sin.  "  They  hold  fast  deceit "  (ver.  5).  And  because  of  this 
 self-flattery  "  health  is  not  recovered." 
 
 3.  Others  urge  that  they  can  secure  healing  at  any  time.  Dreadful  procrastina- 
 tion !  Deliberate  trifling  with  grace.  Surely  there  is  no  certainty  of  finding 
 salvation  just  when  men  determine.  Death  waits  not  upon  our  convenience. 
 Melancholy  presumption.     Yet  because  of  it  "health  is  not  recovered." 
 
 4.  Others  urge  that  they  are  too  near  perishing  for  recovery.  Write  hard  things 
 against  themselves.  (See  ver.  20.)  But  what  state  surpasses  the  Almighty 
 Physician  ?  Have  any  proved  Him  unable  1  "  Able  to  save  to  uttermost." 
 Yet  because  of  despair  "  health  is  not  recovered." 
 
 Sorrow  for  misery,  sixrprise  at  hesitancy,  indignation  over  trifling,  remonstrance 
 with  despair — all  are  expressed  in  this  plaintive  interrogation,  "  Wlty,  then,  is 
 not  health  recovered  ?"  There  is  "  balm,"  a  "physician,"  and,  therefore,  ^^ health" 
 for  all,  for  "  sinners,  even  the  chief."  "  He  healed  all  them  that  had  need  of 
 healing." 
 
 ADDENDA  TO  CHAPTER  VIII. :  ILLUSTRATIONS  AND  SUGGESTIVE  EXTRACTS. 
 
 Ver.   1.    Graves  disturbed  :    dead  afterwards,   Hyrcanus,  the  high  priest, 
 
 MOLESTED.       Dr.    Pusey  writes  of  this  when  he  was  besieged  by  Antiochus,  and 
 
 sacrilege,  that  it  was  "  a  hatred  carried  was  desirous  of  giving  him  money  to  get 
 
 beyond  the  grave,  a  hatred  which  is  a  him  to  raise  the  siege,  and  draw  ofi"  his 
 
 sort  of  impotent    grasping    at   eternal  army,  and  having  no  other  method  of 
 
 vengeance,    hatred    which,    having    no  compassing  the  money,  opened  one  room 
 
 power  to  work  any  real  vengeance,  has  of  David's  sepulchre,  and  took  out  3000 
 
 no  object  but  to  show  its  hatred."    (Note  talents,  and  gave  part  of  that  sum  to 
 
 on  Amos  ii.  1.)  Antiochus,  and  by  this  means  caused  the 
 
 "  He  (David)  was  buried  by  his  son  siege  to  be  raised.     Nay,  after  him,  and 
 
 Solomon  in  Jerusalem,  with  great  mag-  that  many  years,  Herod,  the  king,  opened 
 
 nificence,  and  with  all  the  other  funeral  another  room,  and  took  away  a   great 
 
 pomp  which  kings   used  to   be   buried  deal  of  money." — Josephus,  Antiq.  bk. 
 
 with ;  moreover,  he  had  great  and  im-  vii.  chap.  xv.  §  3. 
 
 mense  wealth  buried  with  him,  the  vast-  "  For  extremity  of  despite  also,  dead 
 
 ness  of  which  may  be  easily  conjectured  men's  bones  have  been  digged  up.    Pope 
 
 at  by  what  I  now  say  :  for  1300  years  Formosas  was  so  dealt  with  by  his  suo- 
 
 187 
 
CHAP.  VIII, 
 
 HOMILETIC  COMMENTARY :  JEREMIAH. 
 
 cessor,  Stephanus  VI. ;  and  many  of  the 
 holy  martyrs  by  their  barbarous  persecu- 
 tors."— Trapp. 
 
 Ver.  3.  Death  desired. 
 
 "  To  die, — to  sleep, 
 ITo  more  ;  and,  by  a  sleep,  to  say  we  end 
 The  heart-ache,   and  the    thousand   natural 
 
 shocks 
 That  flesh  is  heir  to, — 'tis  a  consummation 
 Di3V0utIy  to  be  wished."         — Shakespeare. 
 
 "  Death  !  to  the  happy  thou  art  terrible, 
 But  how  the  wretched  love  to  think  of  thee ! 
 0  thou  true  comforter,  the  friend  of  all 
 Who  have  no  friend  beside  !  " 
 
 — Southey. 
 
 "  A  sleep  without  dreams,  after  a  rough  day 
 Of  toil,  is  what  we  covet  most ;  and  yet 
 How  clay  shrinks  back  from  more  quiescent 
 clay  !  "  — Ut/ron. 
 
 "  Soon  may  this  woe-worn   spirit  seek  the 
 bourne 
 Where,  lulled  to  slumber,  grief  forgets  to 
 mourn."  — Campbell. 
 
 Ver.  5.  Perpetual  backsliding- 
 "They  Ml  deepest  into  hell  who  fall 
 backwards  into  hell.'' — Bunyan. 
 
 "  Errare  humanum  est ;  perseverare 
 diabolicum." — Trapp. 
 
 Ver.  6.  Self-interrogation.  "What 
 have  I  done  1 "  The  Pythagoreans  once 
 a  day  put  this  question  to  themselves. 
 It  is  reported  of  Sextus  that  every  night 
 before  he  slept,  he  asked  of  his  own 
 heart,  "  What  evil  hast  thou  this  day 
 amended  ?  what  vice  hast  thou  shunned  1 
 what  good  hast  thou  done  ?  in  what  part 
 art  thou  bettered  1 " 
 
 "As  it  is  an  evidence  that  those 
 tradesmen  are  embarrassed  in  their 
 estates  who  are  afraid  to  look  into  their 
 books  j  so  it  is  plain  that  there  is  some- 
 thing wrong  within,  among  all  those 
 who  are  afraid  to  look  within." — Seeker. 
 
 Thales,  the  Milesian  philosopher, 
 flourished  about  a.m.  3330,  and  was  co- 
 temporary  with  Josiah,  king  of  Judah, 
 and  Jeremiah,  our  prophet ;  and  he  it 
 was  who  gave  birth  to  the  wise  admoni- 
 tion which  was  the  basis  of  his  philoso- 
 phic teaching,  "  Knoiu  thyself ."  Cicero, 
 however,  ascribes  the  maxim  to  Apollo 
 himself,  "because,"  he  says,  "it  hath 
 such  weight  of  sense  and  wisdom  in  it 
 as  appear  too  great  to  be  attributed  to 
 any  man."  It  was  emblazoned  in  golden 
 letters  over  the  door  of  the  temple  of 
 Apollo  at  Delphos. 
 186 
 
 Ver.  7.  "Stork"  The  same  indivi. 
 duals  return  to  the  same  place  year  after 
 year. 
 
 "  The  stork-assembly  meets  ;  for  many  a  day 
 Consulting  deep  and  various,  ere  they  take 
 Their  arduous  voyage  through  the  liquid  sky. 
 And  now,  their  route  designed,  their  leaders 
 
 chose, 
 Their  tribes  adjusted,  cleaned  their  vigorous 
 wings, 
 
 .     .     .     .     in  congregation  full 
 The  figured  flight  ascends,  and  riding  high 
 The  serial  billows,  mixes  with  the  clouds." 
 — Thomson. 
 "  Turtle." 
 
 "  The  dove  let  loose  in  eastern  skies, 
 Eeturning  fondly  home. 
 Ne'er  stoops  to  earth  her  wing,  nor  flies 
 
 Where  idle  warblerg  roam. 
 But  high  she  shoots,  through  air  and  light, 
 
 Above  all  low  dela}', 
 Where  nothing  earthly  bounds  her  flight, 
 Nor  shadow  dims  her  way." 
 
 — Moore. 
 
 "Crane."  Homer  {Iliad,  iii.  2,  3) 
 alludes  to  the  harsh  sound  of  the  crane 
 in  her  flight : 
 
 "  The   Trojans  indeed  advanced,  with  both 
 clang  and  shout  like  birds. 
 Just  in  fact  as  is  the  noise  of  cranes  in  front 
 of  the  sky." 
 
 "  Stvallow."  Its  instinct  is  more  true 
 than  man's  reason  or  faith. 
 
 "  Bright  bird  of  summer,  what  joys  are  thine  ! 
 Voice  of  the  spring,  if  thy  wings  were  mine, 
 My  merry  course  should  be  with  thee 
 To  the  orange  grove  and  the  banyan  tree; 
 For  who  would  dwell  in  the  wintry  chill, 
 And  the  gloom  and  cares  of  this  world  of  ill, 
 If  he  could  borrow  thy  wings,  and  stray 
 In  chase  of  the  summer,  with  thee  away  ? " 
 — Anon  (See  Gray's  "  Topics.") 
 
 "  Crane  and  swalloiv."  It  is  agreed 
 by  all  philologists  that  our  translators  in- 
 terchanged the  words,  and  that  in  each 
 case  it  should  be  "  swallow  and  crane," 
 not  "  crane  and  swallow."  Soos,  or  sis, 
 rendered  "  swallow,"  scarcely  can  mean 
 the  swallow,  for  though  a  migrant  it  is 
 hardly  so  in  Palestine  as  to  justify  these 
 words,  "  the  swallow  observes  the  time  of 
 its  coming."  But  the  difficulty  was 
 solved,  says  Dr.  Tristram,  when  we  found 
 that  soos  is  to  the  present  day  the  ver- 
 nacular or  provincial,  though  not  the 
 classical,  Arabic  name  of  the  swift ;  and 
 when  we  noted  that,  unlike  the  swallows, 
 the  swifts  return  to  Palestine  on  a  sud- 
 
HOMILETIO  COMMENTARY:  JEREMIAH. 
 
 CHAP,  vm. 
 
 den  in  one  day,  and  cover  the  land  in 
 countless  myriads. — Sunday  at  Home. 
 
 Ver.  8.  Sacred  "wisdom.  Needed. 
 Varro,  a  Koman  writer  of  the  first  cen- 
 tury B.C.,  states  that  in  his  day  he  had 
 been  at  the  pains  to  collect  the  various 
 opinions  on  the  question,  "  What  is  the 
 true  object  of  human  life]" — in  other 
 •words,  "  What  is  the  supreme  good  ] " 
 He  had  reckoned  up  as  many  as  three 
 hundred  and  twenty  different  answers ! 
 How  needful  is  Divine  revelation ! — 
 Biblical  Treasury. 
 
 "  Lying  pen  of  the  Scribes."  The 
 mention  of  Scribes  in  this  place  is  a 
 crucial  point  in  the  argument  whether 
 or  not  the  Pentateuch  or  Torah  is  the 
 old  law-book  of  the  Jews,  or  a  fabrica- 
 tion which  gradually  grew  up,  but  was 
 not  received  as  authoritative  until  after 
 the  return  from  captivity.  It  is  not 
 until  the  time  of  Josiah  that  we  find 
 Scribes  mentioned,  except  as  political 
 ofiicers ;  here  they  are  students  of  the 
 Torah.  But  the  Torah  must  have  existed 
 in  "writing  before  there  could  have  been 
 an  order  of  men  whose  especial  business 
 it  was  to  study  it ;  and  therefore  Ewald, 
 Hitzig,  Graf,  and  others  explain  the 
 verse  away  by  saying  that  perhaps  the 
 Scribes  were  writers  of  books,  and  had 
 published  collections  of  false  prophecies 
 written  in  imitation  of  the  true.  But 
 the  Torah  of  Jehovah  is  mentioned  in 
 this  very  verse,  and  the  whole  gist  of 
 the  passage  is  lost  if  what  the  Scribes 
 turned  into  a  lie  was  anything  except 
 that  law,  of  which  they  had  just  boasted 
 that  they  were  the  possessors.  .  .  . 
 Jeremiah's  whole  argument  depends 
 upon  the  fact  that  there  were  in  his  days 
 men  who  claimed  to  be  "  wise,"  or  rather 
 learned  men,  because  of  their  study  of 
 the  Pentateuch,  and  is  certainly  incon- 
 sistent with  the  assumptions  of  the  new 
 critics,  that  Jeremiah  wrote  the  book  of 
 Deuteronomy,  and  that  Ezra  wrote  parts 
 of  Exodus  and  the  whole  of  Leviticus. — 
 Spea1ce7-^s  Commentary. 
 
 Ver.  14.  Defiance  issuing  in  des- 
 pair. Francis  Spira,  an  Italian  apostate, 
 exclaimed  on  his  deathbed,  "  My  sin  is 
 greater  than  the  mercy  of  God  !  I  have 
 denied  Christ  voluntarily.  I  feel  now  that 
 He  hardens  me,  and  allows  me  no  hope  I " 
 
 Hobhes,  the  infidel,  before  death,  "  I 
 am  taking  a  fearful  leap  into  the  dark." 
 
 Ver.  18.  Bitter  lamentations  for 
 others'  ruin.  When  our  Redeemer 
 wept  over  the  city  that  was  to  perish. 
 He  considered  it  the  more  to  be  deplored 
 as  it  knew  not  itself  its  deplorable  con- 
 dition. As  many,  therefore,  as  are  set 
 on  fire  by  the  torch  of  love  weep  over 
 other  men's  sins  as  if  they  were  their 
 own.  St.  Augustine  says,  "  We  mourn 
 over  the  sins  of  others,  we  sufi'er  violence, 
 we  are  tormented  in  our  minds."  St. 
 Chrysostom  says  that  Moses  was  raised 
 above  the  people  because  he  habitually 
 deplored  the  sins  of  others.  "  He,"  says 
 the  same  holy  doctor,  "  who  sorrows 
 for  other  men's  sins,  has  the  tenderness 
 of  an  apostle,  and  is  an  imitator  of  that 
 blessed  One  who  said,  '  Who  is  weak, 
 and  I  am  not  weak  1  Who  is  offended, 
 and  I  burn  not?'  "—F.  W.  Faber. 
 
 Ver.  20.  ^^  Harvest  is  past."  Oppor- 
 tunity LOST.  "  The  mill  can't  grind 
 with  the  water  that  is  lost."  Opportu- 
 nities are  importunities.  Col.  iv.  3,  is 
 literally  "  buying  up  the  opportunity." 
 
 One  of  the  most  ingenious  tortures  of 
 the  Hohenslaufen  family,  in  the  height 
 of  their  despotic  control,  was  that  of  a 
 cell  which,  at  the  prisoner's  first  entrance, 
 presented  an  air  of  comfort  and  ease ; 
 so  that  it  was  not  till  he  had  been  a  few 
 days  confined  that  he  observed  the  di- 
 mensions of  his  chamber  beginning  to 
 contract.  But  the  discovery  once  made, 
 the  fact  became  more  appalling  every 
 day.  Slowly  but  terribly,  the  sides 
 drew  closer,  and  the  unhappy  victim  was 
 crushed  to  death.  What  an  emblem 
 does  this  suggest  of  the  sinner's  contract- 
 ing day  of  grace  !  Oh,  what  would  the 
 poor  victim  in  such  a  cell  have  given  to 
 see  the  door  open,  and  hear  a  voice, 
 "  Escape  for  thy  life  ! "  Would  that 
 sinners  would  escape  as  eagerly  by  the 
 door  of  grace  ! — Bowes'  "  Illustrative 
 Gatherings." 
 
 "  Many  do  with  opportunities  as 
 children  do  at  the  seashore ;  they  fill 
 their  little  hands  with  sand,  and  then 
 let  the  grains  fall  through  one  by  one 
 till  all  are  gone." — T.  Jones. 
 
 Ver.  22.  Balm  op  Gilead.  Gilead, 
 where  the  balm  was  found,  was  on  the 
 
 189 
 
nOMILETIG  COMMENTARY :  JEREMIAH. 
 
 wilderness  side  of  promised  land ;  the 
 true  Balm  of  Gilead — Jesus  Christ — is 
 for  our  healing  here,  before  we  pass  over 
 Jordan.  ]\Ien  travelled  far  to  get  it, 
 bought  it  at  great  price ;  but  Jesus  is 
 nigh  to  heal  us,  and  restores  us  "  without 
 money  and  without  price."  Merchants 
 conveyed  the  halm  far  and  wide  ;  mission- 
 aries travel  far  to  make  the  free  gift. 
 The  balsam  tree  had  to  be  cut,  pressed, 
 &c.,  to  yield  the  balm;  Christ  was 
 "wounded"  and  "bruised"  (Isa.  liii. 
 5).  The  supply  of  balm  almost  ex- 
 hausted :  Christ  the  same  for  ever. — 
 "  Topics." 
 
 Alexander  the  Great  was  dying  of  a 
 wound,  which  did  not  seem  very  dan- 
 gerous at  first,  but  it  baffled  his  physi- 
 cians, and  was  rapidly  becoming  mortal. 
 One  night,  however,  it  is  said,  he 
 dreamed  that  some  one  had  brought  him 
 a  peculiar-looking  plant,  which,  when 
 applied  to  the  festering  sore,  had  cleansed 
 and  closed  it.  In  the  morning,  when  he 
 awoke,  he  described  the  plant ;  and  the 
 historian  informs  us  that  it  was  sought 
 for  and  found,  and  when  applied  to  the 
 wound,  the  fiery  pain  subsided,  and  he 
 was  speedily  healed.  Now  your  soul  has 
 received  a  deadly  hurt ;  it  has  been 
 stung  by  the  old  serpent,  the  devil. 
 The  wound  gets  worse.  There  is  a  ten- 
 der plant  which  is  able  to  heal  you — it 
 is  the  Balm  of  Gilead. — Dr.  James 
 Hamilton. 
 
 Compared  with  the  virture  and  pre- 
 ciousness  of  the  redeeming  grace  of 
 Jesus,  whose  blood  cleanses  us  from  all 
 sin. 
 
 "  Not  balm,  new  bleeding  from  the  wounded 
 tree, 
 Nor  bless'd  Arabia  with  his  spicy  grove, 
 Such  fragrance  yields."  — Rowe. 
 
 So  highly  prized  was  the  balsam  that, 
 
 during  the  war  of  Titus  against  the  Jews, 
 two  fierce  contests  took  place  for  the 
 balsam  orchards  of  Jericho,  the  last  of 
 which  was  to  prevent  the  Jews  from  de- 
 stroying the  trees,  which  they  would 
 have  done,  in  order  that  the  trade  might 
 not  fall  into  the  enemy's  hand. 
 
 Not  a  root  nor  a  branch  of  the  balsam- 
 tree  is  now  to  be  found  in  all  Palestine. 
 
 Twice  was  a  balsam-tree  exhibited  in 
 triumph  to  the  Romans  in  their  streets. 
 The  first  time  was  B.C.  65,  when  Pom- 
 pey  returned  from  his  conquest,  and 
 Judea  became  a  Roman  province  ;  and 
 the  last  time  was  after  a  lapse  of  144 
 years,  when  the  spoils  of  the  temple  of 
 Jerusalem  were  borne  in  triumph  through 
 the  imperial  city,  and,  as  a  sign  of  the 
 subjection  of  the  whole  country,  the 
 precious  balm- tree  was  exhibited  with 
 pride  by  Vespasian. 
 
 Bruce  saw  the  balsam-tree  in  Arabian 
 valleys.  The  most  considerable  gardens 
 of  them  is  in  a  recess  of  the  mountains, 
 between  Mecca  and  Medina. 
 
 The  balm  of  Gilead  is  a  small  ever- 
 green ;  at  five  feet  from  the  ground  it 
 branches  out  something  like  an  old 
 hawthorn  ;  bark  is  smooth,  shining,  of 
 a  whitish  grey  colour,  with  brown 
 blotches  ;  leaves  are  of  a  bright  green, 
 foliage  is  scanty  and  rugged.  The 
 greatest  quantity  of  balsam  flows  from 
 the  wounded  bark  ;  but  there  are  three 
 kinds  procured  by  art ;  best  is  the  opo- 
 halsam,  expressed  from  the  green  berry  ; 
 second,  from  the  ripe  nut  or  berry  ;  the 
 last  is  obtained  by  bruising  and  boiling 
 the  young  wood. — Scripture  Herbal. 
 
 The  balm  of  the  soul  is  prayer,  saith 
 the  Chaldee  paraphrast ;  is  repentance, 
 saith  Jerome  ;  is  Christ  applied  by  faith, 
 say  we.  Sang%ds  medici  est  curatio 
 phrenetici. — Trapp. 
 
 CHAPTER  IX. 
 
 Critical  and  Exegetical  Notes.    For  Chronology  and  History,  see  chap.  vii. 
 
 1.  Geographical  References.  Ver.  26.  "Egypt:"  sit.  on  N.E.  angle  of  Africa;  a  vast 
 plain  ;  in  general  features  it  may  be  regarded  as  the  valley  of  the  Nile,  by  which  river  it  is 
 nourished  ;  the  country  anciently  divided  into  two  great  divisions,  Upper  and  Lower  Ejrypt ; 
 subdivided  into  smaller  sections  called  Norries,  or  provinces ;  now  divided  into  Lower  Egypt, 
 called  Delta  (because  enclosed  within  the  arms  of  the  Nile,  resembling  a  Greek  A) ;  stretching 
 about  80  miles  inland  from  Mediterranean  .Central  Egypt,  extending  cir.  150  miles  further 
 south  :  Upper  Egypt,  which  reaches  cir.  250  miles  still  further  from  the  Mediterranean,  where 
 190 
 
EOMILETIC  COMMENTARY:  JEREMIAH.  ohap  ix. 
 
 the  First  Cataract  forms  its  natural  boundary.  Common  Bible  name  of  the  land  is  Mizrairn; 
 ancient  Egyptian  name,  inscribed  in  hieroglyphics,'is  KEM.  Contains  115,200  square  geological 
 miles.  "  Edom,"  or  Idumea  :  a  district  north  of  the  peninsula  of  Sinai,  itself  bounded  on  the 
 north  by  Moab,  "  a  narrow,  mountainous  tract  (about  100  miles  long  by  20  broad),  extending 
 along  the  eastern  side  of  the  Arabah." — Dr.  W.  Smith.  "Ammon:"  originally  the  "children 
 of  Ammon  "  located  themselves,  together  with  Moabites,  west  of  the  Jordan,  the  Jabbok  (mid- 
 way between  Sea  of  Galilee  and  Dead  Sea)  was  anciently  the  northern  border-line  of  their 
 territory,  and  the  Arnon  (which  flows  into  the  Dead  Sea  nearly  opposite  to  Engedi)  the  southern 
 limit.  In  Jeremiah's  time  they  were  in  possession  of  the  cities  of  Gad  (south  of  the  Arnon), 
 from  which  Tiglath-Pilesar  had  removed  the  Jews  (Jer.  xlis.  1-6).  "  iJfoaS, "  occupied  the 
 plain  of  the  Jordan-valley  on  the  eastern  side  of  the  Dead  Sea ;  afterwards  spread  themselves 
 south  of  Judea  towards  Idumea.  But  the  boundary  lines  of  Ammon  and  Moab  were  continu- 
 ally shifting ;  hence  their  localisation  can  only  be  indicated,  not  determined.  "All  that  are 
 in  the  utmost  cormers,  that  dwell  in  the  wilderness."  {See  Lit.  Crit.  on  these  words,  "utmost 
 corners,"  below).     Arabian  tribes  who  resided  in  the  desert  S.E.  of  Palestine. 
 
 2.  Natural  History.  Ver.  11.  "Dragons,"  WHPi -^  evidently  "  dragons  "  is  a  wrong  inter- 
 pretation, for  serpents  do  not  invade  ruined  cities,  and  make  "  dens  "  amid  the  "  heaps; "  the 
 jackal  is  meant,  whose  habit  is  to  prowl  amid  rocky  places  and  ruins ;  size  about  that  of  a  fox, 
 but  legs  longer ;  colour,  yellowish  grey,  with  dark  shades  about  the  back ;  voice,  hideous,  a 
 mingled  bark  and  howl;  generally  jackals  go  in  great  troops  (Maunder).  Ver  15.  "Worm- 
 wood," np^p  (Laanah) ;  several  species  in  Palestine ;  Kitto  specifies  four :  Artemisia  nilotica, 
 judaica,  fruticosa,  and  cinerea  ;  all  distinguished  for  intense  bitterness,  and  probably  not  only 
 nauseous  but  hurtful  (Deut.  xxix.  18  ;  Prov.  v.  4;  Amos  v.  7,  vi.  12).  "  Water  of  gall."  See 
 Nat.  Hist,  on  viii.  14,  supra. 
 
 3.  Manners  and  Customs.  Ver.  2.  "  In  the  wilderness  a  lodging  ■place."  A  caravanserai, 
 usually  a  large,  square  building  (khan),  erected  in  deserts  and  regions  far  removed  from  towns, 
 on  the  route  of  caravans,  either  at  the  public  expense  or  by  private  charity ;  they  are  mere 
 shelters  for  the  night,  without  furniture,  comfort,  or  supplies,  and  generally  filthy  and  abound 
 in  vermin.  Ver.  3.  "  Beiid  their  tongues  like  their  bows,"  properly,  they  tread  their  bow,  i.e., 
 to  string  it — the  bow  being  held  by  the  foot  while  it  is  strung.  Ver.  7.  "I  will  melt  and  try 
 them  :  "  (See  notes  on  vi.  27).  Simile  of  metal  refining  :  "  smelting,  in  order  to  separate  the 
 pure  metal  from  the  ore,  testing,  to  see  if  the  metal  is  pure,  or  still  mixed  with  alloy  " — Speaker's 
 Com.  Ver.  17.  "Mourning  tvomen:"  hired  mourners,  who,  by  frantic  gestures,  dreadful  wail- 
 ings,  and  doleful  ditties,  both  professed  grief  and  incited  it  in  beholders.  It  demanded  some 
 skill  to  learn  these  shrieks,  and  gestures,  and  dirges,  hence  here  described  as  "  cunning 
 women."  Jerome  says  the  custom  continued  in  Judea  down  to  his  days  {Obit.  a.d.  420),  Lane 
 states  that  it  still  exists  in  Egypt  ("Modern  Egyptians");  and  Calmet,  that  the  practice  prevails 
 in  most  of  the  provinces  of  the  Levant.  Ver.  20.  "  Teach  your  daughters  wailing  ; "  see  above, 
 ver.  17  :  the  dead  would  be  so  numerous  as  to  call  for  a  much  larger  number  of  "mourning 
 women  "  than  at  present  were  available ;  hence,  train  others  in  readiness  for  the  appalling 
 crisis.  Ver.  22.  "  The  handfid  after  the  husbandman  ; "  i.e.,  the  bundle  of  corn  which  the  reaper 
 cuts  into  his  arm  with  a  few  strokes  of  his  sickle,  and  which  another  who  follows  him  "  gathers," 
 to  bind  with  several  other  such  "  handfuls"  into  a  sheaf.  Ver.  25.  "  Circumcised  ivith  the  un- 
 circumcised  : "  considerable  difficulty  among  commentators  as  to  whether  the  prophet  asserted 
 that  circumcision  was  practised  among  the  nations  specified  in  ver.  26  ;  among  which  "  Judah  " 
 is  classed  in  this  respect.  Lange  contends  this  is  meant,  and  appeals  to  authority  of  Herodotus, 
 who  affirms  that  the  practice  existed  both  among  the  higher  castes  of  Egyptians,  and  the  Arabian 
 tribes — probably  Kedarenes  descended  from  Ishmael,  who  was  circumcised  by  Abraham  (Gen. 
 xvii.  23),  and  among  whose  descendants  the  rite  still  obtains,  although  the  Koi'an  nowhere 
 enjoins  the  rite  :  the  Edomites  accepted  circumcision  at  the  dictation  of  John  Hyrcanus,  as  the 
 alternative  of  vacating  their  country  (Josephus,  Antiq.  xiii.  9.  §  1).  Lange  urges  that  we  must 
 accept  the  prophet's  words  as  affirming  that  these  people  specified  did  practise  circumcision. 
 Yet  he  seems  alone  in  this  position,  excepting  that  Jerome  asserts  that  the  rite  did  exist  among 
 these  nations.  It  seems  simple  to  accept  the  general  verdict  that  these  people  are  not  all 
 affirmed  as  circumcised,  but  that  "  circumcised  "  and  "  uncircumcised  "  indiscriminately  are 
 grouped  together  as  forming  the  list  of  nations  on  whom  God's  judgments  would  soon  descend. 
 
 Literary  Criticisms.  Ver.  1.  should  be  joined  to  chap,  viii.,  it  is  so  in  Heb.  Bibles.  Ver.  3. 
 ^^  Not  valiant  for  truth  :"  Lange,  "not  by  truth  do  they  prevail  in  the  land."  Keil,  "not 
 according  to  faithfulness  do  they  manage  in  the  land."  Speaker's  Com.,  "neither  do  they  rule 
 faithfully  in  the  land."  Maurer,  "  they  do  not  prevail  by  truth  "  (Ps.  xii.  4).  Ver.  8.  "  As  an 
 arrow  shot  out : "  ZOm^  Vn    a  slaughtering  arrow.      "In  heart  he  layeth  his  wait ;"  properly 
 
 St"' 
 
 inwardly  he  layeth  his  ambush  :  ^"IJ^  =  insidious  scheming.     Ver.  10.  "  habitations  of  the 
 
 wilderness ;  "  i.e.,  prairie,  pasturage,  encampment  of  the  shepherds  :  the  reference  being  probably 
 to  the  wilderness  of  Judea,  where  cattle  were  pastured  {cf.  1  Sam.  xvii.  28).  Ver.  19.  "  Our 
 dwellings  have  cast  us  out:  "  "dwellings"  is  not  the  nominative,  but  "they,"  the  enemies,  who 
 
 191 
 
CHAP.  IX.  HOMILETIC  COMMENTARY :  JEREMIAH. 
 
 have  throvm  down  our  dwellings  {cf.  2  Kings  xxv.  9).  Ver,  26.  "All  in  the  utmost  corners  :" 
 Margin,  "  Heb.  cut  off  into  qorners,  or,  having  the  corners  (of  their  ha,\T)  polled."  Speaker's 
 Com.  all  who  have  the  corners  of  their  hair  shorn.  Hand.,  Cut  as  to  the  corner  of  the  beard 
 (cf.  Lev.  xir.  27,  xxi.  5),  a  custom  the  Jews  were  prohibited  to  imitate.  The  description 
 points  to  the  Arabs,  who  "  dwell  in  the  wilderness." 
 
 HOMILETIC  ARRANGEMENT  OF  THE  ENTIRE  CHAPTER  IX. 
 
 *  *  Sectional  divisions  of  the  chapter  does  violence  to  its  structure  and  disorder;  for  its  very 
 confusion  of  topics,  the  intermingling  of  solemn  messages  with  passionate  exclamations,  is 
 characteristic  of  vivid  dread  and  poignant  grief ;  of  these  the  chapter  is  full.  Sections  might, 
 however,  arranged  thus : 
 
 Verses      1-8.  Plaintive  lamentations  over  sin. 
 „         9-16.  God's  vindications  of  His  judgments 
 ,,       17-22.  Vivid  realisation  of  calamities. 
 „       23-26.  Vainglorious  confidences  corrected. 
 
 The  scope  and  significance  of  the  entire  chapter  may  be  thus  stated  :  Jeremiah 
 presents  to  Judah : 
 
 1.  A  vivid  portrayal  of  the  direful  disasters  impending. 
 
 2.  A  justification  of  God's  judgments  against  sin. 
 
 By  showing  them  how  alarming  would  be  the  punishment,  he  would  have  them 
 see  how  appalling  was  their  sin.  Their  condition  and  conduct  imprecated  the 
 retribution.  Noticeable  that  appeal  is  made  to  the  wisdom,  the  serious  thought  of 
 his  hearers,  that  they  may  "  understand  "  (ver.  12)  the  equity  of  God's  proceedings 
 against  them.  Sinners  would  justify  God's  punishments  if  they  wisely  considered 
 their  case,  demerits,  and  the  provocations  of  their  sins  :  "  We  indeed  justly,  for  we 
 receive  the  due  reward  of  our  sins." 
 
 I.  Sorrowful  consternation  over  calamities.  Both  the  revolting  cause  of  these 
 calamities  (vers.  2-6)  and  their  poignant  severity  (vers.  20-22)  are  carefully  speci- 
 fied :  thus  the  bemoaning  is  intelligently  and  adequately  justified. 
 
 1.  The  prophet's  agony  of  grief  (vers.  1,  2).  Note  the  pathos  of  the  reiteration, 
 "  my  people  ! "  Humanity,  philanthropy,  patriotism,  and  religious  feeling,  ail 
 summon  us  to  bitter  sorrow  over — (1)  the  sufferings  of  our  people  ;  (2)  the  slaughter 
 wrought  by  tyranny  (especially  the  tyranny  of  Satan  over  the  lives  and  souls  of  men  ; 
 and  the  slaughter  of  virtue,  happiness,  and  hope)  ;  (3)  the  sinfulness  which  under- 
 lies and  explains  all  man's  woes.  Characters  wasted,  lives  degraded,  hearts 
 pierced  with  anguish,  souls  ruined  :  a  sad  world ;  the  gentle,  generous  heart 
 shudders  amid  these  devastations,  "  weeps  for  the  slain." 
 
 2.  The  people's  realisation  of  their  ruin  (vers.  17-19).  It  came  late,  yet  it 
 came  :  they  awoke  at  last.  God  arrests  the  insensate  nation  with  the  appeal, 
 "  Consider  ye  !"  The  verses  delineate  the  people's  (1)  sudden  consternation;  (2) 
 ovenohelming  distress,  i.  Professional  mourners  would  have  abundant  occasion  for 
 wailing  (ver.  17).  il  The  people  would  themselves  be  plunged  into  the  agony  of 
 sorrow  (ver.  18).  We  cannot  leave  to  others  the  bitter  mourning,  the  pang  in  our 
 hearts  will  be  too  keen.  iii.  Zion  would  resound  with  cries  of  anguish  and  des- 
 peration (ver.  19).  Sinners,  though  slow  to  recognise  their  dreadful  state  and 
 prospects,  are  sure  to  realise  them  (ver.  25).  Because  doom  now  tarries  they  make 
 merry  while  godly  men  weep ;  but  they  will  join  the  lamentations,  though  (alas  ! 
 if  as  here)  only  when  too  late,  when  ruin  is  upon  them  (ver.  19). 
 
 3.  God  summons  the  nation  to  grievous  sorrow  (ver.  20-22).  1.  He  supplies  the 
 mourners  with  the  national  dirge  (ver.  21),  than  which  no  more  piteous  a  refrain 
 could  be  conceived.  2.  He  then  portrays  the  awful  disasters  (ver.  22)  :  death  in 
 every  home, — the  slain  covering  the  lands,  childhood  and  youth  perishing  with  the 
 "  men."  Judgment  comes  on  all,  "  for  that  all  have  sinned."  When  God  bids  us 
 sorrow,  it  is  time  to  "consider"  and  humble  ourselves  penitently  before  Him. 
 "  Now  He  hath  commanded  men  everywhere  to  repent."     A  wide  difference  be- 
 
HO  MI  LET IC  COMMENTARY :  JEREMIAH. 
 
 tween  this  "  godly  sorrow  "  and  the  grief  of  despair  and  doom.  Timely  penitence 
 may  avert  ultimate  desperation.  Predictions  of  disaster  are  intended  as  persua- 
 sives to  the  sorrow  which  averts  woe. 
 
 II.  Appalling  corruption  of  the  nation  (ver.  2-6,  8). 
 
 _  1.  As  viewed  hy  the  prophet  (ver.  2-6).  He  would  fain  hide  himself  from  the 
 sickening  and  revolting  spectacle  of  his  people's  guiltiness  (ver.  2).  (a.)  They  were 
 foul  and  false  (ver.  2);  {b.)  maliciously  deceptive,  "tongues  like  bows"  (ver.  3); 
 (c.)  careless  of  public  honour  and  faith,  "  not  valiant  for  truth"  (see  Lit.  Crit.  on 
 ver.  supra)  ;  (d.)  abandoned  to  iniqicitotis  practices,  "  proceed  from  evil  to  evil ; " 
 (e.)  ig?iore  God  in  His  oivn  land,  "know  not  Me,  saith  the  Lord;"  (/.)  social 
 confidence  and  integrity  violated  (ver.  4),  utterly  insincere,  treacherous,  and  unjust 
 in  their  domestic  and  neighbourly  intercourse  ;  (g.)  their  falsity  was  deliberate  and 
 resolute  (ver.  5),  they  actually  trained  themselves  to  lying,  and  defiantly  refused  to 
 speak  or  act  truthfully;  (fi.)  evil-doing  exhausted  all  their  powers,  "they  weary 
 themselves,"  &c.,  leaving  them  incapable  of  anything  else. 
 
 2.  As  estimated  by  the  Lord  (ver.  6,  8).  For  His  eyes  are  upon,  and  His  eyelids 
 try,  the  children  of  men.  Note  :  God  marks  what  are  the  surroundings  of  His 
 servants  :  "I  know  where  thou  dwellest "  (Rev.  ii,  13).  "Thine  habitation  is  in 
 the  midst  of  deceit."  Their  case  before  God  showed  (1.)  criminal  falsity ;  (2.)  de- 
 termined repudiation  of  God  in  order  to  practise  "deceit"  (ver.  7);  (3.)  cruel 
 treachery  (ver,  8).  Observe  :  How  severely  God  regards  the  violation  of  social 
 laws ;  wrong  done  by  man  to  man,  sins  of  the  tongue,  faithless  conduct,  scheming 
 selfishness.  Yet,  further,  men  fall  away  from  God  as  their  first  stage  of  decline  ; 
 it  therefore  argues  their  complete  degradation  when  they  become  avowedly /a^se  to 
 their  fellow-men, — indicates  utter  moral  corruption,  loss  of  every  virtue  and  of  all 
 worth. 
 
 3.  Yet  condoned  by  themselves  (ver.  23-26).  They  neglected  "loving-kindness, 
 judgment,  and  righteousness  "  (ver.  24),  despised  what  God  "  delighted  in,"  and 
 then  gloried  in  their  "wisdom,  might,  and  riches"  (ver.  23).  More  :  they  relied 
 upon  the  value  of  a  rite,  "  circumcision "  (ver.  25,  26),  as  a  guarantee  against 
 being  abandoned  by  God  and  consigned  to  heathen  conquest.  1.  Oiir  own  resources 
 ("  wisdom,  might,  riches  ")  will  not  protect  us  from  hostile  invasion.  God  menaced 
 .Tudah  with  the  Chaldean  scourge  because  of  their  perfidious  impiety,  their  neglect 
 of  "  loving-kindness,  judgment,  and  righteousness ; "  Judah  instantly  comforted 
 herself  with  looking  at  her  resources  of  wisdom,  might,  and  wealth.  2.  Our 
 religious  professions  (reliance  on  the  covenant  of  circumcision)  afford  no  answer  to 
 the  denunciation  against  our  sins,  nor  any  excuse  for  them.  Having  violated 
 I^ractical  piety — "loving-kindness,  judgment,  righteousness,  and  knowing  God  " — 
 their  vaunted  circumcision  would  not  protect  them  from  the  doom:  they  were 
 "  uncircumcised  in  heart." 
 
 III.  God's  vindication  of  His  judgments.  He  does  not  leave  it  to  His  prophet 
 to  "  justify  the  ways  of  God  with  men  : "  Himself  expounds  the  righteousness  of 
 His  proceedings. 
 
 1.  The  judgments  delineated.  The  country  devastated  (ver.  10).  Jerusalem 
 destroyed  (ver.  11).  Cities  desolated  (ver.  11).  Life  embittered  (ver.  15).  The 
 people  banished  and  consumed  in  exile  (ver.  IG).  Zion  a  scene  of  spoliation  and 
 slaughter  (ver.  19,  21).  Fields  strewn  with  the  unburied  slain  (ver.  22).  God 
 will  not  respect  their  covenant  distinction  (ver.  25,  26)  in  the  impartial  visitation 
 of  retribution.  (1.)  God's  punishments  are  far-reaching,  vast,  majestic,  even  as  are 
 His  mercy  and  His  grace.  All  His  doings  are  on  a  scale  of  stupendous,  awful 
 magnitude.  "Marvellous  are  Thy  works,  O  Lord."  "  Glorious  in  holiness,  fearful 
 in  praises,  doijig  ivonders."  (2.)  God's  punishments  are  all-inchisive,  beyond 
 evasion  or  escape, — leaving  for  those  condemned  no  refuge. 
 
 2.  The  judgments  imperative.  Note  :  (1.)  His  searching  purpose  (ver.  7) ;  (2.)  His 
 necessary  severity  (ver.  9).     Judgments  have  a  twofold  purpose  :  (a.)  Corrective  : 
 
 N  193 
 
CHAP.  TX. 
 
 EOMJLETIC  COMMENTARY :  JEREMIAH. 
 
 "  melt  and  try  them,"  purify  some  in  the  fires  of  affliction :  "  when  Thy  judg- 
 ments are  abroad  in  the  earth,  the  inhabitants  will  learn  righteousness."  This  end 
 must  be  sou^^ht,  for  nothing  milder  than  severe  punishments  affected  them  for 
 good.  God  asks,  as  if  in  perplexity,  "  How  shall  I  do  1 "  &c.  Solicitous  to  secure 
 their  spiritual  improvement  even  by  the  calamities  which  impended.  (6.)  Aveng- 
 ing :  for  they  who  will  not  be  reformed  must  be  ruined. 
 
 3.  The  judgments  vindicated.  Jehovah  calls  upon  the  thoughtful  to  ponder  and 
 declare  "/or  what  the  land  perisheth,"  &c.  (ver,  12).  Then  follows  (1.)  The 
 'D'w'me  indictment  (ver.  13,  14):  revolt  against  God's  law  and  service,  abandonment 
 to  self-indulgence  and  idolatry.  (2.)  The  Divine  sentence  (ver.  15,  16).  Observe  : 
 Severity  is  wholly  foreign  to  God's  designs  and  delight  (ver.  24).  He  desires  not 
 the  death  of  a  sinner,  but  delights  in  mercy ;  nevertheless,  when  all  His  "  loving- 
 kindness  "  avails  nothing  with  sinners,  when  they  resist  His  grace  and  repudiate 
 salvation,  there  remains  only  this,  "  a  certain  fearful  looking  for  of  judgment  and 
 fiery  indignation,  which  shall  devour  the  adversaries."  Yet  *'  God  hath  not  appointed 
 us  to  ivrath,  but  to  obtain  salvation  by  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ." 
 
 HOMILIES  AND  OUTLINES  ON  SUCCESSIVE  VERSES  OF  CHAPTER  IX. 
 
 Ver,  1.   Theme:  Anguish  op  grief 
 
 OVER  sinners'  ruin. 
 
 I.  His  vivid  anticipation  of  coming 
 woes.  Times  were  now  tranquil ;  no 
 cry  of  grief  rang  through  the  land.  He 
 the  sole  weeper  !  Like  to  a  Greater,  who 
 also  was  a  Lone  Weeper  ;  "  Hosanas  " 
 around  Him,  revelry  in  Jerusalem,  none 
 dreamt  of  doom  nearing  :  yet  Jesus 
 "  beheld  the  city  and  wept  over  it." 
 (1.)  Doom  is  not  less  real  or  near  because 
 ignored  by  those  who  are  doomed,  (2.) 
 Eyes  divinely  opened  foresee  what  is 
 hid  from  the  godless. 
 
 II.  His  passionate  distress  over 
 coming  woes.  This  is  natural  to  the 
 Christian  'patriot,  the  Christian  pastor  : 
 "  I  tell  you  even  weeping  "  (Rom.  ix.  2). 
 (1.)  Sinners  ought  to  be  concerned  for 
 themselves.  (2.)  Godliness  creates  true 
 generosity,  —  the  peril  of  others  em- 
 bitters the  soul. 
 
 III.  His  baffling  helplessness  before 
 coming  woes.  He  can  bemoan  them : 
 would  readily  weep  and  ceaselessly  weep 
 over  His  people's  ruin,  but  what  could 
 avail'?  He  could  do  nothing  to  avert 
 the  terrible  fate.  (1.)  None  can  by  any 
 means  redeem  a  brother.  (2.)  Sinners 
 thwart  the  agonising  solicitude  of  the 
 godly  by  their  own  hardened  indiffer- 
 ence. (3.)  Each  must  deliver  his  own 
 soul  by  going  himself  to  the  Saviour ; 
 pastors  and  prophets  cannot  deliver 
 them.  They  can  "weep,"  but  cannot 
 save.      Reflection  :    What  a  luxury  of 
 
 joy  there  must  be  in  possessing  the  power 
 to  save  !  Jesus  has  this  joy — He  only. 
 He  obtained  it  on  Calvary,  In  order  to 
 possess  it,  "  He  endured  the  cross, 
 despising  the  shame."  Yet  earnest 
 servants  of  Christ  will  "  enter  into  the 
 joy  of  their  Lord,''  inasmuch  as  they 
 have  entered  into  His  distress  over 
 sinners,  and  longing  to  rescue  them. 
 
 Comments  :  "  It  becomes  us,  while, 
 we  are  here  in  this  vale  of  tears,  to 
 conform  to  the  temper  of  the  climate, 
 and  to  sow  in  tears.  .  .  .  While  we  find 
 our  hearts  such  fountains  of  sin,  it  is  fit 
 that  our  eyes  should  be  fountains  of 
 tears." — Henry.  "  The  meaning  is,  that 
 the  destruction  of  the  people  would  be 
 so  monstrous  and  dreadful,  that  it  could 
 not  be  sufficiently  bewailed.  ...  As  he 
 saw  that  their  hearts  were  inflexible, 
 and  that  a  common  way  of  speaking 
 would  be  despised,  he  was  constrained 
 to  use  such  similes.  Learn  what  vehe- 
 mence they  ought  to  use  whom  God  calls 
 to  the  same  office  of  teaching." — Calvin. 
 "  From  the  wish  to  be  utterly  dissolved 
 in  tears  because  of  the  misfortunes  of 
 his  countrymen,  the  prophet  passes 
 naturally  to  the  wish  to  flee  away  from 
 the  daily  sight  of  those  sins,  which  were 
 the  real  cause  of  their  sufferings." — 
 Speake7-'s  Com. 
 
 Ver.  1,  2.  Theme:  Genuine  philan- 
 thropy. 
 
 Jeremiah  a  devout  saint,  true  patriot, 
 
HOMILETIC  COMMENTARY :  JEREMIAH. 
 
 faithful  prophet,  model  philanthropist. 
 Early  Church  entertained  so  exalted  an 
 idea  of  him,  that  they  pictured  him  as 
 the  very  type  of  Him  who  was  the  most 
 perfect  incarnation  of  Heaven's  tender- 
 ness and  love.  Many  in  this  age  who 
 ?Lxe  philanthropists  for  trade;  impose  on 
 the  credulous ;  they  are  an  offence  to 
 genuine  souls,  and  their  lives  a  calumny 
 on  the  holy  cause.  Two  aspects  of 
 genuine  philanthropy  : 
 
 I.  Genuine  philanthropy  melting 
 with  earnestness.  "  Oh,  that  head 
 waters,"  &c.  He  had  wept  copiously,  but 
 would  weep  more — "  Rivers  of  water  " 
 — if  thereby  serve  God  and  country, 
 
 1.  Heart  intensely  earnest  concerning 
 the  temporal  condition  of  men.  Chaldean 
 army  among  them,  sword  staining  the 
 country  with  blood,  groans  of  the  dying 
 and  wails  of  the  bereaved  :  "  The  slain 
 of  the  daughter  of  my  people."  This 
 distresses  him ;  weeps  as  patriot  over 
 grief  of  his  country.  "  0  Jerusalem, 
 Jerusalem  1 " 
 
 2.  Heart  intensely  earnest  concerning 
 the  moral  condition  of  men.  Thei»  car- 
 nalities, idolatries,  and  crimes  affect  his 
 pious  spirit  more  than  physical  sufferings 
 and  political  disasters.  He  knew  sin 
 was  the  cause  of  all,  that  no  salvation 
 luithout  removal  of  sin.  No  true  philan- 
 thropists who  not  chiefly  concerned  with 
 souls,  "My  heart's  desire,"  <fec.  :  see 
 Paul  (Rom.  x.  1).  "  Rivers  of  water 
 .  .  .  because  keep  not  Thy  law  : "  see 
 David  (Ps.  cxix.  136,  xlii.  3).  Why  all 
 this  earnestness  about  the  soid?  (1.) 
 Think  of  the  sold  in  relation  to  its  capa- 
 city of  suffering  and  happiness.  (2.)  In 
 relation  to  the  influences  for  good  or  evil 
 it  is  capable  of  exerting.  (3.)  In  relation 
 to  its  power  of  being  a  delight  or  a  grief 
 to  the  heart  of  Infinite  Love. 
 
 II.  Genuine  philanthropy  sighing  for 
 isolation.    "  Oh,  that  in  wilderness,"  &c. 
 
 1.  This  is  the  sigh  of  a  spiritually 
 vexed  sotd.  Like  Lot  in  Sodom,  the 
 hideous  forms  of  sin  every  day  "  vexed 
 his  righteous  soul."  Like  David,  when 
 "saw  transgressors  and  was  grieved." 
 Like  Paul  at  Athens,  "  spirit  stirred  "  at 
 revolting  iniquities  which  met  him  at 
 every  turn.  Natures  spiritually  refined 
 and  ennobled  recoil  with  inexpressible 
 
 disgust  from  vanities  and  crimes  of  their 
 age. 
 
 "  Far  from  the  world,  0  Lord,  I  flee, 
 From  strife  and  tumult  far ; 
 From  scenes  where  Satan  wages  still 
 His  most  successful  war." 
 
 — COWPER . 
 
 2.  This  sigh  for  isolation  is  the  sigh 
 of  disappointed  love.  He  had  worked 
 earnestly  and  with  self-denial  to  improve 
 the  spiritual  condition  of  his  country, 
 yet  it  grew  worse,  sank  deeper  in  ini- 
 quities. Nothing  is  more  saddening 
 to  generous  souls  than  the  discovery  of 
 indifference,  ingratitude,  and  growing 
 vice  in  the  very  men  they  seek  to  bless. 
 Elijah  felt  it,  and  betook  himself  to  a 
 cave  ;  David,  and  cried,  "  Oh,  that  I  had 
 wings  as  of  a  dove,"  &c, ;  Christ,  and 
 said,  "  I  have  laboured  in  vain." 
 
 There  is  danger  of  a  corrupt  age  ex- 
 hausting the  love  of  genuine  philanthro- 
 pists. Instances  of  loving  souls  becoming 
 misanthrop)ic  through  the  ill-treatment  of 
 those  whom  they  endeavoured  to  serve. 
 A  sublime  fact  that  Chrisfs  ^philanthropy 
 survived  the  fiendish  cruelty  of  the  cross, 
 rose  with  Him  from  the  sepulchre,  and 
 despatched  a  message  of  mercy  to  His 
 most  malignant  enemies  at  Jerusalem. 
 
 Conclusion  : 
 
 (1.)  The  vicariousness  of  genuine 
 philanthropy.  It  inspires  the  possessor 
 with  the  spirit  that  will  prompt  him  to 
 sacrifice  his  very  being  for  the  good  of 
 others,  to  weep  himself  away.  "  I 
 would  that  accursed  from  Christ  for  my 
 brethren."  All  genuine  philanthropy 
 bears  the  sins  and  sorrows  of  others. 
 
 (2.)  The  abuse  of  genuine  philan- 
 thropy. How  shamefully  was  the  love 
 of  Jeremiah  requited  by  countrymen ! 
 The  greatest  sin  in  universe  is  sin 
 against  love. 
 
 (3.)  The  imperfection  of  genuine 
 philanthropy.  Like  the  best  of  every- 
 thing human,  love  is  not  perfect  here. 
 Disheartened,  Jeremiah  sought  isolation. 
 At  one  time  we  hear  him  exclaim,  "  I  will 
 not  make  mention  of  Him,  nor  speak 
 any  more  in  His  name," — Homilist. 
 
 N.B. — G.  H.  Spurgeon  used  ver.  1  as 
 text  for  sermon  on  "  India's  Ills  and 
 England's  Sorrows,"  at  the  time  of 
 the  Sepoy  mutiny,  September  1857. 
 
 1  i7U 
 
CHAP.  IX. 
 
 HOMILETIC  COMMENTARY :  JEREMIAH. 
 
 "  Some  men  sent  into  this  world  for 
 the  purpose  of  being  the  world's  weepers. 
 Mankind  must  have  their  heroes  to  ex- 
 press their  courage,  their  philanthro- 
 pists to  live  out  mankind's  philanthropy, 
 their  weepers  to  weep  from  cradle  to 
 grave  for  the  woes  of  others.  If  you 
 have  tears,  these  hard  times  will  compel 
 you  to  shed  tliem  now  : 
 
 "I,  For  persons  actually  slain  :  with 
 murder  and  bloodshed.  Our  spirits, 
 harrowed  by  the  most  fearful  and  unex- 
 pected cruelty,  have  felt  the  ties  of  kin- 
 dred very  strongly  when  found  our  race 
 butchered  in  the  East.  England's  sol- 
 diers tortured  ;  England's  daughters  dis- 
 honoured. Who  can  read  the  tale  of 
 infamy  without  tears  1  Betake  ourselves 
 in  agonies  of  prayer  to  God  that  He  will 
 interpose. 
 
 "II.  For  those  morally  slain.  Sin 
 aboundeth,  and  iniquity  is  still  mighty. 
 Worse  deaths  than  those  inflicted  by  the 
 sword. 
 
 "  1.  Weep  for  the  drunlcenness  of  this 
 land.  Thousands  every  year  murdered 
 thereby.  My  soul  might  be  an  everlast- 
 ing Niobe,  perpetually  dropping  showers 
 of  tears,  if  it  might  know  the  doom  and 
 destruction  wrought  by  the  demon  of 
 drunkenness. 
 
 "  2.  Weep  for  the  crime  of  debauch- 
 ery. '  A  shame  even  to  speak  of  the 
 things  done  in  secret.'  Harlots  and 
 seducers. 
 
 "  3.  Men  are  falling  by  every  sin,  dis- 
 guised under  the  shape  of  pleasure. 
 Ominous  theatre  notice — 'To  the  pit  ! ' 
 
 "  In  Jeremiah's  day  Jerusalem  was  all 
 mirth.  They  laughed  him  to  scorn. 
 So  ye  marvel  I  should  weep  for  you  / 
 But  I  foresee  the  future  ;  see  you  before 
 the  Judge  ;  and  the  thought  of  your 
 destruction  bids  us  yield  to  tears. 
 '  Wages  of  sin  is  death.'  We  weep  for 
 those  u'ho  have  had  great  privileges,  but 
 have  neglected  them  ;  and  who,  having 
 had  great  privileges,  if  lost,  must  expect 
 greater  punishment.  'More  tolerable 
 for  Sodom  and  Gomorrah.'  Christians  ! 
 cease  not  weeping  amid  prayerful  plead- 
 ings for  those  in  your  families,  for  your 
 neighbours,  who  are  yet  in  the  power  of 
 sin." — Spxirgeon. 
 
 I.  He  abandons  himself  to  sorrow 
 196 
 
 in  consideration  of  the  calamitous  con- 
 dition of  his  people. 
 II.  He  abandons  himself  to  solitude, 
 
 in  consideration  of  the  scandalous  char- 
 acter and  conduct  of  his  people. — Henry. 
 (Addenda  to  chap.  ix.  1,  "■Fountain  of 
 tears  ;  "  ver.  2,  "  /Solitude.") 
 
 Ver.    3.       Theme :      Falsity  :     its 
 
 CRUELTY  AND  COWARDICE. 
 
 It  has  been  wisely  said  that  "  every 
 violation  of  truth  is  not  only  a  sort  of 
 suicide  in  the  liar,  but  is  a  stab  at  the 
 health  of  human  society."  Certainly 
 falsity  is  a  two-edged  sword  ;  it  wounds 
 the  deceiver  equally  with  the  deceived. 
 Heaven's  imprecations  are  upon,  and 
 heaven's  gates  exclude,  "  all  liars." 
 
 Text  contains  : 
 
 I.  Two  affirmations  :  the  positive 
 side  of  a  sinner's  life. 
 
 Charges  upon  these  people  : 
 
 1.  Perfidious  words :  speech  prosti- 
 tuted to  falsity.  A  grievous  crime  to 
 use  words  foully,  to  pervert  speech. 
 Like  poisoning  a  public  spring.  It  is 
 the  devil's  work  ;  "  for  he  is  a  liar,  and 
 the  father  of  lies."  False  words  are 
 crafty  (ver.  4),  malicious  (ver.  5),  ruin- 
 ous (ver.  8). 
 
 "  Curse  on  the  coward  or  perfidious  tongue  !  " 
 — Thomson. 
 
 "A  lie  should  be  trampled  on  and 
 extinguished  wherever  found.  I  am  for 
 fumigating  the  atmosphere  when  I 
 suspect  that  falsehood,  like  pestilence, 
 breathes  around  me." — Carlyle. 
 
 "  Dare  to  be  true,  nothing  can  need  a  lie  ; 
 A  fault  which  needs    it  most  grows  two 
 thereby."  — Hekbert. 
 
 2.  Iniquitous  deeds.  A  transgressor 
 may  begin  with  abusing  language,  mis- 
 using words,  speaking  deceitfully,  cover- 
 ing over  his  sins  by  fair  speech  ;  but  he 
 will  soon  advance  from  ivords  to  deeds. 
 Evil-speakers  are  always  evil-doers.  A 
 man  who  can  speak  foully  can  act  basely. 
 George  Whitfield  would  fasten  his  pockets 
 when  he  heard  any  one  speak  ill;  because 
 he  who  could  speak  wrong  could  act  so  ; 
 a  liar  can  steal.  As  progression  from 
 words  to  deeds  is  natural,  so  progression 
 from  evil  deeds  to  greater  evils  is  inevi- 
 table.    "  From  iniquity  unto  iniquity.'' 
 
EOMILETIC  COMMENTARY :  JEREMIAH. 
 
 CHAP.  IX. 
 
 In  the  case  of  these  people  their  ini- 
 quitous deeds  were  (a.)  A  violation  of 
 mutual  obligations  bettveen  man  and 
 man;  each  wronged  the  other,  in  the 
 home,  in  neighbourly  intercourse,  in 
 commerce,  &c.  {b.)  A  violation  of 
 Divine  obligations  ;  each  revolted  from 
 the  control  and  claims  of  God.  These 
 two  affirmations  give  the  j^ositive  and 
 practical  side  of  a  sinner's  life. 
 
 II.  Two  negations :  the  desolate 
 side  of  a  sinner's  life. 
 
 There  is  much  in  a  sinner  which  we 
 should  desire  to  be  without,  viz.,  a  lying 
 tongue,  an  evil  life.  But  he  lacls  much 
 we  should  desire  to  have,  "valour  for 
 truth,"  and  "  knowledge  of  God." 
 
 1,  Faithless  towards  men.  Social  and 
 civil  responsibilities  contemned  :  "  Not 
 valiant  for  the  truth,"  i.e.,  not  energetic 
 to  maintain  righteousness  and  fairness. 
 They  let  order,  law,  and  duty  fall  into 
 neglect.  "  Not  faithful  to  their  convic- 
 tions "  {Eitzig).  "  Not  faithful  in  their 
 behaviour  towards  their  fellow-men " 
 (Kiel).  Those  who  had  power  in  their 
 hands  did  not  use  it  faithfully  for  right- 
 eous ends.  "  Not  fidelity  in  their 
 engagements  with  their  fellow-men " 
 {Speaker^ s  Com.).  Christ's  parable  of 
 unjust  judge.  "  It  is  indeed  proof  of 
 impiety  when  men,  trampling  xipon 
 faithfulness  and  eqxdty,  allow  themselves 
 every  kind  of  licentiousness "  [Calvin). 
 Iniquitous  persons  are  scarcely  likely  to 
 respect  social  and  civil  duties;  right- 
 eousness may  have  "fallen  among 
 thieves,"  but  they  are  content  to  "  pass 
 by  on  the  other  side,"  intent  on  "pro- 
 ceeding from  evil  to  evil." 
 
 2.  Indifferent  towards  God.  Sacred 
 realities  and  Divine  claims  ignored. 
 "  They  know  not  Me,  saith  the  Lord." 
 They  are  willingly  ignorant  of  Him,  and 
 they  are  necessarily  ignorant  of  Him  ; 
 for  while  they  "  desire  not  the  know- 
 ledge of  God's  ways,"  they  are  also 
 "  blinded  by  the  god  of  this  world," 
 "  walk  in  darkness,"  benighted  by  their 
 sins.  For  guilt  darkens  the  soul,  dead- 
 ens the  conscience,  disables  the  mind, 
 degrades  the  life  ;  hence,  "  they  know 
 not  Me." 
 
 Terrible  negation !  it  means  doom  : 
 "Whom  to  know  is  life  eternal."      He 
 
 who  shuts  from  himself  the  light  of 
 God  shuts  against  himself  the  gates  of 
 light  and  life.  "  The  pure  in  heart  see 
 God." 
 
 "  This  above  all,  to  thine  own  self  be  true; 
 And  it  must  follow,  as  the  night  the  day, 
 Thou  canst  not  then  be  false  to  any  man." 
 — Shakespeare. 
 
 See  Scripture  illustrations  of  falsity 
 and  its  issues :  e.g.,  Jacob,  Gebazi, 
 Ananias.  Truthfulness,  like  the  light, 
 moves  in  direct  lines  ;  and,  like  the  sun's 
 rays,  which  start  from  and  return  to  their 
 source,  so  truthfulness  is  Divine  in  its 
 origin  and  essence,  and  returns  home  to 
 Him  at  last.  But  falsehood  is  as  a 
 "wandering  star,"  destined  to  "the 
 blackness  of  darkness  for  ever." 
 
 Ver.  4.  Comments  :  "  Talce  ye  heed," 
 &c.  In  a  state  of  such  utter  lawless- 
 ness, the  bonds  of  mutual  confidence  are 
 necessarily  relaxed,  and  suspicion  takes 
 its  place.  The  parallel  passage  in  Micah 
 vii.  5,  6,  shows  that  Jeremiah's  com- 
 plaint was  not  occasioned  by  his  soreness 
 at  personal  ill-treatment,  but  was  too 
 true  a  picture  of  the  general  faithlessness 
 which  existed  at  Jerusalem.  "  Every 
 brother  will  utterly  supplant ;  "  an  allu- 
 sion to  the  name  of  Jacob  (Gen.  xxv. 
 26,  xxvii.  36  ;  Hos.  xii.  3).  It  might 
 be  rendered.  Every  brother  is  a  thor- 
 ough Jacob. — Speakers  Com. 
 
 "  Fratrum  quoque  gratia  rara  est." — Ovid. 
 The  words  are  very  noticeable  :   IJpi^^ 
 2S\>V'     The  verb  II^^  is  derived  from 
 the  heel  of  the  foot,  and  suggests  the 
 effort  to  tri}:)  t(p  another. 
 
 "  Since  this  verb  in  Kal  occurs  be- 
 sides only  in  Gen.  xxvii.  36  and  Hos. 
 xii.  4,  both  times  of  Jacob,  it  is  certainly 
 probable  that  the  prophet,  speaking  here 
 of  the  deceit  practised  by  one  brother  to 
 another,  had  this  early  instance  in  view." 
 — Lange. 
 
 Ver.  4.  Theme:  Slandering.  ''Every 
 neighbour  will  walk  with  slanders." 
 (Comp.  Notes  on  vi.  28.)  (Addenda  to 
 chap.  ix.  4,  '■'Slander.") 
 
 I.  Unanimity  in  sowing  mischief : 
 "  Every  neighbour."    Virulent  treachery. 
 
 II,  Activity  in  spreading  calumny  : 
 
 197 
 
tlHAF.  IX. 
 
 EOMILETIC  COMMENTARY :  JEREMIAIl. 
 
 "  Will  walk,"  travel  about  on  this 
 nefarious  business  ;  "  feet  run  to  evil  " 
 (Prov.  i.  16). 
 
 III.  Malignity  in  neighbourly  inter- 
 course. This  is  to  use  familiarity  to 
 murder  happiness.  "  Poison  of  asps 
 under  their  lips."  "  Madmen,  casting 
 firebrands,  arrows,  and  death."  Such 
 society  intolerable,  perilous,  destructive 
 of  aU  honour  and  peace. 
 
 "  The  world  with  calumny  abounds, 
 The  whitest  virtue  slander  wounds  ; 
 There  are  whose  joy  is,  night  and  day, 
 To  talk  a  character  away. 
 
 "  Eager,  from  rout  to  rout,  they  haste, 
 To  blast  the  generous  and  the  chaste, 
 And,  hunting  reputation  down. 
 Proclaim  their  triumphs  through  the  town." 
 
 — Pope. 
 
 Ver.    5.      Theme:    Sin   a  violent 
 
 OUTRAGE  ON  SELF. 
 
 "  They  have  taught  their  tongues  to 
 speak  lies:'"  they  are  artists  at  it 
 {Trap})) ;  make  a  study  of  it.  i.  They 
 are  ingenious  to  sin,  *'  have  taught  their 
 tongues :"  implying  that  through  the 
 reluctances  of  natural  conscience  they 
 found  it  difficult  to  bring  themselves  to 
 it,  but  by  degrees  they  have  made 
 themselves  masters  of  the  art  of  lying. 
 ii.  They  are  industrious  to  sin,  '*  weary 
 themselves  to  commit  iniquity  : "  put  a 
 force  upon  their  conscience  to  bring 
 themselves  to  it,  to  tire  out  their  con- 
 victions by  offering  them  continual  vio- 
 lence ;  are  wearied  with  their  sinful 
 pursuits,  and  yet  not  weary  of  them. 
 The  service  of  sin  is  a  perfect  drudgery. 
 —Henry. 
 
 "  Weary  themselves  :  "  are  at  labori- 
 ous pains  to  act  perversely. — Maiuxr. 
 
 Take  the  utmost  pains  to  go  crook- 
 edly.— Speaker's  Com. 
 
 Wrong-doing  is  an  abuse  of  our 
 nature.  A  chemist  finds  it  a  vexing  and 
 thankless  attempt  to  fuse  mutually 
 repellant  substances,  or  to  mix  antago- 
 nistic gases.  Sin  never  thoroughly 
 naturalises  itself  to  man's  conscience  and 
 aptitudes ;  all  along  there  is  a  strife 
 witliin  as  of  confiicting  forces.  Hence 
 "the  way  of  transgressors  is  hard ;"  and 
 "  the  wicked  are  like  a  troubled  sea  ;  no 
 peace  to  the  wicked."  This  a  benign 
 fact,  testifies  of  man's  nobler  calling 
 198 
 
 and  destiny,  and  is  an  incentive  within 
 us  to  "  cease  to  do  evil  and  learn  to  do 
 well ; "  it  is,  moreover,  the  preparation 
 in  man  for  Christ's  redeeming  and 
 reforming  grace. 
 
 Ver.  6.     Theme :  Our  localisation 
 
 MARKED  BY  THE  OMNISCIENT  EYE," 
 
 I.  That  our  dwelling-iilace  is  recog- 
 nised by  God. 
 
 II.  That  our  social  surroundings 
 attract  the  Divine  observance. 
 
 III.  That  the  peril  and  painfulness 
 of  our  situation  is  fully  estimated  by 
 Him. 
 
 IV.  That  the  struggle  it  costs  us  to 
 live  righteously  is  measured  by  God  in 
 the  light  of  the  antagonism  and  snares 
 which  endanger  us, 
 
 V.  That  maintenance  of  a  holy  life 
 in  unlikely  scenes  is  the  triumph  of 
 godly  heroism. 
 
 VI.  That  He  who  recognises  our 
 danger  will  send  adequate  grace  to  help, 
 and  proportion  ultimate  rewards  to  our 
 courageous  fidelity  (Eev.  ii,  13). 
 
 "  Where  duty  calls  or  danger, 
 Be  never  wanting  there." 
 
 Ver.  7.  Theme :  Punishment  cor- 
 rective RATHER  than  RETRIBUTIVE. 
 
 I.  God's  gracious  design  in  our 
 calamities.  "  I  will  melt  and  try 
 them."  Even  with  a  people  so  defi- 
 antly impious  and  utterly  corrupt,  and 
 even  in  such  calamities  as  Chaldean 
 overthrow  and  captivity,  God  intends 
 good  issues,  seeks  their  reform  rather 
 than  their  ruin.  Blank  punishment  for 
 its  own  sake,  justice  merely  avenging 
 itself  on  sinners,  this  is  not  God-like,  not 
 possible.  This,  a  sublime  truth  in  all 
 ages,  leads  some  to  cherish  the  "  larger 
 hope  "  of  the  purifying  issues  of  punish- 
 ment even  upon  "  the  lost," — those  who 
 enter  eternity  doomed !  A  dark  and 
 solemn  mystery. 
 
 II.  God's  distress  over  the  infatua- 
 tion of  sinners.  "  How  shall  I  do  for," 
 (fee.  1.  That  infatuation  frustrates  His 
 mercy,  2,  It  compels  Him  to  harsh 
 dealincs.  3.  It  moves  Him  to  reluctant 
 anger.  Milder  processes  were  fruitless  : 
 tribzdation  must  now  be  tried  ;  in  their 
 anguish  they  may   repent   and   return. 
 
HOMILETIC  CfOMMmTARY:  JEREMIAS. 
 
 He  will  melt  the  hardness  of  His  people 
 in  the  fire  of  affliction.  Yes,  and  will 
 consume  the  evil  thereby.  The  exclama- 
 tion, "  How  shall  I  do  ? "  is  not  (as 
 Hitzig  and  Graf),  What  dreadful  forms  of 
 judgment  shall  1  summon  in  vengeance  ? 
 Note :  "  How  shall  I  do  for  the 
 daughter?"  God  still  would  find  some 
 way  of  blessing  her  even  when  He 
 smites. 
 
 Ill,  God's  necessary  use  of  severe 
 judgments.  "  How  shall  I  do  for  my 
 people  ?  "  i.e  ,  "  What  else  can  I  do  ?  " 
 \Maurer).  How  otherwise  can  I  deal 
 with  her  than  to  try  her  in  the  crucible 
 of  suffering  ?  "  A  corruption  so  deeply 
 rooted  and  so  widely  extended  can  be 
 removed  only  by  a  process  of  entire  melt- 
 ing, which  will  certainly  be  grievous,  but 
 will  also  refine.  The  Lord  here  asks  how 
 He  should  act  if  not  as  here  indicated  ? 
 There  is  nothing  else  remaining  but  to 
 do  this"  {Naeg.).  1.  Calamity  is  God's 
 last  resort.  2.  Sin  must  be  severely 
 punished.  "  I  will  cast  them  into  the 
 fiery  crucible  of  sharp  affliction.  What 
 can  I  do  less  to  them,  though  they  are 
 *  My  people,'  since  they  are  so  shame- 
 lessly, lawlessly  wicked  ?  An  unruly 
 patient  maketh  a  cruel  physician ;  a 
 desperate  disease  must  have  a  desper- 
 ate remedy"  {Trapp).  Verily,  it  is 
 right  to  ask,  "  If  judgment  begin  at  the 
 house  of  God  (as  here,  '  My  people '), 
 what  shall  the  end  be  of  them  that  obey 
 not  the  gospel  of  Christ  ? "  In  the 
 melting  process,  their  "  deceit  "  (ver.  6) 
 would  soon  be  consumed,  and  woful 
 the  issue ;  nothing  to  resist  the  "  fiery 
 trial  which  is  to  try  "  them  !  Yet,  may- 
 hap, "  they  themselves  might  be  saved, 
 yet  so  as  by  fire"  (1  Cor.  iii.  15). 
 
 Ver.  8,  9.  Ruinous  conduct  ("tongue, 
 a  deadly  arrow,"  &c.),  followed  by 
 avenging  judgment.  "  With  what 
 measure  ye  mete,  it  shall  be  measured 
 to  you  again."  (See  notes  on  chap.  v. 
 9,  29.)  (Addenda  to  chap.  ix.  8, 
 "  Seductive  sjjeech.") 
 
 Ver.  10.  An  interruption  by  Jere- 
 miah of  Jehovah's  address,  for  ver.  1 1 
 continues  the  Divine  utterance  of  male- 
 dictions against  this  guilty  people. 
 Amid  God's  threats  of  coming  woe,  the 
 prophet   interposes  a  piteous  and    em- 
 
 bittered wail  over  the  threatened  deso- 
 lations of  his  country.  (See  Homily 
 on  chap.  iv.  23-26.)  The  verse  is  a 
 frightful  yet  truthful  picture  of  an 
 invaded  country  wasted  by  hostile 
 forces. 
 
 " Mo%ontains"  not  barren  eminences, 
 but  fruitful  hills,  with  which  Judea 
 abounded. 
 
 "  Habitations  of  the  wilderness," 
 pasture-lands  lately  occupied  by  nume- 
 rous herds,  restful  and  bountiful  scenes 
 where  fioclcs  fed  in  luxuriance  and 
 peace  ;  now  "  burned  up."  The  Chal- 
 deans would,  as  is  usual  in  war,  burn 
 up  the  forage  and  carry  off  the  cattle. 
 And  so  utterly  devastated  would  these 
 fair  and  flourishing  scenes  become,  that 
 even  the  birds  would  take  their  flight  from 
 a  land  so  parched  as  no  longer  to  furnish 
 them  food. 
 
 Ver.  11.  Theme:  Ruined  Jerusalem. 
 (Addenda  on  ver.  11,  "Jerusalem  in 
 ruins.")  God  proceeds  with  His  decree 
 of  desolating  judgment.  Not  only  shall 
 the  country  he  burned,  but  the  cities ; 
 yea,  Jerxisalem,  specially  shall  be  over- 
 thrown and  become  "  heaps."     Note  : 
 
 i.  The  prophecy,  how  apparently 
 incredible !  Jerusalem  was  at  that 
 very  time  a  well-fortified  city,  and  filled 
 with  valorous  people  ready  to  defend 
 it  as  well  as  to  boast  of  it.  Predicted 
 crises  always  seem  incredible;  e.g.,  the 
 flood,  the  doom  of  mighty  nations,  the 
 coming  judgment  and  overthrow  of  the 
 world. 
 
 ii.  The  prophet,  how  courageously 
 invincible !  Standing  there  in  Jerusalem 
 (vii.  2),  he  proclaimed  what  looked  im- 
 possible, was  certainly  exaspe7'ating  to  his 
 hearers,  was  equally  shocking  to  Ids  own 
 patriotic  soul,  and  exposed  him  to  no 
 small  animosity  and  danger. 
 
 (a.)  hnpirohable  events  very  commonly 
 occur ;  foolish,  therefore,  to  screen  our- 
 selves from  danger  by  that  futile  de- 
 lusion. 
 
 (6. )  Despising  God^s  threatenings  does 
 not  defeat  them:  they  come  upon  mockers, 
 "  Behold,  ye  despisers,  and  wonder,  and 
 perish !  " 
 
 (c.)  Divine  heralds  may  convey  tidings 
 ivhich  evoke  incredulity.     Yet  their  part 
 
 199 
 
Chap.  ix. 
 
 EOMILETIC  COMMENTARY:  JEREMIAH. 
 
 is  to    proclaim,    let  men  act   as   they 
 will. 
 
 {d.)  Intrepidity  is  a  seal  and  creden- 
 tial to  a  religioiis  'preacher.  It  asserts 
 his  own  assurance  of  High  Authority  for 
 his  words.  But  for  this,  Jeremiah  had 
 grown  disheartened  by  indifference  and 
 terrified  by  hostility.  But,  knowing  in 
 Whose  name  he  spake,  he  "  feared  not 
 the  wrath  of  the  king  "  nor  his  malevo- 
 lent counsellors,  but  "with  all  boldness" 
 delivered  the  tidings  of  doom. 
 
 Ver.  12-16.  :7%e?we  .•  Human  vindi- 
 cation OF  Divine  vengeance. 
 
 Words  imply  that  the  "  wise  "  would 
 "understand^'  both  the  reason  and  the 
 justice  of  the  coming  judgments,  "for 
 what  the  land  perished,"  i.e.,  on  account 
 of  what  provocations,  and  that  the  punish- 
 ment was  equitable  and  merited. 
 
 I.  Providence  acts  on  manifestly 
 righteous  principles.  Fools  may  not 
 recognise  or  receive  this  fact,  but  very 
 little  "  wisdom  "  wiU  avail  to  vindicate 
 this. 
 
 1.  Invariahle  laws  regxdate  the  Divine 
 dispensations  in  every  age.  As  with 
 Israel  (vii.  12),  so  would  it  be  with 
 Judah  (vii.  15);  and  similarly  with  all 
 who  act  their  course. 
 
 2.  The  issues  of  human  conduct  are  not 
 obscured  from  men.  They  stand  out 
 vividly  in  the  careers  of  men  around  us; 
 while  history  is  also  full  of  illustrations  : 
 "Well  with  the  righteous;  ill  with  the 
 wicked."  There  is  no  equivocation,  no 
 uncertainty,  no  chance  respecting  these 
 things  :  every  age  shows  the  same. 
 
 II.  Human  intelligence  can  recognise 
 the  justice  of  God's  ways. 
 
 1.  By  natural  ivisdom.  "Who  is  the 
 wise  man  that  may  understand  this  1 " 
 Needed  no  supernatural  revelation  to 
 teach  that  desecration  of  holy  scenes  and 
 defiance  of  holy  laws  must  entail  disaster; 
 for  unless  so,  there  could  be  no  God 
 judging  righteously  in  the  earth.  No 
 one  but  can  recognise  that  sin  merits 
 and  must  bring  punishment. 
 
 2.  By  enlightened  ivisdom.  For  in 
 their  case  they  had  "wisdom  which  is 
 from  above,"  and  boasted  themselves 
 "  wise,  for  the  law  of  the  Lord  is  loith 
 us "  (viii.  8).     We  can  open  the  Bible 
 
 200 
 
 and  read  the  curses  against  and  the  con- 
 sequences of  iniquity.  Examine  "  My 
 LAW,  which  I  have  set  before  them  "  (ver. 
 13). 
 
 III.  Ample  justification  is  furnislied 
 for  severest  judgments.  God  Himself 
 gives  the  explanation  (ver.  13,  14).  He 
 will  allow  to  none  the  plea  of  ignorance. 
 "  The  wrath  of  God  is  revealed  from 
 heaven  against  all  unrighteousness  and 
 ungodliness  of  men." 
 
 1.  How  vividly  our  sins  are  arrayed 
 before  the  Lord.  Minutely  specified 
 by  God  :  "  forsaken  law,"  "  not  obeyed 
 voice,"  "  neither walkedtherein,"  "walked 
 after  imagination, "  ^ '  walked  after  Baali  m . " 
 Our  sins  are  "  set  in  the  light  of  His 
 countenance." 
 
 2.  Hoiv  repugnant  our  sins  are  to  the 
 holiness  of  God.  The  "land  perished," 
 and  "  none  to  pass  through  it "  (ver.  1 2), 
 shows  how  He  will  overthrow  His 
 chosen  habitation  rather  than  connive 
 at  guilt, 
 
 3.  How  j)fovoking  our  sins  are  to  the 
 mind  of  God.  He  is  ^^  angry  with  the 
 wicked."  Kead  that  terrifying  fact  in 
 ver.  15,  16.  "Of  how  much  sorer 
 punishment  worthy  who  trampled  under 
 foot  the  Son  of  God?" 
 
 IV.  Direful  maledictions  forewarn 
 the  guilty  of  their  future. 
 
 1.  This  foreivarning  is  a  merciful  fact. 
 It  offers  time  of  escape.  "  Kiss  the  Son, 
 lest  He  be  angry,  and  ye  perish."  "  Flee 
 for  refuge  to  the  hope  set  before  you." 
 
 2.  This  foreivarning  is  an  appalli7ig 
 fact.  "  God  hath  spoken,  and  He  will 
 perform  His  word."  (1.)  Bitter  experi- 
 ences ;  "  wormwood."  (2.)  Destructive 
 calamities;  "  water  of  gall."  (See  Literary 
 Notes  and  Homilies  on  viii.  14.)  (3.) 
 Banished  to  their  adversaries  (comp. 
 Matt.  XXV.  41).  (4.)  Escape  impossible, 
 either  by  flight  or  in  far  distance ;  "  I 
 will  send  a  sword  after  them,"  &c.  When 
 the  Lord  God,  whose  eyes  are  in  every 
 place,  pursues,  He  will  surely  discover 
 and  overtake. 
 
 Conclusion:  The  "wise"  should  use 
 their  wisdom  to  find  redemption  from 
 evidently  nearing  disasters.  "  The  pru- 
 dent man  foreseeth  the  evil  and  hideth 
 himself."  2.  The  wise  should  use  their 
 wisdom  ioforivarn  others  to  escape,  "that 
 
HOMILETIC  COMMENTARY :  JEREMIAH. 
 
 CHAP.  IX. 
 
 he  may  declare  it  "  (ver.  12).  "  Know- 
 ing the  terrors  of  the  Lord,  we  persuade 
 men."  Heedlessness  is  suicidal  (Heb.  ii. 
 3)  ;  silence  is  criminal  (Ezek.  xxxiii,  8). 
 
 Ver.  17-22.  Theme  :  The  bitterness 
 
 AND  BEMOANINGS  OF  DEATH.   (Addenda 
 
 to  chap.  ix.  17,  "Mourning  women;" 
 ver.  21,  "  Death.") 
 
 "  The  citizens  of  Zion  are  called  upon 
 to  give  heed  to  the  state  of  affairs  now 
 in  prospect,  i.e.,  the  judgment  preparing, 
 and  are  to  assemble  mourning  women 
 that  they  may  strike  up  a  dirge  for  the 
 dead." — Keil. 
 
 Although  the  nation  was  now  in  no 
 dirge-like  mood,  but  made  light  of  the 
 woful  predictions,  yet  God  directs  them 
 to  arrange  their  doleful  obsequies  as 
 though  death  had  already  transpired. 
 
 I.  The  certainty  of  death's  approach. 
 Though  they  as  yet  saw  not  the  grim 
 form,  the  spectre  neared :  the  "  mourning 
 women "  would  have  their  melancholy 
 task  (ver.  17). 
 
 II.  The  speed  of  death's  advance  (ver. 
 18).  No  time  to  waste  in  making  pre- 
 parations :  quick,  or  not  ready.  This  ever 
 true:  the  interval  is  brief;  therefore  "  mrd'e 
 haste  ;  "  for  death  treads  upon  our  heels. 
 "  Weejo,^'  also,  for  there  is  cause. 
 
 III.  The  ravages  of  death's  desola- 
 tions (ver.  19).  "Spoiled,"  "con- 
 founded;" enforced  desertion  of  cherished 
 scenes  ["forsaken"  implies  voluntary 
 abandonment,  but  this  was  involuntary], 
 driven  from  dwellings  into  homeless  de- 
 spair. Analogy  of  death's  work  on  the 
 ungodly :  their  resources  in  which  boasted 
 "sjyoiled;"  false  hopes  "  confoimded ;  " 
 scenes  where  they  fain  would  have  tarried 
 "  forsaken,"  the  "  tabernacle  "  they  had 
 occupied  left.  For  what  1  for  where  ? 
 Alas  !  "  voice  of  wailing  is  heard  "  over 
 desolations,  and  despair  attendant  upon 
 death. 
 
 IV.  The  vastness  of  death's  spolia- 
 tion. "  The  harvest  of  death  would  be 
 so  large  that  the  number  of  trained 
 women  would  not  suffice." — Si^ealcer's 
 Com.  Therefore  ver.  20.  The  mothers 
 must  therefore  teach  their  daughters  the 
 melancholy  refrain.  Note  :  yoimg  voices. 
 ("daughters")  as  well  as  old  ("ye 
 women")  will  join  in  the  dirge  for  the 
 
 dead ;  for  no  age  is  sacred  or  screened 
 from  death.  Evidently  from  ver.  21 
 this  is  the  reason  why  the  daughters 
 should  be  taught  the  wailing  cry  :  they 
 would  soon  have  to  lament  the  loss  of 
 "  children  and  young  men."  None,  old  or 
 young,  would  be  exempted  from  mourning. 
 
 V.  The  variety  of  death's  victims 
 (ver.  21,  22). 
 
 1.  Enters  all  scenes :  "  palaces," 
 "streets"  (ver.  21),  "open  fields"  (ver. 
 22). 
 
 2.  Desolates  all  social  ranhs :  those 
 who  dwell  in  "palaces"  equally  with 
 labourers  in  "  streets,"  and  shepherds  in 
 "  open  field." 
 
 3.  Strikes  doivn  all  ages  :  "children," 
 "  young  men,"  "  men." 
 
 VI.  The  irresistihleness  of  death's 
 invasions. 
 
 1.  Bolted  doors  cannot  exclude  him 
 from  our  dwellings:  he  "comes  up  into 
 
 our  window." 
 
 2.  Fortified  2^c(,icices  are  no  defence 
 from  his  assaults  :  "  enters  palaces." 
 
 3.  The  Jdghways  in  the  city  he  invades  : 
 where  children  play,  and  young  men 
 resort. 
 
 4.  Lands  groan  with  the  burden  of 
 the  slain  (ver.  22).  So  dreadful  would 
 be  the  slaughter  that  the  carcases  would 
 be  left  unburied.  But  what  a  great 
 sejndchre  earth  is  ! 
 
 Note  1.  It  was  the  custom  anciently 
 to  give  a  fanciful  interpretation  to  the 
 words  "  death  is  come  up  into  our 
 windows  " — viz.,  the  ivindows  are  the  five 
 senses;  and  death  "comes  in"  with  the 
 2)leasures  admitted  by  these  "  windows." 
 
 Note  2.  The  degradation  to  which  the 
 body  is  reduced  is  suggested  in  ver.  22. 
 Just  as  the  Chaldeans  would  lay  all 
 their  glory  in  the  dust,  and  make  their 
 beauty  loathsome  "as  dung,"  so  does 
 death  turn  our  comeliness  into  corruption. 
 
 Ver.  21.  Theme:  Death  an  invading 
 
 ENEMY. 
 
 As  an  enemy : 
 
 I.  He  is  cruel.  1.  He  strikes  at  the 
 deaixst  objects  of  our  afi'ection.  2.  He 
 robs  us  of  our  most  usefiU  men :  patriots, 
 philanthropists,  preachers,  &c.  3.  He 
 drags  us  from  the  dearest  things  of 
 the   heart:    occupation,    social    circles, 
 
 201 
 
HOMILETIC  COMMENTARY :  JEREMIAH. 
 
 cherished  plans,  &c.  4.  He  rechices  our 
 bodies  to  the  dust.  Cruel  death  !  Deaf 
 to  the  strongest  and  most  piercing  cries 
 of  social  life. 
 
 II.  He  is  unremitting.  Never 
 sheathes  his  sword ;  never  pauses  in 
 march;  not  an  hour  that  he  does  not 
 strike  a  thousand  fatal  strokes  ;  as  rest- 
 less as  the  sea ;  whoever  idle,  he  is 
 active — in  every  man,  in  every  family, 
 in  every  community,  in  every  nation; 
 busy  with  all. 
 
 III.  He  is  subtle.  Fights  in  ambush, 
 steals  into  the  house,  touches  the  food  and 
 it  becomes  poison,  breathes  into  the  air 
 and  it  becomes  pestiferous,  lays  his  hand 
 on  the  heart  and  it  is  still.  While 
 his  victims  speak  of  health,  he  instils 
 mortal  disease ;  works  through  the 
 delicate  dish  and  the  si^arkling  wines. 
 
 IV.  He  is  resistless.  Men  through 
 ages  have  tried  to  resist  him ;  every 
 effort  and  expedient  has  failed.  All 
 that  science,  art,  wealth,  and  caution 
 could  do  failed.  Granite  castles  and 
 royal  bodyguards  are  powerless  before 
 him.  The  mighty  warrior  drops  his 
 sword  and  becomes  dust  in  his  presence. 
 
 V.  He  is  ubiquitous.  No  spot  on 
 earth  where  he  is  not  at  work.  He  is 
 in  the  waves  of  air,  on  billows  of  deep, 
 in  valleys,  on  mountain,  river,  and 
 brook,  forest  and  flowers ;  whole  earth 
 is  his  dominion. 
 
 VI.  He  is  conquerable.  "The  last 
 enemy  shall  be  destroyed."  There 
 is  One  who  will  swallow  up  death  in 
 victory:  Christ  has  conquered  death. 
 1.  In  His  oion  resurrection.  2.  In  His 
 power  ujion  the  minds  of  His  discijyles. 
 "0  death,  where  is  thy  sting?" — 
 Homilist. 
 
 Ver.  20,  21.  "To  be  used  in  times 
 when  death  snatches  many  away.  i. 
 Who  sends  Him  ?  ii.  Wherefore  He  is 
 sent  ?  iii.  How  we  may  protect  our- 
 selves against  Him  ?"— iVaey.  in  Lange. 
 
 Ver.  22,  23.  Theme;  Human  glory- 
 ing CORRECTED.  (Addenda  on  ver.  23, 
 "  Bpurious  glorying  J') 
 
 The  prophet  concludes  his  discourse 
 with  a  general  moral  reflection,  the  ob- 
 ject of  which  is  to  present  the  only  means 
 cf  escape  from  such  fearfully  threateniu<^' 
 202 
 
 dangers — viz.,  a  living  and  truly  produc- 
 tive knowledge  of  the  Lord. 
 
 I.  The  things  in  which,  they  are  not 
 to  glory. 
 
 1.  Those  which  to  the  natural  man 
 seem  most  desirable,  viz.,  wisdom, 
 strength  (power),  riches.  (Comp.  1 
 Kings  i.  13,  with  2  Chron.  ix.  22  ;  Job 
 xii.  13. 
 
 2.  Those  in  which  these  Jews  in- 
 clined presumptuously  to  boast.  Jere- 
 miah had  censured  their  boast  of  external 
 carnal  advantages.  (Comp.  vii.  4,  8, 
 10,  14,  24,  26,  28).  They  gloried  in 
 their  zvisdom  (viii.  8,  9) ;  in  their 
 strength  ;  yet  lo  !  (ix.  1)  "  slain  "  in  their 
 riches  (ver.  26-28). 
 
 The  "  wisdom  "  in  which  they  are  not 
 to  glory  is  not  that  called  "  better  than 
 strength"  (Eccles.  ix.  16),  and  which  is 
 identical  with  that  recommended  in  ver. 
 23,  but  worldly  wisdom  (Pro v.  iii.  5). 
 "  Strength,"  is  both  physical  strength 
 (Ps.  cxlvii.  10;  Job  xxxix.  19),  and 
 power  (2  Kings  x.  34,  xx.  20). 
 
 II.  Every  man  must  have  some- 
 thing in  which  to  glory. 
 
 1.  That  which  he  esteems  as  his  highest 
 blessing  and  honour.  (Comp.  Isa.  li.  16; 
 1  Cor.  i.  31 ;  2  Cor.  x.  17). 
 
 2.  God  sets  before  ris  the  best  objects  of 
 glorying.  1.  "3fe;"  both  "under- 
 stood," and  "known:"  God  is  to  be 
 known  as  'Uhe  only  true  God."  2.  The 
 qualities  in  which  God  delights;  mercy, 
 or  "  loving-kindness,"  as  opposed  to  their 
 vaunted  "  strength ; "  judgment  and 
 righteousness,"  as  in  distinction  from 
 their  oppression  of  the  weak  and  dis- 
 tressed (vii,  5,  6:  Ps.  cxlv.  17). — Ar- 
 ranged from  Lange. 
 
 Theme:   The  Christian's  highest 
 
 AND  TRUE  GLORY. 
 
 It  consists  in :  i.  Believing  in  the  Lord. 
 ii.  Living  in  the  Lord.  iii.  Working 
 for  the  Lord.  iv.  Suffering  for  the 
 Lord!s  sake. — Luther,  quoted  in  Lange. 
 
 Theme:  The  true  knowledge  op 
 God. 
 
 i.  Its  nature  :  not  dead  science,  but 
 living  experience. 
 
 ii.  Its  fruit:  (a.)  The  highest  blessing 
 (mercy,    justice,    and    righteousness    in 
 
nOMILETIC  COMMENTARY:  JEREMIAH. 
 
 Jesus  Christ);  (6.)  The  highest  honour 
 (he  who  has  it  will  not  be  put  to  shame, 
 as  he  who  glories  in  the  flesh). — Naeg. 
 
 i.  The  wisest  and  surest  reasonings 
 in  religion  are  grounded  on  the  unques- 
 tionable perfections  of  the  Divine  nature 
 {e.g.,  belief  in  Divine  Providence  and 
 veracity). 
 
 ii.  The  nature  of  God  is  the  true  idea 
 and  pattern  of  perfection  and  happiness. 
 — Abp.  Tillotson,  quoted  in  Lange. 
 
 "  Paul  says,  '  He  that  glorieth,  let  him 
 glory  in  the  Lord''  (2  Cor.  x.  17),  and 
 Jesus,  'This  is  life  eternal,  that  they 
 might  know  Thee,  and  Jesus  Christ,'  &c. 
 (John  xvii.  3).  This  is  to  glory,  as 
 though  one  should  say,  '  God  be  praised, 
 I  am  right  well  and  sound  ! '  To  be 
 sound  in  the  faith  is  to  have  the  know- 
 ledge of  Jesus  Christ,  to  maintain  it,  to 
 grow  in  it.  To  make  a  great  noise  of 
 good  works  as  our  own,  is  ridiculous. 
 For  grace  produces  them,  the  power  of 
 God  dwelling  in  us.  We  do  nothing, 
 and  should  do  nothing  if  it  were  left  to 
 us ;  but  the  work  of  God  in  us,  that  we 
 believe,  is  not  to  be  passed  over  in 
 silence,  moroseness,  and  ingratitude. 
 What  a  noise  do  humble  saints  in  the 
 Kevelation  make  of  their  grace,  freedom, 
 priesthood,  royal  dignity,  victory,  re- 
 demption (chaps,  iv.,  v.,  vii.,  xii.,  xiv., 
 xvii.,  xix.).  Oh,  that  the  whole  earth 
 were  full  of  our  glorying  in  the  Lord  ! 
 
 '  Oh,  that  we  were  able,  our  songs  so  high  to 
 
 raise, 
 That  all  the  country  round  might  echo  with 
 His  praise.' 
 
 Let  your  light  so  shine  before  men, 
 that  they  may  see  your  good  works  and 
 glorify  the  Father  in  heaven." — Zinzefii- 
 dorf. 
 
 *'  Examples  of  the  folly  of  glorying 
 (or  trusting)  in  wisdom  (Solomon),  might 
 (Samson),  riches  (Ahab)." — Bp.  Bull. 
 
 (Comp.  Addenda  on  ver.  33,  ^'Spuri- 
 ous glorying.") 
 
 Theme  :  A  prohibited  and  a  sanc- 
 tioned GLORYING. 
 
 When  Divine  punishment  for  wrong- 
 doing comes  upon  a  people,  there  is 
 proof  made  of  the  powerlessness  of 
 wisdom,  might,  and  wealth  to  do  their 
 possessors  any  good.       God  refuses  to 
 
 tolerate  the  conceit  of  knowledge, 
 strength,  or  wealth — His  gifts  ;  instead 
 of  glorying  in  the  knowledge  of  His 
 being  and  character,  in  what  "  He  de- 
 lights. 
 
 I.  The  glorying  which  is  prohibited 
 by  God. 
 
 The  tendency  and  temptation  to  self- 
 glorification  over  these  things.  For 
 "wisdom"  is  a  great  good,  so  also 
 "  strength,"  and  "  wealth  ;  "  but  each 
 being  the  gift  of  God,  the  Giver  is  to  be 
 gloried  in,  not  the  gifts ;  otherwise  the 
 glorying  becomes  the  glorification  of 
 self. 
 
 1.  Glorying  in  wisdom  is  the  glorifica- 
 tion of  self;  therefore  forbidden.  The 
 mind  that  knows  and  the  subjects 
 known  are  both  from  God.  "  Know- 
 ledge," possessed  or  contemplated  apart 
 from  God,  "puffeth  up;"  and  so  en- 
 dangers. Scripture  commends  "  wis- 
 dom," which  glories  not  in  itself,  but  in 
 God  our  Saviour.  "  Christ  is  the  wis- 
 dom of  God."  The  law  of  Christian 
 submission  and  adoration  is  that  which 
 we  are  called  to  follow. 
 
 2.  Glorying  in  strength  is  forbidden  as 
 self-glo7'ification.  Many  animals  far  sur- 
 pass man  in  strength.  The  early  his- 
 tory of  man  exhibits  the  consequences 
 of  glorying  in  mere  physical  strength. 
 Giants  performed  astonishing  feats  of 
 valour  ;  but  the  ungigantic  David  made 
 manifest  the  weakness  of  mere  bodily 
 bulk  and  strength.  Need  to  be  "strength- 
 ened with  might  by  God's  Spirit  in  the 
 inner  man."  Sickiiess  coi-rects  our  glory- 
 ing in  the  forces  of  the  flesh.  History 
 shows  God's  repudiations  of  this  boast : 
 in  destruction  of  Sennacherib's  army, 
 decline  and  fall  of  empires  founded  on 
 mere  force,  &c.  Not  self,  but  "  Christ 
 the  power  of  God  "  must  be  our  glory. 
 
 3.  Glorying  in  wealth  is  forbidden  as 
 self-glorification.  The  lust  of  posses- 
 sion strong  in  man.  Sad  to  be  behold 
 a  spirit  entombed  in  a  mausoleum  of  gold 
 and  silver. 
 
 II.  The  glorying  which  is  Divinely 
 sanctioned.  To  glory  is  an  instinct  in 
 man  ;  is  right,  therefore,  where  the  ob- 
 ject is  worthy  of  him.  God  here  pre- 
 sents Himself.  There  is  a  gradation  set 
 before  us  :  God  as  the  object  of  under- 
 
 203 
 
OHAl'.  IX. 
 
 EOMILETIC  COMMENTARY :  JEREMIAH. 
 
 standing;  God  as  the  object  of  hiow- 
 ledge;  God  as  the  object  of  glorying. 
 
 1.  Understanding  God.  "  There  is  a 
 spirit  in  man,  and  the  inspiration  of  the 
 Almighty  giveth  him  understanding.'' 
 This  common  human  faculty  is  a  gracious 
 gift  of  God.  Early  education  calls  it 
 into  exercise;  events  of  life  aflford  it 
 discipline;  profound  spiritual  verities 
 may  be  hy  it  examined.  Man  may  under- 
 stand God  !  By  Divine  inspiration  even 
 the  uncultivated  mind  may  be  in  com- 
 munion with  Eternal  Love. 
 
 2.  Knowing  God.  This  is  more  than 
 "understanding"  Him.  "Life  eternal 
 to  know  Him  and  Jesus  Christ  whom 
 He  has  sent."  Our  filial  relation  to 
 God  in  Christ  is  the  true  ground  of  our 
 knowledge  of  Him.  Deeply  blessed  is 
 the  knowledge  of  Christ,  for  it  is  the 
 knowledge  of  God  incarnate.  Eternity 
 will  reveal  new  deeps  of  God's  eternal 
 love  and  being. 
 
 3.  In  the  understanding  and  know- 
 ledge of  God,  the  spirit  of  man  glories, 
 and  may  glory  for  ever.  God  glories  in 
 our  glorying  in  Him.  That  which  a 
 man  glories  in  truly  ititimates  his  char- 
 acter. He  who  glories  in  music  or  art 
 continually  occujnes  himself  in  it.  Thus 
 day  and  night  the  soul  delights  in  Christ 
 Jesus. 
 
 Conclusion  :  Let  us  rightly  estimate 
 our  being  and  our  j^ossessions  in  Christ. 
 Because  we  are  what  we  are,  we  are 
 forbidden  to  glory  in  anything  beneath 
 our  (5od. — Eev.  W.  B.  Percival,  from 
 "Homilist." 
 
 Comments  :  "  Wisdom  "  — political 
 sagacity ;  as  if  it  could  rescue  from  the 
 impending  calamities.  "  Might " — mili- 
 tary prowess.  "Eiches" — accumulated 
 ivealth  ;  none  of  which  boasted  resources, 
 nor  all  combined,  would  prove  a  means 
 of  defence,  and  their  confidence  in  them 
 would  be  a  snare.  Well  would  it  be  for 
 them  to  abandon  hope  in  these  futile 
 gloryings,  and  seek  refuge  and  protec- 
 tion in  God,  which  they  might  do  by 
 obedient  and  reverent  regard  to  those 
 duties  in  which  He  "delights." 
 
 "  Understandeth  me  " — theoretically; 
 "knoweth  me" — personally,  experimen- 
 tally, and  practically. 
 
 "Loving-kindness" — God's  mercy  is 
 
 put  in  the  forefront,  since  that  alone 
 can  save  us  from  fleeing  in  fear  from 
 His  presence  ;  "  Judgment "  towards 
 the  rebellious  who  will  not  submit ; 
 "  Righteousness,"  His  faithfulness  to 
 His  gracious  promises,  to  all  who  take 
 refuge  in  His  goodness  and  care.  "  In 
 the  earth  :"  which  contradicts  the  heart- 
 less philosophy  which  teaches  that  God 
 does  not  interest  Himself  or  interfere  in 
 terrestrial  afi"airs.  (See  Critical  Com- 
 mentary.) 
 
 "  This  then  is  the  prophet's  remedy 
 for  the  healing  of  the  nation.  It  is  the 
 true  understanding  and  knowledge  of 
 God,  of  which  the  first,  "  zmdey-siand- 
 ing,"  means  the  spiritual  enlightenment  of 
 the  mind  (1  Cor.  ii.  13,  14)  ;  the  other, 
 "  knoivledge,"  the  training  of  the  heart 
 imto  ohedieiice  (John  viii.  31,  32).  This 
 knowledge  of  God  is  further  said  to  find 
 in  Him  three  chief  attributes  :  (1.) 
 "  loving-hindness,^'  i.e.,  readiness  to  show 
 grace  and  mercy;  (2.)  ^^  judgment "  a 
 belief  in  which  is  declared  (Heb.  xi.  6) 
 to  be  essential  to  faith ;  (3.)  '■'righteous- 
 ness," which  is  essential  to  religion  abso- 
 lutely. Unless  men  believe  that  God's 
 dealings  with  them  in  life  and  death  are 
 right  and  just,  they  can  neither  love  nor 
 reverence  Him." — Speaker's  Com. 
 
 '''In  these  things  I  delight,  saifh  the 
 Lord;"  i.e.,  both  in  doing  them  myself, 
 and  in  seeing  them  done  by  others  (Mic. 
 vi.  8,  vii.  18). 
 
 Ver.    25,    26.    Theme:    Tkue    and 
 
 FALSE    CIRCUMCISION.       "/  ivill  pimish 
 
 all  [omit  words  in  italics  here] — circum- 
 cised with  the  uncircumcised." 
 
 "  The  Jews  gloried  in  their  circum- 
 cision, ignoring  the  true  circumcision  of 
 the  heart.  (See  Rom.  ii.  25-29 ;  Gal. 
 v.  6;  Col.  ii.  11,  which  are  the  best 
 comments  on  the  passage.)  Therefore 
 they  are  regarded  as  uncircumcised,  and 
 will  be  punished  with  the  enemies  of 
 Israel  and  of  God — Ammon  and  Moab. 
 Jeremiah  does  not  raise  the  question  as 
 to  whether  the  Egyptians,  &c.,  were  also 
 circumcised  in  the  flesh,  but  combiiies 
 Jxidah  with  EgyjDt,  Edom,  (fee,  the  bitter- 
 est enemies  of  God  and  His  Church; 
 and  tells  them  that  they  have  made 
 themselves  to  be  as  the  uncircumcised 
 
HOMILETIO  COMMENTARY :  JEREMIAH. 
 
 CHAP.  IX. 
 
 among  the  nations  by  their  apostasy 
 from  God.  Here  is  a  solemn  warning 
 to  all  that  a  mere  formal  observance  of 
 religious  ceremonies,  without  spiritual 
 holiness  and  dutiful  obedience,  is  rejected 
 and  loathed  by  God,  as  no  better  than 
 the  abominations  of  idolatry  ;  and  apos- 
 tates are  reckoned  as  on  a  level  with 
 heathen  votaries  of  false  deities." — 
 Wo7xhworth. 
 
 "  Egypt  is  put  first  to  degrade  Judah, 
 who,  though  in  privileges  above  the 
 Gentiles,  by  unfaithfulness  sank  below 
 them.  Egypt,  too,  was  the  power  iu 
 which  the  Jews  were  so  prone  to  trust, 
 and  by  whose  instigation  they,  as  well 
 as  the  other  peoples  specified,  revolted 
 from  Babylon." — Critical  Com. 
 
 "  It  is  a  common  thing  with  Moses 
 and  the  prophets  to  call  an  unrenewed 
 heart  '  uncircumcision,'  and  to  say  that 
 the  people  are  '  uncircumcised  in  heart : ' 
 for  circumcision,  while  an  evidence  of 
 free  salvation  in  Christ,  initiated  the 
 Jeivs  into  the  worship  and  service  of  God, 
 and  proved  the  necessity  of  a  new  life  ; 
 it  was  a  sign  of  repentance  and  faith. 
 When,  therefore,  the  Jews  presented 
 only  the  sign,  they  were  justly  derided 
 by  Moses  and  the  prophets;  for  they 
 seemed  as  though  they  sought  to  pacify 
 God  with  a  thing  of  nought,  without 
 regarding  the  end.  The  same  is  the 
 case  when  we  boast  of  baptism,  and  are 
 destitute  of  repentance  and  faith  j  our 
 boasting  is  absurd  and  ridiculous ;  for 
 the  interior  power  is  renovation,  when 
 our  old  man  is  crucified  in  us,  and  we 
 rise  again  with  Christ  into  newness  of 
 life." — Calvin. 
 
 "A  clear  testimony  that  the  holy 
 sacraments  procure  nothing  for  the 
 work's  sake.  For  the  Jews  were  indeed 
 circumcised  in  the  flesh,  but  this  was  to 
 
 be  a  sign  to  them  of  righteousness,  that 
 they  should  be  spiritually  circumcised 
 in  faith  and  good  works.  But  since 
 such  spiritual  circumcision  did  not 
 follow,  and  they  remained  uncircum- 
 cised at  heart,  the  other  fleshly  circum- 
 cision helped  them  not,  but  redounded 
 instead  to  their  sin." — Cramer. 
 
 Circumcision  as  a  figure  of  the  rela- 
 tion of  man  to  God.  i.  The  three  stages  of 
 circiimcision — wwcircumcised,  outivardly 
 circumcised,  truly  circumcised,  corre- 
 spond to  the  three  stages  of  our  being 
 luithout  God,  serving  God  outwardly, 
 serving  God  in  spirit  and  in  truth,  ii. 
 As  external  circumcision,  without  that 
 of  the  heart,  is  equivalent  to  uncircum- 
 cision,  so  the  outward  service  of  God 
 without  the  inward  is  equivalent  to  no 
 service  at  cdl. — Naeg. 
 
 Theme :  Superficial  piety  a  delu- 
 sion. 
 
 I.  External  religious  observances  are 
 not  necessarily  accompanied  by  inter- 
 nal spiritual  elevation.  They  do  not 
 prove  nor  produce  inward  purity  and 
 piety. 
 
 II.  Without  inward  spiritual  ele- 
 vation our  external  advantages  aggra- 
 vate our  impiety.  They  ought  to 
 promote  piety ;  they  offer  a  pretence 
 of  piety ;  they  continually  pronounce 
 against  our  impiety. 
 
 III.  Aggravating  our  impiety, 
 our  abuse  of  external  advantages 
 will  ensure  heavier  condemnation. 
 "  Punished  with  the  uncircumcised  ; " 
 classed  with  the  godless ;  guiltier  than 
 the  godless ;  condemned  to  the  keener  woe 
 which  such  must  feel,  even  though  the 
 punishment  itself  be  the  same  as  that 
 borne  by  the  godless  (Luke  xiii.  26- 
 28). 
 
 NOTICEABLE  TOPICS  AND  TEXTS  IN  CHAPTER  IX. 
 
 Topic:  Lament  for  the  slain  daughters  of  society.  Text:  "Oh,  that  my  head 
 were  waters,  and  mine  eyes  a  fountain  of  tears,  that  I  might  weep  day  and  night 
 for  the  slain  of  the  daughters  of  my  people  "  (ver.  1). 
 
 It  is  a  fastidious  morality  which  leads  the  virtuous  to  banish  the  wretched  crea- 
 tures of  vice  from  thought,  pity,  effort.  Wretchedness  in  any  form  should  evoke 
 commiseration.  Physical  suffering  summons  our  ameliorating  arts ;  surely  moral 
 degradation  should  not  be  passed  by  with  stolidity  or  scorn!  Guilty  ones  oft  shed 
 tears  for  themselves  "for  the  misery  which  has  come  upon  them,"  and  have  shown 
 
 205 
 
CHAP.  IX.  HOMILETIC  COMMENT  A  RY .  JEREMJA  H. 
 
 themselves  grateful  for  the  tears  of  the  virtuous  vpho  have  "  wept  v^ith  them  that 
 weep."  There  is  a  winning  force  in  tears,  a  saving  force.  A  word  of  scorn,  a 
 look  of  wrath,  cast  at  a  fallen  being,  drives  the  guilty  one,  maddened  to  shame, 
 agony,  and  indignation,  into  deeper  crime. 
 
 °I.  A  sight  for  tears.  "  Weep /or  the  slain,"  &c.  Over  the  moral  and  spiritual 
 prostitution  of  his  people,  the  prophet  bewailed.  The  fair  comeliness,  the  sweet, 
 virginity,  the  chaste  piety  of  the  "  daughter  of  Zion  "  was  destroyed. 
 
 1.  It  displayed  the  ravages  of  cruelty.  "  The  slain:'  A  strong  figure  :  God's 
 fair  daughters  murdered ! 
 
 (a.)  Q,v\i&\ij perpetrated :  the  "slain"  speaks  of  slayers:  and  no  language  is  too 
 stron<^  with  which  to  denounce  those  who  devastate  virtue,  assassinate  happiness, 
 ravat^e  purity,  and  destroy  character.  The  blood  of  victims  cries  out  against  them 
 to  heaven.  (6.)  Cruelty  suffered:  the  "slain" — the  word  implies  agonies.  He 
 mourns  not  the  dead,  who  died  in  peace,  but  the  murdered  who  perished  by  vio- 
 lence. Read  the  miserable  case  of  the  daughters  of  iniquity  in  the  records  of  desperate 
 deeds,  who,  "mad  from  life's  history,  glad  to  death's  mystery,"  rush  "  out  of  the 
 world." 
 
 2.  It  shocked  the  feelings  of  patriotism.  "Weep  for  the  slain  of  the  daughters  of 
 my  people."  He  lacks  true  nobleness  who  lacks  patriotism ;  and  patriotism  will 
 urge  him  in  whom  it  lives  to  alleviate  all  wretchedness  under  which  his  own  people 
 groan.  We  need  more  to  feel  that  a  brother's  or  sister's  misery  is  our  own  misery. 
 Thus  Jesus  "  bore  our  griefs,"  &c. 
 
 II.  A  cry  of  lament.  "  Oh,  that  my  head  were  waters,"  &c.  A  bitter  wail 
 bursting  from  an  aching  heart.  Insensibility  to  the  piteous  condition  of  the  fallen 
 declares  against  our  own  moral  consciousness.  Think  of  :  1.  Homes  which  mourn 
 for  daughters  worse  than  dead,  a  silent  shame  breaking  every  tender  heart !  Think 
 of  :  2.  Hopes  which  are  destroyed;  children,  which  promised  to  be  the  light  of  age, 
 "  slain."  And  Christian  hopes  destroyed  also, — souls  slain,  "twice  dead," — dead  to 
 happiness  on  earth,  dead  to  happiness  beyond. 
 
 Yet  the  cry  of  lament  need  not  be  a  cry  of  despair.  "  Can  these  slain  live  ?  " 
 Yes;  for  them  Jesus  atoned  on  Calvary,  for  them  there  is  a  quickening  Spirit,  for  them 
 room  in  heaven  !  Jesus  spoke  to  a  "  woman  who  was  a  sinner  ; "  saved  her,  loved 
 her,  severely  rebuked  those  who  repelled  her ;  said  tenderly  to  her,  "  Thy  sins, 
 which  are  many,  are  forgiven;  faith  hath  saved  thee,  go  in  peace."  (a.)  Banish  not 
 the  degraded  from  purposes  of  mercy.  From  Mary  the  Magdalene  Jesus  "cast  out 
 seven  devils."  (6.)  Banish  them  not  from  hope.  "  Jesus  saves  to  the  uttermost ;" 
 and  tells  the  self-righteous  that  "  publicans  and  harlots  shall  go  into  the  kingdom 
 of  heaven  before  them." 
 
 III.  An  appeal  to  pity.     Oh,  for  tears,  "  that  I  might  weep  day  and  night." 
 
 1.  Our  pity  need  not  he  dried  up  by  the  consideration  that  the  guilty  and  fallen 
 merit  censure.  "Let  him  that  is  without  sin  first  cast  a  stone."  "If  Christ  so 
 loved  us — while  we  were  yet  sinners — we  ought  also  to  love  one  another:'  Being 
 ourselves  "  forgiven  ten  thousand  talents," — our  delinquencies  against  Heaven,  let 
 us  not  seize  on  a  fellow-creature  cruelly  because  society  has  been  wronged  to  the  ex- 
 tent of  "five  hundred  pence."  None  can  wrong  society  as  humanity  has  wronged 
 God.     "  Be  merciful,  as  your  Father  in  heaven  is  merciful." 
 
 "Touch  her  not  scornfully,  Think  of  her  mournfully,  Tenderly,  humanely." 
 
 Let  tears  flow  for  "  the  slain,"  as  Jesus  "  wept  over "  Jerusalem,  though  it 
 merited  curses,  and  soon  would  clamour  for  His  blood.  "  Begin  at  Jerusalem  " 
 — take  to  the  ivorst  sinners,  and  take  first  to  them,  the  blessed  message  of  love. 
 
 2.  Nor  shoidd  our  pity  he  transient.  "  Day  and  night "  let  us  "  weep  for  the 
 slain."  Our  pity  will  soon  be  too  late  for  many.  Redeem  the  time,  that  "  the 
 blessing  of  those  ready  to  perish  "  may  be  won.  "  On  some  have  compassion, 
 making  a  difi'erence;    and  others  save  with  fear,  pulling  them  out  of  the  fire, 
 
 206 
 
HOMILETIC  COMMENTARY:  JEREMIAH. 
 
 hating  even  the  garments  spotted  by  the  flesh."     The  "  Fountain  opened  for  sm 
 
 and  all  undeanness'^  is  open  still. 
 
 Topic :  Jeremiah  :  A  lesson  for  the  disappointed.  Text :  "  0  that  I  had  in 
 the  wilderness  a  lodging  place,  that  I  might  leave  my  people,  for  they  he  all 
 treacherotts  men  "  (ver.  2). 
 
 The  prophets  were  ever  ungratefully  treated  by  the  Israelites,  themselves  re- 
 sisted, their  -warnings  neglected,  their  good  services  forgotten.  Yet  the  earlier 
 prophets  fared  better  than  the  later;  for  outward  honour  was  paid  them,  as  with 
 Moses  and  Samuel ;  while  those  who  came  in  after  times  suffered  maltreatment, 
 as  Elijah,  Micaiah,  and  Zechariah  (Matt,  xxiii.  35). 
 
 No  prophet  commenced  labours  with  greater  encouragements  than  Jeremiah.  A 
 king  reigned  who  was  bringing  back  the  times  of  the  man  after  God's  own  heart. 
 This  devout  and  zealous  king  was,  moreover,  young.  What  might  not  therefore 
 be  effected  in  the  course  of  years  ?    Bright  fortunes  seemed  in  store  for  the  Church. 
 
 Schism,  too,  was  at  an  end  since  Israel's  captivity.  Kings  of  the  house  of 
 David  again  ruled  over  the  whole  land.  Idolatry  was  destroyed  by  Josiah  in  all 
 the  cities.  Thus,  at  first  sight,  it  seemed  reasonable  to  anticipate  further  and  per- 
 manent improvements. 
 
 I.  Every  one  begins  with  being  sanguine. 
 
 Jeremiah  did.  God's  servants  entered  on  their  oflSce  with  more  lively  hopes 
 than  their  after  fortunes  warranted.  Very  soon  the  cheerful  prospect  was  overcast 
 for  Jeremiah,  and  he  was  left  to  labour  in  the  dark. 
 
 Huldah's  message  fixed  the  coming  fortunes  of  Judah :  she  foretold  the  early 
 death  of  the  good  king,  and  a  fierce  destruction  to  the  unworthy  nation.  This  pro- 
 phecy came  five  years  after  Jeremiah  entered  office ;  so  early  in  his  course  were 
 his  hopes  cut  away. 
 
 Or  the  express  word  of  God  came  to  and  undeceived  him.  Or  the  hardened  state 
 of  sin  in  which  the  nation  lay  destroyed  his  hopes.  But  so  it  was  that  his  mind 
 sobered  into  the  more  blessed  and  noble  temper,  resignation. 
 
 II.  Resignation  a  more  blessed  state  of  mind  than  sanguine  hope — i.e.,  hope 
 of  present  success.     Because  : 
 
 1.  It  is  a  truer  state  of  mind.  2.  More  consistent  with  our  fallen  state  of  being. 
 3.  More  improving  to  our  hearts.  4.  The  grace  for  which  the  most  eminent  ser- 
 vants of  God  have  been  conspicuous. 
 
 a.  To  expect  great  eflfects  from  our  religious  exertions  is  natiiral  and  innocent, 
 but  arises  from  inexperience  of  the  kind  of  work  we  have  to  do — to  change  the 
 heart  and  will  of  men. 
 
 h.  Far  nobler  frame  of  mind  to  labour,  not  with  hope  of  seeing  fruit,  but  for 
 conscience^  sake,  as  matter  of  duty,  and  in  faith,  trusting  good  will  be  done  though 
 we  see  it  not. 
 
 c.  The  Bible  shows  that  though  God's  servants  began  with  success,  they  ended 
 with  disappointment.  Not  that  God's  purposes  or  instruments  fail,  but  because 
 the  time  for  reaping  is  not  here,  but  hereafter.  Thus  :  Moses  began  with  leading 
 forth  Israel  in  triumph;  ended  before  journey  finished  and  Canaan  gained. 
 Samuel's  ministry  wrought  reformations ;  ended  in  the  people  wilfully  choosing  a 
 king.  Elijah,  after  his  successes,  fled  from  Jezebel  into  the  wilderness  to  mourn 
 his  disappointments.  Isaiah,  after  Hezekiah's  religious  reign  and  miraculous 
 defeat  of  Sennacherib's  army,  fell  upon  the  evil  days  of  Manasseh.  Apostles  show 
 the  same  order  of  experience ;  for  after  all  the  great  works  God  enabled  them  to 
 do,  see  2  Tim.  iii.  13. 
 
 III.  The  vicissitude  of  feeling  which  this  transition  from  hope  to  disap- 
 pointment produces. 
 
 Jeremiah's  trials  during  Josiah's  reign  were  considerable,  but  afterwards  ex- 
 
 207 
 
EOMILETIC  COMMENTARY:  JEREMIAH. 
 
 perienced  persecution  from  every  class  of  men  :  from  the  people  (xviii.  18),  men 
 of  Anathoth  (xi.  21),  priests  and  prophets  (xxvi.  16  sq.),  chief  governor  (xx,  2), 
 ZedeUah  (xxxii.  3),  coiispirators  (xxxv^i.  14).  Nebuchadnezzar  (xxxix.  14)  and  an 
 Ethiopian  were  of  the  few  persons  who  showed  him  any  kindness.  Such  were  his 
 trials. 
 
 And  their  effect  upon  his  spirit  ?  Affliction,  fear,  despondency,  sometimes  rest- 
 lessness, even  impatience  under  his  trials,  find  frequent  expression  in  his  writings 
 (v.  3,  30,  31;  xii.  1-3;  xv.  10-18;  xx.  7-14).  Such  is  the  suecession  and 
 tide  of  feelings  which  most  persons  undergo  before  their  minds  settle  into  the  calm 
 of  resignation. 
 
 IV.  The  issue  of  these  changes  and  conflicts  of  feeling  was  resignation. 
 
 He  comes  to  use  language  which  expresses  that  chastened  spirit  and  weaned  heart 
 which  is  the  termination  of  all  agitation  and  anxiety  in  religious  minds. 
 
 He  who  at  one  time  could  not  comfort  himself,  was  sent  to  comfort  a  brother ; 
 and  in  comforting  Baruch  he  speaks  in  that  nobler  temper  of  resignation  which 
 takes  the  place  of  sanguine  hope  and  harassing  fear,  and  betokens  calm  and 
 clear-sighted  faith  and  imvard  peace  (chap,  xlv.)  : — Seek  not  success;  be  not  im- 
 patient ;  fret  not  thyself ;  be  content  if,  after  all  thy  labours,  thou  dost  but  save 
 thyself,  without  seeing  other  fruit  of  them. 
 
 V.  These  truths  apply  not  to  the  prophets  only,  but  to  all. 
 
 All  live  in  a  world  which  promises  well  but  does  not  fulfil.  All  begin  with 
 hope,  and  (apart  from  religious  prospects)  end  with  disappointment.  Much  dif- 
 ference in  our  respective  trials,  arising  from  difference  of  tempers  and  fortune. 
 
 1.  Still  it  is  in  our  nature  to  hope:  to  begin  life  thoughtlessly  and  joyously ;  to 
 seek  great  things  in  one  way  or  other ;  to  have  vague  notions  of  good  to  come ;  to 
 love  the  world,  believe  its  promises,  and  expect  satisfaction  and  happiness  from  it. 
 
 2.  And  it  is  our  lot,  as  hfe  proceeds,  to  encounter  disappointmerit.  Exceptions 
 may  seem  to  show  themselves  in  the  retired  ranks  of  society  and  settled  wealth. 
 Still  all  begin  life  with  health  and  end  it  amid  sickness.  Youth  leaves  even  those 
 most  favoured  with  fortunes,  and  they  lament  the  days  gone,  remember  them  with 
 pleasure  mingled  with  pain.  For  they  have  lost  something  they  once  had  ;  whereas 
 at  the  outset  they  anticipated  something  they  had  not. 
 
 VI.  It  is  not  religion  which  suggests  this  sad  view  of  things,  but  ex- 
 perience. 
 
 It  is  the  world's  doing.  Though  the  Bible  said  nothing  about  the  perishing 
 nature  of  all  earthly  pleasures,  it  is  a  fact  from  which  we  cannot  escape. 
 
 1.  Here  it  is  that  God  Himself  offers  ^cs  His  aid:  by  His  Word  and  His  Church. 
 Left  to  ourselves  we  seek  good  from  the  world  and  cannot  find  it :  in  youth  look 
 forward,  and  in  age  look  back.  Well  that  we  be  persuaded  of  these  things  be- 
 times, to  gain  wisdom  and  provide  for  evil  days. 
 
 2.  /Seek  ive  great  things  ?  We  must  seek  them  ivhere  and  in  the  tvay  they  are 
 to  be  found,  as  He  v^ho  came  into  the  world  to  enable  us  to  gain  them  has  set 
 them  before  us.  We  must  be  willing  to  give  up  present  hope  for  future  enjoy- 
 ment. 
 
 3.  We  must  he  changed  before  we  can  receive  our  greatest  good.  Our  nature  is 
 not  in  a  state  to  enjoy  happiness,  even  if  oflfered  to  us.  We  seek  it,  feel  we  need 
 it,  but  are  not  fitted  for  it.  If  we  would  gain  true  bliss,  cease  to  seek  it  as  an 
 end,  postpone  the  prospect  of  enjoying  it. 
 
 4.  Learn  to  know  ourselves,  and  have  thoughts  becoming  ourselves.  Impetuous 
 hope  and  undisciplined  mirth  ill  become  a  sinner.  Our  guilt  brought  down  the 
 Son  of  God  from  heaven  to  die  upon  the  cross  for  us.  Should  we  live  in  pleasure 
 here  when  the  Gospel  tells  us  of  the  Saviour's  life-long  affliction  and  disappoint- 
 ment? 
 
 5.  Prepare  for  suffering  and  disappointment,  which  befit  us  as  sinners  and  are 
 necessary  for  us  as  saints.     Accept  affliction  as  a  means  of  improving  our  hearts. 
 
 208 
 
HOMILETIC  COMMENTARY:  JEREMIAH. 
 
 CBAt".  IX. 
 
 Look  disappointment  in  tlae  face ;  "  taking  the  prophets  as  examples  of  suffering 
 and  patience." 
 
 Give  not  over  your  attempts  to  serve  God,  though  you  see  nothing  come  of  them. 
 Watch  and  pray,  and  obey  your  conscience,  though  you  cannot  perceive  your  progress 
 in  holiness.  Do  the  duties  of  your  calling,  though  they  are  distasteful.  Persevere 
 in  the  narrow  way. 
 
 Mourn  that  you  may  rejoice  (Matt.  v.  4).  Take  up  the  cross  of  Christ  that  you 
 may  wear  the  crown.  Give  your  hearts  to  Him,  and  you  will  solve  the  difficulty 
 how  Christians  can  be  "sorrowful  yet  alway  rejoicing." 
 
 6.  'E>\xt  jon  vcm&t  begin  in  faith.  "Come  unto  Me,  and  I  will  give  you  rest." 
 You  cannot  at  first  see  where  Christ  is  leading  you,  or  how  light  will  arise  out  of 
 darkness.  Must  begin  with  pain,  self-denial,  refusing  sin,  mastering  evil  impulses, 
 enduring  irreligious  sneers  for  Christ's  sake,  forcing  your  minds  to  prayer,  keeping 
 thought  of  God  before  you  daily.  The  Holy  Spirit  will  enable  you  to  do  this ; 
 then  "shall  your  light  rise  in  obscurity,"  &c.  (Isa.  Iviii.  10,  11). — Abridged  and 
 arranged  from  "Plain  Sermons,"  by  contributors  to  the  "  Tracts  for  the  Times." 
 
 ADDENDA   TO  CHAPTER  IX.  :   ILLUSTRATIONS  AND  SUGGESTIVE  EXTRACTS. 
 
 Ver.  1.  "  Fountain  of  tears." 
 
 "  Like  a  pent-up  flood,  swoln  to  the  height, 
 He  poured  his  griefs  into  my  breast  with 
 
 tears, 
 Such  as  the  manliest  men  in  their  crossed 
 
 lives 
 Are  sometimes  forced  to  shed." 
 
 • — Joanna  Baillie. 
 
 "  Every  one  can  master  a  grief  but  he  that 
 has  it." — Shakespeare. 
 
 Ver.  2,  Solitiide:  "A  lodging-jjlace, 
 that  I  might  leave  my  people."  "  There 
 is  no  flight  for  him  into  quiet  religious 
 contemplation;  he  cannot  withdraw  from 
 the  circle  of  interests  in  which  his  country- 
 men are  dwelling.  He  may  pass  hours 
 or  months  in  solitude,  but  he  will  not  be 
 away  from  the  events  which  are  befalling 
 them ;  he  will  be  more  deeply  occupied 
 with  them ;  he  will  be  contemplating 
 them  with  a  closeness  and  intensity  to 
 which  the  mere  actors  in  them  are 
 strangers.  The  poor  young  priest  of 
 Anathoth  can  in  no  way  sever  himself 
 from  the  policy  of  nations  and  rulers : 
 Judea,  Egypt,  Chaldea,  every  tribe  and 
 power  of  the  earth  must  be  about  him 
 in  his  closet,  must  enter  into  his  most 
 inward  personal  experiences  and  suffer- 
 ings."— Ma^t7'ice,  "  Frojyhets  and  Kings." 
 
 "  It  is  this  childlike  tenderness  (Jer. 
 i.  6)  which  adds  force  to  the  severity  of 
 his  denunciations,  to  the  bitterness  of 
 his  grief.  He  was  not  one  of  those 
 stern  characters  which  bear  without  re- 
 pining the  necessary  evils  of  life.  He 
 O 
 
 who  was  to  be  hard  as  brass  and  strong 
 as  iron,  who  had  to  look  with  unmoved 
 countenance  on  the  downward  descent 
 of  his  country,  yet  longed  that  his  '  head 
 were  xvaters,  and  his  eyes  a  fountain  of 
 tears,  that  he  miglit  wee})  day  and  night 
 for  the  daughter  of  his  people.^  He 
 whose  task  it  was  to  run  to  and  fro 
 through  the  streets  of  Jerusalem,  like 
 the  Grecian  sage  (v.  1,  2),  to  see  if  he 
 could  find  a  single  honest  man — to  live, 
 as  it  were,  in  the  market-place  as  a 
 butt  of  scorn,  alike  from  the  religious 
 -and  the  irreligious  world — he  was,  by 
 his  own  nature  and  inclination,  the 
 prophet  of  the  desert,  longing  for  a 
 '  lodge '  in  some  vast  wilderness,  that 
 he  '  might  leave  his  people^  and  avoid 
 the  sight  of  their  crimes."  —  Stanley, 
 "Jeivish  Church,"  ii.  442. 
 
 "  Oh,  for  a  lodge  in  some  vast  wilderness, 
 Some  boundless  contiguity  of  shade, 
 AVhere  rumour  of  oppression  and  deceit, 
 Of  unsuccessful  or  successful  war, 
 Might  never  reach  me  more !     My  ear  is 
 
 pained, 
 My  soul  is  sick,  with  every  day's  report 
 Of  wrong  and  outrage  with  which  earth  is 
 
 filled." — CowPER,  "Slavery." 
 
 "  Far  hid  from  the  pitiless  plunderer's  view, 
 In  the  pathless  depths  of  the  parched  Karroo; 
 And  here,  while  the  night- winds  around  me 
 
 sigh, 
 And  the  stars  burn  bright  in  the  midnight 
 
 sky, 
 As  I  sit  apart  by  the  desert  stone, 
 Like  Elijah  at  Horeb's  cave  alone, 
 'A  still  small  voice'  comes  through   the 
 
 wild — 
 
 209 
 
EOMILETIO  COMMENTARY :  JEREMIAH 
 
 Like  a  father  consoling  his  fretful  child — 
 Which  banishes  bitterness,  wrath,  and  fear, 
 Saying— 'Man    is   distant,   but    God   is 
 
 NEAR  ! '  " — PrINGLE. 
 
 Ver.  4.  Slander. 
 
 "  Malicious  slander  never  would  have  leisure 
 
 To  search,  with  prying  eyes,  for  faults  abroad, 
 
 If  all,  like  me,  considered  their  own  hearts, 
 
 And  wept  the  sorrows  which  they  find  at 
 
 home." — EowE. 
 
 "  Slander,  the  foulest  whelp  of  sin  !    The  man 
 In  whom  this  spirit  entered  was  undone ; 
 His  tongue  was  set  on  fire  of  hell ;  his  heart 
 Was  black  as  death  ;  his  legs  were  faint  with 
 
 haste 
 To  propagate  the  lie  his  soul  had  framed; 
 His  pillow  was  the  peace  of  families 
 Destroyed,  the  sigh  of  innocence  reproached, 
 Broken  friendships,  and  the  strife  of  brother- 
 hoods."— POLLOK. 
 
 "  Against  slander  there  is  no  defence. 
 Hell  cannot  boast  so  foul  a  fiend,  nor 
 men  deplore  so  foul  a  foe.  It  stabs 
 with  a  smile.  It  is  a  pestilence  walking 
 in  darkness,  spreading  contagion  far  and 
 wide,  which  the  most  wary  traveller  can- 
 not avoid.  It  is  the  heart-searching 
 dagger  of  the  assassin.  It  is  the  poisoned 
 arrow  whose  wound  is  incurable.  It  is 
 as  fatal  as  the  sting  of  the  most  deadly 
 asp ;  murder  is  its  employment,  inno- 
 cence its  prey,  and  ruin  its  sport." — 
 Gray's  "  Topics." 
 
 Ver.  8.  Seductive  speech :  like  a  poi- 
 soned arrow. 
 
 "  The  devil  hath  not,  in  all  his  quiver's  choice, 
 An  arrow  for  the  heart  like  a  sweet  voice." 
 — Bybon. 
 
 Ver.  11.  Jerusalem  in  ruins. 
 
 "Every  stone  is  a  witness  of  God's 
 revelation,  and  every  ruin  a  monument 
 of  his  wrath." — Pierotti. 
 
 "  Alas !  we  were  warned,  but  we  recked  not 
 the  warning, 
 Till  our  warriors  grew  weak  in  the  day 
 of  despair ; 
 And  our  glory  was  fled  as  the  light  cloud  of 
 morning. 
 That  gleams  for  a  moment,  and  melts 
 into  air." — Dale. 
 
 "  Her  outcast  tribes  no  longer  come 
 To  greet  her  as  their  hallowed  home, 
 But  sadly  joy  to  lay  their  head 
 Beneath  their  foes'  insulting  tread  ; 
 To  fall  by  her  they  could  not  save, 
 Their  glory  once,  and  now  their  grave." 
 — Charlotte  Elizabeth. 
 
 Ver.  17.  '^  Mourning  women."  African 
 210 
 
 incident. — "  The  mother  of  poor  Touda, 
 who  heard  that  I  wished  to  see  him 
 once  more,  led  me  to  the  house  where 
 the  body  was  laid.  The  narrow  space 
 of  the  room  was  crowded;  about  two 
 hundred  women  ivere  sitting  and  stand- 
 ing around,  singing  mourning  songs  to 
 doleful  and  monotonous  airs.  As  I 
 stood  looking,  the  mother  of  Touda  ap- 
 proached. She  threw  herself  at  the  foot 
 of  her  dead  son,  and  begged  him  to  speak 
 to  her  once  more.  And  then,  when  the 
 corpse  did  not  answer,  she  uttered  a 
 shriek,  so  long,  so  piercing,  such  a  wail 
 of  love  and  grief,  that  tears  came  into 
 my  eyes.  Poor  African  mother !  she 
 was  literally  as  one  sorrowing  without 
 hope ;  for  with  them  there  is  no  hope 
 beyond  the  grave.  *  All  is  done,'  they 
 say,  with  inexpressible  sadness  of  con- 
 viction that  sometimes  gave  me  the 
 heartache.  As  I  left  the  hut,  thinking 
 these  things,  the  ivailing  recommenced. 
 It  would  be  kept  up  by  the  women,  who 
 are  the  official  mourners  on  these  occa- 
 sions, till  the  corpse  was  buried." — Du 
 Chaillu. 
 
 Ver.  21.  Death. 
 
 "  What  disarrays  like  death  1  It  de- 
 faces the  fascination  of  the  beautiful. 
 It  breaks  the  lamp  of  the  wise.  It 
 withers  the  strength  of  the  mighty.  It 
 snatches  the  store  of  the  rich.  Kings 
 are  stripped  of  trapping,  trophy,  trea- 
 sure :  '  their  glory  shall  not  descend  after 
 them.'"— Z>r.  R.  W.  Ramilton. 
 
 "  The  glories  of  our  blood  and  state 
 
 Are  shadows,  not  substantial  things  ; 
 There  is  no  armour  against  fate; 
 Death  lays  his  icy  hand  on  kings. 
 Sceptre  and  crown 
 Must  tumble  down, 
 And  in  the  dust  be  equal  made 
 With  the  poor  crooked  scythe  and  spade. 
 
 "  Some  men  with  swords  may  reap  the  field, 
 And  plant  fresh  laurels  where  they  kill ; 
 But  their  strong  nerves  at  last  must  yield  ; 
 They  tame  but  one  another  still. 
 Early  or  late, 
 They  stoop  to  fate, 
 And  must  give  up  their  murmuring  breath, 
 When  they,  pale  captives,  creep  to  death. 
 
 *'  The  garlands  wither  on  your  brow  : 
 
 Then  boast  no  more  your  mighty  deeds  ! 
 Upon  Death's  purple  altar  now 
 
 See  where  the  victor-victim  bleeds  ! 
 Your  heads  must  come 
 To  the  cold  tomb  : 
 
EOMILETIC  COMMENTARY :  JEREMIAH. 
 
 CHAP.  IX. 
 
 Only  the  actions  of  the  just 
 Smell  sweet  and  blossom  in  the  dust." 
 — Shirley. 
 
 "  Death  comes  on  with  equal  footstep 
 To  the  hall  and  hut : 
 Think  you  Death  will  tarry  knocking 
 
 Where  the  door  is  shut  ? 
 Jesus  waiteth,  waiteth,  waiteth; 
 
 But  thy  door  is  fast ; 
 Grieved,  away  the  Saviour  turneth  ! 
 Death  breaks  through  at  last." 
 
 — Unknown. 
 
 "  I  congratulate  you  and  myself  that 
 life  is  passing  fast  away.  What  a 
 superlatively  grand  and  consoling  idea 
 is  that  of  death  !  Without  this  radiant 
 idea,  this  delightful  morning  star,  indi- 
 cating that  the  luminary  of  eternity  is 
 going  to  rise,  life  would,  to  my  view, 
 darken  into  midnight  melancholy.  Oh, 
 the  expectation  of  living  here  and  living 
 thus  always  would  be  indeed  a  prospect 
 of  overwhelming  despair.  But  thanks 
 be  to  that  fatal  decree  that  dooms  its 
 to  die !  thanks  to  that  Gospel  which 
 opens  the  vision  of  an  endless  life  !  and 
 thanks,  above  all,  to  that  Saviour  Friend 
 who  has  promised  to  conduct  all  the 
 faithful  through  the  sacred  trance  of 
 death  into  scenes  of  Paradise  and  ever- 
 lasting delight." — Joliii  Foster. 
 
 Ver.  23.  Spurious  glorying.  Wisdom: 
 a  bane  or  a  blessing,  according  as  it  is 
 used.  Water  well  directed  will  turn  the 
 mighty  mill,  and  thus  spare  wearisome 
 toils ;  but  if  it  break  through  its  banks, 
 it  is  a  desolating  and  destructive  thing. 
 Sails  are  an  advantage  to  a  ship  which 
 steers  aright ;  but  if  wrongly  directed, 
 the  more  sail  she  carries  the  worse  for 
 her,  since  they  hasten  her  to  the  ominous 
 rocks. 
 
 "  Knowledge  and  Wisdom,   far  from  being 
 
 one, 
 Have  ofttimes  no  connection.    Knowledge 
 
 dwells 
 In  heads  replete  with  thoughts   of  other 
 
 men  ; 
 Wisdom,  in  minds  attentive  to  their  own." 
 
 — COWPEE. 
 
 Might :  "  What  illustration  have  we 
 of  such  glorying  in  the  history  of 
 Napoleon !  At  the  head  of  his  con- 
 gregated legions  he  made  the  world 
 stand  in  awe  of  him ;  but  the  scene 
 changes,  till  we  see  him  gnawing  his 
 heart  away  on  a  barren  rock  under  the 
 equator." — Pilldngton. 
 
 "  Our  mightiest  endeavours  show  us 
 that,  after  all,  we  are  only  beating  our- 
 selves against  the  bars  of  a  great  cage. 
 Can  your  feet  stand  upon  the  flowing 
 river?  Can  you  lay  your  finger  upon 
 the  lowest  of  all  the  stars  that  shine  in 
 heaven.  We  are  hemmed  in  by  the  im- 
 passable. " — Parker. 
 
 Riches:  Croesus,  whose  name  is  a 
 synonym  for  great  wealth,  was  him- 
 self taken  captive,  stripped  of  all  his 
 treasures,  and  in  old  age  was  supported 
 by  the  charity  of  Cyrus. 
 
 "  If  thou  art  rich,  thou  art  poor  ; 
 For,  like  an  ass  whose  back  with  ingots  bows, 
 Thou  bear'st  thy  heavy  riches  but  a  journey. 
 And  Death  unloads  thee." — Shakespeare. 
 
 "  To  purchase  heaven  has  gold  the  power? 
 Can  gold  remove  the  mortal  hour  ? 
 lu  life,  can  love  be  bought  with  gold? 
 Are  friendship's  pleasures  to  be  sold  ? 
 Cease  then  on  trash  thy  hopes  to  bind, 
 Let  nobler  views  engage  thy  mind." 
 
 — Johnson. 
 
 "  I  have  read  of  a  man  who  had  a 
 suit,  and  when  his  case  was  to  be  heard, 
 he  applied  himself  to  three  friends  to 
 see  what  they  would  do.  One  answered 
 he  would  bring  him  as  far  on  his  Journey 
 as  he  could;  the  second  promised  to  go 
 with  him  to  his  journey  s  end  ;  the  third 
 engaged  to  go  with  him  before  the  judge 
 and  speak  for  him,  nor  leave  him  till  his 
 cause  was  determined.  These  three  are 
 a  man's  riches  "hSs,  friends  and  his  graces. 
 His  riches  may  not  very  long  stay  with 
 him  ;  his  friends  can  go  with  him  to  the 
 grave,  but  must  there  leave  him  ;  but  his 
 graces  will  go  with  him  before  God, 
 never  forsake  him,  but  accompany  him 
 to  the  grave  and  to  glory." — Brooks. 
 
 211 
 
CHAP.  X.  EOMILETIC  COMMENTARY :  JEREMTAB. 
 
 CHAPTER  X. 
 
 Cbiticai.  and  Exegetical  Notes. — 1.  Chronology  of  the  chapter.  Section  1-16  has  heen 
 declared  Bpurious  (by  De  Wette,  Movers,  and  Hitzig),  its  authenticity  disputed,  a  late  inter- 
 polation by  either  the  pseudo-Isaiah  (Movers)  or  by  a  Babylonian  exile.  Even  Naegelsbach 
 affirms  "  Who  was  the  author,  and  when  and  by  whom"  the  section  was  written,  "cannot  be 
 ascertained."  Two  difficulties  lead  to  this  severance  of  the  section  from  the  book  :  1.  The 
 continuity  of  thought  is  abruptly  broken  by  these  verses  ;  2.  The  topics  treated  therein  belong 
 to  the  time  of  the  exile.  Graf,  Keil,  Henderson,  and  Speaker's  Com.  contend  for  the 
 genuineness  and  authenticity  of  the  section  ;  and  affirm  that  Jeremiah  here  views  his  people 
 "  proleptically  as  in  captivity,"  that  he  addresses  them  in  exile,  and  places  himself  among  them 
 merely  for  the  sake  of  argument  (Hend.)  ;  that  the  train  of  thought  in  these  sixteen  verses 
 is  but  an  enlargement  of  the  truth  in  ix.  23,  24,  and  that  the  fragmentary  disconnected  form 
 of  this  chapter  is,  probably,  owing  to  the  fact  "  tliat  only  portions  of  the  concluding  part  of 
 Jeremiah's  temple  sermon  were  embodied  in  Baruch's  roll"  (Speaker's  Com.).  Thus  Dr.  Payne 
 Smitli  and  Keil  date  this  chapter  as  synchronous  with  chap,  ix.,  a  part  of  the  same  discourse. 
 Henderson  isolates  the  chapter,  but  suggests  no  date.  Dr.  Dahler  supposes  it  to  be  a  separate 
 discourse,  delivered  in  the  fourth  year  of  Jehoiakim,  after  the  first  capture  by  ISTebuchadnezzar, 
 when  the  chiefs  among  the  Jews  were  borne  into  Babjdon — B.C.  605 ;  Assyrian  chronology,  b.c. 
 586.  This  seems  satisfactory  :  so  we  may  venture  with  Bagster  to  separate  this  chapter  from 
 the  foregoing  by  an  interval  of  three  years.  The  section  17-25  is  by  some  referred  to  the 
 eleventh  j'ear  of  Jehoiakim,  the  year  of  the  king's  death  at  the  hand  of  the  Chaldean 
 monarch,  Nebuchadnezzar. 
 
 2.  National  History ;  see  chap.  vii.  in  loc.  Judah's  experience  of  captivity  began  in  the  fourth 
 year  of  Jehoiakim,  when  Nebuchadnezzar,  acting  as  Nabopolassar's  lieutenant,  besieged 
 Jerusalem,  and  carried  away,  together  with  the  spoils  of  the  Temple,  the  youths  of  highest 
 rank  in  the  land,  "the  principal  persons  in  dignity,  3000  in  number"  (Josephus),  among 
 whom  were  Daniel,  Shadrach,  Meshach,  and  Abednego — cousins  of  Jehoiakim.  A  mournful 
 event;  for  in  their  loss  the  nation  was  deprived  of  well-nigh  all  the  persons  of  piety  and  virtue 
 whose  influence  in  court  tended  to  restrain  the  reckless,  godless  king,  and  to  befriend  Jeremiah 
 in  his  sacred  ministry  of  witness  for  righteousness  and  Jehovah.  The  solitary  flower  was 
 plucked  ;  the  hope  of  Judah  was  now  gone. 
 
 3.  Contemporary  History.  Egypt  retained  international  supremacy,  and  Judah  was  a  vassal 
 kingdom  under  Necho,  until  the  fourth  year  of  Jehoiakim.  In  that  year  Nebuchadnezzar  de- 
 feated Necho  at  Charchemish,  and  Judea,  wrested  from  the  Egyptian  empire,  became  subject 
 to  the  now  Babylonian  domination. 
 
 4.  Geographical  References.  Ver.  9.  "  TarsJdsh,"  probably  Tarsessus,  in  south  of  Spain, 
 emporium  of  the  Phoenicians,  and  mart  for  trade  (c/.  Ezek.  xxvii.  12).  Heereen  says  that 
 Spain  "  was  once  the  richest  country  in  the  world  for  silver,"  and  that  "  the  silver  mountains 
 were  in  those  parts  which  the  Phoenicians  comprised  under  the  name  of  Tarsessus  or  Tarshish." 
 "  Ujohaz,"  thought  to  mean  OjyJiir.     Henderson  suggests  that  a  copyist  may  have  changed  the 
 
 original  word  131^1},  Ophir,  into  ^S^i*^,  Uphaz.  But  Dr.  Payne  Smith  contends  that  "the 
 word  is  not  to  be  regarded  as  an  error  for  Ophir  upon  the  authority  of  the  Syriac ;  probably 
 Uphaz  was  a  place  in  the  neighbourhood  of  the  river  Hyphasis,  the  Sanscrit  name  for  which  is 
 Vip3,5a." 
 
 5.  Natural  History.  Ver.  2.  "I'Ae  s/grns  o/7dcawre,"  Chaldean  astrology,  which  professedly 
 gathered  from  the  position  of  stars  and  celestial  signs  predictions  as  to  the  career  and  destinies 
 of  nations  and  individuals.  Ver.  5.  " Palm-tree"  formerly  abundant  in  Judea  (re-Jericho, 
 Deut.  xxxiv.  3) ;  grew  to  great  height,  often  60  to  100  feet ;  always  "  upright;  "  winde  had  no 
 power  over  its  erect  growth  ;  threw  out  from  its  crown  feathery  leaves,  each  from  4  to  8  feet 
 long,  and  from  40  to  80  in  number;  it  lives  about  200  years;  yields  dates.  Ver.  9.  "Blue 
 and  jmrple."  Both  colours  were  purple,  but  the  "blue"  had  a  dark  violet  tinge,  the 
 "  purple  "  a  light  reddish  hue  ;  both  were  obtained  from  a  secretion  of  sliell-fish  found  on  the 
 shores  of  the  Mediterranean.     Ver.  22.  "  Den  of  dragons."    See  on  ix.  11. 
 
 6.  Manners  and  Customs.  N ev.  2.  "  Dismayed  at  signs  of  heaven.  .  .  .  heathen  are  dismayed 
 at  them."  _  Astrologers  read  the  startling  celestial  phenomena,  eclipses,  comets,  meteors,  un- 
 usual conjunctions  of  the  stars,  as  precursors  of  nearing  calamities,  and  used  them  for  working 
 upon  the  superstitious  fears  of  the  peoide.  Ver.  9.  "Silver  spread  into  X'l'^Ues."  Silver  is  so 
 malleable  that  it  may  be  beaten  out  into  100,000th  part  of  au  inch  thick;  gold  into  200,000th 
 part  of  an  inch.  Images  for  idolatrous  worship  were  overlaid  with  the  precious  metal  (Hab. 
 ii.  19).  These  "  plates"  brought  from  Tarshish  were  "  like  those  on  which  the  sacred  books  of 
 the  Singhalese  are  written  to  this  day  "  (Dr.  W.  Smith).  "  Blue  and  purple  is  their  clothing:' 
 llobes  of  these  colours  were  worn  by  kings  (Judges  viii.  26 ;  Matt,  xxvii.  28),  by  the  highest 
 civil  and  religious  officers,  and  by  the  wealthy  and  luxurious  (Luke  xvi.  19).  Ver.  20. 
 "  Tabernacle  is  spoiled,  cords  hrolcen."  Tents  were  still  largely  in  use,  emphatically  so  in  the 
 pastoral  districts,  where  the  nomadic  life  was  retained, 
 
 212 
 
HOMILETIC  COMMENTARY :  JEREMIAH. 
 
 7.  Literary  Criticisms.  Ver.  2.  "Dismayed  at  sigus  of  heaven."  The  verb  expresses  appre- 
 hension, dread  ;  not  homage.  Ver.  6.  "There  is  none  like  unto  Thee,"  i.e.,  no  one,  a  double 
 negative,  intensifying  the  denial ;  V^^j  no  nothing  ;  the  strongest  form  of  negation.  Ver.  7. 
 "To  Thee  doth  it  appertain;  '^'^^^5  from  HN^^  to  be  beautiful,  decorous,  suitable.  "Unto 
 Thee  is  it  (fear)  due"  (2^aeg.).  Ver.  8.  "The  stock  is  a  doctrine  of  vanities,"  i.e.,  thexv  doctrine, 
 that  in  which  they  are  taught  to  trust,  is  wood.  Keil:  "  The  teaching  of  the  vanities  is  wood." 
 Speaker's  Com.:  "The  instruction  of  idols  is  a  piece  of  wood."  Lange:  "Vain  instruc- 
 tion! It  is  wood!"  Noyes:  "Most  vain  is  their  confidence;  it  is  wood."  Blayney :  "The 
 very  wood  itself  being  a  rebuker  of  vanities."  Henderson:  "The  tree  itself  is  a  reproof 
 of   vanities."    Ewald:    "The  wood  is  mere  vain  teaching."    Ver.   10,    "The  true    God." 
 
 ^?^j  truth,'va.  contrast  with  ^^^.,  vanity  (ver.  8).  "Jehovah,  Ood  in  truth."  Ver.  11. 
 "Thus  shall  ye  say"  &c.  Tiiis  verse  is  in  Chaldee,  on  which  account  some  critics  reject  it  as 
 a  gloss  (Venema,  Ewald,  Henderson) ;  but  Seb.  Schmidt  suggests  that  Jeremiah  gave  to  the 
 Jews  this  retort  to  the  Chaldeans,  for  use  when  exiled  and  taunted  in  Chaldea — "  Ut  Judaeis 
 suggerat,  quomodo  Chaldaeis  {ad  quos  non  nisi  Chaldaice  loqui  poterant)  paucis  verbis  responden- 
 dum sit."  Dr.  Payne  Smith  thinks  the  verse  "a  proverbial  saying,  which  Jeremiah  inserts  in 
 its  popular  form."  Ver.  14.  "  Every  man  is  hrutish  in  his  knowledge,"  i.e.,  without  knowledge 
 every  man  is  brutish  (Keil,  Henderson,  Lange)  ;  or,  as  others  render  the  words,  every  man  is 
 rendered  brutish  by  his  skill,  i.e.,  in  idol-making  (Jamieson,  Fausset,  &c.).  Ver.  15.  "Tlae 
 work  of  errors,"  i.e.,  of  mockeries  ;  the  idols  themselves  deserving  only  derision  and  contempt, 
 or  inflicting  on  their  worshippers  only  delusion  and  ridicule.  Ver.  17.  "  Thy  wares,"  i.e.,  thy 
 bundle,  packages  ;  not  goods  for  trading,  but  articles  for  use.  "Inhabitant  of  the  fortress," 
 inhabitress  of  the  siege.  Ver.  18.  "  That  they  may  find  it  so."  Find  what  ?  The  Syriac 
 supplies  the  word,  "  Me  " — "that  they  may  find  Me."  But  the  Targum  renders  the  word  find, 
 "feel" — " I icill  distress  them  with  the  rigours  of  a  siege  that  they  may  feel  it."  (So  Hitz, 
 Umbr.,  Naeg.,  Hend.). 
 
 HOMILETIC  TREATMENT  OP  SECTIONS  OF  CHAPTER  X. 
 
 Section  1-16.  Jehovah,  the  true  and  eternal  God,  contrasted  with  idols. 
 
 ,,     17-25.  Judah's  mournful  distress  ;  prayer  for  Jehovah's  mitigating  mercy. 
 
 Section  1-17.— Jehovah,  the  Tetje  and  Eternal  God,  Contkasted  with  Idols. 
 
 This  appeal,  addressed  to  "  house  of  Israel,"  the  whole  covenant  race.  It  may, 
 however,  be  (as  in  chap.  iii.  12)  a  distinct  address  to  the  then  scattered  Israelites, 
 in  exile  already  among  "  the  heathen  ;  "  or  an  inclusive  appeal  to  the  entire  nation  ; 
 Judah  soon  to  go  into  exile,  and  Israel  already  there. 
 
 I.  Superstitions  and  idolatries  censured  and  contemned.  "Learn  not  the 
 way  of  the  heathen "  (ver.  2)  ;  ''  for  the  customs  of  the  people  are  vain  "  (ver.  3). 
 
 1.  The  casuistries  of  astrology  censured  (ver.  2).  The  creation  of  "the  heavens" 
 is  Jehovah's  handiwork  (ver.  12),  and  His  "signs"  there  must  not  be  regarded 
 superstitiously,  nor  be  associated  with  false  deities,  as  is  "  the  way  of  the  heathen ;" 
 but  be  regarded  with  intelligent  admiration,  with  adoring  homage  of  Him  whose 
 glory  and  goodness  they  reveal.     (Addenda  on  ver.  2,  "  Signs  of  heaven.") 
 
 2.  The  mnities  of  idolatry  contemned.  Observe  (1.)  hoio  these  idols  originate 
 (ver.  3,  4)  j  (2.)  hoiu  senseless  and  heljjless  they  are  ivhen  made  (ver.  4,  5) ;  (3.)  how 
 little  'power  they  jjossess  over  men,  either  for  "evil"  or  "good"  (ver.  5);  (4.)  hoio 
 ridiculous  (vei*.  8)  they  are,  notwithstanding  their  gorgeous  decoration  (ver.  9) ;  (5.) 
 how  certainly  they  who  make  and  trust  in  them  ivill  he  put  to  derision  (ver.  14)  j  (6.) 
 hoiv  projyhecy  foredooms  them  all  (ver.  11,  15). 
 
 II.  Sublime  representations  of  Jehovah's  glory  and  Israel's  resources  in 
 Him.     "  Who  would  not  fear  Thee,  O  King  of  nations  1 "  (ver.  7). 
 
 1.  The  majesty  of  Jehovah's  atiribzites.  (1.)  His  incomf)a7'able  greatness  appeals 
 to  universal  reverence  (ver.  6,  7).  (2.)  His  eternal  glory  and  sway  admonish 
 those  who  provoke  Him  (ver.  10).  (3.)  All  creation  asserts  His  grandeur  and 
 illustrates  His  poiver  (ver.  12,  13).  Thus  He  is  God  of  "  the  nations  "  (ver.  7),  and 
 men  of  every  nationality  and  in  every  land  should  own  and  revere  Him,  More- 
 over, false  deities  shall  "perish"  (ver.  11),  but  Jehovah  ever  liveth,  "the  true  and 
 
 213 
 
cHaP.  i.  EOMILETIC  COMMENTARY:  JEREMIAH. 
 
 living  God,  tlie  everlasting  King  "  (ver.  10)  ;  hence  there  is  no  hope  of  evading 
 Him.  Yea,  and  the  tvide  universe  testifies  of  Him  (ver.  12,  13),  therefore  He  every- 
 where commands  man's  recognition,  even  as  everywhere  He  extends  to  man  His 
 providential  care.     (Addenda  on  ver.  6,  10.) 
 
 2.  The  grandeur  of  Israel's  heritage  in  God.  To  His  chosen  people  the  double 
 blessing  avails:  (1.)  God  is  their  portion  {ver.  16);  "the  portion  of  Jacob  "  is 
 "  the  Former  of  all  things."  What  wealth,  therefore,  they  have  in  Jehovah  ! 
 "  31  g  God  shall  supply  all  need  according  to  His  riches  in  glory."  (2.)  Israel  is 
 God's  inheritance,  chosen  by  Him  as  His  peculiar  treasure  ;  therefore,  "  all  things 
 were  theirs  " — covenants,  promises,  adoption  !  What  could  they  want  with  other 
 and  vain  gods,  having  Him  who  was  the  Creator  and  Governor  of  the  universe  as 
 their  own  God,  who  claimed  and  loved  them  as  "  the  rod  of  His  inheritance  1  "  Had 
 they  been  satisfied  with  God,  He  would  have  satisfied  their  souls  with  His  infinite 
 fulness. 
 
 Section  17-25.  Judah's  Mournful  Distress  :  Prayer  for  Jehovah's 
 Mitigating  Mercy. 
 
 It  would  soon  be  Judah's  melancholy  fate  to  go  after  Israel  into  captivity  and 
 degradation.  "  Gather  up  thy  wares  out  of  the  land"  (ver.  17).  This  had  become 
 a  stern  necessity  in  consequence  of  Judah's  spiritual  revolt,  and  God  Himself  would 
 secure  its  accomplishment  :  "  Behold  I  will  sling  out  the  inhabitants,"  &c.  (ver.  18). 
 
 I.  The  anguish  of  exiled  Judah.  "Woe  is  me  for  my  hurt,"  &c.  (ver.  19). 
 Language  either  of  pathetic  bemoaning  or  of  sullen  repining.  Suggests  1.  Terrified 
 realisation  of  ■punishment :  "  Woe  is  me  !  "  She  had  "  looked  for  peace,"  thought  to 
 sin  on  with  impunity,  dreamed  not  that  "sudden  destruction"  would  come, 
 imagined  herself  secure  in  her  ungodliness;  but  "  behold  bitterness  !  "  Note  the 
 aspect  of  her  suffering:  "hurt"  something  real,  injurious,  painful;  not  a  mere 
 terror,  but  a  keen  pang.  Such  are  God's  chastisements  and  punishments.  2. 
 Poignant  experience  of  distress  :  "  wound  grievous."  And  a  grievous  wound  is 
 both  a  pain  and  a  peril,  dreadful  to  bear  and  threatening  fatal  issues.  3.  Sidlen 
 submission  to  calamity :  "  But  I  said,"  when  about  to  lament  my  lot,  what  good 
 will  come  of  making  ado  1  "  Truly  this  is  a  grief,  and  I  must  bear  it !  "  Stoical 
 hardness  :  "  I  cannot  remedy  it,  so  I  must  bear  it.  Fretting  will  not  alleviate  it, 
 so  I  will  keep  silence  ! "  How  difierent  this  from  peniteiice  for  the  cause  of  the 
 misery,  and  patient  submission  to  consequences,  which  find  solemn  expression  in, 
 "  It  is  the  Lord  ;  let  Him  do  what  seemeth  Him  good  !  "  4.  Hopeless  reconciliation 
 to  misery :  "  I  must  bear  it  !  "  Not,  "  Come  and  let  us  return  to  the  Lord,  for  He 
 hath  smitten  and  He  will  heal  us  ! "  She  will  not  seek  Divine  healing  for  her 
 "  wounds  "  (chap,  viii,  21,  22),  therefore  she  sees  no  hope  in  her  anguish  ;  for  being 
 "  without  God,"  she  is  "  without  hope  in  the  world." 
 
 II.  The  devastations  of  the  Holy  Land.  The  figure,  "tabernacle"  (ver.  20), 
 suggests  the  idea  of  (1.)  weakness  and  insecurity  ;  for  though  the  Jews  prided  them- 
 selves in  Jerusalem  as  a  strong  and  fortified  city,  it  would  prove  as  defenceless  as 
 a  tent.  ^  The  "tabernacle  spoiled  and  cords  broken"  suggest  (2.)  the  total 
 dissolution  and  destruction  of  the  Jewish  state  :  the  government  had  broken  up,  the 
 nationality  had  collapsed.  Thus  the  lament  declares,  1.  The  overthroio  of  the 
 theocracy  :  "  Tabernacle  spoiled."  2.  The  banishment  of  the  people  :  "  Children 
 gone  forth,"  &c.,  either  exiled  or  slain  :  "  they  are  not."  3.  The  rulers  are  defeated: 
 "pastors  become  brutish ;  not  prosper ;  flocks  scattered  (ver.  21);  they  were  impotent 
 to  repair  the  ruined  state:  the  explanation  being,  "they  have  not  sought  the 
 Lord  ; "  they  ignored  the  fact  that  His  hand  was  in  this  overthrow,  and  hence  they 
 ignored  the  fact  that  to  Him  must  they  look  for  deliverance  and  redress,  4. 
 The  enemy  was  triumphant:  "To  make  the  cities  desolate,  a  den  of  dragons" 
 (ver.  22)  :^  the  Chaldean  avarice  would  spare  nothing.  What  direful  ravages  foUow 
 in  the  train  of  sin  1 
 
 214 
 
EOMILETIC  COMMENTARY:  JEREMIAH. 
 
 III.  The  prayer  for  Jehovah's  intervention.  Though  the  suffering  nation 
 repudiated  God,  there  was  one  intercessor — Jeremiah — who  cried  to  Jehovah  for 
 mercy.  Yes  ;  and  though  the  world  ignores  God  now,  still  there  is  "  One  Mediator 
 between  God  and  man,  the  Man  Christ  Jesus  ; "  whose  pleading  voice  goes  up  even 
 for  the  fruitless  thing — "  Let  be  this  year  also  !  "  Preaching  had  done  little  good, 
 so  the  prophet  turns  to  prayer.  Words  addressed  to  God  may  be  powerful  when 
 words  addressed  to  men  are  powerless.  He  will  hear  though  they  forbear.  1. 
 Acknowledgment  of  God's  supreme  providence.  Man's  designs  are  subordinate  to 
 God's  purposes  (ver.  23).  We  cannot  have  everything  according  to  our  own  mind, 
 and  here  Jeremiah  surrendered  his  desires  to  God's  will ;  he  will  not  ask  God  to  do 
 other  than  He  deems  best,  sad  though  he  is  for  his  nation's  nearing  ruin.  Yet 
 also  the  prophet  seems  to  imply  that  the  army  of  Nebuchadnezzar  will  not  be 
 allowed  by  God  to  do  other  than  as  He  wills  :  enemies  are  not  unrestrained ;  God 
 worketh  according  to  His  will  among  armies  and  over  men.  2.  Ap2oeal  to  Divine 
 pitifalness.  The  prophet  identifies  himself  with  his  nation,  and  entreats  that  the 
 necessary  punishment  may  be  mercifully  tempered  and  restrained.  We  deserve 
 "  correction,"  need  chastisement,  but  could  not  survive  "anger."  3.  Imprecation 
 of  God's  lurath  xipon  Judah's  oppressors  ;  for  the  Chaldeans,  though  used  by  God, 
 were  malevolent,  implacable,  and  impious,  and  merited  punishment  even  while 
 carrying  out  God's  designs.  God  may  permit  oppression  of  His  people,  may  even 
 use  it  to  chasten  them  ;  but  oppressors,  who  deny  God  and  work  malicious  projects, 
 shall  in  their  turn  feel  the  crushing  rebukes  of  a  mightier  Power  (Ps.  Ixxv.  8). 
 
 HOMILIES  AND  COMMENTS  ON  SUCCESSIVE  VERSES  OF  CHAPTER  X. 
 
 Ver.  2.  Theme  :  Inflexible  godli- 
 ness. "  Learn  not  the  ivay  of  the  hea- 
 then." 
 
 Cast  among  "  the  heathen  "  by  exile, 
 Israel  was  not  to  accommodate  herself 
 to  the  religious  or  irreligious  aspects 
 which  there  environed  her. 
 
 *'  The  way  "  means  either  their  mode 
 of  life  or  their  customs  in  tvorship. 
 The  phrase  is  used  in  the  New  Testa- 
 ment as  descriptive  of  the  Christian 
 discipleship.  'H  ohog — comp.  Acts  ix.  2, 
 xix.  9. 
 
 Suggested  that — 
 
 I.  Concession  to  the  order  of  things 
 surrounding  us  is  a  specious  tempta- 
 tion. Among  "  the  heathen"  do  as  they 
 do.  1.  Convenient :  for  saves  us  from 
 the  annoyances  which  self-assertion  and 
 individuality  provoke.  2.  Advantage- 
 ous :  for  it  appeases  and  gratifies  others, 
 and  lays  some  worldly  gains  within  our 
 reach.  3.  Fleasa7it :  there  is  a  novelty 
 and  a  relaxation  and  an  enjoyment  in 
 this  self-adaptation ;  good  for  us  to  bend 
 a  little. 
 
 II.  Conformity  to  the  dominant  re- 
 ligion is  not  to  he  our  ruling  habit. 
 It  may  be  needful  to  stand  apart  from 
 "  the  way  "  which  the  state  supports  and 
 
 wealth  fosters.  Do  "  not  learn  "  it  even: 
 have  nought  to  do  with  it.  There  are 
 different  forms  of  religion  abroad ;  and 
 more,  there  are  antagonistic  forms  of  re- 
 ligion. Are  we  to  conform  to  any  "way" 
 which  favour  and  fortune  patronises 
 simply  because  in  that  locality  or  country 
 we  find  it  dominant  ?  1.  Eeligion  asks 
 unsiverving  allegiance  of  the  soul.  If 
 we  are  unstable,  God's  covenant  and 
 promises  will  not  stand  good   for   us. 
 
 2.  God  asks  us  to  witness  for  Him 
 against  false  religions  in  irreligious 
 scenes  and  in  irreligious  times.  The 
 dominant  religion  may  be  2^lausible,  it 
 may  be  im2}e7'ious ;  but  whether  baited 
 with  seductions,  or  armed  with  persecu- 
 tions, if  it  be  not  right,  refuse  compli- 
 ance.     "  Learn  not  the  way." 
 
 III.  Fidelity  to  conscience  and  to 
 God  must  he  uncompromising.  In  all 
 scenes,  under  all  circumstances,  at  all 
 times.  A  pliant  godliness  is  :  1.  Coia- 
 ardly  :  contrast  with  it  Daniel,  Shadrach, 
 Meshach,  and  Abednego.  2.  Contemp- 
 tible: the  "man  of  God"  sinks  down 
 into    a    mere    time-serving    hypocrite. 
 
 3.  Condemned :  for  it  not  only  degrades 
 the  man  himself,  and  dishonours  God, 
 for  whom  he  should  be  valiant  and  bold, 
 
 215 
 
HOMILETIC  COMMENTARY :  JEREMIAH. 
 
 but  it  denies  to  Jehovah  His  due ;  for 
 He  has  rights  in  His  people ;  they  are 
 "  not  their  own,  but  bought  with  a  price, 
 and  hence  should  glorify  Him  in  body 
 and  spirit,  which  are  His;"  and  His 
 people  owe  obligations  to  Him  in  return 
 for  the  revelation  and  the  grace  He  has 
 bestowed  on  them.  Hide  not  "light 
 under  bushel ; "  "  Even  in  Sardis  defile 
 not  your  garments ;  "  "  Have  no  fellow- 
 ship with  unfruitful  works  of  darkness, 
 but  rather  reprove  them."  (Comp.  2  Cor. 
 vi.  14-18.) 
 
 Illustrations  of  unyielding  constancy  : 
 Moses  refused  to  be  called  son  of  Pha- 
 raoh's daughter,  and  joined  himself 
 valiantly  with  the  despised  Hebrews. 
 Daniel,  who  prayed,  despite  the  royal 
 edict.  Our  Lord  Himself,  who  repudi- 
 ated the  religious  habits  and  ideas  which 
 prevailed.  Paid,  who  "approved  him- 
 self to  God  in  much  patience,  in  afflic- 
 tion, in  distress,  in  stripes,"  &c.  (2  Cor. 
 vi.  4,  sq.).  Indeed,  godliness  has  pro- 
 duced martyrs  in  every  age  whose  sole 
 crime,  civil  or  ecclesiastical,  was,  that 
 they  would  "  not  learn  the  way  "  which 
 those  in  power  would  have  enforced. 
 (Comp.  Heb.  xi.  32.  sg^.)  "  Quit  you 
 like  men,  be  strong  ! " 
 
 Ver,  2.  Theme:  Superstitious  ter- 
 ror   AT    THE     MARVELS     OF     NATURE  : 
 
 "  Be  not  dismayed  at  the  signs  of 
 heaven." 
 
 Eichorn  supposes  a  reference  to  some 
 astronomical  portent  which  was  then 
 causing  "  dismay."  Hitzig  thinks  these 
 "signs"  were  some  alarming  celestial 
 appearances  intended  as  heralds  of  im- 
 pending judgment.  Naegelshach,  how- 
 ever, believes  the  reference  to  the  perma- 
 nent constellations  and  usual  signs  of  the 
 firmament ;  nothing  extraordinary  or 
 portentous.  But  Kiel  and  Dr.  P.  Smith 
 well  argue  that  the  word  "  dismay  "  sug- 
 gests, not  adoration  such  as  the  heathen 
 might  yield  to  ordinary  celestial  appear- 
 ances, but  alarm  and  consternation,  conse- 
 quent upon  some  unwonted  phenomena. 
 
 Before  such  "  signs,"  wonder  but  not 
 worship  ;  admire  the  heavens,  but  do  not 
 adore ;  ponder  them  intelligently,  but  do 
 not  prostrate  yourself  before  them  idola- 
 trously. 
 
 216 
 
 I.  Ignorance  and  idolatry  are  alike 
 in  this  :  they  fall  into  superstitious 
 terror  of  natural  things. 
 
 The  crude  and  uninformed  mind  is 
 startled,  bewildered,  and  appalled  by 
 celestial  phenomena.  Nor  by  these  alone ; 
 terrestrial  marvels  equally  awaken  super- 
 stitious dismay.  They  drive  the  igno- 
 rant to  terror,  the  idolatroiis  to  worship. 
 Eclipses  or  earthquakes,  comets  or  tem- 
 pests, unusual  constellations  or  calami- 
 ties, fill  with  consternation.  This  in- 
 dicates that : 
 
 1.  The  u'onders  of  nature  are  very 
 majestic  and  solemn.  Sufficient  to  im- 
 press men  everywhere  with  the  siiper- 
 natural ;  speaking  to  them  of  vast  and 
 hidden  realities. 
 
 2.  The  benighted  mind  of  man  is 
 fruitful  of  fears.  Sees  terrors  and  por- 
 tents everywhere.  And  "fear  hath 
 torment."  How  much  better  the  "  per- 
 fect love  which  casteth  out  fear,"  wliich 
 assured  reliance  on  God  secures !  Ke- 
 ligion  is  the  antidote  of  the  miseries  of 
 superstition. 
 
 II.  Sacred  enlightenment  reveals 
 God  as  above  all  nature's  wonders. 
 "  The  heathen  are  dismayed ; "  but  a 
 people  knowing  God  should  not  be 
 dismayed.  They  adored  celestial  appear- 
 ances, bowed  in  terror  before  nature's 
 marvels,  because  they  knew  not  the 
 Great  First  Cause.  Astrologers  taught 
 that  events  depended  on  the  stars  which 
 were  possessed  with  power ;  and  Plato 
 thought  them  endued  with  spirit  and 
 reason.  (Addenda  on  ver.  2,  "  Signs  of 
 heaven.") 
 
 1.  The  beiiefit  of  natural  hiouiedge, 
 of  physics,  science,  &c.,  which  reveal  to 
 us  that  nature  is  not  a  fitful,  capricious 
 omnipotence,  but  is  obedient  to  law, 
 regulated  in  all  occurrences ;  that  a 
 Supernatural  Ptuler  controls  and  directs 
 all  events. 
 
 2.  The  blessings  of  sacred  revelation, 
 which  opens  the  hidden  Avorld  to  us, 
 makes  clear  to  us  this  fact  that  a  Father 
 governs  the  universe,  who  loves  man, 
 who  asks  man's  loving  trust,  not  slavish 
 terror. 
 
 3.  The  jotjfidness  of  spiritual  enlight- 
 enment, which  goes  beyond  a  sacred 
 knowledge,  and  dwells  in  ]iersoiial  enjoy- 
 
HOMILETIQ  COMMENTARY:  JEREMIAH. 
 
 OHAF.  X 
 
 ment  of  God ;  not  only  as  the  Lord  of 
 the  universe,  who  "works  all  things 
 together  for  good,"  but  as  the  Father  of 
 Jesus,  who  claims  and  cherishes  us  as 
 His  children,  which  enables  us  to  say, 
 
 "This  awful  God  is  own /" 
 
 which  sees  His  love  in  Christ,  and  by  that 
 light  interprets  all  that  occurs. 
 
 III.  Possession  of  God's  favour  en- 
 ables man  intelligently  to  enjoy  His 
 works.  "  The  Lord  speaketh  unto  you, 
 0  house  of  Israel  (ver.  1),  Be  not  dis- 
 mayed," tfec.  And  theirs  were  the 
 covenants  and  promises,  &c.  They  were 
 a  people  "  whose  God  is  the  Lord." 
 
 1.  God's  ivories  call  forth  amazement 
 and  admiration,  even  where  intelli- 
 gence alone  is  possessed ;  yet  this  is  not 
 equal  to  the  childlike  gladness  of  the 
 Christian  which  revels  amid  the  wealth 
 and  loveliness  of  the  "  Father's  house." 
 
 2.  In  God's  works  the  Christian  finds 
 sublime  illustrations  of  God  Himself 
 Scientific  men  pause  at  the  works  ;  the 
 Christian  passes  on  to  the  Worker: 
 "  tlirough  nature  up  to  nature's  God." 
 "  When  I  consider  the  heavens,  the  work 
 of  Thy  hands,  the  moon  and  stars,  which 
 Thou  hast  ordained,"  &c.  They  alone 
 truly  enjoy  nature  who  "  also  joy  in  God 
 through  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ "  (Rom. 
 V.  11).  What  beautiful  and  inspiring 
 aspects  of  God's  attributes  do  the  glories 
 of  nature  supply  to  us  1  (Comp.  Isa. 
 xl.  25-31.) 
 
 Ver.  3-5.  Theme:  Idol  manufac- 
 ture.    (Addenda  on  ver.  3.) 
 
 I.  The  original  matei'ials  to  which  the 
 idol  owes  its  existence.  "A  tree  out  of 
 the  forest"  (ver.  3).  Only  like  other 
 trees,  which  still  remain  trees  ! 
 
 II.  The  industriotis  toils  to  tvhich  the 
 idol  oioes  its  formation.  "  The  work  of 
 the  workman  "  (ver.  3).  Not  divine  in 
 its  structure. 
 
 III.  The  formative  instrument  to 
 tvhich  the  idol  owes  its  dignity.  "  The 
 axe."  No  supernatural  appliances  or 
 aids  came  to  its  help  ;  merely  a  hatchet. 
 
 IV.  The  process  of  adornment  to  which 
 the  idol  Gives  its  attractiveness.  "  They 
 deck  it  with  silver,"  &c.  (ver.  4). 
 
 V.  The  ingenious  arrangement  by  which 
 
 the  idol  is  invested  with  a  decent  posture. 
 "■  They  fasten  it  with  nails  and  with  ham- 
 mers, that  it  move  not"  (ver.  4). 
 
 VL  The  clumsy  worhnanship  which 
 denies  to  the  idol  becoming  stateliness. 
 A  god  ought  to  be  of  fair  and  graceful 
 form,  but  it  is  "  upright  as  a  palm-tree" 
 (ver.  5) ;  stiff,  inelegant  pillars.  Many 
 commentators  render  the  words  thus  : 
 "They  are  like  pillars  in  a  cucumber 
 garden ;"  i.e.,  the  shapeless  blocks  set 
 up  to  scare  away  birds. 
 
 VII.  The  generous  attentions  to  which 
 the  idol  owes  its  movements.  "  They 
 must  needs  be  borne,  for  they  cannot  go." 
 (Addenda  on  ver.  5.)  So  that  all  an 
 idol  is  and  does,  it  owes  to  man!  It 
 could  not  make  itself,  it  cannot  help 
 itself. 
 
 Hence,  1.  How  degrading  this  for  a 
 god !  2.  How  degrading  this  for  a 
 worshipper  /  Surely  (ver.  3)  "  the  cus- 
 toms of  the  people  are  vain."  What 
 need  to  lead  the  people  to  "  turn  from 
 dead  idols  to  serve  the  living  God !  " 
 For  as  the  idols  cannot  help  themselves, 
 neither  can  they  help  their  worshippers  ; 
 unable  to  speak  or  stir,  to  render  them 
 any  service.     Without  life  or  power. 
 
 VIII.  The  natural  treatment  which 
 the  idol  merits.  "  Be  not  afraid  of  them  ; 
 for  they  cannot  do  evil  nor  good." 
 (Comp.  Isa.  xl.  and  xli.,  from  which 
 doubtless  Jeremiah  drew  his  illustrations, 
 he  being  familiar  with  Isaiah's  writings.) 
 
 Ver.  6.  Comments  : 
 
 There  cannot  be  two  highest  Beings, 
 or  there  would  be  none.  In  the  idea  of 
 the  Absolute  there  is  involved  that  of 
 uniqueness.  Polytheism  has  therefore 
 no  highest  Being  in  the  absolute  sense. 
 Where,  however,  traces  of  such  are 
 found,  polytheism  is  about  either  to  rise 
 to  monotheism  or  to  dissolve  into  pan- 
 theism.— Lange.    (Addenda  on  ver.  10.) 
 
 "None  like  unto  Thee,  0  Lord ;"  none 
 of  all  the  heroes  which  the  heathen  have 
 deified,  the  dead  men  of  whom  they 
 made  dead  images,  and  whom  they 
 worshipped.  Some  were  deified  and 
 adored  for  their  wisdom,  but  "  among 
 all  the  wise  men  of  the  nations  "  (ver.  7), 
 the  greatest  philosophers  or  statesmen, 
 as  Apollo  or  Hermes,  there  is  none  like 
 Thee.     Others  were  deified  and  adored 
 
 217 
 
CHAP.  X. 
 
 EOMILETIC  COMMENTARY :  JEREMIAH. 
 
 for  their  dominion,  but  "iii  all  their 
 royalty  "  (so  ver.  7  may  read),  among 
 all  their  kings,  as  Saturn  and  Jupiter, 
 there  is  none  like  unto  Thee.  What  is 
 the  glory  of  a  man  who  invented  a 
 useful  art  or  founded  a  flourishing 
 kingdom,  what  the  glory  of  the  greatest 
 prince  or  potentate  (and  on  such  grounds 
 did  the  heathen  deify  men),  compared 
 with  the  glory  of  the  Creator  of  the 
 world  1 — Henry. 
 
 Ver.  7.  Theme :  Jehovah's  unchal- 
 lengeable CLAIM  ON  human  REVER- 
 ENCE. 
 
 To  worship  any  other  than  Him  is  an 
 infringement  of  His  inalienable  prero- 
 gative. 
 
 I.  The  universal  scope  of  God's 
 dominion.  "  King  of  nations ;  "  not  only 
 "  King  of  the  Jeivs,"  nor  only  "  King  of 
 saints,^'  but  all  nations  are  within  His 
 domain.  Hence,  therefore,  not  Israel 
 alone  should  yieldHim  fealty  and  homage, 
 for  the  Lord  of  all  should  be  worship- 
 ped and  obeyed  by  all.  He  reigns  over 
 all  mankind  (Ps.  xxii.  28) ;  all  man- 
 kind should  render  loyal  reverence  to 
 Him.  God's  sway  is  over  each,  as  well 
 as  all ;  over  me,  as  well  as  over  nations  ; 
 and  each  must  therefore  for  himself  own 
 Him  King. 
 
 II.  The  impressive  manifestations  of 
 Divine  power.  As  "  King  of  nations," 
 God's  "  name  is  great "  (ver.  6)  ;  it  is  a 
 lofty  and  imposing  title.  Does  Jehovah 
 tustain  by  deeds  this  universal  dominion  ? 
 "  Thy  name  is  great  in  might  "  (ver.  6): 
 the  King  rules  royally  as  far  as  His 
 name  and  domain  extend.  "Name 
 great  in  might,"  means  displaying  itself 
 in  acts  of  might.  Great  in  renown, 
 God  justifies  His  title  by  manifestations 
 of  majesty  and  power.  His  footsteps 
 are  on  every  scene.  His  hand  doeth 
 wondrous  things  in  every  man's  experi- 
 ence and  career  :  "  Marvellous  are  Thy 
 works,  and  that  my  soul  knoweth  right 
 well."      Therefore  /  should  revere  Him. 
 
 III.  The  incomparable  perfections 
 of  God  Himself.  The  possession  of 
 glory  and  power  does  not  always  coin- 
 cide with  personal  worth  and  goodness. 
 But  with  Jehovah,  "  among  alHhe  wise 
 men,    <fec.     (ver.    7),    none  like    Thee." 
 
 218 
 
 Omit  ''  men  ; "  for  "  wise  "  includes  gods 
 also,  the  authors  of  heathen  oracles. 
 "  In  all  their  kingdoms,  "  properly,  their 
 royalty  or  kingship,  none  so  royal  as 
 Jehovah.  (1.)  Unapproachable  wisdom. 
 (2.)  Incomp)arable  royalty.  Contrast 
 the  "wisdom"  of  pagan  gods,  even 
 their  most  clever  oracles ;  and  what  are 
 they  when  set  over  against  the  benignant 
 ivisdom  of  the  Creator  evident  in  all 
 His  works,  and  the  redeeming  wisdom, 
 the  wondrous  graciousness  of  God's 
 plan,  shown  in  the  Gospel,  in  "  Christ 
 the  wisdom  of  God."  Contrast  the 
 royal  dignity  and  nobleness  of  idols 
 with  Him  whose  "glory  the  heavens 
 declare,"  and  whose  highest  manifesta- 
 tion of  "glory  is  in  the  face  of  Jesus 
 Christ."  How  blessed  are  we,  having 
 Him  as  "  our  Lord  and  our  God  !  " 
 
 IV.  The  solemn  appropriateness  of 
 human  homage.  "To  Thee  doth  it 
 appertain."  (See  Crit.  Notes,  supra.) 
 "  Fear, "  i.e.  trustful  reverence,  the 
 lowly  homage  of  love.  Not  (1.)  Terror ; 
 that  is  for  the  vanquished,  for  slaves. 
 (2.)  Nor  worship  alone,  rendering  Him 
 the  adoration,  devotedness,  and  love 
 which  the  eminence  of  His  perfections 
 demands.  But  (3.)  Restfid  and  happy 
 trust ;  a  "  fear"  which  finds  in  Him  all 
 occasions  for  our  own  happiness  if  we 
 do  His  will  and  please  Him,  yet  which 
 recognises  His  power  to  consume  the 
 disobedient — realising  that  life  and 
 death  are  with  Him.  It  is  a  happy 
 "fear  "  with  those  who  are  "  hid  with 
 Christ  in  God  ; "  but  a  deep  dread  of 
 His  disfavour  if  by  guilt  we  incur  His 
 frown.     (See  ver.  10.) 
 
 There  is  an  appropriateness  and  a 
 Tightness  in  our  loving  reverence  of 
 God  ;  it  is  the  dutiful  child  resting  in  the 
 Father's  embrace,  reverently  contem- 
 plating His  graciousness,  and  gratefully 
 adoring  him  in  return.  (Addenda  on 
 ver.  6,  "  JS^ne  like  Thee,  0  Lord,"  and 
 "  Thy  Name  is  great.") 
 
 Ver.  8,  9.   Comments  : 
 
 "  They  are  altogether  brutish.  Brutish- 
 ness  here  does  not  refer  to  a  vicious 
 state,  but  to  the  senseless  stupidity  of 
 savages,  who  know  no  better  than  to 
 adore  a  "tree."  "Altogether  brutish;" 
 rather  all  alike:  the  "wise"   (ver.    7) 
 
HOMILETIO  COMMENTARY:  JEREMIAH. 
 
 and  tlie  "  heathen  "  (ver.  2)  equally  on 
 a  level  with  "brutes."  Note  that  in 
 Daniel  and  Revelations  how  often  the 
 power  which  opposes  and  ignores  God 
 is  personified  in  a  "  beast."  Man  for- 
 feits his  dignity,  and  even  his  humanity, 
 and  sinks  to  the  level  of  a  "  brute," 
 when  he  severs  himself  from  God  (Ps. 
 cxv.  8). 
 
 "  Their  stock  is  a  doctrine  of  vanity." 
 (Cf.  Lit.  Grit.,  stipra.)  The  idols  are 
 vanity  ;  hence,  also,  their  doctrine  is 
 vanity.  From  such  senseless  gods  what 
 could  their  worshippers  learn?  Ux 
 nihilo  nihil  Jit.  Thus  Keil  remarks, 
 "  The  heathen,  with  all  their  wise  men, 
 are  brutish,  since  their  gods,  from  which 
 they  should  receive  instruction,  are 
 wood." 
 
 "  Silver  spread  into  plates,"  &c.  (Of. 
 Geographical  References,  and  Manners 
 and  Customs,  supra.) 
 
 "  However  much  the  wood  ("  stock  ") 
 be  decked  out  with  silver,  gold,  and 
 purple  raiment,  it  remains  but  the  pro- 
 duct of  men's  hands ;  by  no  such  process 
 does  the  wood  become  a  god." — ICeil. 
 
 Ver.  10.  Theme:  The  only  true  God. 
 
 Observe  with  what  unity  of  assertion 
 the  Scriptures,  Old  and  New,  affirm 
 this  of  Jehovah  :  He  is  "  the  true  God  " 
 (text) ;  "  That  they  might  know  Thee, 
 the  only  true  God  "  (John  xvii.  3),  &c. 
 (Addenda  on  ver.  10,  "  The  true  God.") 
 
 I.  In  contrast  with  the  "  vanity "  of 
 idols  (ver.  3,  8,  15)  Jehovah  is 
 Truth.  Not  merely  "  true "  in  word 
 and  deed,  veracious  and  faithful,  but 
 truth  in  essence,  in  Himself,  as  a  quality 
 of  His  being.  And  also  a  God  who  is 
 no  mere  imaTginary  Being,  but  a  sublime 
 reality.  God  is  a  fact.  And  being 
 real,  He  is  essentially  true.  And  because 
 in  Himself  true.  He  will  deceive  and  dis- 
 appoint none  who  trust  in  and  seek  Him. 
 As  He  has  revealed  Himself,  so  He  is ; 
 no  insincerity  in  Him,  no  misrepre- 
 sentation of  Himself.  That  being  so, 
 how  cheering  to  turn  to  the  revelation 
 He  has  made— to  Moses  as  "  merciful 
 and  gracious,"  &c.,  and  in  Jes^ls  as  the 
 Friend  and  Father  of  man — and  to  know 
 all  this  is  really  so  :  "The  Lord  is  the 
 true  God." 
 
 II.  In  contrast  ivith  lifeless  idols  (ver. 
 5)  Jehovah  lives.  He  is  "the  liv- 
 ing God."  Not  a  mere  impersonal  all- 
 pervading  Force;  not  a  self-evolving 
 Laiv;  but  a  Being.  And  because  He 
 lives,  He  has  life  in  Himself,  underived, 
 and  is  Himself  the  Fount  of  Life,  dis- 
 pensing vitality  to  humanity.  "  Who 
 only  hath  immortality."  "  In  whom  we 
 live,"  &c.  "As  the  Father  hath  life 
 in  Himself,  so  hath  He  given  the  Sou 
 to  have  life  in  Himself."  "In  Him 
 was  life."     "  Christ  is  our  life." 
 
 III.  In  contrast  with  the  temporary 
 duration  of  idols  and  idolatry  (ver.  11, 
 15)  Jehovah  is  eternal.  Idols  are 
 but  of  yesterday,  and  they  shall  perish ; 
 but  the  Lord  is  "  everlasting,"  and 
 therefore  they  who  are  His  have  an  im- 
 perishable Hope,  a  never-failing  Refuge, 
 a  deathless  Friend.  And  the  human  soul 
 wants  more  than  the  transient.  "  When 
 heart  and  flesh  faileth,  God  is  the 
 strength  of  my  heart  and  my  portion 
 for  everP  Here  is  the  confidence  of  the 
 righteous :  God  will  never  fail  them. 
 Here,  too,  is  the  terror  of  the  dis- 
 obedient :  they  will  never  evade  the 
 "  everlasting  God."  The  like  attribute 
 is  assigned  to  Jesus  (Heb.  i.  12),  and 
 He  is  "  the  same  yesterday,  to-day,  and 
 for  ever." 
 
 IV.  In  contrast  with  the  impotence  of 
 idols  (ver.  5,  "Cannot  go;  cannot  do 
 evil  nor  good")  God  is  King.  A 
 monarch  so  mighty  that  his  wrath  fills 
 "  ear^th  "  with  trembling  ;  so  terrible  that 
 "  nations  "  fail  at  His  anger.  Men  do 
 well  to  '■^fear"  Him  (ver.  7),  and  by 
 reverent  homage  to  abide  in  His  favour. 
 Alarming  as  is  such  a  presentation  of 
 God's  monarchical  majesty,  it  is  only 
 the  manifestation  suited  to  defiant  sin- 
 ners. There  is  a  gentler  side  of  the 
 character  of  God :  view  it  revealed  in 
 "  the  Son,  who  was  in  the  bosom  of  the 
 Father,  and  hath  declared  Him."  "  God 
 is  love."  (Addenda  on  ver.  10,  "  The 
 true  God.") 
 
 Ver.  11-13.  Theme:  An  appeal  to 
 God's  works, 
 
 A  challenge  seems  suggested :  judge 
 of  the  idols  hy  their  works.  What  have 
 they  done  1  (ver.  11,"  Not  made  heavens 
 
 219 
 
CHAP.   X. 
 
 nOMILETIC  COMMENTARY:  JEREMIAH. 
 
 and  earth  ").  But  estimate  Jehovah,  by 
 His  creative  power  (ver.  12),  and  by 
 His  providential  operations  in  nature 
 (ver.  13).  It  was  in  eifect  the  like  chal- 
 lenge to  that  of  Elijah,  "  He  who 
 answers  by  fire,  let  Him  be  God  " — de- 
 cide by  the  works.  So  Jesus  asks, 
 "  Believe  Me  for  the  very  work's 
 sake."  It  was  an  old  Greek  saying, 
 "  Whoever  thinks  himself  a  god  besides 
 the  One  God,  let  him  make  another 
 world."  (See  Ps.  xcvi.  5.)  Contem- 
 plate— 
 
 I.  God  as  manifested  in  His  original 
 work  of  creation.  Three  distinct  acts 
 recorded  (ver.  12) — ^^  made,"  ^^estab- 
 lished," ''^  stretclied  out;"  and  three 
 distinct  attributes  marked — "  power," 
 "  wisdom,"  "  discretion." 
 
 1.  God^ s  formative  iMiver :  "  Made  the 
 earth  by  His  power."  And  consider 
 the  size,  the  materials,  the  wealth  and 
 beauty  stored  within  the  earth,  and  the 
 loveliness  and  variety  with  which  He 
 has.  clothed  it,  setting  man  thereon 
 "  over  the  works  of  His  hands."  What 
 a  conception  of  God  is  supplied  !  What 
 have  idols  "  made  "  1 
 
 2.  God's  ordering  and  controlling 
 wisdom :  "  Established  the  world  by  His 
 wisdom."  Separating  the  waters  from 
 the  land,  regulating  the  seasons,  making 
 the  habitable  parts  suitable  for  the  living 
 creatures  and  serviceable  for  man,  and, 
 amid  all  natural  changes,  securing  the 
 world  from  convulsions  which  would 
 destroy  life  from  the  surface  of  the 
 world,  or  overthrow  the  healthful  and 
 happy  order  which  prevails.  What  have 
 the  idols  arranged  for  man's  daily  good, 
 and  enjoyment  of  unmolested  safety  in 
 the  world  ? 
 
 3.  God'sbenignantdiscretion:  "Stretch- 
 ed out  the  heavens  by  His  discretion." 
 The  "heavens"  are  full  of  proof  of 
 intelligent  design  in  themselves,  and  of 
 gracious  consideration  for  God's  crea- 
 tures (Gen.  i.  18 ;  Jer.  xxxi.  35).  But 
 "  the  gods  have  not  made  the  heavens," 
 &c.  (vei-.  11). 
 
 II.  God  as  manifesting  Himself  in 
 His  perpetual  work  of  providence ; 
 controlling  and  caring  for  the  world 
 He  made  (ver.  13). 
 
 1.  AH  parts  of  the  universe  yield  their 
 220 
 
 stores  at  His  command.  "  The  heavens  " 
 their  waters  ;  "  the  ends  of  the  earth  ' 
 their  vapours ;  the  chambers  of  "  light- 
 ning "  and  the  caves  of  the  "  wind " 
 their  "  treasures."  So  that  there 
 is  no  recess  of  nature,  celestial  or  ter- 
 restrial, whereinto  His  controlling  will 
 does  not  penetrate.  Hence  God's  jvo- 
 vidence  pervades  all  scenes,  and  He  has 
 the  universe  under  His  control.  But 
 idols  are  "  fastened  with  nails "  (ver. 
 4)  to  one  spot,  and  have  no  power  to 
 move  from  it,  nor  wield  a  sceptre  over 
 any  scene, 
 
 2.  All  forces  of  nature  implicitly  obey 
 His  bidding.  The  thunder  utters  His 
 command  :  "  uttereth  His  voice."  The 
 "waters  in  the  heavens"  hear,  and  ac- 
 cumulate in  "  a  multitude."  The  clouds, 
 "  vapours,"  ascend  in  recognition  of  His 
 sway,  for  He  "  causeth"  them  to  rise  in 
 clouds  from  the  ends  of  the  earth,  the 
 seas  and  rivers  responding  to  His  laws. 
 "  Lightnings  "  are  His  "  making,"  and 
 also  "  rain."  And  as  for  the  "  winds," 
 they  only  escape  from  their  recesses  as 
 "  He  bringeth  them  forth."  All  forces 
 of  nature  are  within  His  sway,  and  they 
 serve  His  will.  (See  Ps.  cxlvii.  8,  15- 
 18).  But  what  resources  can  idols  com- 
 mand 'i 
 
 This  is  the  argument  of  N'atural 
 Religion — God's  pervading  power  and 
 goodness,  manifest  in  His  works,  and 
 those  works  manifesting  Him  to  man 
 (Rom.  i.  19,  20),  making  an  appeal  to 
 man's  reverence,  gratitude,  and  love 
 (Rom.  i.  21,  ii.  4). 
 
 But  what  are  these  utterances  in  the 
 heavens,  and  these  voiceless  wonders  of 
 nature,  and  these  startling  accompani- 
 ments of  storms  as  heralds  and  witnesses 
 of  God,  compared  with  the  tenderer  and 
 more  solemn  revelations  of  Him  in 
 Christ  ?  Not  in  the  earthquake,  tem- 
 pest, or  fire  did  Elijah  discern  God,  but 
 in  "  the  still  small  voice. '^  And  God's 
 highest  argument,  His  unchallengeable 
 claim  to  human  reverence  and  love, 
 bases  itself  less  on  the  wonders  of  His 
 works  in  the  world  around  man  than  on 
 the  wonders  of  His  grace  withui  the 
 human  souk  There  He  asserts  His 
 supreme  worth  to  man ;  it  is  His  undis- 
 puted empire,  His  rightful  throne. 
 
HOMILETIC  COMMENTARY:  JEREMIAH. 
 
 Ver.  14,  15.  Theme:  Reflex  in- 
 fluence OF  THE  OBJECT  OF  WOUSHIP 
 UPON  THE  WOKSHIPPER. 
 
 Text  means :  His  skill  in  making 
 idols,  or  his,  acquaintance  with  idols, 
 debases  and  brutalises  him,  deadens 
 the  sensibilities  of  his  nature,  and 
 degrades  the  dignity  of  his  manhood. 
 Thus  :— 
 
 I.  Acquaintance  with  false  gods 
 dehases  men.  "  Knowledge "  in  this 
 region  renders  men  "  brutish."  Such  is 
 the  universal  consequence  of  idolatry. 
 Heathenism  shows  how  damaging  to  the 
 finest  instincts  and  noblest  virtues  of 
 humanity  idol-worship  becomes.  (Ad- 
 denda on  ver.  14.) 
 
 This  applies  not  alone  to  material 
 idols,  graven  and  fashioned  by  the 
 heathen,  but  to  those  heart  idols  which 
 the  irreligious  man,  and  even  the  worldly 
 Christian  man,  makes  to  himself.  The 
 thing  which  he  allows  to  usurp  God's 
 place  in  his  soul,  that  is  his  idol,  and 
 it  will  give  a  tone  to  his  character  and 
 career.  Worship  acts  reflectively  on  the 
 worshipper. 
 
 II.  Confidence  in  false  gods  deludes 
 men.  The  "  founder  is  confounded  by 
 the  graven  image."  Why  1  "  His  molten 
 image  is  falsehood  " — a  deception,  with- 
 out spirit  or  "  breath."  Idols  are  de- 
 lusions; they  fulfil  not  our  hopes  ;  they 
 embitter  our  hearts  by  their  "  falsehood." 
 They  are  themselves  ^'•vanity"  (ver.  15). 
 Their  creation  ivas  a  "  work  of  errors" 
 a  profound  and  hollow  mockery,  and 
 covering  with  ridicule  their  votaries  and 
 worshippers. 
 
 God  prophesies  their  doom.  "  In  the 
 time  of  their  visitation  they  shall 
 perish;"  i.e.,  when  God  visits  the  idol- 
 worshippers,  the  idols  shall  be  destroyed. 
 It  was  SO  when  God  visited  these 
 idolatrous  Jews  in  Babylon;  He  de- 
 stroyed their  idols  by  Cyrus.  So  have 
 they  perished  everywhere  when  God  has 
 "  visited "  the  deluded  with  better 
 knowledge.  And  as  the  Gospel  spreads, 
 idols  shall  be  cast  down,  and  the  en- 
 slaved soul  find  emancipation  and 
 illumination  in  Christ. 
 
 Ver.  16.    Theme:   God's   covenant 
 
 HERITAGE  IN  IsRAEL. 
 
 Notwithstanding  Israel's  desertion  of 
 Jehovah  for  idols,  observe  how  they 
 are  here  spoken  of  as  if  still  united  and 
 insepiarahle.  God  continues  to  be  "  the 
 portion  of  Jacob,"  and  "  Israel  the  in- 
 heritance "  of  the  Lord.  This  relation- 
 ship is  not  to  be  easily  or  lightly  severed 
 or  ignored.  More ;  as  Jehovah  is  "  not 
 like "  idols,  so  neither  is  Israel  like 
 idolaters;  for  they  have  this  glorious 
 God  as  their  portion — a  crowning  dis- 
 tinction that ! 
 
 I.  What  a  lavish  estimate  God 
 forms  of  Israel's  worth. 
 
 1.  He  prized  Israel  as  His  pecidiar 
 possession;  calls  them  His  "inheritance," 
 something  upon  which  He  sets  His 
 heart,  cherishes  jealously,  prizes  greatly. 
 (Comp.  Eph.  i.  17,  18,  "  What  the  riches 
 of  the  glory  of  His  inheritance  in  the 
 saints.")  It  amazes  us  that  God  should 
 so  value  His  people. 
 
 2.  Ee  hestoivs  Himself  on  Israel  in 
 exchange  for  this  'inheritance;"  be- 
 comes in  return  "the  portion  of  Jacob." 
 This  expresses  how  highly  He  esteems 
 His  people ;  He  holds  back  nothing  in 
 order  to  secure  their  love  and  allegiance. 
 See  this  bestowing  Himself  fully  illus- 
 trated and  enacted  in  Christ,  "  who 
 loved  tis,  and  gave  Himself  for  us." 
 
 II.  What  a  glorious  supremacy 
 distinguishes  Israel's  God. 
 
 1.  £?/  emphatic  dissimilarity  tvith 
 false  gods:  "  Not  like  them,"  They  are 
 themselves  "  vanity  "  (ver.  15),  and  they 
 delude  their  votaries  (ver.  14). 
 
 2.  By  the  sublimity  of  His  tvorks : 
 "  The  Former  of  all  things."  Creation 
 reflects  Him ;  the  boundless  universe 
 shows  who  God  is. 
 
 3.  By  the  dignity  of  His  name : 
 "  The  Lord  of  Hosts  ;"  i.e.,  the  hosts  of 
 heaven,  the  nations  of  earth  (ver.  7). 
 He  is  The  Highest  therefore;  and  the 
 highest  is  God,  God  alone. 
 
 Israel's  honour  and  happiness  in  pos- 
 sessing the  one  true  God  as  a  "  portion." 
 With  whom  should  this  God  be  ex- 
 changed %  "  The  Lord  is  the  true  God, 
 living  God,  everlasting  King  "  (ver.  10). 
 What  dignity  the  possession  of  such  a 
 Deity  imparts  to  Israel ;  what  a  firm 
 basis  for  faiih  is  supplied  in  having  such 
 a  God  as  He  1 
 
 221 
 
no  MI  LET IC  COMMENTARY:  JEREMIAH. 
 
 III.  What  an  infinite  inheritance 
 Israel  has  in  Jehovah. 
 
 1.  Consider  the  7-esotirces  God  has  in 
 Himself :  "  He  is  the  Former  of  all 
 things."  The  firmament  shows  His 
 glory,  the  earth  is  full  of  His  riches ; 
 all  these  things  His  hand  made.  What 
 cannot  He  do  %  What  is  beyond  Him  ? 
 Is  there  anything  He  cannot  perform  or 
 2noduce,  ox  2^rocure  for  Israel,  if  necessity 
 demands  it?  Yet  this  outgoing  of 
 Power  in  Creation  is  less  an  assurance 
 to  us  than  the  outgoing  of  Love  in  Re- 
 deni'ption  ;  and  "  He  that  spared  not  His 
 own  Son,  but  freely  delivered  Him  up 
 for  us  all,  how  shall  He  not  also  with 
 Him  freely  give  us  all  things  ?  " 
 
 2.  Consider  the  forces  God  has  at  His 
 command :  "  The  Lord  of  hosts  is  His 
 name."  (See  Ps.  ciii.  19-21.)  "Thinkest 
 thou  that  I  cannot  now  pray  to  My 
 Father,  and  He  shall  presently  give  Me 
 more  than  twelve  legion  of  angels " 
 (Matt.  xxvi.  53).  No  man  can  number 
 the  hosts  of  God.  In  part  they  were 
 shown  to  Elisha's  attendant  (2  Kings 
 vi.  17);  Daniel  saw  something  of  the 
 host  (Dan.  vii.  12);  the  Apocalypse 
 revealed  the  "  armies  of  heaven  "  more 
 fully  (Rev.  v.  1 1).  And  "  are  they  not  all 
 ministering  spirits,  sent  forth  to  minister 
 for  them  who  shall  be  heirs  of  salva- 
 tion?" (Heb.  i.  14). 
 
 God  is  Israel's  treasure,  and  all  His 
 wealth  is  theirs  :  we  are  "  heirs  of  God, 
 and  joint  heirs  with  Jesus  Christ." 
 "  All  things  are  yours,  for  ye  are  Christ's, 
 and  Christ  is  God's." 
 
 Ver.  17, 18.  Theme:  Imminent  exile. 
 
 A  new  section  :  discourse  addressed 
 (not  to  Israel,  as  the  foregoing,  but)  to 
 inhabitants  of  Jerusalem.  Be  in  readi- 
 ness to  start  for  captivity. 
 
 I.  The  situation  of  the  people.  She 
 is  an  "  inhabitress  of  the  fortress  "  he- 
 sieged.  The  time  of  this  prophecy  is 
 probably  at  the  end  of  Jehoiakim's 
 reign.  Nebuchadnezzar  is  at  the  gates 
 of  Jerusalem,  the  city  assailed  by  Baby- 
 lonian forces ;  but  a  brief  interval  and 
 the  foe  will  be  occupant  of  the  citadel. 
 
 II.  The  issue  of  the  siege.  The 
 "fortress"  will  be  vanquished.  The 
 people  are  urged  to  use  the  short  oppor- 
 
 222 
 
 tunity  remaining  for  "gathering  up  their 
 packages"  ready,  thereby  making  what 
 preparation  they  can  for  their  migration 
 as  captives  into  "the  north."  All  resist- 
 ance is  now  impotent. 
 
 III.  The  sentence  of  Jehovah.  "  I 
 will  sling  out  the  inhabitants."  God's 
 hand  was  in  their  defeat  and  misfortunes. 
 It  would  be  effected  with  violence: 
 "sling  out,"  properly  "hurl  out."  It 
 would  be  thorough:  "at  this  time" — 
 hitherto  hostile  invasions  had  ended  with 
 plundering  and  imposition  of  tribute. 
 It  would  be  painful:  "distress  them." 
 It  would  have  a  definite  purpose  :  "that 
 they  may  find,"  i.e.,  feel,  either  their  sin, 
 or  "  feel "  after  Me.  (See  Lit.  Crit.  on 
 verse.) 
 
 Ver.  19.  (See  ''Noticeable  To2ncs.") 
 
 Theme :  Great  affliction  and  sor- 
 
 EOW  OP  HEART. 
 
 We  may  learn  what  it  is  to  bow  under 
 the  mighty  hand  of  God.     It  is 
 
 i.  That  a  man  recognise  the  suffering 
 as  his  suffering  ;  i.e.,  (a.)  as  that  which 
 he  has  himself  prepared ;  (6.)  as  that 
 which  is  right  for  him,  not  too  heavy 
 and  not  too  light,  but  exactly  corre- 
 sponding to  its  beneficent  purpose. 
 
 ii.  That  a  man  accept  his  suffering 
 willingly ;  (a.)  in  patience  ;  (5.)  in  hope. 
 — Lange. 
 
 (Addenda  on  ver.  19,  ''Sore  affile- 
 tion.") 
 
 "  Some  make  this  the  lamentation  of 
 the  prophet  for  the  calamities  and 
 desolations  of  his  country.  In  mourn- 
 ful times  it  becomes  us  to  be  of  a 
 mournful  spirit :  "  Woe  is  me.^"  But  it 
 may  be  taken  as  the  language  of  the 
 people  speaking  as  a  single  person. 
 Some  among  them  would  thus  bemoan 
 themselves,  and  all  of  them,  at  last, 
 would  be  forced  to  do  it. 
 
 i.  They  lament  that  the  affliction  is 
 very  great,  very  hard  for  them  to  bear 
 it,  and  more  so  because  they  had  not 
 been  used  to  trouble,  and  now  did  not 
 expect  it.  "  Woe  is  me  for  my  hurt;" 
 not  for  what  I  fear,  but  what  I  feel. 
 Not  a  slight  hurt,  but  a  "  wound,"  and 
 a  wound  that  is  "  grievous." 
 
 ii.  That  there  is  no  remedy  hut 
 patience.    They  cannot  help  themselves. 
 
HOMILETIC  COMMENTARY:  JEREMIAH. 
 
 but  must  sit  still  and  abide  it.  Theirs 
 is  the  language  of  sullen  rather  than  of 
 gracious  submission.  It  argues  a  want 
 of  those  good  thoughts  of  God  which  we 
 should  have  even  under  our  afflictions  ; 
 saying  not,  God  can  do  what  He  wills, 
 but  ^^  Let  Him  do  as  seemeth  Him 
 good." — M.  Henry. 
 (Addenda  on  ver.  20.) 
 
 Ver.  20.  Comments  : 
 
 The  Tarcjum  paraphrases  the  verse 
 thus :  "  My  land  is  desolate,  and  all  my 
 cities  are  plundered ;  my  people  are 
 gone  into  captivity,  and  are  no  longer 
 here." 
 
 "  The  suffering  was  unmerited  in  so 
 far  as  the  prophet  and  the  godly  amongst 
 the  people  were  concerned,  but  it  was 
 inevitable  that  he  and  they  should  take 
 it  upon  their  shoulders  along  with  the 
 rest." — Graf. 
 
 "  Jerusalem  laments  that  her  tent  is 
 plundered,  the  cords  which  kept  it  erect 
 rent  asunder,  and  her  children  carried 
 into  exile,  and  so  are  not — are  dead 
 (Matt.  ii.  18),  either  absolutely,  or  dead 
 to  her  in  the  remote  land  of  their 
 captivity.  They  can  aid  the  widowed 
 mother  no  longer  in  pitching  her  tent, 
 or  in  hanging  up  the  curtains  round 
 about  it." — Sjiealcer^ s  Com. 
 
 "My  children  are  gone  forth 
 from  me."  "  The  jealousy  of  the 
 Saviour  is  so  strict,  that  He  will  have 
 His  children  directed  to  Him  (Isa.  xlv. 
 11);  and  the  idea  of  tho,  pastoral  office 
 (see  ver.  21)  with  which  some  good 
 teachers  are  infected — of  regarding  and 
 treating  souls  as  their  souls,  sheep  as 
 ^AeiV  sheep,  "children"  as  their  children 
 — is  in  the  highest  degree  opposed  to  His 
 will.  Hence  He  often,  for  a  just  judg- 
 ment, does  not  alloiv  their  joy  in  soids  to 
 last,  but  lets  them  see  and  conclude 
 more  of  their  decline  and  less  of  their 
 success  than  there  really  is.  For  He 
 will  not  give  His  glory  to  another,  and 
 the  teachers  are  not  Christ,  but  sent  by 
 Him  before  Him." — Zinzendorf. 
 
 Ver.  21.  "The  pastors  are  become 
 brutish,"  &c.  "  As  sheep  must  either 
 starve  or  be  led  to  filthy  and  poisonous 
 pasture,  if  their  shepherds  are  fools,  who 
 do  not  know  how  to  manage  sheep ;  so 
 
 is  this  much  more  the  case  in  the 
 spiritual  pastorate." — Cramer. 
 
 "  The  cause  of  this  calamity  is  that 
 the  shepherds,  i.e.,  the  princes  and 
 leaders  of  the  people,  are  become 
 '-  brutish,"  have  "  not  sought  Jehovah" 
 i.e.,  have  not  sought  wisdom  and 
 guidance  from  the  Lord.  And  so  they 
 could  not  '■'•deal  ivisely,"  i.e.,  rule  the 
 people  with  wisdom.  "  Prosper "  is 
 not  here,  have  prosperity,  but  show  wis- 
 dom, deal  wisely,  securing  thus  the 
 blessed  results  of  wisdom." — Keil. 
 
 "  Therefore  they  shall  not  pros- 
 per." Rather,  have  not  governed  wisely. 
 The  verb  has  the  sense  of  (1)  acting 
 prudently,  (2)  being  prosperous  as  the 
 necessary  consequence.  Here  all  the 
 versions  take  in  the  first  sense.  The 
 kings  and  rulers,  having  sunk  to  the 
 condition  of  barbarous  and  untutored 
 men,  could  not  govern  wisely,  and  so 
 "  all  their  flocks,"  literally,  their 
 pastiiring,  that  which  they  governed, 
 "are  scattered." — Speaker's  Com. 
 
 Ver.  22.  "  Behold,  a  voice  is  heard ! 
 it  comes!"  &c.  "A  last  watch-call 
 and  signal,  which  denotes  that  the  enemy 
 so  frequently  announced  is  present." — 
 Lange. 
 
 "  Already  is  heard  the  tremendous 
 din  of  a  mighty  host  which  approaches 
 from  the  north.  The  great  commotion 
 is  that  of  an  army  on  the  march,  the 
 clattering  of  the  weapons,  the  stamping 
 and  neighing  of  the  war-horses." — Keil. 
 
 "Bruit,"  rumour  of  invasion.  The 
 antithesis  is  between  the  voice  of  God  in 
 His  prophets,  to  which  they  paid  no 
 heed,  and  the  cry  of  the  enemy,  to  which 
 they  must  attend. 
 
 "  There  is  a  contrast  to  be  understood 
 between  the  voice  of  God,  which  had 
 constantly  resounded  in  Judea,  and  the 
 tumultuous  clamours  of  enemies.  The 
 prophet  declares  that  new  teachers  were 
 now  come,  who  would  address  them  in 
 another  and  unusual  manner.  '  I  have 
 spent  my  labour  many  years  in  vain. 
 I  now  turn  you  over  to  the  Chaldeans  | 
 they  shall  teach  you.' " — Calvin. 
 
 Ver.  23.  Theme:  Man's  caeeer  under 
 God's  control. 
 
 The  Jews  regarded  this  as  asserting 
 223 
 
HOMILETIC  COMMENTARY:  JEREMIAH. 
 
 that  Nebuchadnezzar  could  not  do  as  he 
 listed.  God's  will  ruled  his  action  and 
 restrained  his  fury  ;  he  came  to  the  land 
 by  Divine  leading,  he  could  deal  with 
 the  people  only  as  God  permitted.  More 
 properly  this  declares  that  the  Jews  them- 
 selves had  been  relying  on  their  oiun 
 counsels  and  devices  for  the  national 
 safety  and  welfare,  negotiating  with 
 Assyria  when  danger  was  apprehended 
 from  Egypt,  and  with  Egypt  or  Babylon 
 when  Assyria  was  dreaded ;  but  the 
 national  policy  was  futile,  their  hopes 
 and  designs  were  of  no  avail.  True  of 
 us ;  our  life  and  career  are  not  tvholly 
 in  our  keeping ;  our  planning  is  often 
 frustrated;  a  Divine  direction  and  de- 
 termination overrule  our  movements. 
 
 I.  Conscious  liberty.  "The  way  of 
 man;"  his  ojwiway.  He  obeys  only  (so 
 far  as  he  feels  and  knows)  the  impulses 
 of  his  own  nature,  the  determinations  of 
 his  own  judgment,  the  resolutions  of  his 
 own  will. 
 
 II.  Unconscious  control.  "The  way 
 of  man  is  not  in  himself."  His  way  is 
 in  God's  power  and  God's  purpose. 
 
 III.  Unsurrendered  volition.  "Man 
 that  ivalheth.'"  As  these  Jews  were  doing, 
 in  defiance  of  the  prophet's  appeals  and 
 God's  warnings.  As  Nebuchadnezzar 
 would  walk  in  obedience  to  his  lust  of 
 empire.  As  we  walk,  "turning  every 
 one  of  us  to  his  own  way."  Man  in- 
 sists on  his  right  of  self-government. 
 
 IV.  Insuflicient  discernment.  "  Not 
 in  man  to  direct  his  steps,"  i.e.,  he  is  (1) 
 beivildered  in  judgment,  so  that  he  often 
 does  not  know  how  to  walk,  what  to  do — 
 can  act,  but  not  foresee  issues ;  (2)  in- 
 constant  in  will,  so  that  he  changes  his 
 course  frequently  in  life,  influenced  by 
 his  own  caprice  or  by  altered  circum- 
 stances ;  (3)  incapable  in  self-govern- 
 ment, for  he  finds  a  warfare  raging 
 within  him,  "  so  that  he  cannot  do  the 
 things  he  would;"  he  cannot  carry  out 
 his  own  resolutions — weakness  arrests 
 him ;  he  is  not  the  master  of  his  own 
 nature — evil  is  there,  passion  vanquishes 
 his  purposes,  fear  makes  him  cowardly, 
 indolence  holds  him  in  the  snare  of  in- 
 difference or  inaction. 
 
 V.  Involuntary  submission.  "  0 
 Lord,   it  is  not  in  man."    In  whom 
 
 224 
 
 then  ?  God  holds  the  impulses  of  our 
 nature  in  His  control.  He  has  free 
 entrance  into  the  secret  chavibers  of  our 
 affections  and  thoughts.  His  Spirit  can 
 "  witness  within  us  "  and  "  work  within 
 us  to  will  and  to  do  of  His  good  pleasure." 
 He  can  alter  the  circumstances  around  us 
 which  lead  us  to  modify  our  plans.  He 
 can  lay  inducements  in  our  path.  He  can 
 check  our  course  by  affliction,  &c.  He  can 
 help  us  to  do  otherwise  impossible  things. 
 
 Believers  bow  their  ivills  to  God  as  an 
 act  of  filial  submission,  but  the  grace 
 to  do  it  was  God-given.  Sinners  yield 
 their  love  and  faith  to  Christ,  but  the 
 persuasives  thereto  were  Divine.  Rebels 
 7'ise  in  defiance  against  Him,  but  He 
 curbs  their  fury,  uses  their  rage,  and 
 "restrains  the  remainder  of  their 
 wrath."  ^^  Hitherto  shall  thou  come  and 
 no  farther." 
 
 (Addenda  on  ver.  23,  "  God's  conti-ol 
 of  man's  career.") 
 
 Notes :  Blayney,  following  the  Syriac, 
 renders  the  verse,  "  I  know  Jehovah, 
 that  His  way  is  not  like  that  of  men  ; 
 nor  like  a  human  being  doth  He  proceed 
 to  order  His  going."  It  is  inadmis- 
 sible :  /^^^  should  have  preceded  "  Jeho- 
 vah," marking  the  objective  case. 
 
 "  He  first  acknowledges  that  man 
 cannot  direct  "  nis  way,"  his  ^jaiJ/i  in 
 life,  himself ;  dependent  as  it  is  only  in 
 part  upon  his  own  will,  and  in  part 
 upon  the  conduct  of  others,  and  every- 
 where upon  God.  There  is  an  antithesis 
 between  '■'■man"  i.e.,  any  man,  in  the 
 first  clause,  and  the  word  "  man  "  in  the 
 second  clause,  i.e.,  man  in  his  strength. 
 The  strong  man  may  fancy  that  at  least 
 each  single  "  step  "  is  under  his  own 
 control,  even  if  his  whole  path,  or  "  way," 
 be  not ;  but  God  declares  otherwise. 
 (Prov.  xvi.  9). — Speakers  Com. 
 
 "  Theme :  Man  pkoposes,  God  dis- 
 poses. This  is — i.  A  humbling  of  our 
 pride,  ii.  A  strong  support  of  our 
 hope." — Naeg. 
 
 Ver.  24.  Theme:  Merciful  chas- 
 tisement. "  Correct  me  not  in  anger, 
 lest  Thou  bring  me  to  nothing." 
 
 Israel  had  wished  in  his  own  strength 
 to  walk  in  his  own  way,  contrary  to  the 
 
HOMILETIC  COMMENTARY :  JEREMIAH. 
 
 vyill  of  God  (ver.  23).  He  now  recog- 
 nises the  sinfulness  of  this  wilful  rejec- 
 tion of  God's  control,  and  submits  to 
 the  merited  chastisement — be  it  even 
 national  humiliation  and  exile ;  but, 
 while  bowing  to  this,  pleads  for  the 
 utmost  possible  mildness  and  forbear- 
 ance. This  prophetic  language  sets 
 forth  Israel's  future  repentance  and 
 restoration, 
 
 I.  Surrender  to  gracious  chastise- 
 ment. The  soul  recognises  it  as  need- 
 ful, and  bows  resigned  ;  and  there  is 
 no  agony  of  dismay  in  the  thought, 
 "  Let  me  fall  into  the  hands  of  the 
 Lord."     "  O  Lord,  connect  me." 
 
 II.  Shrinking  from  full  retribution. 
 ''  Correct  me,  hut  ivith  judgment."  AVith 
 mildness,  in  opposition  with  "anger." 
 The  transgressor  cannot  bear  the  treat- 
 ment he  deserves,  and  for  which  his 
 sins  make  demand.  It  would  issue  in 
 destruction.  No  soul  could  survive. 
 Hence  the  plea,  "  ivith  judgment"  as 
 "  hnoiving  our  frame  and  remembering 
 we  are  dust ; "  with  moderation  and 
 leniency. 
 
 III.  Terror  of  God's  wrath.  ''Not 
 in  anger."  For  "  we  are  consumed  in 
 Thy  wrath."  The  soul  of  man  stands 
 in  dismay  before  the  thought  of  Omni- 
 potence wielding  itself  in  anger  !  The 
 child  of  God  trembles  in  the  anticipation 
 of  His  displeasure.  Suffering  and  even 
 calamity  can  be  borne,  but  not  a  Father's 
 wrath.  That  would  give  the  keenest 
 pang  to  heaviest  affliction ;  but  the 
 stroke  will  not  crush  the  heart  if  God 
 only  corrects  in  mercy.  Who  will  dare 
 provoke  and  brave  the  "  wrath  of  Al- 
 mighty God  "  1 
 
 IV.  Consequences  of  Divine  severity. 
 "  Bring  me  to  nothing."  Surely  so  ;  if 
 the  rocks  tremble  and  the  earth  smokes 
 at  His  "  look"  if  angels  must  veil  them- 
 selves from  His  glory,  how  can  frail  man 
 other  than  perish  at  His  rehuhe,  how 
 survive  His  anger  ?  Is  this  annihilation  % 
 Not  in  text ;  but  only  "  diminish  me," 
 make   me   little  (margin)  :  i.e..,  reduce 
 
 Judah  to  an  insignificant  people.  Cal- 
 vin, however,  says,  "The  prophet  takes 
 diminution  here  for  demolition."  But 
 the  history  of  the  nation  shows  the 
 people  not  destroyed,  but  only  diminished 
 and  dishonoured.  Such  is  the  issue  of 
 Divine  displeasure. 
 
 Happy  they  who  by  prayer  and  pro- 
 pitiation (in  Christ)  avert  the  "  anger  " 
 and  find  mercy.  (Addenda  on  ver.  24, 
 "  Lenient  correction.") 
 
 Ver.  25.  Theme :  FuRY  for  the 
 IMPIOUS  OPPRESSOE.  (Addenda  on 
 ver.  25.) 
 
 i.  Guilty  of  cruelty  to  God's  people. 
 "  Eaten  up  Jacob,  devoured  and  con- 
 sumed him." 
 
 ii.  Gratifying  thus  their  haired  to 
 trzce  religion.  Not  acting  reverently, 
 as  agents  of  God's  purpose,  but  im- 
 piously. "  Know  Thee  not ;  call  not 
 on  Thy  name." 
 
 iii.  Meriting  therefore  the  fury  they 
 have  pawed  out  on  others.  "  With 
 what  measure  ye  mete,"  &c.  "  He 
 that  toucheth  you,  toucheth  the  apple 
 of  Mine  eye."  "  Poiir  out  Thy  fury 
 upon  the  heathen." 
 
 iv.  Suffering  the  doom  of  enemies  of 
 God.  For  the  malicious  deeds  of  the 
 Babylonians  showed  them  impious,  im- 
 placable, foes  of  Jehovah  as  well  as  His 
 people.  They  treated  His  holy  Temple 
 and  its  sacred  treasures  with  ruthless 
 scorn,  and  blasphemed  His  great  name. 
 Hence,  having  insidted  God,  they 
 should  suffer  "His  fury."  "So  let 
 Thine  enemies  perish,  O  God." 
 
 jjote : — This  .verse  is  reproduced  in  Ps. 
 Ixxix.  6,  7,  which  was  written  during  the 
 exile,  or  at  least  after  the  Chaldeans  had 
 destroyed  Jerusalem. 
 
 "The7ne:  How  we  should  behave 
 under  the  chastisements  of  God.  i. 
 Humbly  submit  to  them  as  necessary  and 
 wholesome  means  of  improvement, 
 ii.  Be  certain  that  they  will  not  then 
 transgress  those  bounds,  nor  proceed  to 
 our  destruction." — Lange. 
 
 225 
 
COAP.  X.  HOMILETIC  COMMENTARY :  JEREMIAH. 
 
 NOTICEABLE  TOPICS  IN  CHAPTER  X. 
 
 Topic:  Bereaved  of  Children.     Text :  "  My  children  are  gone  forth  of  me,  and 
 they  are  not ;  there  is  none  to  stretch  forth  my  tent  any  more  "  (ver.  20). 
 
 The  cry  of  dread  from  aged  Jacob,  *'  If  I  be  bereaved  of  my  children,  I  am 
 bereaved  ; "  the  anguish  of  Kachel's  lament,  "  weeping  for  her  children,  refusing 
 to  be  comforted,  because  they  were  not ; "  and  this  pathetic  dirge  of  Zion,  "  Woe 
 is  me  for  my  hurt !  my  wound  is  grievous  :  my  children  are  not ! " — all  denote 
 this  loss  of  children  to  be  one  of  life's  heaviest  yet  commonest  sorrows. 
 
 Danger  when  in  trouble  of  thinking  our  case  wholly  and  hopelessly  dark  :  "All 
 things  against  me  !  "  But  see  :  "  Truly  this  a  grief  /"  Terrible  indeed,  yet  only 
 one,  standing  alone  amid  ten  thousand  kindneses,  and  after  long  years  of  for- 
 bearance and  grace.  Bright  days,  sunny  and  happy,  go  on  multiplying  without 
 our  heeding  them  ;  suddenly  one  day  of  gloom  and  storm  breaks  the  order ;  then 
 we  properly  say,  "  This  is  a  dreary  day,  but  we  must  not  murmur."  And  so  the 
 years  of  life  go  by  in  peace  and  prosperity ;  suddenly  a  grievous  sorrow  interrupts 
 the  course  of  enjoyment ;  shall  we  not  say,  '*  Truly  this  is  a  grief,  and  I  must  bear 
 it  " — not  sullenly  but  submissively, — "  remembering  the  years  of  the  right  hand  of 
 the  Most  High  "  1 
 
 I.  Desolating  hereavement.  "  Children  gone  forth  from  me,  and  they  are  wof." 
 Then  it  is  so  that — 
 
 1.  "  Children "  may  be  taken  away.  They  seem  to  belong  to  us ;  we 
 entwine  our  love  around  them,  and  rest  hopes  on  them,  as  though  none 
 could  or  should  touch  them.  But  they  are  not  ours  ;  "  no  power  over  spirit  to 
 retain  it."  luet  parents  heed  it,  and  hold  them  from  God,  for  God.  They  may  not 
 live  to  inherit  our  worldly  substance  ;  lead  them  early  to  know  Christ,  and  "lay 
 hold  on  eternal  life."  Let  the  young  heed  it :  children  may  die  :  early  seek  and 
 serve  the  Lord  ! 
 
 2.  Home  is  desolated  by  their  loss.  "  Tabernacle  spoiled,  cords  broken."  Seems 
 now  that  light  of  home  is  all  darkened,  flowers  all  withered,  music  aU  silenced. 
 Suggests  for  children  and  the  young — your  power  to  make  home  beautiful  and 
 glad.      Let  your  life  there  be  a  joy  and  perpetual  blessing. 
 
 3.  Hopes  built  upo7i  our  "  children"  may  fail  us.  "There  is  none  to  stretch 
 tent,"  &c.  Naturally  we  look  to  them  for  our  earthly  future,  to  surround  us  with 
 comfort,  "  set  up  curtains;  "  to  minister  to  and  solace  us  in  hoar  years.  This  makes 
 their  loss  so  sad :  destroys  our  hopes,  and  leaves  us  helpless  against  years  and 
 infirmities.  Oh,  how  often  warned  against  "  making  flesh  our  arm."  "  Put  not 
 trust  in  man,  whose  breath  is  in  his  nostrils,"  &c.  God  is  needful  to  us  all,  and 
 He  not  fail.  Christ  essential,  and  He  "same  yesterday,  to-day,  and  for  ever." 
 Rest  not  on  what  is  so  fleeting  :  "  They  are  gone  forth,  and  ar-e  not."  Our  sweetest 
 earthly  hopes  may  perish. 
 
 II.  Bitterest  grief.     "  Woe  is  me  for  my  hurt !  my  wound  is  grievous." 
 
 1.  The  distress  over  bereavement  finds  o^itlet  in  lamentations.  Natural  to  mourn : 
 "Jesus wept."  Let  the  stricken  spirit  raise  its  bitter  outcry,  even  as  Rachel. 
 God  does  not  forbid  or  despise  tears.  "  In  all  your  afflictions  He  is  afflicted." 
 Remember  "  the  Man  of  Sorrows,  acquainted  with  grief."  He  would  bear  your 
 sorrow,  and  open  to  you  the  sympathy  and  solace  of  His  tender  heart. 
 
 2.  There  zvas  sore  occasion  for  such  grief.  Calamity  had  befallen  Zion.  Look  at 
 those  words,  "wop,"  and  ''my  hurt."  They  tell  that  a  sudden  blow  had  fallen 
 heavily  on  her.  All  disastrous  events  fall  suddenly ;  we  never  prepared  for  them  ; 
 strike  us  to  the  earth  alarmed,  "  hurt ;  "  and  we  cry,  "  Woe  is  me  for  my  hurt !  " 
 In  such  sudden  sorrow  we  want  the  Saviour's  instant  succour  :  "  Brother  born  for 
 adversity."  More  :  "  My  wound  is  grievotis."  The  stroke  makes  a  "  wound  "  not 
 to  be  quickly  healed:  "  grievous,"  indicating  the  severity  of  the  hurt,  the  depths  of 
 the  pang.     "  My  children  are  not  "—it  means  a  lifelong  wound.     "  My  tabernacle 
 
 226  ° 
 
HOMILETIG  COMMENTARY :  JEREMIAH. 
 
 is  spoiled  " — the  joy  of  earth  can  never  be  complete  again,  Not  mock  the  stricken 
 with  the  assurance  "  Time  will  heal."  No,  "  the  wound  is  grievov^s  :  "  rather  speak 
 of  the  restoration ;  tell  Zion  of  exiles'  return  to  her ;  tell  bereaved  of  nearing  day, 
 when  "  no  more  death,  neither  sorrow,  nor  crying,  nor  pain,  but  former  things  are 
 passed  away." 
 
 III.  Patient  resignation.  "  But  I  said,  Truly  this  is  a  grief,  and  I  must  bear 
 it."  First  comes  the  wild  outcry  of  "Woe!"  succeeded  by  the  hushed  sob  of 
 submission. 
 
 1.  It  was  felt  that  the  loss  would  not  he  alleviated  by  abandonment  to  grief.  To 
 nurse  our  sorrow  only  leads  to  repining;  then  life  becomes  "a  waste,  howling 
 wilderness."  Not  yield  to  fruitless  anguish,  but  seek  grace  to  bear  it  with  com- 
 posure, and  to  turn  ourselves  with  all  possible  courage  and  heartiness  to  what 
 deities  are  around  us,  and  to  what  comforts  Heaven  has  preserved. 
 
 3.  It  was  recognised  as  from  the  Lord,  and  therefore  bowed  to  vnth  submission. 
 Sudden,  desolating,  terrifying  the  calamity,  but  the  hand  of  God  was  in  the  event. 
 Not  easy  to  say,  "Thy  will  be  done  !"  "It  is  the  Lord,  let  Him  do,"  &c.  Yet 
 •make  the  endeavour  and  say,  "Truly  a  grief,  and  I  must  bear  it !"  "God  cannot 
 afflict  willingly  nor  grieve  the  children  of  men."  Doubt  not  His  love.  His  wisdom, 
 His  grace.  "  Oh,  rest  in  the  Lord."  Draw  near  Him  for  comfort,  and  cast  on 
 Him  the  burden  of  your  loneliness  and  grief.  "  He  hath  torn,  and  He  will  heal 
 us ;  He  hath  smitten,  and  He  will  bind  us  up."  (Addenda  on  ver.  20,  "  Bereaved 
 of  children.") 
 
 Topic:  Peogkession  and  Direction.     Text:  "It  is  not  in  man  that  waUceth  to 
 
 direct  his  steps"  (ver.  23). 
 
 Self-distrust  the  teaching  of  long  discipline :  the  more  tried  and  advanced  the 
 believer,  the  more  unreservedly  will  he  say,  with  Solomon,  1  Kings  iii.  7  ;  and  that 
 saying,  as  then,  will  "  please  the  Lord." 
 
 1.  Natural  action.  "  Ma7i  that  walheth."  Man's  action  in  life  complex,  in- 
 volving two  distinct  parts,  of  which  he  has  only  one  in  himself — the  power  of 
 natural  action. 
 
 L  Its  ease.  It  is  just  the  simple  putting  forth  of  the  power  of  life ;  going  on, 
 without  thinking  if  right  or  wrong.  Danger  of  forgetting  a  deficiency  in  this 
 part-progression :  mistake  a  part  for  the  whole.  We  think  we  can  act  aright, 
 simply  because  we  have  the  power  of  action  at  all.  It  is  as  if  ship  could  reach 
 the  port  just  because  she  has  undoubted  capacities  for  sailing,  though  no  helms- 
 man or  compass. 
 
 2.  This  mere  power  of  natural  action  has  a  tendency  to  mislead.  It  makes  a 
 man  unreflective.  Proneness  to  slight  the  invisible,  because  it  does  not  intrude 
 itself  upon  us,  although  the  things  of  this  life  have  inseparable  association  with 
 those  hidden  from  sight  in  another  world.  Thus  man's  "walk"  may  do  much  as 
 regards  this  life,  but  alas  !  how  little  effect  for  the  world  beyond  !  Leads  to  a  ivaste 
 of  strength;  for  toil  where  nothing  can  be  taken,  and  inaction  where  much  might 
 be  won.  We  often  wonder  there  is  so  much  failure  where  there  is  so  much  energy. 
 The  value  of  pausing  amid  the  bustle  of  action. 
 
 II.  Needful  direction.  Direction  is  often  the  remedy  for  all  this  failure  (Ps. 
 cxix.  133  and  105).  Once  let  us  be  persuaded  we  cannot  guide  ourselves,  and  we 
 would  never  willingly  lose  all  the  results  of  our  labour  by  working  at  random. 
 
 1.  Tal:e  care  to  go  out  of  ourselves  for  direction.  Shall  not  remedy  the  matter 
 by  taking  more  thought.  When  we  have  done  much  in  that  way,  it  will  only  be 
 " man  that  walketh "  directing  his  own  steps;  doing  it  more  carefully,  but  still 
 doing  it  himself.     This  going  out  of  self  may  be  humiliating. 
 
 2.  The  advantages  of  this  going  out  of  self.     There  will  flow  in  vipon  i;s  "  the 
 
 227 
 
HOMILETIC  COMMENTARY :  JEREMIAH. 
 
 ■wisdom  from  above  ;  "  from  the  Father  of  lights.     He  will  show  us  things  in  new 
 lights  altogether,  that  see  them  in  their  entirety. 
 
 3.  Btit  ive  must  yield  ourselves  to  God  to  be  ordered.  Content  to  be  led  "  by 
 ways  we  know  not."  Not  troubling  ourselves  with  continual  questionings  on  the 
 subject.  Trust  Him  to  choose  the  road ;  even  though  it  seem  to  lead  away  from 
 the  desired  end.  St.  Augustine  said,  "  I  am  a  little  child,  but  my  Father  is  my 
 sufficient  guardian." 
 
 4.  Ways  are  not  really  open  because  apparently  so.  Not  because  we  can  do  this 
 thing  or  that,  is  it  therefore  right.  Because  of  this  error,  we  have  often  gone  into 
 spheres  where  God  is  not,  and  where  we  should  not  have  been. 
 
 5.  Success  before  the  ivorld  is  not,  therefore,  a  proof  of  our  being  right,  nor  of 
 success  in  our  relationship  towards  God.  Failure  here,  leaves  our  work  but  as 
 "wood,  hay,  stubble."  Danger  of  being  too  eager  for  success.  So  that  what 
 appears  success  to  us  may  not  be  so  at  all,  and  may  be  a  prelude  to  heavy  loss. 
 
 6.  Learn  not  to  put  implicit  confidence  in  energy  or  action.  It  is  likely  to  mis- 
 lead ;  it  may  make  the  "  man  "  prominent  in  us,  and  not  God.  And  a  very  little 
 thing  may  put  a  sudden  stop  to  it. 
 
 Conclusion :  Bind  together  the  two  ideas  of  otcr  own  foolishness  and  God's 
 wisdom.  We  never  learn  a  depressing  truth  concerning  ourselves  without  an 
 encouraging  one  concerning  God.  We  are  to  be  emptied  out  of  ourselves  to  be 
 filled  with  Him.  Under  His  guidance,  our  calm  progress  in  "  ordered  ways  "  will 
 lead  in  God's  own  time  to  happy  ends. — Abstract  of  ''£reviates,"  by  P.  B. 
 Power,  M.A. 
 
 ADDENDA  TO  CHAPTER  X. :  ILLUSTRATIONS  AND  SUGGESTIVE  EXTRACTS. 
 
 Ver.  2.  "  The  signs  of  heaven." 
 Which  the  blind  heathens  feared  and 
 deified,  and  none  did  more  than  the 
 Syrians,  the  Jews'  next  neighbours. 
 Experience  frequently  confuteth  those 
 vain  astrologers  that  pretend  to  read 
 men's  fates  and  fortunes  in  the  heavens, 
 as  it  did  Abraham  the  Jew,  who  foretold 
 by  the  stars  the  coming  of  their  Messiah 
 A.D.  1464  ;  and  Albumazar,  a  Moham- 
 medan wizard,  who  predicted  an  end  of 
 the  Christian  religion  a.d.  1460  at  ut- 
 most. A  great  flood  was  foretold  by 
 these  diviners  to  fall  out  in  the  year 
 1524,  cum  2jla7ietce  ^comita  in  piscibus 
 celebrarent.  This  caused  the  Prior  of 
 St.  Bartholomew,  in  London,  wise-man- 
 like, to  go  and  build  him  a  house  at 
 Harrow-on-the-Hill,  for  his  better 
 security.  Mulcasses,  king  of  Tunis,  a 
 great  star-gazer,  foreseeing  by  them,  as 
 he  said,  the  loss  of  his  kingdom  and  life 
 together,  left  Africa  that  he  might  shun 
 that  mischief  ;  but  thereby  he  hastened 
 it,  A.r>.  1544.  God  suffereth  sometimes 
 such  fond  predictions  to  fall  out  right 
 upon  men  for  a  just  punishment  of  their 
 curiosity. — Trapp. 
 
 Ver.  3.  Idol  manufacture.  In  India, 
 228 
 
 it  is  computed,  there  are  30,000,000  of 
 idols.  British  Christians  should  re- 
 member the  idolatry  of  their  ancestors. 
 "  In  Scotland  there  was  a  temple  of 
 Mars ;  in  Cornwall,  of  Mercury ;  in 
 Bangor,  of  Minerva ;  in  Bath,  of  Apollo ; 
 in  Leicester,  of  Janus ;  in  York,  where 
 St.  Peter's  now  stands,  the  temple  of 
 Bellona ;  in  London,  on  the  site  of  St. 
 Paul's  Cathedral,  the  temple  of  Diana  ; 
 and  at  Westminster,  where  the  Abbey 
 rears  its  venerable  pile,  a  temple  of 
 Apollo." — Dr.  Plaifere. 
 
 Ver.  5.  Idols  "must  needs  he 
 "borne."  Missionaries  in  India  were 
 once  proclaiming  the  glorious  Gospel  of 
 Jesus  Christ,  when  one  of  the  audience 
 cried,  "  Jesus  is  the  true  God !"  Others 
 caught  the  cry  and  reiterated  it,  till  the 
 whole  group  burst  into  response.  Then 
 they  shouted  "  Come  with  us,  and 
 pull  down  our  temples,  and  cast  our 
 gods  down  the  hills."  They  led  the 
 way,  and  soon  the  helpless  idol  was 
 carried  along — for  though  it  had  legs  it 
 could  not  walk — to  the  brow  of  a  neigh- 
 bouring hill,  and  flung  contemptuously 
 over. 
 
 It  is  a  fact  and  a  sight  to  be  met 
 
HOMILETIC  COMMENTARY :  JEREMIAH. 
 
 with  any  day  in  Madras  and  other  large 
 European  cities  :  a  set  of  hired  hearers 
 will  carry  one  day  on  their  shoulders  a 
 hideous  idol,  ornamented  with  gold  and 
 gems,  and  the  next  day  the  same  hired 
 bearers  will  carry  forth  in  state  the 
 Virgin  Mary, — Biblical  Treasury. 
 
 Ver,  6,  "  None  like  Thee,  0  Lord." 
 All  things  in  the  natural  world  symbolise 
 God,  yet  none  of  them  speak  of  Him 
 but  in  broken  and  imperfect  words. 
 High  above  all  He  sits,  sublimer 
 than  mountains,  grander  than  storms, 
 sweeter  than  blossoms  and  tender  fruits, 
 nobler  than  lords,  truer  than  parents, 
 more  loving  than  lovers.  His  feet  tread 
 the  lowest  places  of  the  earth,  but  His 
 head  is  above  all  glory,  and  everywhere 
 He  is  supreme. — Beecher. 
 
 "Thy  name  is  great  in  might." 
 A  Jew  entered  a  Persian  temple,  and 
 saw  there  the  sacred  fire.  He  said  to 
 the  priest,  "  How  do  you  worship  fire?" — 
 "  Not  the  fire :  it  is  to  us  an  emblem  of 
 the  sun  and  of  his  animating  light," 
 said  the  priest.  The  Israelite  continued, 
 "You  dazzle  the  eye  of  the  body,  but 
 darken  that  of  the  mind ;  in  presenting 
 the  terrestrial  light  you  take  away  the 
 celestial."  The  Persian  asked, ""  How  do 
 you  name  the  Supreme  Being  1 " — "  We 
 call  Him  Jehovah  Adonai  ;  that  is, 
 the  Lord  who  was,  who  is,  and  shall  be." 
 — "  Your  word  is  great  and  glorious, 
 but  it  is  terrible,"  said  the  Persian.  A 
 Christian  approaching,  said,  "  We  call 
 Him,  "  Ahha,  Father."  Then  the  Per- 
 sian and  the  Jew  regarded  each  other 
 with  surprise,  and  said,  "  Your  word  is 
 the  nearest  and  the  highest;  but  who 
 gives  you  courage  to  call  the  Eternal 
 thus?"— "The  Father  Himself,"  said 
 the  Christian,  who  then  expounded  to 
 them  the  plan  of  redemption. — Kriim- 
 macher. 
 
 Ver.  10.  "The  true  God."  "How 
 many  Gods  are  there  1 "  was  once  asked 
 of  a  boy.  "  One." — "  How  do  you  know 
 there  is  only  one?" — "  Because  there  is 
 no  room  for  more,  for  He  fills  heaven 
 and  earth." 
 
 The  Egyptian  hieroglyphic,  represent- 
 ing God,  was  a  winged  globe  and  a 
 serpent  coming  out  of  it ;  the  globe  to 
 
 signify  God's  eternity,  the  wings  His 
 active  power,  and  the  serpent  His 
 wisdom. — Boives. 
 
 Two  gentlemen  were  once  disputing 
 on  the  divinity  of  Christ :  one  of  them, 
 who  argued  against  it,  said,  "  If  it  were 
 true,  certainly  it  would  have  been  ex- 
 pressed in  more  clear  and  unequivocal 
 terms."  "  Well,"  said  the  other,  "  ad- 
 mitting that  you  believed  it,  were  you 
 authorised  to  teach  it,  and  allowed  to 
 use  your  own  language,  how  would  you 
 express  the  doctrine  to  make  it  indubit- 
 able ?  " — '•  I  would  say,"  replied  he, 
 "  that  Jesus  Christ  is  ilte  true  God." — 
 "  You  are  very  happy,"  replied  the 
 other,  "  in  the  choice  of  your  words,  for 
 you  have  happened  to  hit  upon  the  very 
 words  of  inspiration  ;  for  John,  speaking 
 of  the  Son,  says,  '  This  is  the  true  God, 
 and  eternal  life.'  " — Wilson. 
 
 Ver.   11-13.  An   appeal  to   God's 
 
 WORKS. 
 
 "  Who  guides  below  and  rules  above, 
 
 The  great  Disposer  and  the  mighty  King  ; 
 Than  He  none  greater,  next  Him  none 
 That  can  be,  is,  or  was  : 
 Supreme,  He  singly  fills  the  throne." 
 
 Horace. 
 
 An  Arab,  when  one  day  asked,  "  How 
 do  you  know  there  is  a  God  ?  "  turned 
 indignantly  upon  the  questioner,  and 
 replied,  "  How  do  I  know  whether  a 
 man  or  a  camel  passed  my  tent  last 
 night  ?  "  His  own  footprints  in  creation 
 and  providence  testify  of  Him, 
 
 Ver.  14.  Worship  op  idols  debases 
 the  worshipper.  The  gods  of  Greece 
 and  Home  had  at  least  human  features, 
 and  modelled  after  the  likeness  of  men  ; 
 but  among  the  millions  of  the  gods  of 
 India  affecting  the  character  of  their 
 worshippers,  there  is  not  one  which 
 represents  a  virtue,  not  one  which  is 
 not  a  monster  of  iniquity.  Brahma  is 
 acknowledged  by  the  Hindoos  them- 
 selves as  too  bad  to  be  worshipped. 
 Their  god,  Shiva,  is  distinguished  for 
 his  revenge  and  malignity  ;  Krishna 
 bears  a  character  of  a  notorious  licentious 
 profligate  ;  Juggernaut  is  represented  by 
 an  old  idol  Avithout  legs  and  arms,  be- 
 cause the  legs  and  arms  of  the  god  were 
 cut  off  by  a  sentence  of  the  gods  for  his 
 
 229 
 
EOMILETIC  COMMENTARY:  JEREMIAH. 
 
 incurable  iniquity.  What  but  impurity 
 and  cruelty  can  be  the  result  of  a  religion 
 which  has  such  patrons  in  its  god? — 
 Dictionary  of  Illusti-ations. 
 
 "Any  ojnnion  which  tends  to  keep 
 out  of  sight  the  living  and  loving  God, 
 whether  it  be  to  substitute  for  Him  an 
 idol,  or  any  occult  agency,  or  a  formal 
 creed,  can  be  nothing  better  than  the 
 portentous  shadow  projected  from  the 
 slavish  darkness  of  an  ignorant  heart." 
 — Hallam. 
 
 Ver.  19.   Sore  affliction. 
 
 As  they  lay  copper  in  aquafortis  be- 
 fore they  begin  to  engrave  it,  so  the 
 Lord  usually  prepares  us  by  searching, 
 softening  discipline  of  affliction  for 
 making  a  deep,  lasting  impression  upon 
 our  hearts. — Nottidge. 
 
 There  is  as  much  difference  between 
 the  sufferings  of  the  saints  and  those  of 
 the  ungodly  as  between  the  bandages 
 wherewith  the  tender  surgeon  binds  his 
 patients  and  the  cords  with  which  an 
 executioner  pinions  a  condemned  male- 
 factor. — A  rro  ivsmith. 
 
 One  in  affliction,  when  asked  how  he 
 bore  it  so  well,  replied,  "  It  lightens  the 
 stroke  to  draw  near  to  Him  who  handles 
 the  rod." 
 
 Ver.  20.  Bereaved  op  children. 
 
 "  Death  lies  on  her,  like  an  untimely  frost 
 Upon  the  sweetest  flower  of  all  the  field." 
 Shakspeaee. 
 
 Benrjel  had  twelve  children,  of  whom 
 half  died  in  infancy.  He  said,  when 
 speaking  of  his  loss,  "  As  little  children 
 give  their  sweetmeats  to  their  parents 
 to  keep  for  them,  so  my  pleasant  things 
 are  safer  in  God's  keeping  than  in  that 
 of  my  own  treacherous  heart." — Bowes. 
 
 Elliot  said  of  the  death  of  his  chil- 
 dren, "  I  have  had  six  children,  and  I 
 bless  God  they  are  all  either  in  Christ 
 or  with  Christ,  and  my  mind  is  now  at 
 rest  concerning  them." — Ibid. 
 
 "  I  cried,  *  Lord,  spare  my  child  ! ' 
 He  did ;  but  not  as  I  meant.  He 
 snatched  it  from  danger,  and  took  it  to 
 His  own  home." — Cecil. 
 
 "  Sec,  father,"  said  a  lad,  "  they  are 
 
 knocking  away  the  jirops  from  under 
 
 the  bridge.     What  are  they  doing  that 
 
 for  ]     Won't  the  bridge  fall  ?  "— "  They 
 
 230 
 
 are  knocking  them  away,"  said  the 
 father,  "tliat  the  timbers  may  rest  more 
 firmly  upon  the  stone  piers,  which  are 
 now  finished."  God  only  takes  away 
 our  earthly  helps  that  we  may  rest 
 firmly  upon  Him. 
 
 A  lady  in  one  day,  during  her  hus- 
 band's absence  from  home,  lost  both  her 
 children  by  cholera.  With  a  mother's 
 anguish  of  heart  she  covered  a  sheet  over 
 them,  and  awaited  her  husband's  return. 
 "  A  Person  lent  me  some  jewels,"  she 
 said  when  she  met  him,  "  and  now  he 
 wishes  them  again  1  What  shall  I  do  ? " 
 — "Return  them,  by  all  means,"  said 
 her  husband.  Then  she  led  the  way, 
 and  silently  uncovered  to  him  the  forms 
 of  his  dear  children. — Dictionary  of 
 Illusti-ations. 
 
 Ver.  23.  God's  control  of  man's 
 career. 
 
 "  The  wish,  which  ages  have  not  yet  suhdued 
 In  man,  to  have  no  other  master  but  his 
 mood." — Btkon. 
 
 "  Our  indiscretion  sometimes  serves  us  well 
 When   our  deep  plots  do  pall :   and   that 
 
 should  teach  us 
 There's  a  Divinity  that  shapes  our  ends, 
 Eough  hew  them  how  we  will." — Shake- 
 speare. 
 
 "  A  wheel   within   a  wheel's  the    Scripture 
 
 notion, 
 And  all  those  wheels  traverse  and  cross  in 
 
 motion. 
 All  creatures  serve  it  in  their  place  ;  yet  so 
 As  thousands  of  them  know  not  what  they  do: 
 At  this  or  that  their  aim  they  do  direct, 
 But  neither  this  nor  that  is  the  eflFect. 
 Men  are,  like  horses,  set  at  every  stage, 
 For  Providence  to  ride  from  age  to  age  ; 
 Which,  like  a  post,  spurs  on,  and  makes 
 
 them  run 
 From  stage  to  stage,  until  their  journey's 
 
 done ; 
 Then  takes  a  fresh  :  but  they  the  business 
 
 know 
 No  more  than  horses  the  post-letters  do. 
 Yet  though  its  work  be  now  concealed  from 
 
 sight, 
 'Twill  be  a  glorious  piece  when  brought  to 
 
 light." — Flavel. 
 
 "  Certum  est,  nos  velle,  cum  volumus, 
 sed  ille  facit,  ut  velimus  boniim,  de  quo 
 dictum  est,  quod  prseparatur  voluntas  a 
 Domino  (Prov.  viii.  36).  Certum  est, 
 non  facere,  cum  facimus,  sed  ille  facit, 
 ut  faciamus  praebendo  vires  efficacissimas 
 voluntati,  qui  dixit ;  faciam  ut  in  justi- 
 
HOMILETIC  COMMENTARY:  JEREMIAH. 
 
 ficationibus  meis  ambuletis  et  judicia  better  disposed  and  affectioned  towards 
 
 mea  observetis  (Ezek.  xxxvi.  2G,  27)."  God." — Trapi:). 
 — Augustine. 
 
 Ver.  25.    Fury  for  the  oppressor. 
 
 Ver.  24.  Lenient  correction.     "  Cor-  This  is  not  a  New  Testament  aspect  of 
 
 rection  is  not  simply  to  be  deprecated.  God ;  gracious  towards  Israel,  tempering 
 
 The  prophet  here  cries,  *  Correct  me ; '  affliction  with    mercy,  but  severe    and 
 
 David  saith,  *  It  was  good  for  me  ; '  Job  wrathful,  with  no  restraining  of  anger, 
 
 calleth  God's  afflicting  of  us  His  magni-  towards  the  heathen.     Eather,  *'  Go  ye 
 
 fying  of  us  (chap.  viii.  17).     Feri  Doni-  into  all  the  world  and  preach  the  Gospel 
 
 ine,  feri   clemeiiter ;  ipse  paraius  stim,  to   every   creature,"     "Pray   for   them 
 
 saith  Luther, — Smite,  Lord,  smite  me,  that  despitefully  use  you."     Hence  the 
 
 but  gently,  and  I  am  ready  to  bear  it  true  piety  of  the  Prayer-Book  petition  : 
 
 patiently.     King  Alfred  prayed  God  to  "  That  it  may  please  Thee  to  forgive  our 
 
 send  him  always  some  sickness,  whereby  enemies,  persecutors,  and  slanderers  ;  and 
 
 his  body  might  be  tamed,  and  he  the  turn  their  hearts.^* 
 
 CHAPTEE  XI. 
 
 Critioal  and  Exegetioal  Notes. — 1.  Chronology  of  the  Chapter. — The  "covenant"  sum- 
 marised in  ver.  2-5  refers  to  the  nation's  renewal  of  vows  with  Jehovah  npon  the  Book  of  the 
 Law  being  discovered  during  Josiah's  reign.  The  prevalency  of  idolatry  (ver.  13)  seems  to 
 point  back  to  the  public  establishment  of  idol-worship  under  Manasseh.  Both  these  allusions 
 favour  an  early  date  for  this  and  chap.  xii. — i.e.,  during  Josiah's  reign,  dr.  B.C.  620.  (So  Keil 
 and  Dr.  Payne  Smith.)  Others  (Maurer,  Hitzig,  Umbriet,  and  Graff)  find  in  chap.  xii.  14 
 (which  is  a  continuation  of  this  chap.)  a  reference  to  the  "neighbours"  spoken  of  in  2  Kings 
 xxiv.  2.  If  this  be  so,  the  chapter  must  date  at  the  end  of  Jehoiakim's  reign,  cir.  B.C.  600. 
 But  the  absence  of  all  explicit  mention  of  the  Chaldeans  (Lange),  shows  this  prophecy  to  have 
 been  delivered  before  Nebuchadnezzar  came  against  Jerusalem  ;  for,  after  the  battle  at  Char- 
 chemish,  Jeremiah  invariably  specifies  the  Chaldeans  by  name.  Hence  the  chapter  is  assigned 
 to  the  Jirst  or  second  year  of  JehoiaJcim,  cir.  B.C.  610.  Probably  Bleek  is  correct  in  assigning 
 ver.  1-17  to  Josiah's  reign,  and  ver.  18-xii.  17  to  Jehoiakim's  reign. 
 
 2.  Contemporary  Scriptures. — 2  Kings  xxiii.  34-37;  2  Chron.  xxxvi.  4,  5. 
 
 3.  National  Affaii's. — Jehoiakim  on  the  throne.  Quick  development  of  the  nation's  apos- 
 tasy from  Jehovah,  and  revulsion  from  Josiah's  reforms,  led  on  by  the  impiety  of  the  king. 
 
 4.  Cotemporary  History. — Egypt  at  this  time  (first  or  second  year  of  Jehoiakim)  enjoying 
 a  short-lived  ascendancy  over  the  Babylonian  domination.  This  international  supremacy, 
 however,  was  speedily  wrested  from  Pharaoh-Necho  by  Nebuchadnezzar  in  the  fourth  year 
 of  Jehoiakim. 
 
 5.  Geographical  Eeferences. — Ver.  5.  "A  land  flowing  with  milk  and  honey  :"  the  euphemism 
 for  the  fertile  and  beautiful  Land  of  Promise,  cf.  Exod.  iii.  8,  17;  Deut.  vi.  3,  &c.  Ver.  23. 
 "  Anathoth."    See  Crit.  Notes  and  Geog.  References  on  chap.  i.  1,  in  loc. 
 
 6.  Personal  AUusions. — Ver.  21.  ''Men  of  Anathoth  :"  these  would  be  the  acquaintances  of 
 Jeremiah  in  his  youth,  and  even  his  relatives  (xii.  6).  It  is  on  record  that  the  "  men  of  Ana- 
 thoth," 128  in  number,  returned  from  exile  with  Zerubbabel  (Ezra  ii.  23;  Neh.  vii.  27; 
 1  Esdras  v.  IS). 
 
 7.  Natural  History. — Ver.  16.  "  G\'een  olive-tree,  and  of  goodly  fruit :"  olive  very  common  in 
 Judea  ;  of  two  kinds,  the  cultivated  and  the  wild ;  the  latter  a  mere  bush,  the  former  grows  to 
 the  average  height  of  25  feet.  Its  leaves  are  of  a  refreshing  green  hue,  conspicuous  in  contrast 
 with  the  foliage  of  darker  trees.  An  object  of  "beauty"  (Hos.  xiv.  6);  an  evergreen.  Its 
 "fruit "  is  at  first  green ;  iu  its  early  stage  almost  white,  tinged  with  yellow ;  in  its  maturity, 
 a  rich  purple,  almost  black  :  rich  to  the  taste.  Particularly  famed  for  the  oil  it  so  abundantly 
 yields. 
 
 8.  Manners  and  Customs. — Ver.  4.  "The  iron  furnace : "  metaphorical  reference  to  Egypt; 
 a  figure  used  by  Moses  (Deut.  iv,  20).  Ver.  19.  "As  a  lamb  (see  Lit.  Crit.  below)  led  to 
 the  slaughter :  "  a  tamed  pet  lamb,  which  afterwards  had  to  be  killed. 
 
 9.  Literary  Criticisms. — Vci-.  2.  "  Hear  ye,  and  speak  yc:"  the  plurals  ■li'Dli^  and  DJ^"13."Tj 
 indicate  that  not  Jeremiah  alone,  but  others  in  the  nation,  were,  if  not  commissioned,  yet  urged 
 to  publish  the  "  covenant "  (comp.  2  Kings  xxiii.  2  ;  2  Chron.  xxxiv.  30).      Ver.  5.  "So  be  it, 
 
 231 
 
CHAP.  XI.  BOMILETIC  COMMENTARY :  JEREMIAH. 
 
 0  Lord,"  niiT  TD><;  \ii."Amcn,  Jehovah:"  it  was  the  precise  response  which  was  required 
 by  the  law  "(Deut.  xxvii.  14-27),  and  was  Jeremiah's  solemn  assent.  Ver.  6.  "Proclaim  .■" 
 K"lp  read  aloud  (Hitzig,  Graff,  Lange),  as  in  2  Kings  xxii.  8,  10,  16  ;  but  it  means  declare  as 
 used  by  Jeremiah,  chap,  ii,  2,  iii.  12  (Keil).  Ver.  8.  "  The  imagination,"  i.e.,  stubbornness  (c/.  iii. 
 17).  Ver.  13.  "  That  shameful  thing  .  .  .  Baal."  See  Lit.  Crit.  on  chap.  iii.  24.  Ver.  15.  "  Wiat 
 hath  my  beloved  todo?"  kc.  The  text  is  corrupt  and  obscure.  The  words,  "with  many" 
 D^JHirr  is  better  disconnected  from  the  words,  "wrought  lewdness."  The  LXX.  read  the 
 word  as  Dni3H,  or  (as  Maurer,  Graff,  &c.,  suggest)  D^ilin  ;  i.e.,  vows  or  prayers,  and  read, 
 Will  vows  and  holy  flesh  {i.e.,  sacrifices)  tate  away  thy  sins  ?  Retaining  the  word  in  the  text  as 
 it  is,  by  D"'3.nrT  must  be  understood,  thy  great  ones,  princes;  and  then  read:  thy  great  ones, in 
 which  thy  earthly  strength  consists  ;  and  thy  sacrifices,  on  which  depends  thy  religious  sanctity, 
 shall  pass  aicay  from  thee  (Speaker's  Com.).  Keil  renders  the  verse,  "  What  would  My  beloved 
 in  My  house  ?  they  who  practise  guile  ?  Shall  vows  and  holy  flesh  remove  thy  calamity  from 
 thee  ?  then  mayest  thou  exult."  Blayney  :  "  Shall  vows  and  holy  flesh  be  allowed  to  come  from 
 thee  ?  When  thou  art  malignant,  shalt  thou  then  rejoice  ?  "  L>r.  Payne  Smith  :  "  What  hath 
 My  beloved  in  My  house,  to  practise  guile  there  ?  The  chiefs  and  the  holy  flesh  shall  pass  away 
 from  thee.     When  thy  evil  (is  done)  then  thou  rejoicest."     Ver.  19.   "Like  a  lamb  or  an  ox  ;  " 
 
 ^17K  ii7Z13  i.e.  a  lamb  domesticated.  ^)y^  is  an  adjective,  familiar,  intimate,  "a  tame 
 lamb"  (Gesenius).  The  substantive  ^7>^  is  "  ox,"  so  called  as  being  tamed  by  familiar  use.  "  Let 
 us  destroy  the  tree  loith  the  fruit:  ^Tw  fruit;  prop. /oocZ,  especially  6?'caci.     The  LXX.  rendei 
 
 it  inPaXufiev  ^i\ov  els  tov  dprov  avrov,  let  us  cast  ivood  into  his  bread,  i.e.,  poisonous  wood, 
 Targum  :  "  Let  us  cast  deadly  poison  into  his  food."  Ver.  20,  "Let  me  see  Thy  vengeance  upon 
 them:"  ^^it"^^J  is  future,  "I shall  see,"  anticipating  God's  vindication  and  interposition. 
 
 EOiVILETICS  ON  SECTIONS  OF  CHAPTER  XL 
 
 Section    1-8,  Jehovah's  covenant. 
 ,,       9-13.  Idolatrous  conspiracy. 
 ,,     14-17,  Mediation  and  sacrifice  unacceptable. 
 ,,    rl8-23.  Murderers  in  ambush, 
 
 Ver,  1-8.  Jehovah's  Covenant. 
 
 It  was  the  one  solemn  compact  which  God  made  with  Israel ;  never  altered, 
 never  superseded.  By  it  this  nation  first  became  the  Lord's,  and  Jehovah  pledged 
 Himself  to  be  their  God.  On  its  being  faithfully  observed,  Israel's  very  existence 
 and  distinction  as  a  theocracy  depended.  Wonderful  :  it  had  for  many  years  been 
 lost ;  only  found  as  by  accident,  during  Josiah's  renovation  of  the  temple,  {See 
 Addenda,  ver,  2,  "  The  lost  book  of  the  covenant  found.")  Worse  :  it  had  been  ignored 
 by  the  whole  nation  ;  they  regarded  not  the  sacred  charter  given  on  Sinai,  and 
 revolted  from  Jehovah  with  indifference  as  to  results.  Yet  has  not  Mimanity 
 equally  "  broken  the  covenant,"  apostatised  from  God,  and  virtually  cancelled  the 
 solemn  compact  which  united  God  in  gracious  relationship  ?  "0  Israel !  thou  hast 
 destroyed  thyself." 
 
 I.  The  terms  of  this  Divine  covenant,  "  Obey  My  voice,"  &c.  (ver,  4,  5). 
 1.  It  2iroposed  a  gracious  relationshi]).  "  So  shall  ye  be  My  people,  and  I  will  be 
 your  God,"  2,  It  pledged  a  glorious  inheritance.  "  To  give  a  land  flowing  with 
 milk  and  honey."  3.  It  de2Jended  on  absolute  conditions.  "  Obey,  and  do  accord- 
 ing to  aK  which  I  command  you."  {a.)  The  terms  were  unambiguous ;  *'  obey,  and 
 do."  (6.)  The  response  must  be  unhesitating  and  uncompromising  ;  "  all  I  com- 
 mand." (c.)  Jehovah  alone  was  to  be  their  Lawgiver  and  God  ;  "  /  will  be  your 
 God  " — "  do  according  to  all  /  command." 
 
 II.  The  circumstances  which  emphasised  this  covenant.  "W^hich  I  com- 
 manded your  fathers  in  the  day,"  &c.  (ver.  4).  1.  The  national  crisis  when  it  was 
 made.  This  is  noteworthy  ;  "  in  the  day,"  &c.  When  Israel  was  just  escaping 
 from  the  oppressions  and  degradations  which  well-nigh  denationalised  the  people. 
 This  covenant  waa  made  "  in  the  day  "  of  their  emancipation.     2,   The  miraculous 
 
EOMILETIC  COMMENTARY :  JEREMIAH.  chap.  xi. 
 
 experience  which  immediately  preceded  it.  This  is  equally  remarkable,  "  I  brought 
 them  forth  out  of  the  laud  of  Egypt."  3.  The  miseries  from  which  they  were  freed 
 lent  special  significance  to  this  Divine  act ;  "  the  iron  furnace."  In  return  for  all 
 this,  which  should  have  ensured  unfaltering  loyalty  and  devoted  gratitude,  God 
 asked,  "  Obey  My  voice." 
 
 III.  The  importunity  with  which  God  instituted  the  covenant.  "For  I 
 earnestly  protested,"  (fee.  (ver.  7).  It  denotes — 1.  The  Divine  earnestness  and  anxiety, 
 (a.)  God  fervently  desired  this  relationship  ;  (6.)  He  ratified  the  covenant  amid  the 
 most  solemn  asseverations,  "earnestly  protested;"  (c.)  He  recognised  the  perils 
 which  menaced  it,  for  it  was  made  with  "  your  fathers  " — fickle,  wavering  men. 
 2.  The  fervent  reiteration  of  the  compact.  "  Even  unto  this  day;  rising  up  early 
 and  protesting,  saying,  Obey  my  voice."  So  that  with  "  line  upon  line,  precept 
 upon  precept,"  God  encouraged  them  to  fidelity  and  protested  against  disloyalty. 
 
 IV.  The  penalty  attached  to  a  breach  of  the  covenant.  It  was  made  a  con- 
 dition of  blessings  ;  God  should  be  their  God,  and  Canaan  their  possession  (ver.  5)  : 
 but  there  was  also  appended  a  "  curse  "  if  it  were  violated  (ver.  3).  1.  There  is  a 
 black  alternative  of  every  jyromise.  2.  By  the  terrors  of  the  Lord  me7i  are  to  be 
 urged  to  fidelity.  Not  alone  allured  by  promises,  but  menaced  by  curses  ;  for 
 Jehovah  may  not  be  trifled  with  by  men.  3.  The  individical  responsibility  is 
 enforced.  "  Every  man  ; "  not  the  nation,  but  the  person,  he  who  sins,  shall  suffer. 
 4-.  There  are  ruinous  i)^'>iO'lties  threatening  the  disobedient.  The  "  curse  "  of  the 
 Almighty, 
 
 V.  The  lengthened  period  through  which  God  had  urged  this  covenant.  He 
 had  not  grown  dissatisfied  with  it,  nor  had  He  allowed  it  to  pass  from  His  thoughts, 
 nor  from  Israel's  attention.  From  "  the  day  that  I  brought  your  fathers  out  of 
 Egypt  even  unto  this  day"  (ver.  7).  1.  God  reckons  the  years  of  our  opportunity. 
 2.  He  folloivs  man  during  those  years  with  persuasions  and  protests.  "Rising 
 early,"  &c.  3.  Our  criminality  and  res2')onsibility  will  be  in  piroportion  to  the  time 
 and  the  persuasives. 
 
 VI.  The  persistent  violation  of  this  covenant.  "  Yet  they  obeyed  not,"  &c. 
 (ver.  8).  1.  Practical  defiance;  "they  obeyed  not."  2.  Habitual  indifference; 
 "nor  inclined  their  ear."  3.  Wilfid  disloyalty;  "walked  every  one  in  the 
 imagination  of  their  evil  heart." 
 
 VII.  The  Divine  vindication  of  the  violated  covenant.  "Therefore  I  will 
 bring  upon  them  all  the  words  of  this  covenant."  1.  Blessings  j^romised  for 
 obedience  ivithdrawn.  2,  Curses  threatened  for  disloyalty  performed.  3.  God 
 Himself  administers  judgment.  "  It  is  a  fearful  thing  to  fall  into  the  hands  of  the 
 living  God." 
 
 Ver,  9-13.  Idolatrous  Conspieacy. 
 
 "  Jeremiah  saw  that  many  lived  in  open  disobedience  to  God,  but  the  Lord  told 
 him  the  matter  was  worse  than  he  thought  of :  *  -4  conspiracy  is  found  among 
 them,''  by  Him  whose  eye  is  upon  the  hidden  things  of  darkness.  There  is  a  com- 
 bination against  God  and  religion,  a  dangerous  design  formed  to  overthrow  God's 
 government  and  bring  in  the  counterfeit  deities.  A  cursed  conspiracy  !  Ob,  that 
 there  were  not  the  like  in  our  day  ! 
 
 "I.  Observe,  what  the  conspiracy  was.  They  designed  to  overthrow  Divine 
 revelation,  and  persuade  the  people  not  to  heed  the  words  of  God  :  did  all  they 
 could  to  derogate  from  the  authority  of  the  Scriptures,  to  draw  people  to  consult 
 other  gods  as  their  oracles  and  court  them^is  their  benefactors.  Human  reason 
 shall  be  their  god,  the  light  within  their  god,  saints  and  angels  their  gods,  deities 
 of  other  nations  shall  be  theirs ;  thus,  under  several  disguises,  the  confederacy 
 exists  *  against  the  Lord  and  against  His  Anointed.' 
 
 "II.  Who  were  in  the  conspiracy.     Not  foreigners;  but  1.  *  The  inhabitants  of 
 
 233 
 
(3HAP.  XI.  HOMILETIC  COMMENTARY:  JEREMIAH. 
 
 Jerusalem  with  the  men  of  Judah ; '  city  and  country  agree  in  this,  however  they 
 may  differ  in  other  things,  2.  This  generation  with  the  foregoing  generation; 
 'they  are  turned  back  to  the,  iniquity  of  their  forefathers,'  &c.  (ver.  10);  a  con- 
 spiracy to  carry  on  the  war  from  age  to  age  against  religion.  The  house  of  Israel 
 began  the  revolt,  but  Judah  soon  came  into  the  conspiracy.  In  Josiah's  time  there 
 had  been  a  reformation,  but  after  his  death  the  people  returned  to  the  idolatries 
 they  had  then  renounced. 
 
 "  III.  The  chastening  of  the  conspirators  and  the  crushing  of  this  conspiracy. 
 God  would  take  severe  methods  for  this  ]  for  none  ever  hardened  his  heart  thus 
 against  God  and  prospered.  He  that  rolls  this  stone  will  find  it  return  upon  him. 
 'Therefore  I  will  bring  evil  upon  them'  (ver.  11);  the  evil  of  punishment  for  the 
 evil  of  sin ;  and  there  is  no  remedy,  no  relief.  1.  They  cannot  help  themselves 
 (ver.  11).  There  is  no  fleeing  from  God's  justice.  Evil  pursues  sinners  and 
 entangles  them  in  snares  from  which  they  cannot  extricate  themselves.  2.  Their 
 God  will  not  help  them ;  '  they  shall  cry  unto  Me,'  &c.  (ver.  11).  3.  Their  idols 
 shall  not  help  them  (ver.  12).  If  the  idols  could  have  done  any  real  kindness  to 
 their  worshippers,  they  would  have  done  it  for  this  people,  who  had  renounced  the 
 true  God  to  embrace  them,  and  had  multiplied  them  '  according  to  the  number  of 
 the  cities  of  Judah  and  the  streets  of  Jerusalem.'  But  in  their  distress  their  many 
 gods  and  many  altars  should  stand  them  in  no  stead." — Henry. 
 
 Ver.  14-17.  Mediation  and  Sacrifice  Unacceptable. 
 
 These  are  and  ever  have  been  the  sole  resources  of  the  sinful  in  seeking  God.  If 
 He  will  not  permit  mediation  (ver.  14)  for  transgressors,  nor  accept  sacrifices, 
 ("holy  flesh,"  ver.  15  ;  see  Lit.  Crit.  on  ver.),  then  nought  remains. 
 
 I.  Offerings  beautiful  in  themselves :  mediatorial  prayer  and  holy  sacrifices. 
 
 II.  Offerers  who  might  expect  acceptance.  I.  Jeremiah,  who  as  a  prophet 
 was  also  an  acknowledged  intercessor  with  God  for  the  people,  and  withal  a  man 
 Divinely  chosen  and  approved  ;  he  would  have  offered  prayers.  2.  Judah,  cherished 
 by  God  as  "His  beloved"  (ver.  15);  once  admired  hy  God,  "called  (alas  !  not  calls) 
 thy  name,  a  green  olive-tree,  fair,  and  of  goodly  fruit"  (ver.  16);  enstated  by 
 God  in  sacred  possessions  and  privileges,  "  planted  thee  "  (ver.  17);  she  would  have 
 offered  "  holy  flesh." 
 
 III.  Offerings  must  represent  those  for  whom  they  are  made. 
 
 1.  Prayer  for  others,  that  they  may  be  spared  and  pardoned,  avails  only  when 
 they  also  pray  for  themselves.  But  Judah  would  not  kneel  before  God  for  deliver- 
 ance from  her  sins ;  she  was  prayerless,  would  continue  so,  until  calamity  befell  her, 
 and  would  then  only  "  cry  in  her  trouble,"  not  bemoan  her  guilt. 
 
 2.  Sacrifices  to  God  7'equire  that  the  offerers  are  themselves  dedicated  to  Him.  To 
 give  Him  "holy  flesh"  while  they  lived  in  "lewdness"  (ver.  15)  was  a  flagrant 
 mockery.  Public  worship  is  an  insolence  to  Heaven  when  it  covers  private  immo- 
 rality. 
 
 IV.  Incongruous  offerings  refused  by  God.  "  Pray  not  thou  for  this  people  " 
 (ver.  14).  "What  hath  My  beloved  to  do  in  Mine  house?  "(ver.  15).  1.  For 
 those  who  love  sin  no  jyrayer  can  be  heard.  Even  the  Divine  Intercessor  could  not 
 pray  for  the  soul  determined  in  guilt.  2.  Those  who  live  in  sin  defile  God's  house 
 by  their  presence  and  His  altar  tvith  their  sacrifices.  For  such  persons,  who,  "  when 
 doing  evil,  rejoice,"  to  offer  aught  to  God  is  impious  effrontery. 
 
 V.  Mocking  hypocrites  doomed^ 
 
 1.  There  will  come  to  such  pretenders  a  ^' time  of  trouble"  (ver.  14);  wrong  will 
 not  prove  always  pleasant. 
 
 2.  Their  former  goodness  ivill  not  protect  them  from  the  doom  of  apostates. 
 "  Fair  and  goodly  "  they  may  have  been ;  and  so  really  so  as  to  be  called  by  God 
 "  His  beloved ; "  but  the  goodness  of  former  years  will  not  atone  for  the  guilt  of 
 
 234 
 
EOMILETIO  COMMENTARY:  JEREMIAH.  chap.  xi. 
 
 the  present,  nor  their  experience  of  Divine  love  save  them  from  the  wrath  their 
 perfidy  has  provoked  (ver.  16). 
 
 3.  Their  enstatement  in  Divine  favour  can  he  reversed.  "  Planted  "  in  Canaan, 
 intrusted  with  "  Mine  house,"  Judah's  condition  suggests  the  case  of  those  ivithin 
 the  Church  of  Christ,  once  ostensibly  (perhaps  sincerely)  God's  people.  But  "if 
 any  man  defile  the  temple  of  God,  him  will  God  destroy." 
 
 Ver.  18-23.  Mukdeeees  in  Ambush. 
 
 How  many  dangers  beset  us  which  we  fail  to  recognise  !  Jeremiah  had  no  per- 
 ception of  his  peril  until  "  the  Lord  gave  him  knowledge  of  it"  (ver.  18).  An  eye 
 more  discerning  than  our  own  is  upon  the  righteous ;  and  it  "  neither  slumbers 
 nor  sleeps."     (Addenda  on  ver,  19.) 
 
 I.  Malevolent  designs  against  a  witness  for  God.  A  life  of  godliness  rebukes 
 the  guilty ;  and  thus  holy  men  incur  their  hate.  Jeremiah  incensed  the  men  of 
 Anathoth  unwittingly,  unwillingly ;  but  "  a  good  deed  in  a  naughty  world  "  dis- 
 turbs and  distresses  and  provokes  the  wicked. 
 
 I.  A  concerted  plot :  "  They  devised  devices  against  me."  2.  A  merciless  pur- 
 pose ;  "  Let  us  destroy,  .  .  .  cut  him  off  from  the  land  of  the  living,"  &c. 
 3.  An  tmsicspecting  victim:  "I  was  like  a  tame  lamb"  (see  Lit.  Grit.).  4.  A  vigi- 
 lant Watcher  :  "Thou  showedst  me  their  doings"  (ver.  18). 
 
 II.  A  holy  man's  secure  defence  amid  foes  (ver.  20). 
 
 1.  Goodness  rejoices  in  the  consciotcsness  of  God's  discernment.  Though  evil-doers 
 malign  and  plot,  God  *' judgest  righteously,"  recognises  the  unsullied  virtue  of  His 
 faithful  servants  (ver.  19).  2.  Integrity  relies  confidently  on  Divine  vindication. 
 "  I  shall  see  Thy  vengeance "  (see  Lit.  Grit,  on  verse).  God  would  defeat  their 
 designs.  3.  Faith  finds  calm  shelter  in  J ehovaKs  x>i"otection.  "  Unto  Thee  have  I 
 revealed  (confided)  my  cause."     (See  1  Pet.  ii.  23.) 
 
 III.  Divine  indignation  towards  the  persecutors  of  His  servants.  He  knows 
 them  and  marks  them  out;  "the  men  of  Anathoth."  1.  The  form  in  which  their 
 hostility  expressed  itself  (ver.  21)  :  he  must  keep  silence  or  be  slain  ;  be  faithless  to 
 his  mission  or  die  at  their  hands.  It  showed  hatred  of  God,  from  whose  word  they 
 recoiled.  2.  The  sentence  of  destruction  which  this  evoked  (ver.  22,  23).  They 
 meant  Jeremiah's  death ;  they  themselves  should  cruelly  perish.  "  With  what 
 measure  ye  mete,  it  shall  be  measured  to  you  again." 
 
 HOMILIES  AND  OUTLINES  ON  VERSES  OF  CHAPTER  XL 
 
 Ver.     2-5.    Theme  :     Covenanted  xxvii.).  (Addenda,  ver.  2,  '^Dook  of  the 
 
 ALLIANCE.    (Comp.  Homily  on  section,  covenant  found.")    This  discovery  of  the 
 
 supra.)  law  occurred  five  years  after  Jeremiah 
 
 The  word  came  from  the  Lord   "  to  was    called     to    the    prophetic    office. 
 
 Jeremiah"  (ver.  1),  but  to  be  imparted  Observe:   Though  the    book   was   lost, 
 
 to  and  reiterated  by  others — "  hear  ye,  the    covenant    should   not   have    been 
 
 and  speak  ye  "  (ver.  2).     Some   think  ignored.     Their  past  history,  their  pre- 
 
 these  were  other  prophets  ;  some  suggest  sent  occupancy  of  Canaan,  appealed  to 
 
 thepriestsofAnathothjWhich  might  have  them   concerning  their  sacred  relation- 
 
 50  exasperated  them  that  they  plotted  ship  and  Jehovah's  claims, 
 
 his  destruction  (ver.  19,  21),  as  the  Po-  I.  God  allies  Himself  with  His  people 
 
 pish  priests  sought  the  life  of  Savonarola  by.  a  method  peculiarly  solemn  and 
 
 because  he  incited  them  to  do  their  duty,  imposing.  "  A  covenant."  1.  The  terms 
 
 This  "  covenant  :  "  alluding  to  the  defined.  2.  Mutually  binding.  3.  In- 
 Book  of  the  Law,  found  by  Hilkiah  tended  to  endure.  4.  The  method  most 
 during  Josiah's  restoration  of  the  Temple  impressive.  5.  The  responsibilities  great 
 (2  Kings  xxii.  8.-xxiii.  25  ;  comp.  Deut.  — great  as  are  the  benefits  and  privileges, 
 
 23o 
 
HOMILETIC  COMMENTARY:  JEREMIAH. 
 
 II.  To  this  sacred  compact  God 
 exacts  from  His  people  unfaltering  ad- 
 herence. They  must  "  obey  the  words  " 
 (ver.  3)  as  the  condition  on  which 
 Jehovah  "  may  perform  His  oath " 
 (ver.  5).  1.  God  looks  for  their  part  to 
 be  performed ;  desires  it,  watches  for  it, 
 eagerly,  paternally.  2.  He  claims  that 
 their  fidelity  should  be  as  full  as  His 
 own  ;  no  TacUlation,  no  compromise,  no 
 departure.  3.  Is  wronged  by  their 
 perfidy ;  wounded  also. 
 
 III.  Violation  of  the  covenant  for- 
 feits its  blessings  and  ensures  its 
 penalties.  Cancels  the  agreement  for 
 Divine  benefactions,  invokes  instead 
 the  Divine  displeasure.  The  faithless 
 soul  puts  God's  favours  aside  and 
 invites  the  *'  curse."  So  by  repudiating 
 the  salvation  of  Christ,  the  sinner  im- 
 precates judgment.  1.  God  earnestly 
 desires  to  bless  us  :  "  So  shall  ye  be  my 
 people  "  (ver.  4),  "  that  I  may  perform 
 the  oath,"  &c.  (ver,  5).  2.  Man's  con- 
 science recognises  the  righteousness  of 
 the  covenant :  "  So  be  it,  O  Lord."  In 
 the  human  heart  there  is  a  response  to 
 thfl  justice  of  God  in  punishing  the 
 faithless  soul,  as  truly  as  in  blessing  the 
 obedient.  Even  in  the  last  judgment 
 there  will  be  heard  the  human  acknow- 
 ledgment that  "  the  Judge  of  all  the 
 earth  doeth  right." 
 
 Notes :  The  obedience  here  agreed  for 
 is  not  performance  of  the  stern  legal 
 statutes  of  the  law,  but  fulfilment  of  the 
 benignant  terms  of  a  "  covenant  " — a 
 gracious  and  reciprocal  covenant.  The 
 "  covenant "  more  naturally  expresses 
 itself  in  "Thou  shalt  love :  "  the  law, 
 in,  Thou  shalt  do. 
 
 The  crime  of  slighting  the  alliance  of 
 love  is  the  greatest  in  itself  and  in  its 
 consequences.  "  If  any  man  love  not 
 the  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  let  him  be 
 anathema  maranatha  "  (1  Cor,  xvi.  22). 
 (Addenda,  ver.  4,  "  Covenant  alliance 
 of  love.") 
 
 The  Jews  still  occupied  this  goodly 
 land,  and  it  was  still  affluent  in  natural 
 wealth  :  God  had  thus  fulfilled  His  part 
 of  the  covenant.  It  remained  now  with 
 His  people,  by  keeping  the  terms,  to 
 decide  whether  this  inheritance  should 
 remain  theirs. 
 236 
 
 Ver.  6,  Theme:  Jehovah's  message 
 
 AVIDELY  PUBLISHED. 
 
 Most  probably  (so  Hend.,  Naeg.,  and 
 Speaker's  Com.)  Jeremiah,  obeying  this 
 Divine  command,  journeyed  with  Josiah 
 in  his  reforming  tour  through  the  land 
 (2  Kings  xxiii.  15-20),  everywhere  read- 
 ing to  the  people  the  words  of  the 
 newly-found  book.  The  word  "  pro- 
 claim "  has  the  meaning  of  read  aloud. 
 (See  Lit.  Grit,  on  verse.) 
 
 All  through  the  land  the  covenant  is 
 to  be  heard.  All  over  the  earth  the 
 Gospel  is  to  be  published  :  not  in  "  cities 
 of  Judah  and  streets  of  Jerusalem " 
 alone,  but  to  "  all  people."  *'  Go  ye 
 into  all  the  world,  and  preach  the  Gospel 
 to  every  creature." 
 
 I.  That  none  may  remain  in  sorrow- 
 ful ignorance,  or  have  excuse  for 
 neglect.  The  Light  must  shine  into 
 darkness. 
 
 II.  That  all  may  feel  the  persua- 
 siveness of  the  earnest  call.  "  Faith 
 cometh  by  hearing  :  "  hearts  are  moved 
 by  the  heavenly  appeal. 
 
 III.  That  every  hearer  may  clearly 
 know  the  full  plan  of  safety.  "  Hear 
 the  words  and  do  them."  (Comp.  Rom. 
 ii.  13;  James  i.  22.)  "Do  them:" 
 Trapp  remarks,  "  Else  ye  hear  to  no 
 purpose ;  as  the  salamander  liveth  in 
 the  fire,  and  is  -not  made  hot  by  the  fire  ; 
 as  the  Ethiopian  goeth  black  into  the 
 bath,  and  as  black  he  cometh  forth." 
 (Addenda,  ver.  6,  Poem  by  Trench.) 
 
 Ver.  7,  8.  Theme:  Earnest  per- 
 suasion RECKLESSLY  DEFIED. 
 
 Observe  1.  God  Himself  earnestly 
 jyleads ;  *'  I."  2.  God  ])ersistently 
 pleads ;  "  in  the  day  I  brought  them 
 out   of  Egypt,    even    unto    this    day." 
 
 3.  God  fervently  pleads,  vehemently, 
 with  pathos  and  power ;   "  protesting." 
 
 4.  God  anxiously  pleads ;  "  rising  up 
 early,"  &c.,  as  one  too  concerned  and 
 troubled  to  rest.  (See  on  chap.  vii.  13. 
 Addenda,  ver.  7,  "  Rising  early.") 
 
 Yet,  (1)  Men  oppose  God  in  practice; 
 "obeyed  not."  (2)  Refuse  God  their 
 attention;  "nor  incline  their  ear."  (3) 
 Pursue  their  own  defiant  course;  "walked 
 every  one  in  the  imagination  ("stubborn- 
 ness," see  on  chap.  iii.  17)  of  their  evil 
 
EOMILETIC  COMMENTARY:  JEREMIAH. 
 
 CHAP.  XI. 
 
 heart."  (4)  Turn  God's  goodness  into 
 inevitable  anger ;  "  therefore  will  I  bring 
 upon  them,"  &c.  (See  2  Kings  xvii.  13, 
 //) 
 
 Ver,    9,    10,     Theme:    Deliberate 
 
 COMBINATION  AGAINST  GoD. 
 
 The  decisive  course  being  now  pur- 
 sued by  king  Josiah  in  exterminating 
 idolatry  had  led  the  opponents  of  the 
 king's  purpose  into  determined  league 
 against  his  reformatory  schemes ;  or 
 the  general  dislike  which  prevailed 
 among  the  people  for  this  overthrow  of 
 their  cherished  idolatry  may  be  meant. 
 The  consentaneous  disapproval  of  the 
 nation  is  spoken  of  as  being  a  precon- 
 certed opposition,  a  "  conspiracy." 
 
 Note,  that  opposition  to  relic/io^is  ivorJc, 
 and  workers  for  Jehovah  (Josiah  the 
 king  and  Jeremiah  the  prophet),  is  in 
 truth  a  co7ispiracy  against  God  Himself. 
 So  when  Christ  arrested  Saul  of  Tarsus 
 with  the  challenge  "  Why  persecutest 
 thou  Me  ? "  (Addenda,  ver.  9,  "  Con- 
 spiracy against  God.") 
 
 I.  The  darkaess  of  the  human  heart. 
 Rebelled  against  the  reformation ;  rose 
 in  resistance  of  the  king's  work  of  puri- 
 fying the  land.  "  Love  darkness  rather 
 than  light,  because  their  deeds  are  evil." 
 "  Heart  desperately  wicked." 
 
 II.  The  antagonism  of  man  towards 
 God.  Any  idol,  any  number  of  idols, 
 will  men  rear  and  serve,  but  not 
 Jehovah.  "We  will  not  have  Thee," 
 &c.  "  My  people  love  to  have  it  so  " 
 (chap.  V.  31). 
 
 III.  The  deliberate  purpose  to  defeat 
 God's  work.  Men  combine  to  frustrate 
 the  designs  of  the  Almighty.  They 
 determine  to  oppose  those  who  would 
 evangelise  the  world.  They  meet  the 
 progress  of  religion  with  combined  and 
 deliberate  assaults.  Guilt  is  implacable, 
 defiant,  restless.  It  hates  God  and  godli- 
 ness. They  had  "taken  counsel  together 
 against  the  Lord,  and  against  His 
 Anointed"  (Ps.  ii.  2,  o).  Note,  that 
 their  idolatry  was  not  the  issue  of 
 ignorance — they  would  not  exchange  it 
 for  Jehovah ;  nor  was  it  the  result  of  a 
 hasty  impulse,  but  deliberate  design 
 (Ps.  Ixxxiii.  5) ;  nor  was  the  national 
 relapse  into  idolatry  after  Josiah's  death 
 
 the  conseqiience  of  indiffererwe,  but  of 
 a  set  purpose,  a  "  conspiracy "  (ver. 
 10). 
 
 IV.  The  confederacy  for  sin  snffices 
 to  prevail  over  mutual  estrangement. 
 To  oppose  God  and  His  kingdom  men — 
 mutually  antagonistic — will  ally  them- 
 selves. (See  ver.  10.)  "The  house  of 
 Israel  and  the  house  of  Judah,"  the  two 
 kingdoms  which  were  in  fierce  hostility 
 one  to  another  politically,  became  con- 
 spirators against  the  God  whose  good- 
 ness gave  them  national  existence  and 
 political  power.  Men  can  forswear  their 
 own  antagonisms,  when  impiety  is  in 
 the  ascendant,  in  order  to  trample  God's 
 claims  beneath  their  feet  in  scorn.  But 
 "  though  hand  join  in  hand,  the  wicked 
 shall  not  go  unpunished."  "  These  (ten 
 kings)  have  one  mind,  and  shall  give 
 their  power  and  strength  unto  the 
 beast ;  these  shall  make  war  with  the 
 Lamb,  and  the  Lamb  shall  overcome 
 them,"  &c.  (Rev.  xvii.  12-14). 
 
 Ver.  1 1-13.  Theme :  The  cry  of  the 
 GODLESS  IN  CALAMITY.  (See  Homily, 
 and  Notes  on  chap.  ii.  28,  also  on  sec- 
 tions, chap.  ii.  14-28.) 
 
 "  Cry  unto  Me,"  contrasted  with  "cry 
 unto  the  gods."  "  I  will  not  hearken 
 unto  them;"  set  over  against  "  they  shall 
 not  save  them  at  all."  God  also  places 
 in  juxtaposition  His  own  power  to  afiiict 
 — "I  will  bring  evil" — with  the  ic/o^s' 
 powerlessness  to  help  them.  Note,  too, 
 that  the  "thing"  for  which  the  people 
 deserted  God  is  "  a  shameful  thing;"  in 
 itself  a  degraded  object,  in  its  rites  and 
 orgies  loathsome,  and  certain  to  cover 
 with  shame  those  who  worship  and  trust 
 in  it.  With  the  one  true  God  alienated, 
 and  all  false  gods,  however  numerous 
 (ver.  13),  proved  to  be  worthless  and 
 impotent,  none  to  "hearken"  or  "save" 
 though  they  "  cry  " — how  desolate  the 
 outlook  of  the  impious  when  the  day  of 
 sore  trouble  and  dismay  arrives  !  "  Seek 
 the  Lord,  seek  righteousness,  seek  meek- 
 ness ;  it  may  be  ye  shall  be  hid  in  the 
 day  of  the  Lord's  anger." 
 
 Ver.  14.  Theme:  The  prayer  op 
 mediation  silenced  by  God. 
 
 For   there   is   a   climax   of  iniquity 
 237 
 
nOMILETIC  COMMENTARY :  JEREMIAH. 
 
 which  renders  pity  misplaced,  and 
 prayer  a  mockery ;  these  must  not 
 then  intervene.  (See  on  chap.  vii.  16.) 
 Praying  men  are  arrested  in  their  very 
 prayers  by  the  dreadful  fact  that  the 
 guilty  scorn  to  pray  for  themselves  until 
 doom  is  upon  them. 
 
 I.  A  bound  is  liere  set  to  prayer; 
 because  there  is  a  bound  to  possibility. 
 
 II.  A  warning  is  here  given  to  the 
 prayerless  :  they  must  not  reckon  on 
 the  successful  prayers  of  others  for  them 
 so  long  as  they  refuse  to  pray  for  them- 
 selves. 
 
 III.  A  correction  is  here  suggested 
 to  the  prayerful :  when  God's  purposes 
 are  evidently  fixed,  do  not  attempt  to 
 interpose;  nor,  when  you  have  prayed 
 unwisely,  and  He  therefore  does  not 
 answer,  conclude  that  He  is  not  the 
 Hearer  of  prayer.  There  is  a  time  for 
 solemn  silence  and  submission.  (See 
 on  chap.  vii.  16.) 
 
 Ver.  15.  Theme:  The  unwelcome 
 SACRIFICE.     (Addenda  on  verse.) 
 
 I.  Offered  by  one  whom  God  held 
 dear  :  "  my  beloved."  For  God  tenderly 
 cherishes  even  His  sinning  people. 
 
 II.  Presented  amid  solemn  sur- 
 roundings :  "  in  Mine  house."  The 
 scene  was  good,  where  God  was  ready 
 to  meet  the  worshipper,  and  where 
 sacrifices  were  pleasant  to  Him. 
 
 III.  Itself  a  proper  and  approved 
 offering  to  God  :  "  holy  flesh."  Beauti- 
 ful and  holy  things  God  desires  from  us. 
 
 IV.  Rendered  abhorrent  by  the  wor- 
 shipper's guilt  :  "  she  hath  wrought 
 lewdness ; "  and  *'  when  doing  evil, 
 exulted."  God  can  have  no  pleasure  in 
 pure  things  offered  with  deBled  hands. 
 "Wash  you,  make  you  clean,  put  away 
 the  evil  of  your  doings,"  &c.  (Isa,  i.  11- 
 16).     (See  Lit.  Crit.  on  verse.) 
 
 Ver.  16,  17.    Theme:  Destruction 
 
 OP  THE  FAIR  OLIVE-TREE. 
 
 A  favourite  and  frequent  figure  for 
 God's  ancient  people.  Observe:  1.  Hoio 
 carefully  Jehovah  cherishes  the  remem- 
 brance of  our  early  fidelity  and  spiritual 
 beauty  :  He  had  not  lost  the  vision  of 
 Judah's  former  piety.     2.  Hoio  clearly 
 
 God  delineates  the  mournful  difference; 
 fully  recognises  the  degeneracy  and  decay 
 of  that  early  goodliness.  He  is  watch- 
 ful over  our  careers,  and  notes  our  pre- 
 sent state  as  compared  or  contrasted 
 with  our  former  years. 
 
 I.  The  beautiful  tree  of  God's  fos- 
 tering. 
 
 1.  Its  fair  pro2Jortions  ivere  God's 
 oivn  work.  To  His  grace  Judah  owed 
 all  her  beauty.  "The  Lord  called  thy 
 name,  A  green  olive,"  &c.  (ver.  16), 
 i.e.,  He  made  her  what  she  was. 
 
 2.  Its  localisation  in  fruitf%tl  soil  tvas 
 an  act  of  Divine  planting.  "The  Lord 
 planted  thee"  (ver.  17).  Observe:  To 
 God's  grace,  which  made  us  what  we 
 are,  we  must  trace  all  our  spiritual  ad- 
 vantages :  He  hath  wrought  all  our 
 works  in  us. 
 
 II.  Goodly  fruit  grossly  misused. 
 All  that  this  fair  tree  yielded  was  carried 
 away  from  Him  who  planted  it,  and 
 offered  to  Baal  (ver.  17).  1.  He  who 
 planted  the  tree  should  gather  the  fruit ; 
 an  unnatural  alienation  of  human  Ufe. 
 2.  A  tree  whose  fruits  are  deteriorated 
 must  be  removed  :  evil  growths  must  not 
 remain  in  God's  fair  garden.  Wicked- 
 ness forfeits  privileges.  '^Pronounced  evil 
 against  thee,  for  the  evil  done"  (ver.  17). 
 
 III.  Destruction  by  fire  of  the  de- 
 generate tree. 
 
 1.  Calamity  threatened:  "The  Lord 
 hath  pronounced  evil."  2.  Complete  de- 
 vastation effected:  "with  the  noise  of  a 
 great  tumult,"  &c.  (ver.  16),  i.e.,  by  the 
 fury  of  a  thunderstorm  and  the  fiery  light- 
 ning, by  which  "  fire  is  kindled  upon  it, 
 and  the  branches  are  broken." 
 
 Ver.  17.  Theme:  The  sinner's  sin 
 HURTS  HIMSELF.  Text:  '' The  cvil  which 
 they  have  done  against  themselves.^' 
 
 i.  Intentionally  against  God:  "To 
 provoke  Me  to  anger." 
 
 ii.  Practically  to  their  own  injury. 
 Guilt  rebound,  returns  upon  the  guilty. 
 (See  Outlines  on  chap.  vii.  19.) 
 
 Ver.  18-23.  Theme:  Persecution 
 OF  God's  prophet.  (See  Homily  on 
 section,  supra.  Addenda  on  ver.  19, 
 "  Murderers  in  ambush.") 
 
 i.  /Secret  counsels  revealed  by  Jehovah 
 
HOMILETIC  COMMENTARY :  JEREMIAH. 
 
 CHAP.  n. 
 
 (ver.  19).  The  general  "conspiracy" 
 (see  ver.  9)  of  the  nation  against  Je- 
 hovah was  accompanied  by  a  family 
 conspiracy  against  Jeremiah,  his  own 
 brethren  being  determined  to  take  his 
 life.  This  cruel  plot  was  revealed  to 
 His  unsuspecting  servant  by  God  Him- 
 self. 
 
 "Although  the  human  heart  cannot 
 be  fathomed  (chap.  xvii.  9),  yet  no- 
 thing can  be  hidden  from  God,  and  He 
 frequently  reveals  hidden  counsels,  so 
 that  they  are  known  and  manifest,  as  in 
 the  case  of  Absalom  and  Ahithophel 
 (Isa.  viii.  10).  Therefore  do  nothing 
 in  secret,  in  the  hope  that  it  will  remain 
 hidden,  for  the  birds  of  the  heaven  carry 
 the  voice,  and  the  winged  repeat  it. 
 (Eccles.  X.  20)." — Cramer. 
 
 ii.  Cruel  treachery  against  a  harmless 
 prophet  (ver.  19).  It  was  not  that  Jere- 
 miah wronged  them,  but  the  truth 
 troubled  them.  Criminals  are  wroth 
 against  their  captors.  So  Ahab  against 
 Elijah  (1  Kings  xviii).  Note :  how 
 defenceless  the  godly  leave  themselves : 
 *'  as  a  lamb,"  with  no  protection  against 
 guile  or  malevolence ;  even  as  Christ 
 Himself:  "As  a  Lamb  before  His 
 shearers."  God  keeps  His  own  while 
 they  serve  His  will.  Mark,  also,  how 
 typical  was  Jeremiah's  case :  "  like  a 
 lamb  brought  to  the  slaughter;"  not 
 violent,  as  angry  men  are  wont  to  be, 
 but  gentle  and  submissive,  free  from 
 vindictiveness ;  and  also  fulfilling  his 
 work  at  the  peril  (in  Christ's  case,  at 
 the  expense)  of  his  life. 
 
 "  Let  us  destroy  the  tree  ivith  the 
 fruit; "  that  is,  the  man,  who  is  the 
 tree,  and  his  teaching,  which  is  the 
 fruit ;  thus  ridding  ourselves  at  once  of 
 both  causes  of  disturbance,  the  living  pre- 
 sence of  this  witness  against  our  sins, 
 and  his  incisive  words  of  condemnation 
 and  reproach. 
 
 "  Let  ics  cut  him  of  from  the  land  of 
 the  living."  Wordsworth  remarks,  "  So 
 of  Christ  it  is  said  by  Isaiah  (liii.  8). 
 All  that  happened  to  the  prophet  Jere- 
 miah, who  was  specially  the  suffering 
 prophet,  was  a  foreshadowing  of  what 
 would  happen  to  the  Great  Prophet  of 
 whom  Moses  spoke,  '  the  Man  of  Sor- 
 rows;' and    we  read  these   narratives 
 
 concerning  Jeremiah  with  comparatively 
 little  advantage  unless  we  see  here  a 
 prophetic  adumbration  of  Christ." 
 Jerome  says,  "  Almost  all  things  that 
 the  prophets  did  and  suffered  were  figu- 
 rative of  Christ ;  and  whatever  was  ful- 
 filled in  Jeremiah  was  a  prophecy  con- 
 cerning the  Lord  Himself. 
 
 iii.  Vengeance  imprecated  on  foes  (ver. 
 20).  This  wish  for  vengeance  was  not 
 personal,  but  ministerial ;  not  because  of 
 wrong  done  him,  but  because  they  were 
 the  determined  and  unscrupulous  adver- 
 saries of  God  and  His  word.  The  note- 
 able  difference  between  this  appeal  to 
 God  against  His  foes  and  Christ's 
 prayer  for  those  who  crucified  Him, 
 "  Father,  forgive  them,"  and  Stephen's 
 "  Lord,  lay  not  this  sin  to  their  charge," 
 marks  the  wide  distinction  between  the 
 old  and  new  covenants ;  the  former  was 
 grounded  on  righteousness,  the  latter  on 
 love.  Zinzendorf  remarks,  "  The  first 
 New  Testament  vengeance  was  executed 
 on  the  Cross,  when  an  evil-doer,  who 
 had  mocked  at  Jesus,  cringed  on  the  cross 
 and  asked  for  a  gracious  remembrance." 
 Wordsworth:  "Jeremiah,  the  human 
 type,  fails  in  some  things  where  Christ, 
 the  Divine  Antitype,  excels." 
 
 "  Unto  Thee  have  L  revealed  my 
 cause."  A  teacher  is  advised  to  say 
 this  if  he  can,  "  I  have  ceased  to  con- 
 cern myself  about  myself."  Luther 
 says  : — 
 
 "  Once  I  grasped  too  many  things  ;— 
 None  stayed  ;  they  all  had  wings. 
 But  since  I've  weary  grown, 
 And  all  away  have  thrown, 
 Not  one  from  me  has  flown. 
 And  do  you  ask,  How  can  it  be  thus? 
 Because  I've  cast  my  all  on  Jesus." 
 
 Messengers  and  servants  who  concern 
 themselves  about  their  own  injuries 
 must  have  bad  masters. — Zinzendorf. 
 
 iv.  The  implacable  malice  of  familiars 
 (ver.  21).  "Where  shall  a  man  find 
 worse  friends  than  at  home  ?  A  prophet 
 is  nowhere  so  little  set  by  as  in  his  own 
 country  (Matt.  xiii.  57)."  —  Trap-p. 
 None  were  so  bitter  to  Christ  as  His 
 fellow-townsmen  (Luke  iv.  24-29). 
 "That  which  the  people  of  Anathoth 
 say  here  to  Jeremiah,  the  people  of  this 
 world  say  everywhere  and  at  all  times 
 
 239 
 
CHAP.  XI.  BOMILETW  COMMEXTART:  JEREMIAR. 
 
 to  the  preachers  of  the  truth,     (Comp.  their  crime.     God  says,  /  ivill  punish 
 
 2  Tim.  iv.  3,  4.)     It  is  important,  then,  them;  let  Me  alone  to  deal  with  them, 
 
 to  preach  the  word ;  to  be  instant  in  I  tvill   visit   this   upon   them  :    so  the 
 
 season  and  out  of  season  ;  to  reprove,  word  is :  will  inquire  into  it  and  reckon 
 
 rebuke,   exhort,  with  all  long-suffering  for    it.  .  .  .  They    sought    Jeremiah's 
 
 and  doctrine." — Naeg.  in  Lange.     "It  life,   therefore    they    shall   die.     They 
 
 appears  from  this  passage  that  the  holy  would  destroy  him,  that  his  name  he  no 
 
 man  had  not  only  to  contend  with  the  more  remembered  ;  therefore  shall  there 
 
 king  and  his  courtiers,  and  the  priests  be  no  remnant  of  them.     And  herein  the 
 
 who  were  at  Jerusalem,  but  that  when  Lord  is  righteous."     Cramer :  "  When 
 
 he  betook  himself  to  a  corner  to  live  the  people  will  not  endure  the  rod  of 
 
 quietly  with  his  own  people,  he  had  even  Christ's  mouth,  with  which  He  smites 
 
 there  no  friend,  but  that  all  persecuted  the  earth  (Isa.   xi.   4),   item,  His  rods 
 
 him  as  an  enemy." — Calvin.  Beauty  and  Bands  (Zech.  xi.   7),  God 
 
 v.  God's  visitation  on  His  people  s  foes  sends  one  with  the  sword  to  preach,  and 
 
 (ver.  22,  23).     Henry  comments  thus  :  then  we  see  what  the  smooth  preachers 
 
 "The  sentence  passed  upon  them  for  have  effected  (Isa.  xxx.  10)." 
 
 NOTICEABLE  TOPICS  IN  CHAPTER  XI. 
 
 Topic:  Josiah's  Discovery  of  the  Law.  Text:  " Hear  ye  the  words  of  this 
 
 covenant"  (ver.  2). 
 
 Josiah,  the  last  sovereign  of  David's  house  (for  his  sons  had  not  independent 
 rule),  showed  the  zeal  and  prompt  obedience  of  the  son  of  Jesse.  Character: 
 "heart  was  tender"  (2  Kings  xxii.  19).  Discovery  of  Moses's  law  the  great  event 
 of  his  reign.  1.  It  shows  that  the  Holy  Scriptiire  had  for  a  long  time  been 
 neglected,  and  was  practically  lost.  This  Book  of  the  Law  was  the  five  "  books  of 
 Moses,"  containing  the  original  covenant  between  God  and  His  people.  Moses  had 
 enforced  the  domestic  study  of  these  Scriptures  (Deut.  xi.  18-20),  enjoined  upon 
 each  king  that  they  be  constantly  read  and  recited  (xvii.  19,  20),  ordered  that  at 
 feast  of  tabernacles  they  be  publicly  read  to  the  whole  nation  (xxxi.  7-13).  2.  The 
 loss  of  the  book  and  this  negligence  of  God's  word  resulted  from  the  diversities 
 and  depths  of  national  apostasy.  The  nation  did  not  want  to  hear  the  law  which 
 testified  against  their  multiplied  transgressions,  nor  to  listen  to  a  condemnation  of 
 the  idols  they  had  chosen.  Nor  would  the  kings  copy  out  the  law  for  themselves 
 when  finding  that  it  was  against  the  will  of  God  that  the  nation  should  have 
 a  king. 
 
 I.  Josiah's  evil  parentage  explains  his  total  ignorance  of  the  law. 
 
 1.  His  parental  alienation  from  God  and  His  word.  The  last  good  king  before 
 him  was  Hezekiah,  who  had  been  dead  sixty  or  seventy  years.  His  son  Manasseh, 
 who  succeeded  him,  was  the  most  profane  of  all  the  line  of  David ;  he  it  was  who 
 committed  the  inexpiable  sins  which  sealed  the  sentence  of  Judah's  destruction. 
 He  had  set  up  idols  in  the  temple,  made  his  sons  pass  through  the  fire,  dealt  with 
 spirits  and  wizards,  shed  much  innocent  blood  in  Jerusalem,  done  wickedly  above 
 all  before  him.  On  his  return  from  Babylonian  captivity,  Manasseh  attempted 
 reformation,  but  found  it  easier  to  seduce  than  to  reclaim  the  people  (2  Chron. 
 xxxiii.  15-25).  Amon,  who  succeeded  him,  followed  during  his  short  reign  the 
 first  ways  of  his  father,  and  "  trespassed  more  and  more,"  till  slain  by  his  subjects. 
 Josiah  was  the  son  of  this  wicked  king. 
 
 2.  His  01071  irreligious  education.  Brought  up  among  very  wicked  men,  in  a 
 corrupt  court,  after  an  apostasy  of  more  than  half  a  century,  far  from  God's  pro- 
 phets, in  the  midst  of  idols. 
 
 II.  Religion  is  not  determined  wholly  by  outward  circumstances.     Like 
 Manasseh,  Josiah  came  to  the  throne  in  his  boyhood.     But  Manasseh  was  the  son 
 of  pious  Hezekiah ;  Josiah,  the  son  of  wicked  Amon.     Thus  religious  life  is  not 
 240 
 
no  M I  LET  I C  COMMENTARY:  JEREMIAH. 
 
 dependent  on  parentage,  but,  under   God,  who  gives  grace,  on  the  state  of  the 
 heart. 
 
 1.  His  early  life  of  piety.  Boyhood  is  not  revealed  to  us,  except  that  he  came 
 to  the  throne  when  only  eight.  But  scarcely  was  he  old  enough  to  think  for  him- 
 self and  profess  himself  a  servant  of  the  true  God,  ere  he  chose  that  good  part 
 which  could  not  be  taken  from  him.  When  but  sixteen  he  began  to  seek  after 
 the  God  of  David  his  father  (2  Chron.  xxxiv.  3).  Blessed  they  who  so  seek,  for 
 they  shall  find. 
 
 2.  His  disadvaiitages.  He  had  not  the  aid  of  the  revealed  volume ;  was 
 surrounded  by  diversities  of  idol-worship,  sophistries  of  unbelief,  seductions  of 
 sinful  pleasure.  Every  temptation  to  go  wrong.  Had  he  gone  into  a  life  of  sin, 
 we  might  have  made  allowance  ;  not  so  bad  as  other  kings,  for  he  had  not  sinned 
 against  light,  as  they  had  done.  Yet  he  had  enough  light  to  show  him  how  to  go 
 right ;  if,  therefore,  he  had  gone  wrong,  he  would  have  sinned  against  ivhat  light 
 he  had;  not  light  so  clear  as  Solomon  or  Joash  had,  yet  still  against  his  better 
 knowledge. 
 
 III.  Every  one  has  knowledge  enough  to  be  religious.  Even  the  most  un- 
 favoured, poorest,  and  most  ignorant.  Education  does  not  make  a  man  religious  ; 
 nor  is  it  an  excuse  for  irreligion  that  he  has  not  been  educated  to  his  duty.  It 
 only  makes  him  less  guilty  than  those  taught ;  but  still  he  is  guilty, 
 
 1.  Scarcely  any  one  in  a  Christian  land  can  he  in  more  disadvantageous  circum- 
 stances than  Josiah  ;  nay,  scarcely  in  a  heathen  country ;  for  idolatry  was  around 
 him,  and  his  mind  was  unformed. 
 
 2.  But  he  had  that,  which  all  men  have,  a  natural  sense  of  right  and  wrong  ; 
 and  he  did  not  blunt  it.  He  heard  and  obeyed  a  constraining  Divine  voice. 
 Though  all  the  world  had  told  him  other,  he  would  not  believe  he  could  sin  without 
 offence  or  with  impunity. 
 
 3.  The  same  inward  sense  led  him  to  choose,  amid  all  the  various  worships 
 offered  to  his  acceptance,  the  true  one — the  worship  of  the  God  of  Israel  (Ps. 
 cxi.  10,  cxix.  100. 
 
 4.  His  religious  life  luas  spontaneous.  At  sixteen  he  began  to  seek  the  God  of 
 his  fathers  ;  at  twenty  commenced  his  reformation — began  of  himself.  Jeremiah 
 did  not  begin  to  prophecy  till  after  Josiah  commenced  his  work.  So  that  the  king 
 set  about  his  pious  task  unaided  by  others. 
 
 IV.  Thus  following  the  biddings  of  his  natural  conscience,  God  gave  him 
 clear  light.  He  set  out  in  his  work  of  reformation  not  knowing  whither  he  went. 
 But  it  is  a  rule  of  God's  providence,  that  those  who  act  up  to  their  light  shall  have 
 clearer.  "To  him  that  hath  shall  be  given."  While  engaged  in  his  work  of 
 restoring  the  temple,  the  Book  of  the  Law  was  found. 
 
 1.  His  character  here  reveals  itself  in  his  conduct.  Not  inflated;  as  some  who, 
 though  beginning  humbly,  become  self-confident  and  proud.  He  still  had  "  a 
 heart  tender,  and  humbled  himself  before  God."  Felt  his  own  blindness  and 
 weakness,  and  earnestly  sought  to  know  his  duty  better  and  practise  it  more 
 entirely.  "Kent  his  clothes"  (2  Kings  xxii.  11),  for  he  saw  how  incomplete  his 
 reformation  had  been,  how  far  more  guilty  the  nation  was  than  he  had  supposed, 
 and  the  fearful  punishments  overhanging  them  (Deut.  xxx.  15,  19,  xi.  26-28). 
 And  there  had  been  in  part  a  fulfilment  of  those  threats.  Samaria,  the  ten 
 revolting  tribes,  Israel,  had  been  carried  away.  Though  he  knew  their  sins  had 
 wrought  this,  yet  here  he  finds  it  threatened  beforehand,  and  discovered  that  the 
 same  punishment  awaited  his  own  people  should  they  persist  in  sin. 
 
 2.  He  sought  guidance  of  a  Divine  teacher.  Sent  to  Huldah  for  counsel  (2 
 Chron.  xxxiv.  21,  &c.). 
 
 v.  His  zealous  and  solicitous  course  of  action  in  consequence  of  the  Divine 
 message.     Assembled  all  Judah  at  Jerusalem,  publicly  read  the  Book  of  Law,  then 
 made  all  the  people  renew  the  covenant  with  the  God  of  their  fathers.    Then,  more 
 Q  '  241 
 
HOMILETIC  COMMENTARY :  JEREMIAH. 
 
 exactly  following  the  directions  of  the  Lord,  he  carried  on  further  reformations, 
 and  after  that  celebrated  the  Passover. 
 
 1.  Greater  hioivledge  luas  folloived  by  stricter  obedience  (2  Kings  xxiii.  22). 
 
 2.  What  he  did  he  did  with  all  his  might  (ibid.  ver.  25). 
 Conclusion : 
 
 (a.)  Observance  of  God's  ivill,  however  tve  learn  it,  ensures  God^s  favour.  Learning 
 it  from  His  Word  in  Scripture,  as  Christians  do,  or  from  His  Word  in  our  con- 
 sciences, as  the  heathen  do  ;  it  is  by  following  it,  in  spite  of  seductions  of  the  world 
 around  us,  that  we  please  God  (Acts  x.  25). 
 
 (6.)  If  such  is  God's  mercy  on  all  men  who  seek  Him,  ivhat  will  be  Sis  grace  to 
 Christians  ?  Far  greater  and  more  wonderful.  Elected  out  of  the  world  in  Jesus 
 Christ  our  Saviour  to  a  glory  incomprehensible  and  eternal. — Abridged  and 
 arranged  from  "Plain  Sermons,"  by  authors  of  "  Tracts  for  the  Times." 
 
 Topic :    Sins   of  Omission.     Text :  "  Yet  they  obeyed  not,  nor  inclined  their  ear  " 
 
 (ver.  8). 
 
 God  commisioned  Jeremiah  to  bring  solemn  accusation  against  Judah  ;  he  gives 
 the  first  place  to  their  shortcomings  in  positive  service,  reminds  them  of  what  they 
 had  not  done,  but  ought  to  have  done — constantly  and  persistently  refused  active 
 obedience  to  the  righteous  will  of  the  Most  High. 
 
 1.  The  great  commonness  of  sins  of  omission :  in  the  world,  in  our  circle  of 
 society,  in  our  otvn  hearts. 
 
 L  In  a  certain  sense  all  offences  against  the  law  of  God  come  under  the  head  of 
 sins  of  omission.  Every  sin  is  a  breach  of  the  aH-comprehensive  law,  "  Thou  shalt 
 love  the  Lord  thy  God  with  all  thy  heart,  and  thy  neighbour  as  thyself."  How 
 multitudinous  our  omissions  in  respect  to  this  command  of  Christ !  Too  often  we 
 have  had  other  gods  beside  Him.  He  deserved,  having  bought  us  with  the  blood 
 of  His  dear  Son,  to  be  served  with  all-consuming  earnestness.  He  rightly  claims 
 our  best  thoughts  and  utmost  love  ;  yet  "  unprofitable  servants."  So  too  in  regard 
 to  our  "  neighbour."  What  sins  of  omission  daily  occur  in  our  various  relation- 
 ships—our neighbours,  our  children,  our  household. 
 
 2.  Sins  of  omission  are  seen  in  all  who  neglect  to  perform,  the  first  and  all-essential 
 Gospel  command:  "  Repent  and  be  converted;"  "  Repent  and  be  baptised ;"  "  Believe 
 on  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ."  Yet,  though  urged  to  repentance  and  to  faith  in  Christ, 
 sin  is  not  sorrowed  for,  faith  in  Christ  not  exercised.  This  true  of  dense  masses 
 everywhere,  and  of  many  in  God's  house  who  hear  but  not  obey, 
 
 3.  Sins  of  omission  in  religious  duties.  Multitudes  neglect  the  outward  worship 
 of  God.  But  others  show  religious  regard  ;  yet  what  omissions  as  to  p>rayer  ;  how 
 lax  in  devotion  are  the  most  of  us  !  As  to  the  Bible  :  left  unread  !  As  to  service  : 
 talents  wrapped  up  in  napkin  !  Our  omissions  lie  upon  the  horizon  of  memory 
 like  masses  of  storm-clouds  accumulating  for  a  horrible  tempest. 
 
 II.  The  cause  of  this  excessive  multiplicity  of  sins  of  omission. 
 
 1.  The  great  cause  lies  in  our  evil  hearts.  Absence  of  clean  heart  and  right 
 spirit  is  at  the  root :  "  Ye  must  be  born  again." 
 
 2.  The  conscience  of  man  is  not  ivell  alive  to  sins  of  omission.  While  conscience 
 will  chastise  men  for  direct  acts  of  wrong,  not  awake  to  sins  of  neglect. 
 
 3.  These  sins  are  multiplied  through  indolence.  Men  sleep  on,  awake  not  to 
 righteousness  and  the  service  of  God.  In  the  face  of  eternity,  life,  death,  heaven, 
 and  hell,  multitudes  are  simply  ruined  because  they  neglect  the  great  salvation,  and 
 are  absolutely  too  idle  to  concern  themselves. 
 
 4.  Ignorance.  With  many  ignorance  is  wilful ;  have  Bible,  conscience ;  yet 
 sin  against  light  and  knowledge. 
 
 5.  Men  excuse  themselves  so  readily  about  these  sins  of  omission.  A  more  con- 
 venient season  is  anticipated  for  repentance,  faith,  prayer.  This  postponement  of 
 service  is  the  perpetuation  of  rebellion. 
 
 242 
 
EOMILETIC  COMMENTARY:  JEREMIAH. 
 
 6.  Many  neglect  because  of  the  pi^evalence  of  the  like  conduct.  To  omit  to  love 
 and  serve  the  Lord  is  the  custom.  But  enlightened  conscience  warns  us  that 
 custom  is  no  excuse  for  sin  :  it  will  be  no  plea  at  the  bar  of  God. 
 
 III.  Tlie  sinfulness  of  sins  of  omission.     They  cannot  be  trivial,  for 
 
 1.  Consider  what  would  be  the  consequences  if  God  were  to  omit  His  mercies  to 
 us  for  one  moment  !  Suppose  He  should  omit  to  supply  breath  or  life  for  one 
 minute,  or  omit  to  restrain  the  axe  of  judgment  for  an  hour  !  Suppose  for  a  day 
 He  should  omit  His  natural  blessings  to  the  world  ;  the  sun  would  forbear  to  shine, 
 life  would  forget  to  be,  world  perish.  Suppose  Jesus  had  left  an  omission  in  His  plan 
 of  salvation ;  the  whole  would  have  failed,  and  humanity  left  without  remedy  or  hope. 
 
 2.  Reflect  what  an  influence  they  tvould  have  tipon  an  ordinary  commo7iiuealth. 
 If  one  person  has  a  right  to  omit  his  duty,  another  has,  and  all  have — watchman, 
 judge,  merchant,  husbandman ;  society  soon  collapse,  kingdom  break  to  pieces. 
 
 3.  Think  how  you  would  judge  of  omissions  toiuards  yourselves.  In  the  case  of 
 your  servant,  you  instantly  resent  it.  So  in  a  soldier.  Even  in  your  child  :  to 
 neglect  your  command  is  regarded  as  equally  criminal  as  to  commit  offence.  Per- 
 haps you  have  given  God  all  except  loving  Him ;  outward  worship  and  profession, 
 but  not  love.  Consider  this  to  be  the  case  in  your  home,  in  your  wife  :  omission  of 
 love  is  a  fatal  lack,  and  so  i?  your  love  of  God. 
 
 4.  Consider  what  God  thinks  of  omissions.  Saul  was  ordered  to  kill  the  Amale- 
 kites — not  one  to  escape :  he  saved  Agag  and  best  of  the  cattle ;  therefore  the 
 Lord  said,  "  I  have  put  thee  away  from  being  king  over  Israel !  "  Ahab  was  com- 
 manded to  kill  Benhadad  on  account  of  great  criminality  :  Ahab  only  captured  him  ; 
 therefore,  "  Because  thou  hast  let  this  man  go,  thy  life  shall  be  for  his  life  ! "  Our 
 Lord  cursed  the  fig-tree  because  no  fruit !  The  man  with  one  talent  was  condemned 
 because  he  neglected  to  use  it.  The  Holy  Spirit  convinces  of  sins  of  omission, — 
 "  of  sin,  because  they  believe  not  on  Me." 
 
 IV.  The  result  and  punishment  of  sins  of  omission. 
 
 1.  They  will  condemn  tis.  "  The  king  shall  say,  I  was  hungered  and  ye  gave  me 
 no  meat,"  &c.  The  absence  of  virtue  rather  than  the  presence  of  vice  condemned 
 them.  "  Without  holiness  no  man  shall  see  the  Lord."  Though  we  know  nothing 
 of  salvation  by  works,  yet  the  Baptist's  words  echo  loud,  "  Now  also  the  axe  is 
 laid  unto  the  root  of  the  trees  ;  therefore,  every  tree  which  bringeth  not  forth  good 
 fruit  is  hewn  down  and  cast  into  the  fire." 
 
 2.  If  persevered  in,  they  will  effectiLally  shut  against  tis  the  possibilities  of  pardon. 
 *' He  that  believeth  7iot" — is  there  pardon,  rescue  for  him?  No;  he  "is  con- 
 demned already,  because  he  hath  not  believed  on  the  Son  of  God."  Will  the 
 mercy  of  God  blot  out  sins  unrepented  of  1  Nay ;  sins  will  cling  to  us  as  the 
 leprosy  to  the  house  of  Gehazi.  In  the  marriage  feast  in  Gospel,  many  would  not 
 come,  and  they  perished  because  they  would  not  come ;  and  one  came  but  "  had 
 not  on  the  wedding-garment,"  and  because  of  that  omission,  "  Bind  him  hand  and 
 foot,  and  deliver  him  to  the  tormentors."  So  if  you  have  not — mark  that  point — 
 put  on  the  righteousness  of  Christ  by  a  living  faith  in  Him,  salvation  wiU  be 
 forfeit  for  ever. —  C.  S.  Spurgeon. 
 
 ADDENDA  TO  CHAPTER  XI.    ILLUSTRATIONS  AND  SUGGESTIVE  EXTRACTS. 
 
 Ver.  2.  The  lost  book  of  the  cove-  entire  harmony.     Suddenly,  under  the 
 
 nant  found.     "  The  Temple  during  the  accumulated   rubbish   or    ruins  of   the 
 
 previous  reign  had  fallen  into  a  state  of  Temple   (as  it  would  seem),  the  High 
 
 neglect,  such   that,  as   in    the  time  of  Priest  discovered  a  roll  containing  the 
 
 Joash,  a  complete  restoration  had  become  '  Book  of  the  Law.' 
 necessary.     On  this  occasion,  however,  Whatever  may  have  been  the  exact 
 
 the   king  and  the  priesthood  acted  in  nature   of  this   document,  two   points, 
 
 213 
 
CHAP.  XI. 
 
 HOMILETIC  COMMENTARY :  JEREMIAH. 
 
 and  two  alone,  are  clear.  First,  it  was 
 as  complete  a  surprise  as  if  the  book 
 had  never  been  known  before.  During 
 the  troubles  of  the  reign  of  Manasseh 
 there  is  no  proof  of  its  destruction, 
 while  during  the  previous  reigns  there 
 is  no  proof  of  its  existence.  David, 
 Solomon,  Asa,  and  Jehoshaphat  had 
 lived  in  constant,  and  apparently  uncon- 
 scious, violation  of  the  ordinances  which 
 came  home  with  such  force  to  Josiah. 
 It  is  possible  that  the  book  may  have 
 now  been  first  composed.  It  is  possible 
 that  it  may  have  been  a  mere  redis- 
 covery. .  .  .  But,  in  either  case,  this 
 sudden  appearance  of  the  law  amounted 
 almost  to  a  new  revelation. 
 
 "  Secondly,  whatever  other  portions  of 
 the  Pentateuch  may  have  been  included 
 in  the  roll,  there  can  be  little  doubt 
 that  the  remarkable  work  to  which  the 
 Greek  translators  gave  the  name  of  '  the 
 Second  Law  '(Deuteronomy)occupied  the 
 chief  place." — Stanley's  ^^JetvishChurch" 
 
 Ver.  4.  The  covenant  an  alliance 
 of  love.  "  So  shall  ye  be  My  people," 
 cfec.  "Now,  for  the  first  time,  the  love 
 of  God,  as  the  chief  ground  of  His 
 dealings  with  His  people — the  love  to- 
 wards God  as  the  ground  of  their  service 
 to  Him — the  spiritual  character  and  free 
 choice  of  that  service  (Deut.  vi.  4-9, 
 vii.  6-11,  &c.),  were  urged  on  the 
 nation  with  all  the  force  of  Divine  and 
 human  authority." — Stanley,  ibid. 
 
 Ver.  6.  Jehovah's  message  widely 
 published.    "  Proclaim  all  these  words." 
 
 "  I  say  to  thee,  Do  thou  repeat 
 To  the  first  man  thou  mayest  meet, 
 In  lane,  highway,  or  open  street. 
 
 That  he  and  we  and  all  men  move 
 
 Under  a  canopy  of  love, 
 
 As  broad  as  the  blue  sky  above. 
 
 And  ere  thou  leave  him,  say  thou  this 
 Yet  one  word  more  :  They  only  miss 
 The  winning  of  that  final  bliss 
 Who  will  not  count  it  true  that  Love, 
 Blessing,  not  cursing,  rules  above, 
 And  that  in  it  we  live  and  move. 
 
 And  one  thing  further  make  him  know  : 
 That,  to  believe  these  things  are  so, 
 This  firm  faith  never  to  forego, 
 
 Despite  of  all  that  seems  at  strife 
 With  blessing — all  with  curses  rife ; — 
 That  this  is  blessing,  this  is  life." 
 
 R.  C.  Tkench. 
 244 
 
 Ver.  7.  "  Rising  earhj  and  protest- 
 ing ; "  as  Plutarch  reporteth  of  the  Per- 
 sian kings,  that  they  had  an  officer  to 
 call  them  up  betimes,  and  to  mind  them 
 of  their  business. — Trapp.  Yet  God 
 rose  unsolicited,  so  eager  and  earnest  was 
 He  on  His  people's  behalf, 
 
 Ver.  9.  Conspiracy  against  God. 
 Did  you  ever,  on  a  hot  afternoon,  witness 
 the  contest  of  innumerable  worms  over 
 a  carrion  carcass  1  Did  you  ever  notice 
 the  greediness,  selfishness,  and  quarrel- 
 someness displayed  by  the  actors  in  a 
 scene  like  that  1  And  yet  such  a  contest 
 is  decent  compared  with  the  gigantic 
 contest  that  has  been  carried  on  for 
 thousands  of  years  by  the  vermicular 
 human  race ;  and  God  has  looked  upon 
 it,  pondered  over  it,  and  carried  it  in 
 His  heart ;  and  all  this  time  He  has  not 
 ceased  to  pour  out  upon  the  world,  in 
 rich  abundance,  the  blessings  of  His 
 never-failing  love. — Beecher. 
 
 Ver.  15.  The  unwelcome  sacrifice. 
 He  that  ofl'ers  in  sacrifice,  0  Pamphilus  ! 
 a  multitude  of  bulls  and  of  goats,  of 
 golden  vestments  or  purple  garments,  of 
 figures  of  ivory  or  precious  gems,  and 
 imagines  by  this  to  conciliate  the  favour 
 of  God,  is  grossly  mistaken,  and  has  no 
 solid  understanding  ;  for  he  that  would 
 sacrifice  with  success  ought  to  be  chaste 
 and  charitable,  no  corrupter  of  virgins, 
 no  adulterer,  no  robber  or  murderer  for 
 the  sake  of  lucre.  God,  who  is  near 
 thee,  perpetually  beholds  thy  actions. — 
 From  the  Greek. 
 
 Ver.  19.  Murderers  in  ambush. 
 Between  the  priesthood  and  the  prophets 
 there  had  hitherto  been  more  or  less  of  a 
 conflict ;  but  now  that  conflict  was  ex- 
 changed for  a  fatal  union.  "  A  wonder- 
 ful and  horrible  thing  was  committed 
 in  the  land  :  the  prophets  prophesied 
 falsely,  and  the  priests  bore  rule  by  their 
 means ;"  and  he  (Jeremiah)  who  by  each 
 of  his  callings  [Stanley  regards  Jere- 
 miah as  having  been  a  priest  before  he 
 was  called  to  become  a  prophet]  was 
 naturally  led  to  sympathise  with  both, 
 was  the  doomed  antagonist  of  both — 
 victim  of  one  of  the  strongest  passions, 
 the  hatred  of  priests  against  a  priest 
 who  attacks  his  own  order, — the  hatred 
 of  prophets  against  a  prophet  who  ven- 
 
HOMILETIC  COMMENTARY :  JEREMIAH.  chap.  xtr. 
 
 tures  to  Lave  a  voice  and  a  will  of  his  sacred  liistory  [was  the  saying  literally 
 
 own.     His  own  village  of  Anathoth,  oc-  fulfilled,  "  A  prophet  hath  no  honour  in 
 
 cupied  by  members  of  the  sacred  tribe,  his   own   birthplace "   (^Evrf    aiiroZ  •jo.- 
 
 was    for  him   a   nest    of    conspirators  75/^/,  Luke  iv.  24). — Stanley, 
 against  his  life.      Of  him  first   in  the 
 
 CHAPTER  XII. 
 
 Critical  and  Exegetical  Notes. — 1.  Chronology  of  the  chapter.  See  on  chap,  xi., 
 Bleek's  theory  ;  for  which  there  13  a  weight  of  argument.  All  commentators  agree  to  connect 
 vers.  1-6  with  the  conclusion  of  the  previous  chapter.  The  following  vers.  7-17,  fall  into 
 two  strophes,  7-13,  and  14-17.  Hitzig  and  Graf  regard  vers.  7-13  as  a  lament  over  Judali's 
 devastation  consequent  upon  Jehoiakim's  defection  from  Nebuchadnezzar  in  the  eighth  year 
 of  his  reign.  And  Eichhorn,  Dahler,  and  others  hold  section  14-17  to  be  a  distinct  oracle, 
 belonging  to  the  time  of  Zedekiah,  or  to  the  seventh  or  eighth  year  of  Jehoiakim  (c/. 
 Keil).  The  "evil  neighbours"  mentioned  in  ver.  14  are  taken  by  many  to  be  hordes  of 
 Syrians,  Moabites,  Ammonites,  Idumeans,  and  Philistines,  by  which  the  land  was  overrun, 
 and  who,  in  their  alliance  to  Chaldean  supremacy,  undertook  a  war  of  spoliation  against 
 insurgent  Judah  in  eighth  year  of  Jehoiakim.  Dr.  Payne  Smith  and  Keil  preserve  the  chrono- 
 logical unity  of  the  entire  chapter,  and  contend  that  ver.  7-17  contain  Jehovah's  answer  to 
 Jeremiah's  complaint,  1-6,  2.  Coteniiwrary  Scriptures.  3.  National  Affairs.  4.  Cotemporary 
 History  :  as  in  notes  on  chap.  xi.     See  above,  on  "evil  neighbours." 
 
 5.  Geographical  References. — Ver.  5.  '^Sivelling  of  Jordan:"  lit.  the  pride  of  Jordan. 
 Ewald,  Umbreit,  and  A.  V.  interpret  it  as  the  rise  and  overflow  of  the  river  ;  but  Keil,  Payne 
 Smith,  and  Hend.  as  "the  luxuriant  thickets  along  its  banks."  The  river  did  overflow  its 
 lower  banks  in  April  and  May,  and  fill  the  Ghor  valley :  this  resulted  from  the  melting  of  the 
 winter's  snow  on  Hermon  and  Lebanon.  The  expression  is  not  inappropriate  to  such  an  in- 
 undation (c/.  Job  xxxviii.  11) ;  but,  as  nothing  is  known  of  dangerous  overflows  of  the 
 river,  the  comparison  of  the  text,  implying  serious  peril,  is  void  of  force  or  significance.  On 
 the  other  hand,  taking  the  reference  to  the  marshy  banks,  overgrown  with  shrubs,  trees,  and 
 reeds,  which  were  the  natural  haunts  of  lions,  the  comparison  is  most  striking.  Just  as  in  the 
 reedy  thickets  of  the  Euphrates  lions  hid  themselves,  so  in  the  rank  vegetation  which  abounded 
 on  the  banks  of  Jordan,  especially  between  the  Sea  of  Tiberias  and  the  Lake  Merom, 
 aflTording  shelter  for  wild  boars,  tigers,  bears,  and  lions.  Maundrell  says  the  banks  are  in  some 
 parts  so  wooded  that  the  traveller  cannot  see  the  river  at  all  until  he  has  fought  his  way 
 through  the  tangled  and  lofty  growths.  How  would  the  prophet  do  in  the  wooded  haunts  of 
 wild  beasts?  Ver.  14.  "Evil  neighbours:"  in  2  Kings  xxiv.  2,  are  mentioned  the  Syrians, 
 Moabites,  and  Ammonites;  and  in  Ps.  cxxxvii.  the  Edomites  also.  The  Idumeans  and 
 Philistines  likewise  joined  themselves  to  the  Chaldean  power;  and  all  these  nations,  being  in 
 the  vicinity  of  the  Jews,  made  use  of  their  opportunity  for  molesting  Judah. 
 
 6.  Natural  History.— Ver.  9.  ''  Spccllcd  Urd : "  i\i&  interpretation  of  ^^2"^  ]^'^^T\  is  dis- 
 puted. Gesenius  and  the  LXX.  render  it  liycena  ;  thus  "  a  ravenous  beast,  the  hysena."  But 
 ^''^  always  elsewhere  means  bird  of  prey  (c/.  Isa.  xlvi.  11,  xviii.  6,  &c.).  The  word  ^^2"^ 
 as  an  adjective  is  naturally  derived  from  ^2^,  to  tinge  or  dye.  By  this  parti-coloured  or 
 speckled  bird  is  probably  meant  a  vulture.  It  is  a  familiar  fact  in  natural  history  that  birds, 
 and  especially  birds  of  prey,  will  unite  in  attacking  an  intruder  whose  appearance  is  distinctive 
 and  peculiar.  But  birds  of  prey  are  not  known  thus  to  attack  hyanas.  Ver.  12.  "High 
 2-)laces  through  the  wilderness  "  (see  notes  on  chap.  iii.  2),  i.e.,  "  the  bare-topped  hills  of  the 
 desert."  12112  is  the  name  for  such  parts  of  the  country  as  were  suited  only  for  rearing  and 
 pasturing  caUle,'  like  the  so-called  wilderness  of  Judah  to  the  west  of  the  Dead  Sea  "  (Keil). 
 
 7.  Literary  Criticisms.— Ver.  1.  "Ze<  me  talk  with  Thee  of  judgments  : "  rather,  Yet  will  I  speak 
 with  Thee  on  a  matter  of  right.— {Sj^aJcer's  Com.).  "  Wherefore  are  all  they  happy  that^deal 
 very  treacherously?"  Rather,  fs£CM?-e,  tranquil,  at  ease;  who  "deal  faithlessly"  (Keil); 
 "practise  knavery"  (Lauge);  "prevaricate  prevarications"  (Septuagint)— which  is  truer  to  the 
 Heb.  1^2  nji.  Ver.  3.  "Pull  them  out  liJce  sheep."  pjlj,  to  tear,  pull  away  with 
 violenceV  although,  in  Judges  xx.  32,  the  gentler  significance  oi  to  draw  or  lead  is  given. 
 Properly  the  word  implies  force  and  violence.  Ver.  4.  "  He  shall  not  see  our  last  end:  the 
 LXX.  refer  the  seeing  to  God,  thus  :  ovk  6f  erai  6  Geos  odovs  rnxQiv ;  and  Rosen.,  Ewald,  and  others 
 interpret  the  meaning  as,  God  will  pay  no  heed  to  our  fate,  so  that  we  may  act  as  we  choose, 
 unpunished  !  Graf  refers  "  he  shall  not  see  "  to  Jeremiah  ;  because  "  they  "  {the  indeed,  ver.  1) 
 intended  to  destroy  him  (Hitzig)  ;  or  because  his  threatenings  against  us  will  not  come  to  pass 
 (Keil).     Henderson  takes  the  word  as  impersonal,  and  renders  them,  "no  one  shaU  see  our 
 
 245 
 
CHA.P.  xii.  EOMILETIC  COMMENTARY :  JEREMIAH. 
 
 end ;  "  i.e.,  it  shall  not  be  realised,  we  shall  not  be  destroyed.  Ver.  5.  "  Contend  with  horses  : " 
 from  the  root  mH  to  hum ;  Hith.,  to  he  eager,  he  hot.  The  Vulgate  has  given  "  contend." 
 Ver.  6.  "  They  h&ve  called  a  multitude  after  thee  :"  is7!2  (here  rendered  "  multitude")  ha,Bheen 
 given  as  "  in  a  troop,"  "  in  a  mass,"  "  with  a  full  voice  :"  the  last  is  most  correct  (as  in  ch.  iv. 
 5;  see  notes) ;  loudly,  lustily,  vehemently:  as  being  an  adverb.  "After  thee:"  i.e.,  behind 
 thee.  The  sentence  suggests  that  they  would  follow  the  prophet  with  a  clamorous  hue  and 
 cry.  Ver.  9.  "  Come  to  devour:"  i.e.,  Cause  them  to  come,  bring  them.  Ver.  11.  "They  have 
 made  it  desolate:"  the  Heb.  word  is  impersonal:  One  has  set  it  for  a  desolation;  or  set  it 
 is  an  utter  desolation.  Ver.  14.  "That  touch  the  inheritance:"  J^^2,  to  touch  an  enemy,  to 
 attack  (c/.  Zech.  ii.  12).  " I  will  pluck  them  out,  .  .  .  and  pluclc  out  the  house  of  Judah :"  Sk  iivo- 
 mise  of  two  removals ;  the  heathen  from  the  land  of  Canaan,  and  the  Jews  from  the  land  of 
 the  heathen. 
 
 HOMILIES  ON  SECTIONS  OF  CHAPTER  XII. 
 
 Section    1-6.  Complaint  that  treachery  prospers ;  admonitory  warnings  given. 
 „       7-13.  God's  faithless  people  abandoned  to  desolation. 
 „     14-17.  Penalty  for  oppressors,  mercy  for  penitents. 
 
 Ver.  1-6.  Complaint  that  Treachery  prospers  ;  Admonitory 
 Warnings  given. 
 
 Affairs  seemed  to  Jeremiah  all  discordant  with  God's  righteousness :  he  must 
 plead  -with.  Him  respecting  them.  He  speaks  to  God  humbly  yet  honestly  about 
 the  difficulty  he  finds  in  interpreting  God's  ways  with  men ;  letting  the  treacherous 
 prosper,  allowing  the  godly  to  suffer.  Learn  how  to  go  "  boldly  to  the  throne  of 
 grace  : "  take  all  burdens,  and  open  ail  our  thoughts  fully  to  God  :  "  casting  all  our 
 cares  upon  Him." 
 
 I.  A  bewildered  soul  making  complaint  of  wrong.  For  it  seemed  wrong  to 
 the  prophet.  1.  Impiety  enjoyed  every  luxury  and  advantage:  "the  wicked 
 prosper ; "  the  treacherous  are  "  happy "  or  at  ease  (ver.  1).  2.  God  Himself 
 appeared  to  favour  them.  That  was  the  blinding  mystery  :  "  Thou  hast  planted 
 them  ; "  and  they  continue  to  "  grow  "  and  "  bring  forth  fruit "  (ver.  2),  as  if  God 
 would  allow  nothing  to  harm  them.  It  would  have  been  different  had  there  been 
 no  God  to  execute  justice  and  judgment  in  the  earth.  3.  Hypocrisy  was  employed 
 as  a  disguise.  God  was  "  near  in  their  mouth,  but  far  from  their  reins ; "  yet 
 surely  the  All-seeing  One  could  detect  the  blasphemous  fraud ;  He  would  not  be 
 deceived,  and  reward  this  religious  pretence  with  prosperity  as  if  it  were  sincere  ! 
 4.  Godliness  seemed  left  unvindicated.  Jeremiah  could  not  attempt  to  exalt  his  own 
 loyalty  to  God  and  love  of  truth  against  this  prevalent  hypocrisy ;  yet  "  Thou, 
 O  Lord,  knowest  me,"  &c.  (ver.  3.)  Nevertheless,  while  God  appeared  to  favour 
 the  wicked,  he.  His  servant,  was  left  to  suffer  !  5.  Indignation  against  tra7isgressors 
 utters  itself.  "  Pull  them  out  like  sheep,"  &c.  (ver.  3) :  the  prophet's  incensed  soul 
 rises  into  impatience,  he  adventures  to  appeal  to  Jehovah  as  to  what  should  be 
 done  to  them.  This  seems  daring,  but  observe  that :  6.  Holy  patriotism  impelled 
 his  remonstrance  with  God.  "  How  long  shall  the  land  mourn  1 "  &c.  (ver.  4) :  the 
 "wickedness"  of  these  men  was  working  havoc  and  ruin  on  his  loved  country; 
 and  while  they  revelled  in  iniquity  they  arrogated  to  themselves  safety — "  He 
 shall  not  see  our  last  end  "  (see  Literary  Criticism  on  words).  All  this  "  vexed 
 his  righteous  soul." 
 
 IL  A  wearied  sufferer  admonished  of  heavier  trials.  No  word  of  comfort 
 or  explanation  from  God  in  return  to  this  complaint  :  only  prophecy  of  greater 
 ills.  It  indicates  :  1.  That  evil  must  be  aUoived  to  reach  maturity  ere  God  ivill 
 interpose.  These  men  would  go  on  "from  iniquity  unto  iniquity."  They 
 may  enjoy  immunity  for  awhile,  but  their  measure  is  being  filled  up.  Malignity 
 against  God's  prophet  was  reaching  more  and  more  to  the  very  heart  of  the  nation 
 (ver.  6)  ;  then  no  word  from  God  through  him  would  receive  the  faintest  regard ; 
 not  a  willing  listener  would  be  left :  God  held  back  the  vindication  of  His  prophet, 
 and  His  own  righteousness,  till  the  last  hour  of  hope  had  been  abused. 
 216 
 
ROMILETIC  COMMENTARY :  JEREMIAS. 
 
 2.  God's  witnesses  rmist  7iot  expect  immunity  from  hardships.  Fidelity  entails 
 hostility.  In  every  calling  it  is  so.  The  more  virulent  the  evil  around,  the  more 
 fidelity  is  needed,  yet  the  more  will  the  faithful  have  to  endure.  Jeremiah's  trials 
 would  enlarge  (ver.  5),  for  the  people's  wickedness  was  becoming  more  daring 
 (ver.  6).  We  must  expect  the  penalties  of  godliness,  must  not  shrink  from 
 ordeals.     "  Endure  hardness  as  good  soldiers  of  Jesus  Christ." 
 
 3.  Darker  days  are  foretold  so  that  preparation  may  he  sought.  That  is  the 
 lesson  of  verse  5.  The  evils  from  which  you  suffer,  and  of  which  you  now  com- 
 plain, will  grow  more  appalling :  "  how  wilt  thou  do  1 "  Is  there  in  you  a  timid 
 heart,  a  shrinking  from  the  stern  experiences  incident  to  your  holy  work  ?  More 
 need  of  grasping  God  firmly,  trusting  Him  implicitly,  leaving  all  issues  with 
 Him,  and  drawing  from  Him  "  strength  to  be  made  perfect  in  your  weakness." 
 *'  We  may  boldly  say,  The  Lord  is  my  helper,  I  will  not  fear  what  man  shall  do 
 unto  me." 
 
 Ver.  7-13.  Gob's  Faithless  People  Abandoned  to  Desolation. 
 
 Note  here,  that  Jeremiah  had  complained  to  God  of  having  suffered  from  the 
 hostility  of  his  people  and  even  his  own  family :  now,  in  turn,  Jehovah  tells  His 
 prophet  that  the  nation  had  turned  upon  Hi7n  with  an  appalling  malignity,  as  a 
 "  lion  roaring  against  Him  "  (ver.  8).  God  had  suffered  more  griefs  and  wrongs 
 from  His  people  than  had  Jeremiah.  The  enmity  showed  by  his  "  house  "  (ver.  6) 
 to  Jeremiah  was  only  a  symbol  of  the  enmity  of  God's  "  house  "  (ver.  7)  to  Him. 
 The  sore  penalty  is,  *'I  have  given  over  the  dearly  beloved  of  my  soul  to  her 
 enemies." 
 
 I.  The  downfall  of  the  nation  was  occasioned  by  no  want  of  love  on  God's 
 part  for  Judah.  He  may  cherish  a  people  still,  may  "love  the  world,"  may 
 yearn  towards  the  sinner,  and  yet  God's  love  may  not  avail  to  shield  the  wicked 
 from  the  consequences  of  guilt.     Eight  cannot  abdicate  even  to  Love. 
 
 II.  The  abandonment  of  Judah  to  her  foes  was  necessitated  by  her  having 
 become  herself  God's  foe.  Though  He  loved  her,  she  set  herself  against  Him  as 
 a  roaring  lion  (ver.  8).  One  whom  God  loves  may  therefore  unite  with  God's 
 enemies  :  1.  In  the  attittide  of  defiance ;  2.  In  the  experience  of  God's  displeasure 
 (ver.  8). 
 
 III.  The  penalties  of  Divine  abandonment  are  utterly  desolating.  As 
 God's  favour  is  life,  so  is  His  hatred  death :  Jerusalem's  punishment  must 
 be  severe  as  if  inflicted  by  one  who  held  her  in  abhorrence.  1.  Having  ranked 
 herself  with  God's  foes,  she  is  given  over  to  her  enemies  (ver.  7,  9).  2.  Having 
 repudiated  God's  minister  (Jeremiah),  alien  "pastors"  are  called  upon  the  sacred 
 land  (ver.  10).  3.  Desolation  without  pity  (ver.  11),  and  devastation  without 
 restraint  (ver.  12),  would  ensue.  5.  "The  fierce  auger  of  the  Lord"  would 
 reduce  the  people  to  dismay  and  shame:  their  crops  a  failure;  their  defences 
 against  a  siege,  which  had  cost  them  "  pain"  to  contrive,  would  prove  profitless; 
 and  their  "  revenues  "  in  which  they  relied  would  purchase  them  no  protection 
 from  the  devouring  "  sword  of  the  Lord." 
 
 Ver.  14-17.  Penalty  foe  Oppeessors,  Meect  foe  Penitents. 
 
 "  The  spoilers  of  the  Lord's  heritage  are  also  to  be  carried  oflf  out  of  their  land  : 
 but  after  they,  like  Judah,  have  been  punished,  the  Lord  will  have  pity  on  them, 
 and  will  bring  them  back  one  and  all  into  their  own  land.  And  if  the  heathen, 
 who  now  seduce  the  people  of  God  to  idolatry,  learn  the  ways  of  God's  people  and 
 be  converted  to  the  Lord,  they  shall  receive  citizenship  amongst  God's  people,  and 
 be  built  up  anionjrst  them  ;  but  if  they  will  not  do  so,  they  shall  be  extirpated, 
 i  °  247 
 
cBap.  XII.  EOMILETIC  COMMENTARY:  JEREMIAH. 
 
 Thus  will  the  Lord  manifest  Himself  before  the  whole  earth  as  righteous  Judge, 
 and  through  judgment  secure  the  weal  not  only  of  Israel,  but  of  the  heathen 
 peoples  too." — Keil. 
 
 Here  is  a  message  of  mercy  blended  with  judgment  to  the  nations  bordering 
 upon  the  land  of  Judah,  who  had  been,  or  would  be,  injurious  to  the  peace  of 
 God's  people,     Obs. 
 
 I.  To  touch  with  unhallowed  hand  the  heritage  of  God's  people  is 
 criminal  (ver.  14).     1.  The  godly  are  often  closely  pressed  by  ungodly  neighbours. 
 
 2.  God  permits  those  whom  we  copy  in  wrong-doing  to  become  our  oppressors. 
 
 3.  Yet  He  watches  jealously  over  the  possessions  as  well  as  the  persons  of  His 
 people.  4.  And  will  hold  them  guilty  of  sacrilege  who  touch  Israel's  inheritance. 
 5.  Their  oppression  shall  return  in  kind  upon  themselves :  "  I  will  pluck  them 
 out  of  their  land." 
 
 II.  The  compassion  of  Jehovah  embraces  peoples  outside  of  His  covenant 
 (ver.  15),  God  has  uncovenanted  mercies  to  bestow,  even  on  such  as  (1)  had 
 wronged  His  people — compare  Saul  of  Tarsus  ;  (2)  had  incurred  Israel's  hate,  as 
 these  "  evil  neighbours  "  did  :  yet  God  is  not  implacable  even  to  the  enemies  of  His 
 people  (Col.  i.  21).  1.  God's  judgments  are  ever  tempered  and  followed  by  com- 
 passion. 2.  His  graciousness  to  wrong-doers  designs  to  restore  to  them  all  which 
 their  sinfulness  forfeited.  3.  The  godly  should  cherish  a  comprehensive  charity 
 as  wide  as  God's  compassion. 
 
 III.  Preparation  for  the  experience  of  Divine  mercy  is  essential,  1.  God 
 discriminates  and  selects  the  objects  of  His  compassion  :  not  extended  to  all  re- 
 gardless of  their  state  and  conduct,  2.  The  sinner  must  make  earnest  efforts  if  he 
 would  avert  judgment  and  inherit  the  mercy  (ver,  16).  3,  With  what  sacred 
 favours  God  crowns  the  life  that  allies  itself  to  Him  :  though  ''not  of  Israel,"  united 
 to  Israel,  "  built  in  the  midst  of  My  people."  4.  But  the  rebellious  shall  receive 
 judgment  without  alleviation  (ver.  17).  True  equally  for  nations,  families, 
 individuals  :  grace  is  offered  ;  abuse  it,  and  only  severity  can  ensue. 
 
 HOMILIES  AND  COMMENTS  ON  VERSES  OF  CHAPTER  XII. 
 
 Ver.    1.    Theme:   God's   righteous-  centrate  our  thoughts  on  a  narrow  line 
 
 NESS :  ITS  BAFFLING  ANOMALIES.  of  vision    may  mislead  us :  look  over 
 
 Thisistheobjection  which  unbelievers  the  ages,  the  course  of  human  history, 
 urge  against  Providence  in  all  ages,  and  the  laws  which  assert  themselves  in  man^s 
 the  difficulty  which  the  godly  often  experience,  the  Divine  rule  over  the 
 feel.  Since  the  Mosaic  covenant  re-  world,  the  vindication  of  His  righteous- 
 cognised  the  administrations  of  righteous-  ness  on  Calvary,  the  witness  of  a 
 ness  in  this  life,  many  Old  Testament  righteous  God  in  every  conscience  ;  and 
 saints  stumbled  before  the  mysteries  this  broad  view  compels  the  acknow- 
 (c/.  Job  xii.  6,  xxi.  7  ;  Psalms  xxxvii.  ledgment, 
 1,  35,  Ixxiii.  3;  Malachi  iii.  15).  II.  The  particular  administrations 
 
 I.  The  broad  operations  of  Divine  of  Divine  righteousness  anxiously 
 righteousness  trustfully  acknowledged,  questioned.  "  Wherefore  doth  the  way 
 "  Righteous  art  Thou,  O  Lord."  A  firm  of  the  wicked  prosper,"  &c.  The 
 conviction  of  the  rectitude  of  God's  worldly  comfort  and  success  of  these 
 character ;  ergo,  of  His  proceedings,  Anathoth  conspirators  seemed  to  con- 
 despite  anomalies.  It  is  well  that  we  fute  God's  righteousness.  (See  on  /Sec- 
 get  on  to  this  broad  rock  when  per-  tion  of  chapters,  supra.)  "  It  is  a 
 plexities,  like  riotous  waves  around,  common  grievance  to  live  and  experience 
 make  us  afraid,  and  the  spray  blinds  that  the  ungodly  are  prosperous  and  the 
 our  eyes.  When  hard  thoughts  of  God's  godly  are  unfortunate  "  (Cramer).  "  A 
 providence  trouble  us,  rise  up  to  this  difficulty  to  many  wise  and  good  men ; 
 wide  truth — lie  is  righteous.  To  con-  they  see  the  designs  and  projects  cf 
 248 
 
HOMILETIO  COMMENTARY:  JEREMIAE. 
 
 (vicked  people  successful,  their  affairs 
 and  concerns  prosper.  Hypocrites  are 
 chiefly  meant  (as  appears,  ver.  2),  who 
 dissemble  in  their  good  professions " 
 {Henry).  These  "  dealt  treacherously  " 
 not  only  with  God's  servant,  but  with 
 Jehovah  Himself.  Yet  they  were  pros- 
 perous and  liapj)]).  E.g.,  Diomjsms  is 
 reported  to  have  said  that  God  favoured 
 the  sacrilegious ;  for  he  had  sailed  in 
 safety  after  having  plundered  temples  and 
 perpetrated  robberies.  Wrong-doers  seem 
 "  in  their  lifetime  to  receive  their  good 
 things,"     Sin  looks  the  grand  success. 
 
 III.  A  fuller  acquaintance  with  the 
 secrets  of  God's  righteousness  solemnly 
 entreated.  He  would  "  plead  with 
 God  and  talk  with  Him  of  judgments  ;" 
 i.e.,  reason  the  case,  inquire  into  the 
 causes  why  the  wicked  are  allowed  to 
 succeed,  or  ask  for  a  clearer  vision  of 
 the  hidden  workings  of  God's  providence, 
 to  "see  the  end  of  the  Lord."  We 
 have  faulty  sight ;  our  gaze  is  clouded, 
 partial,  dim ;  we  have  limited  sight ; 
 our  eye  does  not  travel  far  enough  ;  we 
 cannot  see  afar  off  along  the  years  ;  we 
 look  at  the  near,  at  the  present  moment. 
 Watch,  wait :  God  is  working  out  of 
 our  sight ;  His  plans  take  in  a  longer 
 time  than  our  impatience  reckons. 
 
 "  Can  we  conceive  anything  more 
 humane  and  gracious  than  our  dear 
 Lord  ?  We  know  beforehand  that  we 
 are  wrong;  we  do  not  doubt  that  He 
 does  all  well,  yet  it  oppresses  us. 
 Straight  to  our  Lord,  the  eternal  and 
 living  God,  with  all  our  ill-humour, 
 doubt,  care,  scruples !  Pour  out  your 
 heart  before  Him." — Zinzendorf. 
 
 God  allows  our  expostulations,  in- 
 deed, welcomes  us  to  such  pleading  ;  and 
 the  soul  who  "  talks  with  "  God  of  the 
 perplexities  and  difficulties  which  beset 
 liim,  will  find  that  "light  is  sown  for 
 the  righteous,"  and  that — 
 
 "  God  is  His  own  interpreter, 
 And  He  will  make  it  plain." 
 
 Ver.   3.   Theme:  A  righteous  soul 
 
 TLEADINO  WITH  THE  EIGHTEOUS  GOD. 
 
 I.  Value  of  conscious  integrity.     It 
 
 enables  the  soul  to  go  before  the  Lord 
 unabashed,  boldly,  with  filial  trust,  as- 
 sured of  acceptance. 
 
 II.  Appeal  to  Divine  omniscience. 
 
 The  "  pure  in  heart "  shrink  not  from 
 the  searching  light  of  God's  eye.  A 
 joy  to  the  sincere  that  the  All-seeing 
 knows  his  whole  life  and  inmost 
 thoughts. 
 
 III.  Consolations  of  holy  innocence. 
 It  flings  off  slander,  is  a  shield  from 
 conspirators,  sustains  the  soul  in  per- 
 secution, and  gives  inward  comfort 
 amid  surrounding  strife. 
 
 IV.  Indignation  against  malevolent 
 wrong-doers.  They  seemed  to  hinder 
 and  refute  God's  providential  righteous- 
 ness, and  to  cast  discredit  upon  His 
 wise  and  beneficent  rule.  Let  them 
 "  reap  what  they  have  sown,"  and  thus 
 witness  to  God's  antipathy  towards  sin 
 and  His  friendship  towards  innocence. 
 A  sufferer  at  the  hands  of  sinners  can 
 lawfully  entertain  such  feelings ;  yet 
 the  Gospel  attitude  towards  persecutors 
 is- — "  Pray  for  (not  against)  them  that 
 despitefully  use  you,"  and  leave  God  in 
 His  own  way  to  vindicate  His  righteous 
 providence,  and  show  His  approval  of 
 His  loyal  servants. 
 
 Ver.  4.  Theme:  Disastees  conse- 
 quent UPON  SIN. 
 
 "  The  land  mourned,"  indicating  gene- 
 ral misery  ;  probably  a  drought  (see  xiv. 
 2,  &c.).  The  cause  of  this  was  "  wicked- 
 ness," i.e.,  wrong-doing,  oppression, 
 rapine,  violation  of  the  rights  of  property 
 and  sanctities  of  home  ;  criminal  doings 
 which  carried  dismay  and  sorrow  every- 
 where, "  The  wicked  were  in  great 
 power." 
 
 I,  What  miseries  sinners  inflict  on 
 society.  They  can  make  a  whole 
 "  land  mourn."  Think  of  the  devasta- 
 tions wrought  by  habitual  intempera^ice, 
 reckless  speculations  in  commerce,  cir- 
 culation of  obscene  litej'ature,  profana- 
 tion of  religion,  virulent  assaults  on 
 faith,  allurements  of  the  young  to  evil 
 courses  of  life,  &c.  Homes  are  invaded 
 with  evils  worse  than  bereavement ; 
 society  is  infested  with  moral  plagues 
 which  destroy  virtue  and  honour  and 
 reciprocal  faith  ;  churches  are  robbed  of 
 the  hopeful  seekers  after  God.  Sinners 
 are  cruel  destroyers ;  they  ruin  not 
 themselves  alone. 
 
 24D 
 
CHAP.  XII. 
 
 HOMILETIC  COMMENTARY:  JEREMIAH. 
 
 II.  What  outrages  sinners  commit 
 against  Divine  law.  "  Wickedness  " 
 interrupts  the  beneficent  action  of  the 
 ordained  laws  of  Heaven.  Personal 
 happiness  and  social  prosperity  are  the 
 natural  issues  of  God's  laws.  "  Wicked- 
 ness "  outrages  those  laws,  works  against 
 them,  breaks  down  the  banks  of  flow- 
 ing, fertilising  rivers,  and  lets  in  a 
 destructive  inundation.  Jeremiah  re- 
 cognised that  this  "  wickedness  "  was 
 an  offence  to  God,  as  being  a  defiance  of 
 His  kindly  laws,  as  well  as  an  outrage 
 on  society.  Nations  and  societies  and 
 individuals  secure  their  weal  by  respect- 
 ing the  right  and  obeying  the  will  of 
 God.  Miseries — as  now  in  Judah's 
 experience — follow  upon  the  violation 
 of  God's  laws,  which  are  ordained  for 
 human  good. 
 
 III.  What  delusions  sinners  practise 
 upon  themselves.  "  They  said,  He 
 shall  not  see  our  last  end  "  (comp.  Lit, 
 Grit,  on  words).  1.  God  will  not  see, 
 &c.  :  that  affirms  the  theory  that  Jehovah 
 does  not  notice  and  2iunish  human  sin. 
 2.  Jeremiah  will  not  see,  &c.  :  the  pro- 
 phet's threatenings  are  vapid  and  untrue  ; 
 punishment  will  not  follow  upon  our 
 wickedness.  3.  No  one  shall  see  (im- 
 personal) :  our  safety  is  in  no  wise  im- 
 perilled by  our  sins;  man's  conduct 
 does  not  affect  God,  provokes  no  retri- 
 butive Providence,  nor  influences  human 
 experience  and  destiny,  so  we  need 
 not  be  apprehensive  of  ill.  And  thus, 
 in  every  age,  self-beguiled  sinners  say, 
 "  Peace,  peace,  whereas  sudden  destruc- 
 tion Cometh  upon  them." 
 
 Note,  that  there  is  a  *'  last  end  "  to 
 the  career  of  "  wickedness." 
 
 Ver.    5.    Theme:    The     backward 
 
 GLANCE  OF  SORROW,  AND  THE   FORWARD 
 
 GLANCE  OF  FEAR.  "  //'  thosc  hast  rim 
 with  the  footmen  and  they  u'earied  thee, 
 how  canst  thou  contend  tvith  horses  ?  and 
 if  in  land  of  peace,  <kc.,  how  in  swellings 
 of  Jordan?" 
 
 A  contrast  instituted  between  a  state 
 of  comparative  quiet  and  peace  and 
 one  of  great  commotion  and  trouble ; 
 and  from  the  remembrance  of  the  pro- 
 phet's weariness  amid  auspicious  cir- 
 cumstances, the  inquiry  arises  as  to 
 •J5U 
 
 results  likely  to  follow  when  all  is  ad- 
 verse and  perilous.  Applies  to  all  who 
 have  found  themselves  weak  in  lesser 
 trials,  yet  before  whom  rises  the  pro- 
 spect of  greater. 
 
 I.  Sad  recollections. 
 
 A  review  of  the  past  with  its  hum- 
 bling memories.  1.  Weariness  tvas  ex- 
 pierienced  when  conflicting  difficulties 
 were  insignificant.  Merely  "  running 
 with  footmen,"  with  whom  our  own 
 strength  and  perseverance  might  for- 
 sooth be  matched.  2.  Weariness  was 
 felt  tvhen  external  circumstances  were 
 favourable.  "  I?i  the  land  of  peace  they 
 wearied  thee."  Amid  even  life's  com- 
 forts experienced  "  vexation  of  spirit." 
 Even  in  youth  "  fainted  and  grew  weary, 
 and  young  men  utterly  fell." 
 
 II.  Anxious  forebodings. 
 
 A  glance  at  the  future  with  painful 
 misgivings.  1.  Trials  woidd  be  more 
 overwhelming  with  circumstances  less 
 jjropitious.  "  Horses ; "  *'  swellings  of 
 Jordan."  Larger  and  more  ominous. 
 When  storms  lower,  afflictions  come, 
 friends  are  gone,  age  upon  us,  death 
 lays  hand  upon  our  heart,  eternity 
 looms  before  our  gaze,  with  God  and 
 judgment-seat. — "  How  wilt  thou  do  ?  " 
 
 2.  This  severer  ordeal  may  come  at  a 
 time  ivhen  least  expected.  As  came  the 
 inroads  of  the  Chaldean  army  :  cavalry 
 "  horses,"  the  "  swelling,"  or  pride,  per- 
 haps the  lions  of  Jordan.  Heavy  trou- 
 bles, dreadful  losses,  desolating  bereave- 
 ments, the  event  of  death — who  can 
 anticijyate  them  1 
 
 III.  Refuge  desirable. 
 
 The  need  of  a  Helper  suggested  by 
 the  prospect.  For  the  prophet  would 
 be  unequal  to  the  emergency.  He  would 
 want  God,  His  presence,  succour,  and 
 hiding.  So  shall  we,  or  how  shall  lue 
 do  ?     Seek  Him  as 
 
 1.  A  Refuge  suited  to  every  emergencij  ; 
 whether  "contendingwithhorse3,"or  "in 
 the  swellings  of  Jordan." 
 
 2.  A  Refuge  accessible  in  every  ex- 
 tremity. 
 
 Having  Him,  we  can  say  :  "I  am 
 persuaded  that  neither  death  nor  life, 
 &c.,  can  separate  me  from  the  love  of 
 God  which  is  in  Christ  Jesus  our 
 Lord." 
 
BOMJLETIC  COMMENTARY :  JEkEMIAH. 
 
 C9AP.  xir* 
 
 Theme :  The  swellings  op  Jokdan. 
 Jeremiah  had  become  impatient  with 
 his  troubles.  God  says  to  him  :  "  If 
 you  cannot  stand  these  small  trials  and 
 persecutions,  what  are  you  going  to  do 
 when  the  greater  come  1"  In  a  very 
 practical  way,  ask 
 
 I.  If  it  is  such  a  difficult  thing  to 
 get  along  without  the  religion  of  Jesus 
 Christ  when  things  are  comparatively 
 smooth,  what  shall  we  do  amid  the 
 overpowering  misfortunes  and  disas- 
 ters of  life  that  may  come  upon  us  ? 
 
 If  troubles,  slow  as  footmen,  surpass 
 us,  what  do  when  they  take  the  feet  of 
 horses  ?  If  now  submerged  with  sorrows 
 because  we  have  not  the  religion  of  Jesus 
 to  comfort  us,  what  do  we  when  stand 
 in  death  ?  A  sad  thing  to  see  men,  all 
 unhelped  by  God,  going  out  to  fight  the 
 giants  of  trouble,  no  promise  of  mercy 
 to  soothe  the  soul,  no  rock  of  refuge  in 
 which  to  hide.  How  compete  when  the 
 swift  coursers  of  trouble  come  up  for  the 
 race? 
 
 We  have  all  yielded  to  temptation ; 
 been  surprised  afterwards  that  so  small 
 an  inducement  could  have  decoyed  us 
 from  the  right.  But,  if  overthrown  by 
 small  sins  through  lack  of  the  religion 
 of  Jesus,  how  can  we  stand  up  against 
 great  ones? 
 
 II.  The  great  tides  of  eternity  will 
 rise  about  us,  and  amid  the  swellings 
 of  Jordan  we  must  all  quit  this  life. 
 
 Our  natural  cotirage  will  not  hold  out 
 then.  The  first  dash  of  Jordan's  waves 
 will  swamp  all  natural  resources  for 
 ever.  We  feel  hoAv  sad  it  is  for  a  man 
 to  attempt  this  life  without  religion  ; 
 but  how  will  he  feel  when  the  shadows  of 
 the  last  hour  gather  about  his  pillow  1 
 If  the  religion  of  Christ  is  so  important 
 for  us  amid  life's  troubles  and  tempta- 
 tions, and  in  the  hour  of  death,  how 
 much  more  important  in  the  great  eter- 
 nity !  Yoit  will  ivant  Christ.  When 
 the  world  is  going  away  from  your  grasp, 
 and  all  the  lights  that  shine  about  you 
 are  going  out,  and  friends  around  you 
 can  do  you  no  good,  and  you  feel  your 
 feet  slipping  from  beneath  you, — then 
 you  will  want  Jesus  to  stand  close  by 
 you,  and  hold  you  up  amid  *'  the  swell- 
 ings of  Jordan." — De  Witt  Talmage. 
 
 Theme :  The  Christian's  teiumph. 
 
 One  who  had  fought  many  battles, 
 and  seldom,  if  ever,  lost  any,  was  asked 
 to  what  he  attributed  his  remarkable 
 success.  He  replied,  "  I  owe  it,  under 
 God,  to  this,  that  I  made  it  a  rule  never 
 to  despise  an  enemy."  To  what  warfare 
 is  this  so  applicable  as  to  the  Christian's  ? 
 Those  conflicts  were  best  maintained 
 which  we  counted  most  hazardous. 
 Estimate  your  foes  :  "  If  run  with  foot- 
 men and  wearied,  how  contend  with 
 horses  ?  "  The  difBculty  implied  by  this 
 proverb  appears  in  this — 
 
 I.  That  man  is  less  a  match  for 
 Satan  now  than  when  Satan,  at  their 
 first  encounter,  proved  himself  more 
 than  a  match  for  man. 
 
 Defeated  in  Eden,  where  can  man  now 
 hope  for  success?  Overcome  in  our 
 state  of  innocence,  what  triumph  can  we 
 effect  in  our  state  of  guilt  1  None  apart 
 from  Christ. 
 
 II.  If  we  were  overcome  by  sin  ere 
 it  had  grown  into  strength,  we  are 
 now  less  able  to  resist  it. 
 
 If  we  could  not  turn  the  stream  near 
 its  mountain-cradle,  how  shall  we  turn 
 the  river  that  pours  its  flood  into  the 
 sea?  Sin  gains  power  by  time  and 
 habit.  Some  things  weaken  and  wear 
 away  by  use,  but  not  the  power  of  sin. 
 All  sinners,  as  well  as  "  seducers,  wax 
 worse  and  worse."  Overcome  by  sin  when 
 it  was  weak,  how  hope  to  resist  it  when 
 strong  ?  By  His  grace  alone,  with  whom 
 nothing  is  impossible  :  "  I  can  do  all 
 things  through  Christ  who  strengtheneth 
 me."  Thus  can  "  they  that  are  accus- 
 tomed to  do  evil  learn  to  do  well." 
 
 II.  How  these  contending  forces  are 
 to  be  overcome. 
 
 Renew  the  combat,  never  surrender : 
 "  Hope  in  God."  Recall  how  Peter, 
 "  wearied  by  the  footmen,"  nobly  and 
 successfully  "  contended  with  horses  " — a 
 coward  before  the  maid  in  the  judgment- 
 hall,  yet  bold  before  the  judges,  de- 
 claring he  would  not  keep  silence,  but 
 would  "obey  God  rather  than  man." 
 God  makes  good  His  promises — "My 
 grace  is  sufficient  for  thee  ;  "  "  one  man 
 shall  chase  a  thousand;"  "he  that  is 
 feeble  among  them  shall  be  as  David, 
 and  David  shall  be  as  God."    With  His 
 
HOMILETIC  COMMENTARY :  JEREMIAH. 
 
 presence  we  may  contend  witli  greatest 
 difficulties ;  and,  clinging  to  Jesus,  may- 
 go  down  undaunted  even  into  "  the 
 Bwellings  of  Jordan." — "  Way  to  Life," 
 Thomas  GutJirie,  DD. 
 
 Note :  "  The  argument  is  a  fortiori. 
 A  proverbial  phrase.  The  injuries  done 
 thee  by  the  men  of  Anathoth  ('foot- 
 men ')  are  small  compared  with  those 
 which  the  men  of  Jerusalem  ('horse- 
 men') are  about  to  inflict  on  thee.  If 
 the  former  '  weary  thee '  out,  '  how  wilt 
 thou  contend  with '  the  king,  the  court, 
 and  the  priests  at  Jerusalem  ?  If  in  the 
 campaign  country  alone  thou  art  secure, 
 how  wilt  thou  do  when  thou  fallest  into 
 the  wooded  haunts  of  wild  beasts  1 " — 
 Ci'itical  Bible. 
 
 i.  While  we  are  in  this  world  we 
 must  expect  troubles  and  difficulties. 
 
 ii.  God's  usual  method  being  to  begin 
 with  smaller  trials,  it  is  our  wisdom  to 
 expect  greater  than  any  we  have  yet 
 met  with. 
 
 iii.  It  highly  concerns  us  to  prepare 
 for  such  trials,  and  to  consider  what  we 
 should  do  in  them. 
 
 iv.  In  order  to  our  preparation  for 
 further  and  greater  trials,  we  are  con- 
 cerned to  approve  ourselves  well  in 
 present  smaller  trials,  to  keep  hold  on 
 the  promise,  keep  in  our  way,  and,  with 
 our  eye  on  the  prize,  so  run  that  we  may 
 obtain. — Henry. 
 
 Ver.  6.  Theme :  Treachery  crouch- 
 ing BEHIND  FAIR  WORDS.  In  the  pcrilous 
 times  nearing,  Jeremiah's  own  relatives 
 would  raise  the  hue  and  cry  after  him, 
 or  seek  by  "  fair  words "  to  allure  him 
 from  his  mission. 
 
 I.  Godliness  may  estrange  family 
 relationships.  "Even  thy  brethren, 
 &c.,  dealt  treacherously." 
 
 II.  Guilesome  words  will  assay  to 
 decoy  the  faithful  from  his  fidelity. 
 "Speak  fair  words  unto  thee." 
 
 III.  Insidious  speech  from  the  un- 
 godly is  not  to  be  believed.  It  is  like 
 the  serpent's  voice  to  Eve.  "Believe 
 them  not ! " 
 
 IV.  Refusal  to  heed  guilesome  words 
 will  provoke  abusive  raillery.  "  Cried 
 loudly  after  thee."  (See  Lit.  Crit.  on 
 words.) 
 
 252 
 
 V.  Treachery  will  attack  the  godly 
 from  most  covert  scenes.  In  the  very 
 "  house  of  thy  father,"  and  from  thine 
 own  "  brethren." 
 
 VI.  Ceaseless  watchfulness  and  un- 
 swerving constancymust  be  maintained. 
 "Watch  and  pray,  lest  ye  enter  into 
 temptation."  Pause  not  to  heed  any 
 "  fair  words,"  even  when  loved  ones  of 
 the  home  softly  and  gently  "speak" 
 them :  heed  God  alone.  "  He  that 
 loveth  father,  mother,  brethren,  &c., 
 more  than  Me,  is  not  worthy  of  Me." 
 "  A  man's  foes  shall  be  they  of  his  own 
 household." 
 
 Note  :  "  jEveii  thy  hrethren."  Abel 
 was  slain  by  his  own  brother ;  Paul 
 suffered  most  from  his  own  countrymen ; 
 Christ  found  no  little  depreciation  at  the 
 hands  of  those  near  akin. 
 
 "  They  have  called  a  multitude  after 
 thee."  Trapp  comments,  "Or  with  full 
 mouth — Clamant  post  te  pleno  gutture — 
 as  those  did  against  Christ  who  cried, 
 '  Crucify  Him,  crucify  Him ; '  and  those 
 against  Paul,  '  Away  with  such  fellows 
 from  the  earth ; '  and  those  against  the 
 primitive  Christians,  '  Christianos  ad 
 leones.'  '  In  Rhodanv,m,  in  Rhodanum^ 
 cried  many  at  Geneva  against  Farellus, 
 their  faithful  preacher,  '  Into  the  river 
 with  him  ; '  but  God  preserved  him  from 
 their  fury,  for  the  good  of  many  other 
 cities  after  that  converted  by  him. 
 
 Ver.  7.  Theme :  Cherished  trea- 
 sures CONSIGNED  TO  FOES. 
 
 God  seems  here  to  use  most  endearing 
 terms  in  order  to  mark  the  dreadful 
 desolation  about  to  overtake  Judah. 
 This  heartless  people  boasted  in  the 
 thought  that  they  were  God's  "  heri- 
 tage," His  "  dearly  beloved ; ''  yet, 
 instead  of  valuing  their  high  estate  in 
 grace,  they^?-e5M??iefZ  upon  it,  trifled  with 
 it,  and  even  set  themselves  lion-like 
 (ver.  8)  against  their  benignant  spiritual 
 Benefactor.  And  their  lofty  distinction 
 as  a  people,  which  should  have  prompted 
 them  to  proportionate  jealousy  to  remain 
 worthy  of  it  and  act  in  harmony  there- 
 uith,  led  to  spiritual  pride  and  national 
 degeneracy.     Observe : 
 
 I.  How  God  lingers  fondly  over  the 
 objects   of  His  gracious   regard.     As 
 
HOMILETIC  COMMENTARY:  JEREMIAH. 
 
 if  reluctant  to  think  other  than  loving 
 thoughts  of  them  :  enumerates  all  that 
 was  attractive,  "  house,  heritage,  be- 
 loved of  My  soul,"  as  if  He  would  keep 
 the  good  and  beautiful  in  His  sight,  and 
 thereby  hide  from  Himself  the  loath- 
 some. 
 
 "  House  "  may  mean  Temple  ;  "  heri- 
 tage," the  goodly  land ;  "  beloved,"  the 
 people  whom  God  had  chosen  and 
 cherished.     Note  how  He — 
 
 1.  Asserts  His  claim.  '^  Mine  house, 
 mine  heritage,"  &c. 
 
 2.  Reveals  His  love.  Language  in- 
 stinct with  affection  :  "  The  dearly  he- 
 loved  of  My  soul." 
 
 "Loved  us  notwithstanding  all." 
 
 3.  Laments  His  loss.  Theirs  would 
 be  the  greater  loss  far ;  God  alienated, 
 themselves  expatriated  from  their 
 country,  &c. ;  yet  God  grieves  to  lose 
 His  children :  "How  can  I  give  thee  up ?" 
 
 II.  How  Grod  necessarily  withdraws 
 from  those  who  violate  their  sacred 
 relationship. 
 
 1.  He  is  not  first,  but  last  in  alien- 
 ating Himself.  "  Slow  to  anger,  and  of 
 great  kindness."  Separation  between 
 humanity  and  Jehovah  began  with 
 humanity :  Adam's  sin.  Separation 
 between  the  individual  and  God  begins 
 with  the  individual : 
 
 "  Heaven  lies  about  us  in  our  infancy  ; " 
 
 but  wickedness  banishes  God  as  the  life 
 advances.  Separation  between  the 
 heart  and  God  begins  with  the  heart ; 
 doubts  and  hard  thoughts  admitted,  or 
 "  iniquity  is  regarded  in  the  heart,"  and 
 hence  the  withdrawal  of  God.  "  Your 
 sins  have  hid  His  face  from  you,"  &c. 
 (Isa.  lix.  2). 
 
 2.  He  cannot  perpetuate  a  violated 
 relationship.  It  would  be  imrighteous 
 in  itself,  and  injurious  in  its  results. 
 
 3.  He  wholly  abandons  the  faithless. 
 "I  have  given — into  the  hand  of  her 
 enemies."  For  there  is  no  other  alter- 
 native ;  either  in  God's  love,  or  in  the 
 grasp  of  foes. 
 
 III.  How  God  permits  those  who 
 revolt  from  Him  to  suffer  appropriate 
 penalties.  The  correlate  fact  to  "  I  have 
 forsaken,"  is  that  Judah  should  be  "  in 
 the  hand  of  her  enemies."     It  was  only 
 
 by  Jehovah  keeping  near  that  enemies 
 tvere  kept  afar. 
 
 1.  They  forfeit  His  providential 
 protection. 
 
 2.  Enemies  are  alert  to  seize  as 
 prey  those  whom  God  does  not  defend 
 and  befriend, 
 
 3.  Their  own  resources  of  security  and 
 strength  are  futile. 
 
 4.  A  melancholy  reversion  of  their 
 former  estate  of  privilege.  "  The 
 dearly  beloved  "  of  God  in  her  enemies' 
 hand  !  Such  repudiation  of  God's  love 
 has  but  one  alternative  :  "  delivered  over 
 to  Satan,"  consigned  to  the  foe  of  God 
 and  man. 
 
 Another  outline  : 
 
 I.  Pre-eminent  spiritual  distinction. 
 
 Eaised  into  highest  privilege,  honour, 
 and  blessedness. 
 
 II.  False  grounds  of  assurance. 
 Presumed  upon  her  advantages,  and 
 violated  the  conditions  of  retaining 
 them. 
 
 III.  Glaring  abuse  of  Divine  grace. 
 Her  enjoyment  of  God's  tender  love 
 makes  her  faithlessness  the  more  crim- 
 inal and  abominable. 
 
 IV.  Merited  retribution.  The 
 "  dearly  beloved "  given  over  to  those 
 who  hated  her,  '•'  her  enemies."  Even 
 worse :  the  loving  Jehovah  Himself 
 came  to  "  hate  His  once  cherished  "  heri- 
 tage "  (ver.  8). 
 
 How  repugnant  is  sin  to  God  !  What 
 dire  results  ensue  to  determined  and 
 defiant  wrong-doers  !  The  brighter  the 
 light,  the  blacker  the  darkness  of  its 
 shadows ;  so  the  more  "  dearly  beloved," 
 the  more  terrible,  the  ""  outer  darkness  " 
 of  being  "  hated"  by  the  Lord  ! 
 
 Starke  comments  :  The  heart  of  a 
 believer  is  God's  most  cherished  abode, 
 but  if  man  corrupt  it  with  wilful  sin, 
 God  must  forsake  His  house  (Isa. 
 lix.  2). 
 
 Comments  : 
 
 Ver.  8.  *'  Mine  heritage  is  unto  me 
 as  a  lion  in  the  forest.'"  One's  heritage 
 and  patrimony  is,  we  know,  his  delight. 
 God  shows  that  He  was  in  His  own 
 heritage  as  though  He  was  in  a  vast  and 
 wild  forest,  and  the  fields  which  ought 
 to  have  been  His  delight  were  become 
 
 253 
 
CHAP.  XII. 
 
 HOMILETW  COMMENTARY-  JEREMIAH. 
 
 places  of  the  greatest  horror,  as  though 
 a  lion  were  roaring  and  raging. — Calvin. 
 
 Judah  has  not  merely  refused  obedi- 
 ence, but  shown  itself  intractable  and 
 fierce  like  an  untamed  lion.  It  has 
 roared  against  God  with  open  blas- 
 phemy.— Speaker's  Com. 
 
 The  reason  why  Jehovah  gives  up  His 
 people  for  a  prey — it  has  behaved  to 
 God  like  a  lion,  i.e.,  has  opposed  Him 
 fiercely  like  a  furious  beast.  Therefore 
 He  must  withdraw  His  love. — Keil. 
 
 Ver.  9.  The  form  of  the  verse  is 
 interrogative  :  Is  My  heritage  unto  Me 
 as  a  speckled  bird?  Are  birds  of  prey 
 round  abotit  her  ?  As  around  a  strange 
 bird — probably  here  a  vulture — other 
 carrion  birds  collect  and  cruelly  abuse  it, 
 so  would  Judah's  foes  surround  and  de- 
 stroy her  ;  for  God  summons  also  ^' all 
 the  beasts  of  the  field  "  to  "  devour  " 
 her. 
 
 Ver.  10-13.  Theme:  Complete  de- 
 vastation OF  THE  LAKD. 
 
 God  speaks  of  this  utter  desolation 
 of  the  land  by  the  Chaldean  army  as  a 
 thing  done  ;  so  near,  so  sure  was  it. 
 
 i.  tSee  with  what  a  tender  affection  He 
 speaks  of  this  laoid,  notwithstanding  the 
 sinfulness  of  it,  in  remembrance  of  His 
 covenant,  and  the  tribute  of  honour  and 
 glory  He  had  formerly  had  from  it.  It 
 is  "  My  vineyard.  My  portion,  ]\Iy  plea- 
 sant portion"  (ver.  10).  Note,  God 
 has  a  kindness  and  concern  for  His 
 Church,  though  there  be  much  amiss 
 in  it. 
 
 ii.  See  with  what  a  tender  compassion 
 He  speaks  of  the  desolations  of  this  land. 
 *'  Many  pastors  have  destroyed  My  vine- 
 yard," without  any  consideration  either 
 of  the  value  of  it  or  of  My  interest  in  it ; 
 they  have  with  greatest  insolence  and 
 indignation  "  trodden  it  under  foot," 
 and  that  which  was  a  pleasant  land 
 they  have  made  "  a  desolate  wilderness." 
 The  destruction  was  universal :  "  the 
 whole  land  is  made  desolate "  (ver. 
 11).  It  is  made  so  by  the  sword  of  war ; 
 "the  spoilers,"  the  Chaldean  soldiers, 
 "  have  come  through  the  plain  upon  all 
 high  places"  (ver.  12),  made  themselves 
 masters  of  all  the  natural  fastnesses  and 
 artificial  fortresses.  "No  flesh  shall 
 254 
 
 have  peace  ; "  all  have  corrupted  their 
 
 way — none  shall  have  peace. 
 
 iii.  See  u'hence  all  this  misery  comes. 
 1.  From  the  displeasure  of  God  :  it  is 
 "  the  sword  of  the  Lord  that  devours  " 
 (ver.  12).  It  was  the  "  fierce  anger  of 
 the  Lord"  (ver.  13),  which  kindled  this 
 fire  among  them,  and  made  their  enemies 
 so  furious.  2.  It  is  their  sin  that  has 
 made  God  their  enemy.  Though  the 
 land  "  mourneth  unto  Me,"  pouring  out 
 its  complaint  over  desolation  before 
 God,  the  inhabitants  are  so  senseless  and 
 stupid  that  "  none  of  them  lays  it  to 
 heart,"  unaffected  by  God's  displeasure, 
 while  the  very  ground  they  go  upon 
 shames  them, 
 
 iv.  See  how  tenable  they  shall  be  to 
 guard  against  it  (ver.  13).  '•  They  have 
 sown  wheat,"  i.e.,  have  taken  pains  for 
 their  own  security,  but  "  shall  reap 
 thorns,"  what  shall  prove  grievous  and 
 vexatious  to  them.  Instead  of  helping 
 themselves,  they  shall  but  make  them- 
 selves more  uneasy.  "  Ashamed  of 
 your  revenues,"  that  they  have  depended 
 so  much  upon  their  preparations  for 
 war ;  and  their  silver  and  gold  shall 
 "  not  profit "  them  in  the  day  of  the 
 Lord's  anger. — Henry. 
 
 Ver.  11.  Theme:  Unpitied  Misery. 
 "  The  whole  land  is  made  desolate,  be- 
 cause no  man  layeth  it  to  heart." 
 
 Applicable  to  any  scene  where  evil 
 thrives,  where  ruin  goes  on  unchecked, 
 where  ignorance,  sin,  and  oppression 
 work  human  wretchedness  and  over- 
 throw. 
 
 Applicable  to  any  special  national 
 vice  :  intemperance,  poisonous  literature, 
 polluted  pleasure  ;  by  which  homes  are 
 wrecked,  youth  betrayed,  the  country 
 weakened,  wasted,  or  degraded. 
 
 Applicable  to  the  scenes  of  heathenism, 
 where  benighted  souls  droop,  where 
 "  the  habitations  of  cruelty  "  rear  them- 
 selves, where  outrages  on  homes  and  con- 
 science and  life  are  enacted  in  the  name 
 of  idolatry. 
 
 I.  National  woes  should  move  us  to 
 patriotic  sorrow.  We  ought  to  "  lay  it 
 to  heart "  when  our  "  land  mourneth." 
 
 1.  .45  being  oiirselves  a  part  oj  the 
 nation;"  identified  with  it,  therefore, 
 
HOMILETIC  COMMENTARY :  JEREMTAH. 
 
 in  quick  sympathy  with  what  happens 
 to  it,  feeling  its  sorrows  and  wrongs  to 
 be  our  own.  "  If  one  member  suffers, 
 all  the  members  suffer  with  it." 
 
 2.  As  being  intrusted  with  responsi- 
 bilities toivard  our  nation.  We  each 
 share  the  benefits  of  the  commonwealth, 
 its  laws,  its  protection,  its  commercial 
 and  social  security,  &c.,  therefore,  we 
 should  to  our  ability  protect  its  interests, 
 rectify  its  wrongs,  take  part  in  its  strug- 
 gles, enter  deeply  into  its  great  woes 
 and  wants. 
 
 3.  As  being  solicitous  for  our  nation's 
 weal.  Fired  with  the  patriotic  spirit, 
 glowing  with  a  sense  of  power  to  help 
 and  alleviate  and  bless ;  realising  the 
 service  we  can  render  to  men  and  to 
 God  in  a  life  of  wise  and  benevolent 
 enterprise,  however  lowly  and  obscure, 
 or  however  public  and  imposing.  What 
 can  be  done  for  my  people's  good  1 
 
 II.  Torpid  indifference  surrenders 
 a  land  to  spoilers.  These  "  spoilers  " 
 were  intent  on  their  end  (ver.  12) ;  they 
 would  capture  and  desolate  the  land. 
 Spoilers  are  still  active  and  plotting, 
 seeking  the  young,  the  gay,  the  ambi- 
 tious, the  intellectually  vain,  aiming  at 
 their  moral,  social,  mental,  and  spiritual 
 overthrow. 
 
 1.  Indifference  as  to  the  menacing  evils 
 which  were  gathering.  No  foresight,  no 
 apprehension.  Some  sleep  unsuspecting 
 till  the  enemy  is  at  the  gate.  "  We  are 
 not  ignorant  of  his  devices."  "  Watch 
 and  pray  that  ye  enter  not  into  tempta- 
 tion." 
 
 2.  Indifference  as  to  the  real  cause  of 
 prevailing  misery  —  irreligion.  Many 
 seek  to  remedy  ills  without  recognising 
 the  spring  and  source.  Neglect  of  God 
 explains  human  woe.  But,  ignoring  the 
 fact  that  impiety  is  at  the  root,  they 
 bring  superficial  ameliorations. 
 
 3.  Indifference  as  to  the  Divinely-sent 
 calls  to  reform.  God  appealed  by  His 
 prophet  to  the  nation  to  turn  again  to 
 Him.  Had  they  complied,  the  desola- 
 tion would  have  been  averted  ;  but  they 
 cared  not  to  hear  the  sacred  message. 
 So  still  the  people  sink  into  the  power 
 of  sin,  pleasure,  worldliness,  atheism, 
 which  bring  desolations,  because  they 
 despise   God's  messages,   repudiate    the 
 
 Gospel  of  Christ,  turn  from  the  only 
 Saviour  of  sinners,  whose  healing  grace 
 remedies  human  woes,  and  rectifies  all 
 the  desolations  sin  has  wrought. 
 
 III.  Scenes  of  desolation  summon 
 us  to  holy  endeavour.  "  Lay  it  to 
 heart,"  not  as  an  idle  sentiment,  but  an 
 inspiration  to  help. 
 
 1.  Christianity  commissions  its  fol- 
 loioers  to  helpful  tvork.  It  is  the  mean- 
 ing of  the  Saviour's  own  example : 
 "  Seek  and  save  that  which  is  lost."  It 
 is  the  teaching  of  the  New  Testament : 
 "  Go  and  do  likewise,"  i.e.,  as  did  the 
 good  Samaritan  to^the  man  who  had 
 fallen  among  thieves,  find  your  neigh- 
 bour in  the  first  sufferer  you  meet. 
 Christianity  makes  missionaries,  philan- 
 thropists, patriots  of  its  disciples. 
 
 2.  Where  the  spoiler  has  desolated, 
 there  the  Christian  mtist  go.  With  a 
 heart  pitying  the  fallen,  the  perishing, 
 and  the  blighted.  "  Into  all  the  world." 
 "To  the  help  of  the  Lord  against  the 
 mighty." 
 
 Ver.  14.  Theme :  A  triple  consola- 
 tion. Equally  true  of  the  Church  of 
 Christ  as  of  the  kingdom  of  Judah. 
 
 I.  God  is  watching,  and  will  punish 
 the  adversaries  of  His  people. 
 
 I.  They  environ  her:  "evil  neigh- 
 bours," 
 
 3.  They  molest  her :  "  touch  the  in- 
 heritance " — her  truths,  her  sacred  joys. 
 
 3.  They  invade  her  holy  scenes :  in- 
 trude upon  sacred  soil ;  her  sanctuary, 
 to  spoil  its  services;  the  privacy  of 
 prayer,  to  mar  the  soul's  fellowship,  &c. 
 
 4.  Yet  the  Divine  Friend  of  His 
 people  observes  our  foes;  is  "against^' 
 them,  and  therefore  on  our  part  j  and 
 will  requite  the  evil  done  to  them  that 
 are  His. 
 
 II.  God  has  purposes  of  grace  for 
 His  suffering  people. 
 
 1.  Even  though  their  own  wickedness 
 explains  their  being  in  the  hand  of  foes. 
 
 2.  Yet  He  will  not  abandon  them  to 
 their  "evil  neighbours;"  for  our  foes 
 are  not  to  be  allowed  the  enjoyment  of 
 their  successes.  ^God  has  no  favour 
 towards  His  people's  enemies ;  they 
 shall  be  dispossessed  of  "  the  inherit- 
 ance which  I  have  caused  My  people  to 
 
 255 
 
HOMILETIC  COMMENTARY:  JEREMIAH, 
 
 inherit."  Though  the  guilty  take  our 
 peace  from  us,  they  shall  not  enjoy  it : 
 "no  peace  to  the  wicked."  Though 
 they  deprive  us  of  our  Jiopes,  they 
 shall  not  inherit  them  :  "  having  no 
 hope." 
 
 3.  God  will  reclaini  His  people  to 
 Himself .  "  I  will  pluck  out  the  house 
 of  Judah  from  among  them."  He  did 
 this  from  the  hands  of  Judah's  enemies, 
 restoring  her  to  her  heritage  again  ',  and 
 "  He  will  pluck  out  our  feet  from  the 
 net,"  deliver  our  souls  from  the  spoiler, 
 and  save  His  Church  from  the  sophis- 
 tries of  her  foes  (ver.  15). 
 
 III.  God  designs  that  even  His 
 people's  enemies  shall  he  converted 
 unto  Him.  It  would  eventuate  in  the 
 good  of  Judah's  "evil  neighbours "  for 
 her  to  be  temporarily  scattered  into  their 
 lands,  and  for  those  neighbours  to 
 occupy  Judah's  heritage. 
 
 1.  It  brought  them  into  contact  rvith 
 Divine  realities ;  gave  them  knowledge 
 of  the  religion  of  Judah.  Those  who 
 entered  her  land  could  "walk  about 
 Zion,"  and  learn  something  of  the 
 worship  of  Jehovah  and  the  sacred 
 oracles ;  whereas  those  people  among 
 whom  Judah  was  dispersed  could 
 "  diligently  learn  the  ways  of  My  people, 
 to  swear  by  My  name"  (ver.  16).  It 
 offered  them  opportunity. 
 
 2.  The  results  2}roved  a  blessing  to  the 
 heathen.  Many  were  converted  to  the 
 Lord.  So  our  Lord's  crucifixion.  His 
 prayer  for  His  enemies,  availed  to  the 
 conquest  of  some  who  saw  and  heard. 
 The  dispersion  of  the  Early  Church  by 
 Saul  led  to  the  conversion  of  many 
 elsewhere.  Foes  are  being  won  to-day 
 even  while  assailing  truth  and  ill-using 
 Christ's  followers. 
 
 3.  Converted  enemies  tvould  then  he- 
 come  united  tvith  God's  people :  "  Be 
 built  in  the  midst  of  My  people  "  (ver. 
 16) ;  a  place  given  to  them  within  her 
 borders,  and  a  share  in  her  spiritual 
 privileges:  Gentiles  gathered  into  Israel; 
 sinners  and  even  enemies  drawn  into 
 Christ's  Church.  "  He  who  persecuted 
 the  Church  in  times  past  now  preacheth 
 the  faith  which  once  he  destroyed" 
 (Gal.  i.  23).     (Addenda  on  verse.) 
 
 256 
 
 Ver.  15.    jT/iewie  .•  Progressive  acts 
 
 OP  REDEMPTION. 
 
 The  complete  work  of  Divine  grace 
 is  not  effected  in  one  act ;  it  distributes 
 itself  into  distinct  parts,  sometimes  into 
 distant  periods.  As  in  the  instance  of 
 these  Jews  and  their  neighbours,  so  in 
 the  experience  of  the  sinner,  God's 
 redeeming  work  is  accomplished  by 
 progressive  stages. 
 
 I.  Rescue.  "  I  have  pluched  them 
 out."  Divine  deliverance — from  wrong 
 scenes,  alien  countries;  or  "from  the 
 horrible  pit  and  miry  clay;"  or 
 "  plucked  as  a  brand  from  the  burn- 
 ing ; "  or  "  delivered  from  the  bondage 
 of  corruption ;"  or  "  translated  from  the 
 power  of  darkness  into  the  kingdom  of 
 God's  dear  Son."  In  any  aspect  of  the 
 experience,  it  is  the  initial  incident  in 
 the  process  of  redemption — rescue. 
 
 II.  Reconciliation.  "I  will  return, 
 and  have  compassion  on  them."  The 
 coming  back  of  the  alienated  God  to  the 
 rescued  soul.  Not  in  judgment,  nor  to 
 mark  iniquity,  nor  to  chide,  but  to  cover 
 over  the  whole  evil  past  with  the  fulness 
 of  Divine  "  compassion."  Blotting  out 
 transgression,  drawing  the  rescued  one 
 near  to  the  personal  love  of  God  in  ex- 
 perience of  renewed  favour.  "  0  Lord, 
 I  will  praise  Thee;  though. Thou  wast 
 angry  with  me,  Thine  anger  is  turned 
 away,  and  Thou  comfortest  me."  "  God 
 was  in  Christ,  reconciling  the  world  unto 
 Himself,  not  imputing  their  trespasses 
 unto  them." 
 
 III.  Restitution.  "  I  will  bring 
 them  again,  every  man  to  his  heritage, 
 and  every  man  to  his  land.''  What  sin 
 had  forfeited  grace  will  restore.  All 
 which  we  have  lost  by  alienation  from 
 God — peace,  purity,  happiness,  holiness, 
 heaven,  is  restored  by  redemption.  1. 
 Individual  restitution  :  "  every  man  ; " 
 for  God  overlooks  none,  not  even  "  the 
 least  of  all  saints."  2.  Complete  restitu- 
 tion :  "  to  his  heritage"  the  blessings  to 
 which  he  was  born ;  the  comforts  and 
 joys  and  privileges  which  would  always 
 have  remained  man's  but  for  his  self- 
 impoverishing  sinfulness :  "  Father, 
 give  me  the  portion  of  goods  that  faUeth 
 to  me."  Also,  "  to  his  land,''  the  home 
 and  destiny  for  which  his  heart  craves. 
 
no  MI  LET  10  COMMENTARY:  JEREMIAH. 
 
 CHAP.  XII. 
 
 And  "  our  conversation  is  in  heaven." 
 "  Every  one  of  them  shall  appear  in 
 Zion  before  God." 
 
 Ver.  16.  T/i(?me  ,•  Aliens  UNITED  IN 
 THE  Church. 
 
 And  these  were  mutually  antagon- 
 istic. 1.  Politically:  "Judah,"  and 
 *'  evil  neighbours ;  "  a  historic  antipathy 
 estranged  them,  a  national  enmity  sepa- 
 rated them.  2.  Religiously:  each  re- 
 pudiated the  other's  religion,  and  derided 
 their  object  or  objects  of  worship.  They 
 were  determined,  avowed,  and  implac- 
 able foes. 
 
 Is  there  any  meeting-place  of  union, 
 any  common  centre  of  reconciliation  for 
 such  1  Yes,  in  Christ ;  in  the  Church  of 
 Emmanuel,  "  Other  sheep  I  have,  which 
 are  not  of  this  fold ;  them  also  will  I 
 bring,  that  there  may  be  one  fold  and 
 one  Shepherd." 
 
 I.  The  standard  of  qualification.  All 
 must  "  learn  the  ways  "  of  God's  people, 
 and  "  swear  by  Jehovah's  name." 
 
 1.  Renewal  of  life.  "  Cast  off  the 
 works  of  darkness,  and  put  on  the 
 armour  of  light."  To  "  learn  the  ways  " 
 of  God's  people  implies  antijMthy  re- 
 moved, the  mind  and  heart  allured  to 
 assent  to  a  *'  neivness  of  life,^'  and  so 
 full  a  reformation  of  conduct  as  to  be- 
 come assimilated  to  God's  people — (a.) 
 In  practical  godliness;  (b.)  in  homage 
 and  service  of  the  Lord.  For  "  the 
 ways "  of  God's  people  are  these — 
 holy  living  and  godly  service. 
 
 2.  Allegiance  to  the  Lord.  "  Swear 
 by  My  name,  the  Lord  liveth "  (comp. 
 notes  on  chap.  iv.  2).  This  means  (a) 
 renunciation  of  other  gods ;  (b)  loyal 
 attachment  to  Jehovah ;  (c)  open  pro- 
 fession of  religion. 
 
 II.  The  process  of  preparation. 
 "  Learn." 
 
 1.  By  observation.  Seeing  what 
 Judah  did.  Men  watch  the  righteous, 
 and  feel  the  force  of  example.  The 
 Christian  life  is  as  a  "  light  shining  in 
 darkness  ; "  men  "  see  their  good  works," 
 are  influenced  by  the  piety  of  their 
 walk  ;  and  antagonism  dies  as  they  ob- 
 serve their  "  ways." 
 
 2.  By  imitation.  From  the  example 
 of  the  Jews  among  these  "  neighbours  " 
 
 there  would  be  going  out  the  continual 
 call,  *'  Come  with  us,  we  will  do  you 
 good ;  for  the  Lord  hath  spoken  good 
 concerning  His  people."  Also,  persuasive 
 u'ords  of  teaching  and  entreaty  could  be 
 spoken  to  those  who  were  without,  in- 
 viting them  to  join  with  God's  people. 
 And  thus  they  would  "learn  the  ways," 
 and  adopt  them.  Even  as  these 
 heathen  had  beforetime  "  taught  Judah 
 to  swear  by  Baal,"  and  thus  allured 
 them  from  Jehovah. 
 
 Qualification  is  progressive  :  it  is  the 
 issue  of  learning.  The  alien  becomes 
 transformed  by  a  gradual  process  into  a 
 "  fellow-citizen  of  the  saints  and  of  the 
 household  of  God." 
 
 III.  The  realisation  of  union.  "They 
 shall  be  built  in  the  midst  of  My 
 people."  The  stranger  and  the  citizen 
 established  in  Zion.  The  foe  of  Christ 
 united  to  His  followers  in  the  Church. 
 "  One  in  Christ  Jesus."  *'  Gathered 
 together  in  one." 
 
 L  Alienations  and  distinctions  are 
 annihilated  there.  A  sacred  sympathy 
 and  a  common  heritage  in  God's  grace 
 obliterate  all  antipathies.  Nationality 
 is  lost  in  realisation  of  a  heavenly  citi- 
 zenship :  "  there  is  neither  Jew  nor 
 Greek,  circumcised  nor  uncircumcised, 
 barbarian,  Scythian,  bond  or  free,  but 
 all  are  one  in  Christ  Jesus." 
 
 2.  A  common  Divine  relationship 
 unites  alt  together.  "  Built  in  the 
 midst  of  My  people" — i.e.,  identified 
 with  and  included  among  "  My  people." 
 "  All  ye  are  brethren."  "  One  family, 
 we  dwell  in  Him."  The  Church  of 
 Christ  is  on  earth  the  meeting-place  of 
 all,  irrespective  of  nationality  or  social 
 gradation,  who  belong  to  the  brotherhood 
 and  household  of  faith. 
 
 Ver.  17.  Theme:  The  issue  of  per- 
 sistent ALIENATION. 
 
 God  opened  the  door  of  reconciliation 
 to  them  :  His  people  would  have  taught 
 them  their  "  ways  ;  "  they  might  have 
 become  partakers  of  all  Judah's  privi- 
 leges, and  found  a  place  within  Zioii. 
 But  repudiating  all,  nothing  remained 
 but  complete  overthrow  and  destruction. 
 No  place  among  God's  people  means 
 outcast,  abandoned,  destroyed. 
 
 257 
 
CHAP.  XII. 
 
 EOMILETIC  COMMENTARY:  JEREMIAH. 
 
 I.  A  defiant  will.  Not  powerless 
 to  "obey,"  but  determination  '^ not"  to 
 obey  :  deliberate  resistance  of  Judah's 
 persuasions,  and  rejection  of  Divine  op- 
 portunity. Refused  to  "learn"  or  "obey." 
 
 II.  An  alarming  penalty.  The 
 issue  of  such  defiance  is  made  clear  :  no 
 
 equivocation.     "I  have  set  before  you 
 life  and  death." 
 
 III.  A  terrible  punishment.  "I 
 will  utterly  pluck  up  and  destroy." 
 "  Punished  with  everlasting  destruction 
 from  the  presence  of  the  Lord,  and  from 
 the  glory  of  His  power." 
 
 ADDENDA  TO  CHAPTER  XII. :  ILLUSTRATIONS  AND  SUGGESTIVE  EXTRACTS. 
 
 Ver.  1.  Talking  with  Grod.  Never 
 shall  we  be  lonely,  never  have  to  com- 
 plain of  want  of  companionship,  if  we 
 acquire  this  blessed  habit  of  talking 
 with  God.  There  was  an  old  Scotchman 
 sitting  by  his  humble  fire,  and  a  visitor 
 asked  him  if  he  was  not  lonesome 
 sitting  there  all  day,  and  he  said,  "  Nae, 
 nae;  I  just  sit' here  clacking  wi' Jesus." 
 When  we  remember  that  "clacking" 
 is  with  the  Scotch  the  word  for  friendly 
 talking,  it  will  be  seen  there  was  no 
 irreverence  in  the  old  man's  words,  but 
 something  to  be  envied  and  admired. — 
 Power. 
 
 Many,  with  the  best  intentions,  pro- 
 pounded that  God  is  too  great  to  attend 
 to  our  little  things  ;  and  all  kindred  theo- 
 ries have  one  point  at  least  in  common, 
 viz.,  the  idea  that  close  converse  could  not 
 be  held  with  God,  that  He  could  not  be 
 spoken  to  at  all  times  by  plain  folk,  in 
 a  plain  way,  about  things. — Idem. 
 
 There  is  such  a  thing  as  talking  with 
 God.  It  is  said,  in  that  venerable  old 
 record,  that  "in  the  cool  of  the  day 
 God  walked  in  the  garden,  and  called 
 to  Adam."  I  know  one  thing,  that  that 
 same  habit  has  continued  to  this  day, 
 for  I  have  in  the  cool  of  the  day,  on  the 
 hillside,  a  hundred  times  talked  with 
 Him  too.  God  is  accustomed  to  come 
 down  ;  He  makes  Himself,  by  the  power 
 of  the  Holy  Ghost,  a  guest.  There  is 
 such  a  thing  as  communion  with  Christ, 
 as  one  speaketh  to  a  friend  face  to  face. 
 — Beecher. 
 
 "  When  one  that  holds  communion  with  the 
 
 skies 
 Has  filled  his  urn  where  those  pure  waters 
 
 rise, 
 And  once  more   mingles  with   us  meaner 
 
 things, 
 'Tis  e'en  as  if  an  angel  shook  his  wings  : 
 Immortal  fragrance  fills  the  circuit  wide, 
 That    tells    us  whence    his    treasures  are 
 
 supplied." — CowrER. 
 358 
 
 God's  judgments.  The  heavier  the 
 cannon,  with  the  more  difficulty  are 
 they  drawn ;  but  when  arrived,  they 
 recompense  the  slowness  of  their  march 
 by  the  fierceness  of  their  battery.  The 
 longer  the  stone  is  in  falling,  the  more 
 it  will  bruise  and  grind  to  powder. 
 There  is  a  great  treasure  of  wrath  laid 
 up'by  the  abuse  of  patience. — CharnocJc. 
 
 Thy  judgments,  saith  the  prophet, 
 are  sometimes  secret,  always  just;  this 
 I  am  well  assured  of,  though  I  thus 
 argue.  Yet  let  me  talk  with  thee  of  thy 
 judgments ;  let  me  take  the  humble 
 boldness  so  to  do,  that  I  may  be  further 
 cleared  and  instructed  by  Thee.  Where- 
 fore doth  the  way  of  the  wicked  prosper, 
 whilst  better  men  suff'er,  as  now  the 
 wicked  Anathothites  do,  whilst  I  go  in 
 danger  of  my  life  by  them  ?  This  ques- 
 tion hath  exercised  the  wits  and 
 molested  the  minds  of  many  wise  men, 
 both  within  and  without  the  Church. 
 (See  Job  xxi.  7-13;  Ps.  xxxvii.  1, 
 Ixxiii.  1-12;  Hab.  i.  4,  5.)  Plato, 
 Cicero,  Seneca,  Epictetus,  Claudian 
 against  Ruffin,  &c. — Trapp. 
 
 Prosperity  of  the  wicked.  Satan 
 with  ease  puts  fallacies  upon  us  by  his 
 golden  baits,  and  then  he  leads  us  and 
 leaves  us  in  a  fool's  paradise.  The 
 world  hath  by  the  glistering  of  her 
 pomp  and  preferment  slain  millions ; 
 as  the  serpent  Scytale,  which,  when 
 she  cannot  overtake  the  fleeting  pas- 
 sengers, doth  with  her  beautiful  colours 
 astonish  and  amaze  them,  so  that  they 
 have  no  power  to  pass  away  till  she  have 
 stung  them  to  death.  Adversity  hath 
 slain  her  thousands,  but  prosperity  her 
 ten  thousand. — Brooks. 
 
 It  is  the  bright  day  that  brings 
 out  the  adder.  .  .  .  Too  much  sail  is 
 dangerous.  ...  A  coat  too  richly  em- 
 broidered  only  encumbers  the  wearer. 
 
HOMILETIC  COMMENTARY :  JEREMIAH. 
 
 CHAP.   XII, 
 
 .  .  .  Too  much  sunshine  weakens  the 
 eyes. 
 
 Ver.  3.  God's  knowledge  op  the 
 HEART.  There  is  a  recent  application  of 
 electricity  by  which,  under  the  influence 
 of  its  powerful  light,  the  body  can  be 
 so  illuminated  as  that  the  workings 
 beneath  the  skin  can  be  seen.  Lift  up 
 the  hand  and  it  will  appear  almost 
 translucent,  the  bones  and  veins  clearly 
 appearing.  It  is  so  in  some  sort  with 
 God's  introspection  of  the  human  heart. 
 His  eye,  which  shines  brighter  than  the 
 sun,  searches  us  and  discovers  us  alto- 
 gether.— Pilkington. 
 
 Ver.  4,  "  He  shall  kot  see  our 
 LAST  END."  God  shall  not,  and  so  they 
 deny  His  providence  and  prescience ; 
 or  the  prophet  shall  not,  though  now  he 
 thunder  out  our  punishment  with  so 
 great  vehemence. — Trapp. 
 
 Mercury  could  not  kill  Argus  till  he 
 had  cast  him  into  a  sleep,  and  with  an 
 enchanted  rod  closed  his  eyes  ;  and  the 
 devil  cannot  hurt  any  man  till  he  has 
 lulled  him  asleep  in  security. — Playter. 
 
 Ver.  5.  "  What  wilt  thou  do  1 " 
 We  should  quit  ourselves  like  men,  and 
 not  be  perturbed  by  little  rivulets  ;  for 
 if  these  sweep  us  away,  what  shall  we 
 do  when  Jordan  is  swollen  to  the  brim, 
 and  we  have  to  pass  through  that '? 
 When  one  of  the  martyrs,  whose  name 
 is  the  somewhat  singular  one  of  Pom- 
 mely  [^Trapp  gives  it  as  William  Cob- 
 berly,]  was  confined  previous  to  his 
 burning,  his  wife  was  also  taken  up 
 upon  the  charge  of  heresy.  The  good 
 woman  had  resolved  to  die  with  her 
 husband,  and  she  appeared,  as  far  as 
 most  people  could  judge,  to  be  very 
 firm  in  her  faith.  But  the  jailor's  wife, 
 though  she  had  no  religion,  took  a 
 merciful  view  of  the  case  as  far  as  she 
 could  do  so,  and  thought,  "  I  am  afraid 
 this  woman  will  never  stand  the  test, 
 she  will  never  brave  death  with  her 
 husband ;  she  has  neither  faith  nor 
 strength  to  endure  such  a  trial ; "  and 
 therefore,  one  day  calling  her  out  of  the 
 cell,  she  said  to  her,  "  Lass,  run  to  the 
 garden  and,  fetch  me  the  key  that  lies 
 there."  The  poor  woman  ran  willingly 
 enough  ;  she  took  the  key  up  and  it 
 burned  her  fingers,  for  the  jailor's  wife 
 
 had  made  it  red  hot;  she  came  back 
 crying  with  pain.  "  Ah,  woman,"  said 
 she,  "  if  you  cannot  bear  a  little  burn 
 in  your  hand,  how  will  you  bear  to  be 
 burnt  in  your  whole  body  ] "  and  this 
 brought  her  to  recant  the  faith  she  had 
 professed.  I  apply  the  story  thus  :  If 
 we  cannot  bear  the  trifling  pangs  which 
 come  upon  us  in  our  ordinary  circum- 
 stances, which  are  but  as  it  were  the 
 burning  of  our  hands,  what  shall  we  do 
 when  every  pulse  beats  pain,  and  every 
 throb  is  an  agony,  and  the  whole  tene- 
 ment begins  to  crumble  about  the 
 spirit  that  is  so  soon  to  be  disturbed  ? — 
 C.  H.  Spurgeon,  comp.  Trapp  on  verse. 
 
 "  I  have  no  hope  in  what  I  have 
 been  or  done,"  said  Dr.  Doddridge  on 
 his  dying  bed,  "  yet  I  am  full  of  confi- 
 dence ;  and  this  is  my  confidence  :  there 
 is  hope  set  before  me.  I  have  fled,  I 
 still  fly,  for  refuge  to  that  hope.  In  Him 
 I  trust,  in  Him  I  have  strong  consola- 
 tion, and  shall  assuredly  be  accepted 
 in  this  Beloved  of  my  soul." 
 
 Ver.  14.  Converted  enemies.  It  is 
 recorded  of  a  Chinese  emperor,  that,  on 
 being  apprised  of  his  enemies  having 
 raised  an  insurrection  in  one  of  the  dis- 
 tant provinces,  he  said  to  the  officers, 
 "  Come,  follow  me,  and  we  will  quickly 
 destroy  them."  He  marched  forward, 
 and  the  rebels  submitted  at  his  ap- 
 proach. All  now  thought  that  he 
 would  take  the  most  signal  revenge,  but 
 were  surprised  to  see  the  captives 
 treated  with  mildness  and  humanity. 
 "  How  ! "  cried  the  first  minister,  "  is 
 this  the  manner  in  which  you  carry  out 
 your  threat  1  Your  royal  word  was 
 given  that  your  enemies  should  be  de- 
 stroyed, and  behold  you  have  pardoned 
 them  all,  and  even  caressed  some  of 
 them."  "  I  promised,"  replied  the 
 emperor,  with  a  generous  air,  "  to 
 destroy  my  enemies.  I  have  fulfilled 
 my  word ;  for  see,  they  are  enemies  no 
 longer.     I  have  made  friends  of  them." 
 
 Ver.  15.  "Every  man  to  his  heri- 
 tage." To  the  Church ;  for  in  every 
 nation  he  that  feareth  God  and  worketh 
 righteousness  shall  be  accepted  of  Him, 
 shall  have  a  child's  part,  even  the  reward 
 of  inheritance. — Trapp. 
 
 Ver.  16.  Union  in  the  Church. 
 L'59 
 
CH AP.  xiM.  EOMILETIC  COMMENTARY :  JEREMIA H. 
 
 When  mankind  depart  from  God,  they  Ver.  17.  The  issue  of  defiance. 
 
 lose  the  bond  of  unity  and  peace.     They      ,,  ^^^^  ,  ^^  ^^^^  warned,  but  we  recked  not 
 
 are  divided  then  into  parties,  which  con-  the  warning,  , 
 
 tend  with  and  exterminate  each  other  ;  Till  our  warriors  grcAv  weak  in  the  day 
 
 but  when  these  have  again  united  them-  ^    ^     o^  despair, 
 
 selves  with  the  Lord,  the  unity  of  the  ^        morning, 
 
 members  is  restored.     Therefore,  there  ^hat  gleams  for  a  moment,  and  melts 
 
 is  liberty,  equality,  fraternity   only  in  into  air."  —Dale. 
 
 the  Lord. — Naegelsba:h. 
 
 CHAPTER  XIII. 
 
 Crittcal  and  Exegetical  Notes. — 1.  Chronology  of  the  Chapter.  The  reference  in  ver. 
 18  to  the  "queen"  is  regarded  as  determining  the  date  of  this  chapter.  Ewald,  Hitzig, 
 Umbreit,  Dahler,  Hend.,  and  Dr.  Payne  Smith  agree  in  identifying  her  as  Nehushta,  the 
 queen-mother  of  Jehoiachin.  For,  although  it  is  conjectural  whether  Jehoiachin  (Jeconiah) 
 was  eighteen  years  of  age  at  his  accession  (see  2  Kings  xxiv.  8)  or  only  eight  (comp.  2  Chron. 
 xxxvi.  9),  certainly  his  mother  shared  with  him  the  responsibilities  of  royalty  and  of  govern- 
 ment; and  together  the  mother  and  son  were  dethroned:  of  which  event  this  verse  is  peculiarly 
 descriptive.  But  Keil  and  Bleek  incline  to  put  the  prophecy  in  Jehoiakim's  reign,  explaining 
 that  the  "queen,"  his  mother  Zebuda,  in  common  with  all  queen-mothers,  would  retain 
 prominence  and  power  (comp.  1  Kings  xv.  13  ;  2  Kings  x.  13),  and  the  mention  of  her  does 
 not  necessarily  imply  the  king's  minority.  The  reason  for  preferring  Jehoiakim's  reign  to  that 
 of  his  successor  Jehoiachin,  is  that  after  the  fourth  year  of  Jehoiakim's  reign  the  northern  foe  is 
 uniformly  definitely  spoken  of  as  the  Chaldeans  ;  whereas  in  this  chapter  the  allusion  is  inde- 
 terminate. But  there  is  a  general  appropriateness  in  this  whole  chapter  to  Jehoiachin's  reign 
 which  prevails  to  fix  its  date:  i.e.,  B.C.  597  ;  or,  according  to  Assyrian  chronology,  B.C.  579. 
 
 2.  Cotemporary  Scriptures. — 2  Kings  xxiv.  8-16;  2  Chron.  xxxvi.  9,  10. 
 
 3.  National  Affairs. — Jehoiachin  abandoned  himself  to  flagrant  ungodliness  immediately 
 upon  his  accession  ;  and  as  promptly  asserted  his  revulsion  from  the  now  Chaldean  domination, 
 for  only  three  months  pass  ere  we  find  Nebuchadnezzar's  generals  again  besieging  Jerusalem. 
 The  power  of  resistance  was  gone  ;  help  from  Egypt  was  no  longer  available  after  the  defeat 
 at  Charchemish,  while  also  the  harassing  inroads  of  the  "evil  neighbours"  (see  on  chap.  xii. 
 14)  had  kept  the  Jews  in  irretrievable  subjection.  Consequently,  without  offering  more  than 
 a  show  of  resistance  the  king  and  queen-dowager  surrendered  themselves,  and  both  they  and 
 the  princes,  troops,  artificers,  and  principal  inhabitants  of  Jerusalem,  together  with  Ezekiel  the 
 prophet,  were  carried  captive  to  Babylon  (comp.  2  Kings  xxiv.  14-16  ;  Jer.  lii.  28). 
 
 4.  Cotemporary  History. — Egypt  prostrate  under  Chaldean  ascendancy.  Nebuchadnezzar 
 incited  arnied  bands  of  the  Moabites,  Ammonites,  &c.,  to  frequent  incursions  of  Judea,  thus 
 maintaining  bis  conquest,  and  keeping  the  Jews  impotent  and  defenceless. 
 
 5.  Geographical  Eeferences. — Ver.  4.  "  Euphrates :"  here  ca.\led  Pkrath ;  most  frequently 
 mentioned  simply  as  "the  river."  It  was  distinctively  the  river  of  Western  Asia,  rising  in  the 
 Armenian  Mountains,  flowing  through  the  wildest  districts  of  Armenia  by  a  tortuous  course 
 towards  the  Mediterranean,  diverted  by  the  ranges  of  Amanus  and  Lebanon,  whence  it  moves 
 onward  for  above  1000  miles  towards  the  Persian  Gulf:  its  entire  course  being  calculated  at 
 1780  miles,  1200  miles  of  which  is  navigable  by  boats.  An  annual  inundation  occurs  in  May, 
 occasioned  by  the  melting  snows  on  the  Armenian  heights.  Mentioned  as  one  of  the  four  rivers 
 of  Eden  (Gen  ii.  14).  See  Lit.  Crit.  on  verse,  below.  Ver  19.  "  Cities  of  the  South:"  Grotius 
 regards  this  as  a  reference  to  Egypt  (comp.  Isa.  xxx.  6  ;  Dan.  xi.  5),  indicating  that  no  help 
 could  come  to  them  from  thence.  More  properly,  the  southern  cities  of  Judah,  which  are 
 biocknded  by  the  enemy:  hence  flight  to  the  south  is  no  longer  possible  (see  on  chap.  vi.  1). 
 
 6.  Personal  Allusions. — Ver.  18.  "The  king  and  the  queen":  see  supra,  on  Chronology  of  the 
 Chapter.  Ver.  23.  "Ethiopian :  "  Heb.  Cushite  :  "  inhabitant  of  Abyssinia,  or  the  African  Cush  " 
 (Hend. ).  The  Cushite  of  Arabia,  whose  colour  would  not  be  so  swarthy  in  comparison  with  the 
 inhabitant  of  Palestine  as  to  render  the  reference  to  "  his  skin "  specially  significant,  could 
 scarcelj- be  here  meant;  but  the  Cushite  of  Africa,  i.e.,  the  negro,  would  supply  at  once  an 
 emphatic  suggestion. 
 
 7.  Natural  History.— Ver,  23.  "The  leopard  his  spots:"  see  on  chap.  v.  6.  The  ordinary 
 Hebrew  word  for  leopard  is  ")QJ,  so  called  from  being  spotted.   But  in  this  verse  the  word  is 
 
 J^^  '^  J^U,  from  the  root  '^^T^    to  be  marked  with  stripes  or  lines,  variegated :  the  striped 
 
 panther.     As  the  Hebrews  had  no  name  for  the  tiger,  this  animal  was  probably  comprised  by 
 them  under  the  same  descriptive  word. 
 
 260 
 
BOM  I  LET  IC  COMMENTARY :  JEREMIAH.  cfiAP.  xiii. 
 
 8,  Manners  and  Customs. — Ver.  1.  "Linen  girdle:"  the  common  girdle,  worn  by  both  sexes 
 in  the  East,  was  of  leather;  the  linen  girdle  was  sometimes  embroidered  with  either  silk,  gold, 
 or  silver  thread,  and  studded  with  gems,  fastened  with  a  clasp  of  silver  or  gold.  Vei*.  11. 
 "The  girdle  cleaveth  to  the  loins  of  a  man:"  comp.  Isa.  v.  27,  xi.  5.  Ver.  12.  "Every  hottle 
 shall  he  filled  with  ivine : "  various  words  rendered  ' '  bottle : "  nod,  chemeth,  oh,  chemah',  hakhuk\ 
 and  nehel:  by  these  two  latter  probably  earthen  vessels  are  denoted;  nebel  being  rendered 
 (Lam.  iv.  2)  by  "pitchers  ;"  for  evidently  other  bottles  than  those  made  of  skin  and  leather 
 were  in  common  use  (Jer.  xix.  1);  while  also  these  "bottles  filled  with  wine"  could  be 
 ^'dashed  one  against  another"  (ver.  14).  The  word  is  more  appropriately  rendered  ^'ar,  the 
 "potter's  vessel''  of  Isa.  xxx.  14.  Ver.  22.  ".Skirts  discovered,  and  heels  made  bare:"  allusion 
 to  "the  long  flowing  robes  (^Iti^  is  a  train  rather  than  a  skirt)  worn  by  ladies  of  rank" 
 (Speaker's  Com.).  These  robes  would  be  violently  upturned  (c/.  ver.  26):  B.end.  =  "  thrown 
 up:"  and  the  heels  made  hare,  rather  ill-used,  roughly  treated:  Hend.  =:her  sandals  torn  off 
 with  violence:  Chr.  B.  Michaelis^: loading  the  feet  with  chains:  Hitzig  =  affront  done  to  the 
 person  suggested  by  mention  of  the  heels:  Keil  and  Payne  Smiths  she  would  be  driven  forth 
 into  exile  barefoot,  with  violence  and  the  rod.  Cf.  Nahum  iii.  5.  It  describes  "an  ancient 
 mode  of  punishing  prostitutes"  (Heud.).  Ver.  27.  " Neighing s  :"  cf.  notes  on  chap.  v.  8.  "On 
 the  hills  in  the  field : "  in  the  most  conspicuous  localities  she  had  carried  on  an  incestuous  traffic 
 with  idols,  revelling  in  the  shameless  heathen  orgies  (cf.  Notes  on  chap.  ii.  24,  v.  7). 
 
 9.  Literary  Criticisms.— Ver.  4.  "Euphrates:"  ilii"13.  The  LXX.,Vulg.,  and  other  ancient 
 versions  give  Phrath  as  Euphrates.  The  word  occurs  in  fifteen  other  places  ;  in  twelve 
 instances  the  word  river  is  prefixed.;  in  three  it  stands,  as  in  this  chapter,  alone ;  and  in  all 
 those  cases  Phrath  means  the  Euphrates.  But  the  word  Phrath  is  here  used  (vera.  4-7)  four 
 times,  and  not  once  is  the  word  river  added  ;  and  this  difficulty,  the  LXX.  met  by  supplying 
 TTorafidy.  Bochart,  Venema,  Dathe,  Hitzig,  Henderson,  and  others  prefer  to  take  Phrath  as  an 
 abbreviation  of  Ephrath,  /^"^^^i  the  original  name  of  Bethlehem.  This  rendering  avoids  the 
 difficulty  of  the  fact  that  a  journey  of  over  200  miles  would  have  had  to  be  taken  twice  by 
 Jeremiah  if  the  Euphrates  be  meant ;  whereas  Bethlehem  was  distant  but  six  miles.  Ver.  18. 
 "The  queen:"  TW^^  the  great-lady;  once  applied  to  the  queen-regnant  (1  Kings  xi.  19), 
 but  usually  means  the  queen-mother  (Speaker's  Com.).  "As  the  Jewish  kings  generally  rnar- 
 ried  subjects  and  lived  in  polygamy,  the  king's  mother  took  precedence  of  his  wives"  (Hitzig). 
 "  Yov,r  principalities:"  DD''Jn^N1D  i.e.,  the  ornaments  of  your  head,  namely,  your  splendid 
 crown.  Ver.  21.  "to  he  captains,  chief  over  thee:"  Keil  and  Speaker's  Com.  render  the  verse. 
 What  wilt  thou  say,  when  (or  if)  He  set  over  thee  for  head  (for  a  head)  those  whom  thou  hast  taught 
 to  be  thy  bosom  friends  (hast  accustomed  to  thee  as  thy  familiar  friends)  ?  The  Jews  had  courted 
 the  friendly  aUiance  of  the  Chaldean  king  and  princes ;  now  they  would  become  their  tyrannical 
 rulers.  The  translation  of  the  verse  turns  upon  the  meaning  given  to  D^pTJ:^,  rendered  in 
 A.V.  "captains."  Luther,  and  after  him  Gesenius,  Rosen.,  and  Lange  render  it  princes— 
 "Whom  thou  hast  trained  to  be  princes  over  thee:"  this  meaning  is  sustained  in  Gen.  xxvi.  15, 
 Zech.  ix.  7.  But  its  more  ordinary  signification  is  familiar,  friend  {of.  Psa.  Iv.  14,  Prov.  xvi. 
 28,  Mic.  vii.  5).  It  occurs  in  chap.  xi.  19,  tame,  domesticated  (see  Notes  in  loc).  Ver.  25. 
 "Trusted  in  falsehood:"  cf.  Notes  on  chap.  x.  8.  Ver.  27.  "  When  shall  it  once  6e.»"— Lit, 
 After  how  long  yet!  A  conjectural  outlook  on  the  far  distant  purification  of  the  now  polluted 
 nation. 
 
 HOMILIES  ON  SECTIONS  OF  CHAPTER  XIII. 
 
 Vers.    1-11.  An  acted  parable — the  spoiled  linen  girdle. 
 ,,     12-17.  A  parable  in  speech— intoxicating  judgments. 
 ,,     18-27.  An  iniquitous  nation  openly  degraded. 
 
 Vers.  1-11.  An  Acted  Parable — the  Spoiled  Linen  Girdle. 
 
 Symbolic  acts  sometimes  teach  more  impressively  than  eloquent  words.  A  clean 
 linen  girdle  purchased  and  worn,  but  never  washed :  then  carried  away  to  the 
 Euphrates  and  buried  for  many  days  :  finally  disinterred,  found  to  be  marred,  and 
 pronounced  worthless.  Thus  facts  are  portrayed  to  Jeremiah's  observers :  Judah 
 girded  into  closest  connection  with  Jehovah,  yet  her  impurity  was  never  removed  : 
 in  consequence  she  was  to  be  carried  to  Babylon  and  lost  among  the  heathen  for  a 
 long  period:  ultimately,  when  brought  back,  she  is  found  "profitable  for  nothing  :" 
 "  For  as  the  girdle  cleaveth  to  the  loins  of  a  man,  so  have  I  catised  to  cleave  unto  Me 
 the  whole  house  of  Israel  and  the  ivhole  home  of  Judah,  saith  the  Lord  ;  that  they 
 
 ■2QI 
 
CHAP.  xiii.  EOMILETIC  COMMENTARY:  JEREMIAH. 
 
 might  he  unto  Me  for  a  people,  and  for  a  name,  caul  for  a  praise,  and  for  a  glory; 
 but  they  woidd  not  hear." 
 
 Note. — Great  contention  among  commentators  whether  this  journey  to  Euph- 
 rates was  actiial  or  merely  visionary.  It  is  objected  to  the  occurrence  being  literal, 
 that  the  Euphrates  was  nearly  250  miles  distant,  that  two  journeys  would  have 
 entailed  long  absence  of  the  prophet  from  the  scene  of  his  urgent  ministry. 
 Several  scholars,  to  avoid  this  supposed  difficulty,  incline  to  the  locality  being  not 
 Euphrates  but  Ephratha,  as  being  near  at  hand  (see  Lit.  Crit.),  but  this  forfeits 
 the  whole  meaning  of  the  buried  girdle — God's  people  localised  and  lost  among 
 Babylonish  scenes.  Objections  to  its  being  merely  a  visionary  incident  are, — 1. 
 The  extreme  literalness  of  the  statement,  no  pretext  being  left  in  the  narrative  for 
 an  allegorical  interpretation  (see  ver.  5).  2.  The  lengthy  journey  was  a  small 
 matter  compared  with  the  vast  and  vivid  lessons  thereby  taught  to  Judah — that 
 she  would  be  carried  far  away  from  her  present  scenes  of  privilege,  and  be  lost  in 
 distant  exile.  3.  Also  Jeremiah's  visits  to  the  scene  of  his  nation's  approaching  cap- 
 tivity would  supply  him  with  valuable  information  ready  against  the  emergency, 
 and  prove  deeply  impressive  to  his  own  spirit,  and  helpful  to  his  ministry.  Here 
 consider, 
 
 I.  How  closely  Jehovah  binds  His  chosen  people  to  Himself.  "As  the 
 girdle  cleaveth  to  the  loins  of  a  man  "  (ver.  11),  &c.  Though  their  banishment  was 
 becoming  imperative,  yet  God  here  testifies  His  attachment  to  them,  and  declares 
 He  had,  without  any  reserve,  bound  them  intimately  and  lovingly  to  Himself: 
 they  were  "a  people  near  unto  Him"  (Psa.  cxlviii.  14). 
 
 n.  The  sacred  character  which  His  people  bear  in  His  esteem.  "  Get  thee 
 a  linen  girdle  "  (ver.  1 ).  A  mistake  to  suppose  it  was  to  be  "  linen  "  because  it  was 
 to  be  worn  as  an  inner  garment  next  the  skin ;  though  that  might  be  impressive  of 
 the  close  union  of  His  people  with  the  Lord :  but  this  people — like  a  beautiful 
 girdle — was  to  be  "  for  a  name,  a  praise,  and  a  glory"  (ver.  11),  hence  worn  visibly 
 as  the  girdle  worn  by  the  wealthy  and  by  the  high  priest — a  thing  of  beauty.  But 
 its  being  "  linen  "  indicates  that  it  was  the  sacerdotal  girdle  ;  for  God's  people  were 
 to  Him  "a  kingdom  of  priests,  a  holy  nation"  (Exod.  xix.  6).  With  this  sacred 
 character  He  invested  them ;  for  He  designed  they  should  be  a  pure,  priestly,  con- 
 secrated people.     Even  as  are  Christ's  redeemed  ones  (1  Pet.  ii.  5). 
 
 III.  A  holy  people  are  capable  of  proving  an  adornment  to  Jehovah.  "  That 
 they  might  be  unto  Me  for  a  people,  and  for  a  name,  and  a  praise,  and  a  glory " 
 (ver.  11);  even  as  the  beautifully-wrought  girdle,  embroidered  with  silk  and  gold, 
 and  decorated  with  gems,  was  to  the  wearer  (1  Sam.  xviii.  4 ;  Dan.  x.  5 ;  Rev.  i. 
 13,  XV.  6),  and  as  the  "curious  girdle  of  the  ephod"  (Exod.  xxviii.  8)  was  a  work 
 of  exquisite  grace.  Note  :  God's  people  are  a  choice  and  beantifid  ivorh  (Eph.  ii. 
 10),  and  are  designed  to  adorn  and  glorify  Him. 
 
 IV.  Although  so  closely  identified  with  God,  impurity  was  contracted  by 
 His  people.  "Put  it  not  in  water"  (ver.  1).  Necessarily,  therefore,  the  girdle 
 became  soiled ;  and  from  its  defilement  it  was  not  cleansed.  How  truly  descrip- 
 tive of  Israel  and  Judah  !  The  longer  they  were  God's  people  the  less  pure  they 
 became.  Defilement  was  contracted,  and  their  state  became  increasingly  corrupt. 
 Pure  as  a  "linen  girdle"  when  first  bound  to  God,  they  grew  soiled,  stained,  filthy 
 with  wear.  Is  this  not  too  true  of  God's  people  still  1 — the  early  days  of  their 
 betrothment  were  their  best  and  holiest  days  {cf.  ii.  2,  3). 
 
 V.  Because  of  this  impurity  His  people  are  carried  away  from  holy  scenes 
 into  exile.  "  Arise,  go  to  Euphrates,  and  hide  it  there  in  a  hole  of  the  rock " 
 (ver.  4).  Canaan  was  chosen  for  the  residence  of  a  godly  nation ;  Jerusalem  was 
 the  place  of  God's  glory — "  Holiness  becometh  Thine  house,  0  God,  for  ever."  1. 
 Defilement  disqualifies  us  for  sacred  privileges.  2.  Impurity  sepaj-aies  God's  people 
 from  Him :  the  girdle  was  unclasjHd  from  the  prophet's  loins,  and  laid  aside  in  the 
 land  of   the  heathen;    for   "your  iniquities   have  separated,"   &c.    (Isa.  lix.    2). 
 
 262 
 
BOMILETIC  COMMENTARY :  JEREMIAB.  oaAi-.  xiii. 
 
 Defiled  souls  are,  in  God's  regard,  placed  among  the  heathen.  All  pride  and  self- 
 glorying  are  thereby  put  to  shame  (vers.  9,  10).  The  unclean  shall  not  stand 
 before  Him. 
 
 VI.  Banishment  from  God  is  a  pitiable  experience  for  His  people.  "  Behold 
 the  girdle  was  marred,  it  was  profitable  for  nothing."  Afflictions  sometimes  hal- 
 low the  spirit;  but  estrangement  from  God  never  brings  good  results.  Iniquity  in 
 *'  the  redeemed  of  the  Lord "  degrades  piety  altogether  and  dishonours  Jehovah. 
 A  fallen  Christian  can  never  be  any  honour  to  his  Master ;  he  may  be  recalled — as 
 these  banished  ones  were — but  he  is  "  marred,  profitable  for  nothing."  He  may 
 illustrate  God's  fathomless  grace  in  showing  how  poor  and  profitless  a  soul  may  be, 
 and  yet  be  saved ;  but  he  is  of  no  use  for  the  high  purpose  God  had  in  redeeming 
 him,  that  he  should  be  to  Him  for  a  name,  and  a  praise,  and  a  glory  I 
 
 The  Mystery  op  Election. 
 
 Naegelshach,  on  this  section,  remarks :  "  The  Lord  has  put  on  Israel  as  a  girdle 
 for  His  0W71  adornment  and  for  Israel's  highest  glory.  This  figure  is  unquestion- 
 ably one  of  the  most  precious  which  the  Scripture  employs  to  represent  the  mystery 
 of  election.  Elsewhere  Israel  is  called  Jehovah's  inheritance  (Deut.  iv.  20,  vii.  6), 
 His  wife  and  His  beloved  bride  (Hos.  ii.  16,  sqq. ;  Jer.  ii.  2),  His  first-born  son 
 (Exod.  iv.  22),  His  servant  (Isa.  xli.  8),  His  flock  (Jer.  xiii.  17),  His  vineyard 
 (Isa.  V.  7),  His  signet  ring  (Hag.  ii.  33).  Like  the  last  emblem,  the  girdle  also 
 denotes — 
 
 i.  The  closest  intimacy,     ii.  Indisjyensahle  service,     iii.  A  valuable  ornament. 
 
 But  great  as  is  the  love  which  the  Lord  thus  shows  to  Israel  in  calling  them  His 
 girdle,  as  great  is  the  severity  with  which  He  declares  that  the  honour  thus  receiveid 
 will  not  save  them  from  destruction. 
 
 Let  every  particular  Christian  Church  mark  this !  However  closely  it  may  be 
 attached  to  the  Lord,  this  saves  it  neither  from,  (1)  Liternal  corruption,  nor  from 
 (2)  External  judgment  (comp.  Luke  iii.  8,  9)." 
 
 Vers.  12-17.  A  Parable  in  Speech — Intoxicating  Judgments. 
 
 "  Every  bottle  shall  be  filled  with  wine.  ...  I  will  fill  all  the  inhabitants  of  this 
 land  .  .  .  with  drunkenness."  The  figure  is  not  understood  by  the  people,  they  see 
 not  its  deeper  significance  (ver.  12) ;  so  it  is  explained  by  Jehovah,  and  then 
 appears  terrible  in  import  (vers.  13,  14). 
 
 I.  The  Divine  parable  ominous  of  misery  and  ruin.  The  nation,  every  man, 
 should  be  filled  with  the  wine  of  God's  wrath,  and  in  a  drunken  frenzy  should 
 destroy  one  another.  The  highest  in  the  realm — *'  kings ; "  the  holiest  in  the 
 nation — "  priests  and  prophets ; "  all  classes  of  society — "  inhabitants  ; "  shall  be- 
 come mutually  destructive  of  the  state  and  nation  :  the  nation  would  become 
 factious  and  fanatical,  and  hurry  on  its  own  ruin. 
 
 1.  A  delirious  nation  :  "  filled  with  drunkenness,"  folly,  and  frenzy,  like  an  in- 
 toxicated man,  giddy,  blustering,  boastful,  and  violent. 
 
 2.  A  destructible  nation  :  "  every  bottle  ; "  brittle  vessels  :  with  all  their  arrog- 
 ance.    Easily  destroyed  ;  "  vessels  of  wrath  fitted  to  destruction." 
 
 3.  A  demented  nation:  "proud"  (ver.  15),  "my  soul  shall  weep  for  your 
 piride"  (ver.  17);  inflated  with  a  voluble  conceit,  arrogant,  even  in  their  degrada- 
 tion and  peril :  incapable  as  a  drunken  man  of  defending  himself,  yet  noisily  boast- 
 ful and  vain.     "  Whom  God  will  destroy — He  infatuates." 
 
 4.  A  desolated  nation:  "dash  them  one  against  another:"  the  wild  fury  of 
 drunken  frenzy  would  drive  the  nation  into  hostile  factions  and  ruinous  agitations ; 
 civil  contentions,  mutually  destructive,  "  dashing  one  against  another." 
 
 II.  The  prophet's  expostulation  admonitory  and  pathetic.  "  Hear  ye,  and 
 give  ear,"  &c.  (vers.  15-17) :  they  were  heedless  and  I'eckless. 
 
 263 
 
CHAP.  xm.  HOMILETIC  COMMENT AR  Y :  JEREMIA  B. 
 
 1.  He  appeals  to  the  high  authority  of  his  message  :  "the  Lord  hath  spoken." 
 They  had  repudiated  Jeremiah  :  now  they  had  to  do  with  Jehovah. 
 
 2.  He  exposes  the  secret  of  their  hardened  indifference:  "be  not  proud."  The 
 cause  of  their  contumacy  was  pride :  just  as  humility  is  the  spring  of  obedience, 
 pride  is  the. motive  to  refractoriness,  rebellion,  and  obstinate  impiety. 
 
 3.  He  annoxmces  the  remedy  for  their  evil  state:  "give  glory  to  the  Lord  your 
 God."  Their  apostacy  and  impenitence  must  be  abandoned  ;  for  by  ceasing  from  the 
 iniquity  that  displeases  and  dishonours  God  (Josh.  xvii.  19),  they  could  "  give  Him 
 glory."  Sin  is  an  assault  upon  Jehovah's  glory;  repentance  and  reconciliation 
 yield  Him  glory, 
 
 4.  An  alternative  is  x^resented  of  plaintive  misery :  "before  He  cause  darkness," 
 &c. — all  their  joys  and  comforts  covered  with  gloom  :  "  and  your  feet  stumble  upon 
 the  dark  mountains" — ivandering  bewildered  amid  terrors  and  perils:  "while  ye 
 look  for  light.  He  turn  it  into  the  shadow  of  death  " — all  hope  he  extinguished  in 
 the  dense  death-shade  of  despair :  "  and  make  it  grow  darkness  " — total  sinritual 
 night,  in  which  God  and  knowledge  of  Him  are  wholly  lost ;  "  darkness  covers 
 the  earth,  and  gross  darkness  the  people  "  (Isa.  Ix.  2). 
 
 5.  A  piteous  bewailing  over  his  ivretched  nation  (ver.  17).  (a.)  For  their  self- 
 ruinous  "  pride,"  he  would  weep  "  in  secret,"  for  very  shame  at  their  obdurate  sin. 
 (6.)  For  their  lamentable  desolation  his  eyes  would  "  weep  sore  "  in  open  grief,  be- 
 cause of  the  woe  of  their  captivity.  He  commiserated  their  misery,  and  felt 
 anguish  for  their  ruin.  Amid  it  all  note — 1.  He  still  speaks  to  Judah  of  Jehovah 
 as  "j/owr  God"  (ver.  16) ;  the  Almighty  Friend  still  availed  them  if  they  would 
 heed  His  word.  2.  He  still  speaks  of  Judah  as  '^the  Lord's  y^oc^' "  (ver.  17), 
 claimed  by  Him,  and  cherished  even  though  they  were  wilful  and  perverse.  What 
 exhaustless  pitifuiuess  is  there  in  Jehovah !  "  slow  to  auger  and  plenteous  iu 
 mercy." 
 
 The  Earthen  Pitchers. 
 
 Naegelshach  suggests  the  following  points  : — 
 
 i.   What  they  signify :  proud,  yet  perishable  things  ;  the  world. 
 
 ii.  What  will  be  their  fate:  "dash  them,"  &c.  (ver.  14);  "carried  away 
 captives  "  (ver.  17). 
 
 iii.  What  is  the  means  of  escaping  this  fate :  a  humble  attention  to  the  Lord 
 (ver.  15) ;  glorifying  God  by  their  repentance  and  return  to  Him  (ver.  16). 
 
 Vers.  18-27.  An  Iniquitous  Nation  Openly  Degraded. 
 
 To  put  his  nation  to  the  deepest  blush  for  their  sin,  Jeremiah  again  compares 
 their  conduct  with  Jehovah  to  the  vile  and  graceless  behaviour  of  an  adulteress  ;  and 
 likens  the  shame,  which  would  cover  his  people  in  consequence,  to  the  open  dis- 
 grace with  which  a  prostitute  was  sometimes  treated  (see  Manners  and  Customs, 
 supra). 
 
 I.  Royalty  addressed  in  bold  reproof  and  warning  (vers.  18,  19).  See  Ad- 
 denda on  ver.  18,  the  queen,  and  rebuking  royalty).  Upon  them  is  threatened — i. 
 The  loss  of  their  dignity  and  crown,  ii.  The  capture  of  their  cities  and  captivity  of 
 their  people.     Observe  : 
 
 1.  God's  judg7nents  do  not  spare  those  in  highest  station.  Jechoniah  had  sinned, 
 and  by  his  royal  example  encouraged  the  licentiousness  and  ungodliness  of  the 
 nation.  Therefore  he  and  his  queen-mother  should  be  "  humbled  ; "  and  are  called 
 to  "  sit  down,"  as  slaves  on  the  ground  (Isa.  xlvii.  1),  It  is  high  treason  against 
 the  King  of  kings  for  royal  personages  to  rebel  against  His  rule  and  laws  ;  theirs 
 shall  be  the  greater  condemnation  ;  their  station  degraded,  their  croivn  forfeited. 
 "  Falle7i  is  your  croivu."  A  faithful  witness  for  God  may  have  to  reprove  kings 
 in  His  name. 
 26i 
 
HOMILETIC  COMMENTARY :  J  ERE  MI AB. 
 
 2.  The  conquest  of  their  cities  is  threatened  as  a  retribution  :  "  The  crown  falls 
 when  the  king  loses  country  and  kingship  "  (Keil).  "  The  cities  of  the  south  "  are 
 specified,  not  because  the  enemy  had  first  possessed  himself  of  the  southern 
 extremity  of  the  land  (as  Sennacherib  did,  advancing  on  the  capital  from  the  south, 
 2  Kings  xviii.  13 ;  xix.  8),  but  because  they  were  the  cities  most  distant  from  the 
 north- coming  foe ;  hence,  when  they  were  in  his  power,  it  implied  the  whole  land 
 was  conquered.  Thus  the  prophet  threatens  against  godless  royalty,  the  degrada- 
 tion of  their  station,  the  forfeiture  of  their  crown,  the  conquest  of  their  country, 
 the  captivity  of  their  people. 
 
 II.  Jerusalem  summoned  to  witness  the  woes  of  capture.  "  Lift  up  your  eyes, 
 and  behold,"  &c.  (ver.  20).  The  verb,  Lift  «p,  is  fern.,  and  refers  to  Lio7i  under- 
 stood.    Upon  Jerusalem  is  here  threatened — 
 
 1.  Depopulation.  "  Where  is  the  flock  ? "  Her  streets  are  to  be  deserted,  her 
 inhabitants  carried  afar.  Or  "  she  is  asked  where  the  cities,  which  once  lay 
 grouped  around  her,  like  a  goodly  flock  of  sheejj,  are  gone  1  The  question  im- 
 plies blame.  It  was  the  example  of  Jerusalem  which  had  led  the  cities  of  Judah 
 into  sin  (Micah  i.  5),  and  brought  upon  them  an  invading  army  "  {Speaker's  Com.) 
 
 2.  Foreign  domination.  (See  ZzV.  (7n'^.  on  ver,  21.)  What  could  Jerusalem  say 
 when  they,  whom  she  had  courted  into  power  as  allies,  should  assert  their  power  as 
 conquerors  ?  We  call  in  ungodly  resources  of  help  when  our  sin  forfeits  God's 
 protection ;  these,  our  allies,  will  become  our  tyrants,  ruling  us  with  a  sore  and 
 unchallengeable  despotism. 
 
 III.  Debasement  of  licentious  Judah  vividly  portrayed. 
 
 1.  Affected  innocence  silenced  by  a  condemning  charge  (ver.  22,  see  Crit.  Notes 
 on  verse). 
 
 2.  Her  doom  justified  in  that  her  iniquity  transcended  remedy  (ver.  23).  Nothing 
 can  alter  and  improve  her  state.  Her  habitual  spiritual  licentiousness  had  become 
 inveterate  and  incurable  :  expatriation  therefore  must  ensue  (ver.  24). 
 
 3.  God  associates  Himself  with  her  degradation  and  doom.  She  had  despised 
 His  grace;  repudiated  His  calls;  ignored  Him  for  idols — "falsehood ; "  but  she 
 should  recognise  Him  in  the  judgments  He  had  measured  to  her  (ver.  26). 
 
 4.  Disloyalty  to  her  Lo7'd  punished  with  appropriate  degradation  (ver.  27;  see 
 Crit.  Notes).  Openly  put  to  shame.  Her  sin  had  been  open  :  God  would  expose 
 her  to  open  contempt  (Lam.  i.  8).     Politically  degraded. 
 
 5.  Vileness  depicted,  cleansing  despaired  of  (ver.  27  ;  see  Lit.  Crit.).  Jeremiah 
 counts  it  impossible  that  she  will  soon  be  cleansed  ;  her  case  seems  hopeless.  The 
 present  generation  cleaves  immovable  to  wickedness.  Yet,  in  the  far  future,  after 
 sore  judgments,  there  may  be  reform  !  On  the  prophet's  despair  there  falls  one 
 faint  gleam  of  hope. 
 
 HOMILETIC  OUTLINES  AND  COMMENTS  ON  VERSES  OF  CHAPTER  XIII. 
 
 Ver.  1-11.    Theme:   Bueied  gifts.  V.  In  this  men  often  faH.    Thehis- 
 
 I.  God  confers  upon  man  innumer-  tory  of  the  Jew  an  illustration.  Men 
 able  gifts  of  talent,  privilege,  oppor-  fail  through  ignorance,  sloth,  negligence, 
 tunity,  blessing.  In  the  case  of  the  Jew  lust  and  impulsiveness,  unfaithfulness, 
 especially  great.  pride,  selfishness.     Men  bury  their  gifts 
 
 II.  These  gifts  are  suited  to  our  cir-      in  these  things. 
 
 cumstances  and  requirements  (i\Latt.  VI.  Buried  they  are  lost.      1.  God 
 
 XXV.  15).  withdraws  them  (ver.  9  ;  Matt.  xxv.  29). 
 
 III.  These  gifts  are  intended  for  our  2.  The  power  to  use  them  departs 
 good  and  God's  glory  (ver.  11).  (2  Cor.  ix.  6).     3.  They  rot  and  decay. 
 
 IV.  The   use   to    which   we    apply  The  grave  is  the  house  of  decay  (ver. 
 
 them  depends  upon  man's  wisdom  and      8 ;  Eccles.  ix.  10). 
 will  (vers.  10,  11 ;  Matt.  xxv.  24,  25). 
 
 205 
 
cbap.  xin. 
 
 BOMILETIC  COMMENTARY:  JEREMIAH. 
 
 Learn — 
 
 1.  That  man  is  blessed  with  treasure 
 gifts  capable  of  unlimited  development. 
 
 2.  That,  by  neglecting  these,  instead  of 
 rising  to  be  an  angel,  he  sinks  to  beafiend. 
 
 3.  That  we  should  guard  them  jea- 
 lously and  cultivate  them  diligently. 
 
 — E.  Jerman. 
 Ver.  2.    Theme:    Suggestions   con- 
 cerning THE  GIRDLE  OF  TRUTH. 
 
 I.  We  are  responsible  for  the  effort 
 to  obtain  the  girdle  of  truth.  '■  I  got 
 the  girdle." 
 
 II.  We  can  get  the  girdle  of  truth 
 only  by  knowing  the  Word  of  the  Lord. 
 "  According  to  the  word  of  the  Lord." 
 
 III.  We  must  make  appropriate  use 
 of  the  girdle  when  it  has  been  obtained. 
 "  Put  it  upon  my  loins." 
 
 IV.  We  can  expect  further  know- 
 ledge of  God's  Word  only  by  the  use 
 of  what  we  already  know  (ver.  3).  "The 
 word  of  the  Lord  came  unto  me  the 
 second  time." — W.    Whale. 
 
 Ver.  3.   Theme :  God's  Woed  to  men, 
 "  The  word  of  the  Lord  came  unto 
 me  the  second  time,  saying." 
 
 I.  Jehovah  is  always  speaking  to 
 man  by  one  method  or  another.  Crea- 
 tion, providence,  revelation. 
 
 II.  Some  persons  in  all  ages  and 
 climes  have  heard  His  Word.  In  mys- 
 tery, in  power,  in  mercy.  Some  have 
 heard  it  many  times. 
 
 III.  It  is  a  moment  of  supreme  im- 
 portance when  any  one  soul  becomes 
 conscious  of  hearing  the  voice  of  God. 
 Adam,  Cain,  Noah,  Abraham,  Moses, 
 Isaiah,  Ezekiel,  &c.,  &c. 
 
 IV.  The  way  in  which  a  man  treats 
 the  Word  of  God  will  show— 
 
 1.  His  present  spiritual  condition. 
 
 2.  His  general  course  of  conduct. 
 
 3.  His  probable  future  destiny. 
 
 —W.  Whale. 
 
 Ver.  2-5.  Theme :  The  standard 
 of  godly  conduct.  "  So  I  got  a  girdle 
 according  to  the  wo7'd  of  the  Lord.  So 
 I  went  and  hid  it  as  the  Lord  commanded 
 me.'"  Letting  God's  word  rule  and 
 regulate  our  life  absolutely. 
 
 I.  The  surrenders  it  involves.  It 
 gives  up  the  life  into  God's  hands,  every 
 faculty  and  purpose  submitted  to  Him, 
 2GG 
 
 yielded  gladly  to  the  requirements  and 
 cajitivity  of  Christ. 
 
 1.  The  surrender  of  the  will:  letting 
 God  rule  ;  doing  what  He  bids,  bowing 
 personal  desires  and  plans  to  His  pur- 
 l^oses.  "  Not  my  will,  but  Thine,  be 
 done."      Unselfish  obedience. 
 
 2.  Surrender  of  the  judgment :  per- 
 plexing to  Jeremiah  to  see  why  he  must 
 wear  this  girdle,  why  go  to  Euphrates, 
 why  hide  the  girdle  there,  &c.  God's 
 "  ways  are  not  our  ways,  nor  His 
 thoughts,"  &c.    Unquestioning  obedience. 
 
 3.  Surrender  of  e«5e  .•  a  toilsome  jour- 
 ney of  nearly  250  miles,  twice  taken. 
 Uncomplaining  ohedie^ice. 
 
 4.  Surrender  of  time :  occupy  weeks 
 in  obeying  these  demands  of  God.  Con- 
 science must  stand  aside.  Ungrudging 
 obedience. 
 
 5.  Surrender  of  self,  of  the  life,  of  all: 
 "  Keep  back  no  part  of  the  price." 
 "  Speak,  Lord,  Thy  servant  heareth," 
 "  Lord,  what  wilt  Thou  have  me  to  do  ? " 
 Unreserved  obedience.  (See  Addenda, 
 "  Perfect  obedience.") 
 
 II.  The  satisfaction  it  inspires.  The 
 yielding  of  self  to  God  brings  choice 
 and  compensatory  advantages. 
 
 1.  It  gives  simplicity  to  our  life.  "  The 
 eye  is  single."  No  other  lord  rules. 
 God  is  everything  to  us.  "  One  is  our 
 ]\Iaster,  even  Christ " — not  self,  not  cus- 
 tom, not  the  world,  &c. 
 
 2.  It  gives  decision  to  our  life.  Saves 
 us  from  "halting  between  two  opinions  :" 
 for  the  Lord  is  God  and  we  follow  Him. 
 Saves  us  from  uncertainty  :  His  word  is 
 law.  From  delay :  To  hear  Him  is  to 
 respond.  From  conflict  of  conviction  : 
 we  only  need  a  call  from  Him :  have 
 not  to  select  or  choose  our  way.  Any- 
 where, if  only  He  commands. 
 
 3.  It  gives  repose  to  our  life.  We 
 are  not  burdened  with  the  responsibilit}' 
 of  life  :  we  "  are  the  Lord's,"  He  guides 
 and  plans  and  arranges  for  us.  We 
 "  live  exempt  from  care."    Our  motto  is, 
 
 "  Lead  Thou  me  on  !   One  step's  enough  for 
 me ! " 
 
 4.  It  gives  nobleness  to  our  life. 
 What  a  grovelling  career  they  live  who 
 obey  themselves — fitful,  earthly,  restless. 
 Or  the  customs  of  society — slaves  to  the 
 
EOMILETIC  COMMENTARY:  JEREMIAH. 
 
 CHAt.  Xltt. 
 
 caprice  of  fashion.  Or  the  ^^  god  of  this 
 world" — "led  captive  by  him."  But 
 Christ  calls  into  a  high  and  holy  career  : 
 godly  and  Godward.  They  who  live 
 only  to  obey  Him,  unreservedly  obe- 
 dient, He  leads  by  still  waters,  into 
 pleasant  heritages  of  rest,  assurance,  and 
 joy  divine. 
 
 5.  It  gives  sanctity  to  our  life.  He 
 who  lives  for  God  becomes  more  godly 
 and  God-like.  Wise  in  His  wisdom, 
 strong  in  His  strength,  sufficient  in  His 
 sufficiency,  true  in  His  rightness,  holy 
 in  His  holiness.  He  will  guide  by  His 
 counsels,  lead  in  the  "  good  and  right 
 way,"  until  the  life  rises  to  His  blest 
 abode.  "  Follow  me  ! "  is  the  Saviour's 
 call :  and  the  issue  is,  "  These  are  they 
 which  follow  the  Lamb  whithersoever 
 He  goeth." 
 
 Ver.  5.  Theme:  Aspects  of  pastoral 
 SERVICE.  Jeremiah  was  to  go  to  Eu- 
 phrates ;  perhaps  not  solely  to  hide  this 
 girdle :  exiles  were  there,  to  whom  he 
 might  carry  messages  and  comfort  from 
 Jehovah ;  Ezekiel  and  Daniel  were  there, 
 and  with  them  he  might  hold  helpful 
 converse. 
 
 i.  His  own  toilsome  obedience  would 
 be  a  lesson  to  his  disobedient  nation, 
 inciting  them  to  take  pains  even  in  order 
 to  fulfil  God's  commands. 
 
 ii.  His  resolute  performance  of  this 
 mission  would  awaken  in  his  people 
 attention  to  the  significance  of  his  con- 
 duct, and  impress  them  with  the  lessons 
 designed. 
 
 I.  Self-sacrificing  obedience  to  God 
 enforces  its  lessons  on  others.  Our 
 people  will  heed  our  consecrated  lives, 
 though  they  may  ignore  our  eloquent 
 words.     A  living  sermon  has  vast  power. 
 
 II.  God's  chosen  servants  must  yield 
 Him  absolute  subjection.  What  God 
 bids,  they  must  do;  where  He  sends, 
 they  must  go.  Ministers  of  Christ  must 
 be  willing  to  accept  His  demands  un- 
 questioningly  and  entirely  ;  to  lay  them- 
 selves out  for  any  service  which  may  be 
 for  the  good  of  their  people ;  to  spend 
 and  be  spent  in  the  Master's  service  and 
 their  nation's  weal. 
 
 Ver.  5,  6.  Theme  :  God's  command- 
 ments. 
 
 i.   Always  wise  and  authoritative. 
 
 ii.  Often  mysterious,  and,  to  human 
 reason,  apjMrently  absurd. 
 
 iii.  Can  be  heartily  carried  out  only 
 by  a  true  believer  in  the  divine  wisdom, 
 power,  and  love. 
 
 iv.  May  involve  much  effort,  incon- 
 venience, and  suffering.  Journey  from 
 Jerusalem  to  Euphrates  must  have  been 
 very  trying. 
 
 V.  Will  effectually  test  the  condition 
 of  the  soul.  "  If  ye  love  Me,  keep  My 
 commandments."  "  To  obey  is  better 
 than  sacrifice."  "1  do  alway  those 
 tilings  which  please  the  Father."  "Leav- 
 ing us  an  example,"  &c.,  &c.  "  Our 
 sufficiency  is  of  God." 
 
 Application  :  "  This  is  His  command- 
 ment, that  ye  believe  on  His  Son  whom 
 He  hath  sent."  "  His  commandments 
 are  not  grievous." — W.  Whale. 
 
 Ver.  7.  The77ie :  The  injuriousness 
 OP  estrangement  from  God.  "  The 
 girdle  was  marred." 
 
 I.  The  original  sacredness  and 
 beauty  of  the  godly  soul. 
 
 1.  "  Linen"  indicates  the  sacerdotal 
 girdle  :  the  soul  was  sacred  in  God's 
 esteem. 
 
 2.  "  Linen "  suggests  the  pzcrity  of 
 the  soul  in  its  first  love. 
 
 3.  The  "  line7i  girdle  "  was  curiously 
 and  exquisitely  wrought  in  choice  colours 
 and  precious  gems ;  betokening  the  beauty 
 and  spiritual  grace  of  the  soul  when  first 
 allied  to  God. 
 
 4.  The  girdle  clasped  upon  the  pro- 
 phet denotes  the  close  mutual  attach- 
 ment between  the  soul  and  God  in  the 
 hour  of  first  love ;  and  also  the  resolute 
 design  of  God  to  keep  that  soul  bound 
 — "clasped" — to  Himself. 
 
 II.  The  defiled  soul  separated  from 
 the  Lord.  It  necessarily  became  soiled 
 by  being  worn,  yet  linen  will  wash,  and 
 it  could,  therefore,  be  cleansed. 
 
 1.  The  cleansing  process  was  neglected. 
 "Put  it  not  in  water"  (ver.  1).  This 
 represents  the  criminality  of  Judah. 
 There  was  "  water,"  easily  found,  ready 
 to  hand :  so  is  there  Divine  cleansing ; 
 "  A  Fountain  open  for  sin  and  unclean- 
 ness  : "  but  the  defiled  life  is  "  not  put 
 in  water." 
 
 2.  A  tainted  thing  must  be  removed 
 from    God.      Nothing  impure   will  the 
 
 267 
 
CHAP.  XIII. 
 
 HOMILETIC  COMMENTARY :  JEREMIAB. 
 
 Holy  One  of  Israel  retain.  "  He  can- 
 not look  upon  iniquity."  Certainly  He 
 will  not  wear  as  an  ornament  a  thing 
 defiled.  So  the  tainted  girdle  was  car- 
 ried away:  "  Take  the  girdle,  and  arise, 
 go  to  Euphrates"  (ver.  4). 
 
 3.  A  faithless  soul  is  banished.  Afar 
 from  holy  scenes,  buried  in  a  hole,  as 
 unfit  for  any  to  see  :  for  nothing  is  more 
 loathsome  to  God's  sight  and  man's  than 
 a  spiritual  apostate,  a  renegade  Chris- 
 tian. It  is  put  at  a  far  distance  from 
 God's  presence,  buried  from  sight,  lost 
 as  an  outcast  thing,  hidden  among  hea- 
 thenish scenes,  as  if  belonging  more  to 
 them  than  to  God. 
 
 III.  The  damaging  effects  of  sepa- 
 ration from  God.  "  After  many  days  " 
 (ver.  6).  The  girdle  was  sought  and 
 brought  back. 
 
 1.  God  does  not  forget  and  forsake 
 even  the  estranged  soul.  "  Yet  doth  He 
 devise  means  whereby  His  banished  be 
 not  expelled  from  Him"  (2  Sam.  xiv.  14). 
 
 2.  The  recovered  soul  is  found  gy^iev- 
 ously  damaged  by  his  banishment.  "  The 
 girdle  was  marred;"  the  ship  had 
 sprung  a  leak  hopelessly;  the  rift  was 
 in  the  lute  silencing  the  harmony ;  the 
 rot  was  at  the  heart.  Never  again  would 
 the  old  joy  in  God,  the  old  love  and 
 zeal,  return.  A  faithless  soul  loses  what 
 never  again  can  be  recovered.  Child- 
 hood never  comes  back  again  ! 
 
 3.  From  a  reclaimed  soul  no  profit 
 can  accrue  to  God.  Saved,  indeed,  but 
 no  power  left  for  service.  A  rescued 
 life,  but  impotent  to  recall  others,  or 
 commend  the  gospel.  A  disabled  and 
 dispirited  army  the  captain  refuses  to  use 
 again  on  the  field.  The  coward  spirit 
 is  never  more  trusted.  God  cannot 
 wear  as  a  "praise"  (ver.  11)  the  girdle 
 which  has  lost  its  beauty.  Only  the 
 faithful  and  the  pure  can  glorify  Him. 
 "  Hold  that  fast  which  thou  hast,  that 
 no  man  take  thy  crown."  "  No  man 
 having  put  his  hand  to  the  plough,  and 
 looking  bach,  is  fit  for  the  kingdom  of 
 God."  ''  Profitable  for  nothing:'  "Salt 
 is  good;  but  if  the  salt  have  lost  its 
 savour,  it  is  good  for  nothing,  but  to  be 
 cast  out  and  trodden  under  foot  of  men  " 
 (Matt.  V.  13). 
 
 Ver.  7.  Comments :  "  The  giiidle  was 
 268 
 
 ROTTED."  "  This  showed  that  the  Jews 
 should  in  that  country  lie  rotting,  as  it 
 were,  in  baseness,  and  servility,  and 
 in  together  many  years ;  so  that  God 
 might  justly  have  left  them  there  still 
 in  misery,  as  a  man  leaves  his  rotten 
 girdle  to  become  dung." — Trapp. 
 
 "  Many  days."  The  length  of  time 
 was  required  to  afford  time  for  the  gir- 
 dle to  become  spoiled  and  unfit  for  use. 
 To  that  condition  the  Jews  had  been  re- 
 duced by  the  corrupting  idolatries  of  the 
 heathen.  They  had  disqualified  them- 
 selves for  acting  as  witnesses  for  Jehovah; 
 as  the  only  true  God,  and,  like  a  cast- 
 away girdle,  they  were  to  be  humbled 
 and  rejected." — Henderson. 
 
 "By  the  'many  days'  are  signified 
 the  seventy  years'  captivity." — Speakers 
 Com. 
 
 Ver.  9.  Theme:  God's  spoliation 
 OF  presumptuous  pride.  There  may 
 be  a  reverent  pride,  based  on  gratitude 
 and  joyous  appreciation  of  God's  dis- 
 tinguishing mercies.  There  may  also 
 be  an  arrogant  pride — "  Stand  off,  I 
 am  holier  than  thou ! "  Equally  pos- 
 sible is  a  self-reliant  p>ride — sufficient 
 of  ourselves  :  "  Who  is  the  Lord  that 
 I  should  obey  Him?"  Likewise,  the 
 2yride  of  carnal  assurance :  fortified  in 
 self-esteem,  satisfaction  with  one's 
 own  goodness  and  merits.  But  this 
 "  Great  pride  of  Jerusalem "  was  a 
 vaunting,  boastful,  arrogant  pride ;  a 
 glorying  in  spiritual  possessions  and 
 privileges,  which  they  were  nevertheless 
 abusing  —  the  pride  of  presumption  : 
 and  "the  presumptuous  soul  do  I  hate." 
 
 I.  Spiritual  presumption  can  only 
 assert  itself  where  true  piety  has 
 declined.  Piety  is  lowly.  Loss  of 
 solemn  reverence  makes  room  for  arro- 
 gance. Then  the  soul  presumes,  vaunts 
 itself,  makes  even  religion  an  occasion 
 for  self-glorying.  God's  grace  becomes 
 the  pedestal  for  self-exaltation. 
 
 II.  Spiritual  presumption  is  pecu- 
 liarly offensive  to  a  G-od  who  loves 
 truth.  Pride  is  a  mocking  pretence. 
 Of  what  have  the  best  of  men  to  be 
 proud  %  "  What  have  we  that  we  have 
 not  received  ?  "  This  pride  assumes  and 
 arrogates  to  ourselves  the  credit  of  what 
 God  has  given.     His  is  the  glory,  not 
 
HOMILETIC  COMMENTARY :  JEREMIAH. 
 
 CHAP.  xin. 
 
 ours.     This  wrongs  Him,  and  boasts  in 
 a  lie. 
 
 III.  Spiritual  presumption  leads  to 
 the  most  heinous  abuse  of  sacred  privi- 
 leges. Holy  trusts  should  make  those 
 who  possess  them  holier,  ergo,  hum- 
 bler, more  grateful,  and  more  devoted. 
 But  pride  reverses  all  this :  the  soul 
 dwarfs  amidst  surrounding  magnificence  ; 
 becomes  degraded  by  the  abuse  of  exalt- 
 ing privileges.  This  perverts  and  out- 
 rages the  Divine  endowments  and 
 blessings. 
 
 IV.  Spiritual  presumption  will  as- 
 suredly court  Jehovah's  withering 
 contempt.  Dig  a  hole  and  bury  it !  as 
 a  rotten,  loathsome  thing.  "  Thus  will 
 I  mar  the  pride."  He  poureth  contempt 
 upon  princes  !  God  has  resources,  ap- 
 palling in  their  efficacy,  for  humbling 
 the  arrogant  and  withering  the  proud. 
 Think  what  he  did  to  these  Jews  !  Cast 
 them  as  a  filthy  girdle  into  a  "  hole." 
 We  may  well  fear  to  court  His  contempt. 
 See  what  befel  the  proud  Nebuchad- 
 nezzar— sank  into  a  mere  beast.  Oh 
 how,  in  life's  end,  will  all  our  vanity 
 mock  us,  and  our  presumption  turn 
 upon  us  with  tortures  !  (See  Addenda, 
 "  Pride  Abased.") 
 
 Ver.  10.  Herein  is  shown  to  what 
 their  "pride"  led  them — 
 
 i.  Disregard  of  Divine  messages. 
 
 ii.  Indulgence  of  their  own  wilful 
 inclinations. 
 
 iii.  Enthronement  of  debasing  idola- 
 tries :  ej-go,  the  dethronization  of  .Jeho- 
 vah in  their  hearts  and  their  worship. 
 
 Ver.  10.  Theme:  "Good  f.ok  no- 
 thing." 
 
 The  most  dutiful  are  unprofitable 
 servants,  doing  no  more  than  their  duty. 
 But  how  few  could  honestly  declare  of 
 themselves,  "  I  have  done  all  I  could." 
 If  the  best  are  imperfect,  what  can  be 
 said  of  the  cold-hearted  and  indolent  1 
 Still  worse,  far  worse,  is  the  case  of 
 those  who  are  gone  out  of  the  way 
 (Rom.  iii.  12).  This  verse  symbolizes 
 God's  people  in  their  idolatry  and  con- 
 sequent captivity.     We  proceed  to — 
 
 I.  Dwell  upon  a  painful  fact. 
 "  They  were  His  own,  a  peculiar  people 
 to  Him,  a  kingdom  of  priests  who  had 
 access  to  Him  above  all  other  nations." 
 
 To  them  were  sent  lawgivers,  priests, 
 psalmists,  and  prophets.  To  them  were 
 committed  the  oracles  of  God.  To 
 them  were  given  a  Divine  directory  and 
 method  of  worship.  Yet  were  they 
 "  good  for  nothing."  All  was  done  for 
 the  vineyard  which  could  be  done,  yet 
 it  brought  forth  wild  grapes. 
 
 II.  Point  out  the  cause  of  their 
 sad  condition.  They  became  an  evil 
 people,  as  is  shown  in  this  verse.  Dis- 
 obedient and  hardhearted. 
 
 1.  Thei/  refitsed  to  hear  the  ivord  of 
 the  Lord.     (See  notes  on  ver.  3.) 
 
 2.  They  followed  the  imagination  of 
 their  hearts.  When  a  man  will  not  hear 
 God,  he  has  generally  resolved  to  have 
 his  own  way.  He  puts  fancy  for  faith, 
 and  self  for  God. 
 
 3.  They  became  idolaters.  Forsaking 
 the  true  they  follow  the  false.  Man 
 must  worship,  even  it  be  but  the  fancy 
 of  his  own  brain,  or  work  of  his  own 
 hand.  Man  must  serve,  but  often 
 chooses  the  wrong  master.  The  value 
 of  a  man  or  a  nation  is  in  proportion  to 
 the  truth  possessed,  and  the  degree  of 
 obedience  rendered  to  it.  The  unfaith- 
 ful are  good  for  nothing. 
 
 III.  Show  what  they  might  have 
 been  as  a  people. 
 
 1.  They  might  have  been  separated 
 from  the  nations  as  being  peculiarly  the 
 people  of  God. 
 
 2.  They  might  have  been  before  the 
 nations  for  the  glory  of  Jehovah,  as 
 opposed  to  idols.  "  For  a  name,  and 
 for  a  praise,"  &c. 
 
 3.  They  might  have  been  among  the 
 nations  as  examj^les  and  witnesses, 
 setting  forth  the  beneficial  influences 
 of  true  religion. 
 
 IV.  Proclaim  some  universal  truths. 
 
 1.  Refusing  to  hear  God's  tuord  is 
 proof  that  the  people  are  an  evil  people. 
 
 2.  An  evil  people  will  stibstittde  a 
 false  ivorshi}-)  for  that  which  is  true. 
 
 3.  A  false  worship  will  produce  and 
 foster  an  erroneous  religiotis  life. 
 
 4.  A  people  xoalldng  according  to  the 
 imagination  of  their  own  hearts  nmst  be 
 useless  to  themselves,  to  the  world,  to 
 the  Church,  or  to  God.— TT.  Whale. 
 
 Ver.  10,  11.  Theme:  God's  girdle. 
 From  ver.  11  we  conclude  that  Israel 
 2G9 
 
EOMILETIC  COMMENTARY:  JEREMIAH. 
 
 and  Judab,  were  God's  girdle.  They 
 formerly  clave  unto  Him,  but,  at  the 
 time  referred  to  by  the  prophet,  had 
 gone  away  to  idols.  Because  of  their 
 sin  God  sent  them  into  captivity  until 
 they  were  reduced  to  extreme  weakness. 
 Observe — 
 
 I.  That  Israel  and  Judah  clave 
 unto  Jehovah  as  a  girdle  to  the  loins 
 of  a  man  (ver.  11).  Unto  His  person 
 for  favour.  Unto  His  word  for  direc- 
 tion and  teaching.  Unto  His  promise 
 for  encouragement.  Unto  His  worship 
 for  devotion. 
 
 II.  That  Israel  and  Judah  were 
 then  a  praise  and  glory  to  Jehovah 
 (ver.  11).  A  girdle  of  strength  and 
 honour  before  the  nations. 
 
 1.  As  opposed  to  the  idolatries  of 
 the  world. 
 
 2.  As  expressing  obedience  to  Divine 
 law. 
 
 3.  As  exhibiting  the  beneficial  effects 
 of  true  religion, 
 
 III.  That  Israel  and  Judah  became 
 faithless  and  disobedient  (ver.  10). 
 
 1.  An  evil  people,  refusing  to  hear 
 the  Word. 
 
 2.  A  stubborn  people,  going  their 
 own  way. 
 
 3.  A  deluded  people,  in  vain  ima- 
 ginations. 
 
 4.  An  idolatrous  people,  like  the 
 nations  less  favoured,  going  after  other 
 gods  to  serve  and  worship  them. 
 
 IV.  That  Israel  and  Judah  becom- 
 ing faithless,  became  also  weak  and 
 worthless.  Went  from  prominence  to 
 obscurity.  Went  from  freedom  to  cap- 
 tivity. Went,  in  general,  from  privilege 
 to  punishment. —  W.  Whale. 
 
 Ver.  11.  Theme:  God's  glorious 
 PUEPOSE  FOR  His  people. 
 
 Keeping  still  to  the  allegory  of  "  the 
 girdle,"  there  seems  here  a  reference  to 
 the  holy  girdle  of  Aaron  (Exod.  xsviii. 
 8),  which,  together  with  his  sacred  gar- 
 ments, should  be  "for  a  glory  and  a 
 beauty"  (ver.  2). 
 
 I.  How  determinedly  Jehovah  makes 
 them  His  own.  The  form  of  sentence 
 is  intensitive  :  "I  have  caused  to  cleave 
 unto  Me,"  &c. 
 
 1 .  By  the  mighty  ivoi-hing  of  His  grace 
 God  united  them  to  Himself.  It  waa 
 270 
 
 His  act,  not  theirs,  "  /  caused ; "  a  de- 
 termined act,  "  ca2ised  : "  a  constraining 
 act,  "  caused  to  cleave."  (Comp.  Eph. 
 i.  19.) 
 
 2.  Lito  living  connection  toith  His  oiun 
 Person  He  bound  them.  Fastened  them 
 on,  as  a  girdle,  to  Himself.  Not  merely 
 drew  them  to  believe  in,  or  serve  Him  ; 
 but  to  a  personal  union.  He  was 
 IsraeVs  God. 
 
 II.  What  exalted  aims  He  cherishes 
 on  their  behalf.  He  designs  for  them 
 that  they  be  established  and  known  as 
 His— 
 
 1.  In  covenant  relationship:  "for  a 
 people."  Israel,  His  peculiar  treasure. 
 "  What  are  the  riches  of  the  glory  of  His 
 inheritance  in  the  saints"  (Eph.  i.  18). 
 
 2.  As  a  witness  of  Him  to  the  world : 
 "for  a  name."  He  desired  to  be  known 
 among  the  nations  by  the  name,  "  The 
 God  of  Israel"  (1  Chron.  xvii.  24).  He 
 purposed  to  win  renown  among  the 
 peoples  by  His  dealings  with  Israel  and 
 Judah. 
 
 3.  To  rejoice  in  His  goodness  :  "  for  a 
 praise."  They  were  to  be  glad  in  the 
 Lord,  a  joyous  people,  praising  Him 
 for  signal  blessings,  a  psalm  sounding 
 through  the  world,  commending  Him 
 to  others  by  their  joyous  piety. 
 
 4.  Contributing  to  His  honour  :  "  for 
 a  glory."  An  ornament,  a  decoration, 
 — as  was  the  beautiful  girdle,  studded 
 with  gems,  to  the  wearer.  (Comp. 
 Ezek.  xvi.  14.) 
 
 Alas !  a  disobedient  heart,  "  they 
 would  not  hear"  changed  and  desolated 
 all !  Sin  rubs  God  of  all  the  happiness 
 and  honour  He  would  find  in  man,  and 
 robs  man  of  all  the  blessedness  and 
 spiritual  wealth  he  might  realize  in 
 God. 
 
 Ver.   12-14.   Theme :  The  wine  of 
 
 THE  WRATH  OP  GOD. 
 
 This  symbol  supplements  the  former 
 and  teaches  another  part  of  neede'd 
 truth.  It  is  less  dramatic  in  its  form, 
 but  not  less  definite  as  a  threatening  of 
 judgment.  If  we  notice  the  general 
 truths  contained  in  the  portion,  there 
 can  be  no  difficulty  in  applying  them  to 
 this  or  any  other  particular  case. 
 
 Observe,  then — 
 
 I.  That  every  man  is  being  fitted  a 
 
EOMILETIO  COMMENTARY:  JEREMIAH. 
 
 CHAP.  xin. 
 
 vessel  to  honour  or  dishonour,  to  good 
 
 or  evil. 
 
 .    II.  That  every  man  will  ultimately 
 
 be  filled  to  his  utmost  capacity  by 
 
 good  or  evil,  according  to  his  spiritual 
 
 state. 
 
 III.  That  the  process  of  adaptation 
 is  being  carried  on  by  loyalty  or  dis- 
 obedience to  truth  and  God. 
 
 IV.  That  where  all  are  evil  every 
 one  will  be  injurious  to  the  other. 
 This  will  make  a  hell.  The  reverse  of 
 this  is  true  also.  Where  all  are  good, 
 each  one  is  a  blessing  to  the  other.  This 
 goes  far  to  make  a  heaven. 
 
 V.  That  God,  who  is  love,  has  a 
 time  for  severity  as  well  as  a  time 
 for  mercy.  "I  will  not  pity,"  &c., 
 &c. 
 
 VI.  That  if  God  help  not,  none  can 
 aid  effectually.  If  God  save  not  there 
 is  no  salvation  in  any  other. —  W.  Whale. 
 
 Comments — 
 
 Ver.  12.  "  Every  bottle  shall  be 
 FILLED  WITH  WINE."  "Every  earthen 
 flagon  (comp.  xlviii.  1 2) — the  inhabitants 
 of  Jerusalem,  her  kings,  her  priests  and 
 prophets,  will  be  filled  with  the  wine 
 of  the  intoxicating  beverage  of  God's 
 wrath  (see  xxv.  1 5 ;  Isa.  xxviii.  7,  li. 
 17 ;  Ezek.  xxiii.  31 ;  Pa.  Ix.  3,  Ixxv.  8), 
 given  them  as  a  punishment  for  the 
 pride,  and  cruelty,  and  impiety,  which 
 they  drank  greedily  as  wine.  (Comp. 
 Rev.  xiv.  8,  xviii.  3),  where  the  Harlot 
 drinks  the  wine  of  her  own  fornication 
 and  gives  it  to  others,  and  intoxicates 
 herself  and  them  with  it  (xvii.  2,  xviii. 
 6) ;  and,  therefore,  God  gives  her  the 
 cup  of  His  wrath,  and  she  reels  under 
 it." —  Wordsiuorth. 
 
 "Wine  they  loved  well,  and  a  great 
 vintage  they  now  expected.  They  shall 
 have  it,  saith  God  ;  but  of  another 
 nature  than  they  look  for." — Trapp. 
 
 "  They  were  like  bottles  ;  though  God 
 had  indeed  chosen  them  for  an  excellent 
 use,  yet,  forgetful  of  their  frailty,  they 
 had  marred  their  own  excellency,  so 
 that  they  were  no  longer  of  any  use, 
 except  that  God  would  inebriate  them 
 with  giddiness,  and  also  with  calamities." 
 — Calvin. 
 
 "  Do  WE  NOT  CERTAINLY  KNOW  THAT 
 EVERY  BOTTLE,"  &C. 
 
 "An  instance  of  sceptical  mocking." 
 — Wordsworth. 
 
 "  This  they  seem  to  speak  insolently 
 and  jeeringly — q.d.  You  should  tell  us 
 some  news  ! " — Trapp. 
 
 "Then  shall  the  hearers  take  this 
 prophecy  in  scorn,  and  say,  What  won- 
 ders are  these  thou  tellest  us?  As  if 
 we  knew  not  that  the  use  of  bottles  is 
 to  be  filled  with  wine." — Bp.  Hall. 
 
 Ver.  13.  "Then  shalt  thotj  say, 
 Thus  saith  the  Lord."  The  very 
 solemn  way  in  which  the  explanation 
 of  the  symbol  is  introduced  is  in  striking 
 contrast  with  the  frivolity  of  the  people. 
 — Speaker^s  Com. 
 
 "Filled with  DRUNKENNESS."  When 
 the  wine  is  in,  the  wit  and  wisdom 
 and  virtue  are  out.  Like  drunken  men, 
 they  shall  be  fidl  of  confusion  in  their 
 counsels,  sicTc  of  all  their  enjoyments, 
 shall  fall  into  a  slumber,  and  be  utterly 
 unable  to  help  themselves  ;  like  men  who 
 have  drunk  away  their  reason,  they 
 shall  he  at  the  mercy,  and  expose  them- 
 selves to  the  contempt  of  all  about  them. 
 And  this  shall  be  the  condition,  not  of 
 some  only  among  them  (if  any  had  been 
 sober  they  might  have  helped  the  rest), 
 but  all,  even  kings,  priests,  prophets, 
 and  inhabitants  would  be  indulgent  of 
 their  lusts  and  deprived  of  their  senses. 
 — Henry. 
 
 "Not  with  giddiness  as  of  drunken 
 men  staggering  (Isa.  xix.  14),  but  with 
 the  impotence  of  men  whose  minds  are 
 stricken  with  the  wrath  of  God  (Ps.  ix. 
 3;  Isa.  Ix.  17)." — Speaker's  Com. 
 
 "  The  Jews,  without  regard  to  rank, 
 oflttce,  or  position,  were  all  to  be  in- 
 volved in  one  common  ruin." — Hender- 
 son. 
 
 "Even  the  kings  that  sit  upon 
 David's  throne."  Four  kings  in  suc- 
 cession were  overthrown  in  the  fall  of 
 Jerusalem. 
 
 Ver.  14.  "  Dash  one  against 
 another  : "  shattering  them  as  vessels. 
 "Vessels  of  wrath,  fitted  for  destruction." 
 
 Civil  war  is  hereby  foreshadowed. — 
 Hitzig. 
 
 Eather,  a  collision  of  parties  in  the 
 state,  resulting  in  mutual  confusion  and 
 confutation. 
 
 "The  Midianites  (Judges  vii.  12) and 
 271 
 
HOMILETIC  COMMENTARY:  JEREMIAH. 
 
 the  Philistines  (1  Sam,  xiv.  20),  who 
 exterminated  each  other,  were  also  seized 
 by  a  spirit  of  intoxication.  If  not  in 
 this  sense,  yet  in  that  of  mutual  hatred, 
 reciprocal  oppression,  and  injury  in 
 general." — Naeg. 
 
 Ver.  15.  Theme:  Attention  to  God's 
 Word.  "  Hear  ye,  and  give  ear ; .  .  for 
 the  Lord  hath  spoken." 
 
 The  Bible  worthy  of  attention  and 
 study  as — (1)  An  ancient  book,  dealing 
 with  the  history  of  the  human  race — 
 (2)  A  book  full  of  literary  beauty — (3) 
 A  book  of  great  power  and  influence. 
 Here  attention  is  claimed  because  it  is 
 the  Word  of  God. 
 
 I.  How  should  we  attend  to  it?  1. 
 With  reverence.  2.  In  faith.  3.  Diligent- 
 ly, earnestly.  4.  Intelligently.  5.  Intend- 
 ing to  be  governed  by  it.     6.  Prayerfully. 
 
 II.  There  is  here  an  implied  neglect. 
 The  exhortation,  and  especially  the  men- 
 tion of  pride,  implies  this.  Men  iieglect 
 the  Bible,  because — 1.  They  are  filled 
 with  other  things.  2.  They  do  not 
 know  its  worth.  3.  They  do  not  appre- 
 hend the  bearing  it  may  have  on  their 
 well-being.  4.  They  are  not  willing  to 
 submit  to  its  teachings. 
 
 III.  Why  should  we  attend?  Our 
 text  gives  the  paramount  reason — God 
 has  spoken.     Consider — 
 
 1.  The  dignity  and  glory  of  the  Lord. 
 
 2.  His  wisdom  and  knowledge. 
 
 3.  His  beneficence,  interest,  and  love. 
 
 4.  He  speaks  to  us  of  matters  in 
 which  we  have  the  deepest  interest. 
 
 Learn — 
 
 1.  To  read  the  Bible  regularly.  2. 
 To  treasure  it  in  the  heart.  3.  To 
 honour  it  in  your  life. — E.  Jerman. 
 
 Theme :  PiEVELATIOn. 
 
 Given  at  diflferent  times,  and  by 
 various  methods,  such  as  visions,  dreams, 
 inspiration  or  rapture  of  soul,  and  direct 
 vocal  communication.  Its  object,  to  re- 
 veal God,  to  instruct  and  guide  man. 
 Here  we  have — 
 
 I.  The  fact  of  revelation.  "The  Lord 
 hath  spoken." 
 
 II.  The  authority  of  revelation. 
 "  The  Lord  hath  spoken." 
 
 III.  The  appeal  of  revelation.  "Hear 
 ye,"  &c. 
 
 IV.  The  purpose  of  revelation.     To 
 
 272 
 
 rebuke  for  sin.  To  save  from  judg- 
 ment. To  make  known  the  way  of 
 mercy.  To  direct  true  souls  into  paths 
 of  progress  and  happiness.  To  announce 
 Jehovah's  wrath  against  all  wrong- 
 doing.—TF.  Whale. 
 
 Theme :  Pride  the  great  hind- 
 rance   TO    THE     RECEPTION    OF    God's 
 
 Word.     "  Hear  ye,  and   give  ear ;  be 
 not  proud  :  for  the  Lord  hath  spoken." 
 I.  Pride  will  not  seek  the  knowledge 
 of  God. 
 
 1.  Pride  will  not  brook  a  rival. 
 
 2.  Is  unwilling  to  be  taught. 
 
 3.  Is  unwilling  to  use  the  means  of 
 knowledge. 
 
 4.  Is  unwilling  to  pray. 
 
 II.  Pride  will  not  seek  the  favour  of 
 God. 
 
 III.  Pride  will  not  seek  likeness  to 
 God. 
 
 IV.  Pride  will  not  seek  communion 
 with  God. — Pay  son  on  Ps.  x.  14. 
 
 "Both  the  symbols — girdle  and  ves- 
 sel— were  of  a  nature  very  humiliating  to 
 the  national  self-respect :  but  the  prophet 
 warns  them  against  letting  any  such 
 feeling  interfere  with  the  humble  recep- 
 tion of  the  words  of  God. — Speaker^ s 
 Com. 
 
 "Here  is  good  counsel  given,  to 
 humble  themselves  wider  the  mighty  hand 
 of  God.  If  they  will  harJcen  and  give 
 ear,  this  is  that  which  God  has  to  say 
 to  them.  Be  not  proud.  This  was  one 
 of  the  sins  for  which  God  had  a  contro- 
 versy with  them  (ver.  9)  ;  let  them  mor- 
 tify and  forsake  this  sin,  and  God  will 
 let  fall  His  controversy. 
 
 i.  Be  not  proud  when  God  speaks  to 
 you  by  His  prophets.  Do  not  think 
 yourselves  too  good  to  be  taught.  Be 
 not  (a)  scornful,  (b)  wilful.  Let  not 
 your  hearts  rise  against  the  tvord,  nor 
 slight  the  messengers  that  bring  it  to  you. 
 
 ii.  Be  not  proud  when  God  is  coming 
 forth  against  you  in  His  providence. 
 Be  not  (a)  seciire  lohen  He  threatens; 
 (b)  impatient  when  He  strikes.  Pride  is 
 at  the  bottom  of  both. 
 
 It  is  the  great  God  who  has  spoken  : 
 1.  Whose  authority  is  incontestable  :  2. 
 Whose  power  is  irresistible ;  therefore 
 bow  to  what  He  says." — (Comp.  Henry. 
 See  "  Noticeable  Topics  "  on  this  verse.) 
 
HOMILETIO  COMMENTARY:  JEREMIAH. 
 
 Vers.  16,  17.  Theme:  Rendering 
 God  glory  by  repentance.  Giving 
 glory  to  God  is  opposed  to  being 
 jjroud;  which  is  self-glory. 
 
 "  Jeremiah  was  as  constant  a  preacher 
 of  repentance  as  Paul,  and  after  him 
 Augustine,  were  of  the  free  grace  of 
 God.  The  impenitent  person  robbeth 
 God  of  His  right,  the  penitent  man  sar- 
 cit  iiijuriam  Deo  irrogatam,  seemeth  to 
 make  some  kind  of  amends  to  God,  whom 
 he  had  wronged,  by  restoring  Him  His 
 glory,  which  he  had  run  away  with, 
 whilst  he  putteth  himself  into  the  hands 
 of  justice,  in  hope  of  mercy." — Trapp. 
 
 "  The  phrase,  to  give  glory  to  Jehovah, 
 when  used  in  reference  to  such  as  had 
 incurred  guilt,  means  to  acknowledge 
 the  justice  of  God  in  the  infliction  of 
 deserved  punishment  (Josh.  vii.  19)." — 
 Hend. 
 
 "  How,  indeed,  can  we  ascribe  glory 
 to  God,  except  by  acknowledging  Him 
 to  be  the  fountain  of  all  wisdom,  justice, 
 and  power,  and  especially  by  trembling 
 at  His  sacred  Word  ?  Whosoever,  then, 
 does  not  fear  and  reverence  God,  who- 
 soever does  not  believe  His  word,  he 
 robs  Him  of  His  glory." — Calvin. 
 
 I.  Counsel,  "  Give  glory  to  the 
 Lord." 
 
 1.  Because  the  Lord's  glory  is  man's 
 good. 
 
 2.  Because  in  them  that  glory  might 
 appear  (ver.  11), 
 
 3.  Because  by  them  that  glory  might 
 be  obscured, 
 
 II.  Warning.  "  Before  He  cause  dark- 
 ness," &c. 
 
 1.  Fading  light.  No  clear  vision  when 
 God  is  not  glorified, 
 
 2.  Stumbling  feet,  No  power  of  pro- 
 gress unless  for  God's  glory. 
 
 3.  Bewildering  night.  Captivity,  All 
 lost, 
 
 III,  Pleading.  "But  if  ye  will  not^hear, 
 my  soul  shall  weep,"  &c. — His  "  Lamen- 
 tations." 
 
 1.  It  is  the  counsel  of  tender  love. 
 For  love's  sake, 
 
 2.  It  is  the  counsel  of  utter  unselfish- 
 ness. "  For  Christ's  sake." — Rev.  John 
 Farren. 
 
 See  JVoticeable  Topics  on  these  verses. 
 Also  Addenda   on  ver.   16,  Repentance 
 s 
 
 glorifying  God;  and  on  ver.  17,  La- 
 menting pride. 
 
 Ver.  16.  Comments:  "  He  cause 
 darkness."  The  night  of  affliction. 
 Light  is  the  emblem  of  joy ;  and  happy 
 times  are  expressed  by  bright  and  plea- 
 sant days ;  as,  on  the  contrary,  troubles 
 and  calamities  are  represented  by  the 
 night  and  darkness,  when  everything 
 looks  melancholy  and  dismal.  —  W. 
 Lowth. 
 
 "  Stumble  upon  the  dark  moun- 
 tains : "  Before  the  time  comes  when 
 ye  shall  be  forced  to  fly  by  night  upon 
 the  mountains  for  fear  of  your  enemies. 
 —  W.  Loivth. 
 
 "  Here  is  a  double  metaphor  :  Judah 
 is  not  walking  upon  the  safe  highway, 
 but  upon  dangerous  mountains  :  and 
 already  the  dusk  is  closing  around  her. 
 While  then  the  light  still  serves,  let  her 
 return  unto  her  God." — Speaker's  Com. 
 
 Ver.    16.    Theme :    Waning    light 
 
 FORESHADOWING   UTMOST    GLOOM. 
 
 God  can  darken  all  hope  and  joy. 
 Life's  gloom  is  admonitory.  We  should 
 seek  the  Lord  when  shadows  gather,  and 
 thus  turn  darkness  into  dawn. 
 
 I.  Total  darkness  will  overtake 
 those  who  refuse  God  glory.  It  will 
 gather  more  thickly  and  intensely  around 
 them,  till  it  become  dense.  Note  the 
 strengthening  imagery  :  "  Cause  dark- 
 ness "  —  "  shadow  of  death  "  —  "  gross 
 darJcness :"  it  indicates  that  the  awful 
 gloom  increases  upon  the  godless  soul, 
 ending  in  utter-most  night,  "  To  whom 
 is  reserved  the  blackness  of  darkness  for 
 ever,'' 
 
 II.  Fading  light,  denoting  the  de- 
 cline of  spiritual  opportunity.  Action 
 mtcst  be  quick,  for  "  darkness "  sets  in. 
 Repent,  "  give  glory  to  God,  before  He 
 cause  darkness,"  ere  His  judgments 
 deepen  upon  you,  and  the  gloom  hides 
 all  way  of  escape. 
 
 1.  Attempts  to  escape  will  desperately 
 fail.  "  Your  feet  will  stumble  on  dark 
 mountains."  The  way  of  deliverance 
 would  be  hidden  from  their  eyes,  and 
 their  own  efi"orts  would  only  lead  to  misery 
 and  defeat. 
 
 2.  The  shadows  counsel  speedy  return 
 to  God.  Before  the  dread  darkness 
 environs  us,  it  is  our  wisdom  to  seek 
 
 273 
 
HOMILETIC  COMMENTARY :  JEREMIAH. 
 
 God,  bow  before  Him  in  reconciliation, 
 and  glorify  Him  by  submission. 
 
 III.  Delusive  hopes  will  perish  in 
 the  terrible  gloom. 
 
 1.  No  light  luill  return  when  once  that 
 darkness  falls  on  souls.  Impenitent  sin- 
 ners may  "  look  for  light ; "  for  amelio- 
 ration of  woe,  for  escape  from  judgment, 
 but  light  will  not  come. 
 
 2.  Deejyest  terrors  tvill  finally  over- 
 whelm the  godless.  God  will  "  turn  it 
 into  the  shadow  of  death,"  appalling 
 horror  and  despair :  and  "  make  it 
 gross  darkness,"  which  no  ray  of  hope 
 or  relief  will  pierce.  Those  who,  when 
 the  fourth  vial  was  outpoured,  "  7'epented 
 not  to  give  God  glory"  were,  with  the 
 next  vial,  overwhelmed  with  "  darkness," 
 and  filled  with  agony  (Rev.  xvi.  9,  10). 
 
 The  literal  meaning  of  the  metaphor 
 is  that  there  was  nigh  at  hand  a  most 
 dreadful  vengeance,  except  the  Jews  in 
 time  anticipated  it,  and  submitted  them- 
 selves to  God.  "  Seek  righteousness, 
 seek  meekness,  it  may  be  ye  shall  be 
 hid  in  the  day  of  the  Lord's  anger" 
 (Zeph.  ii.  3). 
 
 (See  Addenda  on  ver.  16.  Stumble 
 upon  the  dark  mountains). 
 
 Ver.   17.    Theme:  Bitter  WEEPma 
 
 OVER   HARDENED  TRANSGRESSORS. 
 
 The  burdened  heart  finds  relief  in  tears. 
 And  God  is  not  unmindful  of  the  grief  of 
 holy  commiseration.  Such  tears  are  more 
 pleading  and  potent  than  prayers  :  they 
 express  "  groanings  which  cannot  be  ut- 
 tered." "  Thou  wilt  put  all  my  tears  into 
 Thy  bottle  " — precious  are  they  to  God. 
 
 I.  Men's  wilfulness  in  sin  occasions 
 heaviest  sorrow  to  God's  messenger. 
 "  If  ye  will  not  hear  it,"  &c.  Ministers 
 know  something  of  the  "  terrors  of  the 
 Lord,"  and  the  preciousness  of  souls, 
 and,  therefore,  feel  bitterest  grief  over 
 the  obstinate,  who  put  salvation  from 
 them.  Christians  ought  to  be  keenly 
 affected  by  the  guilt  of  others ;  and  to 
 feel  the  prevailing  rejection  of  God  as  a 
 personal  distress. 
 
 II.  Melancholy  justification  is  sup- 
 plied for  such  holy  grief. 
 
 1.  Defiant  pride,  in  repudiating  God's 
 word. 
 
 2.  Desolating  exile  of  God's  cherished 
 flock.      Two     distinct    aspec'.s :    vian's 
 
 274 
 
 hardened  iniquity- — a  sad  fact  to  con- 
 template ;  God's  kingdom  dishonoured — 
 for  it  was  a  discreditabia  incident  that 
 His  flock  should  be  carried  away  cap- 
 tive. And  over  human  guilt  and  God'a 
 sullied  honour  we  have  still  sufficient 
 justification  for  grief.  When  our  work 
 and  word  fail,  we  can  still  weep  and 
 pray  in  private. 
 
 III.  Sorrowful  tears  have  a  benig- 
 nant purpose  to  serve. 
 
 1.  In  prayerful  retirement  they  may 
 be  poured  out  before  God,  in  plaintive 
 supplication  for  sinners.  When  preach- 
 ing efi'ects  no  good,  we  can  iveep  in  secret 
 for  the  hardened ;  and  our  tears  shall  be 
 a  holy  libation  to  God.  "  My  soul  Shall 
 weep  in  secret  places  for  your  pride." 
 
 2.  In  open  lamentation  they  may  be 
 shed  over  sinners  who  wUl  not  weep  for 
 themselves.  Hearts  may  be  touched  by 
 a  preacher's  grief  who  would  not  feel 
 his  words.  They  may  plead  with  men 
 as  well  as  with  God.  "  Mine  eyes  shall 
 weep  sore,  and  run  down  Avith  tears, 
 because  the  Lord's  flock  is  carried  away 
 captive."  Would  not  that  sight  of  the 
 broken-hearted  prophet  send  a  pang  to 
 many  an  unreflective  observer  %  Tears 
 may  melt  a  feelingless  heart,  and  holy 
 grief  allure  a  prodigal  to  God.  Weeping 
 is  the  last  resort  of  love.  "  When  He 
 beheld  the  city.  He  wept  over  it,  saying, 
 If  thou  hadst  known  ! " 
 
 (See  Addenda  on  ver.  17.  Sorrowful 
 tears.) 
 
 Theme :  The  pathos  of  an  earnest 
 SOUL.  Jeremiah  was  not  a  mere  official 
 with  a  formal  message,  but  a  patriot, 
 and  a  devout  lover  of  his  fellow-men. 
 Looking  into  the  text,  we  note — 
 
 1.  A  fearful  possibility.  The  Lord's 
 flock  captive. 
 
 II.  A  solitary  hope.  If  they  will 
 hear  the  word  of  the  Lord. 
 
 III.  A  faithful  messenger.  Jere- 
 miah speaking  God's  word. 
 
 IV.  A  dreadful  anticipation.  If 
 they  will  not  hear. 
 
 V.  A  pathetic  resolve.  "  If  they  will 
 not  hear,  my  soul  shall  weep." 
 
 Application  :  1.  To  ministers — that 
 they  feel  deep  interest  in  the  people,  so 
 as  to  weep  over  them,  &c. 
 
 2.  To  people — that  it  is  a  question  of 
 
ITOMILETIC  COMMENTARY:  JEREMIAH. 
 
 CHAP.  XIII. 
 
 essential  importance  concerning  whicli 
 God  speaks.  That  their  treatment  of 
 the  Divine  Word  will  decide  whether 
 the  future  shall  be  captivity  or  prosperity 
 and  bliss. — W.  Whale. 
 
 Vers.  18,  19.  See  homily  on  section, 
 snjora. 
 
 "  When  the  enemies  are  at  the  gate, 
 the  plague  in  the  city,  and  there  is  no 
 escape,  while  human  help  there  is  none, 
 then  it  is  time  when  preachers  may 
 speak  to  their  princes  who  are  in  error ;  at 
 other  times  they  would  be  esteemed  in- 
 solent. .  .  .  Sometimes  God's  witnesses 
 are  clothed  with  an  authority  which  no  one 
 understands,  but  all  feel." — Zinzendorf. 
 
 "  They  who  are  chosen  to  the  office 
 of  teaching  cannot  faithfully  discharge 
 their  duty  except  they  boldly,  and  with 
 intrepid  spirit,  dare  to  reprove  both 
 kings  and  queens ;  for  the  word  of  the 
 Lord  is  not  to  be  restricted  to  the  com- 
 mon people,  or  men  in  humble  life.  This 
 prophecy  was,  no  doubt,  very  bitter  to 
 the  king  as  well  as  to  the  common 
 people ;  for  the  king  and  his  mother 
 thought  they  could  not  possibly  be  de- 
 throned."— Calvin. 
 
 Ver.   20.    Theme:   The  lost  flock 
 
 DEMANDED  OF  THE  FAITHLESS  SHEPHEED. 
 
 God  expects  of  those  who  were  en- 
 trusted with  the  care  of  others  due  at- 
 tention to  their  responsibilities.  And 
 God  will  require  their  flock  at  their 
 hands ;  that  they  should  return  to  Him, 
 saying,  "  Behold  me,  and  the  children 
 Thou  hast  given  me  ! "  or,  as  they  to 
 whom  talents  were  entrusted  returned 
 to  their  Lord  with  the  usury.  Yes,  and 
 He  will  hold  them  accountable  for  what 
 befalls  the  flock:  "their  blood  will  I 
 require  at  thy  hands." 
 
 Amazed  at  the  depopulation  of  the 
 surrounding  cities,  Jeremiah  demands 
 of  Jerusalem  an  explanation  of  the  deso- 
 lations :  or,  demands  of  the  State  [for 
 the  pronoun  is  fem\  an  explanation  of 
 the  captivity  and  devastation  of  Judah. 
 "  What  does  this  mean,  that  the  flock  is 
 scattered  which  was  entrusted  to  thee  %  " 
 
 I.  Imminent  perils  jeopardise  the 
 defenceless  flock. 
 
 1.  Foes  are  visible :  "  Lift  up  your 
 eyes  and  behold  them  !  "  Adversaries 
 are  clearly  within  sight,  menacing  the 
 
 safety  and  weal  of  society,  the  peace  and 
 progress  of  the  Chxirch,  the  piety  and 
 happiness  of  the  family,  the  integrity  and 
 honour  of  commerce,  the  healthful  tone 
 and  influence  of  literature,  the  veracity 
 and  authority  of  revealed  truth  and 
 Christian  doctrine. 
 
 2.  Foes  are  advancing  :  *'  they  come 
 from  the  north."  Heathenish  forces 
 advance  against  our  sacred  hiheintances 
 — would  rob  Israel  of  her  possession  of 
 Canaan  ;  invade  our  holy  scenes,  besiege 
 Jerusalem,  and  desecrate  the  Templewhere 
 God  is  worshipped,  for  no  hallowed 
 scene  awes  them  away  ;  assail  our  very 
 liberty — intend  to  conquer  and  capture 
 the  people,  to  make  souls  their  prey,  and 
 carry  captive  the  helpless.  For  mani- 
 festly the  "flock"  is  defenceless,  when 
 the  rulers  and  shepherds  "fear  not  God 
 neither  regard  man."  As  indeed  are 
 our  homes  and  liberties  if  they  be  not 
 environed  by  the  covenant  care  of  God. 
 
 11.  Solemn  responsibility  charged 
 upon  the  heedless  shepherds.  "  Where 
 is  the  flock?"  &c. 
 
 a.  With  which  they  had  been  put  in 
 trust :  "given  unto  thee." 
 
 b.  Which  needed  and  merited  faithful 
 care  :  "  thy  beautiful  flock." 
 
 c.  Of  whose  safety  God  will  require 
 solemn  account :  "  Where  is  the  flock  ? " 
 This  is  applicable  to — 
 
 1.  Magisterial  responsibility  for  the 
 wellbeing  of  their  people.  They  must 
 protect  their  subjects  from  invading 
 evils,  and  care  for  the  moral  as  well  as 
 physical  good  of  those  they  govern. 
 
 2.  Parental  responsibility  for  the 
 career  of  their  children.  Where  are 
 they  1  Trained  in  "  the  good  and  right 
 way,"  led  after  Jesus,  guided  into  the 
 Church  of  Christ  %  Or  wandering  into 
 worldly  scenes,  amid  snares  and  sophis- 
 tries %  God  will  want  to  know  "  where  " 
 they  are  at  tlie  end  of  their  life  on 
 earth,  when  we  appear  before  Him  to 
 give  account  of  our  stewardship. 
 
 3.  Ministerial  responsibility  for  the 
 salvation  of  those  they  taiight.  Have 
 they  watchfully  tended  the  flock,  been 
 faithful  and  dutiful  shepherds  %  Where 
 are  the  souls  to  whom  you  ministered 
 the  word  of  redemption,  "over  whom 
 the  Holy  Ghost  made  you  overseer  1" 
 
 275 
 
CHAP.  XIII. 
 
 HOMILETIC  COMMENTARY:  JEREMIAH. 
 
 When  the  Chief  Shepherd  shall  appear, 
 He  will  require  their  souls  of  those  who 
 were  put  in  charge  of  the  gospel.  (See 
 Noticeable  Topic  on  this  verse.) 
 
 Ver.  21.  Theme:  What  wilt  thou 
 
 SAY  WHEN  HE  SHALL  PUNISH  THEE. 
 
 Time  coming  when  God  would  call 
 Jewish  nation  to  awful  account.  God 
 has  solemnly  threatened  the  wicked  with 
 punishment.  When  summoned  to  His 
 bar,  "  what  wilt  thou  say  ? "  What  rea- 
 son allege  against  justice  of  thy  doom? 
 
 I.  Reflect  on  that  change  of  cir- 
 cumstances which  will  be  favourable 
 to  a  correct  judgment. 
 
 1.  The  infidelity  which  note  blinds 
 7/our  minds  will  then  be  7'emoved.  You 
 will  see  there  is  a  God,  your  duty  on 
 earth,  your  guilt  in  ignoring  Him. 
 
 2.  The  mission  of  Christ  will  then  be 
 understood.  Then  see  the  infinite  evil 
 your  sins  wrought  on  Calvary, 
 
 3.  The  "opened  boohs"  zvill  show  re- 
 cord of  all  your  sins,  God's  dealings  tvith 
 yon,  &c.,  making  a  ''revelation  of  the 
 righteous  judgment  of  God." 
 
 4.  Eternity  will  he  laid  open  to  your 
 view,  the  glories  of  heaven,  the  horrors 
 of  doom. 
 
 5.  The  infinite  and  eternal  interests 
 ivhich  God's  law  was  appointed  to  pro- 
 tect, and  against  which  your  sins  waged 
 eternal  war,  will  then  stand  displayed. 
 
 6.  Si7i  u'ill  then  be  seen  as  in  raging 
 hostility  to  the  whole  creation;  against 
 God,  &c. 
 
 7.  Nothing  tvill  then  divert  attention, 
 or  excite  false  hopes,  or  offer  excuses. 
 Everything  will  then  burst  upon  you 
 marked  with  eternity  and  infinity.  Who 
 can  describe  the  emotions  of  that  day  ? 
 
 II.  Examine  the  several  pleas  which 
 may  be  supposed  to  offer  themselves 
 then  to  thought. 
 
 1.  Will  you  say  that  you  meant  no 
 evil  ?  But  it  will  appear  how  your  sel- 
 fish heart  opposed  God,  &c. 
 
 2.  That  your  siiis  effected  no  serious 
 results?  But  they  have  wrought  im- 
 measurable evils  ;  crucified  Christ,  &c., 
 and  perhaps  destroyed  souls. 
 
 3.  That  eternal  punishment  is  too 
 s&oen-e  for  temporary  sijis  ?  The  sin  of 
 an  hour  can  fix  lasting  misery,  and  must 
 fall  on  the  culprit  himself. 
 
 27a 
 
 4.  That  your  siyis  being  finite,  do 
 not  mei'it  infinite  punish7ne7it  ?  You 
 sinned  against  an  infinite  God,  therefore 
 your  punishment  should  be  infinite, 
 though  it  is  finite  in  degree  to  comport 
 with  your  nature. 
 
 5.  Will  you  plead,  Yo^l  are  no  worse 
 than  others  ?  There  was  no  obligation 
 to  do  evil  with  the  multitude.  God's 
 law  bound  you  individually. 
 
 6.  Will  yo7t  say.  You  had  strong  temp- 
 tations? They  were  sent  to  test  your 
 obedience.  They  showed  you  loved 
 your  idols  more  than  God.  Your  de- 
 pravity gave  them  power, 
 
 7.  Will  you  say,  Those  tviser  than  you 
 betrayed  you  into  errors  of  doctrine  ? 
 You  had  the  Word  of  God,  the  truth  was 
 plainly  written  there. 
 
 8.  Will  you  plead,  You  had  good 
 desires  and  did  good  ?  In  God's  account 
 you  had  no  good  desire,  and  did  no 
 good  act.  This  will  appear  against  all 
 the  unregenerate. 
 
 9.  Will  you  say.  You  did  not  Tcnow 
 God?  God  was  before  you  in  His 
 works,  and  more  gloriously  in  His  Word. 
 Your  ignorance  arose  from  your  un- 
 belief— "He  that  believeth  not  shall 
 be  damned." 
 
 10.  Will  you  say.  The  Holy  Spirit  did 
 not  strive  ?  Had  you  heeded  His  voice 
 you  would  not  have  been  in  this  con- 
 dition now. 
 
 11.  Will  you  say,  Ministers  and  friends 
 did  not  warn  you  ?  Say  not  so.  They 
 would  have  snatched  you  from  destruc- 
 tion, but  they  could  not. 
 
 12.  Will  you  charge  the  blame  on 
 God — say  He  gave  you  passions  which 
 betray  you  ?  All  false.  He  gave  you  no 
 passions  to  lead  you  astray.  Self-love 
 changed  all,  and  you  alone  are  to  blame, 
 
 1 3.  Will  you  plead,  You  could  not  love 
 God,  could  not  repent  and  believe,  nor 
 change  your  heart  ?  This  is  saying  your 
 heart  would  yield  to  no  motives;  and 
 if  God  may  not  punish  that,  He  can  no 
 more  exercise  moral  government, 
 
 14.  Will  you  say.  You  tuere  excluded 
 by  God's  foreknowledge  and  decree  ?  If 
 God  foresaw  you  would  reject  the  gospel, 
 did  that  compel  you  to  do  so.  You 
 rejected  it  as  freely  as  if  it  had  not  been 
 foreknown. 
 
HOMILETIC  COMMENTARY:  J  ERE  MI  AS. 
 
 15.  Will  you  say,  It  is  hard  for  a 
 creature  to  he  brought  into  existence 
 without  his  oivn  consent,  and  then  to  he 
 made  eternally  miserable?  "VVho  art 
 thou  that  repliest  against  God  ?  If  He 
 may  not  create  intelligent  beings,  and 
 punish  them  when  they  sin,  He  has  no 
 right  to  maintain  moral  government. 
 
 16.  IFill  you  say,  Why  did  He  suffer 
 me  to  sin  ?  If  the  penalty  of  the  law 
 was  not  executed,  it  would  have  been 
 annihilated,  and  the  law  turned  into 
 advice.  Could  not  infinite  Wisdom 
 judge  as  well  as  you  1 
 
 1 7.  Will  you  say,  There  is  no  need  of 
 such  severity,  God  could  make  the  uni- 
 ver'se  happy  without  your  destruction? 
 Can  you  look  through  eternity,  and 
 judge  better  than  God  ?  Or  teach  Him 
 what  is  best  for  public  good?  Aban- 
 don these  charges,  fall  down  at  the  feet 
 of  Christ,  and  cast  your  soul  on  Him. 
 Come,  "  for  all  things  are  ready." 
 God,  Christ,  and  the  Holy  Spirit  are 
 ready.    Are  you  ready  ?     Come. — Anon. 
 
 Vers.  21,  22.  Theme:  God's  judg- 
 ment UPON  THE  FAITHLESS  VINDI- 
 CATED. 
 
 I.  The  tyranny  of  usurpers  is  ex- 
 plained. Why  are  God's  people  found 
 in  a  state  of  captivity — does  it  not  im- 
 ply that  He  has  failed  to  guard  them  ? 
 No !  "  Thou  hast  taught  them,"  &c. 
 By  coquetting  with  foreigners,  thou 
 hast  given  them  advantages  over  thee, 
 which  they  have  used  for  thy  conquest. 
 (See  Lit.  Grit,  on  verse.)  If  we  court 
 the  friendship  of  sinners,  we  lay  our- 
 selves open  to  subjugation,  and  invite 
 them  to  seize  the  unwary  prey.  Heze- 
 kiah,  by  showing  the  ambassadors  his 
 treasures,  thus  tempted  the  Babylonish 
 king  to  plunder. 
 
 II.  The  misery  of  the  vanquished 
 is  justified.  "  Shall  not  sorrow  take 
 thee,  as  a  woman  in  travail  ? "  Poignant 
 will  be  the  anguish ;  and  not  a  reason 
 will  the  sufferers  be  able  to  adduce  why 
 sorrows  shall  not  take  them.  Self-con- 
 demnation, the  consciousness  of  merited 
 misery,  is  "  the  worm  that  dieth  not, 
 the  fire  that  cannot  be  quenched." 
 
 III.  The  afllictions  of  judgment 
 threatened.  "  What  wilt  thou  say  when 
 He  shall  j^unish  thee  ? "    There  is  still 
 
 an  interval  of  sttspended  judgment.  But 
 the  unsheathed  sword  will  assuredly  fall 
 on  the  impenitent. 
 
 IV.  The  questionings  of  self-vindi- 
 cation silenced.  "  And  if  thou  say  in 
 thine  heart,  Wherefore  come  these  things 
 upon  me  1 "  There  is  reason  to  doubt 
 whether  the  sufferer  will  dare  to  ash 
 such  a  question,  for  he  will  know  the 
 reason  all  too  well :  "  if  thou  say," 
 Even  if  he  venture  on  such  a  self- 
 answered  inquirj^,  it  will  not  dare  utter 
 itself,  only  rising  in  silence,  as  being 
 ashamed  of  being  heard:  "say  in  thine 
 heart."  Yet,  should  any  ask  for  the 
 justification  of  the  Divine  afflictions, 
 here  it  is — "For  the  greatness  of  thine 
 iniquity." 
 
 V.  The  degradation  of  apostates  is 
 depicted.  "  Thy  skirts  discovered,  and 
 thy  heels  made  bare."  (See  Lit.  Grit. 
 on  verse).  This  public  shame  (see  also 
 ver.  26)  prefigures  the  confusion  and 
 contempt  which  will  be  openly  poured 
 upon  all  them  that  forget  God  and  dis- 
 honour Him  by  their  iniquitous  disre- 
 gard of  His  claims  and  His  grace. 
 
 Ver.    23.    Theme :    Escaping    the 
 
 THRALDOM  OP  EVIL  HABITS. 
 
 I.  The  great  difficulty  of  reforming 
 vicious  habits.  This  difficulty  of  chang- 
 ing a  bad  course  arises — 
 
 1.  From  the  general  nature  of  habits. 
 
 2.  From  the  particular  nature  of  had 
 habits. 
 
 3.  Frovi  the  natural  and  judicial  con- 
 sequences of  the  great  progress  and  long 
 continuance  of  a  bad  course. 
 
 II.  This  difficulty  is  not  desperate. 
 There  is  some  ground  of  hope  and  en- 
 couragement. 
 
 1.  There  is  left  even  in  the  worst  of 
 men  a  natural  sense  of  the  evil  and  uiv- 
 reasonableness  of  sin. 
 
 2.  Very  bad  men,  when  they  have 
 any  thought  of  becoming  better,  are 
 apt  to  conceive  some  good  hopes  of  God's 
 grace  and  mercy. 
 
 3.  Who  knows  tvhat  man,  thoroughly 
 roused  and  startled,  may  resolve  to  do  ? 
 
 4.  The  grace  and  assistance  of  God, 
 when  sincerely  sought,  is  never  to  he 
 despaired  of. — Tillotson. 
 
 Suggestions  arranged  from  Lange — 
 i.  A  comfortless  pers2')ective  (ver.  23). 
 277 
 
CHAP.  xin. 
 
 EOMILETIC  COMMENTARY :  JEREMIAH. 
 
 ii.  Yet  ivith  God  notliing  is  impossible 
 (Matt.  xix.  2Q).^ 
 
 iii.  Purification,  though  slotv  and  s^ic- 
 cessive,  can  be  effected.  The  conclusion 
 of  ver.  27  shows  this.     In  purification — 
 
 1.  We  obtain  a  point  of  support 
 without  ourselves  (Archimedes). 
 
 2.  And  a  new  principle  of  life  in 
 Christ  Jesus.  (See  Addenda  on  verse 
 23,  Inveterate  Habits.) 
 
 Theme :  The  power  op  evil  habits. 
 
 We  take  notice  of  particular  evil  acts, 
 but  are  strangely  insensible  of  an  evil 
 2)ri7iciple  operating  within  us.  This 
 principle  shows  itself  in  daily  habits. 
 Experience  shows  that  our  habits  of  sin 
 are  not  easily  broken. 
 
 I.  The  power  of  sin,  as  inherent  in 
 our  nature. 
 
 1.  It  pervades  all  our  faculties, 
 whether  of  mind  or  body.  Understand- 
 ing blinded,  will  perverse,  affections 
 earthly,  conscience  stupefied,  &c.  (Rom. 
 iii.  12-15;  vi.  13). 
 
 2.  It  finds  in  us  nothing  to  cotmteract 
 its  influence.  Neither  reason  nor  con- 
 science perform  their  office  in  opposing 
 this  evil  principle.    (See  Rom.  vii.  18.) 
 
 3.  It  receives  aid  from  everything 
 arozmd  us.  "  All  that  is  in  the  world, 
 lust  of  flesh,  lust  of  eyes,  and  pride  of 
 life,"  are  confederates,  and  solicit  us  to 
 sin. 
 
 4.  It  conceals  its  influence  under 
 specious  names.  What  will  it  not  com- 
 mend under  the  idea  of  amusement,  and 
 sanction  as  conviviality  and  good  breed- 
 ing ? 
 
 n.  Its  power,  as  confirmed  and  aug- 
 mented by  evil  habit. 
 
 1.  Its  odiousness  is  diminished.  We 
 see  to  what  lengths  wicked  men  will 
 proceed  when  once  the  restraints  of 
 conscience  and  remorse  are  broken 
 through ;  glory  in  their  shame  (Phil, 
 iii.  18,  19). 
 
 2.  Its  power  is  strengthened.  ]\Ian 
 may  so  accustom  himself  to  anger,  in- 
 temperance, impurity,  or  sloth,  as  to 
 become  powerless  to  resist  temptation 
 (2  Pet.  ii.  14;  Prov.  xxvi.  14;  Matt. 
 xix.  24). 
 
 3.  Its  opportunities  for  exercise  are 
 multiplied.  Habits  call  around  us  per- 
 sons  and    temptations    subservient   to 
 
 278 
 
 their  indulgence.    Thus,  "  sin  most  easily 
 besets  them  "  (Prov.  vii.  22,  23). 
 
 4.  The  powers  tvhei-eby  it  shotdd  be 
 resisted  are  destroyed.  Conscience  be- 
 comes ''seared"  (1  Tim.  iv.  2);  mind 
 hardened  against  fear  (Heb.  iii.  13). 
 Hence  "  wax  worse  and  worse  "  (2  Tim. 
 iii.  13.) 
 
 5.  Everything  good  is  by  it  put  at  an 
 tmappj'oachable  distance.  "  How  shall 
 they  do  good  ?  "  &c.  If  the  "  putting 
 off  of  the  old  man  "  be  so  difiicult,  what 
 hope  is  there  of  "  putting  on  the  new]" 
 (Eph.  iv.  22-24).     Learn— 
 
 a.  Toiir  need  of  converting  grace. 
 "  Must  be  born  again." 
 
 b.  The  difference  between  sin  and 
 grace,  as  affected  by  our  habits.  Habits 
 of  sin  will  augment  of  themselves ;  not 
 so  with  habits  of  grace.  "  Let  him  that 
 tbinketh  he  standeth  take  heed  lest  he 
 fall."  Yet  the  Lord  is  able  to  hold  you 
 7(p,  and  "  His  strength  is  made  perfect  in 
 tveahiess." — Simeon. 
 
 Theme:  The  alarming  power  of  sin. 
 
 This  passage,  like  some  others  in  the 
 sacred  writings,  is  not  to  be  interpreted 
 in  the  strictest  sense ;  of  the  same  de- 
 scription is  the  declaration  of  Christ, 
 "It  is  easier  for  a  camel  to  go  through 
 the  eye  of  a  needle  than  for  a  rich  man 
 to  enter  into  the  kingdom  of  heaven." 
 And  yet  such  men  are  saved,  though  the 
 difficulties  in  the  way  of  their  salvation 
 are  many  and  great.  So,  in  some  in- 
 stances, are  men  long  accustomed  to  do 
 evil  diverted  from  their  courses  of 
 iniquitj'.  But  this  is  not  usual.  It  is 
 a  truth  which  should  affect  the  minds 
 of  every  class,  that  the  long-continued 
 impenitence  of  men  augments  the  diffi- 
 culties in  the  way  of  their  salvation. 
 
 I.  The  habits  of  men  are  strength- 
 ened and  confirmed  by  indulgence. 
 
 II.  The  influence  of  this  world,  as 
 men  advance  in  life,  usually  becomes 
 more  perplexing,  and  a  greater  hin- 
 drance to  their  conversion. 
 
 III.  As  years  increase  men  become 
 less  interested  in  the  subject  of  re- 
 ligion, and  more  obdurate  and  averse 
 to  any  alteration  in  their  moral  cha- 
 racter. 
 
 IV.  The  thought  of  multiplied  and 
 long-continued  transgression  is  very 
 
HOMILFTIC  COMMENTARY :  JEREMIAH. 
 
 apt  to  discourage  all  attempts  at  re- 
 pentance. 
 
 V.  There  is  awful  reason  to  appre- 
 hend that  God  will  leave  men  of  this 
 description  to  perish  in  their  sins. 
 
 Application — 
 
 1.  What  is  the  admonition  which  it 
 addresses  to  the  aged? 
 
 2.  Our  szibject  addresses  those  who  are 
 in  middle  life. 
 
 3.  It  addresses  the  young. — Dr.  D. 
 Spring. 
 
 Comments — 
 
 "  Custom  in  sin  is  a  very  great  hin- 
 drance to  conversion  from  sin." — Henry. 
 
 "  Learned  men  in  our  age  do  not 
 wisely  refer  to  this  passage,  when  they 
 seek  to  prove  that  there  is  no  free-iuill 
 in  man ;  for  it  is  not  simply  the  nature 
 of  man  that  is  spoken  of  here,  but  the 
 habit  that  is  contracted  by  long  prac- 
 tice. Aristotle,  a  strong  advocate  of 
 free-will,  confesses  that  it  is  not  in  man's 
 power  to  do  right,  when  he  is  so  im- 
 mersed in  his  own  vices  as  to  have  lost 
 a  free  choice  (7,  Lib.  Ethicon),  and  this 
 also  is  what  experience  proves." — Calvin. 
 
 "  Inveterate  habits  are  justly  regarded 
 as  a  second-nature  ;  but,  being  moral  in 
 their  character,  instead  of  extenuating, 
 they  aggravate  the  guilt  of  those  who 
 are  the  subjects  of  them.  Strong, 
 therefore,  as  is  the  physical  reference 
 here  made,  it  can  with  no  propriety  be 
 employed  in  support  of  the  physical 
 impossibility  of  moral  reformation." 
 — Henderson. 
 
 See  Noticeable  Topics  on  this  verse. 
 
 Ver.  24.  Comments — 
 
 *' Scatter  them  : "  "This  was  no  small 
 aggravation  of  their  misery  that  they 
 should  be  thus  severed  one  from  another. 
 So  the  persecutors  of  primitive  times 
 relegated  and  confined  the  poor  Chris- 
 tians to  isles  and  mines,  where  they 
 could  not  have  access  one  to  another  for 
 mutual  comfort  and  support,  as  Cyprian 
 complaineth. " — Trapp. 
 
 Ver.  25.  "  Thy  lot,  the  poetion  of 
 THY  measures:"  The  portion  I  have 
 measured  out  to  thee  (Job  xx.  29 ;  Ps. 
 xi.  6) ;  as  by  line  and  measure  I  formerly 
 allotted  thee  an  inheritance  in  Canaan. 
 
 "In  falsehood:"  i.e.,  in  false  gods 
 and  foreign  usurpers. 
 
 Ver.  26.  Their  punishment  should 
 answer  to  their  crime.  In  spiritual 
 harlotry  with  heathen  gods  they  had 
 exposed  themselves  to  others ;  God 
 would  expose  them  to  shame  and  igno- 
 miny before  the  eyes  of  heathen  foes. 
 
 Ver.  27.  Theme:  Judah's  cleans- 
 ing  A  FORLORN  HOPE. 
 
 "  Wilt  thou  not  be  made  clean  ?  When 
 shall  it  once  be  ?" 
 
 I.  Purification  deliberately  refused. 
 "  Not  be  made  clean."  (See  on  ver.  1 : 
 "  Put  it  not  in  water.")  As  yet  Judah 
 delighted  in  her  defilement. 
 
 II.  Purification  extremely  difficult. 
 "  Shall  it  once  be  ?  "  These  words  ex- 
 plain ver.  23.  Repentance  on  the  part 
 of  Judah  seemed  to  have  become  u. 
 moral  impossibility ;  therefore  cleansing 
 could  not  be  effected.  No  cleansing 
 where  there  is  no  penitence. 
 
 III.  Purification  remotely  possible. 
 "■  When  shall  it  be  ? "  In  the  far  dis- 
 tant future  the  prospective  possibility 
 opens  to  the  Seer.  It  cannot  yet,  or 
 soon  be.  Nevertheless  he  cherishes  the 
 distant  hope.  His  patriotic  love  leads 
 him  to  this  generous  surmise.  And  his 
 knowledge  of  the  patience  and  mercy  of 
 Jehovah  forbid  him  to  despair. 
 
 Theme :  An  affectionate  expostu- 
 lation WITH  JUDAH.  "  Wilt  thou  not 
 be  made  clean  f  " 
 
 "Though  it  was  adjudged  next  to 
 impossible  for  them  to  be  brought  to  do 
 good  (ver.  23),  yet  while  there  is  life 
 there  is  hope,  and  therefore  still  he 
 reasons  with  them  to  bring  them  to 
 repentance  (ver,  27). 
 
 "i.  He  reasons  with  them  concerning 
 the  thing  itself.  'Wilt  thou  not  be 
 made  clean  1 '  Note,  It  is  the  great 
 concern  of  those  who  are  polluted  by 
 sin  to  be  made  clean  by  repentance  and 
 faith  and  an  universal  reformation. 
 The  reason  why  sinners  are  not  made 
 clean  is  that  they  will  not  be  made 
 clean ;  and  therein  they  act  unreason- 
 'ibly._ 
 
 "ii.  Concerning  the  time  of  it.  'When 
 shall  it  once  be  1 '  Note, — It  is  an  in- 
 stance of  the  wonderfid  grace  of  God, 
 that  He  desires,  the  repentance  and  con- 
 version of  sinners,  and  thinks  the  time 
 long  till  they  are  brought  to  relent ;  but 
 
 279 
 
CHAP.  XIII. 
 
 HOMILETW  COMMENTARY:  JEUEMIAH. 
 
 it  is  an  instance  of  the  wonderful  folly 
 of  sinners  that  they  put  that  off  from 
 time  to  time  which  is  of  such  absolute 
 necessity  that,  if  it  be  not  done  some 
 time,  they  are  undone  for  ever.  They 
 do  not  say,  they  will  never  be  cleansed, 
 but,  not  yet ;  they  will  defer  it  to  a  more 
 convenient  season,  but  cannot  tell  us 
 '  when  it  shall  once  be.' " — Henry. 
 
 Theme:  Cleansing  possible,  yet 
 REFUSED.  "Woe  unto  thee,  0  Jeru- 
 salem !  Wilt  thou  not  be  made  clean  ? 
 When  shall  it  once  be  1 " 
 
 Every  impenitent  sinner  is  involved 
 in  guilt  and  polluted  with  sin.  God  is 
 willing  to  pardon,  if  he  repent  and 
 believe  the  gospel.  "The  blood  of 
 Jesus  Christ  His  Son  cleanseth  us  from 
 all  sin."     It  is  implied — 
 
 I.  That  it  is  possible  for  creatures 
 involved  in  guilt  and  polluted  with 
 sin  to  obtain  both  pardon  and  purity. 
 "Wilt  thou  not  be  made  clean  1  When 
 shall  it  once  be  ? " 
 
 God  is  able  to  cleanse  us  from  sin. 
 Our  own  unwillingness  greatly  obstructs 
 it,  yet  it  is  possible  to  obtain  it. 
 
 1.  It  is  possible  to  have  our  guilt  re- 
 moved, and  to  he  delivered  from  the  con- 
 sequences of  sin. 
 
 2.  It  is  possible  for  us  to  be  delivered 
 from  the  2>ollution  of  sin. 
 
 II.  It  is  supposed  That  many  raise 
 objections  against  this  cleansing  and 
 the  means  appointed  for  it.  "Wilt 
 thou  not  be  made  clean  1 " 
 
 The  unbelieving  Jews  objected  to  the 
 charge  of  guilt  brought  against  them  by 
 the  prophet. 
 
 1.  Some  are  luilling  to  he  delivered 
 from  the  consequences  of  sin,  hut  not 
 from  its  power.  Would  willingly  escape 
 hell,  but  care  not  to  live  a  holy  life ; 
 would  accept  a  free  and  full  salvation, 
 but  are  not  ready  to  take  up  their  cross 
 to  follow  Christ. 
 
 2.  Some  are  ivilling  to  he  cleansed 
 outwardly,  hut  not  imvardly.  Many  do 
 not  object  to  leave  off  some  of  their 
 gross  sins,  but  dislike  what  is  internal 
 and  spiritual. 
 
 3.  Some  are  willing  to  be  cleansed 
 partly,  but  not  entirely.  There  are  sins 
 they  cannot  give  up, 
 
 4.  Some  j-aise  objections  to  God^s  ap- 
 
 280 
 
 p>ointed  methods  for  cleansing  sins.  Ob- 
 ject to  the  mediation  of  Christ  as  the 
 ground  of  their  hope  :  would  prefer  to 
 do  some  good  work  for  themselves. 
 Not  willing  to  be  pardoned  and  sancti- 
 fied in  God's  appointed  way. 
 
 5.  Some  who  admit  the  importance  of 
 being  cleansed,  object  to  being  cleansed  yet; 
 "at  once."  Religion  is  important,  but 
 it  is  to  be  attended  to  at  some  future 
 time. 
 
 III.  That  those  who  object  to  be 
 cleansed  render  themselves  liable  to 
 Divine  judgment.  The  words  are  in- 
 troduced with  a  Woe.  "  Woe  unto  thee, 
 0  Jerusalem  !  "  Refusing  pardon,  they 
 deserve  judgment  for  their  impenitence. 
 So  those  under  the  gospel,  who  remain 
 impenitent  and  ungodly,  are  exposed  to 
 the  most  awful  judgment. 
 
 1.  Those  who  refuse  to  apply  to  the 
 sacrifice  of  Christ  have  no  way  of  mercy 
 left  to  them.  "  There  is  no  other  name 
 under  heaven,"  &c. 
 
 2.  Those  who  are  not  cleansed  from 
 sin  must  be  excluded  from  heaven.  "  Ex- 
 cept a  man  be  born  again  he  cannot  see 
 the  kingdom  of  God." 
 
 3.  There  is  great  danger  if  you  are 
 not  cleansed  yet,  that  you  will  reynain 
 and  perish  in  your  corruption. — Anon. 
 
 Theme :  Mercy's   appeal  —  "  Wilt 
 
 THOU  BE  MADE  CLEAN  1  "  &C. 
 
 The  favoured  city  under  a  ban — be- 
 cause of  uncleanness — Divine  offer  of 
 help  the  only  hope.     Mercy's  appeal. 
 
 1.  Mercy''s  appeal  is  faithful,  con- 
 vincing of  sin,  and  commanding  repent- 
 ance. 
 
 2.  Mercy  s  app)eal  is  humiliating. 
 Jerusalem  is  unclean  and  unable  to  make 
 itself  clean.  Ungodly  and  without 
 strength.     Dependent  on  Divine  love. 
 
 3.  Mercy's  apjoeal  is  helpfid.  God 
 has  made  provision  for  cleansing.  He 
 is  anxious  to  afford  aid. 
 
 4.  Mercy's  appeal  is  to  the  moral  ivish 
 of  man.     "  Wilt  thou  ? "  &c. 
 
 6.  Mercy's  appeal  is  effectual  when 
 man  is  made  willing  to  be  clean. 
 
 Another  method  on  same  text — 
 
 I.  The  great  need  of  the  soul, 
 cleansing. 
 
 II.  The  great  helplessness  of  the 
 soul,  cannot  cleanse  itself. 
 
HOMILETIC  COMMENTARY:  JEREMTAff.  cuap.  xirt. 
 
 III.  The  great  grace  of  God.  He  V.  The  great  work  of  the  ministry, 
 has  provided  for  cleansing,  and  offers  to  1.  To  bring  home  the  feeling  of  guilt, 
 cleanse.  2.  To  ask  the  question  of  the  text. 
 
 IV.  The   great   drawhack   on   our  3.  To  direct  to  the  cleansing  fount. 
 part.     We  do  not  naturally  wish  to  be  4.  To  urge  the  importance  of  imme- 
 clean,  diate  application. — W.  Whale. 
 
 NOTICEABLE  TOPICS  IN  CHAPTER   XIII. 
 
 Topic:  Nearness  to  God  Destkoyed  by  Sin.     (Vers.  1-11). 
 
 The  sacred  writers  use  the  incidents  of  life  and  the  symbolism  of  nature  to  in- 
 culcate truth.  Christ  did  the  same.  Reason  of  this — (1.)  Difficult  to  secure  man's 
 attention.  (2.)  Difficult  to  effect  a  lodgment  of  the  truth  in  the  heart.  We  have 
 here  a  symbolic  action,  the  burying,  &c.,  of  the  girdle,  intended  to  represent  the 
 nearness  of  the  Jewish  nation  to  God,  and  their  alienation  and  destruction 
 through  sin. 
 
 Subject :  Nearness  to  God  Destroyed  by  Sin. 
 
 1.  Nearness  to  God. — 1.  These  Jews  were  like  a  girdle  bound  upon  the  loins. 
 Should  have  entwined  themselves  around  God.  So  nations  may  be  near — (1)  In 
 the  great  things  that  God  had  done  for  them.  (2)  In  the  covenant  relation  which 
 He  had  entered  into  with  them.  (3)  In  the  privileges  which  He  had  conferred 
 upon  them. 
 
 2.  Man  is  near — (1)  He  is  near  by  nature — created  in  God's  image.  (2)  He  is 
 near  to  God's  heart.  (3)  He  is  near  in  God's  care  over  him.  (4)  He  is  near  in 
 the  privileges  of  liberty,  religion,  knowledge,  discipline,  warning.  (5)  In  a  posi- 
 tion to  become  eternally  nearer  by  growing  up  into  Christ.  Entering  into  his 
 fellowship.  Entering  into  His  palace  above.  (6)  Brought  near  for  God's  glory 
 (ver.  11). 
 
 II.  His  nearness  destroyed  by  sin. — 1.  Sin  is  the  destroyer  of  nations  as  well 
 as  individuals.     The  Jews  destroyed  by  idolatry,  lust,  selfishness,  pride. 
 
 2.  As  of  nations  so  of  individuals,  sin  will  destroy  them  unless  resisted  and  cast 
 forth.  Man  in  Paradise,  Antediluvian  world,  Ahab,  Hainan,  Lot,  and  Solomon 
 almost. 
 
 3.  This  destruction  is  voluntary.     The  sinner  is  a  suicide.     (Ver  10,  &c.). 
 
 4.  God  is  represented  as  active  in  this  destruction,  v.q. — (1)  Not  that  God 
 deserts  the  sinner  first.  Pharaoh  hardens  his  heart  repeatedly  before  God  is  said 
 to  harden  it.  (2)  But,  when  the  measure  of  sin  is  full,  God  removes  restraints, 
 and  sets  in  motion  the  agency  of  judgment. 
 
 5.  This  destruction  will  consist  in — (1)  Separation  from  God.  (2)  Utter 
 corruption  and  rottenness. 
 
 Learn : — 1.  The  terrible  power  of  sin.  2.  To  guard  against  it  as  our  chief  enemy. 
 — E,  Jerman. 
 
 Topic:  Life  Lessons — "Be  not  Proud:"  Children s  Sermon.    (Ver.  15.) 
 
 The  lily  of  the  valley,  growing  in  the  shade,  and  concealing  itself  in  its  own 
 leaves,  hints  this  same  lesson.  So  does  the  nightingale,  which  "  asks  no  witness 
 to  her  song."  Not  need  to  describe  pride,  as  if  it  were  a  new  thing,  or  a  rare  curio- 
 sity, something  which  we  must  travel  to  ruins  of  Nineveh  to  find :  as  ancient  as 
 Garden  of  Eden,  and  common  as  thorns  and  thistles.  It  is  exceedingly  deceitful, 
 escapes  punishment  by  assuming  a  fictitious  excellence,  but  in  any  form  it  is  sin  ! 
 And,  it  is  enmity  to  God,  sets  up  idols  where  He  should  reign,  and  breeds  envies, 
 malice,  &c. — things  worthy  of  death.     Its  varieties  are  manifold  :  dwell  on  four  of 
 
 the  chief — 
 
 281 
 
cfiAP.  XIII.  nOMIlETJC  COMMENTARY :  J  BRUM  I AE. 
 
 I  There  is  race  2'>i'ide.  Be  thanhful  for  good  and  pious  ancestors  :  but  wliat  is 
 there  to  boast  of  1  Did  we  help  to  make  them  what  they  were ;  and  are  we  as 
 good  as  they  ?  Jews  were  race  proud  :  "  We  have  Abraham  to  our  father ; "  "  We 
 be  the  children  of  Abraham  ! "  Not  wrong  to  rejoice  that  our  progenitors  have 
 been  noble  and  holy,  but  to  be  arrogant  and  supercilious  on  account  of  this,  and 
 treat  others  disdainfully,  is  a  ridiculous  and  detestable  habit. 
 
 II.  There  is  face  pnc?^.  Lovely  or  manly  features  are  not  to  be  despised. 
 Astonishing  what  favours  they  obtain,  how  many  bolted  doors  they  open.  But  if 
 they  foster  pride,  beauty  is  no  longer  beauty;  it  is  despicable  vanity.  Kemember 
 how  inferior  outward  appearance  is  to  moral  qualities,  how  empty  it  will  leave  you 
 if  disease  despoils  you  of  beauty ;  culture  "  the  ornament  of  a  meek  and  quiet 
 spirit." 
 
 III.  There  is  place  pride.  Your  position  in  society,  fine  house,  carriage,  rich 
 dress,  education,  accomplishments — these  do  not  render  you  better  than  those 
 whose  station  is  lower ;  not  wiser,  nobler,  holier.  You  received  them  from  God, 
 "  without  money  and  without  price ; "  be  not  haughty  about  them. 
 
 IV.  There  is  grace  pride.  The  worst  sort  of  pride,  pride  in  godliness  !  Mingles 
 with  our  prayers,  praises,  charities,  repentance,  and  tears.  We  estimate  our  devo- 
 tions or  services,  and  think  them  satisfactory,  congratulate  ourselves  on  them  :  we 
 then  offer  incense  to  self  instead  of  to  God.     Grace  pride  corrupts  all  grace. 
 
 "  Be  not  proud  "  therefore,  because — 1.  We  have  nothing  to  he  proud  of:  we  are 
 poor,  weak,  dependent  creatures.  2.  It  is  abhorrent  to  God :  it  shuts  Him  away. 
 "  The  proud  He  knoweth  afar  off."  "  God  resisteth  the  proud."  Fallen,  depraved, 
 perishing  beings,  proud/  3.  It  is  so  unlike  Christ.  Yet  He  was  "altogether 
 lovely ; "  knew  everything,  possessed  everything,  could  do  everything  ;  yet  "  meek 
 and  lowly  in  heart."  4.  It  is  ruinous.  "  Pride  goeth  before  destruction."  What 
 warnings  do  Saul,  Nebuchadnezzar,  and  Herod  offer !  Watch  against  inducements 
 to  pride  :  bravely  struggle  with  and  subdue  it. — Rev.  James  Bolton,  in  "  Family 
 Treasury." 
 
 Topic:  God  Glorified  in  the  Fall  op  Peide.  Text:  ^^ Be  not  proud;  give 
 glory  to  the  Lord  your  God.  But  if  ye  will  not  hear,  my  soul  shall  iveep  in 
 secret  places  for  your  pride  ;  and  my  eyes  shall  lueep  sore,  and  run  down 
 with  tears,  because  the  Lord^s flock  is  carried  away  captive''^  (vers.  15-17). 
 
 What  a  wonderful  circumstance  claims  attention ;  the  Everlasting  God  Himself 
 pleads  for  an  audience !  "  Hear  ye  and  give  ear,  for  the  Lord  hath  spoken  ! "  He 
 tells  of  matters  of  vast  importance  ;  and,  if  you  listen,  through  eternity  you  will 
 thank  God  for  having  attended  to  His  word. 
 
 I.  Ask,  What  is  it  which  stops  people  from  hearing  the  voice  of  God  %  Text 
 points  to  one  special  obstacle  which  is  the  last  we  should  have  thought  possible — 
 pride.  When  Jehovah  condescends  to  speak  to  the  heart  of  one  so  worthless,  vouch- 
 safes to  offer  us  counsel  of  most  momentous  concern,  the  thing  which  bars  our  door 
 against  the  entrance  of  Jesus,  or  deadens  our  ear  to  the  sound  of  His  voice,  is  this 
 accursed  thing  called  " jjride."     Varied  aspects  assumed  by  pride: — 
 
 1.  One  form  of  "pride"  is  shame.  Many  kept  from  Christ  because  ashamed  to 
 come  and  give  themselves  up  to  Him.  For  fear  of  the  paltry  scorn,  the  momen- 
 tary ridicule,  the  soul  will  risk  eternity !  You  have  to  choose  between  shame  now 
 and  shame  eternally.  Yet  what  is  there  to  be  ashamed  of,  that  you  should  be  kept 
 from  Christ  1  Rather  there  is  cause  for  shame  in  being  a  sinner,  impenitent,  self- 
 condemned  ! 
 
 2.  There  is  the  "  pride  "  of  respectability  and  social  positio7i.  Hold  apart  from 
 religion,  because  in  the  one  way  all  must  go  without  distinction.  Yet  who  would 
 not  prefer  the  position  of  the  vulgar  beggar  Lazarus  to  that  of  the  respectable 
 citizen  Dives  ?  What  can  justify  in  a  lost  sinner  any  high  and  vain  thoughts 
 of  self? 
 
 282 
 
EOMILETIC  COMMENTARY :  JEREMIAH.  chap.  xiti. 
 
 3.  There  is  Ihe  "  pride "  that  conceals  a  ivound.  God's  word  has  stricken  the 
 heart ;  healing  and  joy  could  be  had  if  we  humbly  go  to  God,  yet  hide  the  grief  and 
 unrest  within,  from  man  and  Heaven  !  Let  this  pride  be  broken  down,  and  con- 
 fession be  made  in  the  ears  of  your  God. 
 
 4.  There  is  the  "  pride "  of  self-rigJiteousness.  "  Thank  God,  I  am  not  like 
 other  men  ! "  What  say  when  before  the  Throne — that  you  were  too  good  to 
 accept  the  Gospel]  Like  the  man  without  the  wedding-garment,  "you  will  be 
 speechless."  You  might  be  clothed  with  the  righteousness  which  is  from  God  by 
 faith  ;  yet  choosing  your  own,  you  are  justly  condemned ! 
 
 II.  Human  pride  must  effectually  be  broken  down. 
 
 1.  When  pride  is  humbled,  and  the  man  is  crushed,  then  it  is  God  speahs.  And 
 what  does  He  say?  Might  expect — "Depart  from  Me,  ye  cursed!"  N^ay:  '^  Give 
 glory  to  the  Lord  your  God."  Your  God  still,  though  turned  your  back  upon  Him, 
 grieved  Him,  "would  none  of  His  ways."  How  make  return  for  the  wrong  done, 
 years  wasted,  opportunities  lost  ?     "  Give  glory  to  the  Lord  your  God  !  " 
 
 2.  The  contrite  soul  cannot  realise  its  ability  to  glorify  God.  A  child  of  sin  and 
 sorrow,  heart  vile,  sins  crying  out  in  reproach,  all  life  a  transgression,  how  can 
 such  an  one  glorify  God  ?  Note:  A  sinner  can  in  one  sense  glorify  God  more  than 
 the  brightest  angel  before  His  throne.  From  deepest  woe  He  raises  the  soul  to 
 highest  bliss  and  holiness  !  And  while  "  there  is  joy  in  the  presence  of  God  over 
 the  sinner  "  repentant,  the  Most  High  is  glorified  in  the  achievement  of  wondrous 
 grace !  Give  this  glory  to  your  God ;  broken  down,  powerless,  self -despairing, 
 cast  yourself  on  His  salvation. 
 
 3.  There  is  a  desperate  alternative ;  that  "  you  will  not  hear."  By  and  by  your 
 feet  will  "  stumble  on  the  dark  mountains."  The  day  of  disease  will  come ;  life 
 will  grow  dim  ;  the  thin  grandeur  of  a  fading  world  will  begin  to  pass  away;  all 
 around  the  gloom  will  thicken,  and  on  a  dying  world  ^^ gross  darkness"  of  un- 
 relieved despair,  will  cover  you.  Then  the  last  moment  comes ;  one  terrified  "  look 
 for  light"  biit  in  vain ;  the  soul  is  " carried  away  into  captivity." 
 
 Tears  for  lost  Jerusalem  !  Tears  for  a  lost  soul !  "  Mine  eyes  shall  weep  sore." 
 — Aitken's  ''Mission  Sermons." 
 
 Topic  :  God's  claim  on  Parents.     Text :  "  Where  is  the  flock  that  was  given  thee, 
 thy  beautiful  flock?"  (ver.  20). 
 
 If  kings  are  responsible  for  their  subjects,  teachers  are  for  their  scholars,  parents 
 are  for  their  children. 
 
 I.  What  is  here  shown  us  respecting  the  flock.  "  The  flock  that  was  given 
 thee,  thy  beautiful  flock." 
 
 1.  The  flock  is  not  yours:  not  yours  in  proprietorship,  but  only  yours  in  charge. 
 It  is  "  the  flock  given  thee."  Mighty  kings  and  tyrants  have  regarded  subjects  as 
 their  property  :  such  have  always  wrought  the  ruin  of  their  nation.  The  flock 
 belongs  to  God.  Israel  was  His.  Children  are  peculiarly  and  specially  God's. 
 Authority  over  them  is  God's  gift  to  parents ;  but  He  has  a  claim  prior  to  yours. 
 He  continues  His  work  of  Creation  in  every  child  born.  Its  existence  is  wonderful. 
 Much  more  wonderful  are  its  caj^iacities — physical,  mental,  social,  spiritual ! 
 
 2.  Christ  highly  estimates  the  flock.  "  Thy  beautif  id  flock."  "  Whosoever  shall 
 receive  one  such  child  in  My  name,  receiveth  Me."  Christian  hospitality  to  a  child 
 is  homage  to  God.  Teachers,  parents,  the  children  of  your  charge  constitute  the 
 flock  that  is  given  you ;  but  you  are  not  owners,  only  shepherds ;  and  the  obliga- 
 tion of  shepherds  is  on  you. 
 
 II.  The  responsibility  of  parents  to  whom  God  has  entrusted  His  flock. 
 The  question  will  be  put,  sooner  or  later,  "  Where  is  the  flock  given  thee?" 
 
 The  great  responsibility  of  parents  is  seen  in  this,  that — 
 
 1.  TJiey  had  to  impart  religious  ideas.  At  home  the  first  principles  are  instilled  ; 
 indeed,  the  child's  mind  is  there  made  acquainted  with  the  germs  of  all  truth — sin, 
 
 283 
 
CHAP.  xiu.  nOMILETIC  COMMENTARY:  JEREMIAff. 
 
 forgiveness,  righteousness,  salvation,  love  human  and  Divine  :  all  the  ideas  involved 
 in  religion. 
 
 2.  Parents  rejoresent  to  their  children  the  character  of  the  Invisible  God.  Jewish 
 kings  substituted  and  were  to  represent  the  "  King  of  kings."  The  Incarnate  Jesus 
 revealed  "  the  Father  in  heaven."  The  gospel  is  a  declaration  of  the  Paternal 
 Love.  The  parental  relationship,  therefore,  represents  God  to  the  little  ones ;  and 
 they  get  their  first  ideas  of  Him  from  wbat  their  parents  are. 
 
 3.  The  inquiry  ^'for  the  fiock"  will  he  addressed  to  parents.  God  will  ask  of 
 them  "  the  beautiful  flock  "  that  made  bright  their  homes.  The  time  will  come 
 when  this  inquiry  will  be  addressed  from  the  judgment  throne  to  parents.  And 
 among  the  gathered  flocks  in  the  "  one  fold"  of  heaven  Christ  will  ask  for  yours. 
 Alas  !  some  will  pass  childless  into  the  gates  of  heaven  ;  bereaved  not  by  death  but 
 by  sin  :  themselves  saved,  their  children  lost.  How  will  their  ears  receive  the 
 words,  "  Enter  into  the  joy  of  your  Lord"  1  Others  will  themselves  be  arrested  at 
 the  throne ;  themselves  rejected  :  and  to  them  also  will  the  inquiry  come,  "  Where 
 is  thy  flock?"  Driven  by  thee  into  perdition — souls  which  were  not  thine,  lambs 
 whom  Jesus  came  to  save  ! 
 
 III.  The  way  in  which  this  responsihility  should  be  met.  If  you  would  pre- 
 pare to  answer  joyfully  this  question,  set  it  before  you  as — 
 
 L  A  distinct  2^urpose.  The  wish  for  your  children's  salvation  is  not  enough. 
 Many  good  people  are  bad  parents  through  lack  of  this  jmr/wse  that  their  children 
 shall  be  saved ;  a  purpose  registered  in  the  sight  of  God  over  each  child  singly. 
 
 2.  Intense  devotion  is  necessary.  Lukewarm  piety  will  never  enable  a  man  to  say 
 at  the  throne,  "Behold  I  and  the  children  which  God  has  given  me!"  To  have 
 converting  power  over  your  own  children  you  must  love  their  soids,  and  hold  them 
 fast  for  God. — Kev.  Alden  Davies,  in  "  Christian  World  Fulpit." 
 
 To2nc :  Custom  in  Sin  Exceeding  Dangerous.  Text :  "  Can  the  Ethiopian 
 change  his  shin,  or  the  leopard  his  spots  ?  then  may  ye  also  do  good  that  are 
 accustomed  to  do  evil"  (ver.  23). 
 
 The  miserable  condition  of  sin  is  here  exhibited  in  two  branches,  its  defilement 
 and  its  entanglement. 
 
 I.  The  defilement  of  sin.  This  is  propounded  from  a  double  resemblance,  the 
 blackness  of  the  Ethiopian,  and  the  spots  of  the  leopard.  It  is  a  polluting  and  de- 
 forming thing ;  whether  man  be  regarded  as  corporeal  or  spiritual.  Let  it  be 
 beauty  of  the  body,  sin  will  cause  loathsomeness  ;  or  beauty  of  mind,  sin  will  take 
 off  the  comeliness,  and  reduce  it  to  coarseness  and  lust.  Let  men  be  what  they 
 may,  yet  if  defiled  by  sin,  they  are  so  far  forth  very  unlovely.  They  may  not  see 
 their  own  ugliness,  deformity,  and  filthiness  in  sin,  as  Ethiopians  do  not  perceive 
 their  own  blackness,  nor  are  sensible  of  it ;  nay,  they  count  their  blackness  their 
 greatest  beauty  ;  yet  this  does  not  make  them  a  whit  the  comelier. 
 
 To  open  this  defilement  and  deformity  which  is  in  sin  the  more,  we  may  take 
 notice  of  four  particulars  : — 
 
 1.  The  inherence  of  sin.  Like  the  blackness  of  the  Ethiopian,  and  spots  of 
 leopard.  "  Behold  I  was  shapen  in  iniquity,"  &c.  (Ps.  li.  5) ;  "  We  are  by  nature 
 children  of  wrath"  (Eph.  ii.  3);  "The  wicked  are  estranged /rom  the  womb" 
 (Ps.  Iviii.  3).  (1)  This  should  humble  and  abase  us  in  consideration  of  our  own  vile- 
 ness  ;  not  lead  us  to  excuse  our  sins.  If  sin  were  a  thing  which  men  fell  into  only 
 by  chance,  as  something  adventitious  to  them,  some  palliation  might  be  found ;  but 
 its  being  inbred  and  natural  makes  it  the  more  abominable.  Let  us  prosecute  the 
 work  of  humility  and  deep  contrition,  being  afflicted  in  soul  on  account  of  this 
 natural  deformity.  And  (2)  we  see  here  tvhat  cause  we  have  to  desire  that  God  would 
 change  our  nature,  and  bestow  a  new  nature  upon  us. 
 
 2.  The  monstrousness  of  sin.  As  we  have  seen  it  in  its  generation,  so  may  we 
 look  upon  it  in  its  degeneration,     (i)  It  alters  a  man's  country  ;  turns  an  Israelite 
 
 284 
 
HOMILETIC  COMMENTARY :  JEREMIAE.  chap.  xiii. 
 
 into  an  " Ethiopian"  and  thus  causes  a  degeneration  there.  (2)  It  also  alters  a 
 man's  nature;  gives  a  man  the  quality  and  disposition  even  of  the  beasts,  makes 
 him  a  "  leopard,"  and  thus  makes  a  degeneration  there.  See  Ps.  xlix.  20,  "  I  was 
 as  a  beast  before  Thee."  Thus  does  sin  degenerate,  debase,  and  put  the  sinner 
 below  himself. 
 
 3.  The  multiplication  of  si7i.  It  is  various.;  expressed  here  by  the  "  leopard's 
 .tpots."  Sin  is  a  beast  of  divers  colours  and  marks  and  spots.  A  large  catalogue 
 in  Gal.  v.  19,  where  the  works  of  the  flesh  are  made  manifest.  There  are  not  more 
 spots  in  a  leopard  than  there  are  lusts  in  a  corrupt  heart. 
 
 4.  The  universality  of  sin.  It  is  a  deformity  in  all  the  parts,  not  one  excepted:  as  is 
 the  blackness  of  the  Ethiopian  and  the  spots  of  the  leopard.  Sin  makes  a  man 
 universally  sinful  and  polluted  in  every  part  and  member  of  him  (Isa.  i.  5  ;  Gen. 
 vi.  5).  On  the  other  side,  good  men  are  freed  from  these  spots:  "Thou  art  all  fair, 
 my  love,  there  is  no  spot  in  thee  "  (Cant.  iv.  7)  ;  "  Not  having  spot  or  wrinkle," 
 &c.  (Eph.  V.  27).     See  also  2  Peter  iii.  14 ;  James  i.  27  ;  Jude  23. 
 
 Let  us  not  look  upon  these  things  as  mere  metaphors,  but  as  carrying  a  manifest 
 truth  and  reality  in  them  ;  believe  them,  and  be  affected  by  them.  Let  this  carry 
 us  so  much  the  more  closely  to  Christ,  and  cause  us  to  admire  God's  free  grace  in 
 Him,  as  the  "  Propitiation  for  sin,"  and  "the  Lamb  of  God  which  taketh  away  the 
 sin  of  the  world."  The  vileness  of  sin  should  make  it  loathsome  to  us,  and  love  the 
 means  appointed  for  our  recovery  from  it. 
 
 IL  The  entanglements  of  sin.  Expressed  in  the  unmovdbleness  and  un- 
 changeahleness  of  it ;  as  "  the  Ethiopian  cannot  change  his  skin,  or  the  leopard  his 
 spots." 
 
 1.  The  qualification  [or  condition]  of  the  persons  "  accustomed  to  do  evil." 
 More  correctly  "  taught  to  do  evil."  Taught  (1)  By  doctrine  and  instruction.  There 
 is  a  great  deal  of  such  teaching  in  the  world  (see  Matt.  v.  19  ;  Tit.  i.  11 ;  Mark 
 vii.  7)  ;  and  a  great  deal  of  ill-learning  also  follows  thereupon  ;  people  are  here 
 quickly  taught,  so  capable  and  appreciative  are  they  (2  Tim.  iv.  3,  4).  Those  who 
 are  thus  taught  to  do  evil  cannot  do  good;  there  is  an  impotency  and  indisposition 
 upon  them  to  all  good,  and  a  proneness  to  all  evil.  Popery,  Pelagianism,  Anti- 
 nomianism,  though  they  do  not  always  break  forth  into  actual  enormities,  yet  have 
 that  within  them  which  teaches  and  leads  to  sin.  (2)  By  pattern  and  example. 
 That  which  men  see  to  be  practised  they  soon  and  easily  fall  into.  (3)  By  practice 
 and  use  "  accustomed  to  do  evil."  Use  makes  perfect.  There  is  an  art  in  wicked- 
 ness itself :  "  wise  to  do  evil."  Men  are  not  expert  and  expedite  at  first  in  such 
 sins  as  swearing,  drinking,  gaming ;  but  experience  comes  with  use ;  then  "  they 
 drink  in  iniquity  as  water  "• — "draw  on  iniquity  as  with  cart-ropes" — "do  evil 
 with  both  hands  earnestly" — "turn  to  evil  course  as  a  horse  rusheth  to  the 
 battle," 
 
 2.  The  invincible  necessity  which  follows  upon  custom  in  sin — they  "  canyiot  do 
 good."  As  well  attempt  to  make  the  Ethiopian  white  or  remove  spots  from 
 leopard,  which  are  expressions  of  labour  in  vain,  as  to  reduce  an  habituated  sinner. 
 The  invincible  necessity  and  tyranny  of  accustomed  sin  shows  itself  (1)  In  an 
 impotency  to  good  (Gal.  v.  17).  (2)  A  precipitancy  unto  evil  (Eccles.  viii,  11). 
 The  ground  of  this  prevalency  of  custom  is  the  fixedness  of  it;  it  being,  as  it 
 were,  a  second  nature,  which  is  sure  and  constant  to  its  principle.  Ifaturalia  non 
 mutantur ;  those  things  which  are  natural  are  unchangeable,  (a.)  Take  heed  of 
 having  anything  to  do  ivith  sin  at  first,  (b.)  Jf  any  should  fall  into  sin,  do  not 
 stay  in  it,  but  hasten  out  of  it  with  speed  (Rom,  vi.  1).  (c)  Talce  heed  of  relapses, 
 and  falling  bach  to  sin  again  (2  Pet,  ii.  20).  Evil  custom  reassumed  and  habits 
 returned  to  are  specially  dangerous. 
 
 But  when  is  sin  come  to  a  habit  1  Or  how  may  it  be  discerned  so  to  be  ?  We 
 may  know  it  by  three  considerations — 
 
 i.  Freqziency.     When  often  and  familiarly  committed.     'Eyyvi  rh  rnXXclKxig  rp 
 
 285 
 
CHAP.  XIII.  EOMILETIC  COMMENTARY :  JEREMIAH. 
 
 a'.i,  says  the  philosopher  :  That  which  is  often  is  next  to  that  which  is  alivays ; 
 and  it  very  suddenly  falls  uito  it. 
 
 ii.  Facility.  When  one  is  expedite  in  doing  it.  "  He  that  is  born  of  God  doih 
 not  commit  sin;"  i.e.,  does  not  make  a  trade  of  it;  but  with  an  unregenerate 
 heart  it  is  far  otherwise,  he  is  prompt  and  ready  at  it, 
 
 iii.  [Felicity]  complacency  and  delight  in  it,  "They  count  it  pleasure  to  riot  in 
 the  daytime"  (2  Pet.  ii,  13;  Ps.  Ixii,  4).  When  wickedness  has  reached  this 
 height  in  those  corrupted  with  it,  it  proves  very  hard  and  difficult  to  wean  them 
 from  it :  an  invincible  necessity  lies  upon  the  accustomed  sinner. 
 
 Reflection.  This  seems  a  very  uncomfoetable  doctrine,  that  an  accustomed 
 sinner  is  unreclaimahle,  and  seems  to  carry  much  disheartening  and  discouragement 
 in  it.  For  are  those  inured  to  sin  altogether  lost, — without  hope  of  recovery  ? 
 This  is  to  be  understood,  not  absolutely  and  peremptorily,  but  with  due  limitation. 
 There  is  One  who  can  reduce,  reform,  and  reclaim  an  habituated  offender.  *'  Who 
 can  bring  clean  out  of  unclean  ?"  "JSTot  one  ;"  i.e.,  not  one  man.  Comp.  Matt. 
 xix.  26.  The  Lord,  by  converting  grace,  can  make  the  most  monstrous  sinner  a 
 good  Christian  ;  can  change  the  skin  of  the  Ethiopian,  &c.  Instances :  Manasses, 
 Paul,  jailor,  Mary  Magdalene.  (See  Isa.  xi,  6,  7  ;  Ps,  Ixviii.  31  ;  Acts  viii.  27; 
 Ethiopian  changed  his  skin.)  The  Lord  is  able.  But  we  must  take  the  words  as 
 applicable  to  the  sinner,  thus — 
 
 1.  He  cannot  do  it,  i.e.,  of  himself .  An  accustomed  sinner  cannot  alter  his  own 
 heart  or  course  (Jer.  x.  23).  It  is  not  the  question.  Can  the  Ethiopian's  skin  hs 
 changed?  but.  Can  he  change  it?  (Comp.  2  Cor.  iii.  5;  Phil.  ii.  13.)  We  can 
 no  more  convert  ourselves  than  create  ourselves,  no  more  give  ourselves  a  spiritual 
 being  than  a  natural,  no  more  raise  ourselves  from  the  death  of  sin  than  from  the 
 death  of  the  grave. 
 
 2.  He  cannot  do  it,  i.e.,  easily.  There  is  great  difficulty  in  reclaiming  one  habitu- 
 ated in  sin.  (a.)  Because  Satan  will  be  busy  in  presenting  his  temptations ; 
 (6.)  Lust  in  the  heart  of  man  will  struggle  towards  the  enticement  (Gal.  v.  17) ; 
 (c.)  Grace  is  oftentimes  asleep,  which  should  restrain  and  subdue  sin. 
 
 Suggestions  :  1.  It  is  not  enough  for  us  to  abstain  from  evil,  we  must  also  "  do 
 good"  (see  Ps.  xxxiv.  14  ;  Isa.  xyi.  17  ;  Rom.  xii.  9).  This  meets  your  negative 
 Christians,  merely  inoffensive  ;  like  Pharisee,  "  no  extortioner,  no  thief,"  &c.  But 
 what  good  do  they  do  ?  2.  Sins  of  commission  have  sins  of  omission  in  them. 
 Doing  what  they  should  not,  they  neglect  what  they  should  do:  for  they  forfeit 
 the  opportunity,  lose  the  ability,  and  alienate  the  proffered  assistance  (Ps.  Ii.  11). 
 3.  No  man  can  do  any  good  till  his  nature  he  first  changed.  We  must  become  good 
 ourselves,  "  change  skin,"  then  may  good  come  from  us.  This  is  a  fact  confirmed 
 by  observation  (Matt.  vii.  16),  and  by  doctrine  (Heb.  xi.  6).  Therefore  should  we 
 seek  the  regenerating  of  God's  Spirit. — Thomas  Norton,  D.D.,  a.d.  1678. 
 
 ADDENDA  TO  CHAPTER  XI II.  :  ILLUSTRATIONS  AND  SUGGESTIVE  EXTRACTS. 
 
 Ver.    1.      The   unwashed   girdle,  house  of  Judah  and  of  Jerusalem,  .  .  . 
 
 "  Put  it  not  in  water,"  i.e.,  to  wash  or  God  has  put  tts  on  as  a  girdle  in  their 
 
 whiten  it ;   but   take   it    as  it  is  first  stead.     For  He  has  not  thrown  away 
 
 made,  Ut  sorditiem  magis  contrahat,  to  the  girdle  and  remained  unadorned,  but 
 
 show,  say  some,  that  the  Jewish  nation,  has    woven    Himself    another.       This 
 
 when  first  chosen,  was  blach  by  sin  and  girdle  is  the  Church  from  the  heathen, 
 
 nothing  amiable.     Or,  "  Put  it  not  in  It  should  know  that,  as  God  spared  not 
 
 water,"  i.e.,  keep  it  from  being  rotted,  the   former,  much   more  will   He  not 
 
 as  a  type  of  God^s  care  of  and  kindness  spare  it  when  it  sins  and  is  not  worthy 
 
 to  that  people, — Trapp.  of  God's  loins." — Origen. 
 
 Ver.  5,  The  buried  girdle.     "  God  Vers.  2,  5.  The  standard  of  goodly 
 
 has  cast  off  His  first  people,  the  whole  conduct.     Petfect  obedience. 
 286 
 
HOMILETIC  COMMENTARY :  JEREMIAH. 
 
 CHAP.  XIII. 
 
 "  I  worship  Thee,  sweet  Will  of  God  ! 
 Aud  all  Thy  waya  adore  ; 
 And  every  day  I  live,  I  seem 
 To  love  Thee  more  and  more. 
 
 "  When  obstacles  and  trials  seem 
 Like  prison  walls  to  be, 
 I  do  the  little  I  can  do 
 And  leave  the  rest  to  Thee. 
 
 *'  1  know  not  what  it  is  to  doubt. 
 My  heart  is  ever  gay, — 
 I  run  no  risks,  for  come  what  will 
 Thou  always  hast  Thy  way  ! 
 
 "  I  have  no  cares,  0  blessed  will. 
 For  all  my  cares  are  Thine  ; 
 I  live  in  triumph,  Lord,  for  Thou 
 Hast  made  Thy  triumph  mine. " 
 
 — Faber, 
 
 Ver.  9.  Pkide  abased.  "There  never 
 was  a  saint  yet  that  grew  proud  of  his 
 line  feathers  but  the  Lord  pluclced  them 
 out ;  there  never  was  an  angel  that  had 
 pride  in  his  heart  but  -he  lost  his  wings 
 and  fell  into  Gehenna,  as  Satan  aud 
 those  fallen  angels  did  ;  and  there  never 
 shall  be  a  saint  who  indulges  self-con- 
 ceit and  spiritual  pride  but  the  Lord 
 will  spoil  his  glories  and  trample  his 
 honours  in  the  mire." — Spurgeon. 
 
 "  Pride  thrust  proud  Nebuchadnezzar 
 out  of  men's  society,  proud  Saul  out  of 
 his  kingdom,  proud  Adam  out  of  Para- 
 dise, proud  Haman  out  of  court,  proud 
 Lucifer  out  of  heaven." — Henry  Smith. 
 
 "  Whose  robe  is  white,  but   heart  is  black 
 with  pride. 
 He  for  himself  hell's  gate  has  opened  wide. 
 For,     weighed    in    God-the-All-sufficient's 
 
 scale, 
 Not  claims  nor  righteousness  of  man  avail ; 
 But  these  are  costly  in  His  sight  indeed — 
 Repentance,  contrite  shame,  and  sense  of 
 need."  — Trench. 
 
 "Remember  what  thou  wert  before 
 thy  birth — nothing ;  what  thou  wert 
 for  many  years  after — weakness;  what 
 in  all  thy  life — a  great  sinner  ;  what  in 
 all  thy  excellencies — a  mere  debtor  to 
 God,  to  thy  parents,  to  the  earth,  and 
 to  all  creatures.  Upon  these  or  the  like 
 meditations,  if  we  dwell,  we  shall  see 
 nothing  more  reasonable  than  to  be 
 humble,  and  nothing  more  foolish  than 
 to  be  proud." — Bishop  Taylor. 
 
 "  Those  boughs  and  branches  of  trees 
 which  are  most  richly  laden  with  fruit 
 bend  downwards  and  hang  lowest." — 
 Dr.  Gill. 
 
 "  Lowliness  is  the  base  of  every  virtue  : 
 And   he  who   goes  the  lowest  builds  the 
 
 safest. 
 May  God  keep  all  His  pity  for  the  proud  !  " 
 — Bailey. 
 
 Ver.  15.  Be  not  peoud.  "I  have 
 read  of  Menecrates,  a  physician  that 
 would  needs  be  counted  a  god,  and  took 
 no  other  fee  of  his  patients  but  their 
 vow  to  worship  him.  Dionysius  Syra- 
 cusanus,  hearing  of  this,  invited  him  to 
 a  banquet,  and,  to  honour  him  according 
 to  his  desire,  set  before  him  nothing  but 
 a  censer  of  frankincense,  with  the  smoke 
 whereof  he  was  feasted  till  he  starved, 
 while  others  fed  on  good  meat." — J. 
 Adams. 
 
 "  Diogenes,  being  at  Olympia,  saw  at 
 that  celebrated  festival  some  young  men 
 of  Rhodes  arrayed  most  magnificently 
 and  exclaimed,  "  This  is  pride !"  After- 
 wards meeting  with  some  Lacedaemo- 
 nians in  a  mean  and  sordid  dress,  he 
 saw  the  same  vanity  in  another  guise, 
 and  said,  "  And  this  is  also  pride  ! " 
 
 Ver.  16.  Repentance  glorifying 
 God. 
 
 "  On  bended  knees,  replete  with  godly  grief. 
 See  where  the  mourner  kneels  to  seek  relief, 
 No  '  God  I  thank   Thee ! '   freezes   on   his 
 
 tongue 
 For  works  of  merit  that  to  him  belong  ; 
 Deep  in  his  soul  conviction's  ploughshare 
 
 rings, 
 And  to  the  surface  his  corruption  brings  ; 
 He  loathes  himself,  in  lowest  dust  he  lies, 
 And,  all-abased,    '  Unclean,   unclean  ! '  he 
 
 cries. 
 From  his  full  heart  pours  forth  the  gush- 
 ing plea, 
 '  God  of  the  lost,  be  merciful  to  me  ! ' 
 The  light  of  life  descends  in  heavenly  rays, 
 And  angels  ehout  and  sing,    '  Behold,   he 
 prays  !  "  —  IF.  Holmes. 
 
 "  Christ  Jesus  rejoices  over  those  as 
 blessed  who  mourn  over  themselves  as 
 cursed,  '  Blessed  are  they  that  mourn, 
 for  they  shall  be  comforted.'  Out  of 
 the  subtlest  water  God  can  brew  the 
 sweetest  liquor.  The  skilful  bee  gathers 
 the  best  honey  from  the  bitterest  herb. 
 When  the  cloud  has  been  dissolved  into 
 a  shower  there  presently  follows  a  glori- 
 ous sunshine.  The  more  a  stone  is 
 wounded  by  the  hand  of  an  engraver,  the 
 greater  beauty  is  superinduced  thereon. 
 By  groans  unutterable  the  Lord  ushera 
 in  juys  unspeakable." — Seeker. 
 
 287 
 
CHAP.    XTII. 
 
 HOMILETIC  COMMENTARY :  JEREMIAH. 
 
 Ver.  16.  "Stumble  upon  the  dark 
 
 MOUNTAINS  :" 
 
 "Not  Thou  from  us,  0  Lord  !  but  we 
 Withdraw  ourselves  from  Thee. 
 
 "  When  we  are  dark  and  dead, 
 And  Thou  art  covered  with  a  cloud 
 Hanging  before  Thee  like  a  shroud, 
 So  tliat  our  prayer  can  find  no  way, 
 Oh,  teach  us  that  we  do  not  say, 
 
 '  Where  is  Thy  brightness  fled  ? ' 
 
 "  But  that  we  search  and  try 
 What  in  ourselves  has  wrought  this  blame, 
 For  Thou  remainest  still  the  same  ; 
 But  earth's  own  vapours  earth  may  fill 
 With  darkness  and  thick  clouds,  while  still 
 
 The  sun  is  in  the  sky." — Trench. 
 
 "  Arise,  and  search  thy  heart — let  nothing  stay 
 thee; 
 The  fatal  cause  is  there ; 
 This  traitor  in  thy  soul  may  else  betray  thee 
 To  ruin  and  despair. 
 
 "  Nor  doubt,  when  thou  with  heart  contrite 
 and  lowly 
 Hast  all  thy  sins  confess'd, 
 Thy  night  shall  pass  away,  and  God  the  holy 
 Shall  hear  and  give  thee  rest." — Dcwart. 
 
 Goethe's  dying  exclamation  was  mourn- 
 fully significant — "Open  the  shutter, 
 and  let  in  more  light !"  Hobbes,  the 
 infidel,  before  death,  said,  "  I  am  taking 
 a  fearful  leap  into  the  dark  !" 
 
 Ver.  17.  Lamenting  peide.  Howard, 
 the  noble  philanthropist,  was  one  day 
 visited  by  a  German  Count,  governor  of 
 Upper  Austria,  with  his  countess,  in- 
 terested to  see  the  man  who  had  so 
 excited  public  attention.  The  Count 
 asked  his  opinion  as  to  the  state  of  the 
 prisons  in  his  department.  Mr.  Howard 
 replied,  "The  worst  in  all  Germany;" 
 and  advised  that  the  Countess  should 
 visit  the  female  prisoners.  "  I,"  she  said 
 haughtily,  "I  go  into  prisons!"  and 
 hastily  left  his  presence  in  anger. 
 Howard,  indignant  at  her  proud  and 
 unfeeling  disposition,  followed  her,  and 
 said  in  earnest  remonstrance,  "Madam, 
 remember  you  are  a  woman  yourself,  and 
 must  soon,  like  the  most  miserable 
 prisoner  in  your  dungeons,  be  enclosed 
 in  a  small  space  of  that  earth  from 
 which  you  equally  originated  !  " 
 
 Ver.  17.  SoRKowFUL  tears. 
 
 "  What  gem  hath  dropp'd,  and  sparkles  o'er 
 his  chain  ? 
 The  tear  most  sacred— shed  for  others'  pain 
 288  ' 
 
 That  starts   at   once — bright,    pure — from 
 
 pity's  mine. 
 Already  polished  by  the  hand  Divine." 
 
 — Byron. 
 "  The  rose  is  fairest  washed  with  morning  dew, 
 And  love  is   loveliest  when   embalmed  in 
 tears."  —Scott. 
 
 "Hide  not  thy  tears,  weep  boldly — and  be 
 
 proud 
 To  give  the  flawing  virtue  manly  way: 
 'Tis   Nature's    mark,  to    know  an   honest 
 
 heart  by. 
 Shame  on  those  breasts  of  stone  that  cannot 
 
 melt 
 In  soft  adoption  of  another's  sorrow." — Hill. 
 
 Ver.  18.  "  The  Queen."  The  Hebrew 
 has  no  word  to  express  "queen,"  the 
 fem.  of  "  king,"  nor  its  equivalent  dig- 
 nity. The  word,  gehirah,  translated 
 queen,  means  "mistress"  or  "lady," 
 and  is  used  only  twice  of  a  king's  wife 
 (1  Kings  xi.  19,  wife  of  king  of  Egypt, 
 and  2  Kings  x.  13,  Jezebel,  who  was 
 not  only  wife  but  daughter  of  a  king). 
 In  two  other  places  (Jer.  xiii.  18  ;  xxLx. 
 2)  it  may  be  king's  mother,  as  it  clearly 
 is  in  1  Kings  xv.  13;  2  Chron.  xv.  16. 
 
 — Gi-ay. 
 
 Ver.  18.  Rebuking  royalty.  When 
 Beza,  in  the  behalf  of  the  Reformed 
 Churches  of  France,  made  a  speech  at 
 Possiacum  before  the  young  king  and 
 the  queen-mother,  he  spake  so  eftectually, 
 says  Rivet,  that  a  great  cardinal  who 
 heard  it  wished  that  either  he  had  been 
 dumb  that  day,  or  that  they  had  all 
 been  deaf. 
 
 Ver.  23.  Inveterate  habits.  "  Bad 
 habits  are  very  easily  formed,  but  when 
 once  formed  they  are  like  the  course  of 
 a  mighty  river.  Some  of  the  oldest 
 rivers  in  the  world  have  the  same  place 
 in  the  map,  and  the  same  windings  on 
 the  face  of  the  earth  which  they  first 
 cut  for  themselves ;  and  that  way  they 
 have  continued  to  follow  through  the  suc- 
 cession of  generations." — /.  A.  Wallace. 
 
 "  When  at  first  from  virtue's  path  we  stray. 
 How   shrinks    the  feeble    heart   with  sad 
 
 dismay ! 
 More  bold  at  length,  by  powerful  habit  led, 
 Careless  and  sear'd  the  dreary  wild  we  tread  ; 
 Behold  the  gaping  gulf  of  sin  with  scorn, 
 And   plunging  deep   to   endless   death  are 
 
 borne."  — /.  Scott. 
 
 "  Then  the  shepherds  led  the  pilgrims 
 to  a  place  where  they  saw  one  Fool,  and 
 
nOMILETIC  COMMENTARY:  JEREMIAH.  chap.  xiv. 
 
 one  Want-wit   washing   an   Ethiopian,  blackamoor.     And  the  like  said  Nazi- 
 
 with  an  intention  to  make  him  white ;  anzen  concerning  Julian  the  Apostate, 
 
 but   the   more    they   washed   him   the  It  is  said  that  the  negroes  paint  the 
 
 blacker  he  was.     Then  they  asked  the  devil  white,  as  being  a  colour  contrary 
 
 shepherds  what  this  should  mean.     So  to  their  own,  and  which  they  less  well 
 
 they  told  them,  saying,  "  Thus  it  is  with  affect." — Trapp. 
 
 the  vile  person  :  all  means  used  to  get  "  Custom  in  sin  takes  away  the  sense 
 
 such  an  one  a  good  name,  shall  in  con-  of  it :  and  it  looks  for  continual  enter- 
 
 clusion  tend   but   to   make  him   more  tainment  where  it  hath  once  gotten  a 
 
 abominable.      Thus    it   was   with   the  haunt.     Nothing  so  weak  as  water ;  yet 
 
 Pharisees,  and  so  shall  it  be  with  all  let   much   water   (as    sin,    Satan,    and 
 
 hypocrites. — Bunyan.  custom)  be  joined  together,  and  nothing 
 
 stronger.  It  was  not  for  nothing,  there- 
 Habitual  evils  change  not  on  a  sudden,  ^  ^j^^^  ^^^^  Cretans,  when  they  would 
 ±5  ut  many  days  must  pass,  and  many  sorrows ;  '  ,  .  •  •.!  1  i.-i.i 
 Conscious  remorse  and  anguish  must  be  felt,  CUrse  their  enemies  with  most  bitter 
 To  curb  desire,  to  break  the  stubborn  will,  execrations,  wished  that  they  might 
 And  work  a  second  nature  in  the  soul,  take  delight  in  some  or  other  evil  cus- 
 Ere  Virtue  can  resume  the  place  she^^t.J^  t^^^^      Modestoque  voti  genere  efficacissi- 
 
 mum  ultionis  genus  reperiunt,  saith  the 
 
 "  Said  Diogenes,  when  he  reproved  an  historian  (Val.  Max.);  by  a  modest  kind 
 
 ill  man  to  no  purpose,  '  MtMopem  ahluo  of  wish  they  sufficiently  avenged  them- 
 
 ut  candidtim  reddam;'  I  do  but  wash  a  selves." — Idem. 
 
 CHAPTER  XIV. 
 
 Critical  and  Exegetical  Notes. — 1.  Clironology  of  tlie  Chapter.  This  and  chapter  xv. 
 form  one  prophecy  (although  Lange,  Keil,  and  others  connect  chapters  xiv.  to  xvii.,  regarding 
 them  as  interwoven  and  synchronous).  From  evidence  of  personal  hardship  towards  Jeremiah 
 (xv.  10),  most  probably  these  prophecies  were  delivered  during  the  early  years  of  Jehoiakim's 
 reign.  (See  on  chapter  vii.)  Also  for  Contemporary  Scriptures :  National  Affairs,  ContempO' 
 raneout  History,  see  chapter  vii. 
 
 2.  Natural  History.— Ver.  1.  "Dearth:"  hatstsoreth,  restraint,  sc.  of  rain.  Although 
 Palestine  is  a  very  fruitful  land,  famine  naturally  followed  close  upon  failure  of  rain  (1  Kings 
 xvii. ;  Josephus,  Ant.  xv.  9,  1).  See  on  chapter  ii.  ver.  16  ;  and  specially  Historic  Events,  cf. 
 "  The  Land  withered  by  Drought,"  p.  62.  Ver.  2.  "  Gates  languish."  (See  Addenda  on 
 verse).  Ver.  5.  "The  hind:"  the  female  of  the  hart  or  stag:  JlTi;?.  The  Ayeleth  is  a 
 frequent  Scripture  figure  suggesting  gentleness  (Prov.  v.  19),  fleetness  and  agility  (Ps.  xviii. 
 33 ;  Hab.  iii.  19),  deUcate  modesty  (Cant.  ii.  7,  iii.  5),  and  in  this  verse,  maternal  affection,  she  ' 
 being  adduced  as  an  extreme  illustration  of  the  effects  of  the  famine  on  one  of  the  most  ardent 
 creatures.     Ver.  6.  "  Wild  asses:"  cf.  notes  on  ii.  24.     "  Dragons:"  cf.  notes  on  ix.  11. 
 
 3.  Manners  and  Customs.— Ver.  3.  " Nobles  have  sent  their  liitle  ones  to  the  waters:"  i.e.,  to 
 the  tanks  for  holding  water ;  pits  or  cisterns.  (See  notes  on  ii.  13.)  "Covered  their  heads:" 
 (See  on  ii.  37).  Ver.  8.  "  Wayfaring  man  that  turneth  aside  to  tarry  for  a  night:"  i.e.,  that 
 pitcheth  his  tent  to  tarry  :  in  recognition  of.  the  custom  of  travellers  to  carry  their  tent  with 
 them,  and  in  which  they  tarried  for  the  night.  Ver.  12.  "An  oblation:"  i.e.,  meat-offering 
 {cf.  Lev.  ii.  1) ;  the  minchah,  which  was  not  a  sacrificial  offering,  but  was  usually  offered  as 
 supplementary  thereto,  and  consisted  of  articles  of  food,  or  of  oil. 
 
 4.  Literary  Criticisms. — ^Ver.  1.  ** Dearth:"  occurring  here  in  the  plural^  Jlinji^nj 
 restraints,  it  does  not  necessarily  imply  a  numerical  succession  of  dearths,  but  is  used  idiomati- 
 cally (a  common  form  in  the  Heb.)  for  intensity  and  continuance.  Whatever  has  extension  of 
 time  or  space  is  expressed  by  the  Heb.  pi.  Ver.  2.  "Black  unto  the  ground:"  "covered  by 
 mourning  even  to  the  earth"  (Naeg.) ;  "they  bow  mourning  towards  the  earth"  (Hend.). 
 Ver.  3,  "Nobles  sent  their  little  ones:"  the  word  rendered  "little  ones,''  "lij^^J,  =  to  be 
 mean,  inferior,  as  well  as  little  :  and  in  this  instance  more  correctly  should  be,  their  servants 
 or  inferiors.  Ver,  4.  "Ground  is  chapt :"  lit.  dismayed.  Ver.  5.  "No  grass:"  comp.  with 
 ver.  6,  "no grass."  The  two  words  are  different,  i^U)l  (ver.  5),=green-grass  ;  ^Ti'J^,  (ver. 6),= 
 under-shrubs,  or  bushes  (Gen.  i.  11,  =  herb).  Ver.  8.  "  Turneth  aside  to  tarry  for  a  night:'' 
 Xh'?  ntO>  the  simple  meaning  of  PIIDJ  here  rendered   "turneth  aside,"  is  to  stretch  outt 
 
 '      V  "■  289 
 
CHAP.  XIV.  EOMILETIC  COMMENTARY :  JEREMIAH. 
 
 unfold,  i.e.,  to  spread  a  tent:  lit.  to  stretch  (his  tent)  to  pass  the  night.     Ver.  9.  "A  man 
 astonied:"  a  word  which  occurs  only  here,  DHl^ ;  Syriac  gives  feeble,  Vulgate,  vagus;  but 
 
 the  LXX  (either  mistaking  the  word  for  DT)J,  or  changing  it)  render  it  by  vttvCov,  in  deep 
 
 God,  and  signifies  a  small  idol  made  of  the  more  precious  metals  (Isa.  ii.  20,  xix.  3).  But  as 
 the  Jews  habitually  called  idols  vanity,  falsehood,  and  the  like,  the  word  elil  soon  suggested  a 
 derivation  from  the  negative  particle  al,  not :  and  there  are  two  places  where  it  has  the  secondary 
 meaning  of  worthlessness  (Job  xiii,  4 ;  Zech.  xi.  17).  A.V.  Idol  shepherd.  EM  (in  text)  may  be 
 an  oraele  given  by  an  Elil."— Dr.  Payne  Smith.  Ver.  17.  "  A  very  grievous  blow:"  cf.  notes 
 on  X.  19.  Ver.  18.  "  Behold  them  that  are  sick  with  famine  :"  lit.  the  sickness,  or  tortures  of 
 famine,  ''^<^7^J^    torments.     "  Oo  about  into   a   land  that  they  know  not:"  ^end.  =  "  shall 
 
 "  they  move  into  a  land  which  they  know  not." 
 
 HOMILIES  ON  SECTIONS  OP  CHAPTER  XIV. 
 
 Sections   1-9.  Pleading  with  God  over  a  calamitous  dearth. 
 ,,     19-16.  Jehovah's  refusal  to  allow  intercession  to  prevail. 
 ,,     17-22.  A  piteous  lament  for  the  nation's  woe. 
 
 Vers.  1-9.  Pleading  with  God  over  a  Calamitous  Dearth. 
 
 The  first  verse  is  the  title  to  the  whole  chapter :  it  does  indeed  all  concern  the 
 dearth,  but  much  of  it  consists  of  the  prophet's  prayers, — not  unfitly  said  to  be 
 "  The  word  of  the  Lord  which  came  to  him  ; "  for  every  acceptable  j^rayer  God  puts 
 into  our  hearts ;  our  word  that  goes  to  Him  is  His  word  that  comes  to  us. 
 
 I.  The  language  of  nature  lamenting  the  calamity. 
 
 1.  Thepeox)le  of  the  land  were  all  in  tears.  "  Judah  mourns  ;"  not  for  the  sin 
 but  for  the  trouble,  not  for  the  withholding  of  God's  favour  but  of  rain.  "  The 
 gates  languish,"  those  who  pass  through  them,  or  assemble  there  are  pale  with  want 
 and  fear.  "  They  are  black  unto  the  ground ; "  as  mourners,  they  sit  on  the 
 ground.  "  The  cry  of  Jerusalem  is  gone  up ;  "  not  the  cry  of  their  prayer  but  of 
 their  complaint. 
 
 2.  The  great  men  of  the  land  felt  the  judgment.  ''The  nobles  sent,"  &c. ;  perhaps 
 having  had  to  part  with  their  servants  through  scarcity,  they  had  to  send  their 
 own  "  children  "  (comp.  1  Kings  xviii.  5,  6).  Rather,  their  inferior  officers.  But 
 they  "returned  with  their  vessels  empty."  Not  "ashamed "for  their  sins  but 
 unsuccess.  * 
 
 3.  The  htshandmen  svffered  most  severely  (ver.  4).  The  ground  was  so  parched 
 and  hard,  nothing  could  be  done.  How  dependent  are  husbandmen  upon  the 
 Divine  providences ! 
 
 4.  The  case  even  of  the  wild  beasts  was  very  pitiable  (vers.  5,  6).  Man's  sins 
 bring  judgments  upon  the  earth  which  make  even  the  inferior  creatures  groan. 
 "  The  hinds,"  what  have  they  done  1  Lovely  and  loving  creatures ;  yet  they  were 
 driven  to  act  contrary  to  natural  instincts.  "  The  wild  asses  "  cannot  breathe  in 
 the  parched  land,  so  climb  to  "  highest  places,"  and  there  "  snuff  up  the  wind  like 
 dragons." 
 
 II.  The  language  of  grace  lamenting  the  iniquity,  and  complaining  to  God  of 
 the  calamity. 
 
 The  people  are  not  forward  to  pray,  but  the  prophet  prays  for  them,  to  excite 
 them  to  pray  for  themselves. 
 
 1.  Sin  is  Inimhly  confessed  (ver.  7).     Our  sins  are  witnesses  against  us,  and  true 
 penitents  see  them  as  such  :  too  numerous  to  be  concealed,  for  they  "  are  many  : " 
 too  heinous  to  be  excused,  for  they  are  "  against  Thee," 
 290 
 
so  MI  LET IC  COMMENTARY :  JEREMIAH. 
 
 2.  Mercy  is  earnestly  legged.  "Though  our  iniquities  testify  against  us,  yet  do 
 Thou  it  for  Thy  name's  sake  "  (ver.  7).  Not  particularising  what,  leaving  that  to 
 God.  Our  best  pleas  in  prayer  are  fetched  from  the  glory  of  God's  own  name — 
 we  have  nothing  to  plead  in  ourselves,  but  everything  in  Him.  Also,  "  Leave  us 
 not "  (ver.  9).  We  should  dread  and  deprecate  God's  departure  more  than  every 
 loss. 
 
 3.  Their  relation  to  God  is  most  pathetically  pleaded.  Their  interest  in  Him 
 and  expectations  from  Him  grounded  thereon  (vers.  8,  9). 
 
 (1.)  They  look  upon  Him  as  One  they  have  reason  to  expect  should  deliver  them 
 in  distress.  He  pleads,  "  Thou  art  the  Hope  of  Israel ;"  God  had  encouraged  His 
 people  to  hope  in  Him.  "  The  Saviour  thereof  in  time  of  truth;"  since  God  is  their 
 all-sufficient  Saviour  they  ought  to  look  to  Him  in  their  greatest  straits.  "  Thou 
 art  in  the  midst  of  us;"  we  have  the  special  tokens  of  Thy  presence,  temple,  ark, 
 oracles.  "  We  are  called  hy  Thy  name  : "  therefore,  what  evils  we  are  under  reflect 
 dishonour  upon  Thee,  as  if  Thou  wert  not  able  so  relieve  Thine  own. 
 
 (2.)  It,  therefore,  grieves  them  that  He  does  not  appear  for  their  deliverance. 
 Because  He  will  seem  (a.)  Unconcerned  for  His  own  2)6ople  ;  as  "  a  stranger  in  the 
 land,"  who  does  not  interest  himself  in  its  interests  ;  "  as  a  wayfaring  man,"  &c., 
 instead  of  "  resting  here  for  ever."  Though  God  never  is,  yet  He  sometimes  seems 
 careless  of  His  Church.  Christ  slept  when  His  disciples  were  in  a  storm.  (6.)  In- 
 capable of  giving  them  relief.  (Comp.  'Num.  xiv.  16.)  "As  a  man  astonied,"  at 
 a  loss  what  to  do,  or  "  as  a  mighty  man  "  overpowered  by  others  more  mighty,  and 
 therefore  "  cannot  save."  Either  conception  was  an  insult  to  the  Divine  perfec- 
 tions. It  becomes  us  thus  in  prayer  to  be  equally  concerned  for  God's  glory. 
 (Comp.  Henry.     See  also  Noticeable  Topics  to  chap.  xiv.  infra.) 
 
 Vers.  10-16.     Jehovah's  Eefusal  to  allow  Intercession  to  Prevail. 
 
 See  Addenda  on  ver.  8,  ^^Intercessory  Prayer ;"  and   on  ver.   12,  ^^ Fasting 
 offensive."     Comp.  Section  chap.  xi.  14-17  ;  also  on  chap.  vii.  16-20. 
 I.  The  Lord's  answer  to  the  prophet's  prayer. 
 
 1.  He  points  to  the  backsliding  of  the  people,  for  which  He  now  punishes  them 
 (ver.  10).  In  the  "this  have  they  loved  to  wander"  lies  a  backward  reference  : 
 not  to  the  vain  wanderings  for  water  (ver.  3),  nor  to  the  restless  movements  of  the 
 thirsty  animals  (ver.  5,  6),  but  to  the  substance  of  Jeremiah's  prayer,  in  which  he 
 complained  of  God's  seeming  alienation  and  indifference  :  thus,  in  like  degree  as 
 Jehovah  has  estranged  Himself  from  His  people  (vers.  8,  9),  have  they  estranged 
 themselves  from  their  God.  They  loved  to  wander  after  strange  gods,  therefore 
 He  punishes  them  (Hos.  viii.  13). 
 
 2.  He  refuses  the  prophet's  prayer  because  He  loathes  the  people's  soulless  fastings 
 and  sacrifices  {vers.  11,  12).  They  turn  to  Him  in  their  need,  but  only  in  lip 
 service  and  formality  ;  their  hearts  are  with  their  idols.  By  bringing  sacrifices, 
 these  hollow-hearted  hypocrites  thought  to  give  "  pleasure  "  to  God,  and  win  His 
 leniency  and  mercy. 
 
 3.  He  specifies  the  means  by  which  He  will  destroy  this  backsliding  people. 
 Threefold :  battle,  famine,  and  pestilence,  when  their  cities  are  besieged  by  the 
 Hearing  foe  (cf  Lev.  xxvi.  25,/.). 
 
 II.  The  prophet  renews  his  endeavours  to  entreat  God's  favour. 
 
 1.  He  lays  stress  on  the  fact  that  they  had  been  deceived  (ver.  13).  He  offers 
 the  excuse  for  this  people  that  the  delusive  forecastings  of  false  prophets  who 
 promised  peace  had  confirmed  them  in  their  infatuation. 
 
 2.  But  they  are  not  excused  on  that  account ;  for  they  gave  credit  to  lies.  (1) 
 God  had  not  commissioned  these  prophets  (ver.  14).  The  cumulation  of  these 
 words,  "  lying  vision,"  &c.,  shows  God's  indignation  against  the  wicked  practices 
 of  these  men.      (2)  Their  easy  and  willing  dupes  are  condemned  to  ignominy. 
 
 291 
 
HOMILETIC  COMMENTARY:  JEREMIAH. 
 
 The  lies  of  these  false  prophets  flattered  the  sinful  passions  of  the  people,  who 
 therefore  would  not  hear  nor  take  to  heart  the  word  of  the  true  prophets  who 
 preached  repentance  and  return  to  God. 
 
 3.  Seducers  should  perish  with  those  they  seduced.  They  should  perish  "  by 
 sword  and  famine "  who  affirmed  these  should  not  come  upon  the  people.  And 
 •with  the  specification  of  the  various  classes  of  the  people  upon  whom  judgments 
 sbould  fall,  must  be  compared  the  account  of  their  participation  in  idolatry  (vii. 
 18). — Arranged  from  Keil. 
 
 Yers.  18-20.  A  Piteous  Lament  for  the  Nation's  Woe. 
 
 "  Thou  shalt  say  unto  them  this  word ; "  but  actually  no  word  from  God 
 follows.  What  then  1  Is  there  a  message  here  lost  from  God's  book  ?  Nay. 
 Jehovah  bids  His  prophet  utter  his' cries  and  prayers  in  the  hearing  of  the  hardened 
 nation  and  pour  out  his  tears  of  grief ;  that  his  pain  in  contemplating  Judah's 
 nearing  ruin  may  touch  and  arouse  them. 
 
 I.  Doleful  scenes.  Depicted  vividly  by  the  prophet,  whose  shocked  and 
 appalled  gaze  rests,  by  prevision,  upon  them. 
 
 1.  Occasions  for  grief.  The  miseries  the  Chaldeans  would  inflict  ar«  all  arrayed 
 under  his  eye  :  "  broken  with  a  great  breach,  with  a  very  grievous  blow."  (See 
 Section,  x.  17-25;  and  Romilies  on  x.  19,  20.)  "In  the  ^eW,"  the  slain ;  "in 
 the  city,"  the  starved. 
 
 2.  Frofusion  of  tears.  For  one  he  tenderly  cherishes — "  the  virgin  daughter  of 
 my  people ; "  and  in  whose  miseries  he  'poignantly  shares.  "  Let  mine  eyes  run 
 down  with  tears,"  &c.     (See  Homilies  and  Notes  on  ix.  1,  and  xiii.  17.) 
 
 IL  Painful  conjectures.  He  lifts  his  eyes  from  the  scene  of  stricken  Judah  to 
 Judah's  God,  and  assays  to  interpret  God's  reason, — the  dreadful  explanation  that 
 lay  behind  the  appalling  facts  :  "  Hast  thou  utterly  rejected "?"  &c.  (ver.  19). 
 
 1.  That  God  had  abandoned  His  people.  It  seemed  incredible.  Paul  asked  in 
 equal  amaze  and  shrinking,  "  Hath  God  then  cast  away  His  people  ? "  (Rom.  xi.  1). 
 True,  Judah  merited  such  abandonment :  but  is  the  rejection  final,  hopeless : 
 "  utterly  rejected  "  ? 
 
 2.  That  Zion  should  he  "  loathed"  hy  Him.  The  word  means,  to  throw  away  as 
 tvo7'thless.  And  can  Zion  have  become  thus  obnoxious  to  Jehovah  1  No  yearning 
 pity  left  in  the  "  soid  "  of  Him  who  had  said,  "  I  remember/o?-  thy  sake  the  kindness 
 of  thy  youth,  and  the  love  of  thine  espousals  ? "  (See  Notes  and  Homilies  on 
 ii.  2,  3.) 
 
 IIL  Frustrated  hopes.  Here  the  prophet  expresses  the  people's  delusive  ex- 
 pectations ;  "  We  looked  for  peace,"  &c. 
 
 1.  Flattering  hopes.  Easily  and  gladly  cherished.  Sinners  are  ready  to  believe 
 in  coming  good. 
 
 2.  False  hopes.  Unfounded  expectations  bring  bitter  awakenings :  the  delusions 
 yield  to  desolations.     (See  Notes  and  Homilies  on  viii.  16.) 
 
 IV.  Penitent  confessions.  This  is  language  spoken  for  them  which  should 
 have  been  spoken  by  them  (ver.  20). 
 
 ^  1.  Personal  tra7isgression.  "  Our  wickedness ;  "  their  own  individual  outrage  of 
 righteousness,  violation  of  covenants,  provocations  of  Divine  wrath.  No  evading 
 the  directness  of  their  criminality. 
 
 2.  Perpetuated  iniquity.  "The  iniquity  of  our  fathers."  Not  that  they 
 acknowledged  their  ancestors'  sin,  they  might  leave  that ;  but  we  acknowledge  oicr 
 wickedness,  the  iniquity  of  our  fathers,"  i.e.,  which  is  the  repetition  of  their  iniquity. 
 
 3.  Inexcusable  ivickedness.  "Sinned  against  Thee/"  Against  a  God  so  holy, 
 munificent,  faithful.     (See  Addenda  on  ver.  20,  "  Sin  acJaiowledged.") 
 
 IV.  Wrestling  prayers.     Jeremiah  had  been  prohibited  by  God  to  pray  (ver. 
 11),  but  he  returns  to  his  knees  in  impassioned  importunity  and  pathos. 
 J92 
 
BOMILETIC  COMMENTARY:  J  ERE  MI  A  IT. 
 
 CHAP.  XIV. 
 
 1.  He  pleads  that  God  will  not  alienate  His  heart  from  Judah.  Afflict  with 
 Thine  hand  if  need  be,  but  do  not  shut  us  from  Thine  heart :  "  do  7iot  abhor  us." 
 
 2.  He  appeals  to  the  honotir  and  fidelity  of  Jehovah.  The  honour  of  His 
 narae  :  "  For  Thy  name's  sake."  The  honour  of  His  temple ;  "  the  throne  of  Thy 
 glory,"  preserve  that  from  defamation  and  sjioliation.  The  honour  of  His  promises  : 
 "  break  not  Thy  covenant  with  us."     Remember  Thy  word  unto  Thy  servants,  &c. 
 
 3.  He  casts  all  hope  imjdicitli/  on  God.  No  other  object  of  worship  availed  for 
 their  help :  "  Are  there  any  among  the  vanities  of  the  Gentiles  that  can  cause 
 rain  ?"  No  regard  to  Nature  or  heed  of  second  causes  would  now  suffice  :  "  Can 
 ih.e  heavens  give  showers?"  Nay,  God  "made  all  these  things."  Therefore,  on 
 Him  alone  and  trust fdly  they  would  wait  (Zech.  x.  1).  And  this  was  the  en- 
 couragement  of  their  trust ;  not  only  in  God's  power  as  Creator,  but  in  this  fact, 
 "Art  not  Thou  He,  0  Lord  our  GodV  "  Our  help  is  in  the  name  of  the  Lord, 
 who  made  both  heaven  and  earth." 
 
 HOMILIES  AND   COMMENTS  ON  VERSES  OF  CHAPTER  XIV. 
 
 Ver.  1.  "  Concerning  the  dearth  :"  see 
 Historic  Events.  Cf.  The  land  with- 
 ered by  drought,  chap.  iii.  3  ;  and  Notes 
 and  Homily  on  ix.  12. 
 
 Ver.   3.   Theme:  Vain   seaech   for 
 
 WATER. 
 
 For  explanation  of  "pits  and  no 
 water,"  see  Notes,  Manners  and  Cus- 
 toms, ch.  ii.  13:  and  for  General  Com- 
 ments, see  Section  ii.  9-13.  See  also 
 Addenda  on  verse. 
 
 I.  God's  vital  drink:  "water."  In 
 God's  hand  to  give  or  withhold. 
 
 1.  Water,  a  physical  necessity.  Can- 
 not exist  without  it.  A  common  com- 
 modity, despised  as  a  drink  by  those  of 
 vitiated  taste,  but  nevertheless  impera- 
 tive for  all. 
 
 2.  Water,  a  spiritual  emblem.  Water 
 of  life  =  (a.)  the  Gospel  of  Jesus — "  If 
 any  thirst,  come  to  Me  and  drink :" 
 (b.)  the  sanctifying  Spirit  "be  in  you  a 
 well  of  water:"  (c.)  the  sacred  refresh- 
 ings— Draw,  water  out  of  the  wells  of 
 salvation."  Without  these  none  can 
 live.  "  Ho  !  every  one  that  thirsteth, 
 come  ye  to  the  waters." 
 
 II.  Man's  urgent  thirst.  The 
 drought  caused  misery  and  mourning 
 everywhere:  "Judah  mourneth,  gates 
 languish  "  (ver.  2).  Suggests  :  what  ap- 
 palling woe  would  ensue  were  the  Goapel 
 xvithdrawn  from  man  :  the  Spirit's  sancti- 
 fying ministry  recalled  by  Jesus ;  and 
 the  "ivells  of  salvation"  closed  against 
 the  pilgrims  to  Zion  ! 
 
 1.  Without  drink  man  must  ^^er^'s/i 
 So  spiritually. 
 
 2.  Unless  he  drink  soon  he  must  die. 
 Therefore  "  the  nobles  "  bestirred  them- 
 selves :  as  once  king  Ahab  and  Ws  lord 
 chamberlain  Obadiah  had  to  do  (1  Kings 
 xviii.  5,  6):  for  all  ranks  of  mankind 
 are  dependent  on  water  for  life — must 
 drink  or  die. 
 
 III.  Search  utterly  vain.  "Found 
 no  water." 
 
 1.  Fruitless  efforts.  "They  came  to 
 the  pits,  and  returned  with  their  vessels 
 empty."  So  men  who  seek  happiness, 
 and  self-justification,  and  peace  of  spirit, 
 and  eternal  hopes,  in  dry  pits. 
 
 2.  Mocking  sources.  These  "pits" 
 were  the  nation's  sole  supplies — their 
 reservoirs.  "  Broken  cisterns  which  hold 
 no  water."  (See  on  chap.  ii.  13 ; 
 specially  iVb^t'ceafc^e  Topics.) 
 
 3.  Desolating  shame.  "Returned, 
 ashamed,  covered  heads:"  sign  of  very 
 great  grief  (2  Sam.  xv.  30 ;  xix.  4). 
 What  shame  and  grief  will  cover  souls 
 who  return  to  their  Lord,  never  having 
 found  living  water,  at  the  great  judg- 
 ment !  And  what  anguish  will  over- 
 whelm those  who,  in  the  eternal  world, 
 never  have  "  a  drop  of  water  to  cool  their 
 tongues ! " 
 
 (a.)  When  God  withholds  rain  man's 
 effort  and  hopes  perish  amid  natural 
 drought. 
 
 (b.)  When  the  era  of  grace  closes, 
 water  will  nowhere,  never  be  found  for 
 man's  spiritual  needs. 
 
 Ver.  3.  Theme :  Cisterns  and  the 
 fountain.  "They  came  to  the  pits, 
 und  found  no  water." 
 
 293 
 
EOMILETIC  COMMENTARY:  JEREMIAH. 
 
 Jeremiah  describes  the  anxiety  of  the 
 nobles  for  their  own  safety.  They  and 
 their  families  were  in  imminent  peril. 
 The  claims  of  nature  were  urgent  and 
 the  supply  doubtful.  In  the  hour  of 
 their  anguish,  both  children  and  ser- 
 vants were  sent  forth  to  see  if  perchance 
 any  water  might  yet  remain  in  the 
 natural  hollows,  or  in  the  artificial  dykes 
 and  cisterns.  Their  effort  was  vain, 
 neither  nature  nor  art  responded  to  their 
 cry  nor  rewarded  their  effort.  Failure 
 and  disappointment  made  their  hearts 
 sad.  They  covered  their  heads  with 
 shame,  confusion,  and  sorrow.  It  is  a 
 struggle  for  life,  and  death  appeared  to 
 be  gaining  the  victory.  Their  boasting 
 was  hushed,  their  folly  was  made  clear, 
 their  sin  was  finding  them  out,  as  God 
 declared  it  would.  They  now  realised 
 that  it  was  a  mournful  and  fatal  error 
 in  them  to  forsake  the  Fountain  of 
 lAving  Waters. 
 
 [God  is  the  Fountain.  The  arm  of 
 flesh,  the  fancies  of  the  human  brain, 
 the  energies  of  human  life  are  not  such 
 as  to  enable  man  to  do  without  God. 
 Mans  reason  is  a  useful  cistern,  but 
 fails  most  when  most  required.  God's 
 Avord  of  promise  is  the  fountain  whence 
 flows  our  hope  when  reason's  efforts  fail. 
 Greeds  are  cisterns  holding  for  practical 
 and  ready  use  portions  of  knowledge, 
 but  Christ  is  the  Fountain  in  which  all 
 the  treasures  of  wisdom  and  knowledge 
 are  to  be  found,  and  from  whom  alone 
 they  are  to  be  obtained.  Science  hews 
 out  her  hollows  in  the  rock,  explores  the 
 cave,  descends  the  valley,  or  scales  the 
 mountain  height  if  she  may  but  satisfy 
 the  thirst  of  man,  but  faith,  knowing 
 that  man  thirsts  for  the  living  God, 
 listens  for  the  voice  of  Him  who  says 
 "  Come  unto  Me  and  drink."] 
 
 I.  Cisterns  are  human,  the  Fountain 
 is  Divine. 
 
 Human  fancies,  speculations,  attain- 
 ments, achievements,  inventions,  and  luorks 
 are  insufficient.  The  love  of  God,  the 
 work  of  Christ,  the  fellowship  of  the 
 Spirit,  the  exercise  of  faith,  these  are 
 Divine,  saving,  comforting. 
 
 II.  Cisterns  are  dependent,  the 
 Fountain  is  self-sustaining. 
 
 Our  thoughts  and  experiences  de])end 
 2U4 
 
 on  many  circumstances,  but  God  revealed, 
 approachable,  loved,  obeyed,  adored,  is  in 
 us  an  ever-springing  well,  &c. 
 
 III.  Cisterns  are  superficial,  the 
 Fountain  deep. 
 
 Things  earthly  and  human  easily 
 dried  up,  or  by  constant  demand  ex- 
 hausted. Things  Divine  imperisliable, 
 inexhaustible.  God's  love,  word,  glory 
 The  well  is  deep.  The  waterpot  is 
 small. 
 
 IV.  Cisterns  are  fullest  when  least 
 needed,  the  Fountain  always  full. 
 
 The  Prodigal  found  it  so.  It  was  so 
 at  the  marriage  in  Cana.  The  wine 
 was  exhausted,  but  Christ  and  His  power 
 were  then  best  displayed. 
 
 V.  Cisterns  are  useful  only  as  con- 
 nected with  the  fountain. 
 
 Solomon's  pools.  Water-supply  of 
 our  large  towns.  Cisterns,  when  rightly 
 used,  receive  and  cherish  that  which 
 flows  from  the  fountain.  A  cistern  in- 
 stead of,  or  apart  from,  a  fountain  is 
 the  work  of  presumption  and  folly,  of 
 unbelie'f  and  sin. 
 
 VI.  Cisterns  need  to  be  kept  in  good 
 condition  as  well  as  being  connected 
 with  the  fountain. 
 
 Broken  cisterns  can  hold  no  water. 
 The  means  of  grace,  the  throne  of  grace, 
 the  obedience  of  faith,  and  all  God's 
 methods  of  communicating  good  should 
 be  kept  in  proper  repair,  and  constant 
 use.  The  wretched  and  selfish  pursuits 
 of  unbelief  and  sin  are  incapable  of 
 holding  any  divine  blessing. 
 
 VII.  Come  to  the  Fountain.  Christ 
 is  the  Fountain.  "  If  any  man  thirst  let 
 him  come  unto  Me  and  drink."  Come 
 and  wash.     Come  and  drink. 
 
 Application —  , 
 
 1.  Avoid  the  follies  of  those  who 
 forsake  God. 
 
 2.  Know  that  all  earthly  comforts 
 are  insufficient  and  transient. 
 
 3.  At  the  time  of  your  deepest  need 
 go  not  to  pits,  but  to  THE  FOUN- 
 TAIN—IT.  Whale. 
 
 Ver.  7.  Theme :  Man  perishes  ;  God 
 
 MUST  WORK. 
 
 Jews  in  great  distress  by  reason  of 
 drought.  Every  temporal  calamity  was 
 viewed  by  them  as  a  Divine  judgment. 
 No  rail),  blighted  country,  cattle  perish- 
 
SOMIimiC  COMMENTARY :  JMEMIAE. 
 
 ing,  people  languishing  in  gates,  what 
 all  this  but  proof  of  God's  displeasure  ? 
 
 Close  analogy  between  temjyoral  and 
 sph'itual :  dearth  on  land  =  desolation 
 of  soul ;  no  gracious  rain  =  no  heavenly- 
 blessing.  This  their  case :  through  sin 
 alienated  God;  ver,  8,  implying  fel- 
 lowship, had  ceased,  God  withdraion. 
 While  ver.  9  suggests  that  in  their 
 distress  God  did  not  arise. 
 
 Desolate  lot.  Yet  many  cry,  Why  as 
 a  Stranger  to  our  souls  1  Why  lost  fel- 
 lowship with  Thee  ?  "  Where  is  the 
 blessedness  I  knew  ? "  0  Lord,  Saviour 
 of  Israel,  why  as  cannot  save?  Men 
 need  salvation,  from  sin,  perils,  care. 
 The  cry  of  perishing  rises,  "  0  Lord, 
 though  our  iniquities  testify  against  us, 
 do  Thou  it  for  Thy  name's  sake." 
 
 I.  A  trustful  prayer  :  "0  Lord,  do 
 Thou  it ! "  Whatever  the  prayer  sought, 
 it  is  clear  that  the  prophet  knew — 
 
 1.  God  coidd  answer  it.  If  favour 
 lost.  He  could  renew.  Aid  needed,  God 
 could  exert  power.  Their  case  could 
 not  surpass  Him.  Hence  asked  ver.  9. 
 Knew  God  could  "do  it."  We  know 
 "  nothing  is  too  hard  for  the  Lord." 
 Deep  misery,  extreme  need,  great  ini- 
 quity, ready  to  perish;  yet  God  can 
 "  do  "  all  our  case  requires. 
 
 2.  God  alone  could  answer  that  prayer. 
 Appeal  direct  to  "  Lord  :  do  Thou  it." 
 (See  ver.  22).  Prophet  learned  the 
 vanity  of  every  other  trust,  but  God 
 was  "  Hope  of  Israel."  He  was  his 
 exclusive  trust,  to  none  other  would  he 
 seek.  Misery  great,  yet  if  Lord  not 
 relieve,  none  could.  The  Lord  is  our 
 only  source  of  hope  or  help.  Look  not 
 elsewhere,  though  He  seem  to  withhold. 
 
 II.  A  mournful  confession :  "  Our 
 iniquities  testify  against  us."  Sad  that 
 prayer  must  ever  open  with  this  acknow- 
 ledgment ! 
 
 1.  Their  evil  condition.  ^^  Iniquities," 
 the  guilt  and  curse  of  sin  was  on  them. 
 Many  in  number ;  though  they  had  re- 
 ceived warning,  and  might  have  shunned 
 them.  "Testified  against  them'''' — con- 
 science reproached;  pursued  by  them. 
 Hearts  cry  out  against  us.  Evil  lives 
 rise  up  in  witness  against  ijs,  and  call 
 for  our  condemnation. 
 
 2.  Their  ill  desert.     The  prayer  was 
 
 for  God's  favour,  but  sins  were  against 
 them,  menaced  them.  Mercy  was  asked, 
 but  iniquities  cried  out  for  judgment. 
 "My  sins  are  ever  before  me;"  "  Our 
 iniquities  are  gone  up  into  the  hea- 
 vens." 
 
 3.  Their  stricken  spirit.  Prayer 
 offered  with  shame  and  contrition.  No 
 extenuation,  no  excuses.  Confession 
 ought  thus  to  be  made  in  a  spirit  of  deep 
 sorrow,  and  humble  sense  of  demerit. 
 (See  Addenda  ver.  7,  Contrite  Prayer.) 
 
 III.  A  prevailing  plea :  "  Do  it,  for 
 Thy  name's  sake." 
 
 1.  'RQCognisQa  ihQ  total  absence  of  any 
 claim  to  mercy.  Could  solicit  nothing 
 for  their  sakes. 
 
 2.  Forgoes  all  allusion  to  mitigating 
 circumstances.  Nothing  mentioned  to 
 soften  their  criminality  and  propitiate 
 God.     "  Just  as  I  am." 
 
 3.  Bases  the  hoi^e  of  compassion  on  the 
 Name  of  God,  His  name  was  "  The 
 Lord  merciful  and  gracious,"  &c.  On 
 the  ground  that  God's  name  declares 
 Him  forgiving  and  loving,  ask  forgive- 
 ness and  love  divine !  "  For  Thy 
 name's  sake,  0  Lord,  pardon  mine 
 iniquity,  for  it  is  great."  "  If  we  con- 
 fess our  sin,  God  is  faithful  and  just 
 to  forgive  us  our  sin  and  to  cleanse 
 us,"  &c.  In  this  Gospel  dispensation 
 we  have  the  great  Name  of  Jesus, 
 "  Saviour,"  to  plead ;  and  "  whatever 
 ye  shall  ask  the  Father,  in  my  name.  He 
 will  give  it." 
 
 Theme:  God's  name  the  sinner's 
 Plea. 
 
 The  prophet,  though  forbidden  to 
 pray  (vii.  16  ;  xi.  14,  and  ver.  11),  could 
 not  forbear,  but  urged  his  prayers  with 
 all  imaginable  tenderness  and  compas- 
 sion. Though  he  could  find  no  excuse 
 for  Israel,  he  could  find  a  plea  in  the 
 very  character  of  God. 
 
 I.  The  sinner's  acknowledgment. 
 
 1.  The  'prophet's  confession  is  precisely 
 such  as  befits  the  ivorld  at  large.  (Comp. 
 Hos.  vii.   10 ;  Ps.  xxxvi.  1 ;  Hos.  v.  4, 
 
 2.  With  too  great  reason,  also,  may  it 
 he  adopted,  even  by  the  best  of  men.  The 
 world  are  willing  slaves  of  sin,  whilst 
 the  godly  resist  spiritual  enemies.  Yet 
 much  amiss  within  them  :  sins  of  com- 
 
 295 
 
CHAP.  XIV, 
 
 HO  MI  LET IC  COMMENTARY :  J  ERE  MI  A  R. 
 
 mission,  omission,  and  defect  (Isa.  lix. 
 12). 
 
 II.  The  sinner's  plea.  The  request 
 is  not  specified,  but  seems  to  be  for 
 restoration  of  God's  favour.  This  all 
 may  ask,  not  for  what  is  in  us,  but  for 
 the  sake  of  God's  honour,  and  the  glory 
 of  His  name. 
 
 1.  His  j)l€CL  is  open  to  all.  His  exer- 
 cise of  mercy  is  His  highest  glory  (Deut, 
 ix.  6;  Ezek.  xx.  9,  14,  22).  Even 
 when  we  have  provoked  God  to  anger, 
 we  may  approach  Him  with  this  plea 
 (see  Josh.  vii.  8,  9). 
 
 2.  This  plea  shall  never  he  urged  in 
 vain.  In  Joshua's  case  it  brought  im- 
 mediate success  (Josh.  vii.  10,  11).  So 
 with  Moses  (Exod.  xxxii.  9-14).  Surely 
 when  we  plead  the  name  of  Jesus ! 
 (John  xiv.  13,  14). 
 
 Application — 
 
 1.  What  should  he  the  effect  of  sin 
 upon  the  soul  ?  Conviction  of  sin  should 
 not  keep  us  from  God,  but  bring  us  to 
 Him :  "  though  our  iniquities  testify," 
 &c.  (Comp.  Ps.  XXV.  11.)  Sin  is  a 
 just  ground  for  humiliation,  but  not  for 
 discouragement. 
 
 2.  What  shall  surely  he  effectual  to 
 remove  it  from  the  soul  ?  Prayer:  peni- 
 tential weeping ;  humble  and  contrite 
 (Jer.  iii.  12,  13,  25)  fervent  and  perse- 
 vering (Dan.  ix.  18,  19);  offered  in  de- 
 pendence on  God's  promised  mercies  in 
 Christ  Jesus  (Jer.  xiv.  20,  21).  God 
 has  solemnly  engaged  not  to  cast  out 
 one  who  comes  to  Him  in  His  Son's 
 name  (Jno.  vi.  37). — Simeon. 
 
 (See  Noticeable  Topic  on  ver.  8, infra). 
 Ver.  8.  Theme :  God  and  troubled 
 
 HUMANITY. 
 
 The  troubles  of  Judah  were  over- 
 whelming at  this  period.  Indicated  in 
 preceding  verses.  Text  is  a  patriotic 
 wail :  "  O  Hope  of  Israel,  the  Saviour 
 thereof,"  &c.  We  have  to  notice  two 
 things — 
 
 I.  What  God  always  is  to  troubled 
 humanity. 
 
 1.  He  is  "the  Hope."  The  Hope  of 
 Israel.  Men  in  trouble  want  hope. 
 Hope  alone  can  buoy  up  amidst  the 
 surging  sea  of  sorrow.  Of  all  true  hope 
 God  is  the  author,  (1)  He  is  the  In- 
 ^irer  of  true  hope.  He  implanted  the 
 296 
 
 instinct  in  the  human  soul.  He  calls  it 
 forth  by  trial,  makes  the  spark  blaze  in 
 the  dark  night.  (2)  He  is  the  Sustainer 
 of  all  true  hope.  Oftentimes  the  lamp 
 would  go  out  did  He  not  feed  the  wan- 
 ing flame,  and  shelter  it  from  the  gust. 
 (3)  He  is  the  Realiser  of  all  true  hope. 
 If  ever  the  anticipated  deliverance  comes, 
 it  comes  from  Him,  The  storm-tossed 
 mariner  "He  bringeth  to  the  desired 
 haven." 
 
 2,  He  is  the  Saviour.  "  The  Saviour 
 thereof."  He  has  a  claim  to  this  title. 
 (1)  The  redemption  system  He  has 
 given  to  the  world  attests  this.  The 
 Gospel  is  an  infallible  antidote  for  all 
 the  sorrows  of  humanity.  (2)  The  ex- 
 perience of  all  who  had  attended  to  His 
 directions  testifies  this.  It  is  no  objec- 
 tion to  this  that  men  are  not  saved. 
 The  physician  may  have  an  infallible 
 antidote,  yet  if  the  patient  partake  not 
 of  it,  of  what  value  is  it  to  him  1  He 
 alone  can  attest  the  full  value  of  a 
 nautical  chart  who  has  sailed  by  it. 
 All  the  shipwrecks  of  those  who  neg- 
 lected it  is  no  argument  against  its  in- 
 fallibility. Every  man  that  has  adopted 
 God's  remedial  scheme  has  been  saved. 
 He  is  the  Saviour  of  the  world. 
 
 II.  What  God  sometimes  seems  to 
 troubled  humanity.  "  A  stranger  and 
 a  wayfaring  man  in  the  land."  A 
 stranger  in  the  land  is  one  more  or  less 
 imacquainted  with  what  is  local  and 
 uninterested  in  it.  There  are  times 
 when  God  seems  to  be  a  "  stranger " 
 in  these  respects.  He  seems  as  if  He 
 did  not  know  what  was  going  on  ;  or, 
 if  He  knew  it,  was  absolutely  in- 
 different. When  does  He  appear  as  if 
 a  stranger  to  the  good  ? 
 
 1.  When  Christlike  enterprises  are 
 frustrated.     When  great  plans  of  social 
 
 philanthropy  and  evangelical  propagan- 
 dism  break  down  and  disappoint  the 
 hopes  of  piety,  the  good  man  is  likely 
 to  feel  that  God  is  "  a  stranger,"  that 
 He  is  either  ignorant  of  or  indifferent 
 to  what  is  going  on. 
 
 2.  When  the  most  itseftd  men  are  cut 
 dotvn  in  the  very  zenith  of  their  life. 
 When  the  statesman  with  a  measure  for 
 the  liberties  of  a  nation,  an  author  with 
 a  book  for  the  mental  quickening  of  a 
 
BOMTLETIC  COMMENTARY:  JEREMlAff. 
 
 CHAP.  Xt>. 
 
 whole  people,  a  preacher  with  a  power 
 to  attract  and  interest  listening  thou- 
 sands, is  struck  down  in  a  moment,  the 
 good  are  likely  to  look  on  and  cry  out 
 to  the  great  God,  "  Why  art  Thou  a 
 stranger  in  the  land  ? " 
 
 3.  When  prosperity  attends  the  wicked 
 and  adversity  the  good.  This  has  ever 
 been  felt  to  be  a  trial.  "  Wherefore  do 
 the  wicked  become  rich  1 "  Asaph  said, 
 "  My  foot  well  nigh  slipped,  when,"  &c. 
 Who  that  sees  the  wicked  rising  to  for- 
 tune and  eminence,  and  the  good  sinking 
 to  penury  and  want,  does  not  often  ex- 
 claim within  himself,  "  Why  art  Thou 
 a  stranger  ? " 
 
 4.  When  enormous  outrages  are 
 rampant  in  society.  Such  as  the  cruci- 
 fixion of  Christ,  tremendous  wars,  &c. 
 At  such  seasons  the  good  look  up  to 
 heaven  and  cry,  "  Why  art  Thou  a 
 stranger  1 "  Why  not  interpose,  break 
 the  sword,  and  strike  evil  down  1 — 
 Homilist. 
 
 Vers.    7-9.     Theme:    Jeeemiah     a 
 
 WRESTLER  WITH  THE  LOED  IN  PRAYER. 
 
 In  this  he  is  a  second  Jacob  who 
 was  called  "Israel." 
 
 I.  In  what  the  Lord  is  strong 
 against  the  prophet.  The  sin  of  the 
 people.     "  Iniquities  testify  against  us." 
 
 II.  In  what  the  prophet  is  strong 
 against  the  Lord.  The  name  of  the 
 Lord.  "Though  iniquities  testify  against 
 us,  do  Thou  it /or  Thy  name's  sake." 
 
 1.  In  itself:  God's  name  compels 
 Him  to  show  He  is  not  a  desperate  hero, 
 a  giant  who  cannot  save  (ver.  9). 
 
 2.  In  that  His  name  is  home  by 
 Israel :  thus  He  is  bound  to  show  Him- 
 self as  He  who  is  in  Israel  (not  a 
 guest  or  a  "stranger,"  ver.  9),  and 
 consequently  the  comforter  and  helper 
 of  Israel. — Heim  and  Hoffman,  "  The 
 Major  Prophets.  (See  Addenda  on 
 ver.  8,  "  Intercessory  Prayer.") 
 
 Theme :  Prayer  has  within  itself 
 
 ITS  OWN  REWARD. 
 
 The  prayer  of  the  prophet  consists 
 of  confession  and  petition  ; 
 
 I.  Confession.  This  fitly  begins.  It 
 is  the  testimony  of  iniquity ;  and  that 
 this  iniquity  is  against  God  Himself. 
 When  we  are  to  encounter  any  enemy 
 or  difiiculty,  it  is  sin  weakens  us.    Now 
 
 confession  weakens  it, — takes  oflF  the 
 power  of  accusation. 
 
 II.  Petition.  "For  Thy  name's 
 sake."  Th  is  is  the  unfailing  argument 
 which  abides  always  the  same  and  hath 
 always  the  same  force.  The  children  of 
 God  are  much  beholden  to  their  troubles 
 for  clear  experiences  of  themselves  and 
 God.  Though  thou  art  not  clear  in 
 thy  interest  as  a  believer,  yet  plead  thy 
 interest  as  a  sinner,  which  thou  art  sure 
 of. — Leighton,  quoted  in  Lange, 
 
 Comments — 
 
 In  earnest  and  hearty  prayer  there  is 
 a  conflict  between  the  spirit  and  the 
 flesh.  The  flesh  regards  the  greatness 
 of  the  siris  (ver.  7),  and  conceives  of 
 God  as  a  severe  Judge,  who  either  will 
 not  help  further  or  cannot  help  (ver.  9). 
 The  spirit,  on  the  other  hand,  adheres 
 to  the  name  of  God  (ver.  7),  i.e.,  to  His 
 promises ;  apprehends  God  by  faith  as 
 his  true  comfort  and  aid,  and  depends 
 upon  Him. — Cramer. 
 
 "  Ideo  non  vult  Deus  cito  dare,  ut 
 discas  ardentius  orare." — Augustine. 
 
 The  name  of  God  is  the  manifestation 
 of  God's  being.  From  Moses'  time, 
 Jehovah  has  revealed  Himself  as  the 
 Redeemer  and  Saviour  of  the  children 
 of  Israel  and  as  God  who  is  merciful 
 and  gracious,  &c.  (Ex.  xxxiv.  6).  As 
 such.  He  is  besought  to  reveal  Himself 
 now  that  they  confess  their  backsliding 
 and  sin,  and  seek  His  grace.  J^ot  for 
 the  sake  of  His  honours  in  the  eyes  of 
 the  world,  lest  the  heathen  believe  He 
 has  no  power  to  help  (as  Graf,  holds), 
 for  all  reference  to  the  heathen  nations 
 is  foreign  to  this  connection ;  but  He  is 
 entreated  to  help,  not  to  belie  the  hope  of 
 His  people,  because  Israel  sets  its  hope 
 on  Him  as  Saviour  in  time  of  need  (ver. 
 9).  If  by  withholding  rain  He  makes 
 His  land  and  people  to  pine,  then  He 
 does  not  reveal  Himself  as  the  Lord 
 and  owner  of  Judah,  not  as  the  God 
 that  dwells  amidst  His  people,  but  He 
 seems  a  stranger  passing  through  the 
 land,  who  sets  up  his  tent  there  only  to 
 spend  the  night,  who  "  feels  no  share 
 in  the  weal  or  woe  of  the  dwellers 
 therein "  {Hitzig).  .  .  .  The  pleader 
 makes  further  appeal  to  God's  almighty 
 power.     It  is  impossible  that  God  can 
 
 297 
 
CHAP.  XIT. 
 
 HOMILETIC  COMMENTARY :  JEREMIAB. 
 
 let  Himself  look  like  a  man  at  his  wifs 
 end,  or  as  a  nerveless  warrior,  as  He 
 would  seem  if  He  should  not  give  help 
 to  His  people  in  their  present  need.  .  .  . 
 The  passage  closes  with  a7i  appeal  to  the 
 relation  of  grace  which  Jehovah  sustains 
 towards  His  people  :  "  Yet  art  Thou  in 
 our  midst,"  i.e.,  present  to  Thy  people. 
 "Thy  name  is  named  upon  us,"  i.e., 
 Thou  hast  revealed  Thyself  to  us  as  God 
 of  salvation  :  "  Lay  us  not  down,"  i.e., 
 let  us  not  sink. — Keil. 
 
 "  Leave  %i,s  not ; "  lit.  lay  us  not 
 down.  Jeremiah  evidently  had  in  mind 
 the  magnificent  words  of  Deut.  xxxii. 
 11,  12. — SpeaTcej^'s  Commentary.  (See 
 Noticeable  Topic,  "Triumphant  Prayer," 
 on  vers.  7-9. 
 
 Vers.  8,  9.  Theme;  God's  seeming 
 DISREGARD  OF  MAN.  "  0  hope  of  Israel, 
 the  Saviour  thereof  in  time  of  trouble, 
 why  shouldst  Thou  be  as  a  stranger  ] " 
 &c. 
 
 A  sore  perplexity  that  God  appears 
 to  dwell  so  far  off  and  so  apart  from 
 human  affairs.  Appalling  crises  come 
 and  go,  dreadful  occurrences  transpire 
 in  the  nation,  in  the  church,  in  the 
 home,  in  individual  life,  and  hearts  are 
 dismayed  and  paralysed,  yet  God  ap- 
 pears not  in  Providence  nor  manifests 
 Himself  in  grace.  And  this  seeming 
 disregard  compels  to  the  cry,  *'  0  hope 
 of  Israel,"  &c. 
 
 I.  It  contradicts  God's  character 
 and  name. 
 
 1.  "  Hope."  A  name  implying  that 
 Israel  had  learned  to  hope  in  Him 
 when  all  else  failed.  That  is  the  cha- 
 racter God  bears. 
 
 2.  "  Saviour."  He  had  saved,  was 
 THE  Saviour  :  "  Beside  Him  there  v.'as 
 no  Saviour."  And  men  believed  him 
 to  be  so. 
 
 3.  "  Mighty  man."  "  Able  to  save  to 
 the  uttermost."  With  great  power  He 
 redeemed  Israel  from  Egyptian  bond- 
 age. "Mighty  to  save."  All  revela- 
 tion has  declared  God  to  be  man's 
 hope,  man's  Saviour,  man's  mighty 
 Redeemer  ;  and  when  God  seems  heed- 
 less, it  covers  His  name  with  obscurity. 
 
 II.  It  baffles  the  godly  soul.     To 
 Jeremiah  it  was    painfully   perplexing 
 that    •'  tlie    hope     of  Israel,    and    its 
 208 
 
 Saviour,"  should  act  towards  His  people 
 thus  :  as 
 
 1.  "  A  stranger."  Indifferent,  there- 
 fore, having  no  acquaintance  or  sym- 
 pathy with  Israel,  no  knowledge  of 
 their  distresses  or  needs  ;  wholly  uncon- 
 cerned in  their  forlorn  and  imperilled 
 state. 
 
 2.  '*  A  wayfaring  man.*'  Inconstant, 
 therefore  :  passing  through  the  land 
 instead  of  as  of  old,  "Here  will  I 
 dwell,  for  I  have  desired  it ;"  alienated, 
 no  longer  attached  to  the  Holy  Land  and 
 Temple ;  about  to  depart. 
 
 3.  "  A  man  that  catmot  save"  Im- 
 potent, therefore  :  the  power  of  His  arm 
 gone,  the  zeal  of  His  heart  expired. 
 
 When  the  godly  see  God  thus  in- 
 active for  human  weal  and  His  people's 
 rescue,  faith  trembles  and  the  cry  rises 
 from  amid  terrifying  gloom. 
 
 HI.  It  leaves  man  in  a  deplorable 
 case. 
 
 1.  His  condition  is  distressing.  It 
 is  "  a  time  of  trouble,"  and  in  such  a 
 time,  if  "  the  Hope  of  Israel "  forsake 
 and  fail  him,  he  has  "  no  hope." 
 
 2.  His  relief  is  urgent.  Without  it 
 man  will  sink  and  perish  amid  "trouble," 
 which  means  peril.  If  the  "  Saviour  " 
 relieve  him  not,  he  has  no  helper,  no 
 salvation. 
 
 3.  His  sole  expectation  is  in  God. 
 Man  can  turn  nowhere  else.  These 
 people  have  no  other  "  hope  "  or  "  Sa- 
 viour," or  "  mighty  man."  And,  amid 
 sore  ■  troubles,  no  appeal  rises  but  to 
 Him.  If  He  be  a  "  wayfaring  man," 
 and  depart,  doom  rests  on  them  ! 
 
 IV.  It  arouses  to  wrestling  prayer. 
 It  drove  Jeremiah  to  God  in  earnest 
 supplication  :  a  good  result. 
 
 1.  Expostulating.  "  Why  shouldst 
 Thou  be  1  ivhy  shouldst  Thou  be?"  He 
 could  not  rest  amid  such  contradictions. 
 He  went  "  with  boldness  to  the  throne 
 of  grace,"  and  entreated  God  to  arise 
 and  help. 
 
 2.  Protesting.  "  Yet  Thou,  0  Lord, 
 art  in  the  midst  of  us,"  although  Thou 
 art  as  a  stranger  and  wayfaring  man. 
 He  puts  God  in  mind  of  precious /ads, 
 and  bases  firm  arguments  and  appeals 
 thereon.  "We  are  called  by  Thy  7iame,'' 
 help  and  save  Thine  own. 
 
EOMILETIC  COMMENTARY :  JEREMIAH. 
 
 3.  Entreating.  "  Leave  us  not ! " 
 "  Thou  art  |in  our  midst ;  be  not  even 
 as  a  wayfarer ;  abide  with  us  !  "  He 
 would  detain  God.  "  I  will  not  let 
 Thee  go  !  "  "  Constrain  Hira,  saying, 
 Abide  with  us  ! "  When  thus  entreated, 
 Jesus  "  ive7it  in  to  tarry  with  them." 
 (See  Addenda  on  ver.  8,  "God's  with- 
 draivings.") 
 
 Ver.  9.  Theme :  A  peayee  for  all 
 SEASONS.     "Leave  us  not ! " 
 
 God  sometimes  hides  Himself  from 
 us,  as  a  friend  withdraws  when  slighted, 
 or  a  father  when  grieved. 
 
 1.  Here  is  a  prayer  for  all  seasons. 
 There  is  "  a  time  for  everything,"  but 
 every  time  is  for  this.  This  prayer 
 should  rise  in — 
 
 L  Times  of  joy.  Need  pillar  of  cloud 
 hy  day.  Our  prosperity  will  ruin  us  if 
 God  be  not  with  us.  Uzziah  fell  "  when 
 he  was  strong  "  (2  Chron.  xxvi.  16). 
 
 2.  Times  of  adversity.  3.  Times  of 
 labour.     4.  Times  of  perplexity,  &c. 
 
 II.  Here  is  a  prayer  for  all  saints. 
 
 1.  All  need  to  pray  thus.  For  all 
 deserve  to  be  abandoned. 
 
 2.  All  must  pray  thus.  For  all  desire 
 continuances  of  His  presence. 
 
 3.  All  will  pray  thus.  For  all  know 
 the  bitterness  of  soul  consequent  upon 
 His  withdrawal. 
 
 III.  Here  is  a  prayer  always  an- 
 swered. If  it  come  from  sincere  and 
 penitential  hearts. 
 
 1.  Always  answered,  for  it  is  accord- 
 ing to  His  will.  He  delights  to  remain 
 with  His  own. 
 
 2.  Always  answered, /or  it  honours  His 
 name.  It  implies  that  we  know  and  prize 
 His  presence. — /Sermon  Frameivorh 
 
 Ver.  10.  Theme  :  Reckless  wandee- 
 EES  eejected.  "  Thus  have  they  loved 
 to  wander  .  .  .  the  Lord  doth  not  ac- 
 cept them,"  &c.  [On  the  reference  of 
 "thiis  have  they,"  &c.,  see  Homily  on 
 Section  10-16,  supra.]  "  Thus  "  means 
 Just  so.  Rashi  suggests,  in  addition  to 
 those  given  in  Section  by  Lange,  that 
 the  point  of  conparison  is,  "  For  as  de- 
 termined as  I  am  to  punish  them,  just 
 so  they  love  to  continue  their  offence." 
 (See  Addenda  on  ver.  10.) 
 
 I.  A  covenant  people  heedless  cf 
 their  privileges. 
 
 1.  Having  Jehovah  as  their  God. 
 Their  conception  of  what  their  God  was 
 to  them  is  given  in  vers.  7-9. 
 
 2.  Having  bounteous  blessings.  In 
 their  country,  "  a  goodly  land  ;  "  their 
 social  advantages,  their  spiritual  dis- 
 tinctions. 
 
 3.  Having  assured  prosperity  and 
 peace.  God  had  covenanted  their  secu- 
 rity against  foes  and  enjoyment  of  un- 
 measured good. 
 
 Yet  withal  they  depreciated  their 
 eminent  blessings. 
 
 II.  A  heedless  people  yielding  to 
 inconstancy.  "  They  loved  to  wander," 
 &c. 
 
 1.  There  was  within  them  a  delight  in 
 backsliding.  A  "  love"  of  it.  See  N'otes 
 on  chap.  ii.  23,  24,  25  ;  ver.  31. 
 
 2.  Upon  their  inclination  to  apostasy 
 they  put  no  restraint.  "  They  have  not 
 refrained  their  feet."  We  may  have 
 wrong  dispositions,  may  "  love  to  wan- 
 der," yet  are  called  to  control,  and  check, 
 and  correct  our  wrong  desires  and  de- 
 lights. But  these  surrendered  them- 
 selves unrestrained,  "  followed  the  de- 
 vices and  desires  of  their  own  hearts." 
 
 III.  An  inconstant  people  rejected 
 from  God's  favour.  "  Therefore  the 
 Lord  doth  not  accept  them." 
 
 1.  JSveti  though  the  prophet  pleaded 
 for  them.  As  he  did  in  vers.  7-9,  as 
 an  intercessor,  yet  God  refused  (ver. 
 11).  (See  Notes  on  chap.  vii.  16; 
 xi.  14.) 
 
 2.  iJven  though  they  themselves  might 
 cry  to  Him  (ver.  12).  There  is  a  time 
 when  God's  mercy  closes. 
 
 IV.  A  rejected  people  consigned  to 
 sore  distress. 
 
 1.  Buried  memories  of  sin  will  be  re- 
 called against  them.  God  "will  remem- 
 ber their  iniquity,"  which  He  would 
 have  let  remain  in  oblivion  had  they 
 sought  Him  opportunely.  Oh,  to  find 
 all  that  God  recollects  against  us  arrayed 
 for  our  doom  ! 
 
 2.  Due  recompense  of  sin  ivill  be  brought 
 upon  them.  He  "  will  visit  their  sins." 
 Fain  would  He  have  made  "  grace  much 
 '.acre  to  abound  where  sin  abounded." 
 iiut  repudiation  of  His  goodness  brings 
 the  inevitable  stroke  of  anger  :  it  is  "  the 
 wrath  of  the  Lamb." 
 
 299 
 
CBAP,  xrv. 
 
 HOMILETIC  COMMENTARY :  JEREMIAff. 
 
 Ver.  11.  See  Notes  and  Homilies  on 
 chap.  vii.  16  ;  xi.  14. 
 
 Ver.  12.  See  F'otes  and  Homilies  on 
 cLap.  ii.  ver.  28;  and  Homilies  on  Sec- 
 tions 14-28  ;  also  Outlines  on  chap.  xi. 
 11,  14,  15. 
 
 Theme;  Fasting  kendered  offen- 
 sive. "  When  they  fast  I  will  not  hear 
 their  cry ;  .  .  .  but  I  will  consume 
 them,"  &c. 
 
 Hypocrites,  void  of  all  sincerity,  yet 
 professed  to  be  true  worshippers  of  God, 
 and  by  external  rites  wished  to  prove 
 themselves  to  be  so.  They  profaned 
 the  name  of  God  when  they  thus  grossly 
 dissembled  with  Him. 
 
 I.  Pious  demeanour  is  not  what  God 
 desires,  but  faith. 
 
 1.  God  abominates  a  double  and  false 
 heart,  and  the  greater  the  fervour  hypo- 
 crites display  in  external  rites,  the  more 
 they  provoke  Him. 
 
 2.  Fasting  is  observed  as  giving  inten- 
 sity to  prayer.  Reverted  to  when  there 
 is  danger,  or  when  there  appears  evidence 
 of  God's  wrath,  or  when  we  are  under 
 heavy  affliction. 
 
 3.  They  who  "fast "  professedly  avoiv 
 that  they  deprecate  God's  disfavour.  It 
 is  an  achiowledgment  of  conscious  guilt, 
 and  a  declaration  of  penitence. 
 
 4.  But  God  values  not  outward  ap- 
 pearance. He  regards  the  faith  of  the 
 heart.  Pretentious  penitence  must  be 
 specially  oflfensive  to  Him. 
 
 III.  Fasting  is  not  in  itself  a  religi- 
 ous duty,  hut  a  mere  index  to  a  humble 
 spirit. 
 
 1.  Wliat  is  intended  by  fasting  f  (a.) 
 That  there  may  be  greater  alacrity  in 
 prayer.  (6.)  That  it  may  be  an  evidence 
 of  humility  in  confessing  sins,  (c.)  As 
 indicative  of  a  purpose  to  subdue  lust. 
 
 2,  What  is  fasting  apart  from  these 
 intents  ?  (a.)  A  frivolous  exercise.  (6.) 
 A  profanation  of  God's  worship,  (c.)  It 
 provokes  God's  wrath  as  being  a  super- 
 stition by  which  His  worship  is  polluted. 
 Fastings  are  not  only  without  benefit, 
 except  when  prayers  are  added,  but  they 
 incur  Divine  displeasure  unless  indicat- 
 ing a  humble  and  reverent  spirit. 
 
 III.  No  value  is  in  fasting  to  merit 
 God's  favour. 
 
 Papists  seek  to  pacify  God  by  fasting 
 300 
 
 as  by  a  sort  of  satisfaction,  deem  it  a 
 work  of  merit  and  a  kind  of  expiation. 
 
 Yet  though  hypocrites  joined  prayer 
 to  their  fasting  they  were  rejected 
 (comp.  Matt.  xvii.  21  ;  Mark  ix.  29  ;  1 
 Cor.  vii.  5).  There  was  no  sincerity  in 
 their  hearts,  but  only  an  outward  ap- 
 pearance, a  mere  disguise. 
 
 But  God  regards  the  heart,  and  only 
 sincerity  pleases  Him. 
 
 IV.  Mocking  profanation  was  in- 
 tolerable, and  should  be  punished.  "  I 
 will  consume  them,"  &c. 
 
 1.  God  shows  Himself  armed  with 
 various  kinds  of  punishment  :  "  sword, 
 famine,  pestilence." 
 
 2.  He  forewarns  that  they  who  had 
 provoked  Him  should  surely  suffer. 
 From  the  impending  destructions  none 
 could  deliver  himself. 
 
 3.  God  does  not  disregard  or  reject  reli- 
 gious signs,  but  when  what  they  signify 
 is  separated  from  them,  there  is  then  an 
 intolerable  profanation. — Arranged  from 
 Calvin  :  see  Commentary  in  loc.  (See 
 Addenda  on  ver.  12,  "  Fasting  offensive." 
 
 Ver.  14.  Theme :  Assured  Peace. 
 "  I  will  give  you  assured  peace  in  this 
 place." 
 
 Hitzig  and  Graf,  render  the  sentence, 
 "  I  will  give  you  peace  and  continuance," 
 &c.  ;  Septuagint,  "  truth  and  peace  ; " 
 Vidgate  and  Targum,,  "  true  peace  ; " 
 Syriac,  "  peace  and  security ;"  Lit. 
 "  peace  of  truth."  Real  and  lasting 
 peace,  not  delusive,  not  evanescent. 
 
 I.  Human  life  wants  it. 
 
 Sin  robbed  man  of  it.  All  sinned ; 
 and  wicked,  like  troubled  sea,  which 
 cannot  rest.  Oh,  how  man  craves  for 
 peace ! 
 
 1.  Uncertainty  troubles  our  life. 
 Transient  hours  of  repose  come  to  us, 
 but  tumult  rushes  in.  No  calculating 
 on  restful  days  and  years.  Want  "  as- 
 sured  peace  "  in  this  uncertain  world. 
 
 2.  Dehisions  embitter  our  heart.  We 
 have  heeded  false  prophets,  have  "looked 
 for  peace,  and  behold  trouble."  Seems 
 no  reliance  on  any  promising  thing. 
 Mocked  at  every  turn.  It  is  not  gay 
 and  fleeting  enjoyments  we  need,  but 
 something  "  assured." 
 
 3.  Misgivings  weary  our  souls.  Are 
 we  safe,  saved  ?     Is  dcatlt  nearing  f     la 
 
EOMILETIC  COMMENTARY :  JEREMIAH. 
 
 CHAP.  XIV. 
 
 God  propitious  ?  Have  we  a  "right  to 
 enter  through  the  gates  into  the  city  1 " 
 "  'Tis  a  point  I  long  to  know,"  &c.  The 
 soul  ashs  certitude,  not  conjecture,  nor 
 even  hope,  but  "full  assurance,"  firm 
 anchorage,  "  a  title  clear,"  "  strong  con- 
 solation," "  the  peace  of  God  which  shall 
 keep  our  hearts  and  minds."  The  cry 
 of  humanity  is  for  "  assured  peace," 
 which  will  not  elude,  will  never  be  lost. 
 
 "Oh  where  can  rest  be  found, 
 Kest  for  the  weary  soul  ? " 
 
 •I  will 
 
 II.  God  alone  can  give  it. 
 
 give  you  assured  peace." 
 
 1.  Peace  is  not  a  human  commodity, 
 hut  a  Divine  boon.  Man  cannot  buy  it 
 of  man,  he  must  beg  it  of  God.  Priests 
 cannot  bestow  it  on  penitents,  sinners 
 must  get  it  direct  from  heaven. 
 
 2.  Peace  comes  only  to  divinely-pre- 
 pared hearts.  It  cannot  dwell  where 
 sin  lurks,  sin  unrepented  or  unforgiven. 
 "  Being  justified  by  faith,  we  have  peace 
 with  God."  "  There  is  no  condemna- 
 tion to  them  who  are  in  Christ  Jesus." 
 "  In  Me  ye  have  peace," 
 
 3.  Peace  is  specifically  the  Saviour's 
 benefaction.  For  He  only  can  remedy 
 the  evils,  and  remove  the  impurities 
 which  ruin  man's  peace.  "  My  peace  I 
 give  unto  you — let  not  your  hearts  be 
 troubled." 
 
 III.  Lying  voices  offer  it.  "Pro- 
 phecy lies." 
 
 1.  False  prophets  preach  peace  still. 
 In  our  churches  promising  it  through 
 ceremonies,  confession,  righteous  works, 
 &c.  In  pleasxir^s  scenes,  assuring  the 
 gay  and  frivolous  of  satisfaction,  &c, 
 
 2.  Beguiled  dupes  are  ensnared  still. 
 Won  by  false  promises  souls  follow. 
 But  "  destruction  and  misery  are  in  their 
 ways,  and  the  way  of  peace  have  they  not 
 known." 
 
 3.  Yet  assured  peace  is  available  still. 
 May  be  found  by  all.  "  Come  unto  me, 
 all  ye  that  labour,"  &c.,  "  Learn  of  me, 
 and  ye  shall  find  rest  to  your  soul." 
 
 Vers.  13-16.  Theme:  Ruinous  Peo- 
 
 PHESYINGS. 
 
 How  lone  the  voice  which  bewails 
 the  currency  of  religious  frauds  and 
 ^ecclesiastical  deceits  !  None  but  Jere- 
 miah's cry  of  lament  over  his  beguiled 
 
 people  rose  to  God.  Lying  prophets 
 were  and  are  more  in  number  than 
 the  faithful  witnesses  and  preachers  of 
 truth.  The  world  "  believes  a  lie," 
 because  it  loves  not  the  truth  :  and, 
 upon  this  prevalent  mood  of  self-decep- 
 tion and  credulity,  scheming  priests  and 
 plausible  preachers  are  ready  to  trade, 
 saying,  "  Peace,  peace;  where  there  is  no 
 peace." 
 
 I.  Delusive  declarations.  "Behold 
 the  prophets  say  unto  them,  Ye  shall 
 not  see  the  sword,  neither  shall  ye  have 
 famine ;  but  I  will  give  you  assured 
 peace  in  this  place"  (ver.  13). 
 
 1.  This  kind  of  preaching  had  early 
 and  evil  origin:  "The  serpent  said.  Ye 
 shall  not  surely  die,  but  your  eyes  shall 
 be  opened,  &c."  (Gen.  iii.  4,  5). 
 
 2.  Modern  reproductions  are  rife. 
 Priestly  teaching  of  the  saving  value  of 
 sacraments,  &c.  Broad  theology  which 
 minimises  human  sin  and  spiritual  peril. 
 A  subtle  Socinianism  which  denies  man's 
 fall  or  need  of  redemption.  Annihi- 
 lationism,  which  destroys  a  hereafter  fur 
 the  unchristian  soul. 
 
 II.  Repudiated  preachers.  "  I  sent 
 them  not,  neither  have  I  commended 
 them,  neither  spake  unto  them"  (ver.  14). 
 
 1.  Pleasant  preaching  may  he  in  God's 
 esteem  "  lies."  The  people  liked  it,  but 
 Jehovah  denounced  it. 
 
 2.  Plausible  prophets  do  not  always 
 have  authority  for  their  messages. 
 Because  a  preacher  teaches  what  men 
 want  to  hear,  and  fiock  to  learn,  he  does 
 not  on  that  account  possess  Divine 
 warrant.  Popularity  is  not  a  seal  of 
 authority.  Indeed  the  truth  most  unwel- 
 come, and  the  preacher  most  deserted, 
 may  have  the  highest  sanction.  "  Who 
 hath  believed  our  report,"  &c.  Jeremiah 
 was  now  deserted  for  these  plausible 
 prophets :  yet  who  preached  Divine  truth? 
 
 III.  Deceptions  disclosed.  "They 
 prophesy  unto  you  a  false  vision,  and 
 divination,  and  a  thing  of  nought,  and 
 the  deceit  of  their  hearts"  (ver.  14). 
 
 Thus  are  these  delusive  teachings  dis- 
 ovmed  by  God,  they  have  no  origin  in 
 Him,  neither  in  prayerful  contemplation 
 of  His  Word,  neither  in  any  spiritiial 
 illumination  :  they  are  traced  to  the  dark 
 caverns  of  a  deceitful  heart. 
 
 301 
 
ROM T LET  I C  COMMENTARY :  JEREMTAE. 
 
 1.  "  Visions  and  divinations^*  may 
 have  a  had  origin.  A  preacher  may  be 
 "clear"  and  "clever"  in  his  presenta- 
 tion of  doctrine,  but  Ms  "visions "may be 
 "  false,"  and  his  "divination"  a  ''  deceit." 
 Does  he  "  prophesy  in  My  name  f 
 
 2.  It  is  possible  for  the  human  "heart " 
 to  suggest  falsehood.  Yes;  the  "heart" 
 may  forge  a  "  deceit,"  and  thus  impose 
 upon  the  prophet  himself  ;  and  the  fancy 
 or  theory  he  has  framed  within  himself 
 may  so  enamour  him  that  he  may  come 
 to  believe  it  true  and  authoritative. 
 Then  he  will  in  turn  impose  upon  heed- 
 less hearers,  who  desire  "a  thing  of 
 nought"  rather  than  the  serious  mes- 
 sage of  God. 
 
 IV.  Ketributive  ruin. 
 
 1.  On  deceivers  (ver.  15).  The  very 
 evils  from  which  they  decoyed  men's 
 just  fears  should  come  upon  themselves. 
 Forbearing  to  warn  men  of  the  coming 
 "sword"  (see  Ezek.  xxxiii.),  that  sword 
 should  smite  the  faithless  watchman 
 himself. 
 
 2.  On  the  deceived  (ver.  16).  Who 
 were  willingly  beguiled  (comp.  v.  31. 
 see  supra,  ver.  10).  Men  still  "turn 
 their  ears  from  the  truth,  and  are  turned 
 into  fables."  But  they  do  not  escape 
 the  threatenings  of  the  truth  because 
 they  "believe  a  lie."  Self-deception  is 
 self-ruin. 
 
 Coviments — 
 
 "Although  preachers  lead  their  hearers 
 astray,  yet  the  hearers  are  not  thus  ex- 
 cused. But  when  they  allow  themselves 
 to  be  led  astray,  the  blind  and  those 
 who  guide  them  fall  together  into  the 
 ditch  "  (Luke  vi.  39).— Cramer. 
 
 "  The  false  prophets  are  thus  described 
 as  deceiving  the  people  in  three  ways — 
 (1)  by  asserting  that  they  had  seen  a 
 vision  ;  (2)  by  using  conjuring  tricks  ; 
 (3)  by  professing  to  consult  these  small 
 idols  \Elil ;  see  Lit.  Crit.  on  "  thing  of 
 naught"],  in  the  same  way  that  they 
 divined  by  the  Teraphim  (Comp.  Zech. 
 I.  2,  where  these  three  modes  of  divina- 
 tion occur  again,  only  the  Teraphim  takes 
 the  place  of  the  Elilim.  Probably  they 
 were  much  the  same).  All  these  three 
 methods  the  prophet  declares  to  be  the 
 deceit  of  their  heart,  i.e.,  not  self-deceit, 
 but  a  fraud  suggested  by  their  heart  or 
 302 
 
 mind,  i.e.,  a  wilful  and  intentional  fraud." 
 — Speaker's  Com. 
 
 "  To  Hitzig  it  seems  surprising  that, 
 in  describing  the  punishment  which  is 
 to  fall  on  seducers  and  seduced,  there 
 should  not  be  severer  judgment,  in  words 
 at  least,  levelled  against  the  seducers  as 
 being  those  involved  in  deeper  guilt ; 
 whereas  the  very  contrary  is  the  case  in 
 the  Hebrew  text.  But  it  was  necessary 
 to  set  before  the  people  the  terrors  of 
 this  judgment  in  all  their  horror,  in  order 
 not  to  fail  of  effect." — Keil. 
 
 Ver.  17.  "  Let  mine  eyes  run  doivn 
 with  tears,"  &c.  See  Homilies  on  Chaps, 
 ix.  1,  xiii.  17,  supra. 
 
 "  The  virgin  daughter  of  my  people," 
 see  on  Chap.  viii.  21,  &c.  In  Oriental 
 households  virgins  are  carefully  secluded 
 and  guarded  ;  so  had  God  watched  over 
 and  protected  Judah. 
 
 "  Broken  with  a  great  breach,  ivith  a 
 very  grievous  blow,"  see  on  Chap.  x.  19. 
 
 "  Those  cities  are  called  '  virgins ' 
 which  never  came  into  a  conqueror's 
 hands.  In  the  same  sense  the  prophet 
 here  calls  Jerusalem  a^ '  virgin,'  because 
 she  had  been  hitherto  under  God's 
 immediate  protection,  and  preserved  by 
 Him  from  all  attempts  of  her  enemies 
 (Comp.  Amos.  v.  2).  The  dissolution  of 
 a  government  or  body  politic,  is  called 
 a  '  breach,'  by  way  of  allusion  to  the 
 breaking  or  disjointing  of  the  limbs  of  a 
 human  body  (see  Chap.  viii.  21,  Lam. 
 ii.  13)."— IT.  Lowth. 
 
 Ver.  18.  Theme:  The  woes  of  wae. 
 
 I.  Scenes  on  the  field  of  battle. 
 "If  I  go  forth  into  the  field,  then 
 behold  the  slain  with  the  sword." 
 
 II.  Miseries  within  the  besieged 
 city.  "  If  I  enter  into  the  city,  then 
 behold  them  that  are  sick  with  famine  ! " 
 Yes,  and  heart  sick  with  grief  over  sons, 
 husbands,  and  fathers,  slain. 
 
 III.  Captives  carried  into  alien 
 scenes.  "  Yea,  both  the  prophet  and 
 the  priest  [even  those,  and  therefore  the 
 people,  whom  the  conqueror  would  be 
 less  likely  to  leave]  go  about  into  a  land 
 that  they  know  not."  "  By  the  rivers 
 of  Babylon  we  sat  down,  yea,  we  wept 
 when  we  remembered  Zion." 
 
 JVote  on  "  go  aboiit  into  a  land  that 
 they    know    not."       These    words    are 
 
HOMILETIO  COMMENTARY:  JEREMIAH. 
 
 variously  rendered  (See  Lit.  Crit.  on 
 verse),  and  variously  interpreted.  Graf 
 and  Keil  suggest  for  "  go  about "  the 
 meaning  "  heg  their'  viayP  A.  V.  in 
 margin  gives  "  make  merchandise."  But 
 Rosenmiiller  and  Umbreit  give  the  inter- 
 pretation that  these  prophets  and  priests 
 move  to  and  fro,  go  over  their  own 
 desolated  country  (Judea)  baffled  and 
 bewildered  and  impotent ;  "  they  tvander 
 about  it,  the  land,  and  know  not  what  to 
 do.^'  But  the  simplest  meaning  is,  they 
 go  into  exile  in  a  strange  land. 
 
 Ver.  19.  Theme;  Patriotic pkaybrs 
 
 lEREPEESSIBLE. 
 
 See  Addenda  on  ver,  19,  "  Wrestling 
 prayers.'"  Jehovah  had  prohibited  Jere- 
 miah's intercession  for  His  people  (ver. 
 11);  had  whoUy  discouraged  all  propitia- 
 tion hy  His  people  (ver  12).  What  then] 
 nothing  could  be  done  by  man  for  them, 
 nor  aught  by  themselves  for  themselves. 
 It  is  in  bold  desperation  that  the  prophet 
 now  besieges  God  on  the  plea  of  His 
 gracious  interest  in,  and  covenant  re- 
 lationship to,  Judah.  Can  it  be  that 
 there  is  "no  healing"  even  in  Jehovah 
 for  "the  virgin  daughter"  on  whom  has 
 fallen  "a  very  grievous  blow"  (ver.  17). 
 
 %*  For  homiletic  arrangement  of 
 this  and  following  verses,  see  section, 
 vers.  17-32,  supra.  Also  Homily  on 
 chap.  viii.  15. 
 
 I.  Agonising  inciuiries  addressed  to 
 God.  Is  there  no  room  for  hope,  no 
 place  left  for  Judah  and  Zion  luithin 
 Divine  pity  ?  Are  we  abandoned  .to  our 
 miseries  without  any  alleviation  avail- 
 able j  smitten  hy  Thee,  yet  "  no  healing" 
 procurable,  none  possible  ? 
 
 II.  Desolated  hopes  arrayed  before 
 God. 
 
 1.  Our  expectations  misled  us.  Ill- 
 prepared  for  such  a  reverse  of  our  hopes 
 and  desires. 
 
 2.  Our  desolation  amazes  us.  "  There 
 is  no  good ; "  not  one  solace  or  respite 
 shows  itself,  blank  misery.  "Behold 
 trouble  !  "  It  rises  upon  our  gaze,  and 
 we  are  terrified ! 
 
 III.  Astonishment  expressed  at  the 
 severity  of  God. 
 
 1.  After  so  much  grace  from  God. 
 Judah  cherished  ;  Zion  long  beloved. 
 
 2.  After  frequent   healings   by   God. 
 
 For  oft  He  had  smitten  and  then  hound 
 up. 
 
 3.  Now  utterly  loathed  and  abandoned. 
 Yet  God  can  be  severe.  It  will  amaze 
 those  who  calculated  upon  His  love,  and 
 trifled  with  it. 
 
 Ver.  20.  Theme:  Sin  Acknowledged. 
 
 To  a  right  acknowledgment  of  our 
 iniquity,  and  in  order  that  sin  may 
 be  pardoned,  there  are  required  three 
 things — 
 
 I.  Contrition.  Iniquity  truly  and 
 duly  deplored.  A  poignant  sense  of  the 
 evil  of  sin  in  itself,  and  our  evil  state  in 
 having  committed  sin.  A  real  grief  for 
 the  wrong  we  have  done  God,  and  the 
 woe  we  have  merited  on  ourselves. 
 
 II.  Confession.  Which  should  be 
 unfeigned,  self-abhorrent,  lamentable, 
 specific,  unreserved.  The  heart  should 
 utter  itself  in  our  words,  and  deep  shame 
 should  fill  our  souls  as  we  prostrate  our- 
 selves before  the  most  Holy  God. 
 
 III.  Conversion,  Repentance  should 
 issue  in  reformation.  Forsaking  the 
 sin  we  acknowledge  and  lament,  we 
 should  hereafter  live  a  righteous,  sober, 
 and  godly  life.  "  Bring  forth  fruits 
 meet  for  repentance."  Moved  by  grati- 
 tude to  God  for  being  "  ready  to  for- 
 give," and  constrained  by  love  to  the 
 Atoning  Mediator  by  whose  redemption 
 we  may  escape  both  guilt  and  its  penalty, 
 our  afterlife  should  be  humble,  obedient, 
 devoted,  and  holy.  See  Addenda  on 
 ver.  20,  "  Sin  acknowledged."  Comp. 
 Homily  on  chap.  iii.  25. 
 
 Note. — The  "and"  is  not  in  the 
 Hebrew,  and  corrupts  the  sense.  Na- 
 tional sin  is  the  sin  of  the  '^ fathers " 
 perpetuated  generation  after  generation 
 by  the  children.  When  thus  successive 
 opportunities  for  repentance  had  been 
 rejected — for  each  generation  had  its 
 own  probation — the  nation  is  ripe  for 
 chastisement. — Speaker's  Com. 
 
 Theme:  Dreading  God's  Abhor- 
 rence. "  Do  not  abhor  us,  for  Thy 
 name's  sake." 
 
 The  occasion  of  the  prayer  (vers.  ^-^). 
 Prayer  for  removal  of  calamity  (vers.  7- 
 9).  Though  visited  with  judgment  and 
 threatened,  the  false  prophets  preached 
 peace  (vers.  13,  14).  The  prophet,  how- 
 ever, continued  to  plead  with  God. 
 
 303 
 
CHAP.  XIV. 
 
 HOMILETIC  COMMENTARY:  JEREMIAH. 
 
 I.  The  petition. 
 
 1.  These  words  imply  that  it  is  pos- 
 sible for  creatures  once  the  objects  of 
 Divine  favour  to  become  the  objects  of 
 Divine  displeasure. 
 
 2.  The  solicitude  of  the  prophet  indi- 
 cated hoio  real  and  near  those  Divine 
 judgments  were.     He   was   commanded 
 
 not  to  pray  that  the  threatened  judg- 
 ment should  not  be  inflicted,  but  was 
 assured  the  sword  and  famine  should 
 overtake  them  (ver.  15).  Where  im- 
 piety and  irreligion  prevail  among  a 
 people  favoured  with  religious  advan- 
 tages, Divine  abhorrence  will  certainly 
 express  itself  in  punishment. 
 
 3.  There  is  nothing  which  godly  men 
 more  vehemently  dread  and  deprecate 
 than  that  God  should  abhor  and  reject  a 
 people  once  distinguished  by  His  favour 
 and  by  religious  privileges.  Jeremiah 
 knew  his  people  must  be  scattered,  but 
 he  dreaded  nothing  so  much  as  their 
 being  utterly  cast  oflf.  Against  this  he 
 prayed,  "  Do  not  abhor  us,  Lord,  &c. 
 
 II.  The  argument  used  as  enforcing 
 his  petition. 
 
 "  Do  not  abhor  us,  for  thy  name's 
 sake."  This  argument  has  been  used 
 with  the  Most  High  before.  When  God 
 thinks  to  destroy  the  children  of  Israel, 
 Moses  pleaded  what  God  had  done  for 
 them  (Exodus  xxxii.  11-13).  Joshua 
 also  pleaded,  "  What  wilt  Thou  do  for 
 Thy  great  Name?"  (Josh.  viii.  9). 
 "  Should  the  Egyptians  say,"  &c.  &c. 
 This  argument  Jeremiah  used  to  sup- 
 port his  petition.  God  had  made  a 
 covenant  with  His  servant  Jacob — if, 
 then,  Jacob  had  been  abhorred  so  as  to 
 be  utterly  cast  off — how  could  that 
 economy  be  maintained  ]  "  Remember, 
 break  not  Thy  covenant  with  us,  for 
 Thy  name's  sake." 
 
 God's  name  is  His  character,  including 
 all  the  glorious  perfections  that  encom- 
 pass it.  Some  of  the  perfections,  con- 
 sidered apart  from  others,  would  cause 
 only  fear  when  our  guilt  as  individuals 
 or  the  guilt  of  communities  is  realised. 
 If  the  prophet  had  dwelt  only  upon  the 
 holiness,  justice,  and  power  of  God  when 
 lie  considered  the  guilt  of  his  country, 
 he  would  have  had  no  encouragement 
 to  pray;  and  if  we  dwelt  only  upon 
 304 
 
 some  attributes,  we  shall  be  more  likely 
 to  sink  into  despair  than  to  be  encour- 
 aged with  hope.  But  there  are  other 
 perfections  in  the  divine  attributes,  such 
 as  boundless  mercy,  unparalleled  love, 
 infinite  wisdom,  and  inviolable  faithful- 
 ness. 
 
 This  argument  may  be  used  in  prayer 
 under  personal  distress,  aiid  under  general 
 calamity  either  endured  or  apprehended. 
 
 1.  Under  personal  distress,  to  be  con- 
 sidered as  coming  from  guilt  or  from 
 particular  trouble,  and  in  both  cases  can 
 the  name  of  God  furnish  us  with  a  suit- 
 able or  a  powerful  argument  in  prayer. 
 
 (1.)  We  may  use  it  under  a  sense  of 
 guilt,  either  when  first  convinced  of  sin 
 or  when  we  may  have  wounded  our 
 conscience.  A  life  spent  without  the 
 fear  of  God,  in  open  disaffection  to  and 
 rebellion  against  Him,  calls  for  vengeance. 
 The  glory  of  God  requires  that  He 
 should  resist  such  impiety  and  manifest 
 His  displeasure  against  it.  He  might 
 justly  abhor  us  and  utterly  reject  us. 
 But  His  name  affords  us  a  plea.  "God  is 
 Love,"  He  delighteth  in  mercy.  He  is 
 the  Lord  God  merciful  and  gracious. 
 This  is  in  perfect  harmony  with  the 
 perfections  of  God. 
 
 2.  The  believer  may  adopt  it  under 
 particular  trouble  and  the  tribulations 
 through  which  he  may  pass.  The 
 covenant  of  grace  affords  encouragement 
 to  use  it.  "  If  thy  children  forsake  my 
 law,"  &c.  &c.  "  Do  not  abhor  us."  If 
 Thou  art  pleased  to  chastise  us,  cast  us 
 not  off — let  all  Thy  glorious  perfections 
 of  mercy,  pardon,  wisdom,  and  faithful- 
 ness be  displayed  in  supporting,  sanctify- 
 ing, and  in  over-ruling  all  things  for  our 
 good.  "  Do  not  abhor  us,  for  Thy  name's 
 sake,"  &c. 
 
 (2.)  This  argument  may  be  used  by 
 the  righteous  under  general  calamities ; 
 calamities  experienced  or  apprehended. 
 
 1.  Under  national  trouble.  Such 
 were  the  circumstances  under  which  the 
 prophet  presented  the  prayer.  A  dearth 
 was  experienced — the  swarm  of  the 
 Chaldeans  was  threatened.  He  prayed 
 that  the  sheep  might  not  be  abandoned. 
 "  Do  not  abhor  us." 
 
 Under  national  calamity  the  name  of 
 God  affords  encouragement  for  prayer. 
 
HOMILETIC  COMMENTARY:  JEREMIAH. 
 
 CHAP.  XIV. 
 
 The  godly  at  such  times,  when  they 
 can  see  that  prevailing  iniquity  calls 
 for  vengeance,  though  professing  sub- 
 mission, yet  find  the  name  of  God 
 a  plea. 
 
 2.  This  plea  may  he  used  hy  the 
 godly  ivhen  apprehensive  of  sp)iritual 
 judgments  upon  spiritual  account. 
 
 There  is  nothing  more  offensive  to 
 God  than  a  lukewarm  spirit.  "  I  would 
 that  thou  wert  either  cold  or  hot,"  &c. 
 Now  where  lukewarmness  prevails,  the 
 Spirit  of  God  will  be  grieved  and  be 
 withdrawn ;  the  prayer  is  then  most 
 important,  "  Do  not  abhor"  &c., 
 "  Take  not  Thy  Holy  Spirit,"  &c. 
 
 3.  It  is  a  plea  that  may  he  used  in 
 reference  to  churches  at  large.  How 
 much  is  there  in  Christendom  to  be 
 deplored  !  How  much  that  is  religious 
 only  in  name !  How  little  Christian 
 charity  among  different  denominations ! 
 Though  it  is  admitted  that  efforts  are 
 made  to  do  good  by  churches  of  different 
 denominations,  and  upon  these  efforts 
 God  has  smiled,  yet  these  evils  must 
 be  offensive  to  Him  who  prayed  that  His 
 Church  might  be  kept  from  the  evil  that 
 was  in  the  world ;  and  we  may  fear  the 
 expression  of  Divine  displeasure  until 
 they  are  removed. 
 
 We  learn  from  the  subject  that  the  pro- 
 per plea  to  he  used  in  all  our  prayers  is 
 the  name  of  God.  His  mercy  and  grace 
 displayed  as  harmonising  with  holiness 
 and  justice  through  the  mediation  of 
 Jesus  Christ.  In  our  own  name,  as  a 
 ground  of  righteousness,  we  can  never 
 be  accepted. 
 
 If  God  hears  ajid  answers  prayer,  it 
 must  be  in  a  way  that  will  be  for  His 
 glory.  And  though  in  some  measure 
 His  glory  may  require  judgment,  yet  if 
 the  prayer  is  offered  in  reliance  upon 
 the  mediation  of  Christ,  the  mercy  and 
 faithfulness  of  God  assure  us  of  ac- 
 ceptance. "  Mercy  and  truth  meet  to- 
 gether— righteousness  and  peace,"  &c. 
 
 And  that  prayer  for  others  shoidd  be 
 incessant.  *'  The  effectual  fervent  prayer 
 of  the  righteous  man  availeth  much." — 
 Anon. 
 
 Ver.    21.     Theme :    The    ultimate 
 
 AKGUMENT  WITH  GOD  FOR  MERCY.       See 
 
 Addenda,  on  ver.  21.     "  Do  not  disgrace 
 u 
 
 ilie  throne  of  Thy  glory."  Nothing  may 
 be  found  to  extenuate  man's  spiritual 
 criminality,  so  heinous  may  be  his  sin, 
 as  was  Judah's.  Nothing  acceptable  or 
 propitiatory  may  exist  in  his  self-morti- 
 fications and  oblations  (ver.  12).  His 
 guilt  and  insincerity  may  even  justify 
 God's  refusal  of  intercession  on  his  be- 
 half (ver.  11).  Yet  there  remain  the 
 highest  arguments  still  by  which  to 
 plead  with  God,  viz..  His  Name,  His 
 Honour,  and  His  Covenakt. 
 I.  Explanation  of  tlie  language. 
 
 1.  God's  name  :  it  was  a  pledge  of 
 pardon  (Exod.  xxxiv.  6).  But  more, 
 God's  name  was  identified  with  His 
 people;  hence  what  befell  them  would 
 reflect  credit  or  discredit  on  God.  If 
 Thou  dost  ^^  abhor  us,"  Thy  name  as 
 "  the  God  of  Israel "  will  be  forfeit. 
 
 2.  God's  honour:  "disgrace  not  the 
 throne  of  Thy  glory."  Jerusalem,  or 
 the  Temple  wherein  God  dwelt  there 
 (chap.  iii.  17),  was  God's  glorious 
 throne  :  if  He  suffered  it  to  fall  into  the 
 hands  of  heathen  conquerors,  it  would 
 be  disgraced,  and  God's  glory  dis- 
 honoured. 
 
 3.  God's  covenant:  He  had  chosen 
 the  race  of  Abraham,  had  pledged  to 
 David  a  lasting  throne,  had  promised 
 that  Messiah  should  come  of  Judah. 
 Though  they,  the  guilty  people,  merited 
 abhorrence,  yet  for  the  covenant's  sake, 
 spare  them,  that  the  Word  of  God  may 
 stand. 
 
 II.  Application  of  the  argument. 
 Jeremiah  turns  from  the  people's  evil 
 state  and  deserts,  and  appeals  to  God's 
 attributes. 
 
 1.  That  God's  name  is  a  tower  of 
 defence  for  the  guiltiest.  Not  only  may 
 "  the  righteous  run  into  it  and  be  safe," 
 but  sinners  may  plead  it  as  a  basis  of 
 hope,  as  an  argument  for  mercy  (see 
 ver.  7).  Though  nothing  else  can  be 
 found  on  which  to  rest  prayer  for  Divine 
 pity,  yet  God,  who  is  the  "  Father  of 
 mercies,"  the  "  God  of  our  salvation," 
 and  whom  the  only  begotten  Son  has 
 declared  as  the  "  God  tvho  so  loved  the 
 world,"  may  be  entreated  for  His  name's 
 sake  to  spare  "  sinners,  even  the  chief." 
 
 2.  That  God's  glory  is  involved  in  His 
 administration    of   mercy.     He    would 
 
 305 
 
CHAP.  XIV. 
 
 HOMILETIC  COMMENTARY:  JEREMIAH. 
 
 "  disgrace  His  throne  "  did  He  allow  the 
 enemy  to  triumph  and  despoil  His 
 temple.  If  Satan  vanquishes  tlie 
 Church,  or  wrests  a  sinner  from  the 
 grace  of  Christ,  the  High  Majesty  of 
 Heaven  is  dishonoured.  True,  we  may 
 merit  abandonment,  as  did  profane 
 Jerusalem,  yet  "  let  not  the  enemy  pre- 
 vail"— where  sin  abounds,  grace  shall 
 much  more  abound ! 
 
 3.  That  God's  covenant  outlives  man's 
 disloyalty.  Man  may  violate  his  part 
 in  that  covenant :  yet  shall  the  Right- 
 eous and  Gracious  God  therefore  break 
 His  word  1  No  !  Man's  falsity  cannot 
 obliterate  God's  graciousness.  The  in- 
 finitely pitiful  Jehovah,  who  keepeth 
 covenants  and  never  faileth,  will  still 
 remember  His  promises.  He  has  as- 
 sured of  "salvation  even  to  the  utter- 
 most," pledged  Himself  "  in  nowise  to 
 cast  out ; "  and  on  that  covenant  we  may 
 ever  rest.  Calvin  remarks,  "  God  did, 
 according  to  the  common  apprehension 
 of  men,  abolish  the  covenant  by  which 
 the  Jews  thought  Him  to  be  bound  to 
 them ;  and  yet  He  remained  true ;  for 
 His  truth  shone  forth  at  length  from 
 darkness,  after  the  time  of  exile  was 
 completed."  (See  Noticeable  Topic  on 
 ver.  21.  "  God's  covenant  an  argument 
 in  prayer!') 
 
 Ver.    22.     Theme:  The  lone  hope 
 
 OF  MAN  IN  MISERY. 
 
 The  misery  was  from  the  "  dearth  " 
 (ver.  1-6) ;  the  dearth  was  consequent 
 upon  Judah's  iniquity  (ver.  7).  And 
 that  iniquity  consisted  largely  in  God's 
 people  turning  from  Him  to  "  the 
 vanities  of  the  Gentiles." 
 
 I.  To  choose  others  for  God  is  to 
 court  hopeless  misery.  Not  one  of 
 these  "  vanities  of  the  Gentiles "  could 
 alleviate  the  calamities  which  had  come 
 upon  them  through  their  desertion  of 
 JehovaL 
 
 1.  Si7i  will  entail  appalling  disaster. 
 
 2.  In  disaster  we  shall  need  help  and 
 deliverance. 
 
 3.  Deliverance  cannot  come  from  the 
 ^^ vanities"  for  which  we  have  surrendered 
 God. 
 
 Therefore  ive  create  fa-  ourselves  a 
 desolate  future. 
 
 II.  No  secondary  causes  can  suf&ce 
 us  in  calamity.  "  Showers  "  do  indeed 
 fall  from  "  the  heavens,"  but  it  is  God 
 who  "  gives  "  them. 
 
 1.  Behind  all  soiirces  of  comfort  God 
 dioells. 
 
 2.  If  He  he  alienated  He  dries  up 
 these  sources  of  comfort. 
 
 3.  Hence  to  look  to  these  so^irces  and 
 ignore  the  Divine  spring  is  to  ensure 
 moching  disappointment.  (Comp.  chaps, 
 ii.  12,  13,  iii.  23.) 
 
 III.  God  Himself  is  man's  true  need. 
 Read  the  words  — "  Art  Thou  not 
 Jehovah  our  God  ? " 
 
 1.  Oxer  one  only  Saviour  ^Isaiah  xlv. 
 21-25). 
 
 2.  The  Creator  of  all  the  channels  of 
 comfort.  "  Thou  hast  made  all  these 
 things" — the  heavens  with  their  showers. 
 
 3.  The  hojje  of  man  in  the  day  of 
 his  distress. 
 
 For  He  who  hath  torn  can  heal ;  He 
 who  hath  impoverished  with  "  drought " 
 can  replenish  with  luxury.  Ye  shall 
 receive  of  the  Lord's  hand  double  for  all 
 your  sins. 
 
 IV.  The  attitude  of  a  troubled  souL 
 "  Therefore  we  will  wait  upon  Thee." 
 
 1.  Humbly :  for  sin  lies  at  the  root 
 of  man's  distress. 
 
 2.  Patiently :  for  after  long  rejection  of 
 God  we  must  "  wait  "  His  time  for  relief. 
 
 3.  Trustfully:  for  grace  will  not  be 
 denied  any  lowly  suppliant ;  and  faith 
 will  win  the  blessing  sought. 
 
 See  Addenda  on  verse.  Mans  lone 
 hope. 
 
 NOTICEABLE  TOPICS  IN  CHAPTER  XIV. 
 
 Topic:   Concerning  the  Dearth  (vers.  1-9). 
 
 See  Addenda  on  ver.  1.  The  events  here  recorded  most  probably  gave  occasion 
 for  the  fast  referred  to  in  chap,  xxxvi.  9.  "  A  more  true  description  of  an  Oriental 
 drought  in  its  leading  circumstances  and  effects  we  have  never  yet  seen."  We  pro- 
 ceed to  show  from  the  words  of  the  prophet  the  dire  effects  of  the  drought,  and  by 
 constant  inference  the  folly  of  forsaking  God. 
 
nOMILETIO  COMMENTARY :  JEREMIAH. 
 
 I.  The  effects  of  drought  upon  inanimate  creation. 
 
 1.  T lie  pits  ivere  empty.  Some  of  these  were  natural  hollows  in  the  hard  rocks 
 and  in  the  caves  Avhere  evaporation  was  less  speedy.  Others  were  dykes  and 
 cisterns,  the  works  of  man.  But  neither  nature  nor  art  could  afford  supplies  wlitn 
 God  dealt  with  them  in  His  judgments. 
 
 2.  The  ground  was  chapt.  Kitto  says,  "  After  long  drought  in  the  East,  particu- 
 larly where  the  soil  is  rich  and  hard,  the  ground  splits  into  wide  and  deep  fissures." 
 These  are  earth's  wounds  for  man's  sin.  Mute  mouths  crying  to  Heaven  for  pity. 
 The  lips  of  earth  suffering,  waiting  for  a  drop  of  water  to  relieve  the  torment  of 
 an  awful  thirst. 
 
 3.  There  was  no  grass.  The  world  is  complex,  man  is  complex, — God  is 
 complex.  In  complex  systems  harmony  is  essential  to  life, — discord  is  ruin.  The 
 shower  can  do  nothing  good  without  the  sun.  The  sun  can  only  scorch  if  the  rain 
 fall  not.  Earth  can  produce  no  fruit  unless  both  sun  and  shower  combine  to  aid. 
 The  sun  cannot  say  to  the  dewdrop,  "  I  have  no  need  of  thee,"  &c. 
 
 II.  The  effects  of  drought  upon  the  animal  creation. 
 
 1,  lite  hind  calved  in  the  field  and  for sooh  it.  The  fact  that  the  hind  was  ju 
 the  field  proves  that  pasture  had  failed  on  the  higher  lands.  It  was  not  unusual 
 for  the  hind  to  drop  her  calf  by  reason  of  fright  or  grief  (Ps.  xxix.  9).  The 
 maternal  instinct  in  these  creatures  being  strong,  it  was  very  unusual  for  them  to 
 forsake  their  young,  and  can  only  be  accounted  for  by  the  entire  failure  of  the 
 mother  to  obtain  food  or  drink. 
 
 2.  The  luild  asses  were  in  intense  agony  on  account  of  hunger.  These  creatures 
 were  capable  of  great  endurance,  and  needed  but  little  to  sustain  life.  The  language 
 of  ver.  6  shows  to  what  a  desperate  condition  even  such  hardy  creatures  had  been 
 reduced. 
 
 III.  The  effects  of  drought  upon  the  human  creation. 
 
 1.  The  husbandmen  ivere  ashamed.  The  earth  they  had  cultivated  had  brought 
 forth  no  fruit,  and  they  were  unable  to  alter  its  condition.  As  they  looked  upon 
 the  hard,  chapt,  barren  earth,  they  covered  their  heads  in  shame  and  grief. 
 
 2.  The  people  generally  were  languishing.  Ver.  2  shows  that  places  of  public 
 resort  were  scenes  of  sadness.  Their  drooping  condition  found  expression  in  one 
 general  cry  of  anguish. 
 
 3.  The  nohles  were  threatened  with  death  through  thirst.  They  sent  servants  and 
 children  in  search  of  water,  but  they  returned  with  empty  pitchers. 
 
 "  The  hot  blood  stands  in  each  glassy  eye ; 
 And,  *  Water,  0  God  ! '  is  the  only  cry." 
 
 "  Their  tongues  are  parched  and  rough,  and  cling  to  the  roofs  of  their  mouths  ; 
 their  lips  are  black  and  shrivelled,  and  their  eyeballs  red  with  heat,  and  sometimes 
 a  dimness  comes  over  them  which  makes  them  stagger  with  faintness.  There  is 
 not  one  in  all  that  multitude  who  probably  would  not  have  given  all  he  possessed 
 in  the  world,  and  parted  even  with  a  limb,  ...  for  one  cool  draught  of  water." — 
 Kitto. 
 
 "  'Twas  thirst!  'twas  maddening  thirst  alone, 
 
 That  wrung  my  spirit's  inmost  groan. 
 
 Hunger  is  bitter,  but  the  worst 
 
 Of  human  pangs — the  most  accursed 
 
 Of  want's  fell  scorpions — is  thikst." — Cook. 
 
 IV.  The  effects  of  drought  on  the  devout  heart  of  Jeremiah. 
 
 1.  He  regarded  it  as  a  chastisement  for  sin.  The  sin  of  forsaking  God  and 
 trusting  in  idols  who  are  unable  to  deliver.  "  We  have  sinned."  Our  iniquities 
 testify  against  us. 
 
 2.  He  regarded  God  as  their  only  hope.  All  hope  in  Israel  was  gone,  and  his 
 only  plea  was — "  For  Thy  name's  sake." 
 
 307 
 
EOMILETiC  COMMENTARY:  JEREMIAH. 
 
 3.  He  earnestly  prayed  for  mercy.  That  God  would  abide  with  them  and  not 
 leave  them  That  God  would  remove  the  trouble.  His  prayer  was  vain,  since  it 
 was  unaccompanied  by  the  repentance  of  the  people. 
 
 Application  : 
 
 1 .  In  forsaking  God,  they  forsook  the  fountain. 
 
 2.  Earth's  broken  cisterns  cannot  be  a  substitute  for  the  Divine. 
 
 3.  Jesus  said,  "  If  any  man  thirst,  let  him  come  unto  Me  and  drink." 
 
 —W.  Whale. 
 
 Topic;  God's  withdra.wings  fkom  His  people,  and  their  exercise  under 
 
 THEM  (ver.  8). 
 
 See  Addenda,  ver  8.  God^s  withdrawals.  Prophet  laments  the  grievous  drought 
 and  want  of  rain,  as  a  token  of  God's  withdrawing  His  presence.  He  deprecates 
 God's  judgments,  and  especially  that  terrible  one — God  lost  to  His  Church  and 
 people  :  "  Why  shouldst  Thou  he  a  stranger"  &c.     Consider — 
 
 I.  When  it  may  be  said  God  withdraws,  and  behaves  as  a  stranger  to  His 
 people. 
 
 1.  When  He  withholds  His  wonted  acts  of  kindness  to  them.  Sees  them  in  trouble 
 and  comes  not  to  their  relief.  Of  this  the  Cburch  complains  (Isa.  Ixiii.  15).  See 
 also  complaint  of  Gideon  (Judges  vi.  13). 
 
 2.  When  He  threatens  to  remove  from  them  the  signs  and  symbols  of  His  pre- 
 sence— the  Word  and  Sacraments ;  when  He  permits  their  enemies  to  combine  and 
 carry  on  their  plans  for  that  purpose  (Lam.  v.  9). 
 
 3.  When,  though  continuing  the  ordinances  and  sacraments,  the  Lord  renders  them 
 profitless  (Mai.  ii.  2).  When  ministers  are  straitened  in  preaching  and  the  peopla 
 in  hearing,  when  all  is  cold  and  dead. 
 
 4.  When  the  Divine  providences  are  adverse.  Outward  mercies  denied  them, 
 temporal  calamities  allowed.  So  when  Zion's  captivity  was  prolonged  (Isa. 
 xlix.  14). 
 
 5.  When  He  denies  them  access  to  Himself.  Breaks  off  His  wonted  correspon- 
 dence with  them.  They  seek  Him  in  private  and  public  ordinances,  but  cannot 
 find  Him.     Job's  language  is  theirs  (Job  xxiii.  3).    Also  Jeremiah's  (Lam.  iii.  8). 
 
 II.  The  reasons  why  the  Lord  deals  thus  with  His  people.  Infinite  goodness 
 cannot  take  delight  in  thus  afflicting.  There  must  be  a  cause.  In  general,  sin  is 
 the  cause  (Is.  lix.  2).     As — 
 
 1.  When  they  fall  into  gross  sin  and  bring  reproach  upon  religion  (Isa.  i.  13,  14), 
 Or,  as  David's  case  (2  Sam.  xii  14;  comp.  Ps.  li.  11). 
 
 2.  When  they  become  earthly  minded.  Prefer  pleasure  of  sense  (Isa.  Ivii.  17). 
 The  Gergesenes  preferred  their  swine  to  Christ;  then  He  turned  His  back  and 
 departed  from  their  coast  (Matt.  vii.  28). 
 
 3.  When  they  become  slothfxd  and  formal  in  duty.  Do  not  stir  themselves  up  to 
 seek  God's  face  (Isa.  Ixiv.  7;  Cant.  iii.  1). 
 
 4.  When  they  neglect  or  slight  the  Mediator,  by  whom  we  have  access  to  God ; 
 either  by  not  looking  to  Him  for  strength  to  perform  our  duties,  or  by  making  a 
 Saviour  of  our  duties,  and  so  putting  them  in  the  place  of  Christ. 
 
 5.  When  they  sin  imder,  or  after,  great  afflictions.  Though  these  were  appointed 
 to  reclaim  them  (Isa.  Ivii.  17). 
 
 6.  When  they  do  not  cherish  and  entertain  the  influences  of  the  Holy  Spirit 
 (Cant.  V.  2,  3,  6,  7). 
 
 7.  When  they  grow  hardened  and  impenitent  under  provocation.  No  due  sense 
 of  their  own  sins,  nor  of  the  sins  of  the  land  they  lived  in  (Hos.  v.  15). 
 
 III.  When  it  may  be  said  we  axe  properly  exercised  under  such  a  painful 
 dispensation. 
 
 308 
 
HOMILETIC  COMMEiiTAltt :  JEREMIAS.  chap.  xv$. 
 
 1 .  When  we  are  truly  sensible  of  our  loss,  and  that  our  sin  is  the  cause  of  it. 
 Mourn  after  the  Lord,  as  Israel  in  the  days  of  Samuel  (1  Sam.  vii.  2). 
 
 2.  Wlien  we  place  all  our  ha2}piness  in  God's  favour  and  'presence.  Every  com- 
 fort regarded  as  empty  without  God,  regarding  Him  as  "the  Hope  of  Israel,"  and 
 our  only  desire  (Ps.  Ixxiii.  25). 
 
 3.  When  we  engage  all  the  poivers  of  our  soids  to  seeTc  after  God  (Ps.  cxix.  10). 
 For  God  takes  particular  notice  of  those  who  do  (Jer.  xxx.  21). 
 
 4.  When  we  diligently  embrace  every  opportunity  for  finding  an  absent  God,  and 
 use  every  appointed  means  (Cant.  iii.  2). 
 
 5.  When  we  wrestle  with  Him  in  prayer  to  return.  Use  every  argument,  as  here 
 the  prophet  did.  He  pleads  (a)  The  glory  of  His  name  :  "  for  Thy  name's  sake." 
 (6)  Their  helpless  state  ivithotit  Him:  ",0h,  the  hope,''  &c.  (c)  His  former  kindness 
 to  them :  "  the  Saviour  in  time  of  trouble,"  {d)  His  poiver  :  "  V/hy  shouldst 
 Thou,"  &c.  (ver.  9).  (e)  The  outward  symbols  of  His  presence  :  "  Thou  art  in  our 
 midst."     (/)  The  covenant  relation  :  "  we  are  called  by  Thy  name." 
 
 6.  When  we  are  not  satisfied  with  the  best  means,  unless  we  find  God  in  them.  David 
 was  not  content  with  the  tabernacle,  ark,  sacrifices,  passover ;  but,  in  midst  of  all, 
 cried  for  God  (Ps.  Ixxxiv.  2). 
 
 IV.  Whence  it  is  that  the  Lord,  being  as  a  stranger  to  His  people,  occasions 
 them  so  much  concern. 
 
 1.  Because  of  the  incomparable  happiness  arising  from  the  enjoyment  of  His 
 jiresence.  All  blessedness  comes  with  His  presence,  and  when  He  withdraws  we 
 may  cry  out  with  Micah  (Judges  xviii.  24). 
 
 2.  Because  of  the  sad  effects  attending  the  loss  of  His  presence.  Great  darkness 
 (Lam.  iii.  2),  much  deadness  (John  xi.  21),  disability  for  duty  (Ps.  Ixxxvii.  4, 
 xl.  12  ;  John  xv.  5),  barrenness  (John  xv.  6),  exposure  to  danger  and  enemies 
 (Numb.  xiv.  9),  distress  when  remembering  former  blessings  (Ps.  Ixxvii.  3),  melan- 
 choly thoughts  of  death  and  judgment  (Ps.  xxiii.  4),  the  fear  of  being  entirely 
 rejected  (Ps.  Ixxvii.  9,  10,  cxix.  8). 
 
 Infer  : 
 
 (1.)  There  are  but  few  true  seelcers  of  God  among  us.  Many  are  troubled  for  other 
 trifling  losses,  but  few  can  say  with  David  (Ps.  xxx.  7). 
 
 (2.)  The^nisery  of  those  who  are  far  from  God  now,  and  may  be  deprived  of  His 
 presence  for  ever  (Ps.  Ixxiii.  27).  Ungodly  men  desire  not  His  presence  (Job  xxi. 
 14).     Their  choice  will  be  their  punishment  (Matt.  xxv.  41). 
 
 (3.)  The  sad  case  of  those  ivhom  God  forsakes,  never  to  return  again — as  with 
 Saul  (1  Sam.  xvi.  14).  The  Lord  preserve  us  from  this  great  woe,  and  grant  us 
 enjoyment  of  His  presence  here  and  in  heaven  ! — Hannum. 
 
 Topic  :  Tkiumphant  Pbayek  (vers.  7-9), 
 
 See  Addenda  on -ver.  8,  '^Intercessory  Prayer."  Expositors  have  differed  as  to 
 whether  the  drought  which  forms  the  basis  of  this  prayer  was  a  literal  one,  or  is 
 the  prophet's  way  of  putting  the  sore  calamities  that  had  fallen  on  Israel.  But 
 throughout  Scripture,  the  metaphor  of  the  "  rain  that  cometh  down  from  heaven 
 and  watereth  the  earth  "  is  the  symbol  for  God's  Divine  gift  of  His  Spirit ;  and  the 
 picture  of  "  a  dry  and  thirsty  land  where  no  water  is  "  is  the  appropriate  sign  of 
 the  soul  and  the  Church  void  of  the  Divine  presence. 
 
 I.  The  mysterious  contradiction  between  the  ideal  of  Israel  and  the  actual 
 condition  of  things.  Eecur  to  the  historical  event  upon  which  this  text  is  based, 
 "The  Lord  thy  God  giveth  thee  a  good  land;  a  land  full  of  brooks  and  water, 
 rivers  and  depths "  (Deut.  viii.  9) ;  and  the  fulfilment  is  this — a  land  full  of 
 misery  for  want  of  the  thing  promised  !  So  also,  the  ancient  charter  of  Israel's 
 existence  was  that  God  should  dwell  in  the  midst  of  them  :  but  things  are  as  if 
 the   perennial    presence  promised  had   been    changed  into  visits,   short  and  far 
 
 309 
 
CHAr.  XIV.  EOMILETIG  COMMENTARY  :  JErxEMIAH. 
 
 between  (ver.  8).  Two  ideas  conveyed  :  the  brief  transitory  visits,  with  long  dreary 
 stretches  of  absence  between  them  ;  and  the  indiference  of  the  visitant,  as  a  man 
 who  pitches  his  tent  for  a  night,  caring  little  for  the  people  among  whom  he 
 tarries  the  while.  More  :  instead  of  the  perpetual  energy  of  the  Divine  aid 
 promised  to  Israel,  it  looks  as  if  Thou  art  "  a  mighty  man  astonied,"  &c. — a 
 Samson  with  his  locks  shorn. 
 
 The  IDEAL  was  :  Perpetxial  gifts,  2)erpetual  presence,  perpettcal  energy. 
 
 The  REALITY  is  :  Parched  2iiaces,  fitful  visitations,  and  a  paralysis,  as  it  would 
 appear,  of  all  the  ancient  might.  And  tvhat  tvas  God^s  ideal  for  us,  His  Church  ? 
 "Lo,  I  am  with  you  alway,"  &c.  "Ye  are  the  light  of  the  world,  salt  of  the 
 earth."  It  sounds  like  irony  rather  than  a  promise  !  What  is  the  Church  ?  The 
 Church  at  home  does  not  keep  pace  numerically  with  the  increase  of  population, 
 while  heathenism  remains  scarcely  touched — all  unconquered  !  *'  Why  shouldst 
 Thou  be  as  a  mighty  man  that  cannot  save  ?  " 
 
 II.  Our  low  and  evil  condition  should  lead  to  earnest  inquiry  as  to  its 
 cause. 
 
 Prophet  asks,  "  Why  shouldst  Thou  leave  us  ?  " 
 
 1.  The  reason  is  not  in  any  variableness  of  that  unalterable,  uniform,  ever-present, 
 ever-full,  Divine  gift  of  God's  Spirit  to  His  Church.  We  do  not  believe  in  an 
 arbitrary  sovereignty.  The  great  reservoir  is  always  full.  If  there  be  any  changes 
 in  the  fulness  of  our  possession  of  the  Divine  Spirit,  the  fault  lies  luholly  ivithin  the 
 region  of  the  mutable  and  the  human,  and  not  at  all  in  the  region  of  the  perennial 
 and  the  Divine. 
 
 2.  The  reason  is  not  in  the  failure  of  adaiotation  in  God's  Word  and  ordinances 
 for  the  great  work  they  had  to  do. 
 
 3.  Thefaidt  lies  here  only :  "  O  Lord,  our  iniquities  testify  against  us,"  &c. 
 We  have  to  prayerfully,  patiently,  and  honestly  search  after  this  cause,  and  not  to 
 look  to  possible  variations  and  improvements  in  order  and  machinery,  <fec.,  but  to 
 recognise  this  as  being  the  one  sole  cause  that  hinders, — the  slackness  of  our  oiun 
 hold  on  Christ's  hand,  and  the  feebleness  and  imperfection  of  our  spiritual  life 
 (ver.  7). 
 
 III.  This  consciousness  of  our  evil  condition  and  knowledge  of  the  cause 
 lead  on  to  lowly  penitence  and  confession.  We  err  in  being  more  ready, 
 when  awakened  to  a  sense  of  -wrong,  to  originate  new  methods  of  work,  to  begin 
 with  new  zeal  to  gather  in  the  outcasts  into  the  fold ;  instead  of  beginning  with 
 otirselves,  deepening  our  own  Christian  character,  purifying  our  own  hearts,  and 
 getting  more  of  the  life  of  God  into  our  own  spirits.  Begin  with  lowly  abasement 
 at  His  footstool.  Let  us  see  that  we  are  right  in  our  own  inmost  hearts.  To  our 
 knees  and  to  confessions  !     "  Sanctify  a  fast,  call  a  solemn  assembly,"  &c.  (Joel 
 
 IV.  The  triumphant  confidence  of  believing  prayer. 
 
 1.  Look  at  the  substance  of  his  2^etition.  "  Do  Thou  it  for  Thy  name's  sake  : 
 leave  us  not."  He  does  not  prescribe  what  should  be  done,  nor  ask  that  calamity 
 be  taken  away,  but  simply  for  the  continual  Divine  presence  and  power. 
 
 2.  Look  at  these  2^leas  u/ith  God  as  grounds  of  confidence  for  ourselves,  (a)  The 
 name :  all  the  ancient  manifestations  of  Thy  character.  Thy  memorial  with  all 
 generations,  (b)  Israel's  hop>e  :  the  confidence  ©f  the  Church  is  fixed  upon  Thee ; 
 and  Thou  who  hast  given  us  Thy  name  hast  become  our  hope,  (c)  The  perenjiial 
 and  essential  relationship  of  God  to  His  Church:  we  belong  to  Thee,  and  Thou 
 hast  not  ceased  Thy  care  for  us ! 
 
 _  Lowly  repentance  should  rise  to  the  triumph  of  believing  hope.  The  expecta- 
 tion is  the  precursor  of  the  gift,  and  the  prayer  is  the  guarantee  of  the  acceptance 
 (vers,  20-22) ;  for  with  that  prayer  on  our  lips,  be  sure  that  the  old  answer  will 
 come  to  us,  "I  will  pour  rivers  of  water  upon  him  that  is  thirsty,  and  floods  upon 
 the  dry  ground,"— yl.  McLaren,  B.A.,  ''Christian  World  Pulpit." 
 310 
 
EOMILETIC  COMMENTARY:  JEREMIAH. 
 
 Theme:  God's  Covenant  an  Argument  in  Puayek.     Text:  ^^ Bememher,  break  not 
 
 Thy  covenant  with  us." 
 
 Suggestions  :  A  ''  covenant "  between  God  and  man  can  be  only  an  accommo- 
 dating expression,  since  man  cannot  be  regarded  as  properly  qualified  to  make  an 
 agreement  with  Jehovah,  being  essentially  unreliable  and  impotent.  Strictly 
 speaking,  such  a  covenant  is  quite  unconditional,  and  amounts  to  a  promise  (Gal.  ill. 
 15  sq.),  where  sTrayysXia  and  diaSri/i'^  are  used  almost  as  synonyms)  or  act  of  mere 
 favour  (Ps.  Ixxxix.  28,  where  IDH  stands  in  parallelism  with  JIHH)  on  God's 
 part.  Thus,  the  assurance  given  by  God  after  the  flood  that  a  like  judgment 
 should  not  be  repeated,  and  that  the  recurrence  of  the  seasons,  and  of  day  and 
 night,  should  not  cease,  is  called  a  covenant  (Gen.  ix.  ;  Jer.  xxxiii.  20).  Generally, 
 however,  the  form  of  a  covenant  is  maintained  by  the  benefits  which  God  engages 
 to  bestow,  being  made  by  Him  dependent  upon  the  fulfilment  of  certain  conditions 
 which  He  imposes  on  man.  Thus,  the  covenant  with  Abraham  was  conditioned 
 by  circumcision  (Acts  vii.  8),  the  omission  of  which  was  declared  tantamount  to  a 
 breach  of  the  covenant  (Gen.  xvii.) ;  the  covenant  with  the  priesthood,  by  zeal  for 
 God,  His  honour  and  service  (Numb.  xxv.  12,  13  ;  Mai.  ii.  4,  5)  ;  the  covenant 
 of  Sinai,  by  the  observance  of  the  ten  commandments  (Ex.  xxxiv.  27,  28).  This 
 last-mentioned  covenant,  which  was  renewed  at  difi"erent  periods  of  Jewish  history 
 (Deut.  xxix.  ;  Josh.  xxiv.  ;  2  Chron.  xv.,  xxiii.,  xxix.,  xxxiv.  ;  Ezra  x.  ;  Neh.  ix., 
 X.)  is  one  of  the  two  principal  covenants  between  God  and  man,  distinguished  as 
 Old  and  New  (Jer,  xxxi.  31-34;  Heb.  viii.  8-13).     Compare  Kitto. 
 
 I.  That  God  should  make  a  covenant  with  man  is  an  act  of  unmerited 
 grace. 
 
 II.  That  man  should  fail  to  keep  the  covenant  accords  with  all  human 
 history. 
 
 III.  That  failure  on  man's  part  justifies  God  in  withdrawing  His  covenanted 
 goodness. 
 
 IV.  Nevertheless,  that  a  gracious  covenant  made  by  God,  who  knows  our 
 waywardness,  might  stand  though  man  proved  faithless. 
 
 V.  Therefore,  that  God  may  be  entreated  to  keep  His  part  in  a  covenant 
 even  with  a  faithless  people  who  have  forfeited  all  right  to  His  grace. 
 
 ADDENDA  TO  CHAPTER  XV. :  ILLUSTRATIONS  AND  SUGGESTIVE  EXTRACTS. 
 
 Ver.   1.    Concerning   the  dearth,  powers  and   crushes  the  maternal   in- 
 
 A  terrible  drought  had  fallen  upon  the  stincts.     "  Yea,  the  hind  also  calved  in 
 
 land ;  and  the  prophet's  picture  of  it  is,  the  field,  and  forsook  it,  because  there 
 
 if    one    might   say    so,    like    some    of  was  no  grass."     And  on  every  hill  top, 
 
 Dante's  in  its  realism,  its   tenderness,  where  cooler  air  might  be  found,  the 
 
 and  in  its  terror.     In  the  presence  of  a  once  untamable  wild  asses  are  standing 
 
 common   calamity,    all    distinctions    of  with  open  nostrils  panting  for  air,  their 
 
 class  have  vanished,  and  the  nobles  send  filmy  eyes  failing  them,  gazing  for  the 
 
 their  little  ones  to  the  water,  and  they  rain  that  will  not  come." — M'Laren. 
 come   back    with    empty   vessels    and  Ver.     2.       "  The    gates     thereof 
 
 drooping   heads,    instead    of   with   the  languish."     "  The  gates  of  cities,  be- 
 
 gladness  that  used  to  be  heard  in  the  ing  places  of  public  resort,  where  courts 
 
 place  of  drawing  of  water.     Far  afield  of  justice  were  held,  and  other  common 
 
 the  ploughmen  are  standing  among  the  business  transacted,  seem  here  to  be  put 
 
 cracked  furrows  gazing  with  despair  at  for   the   persons   that   meet  there ;    as 
 
 the   brown  chapped  earth,  and  out   in  when  we  say,  '  The  court  is  in  mourn- 
 
 tlie  field  the  very  dumb  creatures  are  ing,'  we  mean  the  persons  that  attend 
 
 sharing  in  the  common  sorrow,  and  the  the  court  or  the  king's  palace.     So  in 
 
 imperious  loss  of  self-preservation  over-  this  passage  we  are  to  understand  that 
 
 311 
 
CHAP.  XIV. 
 
 nOMILETIC  COMMENTARY:  JEREMIAB. 
 
 all  the  persons  who  appear  in  public  are 
 dejected,  and  put  on  black  or  mourning 
 on  account  of  the  national  distress." — 
 Dr.  Blayney. 
 
 **  Or,  that  they  look  black  and  ghastly, 
 and  cast  themselves  down  upon  the 
 ground  out  of  grief  and  despair  (comp. 
 viii.  21;  xiii.  18)."— TT.  Louth. 
 
 "As  the  gates  were  the  usual  place 
 of  concourse,  the  misery  of  the  people 
 would  there  show  itself  most  plainly." 
 —Speaker  s  Com. 
 
 Ver.  3.  "  Came  to  the  pits  and 
 FOUND  NO  WATER."  Jerusalem  was 
 supplied  with  water  by  two  lakes  or 
 pools,  called  "  the  Upper  Pool "  and 
 "the  Lower  Pool"  (see  Isa.  vii.  3, 
 xxii.  9),  whence  the  water  was  con- 
 veyed into  cisterns  [here  rendered 
 "pits"]  for  the  use  of  the  city. — 
 W.  Louth. 
 
 Ver.  6.  "Snuffed  up  the  wind." 
 "Asses,  in  defect  of  water,  can  continue 
 long  by  drawing  in  the  air;  as  Aristotle 
 likewise  testifieth  of  the  goats  of  Cepha- 
 lonia,  that  they  drink  laot  for  divers 
 days  together,  but  instead  thereof  gape 
 and  suck  in  the  fresh  air." — Trapp. 
 
 Ver.  7.  Contrite  prayer. 
 
 "  All  powerful  is  the  penitential  sigh 
 Of  true  contrition.    Like  the  placid  wreaths 
 Of  incense  wafted  from  the  righteous  shrine. 
 Where  Abel  minister'd,  to  the  blest  seat 
 Of  mercy,  an  accepted  sacrifice, 
 Humiliation's  conscious  plaint  ascends." 
 — Hayes. 
 Ver.  8.  Intercessory  prayer. 
 
 "  A  good  man's  prayers 
 Will    from  the    deepest    dungeon   climb   to 
 
 heaven's  height, 
 And  bring  a  blessing  down." 
 
 — Joanna  BaiU'ie. 
 "  Temporal  blessings  Heaven  doth  often  share 
 Unto  the  wicked,  at  the  good  man's  prayer. " 
 — Quarks. 
 "  But  that  from  us  aught  should  ascend  to 
 Heaven 
 So  prevalent  as  to  concern  the  mind 
 Of  God  high  blest,  or  to  incline  His  will, 
 Hard  to  belief  may  seem ;    yet  this  will 
 prayer."  —Milton. 
 
 "  A  STRANGER  IN  THE   LAND."      "  As 
 
 none  but  citizens  in  old  time  had  any 
 political  rights  or  privileges,  a  sojourner, 
 (liowever  long  might  be  his  stay,  naturally 
 took  little  interest  in  the  country  where 
 not  choice  but  necessity  had  made  him 
 fix  his  dwelling." — S^^alcei-'s  Com. 
 312 
 
 Ver.  9.  God's  withdrawals  from  his 
 people.  "  God  does  not  always  frown, 
 lest  we  should  be  cast  into  despair  ;  He 
 does  not  always  smile,  lest  we  should 
 be  careless  and  presume." — Owen. 
 
 "A  father's  frowns  are  but  the 
 graver  countenance  of  love." — Cowper. 
 
 "  I  know,  as  night  and  shadow  are 
 good  for  flowers,  and  moonlight  and 
 dews  are  better  than  continual  sun,  so 
 is  Christ's  absence  of  special  use,  and  it 
 hath  some  nourishing  virtue  in  it,  and 
 giveth  sap  to  humility,  and  putteth  an 
 edge  on  hunger,  and  furnishes  a  fair 
 occasion  for  faith  to  put  forth  her  hand 
 and  lay  hold  on  what  she  seeth  not." — 
 Rutherford. 
 
 "  God  sometimes  hides  Himself  that 
 we  may  cling  the  closer  to  Him  and 
 hang  the  faster  upon  Him.  By  with- 
 drawing from  His  people,  He  prevents 
 His  people  withdrawing  from  Him  ;  and 
 so  by  an  affliction  He  prevents  sin  ;  for 
 God  to  withdraw  from  me  is  but  my 
 affliction,  but  for  me  to  withdraw  from 
 God,  that  is  my  sin  ;  and,  therefore,  it 
 were  better  for  me  that  God  should 
 withdraw  from  me  a  thousand  times 
 than  that  I  should  once  withdraw  from 
 God"  (Heb.  x.  38,  2>%).— Brooks. 
 
 Ver  10.  "  They  love  to  wander." 
 
 "  I  have  not  kept  Thy  word, 
 And  yet  Thou  biddest  me  to  taste  Thy  love  ; 
 Shaming  my  faithless  heart  that  ere  coulj 
 rove 
 From  Thee,  0  gracious  Lord. 
 "  Shame  wraps  my  heart  around 
 Like   morning    gloom    upon   the   mountains 
 
 spread ; 
 Indignant  memory,  avenger  dread, 
 Deepens  each  restless  wound." 
 
 —Thomas  W.  Welh. 
 
 Ver.   12.  Fasting  offensive, 
 
 "When  thou  a  fast  wouldst  keep, 
 Make  not  thy  homage  cheap 
 By  publishing  its  signs  to  every  eye ; 
 But  let  it  be  between 
 Thyself  and  the  Unseen ; 
 So  shall  it  gain  acceptance  from  on  high." 
 
 — Bartotu 
 "  Is  this  a  fast — to  keep 
 The  larder  lean,  and  clean 
 
 From  fat  of  veals  and  sheep  f 
 "  Is  it  to  quit  the  dish 
 Of  flesh,  yet  still  to  fill 
 
 The  platter  high  with  fish  \ 
 "Is  it  to  fast  an  hour, 
 Or  ragged  go,  or  show 
 
 A  downcast  look  and  sour  ? 
 
BOMTLETIO  COMMENTARY:  JEREMIAB. 
 
 CBAP.  XV. 
 
 "No!  'tis  a  fast  to  dole 
 Thy  sheaf  of  wheat,  and  meat 
 
 Unto  the  hungry  soul. 
 
 It  is  to  fast  from  strife, 
 From  old  debate,  and  hate — 
 
 To  circumcise  thy  life. 
 
 To  show  a  heart  grief- rent ;' 
 To  starve  thy  sin — not  bin — 
 
 And  that's  to  keep  thy  Lent." 
 
 — Herrich. 
 
 Ver.  13.  "Assured  peace."  Peace 
 is  not  a  compromise  with  circumstances. 
 It  is  a  Divine  reality  in  the  heart. 
 Righteousness  is  rest — holiness  is  peace 
 — rectitude  with  God,  arising  through 
 trust  in  the  atonement  of  God  the  Son, 
 means  tranquillity  deep  and  unchanging 
 as  the  peace  of  God  which  passeth  under- 
 standing ! — Joseph  Parker,  D.D. 
 
 "  Far,  far  away  the  roar  of  passion  dieth, 
 And  loving  thoughts  rise  calm  and  peace- 
 fully; 
 And  no  rude  storm,  how  fierce  soe'er  it  flieth, 
 Disturbs   that   deeper  rest,   0  Lord,  in 
 Thee."  —H.  B.  Stowe. 
 
 Ver.  19.  Wrestling  praters.  "If 
 thy  suit  be  not  honest,  never  begin  it : 
 if  it  be,  never  leave  it." — Trajyp. 
 
 Ver.  20.  Sin  acknowledged.  "Many 
 people  can  mourn  for  a  body  from  which 
 a  soul  is  departed,  but  they  cannot 
 mourn  over  a  soul  whom  God  has  de- 
 serted. Alas  !  what  is  a  spot  in  the  face 
 to  a  stab  in  the  heart  1  Inward  diseases 
 are  least  visible  and  yet  most  fatal.  A 
 man  may  die  of  a  plague  though  his 
 spots  never  appear." — Seeker. 
 
 Contrition  necessary.  "  Take  the 
 cold  iron,  and  attempt  to  weld  it,  if 
 you  can,  into  a  certain  shape.  How 
 fruitless  the  effort !  Lay  it  on  the  an- 
 vil, seize  the  blacksmith's  hammer  with 
 all  your  might,  let  blow  after  blow  fall 
 on  it,  and  you  shall  have  done  nothing  ; 
 but  put  it  in  the  fire,  let  it  be  softened 
 and  made  malleable,  then  lay  it  on  the 
 anvil,  and  each  stroke  shall  have  a 
 mighty  effect,  so  that  you  may  mould 
 it  into  any  shape  you  may  desire.  So 
 take  your  heart,  not  cold  as  it  is,  but 
 
 put  it  into  the  furnace  ;  let  it  be  molten, 
 and  after  that  it  can  be  fashioned  into 
 the  image  of  Jesus  Christ." — Spiirgeon. 
 Conversion.  A  Scotch  lassie  was 
 converted  under  the  preaching  of  Whit- 
 field, She  was  asked  if  her  heart  were 
 changed,  and  replied,  "Something,  I 
 know,  is  changed  ;  it  may  be  the  world, 
 it  may  be  my  heart;  there  is  a  great 
 change  somewhere,  I  am  sure;  for  every- 
 thing is  different  from  what  it  once 
 was." 
 
 ' '  I  need  a  cleansing  change  within : 
 My  life  must  once  again  begin ; 
 New  hope  I  need,  and  youth  renewed, 
 And  more  than  human  fortitude  ; 
 New  faith,  new  love,  and  strength  to  cast 
 Away  the  fetters  of  the  past." 
 
 — Hartley  Coleridge. 
 
 Ver.  21.  "Do  not  disgrace  the 
 THRONE  of  thy  GLORY."  The  Eomans 
 held  the  extinction  of  the  vestal  fire  a 
 sign  of  the  destruction  of  their  city,  be 
 the  cause  thereof  ffhat  it  will.  We  may 
 well  think  the  same  of  the  loss  of  God's 
 ordinances,  which  therefore  we  must 
 deprecate,  as  here,  with  all  our  might ; 
 for  as  Bodin  said  well  of  obtaining,  so 
 likewise  of  retaining,  religion,  Non  dis- 
 putationihtis  sed  rogationibus,  &c.  :  the 
 business  will  be  the  better  effected  by 
 requests  than  by  disputes.  Pray,  there- 
 fore, for  the  peace  of  Jerusalem,  yea, 
 take  no  nay.  Deus  ipse  qui  nullis  con- 
 tra se  viribus  superare  potest,  precibus 
 vincitur  (Jerome).  The  invincible  God 
 is  overcome  by  the  power  of  prayer. 
 — Trapp. 
 
 Ver.  22.  Man's  lone  hope.  "  Our 
 hope  is  not  hung  upon  such  an  un- 
 twisted thread  as  '  I  imagine  so,'  or  '  It 
 is  likely;'  but  the  cable,  the  strong  rope 
 of  our  fastened  anchor,  is  the  oath  and 
 promise  of  Him  who  is  eternal  verity : 
 our  salvation  is  fastened  with  God's 
 own  hand  and  Christ's  own  strength 
 to  the  strong  stake  of  God's  unchange- 
 able nature." — Rutherford. 
 
 CHAPTER  XV. 
 
 Critical  and  Exegetical  Notes — For  Chronology  of  the  Chapter  and  Historical  Facts,  se^on 
 chap.  xiv.  in  loc. 
 
 1.  Personal  Allusions.  Ver.  1.  ^' Moses  and  Samuel,"  here  mentioned  as  having  been  pre- 
 eminent and  prevailing  intercessors  on  behalf  of  their  people.  Comp.  Exod.  xxxii.  11-14  ; 
 Numb.  xiv.  13-20,  as  to  Moses;  and  1  Sam.  vii.  9  ;  xii.  23,   as  to  Samuel  :  confer  also  Psalm 
 
 313 
 
cfiAP.  XV.  HOMILETlC  COMMENTARY:  JEREMIAR. 
 
 scix.  as  to  both.  Ver.  4.  "  Manasseh,  son  of  Eezekiah :"  Hezekiah  was  a  most  devout  and 
 religious  kiug,  whose  piety  throws  into  more  heinous  contrast  the  um-estraiued  guiltiness  of 
 his  impious  son,  Manasseh — the  thirteenth  king  of  Judah ;  reigned  longer  than  any  other 
 monarch  of  the  Davidic  line;  born  (probably)  cir.  B.C.  710;  his  mother,  Hephzibah,  daughter 
 of  a  citizen  or  prince  of  Jerusalem  (2  Kings  xxi).  He  succeeded  to  the  throne  at  the  age  of 
 twelve ;  the  event  was  the  signal  for  complete  moral  and  spiritual  debasement  of  the  whole 
 nation ;  every  form  of  foreign  idolatry  was  introduced — loathsome,  sensuous,  barbaric — even  to 
 the  Moloch  fires  (2  Kings  xvi.  3;  Isa.  xxx.  33;  Jer.  vii,  31),  while  the  worship  of  Jehovah 
 was  repudiated,  the  holiness  of  the  very  sanctuary  defiled  (2  Chron.  xxxiii,  4),  God's  prophets 
 ruthlessly  persecuted  and  slain  (2  Kings  xxi.  16),  and  the  Theocracy  openly  repudiated  and 
 contemned.  In  the  twenty-second  year  of  his  reign  (according  to  a  Jewish  tradition),  Esar- 
 haddon,  king  of  Assyria,  invaded  Israel,  and  carried  Manasseh  into  Babylonian  captivity,  from 
 which  he  was  released  (probably,  for  Scripture  is  strangely  silent  respecting  his  career)  at  the 
 death  of  this  Assyrian  monarch.  He  then  returned  to  his  laud,  and  attempted  a  reformation 
 of  his  apostate  c^ud  degraded  nation  and  the  restoration  of  Jehovah's  worship  (2  Chron.  xxxiii. 
 15,  16),  but  the  impurity  and  impiety  of  the  peojile  were  beyond  recal.  His  name,  notwith- 
 standing this  repentance,  was  long  held  in  abhorrence  among  the  Jews. 
 
 2.  Natural  History.  Ver.  3.  "Boffs  to  tear,  fowls  of  the  heaven  and  hcasts  of  the  earth  to 
 devour,"  &c.  "Troops  of  hungry  and  semi-wild  dogs  wander  about  the  fields  and  streets  of 
 the  cities,  devouring  dead  bodies  and  other  offal"  (Dr.  W.  Smith).  These  dogs  would  tear, 
 mutilate,  and  partly  devour  the  dead  bodies  {cf.  2  Kings  ix.  35,  37),  and  birds  and  beasts  of 
 prey,  vultures,  jackals,  and  others,  would  make  an  end  of  such  portions  as  the  dogs  left  (Keil). 
 Ver.  9.  "  ffer  sun  is  gone  down  while  it  is  yet  day : "  Dr.  Payne  Smith  suggests  that  many  con- 
 sider the  reference  here  "to  the  battle  of  Megiddo,  depicting  the  consternation  of  Jerusalem 
 at  that  event.  If  so,  in  the  sun  going  down  while  it  was  yet  day,  there  will  be  a  reference  to  the 
 eclipse  on  Sept.  30,  B.C.  610."  Thus  Hitzig  remarks  that  the  prophet  "  refers  to  the  battle  of  Me- 
 giddo, the  more  probably  (2  Kings  xxiii.  29)  as  the  figure  cf  the  sun  setting  in  bright  daylight 
 might  then  be  founded  on  the  eclipse  which  took  place  in  that  valley  Sept.  30,  B.C.  610." 
 
 3.  Manners  and  Customs.  Ver.  3.  "/  tvill  appoint  over  them  four  kinds:"  [appoint,  same 
 word  as  in  xiii.  21  ^i2^) '.  ji^st  as  God  had  set  over  Israel  kings,  priests,  prophets,  and  judges 
 for  the  nation's  well-being,  so  now  He  placed  the  people  under  the  jurisdiction  of  these  four 
 destructive  agencies  [cf.  Ezek.  xiv.  21).  Ver.  7.  ^'  I  will  fan  them  with  a  fan  in  the  gates  of  the 
 land : "  allusion  to  the  winnowing  process  by  which  the  chaff  is  driven  out  of  the  windows  of 
 the  threshing-floor  ;  in  such  manner  would  this  people  (mere  chaff)  be  driven  out  of  the  openings 
 and  exits,  "the  gates  of  the  land."  Ver.  10.  "Lent  on  usury :"  the.  Mosaic  law  interdicted 
 interest  on  loans  to  the  poor  (Exod.  xxii.  25),  and  later  on  discriminated  between  foreigners  and 
 Hebrews,  permitting  usury  upon  loans  to  foreigners,  but  repudiating  it  with  their  brethren 
 (Deut.  xxiii.  19,  20).  From  this  verse  it  appears  that  discredit  was  attached  to  any  who  lent  on 
 usury  even  so  late  as  in  Jeremiah's  days.  Yet  there  were  departures  from  this  law,  and  they 
 caused  bitter  "strife  and  contention  "  between  money-lender  and  debtor.  Ver.  17.  "Sat  not  in 
 the  assembly  of  the  mockers :  "  convivial  gatherings  ;  meetings  where,  amid  hilarity  and  festivity, 
 God  was  ignored  and  sacred  thinga  ridiculed.  See  notes  on  chap.  vi.  11.  "  /  sat  alone  because 
 of  Thy  hand:  "  either  because  the  prophetic  power  so  possessed  his  soul  as  to  draw  him  apart 
 from  ordinary  society  and  compel  him  to  an  isolated  life  (so  Keil,  Clarius,  Vatablus,  &c.),  or 
 "because  of  the  faithful  communication  of  his  inspired  messages  he  had  been  expelled  from 
 society,  and  been  made  the  object  of  their  fierce  indignation  "  (Henderson). 
 
 4.  Literary  Criticisms.  Ver.  1.  ''Cast  them  out  of  My  sight :"  send  them,  or  drive  them, 
 from  My  presence  ;  lit.,  from  before  My  face,  ""JiD'b^Q  ;  the  form  implies  (supposititiously) 
 that  the  people  were  assembled  before  Jehovah  within  the  Temple — they  were  to  "go  forth," 
 leave  the  sacred  precincts;  God  would  not  be  interceded  for  them.  Ver.  3.  "four  kinds ;" 
 riin3li7p^  llt.    families;   agencies  of  destruction.      Ver.   4,  "Cause  them  to  he  removed:" 
 
 "^■V-:-  5  ^'"^'^  *^®  '■°°*  '^^^,  tossing,  violent  motion,  maltreatment,  quaking,  terror.  These 
 various  shades  of  meaning  supply  different  interpretations  of  the  text:  I  will  cause  them  to  be 
 tossed  violently  hither  and  thither,  abused,  maltreated  (Keil) :  I  will  give  them  up  to  agitation  ; 
 they  should  have  no  rest,  but  be  driven  from  place  to  place  (Henderson):  I  will  make  them  a 
 shuddering  unto  all  kingdoms  (Hitzig,  Graf):  cause  them  to  be  a  terror  (Payne  Smith):  a 
 horror  fLange).  Ver.  5.  "Pity  .  .  .  bemoan.  .  .  .  go  aside,"  &c.:  ^Qn  to  feel  sympathy; 
 1!)^,  to  lament  and  deplore;  *ir)C),  to  turn  out  of  the  way— "<o  ask  how  thou  doest." 
 ^^ ''^?)  *°  salam,  salute,  inquire  as  to  one's  health.  No  one  will  cherish  the  people  with 
 sympathy,  indeed  no  one  will  trouble  themselves  to  inquire  as  to  their  good.  Ver.  6.  "Thou 
 hast  forsaken  Me,  saith  the  Lord:"  nirT^'DNJ  "'Ji^^  r\tlQ2  Dii ;  the  word  " forsaken  "  is  a 
 feeble  rendering  of  ^'^2^  "thou  hast  cast  Me  out,  abandoned  Me."  And  this  emphatic  re- 
 pudiation of  Jehovah  on  their  part  justifies  God's  refusal  to  be  interceded  for  them.     Ver. 
 
HOMILETIC  COMMENTARY:  JEREMIAH. 
 
 7.  "  Gates  of  the  land:"  Y"^^s^.      Ewald  and  Graf  render  it  earth,  and  understand  it  that  God 
 
 would  winnow  them  through  the  extremities  of  the  earth,  remotest  regions  ;  but  Keil,  Lange, 
 Henderson,  retain  "land:"  God  would  drive  them  through  the  gates  of  their  own  laud  into 
 exile.  Ver.  8.  "  I  have  brought  upon  them  against  the  mother,"  &c. ;  Henderson:  "The  words 
 mn^  DN**7^  have  been  very  differently  construed.  The  LXX.  etrl  fxTjr^pa  veaviaKovs.  Some 
 (Syriac,  Arabic,  C.  B.  Michaelis,  and  Ewald)  compare  the  phrase  W23,  7^  UH  the  mother 
 with  her  children,  but  the  position  of  the  preposition  before  and  not  after  DhJ  renders  such 
 construction  untenable.  Others  (Chaldean,  Kimchi,  J.  D.  Michaelis,  Hitzig,  Graf,  and 
 Naegelsbach)  take  mnH  DJ^  to  be  in  the  construct  state:  the  mother  of  the  young  man,  or, 
 regarding  the  nouns  as  collectives,  the  mothers  of  the  young  men.  Jarchi,  Capellus,  Castalio, 
 Dr.  Dieu,  Doderlein,  Eichorn,  and  Dahler  (and  Reshi)  consider  D^^  mother,  to  mean,  the 
 metropolis  (as  2  Sam.  xx.  19)."  Favouring  this  latter  rendering,  Henderson  reads  the  words 
 thus:  I  have  brought  to  them — agaiust  the  mother  (city) — a  young  spoiler  (Nebuchadnezzar). 
 But  with  Jerome  and  Kimchi,  &c.,  both  Keil  and  the  Speaker's  Comm.  coincide,  and  translates: 
 I  have  brought  upon  them,  even  upon  the  mother  and  the  young  man,  a  spoiler,  &c.^ — i.e.,  no  age 
 or  sex  will  escape  the  spoiler.  "  I  have  caused  Jiim  to  fall  upon  it  suddenly ;"  i-ather,  caused 
 pangs  and  terrors  to  fall  upon  her  suddenly,     Ver.  10.  "Every  one  doth  curse  me:"    The 
 
 Hebrew  words  "'Jv^p,^  iW^  ha.ve  been  wrongly  divided,  and  should  be  '^y\77p  Dn73 
 The  form  DH^D  (1st  pers.)  is  unusual,  yet  is  found  in  2  Sam.  xxiii.  6.  Ver.  11.  "  Verily 
 it  shall  be  well  iviih  thy  remnant:"  a  various  reading  appears  here:  a  different  pointing 
 wholly  changing  the  sense:  ^jmii^  may  be  pointed  thus,  ^Jlilli^    (the  infinitive  Kal  from 
 
 "inti/  to  oppress),  or  '^Jlilti^  (from  H")^    to  loose).     The  latter  is  preferable,  and  agrees  with 
 
 the  rendering  given  to  the  only  other  appearance  of  the  verb  in  the  Heb.  Scriptures  (Job  xxxvii. 
 S  ;  setteih  the  lightning  loose).  The  reading  of  the  words  then  is,  Verily  thy  loosing  shall  be  for 
 good;  or,  Verily  I  have  loosed  thee  for  good.  "  Thy  remnant:"  these  words  of  course  disap- 
 pear from  the  text,  being  included  and  lost  in  the  above  translation  of  the  sentence,  "  Cause 
 the  enemy  to  entreat  thee  well:"  T\V^^^  (from  ^^3^  to  meet,  malce  peace,  cause  to  supplicate): 
 
 hence,  I  will  caiise  the  enemy  to  supplicate  thee  in  the  time  of  evil. 
 
 Ver.  12.  "Shall  iron  break:"  can  iron  (ordinary  iron)  break  northern  iron  and  brass?  not 
 "  steel ;  "  or,  can  one  break  iron,  i.e.,  northern  iron  and  brass  ?  Ver.  14.  "  /  ivill  malce  thee  to 
 pass  with  thine  enemies : "  for  the  form  ''JTlDi^LlT    Henderson  and  Dr.   Payne  Smith  give 
 
 "•Jmil^nV  I  will  cause  thee  to  serve  thine  enemies:  they  make  this  change  of  the  letter 
 
 ("T  instead  of"))  on  the  ground  of  numerous  MSS.,  also  from  the  authority  of  the  parallel 
 passage,  chap.  xvii.  4.  Ver.  15.  "Suffered  7-ebuke:"  Tepronch.  Ver.  18.  "Pain  incurable:" 
 very  sick.     PTt^^Jhi    malignant  (comp.  chap.  xxx.  12  ;  Mic.  i.  9  ;  Isa.  xvii.  11).     "  Wilt  Thou 
 
 Je  .?"  =  Art  Thou  become.    "  A  liar :"  ^"^^i^    as  a,  deceitful  (brook  or  streRm).    "  And  as  ivaters 
 
 that  fail:"  as  precarious  water;  the  opposite  of  the  perennial  stream  of  Amos  v.  24.  Ver.  19. 
 "Bring  thee  again,"  &c.,  rather,  I  will  cause  thee  again  to  stand  before  my  face  (see  Lit.  Crit. 
 on  ver.  1,  supra).  This  was  an  assurance  to  Jeremiah,  that  if  he  returned  to  hi.s  unquestioning 
 trust  in  God's  wisdom  and  ways,  God  would  confirm  him  in  his  prophetic  and  vicegeral  relation 
 to  Himself.  It  was  a  gentle  reproof  of  his  impatient  questionings,  and  a  pledge  of  the  renewal 
 of  his  sacred  trust.  ^^  Thou  shall  stand  before  me,"  Luther  renders,  Thou  shalt  remain  mj 
 preacher. 
 
 HOMILETIC  OUTLINES  ON  SECTIONS  OF  CHAPTER  XV. 
 
 Section  1-9.   God's  decisive  refusal  of  the  prophet's  petitions. 
 
 ,,    10-14.  The  consequent  outcry  of  woe  answered  with  Divine  expostulations. 
 ,,    15-21.  Fretting  lamentations  silenced  with  promises. 
 
 Vers.  1-9.   God's  Decisive  Eefusal  of  the  Peophet's  Petition. 
 
 I.  There  may  "be  a  criminality  for  which  no  intercession  can  he  adequate. 
 
 1.  Intercessors  had  prevailed  even  in  cases  of  a2opalling  guilt.  When  Moses  and 
 Samuel  interceded  effectually,  the  condition  of  Israel  was  most  iniquitous  and  pro- 
 vocative of  Divine  wrath;  yet  they  prevailed  in  prayer.  Such  "effectual  fervent 
 prayers  of  righteous  men  avail  much."  It  would  almost  seem  that  nothing  could 
 transcend  the  reach  of  mediatorial  pleadings. 
 
 315 
 
CHAP.  sv.  EOMILETIC  COMMENTARY :  JEREMIAH. 
 
 2.  Yet  there  is  a  bound  to  the  prevalency  of  intercession.  Even  Moses  and 
 Samuel  would  now  find  their  mediation  fail.  For  (1)  God  could  not  he  reconciled 
 to  such  a  2^eople.  His  "  mind  "  was  irremediably  averted  from  them.  (2)  He  had 
 irrevocable/  determined  their  banishment ;  could  not  endure  or  permit  their  remain- 
 ing within  His  sight.  Persistent  and  defiant  criminality  can  effectually  alienate 
 God.  "  Tliere  is  a  sin  tvhich  is  unto  death;  I  do  not  say  that  he  shall  pray 
 for  it." 
 
 3.  Nevertheless,  in  these  times  of  grace,  through  Christ,  it  appears  impossible  to 
 exceed  Divine  clemency.  What  Moses  and  Samuel  and  Jeremiah  could  not  do, 
 Jesiis  can!  "What  the  law  (of  Moses)  could  not  do,"  &c.  (Rom,  viii.  3). 
 "  Wherefore  He  is  able  to  save  them  to  the  uttermost  that  come  unto  God  by  Him" 
 &c.  (Heb.  vii.  25). 
 
 II.  Destructive  agencies  are  in  readiness  for  sinners  abandoned  to  judgment. 
 
 1.  A  discriminating  consignment  to  va7'io2is  forms  of  doom.  All  will  not  experi- 
 ence similar  and  equal  judgment.  A  different  form  of  punishment  is  allotted  to 
 each.  Yet  this  "  going  forth "  is  not  merely  to  banishment,  but  to  execution. 
 "These  shall  go  away  to  everlasting  destruction.'^ 
 
 2.  Ruthless  agencies  of  execution  await  their  opportunity  to  destroy.  So  long  as 
 God  shielded  this  people  and  retained  them  "  before  His  face,"  they  were  secure. 
 So  long  as  we  are  shielded  by  His  mercy,  ruin  cannot  reach  us,  however  we  may 
 merit  the  ruin.  But  instantly  God  sent  them  "out  of  His  sight,"  away  from 
 His  befriending,  lo !  "  death,  the  sword,  famine,  and  captivity,"  all  rushed  upon 
 them.     Cast  away  from  God's  presence,  we  shall  find  executioners  vigilant. 
 
 3.  Abandoned  spiritual  apostasy  is  the  unpardonable  offence  with  God.  (See 
 Personal  Allusions  on  ver,  4,  ".  Manasseh.")  The  horrifying  indulgences,  sacri- 
 ligeous  debasements,  foul  practices,  defiance  and  defilement  of  God's  holiness  and 
 holy  place  :  these  were  the  people's  crimes  under  Manasseh.  He  did  but  let  loose 
 their  cherished  apostasy.  Himself  vile,  the  nation  rushed  into  and  revelled  in 
 vileness  and  villany.     This  is  "  the  sin  unto  death." 
 
 III.  Flagrant  wickedness  ultimately  alienates  aU  commiseration  or  com- 
 passion. 
 
 1,  Human  pity  is  estranged  (ver.  5).  No  one  will  sympathise  with  their 
 misery,  lament  their  ruin,  or  inquire  for  their  condition, 
 
 2,  Divine  relenting  is  exhausted  (ver,  6).  God  was  "  weary  with  repenting,"  and 
 would  now  inexorably  punish. 
 
 3,  Justice  effectually  avenges  impenitence.  "  They  return  not  from  their  ways  " 
 (ver.  7),  That  justifies  their  final  and  severe  doom.  (1)  From  their  land  driven 
 forth  (ver.  7),  (2)  Their  holy  city  desolated  (ver.  8).  (3)  Death  and  doom 
 overtaking  all,  irrespective  of  sex  or  age  (ver.  9,  see  Lit.  Grit,  on  verse). 
 
 Note  :  "  Pity "  is  slow  to  die,  even  from  the  human  heart ;  it  survives,  and 
 asserts  itself  even  when  all  affection  is  dead.  Far  more  slowly  does  God's  pity  die. 
 Yet  heinous,  determined,  ostentatious,  and  persistent  guilt  will  eventually  destroy 
 all  pity  for  the  wicked.     Then  only  terrible  and  implacable  miseries  can  ensue. 
 
 Ver.  10-14.  The  Outcry  of  Woe  answered  with  Expostulations. 
 
 Seeing  that  he  availed  nothing  by  prayer,  the  prophet  raised  his  lament.  Into 
 his  cry  enter  both  personal  disappointment  and  patriotic  dismay. 
 
 I.  He  bemoans  his  troubled  prophetic  career,  since  it  accomplished  no 
 national  good. 
 
 He  repines  over_^:  1.  His  personal  hardships.  2.  His  prophetic  calling  and  com- 
 mission, iox  these  had  been  fruitful  of  grief,  suffering,  and  calumny.  And 
 3.  The  hostility  he  encoiinters  :  "Every  one  doth  curse  me  ;"  his  experiences  are 
 as  distressing  as  if  he  had  himself  been  "  a  man  of  strife  and  contention,"  and  as  if 
 his  occupation  had  been  that  of  the  hated  usurer  !  Observe  how  he  gives  promi- 
 ^IG 
 
HOMILETIC  COMMENTARY:  JEREMIAH.  chap.  xv. 
 
 nence  to  the  comfortless  aspects  of  his  career, — how  he  thrusts  his  own  troubles 
 forward,  almost  ignoriug  the  wisdom  and  benignity  of  the  Divine  purpose  in  com- 
 missioning him  to  prophetic  duties.  What  were  his  sufferings  and  discomforts  as 
 compared  with  the  opportunities  and  persuasives  to  salvation  God  had  sent  to  the 
 nation  through  him  ?     He  betrays  : 
 
 i.  &rief  for  apj^arent  faihire  in  his  work  and  prayers.  "  He  felt  angry  that  he 
 effected  less  than  he  wished  "  (Calvin).     All  ministers  could  alike  complain. 
 
 ii.  Regret  for  the  hardships  his  ministry  had  entailed.  Sinners  are  apt  to  judge 
 and  slander  faithful  preachers  as  contentious  disturbers  of  their  peace. 
 
 iii.  Trouble  for  the  irrevocable  ruin  of  his  nation.  The  hearts  of  his  people 
 were  unmoved,  unchanged.  And,  his  preachings  and  prayers  notwithstanding, 
 Judah  was  doomed  ! 
 
 II.  With  mingled  promises  and  threatenings  God  answers  the  prophet's 
 complaint.     Jehovah  meets  the  outcry  thus  : — 
 
 1.  He  assures  him  of  ameliorating  viei'cies  amid  the  coming  distress  (ver.  11). 
 He  should  be  exempt  from  the  national  woe,  and  be  treated  with  forbearance. 
 
 2.  Explains  the  prophet's  impotency  in  intercession.  His  prayers  are  but  as 
 "  iron,"  stout  and  determined  indeed  _;  yet  God's  purpose  to  send  Judah  into 
 exile  is  inflexible  as  "  northern  iron  and  steel,"  or,  the  Assyrian  invasion  cannot  be 
 repelled  now  by  your  prayers  (ver.  12). 
 
 3.  Justifies  the  severe  judgments  He  had  determined  upon  Judah.  Her  prevalent 
 "  sins  "  (ver.  1.3)  necessitated  punishment. 
 
 4.  Avoivs  Himself  moved  to  a  fiery  anger  which  should  consume  the  hardened 
 nation.  God  was  wroth,  justly  and  resolutely  angry ;  and  such  righteous  anger 
 could  not  be  restrained,  as  if  it  were  fitful,  by  even  His  prophet's  cries.  Personal 
 feeling  must  bow  to  Divine  equity. 
 
 Ver.  15-21.  Fretting  Lamentations  silenced  -with  Promises. 
 
 In  the  strophe  (ver.  15-18),  the  prophet,  though  recognising  that  the  fall  of  Judah 
 is  inevitable,  as  shown  in  ver.  12-14,  and  that  he  cannot  escape  the  hard  lot  of 
 having  to  predict  the  ruin  of  his  country  as  a  purpose  absolutely  determined,  yet 
 offers  unto  God  a  last  expostulation,  and  that  in  a  tone  of  reproach,  as  if  the 
 promises  made  in  chap.  i.  18  had  not  been  fulfilled. 
 
 His  words  are  full  of  meaning  : 
 
 I.  He  appeals  to  God  the  all-knowing  (who  was  acquainted,  therefore,  with  the 
 manner  of  his  call,  the  promises  made  him,  the  hopes  with  which  he  had  accepted 
 his  office,  his  disappointment,  his  dangers,  the  opposition  he  had  met  with,  and  his 
 perseverance  when  in  despair)  to  show  that  He  remembered  him  by  visiting  him,  i.e., 
 by  interfering  in  some  marked  manner  in  his  behalf  and  punishing  his  persecutors. 
 
 To  the  prophet  God's  long-sufi"ering  towards  the  wicked  seemed  to  be  the  aban- 
 donment of  himself  to  death,  and  justice  itself  required  that  one  who  was  suffering 
 contumely  for  God's  sake  should  be  delivered. 
 
 II.  He  contrasts  the  joy  with  which  he  had  accepted  his  office  (ver.  16),  when 
 he  received  God's  words  and  *'  did  eat  them,"  with — 
 
 III.  The  present  revulsion  of  his  feelings  (ver.  17) :  the  intense  "indignation" 
 with  which  he  regarded  the  sins  of  the  people,  which  were  heinous  in  themselves, 
 grievous  offences  against  God,  and  involved  the  ruin  of  His  Church.     Then 
 
 IV.  Prays  for  more  evident  help  (ver.  19).  It  is  the  prayer  of  a  man  in  bitter 
 grief,  whose  human  nature  cannot  at  present  submit  to  the  Divine  will, 
 
 V.  Laments  that  the  delivery  of  God's  message  availed  nothing.  His  labours 
 were  in  vain.  This  made  his  "  pain  perpetual,"  &c,  Nothing  he  did  had  in  aught 
 changed  the  miserable  state  of  things  around  him.  Jeremiah  had  expected  that, 
 called  to  so  high  an  office,  there  would  be  perpetual  interference  of  Providence  iu 
 
 317 
 
HOMTLETIC  COMMENTARY :  JEREMIAlT. 
 
 his  behalf,  instead  whereof,  things  seemed  to  take  only  their  natural  course.  God 
 seemed  "  as  a  deceitful  stream  "  to  hiiu. 
 
 To  all  this  God  made  a  rej^ly  full  of  forbearance  and  graciousness,  although 
 comfort  is  blended  with  rebuke. 
 
 I.  Solemn  conditions  are  specified.  These  were  imperative  to  the  prophet's 
 reinstatement  in  official  dignity  and  service  (ver.  19). 
 
 1.  Personal  ^^  return."  Jeremiah  had,  as  in  chap,  xii.,  questioned  God's 
 rii^hteousness ;  he  is  told  he  must  "return,"  must  repent  him  of  his  doubts, 
 and  think  only  of  his  duty. 
 
 2.  Separation  in  himself  of  ivliat  was  divine  and  Jioly  from  the  dross  of  human 
 passion  (Maurer) :  let  the  "  precious  "  metal  be  distinct  from  the  "  vile." 
 
 II.  Gracious  assurances  are  given. 
 
 1.  The  restoration  of  Jeremiah  to  the  prophetic  office:  "  I  will  cause  thee  again 
 to  stand  before  me  "  (see  Lit.  Crit.  on  verse).  To  stand  before  a  person  means  to 
 be  his  chief  officer  or  viceregent,  and  is  said  of  Elijah  (1  Kings  xvii.  1),  and  Elisha 
 (2  Kings  iii.  14),  as  God's  prophets;  of  David  as  Saul's  minister  (1  Sam,  xvi.  21, 
 22),  of  Nebuzar-adan  as  commander-in-chief  of  Nebuchadnezzar's  arms  (Jer.  Iii.  12, 
 margin). 
 
 2.  He  should  he  again  the  organ  hy  ivhich  God  woxdd  speak :  "  Thou  shalt  be  as 
 My  mouth."  Here  is  supplied  a  principle  for  regulating  the  prophet's  conduct : — 
 "  Let  them  return  unto  thee,  but  return  not  thou  unto  them  : "  concede  not  to  the 
 people — a  flattering  prophet  perishes  with  the  people  whom  his  soft  speeches  have 
 confirmed  in  their  sin ;  but  the  truthful  speaking  of  God's  Word  saves  both. 
 
 3.  The  original  promises  and  covenant  with  Jeremiah  are  confirmed  (ver.  20,  21). 
 This  repeats  God's  pledge  given  at  Jeremiah's  original  call  (see  chap.  i.  18,  19), 
 adding  the  promise  of  deliverance  from  men  of  open  violence — ''the  terrible."— 
 Arranged  from  S2Jeaker''s  Com. 
 
 HOMILIES  AND  COMMENTS  ON  VERSES  OF  CHAPTER  XV. 
 
 Ver.    1.    Theme :     The    loathsome  ness.     He  proclaims  Himself  to  be,  and 
 
 SOUL  OUTCAST  FROM  GoD.     "  My  mind  would  be  known  as,  "  The  Lord  merci- 
 
 could  not  be  toward  this  people ;  cast  ful  and  gracious,"  &c. 
 them  out  of  My  sight."  4.    Love     delights    to    assert     itself 
 
 Such   is   Jehovah's    answer    to    the  towards  those   in   the   loivest   depths  of 
 
 kneeling,  weeping,  pleading  prophet.  alienation.  It  seeks  and  saves  the  lost. 
 Jeremiah,   in  his  prayer,  had  asked,  as  5.  Extreme  cases  in  the  Gospel  records 
 
 if  it  could  never  really  be  so,  "  Hath  encourage  hope  for  vilest  sinners.     The 
 
 Thy   soul    loathed    Zion?"    (xiv.    19).  crucified  malefactor,  who  cast  revilings 
 
 Now  God  affirms  that  the  people  had  in  Christ's  teeth ;  Mary  Magdalene,  out 
 
 become  irrevocably  loathsome  to  Him.  of  whom  was  cast  seven  devils ;  Saul, 
 
 I.  Loathing  would  seem  impossible  who    breathed    out    threatenings    and 
 
 to  a  God  of  beneficent  love.  slaughter,  &c. 
 
 1.  Sin,  though  repidsive,  did  not  II.  Loathing  can  only  ensue  where 
 alienate  God's  love  from  the  iv(9rld.  For  love  has  been  relentlessly  outraged. 
 •'  God  commended  His  love  towards  us.  This  was  Judah's  case ;  her  conduct  had 
 in  that  while  we  were  yet  sinners,  exhausted  and  exceeded  all  the  resources 
 Christ  died  for  the  ungodly."  of  Divine  love. 
 
 2.  However  defiled  and  tvorthless  the  1.  Love  may  not  neutralise  the  law 
 sinner,  there  dwells  abounding  grace  in  and  action  of  Tightness.  It  may  inter- 
 Christ.  None  can  exceed  the  virtue  of  pose  and  mitigate  justice,  but  not 
 His  atonement  or  the  compass  of  His  frustrate  it.  And  where  love  effects  no 
 pity,  or  the  fulness  of  His  Gospel  calls.  change   in   the  ( sinner,  right   must    be 
 
 3.  It  is  the  croivning  glory  of  God  allowed  to  pursue  its  course  and  requite 
 that  He  is  merciful  to  our  unrighteous-  the  guilty  conduct. 
 
 olo 
 
HOMILETIC  COMMENTARY :  JEREMIAB. 
 
 2.  Wilful  contempt  of  patient  and 
 ^tying  love  courts  Divine  aversion. 
 Such  treatment  of  God's  gentleness  and 
 patience  arouses  indignation.  "  Last  of 
 all,  He  sent  His  Son,  and  Him  they 
 sleio  I  " 
 
 3.  The  superlative  crime  of  the  sinner 
 is  to  outrage  and  alienate  love.  To 
 break  law  is  evil  enough,  but  when  love 
 interposes  to  shield  the  wrong-doer,  for 
 him  then  to  abuse  love  is  to  culminate 
 iniquity. 
 
 III.  Loathing,  when  once  incurred, 
 closes  all  hope  of  reconciliation.  "  My 
 mind  cannot  be  towards  this  people." 
 
 1.  The  very  thoughts  of  God,  as  well 
 as  His  affections,  tw^n  irrevocably  away 
 from  such  heinous  transgressors. 
 
 2.  No  intercession  can  effect  a  recal 
 of  the  Divine  complacency.  He  cannot 
 look  upon  such  sin. 
 
 3.  While  the  horrible  heartlessness  of 
 men  remains  there  can  be  no  basis  of 
 reconciliation.  "  Intercession  is  power- 
 ful, and  is  not  without  fruit,  when  he 
 who  prays  and  they  for  whom  he  prays 
 a?'e  of  like  spirit "  (Cramer).  But,  with 
 relentless  hostility  in  the  human  heart, 
 God  can  never  turn  compassionately 
 towards  the  sinner. 
 
 IV.  Loathing  having  heen  right- 
 eously merited,  the  doom  of  banish- 
 ment follows.  "  Cast  them  out  of  My 
 sight." 
 
 1.  No  place  in  the  Divine  mind  entails 
 no  place  in  the  Divine  presence.  Having 
 forfeited  God's  favour,  the  soul  must 
 quit  His  abode. 
 
 2.  No  place  in  the  Divine  presence 
 entails  irrevocable  baiiishment.  An  out- 
 cast,— "  a  castaway."  "  These  shall  go 
 away."  "  Oh,  that  they  were  wise,  that 
 they  understood  these  things,  that  they 
 would  consider  their  latter  e^id." 
 
 Theme :  Intercessory  prayee. 
 
 Prayer  is  both  a  duty  and  a  privilege. 
 Scripture  commands  that  those  who 
 pray  should  not  limit  prayer  to  self  : 
 "Pray  one  for  another."  Intercessions 
 are  to  be  made  for  all  men  (1  Tim.  ii. 
 1,  2).  Jeremiah  had  prayed  very 
 earnestly  for  his  people.  He  was  not 
 only  unsuccessful,  but  was  even  for- 
 bidden to  pray  for  them  (xiv.  ver.  11). 
 Moreover,  he  is  informed  that  though 
 
 Moses  and  Samuel  should  both  stand 
 before  God,  even  they  could  not  prevail. 
 This  suggests  to  us  that  there  are  limits 
 to  the  duty  and  to  the  power  of  inter- 
 cessory prayer.     Consider,  then, 
 
 I.  That  intercessory  prayer  is  an 
 exercise  of  great  value. 
 
 1.  As  develojjivg  otir  love  to  man. 
 Interesting  ourselves  in  his  trials,  seek- 
 ing to  save  him  from  his  sins.  This 
 love  may  be  shown  first  to  our  nearest 
 friends,  but  it  will,  if  true,  take  in  man 
 as  man.  We  are  to  pray  even  for 
 "  them  that  despitefully  use  us." 
 
 2.  As  carrying  oiit  the  Divine  pre- 
 cepts. In  the  spirit  of  Christ,  in  the 
 fellowship  of  life.  "  When  ye  pray  say, 
 0^lr  Father."  The  model  prayer  is  in 
 the  plural,  "our,"  "us,"  "we;"  not  I, 
 my,  me. 
 
 3.  As  folloiving  after  noble  examples. 
 Abraham,  Moses,  Samuel  (1  Sam.  vii. 
 9),  Elijah,  Jeremiah,  Jesus,  and  all 
 good  men  who  love  the  souls  of  their 
 fellows. 
 
 4.  As  obtaining  great  blessings  for 
 othe7's.  Lot  appears  to  have  been  saved 
 by  Abraham's  prayer.  Israel  often 
 spared  because  Moses  or  Samuel  prayed 
 (Exod.xxxii.  11-14;  Numb.  xiv.  17-20; 
 1  Sam.  vii.  9).  The  prayer  of  faith  was 
 to  save  the  sick,  to  obtain  even  salvation 
 (James  v.  15  ;  1  John  v.  16),  &c. 
 
 II.  That  intercessory  prayer  can 
 he  offered  only  by  good  men.  "  The 
 effectual  fervent  prayer  of  a  righteous 
 man  availeth  much." 
 
 1.  He  must  not  be  under  the  sin 
 against  which  he  prays.  If  it  be  a 
 prayer  of  sympathy  for  one  in  trouble, 
 this  rule  has  no  force.  It  is  essential 
 that,  as  the  priest  of  old  time  went  in 
 first  for  himself  then  for  the  people, 
 so  it  should  be  also  with  intercessory 
 prayer. 
 
 2.  Should  Icnoiv  by  experience  the 
 value  of  the  blessing  he  craves  for  another. 
 Else  how  can  he  pray  with  the  heart 
 and  understanding, 
 
 3.  He  must  be  willing  to  join  effort 
 tcith  2)7'ayer.  Otherwise  his  sympathy 
 and  desire  will  be  a  mere  pretence,  a 
 thing  of  words,  a  mere  worthless  senti- 
 ment, God  will  not  hear  the  prayers  of 
 those  who  will  do  nothing  but  pray,  if 
 
 319 
 
CHAP.  XV. 
 
 HO  MI  LET  JC  COMMENTARY:  JEREMIAH. 
 
 they  are  able  to  do  other  things  besides 
 to  gain  the  object  of  their  prayers. 
 
 III.  That  intercessory  prayer  has 
 some  limitations  even  when  offered 
 by  the  best  of  men.  Such  as  Jere- 
 miah, Moses,  Samuel. 
 
 1.  This  is  evident  from  Scripture. 
 Abraham  could  not  prevail  to  save 
 Sodom.  Peter  vFould  not  pray  for 
 Simon  Magus ;  he  must  pray  for  him- 
 self. John  in  his  First  Epistle  says, 
 "  There  is  a  sin  unto  death ;  I  do  not 
 say  that  he  shall  pray  for  it."  (See 
 other  texts.) 
 
 2.  This  is  evident  from  observation. 
 We  have  all  known  many  prayers  offered 
 for  others  which  have  been  apparently 
 unanswered.  Sometimes  the  faults  are 
 in  ourselves  (see  under  II.),  but  some- 
 times we  fail  to  find  explanation. 
 
 3.  Reason  woidd  lead  to  the  same 
 conclusion.  The  best  of  men  are  but 
 men.  They  may  at  times  be  more  in- 
 fluenced by  sorrowful  sights  than  by 
 sinful  acts.  Personal  feeUng  controls 
 them  as  it  does  others.  Prayer  is 
 powerful,  but  not  all-powerful.  God 
 will  grant  their  requests  if  in  so  doing 
 He  can  be  just  and  true  to  all — His 
 character  and  all  His  people. 
 
 IV.  That  intercessory  prayer  is  a 
 grand  distinction  and  provision  of  the 
 Gospel.     We  have 
 
 1.  TJie  best  of  intercessors  (Heb.  vii. 
 25).  In  office,  in  sympathy,  in  work, 
 in  influence. 
 
 2.  Praying  for  the  best  of  blessings. 
 Salvation,  preservation,  comfort,  glory 
 (John  xvii.  24). 
 
 3.  Talcing  up  the  case  of  every  soul 
 that  trtists  Him.  "  All  that  come  unto 
 God  by  Him  "  (Heb.  vii.  25). 
 
 4.  Alivays  successful  in  His  interces- 
 sion. He  will  not  take  up  any  case 
 which  would  or  could  fail.  He  always 
 does  those  things  which  please  the 
 Father.  He  is  always  heard  (John  xi. 
 42).  His  plea  is  irresistible, — it  satis- 
 fies law,  it  magnifies  grace,  it  humbles 
 the  sinner,  it  glorifies  the  Father,  it  con- 
 secrates life  to  good  deeds. 
 
 Let  the  failure  of  others  teach  us  to 
 fly  for  refuge  to  the  only  One  whose  in- 
 tercessions are  unfailing.     "  We  have  an 
 advocate  with  the  Father,  Jesus  Christ, 
 320 
 
 the  righteous "  (His  prayer  for  Peter, 
 Luke  xxii.  31,  32).— TF.  Whale. 
 
 Ver.  2.  Theme:  Incredulity  at 
 God'  message  of  doom.  "  If  they  shall 
 say  unto  thee  " — as  they  are  likely  to 
 do  in  a  jeer  and  with  scoffing  incredulity 
 — "  Whither  shall  we  go  forth  1 " 
 
 I.  The  seeming  incredibility  of  the 
 doom  pronounced. 
 
 1.  Sinners  cannot  think  their  ruin 
 really  imminent.  They  dream  on  de- 
 mented, revel  in  sin,  blinded  to  its 
 enormity  and  their  own  peril. 
 
 2.  Messages  of  doom  seem  to  them 
 empty  menaces.  It  was  so  when  Noah 
 prophesied  the  Flood ;  so  when  the 
 angel  threatened  Sodom's  overthrow ; 
 so  with  the  terrible  predictions  of  our 
 Lord  concerning  Jerusalem's  destruction ; 
 and  is  so  still  when  the  "  end  of  all 
 things"  and  the  fiery  judgment  are 
 announced. 
 
 3.  Dreadful  calamities  start  in  the 
 mind  a  revulsion  which  produces  in- 
 credulity. A  kind  of  blank  bewilder- 
 ment results  from  the  attempt  to  enter- 
 tain a  terrifying  announcement — 
 "Whither  shall  we  go  forth?"  It  is 
 simply  incredible,  impossible.  So  now, 
 in  our  own  times,  sinners  answer  the 
 announcement  of  the  woes  awaiting  the 
 impenitent  with  a  light  indifference,  a 
 jeering  unbelief.  It  is  not  credible  that 
 God  will  doom  us,  will  dismiss  us  for 
 ever  from  salvation  ! 
 
 II.  The  ready  incredulity  of  those 
 under  doom. 
 
 Condemned  souls  would  prefer  not  to 
 realise  the  sentence  true  ;  so  find  evasive 
 questions,  endeavour  to  explain  away 
 the  menace  as  meaningless,  and  then 
 jeer  contemptuously  at  the  messenger 
 who  prophesies  evil  against  them.  The 
 same  process  is  rife  to-day ;  for  cavillers 
 answer  the  preacher  thus — There  is  no 
 doom  to  the  unsaved  :  whither  will  the 
 ungodly  be  banished  ?  Doom  will  not 
 be  very  distressing :  it  is  impossible 
 that  a  soul  should  be  for  ever  lost. 
 
 1.  Man  meets  God's  threatenings  with 
 incredulity. 
 
 2.  God  meets  man's  incredulity  with 
 specific  afiirmations.  "  Such  as  are  for 
 death,"  &c.  There  is  a  dreadful  pre- 
 cision  in   God's   dire   messages :    they 
 
HO  M I  LET  I C  COMMENTARY :  JEREMIAH. 
 
 cannot  well  be  explained  away  as  para- 
 bolic images,  as  oriental  and  pictorial 
 figures,  merely  setting  off  in  bold  colours 
 a  trifling  occurrence.  Such  things  as 
 are  here  arrayed  in  order  to  bring  in- 
 credulity to  its  sober  senses — death,  the 
 sivord,  famine,  cai:)tivity — are  more  than 
 imaginary  forms  of  speech;  they  are 
 terrific  facts,  appallingly  literal. 
 
 Note  :  Sinners  would  be  wise  to  be- 
 lieve God  means  exactly  tvhat  He 
 threatens.  What  madness  to  risk  the 
 future  on  an  evasive  interpretation  of 
 His  menaces ! 
 See  Addenda:  Scornful  Inceedulity. 
 
 Theme :  Scoffing  answered  by  sar- 
 casm. The  words  may  be  so  inter- 
 preted— 
 
 I.  Derisive  ctuestionings  :  ".Whither 
 shall  we  go  forth  1 "  Perhaps  you  will 
 tell  us  a  little  more  explicitly  what  our 
 doom  is  to  be  !  Inform  us,  if  you  can, 
 where  and  to  what  we  are  to  be  driven. 
 
 II.  Sarcastic  directions.  Would 
 you  know  more  precisely  to  what  God 
 will  send  you  forth  1  Then  hear  :  Each 
 to  his  allotted  doom  :  one  shall  "  go 
 forth "  to  "  death,"  and  he  shall  cer- 
 tainly meet  it ;  another  to  "  the  sword," 
 &c.  The  way  ivill  he  made  quite  plain 
 to  you,  so  plain  that  you  xoill  not  he 
 likely  to  miss  your  appointed  doom. 
 These  evils  you  jeer  at  will  be  found 
 waiting  for  you  in  their  appointed  place. 
 Do  not  think  there  will  be  any  pro- 
 bability of  your  missing  them.  All  is 
 carefully  and  conveniently  arranged  for 
 you.     (Comp.  vers.  3,  4.) 
 
 Ver.  4.  Comments — 
 
 I  WILL  CAUSE  THEM  TO  BE  REMOVED. 
 
 Blayney  rightly  observes  that  the 
 word  rendered  "  to  be  removed,"  in  our 
 version,  has  no  such  meaning.  The 
 verh  means  to  move,  agitate,  disquiet, 
 but  not  to  move  from  one  place  to 
 another.  The  noun  as  found  here  is 
 rendered  "vexation"  in  Isa.  xxviii.  19, 
 and  "trouble"  in  2  Chron.  xxix.  8. 
 The  idea  of  removing  is  not  given  in 
 any  of  the  versions,  nor  in  the  Targum. 
 It  is  used  in  two  places  by  Jeremiah, 
 chap.  xxiv.  9;  xxix.  18.  In  both  places 
 "vexation,    trouble,     or     disquietude" 
 
 would  be  the  best  rendering.  The  sen 
 fence  may  be  thus  translated  :  And  I 
 xoill  render  them  a  vexation  to  all  the 
 Mngdoms  of  the  earth.  Literally  it  is, 
 "I  will  give  them  for  a  vexation,"  &c. 
 And  so  they  became  ;  they  were  a  trouble 
 and  a  disquietude  wherever  they  were ; 
 and  hence  they  became,  as  it  is  said  in 
 chap.  xxix.  18,  a  curse,  a  hissing,  and 
 a  reproach  among  all  nations. 
 
 Venema  gives  this  rendering  :  And  I 
 will  give  them  for  a  shaking  to  all  the 
 kingdoms  of  the  earth.  Which  he 
 understands  to  mean,  that  they  would 
 he  given  to  he  shaken,  agitated  and  dis- 
 quieted.— Ed.  of  Calvin. 
 
 The  Jews  were  to  have  no  rest,  but 
 were  to  be  driven  from  place  to  place  at 
 the  pleasure  of  their  enemies.  Ewald  : 
 Spiel  des  Windes. — Hend. 
 
 Rather  :  I  will  cause  them  to  be  a 
 terror.  So  the  Syriac  and  Rashi  render. 
 Every  one  who  hears  of  the  calamity 
 that  has  befallen  them  will  tremble. 
 The  words  are  quoted  from  Deut.  xxviii. 
 25. — Speaker  s  Com. 
 
 "Because  op  Manasseh  the  son 
 OP  Hezekiah."  •  The  sin  upon  which 
 this  severe  sentence  is  grounded — 
 
 i.  It  is  in  remembi'ance  of  a  former 
 iniquity.  It  is  "  because  of  Manasseh." 
 What  "he  did  in  Jerusalem"  we  are 
 told  (1  Kings  xxiv.  3,  4).  This  is 
 brought  into  the  account  with  the  pre- 
 sent generation,  to  show  that  the  guilt 
 of  blood  will  light  and  lie  somewhere 
 sooner  or  later,  and  that  reprieves  are 
 not  pardons. 
 
 ii.  It  is  in  consideration  of  their  pre- 
 sent impenitency.  Their  own  sin  is  de- 
 scribed in  vers.  6  and  7.  There  is  mercy 
 for  those  who  have  turned  aside,  if  they 
 will  return ;  but  what  favour  can  they 
 expect  who  persist  in  their  apostasy  ? 
 — Henry. 
 
 "  The  son  op  Hezekiah."  But  alto- 
 gether degenerate.  He  was  therefore 
 the  worse,  becatise  he  shoxdd  have  heen 
 hetter ;  and  the  worse  again,  because  he 
 was  atithor  puhlicce  con-nptelce,  a  ring- 
 leader of  rebellion  to  others,  as  was 
 Jeroboam. — Trapp. 
 
 God  keeps  an  exact  protocol  (register) 
 of  sins,  and  visits  them  to  the  third  and 
 fourth  generation. — Cramer. 
 
CHAP.   XI 
 
 nOMlLETIC  COMMENTARY :  JEREMIAH. 
 
 See  what  uncertain  comforts  children 
 are,  and  let  us  therefore  rejoice  in  them 
 as  though  we  rejoiced  not. — Henry. 
 
 Quails  rex  talis  grex. — Forster. 
 
 Theme:  An  anomaly  in  the  law 
 OF  TRANSMISSION.  "  Because  of  Ma- 
 nasseh,  the  son  of  Hezekiah." 
 
 Notice  that,  1.  Grace  ivas  not  trans- 
 mitted from  Hezekiah  to  Manasseh : 
 parental  virtues  do  not  necessarily  re- 
 appear in  the  children.  2.  Guilt  was 
 transmitted  from  Manasseh  to  that  gene- 
 ration :  evil  travels  down,  reappears 
 through  successive  years. 
 
 Explanation :  The  human  heart  is 
 not  naturally  enamoured  of  godli- 
 ness, does  not  instinctively  appreciate 
 and  reciprocate  good  example  ;  but 
 '•men  love  darkness,"  are  quick  to  re- 
 spond to  the  sway  and  charm  of  a  bad 
 example. 
 
 I.  Eminent  piety  in  the  father  does 
 not  ensure  godliness  in  the  son.  Social 
 life  cannot  guarantee  what  a  child's 
 future  will  be.  Only  God's  grace  can 
 implant  holiness. 
 
 1.  Godliness  is  not  hereditary.  Pa- 
 rents cannot  produce  it  in  their  children. 
 Neither  is  it  transmitted  involuntarily. 
 
 2.  To  see  godliness  at  home  does  not 
 necessarily  aivalcen  others  to  love  and 
 emidate  it.  The  example  of  holiness  is 
 not  omnipotent,  neither  is  it  sure  to 
 charm  others.  The  heart  is  not  prone 
 to  it. 
 
 II.  Criminality  is  deepened  when  a 
 holy  parental  example  is  repudiated. 
 
 1.  It  ivas  Manasseh's  duty,  personally 
 and  publicly,  to  follow  Hezelciah's  ex- 
 amj^le.  For  the  reforms  Hezekiah  had 
 effected  were  manifestly  right  in  them- 
 selves, and  beneficial  to  the  nation,  as 
 well  as  due  to  God,  who  had  befriended 
 Judah. 
 
 2.  It  was  an  aggravation  of  his  guilt 
 that  he  revei'sed  all  his  father  had  done. 
 He  owed  it  to  his  father  to  respect  the 
 work  he  had  so  laboriously  wrought ; 
 and  to  liis  father's  God  to  preserve  the 
 worship  and  sacred  institutions  he  had 
 so  zealously  restored. 
 
 [Notes : — 
 
 "The  name   of  the  pious  father  in- 
 tensifies the  horror  at  the  wickedness  of 
 322 
 
 the  son"  (2  Kings  xxi.  3). — Speaker's 
 Com. 
 
 "  We  learn  that  they  are  worthy  of  a 
 heavier  piinish7}ient,  who  have  been  reli- 
 giously brought  up  from  their  childhood, 
 and  have  afterwards  degenerated ;  who, 
 having  had  pious  and  godly  parents, 
 afterwards  abandon  themselves  to  every 
 wickedness.  Hence  a  heavier  judgment 
 awaits  those  who  depart  from  the 
 examples  of  godly  fathers." — Calvin. 
 
 "  His  relation  to  so  good  a  ftither  was 
 a  great  aggravation  to  his  sin,  so  far 
 was  it  from  being  an  excuse  for  it." 
 — Henry. '\ 
 
 III.  Eueful  consequences  will  over- 
 take a  people  who  elect  and  follow  a 
 guilty  leader.  Why  does  God  threaten 
 vengeance  on  this  generation  for  Manas- 
 seh's sins  ? 
 
 1.  His  example  did  not  jiistify  them 
 in  doing  the  same.  They  could  not 
 shelter  themselves  under  the  plea  of 
 Manasseh's  leading. 
 
 2.  Their  continuance  in  guilt  was  ivil- 
 ful  and  determined.  They  reproduced 
 Manasseh's  crimes,  but  it  was  not  be- 
 cause some  force  urged  them  on  in- 
 voluntarily ;  they  did  evil  of  their  own 
 accord. 
 
 3.  Tlie  people  had  a  choice  of  examples 
 before  them.  Hezekiah  had  shown  them 
 the  way  of  godliness;  Manasseh,  the 
 way  of  sin.  But  they  "  loved  dark- 
 ness rather  than  light,  because  their 
 deeds  were  evil."  There  was  in  them 
 "  an  evil  heart  of  unbelief  in  departing 
 from  the  living  God." 
 
 4.  To  follow  evil  leadhig  will  lead  to 
 evil  issues.  "  I  will  cause  them  to  be 
 removed — to  be  a  horror — among  the 
 nations,  because  of  Manasseh."  "Both 
 fall  into  the  ditch." 
 
 ^ee  Addenda:  Parentage. 
 
 Ver,  5.   Comments — 
 
 Who  luill  take  pity  ...  to  wish  thee 
 well  ?  "  From  vers.  1-4,  it  follows  with 
 absolute  certainty  that  Jehovah  will  no 
 longer  help,  and  that  therefore  Israel  is 
 inevitably  lost.  No  longer  any  escape  ! 
 If  the  Lord  will  not,  who  else  will  have 
 pity  on  the  people?  (Isa.  li.  19 ;  Nah. 
 iii.  7.)  Who,  indeed,  will  even  ask  how 
 they    are?     The    thought   seems  to  be 
 
IIOMILETIC  COMMENTARY:  JEREMIAH. 
 
 implied,  that  still  less  will  any  one  do 
 aught  for  the  welfare  of  the  people,  or 
 any  longer  intercede  for  them  as  the  pro- 
 phet has  done  (xvi.  7  seq.)" — Naeg. 
 
 "  When  God  abandons  us,  we  are 
 abandoned  also  by  the  holy  angels  and 
 all  creatures.  For  as  at  court,  when 
 two  eyes  are  turned  away  the  whole 
 court  turns  away ;  so  when  the  Lord 
 turns  away,  all  His  hosts  turn  away 
 also." — Creamer. 
 
 "  The  sinful  people  will  be  given  up 
 to  all  the  kingdoms  of  the  earth  to  be 
 ill  used,  for  no  one  will  or  can  have 
 compassion  on  Jerusalem,  since  its  rejec- 
 tion by  God  is  a  just  punishment  for  its 
 rejection  of  the  Lord  (ver.  6).  Eiwe 
 inty  and  hemoan  denote  loving  sympathy 
 with  the  fall  of  the  unfortunate. — Keil, 
 
 Theme :  Lost  even  to  pity.  "  Who 
 shall  have  pity  upon  thecj  0  Jerusalem  1" 
 
 It  is  usual  to  pity  the  ignorant,  the 
 unfortunate,  the  weak  ;  but  the  wilfully 
 evil,  those  who  sin  against  the  light  of 
 knowledge  and  the  manifestations  of 
 love,  must  be  blamed  and,  unless  they 
 repent,  condemned.  In  her  sorrows 
 Jerusalem  seemed  an  object  of  pity, 
 but  there  were  none  to  show  favour 
 luito  her.  The  gods  which  she  had 
 worshipped  could  render  no  help,  and 
 the  people  at  whose  evil  desire  she  had 
 compromised  her  honour  now  taunted 
 and  derided  her  (Lam.  ii.  15).  Who 
 shall  pity  thee  ? 
 
 I.  Thou  hast  had  the  oracles  of  God. 
 Thy  case  is  not  as  the  heathen  who 
 have  no  knowledge,  but  as  of  those  who 
 "  love  darkness  rather  than  light." 
 
 II.  Thou  hast  had  great  religious 
 advantages.  The  priesthood,  sacrifices, 
 and  mercy-seats.  The  Sabbaths,  sacred 
 feasts,  and  gracious  promises. 
 
 III.  Thou  hast  had  a  history  of 
 Divine  mercies.  In  Abraliam,  Isaac, 
 and  Jacob.  By  Moses  and  Aaron, 
 Joshua  and  the  Judges,  Samuel,  David, 
 and  Solomon.  At  the  Red  Sea,  at 
 Marah,  at  Elim,  at  Rephidim,  at  Horeb, 
 at  Jordan,  &c. 
 
 IV.  Thou  hast  insulted  and  forsaken 
 thy  best  Friend.  Thy  choice  has  been 
 fatal  to  thee,  for  thou  hast  gone  away 
 after  the  weak,  worthless,  and  wicked. 
 
 V.  He  who  pities  thee  most  is  com 
 pelled  to  punish  thee.  For  His  holi- 
 ness' sake,  and  as  a  warning  to  others 
 (Matt,  xxiii.  37,  39). 
 
 VI.  All  other  pity  is  useless  to  thee. 
 It  cannot  deliver  thee.  It  cannot  take 
 away  thy  sin.  Oh  that  thou  wouldest 
 truly  repent  and  turn  unto  the  Lord, 
 then  would  He  not  only  pity,  but  pardon 
 and  prosper  thee. —  W.  Whale. 
 
 See  Addenda  :  Lost  to  Pity, 
 
 Ver.   6,      Theme:    Jehovah  weary 
 
 WITH  repenting. 
 
 These  words  do  not  accord  with  our 
 ideas  of  the  Divine  Being.  We  are 
 accustomed  to  the  words,  "  He  fainteth 
 not,  neither  is  weary,"  and  "  He  is  not 
 man  that  He  should  repent."  The  word 
 "repent"  evidently  is  not  to  be  taken  in  its 
 ordinary  sense  as  applied  to  men.  So 
 far  from  the  word  *'  repent  "  indicating 
 change  in  God,  it  is  the  outworking  of 
 His  immutability.  He  ever  regards  sin 
 with  abhorrence,  and  contrite  hearts  with 
 pity  and  grace  ;  if,  therefore,  the  people 
 are  hardened  in  sin.  He  sends  a  message 
 like  that  by  Jonah  to  Nineveh,  but  if, 
 during  the  day  of  grace,  the  people 
 truly  repent  and  cry  for  mercy,  then,  by 
 the  same  law  of  His  being,  He  refrains 
 from  carrying  out  His  threatenings. 
 There  is  a  real  change  in  the  people, 
 which  alters  the  relationship  in  which 
 they  stand  towards  God,  but  there  is 
 only  an  apjmreJit  change  in  the  Divine 
 dealing.  To  the  impenitent,  God  is 
 unchangeably  just.  To  the  penitent.  He 
 is  unchangeably  merciful.  The  fact  that 
 God  is  "  weary  of  repenting,"  shows — 
 
 I.  That  God  had  often  turned  from 
 His  threatenings,  and  dealt  in  mercy 
 with  the  people. 
 
 II.  That  the  Divine  mercy  had  been 
 frequently  abused,  and  the  people  had 
 gone  hack  again  to  their  sins. 
 
 Ill  That  not  a  change  in  His  being, 
 but  only  a  change  of  relationship,  is 
 expressed  by  the  word  "repent"  (Jonah 
 iii.  10). 
 
 IV.  That  judgment  is  alien  to  God's 
 heart,  whereas  mercy  is  His  delight. 
 If  He  can,  without  weakening  the  force 
 of  justice  and  encouraging  sin.  He  will 
 magnify  grace  and  save  men. 
 
 323 
 
EOMILETIC  COMMENTARY :  JEREMIAH. 
 
 v.  That  when  God  is  met  with  per- 
 sistent ingratitude,  and  men  relapse 
 continually  to  sin,  He  must  eventually 
 punish  them.  He  is  weary  with  fe- 
 peiitiug,  and  will  deal  in  judgment  with 
 theui. 
 
 VI.  That  the  operations  of  the 
 Divine  mind  can  only  he  expressed 
 in  human  language  with  difficulty  and 
 limitation. 
 
 VII.  That  we  should  he  careful  in 
 not  trifling  with  or  abusing  the  patient 
 longsuffering  of  God.  "My  Spirit 
 .shall  uot  always  strive  with  man." — 
 W.  Whale. 
 
 WbAKY  with  KEPENTINa.  "  The 
 punishment  due  has  been  delayed  into 
 weariness,  and  this  seeming  failure  of 
 justice  has  made  Judah  withdraw  far- 
 ther from  God." — Dr.  Payne  Smith. 
 
 "  This  determination  of  the  Lord  will 
 not  change,  for  He  is  weary  of  repenting." 
 — Keil. 
 
 •'  God  is  represented  as  a  man  whose 
 
 patience  is  at  last  quite   tired  out,   it 
 
 being  to  no  purpose  to  withdraw  His 
 
 hand  any  longer  from  striking." — Loxvth. 
 
 Comments — 
 
 Ver.  7.  "  The  gates  of  the  land  mean 
 the  places  by  which  men  enter  or  leave 
 it.  As  God  winnows  them,  they  are 
 driven  out  of  the  land  through  all  its 
 outlets  in  every  direction."  —  Payne 
 Smith. 
 
 "  The  gates  of  the  land  mean  the 
 extreme  points  at  which  an  entrance  or 
 an  exit  was  effected.  Jehovah  threatens 
 to  carry  them  thither,  to  be  thence 
 scattered  among  the  nations."  (Comp. 
 Nab.  iii.  13.) — Henderson. 
 
 Ver.  8.  ^^  Against  the  mother  of  the 
 young  men,"  &c.  (See  Lit.  Grit,  on 
 ver.  p.  315.)  Most  of  the  old  com- 
 mentators regarded  this  as  a  reference 
 to  the  mother-city,  Jerusalem.  Arch- 
 bishop Seeker  suggested  that  "  the  nation 
 in  general  is  called  the  '  mother '  of  each 
 Jewin  particular,"  citing  Isa.  1.  1  andHos. 
 ii.  2-5.  But  exact  criticism  brings  out 
 the  sense — against  the  mother  of  the  young 
 man,  the  word  rendered  *'  young  man  " 
 meaning  a  picked  warrior  ;  and  suggest- 
 ing that  even  the  vigorous  woman  who 
 had  borne  a  valorous  warrior  would  fall 
 before  the  spoiler.  Neither  strength  nor 
 321 
 
 valour  could  deliver  from  him.  Others 
 suggest,  that  both  mother  and  son 
 would  fall,  neither  age  nor  sex  being 
 respected. 
 
 Ver.  8.  Theme  :  Sudden  spoliations. 
 
 A  s2)oiler  at  noonday':  Henderson's 
 reading  (see  Lit.  Grit),  "a  young 
 spoiler,"  leads  him  to  adopt  into  his 
 comments  a  historic  statement  which 
 Josej^hus  cites  from  Berosus,the  Chaldean 
 historian,  which  reads  thus :  "  That 
 Nabopollassar,  king  of  Babylon,  hear- 
 ing that  the  provinces  of  Egypt,  Coele- 
 Syria,  and  Phenice  had  revolted,  and 
 being  himself  infirm  from  age,  sent  a 
 part  of  his  forces  under  his  son  Nebu- 
 chadnezzar {i.e.,  Nebuchadnezzar  II.), 
 then  in  the  jyrime  of  youth,  by  whom 
 these  provinces  were  again  reduced." 
 After  defeating  Pharaoh-Necho  at  Char- 
 chemish,  he  marched  forward  against 
 Jerusalem  and  captured  it.  The  noon- 
 day attack,  at  an  hour  when  military 
 operations  were  usually  suspended,  indi- 
 cated the  restlessness  of  the  spoiler — he 
 could  not  wait ;  and  the  xmexpected- 
 ness  of  the  attack — at  an  hour  when 
 none  anticipated.  So  that  these  facts 
 stand  out : 
 
 I.  The  Divinity  which  rules  in 
 calamities.  "/  have  brought  upon 
 them:"  "/  have  caused,"  &c.  (1.) 
 God  works  always.  (2.)  Disasters  have 
 a  meaning  and  a  mission.  (3.)  The 
 law  is  being  Divinely  enforced  that  sin 
 brings  misery. 
 
 II.  The  resources  of  Jehovah  for 
 chastisement.  God  would  have  "  the 
 young  spoiler  "  ready  when  the  hour  of 
 judgment  arrived.  (1)  He  foreknows 
 history,  (2)  anticipates  the  careers  of 
 nations,  (3)  provides  for  contingencies, 
 and  (4)  prejDares  His  emissaries  for  the 
 work  to  be^done. 
 
 III.  The  startling  aspects  of  mis- 
 fortune. 
 
 1.  At  an  unlikely  hour :  "  noonday." 
 
 2.  By  an  impatient  agent:  eager, 
 restless,  could  not  wait  for  the  sultry 
 noon  to  pass. 
 
 3.  With  an  impetuoxis  force  :  "  sud- 
 denly," like  a  lightning  stroke ;  and 
 "  fall  upon,"  as  a  crushing  avalanche, 
 irresistible,  overbearing  all.     Even  the 
 
HOMILETIC  COMMENTARY:  JEREMIAH. 
 
 young  warriors  fell  before  the  spoiler, 
 and  the  mother  too. 
 
 (a.)  Thus  affliction  comes,  and  health, 
 loved  lives,  are  stricken. 
 
 [b.)  Thus  reverses  befall,  and  home, 
 fortune,  are  shattered. 
 
 (c.)  Thus  conscience  terrifies,  and  the 
 soul  is  filled  with  anguish  for  its  guilt. 
 
 {d.)  Thus  death  seizes  its  victims,  and 
 we  lie  cold  ;  or  "  widows  "  multiply,  or 
 "  young  men  "  fall,  or  "  mothers  "  weep 
 for  the  slain. 
 
 (e.)  Thus  the  last  day  will  come,  and 
 the  archangels'  cry  will  suddenly  appal 
 the  world. 
 
 Theme :  Life's  noontide.  "  The 
 spoiler  at  noonday." 
 
 Sermon  to  the  Young. 
 
 I.  In  the  noontide  of  life  we  suspect 
 no  nearing  ills.  The  foe  would  not  be 
 anticipated  at  "  noonday."  The  young 
 expect  no  perils. 
 
 II.  In  the  noontide  of  life  spoilers 
 conspire  for  our  fall.  The  schemes 
 of  the  enemy  are  founded  on  our  not 
 expecting  him.     He  takes  advantage. 
 
 III.  In  the  noontide  of  life  the 
 young  have  been  destroyed.  Think  of 
 Byron.  Yes,  even  the  "  young  warrior." 
 "  The  young  men  do  utterly  fall." 
 
 IV.  In  the  noontide  of  life  death 
 seizes  its  prey.  JSTo  age  is  spared.  The 
 "spoiler"  respects  none.  Youth  may 
 die. 
 
 V.  In  the  noontide  of  life,  God's 
 redeeming  care  is  urgently  needed. 
 Only  as  He  befriends  us  are  we  safe 
 when  the  "  spoiler  "  comes.  Religion  is 
 not  merely  for  old  age.  Youth  needs 
 God.  Hid  with  Christ  in  Him,  nought 
 can  harm.  "  I  fear  no  evil,  for  Thou  art 
 with  me." 
 
 See  Addenda  :  Life's  Noontide, 
 
 Vers.  6-9.  Theme:  God  foksakinq 
 AND  God  forsaken. 
 
 When  the  Spirit  of  the  Lord  came 
 upon  Azariah,  the  son  of  Oded  (2 
 Chron.  xv.  1,  2),  he  was  moved  to 
 say  unto  Judah  and  Benjamin,  "  The 
 Lord  is  with  you,  while  ye  be  with 
 Him ;  and  if  ye  seek  Him  He  will  be 
 found  of  you,  hut  if  ye  forsaJce  Him 
 He  tvill  forsaJce  you."     These  verses  re- 
 
 markably verify  that  inspired  utterance. 
 Here  we  meet — 
 
 I.  A  God  forsaking  people.  They  are 
 convicted  by  God  Himself  of  a  great 
 folly  and  sin  :  "  Thou  hast  forsaken 
 Me."  In  chap.  ii.  13  the  charge  is 
 more  complete.  Creation  is  called  upon 
 to  express  surprise  at  a  folly  so  conspic- 
 uous as  that  of  forsaking  the  fount  of 
 all  good,  and  taking  up  with  helpless 
 vanities. 
 
 "  Thou," — who  oughtest  to  have  been 
 unto  Me  a  loyal  and  loving  people,  tes 
 tifying  of  My  power  and  grace,  and 
 proving  by  separation  from  the  nations 
 your  preference  for  the  living  and  true 
 God. 
 
 "  Hast  forsahen"  —  not  simply  for- 
 gotten, or  disobeyed,  but  of  deliberate 
 choice  hast  taken  other  gods,  and  disre- 
 garded Jehovah. 
 
 "J/e,"  —  who  called  Abraham  and 
 made  a  covenant  of  lasting  privileges 
 with  him  and  his  descendants,  who 
 brought  you  out  of  Egypt,  who  led 
 you,  fed  you,  protected  you,  and 
 gave  to  you  the  land  in  which  you 
 dwell ;  and  assured  you,  by  wondrous 
 promises  which  yet  await  fulfilment, 
 of  future  good  and  greatness  to  you, 
 if  you  could  but  be  faithful  to  Je- 
 hovah. 
 
 II.  A  God-forsaken  people.  This 
 is  the  eflfect,  man's  conduct  the 
 cause.  "If  ye  forsake  Him,  He  will 
 forsake  you."  When  a  people  are  for- 
 saken of  God,  they  are — 
 
 1.  Ahvays  retrograde.  "Thou  art 
 gone  backward,"  spiritually  gone  back 
 into  Egypt.  All  who  forsake  God  go 
 backward,  always  backward,  and  down- 
 ward. Unless  they  repent  and  obey 
 God,  there  is  no  way  forward  and 
 upward.  Forward  and  upward  is  the 
 desire  and  movement  of  a  true  soul. 
 
 2.  Always  in  danger  of  destrtiction. 
 "  Therefore  will  I  destroy  you."  There- 
 fore {i.e.),  because  you  have  gone  back- 
 ward. It  is  the  penalty  of  a  backward 
 movement.  It  must  come  upon  all  who 
 forsake  God.  If  we  forsake  the  mercy, 
 we  inherit  the  misery. 
 
 3.  Always  exposed  to  tenws  and 
 disasters.  Suggested  by  such  words 
 as,  "  bereave," — "  widows^" — "  spoiler," 
 
CHAP.  XV. 
 
 UOMILETIC  COMMENTARY:  JEREMIAH. 
 
 — "terrors."      All  caused  by  the  God 
 they  have  forsaken. 
 
 4.  Ahvays  drifting  into  languor, 
 premature  decline,  shame,  and  death  (ver. 
 9).  Such  is  the  end  of  those  who  are 
 forsaken  of  God.  No  strengtli,  no 
 courage,  no  2)j-og)-ess,  no  real  true  life  ; 
 but  decline,  captivity,  and  darkness. 
 "  Turn  ye,  turn  ye,  for  why  will  ye  die, 
 0  house  of  Israel?  "—TT.  Whale. 
 
 Comments — 
 
 Ver.  9.  "  She  that  hath  home  seven 
 languisheth.'^  Seven,  being  the  perfect 
 number,  signifies  fulness :  Jerusalem, 
 the  mother-city,  was  once  fully  popu- 
 lated, now  she  is  deserted  !  "  Formerly 
 she  prided  herself  in  her  oflfspring " 
 (comp.  1  Sam.  ii.  5),  but  now  she  is 
 "ashamed  and  confounded"  (Lam.  i.  1). 
 
 "/S7ie  hath  given  up  the  ghost:"  lit., 
 She  hath  breathed  out  her  life,  as  if  in 
 laboured  sighs  :  expiring  in  heavy  heart- 
 breaths  of  grief.  (Comp.  Job  xxxi. 
 39.) 
 
 "^er  Sim  is  gone  doivn  ivhile  it  ivas 
 yet  day."  "The  sun  of  her  life  sets 
 before  the  evening  has  been  reached." 
 (Comp.  Amos  viii.  9.) — Keil. 
 
 "  The  sun  of  her  life,  and  the  ha-ppi- 
 ness  (comp,  Mai.  iii.  20,  Psa.  Ixxxiv. 
 12)  which  she  had  in  her  sous,  is  gone 
 down." — Naeg. 
 
 Connecting  these  verses  with  the  ill- 
 fated  battle  of  Megiddo,  and  accepting 
 these  words  as  descriptive,  most  com- 
 mentators regard  them  as  depicting 
 the  consternation  of  Jerusalem  at  that 
 disastrous  event.  If  so,  the  going  down 
 of  the  sun  ivhile  it  ivas  yet  day  holds 
 an  apt  reference  to  the  eclipse  which 
 occurred  on  Sept.  30,  B.C.  610. 
 
 Theme :  Life  prematurely  closed. 
 Text :  "  Her  sun  is  gone  down  while  it 
 was  yet  <lay."  Specially  applicable  to  a 
 useful  Christian  life  cut  off  by  death  in 
 the  midst  of  its  years. 
 
 I.  A  lustrous  life.  She  was  our 
 "sun."  In  the  horizon  of  our  home, 
 or  our  church,  or  our  friendships,  she 
 glowed,  and  with  her  radiant  charac- 
 ter and  gleaming  ministries  gladdened 
 alL 
 
 326 
 
 1.  A  consp)iciioiis  life :  of  worth,  of 
 usefulness,  of  eminence. 
 
 2.  A  beneficent  life :  giving  out  good 
 and  gladness  to  others. 
 
 3.  An  illuminated  life.  For  God 
 gave  the  sun  its  glory.  All  our  ex- 
 cellences, all  our  power  of  usefulness, 
 are  His  gifts.  "  The  heavens  declare 
 the  glory  of  God,  and  the  firmament 
 showeth  His  handiwoi'lc.'"  Yes :  and 
 "  we  are  His  ivorlcmanshipj^  "  The  Lord 
 gives  grace  arid  glory." 
 
 II.  A  lustrous  life  prematurely 
 darkened.     "  While  yet  day." 
 
 1.  The  course  of  human  life  is  not  of 
 uniform  dttration. 
 
 2.  The  most  benignant  and  beautiful 
 life  may  suddenly  end.  Though  we  be 
 robed  with  grace  and  living  for  Christ, 
 that  does  not  assure  to  us  length  of 
 days. 
 
 3.  When  a  beautiful  life  ends,  preter- 
 nattiral  gloom  ensiies.  Some  deaths 
 cause  no  bewailing.  It  is  a  tribute 
 to  the  worth  of  a  life  that  it  is  so 
 missed  and  so  lamented.  "  Devout  men 
 made  lamentation  over  him." 
 
 III.  A  lustrous  life  prematurely  set 
 will  again  rise  and  shine.  All  lives 
 are  not  lustrous,  yet  all  lives  must  set  in 
 the  grave.  Death  comes  to  all  sooner 
 or  later.  Our  lives  differ  in  degree  of 
 grace  and  glory.  Our  deaths  therefore 
 differ.  All  will  rise  again,  but  not  all 
 to  shine.  "  Then  shall  the  righteous 
 shine  forth,"  &c. 
 
 1.  Comfort  in  this  thought.  The 
 sun  will  again  rise  and  shine.  So  will 
 the  cherished  life  we  mourn  as  having 
 "  gone  down." 
 
 2.  Inspiration  in  this  thought.  Ra- 
 diant careers  on  earth  will  glow  with 
 splendour  hereafter.  Therefore,  "Let 
 your  light  shine  before  men."  Live 
 beneficent  lives. 
 
 3.  Satisfaction  in  this  thought.  Life 
 is  not  a  blunder ;  death  is  not  a  catas- 
 trophe. Sudden  death  is  sudden  blessed- 
 ness. "  Blessed  are  the  dead  which  die 
 in  the  Lord."  The  soul  whom  Jesus 
 robes  with  beauty,  and  is  thus  beloved 
 and  beneficent  while  on  earth,  does  not 
 cease   its  ministry.       All  the  grace  of 
 
HO  MI  LET IC  COMMENTARY :  JEREMIAH. 
 
 cjTAP.  xy. 
 
 Christ  is  not  bestowed  in  vain.  Death 
 spoils  nothing.  The  life  is  hid  from  our 
 vision  by  the  darkness  into  which  it  has 
 "gone  down;"  but  it  shall  rise  again, 
 and  shine  in  the  light  of  God. 
 
 4.  Warning  in  this  thought.  We 
 cannot  calculate  upon  years,  "This 
 night  thy  soul  may  be  required  of  thee." 
 
 See  Addenda:  Early  Death. 
 
 Ver.  15-9.  Theme  :  Beautiful  but 
 BRIEF.  "  Her  sun  is  gone  down  while  it 
 was  yet  day." 
 
 The  text  is  part  of  a  gloomy  description 
 of  Israel's  decline.  We  take  it  from  the 
 context  and  use  it  topically,  as  an  appro- 
 priate description  of  the  end  of  a  brief 
 but  beautiful  life.  Of  our  friend  it  may 
 be  said  that — 
 
 I.  Her  life  was  like  the  sun  in  its 
 shining. 
 
 1.  It  was  gloriously  bright  with  faith 
 and  joy. 
 
 2.  It  was  blessedly  useful  in  diffusing 
 light. 
 
 3.  It  was  constantly  comforting,  by 
 its  warmth  of  love,  and  hope, 
 
 4.  It  was  Christianly  generous,  always 
 giving. 
 
 5.  It  was  a  centre  of  attraction,  in  the 
 house,  in  the  class,  in  the  social  circle, 
 and  in  the  church. 
 
 II.  Her  death  was  like  the  sun  in 
 its  setting. 
 
 1.   Gradual.  2.  Beautiful. 
 
 3.   Peaceful.  4.  To  rise  again. 
 
 III.  Her  sunset  was  early  in  the 
 day  of  life. 
 
 1.  In  the  prime  and  beauty  of  being. 
 
 2.  In  the  midst  of  work. 
 
 3.  It  seems  unnatural,  and  suggests 
 questions. 
 
 4.  It  is  an  interposition  of  God  in  His 
 Providence,  doubtless  wise  and  loving. 
 
 5.  It  leads  us  from  the  creature  to  the 
 Creator. 
 
 6.  It  suggests  that  we  be  all  ready, 
 always  ready,  "at  such  an  hour  as  ye 
 think  not,"— IF.  Whale. 
 
 Vers.    15-9.      Theme:    Premature 
 
 SUNSET. 
 
 An  expressive  metaphor.  Not  true 
 to  nature,  because  the  history  so  de- 
 scribed was  not  natural.     Both  heaven 
 
 and  earth  were  called  upon  to  express 
 surprise  (Isa.  i.  2,  3).  Unnatural 
 conduct  leads  to  an  unnatural  end,  the 
 wicked  shall  not  live  out  half  their  days. 
 Sunset  is  one  of  the  most  beautiful 
 sights  in  nature,  but  a  sudden,  stormy 
 hiding  of  the  sun  at  midday  is  cal- 
 culated to  fill  the  beholder  with  distress. 
 Such  is  the  metaphor.  Let  us  con- 
 template it — 
 I.  In  nature. 
 
 1.  It  ivouldbe  unnatural. 
 
 2.  It  ivotdd  be  injtu'ious  to  all  life. 
 
 3.  It  wotdd  malce  us  less  confident,  as 
 to  the  ^merring  regidarity  ofnatureh  law. 
 
 II.  In  history.  We  see  many  cases 
 in  which  nations  have  fallen,  not  with 
 the  decrepitude  of  age,  but  through  early 
 and  self-wrought  ruin.  The  Old  World, 
 Sodom,  Nineveh,  Babylon,  &c.,  &c.  The 
 case  of  Jerusalem  conspicuous  (Matt, 
 xxiii.  37-39). 
 
 III.  In  individual  life.  The  young 
 — the  immoral  —  the'  unprincipled  in 
 character  generally.  Obedience  to  God 
 gives  a  long  day  and  beautiful  sunset. 
 
 The  text  may  be  used  topically  for  a 
 funeral  sermon,  in  the  case  of  a  young 
 woman., —  W.  Whale. 
 
 Theme :  Thoughts  upon  death. 
 "  She  hath  given  up  the  ghost,  her  sua 
 is  gone  down  while  it  was  yet  day." 
 
 1.  Death  is  a  solemn  event ;  it  is  the 
 end  of  our  probationary  state,  and  the 
 beginning  of  a  new  and  unchanging 
 state  of  being — and  it  is  of  frequent 
 occurrence. 
 
 2.  No  class  can  escape  from  the  state 
 of  death.  The  aged  cannot  live  long, 
 and  the  young  may  be  cut  down  in  the 
 noonday  of  life. 
 
 I.  Death  dissolves  our  connection 
 with  the  world. 
 
 1.  Dissolves  all  natural  relationship. 
 
 2.  Ends  dangers  and  perils. 
 
 3.  Takes  away  the  means  of  grace. 
 
 4.  Closes  our  probationary  state. 
 
 5.  Discloses  our  eternal  needs. 
 
 II.  Death  is  the  departure  of  the 
 soul  to  another  state, 
 
 1.  It  does  not  sink  into  insensibility 
 as  does  the  body.     The  soul  lives. 
 
 2.  Should  death  come  now,  how  would 
 it  find  us  % 
 
 327 
 
CHAP.   ST, 
 
 UOMILETIO  COMMENTARY:  JEREMIAE. 
 
 III.  The  change  at  death  is  very  great. 
 
 1.  The  mode  of  its  occurrence  is,  to 
 us  now,  very  mysterious. 
 
 2.  It  is  an  awful  event  to  the  ungodly 
 and  impenitent. 
 
 IV.  Though  the  event  is  certain,  the 
 time  is  uncertain. 
 
 V.  The  solemnity  of  the  event  is 
 realised  by  all  who  think  seriously 
 upon  it. 
 
 VI.  Death  will  leave  us  in  this 
 separate  state  until  the  last  judgment. 
 Means  of  grace  must  be  improved ; 
 salvation  of  the  soul  must  be  secured 
 before  the  welfare  of  the  body.  Pre- 
 paration for  death  is  necessary  for  all, 
 for  all  must  die.  "  Prepare  to  meet  thy 
 Qod^J'—Old  MS. 
 
 Vers.  11-14  considered  together  : 
 
 "  The  sense  seems  to  be  this — 
 
 i.  The  Lord  does  not  vouchsafe  to 
 give  a  direct  answer  to  the  prophet's 
 complaints  and  murmurings  concerning 
 his  own  condition  and  calling.  By 
 this  silence  He  administers  a  tacit 
 rebuke  to  Jeremiah  for  speaking  in  a 
 spirit  of  sullenness  and  discontent. 
 
 ii.  He  turns  aside  to  Jerusalem,  and 
 explains  His  dispensations  towards  her, 
 and  thus  by  implication  He  replies  to 
 Jeremiah.  He  says  to  her  (ver.  11)  / 
 will  affiict  thee  for  good,  and  will  make 
 thine  enemies  to  entreat  thee. 
 
 This  was  fulfilled  in  the  kind  treat- 
 ment that  the  Hebrew  captives  received 
 from  their  conquerors,  even  Nebuchad- 
 nezzar in  the  case  of  Daniel  and  the 
 three  children  ;  and  of  IBelshazzar,  and 
 of  Cyrus,  Darius,  Ahasuerus,  and  Ar- 
 taxerxes  in  succession,  after  the  days 
 of  Nebuchadnezzar.  Even  the  captive 
 king  of  Judah,  Jehoiachin,  was  treated 
 kindly  at  Babylon  by  Evil-Merodach. 
 
 iii.  The  prophet  answers,  Can  this 
 be  true  ?  Can  iron  break  the  northern 
 iron  and  steel  1  Can  the  Hebrew  nation 
 have  any  power  against  the  mighty 
 power  of  the  northern  realm  of  Chaldea  1 
 
 iv.  No,  answers  the  Lord,  this  will 
 be  done  by  their  own  power.  The  iron 
 of  Jerusalem  will  not  break  the  iron  and 
 steel  of  Babylon.  On  the  contrary, 
 turning  to  Jerusalem,  He  says,  /  ivill 
 give  thy  substance  to  the  spoil  for  thy 
 3-28 
 
 sins,  and  will  male  thee  to  pass  into  the 
 land  ivhich  thou  hioivest  not.  But  yet, 
 I  who  scatter  thee  for  thy  sins  in  My 
 wrath,  will  chasten  thee  for  thy  good 
 (ver.  11).  Thus  God  always  tempered 
 judgment  with  mercy  in  His  dealings 
 with  His  people." —  Wordsivorth. 
 
 [See  also  Sectional  treatment,  p.  316.] 
 
 Ver.  10.  Theme:  A  troublous 
 PKEACHEU  TROUBLED,  Alas  !  a  man  of 
 strife. 
 
 "  Even  those  who  are  not  quiet  and 
 peaceable,  if  they  serve  God  faithfully, 
 are  often  made  men  of  strife.  We  can 
 but  follow  peace;  we  have  the  making 
 only  of  one  side  of  the  bargain,  and 
 therefore  can  but  as  much  as  in  us  lies 
 live  peaceably." — Henry. 
 
 Jeremiah's  case  suggests — 
 
 I.  Distraction  over  the  results  of  a 
 faithful  ministry.  *'  I  am  for  peace,  but 
 they  are  for  war."  It  was  not  that  lie 
 strove  with  them,  but  they  with  him  and 
 his  work  for  God.  Yet  no  one  can  rebuke 
 sinners  without  stirring  antagonism.  "Art 
 thou  he  that  troubleth Israeli"  " These 
 men  which  turn  the  earth  upside  down  are 
 come  hither  also!"  "Have  I  become 
 your  enemy  because  I  tell  you  the  truth? " 
 
 1.  A  fearful  witness  for  God  cannot 
 win  popular  favour. 
 
 2.  Hostility  to  his  work  is  sure  to  pain 
 the  true  preacher's  heart. 
 
 II.  Innocence  of  blame  for  the  anta- 
 gonism aroused.  Had  Jeremiah  been  a 
 had  debtor,  or  disobeying  creditor,  they 
 could  not  have  acted  more  virulently  to- 
 wards him. 
 
 1.  Hostility  to  a  faithful  preacher  is 
 unreasonable  and  i(77just.  "  Why,  what 
 evil  hath  He  done  1 "  asked  Pilate  of  the 
 incensed  crowd. 
 
 2.  History  repeats  itself  in  the  harsh 
 usage  borne  by  God's  ministers.  "  Which 
 of  the  prophets  have  ye  not  persecuted  ]" 
 So  with  Rutherford,  Wesley,  Bunyan, 
 &c.  The  natural  man,  at  enmity  with 
 God,  will  not  be  at  peace  with  the  man 
 of  God  who  convinces  him  of  his  sin. 
 Fashion  still  scorns  the  faithful  and 
 evangelical  preacher.  Public  bodies  are 
 at  strife  with  religious  societies  and 
 Christian  alliances  which  resist  measures 
 for  the  desecration  of  the  Lord's  day,  &c. 
 
HOMILETia  COMMENTARY:  JEREMIAH. 
 
 CHAP.  XV. 
 
 See  Addenda:  ATroubled  Ministry. 
 
 III.  Despondent  misapprehension  of 
 a  Divine  mission.  Jeremiah  in  a  dole- 
 ful mood  only  saw  the  "  strife  "  he  had 
 aroused.  Moments  when  our  best  work 
 shows  only  ill  results.  All  workers  for 
 Christ  "  go  forth  weeping."  Good  work 
 is  often  done  with  pain.  We  cannot  see 
 all  the  blessed  effects  of  godly  service. 
 But  "  woe  is  unto  us,  if  we  preach  not." 
 Courage  and  grace  can  alone  prevent 
 us  from  "  fainting  in  the  day  of  adver- 
 sity," and  enable  us  to  continue  "  faithful 
 unto  death." 
 
 See  Noticeable  Topics :  "  Men  of 
 Progress,  Men  of  Strife." 
 
 Comments — 
 
 Ver.  11.  The  Lord  said,  Yerihj,  &c. 
 Henderson  renders  the  verse  thus  :  "Je- 
 hovah saith,  Have  I  not  set  thee  free  for 
 good  1  Have  I  not  made  the  enemy  take 
 thy  part  in  the  time  of  calamity  and  in  the 
 time  of  distress  1 "  Dr.  Gotch  (in  Eyre  & 
 Spottiswoode's  "Revised English  Bible") 
 translates:  "Verily,  I  set  thee  free  for 
 thy  good  ;  verily,  I  will  cause  the  enemy 
 to  make  supplication  to  thee,  in  the 
 time  of  evil,  and  in  the  time  of  afflic- 
 tion." 
 
 "The  rendering  of  the  A.  V.,  thy 
 remnant,  gives  an  untrue  sense.  It 
 would  mean  all  the  rest  of  Jeremiah's 
 days,  which  were  by  no  means  days  of 
 happiness.  Nor  had  he  even  at  last  a 
 period  of  tranquillity.  But  tliy  loosing 
 means  thy  being  set  free,  thy  deliverance, 
 and  this  sense  is  satisfactory." — Payne 
 Smith. 
 
 ^^ Entreat  thee  ivell:"  rather,  suppli- 
 cate thee;  fulfilled  in  chaps,  xxi.  1,  2 ; 
 xxxvii.  3 ;  xlii.  2. 
 
 i.  God's  despised  prophet  ivill  he  fonnd 
 usefid.  "In  the  time  of  evil,  and  in  the 
 time  of  affliction." 
 
 ii.  Maledictions  ivill  give  p)lace  to  sup- 
 plications. "  Affliction  "  wonderfully 
 changes  the  tone  and  temper  of  those 
 who  once  hated  and  resisted  the  mes- 
 senger of  Heaven.  The  day  of  pride 
 will  soon  close. 
 
 iii.  Divine  protection  overshadows  His 
 faith  fid  ivitnesses.  Surrounded  with 
 strife,  yet  Jehovah  both  guards  and  ulti- 
 mately vindicates  His  servants. 
 
 Ver.  12.  Theme:  The  northern  iron 
 AND  steel.  "  Shall  iron  break  the 
 northern  iron  and  the  steel  %  " 
 
 The  Jews  treated  Jeremiah  so  harshly 
 and  unjustly,  that  he  feared  they  would 
 break  his  heart ;  they  smote  him  as  with 
 an  iron  rod,  and  he  felt  like  one  crushed 
 beneath  their  unkindness. 
 
 God  never  did,  and  never  will,  place  a 
 man  in  a  trying  position  and  then  leave 
 him.  If  the  rebellious  seed  of  Israel 
 were  iron,  the  Lord  declared  that  His 
 prophet  should  be  hardened  by  sustain- 
 ing grace  into  northern  iron  and  steel. 
 If  they  beat  upon  him  like  hammers  on 
 an  anvil,  he  should  be  made  of  such 
 strong,  enduring  texture,  that  he  should 
 be  able  to  resist  all  their  blows.  Iron 
 in  the  olden  times  amongst  the  Israelites 
 was  very  coarsely  manufactured,  but  the 
 best  was  the  iron  from  the  north.  So 
 bad  was  their  iron  generally,  that  an 
 admixture  of  brass,  which  amongst  us 
 would  be  thought  rather  to  deteriorate 
 the  hardness,  was  regarded  as  an  im- 
 provement ;  so  the  Lord  puts  it,  "  Shall 
 iron — the  common  iron — break  the  most 
 firm  and  best-prepared  iron  1 " 
 
 This  is  a  proverbial  expression,  appli- 
 cable to  many  other  matters  besides  that 
 of  the  prophet  and  the  Jews;  it  is  clearly 
 meant  to  show  that 
 
 In  order  to  achieve  a  purpose 
 there  must  be  sufficient  force.  The 
 weaker  cannot  overcome  the  stronger. 
 In  a  general  clash  the  firmest  will  win. 
 You  cannot  cut  granite  with  a  pen- 
 knife, nor  drill  a  hole  in  a  rock  with 
 an  auger  of  silk.  We  shall  apply  this 
 proverb — 
 
 I.  To  the  people  of  Grod  individually. 
 Shall  any  power  be  able  to  destroy  the 
 saints  1  Weak  as  they  are,  they  will 
 tread  down  the  strength  of  their  foes. 
 There  is  a  force  about  them  which  can- 
 not be  put  down. 
 
 1.  Many  Christians  are  subjected 
 to  great  temi^tations  and  persectitions  ; 
 mocked,  ridiculed,  called  by  evil  names. 
 Persecuted  one,  will  you  deny  the 
 faith  1  If  so,  you  are  not  made  of 
 the  same  stuff  as  the  true  disciple  of 
 Jesus  Christ ;  for  when  the  grace  of 
 God  is  in  them,  if  the  world  be  iron, 
 they  are  northern  iron  and  steel.     Will 
 
 329 
 
CHAP.  XV, 
 
 HOMILETIC  COMMENTARY:  JEREMIAH. 
 
 you  shrink  iu  the  day  of  trial  1  Do 
 you  mean  to  play  the  coward  1  "  Shall 
 the  iron  break  the  northern  iron  and 
 steell"  Be  strong.  Quit  you  like  men  ; 
 and,  in  the  energy  of  the  Holy  Ghost, 
 endure  as  seeing  Him  who  is  iuvisible. 
 
 2,  We  are  frequently  called  to  serve 
 God  amid  great  difficidties.  Some  of 
 you  who  go  to  the  lodging-houses  to 
 speak,  who  visit  the  alleys,  &c.,  find 
 much  annoyance  and  disappointment. 
 Will  you  say,  there  is  no  converting 
 these  dark  and  obdurate  souls  1  Is  the 
 iron  to  break  the  northern  iron  and  steel? 
 Are  we  to  give  way  under  difficulties  ? 
 Look  at  Mont  Cenis  Tunnel,  made 
 through  one  of  the  hardest  rocks ;  with 
 a  sharp  tool,  edged  with  diamond,  they 
 have  pierced  the  Alps.  As  St.  Bernard 
 says  :  "/s  thy  luorlc  hard?  set  a  harder 
 resolution  against  it ;  for  there  is  nothing 
 so  hard  that  cannot  he  cut  with  something 
 harder  still." 
 
 3.  To  labour  ivith  non-success,  and  to 
 wait,  is  hard  work.  It  is  a  grand  thing 
 for  a  Christian  to  coutinue  patiently  in 
 well-doing.  He  is  a  man  who  under 
 long-continued  disappointment  will  not 
 
 "  Bate  a  jot 
 Of  heart  or  hope,  but  still  bear  up  and  steer 
 Right  onward." 
 
 The  well-annealed  steel  within  him 
 ere  long  breaks  in  shivers  the  common 
 iron  which  strikes  him  so  severely.  To 
 him  to  overcome  by  grace  is  glory 
 indeed. 
 
 See  Addenda :  Be  not  Discour- 
 aged. 
 
 II.  Applicable  to  the  cause  of  God  in 
 the  world  —  to  the  Church.  What 
 power,  however  like  to  iron,  shall  suffice 
 to  break  the  kingdom  of  Jesus,  which 
 is  comparable  to  steel  ? 
 
 1.  We  hear  it  said  that  Romanism 
 will  again  vanquish  England;  that  the 
 Gospel  light,  Nvhich  Latimer  helped  to 
 kindle,  will  be  extinguished.  Atrocious 
 nonsense,  if  not  partial  blasphemy.  If 
 this  thing  were  of  men,  it  would  come 
 to  nought ;  but  if  it  be  of  God,  who  shall 
 overthrow  it  ]  As  surely  as  the  Lord 
 liveth  the  end  of  Komish  Antichrist  will 
 come,  and  the  long-expected  cry  shall 
 be  heard,  "  Babylon  the  great  is  fallen." 
 330 
 
 2.  Others  foretell  the  triumph  of 
 infidelity.  Consider  what  these  gloomy 
 forebodings  mean  %  That  the  gates  of 
 hell  are  to  prevail  against  the  Church ; 
 that  the  pleasure  of  the  Lord  is  not  to 
 prosper  in  His  hand.  Who  but  a  lying 
 spirit  would  thus  lay  low  the  faith  and 
 confidence  of  God's  people  1  Infidelity 
 and  Socinianism  have  ready  tongues, 
 but  every  tongue  that  rises  against  the 
 Church  in  judgment  He  will  condemn. 
 The  Church  can  bear  the  blows  of 
 Bitualism  and  Infidelity,  and  survive 
 them  all,  and  be  better  for  them  too. 
 The  iron  will  never  break  the  northern 
 iron  and  steel. 
 
 See  Addenda :  Evil  shall  not  Pee- 
 
 VAIL. 
 
 III.  Apply  the  principle  to  the  self- 
 righteous  efforts  which  men  make  for 
 their  own  salvation.  •  The  iron  will 
 never  break  the  northern  iron  and 
 steel. 
 
 1.  The  bonds  of  guilt  are  not  to  he 
 snap'ped  hy  a  merely  human  power. 
 Habits  of  sin  yield  not  to  the  raspings 
 of  unregenerate  resolves.  All  your 
 efforts  apart  from  Jesus  are  utterly  use- 
 less. He  must  bring  liberty — you  can- 
 not emancipate  yourselves. 
 
 2.  Yet  that  were  an  easy  task  com- 
 pared with  a  man  renewing  his  oivn 
 heart. 
 
 3.  Do  you  think  you  can  force  your 
 way  to  heaven  by  ceremony  ?  There  is 
 no  potency  in  baptism,  confirmation, 
 outward  ceremonies  of  man's  devising 
 or  of  God's  instituting,  to  deliver  you 
 from  the  bonds  which  hold  you.  Come, 
 sinner,  with  thy  fetters  ;  lay  thy  wrist  at 
 the  cross-foot,  where  Christ  can  break 
 the  iron  at  once. 
 
 IV.  Applicable  to  all  persons  who  are 
 making  self-reliant  efforts  for  the  good 
 of  others.  How  are  we  driven  to  the 
 conclusion  that  it  is  "not  by  might  nor 
 by  power,  but  by  the  Spirit  of  God." 
 Man's  heart  is  very  hard  ;  it  is  like  the 
 northern  iron  and  steel. 
 
 1.  Our  preaching — we  try  to  make  it 
 forcible — how  powerless  it  is  of  itself! 
 We  plead,  reason,  seek  goodly  words, 
 (fee,  but  the  northern  iron  and  steel 
 remain  immovable.  The  cries  and 
 tears  of  a  Whitfield  would  not  avail. 
 
HOMILETia  COMMENTARY:  JEREMIAH. 
 
 Though  all  the  Apostles  reasoned  with 
 them,  they  would  turn  a  deaf  ear. 
 
 2.  The  best-adapted  means  cannot 
 succeed.  A  mother^s  tears,  as  she  spoke 
 to  you  of  Jesus ;  the  pleadings  of  a  grey- 
 headed father  over  you — no  power  to 
 change  your  heart !  The  Gospel,  though 
 put  to  you  very  tenderly  by  those  you 
 love  best,  leaves  you  unsaved  still ! 
 You  have  been  sick,  near  death,  within 
 an  inch  of  doom  ;  yet  even  the  judgments 
 of  God  have  not  aroused  you.  But  it  is 
 not  Ezekiel's  duty  to  make  the  dry  bones 
 live  :  whether  they  live  or  not,  it  is  his 
 duty  to  prophesy  to  them.  Go  on  with 
 your  work,  but  let  a  sense  of  your  per- 
 sonal inability  make  you  fall  back  upon 
 your  God.  Let  it  keep  you  from  self- 
 reliant  prayer  or  work,  much  more  from 
 one  self-confident  sermon  or  address. 
 God  will  have  us  feel  that  the  iron 
 cannot  break  the  northern  iron  and 
 steel. 
 
 V.  This  text  has  a  very  solemn 
 application  to  all  those  who  are  rebels 
 against  God.  Fight  against  God,  would 
 you  1  Measure  your  Adversary,  I  charge 
 you.  The  wax  is  about  to  wrestle  with  the 
 flame,  the  tow  to  contend  with  the  fire. 
 "It  is  hard  for  thee  to  kick  against 
 the  pricks."  Cast  down  your  weapons. 
 Come  now,  and  ask  for  reconciliation ; 
 but  oh,  resist  no  longer,  for  the  iron 
 cannot  break  the  northern  iron  and  steel. 
 — Bev.  G.  H.  Spiirgeon,  Metropolitan 
 Tabernacle  Pulpit,  No.  993. 
 
 Comments — 
 
 Ver.  1 2.  Shall  iron  break  ?  &c.  This 
 simile  is  variously  interpreted  Thus  : — 
 "  By  the  iron  is  meant  Jeremiah's  inter- 
 cession ;  but  this  cannot  alter  the  Divine 
 purpose  to  send  Judah  into  exile,  which  is 
 firm  as  steel  and  brass." — Payne  Smith. 
 
 "  Can  trouble  and  affliction,  though 
 hard  as  iron,  break  one  who,  like  Jere- 
 miah, is  firm  as  steel  and  brass  1" — liashi 
 and  Umbreit. 
 
 "  Not  even  iron,  much  less  the  Jews, 
 could  resist  the  northern  Colossus  of  the 
 Chaldean  empire." — Ewald  and  Hen- 
 derson. 
 
 Others,  by  northern  iron, — i.e.,  the 
 steel  made  by  the  Chalybes  on  the 
 Pontus, — understand    the    obduracy   of 
 
 the  Jews,  which  not  even  iron  could 
 break. 
 
 "  Can  I,  Jeremiah,  even  if  I  be  iron, 
 break  the  obduracy  of  the  people  hard 
 as  steel  or  brass  ?  " — Graf. 
 
 The  Targum  regards  "the  iron"  as 
 Pharaoh  -  Necho,  and  "the  steel  and 
 brass  "  as  Nebuchadnezzar. 
 
 "  Though  there  be  great  hardness  in 
 you  (Jews),  can  it  yet  break  that  which 
 is  in  the  Assyrians?  but  ye  are  not 
 equal  to  them.  The  prophet's  design 
 was  to  divest  the  Jews  of  the  false 
 confidence  in  which  they  boasted." — 
 Calvin. 
 
 "  God  had  made  him  (Jeremiah)  an 
 '  iron  pillar  and  a  wall  of  brass,'  and  He 
 asks,  now,  was  it  possible  for  his  enemies 
 to  destroy  him  whom  God  had  thus 
 made?" — John  Owen. 
 
 \_Vide  next  verse.] 
 
 Ver.  13.  "  For  all  thy  sins,  even  in  all 
 thy  borders.'"  These  words  at  once  show 
 that  it  is  not  the  prophet  who  is  ad- 
 dressed in  the  verse  preceding,  but  the 
 Jewish  people. 
 
 "  To  the  spoil  without  |)r^ce,"  i.e., 
 "  not  making  thee  any  compensation,  but 
 inflicting  these  losses  upon  thee  as  a 
 punishment  for  thy  sins." — Dr.  Blayney. 
 
 "As  God  sells  His  people  for  nought, 
 i.e.,  gives  them  up  to  their  enemies 
 (comp.  Isa.  lii.  3,  Ps.  xliv.  13),  so  here  He 
 threatens  to  deliver  their  treasures  to 
 the  enemy  as  a  booty,  and  for  nought." 
 — Keil. 
 
 "  Three  things  are  said  : — 
 
 "i.  That  God  would  give  Judah's 
 treasures  away  for  notliing.  It  is  an 
 act  of  contempt,  implying  that  He  did 
 not  value  them. 
 
 "ii.  The  cause  of  this  contempt  is 
 Judah's  sins. 
 
 "  iii.  This  is  justified  by  the  extent  of 
 those  sins.  Judah  had  committed  them 
 everywhere,  throughout  her  whole  land." 
 — Dr.  Payne  Smith. 
 
 Ver.  15.  Theme:  The  desire  to  be 
 EEMEMBEEED.  "  O  Lord,  Thou  kuow- 
 est ;  remember  me  and  visit  me." 
 
 Jeremiah  desires  many  things ;  but 
 the  thing  he  asks  first,  as  including  all 
 the  rest,  is  that  God  would  not  let  him 
 drop  out  of  sight  and  thought. 
 
 331 
 
IIOMILETIO  COMMENTARY :  JEREMIAH. 
 
 I.  The  perpetually  recurring  phrase, 
 "  God  knows,"  expresses  a  mood  of 
 thought  common  to  rational  creatures. 
 
 A  craving  everywhere  to  be  remem- 
 bered. From  the  lips  of  the  dying, 
 from  friends  of  whom  we  are  taking  our 
 farewell,  fall  the  words,  "Remember 
 me."  Those  ambitious  minds,  not  con- 
 tent that  their  memorial  should  be  kept 
 in  a  few  hearts,  labour  that  their  names 
 may  be  remembered  by  multitudes. 
 Oblivion  appals  us. 
 
 The  moralist  can  easily  show  the 
 vanity  of  this  desire,  and  the  emptiness 
 of  the  end.  ^What  good  will  it  do  you, 
 he  asks,  to  be  remembered  when  you  are 
 out  amid  Australian  wilds,  or  on  the 
 parched  plains  of  India  ?  what  harm 
 would  it  do  you  to  be  forgot  ? 
 
 Enough  for  us  that  He  who  made  us 
 so  made  us  that,  hy  the  viahe  of  our 
 being,  we  desire  to  he  kindly  remembered. 
 
 II.  This  desire,  then,  is  in  our  nature  ; 
 and  the  prophet  shows  us  the  right 
 direction  in  which  to  train  it. 
 
 Pointing  us  to  the  heaven  above  us, 
 he  bids  us  seek  to  be  remembered  there  ! 
 The  thought  that  such  a  prayer  may  he 
 offered  to  God,  teaches  us  a  great  deal 
 of  His  kindliness,  condescension,  and 
 thoughtful  care.  You  feel  that  you  are 
 speaking  to  a  Real  Person  in  offering  a 
 prayer  like  this — not  to  some  vague, 
 undefined  "  Great  First  Cause  least  un- 
 derstood," but  to  a  merciful  Father  in 
 heaven,  who  looks  down  upon  His 
 child,  and,  "  like  as  a  father  pitieth  his 
 children,  pitieth  them  that  fear  Him." 
 
 It  was  while  looking  upon  the  kindly 
 human  face  of  Christ  that  the  tohole 
 hearts  ivish  of  the  poor  penitent  thief 
 went  out  in  the  "  Lord,  remember  me  ! " 
 
 It  was  in  special  clearness  of  revela- 
 tion of  God's  love  that  the  Psalmist  was 
 emboldened  to  say,  "I  am  poor  and 
 needy,  yet  the  Lord  thinketh  upon  me." 
 
 III.  Consider  the  encouraging  view 
 of  the  Hearer  of  Prayer  implied  in  the 
 words  of  the  prophet's  petition. 
 
 The  petition  was  an  acceptable  one, 
 and  it  was  right  that  he  offered  it.  "  Re- 
 member me,"  said  he,  in  his  day  of 
 sorrow,  to  God. 
 
 1.  He  was  not  staggered,  as  he  dreiu 
 near  in  p)rayer,  hy  intruding  doubt 
 332 
 
 whether  the  Almighty  would  listen  to 
 his  poor  words  or  consider  his  heart's 
 desires.  David,  psalmist  and  king, 
 knew  this  dread  :  "  When  I  consider  Thy 
 heavens,  .  .  .  what  is  man  that  Thou 
 art  mindfid  of  him,  or  visit  him?" 
 Jeremiah  almost  repeats  these  ideas : 
 "  Remember  and  visit  me."  What  a 
 steady  faith  in  God  is  in  this  prayer ! 
 Coming  like  a  little  child  to  the  great 
 Father,  the  little  voice  pleads,  "  Do  not 
 forget  me  I " 
 
 2.  It  is  not  presumption,  but  faith, 
 that  spealcs  here.  Be  sure  that  when 
 your  prayer  is  earnest  and  sincere,  and 
 offered  in  simple  faith  in  Christ  the 
 Mediator,  you  never  spoke  words  to 
 your  nearest  neighbour  that  he  heard 
 more  distinctly  than  the  Almighty  hears 
 that  prayer.  And  you  may  press  upon 
 Him  all  your  small  requests,  and  tell 
 out  to  Him  all  that  concerns  you,  say- 
 ing, "0  Lord,  remember  me  and  visit 
 me." 
 
 3.  Ponder  for  your  comfort  that 
 God  "  thinketh  upon "  you ;  that  He 
 "knoweth  your  frame,  and  remembereth 
 that  you  are  dust." 
 
 IV.  In  such  individuality  of  prayer 
 there  is  no  selfishness.  It  is  not  the 
 wish  to  be  distinguished  and  favoured 
 above  other  children  of  the  family.  It 
 is  but  the  wish  to  be  remembered  even  as 
 the  others.  It  is  but  that  when  Christ, 
 the  Great  Intercessor,  speaks  to  Almighty 
 God  for  Himself  and  His  brethren  of 
 mankind,  saying,  in  the  name  of  all, 
 "  Our  Father,"  the  poor  sinner  shotdd 
 not  be  left  out.  So  he  puts  forth  a 
 trembling  hand,  lifts  a  feeble  voice,  and 
 cries,  "  Bless  mealsoj"  "Lord,  remember 
 me,"  &c. 
 
 V.  Mark  what  simple  trust  in  God's 
 wisdom  and  kindness  is  implied  in  the 
 offering  of  such  a  petition. 
 
 1.  Everything  is  asked  in  that.  It 
 was  enough  just  to  put  one's-self  under 
 God's  eye,  just  to  get  God  to  think  of 
 one  at  all.  If  God  would  but  remember 
 us.  He  wotdd  see  all  our  ivants,  and 
 be  ivilling  to  give  us  all.  The  thief  on 
 the  cross  felt  that.  Only  ^'remember 
 me,"  and  all  will  be  right. 
 
 2.  Further  it  is  assumed,  that  if 
 God  remembers  us  it  will  be  in  love. 
 
HOMILETIO  COMMENTARY:  JEREMIAH. 
 
 Eemember  Low  Joseph,  in  the  dungeon, 
 asked  the  chief  butler  to  think  of  him  ; 
 and  said  hoiv  he  desired  to  be  thought 
 of,  ^^  and  show  kindness  tmto  one,"  Aic. 
 But  there  is  no  need  to  specify  how  we 
 wish  God  would  remember  us. 
 
 3.  Further.  God's  remembrance  is 
 ■jiractical.  He  comes  to  our  help.  The 
 want  remembered  will  be  relieved. 
 
 4.  Doubtless  there  is  a  season  in  the 
 history  of  the  tmconverted  man  in  which 
 he  can  have  no  real  desire  that  God 
 should  remember  him  :  he  rather  de- 
 sires to  keep  out  of  God's  sight  and 
 remembrance.  To  be  sure  that  every 
 word  and  deed  is  going  down  in  "the 
 book  of  God's  remembrance  "  is  the  very 
 last  thing  the  utterly  ungodly  man 
 would  wish. 
 
 5.  Yet  the  prayer  expresses  the  first 
 reaching  after  God  of  the  awakened  soid. 
 "Eemember  me!"  cried  prophet,  psal- 
 mist, penitent  thief. 
 
 If  we  make  it  our  desire  and  prayer 
 to  be  remembered  by  our  Saviour  and 
 God,  we  need  not  fear  that  we  shall  pass 
 from  His  recollection.  Others  we  loved 
 may  forget  us.  But  amid  all  the  care 
 of  this  universe.  He  will  stoop  down  to 
 think  of  us — never  forgotten  by  Him  ! 
 In  our  dark  days  and  weak  faith  we  may 
 be  ready  to  think  we  have  passed  from 
 His  thoughts.  There  is  no  such  ex- 
 perience but  believers  have  passed 
 through  before  us.  Thousands  of  years 
 since  our  doubts  and  fears  were  felt,  and 
 God  supplied  the  perfect  answer.  Lis- 
 ten to  the  ancient  words  of  dotiht,  and 
 God's  blessed  answer:  "But  Zion  said. 
 The  Lord  hath  forsaken  me,  and  my 
 God  hath  forgotten  me." 
 
 "Can  a  woman  forget  her  sucking  child, 
 that  she  should  not  have  compassion  on 
 the  son  of  her  womb  ?  Yea,  they  may  for- 
 get, yet  will  I  not  forget  thee.'' — A.  K. 
 H.  £.,  condensed  from  "  Counsels  and 
 Comfort,"  &c. 
 
 See   Addenda:    On   Being  Remem- 
 
 BEEED. 
 
 Ver.  15.  Theme :  Prayer.     "  0  Lord, 
 Thou  knowest ;  remember  me  and  visit 
 me,  and  revenge  me,"  &c. 
 •    Jeremiah   had   prayed    earnestly    for 
 the    people   and   without    success.     In 
 
 offering  supplication  for  himself  he 
 found  favour  with  God.  In  his  prayer 
 the  pain  and  troubles  of  his  life  were 
 laid  before  God,  and  the  questionings 
 of  his  heart  were  not  kept  back.  Ob- 
 serve— 
 
 I.  Divine  knowledge  is  no  hindrance 
 to  prayer.  "Thou  knowest":  1.  My 
 character ;  2.  My  condition ;  3.  My 
 need.  Yet,  though  Thou  knowest,  yea, 
 because  Thou  knowest,  I  will  pray  to 
 Thee. 
 
 II.  Divine  condescension  an  encour- 
 agement to  prayer. 
 
 1.  Remember  me. 
 
 2.  Visit  me. 
 
 3.  Vindicate  me.  "  Revenge  "  means 
 only  vindication. 
 
 III.  Human  need  a  stimulus  to 
 prayer.  He  was  poor,  persecuted,  and 
 in  peril. 
 
 Where  could  he  go  for  help  % 
 He  is  driven  to  God  by  trouble,  and 
 drawn  by  lovingkindiiess. 
 
 IV.  The  vicissitudes  of  life  suggest 
 topics  for  prayer.  Poverty,  weakness, 
 want,  afl9.iction,  persecution,  temptation, 
 — the  sins  and  sorrows  of  others.  The 
 needs  of  the  world,  &c. 
 
 V.  Conscious  sincerity  gives  freedom 
 in  prayer.  "I  have  sufiered  for  thy 
 sake." 
 
 VI.  The  mediation  of  Christ  gives 
 eficacy  to  our  prayer.  "I  have  not 
 joined  in  their  sins"  (ver.  10).  —  W. 
 Whale. 
 
 Ver.  16.  Theme:  Enjoying  God's 
 Word.  "  Thy  words  were  found,  and  I 
 did  eat  them  .   .  .  rejoicing." 
 
 The  people  of  God  have  always  a  re- 
 lief in  prayer,  in  the  worst  circumstances. 
 Jonah  cried  out  of  the  belly  of  hell, 
 "  Yet  will  I  look  again."  David  en- 
 couraged himself.  Jesus,  "  being  in  an 
 agony,  prayed."  Jeremiah,  borne  down 
 by  the  storms  of  the  world,  prayed, 
 "  0  Lord,  thou  knowest,  remember,  visit 
 me."  The  disciples  took  up  the  body 
 of  John,  and  went  and  told  Jesus. 
 
 Remember,  the  best  thing  you  can 
 do  with  your  trouble  is  to  take  it  to 
 Him.  Sanctioned  by  highest  autho- 
 rity :  "la  any  afflicted,  let  him  pray." 
 
 333 
 
EOMILETIG  COMMENTARY :  JEREMIAH. 
 
 Attested  by  experience ;  of  all  the  millions 
 that  tried  it,  not  one  but  will  say,  "  It 
 is  good  for  me  to  draw  nigh  to  God." 
 Creatures  cannot  help  when  they  would  ; 
 will  not  when  they  can,  but  God  both 
 can  and  will  be  "  a  present  help." 
 
 Jeremiah  found  it  so.  And  he  backs 
 his  prayer  by  an  important  plea.  He 
 avouches  the  serenity  of  his  character, 
 "Thy  words  were  found;"  the  reality 
 of  his  experience,  "  I  did  eat  them ; " 
 his  past  joys  in  religion,  "  they  were  the 
 rejoicing;"  the  particular  relationship 
 he  bore  to  the  God  of  grace,  "I  am 
 called  by  Thy  name." 
 
 Need  not  confine  it  to  Jeremiah; 
 apply  it  to  self.  Take  it  as  a  test 
 by  which  to  try  the  reality  of  your 
 religion. 
 
 The  views  it  affords  of  personal 
 RELIGION.     It  implies — 
 
 I.  A  high  valuation  for  this  word. 
 It  is  prized  as  God's  word,  and  sought 
 under  that  character. 
 
 Love  to  the  word  of  God  is  a  sure 
 sign  of  a  gracious  heart.  A  nlfeglected 
 Bible  is  a  sign  of  a  graceless  heart. 
 How  many  read  the  books  and  writings 
 of  men  who  never  read  the  Book  of  God  ! 
 When  God  Himself  turns  author,  some 
 will  not  give  Ills  ivorks  a  reading  :  but 
 Christians  prize  the  word,  and  prove  it 
 by  searching  into  it  (David,  Ps.  xix.) 
 
 Thy  word.  It  partakes  of  the  divi- 
 nity of  its  Author.  As  Phidias,  a  self- 
 evidencing  power. 
 
 It  is  adapted  to  the  nature  of  its  sub- 
 ject;  suited  to  man.  A  key  fitted  to  un- 
 lock such  a  heart. 
 
 It  has  2^^'^'^'^'''^^^  most  astonishing  effects. 
 Infancy  and  age.  If  the  slightest  agency 
 draws  from  the  truth,  the  slightest  agency 
 recovers.  If  Peter  fell  by  a  look,  he 
 rose  by  a  look. 
 
 1.  Have  you  found  this  ivord? 
 
 2.  Has  this  word  found  yo^c  ? 
 
 A  poor  sailor  was  cast  away — lost  his 
 all.  The  first  half-crown  he  obtained,  he 
 inquired  where  to  make  a  purchase,  of 
 what  1 — that  neglected  book,  a  Bible. 
 
 "  I  have  many  books,"  says  Mr.  New- 
 ton, "  that  I  cannot  sit  down  to  read ; 
 they  are  indeed  good  and  sound,  but, 
 like  halfpence,  there  goes  a  great  quan- 
 tity to  a  little  amount.  There  are  silver 
 33i 
 
 books  and  a  very  few  golden  books,  but 
 I  have  one  worth  more  than  all,  called 
 the  Bible,  and  that  is  a  book  of  bank- 
 notes."    Apply  this  test: 
 
 II.  A  personal  experience  of  its 
 power.     "  I  did  eat  it," 
 
 This  is  different  from  speculation. 
 David  does  not  say.  Listen,  and  hear, 
 but,  "  Taste  and  see."  Apply  to  him  for 
 yourself  instead  of  relying  on  the  autho- 
 rity of  others.  As  in  a  case  of  disputed 
 relish,  you  determine  not  by  testimony, 
 but  by  taste.  In  other  words,  it  means 
 experience.  Experience  is  knowledge 
 derived  from  experiment,  in  contradic- 
 tion from  theory. 
 
 We  are  apt  to  confound  familiarity 
 with  knowledge.  Many  are  familiar 
 with  all  the  truths  and  doctrines,  but 
 have  not  the  experience  of  the  power  of 
 one.  Like  Bunyan's  Talkative.  Like 
 Balaam,  who  saw  the  visions  of  God 
 and  was  proud  of  what  he  saw — but  no 
 experience.  Like  Judas,  who  preached 
 and  wrought  miracles,  but  died  desjjair- 
 ing.  How  worthless  this  knowledge  ! 
 To  know  the  way,  but  never  walk  in  it. 
 To  know  there  is  an  ark,  but  never  enter 
 it.  To  know  Christ  is  a  crucified  and 
 almighty  Saviour,  but,  like  the  dying 
 thief,  never  to  apply  to  Him. 
 
 The  knowledge  of  which  you  boast 
 will  aggravate  your  doom.  Like  Uriah 
 with  his  fatal  letter,  place  you  in  the 
 forefront  of  battle. 
 
 But  religion  is  not  only  something  to 
 be  knoivn,  but  something  to  be  ex- 
 perienced. Religion  is  the  life  of  the 
 soul  as  the  soul  is  the  life  of  the  body. 
 Truth  is  the  sustenance  of  the  moral 
 man.  Divine  truth  must  be  incorporated 
 with  the  elements  of  the  intellectual 
 nature  or  we  perish.  "  Except  ye  eat  the 
 flesh."  Put  test  of  experience.  A  sign 
 of  spiritual  decay,  and  the  loss  of  spiri- 
 tual health,  when  this  word  is  under- 
 valued,,when  men  can  spend  days  and 
 weeks  without  reading  it. 
 
 When  you  come  to  the  word,  remem- 
 ber that  Divine  influence  can  alone  make 
 it  effectual.  As  you  say  grace  before 
 meat,  let  your  reading  be  preceded  by 
 prayer.  "I  will  be  as  dew."  How 
 sweet  the  fragrance  after  the  dew!       • 
 
 III.  A   conscious  participation   of 
 
HOMILETIC  COMMENTARY:  JEREMIAH. 
 
 the  happiness  it  produces.  "  It  was  the 
 rejoicing  of  my  heart."  How  does  it 
 promote  joy  ? 
 
 i.  By  the  light  it  imioarts  to  the  under- 
 standing. Truly,  liglit  is  sweet.  It 
 preserves  us  from  dark  uncertainty; 
 from  the  dubiety  of  suspense ;  from  the 
 vaciUation  of  doubt ;  from  the  fluctua- 
 tion of  undetermined  choice.  It  gives 
 decision  to  the  judgment.  It  fully 
 occupies  the  mind  upon  the  noblest 
 subject.  It  engages  faculties  and  powers 
 in  God's  service. 
 
 ii.  By  the  relief  it  gives  to  the  con- 
 science. In  the  hope  of  pardon  and 
 acceptance.  Sprinkled  from  an  evil 
 conscience. 
 
 iii.  By  the  exercise  it  affords  to  the  best 
 affections  of  the  heart.  Love  to  God  is 
 a  source  of  happiness  ;  love  to  man,  a 
 source  of  happiness.  The  pleasures  of 
 benevolence  are  genuine  pleasures ;  al- 
 lied to  the  happiness  of  God  Himself. 
 He  is  the  blessed  God,  the  happy  God. 
 Happy  in  the  diff"usion  of  happiness; 
 BLESSED  in  the  impartation  of  blessed- 
 ness. "  I  will  bless  thee."  How  ]  By 
 making  thee  a  blessing.  And  taste  the 
 joy  of  God.  Misery  of  malevolent  affec- 
 tions ;  happiness  of  kind  ones.  As  de- 
 light springs  from  the  play  of  good 
 feelings,  so  misery  springs  from  the 
 play  and  interchange  of  bad  ones.  There 
 are  virtues  sweet  to  the  taste  of  inner 
 man ;  vices  bitter  and  corroding  to  the 
 heart.  Scowl  of  malice,  the  malignity 
 of  revenge.     Gall  of  bitterness. 
 
 iv.  By  the  consolations  and  hopes  under 
 sorroiv.  The  paper  is  yet  extant  on 
 which  martyr  Smith  recorded  his  ex- 
 perience. They  gave  him  pen  and  ink 
 to  sign  a  draft  on  the  treasurer ;  he  did 
 so,  and  in  the  corner  put  down  these 
 figures,  "  1  Cor.  iv.  8,  9." 
 
 IV.  A  sense  of  consecration.  "I 
 am  called  by  Thy  name," 
 
 Improvement : 
 
 1.  It  reproves  those  who  never  seek. 
 
 2.  Those  who  are  content  with  know- 
 ledge without  experience. 
 
 3.  Those  who  are  strangers  to  religious 
 peace  and  joy.    If  you  eat,  it  will  be  joy. 
 
 4.  Those  who  neither  own  God's 
 name,  nor  are  owned  of  Him. — /Samuel 
 Thodey,  1837. 
 
 See  Addenda:  Enjoying  God's 
 WonD. 
 
 Theme :  Found,  eaten,  and  en- 
 joyed. 
 
 These  words  appear  to  be  part  of  the 
 prophet's  prayer,  and  were  given  to  ac- 
 count for  the  fact  that  he  had  suffered, 
 rebuke,  &c.,  from  the  people.  It  is  the 
 only  verse  containing  any  pleasant  re- 
 ference to  Jeremiah's  experience,  and 
 then  it  is  in  connection  Avith  God's 
 word,  and  not  with  man's  dealings. 
 It  is  as  if  he  said,  "  In  the  midst  of  my 
 sufferings  and  sorrows,  I  came  upon  the 
 promises  of  God's  word ;  I  seized  upon 
 them  with  avidity ;  so  great  was  my 
 need  of  comfort.  I  devoured  them ; 
 and  indeed  my  soul  was  comforted. 
 They  led  me  to  meditate  upon  my  fel- 
 lowship with  Jehovah,  and  to  see  that 
 even  my  sufferings  were  for  His  name's 
 sake.  The  word  was  unto  me  '  the  joy 
 and  rejoicing  of  mine  heart.' "  Here 
 we  observe — 
 
 I.  That  an  important  discovery 
 was  made.     "Thy  words  were  found." 
 
 1.  Words  are  the  representatives  of 
 thought.  They  are  of  value  for  this 
 reason.  Words  have  great  power  to 
 move  men's  minds.  How  much  have 
 they  affected  the  destiny  of  nations,  and 
 the  development  of  great  enterprises  1 
 Demosthenes,  Cicero,  Luther,  Knox, 
 Whitfield,  Brougham,  tkc. 
 
 2.  Words  derive  much  of  their  power 
 from  the  mind  which  utters  them.     Truth 
 
 is  truth  come  whence  it  may,  but  truth 
 may  be  spoken  by  most  men  without 
 having  much  power  to  do  others  good. 
 The  stroke  of  a  royal  pen  may  mean 
 liberty  or  slavery,  peace  or  war  to  mil- 
 lions. God^s  words  are  a  hammer,  a  fire, 
 a  sword,  a  balm,  a  saving,  sanctifying 
 power  to  men  who  receive  and  obey  them. 
 
 3.  lliat  loldch  is  found  must  previously 
 have  existed.  God's  words  were  found. 
 A  grand  discover}',  not  an  invention. 
 Treasure  is  not  made  by  man,  but  the 
 discoverer  has  much  fame,  and  confers 
 upon  the  race  great  benefits.  God's 
 word  exists  whether  men  find  it  or  not. 
 He  who  finds  it  is  wise,  rich,  and  happy. 
 It  is  the  living  word.  Seek  Him.  Seek, 
 and  ye  shall  find. 
 
 335 
 
EO  MI  LET  10  COMMENTARY :  JEREMIAH. 
 
 II.  That  a  peculiar  method  of  ap- 
 propriation was  adopted.     "  I  did  eat 
 
 them." 
 
 1.  It  ijnplies  soul  hmger.  Caused 
 by  stress  of  duty,  and  pressure  of  per- 
 secution, and  multiplied  sorrows. 
 
 2.  It  affirms  that  God's  words  are  soul 
 food.  The  soul  may  be  starved,  or  may 
 feed  on  husks  ;  but  if  the  appetite  be 
 right  and  rightly  directed,  only  God 
 and  His  word  will  satisfy.  (Ezek.  iii. 
 1-3,  Kev.  X.  9,  Ps.  cxix.  103.)  God's 
 word  is  wholesome,  nourisJdng,  savoury, 
 saving. 
 
 III.  That  a  delightful  experience 
 was  realised.  "  It  was  unto  me  the 
 joy  and  rejoicing  of  mine  heart."  Joy 
 and  rejoicing — 
 
 1.  In  what  the  word  revealed  of  God. 
 
 2.  /?i  the  way  that  revelation  7net  his 
 utmost  need.  In  work,  in  trouble,  in 
 danger. 
 
 3.  In  the  hnowledge  of  salvation  there 
 unfolded. 
 
 4.  In  the  'prosi:>ects  to  which  the  atten- 
 tion of  God's  servants  was  directed. 
 
 Note— 
 
 1.  Jeremiah's  religion  was  a  religion 
 of  the  word. 
 
 2.  Jeremiah's  religion  was  a  religion 
 of  the  heart. 
 
 3.  Jeremiah's  religion  was  a  religion 
 of  rejoicing. 
 
 IV.  That  an  emphatic  public  testi- 
 mony was  given.  "  I  am  called  by  thy 
 name,"  &c. 
 
 1.  God's  name  was  called  upon  him. 
 (See  Margin.)    As  the  saving  power,  and 
 source  of  hope  and  joy,  the   name    of' 
 Clirist  has  been  called  upon  us. 
 
 2.  He  was  called  hy  God's  name.  As 
 a  professor,  a  prophet,  a  servant,  &c. 
 We  are  called  by  Christ's  name. 
 
 3.  He  tvas  strengthened  hy  God  in  all 
 his  works.  Jehovah  was  to  him  "  The 
 Lord  of  hosts,"  inspiring  with  courage, 
 leading  to  battle,  giving  the  victory, 
 distributing  rewards. 
 
 Application — 
 
 1.  The  word  discovered — a  treasure. 
 
 2.  The  word  in  the  heart — a  joy. 
 
 3.  The  word  on  the  lips — a  mes- 
 saf;e. 
 
 4.  The  word  in  the  hand— a  weapon. 
 —  IF.  Whale. 
 
 336 
 
 '    Tlteme :  God's  word  the  joy  of  thb 
 
 GODLY. 
 
 Bread  is  sweet  to  the  hungry.  Man, 
 when  quickened  by  God,  does  "  not  live 
 by  bread  alone,  but  by  every  word,"  &c. 
 One  of  God's  children  could  say,  "  I 
 have  esteemed  the  words  of  Thy  mouth 
 more  than  my  necessary  food."  (Also 
 Ps.  cxix.  72;  xix.  10.) 
 
 i.  Bible  history,  in  its  development 
 
 of  THE  PKINCIPLES  OF  DiVINE  GOVERN- 
 MENT, is  to  a  man  of  God  deeply  in- 
 structive :  "  the  joy  and  rejoicing  of  his 
 heart." 
 
 ii.  Prophecy,  teaching  us  that  the 
 
 FUTURE    IS    KNOWN    TO    THE    LoRD,    the 
 
 future  of  the  Church,  the  world,  and  of 
 every  child  of  man  ;  and  that  nothing 
 unseen  by  us  can  arise  to  thwart  His 
 designs,  becomes  a  very  fountain  of  de- 
 light to  every  good  man  :  "  the  joy  and 
 rejoicing  of  his  heart." 
 
 iii.  The  words  of  the  Lord  as  em- 
 bodied IN  LAW,  prohibiting  nothing  but 
 what  the  enlightened  conscience  con- 
 demns, and  commanding  nothing  but 
 what  that  conscience  approves,  constrain 
 the  righteous  man  to  say,  "  Oh,  how  I 
 love  Thy  law  !  "  Conformity  to  the 
 law  is  his  earnest  solicitude,  and  when 
 love  is  perfected  this  desire  will  be  real- 
 ised, for  "love  is  the  fulfilling  of  the  law." 
 
 iv.  But  if  the  words  of  the  Lord  in 
 history,  prophecy,  and  law  are  sweet, 
 sweeter  still  are  His  words  as  they  sound 
 forth  in  the  Gospel  op  His  Son.  They 
 are  "no  cunningly-devised  fables"  to 
 the  soul  that  has  seen  the  adaptation  of 
 the  great  doctrines  of  the  Gospel  to  its 
 moral  and  spiritual  needs. 
 
 Faith  is  a  living  U2)07i  the  truths  of 
 the  Gospel:  "Eating"  them.  Faith 
 makes  both  the  truth,  and  Christ  the 
 substance  of  the  truth,  precious.  "Unto 
 you  which  believe  He  is  precious." — Bev. 
 D.  Pledge,  "  Walks  luith  the  Prophet 
 Jeremiah. " 
 
 Theme :  The  Prophet  on  his  watch- 
 tower. 
 
 I.  The  discovery.     God's  "  words." 
 
 1.  Sometimes  hidden. 
 
 2.  Yet  expected. 
 
 3.  And  sought. 
 
 II.  The  treasure  used.  "Did  eat 
 them." 
 
HOMILETIC  COMMENTARY:  JEREMIAH. 
 
 Made  them  his  own.  The  taste  both 
 bitter  and  sweet. 
 
 III.  The  result.  "The  joy  and  re- 
 joicing of  mine  heart." 
 
 Joy  (1)  in  knowing  God's  will. 
 
 Joy  (2)  in  seeing  the  working  out  of 
 God's  goodness. — S.  Farren. 
 
 Theme :  Hidden  manna. 
 
 I.  A  memorable  discovery.  "Thy 
 words  were  found." 
 
 Many  have  heard  God's  word  for 
 years,  yet  have  never  found  it.  "  Eyes 
 have  they,  but  they  see  not ;  ears,  but 
 hear  not."  Oh  that  they  had  found  the 
 "  treasure  hid  in  the  field  !  " 
 
 What  is  meant  by  finding  God's  words  1 
 
 1.  A  thing  found  has  usually  to  be 
 sought  for.  Happy  is  he  who  reads  or 
 hears  the  Scriptures,  searching  all  the 
 while  for  the  hidden  spiritual  sense.  (See 
 Prov.  ii,  4,  5.) 
 
 2.  To  find  God's  word  means  that 
 we  have  been  made  to  understand  them 
 (1  Cor.  iii.  14).  The  Bible  is  a  dull 
 book  till  illuminated ;  a  tantalising 
 riddle  till  you  get  the  key  ;  but,  the  clue 
 once  found,  it  absorbs  our  attention, 
 delights  our  intellect,  and  enriches  our 
 heart. 
 
 3.  Means  to  appropriate  it  as  belong- 
 ing to  yourself.  Reading  a  will  is  not  in- 
 teresting tillyou  find  you  have  a  part  in  it. 
 
 See  Addenda:  Appropkiating  God's 
 Word. 
 
 II.  An  eager  reception.  "  I  did  eat 
 them." 
 
 Not  "  I  did  hear  them."  Herod  heard 
 John  gladly,  yet  became  his  murderer. 
 Not  "  I  did  learn  them  hy  heart."  Hun- 
 dreds have  committed  chapters  to  me- 
 mory, yet  were  wearied  rather  than 
 benefited.  Not  "  I  did  7'epeat  them,"  as 
 a  parrot  repeats  language  it  is  taught. 
 "I  did  EAT  them."  What  is  meant  by 
 eating  them  1 
 
 1.  An  eager  study.  Greedy  for  the 
 truth.  Some  professors  grow  squeamish 
 and  proudly  delicate.  My  soul  hungered 
 even  to  ravenousness  to  be  fed  upon  the 
 bread  of  heaven. 
 
 2.  Cheerful  reception.  My  soul  was 
 in  love  with  the  word. 
 
 3.  An  intense  belief  Not  questioning 
 it,  but   living  upon  it.     The  language 
 
 means,  besides,  both  the  diligent  treasur- 
 ing up  of  the  truth,  and  the  inward 
 digestion  of  the  same.  It  is  not  the 
 hasty  swallowing  of  the  word  which  is 
 blessed  to  us,  but  a  deliberate  eating  of 
 it.  It  then  becomes  dissolved  and  ab- 
 sorbed— a  part  of  the  eater's  very  exist- 
 ence. 
 
 III.  The  happy  consequences.  "Thy 
 word  was  unto  me  the  joy  and  rejoicing 
 of  my  heart." 
 
 1.  Hold  the  truth  in  its  entirety  and 
 harmony,  and  then  it  will  be  joy  to  your 
 heart. 
 
 Jeremiah  first  speaks  of  God's  "  words," 
 then  he  changes  the  number  and  speaks 
 of  God's  "  word.'"  We  are  not  only  to 
 receive  parts  of  the  Gospel,  but  the  whole 
 of  it.  That  man's  heart  is  right  with 
 God  who  can  honestly  say  that  all  the 
 testimonies  of  God  are  dear  to  him. 
 There  are  threatenings,  and  precious  pro- 
 mises; testimonies  of  Jesus.  Receive 
 the  whole  of  God's  word. 
 
 2.  The  word  of  God  would  have  given 
 no  joy  had  he  not  been  obedient  to  it. 
 
 3.  Yet  there  are  certain  choice  trutlis 
 in  God's  word,  especially  joy-giving  :  the 
 doctrine  of  election,  to  know  that  you 
 are  called  and  predestinated  ;  and  of  the 
 immutability  of  divine  love. 
 
 IV.  A  distinguishing  title.  "  I  am 
 called  by  Thy  name,"  &c. 
 
 1.  The  name  of  the  Lord  of  hosts 
 was  reviled  in  Jeremiah's  day,  yet  he 
 felt  it  an  honour  to  be  associated  with 
 the  Lord  in  this  contempt.  Oh  ye  who 
 love  the  Lord  Jesus,  never  shun  the 
 scandal  of  the  cross  ! 
 
 2.  Some  do  not  count  it  a  fair  thing 
 to  bear  the  name  of  the  Most  High.  It 
 is  a  disgrace  to  any  man  that  his  Lord 
 should  die  for  his  soul  on  Calvary  and 
 yet  he  be  afraid  to  wear  His  livery.  To 
 confess  Christ  is  so  easy  a  burden;  it 
 involves  so  temporary  a  loss,  and  so  real 
 a  gain.  Bow  your  willing  back  to  His 
 cross,  and  go  with  Him  without  the 
 camp. — G.  H.  Spurgeon,  Metropolitan 
 Tabernacle  Pidpit,  No.  980. 
 
 See  Addenda;  Enjoying  God's  Word. 
 
 Ver.  17.  Theme:  The  isolation  re- 
 sulting FROM  CONSECRATION. 
 
 This   describes  the  ejQfects  following 
 337 
 
CITAl,  .XV. 
 
 nOMILETIC  COMMENTARY:  JEREMIAH. 
 
 upon  bis  appropriating  God's  words  and 
 becoming  His  prophet, 
 
 I.  Separation  from  the  frivolities  of 
 life. 
 
 1.  Deserting  the  company  of  triflers. 
 *'I  sat  not  in  the  assembly  of  the 
 mockers,"  or  lavghers.  Formerly  be  had 
 joined  their  merry  meetings ;  be  now  re- 
 nounced them. 
 
 2.  Restrained  the  levity  of  his  own 
 nature.  "Nor  rejoiced;"  i.e.,  did  not 
 make  merry.  Even  innocent  mirth  was 
 laid  aside,  and  a  gravity  came  upon 
 bim  according  with  his  renewed  state 
 and  solemn  mission.  Just  so.  Paul 
 had  "  great  heaviness  and  continual  sor- 
 row of  heart "  (Rom.  ix.  2). 
 
 II.  Isolation  under  sense  of  a  Divine 
 trust.  "I  sat  alone  because  of  Thy 
 band;"  i.e.,  because  of  the  impulse  of 
 the  prophetic  spirit  in  bim.  (Comp.  1 
 Kings  xviii.  46,  Ezek.  i.  3.) 
 
 1.  Responsible  duty  leads  us  into  in- 
 evitable isolation.  We  cannot  share  it 
 with  others.  We  are  thereby  separated 
 to  a  life  of  practical  and  conscious  lone- 
 liness, having  a  "charge  to  keep,"  in 
 which  none  can  participate. 
 
 2.  Consecration  to  God's  work  singles 
 out  and  separates  us;  e.g.,  one  who  is 
 devoted  to  the  ministry  must  live  a  life 
 separated  from  the  common  pursuits 
 and  habits  of  youth.  He  is  devoted  to 
 God. 
 
 3.  Expidsionfroni  hilarious  society  fol- 
 lows avowal  of  religion.  The  ' '  laughers  " 
 did  not  want  bim  amongst  them, 
 
 III.  Oppression  of  spirit  amid  pre- 
 vailing impiety.  "  Thou  bast  filled  us 
 with  indignation."  Calvin  thus  com- 
 ments on  the  word  "indignation:" 
 "  He  bad  not  been  slightly  moved,  but 
 had  been  inflamed  with  zeal  for  God  ; 
 for  we  cannot  really  execute  the  com- 
 mission given  us  unless  we  be  filled  with 
 indignation ;  that  is,  unless  zeal  for  God 
 burns  inwardly,  for  the  prophetic  office 
 requires  such  a  fervour." 
 
 1.  Taught  of  God,  the  prophet  sees 
 the  great  sinfidness  of  the  people. 
 
 2.  Recognises  the  offensiveness  to  Jeho- 
 vah, and  awful  heinousness  of  their  sins. 
 
 3.  Perceives  the  ruin  thereby  entailed 
 upon  his  nation  and  God's  Church. 
 
 A  "  seer  "  may  well  be  stirred  to  "  in- 
 338 
 
 dignation :"  impetuous  energy  of  thought 
 and  feeling,  grief  over  sin,  impatience 
 to  check  the  wrong  which  prevails,  and 
 rescue  souls  from  impending  doom.  All 
 God's  prophets  and  preachers  have  had 
 this  vision  of  iniquity  around  them,  and, 
 like  Paul  at  Athens,  their  spirit  has  been 
 "stirred"  in  them  as  they  beheld  the 
 rampant  impiety  which  called  them  to 
 their  earnest  ministry  for  Christ  and 
 souls. 
 
 Ver.  18.  Theme:  God  appears  to  be 
 A  VAIN  HOPE.  "  Wilt  Thou  be  altogether 
 unto  me  as  a  liar,  and  as  waters  that 
 fail?" 
 
 I.  Distressing  experiences  distort 
 our  views  of  God.  Jeremiah's  condition 
 and  feelings  were  peculiarly  painful. 
 
 1.  Great  anguish:  "  pain,"  "  wound." 
 Such  words  indicate  severe  suffering,  less 
 physical  than  mental.  Physical  pain 
 will  throw  its  dark  cloud  over  the  mind. 
 Melancholy  is  the  result :  melan-  (black) 
 cholic.  In  times  of  heavy  anguish  the 
 mental  state  grows  despondent,  and  its 
 power  of  discernment  becomes  warped. 
 
 2.  Unalleviated  distress :  "  perpetual," 
 "  refusetb  to  be  healed."  This  unmiti- 
 gated trouble  of  mind  and  heart  is  indeed 
 bitter  to  endure.  Very  rare.  Yet  many 
 of  God's  children  go  through  years  of 
 disconsolate  experiences.  Wave  upon 
 wave  rolls  over  them.  Ill  health, 
 disasters,  bereavements.  Or  spiritual 
 struggles — doubts,  temptations,  loss  of 
 faith,  &c,  A  spirit  thus  bowed  and 
 sorely  tested  cannot  easily  think  bright 
 thoughts  of  God.  The  disciples,  in  con- 
 sequence of  the  tempest  and  toils  of  one 
 wild  night,  thought  Jesus  only  a  ghost, 
 and  "cried  out  for  fear." 
 
 3.  Hopeless  dejection.  "My  wound 
 incurable,  refusetb  to  be  healed."  He 
 sees  no  prospect  of  better  things,  and 
 abandons  himself  to  despair.  His  labours 
 will  all  be  in  vain,  bis  delivery  of  God's 
 messages  will  effect  no  good,  and  bis 
 ministry  will  only  bring  more  calumny 
 and  abuse  upon  himself,  A  bard  lot ; 
 a  black  outlook.  All  the  windows  are 
 darkened.  How  can  he,  then,  think 
 cheerfully  of  God  1 
 
 II.  Distorted  views  of  G-od  render 
 religion  a  grave  disappointment.  What 
 
HOMILETIC  COMMENTARY:  JEREMIAH. 
 
 comfort  is  left  to  a  godly  man  if  God 
 become  to  him  "as  a  liar?" 
 
 1.  All  his  sufficiency  and  safety  were 
 to  be  drawn  from  God.  So  Jeremiah 
 felt.  -  He  was  on  a  difficult  and  perilous 
 mission  ;  if  God  failed  him,  he  was  for- 
 lorn indeed.  "  He  had  expected  that, 
 called  to  so  high  an  office,  there  would 
 be  a  perpetual  interference  of  Providence 
 in  bis  behalf,  instead  whereof  things 
 seemed  to  take  their  natural  course" 
 {Payne  Smith).  "  God  had  in  a  manner 
 deserted  him  for  a  time,  had  left  him  to 
 struggle  with  difficulties  unforeseen  and 
 unexpected"  [Dr.  Waterla^id).  What 
 guarantee  is  left  us  if  Jesus  fail  ?  Every 
 Christian  would  share  Jeremiah's  sense 
 of  desolation. 
 
 If  ever  a  position  occurred  in  which 
 we  missed  the  succour  of  our  Lord,  we 
 should  feel  forlorn.  We  have  no  self- 
 sufficiency  —  Christ  is  all  to  us ;  no 
 power  of  seZ/-protection  —  He  is  our 
 Saviour  and  shield.  Let  it  once  be  pos- 
 sible to  say,  "  Thou  hast  failed  us," 
 and  assurance  would  wholly  desert  us ; 
 we  should  be  "  of  all  men  most  miser- 
 able." 
 
 2.  All  his  happiness  and  hopes  rested 
 in  God.  He  had  left  all  to  be  His 
 prophet  (ver.  19).  He  looked  for  solace, 
 befriending,  serenity  amid  agitations, 
 gladness  when  mocked  and  abused  ;  for 
 all  light  and  promise  amid  his  hazardous 
 work — from  the  God  he  served.  Even 
 so  has  the  Christian  disciple  to  "  take  up 
 his  cross  daily  and  follow  "  Jesus.  But 
 he  is  not  unwilling.  Has  not  Christ 
 said,  "  In  the  world  ye  shall  have  tribu- 
 lation, but  in  Me  ye  have  peace ; "  "I 
 will  not  leave  you  comfortless :  I  will 
 come  to  you ; "  "  Ye  shall  see  Me  again, 
 and  your  joy  shall  no  man  take  from 
 you"?  Can  He  break  His  ivord  of  pro- 
 mise— become  "as  a  liar"?  Then  all 
 happiness  and  hope  is  dead  within  the 
 believer's  heart. 
 
 Note  the  figure  :  "Asa  liar,  as  ivaters 
 that  fail."  Calvin  renders  the  words 
 thus  :  "  Thou  wilt  be  to  me  as  a  decep- 
 tion of  inconstant  tvaters ;"  or,  "of  un- 
 faithful waters,"  i.e.,  of  such  as  flow  not 
 continually ;  adding,  "  for  faithful  or 
 constant  waters  are  those  which  never 
 fail ;  as  the  Latins  call  a  fountain  inex- 
 
 haustible whose  spring  never  dries,  so 
 the  Hebrews  call  a  fountain  faithful  or 
 constant  which  never  fails  either  in 
 summer  or  in  drought.  On  the  con- 
 trary, they  call  waters  unfaithful  which 
 become  dry;  as  when  a  well  which  has 
 no  perennial  veins  is  made  dry  by  great 
 heat."  Wordsworth  comments  :  "  The 
 stream  of  God's  favour,  which  had  flowed 
 in  a  full  current  of  love  towards  him, 
 seemed  suddenly  to  have  been  dried 
 up,  and  he  was  left  to  perish  with 
 thirst." 
 
 The  language  suggests  the  deceptive 
 mirage:  which  mocks  thirst  with  illu- 
 sory pictures  of  refreshing  waters. 
 
 III.  Disappointment  in  God  can 
 never  have  a  just  warrant.  "  Wilt 
 Thou  be  unto  me  as  a  liar  ?  " 
 
 1.  Despondency  is  a  faithless  inter- 
 preter. It  is  as  false  as  a  crooked  mirror 
 — it  reflects  beauty  in  hideous  forms. 
 
 2.  Impatience  spoils  our  childhood 
 sweetness.  It  is  a  sad  failing  to  be  hast- 
 ening conclusions  about  God  and  His 
 dealings.  "  He  that  believeth  should  not 
 make  haste." 
 
 3.  Fidelity  is  an  essential  characteris- 
 tic of  God.  Immutability  is  impressed 
 on  Creation.  "  I  change  not"  is  a  truth 
 evident  in  the  perennial  action  of  ma- 
 jestic laws  in  nature  ;  and  therefore  the 
 universe  endures,  and  "  all  things  con- 
 tinue as  they  were  from  the  creation  of 
 the  world."  In  His  love  and  relation- 
 shij^s  to  us,  "  with  Him  is  neither  varia- 
 bleness nor  shadow  of  turning."  In 
 His  words  and  promises,  "  not  one  good 
 thing  He  hath  spoken  shall  fail  to  come 
 to  pass."  Hopes  cast  upon  Him  "  shall 
 not  make  ashamed."  And  to  every  soul 
 which  cleaves  to  and  trusts  in  Jesus — 
 as  Redeemer,  Friend,  and  King,  for  life 
 here  and  in  eternity — He  is  "  the  same 
 yesterday,  and  to-day,  and  for  ever." 
 
 Ver.  19.  Theme:  A  ministry  of 
 DISCRIMINATION.  "  If  thou  take  forth 
 the  precious  from  the  vile." 
 
 God,  in  the  freeness  of  His  grace,  ap- 
 portions the  reward  that  He  promises  to 
 Jeremiah  to  the  sense  which  He  enter- 
 tains of  the  greatness  and  difficulty  of 
 the  work  to  which  He  had  called  him. 
 "  Tho^i  shall  be  as  My  mouth" — ]My  re- 
 
 339 
 
CHAP.  XV. 
 
 no  Ml  LET IC  COMMENTARY:  JEREMIAH. 
 
 presentative,  My  acknowledged  and  ac- 
 credited servant — here  is  the  greatest 
 honour  that  could  be  conferred  on  any 
 man.  *'  Thou  shalt  take  forth  the  pre- 
 cious from  the  vile,  and  he  to  the  people  as 
 a  fenced  brazen  wall" — here  is  one  of 
 the  most  difficult  and  arduous  duties 
 that  mortality  can  possibly  sustain.  The 
 talents  of  an  angel,  the  zeal  of  a  seraph, 
 if  accompanied  with  the  infirmities  of 
 humanity,  must  sink  under  the  task, 
 unless  supported  by  Divine  strength 
 and  blessing.  Well  then  may  we  ex- 
 claim, "  Who  is  stiflcient  ?  " 
 
 The  difficulty  of  such  a  course  as  this, 
 that  of  making  full  proof  of  our  minis- 
 try, can  only  be  understood  by  him  who 
 has  tried  it,  and  it  certainly  has  not 
 diminished  since  Jeremiah's  time.  For 
 though  we  have  less  outward  persecu- 
 tion, it  is  equally  difficult  in  all  ages  to 
 combat  with  the  prejudices  and  enmity 
 of  the  carnal  mind;  difficult  to  pene- 
 trate the  thick  disguise  of  character — 
 difficult  to  maintain  the  sternest  faith- 
 fulness accompanied  with  the  purest 
 love — to  pursue  the  Proteus  forms  of 
 ungodliness  into  their  secret  retreats, 
 and  so  effectually  to  separate  between 
 the  precious  and  the  vile,  as  that  we 
 may  commend  ourselves  to  every  man's 
 conscience  in  the  sight  of  God.  Our 
 Lord  Himself  who  tried  the  experiment 
 knew  its  difficulty,  and  His  last  promise 
 was  a  promise  to  ministers  :  "  Lo,  I  am 
 with  you ;  "  and  He  has  enabled  us  to 
 form  an  estimate  of  the  greatness  of  the 
 work  from  the  greatness  of  the  reward, 
 for  addressing  the  minister,  the  Angel 
 of  Ephesus,  He  says,  "  Be  thou  faithful 
 and  I  will  give,"  &c. 
 
 I.  What  is  supposed  ]  . 
 11.  What  is  required? 
 III.  What  is  promised  1 
 
 I.  What  is  supposed  ? 
 
 1.  The  vast  importance  and  responsibi- 
 lity of  the  loorJc  assigned  to  ministers 
 with  a  view  to  the  welfare  of  their  people. 
 "  If  thou  separate  between  the  precious 
 and  the  vile."  It  is  no  common  office, 
 no  slight  responsibility.  The  Gospel  dis- 
 pensation is  often  spoken  of  as  the 
 ministry  of  reconciliation ;  but  it  is  here 
 presented  under  a  new  character,  the  minis- 
 340 
 
 try  of  discrimination.  Christ  is  repre- 
 sented commonly  as  a  Saviour,  but  He  is 
 to  be  regarded  as  a  witness  and  a  judge 
 — for  judgment  am  I  come  into  the  tvorld. 
 Ministers  are  usually  considered  as 
 heralds  of  mercy,  sons  of  consolation, 
 but  they  are  also  to  be  considered  as 
 messengers  of  heavy  tidings.  Ours  is  an 
 office  of  edification,  but  it  is  an  office  of 
 separation  too,  a  ministry  of  discrimina- 
 tion. We  have  to  distinguish  between 
 truth  and  truth,  between  character  and 
 character,  between  holiness  and  sin  ;  and 
 to  advocate  the  rightful  claims  and  high 
 supremacy  of  heaven  against  the  usurped 
 dominion  of  sin  and  hell.  Ministers  are 
 to  take  the  precious  from  the  vile ;  to 
 separate  the  wheat  from  the  weeds ;  to 
 distinguish  the  dross  from  the  gold  ;  to 
 guide  their  hands  wittingly,  as  Jacob 
 did  when  he  bestowed  the  blessing  upon 
 the  sons  of  Joseph ;  they  are  sometimes 
 to  blow  the  silver  trumpet  of  Jubilee, 
 and  not  unfrequently  to  sound  the 
 trumpet  of  Alarm.  "  A  faithfid  ambas- 
 sador is  health,"  says  Solomon.  "  As  an 
 earring  of  gold  and  an  ornament  of  fine 
 gold,  so  is  a  wise  reprover  upon  an  obe- 
 dient ear." 
 
 2.  It  is  further  supposed  that  there 
 are  some  essential  distinctions  between 
 right  and  wrong,  between  good  and 
 evil,  between  truth  and  error,  between 
 the  base  and  the  honourable  of  char- 
 acter, between  the  precious  and  the  vile. 
 These  distinctions  are  real,  not  nominal ; 
 essential, not  arbitrary;  theyare  regarded 
 so  by  God  Himself.  These  distinctions 
 were  originally  imprinted  on  the  mind 
 when  man  was  created  in  God's  own 
 image ;  and  the  capacity  of  making 
 them  still  remains,  as  you  see  from  the 
 clearness  with  which  any  man  can  judge 
 upon  a  subject  of  right  and  wrong  where 
 his  own  conscience  is  not  concerned,  and 
 the  zeal  with  which  men  reprobate  that 
 which  is  villanous  and  dishonourable. 
 
 3.  A  standard  of  truth  is  supposed. 
 God  has  given  us  the  rule  of  judgment. 
 We  have  a  more  sure  word  of  prophecy, 
 and  as  the  office  of  a  judge  is  not  to 
 make  the  law  but  to  declare  it,  so  the 
 office  of  a  minister  is  not  to  burden  the 
 ears  of  people  with  his  own  doubtful 
 speculations,  but  to  declare  the  whole 
 
EOMILETIO  COMMENTARY :  JEREMIAH. 
 
 counsel  of  God.  To  the  law  and  to  the 
 testimony,  if  they  speak  not  according 
 to  this  rule  they  have  no  light.  This  is 
 the  glass  we  hold  uj)  to  show  you  the 
 true  features  of  your  character ;  this  is 
 the  lamp  we  exhibit  to  guide  your  foot- 
 steps,— '•'  And  as  many  as  ivalk  by  this 
 rule,  2ieace  he  on  them  and  on  the  Israel 
 of  God." 
 
 4.  It  is  further  supposed  in  the  text 
 that  these  characters  are  closely  inter- 
 mingled, and  that  there  is  a  great  disin- 
 clination in  mankind  to  have  the  truth 
 fully  told  them,  and  to  be  brought  to 
 the  decisive  test,  the  final  decision.  The 
 tares  and  the  wheat  strangely  grow  to- 
 gether— the  sheep  and  the  goats  both 
 are  found  in  the  same  pasture — the  pre- 
 cious and  the  vile  have  some  points  in 
 common.  Cain  and  Abel  both  bring 
 their  offering  to  the  Lord  •  Jacob  and 
 Esau  both  kneel  for  the  blessing;  Elijah 
 and  the  priests  of  Baal  openly  build 
 their  altars  on  Mount  Carmel ;  the  five 
 foolish  virgins  as  well  as  the  five  wise 
 ones  go  forth  to  meet  the  bridegroom ; 
 Judas  and  John  both  receive  the  pas- 
 sover  in  the  supper-chamber.  And  we 
 know  that  men  halt  between  two  opi- 
 nions— they  dwell  on  the  borders  of  the 
 Land  of  Promise — they  love  to  know 
 that  an  ark  is  provided,  and  even  love 
 to  watch  the  progress  of  the  building, 
 but  they  obey  not  the  summons,  "  Come 
 tliou  with  cdl  thy  house  into  the  ark." 
 
 5.  One  thing  more  is  plainly  sup- 
 posed, that  it  is  of  the  utmost  consequence 
 to  both  parties,  that  the  separation 
 should  be  made — take  forth  the  precious 
 from  the  vile,  and  the  most  advantageous 
 results  will  immediately  accrue  to  each. 
 Is  it  not  desirable  to  the  children  of 
 God  to  know  that  they  are  so — that 
 they  are  heirs  according  to  the  promise 
 — that  they  are  precious  in  His  sight  and 
 honourable?  Would  it  not  strengthen 
 the  weak  hands  and  confirm  the  feeble 
 knees,  and  give  them  the  oil  of  joy  for 
 mourning,  could  we  say  to  them  beyond 
 contradiction,  "  Go  thy  ivay,  eat  thy 
 bread  ivith  joy  and  drink  thy  wine  with 
 a  merry  heart,  for  God  noiv  accepteth  thy 
 works  " ? 
 
 If  the  distinction  be  valuable  to  the 
 precious,  it  would  be  scarcely  less  ad- 
 
 vantageous to  the  vile  themselves.  To 
 be  robbed  of  the  cloak  of  a  false  pro- 
 fession would  be  no  loss,  for  we  know  it 
 does  them  no  honour  and  brings  them 
 no  peace.  If  they  stood  out  in  their 
 true  colours  to  their  own  conscience 
 they  could  not  suffer  more,  but  they 
 might  be  more  safe.  You  had  better 
 meet  the  case  at  once,  at  its  worst,  and 
 say,  Behold  I  am  vile. 
 
 IL  What  is  demanded  of  ministers 
 with  a  view  to  this  solemn  discrimina- 
 tion? 
 
 The  text  plainly  demands  that  every 
 effort  should  be  used  on  their  part  to 
 remove  the  willing  delusions  of  man- 
 kind, to  disabuse  their  blinded  under- 
 standings in  reference  to  the  great 
 things  of  God  and  Eternity  and  their 
 souls'  health.  What,  then,  is  necessary 
 so  far  as  we  are  concerned  in  separat- 
 ing— 
 
 1.  A  plain  and  decisive  exhibition  of 
 the  truth  as  it  is  in  Jesus.  We  are  to 
 contend  earnestly  for  the  faith.  We  are, 
 as  we  have  opportunity,  to  vindicate  it 
 from  the  blasphemies  of  the  infidel,  the 
 perversions  of  the  worldling,  the  mis- 
 takes of  the  Pharisee,  and  the  corrup- 
 tions of  the  Antinomian.  Whether  men 
 will  hear  or  whether  they  will  forbear, 
 we  must  speak  to  them  of  the  evil  of 
 sin,  of  the  danger  of  continuance  in  it, 
 and  of  the  only  way  of  escape  from  it. 
 We  must  show  them  the  insuflficiency  of 
 the  forms  of  godliness,  the  worthless- 
 ness  of  their  own  self-righteousness,  the 
 necessity  of  a  vital  union  to  Christ,  and 
 their  positive  obligations  to  that  holi- 
 ness without  which  no  man  can  see  the 
 Lord. 
 
 2.  A  fearless  application  of  Scripture 
 truth  is  necessary.  To  the  careless  and 
 thoughtless,  the  young  man  void  of 
 understanding,  trained  in  the  ways  of 
 religion,  but  a  living  plague  to  the  circle 
 in  which  he  moves,  hardening  in  sin 
 and  fast  hardening  against  the  reach  of 
 conviction  :  Know  that  *^  your  judgment 
 noiu  of  a  long  time  lingereth  not,  and 
 your  damnation  slumbereth  not."  To  the 
 apostate  from  a  religious  profession  : 
 "  /See  that  ye  refuse  not  him  that  speah- 
 eth."  To  the  self-satisfied  formalist : 
 "  Strive   to  enter."      To    the    young  : 
 
 341 
 
CllAP.   Xt. 
 
 BOMILETW  COMMENTARY :  JEREMIAH. 
 
 "  Remember  noiv"  &c.  To  tlie  aged  : 
 "  Escajie  for  thy  life."  To  the  pre- 
 cious :  "  Say  ye  to  the  righteous,  It 
 shall  he  well  with  him."  To  the  vile  : 
 **  Woe  to  the  luicked,  for  it  shall  be  ill 
 with  him." 
 
 3.  To  point  ourselves  and  our  hearers  to 
 the  only  Agent  who  can  make  the  word 
 effectual. 
 
 III.  What  is  promised  ?  "  Thou 
 shalt  be  as  My  mouth."  The  accredited 
 and  approved  servant  —  to  speak  in 
 accordance  with  His  will — be  the  organ 
 of  His  clemency — all  his  authenticated 
 messages  crowned  with  success.  None 
 of  his  words  to  fall  to  the  ground. 
 
 Mighty  and  blessed  such  a  ministry. 
 Surely  the  people  among  whom  such  a 
 Divinely  effectual  ministry  is  carried  on, 
 would  be  drawn  to  the  Saviour's  feet, 
 and  souls  would  find  grace  and  salvation 
 as  on  the  Pentecostal  morning. 
 
 "  Faithful  ministers,"  says  Henry, 
 "  are  God's  mouth  to  us,  and  we  are  to 
 hear  God  speaking  to  us  by  them." — 
 Samuel  Thodey,  A.D.  1823. 
 
 Comments — 
 
 Ver.  19.  "7/  thou  return,  then  will  I 
 bring  thee  again,"  kc.  "  There  is  in  God's 
 answer  a  mingling  of  comfort  and  re- 
 buke. If  thou  return — repent  thee  of 
 thy  doubts  and  think  only  of  thy  duty, 
 then  will  I  bring,  (fee.  "  I  will  cause  thee 
 again  to  stand  before  Me."  To  stand 
 before  a  person  means  to  be  bis  chief 
 officer  or  vicegerent,  and  is  said  of  Elijah 
 (1  Kings  xvii.  1)  and  Elisha  (2  Kings 
 iii.  4)  as  God's  prophets,  of  David  as 
 Saul's  minister  (1  Sam.  xvi.  21,  22),  of 
 Solomon's  counsellors  (1  Kings  xii.  6), 
 and  of  Nebuzar-adan  as  commander-in- 
 chief  of  Nebuchadnezzar's  army  ( Jer.  liii. 
 12,  marg.y — Dr.  Payne  Smith. 
 
 "  If  thou  take  forth  the  precious  from 
 the  vile."  Jeremiah  was  to  separate  in 
 hhnself  what  was  divine  and  holy  from 
 the  dross  of  human  passion  :  So  many 
 commentators.  Discriminate  between 
 good  and  bad  men,  or  between  the  good 
 and  bad  in  men :  Other  authorities 
 favour  this  rendering. 
 
 "  Let  them  return  unto  thee,  but  return 
 not  thou  unto  them."  Rather, "  They  shall 
 return  unto  thee,  but  thou  shalt  nut,"  itc. 
 312 
 
 "  A  flattering  prophet  perishes  with  the 
 people  whom  his  soft  speeches  have  con- 
 firmed in  their  sin;  but  the  truthful 
 speaking  of  God's  word  saves  both." — 
 Speaker's  Com. 
 
 "  Not  surrender  unpopular  truths  to 
 popular  fallacies." —  Wordsworth. 
 
 "  Not  concede  to  the  vices  of  men  nor 
 cherish  their  fancies,  but  constrain  them 
 to  undertake  the  yoke  of  God.  The 
 truth  of  God  ought  not  to  bend  to  the 
 will  of  men ;  for  God  changes  not, 
 neither  does  His  word." — Calvin. 
 
 Vers.  19,  20.  Theme:  The  ministry 
 
 OF  THE  WORD. 
 
 We  have  here  God's  answer  to  the 
 prophet's  prayer.  Jeremiah  is  not  al- 
 lowed to  retire  from  the  work,  either 
 because  of  its  offensiveness  to  the  people, 
 or  because  it  grieved  him  to  be  a  man 
 of  strife  among  them.  He  is  promised 
 divine  assistance  and  protection  in  those 
 great  undertakings  to  which  he  is  ap- 
 Ijointed.  Concerning  the  ministry  of 
 the  word,  we  are  here  reminded  that  it 
 is — 
 
 I.  A  ministry  of  divine  authority. 
 "  Thou  shalt  stand  before  Me." 
 
 II.  A  ministry  of  divine  revela- 
 tions.    "  Thou  shalt  be  as  My  mouth." 
 
 III.  A  ministry  of  wise  discrimiua- 
 tioH.  "  If  thou  take  forth  the  precious 
 from  the  vile." 
 
 IV.  A  ministry  often  opposed  by 
 those  to  whom  it  is  sent.  "  And  they 
 shall  fight  against  thee." 
 
 V.  A  ministry  requiring  much  cou- 
 rage. "  I  will  make  thee  ...  a  fenced 
 and  brazen  wall." 
 
 VI.  A  ministry  which  will  be  di- 
 vinely vindicated.  "I  am  with  thee, 
 to  save  thee,  and  to  deliver  thee,  saith 
 the  Lord." 
 
 VII.  A  ministry  which  lifts  up 
 Christ  as  the  Saviour  of  men.  "  As 
 Moses  lifted  up,"  &c.  "  I,  if  I  be  lifted 
 up,"  &c.  "  We  preach  Christ  crucified," 
 &c.— F:  Whale. 
 
 Ver.  20.  Theme :  Impregnable  se- 
 curity IN  Jehovah's  service. 
 
 "  I  will  make  thee  a  fenced  brazen 
 wall,"  &c.  This  is  a  repetition  of  the 
 promise  made  by  Jehovah  to  Jeremiah 
 
EOMILETIO  COMMENTARY :  JEREMIAH. 
 
 at  tlie  outset  of  Lis  prophetic  career  (ch. 
 i.  18,  19).  Jeremiah  may  confidently 
 rely  on  protection  from  on  high,  and 
 God-given  fortitude,  if  he  will  maintain 
 fidelity  in  his  messages  and  witness  for 
 righteousness  among  a  depraved  and 
 hostile  people, 
 
 God's  address  of  encouragement  meets 
 the  faltering  prophet  with  definite  pro- 
 mises and  hopeful  statements,  and  afiirms 
 the  four  facts  : — 
 
 I.  Invincible  courage  supernaturally 
 supplied. 
 
 1.  lis  source.  "  I  will  make  thee." 
 No  self-reliance,  therefore;  nor  self-de- 
 spair. 
 
 2.  Its  sco2Je.  "  Unto  this  people." 
 It  must  be  shotvn,  and  shown  in  scenes 
 definitely  indicated. 
 
 3.  Its  stahility.  "  A  fenced  brazen 
 wall."  Proof  against  all  assaults ;  in- 
 flexible, immovable. 
 
 "  Hie  murus  aheneus  esto, 
 Nil  conscire  sibi,  nulla,  pallescere  culp^," 
 — Horat.  I  Epis.  i.  60. 
 
 II.  Determined  hostility  from  tlie 
 wicked.  "  They  shall  fight  against 
 thee." 
 
 Not  passive  unconcern;  not  airy  in- 
 credulity; not  frank  and  friendly  re- 
 monstrance ;  but  defiant  antagonism, 
 and  angry  abuse. 
 
 1.  Itesistance  of  his  messages. 
 
 2.  Resentment  against  him  personally. 
 
 3.  Rebellion  against  the  God  he  served. 
 Jeremiah  must,  therefore,  lay  himself 
 
 out  for  vigorous  and  valorous  warfare  ; 
 get  rid  of  sentimental  fears,  and  quit 
 himself  like  a  stalwart  warrior  for  God's 
 cause  and  glory ! 
 
 III.  Supremacy  guaranteed  over 
 antagonists.  "They  shall  not  prevail 
 against  thee." 
 
 1.  There  ivonld  be  actual  encounter. 
 A  struggle  man  to  man.  This  is  the 
 true  idea  of  a  faithful  ministry. 
 
 2.  There  would  he  need  of  self-defence. 
 Assailants  would  intend  to  prevail 
 against  the  prophet;  to  defeat  him  in 
 argument ;  to  destroy  his  faith  in  God  ; 
 and  to  silence  his  messages  amid  derision. 
 Jeremiah  would  need  to  look  to  himself 
 and  defend  his  own  fidelity. 
 
 3.  There  ivould  be  a  triumphant  issue. 
 Jeremiah  should  "  prevail."     Whom  God 
 
 makes  invincible  He  also  makes  ^J^cfor^0M5. 
 Not  only  successful  defence  against  at- 
 tack, but  supremacy  over  assailants. 
 
 IV.  Personally  guarded  by  Jehovali 
 Himself. 
 
 1.  God's  perso7icd  protection.  It  is  a 
 precious  promise  that  "  He  will  give  His 
 angels  charge,"  &c.,  also  that  "  the  eyes 
 of  the  Lord  are  over  the  righteous,"  &c., 
 also  that  "  as  thy  day  is  so  shall  thy 
 strength  be."  But  better  far  this — *'I 
 will  be  with  thee." 
 
 2.  God's  sure  protection.  "  To  save 
 thee" — preservation  from  his  enemies; 
 "  to  deliver  thee " — rescue  from  the 
 wiles  and  assaults. 
 
 The  idea  of  rescue,  should  the  prophet 
 become  entangled  by  their  sophistries  or 
 captured  by  force,  is  more  fully  expressed 
 in  ver.  21  :  "I  will  deliver  thee  out  of 
 the  hand  of  the  wicked  (malignant),  and 
 I  will  redeem  thee  out  of  the  hand  (from 
 the  grasp)  of  the  terrible."  So  that  we 
 may  boldly  say,  "The  Lord  is  my  helper,  I 
 will  not  fear  what  man  shall  do  unto  me," 
 
 Ver.  20.  Theme :  God's  ambassador 
 FORTIFIED.  "I  will  make  thee  unto 
 this  people  a  fenced  brazen  wall,"  &c. 
 
 I.  G-od's  qualification  of  an  overseer 
 of  His  Church. 
 
 The  metaphor  of  a  call  implies : 
 
 1.  Courage. 
 
 2.  Integrity  (innocence,  therefore). 
 
 3.  Authority. 
 
 II.  The  opposition  a  church  over- 
 seer will  meet  with. 
 
 "  They  shall  fight  against  thee  :  " 
 
 1.  By  seditious  preaching  and  pray- 
 ing. 
 
 2.  By  railing  and  libels. 
 
 3.  By  (possibly)  open  force. 
 
 III.  The  issue  and  success  of  such 
 opposition. 
 
 "They  shall  not  prevail." — South. 
 
 Ver.  21.  Theme:  God's  peefect  sal- 
 vation. "  And  I  will  deliver  and  re- 
 deem thee." 
 
 The  prophet's  loneliness  and  the  op- 
 position of  the  people  burdened  his 
 spirit.  Jehovah's  assurances  must  have 
 afforded  precious  consolations  and  con- 
 fidence to  him.  The  promised  presence 
 and  interposing  power  of  God. 
 
 313 
 
CHAP.  XV.  BOMILETIC  COMMENTARY :  JEREMIAH. 
 
 I.  Alarming  perils.     "  The  band  of  III.  Complete  redemption.     "  To  de- 
 
 tbe  luicJced  ;  the  hand  of  the  terrible."  liver  ;  to  redeem." 
 
 Implying   the   moral    quality   which  Salvation    has   various   forms :    tron. 
 
 distinguishes  our  spiritual  foes,  and  the  perils  of  this  world,  from  taint  of  sin, 
 
 fierce  malignity  with   which  thc^  plot  from  spiritual  foes,  from  personal  fears 
 
 our  ruin.  and  faults,  from  terror  of  death,  &c. 
 
 Perils  to  character,  to  2')eace,  to  security  Eedemption  by  2^'''ioe  ;  deliverance  by 
 
 in  God,  to  the  soul  itself.  power. 
 
 II.  A  mighty  Saviour.     "  I  will  de-  IV.  Unfailing  certainty.     "  I  ivill ;  I 
 liver  ;  I  will  redeem."  ivilW 
 
 Greater  than  our  foes.     Equal  to  all  Expresses  determination,  earnestness, 
 
 exigencies.     No   one  else   can  save  ;  it  love,  certainty. 
 
 is  His  work.     Employed  in  His  service,  "  I  will  fear  no  evil,  for  Thou  art  with 
 
 He  wiU  undertake  our  defence  and  de-  me" 
 liverance.    Saved  by  Him.    Safe  in  Him. 
 
 ^  NOTICEABLE  TOPICS  IN  CHAPTER  XV. 
 
 Topic :  Pkayer  for  a  People  Unavailing.    (Ver.   1). 
 
 Moses  and  Samuel  held  responsible  ofl&ces,  and  were  faithful  to  their  trusts. 
 With  their  piety  as  men,  and  fidelity  as  servants,  God  was  well  pleased.  If  any 
 two  men  could  have  prevailed  with  God  on  behalf  of  a  rebellious  people,  these 
 could.     But  the  conduct  of  the  people  had  alienated  His  mind  from  them.     Thus — 
 
 i.  There  may  he  complete  alienation  of  God  from  sinful  men.  "  My  mind  could 
 not  be  towards  this  people." 
 
 ii.  There  is  a  limit  to  the  Divine  forhearance  towards  defiant  souls.  "  He  will 
 not  always  chide,"  though  He  chides  again  and  again ;  neither  will  He  keep  back 
 His  anger  for  ever.  Cast  them  out  of  My  sight.  Then  no  prayers,  even  from  the 
 best  of  men  and  the  most  eminent  servants  of  God,  can  arrest  the  judgment. 
 
 I.  Manifestly  the  prayers  of  good  men  do  avail  much.  Instances  prove  that 
 it  is  an  established  law  for  prayers,  by  the  Moses  and  Samuels  who  stand  before 
 the  Lord,  to  prevail. 
 
 II.  While  the  power  of  prayer  is  obvious,  there  is  no  merit  in  prayer  nor  in  him 
 who  offers  it. 
 
 1.  Prayer  supposes  the  absence  of  all  claim,  for  what  a  man  can  claim  he  need 
 not  pray  for. 
 
 2.  Prayer  can  only  make  its  appeal  to  mercy,  and  mercy,  being  purely  sovereign, 
 can  heed  or  refuse  the  appeal  according  to  its  pleasure.  Had  mercy  refused  every 
 prayer,  justice  would  have  received  no  violation. 
 
 III.  God's  right  to  refuse  to  answer  prayers  is  beyond  all  challenge. 
 
 1.  His  declaration  :  "  I  will  have  mercy  on  whom  I  will  have  mercy,"  &c.,  asserts 
 His  right  to  withhold  or  bestow  grace  according  to  His  sovereign  will. 
 
 2.  This  right  involves  the  right  to  hear  or  not  to  hear  the  prayers  of  suppliants, 
 be  those  suppliants  Moses  and  Samuels,  or  publicans  and  sinners, 
 
 3.  If  God  were  under  obligation  to  hear  prayer  and  bestow  mercy,  mercy  ivouhl 
 he  no  longer  mercy,  and  grace  woidd  he  no  longer  grace.  Obligation  is  justice,  and 
 not  mercy  ;  duty,  and  not  grace. 
 
 IV.  All  our  appeals  for  mercy  and  grace  must  be  based  on  the  Atoning 
 Sacrifice. 
 
 1.  Every  act  of  mercy /ott»s  to  us  through  the  righteousness  of  Christ,  the  only 
 channel  of  mercy  from  God  to  man. 
 
 2.  Even  when  our  appeals  are  based  on  the  sacrifice  of  Christ,  they  must  he  left 
 to  tJie  sovereignty  of  Divine  mercy  to  answer  or  not  to  answer. 
 
 3.  If  we  rightly  recognised  this  sovereignty  of  Divine  mercy,  owv  prayers  would 
 
 344 
 
HOMILETIC  COMMENTARY :  JEREMIAH. 
 
 be  more  Immhly  presented  and  answers  would  kindle  a  loftier  praise,  exclaiming, 
 "Blessed  be  God,  who  hath  not  turned  away  my  prayer  nor  His  mercy  from 
 me!" 
 
 V.  Prayer  is  music  in  the  ears  of  God.  The  sounds  of  earnest  prayer  enter 
 into  the  ears  of  the  Lord  God  of  Sabaoth,  and  delight  Him  more  than  ten  thousand 
 harpers  harping  with  their  harps.  The  prayer  of  the  penitent  gives  joy  to  all  the 
 hosts  of  heaven,  and  the  prayers  of  saints,  our  Moses'  and  Samuels,  give  pleasure  to 
 the  gracious  God  even  when — for  wise  and  judicial  reasons — He  cannot  grant  their 
 requests.  Whether  answered  or  unanswered,  "  the  prayer  of  the  upright  is  His 
 delight.'" — Arranged  from  ^^ Morning  and  Evening  Walks  with  the  Prophet  Jeremiah." 
 
 Topic :   Men  of  Progress,  Men  op  Strife,     (Ver.  10). 
 
 Jeremiah  called  of  God  to  an  essential  but  unpopular  work.  He  is  judged  to  be 
 a  fault-finding,  quarrelsome  person,  whereas  he  is  really  a  sympathetic  friend. 
 They  hear  his  outspoken  denunciations  against  sin,  and  the  utterance  by  him  of 
 divine  threatenings ;  but  they  do  not  hear  his  prayers  for  them,  or  know  the 
 groanings  of  his  spirit.  He  is  misjudged.  He  is  lonely.  He  would  rather  have 
 been  born  to  a  quiet  life,  and  wishes  God  would  have  chosen  some  one  else  to  the 
 prophetic  work. 
 
 Jeremiah  is  typical  of  public  men  who  have  been  the  reformers  of  society,  the 
 leaders  of  thought,  and  often  the  martyrs  of  some  great  movement.  We  may  note 
 some  reasons  why  such  persons  appear  to  be  men  of  strife  : — 
 
 I.  Because  of  noncompliance  with  popular  sins.  Jeremiah  asserted  his  freedom 
 from  prevailing  evils.  Always  some  interested  in  doing  wrong,  and  maintaining 
 evils  among  the  people.  Those  who  will  not  conform,  especially  such  as  speak 
 and  labour  against  sin,  are  considered  men  of  strife — Micaiah,  Elijah,  John  Baptist, 
 Jesus,  and  many  others. 
 
 II.  Because  they  are  in  advance  of  the  age.  They  look  at  all  matters  from  a 
 more  elevated  standpoint,  and  seek  to  bring  the  people  up  to  their  level.  Paul 
 was  in  advance  of  the  craftsmen  of  Ephesus.  Luther  was  in  advance  of  the 
 church  of  Rome,  as  WiclifFe  before  him  had  been.  Copernicus  and  Galileo,  Huss 
 and  Wesley,  not  to  mention  others  in  all  departments,  were  pioneers  of  progress, 
 and  were  in  advance  of  their  fellows, 
 
 III.  Because  they  were  earnest  and  energetic  men.  Some  can  be  indifferent ; 
 true  souls  cannot  be.  Cannot  agree  to  leave  things  alone,  and  let  every  one  go 
 his  own  way.  Must  bear  testimony  for  God  and  truth.  Many  now  would  call 
 Noah,  Elijah,  Daniel,  Jesus,  Paul,  visionaries,  enthusiasts,  madmen,  as  indeed 
 they  often  speak  of  those  who  have  their  spirit. 
 
 IV.  Because  all  good  work  causes  strife.  Evil  has  to  be  conquered,  the  devil 
 has  to  be  cast  out.  No  curse  will  peaceably  give  place  to  a  blessing.  In  the  heart, 
 and  in  the  world,  it  must  be  conflict.  Christ  came  to  give  peace  to  the  trustful 
 heart,  but  not  to  bring  peace  immediatehj  on  earth.  In  Bethlehem,  in  Nazareth, 
 in  Capernaum,  in  Jerusalem,  He  made  conflict.  Every  great  work  has  its  stage  of 
 martyrdom,  its  age  of  chivalry,  before  its  triumph; — its  Egypt  and  wilderness 
 before  its  Canaan, — its  manger,  baptism,  wilderness  trial,  Gethsemane,  and  cross, 
 before  it  sits  on  the  throne  waiting  till  its  foes  be  made  its  footstool. 
 
 V.  Because  the  field  of  battle  is  the  path  of  glory,  "We  must  fight  if  we  would 
 reign,"  The  promise  is  "  to  him  that  overcometh."  Salvation  is  finally  for  "  him  that 
 endureth  to  the  end."  The  exhortation  is  not  only  to  repent  and  believe,  but  to 
 "  fight  the  good  fight  of  faith."  The  provision  is  for  the  warrior  ;  he  who  would  be 
 a  saint,  must  be  a  soldier.  The  martyrs  of  one  age  are  the  heroes  of  the  next. 
 Prophets,  apostles,  martyrs,  missionaries,  and  reformers  have  all  been  men  of  war. 
 We  honour  them  for  the  battles  they  fought  and  the  victories  they  won.  The 
 record  uf  their  lives  appeals  to  us — 
 
 345 
 
cBAPxv.  EOMILETIC  COMMENTARY :  JEREMIAH. 
 
 "  Hark  !  'tis  a  marshal  sound, 
 To  arms,  ye  saints,  to  arms. 
 Your  foes  are  gathering  round, 
 And  peace  has  lost  its  charms. 
 
 Prepare  the  helmet,  sword,  and  shield, 
 The  trumpet  calls  you  to  the  field." 
 
 —W.  Whale. 
 Topic:  The  Power  of  Kebuke.     (Vers.  19,  20.) 
 
 "  If  thou  take  forth  the  precious  from  the  vile,  thou  shalt  be  as  My  mouth  ;  and 
 1  will  make  thee  unto  the  people  a  fenced  brazen  wall." 
 
 It  is  by  the  gracious  word  of  Divine  mercy  that  the  hearts  of  men  are  to  be 
 subdued. 
 
 The  human  mind  is  found  to  be  influenced  far  more  by  hope  and  tenderness, 
 than  by  terror  and  rebuke. 
 
 I.  The  Christian  ministry  includes  also  an  cflSice  of  commination.  If  the 
 messengers  of  heaven,  when  among  the  outcasts  of  mankind,  who,  in  igno- 
 rance of  God,  have  gone  astray  from  virtue,  speak  much  more  of  virtue  than  of 
 wrath ;  when  they  stand  among  those  who,  being  well  informed  in  matters  of 
 religion,  use  the  grace  of  the  Gospel  to  palliate  their  vices,  the  messages  of  wrath 
 must  be  most  upon  their  lips. 
 
 II.  The  tendency  of  the  Christian  ministry  is  to  move  down  from  its  remedial 
 functions  to  become  an  office  of  delectation. 
 
 1.  Furnishing  intellectual  entertainment ;  uttering,  as  matters  of  gorgeous 
 eloquence,  the  appalling  verities  of  eternal  justice.  Nature  forbids  such  an  in- 
 congruity, and  the  renovating  Spirit  refuses  to  yield  the  energy  of  His  power  to  the 
 sway  of  a  mere  minister  of  public  recreation. 
 
 2.  Affording  spiritual  entertainment ;  by  exhibiting  the  conceits  and  ingenuities 
 of  mystic  exposition ;  by  painting  in  high  colours  the  honours  and  privileges  of  the 
 believer,  and  allowing  professors  of  all  sorts  to  appropriate  the  fulsome  description ; 
 or  by  pealing  out  thunders  of  wrath  against  distant  adversaries,  rather  than  at  the 
 impure,  unjust,  rapacious,  and  malicious  who  fill  the  pews  around  him.  This  latter 
 direct  method  might  turn  the  whole  tide  of  his  popularity  ! 
 
 III.  It  behoves  preachers  to  beware  of  the  indurating  effect  of  accustomed 
 phrases  and  forms  of  words.  Such  conventional  phrases  conceal  from  the  mind 
 the  ideas  they  should  convey ;  hence  preachers  should  continually  endeavour  to 
 break  up  the  mental  incrustations  which  are  always  spreading  themselves  over  the 
 sensitive  surface  of  the  soul.  This  is  most  especially  necessary  in  reference  to 
 matters  wherein  the  drowsy  formalities  of  language  tend  directly  to  augment  the 
 stupefying  influence  that  belongs  to  all  vicious  indulgences.  A  mind,  already 
 rendered  callous  by  sensuality,  receives  every  week  a  new,  and  again  a  new  insensi- 
 bility from  the  heavy  monotonies  of  the  pulpit. 
 
 IV.  It  is  a  pressing  duty  of  the  minister  of  religion  to  maintain,  in  vigour,  the 
 spirit  he  needs  as  the  reprover  of  sin  and  the  guardian  of  virtue.  It  is  easy  to 
 teach  the  articles  of  belief,  to  illustrate  the  branches  of  Christian  ethics,  to  proclaim 
 the  Divine  mercy,  to  meet  and  assuage  the  fears  of  the  feeble  and  sorrows  of  the 
 afflicted.  But  to  keep  in  full  activity  the  poiver  of  rehulce,  demands  rare  qualities. 
 It  is  fruitless  to  search  aside  for  substitutes  for  these  qualities.  The  preacher  may 
 avail  himself  of  abstract  demonstration  respecting  the  unalterable  rigour  of  the 
 Divine  government,  to  prove  that  the  Supreme  Kuler  of  the  moral  system  can 
 never  pass  over  transgression,  but  must  needs  exact  the  appointed  penalty  from 
 either  the  transgressor  or  his  substitute.  The  erudite  argument,  for  any  substantial 
 effect  it  will  produce,  might  as  well  have  related  to  the  planets. 
 
 Or  he  may  adopt  the  devices  of  eloqiieme  ;  turning  descriptive,  pathetic,  indignant. 
 Yet  while  the  walls  ring  with  these  sounds  of  alarm,  the  covetous  man  continues 
 counting  his  gold,  the  eye    of  the   vain  and  prurient  is  darting  from  object  to 
 object  of  illicit  attraction,  ic. 
 olG 
 
BOMILETIC  COMMENTARY:  JEREMIAH.  cHap.  xV. 
 
 But  to  speah  efficaciously  of  the  holiness  and  justice  of  the  Almighty  God,  and 
 of  its  future  consequences ;  to  speak  iu  modesty,  tenderness,  and  power,  of  the 
 approaching  doom  of  the  impenitent,  must  be  left  to  those  whose  spirits  have  had  much 
 communion  tuith  the  dread  Majesty  on  high.  On  these  topics  ordinary  preachers 
 are  most  at  fault ;  they  are  not  themselves  in  spiritual  fitness  and  equipment  for 
 their  duty  of  rebuke  and  testimony  of  judgment. 
 
 V.  There  are  tbree  indispensable  CLualifications  for  the  vigorous  exercise  of 
 the  Christian  minister  for  this  power  of  rebuke, 
 
 1.  Such  a  conviction  of  the  trtith  of  Christianity  as  shall  render  him  proof  against 
 assaults  from  within  and  from  without.  The  quarrel  of  the  world  with  Christianity 
 comes  to  its  issue  upon  the  doctrine  of  future  retribution.  Meditating  upon  the 
 scenes  of  joy  which  the  Gospel  spreads  before  us,  we  are  not  perplexed  by  discordant 
 doubts ;  for  joy  and  hope  are  emotions  indigenous  to  the  human  mind.  But  the 
 same  law  which  makes  joy  and  hope  spontaneous,  unsuspectingly  impels  us  to 
 doubt  when  we  set  our  foot  upon  the  region  which  sin  has  replenished  with  terrors. 
 Fatal  to  his  influence  as  a  refuter  of  sin  must  be  a  lurking  scepticism  in  the 
 preacher's  breast.  The  infection  of  his  own  doubts  will  pass  into  the  heart  of  the 
 hearer,  and  will  serve  to  harden  each  transgressor  in  his  impenitence. 
 
 2.  A  resolute  loyalty  to  the  divine  administration  will  be  equally  needful.  It  rests 
 itself  upon  the  assurance,  "Shall  not  the  Judge  of  all  the  earth  do  right?"  It 
 takes  its  force  from  genuine  piety  and  aflfection  to  truth.  It  is  the  same  spirit  that 
 led  the  royal  poet  to  utter  his  persuasion,  "  I  know,  O  Lord,  that  all  Thy  judgments 
 are  right;"  and  moved  Paul  with  a  similar  force  of  healthy  piety  to  exclaim,  "  Yea, 
 let  God  be  true,  and  every  man  a  liar."  Such  loyalty  will  break  through  the  mazes 
 of  much  sophistry,  will  support  the  servant  of  God  when  assailed  by  more  fallacies 
 than  he  can  at  the  moment  refute,  and  enable  him  to  cleave  under  all  obloquies 
 and  embarrassments  to  what  he  inwardly  and  firmly  knows  must  in  the  end  prove 
 itself  the  better  cause. 
 
 3.  Not  less  necessary  to  the  minister  of  truth  is  an  ttnafected  and  sensitive  com- 
 passion towards  his  fellow-men,  and  a  compassion  of  that  efiicient  kind  which 
 nothing  has  ever  produced  but  the  Gospel.  The  servant  of  Heaven  can  effect  his 
 commission  only  as  he  gains  access  to  the  human  heart ;  and  there  is  no  other  path 
 of  access  but  that  of  love.  Men,  rather  than  angels,  are  sent  to  preach  repentance, 
 that  the  promulgation  of  mercy  may  always  be  heard  in  tones  of  tenderness  and 
 humiliation.  The  end  of  all  reproof  is  mercy.  If  there  were  no  redemption  at 
 hand,  it  were  idle  or  cruel  to  talk  of  judgment. — Isaac  Taylor,  Saturday  Evening,  xv. 
 
 ADDENDA  TO  CHAPTER  XV.:  ILLUSTRATIONS  AND  SUGGESTIVE  EXTRACTS. 
 
 Ver.  1.   Intercessory  prayer.       "  I  Through  the  streets  of  the  city  immortal, 
 
 ought  to  study  Christ  as  an  intercessor.  ^^  '''^^^^^  *^«  fragrance  they  shed." 
 
 TT                ii_rT^<_          1                      i  — "  Legend  of  the  Annd  of  Prayer. 
 
 He  prayed  most  tor  reter,  who  was  most  a        .i           o  — Longfellow. 
 
 to  be  tempted."— i/'CAe3^?ie.  Limits  to  prayer. 
 
 "  If  ''^y  prayer 
 •♦  Sandalphoii  stands  listening  breathless  Incessant  I  could  hope  to  change  the  will 
 
 To  sounds  that  ascend  from  below ;—  Of  Him  who  all  things  can,  I  would  not  cease 
 
 To  weary  Him  with  my  assiduous  cries. 
 •'  From  the  spirits  on  earth  that  adore,  But  prayer  against  His  absolute  decree 
 
 From  the  souls  that  entreat  and  implore  No  more  avails  than  breath  against  the  wind, 
 
 In  the  fervour  and  passion  of  prayer;  Blows  stifling  back  on  him  that  breathes  it  forth: 
 
 From  the  hearts  that  are  broken  with  losses,       Therefore  to  His  great  bidding  I  submit." 
 And  weary  with  dragging  the  crosses  —Milton's  "Paradise  Lost." 
 
 Too  heavy  for  mortals  to  bear.  // ttt,    ,.,,... 
 
 "  What  IS  the  limit  of  our  prayer  1 
 
 "  l°?  IV^  ^^^t""^  *^-^  F^'T''^  ""'•  ''^v  '*^"'^^  This  :    '  Not  my  will  but  Thine  be  done  ! ' 
 
 And  they  change  into  flowers  in  his  hands,        t    .t    .       i-     •.  o      tkt-i        n    ,    ■       ^     ■ 
 
 Into  garlands  of  purple  and  red;  Is  that  a  limit  1     Why,  that  is  glorious 
 
 And  beneath  tlie  great  arch  of  the  portal,  liberty  !     Not  my  will  but  Tliine, — not 
 
 347 
 
EOMILETIC  COMMENTARY:  JEREMIAH. 
 
 a  little  will  but  a  great  will, — not  my 
 thought  but  Thine, — not  my  love  but 
 Thine !  Ts  it  a  limit  ?  It  is  the  lark 
 rising  from  its  field-nest  with  the  bound- 
 less liberty  of  the  firmament.  Truly  we 
 do  not  limit  ourselves  when  we  exchange 
 the  creature  for  the  Creator." — Joseph 
 Parker,  D.D. 
 
 Ver.  2.  Scornful  incredulity. 
 "  Eest  thee  well  assured,  0  scorner !  that 
 thy  laughs  cannot  alter  truth,  thy  jests 
 cannot  avert  thine  inevitable  doom. 
 Though  in  thy  hardihood  thou  shouldst 
 make  a  league  with  death,  and  sign  a 
 covenant  with  hell,  yet  swift  justice  shall 
 overtake  thee,  and  strong  vengeance 
 strike  thee  low.  In  vain  dost  thou  jeer 
 and  mock,  for  eternal  verities  are  mightier 
 than  thy  sophistries;  nor  can  thy  smart 
 sayings  alter  the  divine  truth  of  a  single 
 word  of  this  volume  of  Revelation.  Oh  ! 
 why  dost  thouquarrel  with  thy  best  friend, 
 and  ill-treat  thy  only  refuge?" — Spitrgeon. 
 
 Ver.  4,  Parentage.  "  The  account 
 that  begins  to  be  incurred  when  parents 
 rejoice  because  a  child  is  born  to  them, 
 is  the  most  solemn  account  that  ever  is 
 incurred  aside  of  one's  own  individual 
 duty  towards  God.  I  do  not  mean  that 
 all  the  misconduct  and  evil-endings  of  the 
 child  are  to  come  back  upon  the  parent, 
 and  that  there  is  to  be  in  the  child  no 
 free  will,  so  that  no  individual  account 
 can  belong  to  him.  For  if  a  parent  has 
 cleansed  his  skirts  of  his  children,  the 
 guilt  of  their  sins  will  rest  on  their 
 heads,  and  not  on  his.  But  unless  the 
 parent  can  show  that  the  child's  miscon- 
 duct and  wreck  of  eternity  are  not  attri- 
 butable to  any  fault  of  his,  the  weight  of 
 the  child's  condemnation  will  be  divided." 
 — H.  W.  Beecher. 
 
 "  The  last  thing  forgotten  in  all  the 
 recklessness  of  dissolute  profligacy  is  the 
 prayer  or  hymn  taught  by  a  mother's 
 lips  or  uttered  at  a  father's  knee ;  and 
 where  there  seems  to  have  been  any 
 pains  bestowed  even  by  one  parent  to 
 train  up  a  child  aright,  there  is  generally 
 more  than  ordinary  ground  for  hope." 
 — The  Experience  of  a  Prison  Ghaidain. 
 
 Ver.  5.  Lost  to  pity. 
 
 "  !None  pities  him  that's  in  tlie  snare, 
 And,  warned  before,  would  not  beware." 
 —  1 1  crick. 
 
 348 
 
 Ver.  8.  Life's  noontide. 
 
 "  0  life,  how  pleasant  is  thy  morning, 
 Young  Fancy's  rays  the  hills  adorning  ! 
 Cold,  pausing  Caution's  lessons  scorning, 
 
 We  frisk  away, 
 Like  schoolboys  at  the  expected  warning, 
 
 To  joy  and  play."  — Burns. 
 
 ' '  For  ah  !  my  heart,  how  very  soon 
 
 The  glittering  dreams  of  youth  are  past ; 
 And  long  before  it  reach  its  noon, 
 The  sun  of  life  is  overcast."     — Moore, 
 
 *'  What  is  youth  ?    A  dancing  billow. 
 Winds  behind,  and  rocks  before  ! " 
 
 — Wordsworth. 
 
 "  Live,  that  thy  young  and  glowing  breast 
 Can  think  of  death  without  a  sigh, 
 And  be  assured  that  life  is  best 
 Which  finds  us  least  afraid  to  die." 
 
 — Eliza  Cook. 
 
 Ver.  9.  Early  death.  "  What  is  this 
 voice  to  us  % "  says  Bonar  of  the  early 
 death  of  M'Cheyne.  "  Only  this  much 
 we  can  clearly  see,  that  nothing  was 
 more  fitted  to  leave  his  character  and 
 example  impressed  on  our  remembrance 
 for  ever  than  his  early  death.  There 
 might  be  envy  while  he  lived ;  there  is 
 none  now.  There  might  have  been  some 
 of  the  youthful  attractiveness  of  his 
 graces  lost  had  he  lived  many  years; 
 this  cannot  be  impaired  now.  It  seems 
 as  if  the  Lord  had  struck  the  flower  from 
 tlie  stem  ere  any  of  the  colours  had  lost 
 their  bright  hues  or  any  leaf  its  fra- 
 grance." 
 
 It  is  remarkable  yet  mysterious  how 
 many  of  God's  choicest  servants  have 
 been  removed  so  early.  Look  over  this 
 list:— H.  Kirke  White  (at  21),  Andrew 
 Gray  (21),  John  Janeway  (23),  Patrick 
 Hamilton  (24),  R.  M.  M'Cheyne  (29), 
 Captain  Hedley  Vicars  (29),  David  Brai- 
 nerd  (30),  H.  W.  Fox  (30),  Felix  Neff 
 (31),  J.  H.  Forsyth  (32),  H.  Martyn 
 (32),  Toplady  (35),  W.  Archer  Butler 
 (35). 
 
 Ver.  10.  A  troubled  ministry. 
 "  Exposed  to  criticisms  and  interfer- 
 ences of  the  vulgarest  and  coarsest  kind. 
 One  man  will  ask  how  it  is  that  so 
 few  additions  are  made  to  the  Church  1 
 Another  will  inquire  how  it  is  that  the 
 collections  have  fallen  off?  A  third  will 
 profess  to  lament  that  the  seats  were 
 better  let  in  former  years.  A  fourth 
 will  intimate  that  we  must  have  preach- 
 
nOMILETIC  COMMENTARY:  JEREMIAH. 
 
 ing  which  is  abreast  of  the  times.  The 
 minister  often  listens  to  these  things 
 with  a  justly  angry  spirit,  oftener  still 
 with  a  heavy  or  aching  heart ;  but  what 
 can  he  do  1  Shall  he  answer  a  fool 
 according  to  his  folly  ?  This  is  exactly 
 what  the  fool  would  like  above  every- 
 thing. Shall  he  restrain  himself  and 
 swallow  his  grief  ?  He  does  so ;  but  such 
 discipline  often  brings  with  it  discourage- 
 ment and  sadness, — sometimes  almost 
 despair. " — Father , 
 
 Ver.  12.  Be  not  discouraged. 
 "  Some  of  the  greatest  works  that  were 
 ever  performed  by  Christian  people  were 
 not  immediate  in  their  results.  You 
 know  the  story  of  the  removal  of  old 
 St.  Paul's  by  Sir  Christopher  Wren.  A 
 very  massive  piece  of  masonry  had  to  be 
 broken  down,  and  the  task,  by  pick  and 
 shovel,  would  have  been  a  very  tedious 
 one,  so  the  great  architect  prepared  a 
 battering-ram  for  its  removal,  and  a 
 large  number  of  workmen  were  directed 
 to  strike  with  force  against  the  wall  with 
 the  ram.  After  several  hours  of  labour, 
 the  wall,  to  all  appearances,  stood  fast 
 and  firm.  Their  many  strokes  had  been 
 apparently  lost,  but  the  architect  knew 
 that  they  were  gradually  communicating 
 motion  to  the  wall,  creating  an  agitation 
 throughout  the  whole  of  it,  and  that,  by 
 and  by,  wlien  they  had  continued  long 
 enough,  the  entire  mass  would  come 
 down  beneath  a  single  stroke.  The 
 workmen,  no  doubt,  attributed  the  re- 
 sult to  the  one  crowning  concussion, 
 but  their  master  knew  that  their  pre- 
 vious strokes  had  only  culminated  in 
 that  one  tremendous  blow,  and  that  all 
 the  non-resultant  work  had  been  neces- 
 sary to  prepare  for  the  stroke  which 
 achieved  the  purpose." — G.  H.  Spurgeon. 
 
 Evil  shall  not  prevail. — "In  the 
 dark  ages  the  enemy  thought  he  had 
 destroyed  the  Church,  but  life  came  into 
 the  monk  in  his  cell,  and  Luther  shook 
 the  world.  The  Church  in  England  fell 
 into  a  deadly  slumber  in  the  days  of 
 Whitfield  and  Wesley  ;  but  she  was  not 
 dead,  and  therefore  a  time  of  awakening 
 came.  The  flame  burned  low,  but  the 
 heavenly  fire  still  lingered  among  the 
 ashes,  and  only  needed  the  Holy  Spirit 
 to  blow  upon  it,  and  cause  a  hallowed 
 
 conflagration.  Six  young  men  in  Oxford 
 were  found  guilty  of  meeting  to  pray  : 
 their  offence  was  contagious,  and  soon 
 there  sprang  up  hundreds  glorying  in 
 the  same  blessed  crime.  Earnest  ser- 
 vants of  the  living  God  were  forth- 
 coming, and  no  man  knew  whence  they 
 came  ;  like  the  buds  and  blossoms  which 
 come  forth  at  the  bidding  of  spring,  a 
 people  made  willing  in  the  day  of  God's 
 power  came  forward  at  once.  Seeing 
 that  there  is  life  in  the  Church  of  God, 
 you  can  never  calculate  what  will  hap- 
 pen within  its  bounds  to-morrow;  for 
 life  is  an  unaccountable  thing,  and 
 scorns  the  laws  which  bind  the  formal 
 and  inanimate.  The  statues  in  St. 
 Paul's  Cathedral  stand  fixed  on  their 
 pedestals,  and  the  renowned  dead  in 
 Westminster  Abbey  never  raise  a  riot ; 
 but  who  can  tell  what  the  living  rnay 
 next  conceive  or  attempt  ?  They  burnt 
 the  Gospel  out  in  Spain,  did  they  not  1 
 And  in  the  Low  Countries  they  erased 
 the  memory  thereof.  How  is  it  now  ? 
 Has  not  Spain  achieved  her  liberty  at 
 a  blow  1  Is  not  also  Belgium  free  to 
 the  preacher  of  the  Word?  Not  even 
 Italy  or  Rome  itself  is  safe  against  the 
 obnoxious  heretic.  Everywhere  the 
 Gospel  penetrates.  Even  the  earth 
 helps  the  woman,  and  swallows  up  the 
 flood  which  the  dragon  casts  out  of  his 
 mouth  to  drown  the  man-child  :  political 
 rulers  restrain  the  violence  of  those  who 
 otherwise  would  slay  the  saints  in  one 
 general  massacre." — G.  H.  Spurgeon, 
 
 Ver.  15.  On  being  remembered. 
 See  Bonar's  hymn,  "  The  Everlasting 
 Memorial.''^ 
 
 "  I  need  not  be  missed  if  my  life  has  been 
 
 bearing 
 (As  its  summer  and  autumn  moved  silently 
 
 on) 
 Its  flower  and  its  fruit :    I  shall  still  be 
 
 remembered — 
 Yes,  but  remembered  by  what  I  have  done." 
 
 Ver.  16.  Enjoying  God's  Word. 
 "  What  do  I  not  owe  to  the  Lord," 
 writes  Henry  Martyn,  "  for  permitting 
 me  to  take  part  in  the  translation  of 
 His  Word  %  Never  did  I  see  such  won- 
 ders, and  wisdom,  and  love  in  the 
 blessed  Book,  as  since  I  have  been 
 obliged  to  study  every  expression  :  and 
 
 349 
 
CHAP.  XVI. 
 
 HOMILETIC  COMMENTARY:  JEREMIAH. 
 
 it  is  a  delightful  reflection,  that  death 
 cannot  deprive  us  of  the  pleasure  of 
 studying  its  mysteries." 
 
 Shortly  before  his  death,  Dr.  Buchan- 
 nan,  giving  to  a  friend  some  details  of 
 his  laborious  revisions  of  his  Syriac  Tes- 
 tament, suddenly  stoj^ped  and  burst  into 
 tears.  On  recovering  himself,  he  said, 
 "  I  am  not  ill,  but  I  was  completely 
 overcome  with  the  recollection  of  the 
 delight  which  I  have  enjoyed  in  this 
 exercise.  At  first  I  was  disposed  to 
 shrink  from  the  task  as  irksome,  and  ap- 
 prehended that  I  should  find  even  the 
 Scriptures  pall  by  the  frequency  of  this 
 critical  examination.  But,  so  far  from 
 it,  every  fresh  perusal  seemed  to  throw 
 fresh  light  on  the  Word  of  God,  and  to 
 convey  additional  joy  and  consolation  to 
 my  mind." 
 
 Appropkiating  God's  Woed.  "  Have 
 you  an  ear  to  hear  Gospel  truth  as  the 
 voice  of  the  Infinite  God  addressed  to 
 
 your  own  soul  1  The  Dutch  farmers  at 
 the  Cape,  at  no  very  distant  period,  con- 
 sidered the  Hottentots  around  them  to 
 be  little  better  than  beasts,  quite  inca- 
 pable of  anything  beyond  mere  eating, 
 drinking,  stealing,  and  lying.  After  our 
 missionaries  had  laboured  among  the 
 natives  for  a  time,  one  of  them  was 
 found  reading  the  Bible  by  the  roadside. 
 The  Dutchman  inquired  of  him,  '  What 
 book  are  you  reading  I '  '  The  Bible.' 
 'The  Bible!  Why,  that  book  was 
 never  intended  for  i/ou.'  '  Indeed  it 
 was,'  said  the  black  man,  '  for  I  see  my 
 name  here.'  '  Your  name !  where  1 ' 
 cried  the  farmer.  '  Show  it  to  me.' 
 '  There,'  said  the  Hottentot,  putting  his 
 finger  on  the  word  '  sinners.'  '  That's 
 my  name;  I  am  a  sinner,  and  Jesus 
 Christ  came  to  save  me.'  It  were  well, 
 indeed,  if  men  would  but  read  the  Bible, 
 saying,  '  In  this  volume  the  great  God 
 condescends  to  speak  to  me." — Spurgeon, 
 
 CHAPTER  XVL 
 
 CRTTiCAii  AND  ExEGETiCAt  NoTES. — 1.  Chronology  of  the  Chapter,  Chapters  xvi.  and  xvii. 
 form  one  prophecy.  The  taunt  in  chap.  xvii.  15  shows  that  this  message  from  God  was  deli- 
 vered before  the  capture  of  Jerusalem,  which  occurred  at  the  close  of  Jehoiakim's  career. 
 Jehoiakim  was  slain  in  the  eleventh  year  of  his  reign,  i.e.,  in  common  chronology,  B.C.  597,  or 
 in  Assyrian  chronology,  B.C.  578.  There  are  allusions  in  the  prophecy  which  lead  to  the  con- 
 clusion that  it  was  delivered  during  this  reign  ;  and  we  may  conjecture  it  to  be  a  few  years 
 before  its  end. 
 
 2.  Contemporary  Scriptures ;  3.  National  Affairs ;  and  4.  Contemporary  History ;  cf .  Notes 
 in  chapters  vii.,  x.,  and  xi.  5.  Geographical  References — none.  6.  Personal  Allusions — 
 none.     7.  Natural  Histoiy — none. 
 
 8.  Manners  and  Customs. — Ver.  6.  "Nor  cut  themselves,  nor  make  themselves  hold  for  them." 
 Among  the  Jews,  as  among  almost  all  ancient  nations,  it  was  customary  to  lacerate  themselves, 
 and  to  make  bald  a  patch  on  the  front  of  their  heads,  as  signs  of  excessive  grief.  This  had 
 been  prohibited  the  Jews  by  Divine  law  (Lev.  xix.  28  ;  xxi.  5  ;  Deut.  xiv.  i.),  yet  seemed  still 
 to  be  a  common  practice  (chaps,  vii.  29  ;  xli.  5;  Isa.  xxii.  12  ;  Ezek.  vii.  18  ;  Amos  viii.  10; 
 Micah  i.  16).  Ver.  7.  "Tear  themselves"  (see  Margin) — "Break  bread:"  the  bereaved  having 
 fasted  for  a  while,  their  friends  came  and  urged  food  upon  them  (2  Sam.  i.  12  ;  iii.  35  ;  xii.  16, 
 17);  food  was  also  distributed  to  the  mourners  at  the  funeral  (Ezek.  xxiv.  17;  Hos.  ix.  4). 
 Ver.  16.  ^'  Many  fishers  :  viany  hunters."  Fishers  were  wont  to  use  drag-nets,  which  swept  the 
 waters  and  captured  all  the  fish  ;  so  hunters  would  surround  a  large  space  with  beaters  and  nets, 
 and  drive  every  creature  forward  into  some  enclosed  spot  for  capture  or  destruction.  "  Literally 
 understood,  the  '  fishers '  are  the  main  armies,  who,  in  the  towns  and  fortresses,  capture  the 
 people  in  crowds  as  in  a  net ;  while  the  '  hunters '  are  the  light-armed  troops,  who  pursue  the 
 fugitives  over  the  whole  country,  and  drive  them  out  of  their  hiding-places  with  an  eager  plea- 
 sure as  hunters  track  out  their  game  (comp.  Amos  iv.  2  ;  Hab.  i.  15)." — Speaker's  Com. 
 
 9.  Literary  Criticisms.— Ver.  4.  " Gnevous  deaths:"  lit,,  deaths  of  diseases,  i.e.,  deaths  by 
 those  manifold  diseases  which  accompany  war.  The  word  D''J<7nJn  here  rendered  grievous, 
 is  the  same  as  occurs  in  chap.  xiv.  18  [see  Lit.  Crit.  in  loc.\  tortures  of  famine. 
 
 Ver.  5.  "  iZbusc  of  mourning : "  nt"lD  D''2,  In  Amos  vi.  7  (the  only  other  occurrence 
 of  this  word  in  Scripture),  PIpD  is  rendered  banquet.  Doubtless  the  root  nH  means  a  loud 
 cry;  in  this  verse  it  is  the  shriek  of  grief  ;  in  Amos,  the  shout  of  jubilation."  ^Enter  not  into 
 the  house  of  shouting.  The  LXX.  give  the  rendering,  "Enter  not  into  their  bacchanalian 
 assembly  "  (eiaaov) ;  Vulgate  and  Targum  have/eas< ;  Jerome,  domus  convivii. 
 350 
 
EOMILETIC  COMMENTARY:  JEREMIAH. 
 
 Ver,  7.  "  Neither  shall  tear  for  them : "  D13  is  used  interchangeably  by  Jeremiah  for 
 t^'lS)  (Lam.  iv,  4) ;  here  eliptically  for  DH^  DIS,  to  break  bread,  frangere. 
 
 Ver.  12.  "Imagination:"  stubbornness  (comp.  iii.  17;  ix.  11-15). 
 
 Ver.  13.  "There  shall  ye  serve  other  gods,  cohere  I  icill  not,"  &c.  The  form  of  the  sentence  is 
 ironical  :  there  ye  may  serve  other  gods  night  and  day,  since  I  will  show  you  no  favour. 
 
 Ver.  14.  ^'Therefore,  behold:"  p^  should  be  rendered  nevertheless,  not  "therefore." 
 Blayney  gives.  After  this. 
 
 Ver.  18.  "And  first:"  Hjiti^JOj  Henderson  says,  is  used  adverbially,  and  gives  it  as  pre- 
 viously, i.e.,  before  God  restores  them,  as  stated  in  ver.  14.  Venema  agrees  with  this  :  And  I  will 
 first  recompense  doubly  their  iniquity  ;  i.e.,  before  I  restore  them.  Calvin,  rendering  the  word 
 formerly— from  the  beginning,  explains  thus  :  God  would  collect  together  all  the  iniquities  which 
 had  been  long  buried,  so  as  to  include  fathers  and  children  in  the  punishment  thereof.  Jerome, 
 Hitzig,  Ewald,  Keil,  and  Umbriet  accord  with  Henderson  and  Venema. 
 
 "  Carcases  of  their  detestable  things :"  LXX.  =6pri(nfiaiois,  "the  dead  bodies  of  their  abomi- 
 nations;" Vulgate,  "the  carrions  of  their  idols;"  Syriac,  "the  sacrifices  of  their  idols;" 
 Blayney,  "the  vileness  of  their  odious  practices ;"  Keil,  "the  carcases  of  their  detestables" — 
 which  may  refer  either  to  "their  lifeless  and  hateful  idols"  (Dr.  Payne  Smith),  or  "victims 
 oflfered  to  idols"  (Rosenm. ). 
 
 HOMILETIO  OUTLINES  ON  SECTIONS  OF  CHAPTER  XVI. 
 
 Sections  1-9.  Impending  national  desolations  warn  from  contracting  social  relationshipa. 
 ,,    10-13.  Apostasy  punished  with  exile. 
 „    14-21.  Benignant  promises  of  future  restoration  and  conversion. 
 
 Vers.  1-9.  Impending  Desolations  warn  from  Contracting  Social 
 
 Relationships. 
 
 Near  calamities  !  With  death  and  woe  approaching,  it  was  no  time  for  social 
 alliances  and  family  life.  Happy  they  who  were  not  parents,  for  they  would  be 
 spared  anguish  over  offspring.  Dark  the  day  for  those  who  had  loved  ones,  for 
 destruction  would  seize  those  whom  they  cherished.  They  who  were  usually  con- 
 doled with  because  of  family  loneliness  would  now  be  congratulated  that  they  had 
 none  to  love,  none  therefore  over  whom  to  grieve, 
 
 i.  Home  life  requires,  in  order  to  its  enjoyment,  inward  serenity  and  external 
 security. 
 
 ii.  Family  relationships  multiply  our  sorrows  in  times  of  adver^iy  and  experi- 
 ences of  calamity. 
 
 iii.  Without  a  prospect  of  affording  happiness,  marriage  and  the  creation  of  a 
 home  are  inexcusable.     (See  Addenda :  Marriage.) 
 
 Thus  the  topics  of  the  section  suggest : — 
 
 I.  nomestic  alliances  discouraged. — Ver.  2.  With  Jeremiah  the  case  was 
 special.  The  impending  disasters  emphatically  forbade  him  to  entail  on  himself 
 domestic  responsibilities  and  claims.  If  a  man  "  provide  not  for  his  own,  and 
 specially  for  those  of  his  own  house,  he  hath  denied  the  faith,  and  is  worse  tban  an 
 infidel."  And  his  very  calling  in  such  adverse  and  calamitous  times  would  render 
 it  impossible  for  him  to  fulfil  a  husband's  or  a  parent's  part. 
 
 1.  We  should  have  regard  to  the  future  in  forming  home  relationships,  and 
 estimate  contingencies. 
 
 2.  We  should  endeavour,  hy  caution  and  frugality,  to  screen  our  loved  ones  from 
 impending  distress. 
 
 3.  We  should  realise  how  seriously  the  welfare  and  hapjnness  of  the  entire  house- 
 hold depends  tqjon  our  conduct. 
 
 II.  Family  desolations  depicted. — Vers.  3,  4.  A  piteous  prospect !  Whole 
 families  destroyed  (ver.  3).  Agonising  deaths  shall  overtake  them  (ver.  4).  None 
 shall  perform  the  offices  of  lamentation  or  sepulture  (ver.  5). 
 
 The  general  lessons  are  these  :— 
 
 351 
 
CHAP.  XVL  EOMILETIC  COMMENTARY :  JEREMIAH. 
 
 1.  How  utterly  desolating  may  be  the  calamities  whicli  shall  despoil  peaceful  and 
 pleasant  homes ! 
 
 2.  How  all  the  social  respect  and  personal  affection  which  prosperous  times  ensured 
 us  may  fail  us  in  evil  days ! 
 
 3.  How  ruthless  are  the  destructions  of  the  enemy  I  Nothing  spared :  not  beauti- 
 ful childhood,  nor  reverend  age  ! 
 
 III.  Unmerited  pity  prohibited. — Vers.  5-8. 
 
 1.  Appalling  ruin  naturally  arouses  tis  to  "lament  and  bemoan." 
 
 2.  Miseries  entailed  by  sin  shoiUd  be  discriminated  from  unprovoked  calamities. 
 
 3.  Amid  the  destruction  of  God's  enemies,  His  people  must  remember  that  He 
 doeth  all  things  well,  and  not  allow  a  sentimental  pity  to  overrule  their  recognition 
 of  righteous  judgment. 
 
 4.  God's  servants  should  shun  any  festive  companionships  with  those  whose 
 iniquities  invoke  His  anger  (ver.  8). 
 
 IV.  Divine  justice  explained. — Vers.  5  and  9.  The  "  grievous  deaths  "  (ver.  4) 
 and  the  social  desolations  will  not  be  accidental. 
 
 1.  The  impending  woes  will  be  God's  righteoiis  visitation  (ver.  9). 
 
 2.  Forewarned  by  the  prophet,  the  victims  of  nearing  ruin  paid  no  heed  (ver.  10). 
 
 3.  The  withdrawal  of  God's  mercy  will  expose  them  to  the  destroyer  (ver.  5). 
 "  I  have  taken  away  My  peace  from  this  people,  saith  the  Lord."  His  gracious 
 security  had  ensured  their  serenity  even  amid  all  their  sins  thus  far ;  but  the  hour 
 of  abandonment  comes,  and  then  "  destruction  and  misery  are  in  their  ways,  and 
 the  way  of  peace  "  will  be  lost  for  ever. 
 
 Vers.  10-13.  Apostasy  Punished  with  Exile. 
 
 I.  Rebels  affecting  ignorance  of  their  wrong. — Ver.  10. 
 II.  Iniquity  brought  home  to  the  transgressors. — Vers.  11,  12. 
 III.  Banishment  the  penalty  of  apostates. — Ver.  13. 
 
 Vers.  14-21.  Benignant  Peomises  op  Future  Kestokation  and  Conversion. 
 
 The  verses  contain  the  following  suggestions : — 
 
 I.  God's  former  miraculous  acts  of  grace  recounted. — Ver.  14.  That  is  the 
 background  wifh  which  the  following  promise  is  brought  into  comparison. 
 
 II.  God's  former  miraculous  acts  of  grace  surpassed. — Vers.  14,  15.  Eescued 
 from  a  more  powerful  foe,  and  more  hopeless  dispersions. 
 
 III.  Effective  ministries  of  restoration  depicted. — Ver.  16.  (See  preliminary 
 note  under  Manners  and  Custoins  on  this  verse.) 
 
 IV.  Complete  recovery  of  the  scattered  ones  assured. — Ver.  16.  None  over- 
 looked.    Found  in  unlikely  places.     Brought  from  hiding-places  safely  home. 
 
 V.  Omniscience  fails  not  in  minutest  supervision. — Ver.  17.  Has  seen  their 
 "  iniquities  "  in  their  own  land.  Will  see  their  "  ways  "  when  scattered  over  all  lands. 
 [Here,  however,  the  word  "  ways  "  refers  not  to  the  ways  of  flight,  but  their  course 
 of  action.] 
 
 VI.  Heavy  chastisements  to  precede  restoration. — Ver.  18.  Grievous  have 
 been  their  apostate  deeds  ;  dishonouring  God,  and  defying  His  holy  land. 
 
 VII.  Humanity  returning  to  the  true  and  living  God. — Ver.  19.  The  prophet, 
 by  experience,  hieiv  God.  The  nations  would  in  the  end  discover  their  need  of  Him, 
 and  seek  the  Lord. 
 
 VIII.  Refuges  of  lies  gladly  renounced. — Vers.  19,  20.  In  ignorance  many 
 follow  ''vanities;"  often  fall  into  the  habits  of  their  "fathers."  Idolatry  will 
 disprove  itself  (ver.  20). 
 
 IX.  Jehovah  realised  as  Israel's  blessed  hope. — Ver.  21. 
 352 
 
HOMILETIC  COMMENTARY:  JEREMIAH. 
 
 GRiCB.  X\T. 
 
 1.  A  grand  crisis  of  Divine  manifestation.  "  I  will  this  once  cause  them  to  know 
 Ml/  hand  and  My  migld," 
 
 2.  A  manifestation  in  which  they  shall  recognise  their  God.  "  They  shall  know 
 that  My  name  is  Jehovah."  (Comp.  Isa.  xxv.  9.)  "  And  it  shall  be  said  in  that 
 day,  Lo,  this  is  the  Lord,"  &c. 
 
 HOMILIES  AND  COMMENTS  ON  VERSES  OF  CHAPTER  XVI. 
 
 Ver.  2.  Theme :  Jeeemiah  called  by 
 
 ACTIONS  TO  attest  HIS  PREDICTIONS. 
 
 1.  He  had  complained  that  God's  word 
 through  him  seemed  to  fail,  because  ful- 
 filment was  deferred  (chap.  xv.  18). 
 
 2.  He  is  now  commanded  to  show 
 his  own  faith  in  his  messages  by  abstain- 
 ing from  social  alliances. 
 
 3.  He  would  hy  such  conduct  confirm 
 his  words  and  awaken  serious  expectancy 
 among  his  people. 
 
 Actions  preach  where  words  are  im- 
 .potent.  "  For  this  I  say,  brethren,  the 
 time  is  short;  it  remaineth  that  they 
 that  have  wives  be  as  though  they  had 
 none  ...  for  the  fashion  of  this  world 
 passeth  away." 
 
 Comments — 
 
 Jeremiads  prohibitio7i  to  marry  has 
 this  application:  "Let  it  not  be  that 
 thy  children  charge  thee  as  thou  hast 
 charged  thy  mother,  chap.  xv.  10." — 
 Naegelshach. 
 
 And  these  meanings : 
 
 "  By  remaining  in  a  single  state,  Jere- 
 miah was  to  be  a  symbol  of  the  then 
 future  condition  of  his  countrymen  (comp. 
 Ezek.  xxiv.  15-27)." — Henderson. 
 
 "  It  was  to  show  that  the  people  were 
 wholly  given  up  to  destruction;  and 
 the  nearing  desolation  and  solitude  of  the 
 whole  land.  Celibacy  is  not  here  com- 
 mended."— Calvin. 
 
 Vers.  2-4.  Theme :  Limitations  of 
 
 MARRIAGE. 
 
 Generally  speaking,  "it  is  not  good 
 for  man  to  be  alone."  God  has  made 
 woman  to  be  his  companion  and  help- 
 meet. Generally  speaking  also,  '"'  chil- 
 dren are  an  heritage  of  the  Lord  "  (Ps. 
 cxxvii.  3-5.)  But  there  are  some  ex- 
 ceptions to  the  rule,  and  great  "discretion 
 is  needed  even  within  the  limits  of  the 
 divine  precept,  else  man  may  not  have 
 a  helpmeet,  nor  will  children  be  to  him 
 a   comfort.     Marriage   may   become    a 
 
 calamity  to  husband,  wife,  and  children 
 under  some  circumstances.  It  is  not 
 always  necessary  to  show  that  a  mar- 
 riage, or  any  other  act,  is  unlaiifid;  for, 
 though  lawful,  it  may  yet  be  inexpedi- 
 ent owing  to  the  conditions  of  life,  such 
 as  sickness,  poverty,  or  public  calamity. 
 Let  the  peculiar  circumstances  pass  away, 
 and  then  that  which  is  lawful  may  not 
 be  inexpedient. 
 
 I.  Marriage  may  be  inexpedient 
 owing  to  a  call  to  some  peculiar  work. 
 It  would  appear  that  others  were  not 
 forbidden  to  marry,  but  only  the  pro- 
 phet. He  was  commissioned  to  a  hazar- 
 dous undertaking,  and  the  cares  of  a 
 family  would  have  brought  considera- 
 tions which  might  not  have  been  help- 
 ful to  him  in  the  work. 
 
 We  can  well  imagine  that  Micaiah, 
 Jeremiah,  Daniel,  John  Baptist,  Paul, 
 and  such  like  men,  might  find  it  best 
 to  be  free  from  the  claims  of  a  wife  and 
 family.  Of  course  they  had  to  sacrifice 
 the  comforts  of  home. 
 
 It  would  be  difficult  to  imagine  how 
 our  Lord  could  have  carried  out  His 
 work  for  us  had  He  been  married,  and 
 that  not  because  there  was  any  reason 
 in  Him  why  it  would  have  been  unlaw- 
 ful, but  because  He  could  not  be  entan- 
 gled by  any  secondary  considerations. 
 
 Paul  gives  advice  most  difficult  to 
 follow  when  he  asks  that  those  who 
 have  wives  be  as  though  they  had  none. 
 This  needs  much  grace  and  great  wis- 
 dom to  do  aright. 
 
 Many  workers  for  Christ,  as  mission- 
 aries, and  those  who  have  undertaken 
 difficult  tasks,  have  denied  themselves 
 the  comforts  of  companionship,  and  the 
 luxuries  of  home,  "  for  His  name's  sake." 
 •This  is  not  monastic  celibacy,  but  di- 
 vine singleness  of  eye  and  heart  to  one 
 all-absorbing  pursuit. 
 
 II.  Marriage  may  be  inexpedient 
 owing  to  some  peculiar  phase  in  a 
 nation's  history.     Jerusalem  was  under 
 
 353 
 
CHAP.  XVI. 
 
 HO  Ml  LET  IC  COMMENTARY:  JEREMIAH. 
 
 divine  threatening,  and  great  calamities 
 were  about  to  come  upon  her;  it  was 
 kindness  to  Jeremiah  to  advise  and  even 
 to  command  that  he  should  not  involve 
 others  more  than  might  be.  So  in  times 
 of  epidemic,  famine,  siege  of  cities,  or 
 any  great  public  misfortune,  it  may  be 
 a  duty  to  limit  ourselves  in  any  in- 
 dulgence or  luxury,  however  lawful  in 
 itself,  or  justifiable  under  other  circum- 
 stances. 
 
 We  recognise  the  mercy  of  God  in 
 thus  preventing  much  misery  to  any 
 offspring  which  might  have  resulted 
 from  such  a  marriage.  They  would, 
 according  to  the  text,  have  been  born 
 to  an  inheritance  of  misery  and  ruin. 
 God's  servants  desire  for  their  children 
 a  happy  and  useful  life.  There  will  be 
 enough  of  sorrow  taking  life  even  at 
 its  best,  but  oh  the  grief  of  being  born  to 
 almost  necessary  and  unavoidable  ruin  ! 
 
 III.  Marriage  may  be  inexpedient 
 owing  to  some  peculiar  spiritual  con- 
 ditions. It  was  from  spiritual  causes 
 that  the  troubles  came  upon  Jerusalem. 
 
 It  was  for  spiritual,  as  well  as  natural, 
 reasons  that  God  gave  the  command  to 
 Jeremiah. 
 
 Much  of  the  sorrow  of  life  arises  from 
 disregard  to  spiritual  conditions  as  quali- 
 fications for  marriage.  There  is  often 
 the  marriage  of  the  body  when  there  is 
 no  real  union  of  the  soul. 
 
 Such  marriages  are  not  only  inex- 
 pedient, but  unscriptural. 
 
 The  consequences  to  children,  to 
 society,  and  to  the  Church  of  Christ 
 are  very  serious  indeed. 
 
 The  Scripture  gives  great  liberty,  but 
 it  also  prescribes  some  rule.  We  are 
 at  liberty  to  be  married  to  whom  we 
 will  "  only  in  the  Lord." 
 
 If  we  rightly  understand  the  precept, 
 it  indicates  God's  desire  for  our  comforts, 
 and  His  consequent  direction  as  to  the 
 only  way  it  can  be  realised. 
 
 Marry  only  to  those  who  love  God. 
 
 Marry  only  when  you  can  confer  real 
 happiness  on  the  object  of  your  affection. 
 
 Marry  only  to  those  who  will  not  im- 
 pede your  spiritual  progress,  or  hinder 
 your  efforts  to  serve  the  Lord  and  His 
 Church.— W.  Whale. 
 
 See  Addenda:  Maeeiage. 
 354 
 
 Comments — 
 
 Ver.  4.  "  They  shall  die  of  grievous 
 deaths;  they  shall  not  he  lamented,  neither 
 shall  they  be  b^iried,"  &c. 
 
 "  Similarly  in  the  plagues  of  Athens 
 and  London,  the  greatness  of  the  general 
 misery  crushed  out  the  gentler  sympa- 
 thies of  human  nature."  (Comp.  Thuc. 
 ii.  52.) — Dr.  Payne  Smith. 
 
 Ver.  5.  Theme :  Sin  excludes  peom 
 SYMPATHY  AND  SOEROW.  "Enter  not 
 into  the  house  of  mourning,  neither 
 go  to  lament  nor  bemoan  them ;  for 
 I  have  taken  away  My  peace  from  this 
 people,  saith  the  Lord,  even  lovingkind- 
 ness  and  mercies." 
 
 Indicate  how — 
 
 I.  Sin  brings  heavy  woes  upon 
 transgressors. 
 
 1.  The  loss  of  God's  peace.  "  Taken 
 away  My  peace."  Therefore  there  is  no 
 peace  to  the  wicked. 
 
 2.  The  alienation  of  Providential  fav- 
 ours. "Even  lovingkindness  and  mer- 
 cies." Godly  lives  are  girded  about  by 
 heavenly  ministries,  and  enriched  with 
 daily  "  blessings  of  goodness." 
 
 3.  The  accumulation  of  calamities  and 
 sorrows.  So  that  there  is  occasion  to 
 "  lament  and  bemoan."  All  men  have 
 trouble,  are  "born  to  trouble";  but  the 
 godly  "hides  himself  in  the  sacred  place 
 of  the  Most  High,"  and  finds  "  Everlast- 
 ing arms  underneath  him  "  in  his  day  of 
 grief.  But  the  wicked  are  comfortless 
 in  their  miseries.  No  "consolations 
 wherewith  God  comforts  us  in  any  sor- 
 row "  alleviate  the  transgressor's  desola- 
 tions and  distresses.  Nor  has  the  sinner 
 any  heavenly  outlook  which  brightens 
 his  present  gloom. 
 
 II.  Sin,  if  prolonged,  necessitates 
 Divine  abandonment. 
 
 1.  God  is  sloiv  in  withd^^aiving  His 
 grace.  And  indeed  the  Intercessor  pleads, 
 "  Let  be  this  year  also." 
 
 2.  Yet  slighted  ixitience  leads  to  with- 
 draival  of  peace.  Trifling  with  God's 
 "lovingkindness  and  mercies"  compels 
 Him  at  last  to  "  take  away  His  peace  " 
 and  leave  the  soul  to  its  terrors. 
 
 3.  There  are  actual  instances  of  such 
 Divine  abandonment.  This  is  not  a 
 prediction,  a   menace;  but  a  statement 
 
EOMILETIC  COMMENTARY:  JEREMIAH. 
 
 of  fact:  "Thus  saith  the  Lord,  I  have 
 taken  aivay"  &c.  Any  in  the  assembly  : 
 old  sinners,  reckless  and  perverse  youths  ! 
 "  Kiss  the  Son,  lest  He  be  angry  and 
 ye  perish  from  the  way." 
 
 III.  Sin,  when  persistent,  alienates 
 tenderness  and  pity. 
 
 1.  Criminals  can  expect  little  com- 
 miseration. 
 
 2.  Condolence  with  sinners  when  suffer- 
 ing the  consequences  of  their  sins  is  an 
 error.  It  overlooks  the.  righteousness 
 of  punishment. 
 
 3.  Generally  the  craving  of  guilty  per- 
 sons for  si/mjmthy  amid  their  miseries 
 is  attended  by  no  contrition  for  their 
 iniquities  which  entailed  such  disasters 
 upon  them. 
 
 Without  contrition  there  can  be  no 
 conversion,  and 
 
 Without  conversion  no  consolation. 
 
 Ver.  9.  Theme :  Godless  mirth  si- 
 lenced. Steeped  in  guiltiness  as  were 
 these  pec^le,  they  yet  were  hilarious. 
 Their  sins  were  allowed  license.  They 
 lived  on  in  mirth  as  if  there  were  no  God. 
 
 See  Addenda :  Frivolous  Sinning. 
 
 I.  Sinful  revelries. 
 
 1.  Sinners  sport  with  sin.  Live  as  if 
 free  to  do  as  they  listed. 
 
 2.  Unlicensed  self-indulgences  are  their 
 delight. 
 
 3.  Conscience  and  God  are  silenced 
 amid  their  revelries. 
 
 4.  Mad  mirth  heeds  not  God^s  frown. 
 Indifferent  and  even  defiant, 
 
 5.  To  silence  Divine  denunciations 
 (as  now  through  Jeremiah),  sinners 
 plunge  into  yet  more  exciting  self-in- 
 dulgences and  gaieties.  Oh,  what  a 
 scene  of  reeking  vice  and  appalling  blas- 
 phemy lies  under  the  eye  of  Heaven  ! 
 
 II.  Nearing  retribution.  "  I  will 
 cause  to  cease  in  your  days." 
 
 1.  Eeckless  mirth  cannot  arrest  the 
 retributio7i  it  ignores. 
 
 2.  Godless  revelries  will  7iot  escape 
 God's  judgment.  While  revelry  goes  on 
 within,  "  behold  the  Judge  standeth  be- 
 fore the  door." 
 
 3.  The  term  of  indulgence  is  alarm- 
 ingly curtailed.  "  In  your  days." 
 While  the  prophet  lived  the  end  of  all 
 this  impious  conduct  would  come. 
 
 III.  Silenced  rejoicings.  "I  will 
 cause  to  cease,"  &c. 
 
 1.  God  will  assuredly  hush  these  im- 
 pious revelries. 
 
 2.  Death  will  seal  the  lips  of  caroiisers 
 in  silence. 
 
 3.  Boon  companions  in  sin  will  ex- 
 change hilarity  for  hitter  lamentations. 
 
 4.  Scenes  of  mirth  will  be  deserted  in 
 the  day  of  calamity.  They  supply  no 
 solace  to  crushed  lives. 
 
 5.  Troubles  desolate  the  brightest 
 homes,  and  silence  the  sounds  of  gladness. 
 
 Reflections — 
 
 (a.)  Joy  may  be  pure ;  and  God  would 
 have  us  joyful. 
 
 (6.)  Pure  joy  has  no  sting,  and  is 
 enduring. 
 
 (c.)  God  will  enrich  the  joys  of  the 
 good. 
 
 (d.)  Trouble  nor  death  can  silence  the 
 gladness  of  the  godly. 
 
 (e.)  Their  earthly  scenes  of  joy  will  be 
 by  them  exchanged  for  a  land  "  where 
 there  is  fulness  of  joy  and  pleasure  for 
 evermore." 
 
 (/.)  Shun  irreligious  pleasures,  and 
 you  shall  inherit  the  blessedness  of  a 
 life  whose  joys  are  Divine. 
 
 Ver.  10.  Theme:  Sinners  in  alter- 
 cation with  God. 
 
 The  messages  of  Jehovah  produce 
 effect.  Even  rebels  feel  them.  There 
 is  in  Heaven's  words  something  which 
 compels  the  most  godless  to  notice  them. 
 Indeed  sinners  are  stirred  to  vindicate 
 themselves  against  God's  messages,  and 
 rise  in  strife  with  His  prophets. 
 
 Instances  of  altercation  with  the  pro- 
 phets are  numerous  in  the  Scriptures 
 (comp.  especially  chaps,  v.  1 9 ;  Ezek.  ii. 
 6-8,  xxxiii.  17;  Mai.  iii.  13,  &c.) 
 
 I.  Challenging  the  justice  of  God. 
 "  Wherefore,"  &c. 
 
 I.  Willingly  oblivious  of  their  de- 
 merits. 
 
 3.  Feigning  innocency  of  great  trans- 
 gressions. 
 
 3.  Self-excusings. 
 
 4.  Professing  ignorance  of  having 
 done  wrong. 
 
 II.  Surprise  at  the  severity  of  God. 
 Their  reply  is  virtually  this  : — 
 
 1.   The  evil  threatened  is  out  of  all 
 •355 
 
EOMILETIC  COMMENTARY:  JEREMIAH. 
 
 reasonahle  proportion.  "  Wherefore  hath 
 the  Lord  pronounced  all  this  great 
 eviU" 
 
 2.  Such  severity  disproves  His  assured 
 graciousness.  Did  He  not  pledge  Him- 
 self specially  gracious  to  us  ?  Yet  "  all 
 this  great  evil  against  %ts!" 
 
 3.  There  has  been  no  specific  sin  calling 
 down  such  vengeance.  "  What  is  our 
 iniquity,  and  what  is  our  sin,"  &c. 
 
 II.  Resistance  of  the  condem'na- 
 tions  of  God.  For  all  springs  from 
 this  purpose. 
 
 1.  They  refuse  to  he  convinced  of  sin. 
 
 2.  They  resent  the  charge  of  God's 
 prophet. 
 
 3.  They  reject  the  call  to  contrition. 
 
 4.  They  affect  religious  feelings  as  a 
 cloak  for  all  their  guilt.  Speak  piously  : 
 "  What  sin  have  roe  committed  % "  as 
 if  they  could  not  be  wicked.  Further  : 
 What  have  we  done  "  against  the  Lord 
 our  God  "  %  Oh,  the  hypocrisy,  to  dare 
 call  Jehovah  their  God  after  such  shame- 
 less apostasy  ?  Eather,  "  Let  the  wicked 
 forsake  his  way,  and  the  unrighteous  man 
 his  thoughts,  and  let  him  return  unto 
 the  Lord,"  &c. 
 
 Comments — 
 
 Ver.  10.  *'  When  people  are  despe- 
 rately bad,  and  will  not  be  told  so,  they 
 must  be  regarded  as  heathens  and  pub- 
 licans (Matt.  xvii.  18;  Tit.  iii.  10; 
 1  Cor.  V.  9)." — Cramer. 
 
 "  If  people  are  so  hardened  in  their 
 sins  as  to  expostulate  with  the  prophet, 
 he  is  to  show  them  that  the  severe  sen- 
 tence passed  upon  them  is  the  conse- 
 quence of  idolatry,  persisted  in  through 
 many  generations  till  it  has  finally 
 deepened  into  natural  apostasy."  — 
 SpeaJce7''s  Com. 
 
 Ver.  11.  GocVs  reply.  See  Homilies 
 on  chapters  V.  19;  vii.  25-28:  xiii. 
 21,  22. 
 
 Ver.  12,  Theme:  Woese  than  your 
 Fathers. 
 
 The  stream  swells  as  it  extends  its 
 course.  These  men  were  guiltier  be- 
 cause they  had — 
 
 I.  Fuller  warning.  The  fate  of  their 
 356 
 
 ancestors  admonished  them,  giving  em- 
 phasis to  God's  threatenings. 
 
 II.  More  restraints.  God's  dealings 
 of  mercy  had  been  Icnoionfor  longer  time, 
 and  proved  in  more  manifold  forms. 
 They  had  a  history  to  keep,  a  name  to 
 honour. 
 
 III.  Greater  advantages.  Their 
 Scriptures  were  larger  than  those 
 their  fathers  possessed ;  for  they  grew 
 as  their  history  enlarged,  and  as  succes- 
 sive prophets  wrote  and  spake.  Their 
 acquaintance  luith  God  and  His  will  was 
 more  clear.  Their  indebtedness  to  His 
 grace  was  more  evident. 
 
 IV.  Heavier  criminality. 
 
 Apostasy  assumed  most  heinous  forms. 
 Iniquity  ran  into  revolting  licenses. 
 Defiance  of  God's  messages  and  prophet  was 
 
 more  insolent. 
 Disregard  of  their  national  safety  and  honour 
 
 was  more  reckless. 
 
 {a.)  Sin  increases  in  volume  and  force 
 by  an  inevitable  law  of  accumulation. 
 
 (6.)  Actions  take  their  moral  charac- 
 ter from  the  inducements  whiAi  prompt 
 them,  or  the  restraints  which  check 
 them. 
 
 (c.)  Guilt  attains  its  climax  when  it 
 becomes  insolently  "  stubborn." 
 
 Vers.  14,  15.  Theme :  The  greater 
 FUTURE  OP  Israel, 
 
 Restoration  from  Egypt  will  be  for- 
 gotten in  contrast  with  the  deliverance 
 from  the  North.  Doubtless  the  return 
 from  Babylon  is  primarily  meant  here, 
 but  there  yet  awaits  the  ingathering 
 "  from  all  lands." 
 
 Note :  This  restoration  is  yet  pro- 
 spective :  so  points  to  the  coming  glories 
 of  God's  ancient  people. 
 
 I.  Severer  preliminary  sufferings. 
 
 1.  The  bondage  in  the  iron  furnace 
 of  Egypt  would  be  easy  and  light  con- 
 trasted with  the  despotism  under  which 
 they  would  groan  in  the  North. 
 
 2.  Instead  of  their  being  carried  away 
 into  one  land,  as  in  Egypt,  they  would 
 now  be  "  driven  "  through  "  all  lands  ; " 
 separated,  helpless,  abandoned. 
 
 II.  More  astonishing  preservation 
 in  exile. 
 
 1.  Dangers  greater.  In  the  hands  of 
 a  more  relentless  despotism.  The  armies 
 of  Nineveh  and  Babylon  ground  other 
 
BOMILETIG  COMMENTARY:  JEREMIAH. 
 
 CHAP.  XVI. 
 
 nations  they  conquered  and  captured 
 into  a  confused  mass,  destroying  their 
 individuality.  In  this  captivity  they 
 would  not  be  kept  together,  nor  loca- 
 lised, but  driven  into  widest  dispersion. 
 2.  Destruction  more  threatening.  The 
 North  meant  their  complete  obliteration 
 as  a  people,  and  did  all  that  could  he 
 done  to  effect  it.  Egypt  did  not  design 
 nor  attempt  this. 
 
 III.  Grander  supernatural  redemp- 
 tion. 
 
 1.  It  should  be  recognised  as  God^s 
 tvork  of  rescue.  "  The  Lord  liveth  that 
 brought  up  the  children  of  Israel." 
 
 2.  It  should  surpass  their  great  his- 
 toric deliverance  from  Egypt.  All  along 
 their  career  hitherto  Jehovah  had  per- 
 petually reminded  them  that  He  was 
 their  God  that  brought  them  out  of 
 Egypt :  see  the  frequency  and  varied 
 circumstances  under  which  He  recurred 
 to  that  fact.  But  it  would  henceforth 
 be  forgotten  in  contrast  with  the  coming 
 redemption. 
 
 IV.  Richer  revelation  of  Divine 
 grace. 
 
 1.  Their  greater  sin  did  not  lead  God 
 to  abandon  them. 
 
 2.  Renewed  apostasy  did  not  weary 
 God's  patience. 
 
 3.  Amid  their  exile  He  would  jea- 
 lously guard  and  individually  care  for 
 them. 
 
 4.  None  should  be  lost  in  the  glad 
 ingathering  to  their  own  land. 
 
 Vers.  16, 17.  Theme:  Nets  to  catch 
 
 MEN. 
 
 They  used  trawl-nets  in  those  days 
 for  sweeping  the  waters  of  fish  and  the 
 country  of  game.  (See  note  under  Man- 
 ners and  Customs  for  explanation,) 
 
 I.  Imagery  of  invading  captors. 
 This  is  the  meaning  of  the  figures  here. 
 
 1.  ^^  Fishers"  express  the  ease  with 
 which  these  invaders  would  capture 
 the  prey.  The  Northern  armies  would 
 secure  them  with  as  little  difficulty  or 
 trouble  as  anglers  gather  fishes  within 
 their  trawl-nets. 
 
 2,  "  Hunters  "  express  the  keenness  and 
 resoluteness  with  which  these  Northern 
 invaders  would  pursue  their  prey  ;  neg- 
 lecting no  hiding-place,  penetrating  into 
 
 every  retreat,  and  allowing  small  hope 
 of  escape. 
 
 (a.)  Tempters  thus  throw  out  nets  for  the 
 imivary,  and  gather  the  simple  into  the 
 enclosures  of  pleasure  and  sin.  *'  We 
 are  not  ignorant  of  his  devices." 
 
 (b.)  Bisptders  thus  hunt  the  more  valor- 
 ous sotds,  and  seek  to  capture  them  with 
 doubts  of  the  truths  of  religion,  and  con- 
 quer them  by  force  of  argument. 
 
 (c.)  Various  are  the  nets  employed,  for 
 the  resources  of  those  who  would  cap- 
 ture souls  are  multitudinous,  yet  adapted 
 to  ^^  catch  men."  Flattery,  indulgence, 
 companionships,  books,  worldly  advan- 
 tages, to  dratv  i7ito  sin  ;  or  annoyance, 
 browbeating,  calumny,  argument,  to 
 drive  to  despair  and  neglect  of  God. 
 
 ((/.)  Death  drags  its  net  to  gather  in 
 men,  and  it  sweeps  the  sea  of  life  effec- 
 tually. 
 
 (e.)  The  angels  of  judgment  will  at  the 
 end  of  the  world  gather  souls  in  from 
 all  lands,  and  not  a  sinner  shall  escape. 
 
 See  Addenda:  Hunting. 
 
 II.  Imagery  of  redeeming  agencies. 
 
 1.  Of  the  recovery  of  scattered  Israel 
 from  the  lands  of  the  spoiler. 
 
 Some  expositors  misapplied  these 
 verses  to  that  idea,  and  supposed  God 
 was  here  predicting  their  ingathering. 
 
 Yet  the  words  may  without  incon- 
 sistency be  so  applied.  The  figure  of 
 fishing  is  so  used  by  Ezekiel  (xlvii.  9, 10). 
 And  surely  in  Israel's  restoration  they 
 will  be  graciously  hunted  wherever  they 
 have  been  driven,  and  brought  back 
 from  heights  and  valleys,  and  even  re- 
 pelling "  holes  of  the  rocks."  For  God's 
 "  eyes  are  upon  all  their  ways  "  (ver.  17) 
 in  their  dispersion. 
 
 2,  Of  the  capture  of  souls  for  Christ. 
 *'  I  will  make  you  fishers  of  men." 
 "  Being  crafty,  I  caught  you  with 
 guile." 
 
 (a.)  Gentle  attractions  of  the  Gospel. 
 Easily  drawing  souls  into  the  kingdom. 
 
 (6.)  Manifold  yet  adapted  truths  of 
 Scripture,  winning  men  individually 
 into  conviction  and  faith.  The  precious 
 promises,  words  of  sacred  comfort,  con- 
 vincing truths,  inspiring  teaching  of 
 God's  Word  capture  souls,  and  "  sweetly 
 force  them  in  "  to  the  enclosure  of  Di- 
 
 vine assurances. 
 
 357 
 
6HAP.  Xvl. 
 
 BOMILETIC  COMMENTARY :  JEREMIAH. 
 
 (c)  The  Holy  Spirit^ s  ivorh,  of  awaken- 
 ing souls  to  their  state  and  need,  of 
 ■witness  in  consciences  and  hearts,  and  of 
 revealing  Christ  and  the  Gospel  to  men. 
 
 {d.)  Wise  ministrations  of  Gospel  mes- 
 sengers. Preachers  and  teachers  so  pre- 
 sent Christ's  truth,  so  contend  with 
 hearers'  doubts  and  hesitancy  to  "  per- 
 suade men,"  that,  being  wise,  they  '•  win 
 souls,"  and  so  draw  sinners  and  weary 
 lives  to  the  Saviour. 
 
 III.  Imagery  of  a  grand  ingathering. 
 
 1.  Of  the  scattered  sons  of  Israel  to 
 restored  Zion.  From  all  lands  shall  they 
 come.  It  shall  be  "  as  life  from  the 
 dead"  (Rom.  xi.  15). 
 
 2.  Of  humanity  draivn  into  the  faith  of 
 Christ.  *'  Other  sheep  I  have,  them  also 
 will  I  bring,"  &c.  (John  x.  16).  "And 
 I,  if  I  be  lifted  up  from  the  earth,  will 
 di'aw  all  men  unto  Me  "  (John  xii.  32). 
 
 3.  Of  redeemed  soids  to  th6  gloi'ious 
 heaven.  '*  They  shall  come  from  the 
 east  and  west,  north  and  south,  and  sit 
 down  in  the  kingdom  of  God."  "Re- 
 deemed out  of  every  kindred  and  people 
 and  tongue  and  nation." 
 
 Ver.  17.  Theme:  Omniscience  regu- 
 lates JUDGMENT.  *'  For  Mine  eyes  are 
 upon  all  their  ways,"  &c.  Ways  means 
 career  of  conduct.  God's  dispensations 
 are  determined  upon  full  knowledge  and 
 examination  of  our  doings. 
 
 I.  Human  life  attracts  the  obser- 
 vant eye  of  God.  "  Mine  eyes  are  upon 
 all  their  ways."  This  fact,  that  God 
 so  attentively  and  constantly  watches  us, 
 suggests — 
 
 1.  The  Divine  interest  in  His  creature 
 man. 
 
 2.  JehovaKs  solicitude  for  His  peoples 
 welfare. 
 
 3.  His  great  distress  on  beholding  their 
 faithlessness. 
 
 4.  His  longing  to  witness  in  them 
 loyalty  and  love. 
 
 II.  Man's  inicLuity  is  minutely 
 watched  by  Omniscience.  "Neither 
 is  their  iniquity  hid  from  Mine  eyes." 
 It  so  grieves  Him,  and  is  so  amazing 
 after  all  He  has  done,  that  He  cannot 
 withdraw  His  gaze. 
 
 1.  Iniquity  has  a  beginning,  and  a 
 course  of  development. 
 358 
 
 2.  The  sinner  s  path  is  beset  with  re- 
 strictions  or  indticements. 
 
 3.  Ungodliness  varies  in  degree  and 
 aninnts. 
 
 4.  Much  wrongdoing  is  done  secretly, 
 and  guilt  is  often  more  in  the  heart  than 
 in  the  act.  But  God's  eyes  search  out, 
 and  His  thoughts  weigh  the  measure  of 
 every  act,  or  thought,  or  motive  of  sin. 
 Yea,  our  secret  sins  are  set  in  the  light 
 of  His  countenance.  He  understands 
 our  thought  afar  off. 
 
 III.  Divine  chastisements  are  deter- 
 mined by  men's  deeds.  "Their  ways 
 are  not  hid  from  My  face,  neither  their 
 iniquities  hid  from  Mine  eyes." 
 
 1.  Caprice  never  moves  God  in  His 
 dispensations  of  wrath. 
 
 2.  Heaviest  judgments  cannot  exceed 
 the  sinner's  demerits. 
 
 3.  Anguish  derives  its  keenest  pang 
 from  the  siifferei-'s  Tcnowledge  that  he 
 righteously  incurred  it. 
 
 4.  None  can  hope  for  escape  from  pun- 
 ishment so  equitably  administered.  ' '  None 
 doeth  good  and  sinneth  not."  "  He  will 
 appoint  to  every  man  according  to  his 
 deed."  "  Every  mouth  shall  be  stopped, 
 and  all  become  guilty  before  God." 
 
 Conclusion  : — 
 
 1.  Who  can  expect  to  evade  judgment  1 
 "  If  Thou,  Lord  shouldst  work  iniquity, 
 0  Lord,  who  shall  stand  % " 
 
 2.  Where  can  redemption  be  found? 
 If  we  cannot  escape  from  judgment,  can 
 we  from  the  sin  which  necessitates  if? 
 Yes ;  Christ  removes  the  sin,  and  thus 
 ransoms  us  from  the  judgment. 
 
 "  Cover  my  defenceless  head 
 With  the  shadow  of  Thy  wing." 
 
 Ver.  18.  Theme:  Requiting  sinners 
 FOR  their  work  OP  SPOLIATION.  (See 
 Lit.  Crit.  on  this  verse.) 
 
 We  fail  to  recognise  what  wrong  we 
 do  God,  what  ravages  our  misconduct 
 works,  when  we  sin. 
 
 I.  Sin  despoils  what  God  prizes. 
 "My  land,"  "Mine  inheritance." 
 
 1.  God  has  a  right  to  all  the  pleasant 
 scenes  which  men  wickedly  use  and  pro- 
 stitute to  their  selfish  and  sinful  enjoy- 
 ments.    "  The  earth  is  the  Lord's,"  &c. 
 
 2.  U2:>on  every  life  He  has  set  His  seal, 
 and  justly  requires  that  we  preserve  its 
 powers  and  affections  inviolate.     All  we 
 
HOMILETIC  COMMENTARY:  JEREMIAH. 
 
 are,  all  our  endowments  and  abilities  He 
 entrusted  us  with. 
 
 3.  When  ive  ivithhold  from  God  His 
 due,  in  love,  loyalty,  and  service,  we 
 "  rob  God,"    He  made  us  for  His  glory. 
 
 4.  Every  2ise  of  God's  fair  ivorld  for 
 evil  2^'U'>'poses  is  sacrilege.  We  do  Him 
 a  wrong.     We  "  defile  His  land." 
 
 5.  iSiich  cr^lel  misuse  of  our  life  and 
 the  scenes  ive  occnj^y  must  be  as  offensive 
 to  God  as  it  is  criminal  in  itself.  He 
 values  us,  loves  us — "  so  loved  us  that 
 He  gave  His  only-begotten  Son "  to 
 redeem  us,  and  grieves  over  our  aliena- 
 tion and  prodigality:  "wasting  our  sub- 
 stance in  a  far  country,"  degrading  our 
 being,  and  dishonouring  His  handiwork. 
 
 II.  Sin's  spoliations  will  God  requite. 
 "  /  ivill  recom^^ense  their  sin  and  their 
 iniquity  double,  hecause"  &c. 
 
 1.  The  punishment  foretold  is  hut 
 retribution  for  sins.  It  vras  so  with 
 these  Jews,  it  is  so  with  us.  Nothing 
 is  threatened  against  the  sinner  but  is 
 the  "  due  reward  of  our  deeds."  Having 
 defiled  the  land  by  their  idolatry,  they 
 shall  be  driven  out  of*  it.  And  "  the 
 wicked,"  having  misused  earth's  fair 
 scene,  "  shall  be  turned  into  hell." 
 
 2.  Divine  inflictions  have  a  twofold 
 severity.  Yes ;  it  may  be  thought  that 
 God's  punishments  are  therefore  exces- 
 sive;  that  He  not  merely  requites  sin, 
 but  goes  beyond  our  deserts.  St.  Chry- 
 sostom  here  points  out  that  "  many, 
 taking  these  words  literally,  have  been 
 troubled  in  mind,  as  though  God  did 
 not  punish  men  according  to  their  desert, 
 but  more  than  their  desert.  But  really 
 every  'punishment  is  twofold ;  for  first, 
 there  is  the  loss  of  the  blessing  which 
 would  have  followed  upon  obedience,  and 
 secondly,  the  2)rese7ice  of  actual  7nisery." 
 So  also,  as  Dr.  Payne  Smith  suggests, 
 sin  is  tu'ofold:  there  is  the  leaving  of  God's 
 ivill  luidone,  and  the  actual  wrongdoing. 
 
 Sinners  lose  God's  favour  and^  incur 
 His  wrath  :  "recompense  double." 
 
 They  lose  the  bliss  of  heaven  and 
 inherit  the  woe  of  hell :  "  double." 
 
 Yet  nothing  they  lose  and  suffer  can 
 equal  the  ivrong  which,  by  "  their  ini- 
 quity and  their  sin,"  they  have  done  God  ! 
 
 (1.)  They  defiled  His  land  with  the 
 vileness  of  their  detestable  things,  and 
 
 (2.)  They  filled  His  inheritance  with 
 their  abominations. 
 
 Thus  did  they  pervert  sacred  scenes 
 to  detestable  purposes  \  render  the  holy 
 land  offensive  to  Him  whose  inheritance 
 it  was ;  and  by  their  foul  idolatry  they 
 gave  the  glory  of  their  service  and  wor- 
 ship to  abominations.  "  Oh,  do  not  the 
 abominable  thing  which  I  hate." 
 
 See  Addenda:  The  Evil  op  Sin. 
 
 Ver.    19.  Theme:    The  good  man's 
 
 STRENGTH,  FORTEESS,  AND  REFUGE.     "  0 
 
 Lord,  my  strength,  and  my  fortress,  and 
 my  refuge  in  the  day  of  affliction." 
 
 I.  The  Infinite  becomes  the  strength 
 of  the  finite.  We  may  well  ask  how  the 
 Eternal  becomes  the  strength  of  the  mor- 
 tal ;  God,  the  strength  of  a  man  1  And 
 reply — 
 
 1.  By  the  confidence  reposed  in  Sim. 
 Confidence  in  a  leader  is  the  very 
 strength  of  those  who  follow.  Thus 
 Wellington  was  the  strength  of  his  army, 
 and  Nelson  of  his  navy.  God's  people 
 have  confidence  in  His  wisdom,  power, 
 love  \  hence  "  through  God  they  do 
 valiantly,  for  He  it  is  that  treads  down 
 their  enemies  under  them." 
 
 2.  The  valorous  deeds  effected  by  men 
 of  God  are  marvellous.  Paul's  list  in 
 Hebrews  xi.  illustrates  the  triumphs  of 
 faith.  And  what  is  faith  but  confidence 
 in  God  ]  The  triumphs  of  faith  are  the 
 wonderful  achievements  effected  through 
 this  confidence  in  God,  so  that  God  be- 
 comes the  strength  of  men.  Girded  with 
 strength  Divine  they  can  each  say,  "  I 
 can  do  all  things." 
 
 3.  The  man  whose  strength  is  the  Lord  is 
 able  to  bear  what  would  crush  other  men. 
 He  who  gave  Samson  strength  to  bear  and 
 carry  away  massive  gates,  gives  to  His  ser- 
 vants strength  to  bear  weightiest  troubles 
 and  heaviest  sufferings.  See  Paul's  recital 
 of  his  sufferings;  yet  he  afterwards  talks 
 of  "  these  light  afflictions,"  &c. 
 
 II.  Yet  the  Lord  gives  to  His  people 
 protection.     He  is  their  "  fortress." 
 
 This  Divine  fortress  is  impregnable. 
 "  The  gates  of  hell  shall  not  prevail 
 against  it."  Yet  it  may  be  asked.  Have 
 not  thousands  of  God's  saints  been 
 slaughtered  by  persecutors  ?  What  is 
 the  Book  of  Martyrs  but  a  record  of 
 
 359 
 
caAP.  xvl. 
 
 HOMILETIC  COMMENTARY:  JEREMIAH. 
 
 God's  slain  ones  1  True ;  but  the 
 Divine  fortress  is  for  the  protection  of 
 souls,  not  of  bodies.  The  exposure  of 
 the  body  to  peril  on  the  one  hand,  and 
 the  safety  of  the  soul  on  the  other,  are 
 clearly  indicated  by  our  Lord's  words, 
 "  Fear  not  them  which  kill  the  body, 
 but  are  not  able  to  kill  the  soul." 
 
 III.  Further,  He  is  "their  Refuge 
 in  the  day  of  affliction."  In  the  evil 
 day  we  hasten  to  Him  as  soldiers  to  a 
 fortress  when  hotly  pursued,  or  as  vessels 
 to  a  harbour  when  the  wind  blows  a 
 gale.  When  "  tossed  with  tempest  and 
 not  comforted,"  we  have  found  the  Lord 
 "  a  refuge  from  the  storm  and  a  covert 
 from  the  tempest."  And  this  refuge  is 
 open  still  to  every  troubled  saint  and 
 every  penitent  sinner. — Rev.  D.  Fledge  : 
 "  Walks  tvith  the  Froiiiliet  Jeremiah." 
 
 Vers.  19,  20.  Theme:  The  confession 
 OF  THE  Gentiles.  "  The  Gentiles  shall 
 come  unto  Thee  from  the  ends  of  the 
 earth,  and  shall  say.  Surely  our  fathers 
 have  inherited  lies,  vanity,  and  things 
 wherein  there  is  no  profit.  Shall  a  man 
 make  gods  unto  himself,  and  they  are  no 
 gods  ? " 
 
 The  result  of  God's  judgments  on  the 
 Jews  will  be  that  both  the  Jews  when 
 restored,  and  the  Gentiles  who  have 
 witnessed  those  judgments,  shall  re- 
 nounce idolatry  for  the  worship  of 
 Jehovah  (Fausset). 
 
 (Note :  This  prophecy  in  course  of 
 fulfilment.) 
 
 I.  Their  repentance.  "  Shall  come." 
 They  had  followed  the  devices  of  their 
 own  hearts — its  failure  "  profited  them 
 nothing."  Trusting  in  gods  made  by 
 their  own  hands  could  not  profit  them ; 
 for,  *'  Shall  a  man  make  gods  unto  him- 
 self, and  they  are  no  gods  ? "  a  contra- 
 diction in  terms.  They  repent  of  their 
 folly,  and  come  to  Jehovah — the  only 
 true  God. 
 
 (a.)  Repentance  is  necessai^y  to  our 
 acceptance  by  God.  A  man  must;  realise 
 the  folly  of  his  sin,  and,  turning  from  it 
 with  his  face  toward  God,  must  make 
 confession  of  his  transgressions  in  order 
 to  their  remittance.  "  Repent,  and  be 
 baptized  every  one  of  you  in  the  Name 
 of  Jesus  Christ  for  the  remission  of  sins, 
 360 
 
 and  ye  shall  receive  the  gift  of  the  Holy 
 Ghost "  (Acts  ii.  38). 
 
 (6.)  Must  be  loith  the  heart.  Sincere. 
 "  Our  real  existence  in  the  sight  of  God 
 consists  in  the  inner  and  not  in  the 
 outer  life  "  (Farrar). 
 
 II.  Their  confession.  "  Our  fathers 
 have  inherited  lies  and  things  wherein 
 there  is  no  profit."  Idolatry  in  all  its 
 forms ;  not  only  gods  of  wood  and 
 stone,  but  all  the  idols  of  our  own 
 heart,  our  own  imagination — e.g.,  the 
 love  of  riches.  All  idolatry  must  be 
 renounced,  and  a  confession  made  unto 
 God  that  we  have  abandoned  them. 
 The  essential  element  of  confession  is 
 that  it  be  spiritual  and  true.  To  a 
 right  confession  we  must  have — 
 
 (a.)  A  knowledge  of  our  own  hearts. 
 If  this  is  possessed,  the  heart  will  be 
 laid  open  to  God  for  its  purification. 
 There  is  only  one  way  of  getting  a  heart 
 and  mind  pure,  and  that  is  by  confes- 
 sing to  God  its  present  impurities — im- 
 ploring Him  to  create  in  us  a  clean  heart. 
 
 (b.)  Faith  in  God.  In  His  willing- 
 ness to  hear,  in  His  power  to  do.  Their 
 faith  was  strong ;  they  acknowledge 
 that,  apart  from  God,  all  is  vanity  and 
 lies.  The  world  promises  much,  but 
 when  those  promises  are  chased  and 
 caught,  you  have  in  your  hand  nothing 
 better  than  "  vanity  and  lies." 
 
 III.  Their  acceptance.  This  we  in- 
 fer, because  "  If  we  confess  our  sins, 
 He  is  faithful  and  just  to  forgive  us  our 
 sins,  and  to  cleanse  us  from  all  un- 
 righteousness "  (John  i.  9).  Wherever 
 the  contrite  heart  is,  there  is  the  forgiv- 
 ing God.  The  Gentiles  shall  come — they 
 are  coming,  and  by  the  power  and  attrac- 
 tion of  the  Cross.  The  Gospel  has  many 
 victories  yet  to  achieve.  The  Saviour 
 said,  "And  I,  if  I  be  lifted  up,  shall  draw 
 all  men  unto  Me." — Achilles  Taylor. 
 
 Vers.  19,  21.    Theme:   Missionary 
 
 SEEMON. 
 
 The  true  knowledge  of  God  : 
 
 I.  It  is  to  be  had  in  Christianity 
 (ver.  19). 
 
 II.  It  will  also  make  its  way  to  the 
 heathen.     For 
 
 1.  It  is  God's  will  that  they  should 
 be  instructed  (ver.  21). 
 
HOMILETIC  COMMENTARY :  JEREMIAH. 
 
 2.  They  are  ready  to  be  instructed 
 (vers.  19,  20). 
 
 Comments — 
 
 Ver.  19.  "J/y  strength  and  my  for- 
 tress." "  Lit.,  my  strength  and  my  place 
 of  strength — the  one  for  attack,  and  the 
 other  for  defence." — Sjoealcer^s  Com. 
 
 "  The  calling  of  the  heathen  is  very 
 consolatory.  For  as  children  are  re- 
 joiced at  heart  when  they  see  that  their 
 parents  are  greatly  honoured  and  obtain 
 renown  and  praise  in  all  lands,  so  do  all 
 true  children  of  God  rejoice  when  they 
 see  that  God's  name  is  honoured  and  His 
 glory  more  widely  extended." — Cramer. 
 
 Ver.  21.  "I  will  this  once  cause  them 
 to  hibw."  "  As  th^  Jews  had  chosen  to 
 put  their  trust  in  such  senseless  things 
 as  idols,  of  which  the  very  heathen 
 will  be  ashamed  (ver.  19),  Jehovah  will 
 teach  them  this  once,  i.e.,  in  a  summary 
 manner  once  for  all,  by  a  2^unishment 
 which  the  nation  shall  never  forget,  that 
 there  is  a  difference  between  Him  and 
 idols." — Dr.  Payne  Smith. 
 
 "  This  ONCE."  "  Whether  we  consider 
 the  greatness  of  the  national  disgrace  and 
 suffering  caused  by  it,  or  its  effect  upon 
 the  mind  of  the  Jews,  the  burning  of 
 Jerusalem  by  Nebuchadnezzar,  followed 
 by  the  captivity  of  the  people  at  Babylon, 
 stands  out  as  the  greatest  manifestation 
 of  God's  hand  in  all  His  dealings  with 
 them.  Neither  in  the  times  of  the 
 Judges,  nor  in  the  persecution  of  An- 
 tiochus  Epiphanes,  was  there  anything 
 comparable  to  it.  Only  one  other  event 
 in  their  history  is  of  equal  magnitude — 
 the  destruction  of  Jerusalem  by  Titus ; 
 but  that  was  the  closing  of  their  history 
 as  the  preparatory  Church,  and  comes 
 therefore  under  a  different  category." — 
 Dr.  Payne  Smith. 
 
 "I  WILL  CAUSE  THEM  TO  KNOW."  "No- 
 thing can  be  learned  of  God  without  God. 
 God  instructs  the  people  by  His  mouth  and 
 His  hand,  verbis  et  verherihus.'" — Cramer. 
 
 "  Know  that  my  name  is  the  Lord." 
 "  The  fulfiller  of  His  threatenings,  as 
 well  as  the  performer  of  His  promises  " 
 (Exod.  vi.  3). — Lowth. 
 
 ADDENDA  TO  CHAPTER  XVI.  :  ILLUSTRATIONS  AND  SUGGESTIVE  EXTRACTS. 
 
 Ver.  2.  Marriage. 
 
 "  God  is  the  best  Maker  of  all  mar- 
 riages."— Shalcespeare. 
 
 When  the  Rev.  Philip  Henry  was 
 minister  at  Worthenbury,  he  sought  the 
 hand  of  the  only  daughter  of  a  wealthy 
 man.  The  father  demurred,  saying 
 that  though  Mr.  Henry  was  an  excellent 
 preacher  and  a  gentleman,  yet  he  did 
 not  know  from  whence  he  came.  "  True," 
 said  the  daughter,  "  but  I  know  where 
 he  is  going,  and  I  should  like  to  go  with 
 him." 
 
 "  Marriage  is  a  feast,  where  the  grace 
 is  sometimes  better  than  the  dinner." — 
 Colton. 
 
 "  We  are  really  what  we  are  rela- 
 tively."— P.  Henry. 
 
 "  Let  us  no  more  contend,  nor  blame 
 Each   other,    blam'd  enough  elsewhere;   but 
 
 strive, 
 In  offices  of  love,  how  we  may  lighten 
 Each  other's  burden,  in  our  share  of  woe." 
 — Milton's  "  Paradise  Lost." 
 
 Family  Maxims :  "  Let  God  be  first." 
 "  Be  happy  and  make  happy." 
 
 Ver.  9.    Frivolous  sinning. 
 
 "  Fools  make  a  mock  of  sin,  will  not  believe 
 It  carries  such  a  danger  in  its  sleeve. 
 'How  can  it  be?'   they  say,   'that  such  a 
 
 thing. 
 So  full   of  sweetness,   e'er  should  wear  a 
 
 sting?' 
 They  know  not  that  it  is  the  very  spell 
 Of  sin,  to  make  men  laugh  themselves  to 
 
 hell. 
 Look  to   thyself   then,  deal   with   sin   no 
 
 more, 
 Lest  He  that  saves  against  thee  shuts  the 
 
 door." — Bunyan.  ^ 
 
 Ver.  16.  Hunting. 
 
 The  original  term  for  hunting  occurs 
 in  reference  to  the  invasion  of  human 
 rights,  in  1  Sam.  xxiv.  12,  Lam.  iii.  15, 
 and  Jer.  xvi.  16.  This  usage  affords  a 
 clue  to  Nimrod's  character.  With  the 
 band  of  lawless  spirits  his  skill  had 
 attracted,  he  proceeded  from  hunting 
 beasts  to  oppressing  man  : — 
 
 "  Proud  Nimrod  first  the  mighty  chase  began; 
 A  mighty  hunter — and  his  prey  was  man." 
 
 — Pope. 
 
 Hunting,  with  its  snares,  may  remind 
 361 
 
CHAP.  XVII.  EOMILETIC  COMMENTARY :  JEREMIAH. 
 
 us  of  that   mighty  hunter    Satan,   and  We   might  illustrate  the   evil  of  sin 
 
 his  devices — pitfalls,  decoys,  snares,  &c.  thus :    Supposing   I   were   going    along 
 
 — for  the  unwary.     Heuce  the  duty  of  a  street,    and  were    to    dash  my  hand 
 
 watchfulness  :  "  In  vain  is  the  net  spread  through    a   large   pane    of  glass,    what 
 
 in  the  sight  of  any  bird  "  (Prov.   i.  17).  harm  would   I   receive? — "You  would 
 
 "  Walk  circumspectly,  not  as  fools,  but  be  punished  for  breaking  the  glass." — 
 
 as  wise."     Satan  is   now  the   "  mighty  Would  that  be  all  the  harm  I  should 
 
 hunter"  who  hunts  down  sins,  ignorance,  receive  1 — "  Your  hand  would  be  cut  by 
 
 bad  habits,  &c.     God  helps  us  to  escape  the  glass." — Yes ;  and  so  it  is  with  sin. 
 
 out  of  the  machinations  of  the  wicked  If  you  break  God's  laws,  you  shall  be 
 
 (Ps.  cxxiv.  6-8).    Death  is  a  great  hunter  punished  for  breaking  them  ;  and  your 
 
 (Ecc.  ix.  12). — Topics  for  Teachers.  soul  is  hurt  by  the  very  act  of  breaking 
 
 Ver.  18.  The  evil  of  sin. 
 
 them. — /.  Inglis. 
 
 CHAPTER  XVII. 
 
 Critical  and  Exegetical  Notes.— 1.  Chronology  of  the  Chapter.  Vers.  1-18  continue 
 the  prophecy  of  chap.  xvi.  A  distinct  break  in  the  continuity  of  the  book  is  noticeable  at  ver. 
 19.  [A'ei7  seems  alone  in  suggesting  that  this  section  "may  very  well  bejoined  with  the  preceding 
 general  reflections  as  to  the  springs  of  mischief  and  of  well-being ;  inasmuch  as  it  shows  how 
 the  way  of  safety  appointed  to  the  people  lies  in  keeping  the  decalogue,  as  exemplified  in  one 
 of  its  fundamental  precepts."  This  is  so  far  true,  but  is  not  sufficient  to  decide  the  connec- 
 tion with  the  antecedent  prophecy  when  this  section,  vers.  19-27,  stands  out  so  manifestly 
 distinct  and  complete  in  itself.]  At  lohat  date  must  this  section,  19-27,  he  jjlaced  I  Plainly, 
 before  the  guilty  relapse  under  Jehoiakim ;  for  the  tone  of  the  message  is  not  condemna- 
 tory :  It  is,  as  Dr.  Payne  Smith  says,  "dissuasive  of  future  neglect"  rather  than  objurgatory 
 of  past  misconduct.  Henderson  suggests  Josiah's  reign,  "delivered  in  connection  with  and 
 shortly  after  his  reformation."  Hitzig  assigns  it  to  the  period  of  Jeconiah,  or  that  immediately 
 following  Jehoiakim's  death.  But  Eichorn,  Rosenmiiller,  Maurer,  Naegelsbach,  Payne  Smith, 
 and  Jamieson  agree  that  its  deliverance  was  at  the  outset  of  Jehoiakim's  reign,  before  he  began 
 the  evil  course  by  which  he  undid  the  good  effected  by  Josiah's  reformation.  Its  similarity  to 
 chap.  xxii.  1-5  makes  it  probable  that  the  two  messages  were  contemporaneous,  and  this  latter  was 
 doubtless  delivered  in  Jehoiakim's  reign  also.  Usher  assigns  vers.  1-18  to  B.C.  605  ;  and  vers. 
 19-27  to  B.C.  600.    Hales:  B.C.  601  and  599  respectively.     {^tQ  Chronological  Note  oichsi^.  vii.) 
 
 For  2.  Contemporary  Scriptures ;  3.  National  Affairs ;  4.  Contemporaneous  History,  see 
 also  Notes  on  chap.  vii. 
 
 5.  Geographical  References.  —  Ver.  3.  "My  mountain  (Jerusalem)  in  the  field :"  the 
 surrounding  country.  Ver.  6.  A  salt  land  (see  Deut.  xxix.  23  ;  comp.  Job.  xxxix.  6,  Ps. 
 cvii.  34).  Salt  regions  suggest,  as  a  figure,  total  want  of  the  means  of  life.  Ver.  19.  "  Gate 
 of  the  children  of  the  people :'"  described  further  as  that  "whereby  the  kings  of  Judah  come 
 in  :"  most  probably  the  Gate  of  David,  now  called  the  Joppa  Gate.  Denominated  the  People's 
 Gate,  as  being  the  principle  thoroughfare  for  the  tribes  coming  from  the  south,  south-west,  and 
 north-west.  Ver.  26.  "Cities  of  Judah:"  that  part  of  the  country  bordering  on  Jerusalem. 
 "  Land  of  Benjamin : "  the  northern  province  of  Judah,  and  south  of  Ephraim.  "  The  plain : " 
 the  low  country  between  Joppa  and  Gaza  (Josh.  ix.  1,  xii.  8,  xv.  21,  33).  The  mountains: 
 the  hill  country  of  Judea  (Josh.  xv.  48  sq.)  "South:"  southern  district  of  Judah.  "The 
 verse  is  interesting,"  says  Dr.  Payne  Smith,  "as  specifying  the  exact  limits  of  the  dominions 
 of  the  Davidic  kings,  now  confined  to  Judah  and  Benjamin.  These  two  tribes  are  divided, 
 according  to  their  physical  conformation,  into  the  Shefelah,  or  low  country,  lying  between  the 
 mountains  and  the  Mediterranean  ;  the  mountains,  which  formed  the  central  region,  extending 
 to  the  wilderness  of  Judah,  on  the  Dead  Sea ;  and  the  Negeb,  or  arid  region,  which  lay  to  the 
 south  of  Judah." 
 
 6.  Personal  Allusions.— Ver.  5.  "  Cursed  he  the  man  that  frusteth  in  man."  Many  com- 
 mentators find  here  reference  to  the  perfidious  character  and  tyrannical  conduct  of  Jehoiakim. 
 So  also  Maurer  recognises  in  ver.  9  an  allusion  to  Jehoiakim's  cupidity. 
 
 7.  Natural  History.— Ver.  6.  "Heath  in  the  desert:"  l^")]}  is  generally  accepted  as  de- 
 scribing  the  juniper  tree,  which  (says  Henderson)  is  found  in  the  vicinity  of  the  Arabah,  or  the 
 Great  Valley  to  the  south  of  the  Dead  Sea,  and  doubtless  the  same  "desert  "  which  Jeremiah 
 here  calls  nsnyn  •  the  image,  therefore,  being  a  solitary  juniper  in  an  arid  desert.  Pliny  saya 
 thai  the  "heath"  was  one  of  the  plants  excluded  from  religious  uses,  because  it  is  neither  sown 
 
 362 
 
HO  MI  LET  10  COMMENTARY :  JEREMIAH.  chap,  xvii. 
 
 nor  planted,  and  has  neither  fruit  nor  seed.  (See  Lit.  Cnt.  below  on  "Heath").  Ver.  11. 
 "Partridge  sitteth  on  eggs:"  N"}.''p;  the  Arabs  apply  this  name,  Korea,  to  a  bustard.  It  is  not 
 true  of  the  partridge  that  she  stole  the  eggs  of  other  birds  and  hatched  them  as  her  own  ;  but 
 the  ancients  believed  she  did.  Henderson  cites  in  proof  Epiphan.  Physiol,  cap.  ix.  ;  Isid.  Origg. 
 xii,  7.  But  Jamieson  urges  that  "it  is  not  needful  to  make  Scripture  allude  to  an  exploded 
 notion  as  if  it  were  true,"  and  therefore  states  that  the  name  "Korea,"  from  a  root,  to  call, 
 alluding  to  its  cry,  is  now  applied  to  a  bustard — heavy  birds  of  slow  flight,  like  the  ostrich. 
 
 8.  Manners  and  Customs. — Ver.  1.  "Pen  of  Iron:"  (See  Note  on  chap.  viii.  8,  under 
 Manners  and  Customs.  Comp.  Job  xix.  24,  Ps.  xlv.  1,  Isa.  viii.  1.)  The  iron  stylus  was  used 
 only  for  writing  or  camng  letters  in  a  hard  material.  "Point  of  a  diamond:"  indicating  the 
 very  hardest  substance  on  which  the  graving  was  wrought.  "  Upon  the  horns  of  your  altars:  " 
 the  names  of  the  gods,  to  whom  sacrifices  were  devoted,  were  inscribed  on  the  horns  of  the 
 altars  (comp.  Acts  xvii.  23).  Ver.  2.  "Altars  and  groves,"  &c.  (comp.  Note  in  loc.  chap, 
 ii.  20).  Groves  should  be  Asherahs,  in  all  probability  images  of  Astarte,  the  goddess  of  the 
 heavenly  hosts,  represented  under  the  imagery  of  a  "tree."  Ver.  3.  High  iplaces :"  on  which 
 it  was  their  custom  to  erect  idolatrous  altars.  Ver.  21.  "  Bear  no  burden  on  the  Sabbath  day: " 
 Probabilities  are  that  the  country  people  brought  their  agricultural  produce  into  Jerusalem  with 
 them  when  they  came  ostensibly  to  worship  on  the  Sabbath  ;  and  that  the  residents  of  Jerusalem 
 "  carried  forth  burdens  out  of  their  houses"  (ver.  22),  i.e.,  took  their  wares  to  the  city  gates, 
 and  bartered  or  exchanged  with  the  villagers  for  their  goods  (comp.  Neh.  xiii.  15-22). 
 
 9,  Literary  Criticisms. — Vers.  1-4  are  omitted  by  the  LXX.,  and  Bleei:  coincides  in  their 
 omission ;  but  all  the  other  Greek  versions  and  authorities  retain  the  verses.  Ver.  2. 
 "Groves  by  the  green  trees:"  instead  of  "by"  read  "upon."  The  sense  seems  to  require 
 under;  but  the  LXX.  have  eiri.  Ver.  3.  "Thy  high  places  for  sin : "  Text  obscure  here: 
 Ewald  recalls  the  similar  phrase  in  chap.  xv.  1 3,  and  renders,  without  price  for  thy  sins.  The 
 reading  may  however  be,  "I  will  give  thy  substance,  all  thy  treasures,  and  thy  high  places  to 
 the  spoil  on  account  o/(for)  sin  throughout  (committed  throughout)  all  thy  borders."  Ver.  4. 
 "And  thou,  even  thyself ; "  "^2)  Lit.,  even  xvith  thyself,  i.e.,  with  thy  bare  life  ;  or  (Henderson) 
 and  through  thee,  by  means  of  thine  own  wickedness  ;  or  (Jamieson)  owing  to  thyself,  by  thy  own 
 isi,\i\t;  ox  {Vulgate)  and  that  with  thyself,  aXone.  Ver.  6.  " Heath  :"  "^V^V.  The  word  in  the 
 same  form  appears  in  Ps.  cii.  17,  destitute.  LiJce  a  destitute  man;  and  Speaker's  Com.  insists 
 that  the  verbs,  he  shall  see  (or  fear),  and  shall  inhabit,  plainly  show  that  a  man  is  here  meant, 
 and  not  a  plant.  But  surely  the  "heath"  is  not  the  nominative  of  these  verbs  !  Eather  the 
 man  (ver.  5)  of  whom  ver.  6  recounts,  "He  shall  be  lilce  the  heath,"  &c.  There  is  in  this 
 verse  a  contrast  of  the  solitary  pining  juniper  tree  [see  Natural  History  above]  and  "  the  tree 
 planted  by  the  waters  "  (ver.  8).  Ver.  9.  "Deceitful:"  3py,  from  3py,  to  lie  in  wait  for, 
 trip,  act  hisidiously — the, word  from  which  Jacob  took  his  name.  "Desperately  ivicTced:" 
 wofully  sick  (ver.  16) :  K^3^,  incurable,  malignant,  desperate.  Mentally  sick,  as  in  chap. 
 XV.  18.  Ver.  11.  "Sitteth  on  eggs  and  hafcheth  them  not:"  Lit.,  gathcreth  young  lohich  she 
 hath  not  brought  forth.  Ver.  12.  "A  glorious  high  throne,"  &c.  Most  probably  this  verse 
 should  read  on  continuously  with  the  next,  thus:  "  Thou  throne  of  glory,  on  High  from  the 
 beginning  ;  thou  place  of  our  sanctuary,  thou  hope  of  Israel,  the  Lord  I  So  Ewald,  Graf,  Keil, 
 Payne  Smith.  Ver.  16.  "iV^oi /iasto^ed;  "  ^■.e.,  sought  to  escape.  "  From  being  a  pastor  ;^^ 
 Hitzig  and  Graf  :  "from  following  lovingly  after  thee."  Umbreit  reads  :  "I  have  not  forced 
 myself  forward  to  follow  Thee  as  a  shepherd."  But  Speakers  Com.  gives,  From  being^  a 
 shepherd  (see  on.  ii.  8,  rider)  after  thee;  i.e.,  as  one  invested  with  authority  by  God  to  guide 
 and  direct  the  political  course  of  the  nation.  Naegelsbach  thinks  Jeremiah  means  he  was 
 literally  a  pastor,  a  shepherd  lad  tending  his  flock  when  God  called  him,  and  pleads  that 
 priests  had  pasture  land  (comp.  Josh.  xxi.  and  1  Chron.  vi.)  intended  expressly  for  the  cattle 
 (Num.  XXXV.  4),  and  Anathoth  had  its  pasture  (Josh.  xxi.  18).  But  Henderson  and  Wordsworth 
 suggest:  I  have  not  hastened  away,  or  backw^Tii,  from  being  a  shepherd.  Ver.  21.  "Take  heed 
 to  yourselves :  "  in  your  soids,  i.e.,  conscientiously.  Naegelsbach:  "  Care  with  foresight  for  ymir 
 souls."  Ver.  25.  "This  city  shall  remain  for  ever:"  be  inhabited  ;  not  mere  continuance, 
 but  populousness. 
 
 HOMILETIC  OUTLINES  ON  SECTIONS  OF  CHAPTER  XVII. 
 
 Section    1-4.  Judah's  guilt  flagrantly  manifest. 
 
 ,,       5-11.  Spiritual  corruption  traced  to  its  root-causes. 
 
 ,,     12-18.  Safety  and  vindication  sought  in  God. 
 
 ,,     19-27.  Exhortation  to  hallow  the  Sabbath. 
 
 Section  1-4. — Judah's  Guilt  Flagrantly  Manifest. 
 
 The  denial  of  having  sinned  against  Jehovah  (xvi.  10)  must  mean  that  the  fact 
 of  idolatry  is  by  them  denied.  Against  such  a  bold  and  shameless  assertion,  the 
 prophet  rises  here  with  visibly  increasing  indignation.     He  says  that — 
 
 363 
 
CHAP.  xvn.  EOMILETIC  COMMENTARY :  JEREMIAH. 
 
 I.  Judah's  sin  is  forcibly  certified,  and,  as  ifc  were,  recorded  iu  the  archives. 
 
 1.  In  their  own  consciences  ;  in  which  the  memory  of  their  idolatrous  abomina- 
 tions is  fixed  like  an  ineflfaceable  brand.     And — 
 
 2.  Externally,  on  the  horns  of  the  altars,  where  the  blood  of  the  slaughtered 
 children  adheres  as  an  equally  ineffaceable  memorial  (ver.  1). 
 
 II.  Judah's  sin  is  inerradicably  remembered.  While  the  two  testimonies  (in 
 their  own  consciences  and  on  the  horns  of  the  altars)  were  deep  and  inextinguishable 
 to  them,  the  actors  present  at  their  idolatrous  barbarities,  it  was  also  true  that — 
 
 1.  Their  childi-en  xvoulcl  never  lose  the  imi^ression  of  that  horrible  cult  which  had 
 snatched  so  many  from  their  midst.  The  horror  of  the  sight  of  those  frightful 
 holocausts  would  remain  unforgetable. 
 
 2.  So  deep  ivas  this  imj^ression,  that  the  mere  sight  of  green  trees  and  high  hills 
 was  sufficient  to  refresh  the  revolting  memory  continually  (ver.  2). 
 
 III.  Judah's  sin  therefore  would  be  severely  punished.  On  the  basis  of  the 
 facts  thus  certified,  the  prophet — 
 
 1.  Repeats  the  announcement  of  the  Divine  jmnishynents.  These  will  consist  in 
 (a)  plunder  of  substance ;  (b)  desolation  of  the  land,  according  to  the  analogy  of 
 the  year  of  release ;  and  (c)  deportation  into  an  unknown  land  (vers.  3,  4). 
 
 2.  Beivails  the  desolations  which  Judah  must  endure.  A  cry  of  grief  escapes  the 
 prophet's  lips  as  he  describes  the  ravages  with  which  Judah's  crimes  will  be 
 punished.  "  Oh  my  mountain  in  the  field  ! "  His  patriotic  soul  bemoans  the  catas- 
 trophe which  sin  invokes.     (Comp.  Naegelshach  in  Lange.) 
 
 The  people  had  asked  (xvi.  10),  What  is  our  iniqidty,  and  what  is  our  sin? 
 Here  we  have  a  reply  to  their  challenge. 
 
 I.  The  indictment  is  fully  proved.  Both  the  fact  and  the  fault.  Their  sin  is 
 too  plain  to  be  denied,  and  too  bad  to  be  excused. 
 
 1.  They  cannot  plead  not  guilty,  for  their  sins  are  upon  record  in  the  book  of 
 God's  omniscience  and  their  own  conscience ;  nay,  they  are  obvious  to  the  eye  and 
 observation  of  the  world  (vers.  1,  2). 
 
 (a.)  They  are  wi^itten  before  God,  and  in  most  legible  and  indelible  characters, 
 and  sealed  among  His  treasures,  never  to  be  forgotten  (Deut.  xxxii.  34). 
 
 (6.)  What  is  so  ivi^ittenwill  never  he  worn  out  by  time.  "  With  a  pen  of  iron,"  &c. 
 "  Graven  in  the  rock  for  ever."  Sin  is  never  forgotten  till  it  is  forgiven.  It  is 
 "  graven  on  the  heart,"  and  though  covered  for  a  time,  cannot  be  rubbed  out,  and 
 will  be  produced  in  evidence  when  the  books  shall  be  opened.  If  they  will  not 
 own  the  conviction  of  their  consciences,  then  the  horns  of  their  altars  will  witness 
 against  them.  And  their  oiV7i  '^  children"  shall  be  witness  against  them:  "they 
 remember  the  cdtars  and  the  groves  "  to  which  their  parents  took  them  when  they 
 were  little  (ver.  2), 
 
 2.  They  cannot  plead  that  they  repent,  or  are  come  to  a  better  mind.  For  as 
 their  guilt  is  undeniable,  so  their  inclination  to  sin  is  invincible  and  incurable.  In 
 this  sense  many  understand  vers.  1  and  2. 
 
 (a.)  Their  sin  is  deeply  engraven  in  their  hearts.  It  is  inwrought  into  their  very 
 natures ;  and  is  as  dear  to  them  as  that  is  of  which  we  say,  It  is  engraven  on  our 
 hearts ! 
 
 (6.)  They  had  pledged  themselves  to  their  idols;  bound  themselves  as  "  with  cords 
 to  the  horns  of  their  altars ; "  and  given  up  their  names  to  their  idols. 
 
 (c.)  They  remember  their  idolatries  with  affection.  For  ver.  3  may  be  rendered 
 thus :  As  they  remember  their  children,  so  remember  they  their  altars  and  their 
 groves — they  are  fond  of  them,  and  loth  to  part  with  them,  as  men  with  their 
 children. 
 
 IL  The  judgment  is  affirmed  and  the  sentence  ratified.  Inasmuch  as  they 
 were  thus  wedded  to  their  sins  and  will  not  part  with  them — 
 
 1.  They  shall  be  made  to  part  with  their  treasures  (ver.  3).  Both  the  stores  of 
 364 
 
BOMILETIO  COMMENTARY:  JEREMIAH.  chap.  xvrr. 
 
 ilie  city  and  the  p7-oduds  of  the  coxmtry  will  be  seized  by  the  Chaldeans.  Justly 
 are  men  stripped  of  that  with  which  they  have  served  their  idols,  and  made  the 
 food  and  fuel  of  their  lusts.  What  we  make  for  a  sin  (ver.  3),  God  will  make  for 
 a  spoil. 
 
 2.  They  shall  be  made  to  part  with  their  inheritance  (ver.  4). 
 
 (a.)  God  oivns  it  tvas  their  " heritage"  and  that  He  gave  it  them.  It  was  an 
 aggravation  of  their  folly  in  throwing  themselves  out  of  the  possession  of  it. 
 
 (h.)  Their  disconthmance  in  occupancy  of  the  land  should  give  it  rest.  The  word 
 here  used,  discontinue,  is  the  word  used  in  the  appointment  (Ex,  xxiii,  11)  that 
 the  land  should  rest  one  year  in  seven.  They  did  not  observe  that  law,  and  now 
 God  would  compel  them  to  let  it  rest.  But  it  should  be  no  rest  to  them,  for  "  they 
 should  serve  their  enemies  in  a  land  they  knew  not,"  * 
 
 Observe  (i.)  Sin  works  di.  discontinuance  of  our  comforts  ;  deprives  us  of  the  enjoy- 
 ment of  that  which  God  has  given  us. 
 
 Observe  (ii.)  A  discontinuance  of  the  possession  is  not  a  defeasance  of  the  right. 
 It  is  intimated  that  upon  their  repentance  they  should  recover  possession  again. — 
 M.  Henry. 
 
 Section  5-11. — Spieitual  Coekuption  Teaced  to  its  Eoot-causes. 
 
 All  this  outward  perfidy  and  prostitution  are  but  manifestations  of  inward  and 
 spiritual  apostasy.  The  whole  affections  and  dispositions  of  the  soul  have  gone 
 astray  from  God,  and  therefore  their  moral  conduct  has  become  degraded,  and  their 
 religious  behaviour  disloyal.  This  section  delineates  three  radical  defects,  and  to 
 each  is  attached  its  corresponding  and  app^^ojjriate  judgment. 
 
 I,  A  perverse  disposition. 
 
 1.  Its  action.  It  rests  not  in  Jehovah,  but  regards  flesh  as  its  better  confidence, 
 seeking  in  man  the  spring  and  supply  of  good  (ver.  5). 
 
 2.  Its  judgment.  The  forlorn  and  deserted  picture  of  ver.  6  supplies  an  idea  of 
 the  consequences  of  deserting  God.  This  desolate  result  is  further  emphasised  by 
 the  contrast  presented  in  vers.  7  and  8. 
 
 II.  Perfidiousness  of  heart.  Total  faithlessness,  and  illimitable  trickery. 
 
 1.  The  depths  of  its  deceptiveness  human  thought  fails  to  reckon  (ver.  9). 
 
 2.  God's  reckoning  and  punishment  will  rest  upon  His  complete  knowledge  of 
 the  heart's  wickedness  (ver.  10). 
 
 III.  Impetuous  avarice. — Ver  11. 
 
 1,  It  cruelly  acquires  that  for  which  it  restlessly  craves.  Seizes  as  its  own  the 
 treasures  of  others. 
 
 2.  It  forcibly  relinqicishes  the  spoil  it  has  violently  seized.  Brief  years  are 
 threatened,  and  a  foors  end. 
 
 Section  12-18. — Safety  and  Vindication  Sought  in  God, 
 
 Here  the  prophet  turns  from  the  corruption  ot  his  peojjle,  saddened  and  sickened 
 at  heart,  to  meditate  on  his  God  and  his  personal  safety  in  Him.  This  was  the 
 realisation  of  the  Psalmist's  prayer :  "  When  my  heart  is  overwhelmed,  lead  me  to 
 the  Eock  that  is  higher  than  I,"     Then  there  arise  before  his  contemplation — 
 
 I.  Majestic  guarantees  for  the  godly  soul. — Vers.  12,  13.  He  apostrophises 
 God.     [See  Lit.  Grit,  on  verse.] 
 
 1.  He  celebrates  the  power  and  glory  of  God.  "  Thou  Throne,"  symbol  of 
 royal  power  and  supreme  sway.  "  Throne  of  Glory,"  language  expressive  of 
 highest  majesty,  surpassing  all  powers,  most  glorious  in  royalty,  dominion,  and 
 dignity. 
 
 2.  The  eternal  excellency  of  God.  "  On  high  from  the  beginning."  Exalted  on 
 high,  since  loftiest  glory  is  His  ;  yet  also  highest  in  excellency  ;  for  who  in  grace 
 and  glory  can  be  compared  to  God  ?     And  "  from  the  beginning  " — "  or  ever  Thou 
 
 365 
 
CHAP.  xvn.  HOMILETIC  COMMENTARY:  JEREMIAH. 
 
 hadst  formed  the  earth  and  the  world,"  or  from  the  outset  of  Israel's  national  exist- 
 ence, God  has  been  supreme ;  supreme  in  personal  majesty,  supreme  as  Israel's  Lord. 
 
 3.  The  devout  soul's  hiding-place.  "  Thou  place  of  our  sanctuary  " — for  security, 
 rest,  reverence,  and  bliss. 
 
 4.  Israel's  covenanted  Hope.  "  O  Jehovah  ! "  name  of  God  in  which  He  is 
 pledged  to  His  people.  "  The  Hope  of  Israel ;  "  never  having  failed  them  through 
 all  their  past  history.  Their  enduring  Hope,  notwithstanding  all  they  have  done  to 
 alienate  Thee.  Their  sole  Hope,  for,  losing  Thee,  what  have  they  left  %  Their/wi^tre 
 Hope  ;  for  after  mournful  desertion  of  Thee,  they  will  return  to  the  Lord  as  their 
 "  everlasting  strength." 
 
 5.  The  living  spring  of  refreshing.  "  Fountain  of  living  waters."  (See  Rotes 
 on  chaps,  ii.  13,  ix.  1.^ 
 
 Thereupon  Jeremiah  utters  bis  assertion,  that  forsalcing  Him  will  eventuate  in 
 shame  while  they  live,  and  contemptuous  oblivion  as  the  end  ! 
 
 II.  Fearless  appropriation  of  Divine  graciousness. — Vers.  14-18.  Jeremiah 
 lays  his  claim  to  all  that  he  knows  God  to  be.  Treasures  of  grace  are  valueless 
 s  far  as  we  are  concerned,  unless  they  become  ours.  The  prophet  appeals  to 
 God  for — 
 
 1.  Present  tranquillity  and  safety  (ver.  14).  This  appeal  for  healing  suggests  the 
 troubled  and  aggrieved  state  of  his  spirit  (Ps.  vi.  3,  xxx.  3).  For  salvation ;  that 
 his  life  was  encompassed  with  perils — from  scorners  and  unbelievers,  who  rejected 
 his  word  and  his  claim  to  prophetic  mission.  He  bases  his  appeal  on  what  God 
 was  to  him — *'  my  praise  :  "  he  had  hoasted  in  God,  and  had  occasion  to  rejoice  in 
 God ;  and  more,  Jehovah  had  delighted  him  with  favours,  and  distinguished  him 
 with  honours  as  His  servant. 
 
 2.  Offi^cial  vindication.  He  was  ridiculed  (ver,  15).  He  had  been  faithful  (ver.  16). 
 God  was  his  witness — "  Thou  knowest ; "  and  that  guaranteed  that  God  would 
 make  others  know  the  verity  of  the  words  he  had  spoken  in  God's  name. 
 
 3.  Future  refuge.  A  "  day  of  evil  "  was  coming;  full  of  *'  terror"  to  evil-doers 
 (ver.  17).  But  in  that  evil  time  God  would  discriviinate  between  the  persecutors 
 and  the  persecuted,  confounding  them  but  sheltering  the  prophet ;  and  God  would 
 fulfil  His  predictions  in  their  complete  destruction.  Refutation  of  his  foes,  refuge 
 for  himself. 
 
 ^^  Double  destrtiction  ;  "  .e.,  sharing  in  the  national  ruin  which  was  impending, 
 and  suffering  for  their  sin  in  persecuting  and  deriding  God's  messenger. 
 
 Section  19-27. — Exhoetations  to  Hallow  the  Sabbath. 
 
 A  sermon  which  the  prophet  received  from  the  Lord,  and  was  ordered  to  deliver 
 in  the  most  solemn  and  public  manner — proclaimed  in  all  the  places  of  concourse, 
 "the  gates."  First  at  the  court-gate,  whereby  "the  kings  of  Judah"  enter  :  let 
 them  be  told  their  duty  first,  and  particularly  this  duty.  Then  also  in  all  the  gates 
 of  Jerusalem,  as  being  a  matter  of  great  and  general  concern. 
 
 I.  How  the  Sabbath  is  to  be  sanctified,  and  what  is  the  law  concerning  it. 
 
 1.  They  must  rest  from  their  worldly  employ.  "  Bear  no  burdens  "  into  the 
 city,  nor  carry  any  out  of  their  houses. 
 
 2.  They  must  apply  themselves  to  the  proper  business  of  the  day.  "  Hallow  ye 
 the  Sabbath-day,"  &c.  (ver.  22).     Consecrate  it  to  the  service  of  God. 
 
 3.  They  must  herein  be  very  circumspect.  "  Take  heed  to  yourselves  "  (ver.  20). 
 "Where  God  is  jealous,  we  must  be  cautious. 
 
 4.  They  must  observe  the  statute  made  and  provided.  This  was  no  new  imposi- 
 tion, but  what  "  I  commanded  your  fathers." 
 
 II.  How  the  Sabbath  had  been  profaned — Ver.  23.  Their  fathers'  disobedience 
 in  this  respect  is  mentioned  to  show — 
 
 1.  That  there  needed  a  reformation  in  Sabbath  conduct. 
 366 
 
 I 
 
HOMILETIG  COMMENTARY:  JEREMIAH.  chap.  xvit. 
 
 2.  That  God  had  a  just  controversy  with  them,  for  the  long  transgression  of  this 
 law. 
 
 3.  And  because  they  disregarded  this  law  with  the  intent  to  evade  all  instruction 
 on  other  commands.  Where  Sabbaths  are  neglected,  all  religion  sensibly  goes  to 
 decay. 
 
 III.  "With  what  blessings  God  would  reward  Sabbath  sanctification.  Though 
 their  fathers  had  been  guilty  of  its  desecration,  yet  if  (ver.  24)  they  would  make 
 conscience  of  Sabbath  sanctification — 
 
 1.  The  court  shall  flourish  (ver.  25).  The  honour  of  the  government  is  the  joy 
 of  the  kingdom  ;  and  the  support  of  religion  would  contribute  greatly  to  both. 
 
 2.  The  city  shall  flourish  (ver.  25).  "  This  city  shall  remain  for  ever."  What- 
 ever supports  religion  tends  to  establish  the  civil  interests  of  a  land. 
 
 3.  The  country  shall  flourish  (ver.  26).  The  cities  of  Judah  and  the  land  oj 
 Benjamin  shall  be  replenished  with  inhabitants,  abounding  in  plenty  and  living 
 in  peace,  which  shall  appear  in  the  multitude  and  value  of  their  ofi'erings  to  God. 
 By  this  the  flourishing  of  a  country  may  be  judged  of  :  What  does  it  for  the  honour 
 of  God? 
 
 4.  The  church  shall  flourish  (ver.  24).  "  Meat  offerings,"  &c.  Everything  shall 
 go  in  the  right  channel. 
 
 v.  With  what  judgments  God  would  punish  Sabbath  profanation. — Ver.  27. 
 
 1.  The  enemy  would  besiege  their  city,  "  kindle  a  fire  in  the  gates."  And  justly 
 shall  those  gates  be  fired  that  are  not  used  to  shut  out  sin,  and  to  keep  the  people 
 in  to  an  attendance  on  their  duty, 
 
 2.  The  fire  should  destroy  their  palaces — where  the  princes  and  nobles  dwell ; 
 who  did  not  use  their  power  and  interest,  as  they  ought  to  have  done,  to  keep  up 
 the  honour  of  God's  Sabbaths. 
 
 3.  The  fire  shall  not  be  quenched,  until  it  has  laid  the  whole  city  in  ruins. 
 Fulfilled  by  the  army  of  the  Chaldeans  (chap.  lii.  13).  The  profanation  of  the 
 Sabbath  is  a  sin  for  which  God  has  often  contended  with  a  people  by  fire. — Comp. 
 M.  Henry. 
 
 HOMILIES  AND  COMMENTS  ON  VERSES  OF  CHAPTER  XVII. 
 
 Ver.  1.  Theme:  Sins  hold   on  the  efforts.     If  sin  was  ever  to  be  removed, 
 
 INMOST  MAN.     "It  is  graven  upon  the  "a  new  heart"  must   be  given.     And 
 
 table  of  their  heart."  only  God  can   "  create  in  us   a   clean 
 
 Suggestions : —  heart." 
 
 i.  Sin  indelibly  impresses  itself  upon         See  Addenda:   Indelible   Recoeds 
 
 sinners.     Its  mark  is  deep.     Its  influ-  OF  Sin. 
 ence  is  not  superficial  or  evanescent,  but 
 ineffaceable  and  perpetual.  Theme  :  the  deep-seated  character 
 
 ii.  Sin  had  become  inwrought  into  their  OF  sin.     The  hardness  of  Judah's  heart 
 
 affections.    Worked  into  the  very  texture  is  repeated  in  the  stubbornness  of  bar- 
 
 of  the  heart.  barian,  Roman,  Greek,  Scythian ;  seen 
 
 iii.  Hid  in  the  deepest  secrecy  of  their  indeed  in  ourselves. 
 being.     The  heart  is  a  profound  hiding-  I.  Answer  the  question,  What  is  sin  ? 
 
 place.     It  is  the  citadel  and  secret  chani-  Always  hearing  about  it,  from  preacher  ; 
 
 ber  of  the  entire  man.  and  reading  about  it,  in  every  Scripture 
 
 iv.  It  cannot  be  ignored  in  their  own  page.     What  is  it  ? 
 consciousness.     Every  movement — affec-         Pharisee  says  :  "  It  is  eating  with  un- 
 
 tion   and   action — of   the   heart  would  washen  hands,"  &c.     But  to  break  some 
 
 make  the  presence  therein  of  sin  evident,  of  the   commandments,   especially   the 
 
 It   would   testify   its    presence    by  the  ecclesiastical   commandments,    of   men, 
 
 force  of  feeling.  may  be  virtuous,  and  indicate  enlight- 
 
 V.    Cannot   be   erased    by   their   own  enment! 
 
 367 
 
HOMILETIC  COMMENTARY :  JEREMIAH. 
 
 Sin  is  the  repudiation  of  our  ohliga- 
 tions  to  God.  "Against  Thee  have  I 
 sinned." 
 
 II.  How  is  the  fixedness  of  sin 
 proved  ? 
 
 1.  It  is  in  the  very  heart  of  man. 
 Deep  ingrained. 
 
 2.  They  sinned  in  their  very  religion. 
 "  On  the  horns  of  their  altars."  Con- 
 verted men  frequently  prefer  the  form 
 of  religion  most  gratifying  to  their  tastes, 
 ears,  and  sight.  Or  they  stain  the  horns 
 of  God's  altars  by  their  own  righteousness, 
 by  carelessness,  by  vain  thoughts,  by  hypo- 
 crisy,— as  Demas  and  Judas. 
 
 III.  What  is  the  cause  of  this? 
 How  did  sin  get  such  a  firm  footing  in 
 humanity  ?     The  answer  is — 
 
 1.  We  7nust  never  forget  the  Fall.  We 
 are  none  of  us  as  God  made  us.  "  We 
 are  born  in  sin,"  &c. 
 
 2.  Our  habits  of  sin.  Well  may  sin 
 be  deeply  engraven  in  the  man  who  has 
 continued  in  his  iniquity  for  twenty, 
 forty,  perhaps  seventy  years.  "  Can  the 
 Ethiopian  change,"  &c.  Use  is  second 
 nature. 
 
 3.  Sin  is  a  most  clinging  and  defiling 
 thing.  One  license  renders  us  easily  en- 
 slaved. 
 
 4.  The  prince  of  the  powers  of  dark- 
 ness allies  himself  with  sin.  He  will 
 never  let  the  tinder  lie  idle  for  want  of 
 sparks. 
 
 IV.  What  is  the  cure  for  all  this  ? 
 Can  sin,  thus  ingrained,  ever  be  got  out  ? 
 It  miist  be  got  out  if  we  are  ever  to 
 enter  heaven.  Only  done  by  super- 
 natural processes. 
 
 1.  Christ  Jesus  does  taTce  away  these 
 dee2:)ly -inscribed  lines  of  sin  from  human 
 nature.  It  is  part  of  the  covenant  of 
 grace  and  part  of  His  Gospel  that  Jesus 
 can  give  to  us  hearts  free  from  tendency 
 to  sin. 
 
 2.  And  since  the  guiltiness  of  sin  is 
 as  permanent  as  sin  itself,  Jesus  Christ 
 is  able  to  taTce  our  guilt  away.  "  The 
 blood  of  Jesus  Christ,  His  Son,  cleanseth 
 us  from  all  sin."  And  the  vilest  sinner 
 may  be  "  made  partakers  of  the  Divine 
 nature,  having  escaped  the  corruption 
 which  is  in  the  world  through  lust." — 
 Spurgeon :  '*  Metropolitan  Pulpit,"  No. 
 812. 
 
 368 
 
 Ver.  2.  Theme :  Our  childeen's  re- 
 collection or  OUR  SIN.  "  Whilst  their 
 children  remember  their  altars,"  &c. 
 
 Probably  we  here  have — 
 
 i.  An  allusion  to  their  sacrifice  of 
 children  to  Molech. 
 
 iL  The  horrors  of  such  blood-stained 
 rites  would  be  for  ever  engraven  upon 
 the  memory  of  any  who  were  present  to 
 witness  them. 
 
 I.  Our  evil  deeds  vividly  impress 
 our  children, 
 
 II.  Fixed  upon  their  memory,  our 
 children  may  keep  alive  recollections 
 we  fain  would  obliterate. 
 
 III.  Parental  sins  will  reappear  in 
 our  children's  lives.  The  horrid  ghosts 
 of  our  old  iniquities  resuscitated  ! 
 
 IV.  Eemembrancers  of  old  iniquities 
 crowd  around  our  life.  We  may  shun 
 suggestive  scenes  that  bring  up  dark 
 memories,  but  our  "  children  remember 
 the  groves,"  &c.,  and  will  point  them 
 out  to  us.  We  cannot  clear  the  world 
 of  these  accusers. 
 
 V.  Children  may  thus  become  wit- 
 nesses against  us. 
 
 1.  By  their  inability  to  forget  what 
 we  would  gladly  consign  to  oblivion ; 
 
 2.  By  their  reproduction  of  our  evil 
 habits,  continuing  the  wicked  ways  they 
 learned  from  us  ;  and 
 
 3.  Before  God  in  the  last  day  of  ac- 
 count, when  we,  and  our  children  with 
 us,  stand  in  the  judgment. 
 
 Vers.  3,  4.  See  note  in  Geog.  Refer- 
 ences;  also  Lit.  Crit.  on  these  verses; 
 also  Homilies  and  Comments  on  chap. 
 XV.  13,  14. 
 
 Comments — "  My  mountain  in  the 
 field : "  Jerusalem  or  Zion ;  called  "  the 
 Kock  of  the  plain"  in  chap.  xxi.  13,  and 
 "  Mountain  of  Jehovah,"  Micah  iv.  2. 
 
 "  Being  the  place  which  Jehovah  had 
 chosen  as  the  residence  of  His  visible 
 glory.  He  claims  it  as  His ;  just  as  He 
 frequently  calls  it  '  My  holy  mountain ' 
 (Isa.  xi.  9,  Ivi.  7)." — Henderson. 
 
 Ver.  5.  Theme :  The  accursed  trust. 
 
 The  Jews,  in  looking  now  to  the 
 Assyrians  and  then  to  the  Egyptians, 
 thought  to  gain  sufficient  defence  against 
 God  Himself.     This  false  confidence  was 
 
HOMILETIO  COMMENTARY:  JEREMIAH. 
 
 a  hindrance  to  tlieir  relying  on  the  favour 
 of  God,  and  kept  them  from  repentance. 
 I.  Men  are  variously  deceived  while 
 trusting  in  men. 
 
 1.  They  begin  with  themselves.  Every 
 one  is  inflated  with  vain  confidence, 
 either  in  his  own  prudence,  dexterity,  or 
 power.  There  is  no  one,  even  the  most 
 wretched,  who  does  not  trust  in  himself 
 before  he  trusts  in  others ;  no  one  so 
 contemptible  but  that  he  swells  with 
 some  secret  pride. 
 
 2.  They  take  aids  to  themselves  from 
 every  quarter.  This  is  the  out-working 
 of  what  they  deem  their  own  prudence. 
 Yet  their  goings  round  are  useless  ;  and 
 not  only  so,  but  they  turn  out  to  their 
 own  destruction. 
 
 II.  God  derides  the  folly  of  such 
 delusive  trust  in  men. 
 
 1.  He  declares  that  they  who  so  trust 
 are  "  cursed."  This  curse  of  God  ought 
 to  strike  us  with  terror ;  for  we  hence 
 learn  that  God  is  highly  displeased  with 
 all  those  who  seek  their  own  salvation  in 
 the  world  and  in  creatures. 
 
 2.  He  charges  such  with  estrangement 
 of  heart  f7'om  Himself.  When  confidence 
 is  reposed  in  flesh,  God  is  deprived  of 
 His  own  honour.  These  two  things  can- 
 not be  connected — confidence  in  flesh, 
 and  reliance  on  God.  When  water  is 
 blended  with  fire,  both  perish.  To  at- 
 tempt to  unite  trust  in  man  with  trust 
 in  God  is  like  mixing  heaven  and  earth 
 together.  It  is  to  confound  the  order  of 
 nature,  when  men  imagine  that  they  have 
 two  objects  of  trust,  and  ascribe  half  of 
 their  salvation  to  God  and  half  to  them- 
 selves or  to  other  men. 
 
 3.  All  are  apostates  and  deserters  from 
 God  who  fix  their  hope  on  men.  True 
 in  the  prese7it  life ;  twofold  a  madness 
 in  respect  of  eternal  things. — Arranged 
 from  Calvin. 
 
 Comments — 
 
 Ver.  5.  "  There  is  great  occasion  for 
 this  cursed  dependence  on  flesh,  when 
 one,  from  the  hope  of  good  personal 
 protection,  gives  up  the  work  of  the 
 Lord  to  the  powers  of  the  earth.  It  is 
 true  the  Church  is  to  have  foster-parents 
 who  are  kings,  but,  nevertheless,  neither 
 kings  nor  princes  are  its  tutelar  deities, 
 2  a 
 
 much  less  lords  and  commanders  of  the 
 Church  ;  but  One  is  our  Master,  One  our 
 Judge,  One  our  King — the  Crucified." 
 
 — Zinzendorf. 
 
 Ver.   5-8.    Theme :   The  duty  op 
 
 TRUSTING  IN  GOD. 
 
 Every  created  being  derives  its  exist- 
 ence and  support  from  God.  Yet  man  is 
 prone  to  depend  on  the  creature  rather 
 than  on  Him.  Though  constantly  disap- 
 pointed, he  still  leans  on  an  arm  of  flesh. 
 But  such  conduct  is  justly  reprobated. 
 
 I.  The  characters  that  are  con- 
 trasted. 
 
 (a.)  Every  man  by  nature  trusts  in 
 man,  makes  flesh  his  arm,  and  in  his 
 heart  departs  from  the  Lord.  We  need 
 not  go  to  heathens  or  infidels  to  find 
 persons  of  this  description.  We  need 
 only  search  the  records  of  our  own  con- 
 science. In  temporal  things  we  never 
 think  of  looking  above  the  creature. 
 If  they  be  prosperous,  we  trust  in  un- 
 certain riches,  and  take  the  glory  to  our- 
 selves. If  adverse,  we  lean  to  our  own 
 understanding  and  exertions,  or  rely  for 
 succour  on  our  friends.  In  spiritual 
 things  we  seek  to  establish  a  righteous- 
 ness of  our  own.  We  expect  to  repent 
 and  serve  God  by  our  own  strength. 
 
 (b.)  The  true  Christian  "  trusts  in  the 
 Lord,  and  makes  the  Lord  his  hope." 
 He  trusts  in  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ  as 
 the  God  of  providence.  He  commits  his 
 affairs  to  Him,  expecting  His  promised 
 aid.  He  trusts  also  in  Jesus  as  the 
 God  of  grace.  He  renounces  all  hope  in 
 his  own  goodness  or  resolutions.  These 
 marks  afford  a  sure  line  of  distinction 
 between  the  nominal  and  real  Christian. 
 Nor  is  this  diflference  between  them  of 
 trifling  import. 
 
 II.  Their  respective  conditions. 
 Men's  eternal  state  will  be  fixed  with  per- 
 fect equity.  The  conditions  of  the  charac- 
 ters before  us  are  strongly  contrasted : — 
 
 1.  Simply:  "  blessed,"  &c. ;  "cursed," 
 &c.  What  can  be  more  important  than 
 these  declarations'?  They  are  not  the 
 dictates  of  enthusiasm,  but  the  voice  of 
 God.  "Thus  saith  the  Lord."  God 
 has  given  His  Son  to  be  our  Saviour; 
 but  while  some  confide  in  Him,  others, 
 by   not  trusting  in   Him,    reject   Him. 
 
 369 
 
CHAP.  XTII. 
 
 EOMILETIC  COMMENTARY :  JEREMIAH 
 
 How  reasonable  then  is  it  that  a  curse 
 should  attach  to  these  and  a  blessing  to 
 those  !  Such  a  difference  in  their  condi- 
 tions seems  the  necessary  result  of  their 
 own  conduct.  Let  every  one  inquire 
 which  of  these  conditions  he  has  reason 
 to  expect. 
 
 2.  Figuratively  :  "  heath  in  desert," — 
 "tree  planted  by  the  waters."  To 
 mark  the  contrast  more  clearly,  it  is 
 further  observed  that  both  the  blessing 
 and  the  curse  shall  be — 
 
 (a.)  Abundant.  The  imbeliever  "  shall 
 be  like  the  heath  in  the  desert."  He 
 shall  be  left  in  a  state  of  extreme  barren- 
 ness and  wretchedness ;  and  this,  too, 
 amidst  all  his  boasted  fulness  (Job  xx. 
 22).  The  believer  "shall  be  as  a  tree 
 planted  by  the  waters,"  &c.  He  shall 
 be  made  flourishing  and  happy  by  rich 
 supplies  of  grace  (Phil.  iv.  9). 
 
 (6.)  Unmixed.  The  unbeliever  "  sh^W 
 not  see  when  good  cometh."  He  re- 
 ceives none  of  the  heavenly  dew  that 
 falls  around  him.  The  believer  "  shall  not 
 see  when  heat  cometh,  but  his  leaf  shall 
 be  green,  nor  shall  he  be  careful  in  the 
 year  of  drought."  He  may  experience 
 heat  and  drought,  i.e.,  he  shall,  however, 
 not  be  injured,  but  benefited  by  them 
 (Heb.  xii.  11). 
 
 (c.)  Eternal.  The  unbeliever  "  shall 
 inhabit  the  parched  places  in  the  wilder- 
 ness, in  a  salt  land,  and  not  inhabited." 
 He  shall  be  an  outcast  from  God  in  the 
 regions  of  misery.  The  believer  "  shall 
 not  cease  from  yielding  fruit."  His 
 present  enjoyments  are  the  pledge  and 
 earnest  of  eternal  happiness. 
 
 Infer  (1.)  How  glorious  a  person  must 
 Christ  be  !  If  He  were  a  mere  creature, 
 it  would  be  ruinous  in  the  extreme  to 
 trust  in  Him.  (2.)  How  are  we  all  con- 
 cerned to  trust  in  Christ.  God  regards, 
 not  merely  our  outward  conduct,  but 
 the  frame  of  our  hearts.  On  this  our 
 present  and  everlasting  happiness  de- 
 pends.— Simeon. 
 
 See  also  Noticeable  Topics. 
 
 Vers.  5,  6.  Theme:  The  heath  in  the 
 DESERT.  "Thus  saith  the  Lord,  Cursed  be 
 the  man  that  trusteth  in  man,  and  maketh 
 flesh  his  arm,  and  whose  heart  departeth 
 from  the  Lord.  For  he  shall  be  like  the 
 370 
 
 heath  in  the  desert,  and  shall  not  see 
 when  good  cometh  ;  but  shall  inhabit 
 the  parched  places  in  the  wilderness,  in 
 a  salt  land  and  not  inhabited." 
 
 The  Jews  had  withdrawn  dependence 
 from  God,  and  trusted  to  themselves  and 
 Egypt.  They  were  delivered  to  the  Baby- 
 lonians. To  this  the  text  refers  prima- 
 rily.    But  it  may  apply  to  all. 
 
 Two  definitions  of  a  heath.  A  shrub 
 growing  in  barren  places,  and  a  sandy 
 barren  plain  of  Arabia  seldom  rained 
 upon.  These  plains  and  the  shrubs  they 
 produce  do  not  "see  when  good  cometh." 
 The  trees  of  Canaan  by  the  rivers  are 
 refreshed  by  nightly  dews.  God's  vine- 
 yard is  as  a  watered  garden,  and  yields 
 the  rose  of  Sharon  and  the  lily  of  the 
 valley,  but  the  wastes  of  Arabia,  doomed 
 to  barrenness,  never  "  see  when  good 
 cometh." 
 
 I.  Let  us  learn  against  whom  this 
 curse  is  denounced,  and  trace  resem- 
 blances between  them  and  the  heath,  &c. 
 They  are  those  who  disclaim  dependence 
 on  God — idolaters,  infidels,  and  the  pro- 
 fane. 
 
 1.  Those  who  do  not  realise  their 
 dependence  on  God  for  cdl  true  happiness, 
 but  think  it  lies  in  worldly  gain.  They 
 make  no  daily  petition  to  God  for  it. 
 The  2)rayerless,  stupid,  and  worldly  in- 
 herit the  curse  in  the  text. 
 
 2.  Those  who  trust  in  man  and  make 
 flesh  their  arm,  and  neglect  to  fix  all 
 dependence  on  Father,  Son,  and  Holy 
 Spirit.  They  do  not  feel  they  are  hope- 
 less and  helpless,  or  they  would  cast 
 themselves  upon  Christ  as  the  only 
 hope  of  sinners ;  they  are  therefore  under 
 the  curse  against  those  who  trust  in 
 man. 
 
 3.  There  is  yet  another  class  under 
 this  curse.  Some  are  in  the  Church ; 
 some  are  not.  Punctual  perhaps  on 
 ordinances,  they  depend  upon  a  form 
 of  godliness  without  the  power,  and, 
 excepting  a  little  animal  sympathy, 
 remain  cold  as  ever.  They  are  a 
 numerous  class  even  in  the  Church  of 
 Christ.  "  Five  were  ivise,  and  five  were 
 foolish." 
 
 IL  How  do  these  resemble  the 
 heath  in  the  desert  ? — the  prayerless, 
 stupid,  and  worldly. 
 
110  Ml  LET  10  COMMENTARY:  JEREMIAH. 
 
 CnAP.  XVJT. 
 
 1.  In  harrenness  and  deformity.  God 
 gave  them  powers  to  bear  fruit,  but  He 
 comes  year  after  year  and  finds  nothing, 
 and  worse — a  crop  of  misshapen  shrubs. 
 After  so  many  benefits,  they  refuse  to 
 serve  Him. 
 
 2.  They  are  like  the  heath  in  being 
 desolate,  forsaken,  and  unhlest.  No  voice 
 of  joy  or  song  is  heard  on  the  heath, 
 while  those  who  wait  on  God  are  re- 
 freshed like  Eden.  Those  who  are  like 
 the  heath  in  barrenness  and  deformity 
 shall  resemble  it  in  desolation  and  woe. 
 
 3.  While  the  holy  land  is  refreshed 
 tvith  dew  from  heaven,  the  desert  remains 
 parched  as  before.  This  feature  of  resem- 
 blance exists  at  this  time.  Showers  of 
 grace  fall  on  some,  but  the  barren  sands 
 know  not  "when  good  cometh." 
 
 4.  Shoiuers  falling  on  desert  heath  only 
 promote  the  groivth  of  deformed  shrubs  ; 
 and  the  influence  of  heaven  falling  on 
 this  class  calls  forth  a  more  fatal  resist- 
 ance of  the  Holy  Spirit. 
 
 5.  The  heath  cannot  be  made  fruitful, 
 and  all  God's  visitations  fcdl  unregarded 
 upon  many. 
 
 6.  It  is  plain  that,  xtihile  many  obey 
 the  Gospel  call,  others  remain  desolate  and 
 uncheered  by  any  heavenly  influence. 
 
 7.  Some  of  the  awakened  may  say,  "  / 
 cannot  change  my  own  heart ;  I  do  the 
 best  I  can  " — Do  you  1  even  for  a  day  1 
 Drop  these  excuses,  and  cry,  "  God  be 
 mercifMl  to  me  a  sinner." 
 
 8.  Others  resemble  the  heath  in  defor- 
 mity and  barrenness.  They  resort  to  sac- 
 raments, but  yield  no  fruit,  and  so  will 
 they  remain  till  death. 
 
 Application — 
 
 (a.)  /  address  those  ivho  cast  off  fear 
 and  restrain  prayer.  Waste  not  out,  I 
 pray  you,  your  life,  seeking  independent 
 happiness.  Return  and  seek  happiness 
 in  God  alone,  and  become  rich  for  eternity. 
 
 (b.)  I  warn  you  who  are  awakened. 
 Trust  not  in  ministers  or  Christians. 
 Only  Christ  can  give  the  mighty  blessing. 
 Let  Calvary's  Voice  draw  you  to  Him. 
 
 (c.)  I  speak  to  those  who  think  they  love 
 God  better  than  father,  mother,  or  life, 
 yet  are  chained  to  earth — these  are  the 
 most  discouraging  of  all  men.  It  is 
 easy  to  alarm  the  humble,  but  a  task  to 
 destroy  false  hopes. 
 
 {d.)  Let  the  dear  loved  children  of 
 God  receive  the  precious  promises  suc- 
 ceeding the  text :  "  Blessed  is  the  man 
 that  trusteth  in  the  Lord,  and  whose 
 hope  the  Lord  is." — Edward  Griffin, 
 D.D. 
 
 Ver.   7.  Theme :  Making   God  our 
 
 TRUST. 
 
 Man,  sensible  of  his  weakness,  re- 
 quires for  his  happiness  some  object 
 without  himself  in  which  he  can  trust. 
 In  what  do  men  trust?  God  alone 
 furnishes  an  object  adequate  to  the  re- 
 quirements of  our  trust.  All  lesser  ob- 
 jects are  frail,  variable,  uncertain. 
 
 I.  The  soul's  right  and  only  trust. 
 
 1.  We  owe  it  to  the  supremacy  of 
 the  divine  nature. 
 
 2.  Entire  resignation  to  God's  wis- 
 dom and  will. 
 
 3.  Entire  withdrawal  of  our  trust 
 from  all  inferior  tilings. 
 
 4.  Sincere  acceptance  of  Christ  as 
 our  Saviour. 
 
 5.  Sincere  effort  to  live  a  holy  and 
 pious  life. 
 
 n.  The  blessedness  with  which 
 godly  trust  is  crowned.  This  will  be 
 seen  in  the  following  contrast  of  believer 
 and  unbeliever. 
 
 1.  The  objects  of  the  unbeliever's 
 trust  are  uncertain  and  insignificant ; 
 the  believer's,  certain  and  glorious, 
 
 2.  The  one  inadequate  and  perishing, 
 the  other  all-sufficient  and  abiding  (1 
 Pet.  i.  4). 
 
 3.  The  one  bears  a  burdened  con- 
 science and  a  character  ill  at  ease,  the 
 other  enjoys  peace  and  rest  (Matt.  xi. 
 28-30). 
 
 4.  The  one  regards  God  as  his  foe, 
 and  resembles  the  inferior  objects  of 
 his  trust ;  the  other  regards  God  as  his 
 friend,  enjoys  His  protection  and  fel- 
 lowship, and  resembles  Him. 
 
 Learn — 
 
 1.  Not  to  be  deluded  by  inferior 
 things. 
 
 2.  Seek  this  blessing  by  submission 
 to  God's  will  in  a  crucified  Saviour. — 
 U.  Jerman. 
 
 Comments — 
 
 ''  Blessed  are  those  teachers,  who  have 
 171 
 
HOMILETIC  COMMENTARY :  JEREMIAH. 
 
 betaken  themselves  to  His  protection, 
 who  once  promised  His  Church  that 
 even  the  gates  of  hell  should  not  pre- 
 vail against  it.  Who  has  ever  been 
 put  to  shame  who  trusted  in  Him  ? " — 
 Zinzendorf. 
 
 Ver.  8.  Theme:  Vekduee  in  the 
 MIDST  OF  DESOLATION.  "  He  shall  not 
 see  when  heat  cometh." 
 
 Nothing  in  nature  more  admirable 
 than  the  strange  and  unlikely  circum- 
 stances in  which  we  often  see  plants 
 and  trees  retaining  their  sap  and  ver- 
 dure, and  manifesting  the  most  luxuriant 
 fruitfulness.  By  a  wonderful  instinct 
 of  their  nature,  they  adapt  themselves 
 each  to  their  appointed  place,  and  thus 
 continue  to  live  and  flourish  abundantly 
 where  another  would  perish  in  an  hour. 
 No  natural  influence  more  fatal  to  vege- 
 table life  than  extreme  drought ;  yet, 
 even  that  in  some  favoured  instances 
 may  prove  innocuous.  Some  plants 
 and  trees  "  do  not  see  when  heat  cometh, 
 but  their  leaf  is  green,"  &c. 
 
 This  beautiful  fact  the  prophet  trans- 
 fers from  the  natural  world  to  the 
 spiritual  by  way  of  illustration  and  ana- 
 logy. There,  too,  often  verdure  appears 
 in  midst  of  desolation — life  in  midst  of 
 death.  True  happiness  and  true  holi- 
 ness depend,  not  on  outward  advantages, 
 but  on  inward  state. 
 
 Let  us  consider  further  this  interest- 
 ing and  instructive  phenomenon. 
 
 I.  The  fact  itself.  Meets  us  every- 
 where in  the  natural  world.  So  also  in 
 the  kingdom  of  grace.  Spiritual  health 
 depends  not  alone  or  mainly  on  our  cir- 
 cumstances, but  on  the  temper  and  state 
 of  our  souls.  In  the  cottage,  the  palace ; 
 in  want,  in  affluence ;  in  retirement,  on 
 busy  Exchange  ;  in  youth,  in  age ;  in 
 health,  in  disease  and  sickness,  God's 
 Enochs  have  "walked  with  God." 
 Every  situation  not  equally  favourable 
 to  soul's  life,  but  none  utterly  unfavour- 
 able;  e.g.,  Enoch,  Noah,  Abraham, 
 Joseph,  Caleb,  Samuel,  Elijah,  Jere- 
 miah, Daniel,  Esther,  and  others,  are 
 witnesses  to  this  truth.  Look,  then, 
 within  for  source  of  weakness,  decay, 
 low  spiritual  state. 
 
 II.    The    explanation.       The    man 
 372 
 
 "  trusteth  in  the  Lord,   and  his  hope 
 the  Lord  is." 
 
 L  He  lives  in  constant  believing  com- 
 munion u'ith  God. 
 
 2.  He  improves  ivhat  advantages  he 
 possesses.  They  may  be  few,  but  he 
 aspires  after  and  improves  them.  If 
 Jesus  is  "  passing  by,"  he,  like  Zaccheus, 
 will  be  on  the  sycamore-tree. 
 
 3.  He  retains  the  good  he  receives. 
 Careful  to  retain  the  fruits  of  opportu- 
 nities after  they  are  gone.  Those  who 
 make  rich  are  not  only  they  who  get 
 much,  but  who  keep  what  they  get. 
 
 4.  He  sedidously  improves  and  turns 
 to  acco2mt  the  grace  he  has.  The  surest 
 way  alike  to  confirm  and  to  strengthen 
 any  holy  principle  is  to  carry  it  into 
 action.  Talents  are  increased  by  trad- 
 ing. The  idle  Christian  is  a  feeble, 
 drooping,  pining  Christian. 
 
 Such  is  the  secret  of  a  holy,  happy 
 walk  with  God,  in  any  times  and  in  the 
 worst  times.  Get  truly  planted  by  the 
 waters  of  salvation,  and  your  roots 
 stretched  out  by  the  rivers  of  God. — 
 Eev.  I  slay  Btirns,  Dundee :  "  Family 
 Treasury,"  1859. 
 
 Comments — 
 
 "  The  Musorites  changed  the  word 
 FEAR  into  '  shall  not  see  when  the  heat 
 cometh,'  in  order  to  make  it  correspond 
 with  ver.  6.  But  the  change  is  not 
 merely  unauthorised,  but  meaningless. 
 God's  people  see  the  heat  when  it  comes ; 
 they  feel  trouble  as  much  as  other 
 people,  but  they  do  not  fear  it,  because 
 they  know — 
 
 "  i.   That  it  is  for  their  good,  and 
 
 "  il  That  God  will  give  them  strength 
 to  bear  it." — Dr.  Payne  Smith. 
 
 "The  servants  of  God  are  planted, 
 as  it  were,  in  a  moist  soil,  irrigated 
 continually  by  streams  of  water.  The 
 prophet  intimates  that  God^s  children  are 
 7iot  exempt  from  adversities  :  the  '  heat 
 cometh,'  and  they  feel  the  heat  of  the 
 sun,  being,  like  trees,  exposed  to  it; 
 but  moisture  is  supplied,  and  the  juice 
 diffuses  itself  through  all  the  branches. 
 Though  they  feel  great  heats  as  well  as 
 the  unbelieving,  for  this  is  common  to 
 both,  God's  children  shall  yet  he  Icept  safe  : 
 there  is  a  remedy  for  them — their  root 
 
UOMILETIC  COMMENTARY:  JEREMIAH. 
 
 CHAP.  xvir. 
 
 has  moisture.  Tlie  word  rendered  '  see ' 
 iN"T)  dar/,  means  to  fear  and  to  be  care- 
 ful ;  also  to  grieve,  and  so  some  render 
 it  here,  It  will  not  grieve;  but  the  better 
 meaning  is,  It  shall  not  be  afraid  of 
 heat." — Calvin. 
 
 Ver,    9.    Theme:  The  falsity   and 
 
 FOULNESS  OP  man's  HEART. 
 
 The  Bible  reveals  what  man  would 
 have  failed  to  discern,  that  the  heart  is 
 the  root  of  character,  the  seat  of  the 
 moral  quality  attaching  to  the  thoughts 
 and  actions  of  men.  This  truth,  plainly 
 taught  in  Scripture,  accords  with  reason, 
 and  finds  irrefutable  proof  in  man's 
 career.  There  are  three  aspects  of  the 
 heart  here  suggested  : — 
 
 I.  Surpassing  deceptiveness.  "De- 
 ceitful above  all  things." 
 
 1.  Its  cruel  delusions.  It  oiten  prompts 
 a  man  to  evil,  promising  joy  and  reward, 
 then  leaves  him  befooled  by  his  desires ; 
 allures  him  to  follow  passion,  then 
 leaves  him  to  the  tortures  of  conscience ; 
 assures  him  of  courage  in  difficult  hours, 
 then,  at  the  crisis,  leaves  him  trembling 
 in  fear,  &c.  It  flatters  its  dupes ;  is  a 
 false  syren. 
 
 2.  Its  religious  frauds.  Fosters  hy- 
 pocrisy in  the  superficial,  urges  men  to 
 assume  a  religious  profession,  and  walk 
 as  if  God  were  being  reverently  served ; 
 and  then,  in  secret,  craves  and  impels 
 towards  hidden  vice  and  subtle  indul- 
 gences. Flatters  a  man  into  a  belief 
 in  his  own  goodness  when  life  is  plea- 
 sant and  easy  ;  and  then,  in  death,  mocks 
 and  chides  him  for  his  sin. 
 
 3.  Its  supreme  falsity.  "  Above  all 
 things."  Above  the  desert  mirage  ? — 
 Yes.  Above  gold  ? — Yes.  Above  ^)/m- 
 sure  ? — Yes.  Above  fickle  beauty  ? — Yes. 
 For  the  heart  is  the  cause  of  all  deceits  ; 
 it  supplies  the  fantasy  in  us  which 
 makes  the  illusion  possible. 
 
 II.  Malignant  guiltiness.  "Despe- 
 rately wicked." 
 
 1.  Its  action  in  the  region  of  comw^on 
 life.  To  what  detestable  iniquities  would 
 it  impel  men  !  Judge  of  this  by  con- 
 sidering the  filthy,  atrocious,  idolatrous 
 customs  and  social  habits  which  pre- 
 vailed in  Oriental  scenes.  Where  the 
 passions  are  left  unrestrained  by  civi- 
 
 lisation and  religion,  what  a  foul  life  is 
 man's  !  Nearer  home  :  what  revolting, 
 sensual,  brutal  careers  men  live  amongst 
 us  where  neither  fear  of  God  nor  regard 
 of  man  rule  !  What  are  the  furious 
 schemes  of  the  assassin,  the  usurper, 
 the  traducer,  the  felon,  the  adulterer, 
 but  illustrations  of  the  heart's  unbridled 
 lusts  !  "  Out  of  the  heart  proceed  evil 
 thoughts,  murders,"  «kc. 
 
 2.  Its  action  in  the  sphere  of  religion. 
 
 We  expect  of  the  heart  that  it  responds 
 to  love;  but  how  does  it  respond  to  "the 
 great  love  wherewith  God  hath  loved 
 us  "?  How  does  it  keep  outside  its  closed 
 doors  Him  who  long  has  knocked  there 
 in  vain,  yet  "  who  first  loved  us  "  ?  And 
 after  having  avowedly,  in  discipleship  of 
 Christ,  given  Him  our  heart,  how  does 
 "  an  evil  heart  of  unbelief "  lead  us  to 
 "  depart  from  the  living  God,"  and  urge 
 us  by  fervent  cravings  to  fall  back  into 
 sin  ! 
 
 III.  Profound  inscnitableness.  "Who 
 can  know  iti"  Having  used  the  strongest 
 language  to  describe  it,  yet  words  fail  to 
 tell  its  depths  of  iniquity. 
 
 Looking  on  the  loathsome  sights  of 
 vice,  squalor,  villany,  and  woe  around 
 us,  and  asking,  "  Whence  came  these  1 " 
 Christ  replies,  "  Out  of  the  heart."  The 
 heart's  wilfulness  "brought  death  into 
 the  world,  and  all  our  woe."  It  still 
 can  prompt  brutal  cruelty  to  requite 
 tender  love ;  it  still  stirs  the  lascivious 
 to  decoy  innocence  into  ruin  worse  than 
 death,  (fee. 
 
 "  Who  can  know  "  his  own  heart  ? 
 We  cry,  "  Is  thy  servant  a  dog  that  he 
 should  do  this  thing?"  yet  we  do  it, 
 and  worse  far. 
 
 "  Who  can  know  "  the  hearts  of  others  ? 
 
 Is  there  a  hound  which  the  heart's 
 impulses  will  not  pass  1  Is  there  a 
 thought,  at  whose  horribleness  the  mind 
 staggers,  and  of  which  we  exclaim, 
 "  Surely,  it  could  never  be  that  a  man  is 
 capable  of  it !  "  Yet  greater  enormities 
 are  being  wrought:  cold-blooded,  sinister, 
 vengeful,  devilish  !  "  Who  can  know 
 it?" 
 
 If  this  be  so  hrtween  man  and  man, 
 oh,  how  shall  we  fathom  the  depths  of 
 man's  great  criminality  to  God — slaying 
 His  Son;  to   Jesus — "crucifying   Him 
 
 373 
 
CHAr.  XVIT 
 
 HOMILETIC  COMMENTARY :  JEREMIAH. 
 
 afresh  and  putting  Him  to  open  shame  ;" 
 to  the  Holy  Spirit — "grieving  the  Holy 
 Spirit  of  God" ! 
 
 (a.)  Do  you  think  this  description  exag- 
 gerated ?  But  this  is  the  deceitfuhiess 
 of  your  heart,  flattering  you  that  you 
 cannot  be  so  bad,  or  are  not  so  bad  as 
 others. 
 
 (h.)  Should  not  this  urge  you  to  self- 
 abasement  he/ore  the  Cross  ?  Boasting  no 
 more  your  self-righteousness,  and  hasten- 
 ing to  the  Fountain  opened  for  sin  and 
 uncleanness,  crying,  "  Create  in  me  a 
 clean  heart,"  &c. 
 
 See  Addenda  on  vers.  9  and  10. 
 Falsity  of  Heart,  and  Searching 
 THE  Heart. 
 
 Theme :  The  heart's  deceitfulness 
 towards  itself. 
 
 There  is  great  deceit  in  the  dealings 
 of  men  in  the  world,  in  their  counsels 
 and  contrivances,  in  their  private  and 
 public  affairs,  in  their  words  and  actings ; 
 the  world  is  full  of  deceit  and  fraud. 
 But  all  this  is  nothing  as  compared 
 with  the  deceit  in  a  man's  heart  towards 
 himself  (for  that  is  the  meaning  of 
 the  expression  here),  and  not  towards 
 others. 
 
 This  deceitfulness  of  the  heart,  whereby 
 it  is  exceedingly  advantaged  in  its  har- 
 bourings  of  sin,  lies  chiefly  in  two  things : 
 that — 
 
 I.  It  abounds  in  contradictions,  so 
 that  it  is  not  to  be  dealt  with  on  any 
 constant  rule. 
 
 The  frame  of  the  heart  is  ready  to 
 contradict  itself  every  moment.  None 
 know  what  to  expect  of  it.  Facile  now, 
 then  obstinate ;  open,  then  reserved ; 
 gentle,  then  revengeful 
 
 This  ensues  from  the  disorder  wrought 
 upo7i  our  faculties  by  sin.  God  created 
 all  in  perfect  harmony.  The  mind's 
 subjection  to  God  was  the  spring  of  the 
 orderly  and  harmonious  motion  of  the 
 soul.  This  being  disturbed  by  sin,  the 
 rest  of  the  faculties  move  cross  and  con- 
 trary one  to  another ;  the  will  chooseth 
 not  what  the  mind  discovers  good,  the 
 affections  delight  not  in  what  the  will 
 chooseth,  <i:c. 
 
 II.  Its  deceit  lies  in  its  full  promisings 
 upon  the  first  appearance  of  things. 
 
 57i 
 
 Sometimes  the  aflections  are  wrought 
 upon,  and  the  whole  heart  appears  in  a 
 fair  frame,  and  all  promises  well :  sud- 
 denly all  is  reversed.  Who  can  mention 
 the  treacheries  which  lie  in  the  heart  of 
 man  1  Uncertain  in  what  it  doth  ;  false 
 in  ivliat  it  pt'omises. 
 
 1.  Never  let  us  think  our  work,  in 
 contending  against  indwelling  sin,  is 
 ended.  The  place  of  its  habitation  is 
 unsearchable.  There  are  still  new  stra- 
 tagems and  wiles  to  be  dealt  withal. 
 Many  conquerors  have  been  ruined  by 
 their  carelessness  after  a  victory.  David 
 was  so.  Many  decline  into  sin  in  old 
 age  :  they  gave  over  the  task  of  mor- 
 tifying sin  before  their  work  was  at  an 
 end. 
 
 2.  The  fact  that  the  heart  is  inconstant 
 calls  for  perpetual  tvatchfubiess.  An 
 open  enemy,  that  deals  by  violence  only, 
 always  gives  some  respite ;  but  against 
 adversaries  that  deal  by  treachery  nothing 
 but  perpetual  watchfulness  will  give  secu- 
 rity. The  heart  hath  a  thousand  deceits, 
 and  if  we  are  the  least  off  in  our  watch 
 we  are  sure  to  be  surprised  (Prov. 
 xxviii.  6). 
 
 3.  Commit  the  ivhole  matter  therefore 
 to  Him  who  searcheth  the  heart.  Here 
 lies  our  safety.  There  is  no  deceit  in 
 our  hearts  but  He  can  disappoint  it. 
 David  takes  this  course  (Ps.  cxxxix. 
 8,  9,  10,  I'd).— Dr.  John  Owen. 
 
 Theme:  The  deceitfulness  of  the 
 HEART.  "  The  heart  is  deceitful  above 
 all  things  "  (Jer.  xvii.  9). 
 
 I.  Men  impose  on  themselves  re- 
 specting their  own  character.  The 
 heart  practises  deception  in  regard  to 
 its  natural  tendency  and  disposition. 
 
 1.  Men  do  not  attribute  to  themselves 
 the  character  given  of  the  human  heart  in 
 the  Bible.     The  Christian  does. 
 
 2.  Is  it  not  possible  that  your  heart 
 deceives  yoto  ?  If  the  Bible  be  true,  there 
 is  no  such  native  excellence  of  character 
 as  you  suppose  that  you  possess.  Mul- 
 titudes who  once  had  the  same  view  of 
 themselves  have  been  convinced  of  their 
 error. 
 
 3.  Nothing  easier  than  self-deception. 
 II.  Men  deceive  themselves  in  re- 
 gard to  their  real  attachments. 
 
HOMILETIC  COMMENTARY:  JEREMIAH. 
 
 CHAP.  xvir. 
 
 III.  The  heart  is  deceitful  in  regard 
 to  its  power  of  resisting  temptation. 
 
 IV.  In  its  promises  of  reformation 
 and  amendment. 
 
 Improvement — 
 
 1.  There  is  a  danger  of  losing  the  soul. 
 
 2.  You  have  a  heart  which  is  not  to  be 
 trusted. 
 
 3.  Wake  from  all  delusions  to  the 
 reality  of  your  condition.  —  Albert 
 Barnes. 
 
 Theme:    Deceitfulness    of    man's 
 
 HEART. 
 
 Nothing  SO  mean  as  deceit.  The  text 
 calls  attention  to  the  deceitfulness  of 
 our  hearts. 
 
 I.  A  difficult  subject  to  deal  with, 
 because — 
 
 1.  The  examination  is  made  by  the 
 guilty  party  into  his  own  character. 
 
 2.  Nothing  more  liumiliating  and 
 painful  to  man's  pride. 
 
 II.  No  deception  like  that  of  the 
 heart.  The  garden — the  cornfield — the 
 mercantile  speculation — the  youth — may 
 promise  well  and  deceive,  but  the  heart 
 is  deceitful  above  all. 
 
 1.  It  is  the  fountain  of  deceit. 
 
 2.  Deceives  its  owner  and  best  friends 
 often. 
 
 3.  Its  deceit  is  in  a  very  large  mea- 
 sure voluntary. 
 
 4.  Its  deceitfulness  is  insidious  in  its 
 growth. 
 
 5.  Will  be  terrible  in  its  consequences. 
 Its  possessor  is  travelling  in  a  dan- 
 gerous path,  but  fancies  all  well.  His 
 character  is  being  fixed  in  evil.  The 
 future  must  be  terrible  in  the  circum- 
 stances of  its  misery,  and  its  disappoint- 
 ment and  despair. 
 
 III.  The  examples  of  Scripture  hear 
 this  out.  Old  prophet,  1  Kings  xiii. 
 11-18;  Gehazi,  2  Kings  v.  22-27; 
 Hazael,  2  Kings  viii.  7-15  ;  Ananias  and 
 Sap]>hira,  Acts  v.  5-10. 
 
 IV.  The  heart  deceives  its  possessor 
 continually.     With  regard  to — 
 
 1.  Its  motives.  2.  Its  inclinations. 
 3.  Its  safety  amidst  temptations.  4.  Its 
 power  of  reformation. 
 
 Learn — 
 
 1.  To  distrust  and  watch  it.  2.  To  trust 
 in  Christ  and  His  word. — E.  Jerman. 
 
 Theme  :    The    heart's    deceptive- 
 
 NESS    AND    WICKEDNESS. 
 
 This  truth  is  not  difficult  to  illustrate 
 and  prove.  It  requires  no  penetrating 
 genius  to  bring  it  up  from  the  depths. 
 As  illustrative  of — 
 
 I.  The  heart's  deceptiveness,  we 
 point — 
 
 i.  To  the  mistakes  into  tohich  it  falls 
 relative  to  religion.  Scripture  declares 
 it  "  the  one  thing  needful  "  ;  the  heart 
 deems  it  not  needful  at  all,  or  only  of 
 secondary  consequence.  Or,  if  it  heeds 
 religion,  it  mistakes  its  forms  for  the 
 reality  of  Christianity, 
 
 ii.  Further  apparent  in  its  pursuit  of 
 pleasure.  The  Source  of  true  happiness 
 is  God ;  but  the  heart  supposes  that 
 pleasure  must  be  found  in  things  seen 
 and  temporal.  "  A  deceived  heart  has 
 turned  them  aside." 
 
 iii.  Still  further  seen  in  the  fact,  that 
 God  has  not  left  it  to  be  its  oivn  guide. 
 A  Law  has  been  given  for  its  conduct, 
 and  a  Gospel  for  its  faith,  while  "  line 
 upon  line,"  &c.,  has  been  added  to  guide 
 its  commonest  actions.  The  ant  wants 
 no  guide,  for  its  instincts  are  safe  and 
 sufficient.  But  the  heart's  tendencies 
 are  wholly  untrustworthy. 
 
 iv.  Further  proved  by  the  declaration 
 of  the  Lord,  that  the  heart  must  be  re- 
 newed. The  mariner  when  voyaging 
 never  thinks  of  changing  his  compass, 
 knowing  that  the  one  he  has  is  faithful 
 and  true.  But  man's  heart  is  so  wrong 
 that  a  new  heart  is  demanded. 
 
 But  the  heart  is  not  the  only  deceitful 
 thing  in  the  tvorld :  other  things  are  de- 
 ceitful, though  NOT  EQUALLY  SO.  "  The 
 heart  is  deceitful  above  all  things." 
 
 It  surpasses  all  other  things  in  two 
 particulars — 
 
 1.  In  its  extent. 
 
 2.  Li  its  fatality. 
 
 Other  things  may  deceive  afeio  men ; 
 this  deceives  every  man.  Other  things  may 
 so  deceive  as  to  ruin  man's  temporal  inte- 
 rests;, this  ruins  man's  eternal  interests. 
 
 II.  The  proof  of  the  heart's  wicked- 
 ness is  equally  easy  : 
 
 i.  It  is  at  enmity  with  God — the  best 
 and  most  gracious  of  beings. 
 
 ii.  Utterly  opposed  to  the  holy  law  of 
 God  ;  ignores  its  claims,  &c. 
 
 375 
 
CHAt>.  XVII. 
 
 EOMILETIG  COMMENTARY:  JEREMIAH. 
 
 iii.  Sternly  rejects  the  Gospel ;  flings 
 aside  God's  greatest  Gift,  and  costliest 
 Sacrifice. 
 
 iv.  Wilfully  disregai'ds  the  warnings 
 and  threatenings  of  God. 
 
 V.  Notwithstanding  all  the  culture  the 
 heart  receives  from  education,  preaching, 
 and  literature,  it  brings  forth  nothing 
 but  the  briers  and  thorns  of  unrighteous- 
 ness. 
 
 vi.  Its  desperate  wickedness  is  further 
 seen  in  the  fearful  punishment  vpith 
 which  its  wickedness  will  be  visited. 
 The  "  undying  worm,"  the  "  unquench- 
 able fire."  Only  greatest  criminals  are 
 punished  with  direst  punishments. 
 
 1.  As  this  truth  rests  upon  Divine 
 testimony,  to  deny  it  is  to  maJce  God  a 
 liar,  and  ^:>?'ove  the  heart's  self-deceiv- 
 ings. 
 
 2.  How  different  is  the  new  heart  from 
 the  old  !  "  Blessed  are  the  pure  in  heart, 
 for  they  shall  see  God." — Rev.  D.  Pledge. 
 
 Theme :  The  heart  inscrutable. 
 "  Who  can  know  it  1 " 
 
 It  is  extremely  difficult  for  sinners  to 
 know  their  hearts. 
 
 I.  What  is  implied  in  their  know- 
 ing their  own  hearts  ? 
 
 It  implies  :  1,  A  knowledge  of  their 
 selfishness.  2.  Of  their  desperate  incur- 
 able ivicJcedness.  3.  Of  their  extreme 
 deceitfalness. 
 
 II.  Why  is  it  so  extremely  difficult 
 for  them  to  know  their  own  hearts  ? 
 
 Because  :  1.  They  are  unwilling  to 
 Tcnow  them.  2.  Because  of  the  deceitful- 
 ness  of  sin.  They  love  or  hate,  as  they 
 appear  friendly  or  vinfriendly  to  their 
 cherished  feelings, — (a)  God,  (6)  Christ, 
 (c)  good  men,  (cZ)  the  world,  (e)  their 
 own  hearts,  (/)  the  means  of  grace,  {g) 
 their  convictions,  (Ji)  heaven. 
 
 III.  Application — 
 
 1.  The  only  way  to  know  the  heart 
 is  to  inquire  whether  it  loves  God  or 
 not. 
 
 2.  Saints  can  more  easily  ascertain 
 their  true  characters  than  sinners  can. 
 
 3.  All  changes  of  life  are  trials  of  the 
 heart. — Emmons. 
 
 See  also  Noticeable  Topics  on  the 
 Human  Heart. 
 376 
 
 s 
 
 Ver.  10.  Theme :  God's  RULE  OF 
 JUDGMENT.  "  I  the  Lord  search  the 
 heart,  I  try  the  reins,  even  to  give  every 
 man  according  to  his  ways,  and  accord- 
 ing to  the  fruit  of  his  doings." 
 
 None  but  God  can  explore  the  depths 
 of  iniquity  in  the  human  heart.  As  He 
 will  judge  the  world  at  the  last  day,  He 
 must  have  access  to  the  inmost  recesses 
 of  the  soul,  and  be  able  to  bring  forth  to 
 judgment  all  its  hidden  abominations. 
 
 Accordingly  God  is  employed  noticing 
 and  recording  everything,  that  He  may 
 then  reward  "  every  man  according  to 
 his  ways."     We  here  see — 
 
 I.  The  preparation  God  is  making 
 for  the  future  judgment.  God  is  not 
 an  unconcerned  sjiectator  of  what  is  done 
 upon  earth. 
 
 1.  He  continually  marhs  the  ways  of 
 men, 
 
 (a.)  All  their  actions  He  observes,  ac- 
 cording to  the  principles  from  which 
 they  proceed,  and  the  ends  for  which 
 they  are  done. 
 
 (b.)  Our  words,  also,  and  our  very 
 thcmghts  (Ps.  xi.  4,  Prov.  xvi,  2). 
 
 Hezekiah  evinced  the  mixture  of  motives 
 and  principles  which  lay  behind  actions 
 (2  Chron.  xxxii.  31) ;  and  these  need  to 
 be  analysed  and  distinguished.  God 
 "  tries  the  reins,"  as  a  philosopher  assays 
 gold. 
 
 2.  He  records  everything  in  the  booh  of 
 His  remembrance.  The  thoiights  as  well 
 as  the  words  of  men  (Mai.  iii.  16).  All 
 will  be  educed  in  the  judgment  (Job  xiv. 
 17).  Nothing  escapes  His  attention; 
 certainly  not  any  "  good  thing  "  eludes 
 His  sight  (1  Kings  xiv.  13). 
 
 II.  The  rule  by  which  the  judgment 
 shall  be  determined. 
 
 1.  The  sentence  tvill  be  according  to 
 every  man's  ivories  (Gal.  vi.  7,  8  ;  2  Cor. 
 ix.  6). 
 
 2.  Rightly  understood,  this  strongly 
 declares  the  equity  of  God's  futiire  judg- 
 ments. Everything  that  can  afi'ect  the 
 quality  of  an  action  will  be  taken  into 
 account. 
 
 Behold  then — 
 
 i.  What  an  awful  prospect  is  here 
 opened  to  the  ungodly  ! 
 
 ii.  What  an  encouragement  is  here 
 afforded  to  the  righteous  ! 
 
HOMILETIC  COMMENTARY:  JEREMIAH. 
 
 CHAP.  XVIl. 
 
 Moses  looked  to  "  the  recompense 
 of  reward."  Paul  anticipated  "the  far 
 more  exceeding  and  eternal  weight  of 
 glory." — Chas.  Simeon. 
 
 Theme :  God's  interest  in  man. 
 
 I.  Respects  "  Fruit  "  in  men's  lives. 
 
 II.  Deals  with  men  "  according  to 
 Fruit." 
 
 III.  Where  Fruit  is  to  be  found — (in 
 the  heart). 
 
 IV.  The  Search  for  Fruit. — J.  Farren. 
 See  Addenda:  Searching  the  Heart, 
 
 Comments — 
 
 Ver.  11.  "As  the  partridge  hath 
 gathered  eggs  which  it  laid  not."  Epi- 
 phanius  says  :  "  The  partridge  is  not 
 satisfied  with  the  fruit  of  her  own  womb, 
 but  steals  the  eggs  of  other  birds  and 
 carries  them  to  her  nest "  (Phisiol.  9). 
 
 "  This  notion  might  easily  be  taken  for 
 the  great  number  of  eggs  which  the  part- 
 ridge lays.  Another  interpretation  is 
 given  by  Hippolytus,  who  says  that  '  the 
 partridge  calls  to  it  the  young  belonging 
 to  other  broods,  and  gathers  them  under 
 its  wings,  but  when  they  hear  the  cry  of 
 the  true  parent  they  leave  the  false  one.' 
 The  general  sense  is  that  the  covetous 
 man  is  as  sure  finally  to  reap  only  disap- 
 pointment as  the  partridge  which  piles  up 
 eggs  not  of  her  own  laying,  and  is  unable 
 to  hatch  them." — Dr.  I'ayne  Smith. 
 
 "  As  Jehoiakim  is  described  by  Jere- 
 miah as  a  covetous  tyrant  (chap.  xxii.  17), 
 and  as  he  died  at  the  age  of  thirty-six, 
 he  is  supposed  by  some  to  be  referred 
 to  in  these  words." — Ihid. 
 
 Ver.  11.  Theme:  Wealth  unjustly 
 ACQUIRED.  Violence  and  fraud  had  been 
 reigning  in  Jerusalem, 
 
 I.  Unlawful  means  used  to  acquire 
 wealth  may  win  success. 
 
 1.  Opportunities  to  acquire  money 
 tempt  to  o])pressio7i  and  fraud. 
 
 2.  A  temporari/  x)Tosperity  is  realised 
 in  the  possession  of  ill-gotten  gains. 
 
 3.  The  rich  toil  to  gather  wealth,  and 
 then  sit  brooding  over  it,  like  the  part- 
 ridge ;  but  it  never  gives  comfort  or  satis- 
 faction. They  are  always  anxious  and 
 uneasy  j  for  their  sinful  projects  may  mis- 
 carry. 
 
 4.  Treasures  acquired  by  wrong  me- 
 thods leave  an  unquiet  conscience.  The 
 rich  man  may  say,  I  am  innocent  (Hos. 
 xii.  8),  but  that  only  mocks  his  con- 
 science. 
 
 II.  Wealth  when  acquired  cannot 
 long  be  retained.  "  He  shall  leave  them 
 in  the  midst  of  his  days." 
 
 1.  God  shall  cut  him  off  by  some  sur- 
 prising stroke  (Luke  xii.  19,  20). 
 
 2.  Gathered  riches  cannot  be  taken  into 
 eternity :  "  He  shall  leave  them." 
 
 3.  His  impoverished  death  shoivs  him 
 to  be  a  miserable  "fool."  He  was  "not 
 rich  towards  God,"  only  had  "  ill-gotten 
 gains,"  and  had  to  "  leave  "  all  in  death  ; 
 went  into  eternity  "  poor  indeed  " — 
 "  poor  and  miserable,  and  blind  and 
 naked." 
 
 III.  Parting  with  his  wealth  in 
 death  is  a  great  vexation  to  a  worldly 
 man. 
 
 1.  It  natiirally  frets  him  to  leave  to 
 another,  who  may  squander  all,  the 
 treasures  he  has  wasted  his  life  in  ac- 
 cumulating. 
 
 2.  It  justly  appals  him  to  go  into 
 God's  presence  with  nothing  but  the 
 memory  of  unjustly-accumulated  gains. 
 "He  shall  be  a  fool:"  the  laughing- 
 stock of  death. 
 
 Vers.  12  and  13.  See  Homiletic 
 Outlines  on  Sections. 
 
 Theme :  The  Church  of  the  Lord. 
 
 i.  What  it  is  in  itself.  Peace  of  sanc- 
 tuary ;  throne  of  divine  glory  ;  house  of 
 Him  who  is  Israel's  Hope. 
 
 ii.  What  it  will  be.  It  will  ever 
 remain  firm  (Matt.  xvi.  18). 
 
 iii.  What  they  find  who  forsake  it. 
 Shame,  oblivion,  unsatisfied  thirsts. — 
 Naegelsbach. 
 
 Ver.  14.  Theme:  A  cry  for  healing 
 
 AND  SAVING  GRACE.  "  Ileal  me,  0 
 Lord,  and  I  shall  be  healed,"  dr. 
 
 One  great  proof  of  the  experience  of 
 converting  grace  is  the  disposition  to 
 vindicate  God  and  condemn  ourselves. 
 "That  Thou  might  be  justified,"  &c. 
 Here  Jeremiah  justifies  divine  dispensa- 
 tions. 
 
 I.  That  sin  is  the  disease  of  the 
 soul,  and  is  so  felt.     All  its  symptoms 
 
 377 
 
HOMILETIC  COMMENTARY :  JEREMIAH. 
 
 are  dreaded  by  the  Christian.  The 
 worldling  does  not  fear  nor  dread  them. 
 He  is  like  a  man  in  consumption,  whose 
 case  is  seen  and  dreaded  by  all  but  him- 
 self. But  the  Christian  dreads  the  evil 
 as  well  as  punishment  of  sin.  He  knows 
 the  plague  of  his  own  heart.  All  the 
 symptoms  are  dangerous.  Sin  like  a 
 venomous  disease. 
 
 There  is  the  loss  of  rest — "  no  peace." 
 
 There  is  the  depravation  of  taste — he 
 feedeth  on  ashes.     Want  of  appetite. 
 
 There  is  the  loss  of  sight — but  the 
 Christian  prays,  "  Open  Thou  mine 
 eyes." 
 
 There  is  the  loss  of  hearing — the 
 wicked  is  like  a  deaf  adder.  But  the 
 Christian  says,  "  The  hearing  ear  and 
 seeing  eye,  the  Lord  hath  made  both." 
 
 II.  That  Christ  is  the  only  physi- 
 cian, the  Good  Physician.  Other  phy- 
 sicians are  prodigal  of  the  patient's 
 blood,  and  sparing  of  their  own ;  but 
 Christ  shed  His  own  blood  to  save  our 
 souls.  '^When  justice  calls  for  sinners^ 
 blood,  the  Saviour  shoivs  His  own." 
 
 Never  was  the  disease  known  yet  that 
 mocked  His  skill.  The  blind,  the  dumb, 
 the  maimed,  the  deaf,  the  very  dead — 
 owned  His  power;  and,  behold,  the  Lord's 
 arm  is  not  shortened.  There  are  seasons 
 in  which  nothing  short  of  this  conviction 
 of  the  infinite  ability  of  Christ  to  pardo7i 
 and  to  save  can  bring  peace  to  the  mind. 
 
 i.  Consider  the  infinite  efficacy  of 
 Christ's  atonement,  as  showing  God's 
 readiness  as  well  as  ability  to  pardon. 
 What  pledge  of  God's  delight  in  mercy 
 could  He  give  like  this,  "  He  spared  not 
 his  oivn  Son  "  ? 
 
 ii.  Consider,  has  not  God  inculcated 
 unlimited  ioTgiveness  on  nal  (Matt,  xviii. 
 21 ;  Luke  xvii.  4.)  If  God  requires  for- 
 giveness of  us  without  bounds,  will  not 
 He  extend  forgiveness  without  bounds  ? 
 
 iii.  Consider  the  direct  statements  of 
 ■Scripture:  " I,  even  I,  am  He  that  blot- 
 teth  out,"  &c.  ;  "All  sijis  in  depth  of 
 sea." 
 
 iv.   From  great  instances  of  mercy. 
 
 III.  That  prayer  is  our  only  refuge. 
 It  is  the  appointed  means.  It  has  never 
 failed.  Your  desire  for  the  benefit  of 
 purity  and  pardon  is  a  proof  it  shall  be 
 extended.     He  will  fulfil  desire. 
 
 37S 
 
 IV.  That  praise  should  be  our  truest 
 
 delight.  "  Thou  art  my  praise."  Our 
 praises  should  be  renewed,  for  past  mer- 
 cies, with  prayers  for  new  ones. — Samuel 
 Thodey,  a.d.  1841. 
 
 Theme:  Prayer  forsalvation  based 
 UPON  PRAISE.  "  Heal  me,  0  Lord,  and 
 I  shall  be  healed,"  &c. 
 
 I.  The  blessings  sought. 
 
 1.  Health.  What  temporal  blessing 
 greater.  The  health  of  the  soul  is  the 
 highest  form  of  health. 
 
 2.  Salvation.     (Explain  the  term.) 
 
 II.  How  they  are  sought.    By  prayer. 
 
 1.  Confession  of  need. 
 
 2.  Seeking  in7'ight  way ;  of  right  source. 
 
 3.  Sincerity  of  prayer,  shown  in  use 
 of  right  means  to  preserve  health  and 
 obtain  salvation. 
 
 III.  The  ground  of  the  prayer  for 
 these  blessings.     "  Thou  art  my  praise." 
 
 What  does  this  mean  but  that  he  who 
 rightly  offers  this  prayer  is  living  in  the 
 service  of  God,  seeking  to  please  Him,  re- 
 joicing in  His  favour,  acknowledging  His 
 mercy  ?—"  The  Hive,"  vol.  viii.,  1875. 
 
 Theme :  The  penitent's  prayer. 
 The  words  express — 
 
 I.  An  earnest  desire  for  salvation. 
 
 II.  He  applies  to  Almighty  God 
 for  it. 
 
 III.  Through  the  medium  of  prayer. 
 
 IV.  With  confidence  that  He  will 
 be  heard. — Br.  A.  Thomson,  of  Edin- 
 burgh, from  Lange. 
 
 Vers.  14,  15.  Theme:  A  preacher's 
 CRY  for  help.  He  is  tempted  on  account 
 of  the  truth. 
 
 i.     The  temptation  (ver.  13). 
 
 ii.  The  demonstration  of  innocence 
 (ver.  16). 
 
 iii.  The  cry  for  help. 
 
 (a.)  Negative  (vers.  17,  18). 
 
 (6.)  Positive  (vers.  19). — J^aegelshach. 
 
 Comments — 
 
 Ver.  14.  "  Thou  art  my  praise." 
 "  When  a  teacher  confines  himself  to  the 
 praise  of  the  Cross,  and  lets  all  other 
 matters  of  praise  go  which  might  adorn 
 a  theologian  of  these  times,  and  adheres 
 immovably   to  this  :  '  I  am  determined 
 
HOMILETIC  COMMENTARY :  JEREMIAH. 
 
 CHAP.  xvn. 
 
 not  to  know  anything  among  you  save 
 Jesus  Christ  and  Him  crucified ' — amid 
 all  the  shame  of  His  Cross,  He  is  vic- 
 torious over  the  rest." — Zinzendorf. 
 
 Ver.  15.  "  Where  is  the  word  of  the 
 Lord  ?  let  it  come  noiv  !"  "This  taunt 
 shows  that  this  prophecy  was  written 
 before  any  signal  fulfilment  of  Jeremiah's 
 words  had  taken  place,  and  prior  therefore 
 to  the  capture  of  Jerusalem  at  the  close 
 of  Jehoiakim's  life." — Dr.  Payne  Smith. 
 
 Ver.  16.  "  Frovi  being  a  pastor."  See 
 Lit.  Grit,  on  this  verse. 
 
 ^^ Desired  the  ivofid  day:"  i.e.,  the 
 day  on  which  Jerusalem  was  to  be  de- 
 stroyed and  the  temple  burnt.  Though 
 these  calamities  would  verify  Jeremiah's 
 word  and  vindicate  him  against  scorners, 
 yet  his  patriotic  soul  recoiled  from  the 
 nearing  desolation  of  his  country  and 
 ruin  of  his  people. 
 
 Ver.  16.  '■''That  which  I  have  preached 
 was  right  before  Thee."  "It  is  not 
 difficult  to  know  in  these  times  what 
 is  right  before  the  Lord.  There  is  His 
 Word :  he  who  adheres  to  this  strictly, 
 knows  in  this  that  he  is  right.  In  all 
 this  it  is  the  teacher's  chief  maxim,  not 
 to  make  use  of  the  application  without 
 need,  but  to  make  the  truth  so  plain  in 
 his  discourses  that  the  hearers  must 
 necessarily  mahe  the  applicaiio7i  to  them- 
 selves. 'Thus  saying,  Thou  reproachest 
 us  also,'  said  the  lawyer  (Luke  xi.  45). 
 Others  went  jiway  convicted  in  their 
 consciences." — Zinzendorf. 
 
 Ver.  17.  Theme  :  The  soul's  hope 
 IN  A  TIME  OF  TERKOK.  "  Be  uot  a  terror 
 unto  me.  Thou  art  my  hope  in  the  day 
 of  evil." 
 
 Jeremiah  had  forewarned.  It  was  a 
 painful  duty.  He  now  looks  forward 
 to  the  "  woful  day  "  with  deep  anxiety 
 for  his  people.  And  as  one  who  sees 
 the  storm  pending,  and  looks  around  for 
 hiding-place,  he  draws  near  and  appeals 
 to  God,  sure  that  amid  the  terrors  of 
 the  "  day  of  evil"  He  would  preserve  his 
 soul.  ,   , 
 
 Our  case  is  sadly  accordant  with  that 
 of  Judah. 
 
 1.  The  heartless  rebellion  of  Judah 
 did  not  exceed  the  iniquity  of  many  of 
 us  who  have  trifled  with  "race. 
 
 2.  The  judgments  pronounced  were 
 not  heavier  than  those  standing  against 
 the  impenitent  sinner  who  despises  the 
 great  salvation. 
 
 3.  The  mission  of  the  j^reacher  is  still 
 to  rush  in  among  men  "  whose  hearts 
 have  departed  from  the  Lord,"  and  pro- 
 test, warn,  and  call  to  repentance, 
 
 4.  And  the  consolations  of  the  righteous 
 are  as  true  as  with  the  prophet ;  for  he 
 knows  God  is  his  "  Hope  "  in  the  day  of 
 evil. 
 
 I.  A  day  conies  when  God  wfll  be 
 a  terror.  God  would  take  from  Judah 
 all  tliis  zvorld's  "  heritage  "  they  prized, 
 and  all  the  sjnritual  benefits  they  failed 
 to  profit  by. 
 
 "  Days  of  evil " — 
 
 (a.)  Come  suddenly.  Sweep  down  on 
 us  like  unexpected  storms. 
 
 (6.)  Find  us  desolate.  "  While  we 
 say,  Peace,  peace,  sudden  destruction 
 Cometh  upon  us."  When  our  "  desola- 
 tion coraeth  like  a  whirlwind,"  it  is  then 
 too  late  to  be  seeking  a  sure  refuge. 
 
 In  these  "  days  of  evil,"  which  come 
 on  the  soul  of  the  guilty,  we  must 
 include — 
 
 1.  The  day  of  the  sinner's  conviction 
 and  anguish.  When  God  arrests  the 
 soul  and  confronts  him  with  his  guilt. 
 Oh,  what  agony  !  "  Woe  is  me,  I  am 
 undone  !  "  God  is  a  "  terror  "  to  him. 
 "  Whither  can  I  go  from  Thy  presence  1" 
 '•  Depart  from  me,  for  I  am  a  sinful 
 man,  0  Lord  !  " 
 
 2.  The  day  when  death  calls  the  guilty 
 sold  from  earth.  Comes  "as  a  thief  in 
 the  night."  How  terrible  is  the  death 
 of  the  wicked  !  How  the  soul  shudders 
 to  be  hurrying  before  God  unreconciled, 
 unsaved  ! 
 
 3.  The  day  tvhen  the  spirits  of  men 
 zvill  be  arraigned  for  judgment.  We 
 shall  meet  God  !  No  exaggeration  of 
 facts  in  the  description  of  men  "  calling 
 on  mountains  and  rocks  to  hide  "  them.- 
 God  will  be  a  '■^terror"  to  the  guilty. 
 "It  is  a  fearful  thing  to  fall  into  the 
 hands  of  the  living  God." 
 
 II.  In  the  day  of  terror  God  may  be 
 found  our  Hope.  God  .is  not  neces- 
 sarily a  terror  to  the  soul  in  the  day  of 
 calamity.  The  righteous  prophet  knew 
 He  would  be  his  "  Hope." 
 
 379 
 
CHAP.  XVIl. 
 
 BOMILETIC  COMMENTARY :  JEREMIAB. 
 
 1.  This  is  the  known  character  of  God. 
 He  is  called  "  the  Hope  of  Israel " 
 (ver.  13).  See  also  xiv.  8.  It  is  on 
 this  well  understood  character  of  God 
 that  the  exhortation  is  given,  "  Let 
 Israel  hope  in  the  Lord,  for  with  the 
 Lord  is  forgiveness :  and  He  shall  re- 
 deem Israel  from  all  her  iniquities." 
 God  is  not  willingly  a  "  terror  "  to  any 
 soul.  Listen  to  His  Name  declared 
 a'inid  Sinai.  Kead  Gospel  statement, 
 "  God  so  loved  the  world."  Watch  His 
 ways  in  providence:  "  His  tender  mercies 
 over  all  His  works."  When  He  becomes  a 
 "  terror,"  it  is  through  a  dire  necessity. 
 
 2.  He  ivill  become  the  Hojje  of  every 
 soul  who  seeks  Him.  Calls  :  "  Turn  ye 
 to  the  Stronghold,  ye  prisoners  of  hope  j" 
 bids  us  "  lay  hold  on  the  hope  set  before 
 us."  "  We  have  a  strong  consolation  who 
 have  fled  for  refuge,"  &c.  Every  soul 
 may  find  the  same. 
 
 Observe  here  the  tvay  by  which  God 
 is  made  a  *'  terror"  (ver.  13)  ;  and  the 
 way  by  tvhich  He  will  become  as  our 
 "Hope"  (ver.  14). 
 
 3.  lUie  confident  reliance  and  expecta- 
 tion of  the  believer. 
 
 (a.)  How  umuavering  the  repose. 
 "  Thou  art  my  hope."  David,  ''  I  will 
 fear  no  evil." 
 
 {b.)  Hovf  personal  this  appropriation  ! 
 "  Thou  art  my  hope."    (Comp.  ver.  18.) 
 
 (c.)  How  single  is  the  soul's  trust. 
 ''Thou  art."  God  only:  God  Himself  (Fs. 
 xcl  1,  2). 
 
 i.  Unless  this  Hope  is  ours  before 
 terror  comes,  He  will  not  be  so  in  the 
 day  of  evil. 
 
 ii.  As  the  day  of  evil  is  uncertain  and 
 may  be  near,  we  should  promptly  seek 
 the  Lord  (ver.  7).  If  "  without  Christ," 
 "  no  hope  in  the  world." 
 
 See  Addenda:  The  Soul's  Hope. 
 
 Theme:   Divine  wrath  an  object 
 
 OF  FEAR. 
 
 Every  believer  can  adopt  the  for- 
 mer of  these  expressions,  but  not  the 
 latter.  Why  so?  Words  spoken  in  an 
 evil  time — a  time  of  corruption,  cala- 
 mity, ruin.  Jeremiah  himself  was  in 
 great  danger.     How  appropriate  then. 
 
 Notice— L   The  petition.     II.  The  ex- 
 pression of  confidence. 
 •660 
 
 I.  The  petition.     "  Be  not  a  terror 
 
 unto  me." 
 
 1.  God's  majesty  is  in  itself  an  object 
 of  fear  and  dread  (Heb.  xii.  21,  Isa.  vL 
 5,  Hab.  iii.  16,  Hos.  iii.  5). 
 
 2.  Divine  chastisements  are  to  be 
 feared  (Jer.  x.  24,  Ps.  vi.  1,  Job  ix.  34). 
 
 3.  God's  wrath  is  still  more  dreadful. 
 
 4.  The  prophet  prays  for  support  and 
 comfort  in  the  time  of  trial. 
 
 II.  The  expression  of  confidence. 
 "  Thou  art  my  Hope  in  the  day  of  evil." 
 
 1.  The  grace  exercised  is  hope. 
 Though  troubled,  he  is  not  destroyed. 
 (2  Cor.  iv.  8,  &c. ;  Eom.  viii.  24). 
 
 (1.)  God  is  the  object  of  His  people's 
 hope  (Ps.  Ixxi.  5,  Ixxviii.  5). 
 
 (2.)  God  is  the  end  of  their  hope. 
 They  need  no  more  (Ps.  xvi.  11,  xvii 
 15). 
 
 2.  Observe  the  time  when  this  grace 
 is  exercised  :  "  Day  of  evil." 
 
 (1.)  Sin  and  sorrow  make  every  day 
 an  evil  day,  still  let  us  hope  (Ps.  Ixii.  8, 
 Ixxi.  14). 
 
 (2.)  Yet  there  are  peculiar  days  of  evil: 
 National  calamity  ;  reverses  in  business ; 
 disappointments  ;  affliction ;  old  age  (Ps. 
 Ixxiii.  26,  2  Tim.  i.  12). 
 
 Learn — 
 
 1.  That  hopes  and  fears  are  blended 
 together  in  the  experience  of  the  godly 
 (Ps.  cxlvii.  11). 
 
 2.  If  God  is  sometimes  a  terror  to  His 
 own  people,  how  much  more  to  the 
 wicked  ?  (Deut.  xxviii.  65-67). 
 
 From  "  Short  Discourses,"  by  £.  Bed- 
 dome. 
 
 Vers.  19  to  end,  on  Sabbath  conse- 
 cration, see  Homilies  on  Sections, 
 
 Ver.  21.  Theme :  Sabbath  rest. 
 "  Take  heed  to  yourselves,  and  bear  no 
 burden  on  the  Sabbath-day." 
 
 The  Sabbath  argument  is  easy  to  the 
 devout.  Like  exhorting  a  hungry  man 
 to  take  refreshment,  or  a  mother  to  love 
 her  child,  or  the  slave  to  enjoy  freedom. 
 
 •'  Welcome,  sweet  day  of  rest,"  etc. 
 
 The  early  Christians  called  it  the  Day 
 of  Light,  and  the  Queen  of  Days.  The 
 ancient  Church  had  it  in  great  venera- 
 tion.     It  was  a  badge  of  their  religion, 
 
HOMILETIC  COMMENTARY :  JEREMIAH. 
 
 CHAP.  xvn. 
 
 for  when  asked,  "  Keepest  thou  the  Sab- 
 bath 1 "  the  answer  was,  "  I  am  a  Chris- 
 tian, and  dare  not  omit  the  celebration 
 of  the  Lord's  day." 
 
 I.  Motives  for  the  observance  of 
 the  Sabbath.  There  should  be  rest  of 
 body,  with  a  view  to  the  sanctity  of  the 
 soul ;  and  such  a  withdrawal  from  all 
 worldly  and  sinful  pursuits  as  may  con- 
 duce to  our  spiritual  advancement.  We 
 urge  this — 
 
 1.  From  the  Divine  command.  Twice 
 given  by  God  himself  in  Eden,  twice 
 inserted  in  the  Decalogue,  and  twice 
 engraved  on  stone  by  God  and  given  to 
 Moses. 
 
 2.  From  the  nature  and  reason  of  the 
 case.  Intended  to  give  opportunity  of 
 rest  from  toil ;  to  be  a  commemoration  of 
 the  wisdom,  power,  and.  goodness  of 
 God  in  the  creation  of  the  universe  ;  to 
 furnish  encouragement  to  acquire  holi- 
 ness and  obtain  salvation.  The  day  is 
 needful  for  rest  and  devotion. 
 
 3.  From  the  blessings  necessary  to 
 form  a  truly  religious  character.  Ab- 
 sorbed by  the  business  and  vanities  of 
 this  world,  the  recollections  of  the  other 
 world,  would  be  blotted  out  but  for  the 
 return  of  the  Sabbath.  In  the  absence 
 of  our  usual  occupations,  and  in  seasons 
 of  leisure,  conscience  regains  her  empire, 
 and  the  mind  is  turned  inwardly  upon 
 itself,  and  the  voice  of  God  is  heard. 
 
 4.  From  the  consequences  of  disobedi- 
 ence to  the  claims  of  the  day.  Further 
 from  God ;  hardened  in  worldliness ; 
 left  godless,  and  led  Christless,  to  sink 
 into  ever-increasing  alienation  from  all 
 that  is  holy,  and  hopeful,  and  heavenly. 
 
 II.  Some  of  the  burdens  which 
 should  be  laid  aside. 
 
 1.  The  bu7-den  of  needless  toil  (Exod. 
 xxxi.  15).  Surely  the  anointing  of 
 Christ  was  commendable  work,  yet  Mary 
 Magdalene  waited  till  the  Sabbath  was 
 past  (Luke  xxiii.  57).  God  forbade 
 manna  to  be  gathered  on  the  Sabbath. 
 
 2.  The  burden  of  wilful  sin.  Abstain 
 from  amusements,  convivial  parties, 
 needless  journeys,  unprofitable  conver- 
 sations, &c. 
 
 3.  The  burden  of  anxious  care.  "  Cast 
 thy  burden  on  the  Lord."  Do  it  by  faith 
 and  prayer.  Think — who  cared  for  Noah 
 in  deluge,  for  Moses  in  bulrushes,  for 
 Daniel  with  lions,  for  Paul  in  storm  1 
 
 4.  The  burden  of  desponding  appre- 
 hensions for  the  future.  Commit  thy  way 
 unto  the  Lord  and  trust  in  Him.  Ola,  rest 
 in  the  Lord,  &c. — Samuel  Thodey,  a.d. 
 1845. 
 
 See  Addenda :  Sabbath  Rest. 
 
 Theme:  The  Sabbath  and  the  Lord's 
 
 DAY. 
 
 I.  What  they  have  in  common.  The 
 
 weekly  holyday  is  in  both  cases — 
 
 1.  A  monument  of  the  loving  care  of 
 our  God. 
 
 (a.)  For  our  body;  (b.)  for  our  soul. 
 
 2.  A  right  of  God,  which  forms  a 
 holy  obligation  towards — 
 
 (a.)  God,  (6.)  ourselves,  (c.)our  neigh- 
 bour. 
 
 II.  The  differences  which  distin- 
 guish them. 
 
 1.  The  day  of  Jehovah  is  founded  on 
 the  creation  of  the  perishable  world  ;  the 
 day  of  the  Lord  is  founded  on  the  resur- 
 rection of  Christ,  as  of  a  new,  eternal 
 world. 
 
 2.  The  observance  of  the  day  of 
 Jehovah  was  only  legal;  i.e.  (a)  im- 
 posed by  external  compidsion,  (b)  by 
 requirements  to  be  fulfilled  with  out- 
 xvard  ceremonies :  the  observance  of 
 the  day  of  the  Lord  is  to  be  more  and 
 more  an  evangelical  one ;  i.e.  (a)  a  free, 
 (h)  a  spiritually  free  one,  satisfying  the 
 right  as  well  as  the  obligation  of  per- 
 sonality. — Naegelsbach. 
 
 See  also  Noticeable  Topics  :  On  the 
 
 Sabbath. 
 
 NOTICEABLE  TOPICS  IN  CHAPTER  XVII. 
 
 Topic:  The  Blessed  and  the  Cursed.     (Vers.  5-8.) 
 
 Great  is  the  distinction  between  the  godly  and  the  ungodly  (Ps.  i.  6,  vii.  11,  xi.  5) 
 in  their  characters,  in  their  practice,  in  their  experience,  in  their  end.  This  distinc- 
 tion will  appear  in  the  day  of  judgment  (Matt.  xxv.  34-41). 
 
 381 
 
CHAP.  xvir.  nOMJLETlC  COMMENTARY:  JEREMIAH. 
 
 I.  The  characters  here  contrasted.  Specially  descriptive  of  the  situation  of 
 Judah  at  the  time.  Threatened  with  invasion,  they  trusted  in  Egypt  as  a  rival 
 with  Babylon  ;  or  in  their  own  strength — artificial  fortifications  (Ps.  xlviii.  12,  13)  ; 
 or  in  their  individual  accomplishments,  as  wise,  rich,  and  powerful  (Jer.  ix.  23). 
 
 This  may  apply  to  us  as  a  nation.  We  form  alliances,  raise  armies  and  navies ; 
 but  woe  to  us  if  we  trust  in  them  so  that  our  heart  departeth  from  the  Lord !  (Ps. 
 XX.  6-8.) 
 
 1,  The  character  of  the  wicked  is  stated  (ver.  5), 
 
 (a.)  The  root  of  all  ungodliness  is  perversion  of  heart  from  God.  The  sinner  will 
 not  have  the  Lord  to  reign  over  him,.    "The  carnal  mind  is  enmity  against  God." 
 
 (6.)  The  wicked  trust  in  human  means  for  success  and  prosperity,  and  even  for  the 
 salvation  of  their  souls.  They  rely  on  wisdom  and  skill;  on  riches  (Prov.  xviii.  11), 
 in  i\iQ\x  fortitude  and  heroism,  to  the  pleasurable  diversions  invented ;  to  their  actions 
 as  meritorious  for  salvation. 
 
 Such  procedure  indicates:  (1.)  Ignorance — of  God,  law,  themselves  as  depraved; 
 (2.)  Contempt — of  Providence,  and  Christ's  redemption;  (3.)  Presumption. 
 
 2.  The  character  of  the  righteous  is  stated  (ver.  7). 
 
 (a.)  The  righteous  trust  in  the  Lord  from  a  conviction  that  vain  is  the  help  of  man. 
 They  have  a  knowledge  of  the  human  heart  that  it  is  "  deceitful  above  all  things," 
 &c.     Self-confidence  is,  therefore,  also  abandoned. 
 
 (6.)  They  trust  in  the  God  of  salvation  alone.  They  can  say  of  Christ,  "  He  loved 
 me,  and  gave  Himself  for  me." 
 
 (c.)  They  trust  Him  when  they  cannot  trace  Him;  know  that  He  will  do  all  things 
 well ;  and  God  is  their  hope  in  all  their  troubles,  difficulties,  fears — in  prospect  of 
 death  and  eternity. 
 
 II.  The  conduct  determining  the  blessing,  i.e.,  whether  we  trust  in  man  or  in 
 the  name  of  the  Lord. 
 
 1.  As  we  trust  the  wisdom  of  men,  or  the  revealed  will  of  God,  we  are  under  the 
 curse  or  the  blessing.  Some  avowedly  reject  revelation,  others  admit  only  what 
 accords  with  their  own  reason  :  the  Christian  takes  the  Scriptures. 
 
 2.  As  to  righteo^isness,  the  determining  question  is  whether  we  trust  the  righte- 
 ousness of  man,  or  the  righteousness  which  is  of  God. 
 
 3.  Though  we  trust  in  the  Saviour  Himself,  yet  if  we  consider  Him  only  as  a 
 man,  we  incur  the  denunciation  of  the  text.  If  Christ  be  only  a  man,  to  trust  in 
 Him  is  to  trust  in  an  arm  of  flesh.  If  His  Divinity  be  denied,  there  is  no  ground 
 for  trust.     (Comp.  1  Tim.  i.  12,  1  John  i.  9.) 
 
 III.  The  consequences  of  the  conduct  of  these  contrasted  characters. 
 
 1.  As  to  those  who  trust  in  man.  "  He  shall  be  like  the  heath  in  the  desert" 
 (ver.  6). 
 
 (a.)  Barrenness.  He  must  remain  destitute  of  God's  fertilising  and  refreshing 
 grace — unholy,  fruitless,  worthless. 
 
 (6.)  Wretchedness.  "  Heath  in  fZeser^/"  '' mhd\yi.t  parched  places." 
 (c.)  Loss  of  all  good.  "  Not  see  when  good  cometh."  It  comes  in  a  preached 
 Gospel,  in  oifers  of  salvation,  in  affliction,  in  the  testimony  of  conscience,  in  the 
 Spirit's  influence,  but  they  see  it  not !  "  Good  "  comes  xipon  the  Chiirch  in  the  dew 
 of  heaven  :  "  Great  grace  is  upon  them  all ; "  upon  believers  even  in  their  trials,  and 
 even  when  Christ  comes  to  judgment ;  but  the  godless  see  it  not,  share  it  not. 
 
 2.  As  to  the  righteous.  The  result  of  trusting  in  the  Lord  is  permanent  fruitful- 
 ness  (ver.  8).     (Comp.  Ps.  i.  3,  xcii.  13-15).     Indicates — 
 
 (a.)  Enjoyment.  "A  tree  planted  by  the  waters,"  drawing  in  pleasure  and 
 refreshment. 
 
 {b.)  Growth,  or  prosperity— progress.  The  Christian  flourishes,  "  grows  in 
 grace." 
 
 (c.)  Security.     "He  shall  not  see  (not /ear)  when  heat  cometh,"  &c.     "He  is 
 kept  by  the  power  of  God  unto  salvation,"  &c. 
 382 
 
HOMILETIC  COMMENTARY:  JEREMIAH.  chap.  xvu. 
 
 {(J.)  Permanent  beauty  and  fruitfidness.  "  Her  leaf  shall  be  green,  neither  cease 
 yielding  fruit."  Is  there  anything  more  beautiful  than  a  Christian's  life — a  Chris- 
 tian's deeds — a  Christian's  death — a  Christian's  entrance  into  heaven'? — Altered 
 from  ^'  Helps  for  the  Pulpit." 
 
 Topic:  Deceitfulness  op  the  Human  Heart.     (Ver.  9.) 
 
 Many  have  been  the  laboured  panegyrics  indulged,  in  the  endeavour  to  establish 
 on  a  firm  footing  the  dignity  of  human  nature.  One  eminent  preacher  has  not 
 scrupled  to  affirm — first,  that  men  in  general  (if  not  every  individual)  are  very 
 wise ;  secondly,  that  men  in  general  are  very  virtuous ;  and  thirdly,  they  are  very 
 happy. 
 
 A  charitable  person  once  discovered  that  there  was  no  sinner  in  the  world  but 
 the  devil.  "  For,"  was  the  argument,  "  he  forces  men  to  act  as  they  do,  therefore 
 they  are  not  accountable.     The  blame  lights  on  Satan." 
 
 But  whatever  baptized  or  unbaptized  infidels  may  say  concerning  the  innocence 
 of  mankind,  He  that  made  man,  and  best  knows  what  He  has  made,  gives  a  very 
 different  account  of  him.  He  informs  us  *'  that  the  heart  of  man  " — of  every  man 
 born  into  this  world — "  is  desperately  wicked,"  and  that  it  is  "  deceitful  above  all 
 things,"  so  that  we  may  well  ask,  "  Who  can  know  it  1 " 
 
 I.  The  wickedness  of  man's  heart.  It  is  "  desperately  wicked."  In  consider- 
 ing this — 
 
 1.  We  have  no  need  to  refer  to  any  particular  sins.  When  Satan  had  once 
 transferred  his  own  self-will  and  pride  into  the  parents  of  mankind,  together  with 
 a  new  species  of  sin,  love  of  the  world,  the  loving  the  creature  more  than  the 
 Creator,  all  manner  of  wickedness  soon  rushed  in.  The  earth  soon  became  a  field 
 of  blood.  Injustice  in  ten  thousand  forms — hatred,  envy,  malice,  blood-thirstiness, 
 falsehood — rode  triumphant,  till  the  Creator,  looking  down  from  heaven,  would  be 
 no  more  entreated  for  an  incorrigible  race,  but  swept  them  off  the  face  of  the  earth. 
 
 2.  God  having  created  us  gratuitously  of  His  own  mere  mercy  (for  we  could 
 merit  nothing  of  Him  before  we  had  a  being),  has  laid  us  under  obligation  to  yield 
 Him  our  obedience. 
 
 3.  From  the  devil,  the  spirit  of  independence,  self-will,  and  pride,  productive  of 
 all  ungodliness  and  unrighteousness,  quickly  infused  themselves  into  the  hearts  of 
 our  first  parents  in  Paradise,  and,  through  them,  their  posterity,  alienating  us  from 
 God,  making  way  for  idolatry,  atheism,  &c. 
 
 4.  Melancholy  truth,  that  all  mankind  now  "  have  corrupted  their  ways  before  the 
 Lord,"  unless  when  the  Spirit  of  God  has  made  the  difference, 
 
 5.  But  if  this  be  the  case,  how  is  it  that  every  one  is  not  conscious  of  it  1  For 
 this  plain  reason — because  the  heart  is  not  only  "desperately  wicked,"  but  "deceit- 
 ful above  all  things." 
 
 II.  The  deceitfulness  of  man's  heart. 
 
 1.  It  is  "  deceitful  above  all  things," — that  is,  in  the  highest  degree,  above  all 
 that  we  can  conceive.  So  deceitful  that  the  generality  of  men  are  continually 
 deceiving  both  themselves  and  others.  Imagining  themselves  to  be  abundantly 
 better  than  they  are. 
 
 2.  And  if  men  thus  deceive  themselves,  is  it  any  wonder  that  they  deceive 
 others  also,  and  that  we  seldom  find  "  an  Israelite  indeed  in  whom  there  is  no 
 guile  "  ? 
 
 3.  This  is  one  of  the  sorts  of  desperate  wickedness,  whioii  cleaves  to  the  nature 
 of  every  man,  proceeding  from  those  fruitful  roots — self-will,  pride,  and  indepen- 
 dence of  God. 
 
 4.  Hence  there  is  in  the  heart  of  every  child  of  man  an  inexhaustible  fund  of 
 ungodliness  and  unrighteousness,  deeply  and  strongly  rooted  in  the  soul,  that 
 nothing  less  than  Almighty  grace  will  cure. 
 
 3o3 
 
CHAP.  xvii.  HOMILETIC  COMMENTARY:  JEREMIAH. 
 
 5.  There  are  exceptions  as  to  tlie  wickedness  of  man's  heart.  '*  He  that  is  born 
 of  God  keepeth  himself,  and  the  wicked  one  toucheth  him  not."  His  heart  is 
 purified  by  faith.  His  wickedness  is  departed  from  him.  "  Old  things  are  passed 
 away,  all  things  (in  him)  are  become  new." 
 
 III.  Lessons — 
 
 1.  "  He  that  trusteth  in  his  own  heart  is  a  fool."  For  who  that  is  wise  would 
 trust  one  whom  he  knows  to  be  desperately  wicked  % 
 
 2.  That  when  thou  seest  a  man  "  wise  in  his  own  conceit,  there  is  more  hope  of 
 a  fool  than  of  him."  For  at  what  distance  from  wisdom  must  that  man  be  who 
 never  suspected  his  want  of  it  ? 
 
 3.  Wisdom  of  the  caution,  "  Let  him  that  thinketh  he  standeth  take  heed  lest 
 he  fall."  How  firmly  soever  he  may  stand,  he  has  still  a  deceitful  heart.  In  how 
 many  instances  has  he  been  deceived  already  ? 
 
 4.  Is  it  not  wisdom  for  him  that  is  now  standing,  continually  to  cry  to  God, 
 "  Search  me,  0  Lord,  and  prove  me  :  Let  me  not  think  of  myself  more  highly 
 than  I  ought  to  think ;  but  let  me  always  think  soberly,  according  as  Thou  hast 
 given  me  the  measure  of  faith  "  ? — John  Wesley. 
 
 Topic:  The  Christian  Sabbath.     " Ealloiv  ye  the  Sahhath  day"  (ver.  22). 
 
 The  awful  desecration  of  the  Lord's  day  which  everywhere  presents  itself  to  our 
 view,  in  scenes  of  pleasure,  business,  and  dissipation,  is  at  once  a  foul  blot  upon 
 our  national  character,  and  a  source  of  humiliation  and  sorrow  to  the  sincere 
 Christian. 
 
 The  Sabbath  is  an  institution  both  of  divine  origin  and  permanent  obligation. 
 
 I.  The  Sabbath,  as  a  day  appropriated  to  rest  and  religious  duties,  is  an  original 
 institution,  coeval  with  the  existence  of  man.  (See  Gen.  i.  31,  and  ii.  1-3.) 
 Thus  the  Sabbath  dates  its  origin  from  the  completion  of  creation,  and  was  designed 
 to  commemorate  that  great  event.  This  was  the  day  God  sanctified,  setting  it 
 apart  from  all  the  rest.  It  is  an  original  institution,  as  ancient  as  the  law  of  love 
 itself,  and,  like  that  law,  is  intended  to  remain  in  force  until  mortality  is  swallowed 
 up  of  life,  until  the  earthly  Sabbath  gives  place  to  the  perpetual  and  uninterrupted 
 rest  of  the  heavenly  world.  It  is  a  remarkable  fact,  that  in  almost  all  nations  men 
 have  divided  time  into  septenary  periods,  or  periods  of  seven  days.  Josephus  says 
 (Against  Apion,  book  ii.)  that  "  there  is  not  a  city  of  the  Grecians,  nor  any  of  the 
 Barbarians,  nor  any  nation  whatsoever,  whither  our  custom  of  resting  on  the  seventh 
 day  hath  not  come." 
 
 II.  That  the  Sabbath,  when  re-enacted  from  Sinai,  was  not  enjoined  as  a  tem- 
 porary institution,  but  as  a  moral  duty.  The  law  of  the  Sabbath  holds  its  place 
 among  the  moral  precepts.  (See  Exod.  xx.  8-11.)  Engraven  by  the  finger  of 
 God  on  the  tables  of  stone,  and  deposited  in  the  ark  of  the  covenant — all  indica- 
 tive of  its  permanent  character  and  obligation.  As  a  moral  precept,  it  is  an 
 original  and  universal  duty,  belonging  to  Gentile  as  well  as  Jew,  to  the  Christian 
 dispensation  as  well  as  the  Levitical  economy.  Not  a  Jewish  ceremony,  but  a 
 moral  duty,  and  as  such  cannot  be  set  aside.  Christ  came  not  to  destroy  the  law, 
 but  to  fulfil  and  honour  it.  Command  repeated  many  times,  is  enjoined  in  text, 
 "  Hallow  ye  the  Sabbath  day." 
 
 III.  The  Saviour  has  expressly  taught  that  "  the  Sabbath  was  made  foe  man  ; " 
 and  not  for  man  in  any  particular  nation  or  age,  but  without  limitation  for  man ; 
 and,  therefore,  it  is  of  universal  and  perpetual  obligation.  "  And  He  said  unto 
 them.  The  Sabbath  was  made  for  man,  and  not  man  for  the  Sabbath  "  (Mark  ii.  27). 
 "  For  man,"  as  a  duty  incumbent  upon  him ;  "  for  man,"  as  a  privilege  conferred 
 upon  him.  Sabbath  was  made  for  all  men  without  distinction.  The  Levitical  law 
 was  designed  to  be  temporary  in  its  duration.     In  its  extent  it  was  confined  to  the 
 
 384 
 
HOMILETIC  COMMENTARY :  JEREMIAH. 
 
 CHAT.  XVII. 
 
 Hebrew  nation,  and  in  its  duration  was  limited  to  the  Jewish  dispensation.  But 
 the  Sabbath  was  nut  made  merely  for  the  Hebrew  nation,  but  for  man,  without 
 distinction  or  restriction.  And  now  the  Levitical  economy  is  abolished,  it 
 continues  a  moral  law  binding  upon  the  conscience  of  the  Christian  in  all  parts  of 
 the  world, 
 
 IV.  Does  the  Christian  ask  what  are  the  obligations  of  the  Sabhath 
 upon  him  ? 
 
 (a.)  Let  your  mind  be  established  with  a  thorough  conviction  of  the  Divine 
 authority  and  obligation  of  the  Sabbath,  and  let  your  sense  of  duty  be  based  on 
 this  conviction, 
 
 {b.)  Let  your  example  correspond  with  your  profession.  We  profess  to  be  God's 
 people  ;  let  us  show  it  by  our  works.  Our  duty  to  God  requires  our  observance  of 
 the  Sabbath  as  a  part  of  our  obedience, 
 
 (c)  In  addition  to  our  example,  our  influence  must  be  employed  to  promote  the 
 sanctity  of  the  Sabbath.  It  is  the  Lord's  day.  As  Eusebius  remarks,  "  Before  our 
 Lord's  death,  it  was  always  called  the  first  day  ;  but  now  it  was  called  the  Lord's 
 day."  To  us  it  is,  therefore,  the  Sabbath  of  the  Lord  our  God,  and  it  is  our  duty 
 to  keep  it  holy. —  William  Cooke,  D.D. 
 
 ADDENDA  TO  CHAPTER  XVII.  ILLUSTRATIONS  AND  SUGGESTIVE  EXTRACTS. 
 
 Ver.  1.  Indelible  records  of  sin, 
 "  The  great  stone  book  of  Nature  reveals 
 many  records  of  the  past.  In  the  red 
 sandstone  there  are  found,  in  some 
 places,  marks  which  are  clearly  the 
 impressions  of  showers  of  rain,  and 
 these  so  perfect  that  it  can  even  be  de- 
 tected in  which  direction  the  shower 
 inclined,  and  from  what  quarter  it  pro- 
 ceeded; and  this,  ages  ago.  Even  so 
 sin  leaves  its  track  behind  it,  and  God 
 keeps  a  faithful  record  of  all  our  sins." 
 — Biblical  Treasury. 
 
 "  If  you  cut  a  gash  in  a  man's  head, 
 you  may  heal  it ;  but  you  can  never  rub 
 out,  nor  wash  out,  nor  cut  out  the  scar. 
 It  may  witness  agaiust  you  in  his  corpse ; 
 still  it  may  be  covered  by  the  coffin  or 
 hidden  in  the  grave ;  but  then  it  is  not 
 till  decomposition  shall  take  place  that 
 it  shall  entirely  disappear.  But  if  you 
 smite  a  soul,  the  scar  remains  ;  no  coffin 
 or  grave  shall  hide  it ;  no  revolution, 
 not  even  the  upturning  of  the  physical 
 universe,  shall  obliterate  it;  no  fire, 
 not  even  the  eternal  fires  of  hell,  shall 
 burn  it  out," — Dr.  Thomson. 
 
 Like  as  Queen  Mary,  when  she  died, 
 told  those  about  her  that  the  loss  of 
 Calais  had  so  impressed  her,  that  its 
 image  would  be  found  indelibly  en^ 
 graven  on  her  heart, 
 
 Ver.  9.  Falsity  and  foulness  op 
 THE  HEART,  "  I  am  more  afraid  of  my 
 own  heart  than  of  the  Pope  and  all  his 
 2b 
 
 cardinals.     I  have  within  me  the  great 
 pope — seZ/"." — Luther. 
 
 "  All  our  actions  take 
 Their  hues  from  the  complexion  of  the  heart, 
 As  landscapes  their  variety  of  light." 
 
 — Bacon. 
 
 "  A  soil  which  breeds 
 Or  sweetest  flowers  or  vilest  weeds ; 
 Flowers  lovely  as  the  morning's  light, 
 Weeds  deadly  as  the  aconite  ; 
 Just  as  his  heart  is  trained  to  bear 
 The  poisonous  weed  or  flow'ret  fair." 
 — Bowring. 
 
 "  As  soon  as  we  are  born  and  receive 
 the  care  of  our  parents,  we  engage  in 
 all  kinds  of  depravity ;  so  much,  that 
 we  seem  to  suck  in  error  with  our 
 nurse's  milk." — Cicero. 
 
 The  student  should  specially  consult 
 "  Secular  Annotations  on  Scripture 
 Texts,"  by  Francis  Jacox,  second  series, 
 p.  122.  Or,-  "  The  Heart  Inscrutably 
 Deceitful." 
 
 Ver.  10.  Searching  the  heart, 
 
 "  Who  made  the  heart,  'tis  He  alone 
 Decidedly  can  try  us; 
 He  knows  each  chord — its  various  tone, 
 
 Each  spring — its  various  bias  ; 
 Then  at  the  balance  let's  be  mute, 
 
 We  never  can  adjust  it ; 
 What's  done  we  partly  may  compute, 
 But  know  not  what's  resisted." 
 
 — Burns. 
 
 Ver.  17.  The  soul's  hope.  "Our 
 hope  is  not  hung  upon  such  an  un- 
 twisted thread  as   '  I  imagine   so,'  or. 
 
 385 
 
CHAP.  xvni. 
 
 HO  Ml  LET  10  COMMENTARY :  JEREMIAH. 
 
 *  It  is  likely  ;'  but  the  cable,  the  strong 
 rope  of  our  fastened  anchor,  is  the  oath 
 and  promise  of  Him  who  is  eternal 
 verity ;  our  salvation  is  fastened,  with 
 God's  own  band  and  Christ's  own 
 strength,  to  the  strong  stake  of  God's 
 unchangeable  nature. " — Rutherford. 
 
 "  Be  not  a  terror  to  me."  Let  me 
 have  fair  weather  overhead,  however 
 foul  soever  it  be  under  foot." — Trapp. 
 
 "  Hope  is  the  last  thing  that  dies  in  man." 
 — Diogenes, 
 
 "  Though  at  times  my  spirit  fails  me, 
 And  the  bitter  teardrops  fall ; 
 Though  my  lot  is  hard  and  lonely, 
 Yet  I  hope — I  hope  through  all." 
 
 — Mrs.  Norton. 
 
 "  With  eyes  turned  upward,  whence  her  help 
 descends, 
 Hope  waits  expecting  till  the  tempest  ends." 
 — Holmes. 
 
 Ver.  21.  Sabbath  rest.  "  Had  not 
 Jeremiah  expressly  said,  '  Bear  no  bur- 
 den on  the  Sabbath  day  ?  "  Yes  ;  but 
 why?  Because  the  Sabbath  was  an 
 ordinance  of  mercy  intended  to  protect 
 the  underlings  and  the  oppressed  from  a 
 
 life  of  incessant  toil ;  because  it  was 
 essential  to  save  the  serfs  and  labourers 
 of  the  nation  from  the  over-measure  of 
 labour  which  would  have  been  exacted 
 of  them  in  a  nation  afflicted  with  the 
 besetting  sin  of  greed ;  because  the  set- 
 ting apart  of  one  day  in  seven  for  sacred 
 rest  was  of  infinite  value  to  the  spiri- 
 tual life  of  all." — Farrar. 
 
 Captain  Scoresby  remarks,  in  his 
 "Voyage  to  Greenland,"  on  the  good 
 effects  of  Sabbath-keeping  on  the  health 
 and  spirits  of  his  men  ;  "  That  if  others 
 who  did  not  so  sedulously  keep  it  gained 
 some  benefits  (as  in  fishing),  we  always 
 gained  extra  advantage  over  them  in 
 course  of  the  week.  Independently  of 
 the  Divine  blessing,  I  found  the  re- 
 straint on  the  natural  inclinations  of 
 the  men  for  pursuing  the  fishery  at  all 
 opportunities  acted  as  an  extra  stimu- 
 lus on  their  exertions  when  next  sent 
 after  the  whales.  But  our  success,  who 
 refrained,'was  so  much  greater  than  those 
 who  indulged  fishing,  that  there  was  not 
 a  man  in  the  ship  who  did  not  consider 
 it  the  effect  of  a  Divine  blessing." 
 
 CHAPTER  XYIIL 
 
 Cbitical  and  Exegetioal  Notes. — l.  Chronology  of  the  Chapter.  Early  in  Jehoiakim'a 
 reign  (see  Chronological  Note  on  section  19-27  of  previous  chapter).  Probably  about  two  years 
 later  than  that  message  respecting  the  Sabbath  in  chapter  xxvii.  19-27.  Naegelsbach  suggests,  be- 
 fore the  fourth  year  of  Jehoiakim.     For  2,  3,  and  4,  see  Notes  at  the  head  of  previous  chapter. 
 
 5.  Geographical  References. — Ver.  14.  "The  snow  of  Lebanomvhich  cometh  from  the  roch 
 of  the  field."  Lebanon  was  called  the  white  mountain,  because  of  its  perpetually  snow-clad 
 heights — especially  Hermon's.  The  words  should  read  :  "  Will  the  snow  of  Lebanon  cease  from 
 the  rock  of  the  field  ?  Hitzig  suggests  that  the  waters  of  Gihon  in  Jerusalem  (the  rock  of  the 
 field,  cf.  xvii.  3,  xxi.  13),  which  never  were  known  to  fail,  were  probably  fed  by  the  melting 
 snows  of  Lebanon.  Henderson  is,  however,  nearer  the  interpretation  :  he  says,  The  rock  of 
 the  field  is  only  a  poetical  expression  for  Lebanon  itself ;  the  melting  snows  from  which  supplied 
 numerous  perennial  rivers.  "  Shall  the  cold  flowing  waters  that  come  from  another  place  be 
 forsaken  ? "  Read  the  words  thus  :  "  Shall  the  cool  flowing  rivers  that  come  from  afar  be  dried 
 tip  f "  which  is,  doubtless,  another  form  of  the  foregoing  idea — the  streams  flowing  from 
 Lebanon  could  not  fail. 
 
 6.  Personal  Allusions. — (None);  7.  Natural  History. — (See  Geographical  References,  supra.) 
 
 8.  Natural  Customs. — Ver.  3.  "The  potter's  house,  he  wrought  a  ivork  upon  the  icheels :" 
 "The  potter's  field"  (Zech.  xi.  13,  Matt,  xxvii.  10)  lay  just  beyond  the  valley  of  Hinnom,  south 
 of  Jerusalem.  Two  wheels  :  the  lower  one  he  worked  with  his  feet ;  tliis  set  the  upper  wheel 
 in  motion.  The  lower  wheel  was  probably  stone,  the  upper  was  a  flat  disc  of  wood  :  on  this  the 
 potter  placed  the  clay,  and,  as  it  revolved,  the  potter  shaped  his  work. 
 
 9.  Literary  Criticisms. — Ver.  3.  A  work  on  the  wheels:  dual:  the  two  wheels.  Ver.  7.  At 
 what  instant:  "at  what"  in  italics.  Lit.  once.  ])yi,  adv.  in  the  moment,  forthwith:  and 
 when  repeated,  as  vers.  7  and  9.  Now  .  .  .  again.  Ver.  8.  "  /  will  repent."  I  repent,  so 
 also  in  ver.  10.  Ver.  12.  "And  they  said.  There  is  no  hope  :  "  Yet  they  are  saying :  the  con- 
 secutive perfect  form  of  a  Heb.  verb  implies  the  continuance  of  the  action.  "  Do  the  imagina- 
 tion :  "  practise  the  stubbornness.    Ver.  14.     "  Will  a  man  leave  the  snow  of  Lebanon  ?  "  (see 
 
 386 
 
HOMILETIC  COMMENTARY:  JEBEMTAE.  chap,  xviir. 
 
 Geographical  Reference,  supra) :  Hi.,  "  Doth  the  snow  of  Lebanon  fail  from — cease  to  flow  from 
 — the  rock  of  the  field  ? "  "  Or  shall  the  cool  flowing  streams  that  come  from  another  place," 
 D^^t,  strange,  foreign,  i.e.,  whose  sources  are  foreign  (as  2  Kings  xix.  24,  so  Hitzig,  Keil, 
 and  Payne  Smith) :  but  Ewdld,  Graf,  and  Bunsen  suggest,  that  hurry  along,  from  *T1T,  to  press, 
 urge,  i.e.,  flowing  through  narrow  gorges.  But  there  is  no  sufBcient  proof  that  the  word  can 
 have  this  latter  meaning  :  the  former  is,  therefore,  better.  Ver.  15.  "Because  My  people:" 
 Yet  My  people.  "  Vanity  and  they,"  &c.  (see  Note  in  chap.  ii.  30).  "  Vain  gods,  and  these  have 
 caused  them  to  stumble."  "In  their  ways  from  the  ancient  paths,"  kc.  Or,  "  In  their  ways, 
 the  everlasting  paths  ;  to  walk  in  hyeioays,  in  a  road  not  cast  up."  Ver.  21.  "  Pour  out  their 
 Uood  by  the  force  of  the  sword ;"  lit.,  "  Spill  them  into  the  hands  of  the  sword  "  (cf  Psa.  Ixiii. 
 10),  i.e.,  cast  them  out  to  slaughter.   "Put  to  death:"  rather,  "slain  of  death." 
 
 HOMILETIC  OUTLINES  ON  SECTIONS  OF  CHAPTER  XVIII. 
 
 Sections    1-10.     The  Potter's  work  :  symbolic  of  God's  Sovereign  Power. 
 ,,        11-18.     The  justice  of  threatened  ruin  vindicated. 
 ,,       19-23.     Imprecatory  prayer  provoked  by  hostility  to  God's  messages. 
 
 Section  1-10.     The  Potter's  Work  :    Symbol  of  God's  Sovereignty. 
 
 *'  I  have  used  similitudes."  Tha  end  is  a  merciful  one — to  impress.  Particularly 
 calculated  to  impress.     Consider — 
 
 I.  The  right  of  the  Divine  sovereignty  which  is  here  claimed  hy  Jehovah. 
 One  of  the  claims  most  frequently  urged  in  the  Word  of  God — He  claims  from 
 mankind  an  acknowledgment  of  His  power  and  right  to  do  as  He  pleases  in  the 
 afi'airs  of  men  and  angels.  Certainly  He  that  formed  the  heavens  and  the  earth, 
 the  sea  and  the  dry  land,  who  made  all  the  creatures  with  which  they  are  peopled, 
 who  by  His  power  and  His  might  sustains  them,  must  possess  both  the  power  and 
 the  right  to  regulate  all  their  affairs  and  all  their  movements.  None  so  fit  as  He 
 to  govern — to  choose  our  lot  and  to  regulate  our  ways.  His  understanding  is 
 infinite,  His  power  is  unlimited  and  wonderful,  and  His  goodness  equals  them 
 both.  The  angels  in  heaven  fully  admit  His  sovereignty,  and  His  right  to 
 exercise  it.     But  with  men  it  is  far  otherwise.     Observe — 
 
 1.  This  is  an  attribute  tvhich  every  man  naturally  denies.  Sin  has  thrown  the 
 foundations  of  the  earth  out  of  course,  and  hence  man  refuses  one  of  the  most 
 reasonable  of  all  claims,  and  one  of  the  most  important  and  necessary  of  the  Divine 
 prerogatives.     This  attribute  is  denied — 
 
 (a.)  In  so  many  words.  There  are  the  infidel  deniers  of  Providence,  —  and 
 there  are  the  Pharisees  who  deny  it  in  their  creed. 
 
 (5.)  There  are  still  more  who  deny  it  in  practice.  What  does  that  man  do  who 
 neither  courts  His  favour,  nor  fears  His  anger?  What  are  you  doing  who  at  this 
 moment  refuse  to  obey  His  voice  in  the  great  matter  of  salvation  ?  Think  of  the 
 fallen  angels — they  denied  it — they  would  not  have  the  Lord  to  reign  over  them — 
 they  would  not  bend  to  His  authority  and  mild  dominion — and  they  are  crushed  by 
 His  vengeance.  How  will  they  face  the  Judge,  when  they  wake  up  in  the  eternal 
 world,  whose  authority  and  whose  sovereignty  they  have  denied? 
 
 2.  This  is  the  last  attribute  of  God  received  even  by  Christia^is  in  their  real  creed. 
 There  are  but  few  Christians  who  deny  the  doctrine  in  so  many  words ;  but  it  is 
 one  thing  to  profess  belief  on  any  point,  and  another  one  to  believe  it  practically. 
 
 Hence  the  Armenian  scheme. 
 
 Hence  the  Antinomian — preaching  to  none  but  saints. 
 
 Hence  our  gloomy  discontent  in  afiliction. 
 
 Hence  our  frequent  departures  from  the  directions  of  the  Word  of  God. 
 
 But  notwithstanding  all,  no  attribute  is  more  evident  in  its  exercise  than  this. 
 All  creation  proves  it.  All  nature  in  her  movements.  All  providence.  Especially, 
 hence  we  proceed  to  consider — 
 
 II.  The  manner  in  which  God  is  pleased  to  exercise  His  sovereignty  towards 
 the  children  of  men.  The  prophet,  by  Divine  command,  went  down  to  the  potter's 
 house,  where  he  received  instructions,  &c. 
 
 387 
 
CHAP,  xviir.  HOMJLETIC  COMMENTARY :  JEREMIAH. 
 
 This  is  applicable  to  the  grand  and  important  things  of  eternity,  and  shows  that 
 man  in  God's  hand  is  as  clay  in  the  hand  of  the  potter,  and  that  He  has  power  over 
 them  to  mould  them  as  He  pleases,  and  that  he  actually  exerts  that  power. 
 Observe  — 
 
 1.  He  does  what  He  pleases  with  the  penitent.  And  this  in  every  way  according 
 to  mercy ;  yet  does  He  act  as  a  sovereign : 
 
 (a.)  In  the  gift  of  repentance  : 
 
 1.  In  giving  it  to  whom  He  pleases. 
 
 2.  In  the  means  employed  to  bring  them  to  repentance. 
 ^.  In  rendering  it  effectual. 
 
 {b.)  In 2)cirdoning  their  sins.  ^^  At  what  instant ,"  kc.  In  that  He  pardons  f7iro?<g'^ 
 His  Son — freely.  All  sins — past,  present,  and  to  come ;  and  is  pleased  to  make 
 the  pardon  hiown.  In  heaven  to  his  angels — they  rejoice.  To  tlie  believer  on 
 earth,  and  to  all  the  universe  in  the  world  to  come.  Are  you  penitents  1  Do  you 
 desire  to  be  such  1     "  Ask,  and  you  shall  receive." 
 
 2.  As  to  the  impenitent.  The  purposes  of  heaven  must  stand.  Barren  and 
 contradictory  are  the  opinions  of  mankind  concerning  the  measures  of  God  towards 
 this  guilty  world,  but  He  pursues  His  own  unceasing  plan.  Many  deny  that 
 these  judgments  will  ever  take  place, — that  denial  will  not  alter  the  fact.  It 
 will  render  them  the  more  dreadful  to  the  hardened  infidel,  because  the  denial 
 increases  his  guilt. 
 
 Though  these  words  mention  kingdoms,  they  are  equally  applicable  to  in- 
 dividuals. And  God  has  spoken  good  concerning  you.  Often  have  you 
 heard  the  Gospel.  But  if  you  are  impenitent — these  words  point  to  you.  He 
 will  do  as  He  pleases.  You  are  at  His  mercy.  What  have  you  to  expect 
 reasonably  %  He  threatens  to  punish.  You  are  not  certain  of  His  mercy.  You 
 vuist  repent  or  jjerish.  But  you  are  in  the  world  of  hope.  Oh !  then  seek  it. 
 With  such  a  prospect  before  me,  my  soul  shudders  for  you,  "knowing  the  terrors 
 of  the  Lord,"  &c. — Nameless  MS.  dated  a.d.  1824. 
 
 See  further:  NoticeaUe  Topics  at  end  of  chapter;  also  Addenda:  ''God's 
 Sovereign  Power." 
 
 Section  11-18.     The  Justice  of  Threatened  Ruin  Vindicated. 
 
 I.  God's  purpose  of  evil  avowed  (ver.  11).  "I  am  framing  evil  against  you." 
 Evil  was  in  God's  purposes. 
 
 II.  An  interval  for  reformation  offered.  "  Return  ye  noiv,  every  one  from  his 
 evil."     Evil  was  in  God's  purposes,  because  "  evil "  was  every  one's  way. 
 
 III.  Wilful  iniquity  repudiates  the  opportunities  of  grace  (ver,  12).  There 
 was  "  no  hope,"  but  only  because  there  was  no  compunction  for  sin,  and  a  resolve 
 not  to  reform. 
 
 IV.  Man's  reckless  guilt  justifies  Grod's  anger,  (vers.  13-17). 
 
 1.  Sins  against  grace  render  our  guilt  more  heinous  than  any  which  heathenism 
 can  furnish  (ver.  13). 
 
 2.  Desertion  of  God  estranges  refreshing  comforts  from  the  sinner  (ver.  14). 
 
 3.  Suhstitiites  chosen  instead  of  God  mislead  their  dupes  into  desolation  (ver.  15). 
 
 4.  Misery  entailed  by  irreligion  justly  awakens  amazement  (ver.  16). 
 
 5.  God  deserts  apostates  in  the  day  of  their  calamity  (ver.  17). 
 
 Or  thus : 
 
 I.  God's  operations  plainly  tend  towards  the  ruin  of  sinners.     "  Behold  I 
 
 frame  evil,"  &c.  (ver.   11).     Your  conduct  towards  God  shows  you  deserve  it ;  His 
 dealings  with  you  show  tliat  He  designs  it. 
 
 II.  God's  warnings  and  threatenings  are  invitations  to  timely  repentance. 
 "  Return  ye  now,"  &c.  God  may  turn  from  the  evil  He  pmposes  to  do,  if  you  turn 
 from  the  evil  you  persistently  do. 
 
 388 
 
nOMILETIC  COMMENTARY:  JEREMIAH.  chap.  xvm. 
 
 III.  Man's  obstinacy  towards  God  closes  the  door  of  hope  (ver.  12).  Mercy 
 is  conditional  upon  reformation;  sinners  resolve  not  to  reform,  and  so  court 
 despair  and  ruin.     See  Addenda,  Despair. 
 
 IV.  Immovable  defiance  of  God  is  a  fact  of  awful  amazement.  Defiant 
 impenitence  is  a  startling  anomahj  (ver.  13),  a  ^'' very  horrible  thing"  in  itself, 
 being  self-murder;  entails  the  loss  of  all  refreshing  comforts  (ver.  14);  shows 
 amazing  folly,  ancient  ways  being  deserted  for  bye  ways  (ver.  15)  ;  aivalcens  derision 
 (ver.  16) ;  and  brings  disconsolate  ruin  (ver.  17). 
 
 Section  19-23.  Imprecatory  Prayer  provoked  by  Hostility  to  God's 
 
 Messages. 
 
 All  their  virulence  turned  itself  upon  God's  prophet,  whose  righteous  soul  was 
 stirred  to  well-nigh  ungovernable  wrath  against  his  persecutors  who  were  flagrant 
 enemies  of  God  and  scoffers  of  His  claims.  Matthew  Henry  suggests  the  following 
 homiletic  divisions  : — 
 
 I.  See  here  what  are  the  common  methods  of  the  persecutors.  We  may  see 
 this  in  Jeremiah's  enemies  (ver.  18). 
 
 1.  Tliey  consulted  together  to  be  revenged  upon  him  for  what  he  had  said,  and 
 to  silence  him  for  the  future. 
 
 2.  They  pretended  a  miglity  zeal  for  the  Church,  which  was  endangered  by  his 
 preaching.     They  insinuated — 
 
 (a.)  That  Jeremiah  could  not  be  a  true  prophet,  because  neither  commissioned 
 by  the  priests,  nor  did  his  predictions  concur  with  other  prophets. 
 
 (b.)  That  the  matter  of  his  prophecies  could  not  be  from  God,  because  it  reflected 
 upon  the  priests  and  prophets. 
 
 3.  They  agreed  to  do  all  they  could  to  blast  his  reputation,  "  Smite  him  with 
 the  tongue." 
 
 4.  To  set  others  an  example,  they  resolved  not  to  heed  anything  he  said;  this 
 will  show  others  to  regard  his  utterance  merely  as  "his  words,"  not  God's. 
 
 5.  That  they  may  effectually  silence  him  they  determine  upon  his  death 
 (ver.  23). 
 
 II.  See  here  what  is  the  common  relief  of  the  persecuted.  We  may  see  this 
 in  the  course  which  Jeremiah  took. 
 
 1.  He  referred  himself  and  his  cause  to  God's  cognisance  (ver.  19).  It  is  a 
 matter  of  comfort  to  faithful  ministers  that  if  men  will  not  give  "heed"  to  their 
 preaching,  God  will  give  heed  to  their  praying. 
 
 2.  He  complains  of  their  base  ingratitude  to  him  (ver.  20).  To  render  good 
 for  good  is  human ;  evil  for  evil  is  brutish  :  good  for  evil  is  Christian  ;  but  evil  for 
 good  is  devilish. 
 
 (a.)  See  how  great  the  evil  was  that  they  did  against  him  :  "digged  a  pit  for 
 his  soul." 
 
 {h.)  See  how  great  the  good  was  that  he  had  done  them:  "I  stood  before 
 Thee  to  speak  for  them." 
 
 3.  He  imprecates  the  judgments  of  God  upon  them;  not  from  revengeful  dis- 
 position, but  from  prophetical  indignation  against  their  horrid  wickedness  (vers. 
 21-23). 
 
 (a.)  That  their  families  might  suffer  famine. 
 
 (h.)  That  they  might  be  cut  off  by  the  sword. 
 
 (c.)  That  the  terrors  and  desolations  of  war  might  seize  them  suddenly  (ver. 
 22). 
 
 {d.)  That  they  might  be  dealt  with  according  to  the  desert  of  this  inexcusable 
 sin  :  "  forgive  not  their  iniquity,"  &c. 
 
 ie.)  That  God's  wrath  against  them  might  be  their  ruin  :  "Let  them  be  over- 
 thrown before  Thee." 
 
 389 
 
CHAP.  XVIII. 
 
 IIOMILETIC  COMMENTARY:  JEREMIAH. 
 
 Note: — This  ivas  not  luritten  for  our  imitation.  Jeremiah,  by  the  impulse  of 
 the  spirit  of  prophecy,  in  the  foresight  of  the  ruin  certain  to  come  upon  them, 
 might  pray  such  prayers  as  we  may  not.  If  by  this  example  we  think  to  justify 
 ourselves  in  imprecations,  we  *'  know  not  what  manner  of  spirit  we  are  of."  Christ 
 has  taught  us  by  His  example  to  bless  them  that  curse  us,  and  pray  for  them  that 
 despitefully  use  us.     Yet  this  may  teach  us — 
 
 i.  That  those  who  have  forfeited  the  benefit  of  the  prayers  of  God's  prophets 
 for  them,  may  expect  to  have  their  prayers  against  them. 
 
 ii.  That  persecution  is  a  sin  that  fills  the  measure  of  a  people's  iniquity  very 
 fast,  and  will  bring  sure  destruction  upon  them. 
 
 iii.  Those  who  will  not  be  won  by  the  kindness  of  God  and  His  prophets,  will 
 certainly  at  length  feel  the  resentments  of  both. 
 
 HOMILIES  AND  COMMENTS  ON  VERSES  OF  CHAPTER  XVIII. 
 
 Vers.  1-4.  Theme :  Clay  in  the  pot- 
 tee's  HANDS. 
 
 Suggestions  :  A  parabolic  representa- 
 tion impresses  the  mind  more  power- 
 fully than  simple  statement  or  teaching. 
 God  has  greater  power  over  men  than 
 a  potter  over  clay,  for  the  potter  is 
 not  the  creator  of  clay,  as  God  is 
 of  us, 
 
 I.  The  Almighty  yet  patient 
 worker. 
 
 1.  God  ivories.  He  does  not  arbitrarily 
 will  and  imperiously  effect  His  purposes ; 
 but  carefully  works  to  realise  them. 
 God  is  not  imperious,  not  arbitrary ;  not 
 a  mere  dominating  Will,  but  a  patient 
 Artificer,  taking  pains  in  His  work. 
 
 2.  God  works  for  definite  ends.  He 
 has  a  design — to  form  a  graceful  vessel. 
 He  does  not  make  marred  things  by  de- 
 sign ;  He  purposes  to  make  only  what 
 is  beautiful — "  would  have  all  men  to 
 be  saved." 
 
 II.  The  pliable  yet  perverse  mate- 
 rial.    It  must  not  escape  notice  that — 
 
 1.  The  material  is  base,  unclean,  un- 
 sightly. And  such  is  the  vile  material 
 from  which  God  would  make  us  into 
 vessels  of  honour  unto  sanctification. 
 
 2.  The  material  swiftly  changes  form. 
 Easily  takes  new  shape,  for  better  or 
 worse. 
 
 3.  The  material  works  into  ivrong 
 shapes  most  perversely.  Though  the 
 Artificer  works  deftly  and  with  good 
 instruments  ("  wheels"),  yet  man  is  slow 
 to  assume  the  "  form  and  comeliness  " 
 God  desires. 
 
 III.  The  various  products  of  God's 
 handiwork. 
 
 390 
 
 1.  I'he  marred  vessel.  This  was  not 
 through  imperfect  skill  in  the  Potter,  but 
 through  resistance  or  non-consistency  in 
 the  clay.  In  either  case  it  would  not 
 take  or  retain  the  shape  the  Worker  de- 
 signed. "  Ye  have  received  the  grace  of 
 God  ill  vain." 
 
 2.  The  reneioed  endeavour.  "  He 
 made  it  again."  Often,  after  renewed 
 operations  of  God's  grace,  the  once  resis- 
 tant soul  yields  itself  unto  God,  and 
 becomes  "  created  in  Christ  Jesus." 
 Then  the  man  is  "renewed  in  the  spirit 
 of  his  mind." 
 
 3.  The  perfected  vessel.  This  perfec- 
 tion is  the  residt  which  "  seemed  good  " 
 to  the  Potter,  and  for  which  He  pa- 
 tiently worked.  It  is  not  that  God  forms 
 marred  things  or  perfect  things  just  as 
 it  takes  His  caprice  ;  no.  Nothing 
 "  seems  good  "  to  Him  but  the  perfect 
 work. 
 
 And  the  perfected  result  "  seemed 
 good  "  to  Him.  He  was  thereby  pleased 
 and  satisfied.  Nothing  less  satisfies 
 God  :  "  For  this  is  the  will  of  God,  even 
 your  sanctification."  "  He  saw  tliat  all 
 was  very  good  "  in  creation.  And  in  re- 
 demption, "  Ye  are  His  workmanship, 
 created  in  Christ  Jesus  unto  good  works, 
 which  God  before  ordained  that  ye  shall 
 walk  in  them."  And  the  soul  which 
 fully  realises  His  aim  is  "  perfect  before 
 Him  in  love." 
 
 {a.)  Consider  the  long  patience  and 
 careful  efforts  God  extends  towards  us  in 
 His  gracious  operations  to  form  us  ac- 
 cording to  His  will. 
 
 {b.)  Consider  the  grace  and  comeliness 
 in  us  which  alone  satisfies  Him. 
 
HO  MI  LET  10  COMMENTARY:   JEREMIAH. 
 
 CHAP.  xvnr. 
 
 Ver.  6.  Theme :  Man's  changeable 
 
 CONDITION. 
 
 A  'p't'O.ctical  homily :  Nothing  is  fixed 
 or  certain  in  this  world.  As  the  clay- 
 assumes  variable  shapes,  and  passes 
 through  manifold  vicissitudes,  we  re- 
 cognise— 
 
 I.  The  multiform  possibilities  of 
 man.  He  may  become  a  "marred"  or 
 perfected  thing ;  a  Judas  or  a  Stephen ; 
 a  Diotrephes  or  a  John  of  Patmos  ! 
 
 1.  This  in  the  region  of  social  life. 
 
 2.  Equally  so  in  the  realm  of  moral- 
 ity and  intelligence, 
 
 3.  Manifestly  so  in  the  kingdom  of 
 grace. 
 
 II.  The  incertitude  of  worldly  posi- 
 tion. As  the  wheel  moves  round,  the 
 whole  shape  and  fortune  of  the  vessel 
 varies : 
 
 1.  God  can  change  our  condition  as 
 with  a  touch  :  can  cast  the  eminent  from 
 their  elevation,  can  mould  the  imperfect 
 into  graceful  forms  (Psa,  cxiii.  7). 
 
 2.  No  life  is  beyond  God's  formative 
 touch.  Judah  thought  herself  safe 
 against  catastrophe,  but  God  cast  her 
 down.  We  depend  wholly  on  God's 
 good-will  for  what  we  are  and  have. 
 
 III.  The  consolation  of  being  in 
 God's  hands. 
 
 1.  The  tranquillity  of  faith  is  well 
 founded.  "  He  doeth  according  to  His 
 will  among  the  inhabitants  of  the  earth  " 
 — but  "  He  doeth  all  things  well" — and 
 "  we  know  that  all  things  work  together 
 for  good  to  them  that  love  God." 
 
 2.  Our  condition  is  secure  through 
 the  gratuitous  goodness  of  God.  And 
 being  all  of  grace,  it  depends  on  His 
 grace  that  we  remain  in  His  love  and 
 care.  And  none  that  trust  in  Him  shall 
 be  desolate. 
 
 See  further  :  Noticeable  Topics.  The 
 Potter's  work. 
 
 See  Addenda:  "  God's  Sovereign 
 Power." 
 
 Vers.  7-10.     Theme  :   Conditional 
 
 COVENANTS. 
 
 I.  God's  providential  dealings  with 
 men  are  conditioned  upon  conduct. 
 
 1.  There  are  penal  laivs  which  only 
 act  as  they  are  violated. 
 
 2.  There  are  beneficent  comforts,  for 
 enjoying  which  harmonious  conduct  is 
 imperative. 
 
 II.  The  Scriptural  covenants  are 
 based  upon  human  behaviour.  Both 
 the  Old  and  New  Testaments  are  called 
 covenants :  were  created  and  given  to 
 the  world  on  specific  terms. 
 
 1.  Spiritually,  our  case  is  not  fixed  and 
 absolute.  We  may  depart  from  our  fidel- 
 ity, may  refuse  to  comply  with  the 
 revealed  terms  on  which  God's  love  and 
 salvation  are  made  to  depend. 
 
 2.  The  relationship  the  Scriptures  set 
 forth  is  dependent  upon  our  fidelity — 
 our  compliance  with  Divine  require- 
 ments. 
 
 III.  Individual  experience  is  accord- 
 ing to  this  conditional  rule. 
 
 1.  Specific  promises  may  he  forfeited, 
 and  specific  penalties  incurred  either  in 
 this  life,  accordingly  as  we  are  obedient 
 or  disobedient. 
 
 2.  Our  spiritual  salvation  is  depen- 
 dent upon  definite  conditions,  "  Eepent 
 and  believe  the  gospel."  "  Believe  on  the 
 Lord  Jesus  Christ  and  thou  shalt  be 
 saved." 
 
 3.  All  Christian  gladness,  progress, 
 and  triumph  rest  upon  similar  terms. 
 We  have  "  exceeding  great  and  precious 
 promises,"  all  "  yea  and  amen  in  Christ 
 Jesus,"  yet  only  ours  as  we  "  hold  fasi 
 the  beginning  of  our  confidence  stead- 
 fast unto  the  end." 
 
 Theme :  Comfort  and  warning. 
 The  threatenings  and  promises  of  God 
 are  given  only  conditionally. 
 
 i.  The  comfort  consists  in  this,  that  the 
 threatened  calamities  may  be  averted  by 
 timely  repentance. 
 
 ii.  The  warning  in  this,  that  the  pro 
 mises  may  be  annulled  by  apostasy.— 
 Naeg. 
 
 Theme :  How  we  should  be  moved 
 BY  God's  judgments  and  goodness. 
 That  each  should 
 
 i.  Turn  from  his  wickedness. 
 
 ii.  Should  reform  his  heart  and  life. 
 — Kapfi',  in  Lange. 
 
 Ver,  11,  Theme:  God  devising  yet 
 deploring  evil, 
 
 391 
 
cHAr.  xvnr. 
 
 EOMILETIC  COMMENTARY:  JEREMIAH. 
 
 It  was  not  moral  evil,  but  physical, 
 national.  Special  to  Judali  and  Jeru- 
 salem. Yet  there  is  a  truth  for  all : 
 "  Is  there  evil  in  the  city,  and  the  Lord 
 hath  not  done  it  ?  " 
 
 The  word  ^^ frame'''  is  the  same  which, 
 as  a  noun,  means  ^''potter" 
 
 I.  An  ominous  interval  —  ruin  is 
 preparing. 
 
 (a.)  The  evil  is  not  yet  shaped  nor 
 ready  to  devastate. 
 
 (h.)  Yet  God  is  busily  employed  in 
 devising  the  destruction. 
 
 (c.)  And  certainly  God  will  not  work 
 without  effect. 
 
 1.  The  opportunity  of  turning  aside 
 the  evil  is  with  us. 
 
 2.  That  opportunity  is  of  uncertain 
 duration. 
 
 3.  Salvation  may  be  found  during 
 this  interval. 
 
 II.  A  gracious  interval — God  is  ap- 
 pealing. 
 
 1.  While  He  works  out  His  devices  of 
 evil,  He  yet  desires  our  good. 
 
 2.  The  devices  of  evil  are  inevitable 
 only  in  consequence  of  man's  impeni- 
 tence. 
 
 3.  Prompt  reformation  would  arrest 
 the  impending  doom. 
 
 4.  God  urges  upon  man  the  diligent 
 use  of  the  auspicious  hour — "  Return 
 ye  noiv." 
 
 Comp.  Homiletic  bints  on  chapter 
 vii.  3. 
 
 Ver.  12.  Theme:  The  unreason- 
 ableness OF  DESPAIR.  "  And  they  said, 
 There  is  no  hope  :  but  we  will  walk  after 
 our  own  devices,"  &c. 
 
 The  devil's  chief  artifices  are  to  pro- 
 duce either — 
 
 («.)  False  security  and  presumption; 
 or  (6)  despair. 
 
 I.  Despair  is  sinful. 
 (a.)  In  itself. 
 
 (6.)  Because  it  is  the  parent  of  other 
 sins,  as  is  seen  in  the  cases  of  Cain, 
 Saul,  and  Judas. 
 
 II.  Despair  is  dangerous. 
 
 (a.)  It  paralyses  effort  after  escape  or 
 reformation. 
 
 (b.)  Allures  to  besotted  unconcern. 
 
 (c.)  Drives  to  recklessness  in  further 
 Wrong-doing.  Thus  '•'  heaping  up  wrath." 
 392 
 
 III.  Despair  is  groundless. 
 
 (a.)  Because  we  still  enjoy  life  and 
 the  means  of  grace. 
 
 (b.)  Because  of  the  longsuffering  char- 
 acter of  God. 
 
 (c.)  Because  of  the  universality  of  the 
 scheme  of  redemption. 
 
 ((/.)  Because  of  the  Person,  character, 
 and  invitations  of  Christ. 
 
 (e.)  Because  of  the  many  instances  of 
 final  salvation. — Payson. 
 
 See  Addenda:  Despair. 
 See  further:  Noticeable  Topics:  Des- 
 peration Dangerous. 
 
 Ver.  \'6.  Theme:  "A  very  horrible 
 THING."  See  Sectional  Homily,  chap, 
 ii.  9-13.  ^^  Facts  for  Amazement — 
 BecJdess  desertion  of  the  Fount  of  Life." 
 
 I.  It  was  the  violation  of  all  the 
 lessons  of  experience.  After  having 
 known  so  much  of  God  and  His  grace, 
 and  tasted  so  much  of  His  goodness. 
 For  in  these  experiences  they  trans- 
 cended every  nation. 
 
 II.  It  was  criminality  surpassing 
 all  heathen  vices.  "  Knew  the  Lord's 
 will,  yet  did  it  not." 
 
 1.  Such  ingratitude  to  God. 
 
 2.  Such  depreciation  of  precious 
 benefactions. 
 
 3.  Such  insolent  disregard  of  the 
 Holy  One  of  Israel  (ver.  15). 
 
 III.  It  was  folly  of  the  most  ap- 
 palling magnitude. 
 
 1.  Deserting  the  cool  and  perennial 
 streams,  which  tlie  pure  and  perpetual 
 snows  of  Lebanon  fed. 
 
 2.  Coquetting  ivith  delusive  trifles: 
 **  burned  incense  to  vanity  "  (ver.  15). 
 
 All  this  is  wicked,  '•'■very  horrible," 
 an  outrage  on  human  7iature  itself ;  a 
 violation  of  every  laiu  of  righteousness  ; 
 a  course  so  iniquito^is  as  to  ensure  the 
 most  "  horrible  "  malediction  and  doom  ! 
 
 Ver.  15.  Theme:  Deserting  ancient 
 
 PATHS. 
 
 i.  These  ancient  Paths — 
 
 1.  Were  appointed  by  the  Divine  law. 
 
 2.  Had  been  walked  in  by  all  the 
 saints. 
 
 3.  Were  therefore  the  right  way  to 
 their  journey's  end. 
 
nOMILETIG  COMMENTARY :  JEREMIAH. 
 
 CHAP,  xvrrr. 
 
 4.  A  safe  way,  being  well  tracked ; 
 and  both  easy  to  hit  and  easy  to  walk 
 in. 
 
 ii.  The  by-paths  :  "  a  way  not  cast 
 up." 
 
 1.  Not  the  highway,  the  king's  high- 
 way. 
 
 3.  A  dirty  and  rough  way ;  in  which 
 they  could  but  "stumble." 
 
 3.  An  iniquitous  way  ;  as  is  the  way 
 of  idolatry  and  all  transgression. 
 
 4.  A  false  way ;  full  of  falls  and 
 ending  fatally, — (Gomp.  Henry.) 
 
 See  numerous  Homilies  on  chap,  vi, 
 IC.  Especially  on  ^^  The  old  paths," 
 by  H,  W.  Beecher,  whose  sermon  is  on 
 the  two  texts,  vi.  16,  xxviii.  15, 
 
 Ver.  17,  Theme:  The  sinner's  dooil 
 "I  will  show  them  the  back  and  not 
 the  face,  in  the  day  of  their  calamity." 
 
 I.  The  cause  of  the  evil  threatened. 
 The  punishment  of  sinners  is  not  caused 
 by  the  Divine  purpose  alone,  but  in 
 conjunction  with  the  commission  of 
 sin.  A  sinner  is  the  author  of  his  own 
 miseries  (Jer.  ii.  17;  iv,  18).  The 
 children  of  Judah  were  guilty  of 
 
 1.  Rejecting  the  Divine  government. 
 "  We  will  walk  after  our  own  devices," 
 &c.  (ver.  12),  Multitudes  regard  their 
 own  will  as  the  rule  of  action,  and  live 
 without  God  in  the  world  (Zech.  vii. 
 5,  6,  11,  12), 
 
 2.  Guilty  of  idolatry  (ver,  15,  comp. 
 Ptom.  i.  22,  23).  Idolatry  is  the  great 
 sin  of  the  human  heart.  Man  worships 
 his  own  person,  his  natural  and  acquired 
 talents,  his  wealth,  his  honours,  the 
 creature,  this  evil  world. 
 
 3.  Rejecting  the  mercy  of  God.  Pre- 
 vious to  inflicting  His  wrath  He  offered 
 them  mercy  (see  ver.  11).  But  they 
 repudiated  it  (ver.  12).  So,  "  we  preach 
 Christ  crucified,"  beseech  men,  &c.,  but 
 "  who  hath  believed  our  report  1 " 
 
 4.  Their  conduct  ivas  characterised  by 
 the  greatest  folly  (vers.  13-15).  Common- 
 sense  taught  men  to  value  clear  waters, 
 which,  from  the  melted  snows  of  Leba- 
 non, were  purified  by  running  through 
 the  cavities  of  rocks,  &c.  ;  but  Israel 
 had  forsaken  the  infinitely  glorious 
 Jehovah  lor  worthless  idols.     And  for 
 
 what  do  sinners  7iow  part  with  God 
 and  holiness  ?  Not  for  an  equivalent, 
 but  for  what  dazzles  and  vanishes. 
 
 5.  Their  conduct  was  a  manifestation 
 of  basest  ingratitude.  And  so  is  the 
 conduct  of  every  sinner. 
 
 II.  The  nature  of  the  evil  threa- 
 tened. God  would  abandon  them. 
 The  "  light  of  His  countenance  "  is  the 
 joy  of  every  soul,  and  of  heaven ;  for 
 Him  to  show  His  back  is  woful. 
 
 1.  God  sometimes  shows  His  back 
 in  a  ivay  of  mercy  (Exod.  xxxiii.  23). 
 In  compassion  to  our  weakness  "He 
 holdeth  back,"  <fec.  (Job  xxv.  9). 
 
 2.  But  this  threat  is  expressive  of 
 Divine  wrath.  (See  Levit.  xvii.  10,  xx. 
 3;  1  Pet.  iii.  12.  Comp.  Job  xxiii. 
 8 ;  Ps.  Ixxxiv.  14,  xxii.  1.)  For  a  mo- 
 ment only  God  hides  Himself  from  His 
 people ;  but  it  here  means  the  angry 
 abandonment  of  the  wicked. 
 
 3.  The  wrath  of  God  is  retributive. 
 Sinners  turn  their  back  upon  God.  He 
 will  "  show  them  the  back  in  the  day 
 of  their  calamity  "  (comp.  Ps.  xviii.  26, 
 27  ;  Jer.  ii.  27,  28,  xxxii,  33-35  ;  Deut, 
 xxxi,  17,  18), 
 
 4.  The  language  of  the  text  implies 
 a  final  departure.  "  Ephraim  is  joined 
 to  idols,  let  him  alone  "  (Hos,  ix.  12). 
 
 III.  The  time  when  the  evil  shall 
 be  inflicted.  "  In  the  day  of  their 
 calamity." 
 
 Sometimes  it  may  be  seen  in  the  pre- 
 sent life  (1  Sam.  xxviii.  15;  Matt,  xxiii. 
 27). 
 
 1.  In  the  time  of  adversity.  When 
 cold  poverty  is  on  them,  where  is  God  ? 
 
 2.  In  sickness.  The  wicked  have  no 
 refuge  in  distress. 
 
 3.  When  deserted  by  their  friends. 
 Cast  off  by  friends,  yet  no  God  ! 
 
 4.  27ie  time  of  old  age.  Grave  opens, 
 yet  without  God  near  thee  ! 
 
 5.  A  dying  hour.  "  The  wicked  is 
 driven  away  in  his  wickedness." 
 
 6.  At  the  last  day  (Rev.  vi.  16,  17). 
 Application  : 
 
 {a. )  The  awful  state  of  the  unconverted ; 
 enemies  to  God,  and  doomed  to  everlast- 
 ing destruction. 
 
 (6.)  If  we  desire  to  be  at  peace  with 
 God,  the  way  is  prepared.  Reconciled 
 through  His  Son, 
 
 393 
 
CHAP.  XVIII. 
 
 EOMILETIC  COMMENTARY:  JEREMIAH. 
 
 (c. )  Blessed  is  the  prospect  of  all  true 
 Christians.  In  the  day  of  calamity  He 
 ■will  show  them  His  face.  "  I  will  never 
 leave  thee." — Helps  for  the  Fulint. 
 
 Ver.  17.  Theme:  The  sinner's  doom. 
 
 So  inveterate  was  the  attachment  of 
 the  people  of  Israel  to  their  idols,  and 
 so  incorrigible  amidst  national  calamities, 
 that  God  at  length  determined,  not  only 
 to  bring  upon  them  the  threatened  cap- 
 tivity in  Babylon,  but  to  leave  them  in 
 the  hands  of  their  enemies  without 
 pity  or  compassion,  and,  like  a  friend 
 aggrieved,  would  utterly  forsake  them 
 in  the  day  of  trouble.     Consider — 
 
 I.  The  evil  threatened :  •'  I  will  show 
 them  the  back  and  not  the  face." 
 
 Here  we  may  observe, 
 
 1.  God  sometimes  shows  His  back  in 
 a  way  of  mercy,  as  in  the  case  of  Moses, 
 when  He  caused  His  goodness  to  pass 
 before  him  because  he  could  not  see  His 
 face  and  live  (Exod.  xxxiii.  23). 
 
 2.  The  Lord  here  threatens  to  hide 
 His  face.  Note — His  face  is  either  the 
 most  delightful  or  the  most  dreadful  of 
 all  objects.  He  has  an  angry  and  a 
 frowning  face  when  sin  is  to  be  punished 
 (I,ev.  xvii.  10;  XX.  3;  1  Pet.  iii.  12); 
 and  an  approving  smile  and  regard  for 
 His  people  (Isa.  Ixvi.  2).  To  turn  His 
 back  upon  His  people — the  Jews — in 
 indignation  and  wrath.  The  Lord  may 
 hide  Himself  from  His  people,  and  be 
 wroth ;  but  towards  the  wicked  it  de- 
 notes His  total  abandonment  of  them  to 
 deserved  wrath  and  punishment — par- 
 ticularly when  the  Lord  says  "  He  will 
 show  them  the  back  and  not  the  face." 
 It  includes — 
 
 (a.)  The  withdrawment  of  that  pro- 
 vidential care  and  protection  which  was 
 to  be  the  peculiar  privilege  of  the  people 
 of  Israel  (2  Chron.  xvi.  9),  and  leaving 
 them  exposed  to  every  evil  and  danger. 
 Thus  He  dealt  with  the  apostate  Jewish 
 church  :  He  broke  down  its  wall  that  it 
 might  be  trodden  under  foot  (Isa.  v.  5). 
 
 {h.)  A  direct  expression  of  His  dis- 
 pleasiire;  as  when  we  turn  our  back 
 upon  those  who  have  offended  us.  So 
 Christ  once  turned  His  back  upon  Peter, 
 because  he  was  an  oflfence  to  Him  (Matt, 
 xvi.  23). 
 
 394 
 
 (c.)  It  intimates  a  final  departure ; 
 giving  them  up  to  walk  in  their  own 
 way,  and  to  follow  their  own  counsel. 
 To  be  abandoned  as  incorrigible  is  the 
 sorest  of  all  judgments  :  and  "  woe  unto 
 them  when  I  depart  from  them,  saith 
 the  Lord"  (Hoseaix.  12). 
 
 II.  The  time  when  the  threatened 
 evil  shall  he  inflicted  :  "  In  the  day  of 
 their  calamity." 
 
 There  is  a  day  of  trouble  coming  upon 
 the  wicked,  an  appointed  day,  a  dark 
 and  gloomy  day.  Alas,  if  God  has  to 
 turn  His  back,  and  leave  the  sinner  to 
 his  fate  !  Yet  such  will  be  the  doom  of 
 the  finally  impenitent. 
 
 1.  A  little  of  this  may  be  seen  amidst 
 the  calamities  of  the  present  life.  What 
 was  the  condition  of  Saul,  when  God 
 had  departed  from  him  (1  Sam.  xxviii.) 
 Of  Jerusalem,  when  He  would  return 
 to  His  temple  no  more  (Matt,  xxiii. 
 37,  38). 
 
 2.  What  then  will  be  the  state  of  the 
 wicked  in  the  last  day,  when  God  shall 
 forever  disown  and  forever  forsake  them  ! 
 That  will  indeed  be  the  day  of  their 
 calamity :  there  is  none  like  it,  and  all 
 entreaties  will  be  in  vain  (Rev.  vL  16, 
 17). 
 
 Lessons — 
 
 1.  Let  the  unbeliever  beware,  and  let 
 him  well  consider  what  he  shall  answer, 
 when  the  Lord  cometh  forth  to  punish 
 him  (Jer.  xiii.  21). 
 
 2.  If  a  Christian  finds  himself  for- 
 saken in  the  day  of  trouble,  let  it  cause 
 great  searchings  of  heart;  and  like  Israel, 
 let  him  lament  after  the  Lord  (1  Samv 
 vii.  2). 
 
 3.  Let  all  remember  there  is  still  a 
 refuge  from  the  storms  of  life,  and  from 
 the  wrath  to  come  (Prov.  xviii.  10). — 
 The  Preacher. 
 
 Comments  : 
 
 Ver.  18.  "Devices  against  Jere- 
 miah." The  effect  of  the  foregoing  pro- 
 phecy upon  the  Jews  was — 
 
 i.  A  more  hardened  and  desperate  an- 
 tagonism to  the  prophet.  "  Smite  him 
 with  the  tongue."  Carry  malicious  re- 
 ports of  what  he  says  to  Jehoiakim,  and 
 so  stir  his  anger. 
 
 ii.  A  flattering  self-satisfied  repudia- 
 
HOMILETIO  COMMENTARY :  JEREMIAH. 
 
 CHAP.   XTIII. 
 
 tion  of  his  messages,  "  For  the  law  shall 
 not  perish,"  &c.  ;  i.e.,  we  do  not  need 
 this  prophet,  we  have  the  authorised 
 "priest,"  the  "law "of  Moses,  "wise" 
 men  to  give  us  "  counsel,"  and  "  pro- 
 phets "  to  declare  "  the  word  " — not  in- 
 deed the  Jehovah  Word,  but  "smooth 
 things"  (Isa.  xxs.  10). 
 
 Ver.  20.   "  Evil   recompensed   for 
 
 GOOD," 
 
 i.  Faithftd  warnings  and  rebuJces 
 proved  the  proplieth  patriotism.  He  re- 
 fused to  flatter  and  delude.  "  Faithful 
 the  wounds  of  a  friend." 
 
 ii.  Wilful  love  of  ivrong- doing  rendered 
 them  hostile  to  truth.  "  The  wicked  hate 
 the  righteous,  and  gnash  upon  him  with 
 their  teeth." 
 
 Yers.  18-20.  Theme:  Authority  ar- 
 rayed AGAINST  AUTHORITY.  This  ap- 
 peal to  the  "  law  and  priest "  as  against 
 Jeremiah  and  his  words,  is  used  by 
 Naegelsbach  (in  Lange)  as  the  basis  of  a 
 homily  on  the  anniversary  of  the  Refor- 
 mation.    Thus : — 
 
 "  Opposition  of  the  office  which  has 
 apparent  authority  to  that  which  has 
 trice  authority." 
 
 i.  The  basis  of  the  opposition.  The 
 assertion  of  the  infallibility  of  the  former 
 office. 
 
 ii.  The  mode  of  the  op>position, 
 
 {a.)  In  not  being  willing  to  hear. 
 
 (6.)  In  the  attempt  to  destroy  the 
 latter  by  violence. 
 
 iii.  The  result  of  the  oppositioji  is  nvgor 
 tory.     For  : — 
 
 (a.)  The  Lord  hears  the  voice  of  the 
 oppressors,  to  judge  them. 
 
 (&.)  He  gives  heed  to  His  servants  to 
 protect  them. 
 
 [This  treatment  of  the  text  makes  it 
 appropriate  to  all  occasions  when  secular 
 or  ecclesiastical  power  is  invoked  to  sup- 
 press the  voluntary  movements  of  Christen- 
 dom ;  or  when  the  authority  of  antiquity 
 is  urged  against  any  new  development  of 
 the  Christian  life,  whether  in  individuals 
 or  churches.] 
 
 NOTICEABLE    TOPICS   IN  CHAPTER    XVIII. 
 Topic : — The  Potter's  Work  (vers.  1-6). 
 
 The  prophet  sees  a  man  engaged  in  a  task  to  which  he  is  devoting  all  his 
 thoughts.  The  potter  designs  to  make  some  clay  into  a  vessel  of  a  certain  shape ; 
 the  form  or  pattern  is  present  to  his  mind,  he  is  fully  resolved  that  the  material 
 with  which  he  is  working  shall  come  forth  in  that  form  and  no  other. 
 
 But  apparently  it  disappoints  him.  One  piece  of  clay  after  another  is  "  marred 
 in  his  hands : "  it  takes  a  shape  different  from  that  which  he  would  give  it ;  but 
 he  goes  on  perseveringly  till  he  has  done  the  thing  which  he  intended  to  do. 
 
 "  0  house  of  Israel,  cannot  I  do  with  you  as  this  potter  %  saith  the  Lord.  Be- 
 hold, as  the  clay  is  in  the  potter's  hands,  so  are  ye  in  mine,  O  house  of  Israel." 
 
 Commentators  have  no  doubt  what  this  means  !  God  could  do  as  He  liked  with 
 the  clay ;  He  could  destroy  it  if  He  pleased  !  But  Jeremiah  was  sent  to  see  ivhat 
 the  potter  liked.  And  he  saw  he  desired  to  make  a  vessel  of  a  certain  form,  and  for 
 that  end  he  laboured.    The  analogy,  if  of  any  force  or  worth  at  all,  must  mean  that — ■ 
 
 L  There  is  a  form  according  to  which  God  is  seeking  to  mould  men  and 
 nations.  He  is  not  doing  any  single  act  arbitrarily,  or  without  reference  to  a 
 purpose ;  He  is  patiently  and  continually  working  for  the  accomplishment  of  this 
 purpose. 
 
 1.  Men  are  throughout  Scripture  assumed  to  have  wills,  upon  which  no  mere 
 blind  mechanical  power  can  operate,  but  upon  which  God,  a  living  Person,  is  ope- 
 rating by  gracious,  mysterious,  orderly  processes,  that  He  may  make  men  in  His 
 own  likeness. 
 
 2.  Here  was  the  mystery  of  a  peoples  repentance.  If  they  acknowledged  this 
 Will  which  was  working  upon  them,  yielded  to  it,  and  desired  to  be  formed  by  it, 
 this  was  the  conversion  and  inward  change  He  was  seeking  to  produce.  Marvellous 
 that  persons  should  see  in  this  symbol  nothing  but  an  assertion  of  the  sovereignty 
 
 395 
 
CHAP.  xvin.  EOMILETIC  COMMENTARY:  JEREMIAH. 
 
 of  God,  when  the  whole  thought  is  the  order  of  God's  proceedings  with  men  to 
 produce  this  voluntary  obedience  ! 
 
 II.  The  purpose  which  the  potter  cherished  was  at  the  last  fully  realised. 
 As  the  prophet  gazed  on  the  potter,  he  saw  how  one  piece  of  clay  after  another 
 was  marred,  and  yet  how  the  thing  he  designed  loas  at  last  done,  the  whole  truth 
 of  the  symbol  came  upon  him  with  an  awful  vision  of  what  was  preparing  for  his 
 land;  yet  also,  with  a  bright  vision  of  what  must  ultimately /oZ/oz<;  the  judgment. 
 
 1.  The  vessel  must  be  made,  not  after  some  different  type,  but  after  the  original 
 and  perfect  life  which  dwelt  not  in  the  dead  matter,  but  in  the  living  mind  of  Him 
 who  was  shaping  it. 
 
 2.  If  any  particular  race  must  be  cast  aside,  it  would  not  be  wilfully,  not  in 
 rage,  but  after  a  series  of  gracious  merciful  experiments  had  been  made  upon  it, 
 but  because  of  a  moral  incapacity  for  understanding  the  grace  of  its  Ruler,  and 
 for  exhibiting  any  qualities  but  those  most  opposed  to  His  grace,  most  hateful 
 and  destructive. 
 
 3.  Thus  the  destruction  which  Jeremiah  had  foreseen  to  be  approaching  his  laiid 
 justified  itself  to  his  conscience  and  heart.  He  shrank  from  it  through  tenderness  of 
 nature,  through  patriotism ;  but  he  saw  that  one  generation  or  another  might  have 
 to  be  broken  that  the  end  might  be  accomplished. 
 
 III.  Here  was  the  power  which  could  reform  individuals  and  society. 
 
 1.  The  strife  of  the  clay  with  the  Potter,  the  struggles  of  men  against  a  Divine 
 Artificer  not  to  be  brought  into  their  true,  reasonable,  healthy  condition  ;  not  to 
 be  at  peace  with  each  other  by  being  at  peace  with  Him  who  had  made  them  to 
 bear  a  common  image,  were  working  national  and  individual  desolation.  Hence, 
 therefore — 
 
 2,  The  threatened  captivity  and  destruction  would  form  a  method  of  reforma- 
 tion ;  God  would  bring  life  out  of  death.  This  marring  of  the  clay  was  a  fearful 
 sight;  but  the  patience,  longsuffering,  and  final  victory  of  the  Potter  was  a 
 glorious  one. 
 
 Take  then  this  simple  image  of  a  living  and  righteous  Being,  working  amidst  the 
 changes  of  times,  working  upon  human  wills  for  a  loving  and  gracious  purpose,  for 
 a  purpose  which  has  been  realised,  does  it  not  give — 
 
 IV.  An  elucidation  of  facts  which  were  left  unexplained,  and  felt  to  be 
 inexplicable  ? 
 
 1.  The  fall  of  great  nations ;  2.  The  subjection  of  such  portions  of  tlie 
 "kingdom  of  Christ  as  Jerusalem,  Constantinople,  Alexandria,  to  the  power  of  the 
 Crescent. 
 
 (a.)  Are  not  these  cities  proof s  that  the  clay  is  marred  in  the  new,  as  it  was  in 
 the  old  time,  wheii  it  resists  the  ivill  of  the  Artificer  ?  And  what  is  there  in  the  clay 
 of  Italy,  Germany,  France,  England,  to  give  it  special  exemption  from  the  sentence 
 upon  that  which  is  unprofitable  ?  It  is  written,  "  If  He  spared  not  the  natural 
 branches,  take  heed  lest  He  spare  not  thee." 
 
 (6.)  But  we  know  that  whatever  happens  to  one  generation  or  another,  He  will 
 claim  human  clay  and  all  natural  things  for  Himself.  God  has  said  He  will  write 
 upon  human  hearts  His  own  name  and  the  name  of  the  new  Jerusalem,  His  holy 
 city. 
 
 (c.)  And  for  each  individual,  in  whom  dwells  the  Spirit  of  Christ,  it  will  be 
 realised  that  the  body  of  humiliation  will  be  made  Wee  to  Christ's  glorious  body  by 
 that  power  whereby  He  is  able  to  subdue  all  things  unto  Himself. — Contracted 
 from  Matirice's  Prophets  and  Kings. 
 
 Note  :  "When  through  the  clay  not  being  of  a  proper  consistency,  or  otherwise 
 not  answering  to  the  potter's  will,  the  vessel  is  spoilt,  he  does  not  throw  it  away, 
 but  crushes  it  together,  dashes  it  back  upon  the  wheel,  and  begins  his  work  afresh, 
 till  the  clay  has  taken  the  predetermined  shape.  So  then,  it  was  God's  purpose 
 that  Judea  should  become  the  proper  scene  for  the  manifestation  of  the  Messiah, 
 396 
 
MOMILETIC  COMMENTARY:  JEREMIAU.  chap,  xviir. 
 
 and  its  sons  he  fit  to  receive  the  Saviour's  teaching  and  carry  the  good  tidings  to  all 
 lands.  If,  therefore,  at  any  stage  of  the  preparation,  the  Jewish  nation  took,  in  its 
 free  will,  such  a  course  as  would  frustrate  this  inirpose  of  Providence,  it  was  crushed 
 by  affliction  into  an  unresisting  mass,  in  which  the  formative  in ocess  forthwith  began 
 again." — Dr.  Payne  Smith. 
 
 Topic:  Desperation  Dangekous  (ver.  12). 
 
 Nothing  more  proves  the  perverseness  of  the  human  heart  than  its  unsuitable 
 entertainment  of  the  dealings  of  God  with  it ;  especially  in  His  gracious  excite- 
 ments and  invitations  to  repentance,  conversion,  and  turning  to  Himself;  in  that 
 these  have  oftentimes  very  little  impression  upon  or  pre  valency  with  it.  Nor  only 
 so,  but  now  and  then  it  proves  to  be  from  henceforth  the  more  confirmed  and 
 settled  in  evil.     This  is  the  case  here. 
 
 I.  A  desperate  conclusion.     *'  There  is  no  hope." 
 
 No  hope  of  lis  ;  our  lusts  charm  and  master  us.  No  hope  in  regard  of  thee  and 
 thy  ministry  ;  thou  art  not  likely  to  do  any  good  amongst  us.  No  hope  of  favour 
 from  Rim  ;  there  is  no  probability  of  any  mercy 
 
 i.  In  reference  to  themselves  :  despair  as  to  their  own  amendment  or  reformation. 
 There  are  people  desperate  in  this  regard,  because  of — 
 
 1.  An  absolute  indisijosition  and  averseness  to  all  kind  of  good  (Job  xxi.  11).  This 
 distemper  hath  sundry  grounds  and  causes  from  which  it  proceeds : — 
 
 (a.)  A  neglect  of  religious  duties  and  exercises,  (b.)  A  persisting  in  some  loose 
 course  of  life,  (c.)  A  walking  contrary  to  light.  ((/,)  Worldliness  and  too  deep 
 an  implunging  into  secular  affairs. 
 
 2.  An  absolute  thraldom  and  subjection  to  all  hind  of  evil.  And  there  are  divers 
 grounds  for  this  also.  There  are  people  who  despair  of  ever  conquering  their  lusts 
 because  of — (a.)  Spiritual  laziness,  (b.)  Unbelief  of  God's  promises,  (c.)  Carnal 
 confidence,     (d)  Indifference  to  the  thing  itself. 
 
 ii.  In  reference  to  Jeremiah  and  his  ministry :  despair  as  to  the  value  of  preaching 
 God's  messages  amongst  them.  There  are  fortifications  to  this  purpose,  which 
 men  raise  to  themselves,  to  hold  out  against  the  workings  of  the  ministry.  1.  Pride 
 and  self-conceitedness,  2.  Cavillings  and  wranglings  against  the  word  of  the 
 ministry  (Acts  xiii.  45).  3.  Prosjyerity  and  outward  welfare.  It  is  because  people 
 are  so  much  hardened  against  the  ministry,  that,  let  the  prophets  say  what  they  may, 
 they  are  resolved  to  do  what  they  list,  that  there  is  no  hope. 
 
 iii.  In  reference  to  God  Himself.  They  despair  of  the  grace  of  God,  and  call  it 
 in  question  : — 1.  From  the  suggestions  of  Satan.  2.  From  the  infidelity  which  is 
 in  their  hearts.     3.  From  a  measuring  of  God  by  themselves. 
 
 Such  a  frame  of  spirit  as  this  is  most  dangerous  and  i:)ernicious. 
 
 (a.)  It  is  against  ourselves.  (a.)  Our  grace — obstructing  it  and  uniting  evil 
 thoughts  and  habits;  and  (b.)  our  Comfort — opening  the  soul  to  horror  and  grief. 
 
 (b.)  It  is  against  God.  Despair  is  the  sin  which  opposes  Him  in  His  main 
 design  in  promulgating  the  Gospel,  and  denies  "the  exceeding  riches  of  His  grace" 
 in  Jesus  Christ. 
 
 II.  A  peremptory  resolution.  "  But  we  will  walk  after  our  own  devices,"  &c. 
 Consider  this  determination — 
 
 i.  Simply  and  absolutely  in  itself,  they  declare  that  they  will  walk  after  their  own 
 devices. 
 
 1.  There  is  imjdied  here  :  That  the  nature  of  man  is  very  prone  and  subject  to 
 '^devices" — evil  devices. 
 
 2.  There  is  here  expressed:  That  there  is  in  men  an  affection  towards  these 
 devices.     Three  things  are  here  to  be  noticed — 
 
 (a.)  Their  obstinacy  and  perverseness  :  "  We  will  walk  "  (comp.  chap.  ii.  25,  and 
 viii.  6).     (1.)  This  obstinacy  and  perverseness  is  grounded  upon  security  and  pre- 
 
 397 
 
CHAP,  xvirr. 
 
 nOMILETIC  COMMENTARY:  JEREMIAH. 
 
 sumption  (Eccles.  viii,  11).  (2.)  It  proceeds  from  the  power  wliicli  Satan  has  over 
 them  (Ephes.  ii.  2).     (3.)  They  are  not  persuaded  of  the  truth  of  God's  Word. 
 
 (&.)  Their  conspiracy  and  combination:  "We  will,  every  one,"  &c.  It  was  a 
 set  plot  and  design  amongst  them  against  the  Lord  and  His  prophet.  All  were 
 agreed  :  and  this  makes  the  sin  an  aggravation,  as  being  the  more  malignant. 
 
 (c.)  Their  wilful  transgression  and  sin  against  knowledge  :  "  We  will  every  one  do 
 the  imagination  of  his  evil  heart."  Not  we  will  do  what  in  our  judgment  we  think 
 best ;  but  knowing  their  ways  were  evil,  they  determined  on  "  evil "  still. 
 
 ii.  Eeflexively  and  derivatively.     They  said  this — 
 
 1.  Said  it  expressly  in  so  many  words  :  ivere  not  ashamed  to  say  this.  So  much 
 impudence  is  there  upon  men's  spirits  as  that  they  blush  not  to  proclaim  their 
 wickedness  with  open  mouths. 
 
 2.  They  said  it  practically,  in  that  which  they  did  :  persisting  in  their  evil  ways, 
 without  amendment  and  reformation. 
 
 Those  sins  which  were  single  before  admonition  come  to  be  double  afterwards, 
 and  the  judgment  is  so  much  the  greater  which  waits  upon  them  (John  xv.  22). 
 — Rev.  Thomas  Horton,  D.D.,  A.D.  1678. 
 
 ^ee  Addenda:  Despair. 
 
 ADDENDA  TO  CHAPTER  XVIII. :  ILLUSTRATIONS  AND  SUGGESTIVE  EXTRACTS. 
 
 Ver  4.  God's  sovereign  power. 
 
 "Repine  not,  nor  reply; 
 Vievr  not  what  Heaven  ordains  with  reason's 
 
 eye ; 
 Too  bright  the  object  is,  the  distance  is  too 
 
 high. 
 The  man  who  would  resolve  the  work  of  fate. 
 May  limit  number  and  make  crooked  straight ; 
 Stop  thy  enquiry,  then,  and  curb  thy  sense, 
 Nor  let  dust  argue  with  Omnipotence." 
 
 — Prior. 
 
 "  God's  patience  is  lasting,  but  it  is 
 not  everlasting." — Ano7i. 
 
 See  Br.  Thomson's  "The  Land  and 
 the  Book  "  on  this  passage. 
 
 Scripture  refei-ence  to  "the  Potter:" 
 1  Chron.  iv.  23 ;  Isa.  xli.  25,  Ixiv.  8 ; 
 Jer.  xvlii.  3,  4 ;  Dan.  ii.  41 ;  Zech.  xi. 
 13  ;  Matt,  xxvii.  7-10  ;  Kom.  ix.  21. 
 
 Man  compared  to  '■'■clay"  in  Scrip- 
 ture :  Isa.  Ixiv.  8 ;  Jer.  xviii.  6. 
 
 Simeon  says,  in  his  Sermons  on  Rom. 
 viii.,  that  there  were  three  reasons  why 
 he  preached  the  doctrine  of  Election ; 
 not  only  because  he  found  it  in  the 
 Scriptures,  but  because  it  laid  the  axe  at 
 the  root  of  (1)  pride,  (2)  presumption, 
 and  (3)  despair. 
 
 Ver.  12.  Despair. 
 
 Francis  Spira,  an  Italian  apostate,  died 
 in  the  most  awful  despair.  On  his 
 deathbed  he  exclaimed,  "  My  sin  is 
 greater  than  the  mercy  of  God.  I  have 
 denied  Christ  voluntarily ;  I  feel  that 
 He  hardens  me,  and  allows  me  no 
 hope." 
 
 "  All  hope  is  lost 
 Of  my  reception  into  grace  ;  what  worse  ? 
 For  where  no  hope  is  left,  is  left  no  fear. 
 So  farewell  hope,  and  with  hope  farewell  fear. 
 Farewell  remorse,  all  good  to  me  is  lost : 
 Evil,  be  thou  my  good." — Satan's  Address : 
 Milto7i's  "  Paradise  Lost." 
 
 "  Dreadful  is  their  doom,   whom  doubt  has 
 
 driven 
 To  censure  fate  and  pious  hope  forego  ; 
 Like  yonder  blasted   boughs  by  lightning 
 
 riven. 
 Perfection,  beauty,  life,  they  never  know, 
 But  frown  on  all  that  pass,  a  monument  of 
 
 woe." — Beattie. 
 
 "  Despair  is  the  offspring  of  laziness, 
 fear,  and  impatience ;  it  argues  a  defect 
 of  spirit  and  resolution,  and  oftentimes 
 of  honesty  too.  I  would  not  despair 
 unless  I  saw  my  misfortune  recorded  in 
 the  Book  of  Fate,  and  signed  and  sealed 
 by  necessity." — Collier. 
 
 398 
 
HOMILETIC  COMMENTARY:  JEREMIAH.  chap.  xix. 
 
 CHAPTER  XIX. 
 
 Critical  and  Exegetical  Notes. — See  notes  to  preceding  chapter  for  Chronology,  &c. 
 Vide  also  Introductory  Notes  to  chap.  xx. 
 
 Geographical  References. — Ver.  2.  "  Valley  of  the  Son  of  Hlnnom,"  cf.  note  on  chap. 
 ii.  31.  "  The  East  gate"  margin  the  Sun  gate.  But  the  word  is  not  definite  ;  n-"ID"iriri  '^p. 
 /crome,  ^et7,  and  ZTcwfZersoM  suggest  the  Poi^ery  gate  as  the  true  rendering  from  ClH.  The  word 
 Harsuth  occurs  nowhere  else,  and  probably  is  derived  from  the  fact  that  the  refuse  from 
 neighbouring  pottery  works  lay  about  there.  The  Targnm,  and  Kimchi  render  it  dung  gate. 
 But  the  word  Harsith  occurs  in  the  Talmud  for  potter's  clay.  The  situation  of  the  Pottery 
 gate  cannot  be  determined,  but  plainly  it  opened  into  the  Valley  of  Hinnom  (Josh.  xv.  8). 
 "  The  potters  there  formed  vessels  for  the  use  of  the  Temple,  which  was  close  by  {cf  ver.  10- 
 14  J  chap,  xviii.  2  ;  Zech.  xi.  13  "). — Jamieson.  Ver.  5.  "High  places  of  Baal:  "  cf  chap. 
 vii.  31.  Ver.  11.  "  Bury  them  in  Tophet :"  cf.  Notes,  Geographical  and  Personal,  on  chap, 
 vii.  31. 
 
 Personal  Allusions. — Ver.  1.  "Ancients  of  the  people  and  ancients  of  the  'priests.^'  The 
 Sanhedrim  was  composed  of  seventy-two  elders,  taken  partly  from  the  priests  (2  Kings  xix.  2) 
 and  partly  from  the  other  tribes  (Num.  xi.  16;  Josh.  vii.  6  ;  1  Kings  viii.  1),  and  thus  repre- 
 sented the  nation.  This  great  council  presided  over  the  ecclesiastical  and  civic  affairs  of  the 
 whole  people. 
 
 Manners  and  Customs. — Ver.  5.  "Burn  their  sons  with  fire :  "  cf.  chap.  vii.  31.  Ver.  13. 
 "  Houses  upon  whose  roofs  they  have  turned  incense."  On  the  flat  roofs  of  Oriental  houses 
 festivals  were  held  (Judges  xvi.  27),  booths  were  erected  at  feasts  (Neh.  viii.  16),  sacrifices 
 were  offered  to  the  sun  and  planets  (2  Kings  xxiii.  11,  12  ;  Jer.  xxxii.  29  ;  Zeph.  i.  5). 
 
 Literary  Criticisms. — Ver.  1.  "A  potter's  earthen  bottle."  The  bottle  was  a  flask  with  a  long 
 narrow  neck,  and  called  p3p3  from  the  gurgling  sound  made  when  being  emptied.  Ver.  7. 
 "  /  will  make  void."  The  word  ''rilp?,  is  used  playing  upon  the  symbol-word  p2\)2  •  the  root 
 of  both  words  being  pj^S,  to  pour  out.  Ver.  8. — "  Desolate"— an  astonishment.  "Plagues 
 thereof:"  lit.  blows  :  plague  being  here  used  because  regarded  as  a  "blow"  direct  from  God's 
 hand.  Ver.  11.  "  And  they  shall  bury  them  in  Tophet,"  &c. — these  words,  and  to  the  end  of 
 verse,  are  omitted  in  the  Septuagint  and  by  Hitzig,  as  interpolated  from  vii.  32.  Ver.  13.  "De- 
 filed as  the  place,  of  Tophet :  "  lit.  shall  be  the  defiled.  The  better  rendering  is  (as  Targnm  and 
 Spea'kcr''s  Com.)  shall  be  as  the  defiled  Tophet :  or  lit.,  shall  be  as  the  place  Tophet,  the  defiled. 
 
 HOMILETIC  OUTLINE  ON  THE  ENTIRE  CHAPTER  XIX. 
 Vers.  1-15. — A  Symbolic  Prophecy  of  Doom. 
 
 God  bids  His  prophet  attempt  to  impress  this  obdurate  and  heedless  people 
 ■with  another  enacted  symbol,  which  was  derived  again  from  the  potter's  craft. 
 This  time  the  symbol  assumes  a  more  alarming  form. 
 
 1.  The  potter's  work  is  here  completed ;  the  vessel  is  in  this  instance  formed ; 
 in  chap,  xviii.  it  was  a  vessel  in  the  process  of  being  moulded. 
 
 2.  The  destructive  work  is  here  irremediable.  In  the  former  symbol  the  clay 
 was  worked  again  and  again  till  perfected  ;  here  the  vessel,  being  completed  and 
 baked,  is  inca2Jable  of  being  reshaped,  and  is  hopelessly  shattered,  destroyed,  and 
 abandoned. 
 
 What  are  the  different  meanings  of  these  two  pottery  symbols  1 
 
 1.  The  patient  working  upon  the  clay,  crushing  the  ill-formed  vessel,  and  skil- 
 fully remoulding  it  till  a  perfect  vessel  was  obtained,  symbolised  the  Divine  process 
 of  formation  by  which  God  was  moulding  a  people  whom  He  would  not  abandon  till 
 His  design  in  them  was  realised. 
 
 2.  The  absolute  shattering  of  the  potter's  bottle  now  symbolises  the  complete 
 destruction  of  that  generation  of  the  Jewish  people,  as  useless  for  God's  purposes 
 and  contrary  to  His  mind.  This  vessel,  having  been  baked,  could  not  be  formed 
 anew,  was  beyond  reformation,  and  so  must  be  destroyed. 
 
 This  prophetic  enactment  arranges  itself  into  three  stages — 
 I.  The  solemn  exhibition  of  the  doomed  vessel. 
 
 399 
 
CHAP.  XIX.  nOMILETIC  COMMENTARY:  JEREMIAH. 
 
 1.  The  appropriate  spectators.  "  Ancients  of  the  people  and  ancients  of  the 
 priests."  They  represented  the  entire  tribes,  and  so  did  the  potter's  bottle  :  it 
 was  a  symbol  of  that  existing  generation.  The  vessel  which  was  typically  used 
 was  not  an  unfinished  piece  of  clay,  but  a  bottle  completed  and  duly  hardened ; 
 and  these  "  ancients  "  represented  a  nation  whose  usages  and  temperament  were 
 fixed  and  determined. 
 
 2.  The  scene  of  its  exhibition.  "  The  pottery  gate  "  (see  Geog.  References,  supra). 
 The  place  where  refuse  was  cast.  That  gate,  opening  into  the  valley  of  Ben- 
 Hinnom,  looked  out  upon  the  scene  where  this  people  had  hrohen  every  laio  of  God. 
 Loathsome  memorials  of  the  nation's  vile  criminality  lay  before  these  "ancients." 
 It  thus  justified  the  doom  about  to  be  pronounced,  God  would  hreah  them  in  pieces. 
 Around  their  feet,  moreover,  as  they  stood  "  at  the  entry  of  the  gate,"  lay 
 shattered  fragments  of  pottery ;  suggestive  of  the  "  evil  "  (ver.  3)  God  would  "  bring 
 upon  this  place  "  and  people  ;  and  the  degradation  also  which  impended. 
 
 3.  The  explanatory  message  of  woe.  {a)  All  classes  were  included  in  the  coming 
 woe  (ver.  3) ;  (6)  the  doom  would  excite  general  amazement — "  Ears  tingle," 
 (vers.  3,  8) ;  (c)  yet  the  justice  thereof  was  manifest  (vers.  4,  6);  (c/)  and  the  ruin 
 would  be  absolutely  desolating  and  complete  (vers.  6-10). 
 
 II.  The  irremediable  shattering  of  the  vessel. 
 
 1.  The  violent  method  of  its  destruction,  (a.)  Not  by  accident  but  by  desigii  it 
 was  broTcen.  God  intended  it ;  man  performed  it :  and  it  was  accomplished  tvith 
 violence,  (b.)  It  was  completely  shattered.  So  shall  Jerusalem — people  and  city, 
 the  entire  generation — be  broken  to  pieces ;  none,  nothing  spared,  (c.)  The  de- 
 struction was  easily  and  ii^resistibly  effected.  They  would  be  powerless  to  avert 
 the  ruin.  All  "the  counsel  of  Judah  and  Jerusalem"  (ver.  7)  would  have  no 
 utility  in  striving  to  thwart  God's  purpose  on  this  "  vessel  of  wrath  fitted  to 
 destruction."  (J.)  No  ingenuity  could  repair  the  ruin:  "cannot  be  made  whole 
 again."  How  dreadful  is  God's  work  when  He  destroys  !  "  None  can  stay  His 
 hand,  nor  say  unto  Him,  What  doest  Thou  %  " 
 
 2.  The  suggestive  scene  of  its  destruction.  Josiah  had  swept  all  the  impurities 
 of  the  nation  into  the  valley  of  Ben-Hinnom.  It  was  a  scene  of  desecration  and 
 doom.  The  two  things  were  connected — desecration  and  doom.  And  this  people 
 had  become  a  desecrated  people  ;  therefore  should  they  fall  in  execrable  scenes. 
 Loathsome  as  Tophet  was,  it  would  become  more  horrible  still  as  "  the  valley  of 
 slaughter  "  (ver.  6).  The  bearing  of  the  case  is  this,  sin  explains  mans  destruction  : 
 Tophet  testified  against  the  nation's  violation  of  God's  claims :  Tophet  would 
 witness  violence  upon  the  offenders  :  "  they  shall  bury  them  in  Tophet  till  there  be 
 no  place  to  bury  them  "  (ver.  11). 
 
 III.  The  reiteration  of  doom  in  the  temple  court. 
 
 1.  Proclaim  to  a  larger  audience.  "All  the  people"  (ver.  14).  In  this 
 assembled  the  greatest  crowd  (2  Chron.  xx.  5).  Thus  would  the  solemn  predic- 
 tions, founded  upon  the  symbolic  action  in  Tophet,  gain  currency  over  the  entire 
 country.  None  could  therefore  plead  ignorance  as  an  excuse.  Nor  can  we.  The 
 doom  of  iniquity  is  known — "  there  is  no  speech  nor  language  where  the  voice  is 
 not  heard." 
 
 2.  Uttered  luithin  the  very  house  of  God.  Where  messages  of  grace  had  often 
 been  delivered.  But  "judgment  must  begin  at  the  house  of  God."  Men  must 
 not  think  to  escape  the  denunciation  of  sin  in  God's  house. 
 
 3.  Pronounced  upon  all  transgressors.  It  was  not  Jerusalem,  "this  city,"  which 
 alone  had  sinned,  but  "  all  her  towns."  Sinners  would  gladly  pass  over  on  to 
 others  the  crimes  God  denounces  :  but  here  all  are  included.  For  in  every 
 instance  there  had  been  wilful  rejection  of  God's  Word:  "they  have  hardened  their 
 necks  that  they  might  not  hear  My  words."  What  need  have  we  to  pray  to  be 
 kept  from  like  "  hardness  of  heart  and  contempt  for  God's  Word  and  command- 
 ments ! " 
 
 400 
 
HOMILETIC  COMMENTARY :  JEREMIAH. 
 
 OHAl".  XX. 
 
 HOMILIES  AND  COMMENTS  ON  VERSES  OP  CHAPTER  XIX. 
 
 Ver.  1.  The  "  earthen  bottle  "  was  a 
 humiliating  symbol  of 
 
 i.  Their  meau  origin  (Gen.  iii.  19; 
 Isa.  li.  1). 
 
 ii.  Their  frail  existence  (Deut.  xxvi. 
 5  ;  see  Homilies  on  chap,  xviii.  4,  ikc). 
 
 Comments — 
 
 Ver.  3.  "  0  Icings  of  Judah."  Spoken 
 in  the  plural,  because  the  message  (vers. 
 3-9)  related  not  specially  to  the  reign- 
 ing king,  but  to  the  whole  royal  house. 
 No  king  of  David's  line  was  henceforth  to 
 sit  upon  the  throne  till  He  came  whose 
 is  the  true  kingdom  (John  xviii.  37). — 
 Speaker's  Com. 
 
 Ver.  4.  See  Homily  on  chap,  xviii.  15. 
 
 Vers.  5,  6.  These  verses  repeat  chap, 
 vii.  31,  32.      Vide  Notes  and  Homilies. 
 
 Ver.  7.  "  /  will  make  void,"  i.e.,  "I 
 will  pour  out "  (see  Lit.  Crit.  on  verse). 
 Neumann  suggests  that  Jeremiah  car- 
 ried to  Tophet  the  bottle  full  of  water, 
 the  Oriental  symbol  of  life  (Isa.  xxxv. 
 G,  xli,  18),  and  at  these  words  emptied 
 it  in  the  presence  of  the  ancients, 
 
 Ver.  8.  See  chap,  xviii.  16. 
 
 Ver.  9.  A  description  of  the  siege, 
 (comp.  xviii.  21).  For  the  fulfilment  see 
 Lamentations  ii.  20,  iv.  10. 
 
 Vers.    10-14.   Theme :  The  pottee's 
 
 VESSEL  BROKEN  IN  ToPHET. 
 
 The  scene  of  the  people's  sin  will  also 
 be  the  scene  of  their  punishment.  In 
 the  time  of  the  good  king  Hezekiah, 
 Tophet  was  the  place  in  which  the 
 army  of  Sennacherib  perished,  when 
 Jerusalem  was  delivered  in  consequence 
 of  the  prayers  and  the  faith  of  the 
 king.  (See  Isa.  xxx.  33,xxxiii.  4,  xxxvii. 
 36). 
 
 This  place,  signalised  by  the  merciful 
 intervention  of  God  in  favour  of  Je- 
 rusalem,   was    afterwards   polluted   by 
 
 idolatry.       (See    chap.    vii.   31,   32;  l 
 Kings  xxiii.  10.) 
 
 I.  The  earthen  vessel  broken  in 
 Tophet.  That  vessel  was  typical  of  Jeru- 
 salem, which  should  thus  be  destroyed. 
 
 Its  destruction  in  Tophet  was  accom- 
 panied by  the  declaration  that  the  place 
 of  their  idolatry  should  be  the  scene  of 
 their  slaughter.  The  inhabitants  of 
 Jerusalem  would  be  slain  by  the  Chal- 
 deans, and  the  scene  of  their  idolatrous 
 worship  be  defiled  by  their  carcases,  for 
 there  would  be  no  suflScient  place  to 
 bury  them.     Comp.  vii.  32. 
 
 II.  Judas  Iscariot  perished  in  the 
 potter's  field.  That  traitor  was  typical 
 of  the  Jewish  nation ;  symbolising  its 
 rejection  of  Christ ;  and  the  Psalmist  in 
 his  prophecies  concerning  Judas  extends 
 them  to  the  Jewish  nation,  typified  by 
 him.     (See  Psa.  Iv.  7-22,  cix.  8-31.) 
 
 The  analogy  between  Judas  and  the 
 Jews  ivas  tnade  more  awful  by  the  very 
 place  in  which  he  came  to  his  miserable 
 end — the  patterns  field  !  (Comp.  Acts  i. 
 18,  19  with  Matt,  xxvii.  7  and  Zech,  xi. 
 12.)  There  is  reason  for  thinking  that 
 it  was  near  Tophet,  or  the  Valley  of 
 Hinnom,  which  the  prophet  connects 
 with  the  potter's  house  and  the  potter's 
 gate  (ver.  2).  Both  Judas  and  the 
 potter's  earthen  vessel,  equally  types  of 
 the  Jews,  were  dashed  to  pieces  [the 
 vessel  by  God's  command]  in  that  place. 
 
 Here  is  subject  for  devout  reflection 
 and  solemn  meditation. —  Wordsivorth. 
 
 Vers.  14,  15.  "Then  came  Jeremiah 
 from  To2}het,"  &c. 
 
 Here  commences  the  record  of  an 
 incident  which  runs  on  connectedly  with 
 chap,  xxi.,  and  should  have  formed  part 
 of  the  chapter.  For  general  explana- 
 tions of  the  facts  see  Introductory  Notes 
 to  chap.  xxi. 
 
 CHAPTER  XX. 
 
 Critical  and  Exegetical  Notes. — 1.  Chronology  of  the  Chapter.  With  chap.  xx.  the 
 first  section  of  this  book  closes.  Probably  this  was  Jeremiah's  last  public  prophecy  in 
 Jehoiakim's  reign,  and  formed  the  concluding  entry  in  the  "  roll  "  which  was  read  in  part 
 before  Jehoiakim,  and  which  Jehoiakim  "  cut  with  his  penknife  and  cast  into  the  fire  "  (chap, 
 xxxvi.  23).  To  that  "  roll,"  which  seems  to  have  concluded  with  this  emphatic  prophecy  as 
 to  the  Babylonian  Captivity  (c/.  xx.  4  with  xxxvi.  29),  "  many  like  words"  were  "  added  be- 
 sides "  (xxxvi.  32)  ;  and  these  added  words  were  the  cliapters  following  this  twentieth, 
 about  whose  dates  there  is  no  uncertainty,  for  each  prophecy  bears  a  special  heading  assigning 
 2c  401 
 
HOMILBTIC  COMMENTARY :  JEREMIAH. 
 
 ^^^  occasion  and  date  of  its  utterance.     This  prophecy  occurred  at  the  end  of  the  third  or 
 R^inninc."  of  the  fourth  year  of  Jehoiakim  (see  notes  on  chap,  xviii.). 
 
 2.  Contemporary  Scriptures. — The  events  came  closely  contiguous  to  the  records  in  2  Kings 
 xxiv.  1  ;  2  Chron.  xxxvi.  6. 
 
 3.  National  Affairs,  and  4.  Contemporaneous  History  (comp.  notes  on  chap.  vii).  The  capture 
 of  Jerusalem  by  Nebuchadnezzar  occurred  early  in  the  fourth  year  of  Jehoiakim's  reign. 
 
 5.  Geographical  Kef erences.  —  Ver.  2.  '^  The  high  gate  of  Benjamin."  There  was  the  City 
 gate  of  Benjamin  on  the  city's  northern  side,  and  towards  the  territory  of  Benjamin  (oh.  vii. 
 2,  xxxvii.  13,  xxxviii.  7) ;  and  there  was  the  Temxile  gate  of  Benjamin,  which  is  here  described 
 — "which  was  in  [not  hy]  the  house  of  the  Lord."  This  latter  was  called  the  "  High  gate" 
 because  situate  on  an  eminence,  and  to  distinguish  it  from  the  gate  in  the  city  wall. 
 
 6.  Personal  Allusions. — Ver.  1.  "  Pashur  the  son  of  Ivimer  the  priest."  Fashur  the  priest 
 was  head  of  the  sixteenth  course  of  the  priests  (1  Cbron.  xxiv.  14).  /mmer  was  one  of  the 
 original  governors  of  the  Sanctuary,  of  whom  there  were  twenty-four,  sixteen  sons  of  Eleazar, 
 and  eight  sons  of  Ithamar  (1  Chron.  xxiv.  14).  "  Pashur"  was  c/He/ governor,  and  from  com- 
 parison of  xxix.  25,  26,  with  lii.  24,  it  appears  tliat  the  temple-governor  occupied  rank  second 
 to  that  of  the  high  priest ;  was  deputy  high  priest  (cf  2  Kings  xxv.  18).  Pashur  was  head  of 
 the  twenty-four  "guards"  of  the  Temple,  and  had  the  right  of  apprehending  any  one  com- 
 mitting what  he  thought  an  outrage  within  the  precincts  of  the  house  of  God  ;  but  the  San- 
 hedrim alone  had  judicial  power  over  those  thus  apprehended  (comp.  xxvi.  8,  10,  16).  From 
 words  in  the  sixth  verse — "thou  hast  prophesied  lies" — it  is  evident  that  Pashur  assumed 
 prophetic  functions  ;  and  most  probably  Pashur's  ^'friends  "  (ver.  6)  formed  a  party  in  the  Jewish 
 state  who  clamoured  for  alliance  with  Egypt  in  order  to  resist  the  arms  of  Assyria,  and  of 
 whom  Pashur  was  the  moving  genius,. indulging  in  sanguine  predictions  of  security  and  suc- 
 cess {vide  chap,  xviii.  18,  and  v.  31).  Ver.  5.  *'  King  of  Babylon."  Nabopalassar  was 
 now  king  of  the  Babylonians.     {Vide  preliminary  note  on  Contemporary  History  to  chap,  i.) 
 
 7.  No  Natural  History  allusions  in  this  chapter. 
 
 8.  Manners  and  Customs. — Ver.  2.  "  Smote  Jeremiah  and  put  him  in  the  stocks :"  "  Smote  " 
 — probably  inflicting  the  legal  "forty  stripes  save  one."  '^ Stoclcs  " —  nD^HD,  an  instrument 
 of  torture,  from  "^Sn,  to  twist  or  raclc.  The  body  was  held  in  a  crooked  position,  the  neck, 
 hands,  and  feet  were  secured,  and  much  pain  was  suffered.  This  cruel  instrument  is  first 
 alluded  to  in  2  Chron.  xvi.  10,  and  there  rendered  "  prison-house." 
 
 9.  Literai-y  Criticisms. — Ver.  3.  '\3fago7--missabib."  {Vide  Lit.  Crit.  on  chap.  vi.  25.) 
 Pashur  l-inCi'S,  a  compound  word  ;  ^Q^  and  1-in> — probably  meaning,  though  derivation  is 
 uncertain,  "security  (or  prosperity,  joy)  around."  Jeremiah  would  be  prone  to  play  upon  the 
 meaning  of  the  name  he  changed:  the  new  name  meant  "Terror  on  every  side."  Jeremiah 
 uses  this  phrase  in  chap.  vi.  25,  xx.  3,  10,  xlvi.  5,  xlix.  29  ;  Lam.  ii.  22. 
 
 Ver.  5.  '^Strength  .  .  .  labours:"  Stores — provisions  laid  up  in  their  magazines  and 
 granaries  :  and  gains — fruits  of  industry,  the  profits  or  wealth  of  the  community. 
 
 Ver.  7.  "  Hast  deceived:"  from  nriS.  Used  in  Plel  both  in  a  good  and  bad  sense;  to 
 ^crs?<acile,  rendered  in  ver.  10  "  enticed."  He  was  unwilling  to  undertake  the  prophetic  office 
 (chap.  i.  7),  but  God  had  persuaded  him  with  promises  (i.  8,  17-19),  which,  however,  Jeremiah 
 had  misapprehended.     God  promised  no  immunity  from  abuse  but  that  he  should  "prevail." 
 
 "  Daily : "  all  the  day  long. 
 
 Ver.  8.  "  For  since  I  spahe,  I  cried  out,"  &c.  "  For  as  often  as  I  speak  or  cry,  I  must  cry 
 concerning  violence  and  ill-treatment." — Lange.  "  Whenever  I  speak,  1  must  shout ;  I  must 
 cry  violence  and  spoil."  The  two  words  ^'  cried,  cried,"  are  not  the  same  in  the  Hebrew  :  the 
 first  means  to  complain,  the  second  to  call  out,  proclaim,  "  For  as  often  as  I  speak  I  must 
 complain  ;  I  call  out  violence  and  spoil." — Speaker's  Com. 
 
 "  Word  of  the  Lord  was  made : "  is  made.     "  Daily  " — all  the  day  long. 
 
 Ver.  9.   "Then  I  said But  his  ivord  was."     Better:  "  And  ivhen  I  say  I  will  not,  &c. — 
 
 name,  then  it  becometh  in  my  heart,"  &c. 
 
 "  /  was  weary  with  forbearing,  and  J  could  not  stay."  I  weary  myself  to  hold  it  in,  but  can- 
 not {vide  chap.  vi.  11). 
 
 Ver.  10.  Read  the  verse  thus.  "For  I  hear  the  whispering  (detraction,  Henderson)  of  many, 
 fear  on  every  side  [Magor-missabib,  again]  ;  (saying)  Eeport  ye,  and  we  will  report  him.  All 
 my  familiars  [Lit.  the  men  of  my  peace  ;  Keil,  every  man  of  mj'  friendship]  watch  for  my  halting" 
 [my  fall — Henderson'].     Perhaps  they  say  "he  will  be  enticed,"  &c. 
 
 Ver.  11.  "A  mighty  terrible  one:  "  Rather,  a  formidable  warrior. 
 
 "Ashamed,  for  they  shall  not  prosper,'^  &c.  :  Rather,  ashamed,  because  they  have  not  acted 
 wisely;  with  an  everlasting  reproach  (disgrace)  that  shall  never  be  forgotten. 
 
 Ver.  12.   "  Opened  my  cause;"  On  Thee  have  I  rolled  my  cause,  comm,itted  it  {cf.  xi.  20). 
 
 HOMILETIC  OUTLINES  ON  SECTIONS  OF  CHAPTER  XX. 
 
 Section    1-6.  Persecution  of  the  faithful  prophet. 
 
 ,,       7-13.   Complaining  prayer  merging  into  godly  confidence. 
 ,,     14-18.  An  extravagant  dirge  over  an  unhappy  life. 
 
 402 
 
HOMILETIO  COMMENTARY :  JEREMIAH. 
 
 Section  1-6, — Persecution  of  the  Faithful  Prophet. 
 I.  Pashufs  unjust  disple§,sure  against  Jeremiah. 
 
 1.  The  impropriety  of  it.  I^Pashur  was  a  priest ;  and  Jeremiah,  being  also  of  the 
 priestly  order,  should  have  been  protected  by  him.  Moreover,  the  priests  of 
 Jehovah  should  have  been  prompt  and  zealous  to  second  the  work  of  a  prophet  of 
 Jehovah,   j 
 
 2.  The  malignity  of  it.  "  A  man's  foes  are  they  of  his  own  household."  Com- 
 pare the  action  of  Zedekiah  (the  false  priest,  1  Kings  xxii.  24) ;  and  of  those  foul 
 priests  (Matt.  xxvi.  67,  68).  "  The  greatest  malignity  to  God's  prophets  was  found 
 among  those  that  professed  sanctity  and  concern  for  God  and  His  church."   Pashur 
 
 /  found  his  own  sanguine  prophecies  hereby  refuted,  and  was  wroth.      (See  Fer 
 [    sonal  Allusions.) 
 
 3.  The  illegalUy  of  it.  "  Smote  him,"  perhaps  with  the  hand  or  staff  of 
 authority,  as  afterwards  Paul  was  smitten  (Acts  xxiii.  2).  But  Pashur  had  no 
 right  to  administer  justice  (see  note  on  verse  under  Personal  Allusions).  But  rules 
 of  justice  are  set  aside  :  "  The  enemies  of  piety  would  never  allow  themselves  to 
 be  governed  by  the  laws  of  equity." 
 
 4.  The  cruelty  of  it.  "  Put  in  stocks : "  and  thus  confined  through  the  night 
 into  next  day,  exposed  to  public  derision.  "  The  best  men  have  met  with  the 
 worst  treatment.  It  may  well  rouse  pious  indignation  to  see  such  a  man  as  Pashur 
 on  the  bench,  and  such  a  man  as  Jeremiah  in  the  stocks  !  It  is  well  that  there  is 
 another  life  after  this,  when  persons  and  things  will  appear  with  another  face," 
 
 II.  God's  just  displeasure  against  Pashur.  Jeremiah  "  suffered  and  threatened 
 not ;  "  but  when  released,  he  came  with  a  special  message  from  Jehovah. 
 
 1.  Did  Pashur  aim  to  malce  himself  easy,  by  silencing  one  who  told  him  his 
 faults,  and  which  endangered  his  reputation  with  the  people  ?     He  shall  not  gain 
 
 his  point,  for  nL/ayr 
 
 jk      (a.)  Though  the  prophet  should  be  silent,  his  oivn  conscience  shall  ma/ce  himjl^^^^^ 
 uneasy.     "  Magor-missahih."     God  can  make  a  sinner  a  "  terror  to  himself"  (ver.  4). /<!*'»*  t^ 
 Persons  in  deep  melancholy  also  become  a  terror  "  to  all  their  friends^'  about  them,  ij^^"'^ 
 •^    (6.)  His  friends,  in  whom  he  put  confidence  and  studied  to  oblige  in  persecuting  .^t^^uc 
 Jeremiah,  shall  all  fail  him  (ver.  4).j^<;,^JW|^J^J<^(^^^<k*'i?<»^ 
 
 (c.)  The  issue  shall  show  his  terror  fo  be  not  causeless,  for  Divine  vengeance 
 aivaited  him  (ver.  6).  Let  persecutors  read  the  doom  of  Pashur  and  tremble ; 
 tremble  to  repentance  before  they  be  made  to  tremble  to  their  ruin. 
 
 2.  Did  he  aim  to  malce  the  people  easy  by  stopping  Jeremiah's  warning  pro- 
 phecies ?  It  appears  from  ver.  6  that  he  set  himself  up  as  a  prophet,  and  told 
 the  people  they  should  have  peace.     Yet  the  word  of  God  will  have  its  course.        ^ 
 
 (a.)  The  country  shall  be  ruined  :  "  I  will  give  all  Judah,"  &c.  (ver.  4). 
 
 {h.)  The  city  shall  be  ruined  (ver.  5).  For  the  king  of  Babylon  shall  (1)  seize 
 their  military  stores,  "  the  strength  of  the  city ;  "  (2)  carry  off  their  wares  and 
 merchandise,  "their  labours;"  (3)  plunder  their  fine  houses  of  their  " precious 
 things  ;  "  (4)  rifle  the  exchequer,  the  jewels  of  the  crown  and  "  all  the  treasures  of 
 the  kings  of  Judah."     In  part  taken  from  Matthew  Henry. 
 
 See  Addenda:  Persecution  of  God's  Servants. 
 
 Section  7-1 3. — Complaining  Prayer  Merging  into  Godly  Confidence. 
 There  are  two  interpretations  of  this  outburst  of  intense  emotion — 
 
 1.  It  might  have  been  the  result  of  feelings  wounded  by  the  indignities  of  the 
 public  smiting  and  a  night  spent  in  the  stocks. 
 
 2.  It  was  more  probably  the  outcry  of  mental  agony  occasioned  by  the  seeming 
 failure  of  his  ministry  to  recal  his  nation  from  ungodliness  and  ruin. 
 
 It  should  be  noticed  that  though  Jeremiah  bows  before  God  crushed  by  distress  of 
 spirit,  he  betrays  nothing  of  this  before  the  people,  but  stands  before  the  midtitude 
 u'ith  heroic  valour,  warning  prince,  priest,  and  people  of  the  doom  their  sins  invoked. 
 
 403 
 
HOMILETIC  COMMENTARY:  JEREMIAH. 
 
 I.  A  painful  misapprehension  of  his  prophetic  mission. 
 
 1.  In  reference  to  wltat  God  had  done  ivith  him.     He  avows  that  Jehovah  had 
 (a.)  Persuaded  him  into  His  service  by  assurances  which  had  failed.     He  mis- 
 read God's  promise  (chap.  i.  8,  18). 
 
 (b.)  Constrained  him  wholly  against  his  will  to  a  painful  mission.  His  timid 
 nature  shrank  from  hardship. 
 
 (c.)  Exposed  him  to  derision  by  deferring  the  fulfilment  of  his  predictions. 
 Jeremiah  was  in  too  great  haste  for  God  to  vindicate  His  word. 
 
 2.  In  reference  to  ivhai  he  should  do  for  God.     He  was  tempted 
 
 [a.)  Temporarily  to  hold  back  from  further  witness  for  God.  Not  "  mention 
 His  name." 
 
 (6.)  Forcibly  to  suppress  the  prophetic  spirit  within  him.  But  it  proved  a 
 "  burning  fire  within  his  bones." 
 
 (c.)  He  even  "wearied"  himself  with  the  silence  he  imposed  upon  himself:  but 
 the  word  of  God  was  mightier  than  his  resolutions. 
 
 II.  An  alarming  experience  of  abuse  from  his  people. 
 
 1.  Scornful  defamation  of  his  preaching  (yqv.  10).  They  seem  to  have  summed 
 up  his  preaching  as  being  nothing  but  the  reiteration  of  the  words — "  Magor- 
 missabib,  i.e.,  "  Fear  on  every  side,"  and  derided  him  with  it.  He  was  a  preacher 
 of  fear  !  The  same  appears  from  ver.  8 — "  Whenever  I  spake  I  proclaimed  violence 
 and  spoil."  And  the  people  laughed  at  him  as  a  persistent  croaker — prophet  of 
 evil.  They  luhispered  among  themselves  against  him,  "  Here  is  '  Fear-on-every-side  ' 
 preaching  again  !  " 
 
 2.  Virulent  conspiracy  against  his  person.  They  resolve  to  "  report "  his  words 
 to  the  authorities  and  the  king,  and  so  bring  him  into  odium  and  punishment. 
 Further,  his  "  familiars"  joined  in  the  conspiracy,  and  while  feigning  to  be  "men 
 of  his  peace,"  yet  sought  occasion  to  betray  him. 
 
 in.  A  triumphant  assurance  of  Divine  protec  tion. 
 
 1.  That  Jehovah  would  defend  him  ivith  terrible  mightiness  (ver.  11).  He  knew 
 that  the  Lord  was  personally  "with"  him  :  on  his  side,  to  protect  him,  to  make 
 his  word  good,  to  ultimately  vindicate  him  against  "defamation  "  and  "  derision," 
 and  to  smite  terror  into  his  antagonists. 
 
 2.  That  his  persecutors  luoidd  be  defeated  ivith  terrible  disgrace.  Their  impotent 
 malice  and  crafty  designs  shall  fail  against  Jeremiah ;  while  their  own  overthrow 
 shall  involve  them  in  greatest  shame  and  perpetual  distress. 
 
 IV.  A  confident  surrender  of  his  cause  to  God. 
 
 1.  His  inmost  heart  was  opened  fully  to  Him  (ver.  12). 
 
 (a.)  God  knew  him  thoroughly  :  saw  all  the  thoughts  and  feelings  which  moved 
 ■vfrithin  him  ;  could  therefore  judge  him  righteously. 
 
 (6.)  To  God  he  entrusted  himself :  rolled  his  cause  on  Him.  He  sought  no  vindi- 
 cation or  help  elsewhere. 
 
 (c.)  God  would  right  him  with  his  traducers  :  "  Vengeance  belongeth  unto  God." 
 
 2.  His  grateful  soul  poured  itself  forth  in  praise  to  Him  (ver.  13). 
 
 (a.)  It  was  the  triumph  of  faith  over  fear.  His  complaints  are  all  silenced  and 
 turned  into  thanksgiving. 
 
 (6.)  It  rose  from  the  realisation  of  experienced  Providence  :  "  He  hath  delivered 
 the  soul  of  the  poor,"  &c.  Memory  came  in  to  his  aid ;  and  hope  rose  like  the 
 dawn  upon  the  night-gloom  of  his  despondency.  "  Hope  thou  in  God,  for  I  shall 
 yet  praise  Him,  who  is  the  health  of  my  countenance  and  my  God." 
 
 Section  14-18. — A  Passionate  Dirge  over  an  Unhappy  Life. 
 
 In  this  sudden  transition  of  trust  to  despair  we  see  a  revelation  of  the  inner 
 workings  of  Jeremiah's  heart,  consequent  upon  the  treatment  he  received  from  his 
 treacherous  friends  and  cruel  persecutors,  and  on  the  seeming  failure  of  his  pro- 
 phecies and  his  own  desertion  by  God  whose  prophet  he  was. 
 404 
 
HO  Ml  LET  I C  COMMENTARY:  JEREMIAH. 
 
 I.  It  is  not  to  be  denied  that  we  have  here  a  passionate  outbreak  of  human 
 infirmity.     But  this  display 
 
 1.  Proves  that  there  has  been  no  rese^'ve  2:)ractised  hy  the  prophets  ;  and  thus  we 
 see  a  portraiture  of  Jeremiah  delineated  in  his  true  colours  by  his  own  hand.  This 
 also 
 
 2.  Inspires  us  with  confidence  in  the  truth  of  the  narrative ;  and  also  excites  our 
 sympathy  with  Jeremiah  in  his  sufferings,  which  extorted  such  utterances  from 
 him. 
 
 Note,  that  as  it  was  with  Job  (iii.  3-26)  so  with  Jeremiah — he  tvas  purified  by 
 suffering.  After  the  passionate  utterances  in  this  chapter  we  see  no  more  evidence 
 of  iveahiess  or  impatience  in  Jeremiah.  On  the  contrary,  the  prophet,  who  now 
 was  vreak  and  desponding,  afterwards  strengthened  and  encouraged  others  (see 
 chap.  xlvi.  1-5). 
 
 II.  Here  also,  from  these  impatient  ejaculations  of  Jeremiah,  we  have  provi- 
 dentially clear  proof  that  the  theory  of  some  Jewish  interpreters  is  groundless,  by 
 which  Isaiah's  magnificent  and  mysterious  prophecy  concerning  the  Messiah 
 (chap,  liii.)  is  made  to  refer  to  Jeremiah. 
 
 1.  How  could  one  who  was  compassed  vnth  infirmity  and  betrayed  into  sin  (as 
 Jeremiah  shows  himself  to  have  been)  have  been  accepted — as  these  anti-Messianic 
 theorists  would  have  us  believe — as  a  vicarious  atonement  for  the  sins  of  the  world  ? 
 
 2.  In  his  sufferings,  Jeremiah  was  a  signal  type  of  Christ :  especially  in  the  cruel 
 and  shameful  usage  he  received  from  those  to  whom  he  preached,  and  whom  he 
 would  have  delivered  from  ruin  had  they  listened  to  his  preaching.  But  in  all 
 hximan  types  of  Christ  there  are  some  blemishes  vfhich  separate  them  immeasurably 
 from  the  Divine  Antitype. 
 
 3.  Christ  always  excels  where  they  most  fail.  Jeremiah  fails  in  his  impatience 
 under  persecution,  in  repining  against  God,  and  in  murmuring  at  his  own  condition. 
 There  Christ  excels.  His  meat  was  to  do  His  Father's  will  (John  iv.  34)  ;  and,  in 
 the  immediate  prospect  of  suffering,  His  language  was,  "  Now  is  the  Son  of  Man 
 glorified,  and  God  is  glorified  in  Him  "  (John  xiii.  31  ;  comp.  Heb.  xii.  2). 
 
 III.  Here  we  have  evidence  of  the  greater  grace  given  after  the  Incarnation 
 than  had  ever  been  vouchsafed  to  those  who  lived  before  it. 
 
 Two  of  the  greatest  saints  and  sufferers.  Job  and  Jeremiah — one  the  saint  and 
 sufferer  of  the  Patriarchal  dispensation,  the  other  the  suffering  prophet  of  the 
 Mosaic  economy — are  so  perturbed  by  suffering  that  they  curse  the  day  of  their 
 birth. 
 
 But  (as  Chrysostom  observes  in  Hom.  iv.  on  the  patience  of  Job)  the  apostles  of 
 Christ  rejoiced  in  tribulation,  and  were  thankful  to  God  that  they  were  counted 
 ivorthy  to  suffer  for  His  name. — Arra7iged  from  Wordsworth. 
 
 HOMILIES  AND  COMMENTS  ON  VERSES  OP  CHAPTER  XX. 
 
 Ver.  4.   Theme :  The  Wicked,  Tee-  are   fortified     in    their     self-confidence 
 
 RIFIED   AND  TERRIFYING.      "  For  thus  by   boastful    conduct   of     fellow-trans- 
 
 saith  the    Lord,    Behold,   I  will   make  gressors. 
 
 thee   a   terror  to    thyself    and   to    all  II.  A  guilty  man's  confidence  may 
 
 thy  friends."  be   turned  into  terror  and  amaze. 
 
 I.  A  guilty   man   may   enjoy   con-  1.   God  can  do  it,  does  do  it,  will  do 
 
 fidence,    and     inspire    confidence    in  it.     He    can   make    the    most   daring 
 
 others.     This  is  evident  here.     Unless  sinner  a  terror  to  himself,  and  will  find 
 
 so,  it  would  not  be  needful  for  God  to  a  way  to  alarm  him. 
 
 act  to  change  confidence  into  terror.  2.   Conviction   of  sin  arouses  terror. 
 
 1.  Sinners  live  on  in  easy  but  tran-  Example  :  John  Banyan.  See  also 
 sient  security.  his    Christian   before    Sinai,    in    "  Pil- 
 
 2.  The    ^^  friends "    of   ungodly    men  grim's  Progress." 
 
 405 
 
HOMILETIC  COMMENTARY :  JEREMIAH. 
 
 3.  Sudden  peril  of  life  or  risk  of 
 luorldly  gains  startle  him  to  agonising 
 apprehensions. 
 
 4.  Beatlis  darkness  and  eternity's 
 oiearness  will  certainly  appal  him. 
 "  How  wilt  thou  do  in  the  swellings 
 of  Jordan  ? " 
 
 5.  On  the  Judgment  Day,  what  terror 
 will  seize  the  guilty.  "  Rocks  fall  on 
 us,  and  hide  us,"  &c. 
 
 III.  A  guilty  man's  terror  will 
 alarm  his  friends. 
 
 1.  A  sinner  u'hose  hilarity  and  reck- 
 lessness have  changed  into  alarm  for 
 guilt  and  dread  of  doom,  is  like  an 
 apparition  at  the  feast  of  worldly 
 soids.  Banquo's  ghost.  His  tremblings 
 and  terrors  alarm  them,  communicating 
 fear  to  their  souls. 
 
 2.  A  sinner's  deathbed  has  of  ten  filled 
 observers  with  awful  fears  for  themselves. 
 
 See  Addenda:  The  Wicked  a 
 Terror. 
 
 Comments — 
 
 "  Wherein  did  his  (Pashur's)  punish- 
 ment consist  ?  Probably  in  this.  He 
 was  one  of  the  leading  men  who,  in 
 encouraging  Jehoiakim  to  enter  upon 
 that  course  which  ended  in  the  ruin  of 
 Judah,  had  "  prophesied  lies."  When, 
 then,  he  saw  the  dreadful  slaughter  of 
 his  countrymen, — Jehoiakim  put  to 
 death,  his  young  son  dragged  into  cap- 
 tivity, and  the  land  stripped  of  all  that 
 was  best — his  conscience  so  condemned 
 liim  as  the  guilty  cause  of  such  great 
 misery,  that  in  the  agonies  of  remorse 
 lie  became  a  terror  to  himself  and  his 
 friends." — Speaker's  Com. 
 
 Ver.  7.  Theme :  Is  God  a  Deceiver  % 
 The  word  "  deceived "  should  be 
 "enticed"  or  "persuaded."  Comp.  Gen. 
 ix.  27;  Prov.  xxv.  15;  Hos.  ii.  14,  in 
 which  last  text  the  word  is  rendered 
 "  allure."  God  can  induce  but  never 
 delude. 
 
 I.  God  has  approved  Himself  to  all 
 His  servants  as  a  faithful  Master.  He 
 lias  never  decoyed  them  ;  never  deserted 
 them. 
 
 II.  Servants  of  God  may  deceive 
 themselves  in  His  service  by  sanguine 
 expectations. 
 
 40G 
 
 1.  Jeremiah  misapprehended  God's 
 tvords  of  promise  and  assurance.  The 
 words  (chap.  i.  10)  were  interpreted 
 by  him  in  a  flattering  sense.  He  ex- 
 pected general  homage  to  be  paid  him 
 as  God's  messenger. 
 
 2.  But  he  knew  the  condition  of 
 p)rophetic  work  in  all  ages.  All  God's 
 messengers  before  him  had  been  per- 
 secuted, and  he  had  no  reason  to  look 
 for  a  better  lot, 
 
 3.  Further,  God  emphatically  stated 
 that  princes  and  priests  woidd  treat  him 
 ill.  "They  shall  fight  against  thee" 
 (chap.  i.  19). 
 
 4.  All  Christian  workers  are  dis- 
 tinctly foreivarned  of  the  troubles  they 
 
 will  meet  (John  xvi.  1,  2).  ^\  ^ 
 
 III.  The  persuasions  of  God  over-      ^ 
 power    our    natural    reluctance    and  -^  ** 
 fears.     "  Thou   wast   stronger  than  I,   ^ 
 and  hast  prevailed." 
 
 1.  His  2oleas  luere  refuted.  He  urged 
 that  he  was  under  age,  and  unequal  to 
 the  office.  God  took  all  reality  out  of 
 his  arguments  by  assuring  him  that  He 
 had  "  sanctified  "  him  to  this  work,  and 
 by  equipping  him  for  the  task  (chap.  i.  9). 
 
 2.  His  temerity  tvas  overruled.  He 
 was  afraid  of  facing  the  authorities 
 and  contending  with  them.  But  God 
 summoned  him  not  to  be  "dismayed 
 at  their  faces,"  and  made  him  "a 
 defenced  city,"  &c. 
 
 Even  so  out  of  weakness  God  makes 
 strong  "  the  weak  things  of  the  world 
 to  confound  the  mighty."  He  is  able 
 to  make  all  grace  abound.  Thus  He 
 surprises  us  by  making  us  "  able  to 
 do  exceeding  abundantly  above  all  we 
 think."  Yet  He  never  deceives  or 
 disappoints  a  soul. 
 
 Ver.  7.  Theme :  Mocking  at  the 
 Preacher.  "  I  am  in  derision  daily, 
 every  one  mocketh  me." 
 
 Two  forms  of  this  irritating  con- 
 tinually assailed  him, 
 
 I.  Ofllcial  ridicule. 
 
 1.  They  made  jest  of  everything  he 
 did  and  said.  They  treated  him  as  if 
 he  were  a  fool,  good  for  nothing  but 
 to  make  sport.     Thus  he  was — 
 
 (a.)  Continually, —  "  daily,"  liter- 
 ally "  all  the  day  long." 
 
EOMILETIG  COMMENTARY:  JEREMIAH. 
 
 (b.)  Universally,  "  Every  one  mocks 
 me." 
 
 "  The  greatest  so  far  forget  their  oivn 
 gravity,  and  the  meanest  so  far  forget 
 viine.'" 
 
 Thus  our  Lord  on  the  Cross  was 
 reviled  both  by  priest  and  people. 
 
 2.  His  %>reacliing  was  the  special 
 object  of  their  derision  (ver.  8).  That  for 
 ■which  they  should  have  honoured  and 
 respected  him  was  the  very  thing  for 
 which  they  reviled  and  reproached  him. 
 It  is  sad  to  think  that  though 
 Divine  Revelation  be  one  of  the  great- 
 est blessings  and  honours  ever  bestowed 
 on  the  world,  yet  it  has  been  very  much 
 turned  to  tlie  reproach  of  the  most 
 zealous  preachers  and  believers. 
 
 Two  things  they  derided  him  for — 
 (a.)  The  manner  of  his  preaching  : 
 "  Since  he  spake,  he  cried  out."  He 
 was  too  vigorous  and  loud  in  his  preach- 
 ing. Lively  preachers  are  the  scorn  of 
 careless  unbelieving  hearers. 
 
 (6.)  The  matter  of  his  preaching  :  He 
 cried,  "  Violence  and  spoil."  He  re- 
 proved them  for  "  violence  and  spoil " 
 toward  one  another,  and  for  this  they 
 ridiculed  him  as  over-precise  ;  and  he 
 prophesied  of  *'  violence  and  spoil "  as 
 the  punishment  of  their  sin,  and  for  this 
 they  reviled  him  as  over-credulous. 
 
 II.  Personal  reproach.  Not  merely 
 did  they  laugh  at  his  ministry,  but  they 
 acted  a  more  spiteful  part,  and  with 
 Hiore  subtlety. 
 ^y  1.  They  spread  false  reports  of  him 
 (ver.  10).  They  represented  Jere- 
 miah as  instilling  "  fears  on  every  side," 
 so  to  make  them  uneasy  under  the 
 government,  and  disposed  to  rebellion. 
 
 Jeremiah,  in  his  complaint,  makes 
 use  of  the  same  words  that  David  (Ps. 
 xxxi.  13)  had  used  before  him,  that  it 
 might  be  a  comfort  to  him  to  think  that 
 other  good  men  had  suffered  like  abuses 
 before  him. 
 
 y  2.  Flatterers  watched  his  tvords  for 
 an  occasion  of  accusation  against  him 
 to  the  government.  "  My  familiars 
 watched  for  my  halting,"  &c.  Just  as 
 the  spies  came  to  Christ  feigning  to 
 be  just  men  (Luke  xx.  20).  They 
 hoped  Jeremiah  would  be  led  on  and 
 enticed  to    say    something   which  they 
 
 might  seize  upon,  and  for  which  they 
 could  secure  his  condemnation  before 
 the  king  or  Sanhedrim. 
 
 This  malignant  treachery  found  full- 
 est illustration  in  Jeremiah's  Divine 
 Antitype,  Jesus  Christ,  against  wljom 
 they  laid  wait,  and  "suborned  men" 
 for  the  purpose  to  *'  entangle  Him  in 
 His  talk  that  they  might  accuse  Hini 
 to  the  governor"  (Matt.  xxii.  15). — 
 Oomp.  Wordsivorth  and  Matthew  Hairy. 
 
 See  Addenda :  Deriding  the 
 Pkeachee. 
 
 Ver.  9.  Theme:  The  Soul  under 
 Discouragement. 
 
 We  behold  here  the  struggle  between 
 grace  and  corruption  :  or  as  Paul  ex- 
 presses it,  "  the  flesh  lusting  against 
 the  Spirit,  and  the  Spirit  against  the 
 flesh."  And  when  we  see  how  awfully 
 an  unhallowed  temper  prevailed  over 
 this  good  man  Jeremiah,  we  cannot 
 but  exclaim :  "  Lord,  what  is  man 
 that  Thou  art  mindful  of  him,"  &c. 
 
 In  the  conflict  here  expressed  we 
 behold 
 
 ^/i.  The  effects  of  discouragement  on 
 a  pious  soul. 
 
 1.  In  our  labours  for  the  good  of 
 others.  Mini§iej^s  are  apt  to  complain 
 that  ''they  have  laboured  in  vain  and 
 spenl  theiF  strength  for  noughT; "  and 
 under  ttreSS" feelings,  either  desert  their 
 post,  or  lament  that  they  have  not  been 
 more  profitably  employed. 
 
 Moses  thus  erred  (Exod.  v.  22,  23). 
 Joshua  also  after  his  entrance  into 
 Canaan  (Josh.  vii.  7). 
 
 Parents  likewise  mourn  over  their 
 children,  masters  over  their  servants, 
 teachers  over  the  poor  they  instruct, 
 &c. 
 
 2.  In  our  exertions  for  our  own 
 souls.  Persons,  when  first  "  enticed " 
 or  "  persuaded  "  to  embrace  the  Gospel, 
 fondly  imagine  that  they  will  go  for- 
 ward in  the  divine  life  with  ease.  Con- 
 flicts come,  and  slow  progress  is  made. 
 Then  they  complain,  "  my  way  is  hid 
 from  the  Lord,"  &c.  (Isa.  xl.  27).  Such 
 apprehension  is  most  enervating. 
 
 IL  The  effect  of  piety  on  a  dis- 
 couraged soul.  Jeremiah  attempted 
 for  a  season  to  execute  his  rash  deter- 
 
 407 
 
HOMILETIG  COMMENTARY :  JEREMIAH. 
 
 mination,  but  could  not  persist,  for  the 
 word,  of  God  was  like  a  burning  fire  in 
 his  bones,  so  that  he  must  declare  it. 
 
 Thus  will  grace  work  in  every  soul 
 even  under  deepest  discouragements. 
 
 1.  To  shame  our  querulous  impatience. 
 When  David  had  given  vent  to  queru- 
 lousness,  he  corrected  himself  (Ps.  Ixxiii. 
 12-16,  Ixxvii.  7-10).  We  complain  of 
 our  non-success.  Prophets  and  apostles 
 have  done  so  before  us.  We  should  wait 
 (Heb.  ii.  3). 
 
 2.  To  7-evive  our  languid  hopes.  Grace 
 will  bring  to  our  view  God's  pro- 
 mises ;  assure  us  that  "  His  arm  is  not 
 shortened/'  &c. 
 
 3.  To  resuscitate  our  drooping  ener- 
 gies. Jeremiah  was  "  weary  with  for- 
 bearing," even  more  than  with  execut- 
 ing his  mission.  And  if  grace  have  its 
 perfect  work  in  us,  so  we  shall  be.  Our 
 labours,  both  ministerial  and  personal,  will 
 be  renewed.  God  has  said,  "  Be  not 
 weary  in  well-doing,  for  in  due  season," 
 &c.  And  depending  on  His  word,  we 
 shall  go  forward,  "steadfast  and  im- 
 movable, always  abounding  in  the 
 work  of  the  Lord." 
 
 (a.)  Expect  discouragements  in  every 
 part  of  your  duty.  They  are  God's 
 appointed  means  for  trying  our  faith 
 and  love,  and  for  increasing  every 
 divine  grace  in  us. 
 
 (6.)  Make  them  occasions  for  glorify- 
 ing Qod  the  more.  If  we  have  "  fight- 
 ings without  and  fears  within,"  we 
 must  go  the  more  earnestly  to  God, 
 and  rely  the  more  firmly  on  His  pro- 
 mised aid.  Instead  of  sinking  under 
 discouragements,  we  must  say  :  "  Who 
 •:irt  thou,  O  great  mountain?  Before 
 Zerubbabel  thou  shalt  become  a  plain." 
 — Simeon. 
 
 Ver.  12.  Theme:  God  the  He  a  et- 
 Se ARCHER.  See  Homilies  on  chap.  xi. 
 20,  xxvii.  10. 
 
 Ver.  13.  Theme:  The  Sokg  op 
 Redemption. 
 
 Immediately  he  had  "opened"  or 
 coiumitted  "his  cause"  to  God,  he 
 could  sing  for  joy. 
 
 I.  Faith  grasped  a  fact  as  yet  in  the 
 future.  Jeremiah's  outward  circum- 
 408 
 
 stances  were  still  disturbed  and  perilous. 
 But  he  now  realises  God's  sufficiency 
 and  fidelity,  even  as  before  (ver.  7)  he 
 had  distrusted  Him. 
 
 Faith  turned  his  tremblings  into 
 triumphs. 
 
 So  the  soul  when  Christ's  sufficiency 
 and  faithfulness  are  apprehended.  "  Lo  ! 
 this  is  the  Lord,  we  have  waited  for 
 Him,  we  will  be  glad  and  rejoice  in 
 His  salvation." 
 
 II.  Joy  filled  his  soul  over  God's 
 gracious  rescue.  His  soul  had  been 
 ^' poor ;"  poor  in  courage,  poor  in  faith, 
 poor  in  grace. 
 
 ^'■Evil-doers"  had  his  soul  in  their 
 "  hand." 
 
 But  God  had  redeemed  his  said  from 
 destruction. 
 
 III.  Songs  of  praise  silenced  sighs 
 of  complaint.  He  found  peace  imme- 
 diately he  could  leave  his  cause  in  faith 
 to  God. 
 
 Complaints  are  now  exchanged  for 
 thanksgiving,  when  once  the  soul  knows 
 its  Redeemer. 
 
 God's  loving-kindness  and  grace  over- 
 whelms the  soul  with  rejoicing. 
 
 We  may  app>eal  to  every  soul  for 
 whom  the  redemption  of  Calvary  has 
 been  effectively  wrought  by  Christ,  and 
 which  is  offered  to  sinners  "  without 
 money  and  without  price  " — "  Sing  unto 
 the  Lord,  praise  ye  the  Lord." 
 
 "  0  for  this  love  let  rocks  and  hills 
 Their  lasting  silence  break, 
 And  all  harmonious  human  tongues, 
 Their  Saviour's  praises  speak." 
 
 Vers.  14-18.  Theme :  Impreca- 
 tions ON  HIS  Birth.  See  Sectional 
 treatment,  supra. 
 
 The  Rev.  John  Owen,  in  editing 
 Calvin's  Commentaries  in  this  place, 
 remarks — 
 
 "  The  greatest  difficulty  in  this 
 passage  is  its  connection.  That  Jere- 
 miah should  have  cursed  his  birthday 
 is  Avhat  can  be  accounted  for  as  in  the 
 case  of  Job.  Nature,  even  in  the  best  of 
 men,  sometimes  utters  its  voice.  But  how 
 he  came  to  do  this  immediately  after 
 having  thanked  God  for  his  deliver- 
 ance seems  .singular.  The  explana- 
 tion uf  Calvin,  that  lie  relates  what  had 
 
EOMILETIC  COMMENTARY:  JEREMIAS. 
 
 passed  in  his  mwif/,  while  he  was  con-  ought  every  one  of  us  to  ivatch  himself ,\Q%t 
 
 lined  by  Pashur,  is  plausible,  and  has  we  be  carried  away  by  a  violent  feeling, 
 
 been  adopted  by   Grotius,  Henry,   and  so  as  to  become  intemperate  and  unruly, 
 
 others.     Scott  acknowledges  the  transi-  "  iii.  Yet  the  origin  of  his  zeal  was 
 
 tion     to    be   very    extraordinary,    but  right.     His  complaint  was  not  that  he 
 
 thinks  that  the  Prophet  describes  what  ivas  afflicted  with  disease,  &c.,  but  be- 
 
 had  passed  through  his  own  mind,  and  cause  all  his  labour  was  lost  tvhich  he 
 
 says  that  the  experience  of  good  men  spent  for   the  well-being  of  his  people, 
 
 proves  that  such  sudden  changes  occur.  and  because  he  found  the  truth  of  God 
 
 '  An    experimental    acquaintance    with  loaded  with  calumnies  and   reproaches, 
 
 our   own    hearts,'    he    says,    *  and    the  When  he  saw  the  ungodly  thus  inso- 
 
 variations  of  our  passions  under  sharp  lently  resisting  him,  and  that  all  religion 
 
 trials,    as  encouraging  or  discouraging  was  treated  with  ridicule,  he  felt  deeply 
 
 thoughts  occur  to  our  minds,  will  best  moved. 
 
 enable  us   to  understand   it.'     This  is  "  iv.  Yet  when  we  thus  become  weary 
 
 probably  the  right  view  of  the  subject."  of  life,  with  all  the  light  and  blessings  of 
 
 "  L    The    Prophet    teaches   us    here  God,  it  is  because  disdain  reigns  within 
 
 that   he    was    not     only    opposed    by  us,  or  that  we  cannot  tvith  resignation 
 
 enemies,    but  also    distressed   inwardly  bear  reproaches,  or  that  poverty  is  too 
 
 in  his  mind,    so  that  he  was    carried  grievous    for   us,   &c.     Often  it  is  not 
 
 away,    contrary     to    reason    and    judg-  that   we   (as  with  Jeremiah)   are   influ- 
 
 ment,     by    turbulent    emotions    which  enced  with  zeal  for  God." — Calvin. 
 even  led  him  to  give  utterance  to  vile 
 
 blasphemies.  On  Ver.  15.    See  Introduction.    Part 
 
 "  ii.  We  may  learn  ivith  what  care  I. — "  Parentage  and  Calling." 
 
 NOTICEABLE  TOPIC  IN  CHAPTER  XX. 
 Topic :  Existence  Regretted. — "  Ciirsed  be  the  day  wherein  I  was  born  "  (ver,  14). 
 
 Job  and  Jeremiah  were  alike  in  wishing  they  had  never  been  born.  They  were 
 both  men  of  sorrow.  In  the  intensity  of  his  grief  Job  exclaimed,  "  Let  the  day 
 perish  wherein  1  was  born  ; "  and  Jeremiah  in  equal  mental  anguish  cries,  "  Cursed 
 be  the  day,"  &c.     Certainly  this  was 
 
 I.  A  preference  alike  irreligious  and  irrational. 
 
 1.  Good  men  should  not  for  a  moment  think  that  non-existence  is  preferable  to 
 life  and  being.  They  were  both  good  men,  children  of  God  \  and  existence  was 
 therefore  a  blessing  to  be  prized,  not  an  evil  to  be  mourned  over.  Had  they  been 
 versed  in  the  design  and  results  of  Divine  disj)ensations,  as  was  Paul,  they  would 
 have  said,  "  Our  light  afflictions,  which  are  but  for  a  moment,"  &c.  With  siich  a 
 destiny  before  them,  instead  of  cursing  the  day  of  birth,  they  would  have  blessed  it 
 as  the  dawn  of  an  eternal  existence,  to  be  hereafter  crowned  with  a  glory  that 
 fadeth  not  away. 
 
 2.  Ungodly  men  may  with  some  degree  of  reason  prefer  non-existence  :  because 
 in  troiMe  they  have  no  Divine  support,  in  death  no  good  hope,  in  eternity  no 
 expectation  but  the  penalty  of  sin.  Such  men,  when  the  sorrows  of  death  encom- 
 pass them,  or  when  ushered  into  the  eternal  world,  have  good  reason  to  say, 
 "  Cursed  be  the  day  wherein  I  was  born." 
 
 II.  Non-existence  is  preferable  to  existence  unless  existence  possess  more 
 pleasure  than  pain. 
 
 1.  If  every  ungodly  man  lived  out  threescore  years  and  ten,  and  the  ivhole  ivas 
 s2oe7it  in  pleasure,  yet,  as  that  period  is  but  momentary  as  compared  with  his 
 eternal  existence,  and  as  that  existence  is  to  be  one  of  pain,  he  might  curse  the  day 
 of  his  birth. 
 
 3.  Existence,  eternal  existence  is  a  blessing  to  all  unfcdlen  ones,  and  also  to  such 
 fallen  ones  as  are   redeemed  by  the  death  of  Christ.     It  requires  no  stretch  of 
 
 409 
 
CHAP.  XX.  BO  MI  LET IC  COMMENTARY :  JEREMIAH. 
 
 imagination  to  suppose  that  both  Job  and  Jeremiah  are  now  praising  and  blessing 
 God  for  that  very  day  which  in  the  time  of  their  earthly  sorrows  they  cursed. 
 
 3.  But  perpetuity  of  existence  can  be  no  blessing  to  the  "  angels  who  Icept  not 
 their  first  estate,'^  nor  to  those  of  the  human  race  who  by  impenitence  and  unbelief 
 reject  the  great  salvation,  and  bring  upon  themselves  the  double  condemnation — 
 the  condemnation  of  the  law  and  the  condemnation  of  the  gospel. 
 
 III.  Hell  and  heaven  are  two  great  teachers ;  they  teach  lessons  which  are 
 not  learnt  on  earth,  and  wonderfully  alter  men's  views  of  Divine  dispensations  and 
 revealed  truths. 
 
 1.  Hell  teaches — the  folly  of  wickedness,  the  full  enormity  of  sin  in  the  penalty 
 it  has  entailed,  and  leads  all  its  victims  amid  the  consequences  of  their  depravity 
 to  curse  the  day  wherein  they  were  born. 
 
 2.  Heaven  teaches — the  wisdom  of  holiness,  the  full  benefits  of  redemption  in 
 the  felicity  it  has  secured,  and  leads  all  the  ransomed  to  bless  the  day  of  their 
 birth  as  the  morn  of  their  noontide  of  glory. 
 
 Here  we  "  know  in  part  "  and  can  "  prophesy  but  in  part."  Fuller  and  wider 
 disclosures  are  made  when  the  spirit  is  ushered  into  that  world. 
 
 Having  thus  seen  that  there  are  in  some  cases  reasons  for  cursing  the  day  of 
 one's  birth,  let  it  be  remembered  that 
 
 IV.  God  is  not  willing  that  any  should  have  occasion  for  preferring  non- 
 existence. 
 
 1.  He  ha^  devised  and  carried  out  a  costly  plan  by  which  the  existence  of  fallen 
 ones  might  be  made  an  eternal  blessing.  This  plan  was  published  in  Eden,  fore- 
 shadowed in  type,  proclaimed  by  prophets,  and  consummated  in  the  death  of  Jesus 
 Christ.     On  the  cross  He  announced  "  It  is  finished." 
 
 2.  Every  man  who  now  wishes  for  a  glorious  existence  has  only  to  look  to  Jesus 
 and  be  saved.  Myriads  have  looked,  and  a  blessed  immortality  is  their  portion  : 
 myriads  have  refused  to  look,  and  a  wretched  immortality  is  their  inheritance. 
 
 Life  is  a  solemn  thing.    It  has  in  it  everlasting  perpetuity;  and  so  also  has  death. 
 
 "  It  is  not  all  of  life  to  live, 
 •  Nor  all  of  death  to  die." 
 
 Life  and  death  are  only  the  seed-time  :  a  harvest  follows,  that  of  bliss  or  woe. 
 Inspiration  answers  the  inquiry,  What  harvest  shall  I  reap  ?  thus — "  Be  not 
 deceived,  God  is  not  mocked  ;  whatsoever  a  man  soweth,  that  shall  he  also  reap  : 
 he  that  soweth  to  the  flesh  shall  of  the  flesh  reap  corruption ;  he  that  soweth  to 
 the  Spirit  shall  of  the  Spirit  reap  life  everlasting." — Arranged  from  Rev.  D. 
 Pledge's  "  Morning  and  Evening  Walks  with  Jeremiah." 
 
 ADDENDA  TO  CHAPTER  XX.    ILLUSTRATIONS  AND  SUGGESTIVE  EXTRACTS. 
 
 Vers.  1-6.    Persecution   of    God's  [Contra  Arian].     But   heretics   are   to 
 
 Servants.  be    stoned   with  Scripture  arguments ; 
 
 ^^  Smote  Jeremiah:"  with  his  fist,  q,s  and   men  may  a   good  deal   sooner  be 
 
 Zedekiah  smote  Micaiah  (1  Kings  xxii.  cudgelled   into    a    treaty   than    into    a 
 
 24),    and  as  Bonner  did   Hawkes  and  tenet. 
 
 other  martyrs,  pulling  off  part  of  their  "Put  him  in  the  stocks :  "  "As  they 
 
 beards;  or  with  a  staff  as  our  Saviour  afterwards   did    Paul    and   Silas    (Acts 
 
 was   struck   (Matt.    xxvi.    67);  and  as  xvi.)  ;  Clerinus  the  martyr,  mentioned 
 
 that  Popish  bishop,  degrading  a  martyr  in    Cyprian's   epistles  ;  Mr.    Philpot  in 
 
 minister,    struck    him    so    hard    with  the  Bishop  of  London's  coal-house  ;  and 
 
 his  crosier-staff  as  he  was  kneeling  on  that  good  woman,  who,  suffering  after- 
 
 the    stairs  at    St.    Paul's,   that  he  fell  \Aards  for  the  same  cause,  rejoiced  much 
 
 down  backwards  and   broke  his   head.  that  her  leg  was  put  in  the  same  hole 
 
 Atqui  lapidandi  sunt  hceretici  sacrarum  of  the   stocks  where  Philpot's  leg  had 
 
 literarum  argumentis,  saith  Athanasius  lain  before." — Trapp. 
 410 
 
EOMILETW  COMMENTARY :  JEREMIAH. 
 
 CHAP.  XXt. 
 
 "  And  when  religious  sects  ran  mad, 
 He  held,  in  spite  of  all  his  learning, 
 Tiiat  if  a  man's  belief  is  bad, 
 
 It  will  not  be  improyed  by  burning." 
 — Praed. 
 
 Ver.  4.  The  "wicked  a  terror. 
 
 "  Such  terror  befell  Tullus  Hostilius, 
 king  of  Kome,  who  had  for  his  gods 
 Pavor  and  Pallor.  Dignissimus  sane 
 qui  deos  suos  semper  haheret  proesentes, 
 saith  Lactantius  wittily  ;  i.e.,  great  pity 
 but  this  man  should  ever  have  had  his 
 gods  at  hand,  since  he  was  so  fond  of 
 them.  Our  Richard  III.  and  Charles  IX. 
 of  France,  a  pair  of  bloody  princes,  were 
 Magor-missabibs  in  their  generations, 
 as  terrible  at  length  to  themselves  as 
 they  had  been  formerly  to  others ;  and 
 therefore  could  never  endure  to  be 
 awakened  in  the  night  without  music  or 
 some  like  diversion." — Trapp. 
 
 "  Unnatural  deeds 
 Do  breed  unnatural  troubles  :  infected  minds 
 To    their  deaf  pillows  will   discharge  their 
 secrets. " — Shakespeare. 
 
 "  Here,  here  it  lies  ;  a  lump  of  lead  by  day  ; 
 And  in  my  short,  distracted,  nightly  slumbers, 
 The  hag  that  rides  my  dreams." — Dryden. 
 
 "  He  that  hides  a  dark  soul  and  foul  thoughts, 
 Benighted  walks  under  the  mid-day  sun ; 
 Himself  is  his  own  dungeon." — Milton. 
 
 "Horror  and  doubt  distract 
 His  troubled  thoughts,  and  from  the  bottom 
 
 stir 
 The  hell  within  him  ;  for  within  him  hell 
 He  brings,  and  round  about  him ;  nor  from 
 
 hell 
 One  step,  no  more  than  from  himself,  can  fly 
 By  change  of  place." — Byron. 
 
 Tiberius  declared  in  the  Senate  that 
 he  suflfered  death  daily. 
 
 Ver.  7.  Deriding  the  preacher. 
 
 See  the  Life  of  John  Wesley  for  in- 
 stances. 
 
 "  The  cynics  said  long  ago  of  the 
 Megarians,  *  Better  be  their  horse,  dog, 
 or  pander  than  their  teacher,  for  better 
 should  he  be  regarded.'" — Trapp. 
 
 A  modern  rhyme  puts  the  case  thus — 
 
 "  Tickle  the  people  and  make  them  grin. 
 Tickle  them  more  and  you  will  win  : 
 Teach  the  people  ;  you'll  ne'er  grow  rich, 
 But  live  like  a  beggar  and  die  in  a  ditch." 
 
 Ver.  14.  Jeremiah's  discourage- 
 ment. 
 
 "  What  was  the  cause  of  this  dis- 
 couragement 1  He  does  not  leave  us  in 
 the  dark  as  to  this  :  he  tells  us  that  he 
 *  heard  the  defaming  of  many  ' — '  My 
 familiars  watched  for  my  halting,'  &c. 
 This  was  well  suited  to  dismay  a  man 
 of  Jeremiah's  temper ;  but  he  again 
 speedily  comes  back  to  his  trust  in  God  : 
 — *  But  the  Lord  is  with  me.' 
 
 "  It  is  possible  that  on  some  occasion 
 Jeremiah  had,  under  the  influence  ot 
 such  feelings  as  he  so  often  expresses, 
 been  tempted  to  soften  or  to  suppress 
 some  part  of  a  message  entrusted  to  him, 
 deeming  it  likely  to  excite  that  violent 
 antagonism  which  was  grievous  to  his 
 peaceful  temper.  The  man  who  had 
 confessedly  purposed  not  to  speak  at 
 all,  might  think  of  withholding  part  of 
 the  words  he  was  commanded  to  speak. 
 This  supposition  would  give  added  force 
 to  the  injunction,  which  on  one  occasion 
 he  received  : — '  Speak  all  the  words  that 
 I  command  thee  to  speak  unto  them. 
 Diminish  not  a  word.'  So  here  also  he 
 found  that  there  was  no  discretion  left 
 to  him." — Kitto. 
 
 CHAPTEE  XXI. 
 
 CuiTiCAL  AND  ExEGETiCAL  iN'oTES. — 1.  Chronology  of  the  Chapter.  Beginning  of  Zedekiah's 
 reign.  Vide  Notes,  and  especially  Personal  Allusions  to  chap.  i.  Usher  dates  the  chapter  B.C. 
 689  ;  Hales  B.C.  587. 
 
 2.  Contemporary  Scriptures. — 2  Kings  xxiv.  17 — xxv.  2.  Daniel  had  been  prophesying  at 
 Babylon  from  the  time  of  the  first  captivity  of  Judah  under  Jehoiakim,  and  his  book  runs  on 
 over  to  the  reign  of  Zedekiah.  Ezekiel  also  appears  as  a  prophet  (at  Babylpn)  when  he  sat 
 among  the  captives  by  the  river  Chebar  (Ezek.  i.  1). 
 
 3.  iNational  Affairs. — Jehoiachin,  son  of  Jehoiakim,  was  deposed  by  the  Chaldean  king  after 
 three  months'  reign.  Mattaniah  (named  by  Nebuchadnezzar  Zedekiah),  the  brother  of  Jehoiakim, 
 had  been  placed  on  the  throne  by  Nebuchadnezzar  as  his  vassal.     Against  this  Chaldean  power 
 
 411 
 
nOMILETIC  COMMENTARY:  JEREMIAH. 
 
 Zedekiah  early  revolted  in  favour  of  Egypt,  then  growing  into  a  first-class  power.  Nebuchad- 
 nezzar thereupon  sends  invaders  against  Jerusalem  ;  and  apprehending  this  attack,  Zedekiah 
 sends  the  embassy  to  Jeremiah  recorded  in  this  chapter. 
 
 4.  Contemporary  History. — Pharaoh- Hophra  reigned  in  Egypt :  Nebuchadnezzar  in  Babylon  : 
 Solon  at  Athens.  At  this  time  Jehoiachin  (his  other  names  were  Jeconiah  and  Coniah),  with 
 his  queen-mother  Nehushta,  and  the  highest  families  of  Judah,  pined  in  captivity  in  Babylon. 
 It  is  not  wonderful,  therefore,  that  Zedekiah,  led  by  his  nobles,  revolted  against  the  Chaldean 
 power  which  now  dominated  from  Babylon  the  centre  of  the  Chaldean  sway. 
 
 5.  Geograpliical  References.  —  Ver.  4.  ^'Babylon  and  Chaldeans."  Chaldea  is  properly 
 only  the  southerly  division  of  Babylonia  ;  but  the  Chaldea  over  which  Nebuchadnezzar  was  king 
 comprised  the  entire  tract  of  country  which  lay  between  the  Euphrates  and  the  Tigris,  and  an 
 equal  breadth  of  country  on  the  Arabian  desert  side  of  the  Euphrates  capable  of  irrigation  from 
 that  river,  and  extending  along  the  course  of  the  Euphrates  for  over  400  miles,  and  measuring 
 in  average  breadth  100  miles.  Ver.  13.  ^'  Valley  and  plain  :  "  Fic^e  the  note  m  loc.  on  chap, 
 xvii.  3.  The  valley  means  that  which  ran  between  Mount  Zion  and  Mount  Moriah  ;  and  the 
 rock,  Mount  Zinn  itself. 
 
 6.  Personal  Allusions, — Ver.  1.  "Zedekiah:'^  Fide  note  above,  under  National  Affairs,  and 
 also  Personal  Allusions  to  chap.  i.  "  Pashur  the  son  of  Melchiah: "  this  was  the  fifth  order  of 
 the  priesthood,  and  Pashur  was  the  head  of  this  order  (1  Chron.  xxiv.  9-14).  [This  is  not  the 
 Pashur  mentioned  in  previous  chapter].  "  Zephaniah,"  &c.,  connected  with  the  twenty-fourth 
 priestly  family  (1  Chron.  xxiv.  18).  This  Zephaniah  was  afterwards  put  to  death  by  Nebuchad- 
 nezzar at  Riblah  (Jer.  Hi.  24).  Ver.  2.  "Nebuchadrezzar."  This  is  more  nearly  the  Chaldean 
 spelling  of  his  name  than  Nebuchadnezzar.  He  was  the  son  of  Nabopolassar,  and  led  the  army 
 against  Egypt  and  conquered  it  at  Charchemish.  See  further  in  Literary  Criticisms  below. 
 Ver.  4.   '^Chaldeans."     Vide  Geog.  Ref.,  supra. 
 
 7.  Natural  History. — Ver.  14.  "  The  forest  thereof ."  "  A  city  is  a  forest  of  houses." — Keil. 
 A  reference  here  to  the  dense  mass  of  residences  and  edifices  built  of  the  cedar  trees  from 
 Lebanon  (comp.  Jer.  xxii.  7  with  lii.  13,  and  2  Kings  xxv.  9). 
 
 8.  Maimers  and  Customs. — Ver.  12.  "  Execute  judgment  in  the  morning,"  Kings  sat  in 
 judgment  at  this  time  of  the  day.  (Comp.  2  Sam.  iv.  5;  Job  xx.  27;  Psa.  ci.  8).  See  Lit. 
 Crit.  below. 
 
 9.  Literary  Criticisms. — Ver.  2.  "Nebuchadrezzar:"  a  noticeable  spelling  :  with  1  instead 
 of  3-  Jeremiah  uses  this  form  twenty-six  times  ;  but  the  form  with  3  ten  times.  Jeremiah 
 used  the  more  correct  Chaldean  form  of  the  name  until  current  usage  among  the  Jews  settled 
 the  spelling  with  the  3  instead  of  with  the  1.  The  LXX.  write  the  name  thus,  'Na^ovxoSovScrop  ; 
 and  Berosus  thus,  'Na^ovxo8ov6aopos ;  the  recently  discovered  Assyrian  cylinders  thus,  Nabu- 
 Rudurri-uzur.  Professor  Rawlinson  interprets  this  last  to  mean  Nebo  protects  the  landmarks  ; 
 and  Schrader,  Nebo,  protect  thou  the  crown.  The  name,  interpreted  from  Persian  roots,  had 
 been  supposed  to  mean,  Nebo  deorum  princeps,  or  Nebo  deus  ignis. 
 
 Ver.  4.  "  /  will  assemble  them,"  &c.  The  antecedent  of  them  is  doubtful,  whether  "  weapons" 
 or  "  Chaldeans ;  "  but  the  latter  is  the  nearer  and  more  probable  antecedent. 
 
 Ver.  7.  "  And  such  as  are  left:"  nXI  •  the  Vaw  may  be  regarded  as  explicative — even  such 
 as  are  left,  namely,  of  the  people. 
 
 Ver.  9.  "  His  life  for  aprey  : ''  i.e.,  shall  make  his  escape  with  it. 
 
 Ver.  12.  "  Ln  the  morning.'^  ^]?A7  -^c*'^  regards  as  a  distributive  adverb,  every  morning ; 
 while  Henderson  regards  it  as  here  used  idiomatically,  as  in  Psa.  xc.  14,  cxliii.  8,  where  "lp3|l 
 means  tarly^  soon,  quickly :  implying  urgency ;  for  the  opportunity  would  quickly  end. 
 
 SECTIONAL  SUMMARY  OF  CHAPTER  XXL 
 God's  Final  offer  of  Deliverance. 
 
 The  siege  of  Jerusalem  Lad  begun,  Zedekiah  in  alarm  sent  to  ask  of  Jeremiah 
 respecting  the  event. 
 
 I.  Times  of  distress  drive  men  to  seek  God's  servants  whom  amid  their 
 prosperity  they  despised. 
 
 1.  Apprehensive  of  eYi\,the7/  C7^ave  counsel  ajid  p7-ai/ers  (ver.  2).  Zedekiah  sent 
 two  of  the  priests  who  were  in  highest  office  to  ask  Jeremiah's  interposition  with 
 Jehovah  !  What  a  humbling  of  their  arrogant  disregard  of  this  hitherto  reviled 
 prophet  ! 
 
 2.  Yet  they  crave  counsels  and  prayers  onli/  to  avert  punishinent  (ver.  2).  Their 
 sole  desire  was  that  Jeremiah's  prayers  would  prevail  with  God  to  thwart  Nebu- 
 chadnezzar. There  was  no  humiliation  for  the  sin  which  brought  this  visitation  on 
 the  nation. 
 
 See  Addenda :  Seeking  Counsel. 
 412 
 
HOMILETIC  COMMENTARY:  JEREMIAH.  chap.  xxi. 
 
 II.  Messages  of  wrath  will  meet  those  who  refuse  to  seek  God  except  in 
 times  of  distress. 
 
 1.  Professors  of  religion  may  presume  upon  their  outward  privileges  until  God  be 
 angered  and  wholly  alienated.  These  priests,  this  Icing,  and  indeed  the  whole 
 nation,  had  so  presumed  upon  their  being  Godh  people ;  but  their  presumption 
 would  now  be  checked  (ver.  5). 
 
 2.  Resources  of  self-reliance  will  he  rendered  poiverless  in  the  day  of  adversity 
 (ver.  4). 
 
 3.  Overwhelming  disaster  shall  avenge  the  iniquities  which  have  long  called  for 
 Divine  punishment.  God  had  been  slow  to  anger  and  of  great  kindness,  but  the 
 time  for  mercy  was  now  irrecoverably  past  (vers.  6,  7). 
 
 The  messenger  of  God  has  woful  messages  to  declare  against  such  as  despise 
 His  gracious  warnings  and  weary  out  His  longsuffering. 
 
 III.  A  way  of  mercy  is  still  opened  to  such  as  will  regard  Divine  counsels. 
 The  king  and  princes  would  not  surrender  to  Nebuchadnezzar  :  they  trusted 
 
 their  own  counsels,  and  would  not  heed  God's ;  but  some  among  the  people  might 
 be  found  ready  to  heed  God's  word  and  thereby  secure  immunity  from  imminent  ruin. 
 
 1.  Even  to  the  latest  hour  salvation  is  offered  (ver.  8) ;  although  the  enemy  was 
 at  the  very  gates. 
 
 2.  The  way  of  life  consists  in  trustfully  submitting  to  God's  directions  (ver.  9). 
 It  required  prompt  obedience,  and  the  performance  of  a  part  which  would  be 
 humiliating  and  seemed  painful — "  falleth  to  the  Chaldeans,"  whom  they  hated, 
 
 God  leaves  no  sinner  on  earth  without  "  a  way  of  escape  ;  "  but  it  depends  on 
 his  implicit  surrender  to  His  counsels  whether  he  be  saved.  Happily  now  we  may 
 find  a  more  gracious  salvation  than  was  offered  to  those  people. 
 
 IV.  To  those  eminent  in  sin  God  sends  special  warnings  of  doom. 
 
 1.  God  recognises  the  circumstances  which  aggravate  individual  disobedience. 
 There  was  special  heinousness  in  the  conduct  of  "the  king  of  Judah"  (ver.  11), 
 since  he  belonged  to  the  "  house  of  David  "  (ver.  12). 
 
 2.  A  final  appeal  is  made  to  even  greatest  transgressors  (ver.  1 2). 
 
 3.  Yet  God  ivill  shoio  no  further  mercy  when  His  warnings  are  rejected  with  self- 
 confident  pride.  The  reply  of  the  king  (ver.  13)  virtually  was,  "We  have  a 
 strong  city,"  we  dwell  in  "  the  rock  of  the  plain  : "  he  boasted  in  his  security. 
 Further,  he  despised  the  forces  of  destruction  which  were  gathering — "  Who  shall 
 come  down  against  us  %  who  shall  enter  into  our  habitation  % "  But  God  was  against 
 the  king  of  Judah;  and  therefore  no  hope  of  safety  was  left. 
 
 HOMILIES  AND  COMMENTS  ON  VERSES  OF  CHAPTER  XXI. 
 
 Ver,   2,  Theme:  Wilful   inquikees  2.  They  declared  tvhat  counsels  they 
 
 SEEKING  COUNSEL,  wished  to  receive.     Asking  Jeremiah  to 
 
 I.  In  what  mind  they  came.  "  inquire  of  the  Lord  for  them,"  they 
 
 1.   Their  own  counsels  ivere  determined  yet  specified  the  kind  of  reply  they  ex- 
 
 and  fixed ;  so  that  they  were  not  in  a  pected  to  be  returned — that  Nebuchad- 
 
 teachable  mood.     This  Pashur  belonged  nezzar  "  may  go  up  from  us;"  ^.e,,  be 
 
 to  the  party  who  counselled  that  ISTebu-  compelled    to    raise    the    siege,   and  so 
 
 chadnezzar  be  resisted  by  force  of  arms,  give   these    inqiiirers   the    gratification 
 
 for  he  endeavoured  to  persuade  King  they  sought, 
 
 Zedekiah  to  put  Jeremiah  to  death  as  a  This  is  not  inquiry ;  it  is  dictation. 
 
 traitor  (chap,    xxxviii.    1-4-).       Zepha-  Such  inquiry  is  insolent  to  God.     All 
 
 niah    likewise    (from    Nebuchadnezzar  supplication  for  Divine  leading  which  is 
 
 having  slain  him  at  Riblab,  chap.   lii.  prompted  by  predetermination  and  wil- 
 
 24)  was  manifestly  hostile  to  any  sur-  fulness  is  self-delusive  in   the   inquirer 
 
 render  to  the    Chaldean   force.      Thus  and  offensive  to  God. 
 
 they  came  with  predetermined  opinions.  II.  In  what  delusion  they  reposed. 
 
 413 
 
CHAP.  xxr. 
 
 EOMILETIC  COMMENTARY:  JEREMIAH. 
 
 "If  SO  be  that  the  Lord  will  deal 
 with  us  according  to  all  His  wondrous 
 works." 
 
 1.  Their  own  demerits  were  conveniently 
 ignored.  It  would  almost  seem  that 
 they  were  unconscious  of  their  flagrant 
 impiety  and  wickedness.  Certainly 
 God's  actions  towards  them  were  not  to 
 he  regulated  by  righteousness,  not  to  he 
 affected  hy  their  crying  iniquities,  not  to 
 he  swayed  hy  their  defiance  of  Divine 
 •pleadings  and  loarnings,  but  only  "  ac- 
 cording to  His  wondrous  works." 
 
 2.  Their  exclusive  request  was  for 
 miraculous  interposition.  Not  that 
 God  would  exert  His  gracious  power  to 
 reform  them;  but  that,  leaving  them 
 still  in  their  sins,  and  unpunished  for 
 their  sins.  He  would  exert  His  mira- 
 culous power  to  protect  them.  Panic 
 prayers,  such  as  these,  are  rarely  in- 
 spired by  sincere  contrition  for  sin,  but 
 rather  by  sudden  realisation  of  penalty. 
 
 Note  : 
 
 i.  Sinners  often  have  clear  recollec- 
 tion of  God's  marvellous  works.  These 
 men  had.  At  the  prayer  of  Isaiah  God 
 delivered  Jerusalem  when  Sennacherib 
 besieged  it  (2  Chron.  xxxii.  20-21). 
 And  as  they  have  clear  recollections, 
 so  often  they  have 
 
 ii.  Strange  expectations  of  like  mer- 
 cifid  interpositions  on  their  own  behalf. 
 Doubtless  these  messengers  anticipated 
 for  Jeremiah  a  similar  answer  to  that 
 which  Isaiah  gave  (Isa.  xxxvii.  6). 
 But 
 
 iii.  God  alivays  keeps  vivid  recognition 
 of  men's  sinful  ways.  And  He  makes 
 a  difference  accordingly.  So  that  "  His 
 wondrous  works  "  are  not  repeated  to 
 men  who  deserved,  not  wondrous  de- 
 liverances, but  wondrous  judgments. 
 
 See  Addenda:  Seeking  Counsel. 
 
 Ver.  3.  Theme :  Intrepid  denun- 
 ciations. "Thus  shall  ye  say  to 
 Zedekiah." 
 
 Since  the  days  of  Jehoiakim,  under 
 whose  reign  Jeremiah  betrayed  much 
 fickleness,  temerity,  and  repining  ;  of 
 all  which  the  previous  chapter  (xx.) 
 furnishes  too  ample  proof — what  a 
 change  has  come  upon  God's  servant ! 
 How  altered  now  is  the  tone  of  his 
 4U 
 
 address.      Regard    this    reply   as   evi- 
 dence of 
 
 I.  Great  personal  courage.  Note 
 the  circumstances  : 
 
 1.  He  is  confronted  ivith  men  of 
 highest  state  dignity.  This  embassy 
 was  chosen  from  among  the  foremost 
 officers  in  the  ranks  of  the  priesthood, 
 so  that  Jeremiah  had  to  address  men  of 
 pride  and  power. 
 
 2.  He  has  to  send  a  message  direct 
 to  the  king.  His  words  are  "  to  Zede- 
 kiah." He  is  under  special  tempta- 
 tion therefore  to  be  apprehensive  of 
 royal  disfavour,  and  concerned  to  be 
 conciliatory. 
 
 3.  He  is  for  the  first  time  soxight  as 
 state-adviser.  Never  before  had  he 
 been  recognised  by  king  and  princes 
 in  this  special  manner  as  God's  vice- 
 gerent and  oracle.  They  had  hereto- 
 fore "derided"  him  (xx.  7,  8).  Now 
 he  is  treated  with  highest  respect :  an 
 embassy  of  marked  importance  is  sent 
 him ;  he  is  consulted  at  a  crucial 
 moment  on  a  matter  of  vast  serious- 
 ness— would  he  accept  the  flattery,  and 
 prize  the  sweet  gratification  so  highly, 
 as  to  lead  him  to  mild  speech  and  even 
 l^artial  suppression  of  his  message  ? 
 (Compare  xx.  9.)  No  :  he  spoke  out 
 all  God's  word,  forcibly  and  fear- 
 lessly, and  sent  back  these  powerful 
 messengers  to  the  king  with  burning 
 words  of  denunciation. 
 
 II.  Grrand  prophetic  confidence. 
 
 1.  He  is  conscious  of  the  Divinity  of 
 his  inspiration.  Had  he  been  in  any 
 doubt  that  God's  Spirit  moved  him 
 as  he  spake,  he  would  certainly  have 
 spoken  with  more  deference  and  some 
 equivocation.  But  his  words  are  de- 
 cisive and  authoritative.  He  knew 
 that  he  had  God's  word  to  utter.  So 
 as  truly  do  preachers  of  Divine  truth. 
 
 Here,  too,  let  it  be  noted  that  the 
 coming  of  this  embassy  to  him  was 
 "  a  silent  testimony  and  tribute  to  his 
 inspiration"  {Wordsivortli).  They  ac- 
 cepted the  fact  as  undoubted :  and 
 came  to  ask  God's  word  at  his  lips. 
 
 2.  He  is  confident  of  the  certainty  of 
 his  prophecies.  The  moment  was  cri- 
 tical. The  Chaldeans  were  at  the 
 walls,  the  city  was  besieged,  the  mes- 
 
HOMILETIC  COMMENTARY:  JEREMIAH. 
 
 CHAP.  XXL 
 
 sage  was  for  that  very  hour.  What  he 
 said  would  be  verified  or  refuted  forth- 
 with. It  was  different  when  a  pro- 
 phecy was  being  uttered  which  related 
 to  distant  days.  Yet  though  a  few 
 hours  would  suffice  to  prove  or  disprove 
 his  words,  Jeremiah  spoke  with  emphasis 
 and  confidence.  He  risks  his  credit  as 
 a  prophet  on  the  assurance  he  sends  back, 
 that  if  the  king  would  promptly  execute 
 judgment  and  justice,  the  besiegers 
 should  be  thwarted  (ver.  12).  We  have 
 reason  to  believe  that  had  Zedekiah 
 acted  on  Jeremiah's  counsel  he  would 
 have  been  saved  from  the  Chaldeans  as 
 Hezekiah  was  from  the  Assyrians. 
 
 Note  : 
 
 i.  This  progress  from  temerity  (chap. 
 i.  6)  to  courage  was  the  progressively  of 
 God's  promise  of  qualification  for  his 
 work.  (See  chap.  i.  17,  18.)  It  was 
 only  progressively  fulfilled,  for  often  the 
 prophet  showed  a  craven  spirit  (xx. 
 7-9) ;  but  now  it  was  completely  ful- 
 filled. So  God's  words  of  promise  will 
 find  ultimate  vindication  in  us. 
 
 ii.  This  development  of  courage  and 
 confidence  marks  the  perfection  of  his 
 prophetic  eqtiipment.  Jeremiah's  sorest 
 testing  was  at  hand ;  in  the  travail  and 
 calamities  which  accumulated,  he  would 
 need  now  the  full  confidence  and  fear- 
 less courage  which  here  for  the  first  time 
 he  evinced.  God  knows  the  hour  when 
 we  need  largest  grace,  and  *'  as  our  day 
 is,  so  shall  our  strength  be." 
 
 Qee  Addenda:  Coueage. 
 
 Ver.  8.  Theme:  A  Pitiable  di- 
 lemma. "  I  have  set  before  thee  the 
 way  of  life  and  death." 
 
 In  this  instance  how  different  the  cir- 
 cumstances amid  which  Jeremiah  made 
 tliis  appeal  from  those  amid  which  Moses 
 used  the  same  words  !  (Deut.  xxx,  19.) 
 Here  it  is — 
 
 I.  Not  a  gracious  contrast :  "  Life 
 and  death." 
 
 It  ivas  a  gracious  contrast  that  Moses 
 proposed  :  a  choice  between 
 
 1.  A  life  blessed  with  Jehovah's 
 favour ;  or 
 
 2.  A  death  in  sin  and  the  miseries 
 which  follow  disobedience. 
 
 But   that    propitious    hour   for    the 
 
 nation  was  gone  for  ever.  The  offer 
 could  not  be  made  on  those  beneficent 
 terms.  "  They  had  slighted  the  life  " 
 (says  Henry)  "  which  would  have 
 made  them  truly  happy ;  to  upbraid 
 them  with  which  the  prophet  uses  the 
 same  expression." 
 
 Note  :  The  same  offer  may  not  mean 
 the  same  when  it  is  renewed,  after  it  has 
 once  been  rejected. 
 
 II.  But  a  melancholy  alternative. 
 
 Here  the  choice  lay  between  two  possi- 
 bilities well-nigh  equally  distressing. 
 
 1.  A  life  only  saved  by  deserting  to 
 the  enemy,  and  to  be  spent  in  wretched 
 and  shameful  captivity ;  or 
 
 2.  A  death  of  famine,  pestilence,  and 
 the  sword  within  their  own  city's  walls. 
 
 See  Addenda:  Opportunity, 
 
 Theme :     A    Faithful    ministep.'s 
 
 APPEAL. 
 
 It  ought  to  be  possible  for  every  mes- 
 senger of  God  to  say  among  his  people 
 that  during  his  ministry  he  has  per- 
 sistently and  faithfully  "  set  before  them 
 life  and  death." 
 
 I.  This  summarises  the  preacher's 
 work. 
 
 1,  The  alternative  which  God  offers 
 to  men  through  the  preacher — "  life 
 and  death." 
 
 2.  The  fidelity  ivhich  marks  the 
 preacher's  messages  to  men.  "  I  have 
 set  before  you."  Not  engaging  you 
 with  speculative  theories,  but  solemn 
 truths  and  revealed  facts. 
 
 II.  This  indicates  the  hearer's  duty. 
 
 1.  A  free  choice  is  left  to  each  (Ezek. 
 xxxiii.  11). 
 
 2.  A  ivise  choice  is  p)ossihle  with  each 
 (Prov.  viii.  36  ;  Luke  x.  42). 
 
 III.  This  narrows  the  sinner's  out- 
 look. 
 
 1.  There  are  hut  tivo  possibilities 
 before  the  soul :  no  third  course. 
 
 2.  There  are  great  responsibilities 
 upon  the  soul  (John  xv.  22). 
 
 See  further:  Noticeable  Topics  at 
 end  of  chapter. 
 
 Vers.   11,  12.   Theme:  Counsel  to 
 
 A  KING. 
 
 Because  it  was  the  king  who  sent  the 
 message  to  him,  he  sends  a  particular 
 message  to  the  king.     He  advises  the 
 
 415 
 
HOMILETIC  COMMENTARY:  JEREMIAH. 
 
 king  and  princes  to  reform,  and  to  make  direction  for   a    national    reformation. 
 
 conscience  of  the  duty  from  tlieir  place.  The    princes  must   begin    and   set  the 
 
 "  Execute  judgment  in  the  morning " —  people  a  good    example.     He   reminds 
 
 carefully,   diligently,    promptly.     "  Be-  them  that  they  are  of  the   "  house   of 
 
 liver  him  that  is  spoiled  out  of  the  hand  David,"  and  therefore  should  tread  iu 
 
 of  the   oppressor " — if    you    would    be  his  righteous  steps, 
 delivered  from  the  Chaldeans  who  dis-  iii.   This  gives  them  some  encotorage- 
 
 tress  you.  ment  to  hope  that  there  may  yet  he  a 
 
 i.   This    intimates   that   it   ivas  their  lengthening  of  their  tranqidllity    {Deut. 
 
 neglect  to  do  their  duty  which  brought  iv.  27).     If  anything  will  recover  their 
 
 all    this    desolation    upon    the    people.  state  from  the  brink  of  ruin,  this  will. 
 
 The  "  evil  of  their  doings  "  kindled  the  — M.  Henry. 
 fire  of  God's  wrath.  See     Addenda :    "  Execute    Judg- 
 
 ii.  This  directs  them  to  take  the  right  ment." 
 
 NOTICEABLE  TOPIC  IN  CHAPTER  XXI. 
 Topic:  God's  message  of  Life  and  Death  (ver.  8). 
 
 The  conduct  of  God  towards  Israel  is  the  model  of  His  conduct  towards  us  : 
 and  the  conduct  of  Israel  towards  God  closely  resembles  the  conduct  of  mankind  in 
 all  subsequent  ages.     Here  is  a  glass  in  which  we  may  see  ourselves  revealed. 
 
 When  Nebuchadnezzar  advanced  to  the  siege,  the  state  dignitaries  urged  Jeremiah 
 to  inquire  of  God  for  them  what  the  result  would  be.  He  did  so.  And  this  was  the 
 answer — Life  in  submission  to  the  Chaldeans :  death  by  contimiance  in  the  city.  The 
 result  was — they  despised  the  warning,  they  clung  to  their  own  devices — the  city 
 was  destroyed. 
 
 {a.)  Many  learn  religions  worth  amid  threatening  or  actual  calamities. 
 
 (6.)  Many  prize  the  comfort  of  the  prayers  of  God's  people  who  never  pray  them- 
 selves. 
 
 I.  That  it  is  God's  prerogative  to  mark  the  path  in  which  He  would  have  us 
 go  for  both  worlds.      God  who  knows  our  wants  has  provided  for  their  supply. 
 
 He  has  "  set  before  us  life  and  death." 
 
 1.  Inlliswritten  Word — i.  By  doctrinal  statements,    ii.  By  warningsand  invitations. 
 
 2.  By  Providence  and  mercies  :  examples  and  instances. 
 
 The  way  to  heaven  is  faith  and  holiness,  the  way  to  hell  is  unbelief  and  sin. 
 Jesus  says  (Mark  xvi.  16).  John,  bearing  witness  to  the  Divinity  and  Messiah- 
 ship  of  Christ,  says  (John  iii.  36).  Our  Lord  also  declares  concerning  Himself  in 
 terms  too  plain  to  be  misunderstood  (John  xiv.  6). 
 
 It  is  evident  that  all  who  receive  Christ  by  faith — in  His  atoning  sacrifice  and 
 sanctifying  grace — are  in  the  way  of  life  :  and  all  those  who  reject  and  disown 
 Him — refuse  His  salvation  and  disobey  His  commands — are  in  the  way  of  death. 
 
 II.  That  the  path  to  life  is  clothed  with  many  attractions. 
 
 Our  Lord  speaks  of  "  the  strait  gate  and  narrow  way,"  and  the  "  few  that  find 
 it."  The  difiBculty  arises  not  from  the  road  itself,  but  from  the  nature  of  those 
 who  walk  in  it.     It  is 
 
 1.  A  plain  way.  The  way  though  narrow  is  plain — the  way  to  the  wicket  gate 
 is  straight  as  a  line  can  make  it.  It  is  only  difficult  and  perj^lexed  to  those  who 
 are  reluctant  to  renounce  the  burden  of  their  sins  and  the  corruptions  of  this  evil 
 world,  or  would  fain  invent  some  method  to  reconcile  the  discordant  claims  of  God 
 and  mammon,  earth  and  heaven.  But  though  the  first  entrance  may  be  difficult 
 to  the  awakened  sinner,  owing  to  the  abounding  evils  of  his  heart,  yet  grace 
 enables  him  to  overcome  these  deep  workings  of  corruption  and  to  pass  by  true 
 repentance  and  humble  faith  through  the  strait  gate  towards  the  blessed  region  of 
 eternal  felicity. 
 
 Both  of  these  paths  have  numerous  travellers — but  the  broad  way  and  the 
 416 
 
HOMILjETIC  commentary :  JEREMIAU.  chap.  xxi. 
 
 green  have  had  a  fearful  majority  hitherto.  Yet  the  votaries  of  religion  have 
 not  been  few  in  reality,  though  few  as  compared  with  the  world — and  in  every  age 
 the  number  of  these  has  increased,  and  will  increase.    Of  the  path  to  heaven  observe 
 
 2.  That  it  is  an  old  way  and  ivell  trodden.  "  Stand  ye  in  the  old  way,  inquire 
 for  the  good  paths."     From  Abel's  time.     "  The  way  the  holy  prophets  went." 
 
 3.  That  it  is  a  safe  way  :  for  though  much  contested  it  is  yet  divinely  guarded  : 
 "  No  lion  shall  be  there."     "  No  weapon,"  &c. 
 
 4.  That  it  is  a  pleasant  way.  "Wisdom's  ways  are  ways  of  pleasantness." 
 "  The  way  of  life  is  above  to  the  wise,"  &c. 
 
 III.  That  we  are  daily  advancing  in  one  or  other  of  these  paths. 
 
 There  can  be  amidst  the  diversities  of  the  race  but  two  broad  divisions  :  wise 
 and  foolish,  wheat  and  tares. 
 
 God  sees  how  you  forget  Him  and  your  latter  end,  and  how  light  you  make  of 
 everlasting  things  :  how  bold  you  are  in  sin,  how  fearless  of  His  threatenings — 
 careless  of  your  souls — doing  the  work  of  infidels  in  your  lives  while  the  creed 
 of  Christians  is  in  your  mouth.  He  sees  the  dreadful  day  near  at  hand  when 
 your  sorrows  will  begin.  "  Behold  the  judge  standeth."  Death  will  bring  such  an 
 argument  in  favour  of  truth  and  religion  as  yon  will  never  be  able  to  answer, 
 and  then  you  will  be  an  unbeliever  no  longer.  There  is  nothing  but  a  slender 
 veil  of  flesh  between  thee  and  that  amazing  sight  of  God  and  eternity  which  will 
 silence  your  presumption  for  ever.  But  let  us  mark  the  contrast  between  the 
 righteous  and  the  wicked  in  present  life. 
 
 A  luorldly  man  is  one  that  has  his  chief  treasure  upon  earth,  while  God  and 
 eternity  are  forgotten.  Though  he  does  not  say  that  earth  is  better  than  heaven, 
 and  sin  than  holiness,  he  acts  as  if  he  did ;  and  if  he  could  have  enough  of  earth 
 and  time  he  would  let  go  heaven,  and  never  think  of  being  removed  thither — for  a 
 holy  God  and  a  holy  heaven  have  never  been  comprehended  within  the  circle  of 
 his  joys.  Whereas  the  Christian  is  one  who  has  been  converted  from  the  error  of 
 his  ways — his  inind  has  been  enlightened  to  discern  the  evil  of  sin  and  the  love 
 and  loveliness  of  Christ,  and  is  anxious  to  lay  up  his  treasure  and  hopes  in  heaven. 
 
 A  ivorldly  man  is  one  who  neglects  the  great  salvation,  who  never  truly  valued 
 the  mystery  of  redemption,  nor  truly  applied  to  the  Physician  of  souls,  nor  thank- 
 fully entertained  in  his  heart  the  great  Redeemer;  and  though  he  might  not  object 
 to  be  outwardly  religious,  he  was  never  concerned  to  be  inwardly  renewed,  neither 
 seeking  to  be  delivered  from  the  guilt  and  dominion  of  sin,  nor  to  be  conformed 
 to  the  image  and  likeness  of  God.  Whereas  the  Christian,  having  been  savingly 
 convinced  of  his  undone  state  by  sin,  and  apprehending  the  mercy  of  God  in  Christ, 
 thankfully  entertains  the  glad  tidings  of  redemption,  flees  to  Christ  for  pardonland 
 salvation — desires  to  experience  more  the  daily  renewal  of  the  Holy  Spirit. 
 
 To  which  of  these  do  you  belong  1  Think  thus ; — I  am  a  dying  creature,  on 
 the  verge  of  an  awful  eternity  ;  heaven  and  hell  are  before  me,  and  to  one  of 
 these  states  I  am  advancing  every  day  as  another  day's  journey.  Ask,  Whither  am 
 I  going  1  What  reception  shall  I  meet  at  lastl  What  award  does  conscience  now 
 make  ?  Have  I  believed  with  the  heart  unto  righteousness  1  Is  the  life  I  now  live 
 in  the  flesh  a  life  of  faith  1     Will  the  course  I  am  in  do  to  die  by  1 
 
 IV.  That  the  doom  of  the  impenitent  will  be  aggravated  by  weighty  consi- 
 derations. 
 
 1.  That  the  path  of  life  and  death  ivas  clearly  set  before  yoii,  and  rejected  hy 
 deliberate  choice.  It  will  be  eternally  true  that  Christ  was  set  forth  crucified,  that 
 you  were  invited,  summoned,  and  entreated  in  His  name  to  be  reconciled  to  God. 
 God  Himself  calls 
 
 2.  From  the  solemn  Providences  and  warnings  you  have  abused. 
 
 3.  From  the  vanity  and  ivorthlessness  of  pursuits  for  tuhich  salvation  was  rejected. 
 
 4.  From  the  changeless  eternity  of  the  state  to  which  you  go. 
 
 — hamuel  Thodey,  a.d.  1845. 
 2  D  417 
 
CHAP.  xxn. 
 
 EOMILETIC  COMMENTARY:  JEREMIAH. 
 
 ADDENDA  TO  CHAPTER  XXL:  ILLUSTRATIONS  AND  SUGGESTIVE  EXTRACTS. 
 
 Ver.  2.  Seeking  counsel. 
 
 "Consult  your  friend  on  all  things, 
 especially  on  those  which  respect  your- 
 self. His  counsel  may  then  be  useful, 
 where  your  own  self-love  might  impair 
 your  judgment." — Seneca. 
 
 "  Good  counsels  observed  are  chains 
 
 to  grace." — Fuller. 
 
 "  Mid  pleasure  plent}',  and  success, 
 
 Freely  we  take  from  Him  who  lends  : 
 We  boast  the  blessings  we  possess, 
 Yet  scarcely  thank  the  One  who  sends. 
 
 "  But  let  affliction  pour  its  smart, 
 
 How  soon  we  quail  beneath  the  rod  ! 
 With  shattered  pride,  and  prostrate  heart. 
 We  seek  the  long-forgotten  God." 
 
 — Eliza  Cook. 
 
 Ver.  3.  Courage. 
 
 "  A  minister  without  boldness  is  like 
 a  smooth  file,  a  knife  without  an  edge, 
 a  sentinel  that  is  afraid  to  let  off  his 
 gun.  If  men  will  be  bold  in  sin,  minis- 
 ters must  be  bold  to  reprove." 
 
 — Gurnall. 
 
 Think  of  that  Eeformer,  who,  when 
 some  one  said  to  him,  "  The  whole 
 world  is  against  you,"  calmly  replied, 
 "  Then  I  am  against  the  world." 
 
 "  This  is  true  courage,  not  the  brutal  force 
 Of  vulgar  heroes,  but  the  firm  resolve 
 Of  virtue  and  of  reason." — Whitehead. 
 
 "  True  valour 
 Lies  in  the  mind,  the  never-yielding  purpose, 
 Nor  owns  the  blind  award  of  giddy  fortune." 
 — Thomson. 
 
 Ver.  8.  Opportunity. 
 
 "  The  mill  cannot  grind  with  the 
 water  that  is  past." — Prnverh. 
 
 Herod — those  who  offered  to  follow 
 Christ  (Luke  ix.  57-62)  —  Felix— 
 Agrippa  —  Simon  Magus  —  how  many 
 characters  seem  to  flash  before  our  eyes 
 '  in  Scripture  as  having  been  visited  with 
 convictions  and  opportunities  of  grace, 
 but  only,  it  has  been  said,  "like  ships, 
 which,  when  night  is  spread  over  the 
 sea,  emerge  for  a  moment  from  the 
 darkness  as  they  cross  the  pathway  of 
 the  moonbeams,  and  then  are  lost  in 
 utter  gloom." 
 
 Opportunities  are  importunities. 
 
 "  There  is  a  tide  in  the  affairs  of  men, 
 
 Which,  taken  at  the  flood,  leads  on  to  for- 
 tune ; 
 Omitted,  all  the  voj^age  of  their  life 
 Is  bound  in  shallows,  and  in  miseries  ; 
 And  we  must  take  the  current  when  it  serves, 
 Or  lose  our  ventures." — Shakespeare. 
 
 Ver.  12.  Execute  judgment. 
 "  What  is  justice  1     To  give  to  every 
 man  his  own." — Aristotle. 
 
 "  It  often  falls  in  course  of  common  life, 
 
 That    right   sometimes   is   overborne   of 
 wrong ; 
 The  avarice  of  power,  or  guile,  or  strife, 
 That  weakens  her,  and  makes  her  party 
 
 strong. 
 But  Justice,  tho'  her  doom  she  do  prolong. 
 Yet  at  the  last  will  make  her  own  cause 
 rife. " — Spenser. 
 
 CHAPTER  XXII. 
 
 Critical  and  Exegktical  Notes. — 1.  Chronology  of  the  Chapter.  Early  in  Jehoiakim's 
 reign  ;  contemporary  with  chap.  svii.  See  Notes.  Dr.  Payne  Smith  places  this  prophecy 
 prior  to  Jehoiakim's  manifestation  of  tlie  violence  of  his  character  by  murdering  Urijali 
 (chap.  xxvi.  23),  and  thus  synchronous  with  chap.  xvii.  19-27.  Its  appeal  to  the  house  of 
 David  is  conditioned  on  the  fact  that  the  nation's  ruin  might  yet  be  averted.  The  chapter 
 divides  itself  into  four  chronological  sections.  Vers.  1-9:  Early  in  Jehoiakim's  reign.  Vers. 
 10-12:  Immediately  following  the  deposition  and  captivity  of  Jehoahaz.  Vers.  14-19: 
 Jehoiakim's  reign  again  ;  but  towards  the  close  of  his  wicked  rule.  Vers.  20-30  belong  to 
 Jeconiah's  reign,  for  the  reference  (ver.  24)  indicates  him  as  the  then  reigning  king.  Cf.  Per- 
 sonal Allusions  below. 
 
 For  2.  Contemporary  Scriptures ;  3.  National  Affairs ;  4.  Contemporaneous  History,  see 
 Notes  on  chaps,  vii.  and  xvii. 
 
 5.  Geographical  Keferences. — Ver.  6.  "Gilead" — Vide  note  on  viii.  22.  " Lelanon"-— 
 the  loftiest  height  of  Lebanon  is  about  10,000  feet  above  the  level  of  the  sea.  Vide  note  on 
 xviii.  14.  Ver.  20.  " Bashan,  and  the  ]Hissac/es:"  i.e.,  the  route  from  Jerusalem  to  Babylon. 
 "  Passages  "  should  be  Aharim,  a  range  of  mountains  south  of  Gilead,  opposite  Jericho.  Those 
 mountains,  Lebanon,  Bashan,  and  Aharim,  overlook  the  course  the  captives  would  take. 
 
 6.  Personal  Allusions.— Ver.  11.  "  Shallum,  the  sen  of  Josiah."     Shallum   is  the  same  as 
 
 416 
 
EOMILETIQ  COMMENTARY:  JEREMIAH.  chap.  xxit. 
 
 Jchoahaz,  Josiah's  second  son.  Although  younger  than  Eliakim  (afterwards  called  Jehoiakim), 
 he  was  yet  raised  to  the  throne  by  the  acclaim  of  the  people  (2  Kings  xxiii.  30-36),  the  rights 
 of  primogeniture  being  disregarded  owing  to  the  evil  character  of  Eliakim.  (Comp.  Personal 
 Allusions  chap,  i.)  Shallum  reigned  only  three  months  :  for  Eliakim,  indignant  at  this 
 usurpation,  threw  himself  into  the  arms  of  the  Egyptians  ;  and  Pharaoh-Necho  deposed 
 Jehoahaz  and  placed  Jehoiakim  (Eliakim)  on  the  throne  as  tributary  and  dependent  king. 
 Shallum  was  thereupon  carried  into  Egypt,  and  from  that  time  is  heard  of  no  more.  (Comp. 
 2  Chron.  xxxvi.  1-4;  Ezek.  six.  3-4.) 
 
 Ver.  18.  "Jehoiakim,,  son  of  Josiah:"  see  note  above,  also  note  to  chap.  i.  (Comp.  2 
 Chron.  xxxvi.  5,  6.)  We  have  no  record  of  his  death  ;  but  from  this  prophecy  (repeated  in 
 chap,  xxxvi.  30)  we  may  suppose  that  he  died  soon  after  he  reached  Babylon,  died  under  his 
 chains,  probably  "of  pestilence  or  of  a  broken  heart"  {Payne  Smith),  and  his  body  was 
 dragged  away  without  any  show  of  respect.  It  is  just  as  probable  that  he  was  slain  by 
 Nebuchadnezzar  on  his  retreat  to  Babylon,  and  that  his  corpse  was  left  unburied  by  the  way- 
 side outside  Jerusalem.     Certainly,  however,  he  perished  miserably,  and  at  the  age  of  thirty-six. 
 
 Ver.  24,  "  Coniah,  son  of  Jehoiakim :  "  This  was  Jehoiachin.  He  reigned  only  three  months 
 and  ten  days.  He  was  eighteen  years  of  age  (according  to  2  Kings  xxiv.  8)  when  crowned, 
 but  only  eight  according  to  2  Chron.  xxxvi.  9 — which  is  probably  a  corruption  of  the  text. 
 He  remained  in  Babylon  a  captive  during  thirty-six  years,  the  lifetime  of  Nebuchadnezzar; 
 but  when  Evil-Merodach  succeeded  Nebuchadnezzar  he  was  considerately  raised  by  that  king 
 to  some  show  of  dignity  and  personal  regard  (2  Kings  xxv.  27-30;  Jer.  Hi.  31-34).  Ezekiel 
 dated  his  prophecies  by  the  year  "of  king  Jehoiachin's  captivity"  (Ezek.  i.  2,  viii.  1,  xxiv.  1, 
 &c.)  An  exciting  expectation  prevailed  among  the  Jews  four  years  after  Jeconijih's  removal  to 
 Babylon  (Jer.  xxviii.  4)  that  he  would  quickly  return  to  power  ;  but  this  was  probably  a  rumour 
 created  by  the  sanguine  hopes  and  conversation  of  the  Jewish  captives  at  Babylon. 
 
 Ver.  26.   "  Thy  mother  that  bare  thee."     Nehushta ;  see  chronological  note  to  chap.  xiii. 
 
 7.  Natural  History — none. 
 
 8.  Manners  and  Customs. — Ver.  10.  "  Weep  ye  not  for  the  dead,"  &c.  An  annual  lamenta- 
 tion had  been  celebrated  by  the  nation  for  good  king  Josiah  (2  Chron.  xxxv.  25).  Tiiis  custom 
 might  now  be  used  for  one  who  needed  the  bemoaning  more — his  son  Shallum. 
 
 Ver.  14.  "  Ceiled  with  cedar  and  painted  vdth  vermilion."  Jehoiakim's  palace  was  gorgeously 
 adorned  with  "cedars"  of  Lebanon.  The  "  vermilion  "  was  not  like  ours,  a  preparation  of 
 red  lead,  but  a  compound  of  quicksilver  and  sulphur  ;  a  preparation  much  valued  by  Orientals. 
 
 9.  Literary  Criticisms. — Ver.  7.  "  J  will  prepare  destroyers:"  i.e.,  consecrate.  {Vide  note, 
 chap.  vi.  4.) 
 
 Ver.  14.  "A  wide  house:  "  n'THD  n*3,  lit.,  a  house  of  extensions  :  (comp.  Numb.  xiii.  32  ; 
 Isa.  xlv.  14),  where  n"nO  is  rendered  "  stature  "—men  of  large  proportions.  "  A  spacious 
 house."       ''Large  chambers,"  from  T\Y\^  to  breathe  :  airy  chambers. 
 
 "And  it  is  ceiled  withceelars  :"  |lSp;  either  roofnc/  it  with  cedars  {Payne  Smith),  or  inlaying 
 
 it  {Hitzig,  Graf,  &c.) 
 
 Ver.  15.  "  Closest  thj&eliin  cedar."  Various  reading.  The  hXK.,  Codex  Alex.,  and  Ewald 
 give  viest  with  Ahaz :  for  Ahaz  did  build  the  palace  (1  Kings  xxii.  39).  But  the  literal  render- 
 ing of  received  text  is,  viest  in  cedar-work. 
 
 Ver.  19.  "  Beyond  the  gates  " — afar  from. 
 
 Ver.  20.  "The  Passages."    See  Geog.  Ref.  supra,  Abarim,  a  range  of  mountains. 
 
 Ver.  23.  "  0  inhabitant  of  Lebanon  : "  inhabitress.  "  JIoio  gracious  shall  thou  be  .•"  how  wilt 
 thou  sigh   {Hitzig,   Ewald,    Graf)  ;  how  wilt  thou  groan  {Lange,  Payne    Smith),   be  pitiable 
 
 Ver.  27."  "  Desire  to  return  :"  lift  up  their  soul  to  return.  Our  English  equivalent  is  "set 
 their  heart  upon." 
 
 Ver.  28.  "A  despised  broken  idol:"  lit.,  piece  of  work,  a  vessel,  a  piece  of  common  earthen- 
 ware  in  which  the  potter  has  no  interest. 
 
 HOMILETIC  SURVEY  OF  CHAPTER  XXTI. 
 Theme :  The  Ekeoes  and  the  Doom  of  Judah's  Kings. 
 
 The  chapter  separates  itself  into  four  prophetic  messages,  containing  sentences  of 
 judgment  on  Jehoahaz  (Shallum),  Jehoiakim,  and  Jeconiah.  Chronological  order 
 of  events  is  disregarded  in  the  grouping  of  these  prophecies  ;  but  similarity  of 
 subject  rules.  Connecting  chapter  xxi.  11— end  with  chap,  xxii.,  it/ie  last  four 
 kings  of  Jiidah  are  arraigned  for  judgment.  Each  is  proved  to  h^ve  utterly  failed 
 in  righteousness,  and  on  each  is  pronounced  the  sorroivfid  demmciation  which  his 
 impiety  invoked. 
 
 I.  An  exhortation  to  righteous  reforms.  Addressed  to  Jehoiakim,  probably 
 quickly  after  his  accession  to  the  throne,  he  is  charged,  in  the  name  of  Jehovah 
 ^        ^  419 
 
CHAP.  XXTI. 
 
 HOMILETIC  COMMENTARY :  JEREMIAH. 
 
 (ver.  3)— himself,  his  ministers,  and  his  people — to  act  aright,  to  administer  justice, 
 and  eschew  all  wrong.  This  appeal  is  emphasised  with  an  encouraging  promise  of 
 prosperity  upon  obedience  (ver.  4),  and  alarming  warnings  of  desolation  if  disre- 
 garded (ver.  5-9).  _  ,  oi    n 
 
 II.  A  mournful  instance  of  judgment.  The  prophet  cites  the  fate  of  Shall um 
 (Jehoahaz),  the  predecessor  of  Jehoiakim,  as  confirmatory  of  Jehovah's  warnings. 
 On  his  accession  Shallum  assumed  the  name  "■  Jehoahaz,"  meaning  "  Jehovah  sus- 
 tains," but  Jeremiah  refuses  to  call  him  by  that  name,  and  writes  him  down  in 
 irony  as  "  Shallum,"  meaning  "  retribution  " — which  had  verified  its  appropriateness 
 in  the  king's  fate — deposed  after  tbree  months'  reign,  and  now  a  captive  in  Egypt, 
 never  more  to  behold  his  native  land.  So  soon  may  a  king  he  dethroned ,  so  hope- 
 lessly may  an  exile  he  hanished  (ver.  10-12). 
 
 See  Addenda:  Weep  not  for  the  dead. 
 
 III.  A  rebuke  of  ambitious  tyranny.  Eeverting  to  Jehoiakim  (ver.  13),  and 
 proceeding  openly  and  indignantly  to  name  him  as  the  criminal  (ver.  18),  God 
 denounces  him  for  his  vainglory  (ver.  14),  his  injustice  (ver.  13),  his  covetousness 
 and  criLelty  (ver.  17).  Against  him  the  "woe"  (ver.  13)  is  uttered;  he  is 
 derided  for  hu  false  confidence  (vers,  15,  16)  in  thinking  that  his  throne  is  secured 
 by  vaunting  msplay  of  splendour  rather  than  in  righteous  administration  ;  and  his 
 miserable  degradation  is  proclaimed  (ver.  18,  19). 
 
 IV.  A  lamentation  over  Judah's  ruin.  Jeremiah  1.  apjoeals  to  Jerusalem, 
 whom  he  personifies  as  a  sorrowing  woman,  to  ascend  the  mountains  which  over- 
 look the  route  her  captives  would  take  on  being  carried  into  Babylon,  and  bewail 
 her  calamity.  2.  Threatens  Jeconiah  (here  called  Coniah  as  if  in  contempt) ; 
 who,  although  he  was  idolised  hy  his  people  (vers.  24-28),  would  nevertheless  be 
 treated  with  violence  (vers.  26-28),  carried  into  exile  (ver.  25),  and  with  him  would 
 e?id  the  royal  honours  of  his  house  (ver.  30). 
 
 QENERAL  TRUTHS  SUGOES'TED  BT  THE  CHAPTER. 
 
 I.  Perpetuity  and  prosperity  are  conditional  upon  righteousness.  This  holds 
 good  for  nations  and  governments  (ver.  4),  cities  (vers.  8,  9),  individuals  (vers.  11, 
 19,  30). 
 
 "  The  most  effectual  way  to  preserve  the  dignity  of  the  government  is  to  do  the 
 duty  of  it." — Henri/.  "  God  does  not  spare  even  the  authorities,  for  though  He 
 has  said  that  they  are  as  '  gods,'  yet  when  they  do  not  rightly  administer  their 
 office  they  must  die  like  men  (Ps.  Ixxxii.  6).  No  cedars  are  too  high  for  God.  No 
 splendours  too  mighty ;  He  can  destroy  all  at  once,  and  overturn,  overturn,  over- 
 turn" (Ezek.  xxi.  27). — Cramer.  Sin  will  be  the  ruin  of  the  house  of  princes  as 
 well  as  of  meaner  men.  Even  in  this  world  God  often  makes  it  clear  that  He 
 destroys  neither  nations,  cities,  nor  persons,  except  for  sin ;  and  it  will  be  made 
 clearer  in  the  day  of  judgment. 
 
 II.  Advantages  and  exaltation  secure  no  exception  from  doom.  "  The  house 
 of  the  kings  of  Judah"  enjoyed  historic  dignity  and  the  Divine  benignity  (ver.  6)  : 
 Jerusalem  also  (addressed  in  vers.  20-23)  had  enjoyed  ''prosperity"  (ver.  21)  and 
 material  splendour  (ver.  23)  ;  whereas  Jeconiah  had  seemed  peculiarly  secure  and 
 honoured  (ver.  24).  Yet  that  house  of  Judah  hecame  a  desolation  (ver.  5) ; 
 Jerusalem  was  dethroned  (vers.  8,  9)  ;  and  "  confounded  for  her  wickedness  "  (ver. 
 22) ;  and  Ooniah  was  cut  off  from  royalty  (ver.  30). 
 
 *'  See  how  easily  God's  judgments  can  ruin  a  nation,  and  how  certainly  sin  will 
 do  it." — Henry.  How  little  is  earthly  grandeur  to  be  depended  upon,  or  flourish- 
 ing families  to  be  rejoiced  in  !  Notwithstanding  the  privileges  of  a  man's  birth 
 (as  with  Coniah),  if  he  make  himself  unworthy  of  honour,  God  will  cast  him  off. 
 Yet  "  God  never  casts  any  off  until  they  first  cast  Him  off"  {Henry  on  ver.  9). 
 Here,  however,  may  be  seen  "  how  perverse  and  unjustifiable  is  the  illusion  that 
 420 
 
EOMILETIC  COMMENTARY:  JEREMIAH. 
 
 CHAP.  xxn. 
 
 God's  election  is  a  surety  against  His  anger,  and  a  licence  to  any  wilfulness." — 
 Naegelshach. 
 III.  Spoliation  and  punishment   are   varied  according  to  individual   sin. 
 
 Numerous  are  the  resources  of  Divine  judgment.  God  '■'■ 'pre'pares  the  destroyers, 
 every  one  with  his  weapons  "  (ver.  7).  And  He  determines  the  form  of  desolation 
 upon  individual  transgressors.  Shallum  is  doomed  to  perpetual  bondage  : 
 Jehoialcim  is  punished  with  d^n  unlamented  death  and  contemptible  burial — a  most 
 despicable  end  (vers.  18,  19).  Jeconiah,  whom  the  nation  bad  idolised  and 
 cherished  with  "pleasure,"  should  become  despised  by  his  people  (28),  and  be. 
 ivritten  childless  (ver,  30). 
 
 They  expose  themselves  to  fearful  possibilities  and  perils  who  live  in  hostility 
 to  God.     No  life  is  secure  from  calamity  which  is  not  "  hid  with  Christ  in  God." 
 
 HOMILIES  AND  COMMENTS  ON  VERSES  OP  CHAPTER  XXII. 
 
 Vers,  1-5.'  Theme :  The  conditions 
 
 OF  CONTINUANCE  IN  PEIVILEGE. 
 
 Hereditary  rights,  royal  prerogatives, 
 are  valueless  as  guarantees  of  prolonged 
 existence  and  prosperity  as  a  nation. 
 Righteousness  alone  protects  and  pre- 
 serves governments  from  overthrow  and 
 peoples  from  extinction.  Sowithac/mrc/i'; 
 it  must  be  and  do  right,  or  Christ  "  will 
 remove  the  candlestick,"  tfec.  So  with  the 
 sold  :  it  must  faithfully  serve  and  loyally 
 follow  Christ,  or  it  forfeits  grace. 
 
 This  message  to  Jehoiakim  is  similar 
 in  import  to  that  sent  to  Zedekiah  (xxi. 
 11-14).     See  Homilies  in  loc. 
 
 Matthew  Henry^s  arrangement  of  this 
 section  is — 
 
 i.  Orders  given  to  Jeremiah  to  preach 
 before  the  king. 
 
 He  is  to  go  in  person  and  demand  the 
 king's  attention  to  a  message  from  the 
 King  of  kings. 
 
 ii.  Instructionsgiven  himwhat  to  preach. 
 
 1.  He  must  tell  them  what  was  their 
 duty  (ver.  3).  (a.)  Do  all  the  good 
 they  can  with  the  power  they  have. 
 (6.)  Do  no  hurt  with  it. 
 
 '  2.  He  must  assure  them  that  the  faith- 
 ful discharge  of  their  duty  would  advance 
 and  secure  their  prosperity  (ver.  4). 
 
 3.  Likewise  that  the  iniquity  of  their 
 family  if  persisted  in  would  be  the  ruin 
 of  their  family,  though  it  was  a  royal 
 family  (ver.  5). 
 
 4.  He  must  show  how  fatal  their 
 wickedness  would  be  to  their  kingdom 
 as  well  as  to  themselves — to  Jerusalem 
 especially,  the  royal  city  (vers.  6-9). 
 
 Ver.   6.    Theme. 
 
 JESTY  DEGRADED. 
 
 Beauty  and  ma- 
 
 I.  Significant  imagery.  "  Thou  art 
 Gilead  unto  me,  and  the  head  of  Lebanon." 
 
 i.  The  meaning  of  these  natural  meta- 
 phors.    They  suggest 
 
 1.  Graceful  fertility.  "  Gilead  "  was 
 the  poetic  symbol  of  this.  Dr.  Payne 
 Smith  notes  that  it  is  "  extolled  for  its 
 aromatic  plants  (chap.  viii.  22),  its  grassy 
 uplands  where  the  goats  feed  (Song 
 Sol.  iv.  1,  vi.  5),  and  one  district  of  it, 
 Bashan,  for  its  sheep  (Deut.  Ixxii.  14), 
 its  noble  breed  of  cattle  (Ps.  xxii.  12), 
 its  general  fertility  (Isa.  xxxiii.  9),  and 
 especially  for  its  splendid  oak  forests 
 (Isa.  ii.  13;  Zech.  xi.  2)." 
 
 2.  Surpassing  magnificence.  *'  Le- 
 banon" is  the  metaphor  of  this.  It 
 is  the  frequent  figure  for  grandeur. 
 "  It  is  praised  for  its  snows  (chap, 
 xviii.  14),  its  firs  and  cedars  (Isa. 
 XXX vii.  24),  its  waving  forests  (Ps» 
 Ixxii.  16),  its  wealth  of  springs  (Song 
 Sol.  iv.  15),  its  flowers  (Nahum  i.  4),  and 
 its  sweet  scents  (Song  Sol.  iv.  11;  Hos. 
 xiv.  6,  7)." 
 
 ii.  The  reference  of  this  metaphorical 
 address. 
 
 1.  Primarilyto  theroyalhouseof  David. 
 
 2.  By  analogy  to  the  ^^  royal  priest- 
 hood "  of  Christian  believers.  The 
 Church  is  in  God's  esteem  "  the  perfec- 
 tion of  beauty." 
 
 3.  By  direct  application  to  the  indi- 
 vidual Christian.  "  We  are  unto  God  a 
 sweet  savour  of  Christ."  Every  Christian 
 should  combine  in  himself  beauteous  fer- 
 tility and  incomparable  majesty — noble- 
 ness of  character  and  life. 
 
 II.  Startling  degradation.  "Yet 
 surely  I  will  make  thee  a  wilderness, 
 cities  which  are  not  inhabited." 
 
 421 
 
CBAP.  XXII. 
 
 HO  M I  LET  I C  COMMENTARY:  JEREMIAH. 
 
 i.  Its  incredibility  necessitates  that 
 God  affirms  it  ivith  an  oath,  "  Surely 
 I  will."  Literally  this  is,  "  If  I  make 
 thee  not,"  &c. 
 
 1.  The  threatening  creates  an  involun- 
 tary recoil.  We  reply  to  it — "  Surely 
 it  can  never  be  so  !  "  The  old  Jews  re- 
 volted from  the  idea  that  their  royal 
 *'  house  of  David "  could  ever  become 
 "a  desolation"  (ver.  5).  We  recoil 
 from  the  idea  that  on  a  Christian 
 church  there  could  ever  be  inscribed 
 "  Ichabod  !  "  Or  that  a  godly  soul,  a 
 privileged  disciple  of  Jesus,  could  ever 
 become  a  *' cast-away."  Yet  God  cor- 
 rects our  "  Sti7rely  it  cannot  be "  with 
 His  "  Surely  I  will ! " 
 
 2.  The  threatening  seems  a  total  im- 
 possibility. The  Jews  believed  in  the 
 perpetuity  of  the  Davidic  line  and  the 
 continuance  of  their  national  prosperity. 
 So  we  think  of  a  church  and  of  our- 
 selves. But  for  the  church  see  Lam. 
 i.  1,  and  Zeph.  ii.  15 ;  and  for  the 
 individual^  1  Cor.  x.  12. 
 
 Vers.  8,  9.  Comp.  chaps,  xviii.  15, 
 16  ;  xix.  8. 
 
 Ver.  10.  Theme:  Death  prefee- 
 ABLE  TO  LIFE.  "  Weep  not  for  the 
 dead,  neither  bemoan  him ;  but  weep 
 sore  for  him  that  goeth  away,"  &c. 
 
 Less  reason  for  tears  over  Josiah,  the 
 righteous  father  who  is  dead,  than  over 
 Jehoahaz,  the  ungodly  son,  who,  though 
 alive,  is  yet  worse  than  dead,  being 
 banished  from  all  the  blessings  of  life ; 
 and  who  goes  away  not  as  his  father 
 to  the  land  of  rest  and  joy,  but  to  cap- 
 tivity and  dislionour. 
 
 I.  Death  may  prove  a  gracious  goal. 
 It  was  to  Josiah.  Mors  jamia  vitoe  : 
 "  Death  is  the  gate  of  life."  Of  course 
 only  to  the  godly.  Blessed  as  life  is 
 to  the  Christian,  yet  "to  die  is  gain." 
 Here  is  a  test  which  divides  the  ranks 
 of  the  living.  To  which  of  us  would 
 death  be  an  advantage — knowing  as  we 
 do  what  awaits  souls  "  after  death  "  ? 
 
 1.  Death  terminates  much  that  makes 
 life  so  sad. 
 
 (1.)  Personal  sorroivs  :  physical  weak- 
 nesses, earthly  deceits,  life's  cares,  strug- 
 gles with  adversity,  the  risks  and  delu- 
 422 
 
 sions  incident  to  all  effort  and  enterprise 
 here,  wearying  toils. 
 
 (2.)  Social  troicbles :  misunderstand- 
 ings and  misinterpretations,  disappoint- 
 ments and  grievances,  the  anguish  over 
 wayward  children,  the  pangs  over  false 
 friendships,  and  unrequited  kindness  : 
 desolating  bereavements. 
 
 (3.)  National  distresses:  so  much 
 wounds  our  patriotism,  and  urges  the 
 outcry,  "  0  for  a  lodge  in  some  vast 
 wilderness,"  &c.  (Jer.  ix.  2). 
 
 (4.)  Spiritual  anxieties :  conflicts  with 
 "  besetting  sins,"  a  wayward  heart,  the 
 world's  seductions,  &c.,  grief  over  dis- 
 obedience to  God,  forgetfulness  of 
 Divine  love,  <kc. 
 
 ''  I  would  not  live  alway."  "  I  would 
 hasten  my  escape  from  the  windy  storm 
 and  tempest." 
 
 2.  Death  commences  much  that  makes 
 life  so  glad. 
 
 (1.)  Heaven  won:  "  to  go  no  more 
 out."     "  Neither  sorrow,  nor  crying,"  &c. 
 
 (2.)  Deity  beheld  in  open  vision. 
 "  We  shall  see  Him  as  He  is." 
 
 (3.)  Earth^s  mysteries  solved.  "Now 
 we  know  in  part,  but  then  shall  we 
 know,"  &c. 
 
 (4. )  Lost  ones  regained.  "  I  shall  go 
 to  her,  but  she  shall  not  return  to  me." 
 
 (5.)  The  perfect  life  attained.  "I 
 shall  be  satisfied  when  I  awake  in  Tby 
 likeness." 
 
 II.  Life  may  prove  a  grievous  path. 
 It  would  to  Shallum. 
 
 1.  Its  pleasures  all  desolated.  Je- 
 hoahaz would  pine  in  captivity.  Think 
 of 
 
 (1.)  The  invasions  of  disaster  or  death. 
 Remember  what  pestilence  and  accident 
 have  done  for  once  happy  families. 
 
 (2.)  Young  lives  early  blighted  :  af- 
 flicted, crippled,  &c. 
 
 (3.)  Hearts  ruthlessly  broken  :  by  fal- 
 sity of  lovers,  by  desertion  of  relatives, 
 by  disgraces  brought  upon  homes  through 
 recklessness  or  wickedness  of  fathers  or 
 sonn. 
 
 (4.)  Losses  irretrievably  suffered. 
 Change  in  fortune :  children  hurled 
 by  reverses  into  penury,  &c. 
 
 2.  Its  possibilities  all  devastated. 
 
 (1.)  Character  or  virtue  wrecked.  By 
 one  criminal  indulgence  or  act,  confidence 
 
HOMILETIC  COMMENTARY :  JEREMIAH. 
 
 CHAP.  XXII. 
 
 may  be  forfeited,  the  door  of  promotion 
 be  closed,  and  honour  exchanged  for  a 
 career  of  shame. 
 
 (2.)  Poivers  suddenly  smitten  or 
 rvithered.  The  right  hand  may  lose  its 
 cunning,  the  mind  its  balance,  &c. 
 
 3.  Its  jyj-ospecfs  all  destroyed. 
 
 (1.)  An  irreligious  career,  life's  years 
 spent  in  practical  ungodliness,  destroys 
 the  soul's  prospects.  For  sin  darkens 
 the  soul,  and  divorces  it  from  all  pre- 
 sent peace  and  gracious  anticipations, 
 and  impenitence  shuts  out  the  soul 
 from  the  redemption  of  Christ  and  re- 
 conciliation with  God. 
 
 (2.)  An  atheistic  mind,  the  abandon- 
 ment of  revelation,  the  rejection  of  the 
 Bible,  the  denial  of  God  and  spiritual 
 things  :  these  cover  the  soul  and  its  out- 
 look with  a  dense  and  desolating  gloom. 
 
 Kather  than  such  a  life,  "  let  me  die 
 the  death  of  the  righteous,  and  let  my 
 last  end  be  like  his." 
 
 Theme :'  The   dead  less   moukned 
 
 THAN  THE  LIVING. 
 
 I.  Evil  times  enforce  this  truth. 
 They  are  "  taken  away  from  the  evil." 
 When  war  or  desolation  come  upon  the 
 land,  or  disaster  upon  the  home,  we 
 think  this. 
 
 II.  Wicked  careers  emphasise  the 
 truth.  The  living  Cain  more  a  grief 
 than  the  dead  Abel.  We  mourn  less 
 for  the  "dead"  though  we  loved  them 
 dearly,  than  for  the  living  who  violate  all 
 our  hopes,  and  fill  us  with  grief  and  shame. 
 
 III.  Divine  revelation  elucidates 
 the  truth.  For  "  blessed  are  the  dead 
 which  die  in  the  Lord,  they  rest  from 
 their  lalotirs,"  &c.  See  Scriptures  which 
 exhibit  the  future  of  the  redeemed,  as 
 contrasted  with  our  lot  on  earth. 
 
 See  Addenda :  "  Weep  not  foe  the 
 
 DEAD." 
 
 Note: 
 
 "  Dying  saints,"  sajsRenry,  "  may  be 
 justly  envied,  while  living  sinners  are 
 justly  pitied.  And  so  dismal  perhaps 
 the  prospects  of  the  times  may  be,  that 
 tears  even  for  a  Josiah,  even  for  a 
 Jesus,  must  be  restrained,  that  they 
 may  be  reserved  for  ourselves  and  our 
 children  (Luke  xxiii.  28)." 
 
 See      Further,     Noticeable      Topics: 
 
 "  Grief  for  those  who  have  gone 
 
 AWAY  to  war." 
 
 Ver.  13.  Theme :  Kapacity  de- 
 nounced. 
 
 See  Addenda :  Covetotjsness. 
 
 "  He  who  builds  his  house  with  other 
 people's  property,  collects  stones  for  his 
 grave. ' ' —  Cramer. 
 
 "  Sepulchri  immemor  struis  domes." — 
 Horat. 
 
 "  Though  impoverished  by  the  tribute 
 imposed  upon  them  by  the  king  of  Egypt 
 (2  Chron.  xxxvi.  3),  the  inhabitants  were 
 cruelly  ground  by  Jehoiakim,  who  scrupled 
 not  at  the  adoption  of  any  measures  by 
 which  he  might  be  able  to  carry  on  the 
 building  of  a  large  and  splendid  palace." 
 — Henderson. 
 
 Not  only  did  Jehoiakim  tax  the 
 people  (2  Kings  xxiii.  25)  for  Pharaoh's 
 tribute,  but  also  took  their  forced  labour 
 without  pay  for  building  a  splendid 
 palace;  in  violation  of  Lev.  xix.  13; 
 Deut.  xxiv.  14,  15. 
 
 "  God  will  repay  in  justice  those  who 
 will  not  in  justice  pay  those  whom  they 
 employ." — Henry. 
 
 "  Jehoiakim  lived  in  splendour  amid 
 the  misery  of  the  nation,  amused  himself 
 with  building  palaces  when  the  whole 
 land  was  ground  down  by  heavy  taxa- 
 tion, and  miserably  perished  at  the  age 
 of  thirty-six,  so  little  cared  for  that  his 
 body  was  cast  aside  without  burial." — 
 Payne  Smith. 
 
 Vers.    15,   16.   Theme:  Jehoiakim's 
 
 DEGENERACY  FROM       HIS       FATHER'S 
 
 PIETY. 
 
 Jehoiakim's  character  given  (ver.  13 
 seq.)  He  a  young  prince,  son  of  pious 
 father,  degenerated ;  hence  God  sent 
 awful  message  in  text  by  Jeremiah. 
 Woe  denounced  upon  him  for  pride, 
 &c.,  when  nation  in  distress  (vers.  13, 
 14).  Then  God  expostulates  ;  wicked- 
 ness aggravated  and  inexcusable,  because 
 of  bright  example  of  piety  and  righteous- 
 ness in  his  father  (vers.  15,  16). 
 
 I.  God  remembereth  the  piety  and 
 usefulness  of  our  ancestors,  and  obser- 
 veth  how  far  we  resemble  them  (vers. 
 15,  16;  contrast  ver.  17). 
 
 1.  God  can  forget  nothing.  Past, 
 423 
 
CHAP.  XXII. 
 
 nOMILETlC  COMMENTARY :  JEREMIAH. 
 
 present,  "all  naked  and  open."  (1.) 
 Remembers  piety  of  our  fathers.  As 
 Josiah.  Kind  remembrance  of  His 
 faithful  servants  after  left  this  world  : 
 "not  unrighteous  to  forget,"  &c.  (2.) 
 Instructive  to  observe  with  hoio  much 
 respect  God  mentions  those  who  have 
 been  upright  before  Him.  Thus 
 "the  righteous  Lord  loveth  righteous- 
 ness ; "  treats  good  men  as  favourites. 
 (3.)  This  a  great  encouragement  to  he 
 religious  :  enjoy  favour  while  here,  and 
 our  memory  precious  in  His  sight  when 
 forgotten  by  survivors,  (4.)  Motive  to 
 all,  especially  children  of  pious  parents, 
 to  reverence  the  memory  of  saints. 
 
 2.  God  takes  notice  how  far  we  resemble 
 them.  Charges  Jehoiakim  that  trod  not 
 in  father's  steps.  (1.)  God  makes  just 
 estimates  of  our  religious  advantages 
 and  our  imjyrovement  of  them.  (2.) 
 Observes  declension.  (3.)  Whether 
 our  hearts  be  right  as  our  father's 
 were,  e.g.,  Timothy  (2  Tim.  i.  5),  or 
 whether  as  Solomon  (1  Kings  xi.  4- 
 6).  (4.)  An  incentive  to  utmost  caution  : 
 not  cast  off  the  entail  of  religion,  lose 
 truest  hereditary  honours,  involve  Divine 
 displeasure. 
 
 II.  Young  persons  often  forsake  the 
 religion  of  their  fathers  through  pride 
 and  love  of  elegance,  pomp,  and  show 
 (ver.  15).  Pride  led  him  to  covet  sjilen- 
 dour  and  practise  injustice. 
 
 This  sin  easily  besets  and  ensnares  the 
 young.  They  scorn  their  father's  lowli- 
 ness. Begin  with  extravagance  greater 
 than  where  their  wiser  fathers  ended. 
 (1.)  It  leads  them  to  forsake  their 
 father's  religions  profession.  Favours 
 and  preferments  of  the  world  are  not  on 
 that  side.  Count  their  father's  religion 
 narrow,  and  abandon  their  principles, 
 (2.)  Love  of  pomp  and  elegance  lead  to 
 the  loss  of  the  life  and  power  of  godliness. 
 Luxury  and  irreligion  (ver.  13),  prac- 
 tices their  fathers  would  have  abhorred. 
 Go  from  bad  to  worse  :  as  Jehoiakim, 
 oppressed  Jeremiah  and  slew  Uzziah 
 (Jer.  xxvi.  21).  Won  an  ill  character 
 (Ezek.  xix.  6,  7). 
 
 To  the  young  :  Set  out  in  life 
 with  moderate  desires.  Be  content  with 
 your  rank.  Strengthen  religious  dis- 
 positions. "  Do  justice  and  mercy." 
 424 
 
 Humility  the  brighest  ornament ;  reli- 
 gion the  defence  of  the  soul. 
 
 III.  It  is  a  great  dishonour  and  re- 
 proach to  any  to  forsake  the  good  ways 
 of  their  fathers.  Jehoiakim  was  over 
 twenty  when  Josiah  died.  God  inti- 
 mates that  his  conduct  was  both  dis- 
 honourable and  inexcusable. 
 
 1.  Religiously  trained  as  he  doubtless 
 was,  his  forsaking  religion  was  a  reproach. 
 The  good  example  of  our  fathers  aggra- 
 vates our  guilt  and  shame,  2.  Let  young 
 persons  consider  the  usefulness  and 
 honour  for  which  their  parents  were 
 eminent.  Was  it  not  "  well  with 
 them "  1  They  were  beloved  and  la- 
 mented (ver.  18).  3.  Consider  for 
 what  it  is  that  so  many  forsake  the 
 good  ways  of  their  fathers.  4.  Here 
 are  terrible  threatenings  from  God 
 against  this  wickedness  (ver.  19,  also 
 xxxvi.  30).  Forsake  religion  of  ances- 
 tors, it  will  be  your  shame.  "  If  thou 
 forsake  Him,  He  will  cast  thee  off  for 
 ever."  * 
 
 IV.  The  way  of  religion  is  the  way 
 of  wisdom,  honour,  and  happiness. 
 
 1.  Wisdom.  Jehoiakim  thought  him- 
 self wise  in  "  building,"  &c.  His  father 
 was  a  good  man  and  good  king,  and 
 "  was  not  this  to  know  Me  ?  "  (ver,  16)  ; 
 Ps.  cxi.  10  ;  1  John  i.  3,  4.  Right  know- 
 ledge consists  in  being  religious. 
 
 2.  Honour.  Josiah  universally  es- 
 teemed (2  Chron.  xxxv.  25).  Luxury 
 and  splendour  do  not  secure  honour 
 (Prov.  iii.  3,  4). 
 
 3.  Ha}ypiness.  "  Well  with  him " 
 (ver.  15) ;  repeated  (ver.  16).  Over 
 against  this  the  young  prince  is  asked, 
 "  Shalt  thou  reign  because,  &c.  1 "  (ver. 
 15).  Piety  and  righteousness  a  surer 
 foundation  and  defence. 
 
 Way  to  be  happy  is  to  be  and  do 
 good.  While  we  do  well,  it  will  be 
 well  with  us  (Ps.  xxxiv.  12  ;  1  Tim. 
 iv,  8). 
 
 (Abstract  of  Sermon,  by  Eev.  Job 
 07-ton,  Kidderminster,  a.d.  1775). 
 
 Ver.  18.  Theme:  A  peeveesb  son, 
 "  Thus  saith  the  Lord  concerning  Je- 
 hoiakim the  son  of  Josiah." 
 
 That  godly  men  should  have  ungodly 
 children   is   a  problem   hard  to  solve. 
 
HOMILETIC  C03IMENTAR7:  JEREMIAH. 
 
 OHAP.  xxn. 
 
 Josifih  had  both  a  Shallum  and  a 
 Jehoiakim,  both  wicked  men ;  David, 
 Absalom,  a  rebellious  son  ;  Eli,  Hophni 
 and  Phineas,  "  both  sons  of  Belial  that 
 knew  not  the  Lord." 
 
 I.  Parental  discipline  and  proper 
 training  are  suggested  as  lacking.  Stress 
 is  laid  on  the  proverb,  "  Train  up  a  child," 
 &c.     But  this  assumes  without  proof 
 
 1.  That  in  these  instances  there  was 
 a  lack  of  parental  discipline  and  proper 
 training. 
 
 2.  That  piety  in  children  is  the  na- 
 tural result  of  parental  discipline  and 
 proper  training. 
 
 But  what  are  the  facts  of  the  case  1 
 
 (a.)  Piety  is  sometimes  found  in  the 
 children  of  godless  parents,  where  there 
 has  been  no  religious  training  at  all ; 
 whereas 
 
 (6.)  Impiety  will  sometimes  be  seen 
 in  the  children  of  godly  parents,  who 
 have  striven  to  bring  them  up  in  the 
 fear  of  the  Lord. 
 
 Such  facts  teach  that  youthful  piety 
 is  not  the  natural  result  of  early  train- 
 ing ;  and  the  mystery  of  the  entire  sub- 
 ject is  left  unsolved. 
 
 IL  Religious  education  does  not 
 always  form  a  religious  character.  Eeli- 
 gious  habits  may  be  formed  without  the 
 vital  principle  of  religion  possessing  the 
 heart. 
 
 What  is  the  reason  why  a  child  cannot 
 he  trained  to  he'  a  Christian  ? 
 
 1.  Because  to  become  a  Christian  is,  to 
 have  a  new  nature,  a  neiv  life,  which  no 
 training  cj^u  originate.  Nothing  can  be 
 trained  except  what  has  life.  None  can 
 train  a  dead  vine  or  dead  tree.  Train- 
 ing supposes  life. 
 
 2.  No  child  has  by  nature  religious 
 life,  but  only  mental  and  moral  life ; 
 and  a  child  can  only  be  trained  men- 
 tally to  think,  morally  to  act. 
 
 III.  It  is  God's  prerogative  to 
 quicken  our  children  to  newness  of  life. 
 
 Parental  duty  it  is  to  train  children  : 
 but  equally  their  duty  to  pray  that  God 
 would  impart  the  life  of  real  religion, 
 that  life  without  which  a  correct  creed 
 and  a  cold  morality  leave  the  soul  "  dead 
 in  sins."  If  parents  see  in  their  children 
 the  germ  of  the  new  life,  this  is  God^s 
 handiwork,  and  the  pledge  for  the  chil- 
 
 dren of  a  life  of  grace  and  a  glorious 
 destiny. — D.  Pledge. 
 
 Ver.    19.'   Theme:  An   ignominious 
 
 BURIAL. 
 
 The  end  of  some  men  is  very  different 
 from  what  might  have  been  expected, 
 considering  their  parentage,  education, 
 and  advantages. 
 
 Jehoiakim  was  the  son  of  a  hing  : 
 naturally  suppose  that  he  also  would  be 
 buried  with  the  pageantry  of  a  prince. 
 
 Also  the  son  of  a  pious  father :  might 
 have  hoped  his  death  had  been  the  death 
 of  the  righteous. 
 
 Sin  brings  men  to  an  ignominious  end. 
 
 1.  What  a  blighting  thing  is  sin ! 
 Blasts  every  fond  hope.  When  Je- 
 hoiakim was  a  youth  he  had  fairest 
 earthly  prospects ;  yet  what  degrada- 
 tion befel  him  ! 
 
 2.  A  degraded  burial  is  not  the  worst 
 event.  Funeral  rites  have  been  denied 
 to  godly  men  and  faithful  witnesses  for 
 Christ.  But  the  burial  of  a  man  is  of 
 little  moment  :  that  is  not  the  end  of 
 the  man  :  Worse  issues  follow. 
 
 3.  Burial  affects  not  our  future  de- 
 stiny. Be  he  interred  as  a  brute,  or 
 amid  the  pomp  of  royalty,  J,lie  destiny 
 of  a  man  depends  upon  life,  not  upon 
 death  and  burial. 
 
 4.  Piety  exalts,  ivhile  tvichedness  de- 
 bases men.  Jehoiakim's  impiety  set 
 him  below  beggars.  Piety  raises  beg- 
 gars ■  from  the  dunghill  and  sets  them 
 among  princes.  Piety  is  God's  high- 
 road to  heaven :  impiety  is  Satan's 
 high-road  to  perdition. — Ibid. 
 
 See  Addenda :  The  Sinner's  Burial. 
 
 Ver.  21.  Theme  :  Eegard  for  God 
 
 DEADENED  BY  PROSPERITY. 
 
 The  condition  of  life  most  coveted 
 may  be  most  harmful — "  prosj^^rity-" 
 Only  by  denials  of  our  wishes  are  we 
 kept  low  at  God's  feet.  We  can  recall 
 events  and  experiences  in  which  God 
 came  to  our  souls  and  arrested  them  in 
 falling  away  from  Him.  Yet  notwith- 
 standing all  He  has  done,  we  are  very 
 far  from  God. 
 
 If  so  far  from  Him  despite  all  He  has 
 done  to  keep  us  obedient,  what  would 
 have  been  our  case  had  He  never  crossed 
 our  wishes  by  afflictions  and  discipline  1 
 
 425 
 
CHAP.   XXII. 
 
 ROM  I  LET  10  COMMENTARY :  JEREMIAH. 
 
 We  should  be  grateful  that  He  has  de- 
 solated our  "^:)roS|»enV^  "  and  reclaimed 
 us  from  disloyalty  to  Him. 
 
 Judah's  case  shows  :  A  people  suffered 
 to  advance  with  a  prosperity  that  became 
 fatal  to  their  siyiritual  life. 
 
 It  reflects  the  state  of  a  church  which 
 through  "prosperity"  declines  from 
 spiritual  fervour  and  zeal ;  of  the  saint, 
 who  through  "  prosperity "  grows  in- 
 different :  of  the  sinner,  who  through 
 "  l^rosperity  "  becomes  reckless  of  God's 
 calls  to  submission  and  repentance.  "  I 
 spake  to  thee  in  thy  prosperity,"  &c. 
 
 I.  The  voice  of  God  is  addressing 
 itself  to  the  souls  of  men. 
 
 Effects  prove  the  cause ;  and  in  the 
 sinner  alarmed,  the  backslider  arrested, 
 the  church  awakened,  we  see  evidences 
 that  God  has  spoken  and  made  His 
 voice  heard. 
 
 1.  In  ivhat  ivays  the  voice  of  God 
 utters  its  appeals.  Whatever  speaks  of 
 God  to  the  soul  is  the  agent  of  God. 
 "  Earthquakes,  fire,  or  still  small  voice." 
 Calamity,  pestilence,  death,  losses ;  con- 
 science, the  Bible,  the  preacher,  the 
 Spirit.  God  speaks  thus  in  various  voices 
 to  the  heart  of  man. 
 
 2.  To  what  extent  God  is  speaking  to 
 men.  To  all.  For  there  is  a  common  call 
 as  well  as  an  effectual  call  (comp.  ver. 
 29). 
 
 3.  For  what  purpose  God  addresses 
 men.  He  warns  against  sin,  ruinous 
 selfishness,  absorption  in  the  world,  for- 
 getfulness  of  God,  death  and  eternity. 
 He  appeals  to  men  to  repent,  be  recon- 
 ciled, "  flee  from  wrath  to  come,"  &c. 
 
 II.  Man's  attention  to  God's  voice 
 is  influenced  by  his  circumstances. 
 
 "  I  spake  in  thy  prosperity,  and  thou 
 saidst,  /  ivill  not  hear."  We  take  no 
 heed  in  the  day  of  youth  and  health 
 and  ease.  But  trouble  is  a  good  teacher. 
 "  In  their  affliction  they  will  seek  Me 
 early." 
 
 1.  There  is  going  on  in  every  heart  a 
 struggle  for  ascendancy.  Selfishness  is 
 at  war  with  conscience,  sin  with  Christ. 
 In  every  heart  there  will  be  a  supreme  : 
 and  if  our  pleasures  or  possessions  ab- 
 sorb our  affections,  then  the  spiritual 
 must  succumb. 
 
 2.  What  holds  tlie  heart   supremely 
 426 
 
 subjugates  all  else.  If  any  one  ungodly 
 thing  sways  us,  then  God's  claims  be- 
 come ignored.  And  tlie  law  with  us,  as 
 with  the  universe,  is  advance.  No 
 affection  is  stationary.  It  strengthens 
 or  weakens.  Thus,  when  any  object 
 holds  our  affections  before  God,  or  in 
 opposition  to  God,  the  heart  becomes 
 turned  against  God,  and  we  repudiate 
 His  voice. 
 
 III.  Prosperity  in  life  deadens  our 
 soul's  susceptibilities  to  Divine  appeals. 
 
 1.  "Prosperity"  is  not  in  itself  an 
 evil.  The  Bible  honours  it.  There  may 
 be  commercial  prosperity,  social  pros- 
 perity, sjnrittial  prosperity,  church  pros- 
 perity :  and  all  may  be  good.  May 
 God  give  you  all  these  "  prosperities." 
 
 2.  But  while  in  itself  good,  and 
 coveted  as  a  good,  '^ prosperity^'  may 
 prove  the  soid's  snare.  It  may  be  bad 
 in  its  effect  on  us.  What  is  full  can 
 receive  no  addition ;  and  if  prosperity 
 fiU  our  hearts,  Christ  has  no  place  there. 
 Thus  :  commercial  prosperity  has  made 
 many  spiritually  "  wretched  and  poor 
 and  miserable."  "  Jeshurun  waxed  fat 
 and  kicked."  Few  can  carry  a  full  cup 
 with  a  steady  hand,  or  bear  the  world 
 on  their  shoulders  without  bowing  to 
 the  earth. 
 
 So  even  spiritual  prosperity  may  be- 
 get elation,  self-security.  The  success- 
 ful Christian  worker  may  be  ready  to 
 trumpet  his  successes,  "  Come,  see  my 
 zeal  for  the  Lord  !  "  Paul  found  danger 
 "  lest  he  should  be  exalted  above  mea- 
 sure by  the  abundance  of  revelations." 
 
 There  may  be  less  of  Ciirist  in  a 
 numerically  prosperous  church,  than 
 where  there  is  "  little  strength  : "  less 
 of  Christ  in  the  prosperous  soul  than  in 
 the  heart  desolate  through  darkness  and 
 non-success.  And  hence  "  I  dwell  with 
 the  humble  and  contrite." 
 
 IV.  Hindrances  to  our  regarding 
 God's  voice  He  will  remove. 
 
 Comp.  vers.  5,  also  8,  9. 
 
 1.  What  deadens  oxir  attention  God 
 dooms.  Be  it  pride,  health,  or  energy, 
 eagerness  after  success,  refuges  of  lies, 
 favours  and  privileges.  He  will  remove 
 them  far  from  us,  or  us  from  them. 
 
 2.  God's  voice  must  he  heard.  There 
 was  a  rich  man,  who  was  a  "  fool " ;  all 
 
HOMILETIC  COMMENTARY :  JEREMIAH. 
 
 CHAP.  xxir. 
 
 God's  calls  were  disregarded.  But  God 
 made  His  voice  heard  at  last — in  terror, 
 in  scorn. 
 
 For  if  we  refuse  to  hear  through  life, 
 death  ivill  covie  when  that  awful  Voice 
 will  drown  all  others,  and  in  judgment 
 it  will  silence  all  appeals  in  its  sentence 
 of  doom. 
 
 See  Addenda :  Prosperity. 
 
 Theme :  Influence  of  prosperity. 
 
 "  I  spake  unto  thee  in  thy  prosperity, 
 and  thou  saidst,  I  will  not  hear." 
 
 In  heaven,  the  more  abundantly  God's 
 bounties  are  dispensed,  the  more  is  He 
 loved  and  adored;  but  on  earth,  the  richei^ 
 His  gifts,  the  more  will  He  be  neglected 
 and  disobeyed.  A  striking  proof  of 
 our  depravity,  that  constant  prosperity 
 hardens,  and  is  unfavourable  to  piety. 
 
 I.  That  abundant  earthly  blessings 
 do  tend  to  make  the  heart  rebellious 
 towards  God. 
 
 1.  Scripture  teachings  are  emphatic 
 on  this  matter.  The  Israelites  were 
 •warned  (Deut.  viii.  12-14).  A  frequent 
 metaphor  likens  men  to  beasts  luxuri- 
 antly fed  (Hos.  xiii.  6).  Agur's  prayer 
 was  prompted  by  distrust  of  himself 
 (Proverbs  xxx.  8,  9). 
 
 2.  Experience  confirms  Scripture. 
 David,  the  man  after  God's  heart,  when 
 exalted  became  a  polluted  murderer. 
 Solomon,  the  wisest  man,  was  trans- 
 formed into  a  besotted  sensualist.  Moses, 
 the  meekest  man,  spoke  contemptuously, 
 "  Hear  now,  ye  rebels,  must  ive  fetch 
 water,"  &c.  In  these  instances  we  see 
 that  the  highest  human  virtues  and 
 holiest  saints  of  God  were  unable  to 
 withstand  the  influence  of  prosperity. 
 They  could  endure  afiliction  and  profit 
 thereby — as  certain  liquors  ripen  in  the 
 shade,  which  under  the  noonday  beams 
 turn  to  acidity  and  corruption. 
 
 Similar  instances  occur  now.  Many 
 a  religious  career,  which  began  with 
 fervour  and  zeal,  has  been  checked  by 
 worldly  prosperity  and  ended  amid  the 
 stupidity  and  sensuality  of  a  worldling. 
 
 3.  It  is  doubtful  whether  there  ever 
 was  a  single  instance  of  piety  which 
 could  pass  iminjured  through  the  ordeal 
 of  unmingled  prosjierit]!.  Tone  of  reli- 
 gion is  lowered  amid  riches  and  honours. 
 
 Where  simplicity  and  humility  of  spirit 
 are  preserved  amid  prosperity,  it  is 
 owing  to  some  hidden  trouble,  which 
 like  the  cord  on  the  feet  of  the  aspiring 
 bird  keeps  the  proud  spirit  lowly  and 
 abased. 
 
 II.  If  then,  upon  the  highest  reli- 
 gious characters  worldly  prosperity  has 
 a  hardening  influence,  what  must  be  its 
 effect  on  those  who  have  no  religious 
 principle  to  counteract  it,  and  who  are 
 avowedly  lovers  of  the  world  and  its 
 pleasures  1 
 
 1.  They  will  not  heed  the  messages  of 
 God.  In  the  chamber  of  sickness  and 
 among  the  afiiicted  there  may  be  suc- 
 cess; but  none  among  the  children  of 
 prosperity  and  nurslings  of  vanity. 
 
 2.  Religion,  with  its  sober  realities,  is 
 despised.  Their  heart  is  set  upon  the 
 world,  wealth  invites  to  its  enjoyment. 
 
 3.  Those  favoured  of  fortune  are  the 
 most  jntiable  objects  in  the  world.  We 
 may  not  limit  God's  grace,  which  can 
 bring  the  soul  from  amid  unmingled 
 prosperity  to  bow  in  lowly  subjection 
 before  the  sceptre  of  Jesus.  Afiliction 
 may  bring  down  the  soul,  or  it  may 
 become  surfeited  with  life's  good  things, 
 and  then  God's  message  will  be  heard  ; 
 but  those  who  are  "  full  "  and  "  laugh 
 now  "  too  often  inherit  only  the  Saviour's 
 "  woes." 
 
 III.  They  who  have  worldly  pros- 
 perity should  be  led  to  self-inquiry  as 
 to  its  effect  upon  themselves. 
 
 1.  In  no  country  like  our  own  are 
 there  so  many  who  have  risen  from  small 
 beginnings  to  great  estates  and  honours. 
 Has  God  "  granted  your  requests  but 
 sent  leanness  into  your  souls  "  1  When 
 riches  increased,  have  you  set  your  heart 
 upon  them  1  Are  you  the  same  simple- 
 hearted  and  sincere  follower  of  Jesus  as 
 when  you  began  to  lay  the  foundation 
 of  your  worldly  exaltation  ?  "  Eemem- 
 ber  from  whence  thou  hast  fallen." 
 
 2.  What  a  caiction  is  here  to  those  who 
 are  seeking  j^'^'osj^erity  1  Can  you  dis- 
 cover a  means  of  preserving  a  lowly 
 spiritual  mind  amid  prosperity  %  Unless 
 so,  there  is  no  alternative  but  that  you 
 must  sufi'er  adversity  to  keep  you 
 humble,  or  become  worldly  and  spiri- 
 tually hardened. 
 
 427 
 
CHAP.  XXII. 
 
 EOMILETIC  COMMENTARY:  JEREMIAH. 
 
 3.  They  who  have  become  more  in- 
 disposed to  hear  the  voice  of  God  should 
 awake  to  their  peril.  Had  you  been 
 placed  amid  afflictions  and  deprivations, 
 it  might  have  been  better  for  your  soul. 
 "  The  goodness  of  God  should  lead  thee 
 to  repentance  ;  "  but  it  has  had  the  op- 
 posite effect,  and  led  to  greater  sin. 
 What  depravity  is  here  !  Is  not  that  a 
 brutish  nature  which  is  more  rebellious 
 to  its  owner  the  richer  the  pasture  he 
 provides  ?  Is  this  the  spirit  of  a  reason- 
 able intelligent  creature  %  Does  not  such 
 a  heart  need  a  change  ? 
 
 4.  ProsjDeroiis  ones  may  well  regard 
 their  case  with  apprehension.  The  evil 
 days  will  come  when  they  will  say,  "  I 
 have  no  pleasure  in  them."  Spare  your- 
 selves the  blow  by  renouncing  the  world 
 for  Christ.  Is  the  sacrifice  too  great  for 
 Him  who  gave  His  life  for  you  1 — W. 
 H.  Lewis,  D.D.,  ^^  Sermons  for  the  Chris- 
 tian Year." 
 
 Theme  :  Prospekity  baneful. 
 
 Scripture  uniformly  teaches  that  dis- 
 tance from  God  is  the  greatest  misery — 
 nearness  to  Him  the  greatest  good. 
 Hell  is  the  extreme  point  of  distance 
 from  Him  :  Heaven  is  the  perfection  of 
 nearness  and  resemblance  to  Him.  In 
 proportion  as  we  are  under  the  power  of 
 religion,  we  are  said  to  walk  with  God, 
 conforming  ourselves  to  His  will,  plac- 
 ing ourselves  beneath  His  eye,  and  re- 
 joicing in  the  proofs  of  His  acceptance 
 and  favour.  In  proportion  as  we  are 
 destitute  of  religion,  we  are  said  to  live 
 without  God  in  the  world — we  neither 
 are  solicitous  for  His  glory,  nor  are 
 mindful  of  His  friendship,  nor  are  dis- 
 posed to  listen  to  His  voice.  In  afflic- 
 tion we  do  not  bow  in  holy  resignation 
 to  His  wiU,  in  prosperity  we  do  not  own 
 the  hand  from  whence  our  mercies  flow. 
 And  this  is  the  description  of  Israel : 
 "  I  spake  to  thee  in  thy  prosperity,  hut 
 thou  tvouldst  not  hear." 
 
 The  text  is  a  charge  brought  against 
 the  Jewish  nation ;  and  it  is  accom- 
 panied with  a  threat  of  the  removal  of 
 those  mercies  they  had  abused  by  a  long 
 and  mournful  captivity.  The  same 
 charge  is  applicable  to  most  men  in  a 
 greater  or  less  degree. 
 428 
 
 I.  The  exactness  with  which  God 
 observes  all  that  relates  to  human 
 character  and  conduct. 
 
 The  text  is  the  language  of  regret. 
 A  father  weeping  over  a  child  :  a  bene- 
 factor— a  Saviour  deploring  "/  spake 
 in  prosperity." 
 
 1.  All  our  relative  cii'cumstances  are  im- 
 mediately before  His  eye;  and  He  notices 
 with  tender  and  faithful  scrutiny  the 
 various  effects  which  His  merciful  dis- 
 pensations have  upon  the  mind.  In 
 riches  and  poverty,  in  prosperity  and 
 adversity,  in  health  and  sickness,  in  joy 
 and  sorrow,  in  youth  and  age  :  and  He 
 J;races  with  most  minute  inspection  the 
 diflferent  eflfects  produced  with  a  view  to 
 the  development  and  progression  of 
 moral  character.  Not  with  angry  eye 
 merely,  but  with  kind  solicitude  and 
 regard  :  as  a  father  a  child. 
 
 How  different  a  thing  is  life  in 
 human  and  Divine  estimation.  Man 
 thinks  what  shall  I  eat.  But  God  looks 
 to  growth  of  piety  and  principle. 
 
 2.  The  circumstances  of  human  life, 
 however  produced,  are  undoubtedly  «nc?(?r 
 the  guidance  of  Providence,  and  therefore 
 subservient  to  a  wise  and  perfect  design. 
 Each  man's  history  is  arranged  and  adapted 
 with  utmost  precision  to  the  growth  of 
 permanent  character.  When  the  outline  is 
 fully  sketched,  when  the  discipline  has 
 had  its  perfect  operation,  when  the  edu- 
 cation is  completed  not  to  our  concep- 
 tions but  to  the  eye  of  Deity,  we  no 
 longer  continue  here.  The  fruit  being 
 set,  the  winds  scatter  the  blossoms ;  the 
 fruit  being  ri^je,  the  sun  loses  its  power ; 
 the  fruit  falling  or  being  gathered,  winter 
 is  at  hand. 
 
 God  marks  everything.  "  This  thy 
 manner  from  thy  youth.  Thou  hast  not 
 obeyed."     A  faithful  record  is  kept. 
 
 II.  The  tendency  of  unsanctified 
 prosperity  to  render  us  insensible  to 
 the  claims  of  religion  and  separate  us 
 still  farther  from  God. 
 
 Prosperity  and  adversity  relative 
 terms. 
 
 1.  Uninterrupted  comfort  tends  to 
 lessen  our  confidence  in  God :  to  form 
 in  the  mind  a  feeling  of  self-confidence  : 
 a  security  nothing  can  shake  :  so  much 
 so  that  religion  can  make  no  entrance 
 
EOMILETIC  COMMENTARY:  JEREMIAH. 
 
 CHAP.  XXII. 
 
 into  the  mind.  It  overcomes  that  feel- 
 ing of  humility  and  dependence  which 
 is  the  source  of  every  virtue,  and  conse- 
 quently weakens  the  hold  of  principle, 
 and  aims  directly  at  the  foundation  of 
 all  religion. 
 
 2.  Another  fatal  effect  of  it  is  to  har- 
 den the  heart.  God  would  have  every 
 temporal  blessing  raise  the  inquiry, 
 "  Lord,  what  is  man  ?"  But  wicked  and 
 irreligious  men  are  only  concerned  for 
 enjoyment,  and  for  scope  for  their  am- 
 bition. They  feed  and  grovel  like  swine 
 beneath  the  oak,  without  looking  up  to 
 the  boughs  that  bore  the  fruit  or  the 
 hand  that  shakes  it  down.  Hence  pros- 
 perity is  but  a  bad  nurse  to  virtue,  a 
 nurse  which  is  like  to  starve  it  in  its  in- 
 fancy and  to  spoil  it  in  its  growth.  The 
 corrupt  affection,  which  seemed  dead  and 
 chill  under  the  winter  of  affliction,  is 
 like  the  serpent  warmed  into 'life  and 
 venom  by  the  sun  of  prosperity. 
 
 3.  Then  comes  pride.  Hezekiah  shows 
 his  treasures.  Nebuchadnezzar  exclaims, 
 Is  not  this  Babylon  ?  Pride  and  pomp. 
 Then  God  is  forgotten :  prayer  neglected. 
 If  Jeshurun  wax  fat,  ten  to  one  he  kicks 
 against  Him  who  made  him  so. 
 
 4.  Leaves  a  dulness  and  lethargy  of 
 mind.  All  Divine  threatenings,  warn- 
 ings, promises  unheeded. 
 
 III.  Various  ways  in  which  God  re- 
 bukes this  tendency  and  humbles  men. 
 
 God  speaks  to  men  in  various  ways, 
 and  He  distinctly  marks  the  various 
 impressions  produced  upon  the  mind  by 
 His  communications.  He  speaks  to  us 
 by  His  Word  and  ordinances,  by  the  in- 
 structions we  receive  in  religious  educa- 
 tion, by  the  various  dispensations  of  His 
 providence,  by  affliction,  by  mercies,  all 
 are  the  voice  of  God  to  man.  "  I  spahe.'" 
 
 The  externals  of  life  undesirable. 
 "  Give  me  neither  poverty  nor  riches." 
 
 Affliction — its  design. 
 
 The  care  of  the  soul  is  "the  one 
 thing  needful." 
 
 Immediately  apply  to  Christ. 
 
 —Samuel  Thodey^  a.d.  1828. 
 
 Seemon  to  the  Young. 
 "  This  has  hem  thy  manner  from  thy 
 youth"  (ver.  21). 
 
 The  habits  formed  in  youth  generally 
 
 continue  in  future  life.  The  early  cus- 
 toms of  Judah  led  on  to  the  settled 
 condition  of  indifference  to  God's  calls 
 and  counsels. 
 
 I.  Mankind  generally  continue  to 
 live  according  to  the  habits  formed  in 
 youth. 
 
 There  are  some  exceptions.  Youths 
 who  were  profligate  have  in  after  life 
 become  godly,  &c.  By  the  period  of 
 youth  I  mean  from,  say  twelve  to 
 twenty-five :  this  is  the  season  when 
 habits  are  formed.  And  the  words  of 
 the  text  will  apply  to  those 
 
 1.  Whose  life  is  given  to  the  luxury 
 of  pleasure. 
 
 2.  •  Who  pass  the  season  of  youth  in 
 indtdging  in  gross  vices,  (a.)  To  the 
 Sabbath-breaker ;  (6.)  to  the  profane  ', 
 (c.)  to  the  drunkard. 
 
 3.  Equally  relevant  to  vices  of  the 
 mind,  (a.)  Selfishness;  (b.)  pride;  (c.) 
 malignity. 
 
 4.  So  also  as  regards  their  attitude 
 towards  religion.  ■  (a.)  Those  who  pass 
 their  youth  in  a  merely  formal  regard 
 to  the  external  duties  of  religion  usually 
 become  formalists.  (6.)  Those  who 
 practise  g^lile  and  deceit  become  hypo- 
 critical, (c.)  Those  who  in  youtli  slight 
 the  Gospel,  in  old  age  are  seen  to  be  un- 
 feeling and  hardened,  {d.)  Those  who 
 are  sceptical  frequently  become  confirmed 
 infidels. 
 
 Youth  is  generally  the  season  when 
 a  decision  is  made  either  in  favour  of 
 religion  or  against. 
 
 II.  Custom  in  any  course  generally 
 issues  in  confirmed  habits.  "  This 
 has  been  thy  manner  from  thy  youth." 
 
 1.  The  commencement  of  a  course  in 
 life  is  often  attended  with  a  struggle 
 and  with  difficulties.  When  a  young 
 person  begins  a  sinfid  course,  there  is 
 the  struggle  against  instruction,  remon- 
 strances of  conscience,  &c.  So  also  in 
 a  religious  career. 
 
 2.  But  continuance  in  a  course  ren- 
 ders habits  congenial  and  easy.  So 
 difficult  then  is  it  for  those  who  have 
 accustomed  themselves  to  pursue  evil 
 ways  to  desist,  that  little  hope  is  enter- 
 tained for  a  change.  "  Shall  the  Ethio- 
 pian change  his  skin  1 "  &c.  "  This  has 
 been  thy  manner  from  thy  youth." 
 
 429 
 
EOMILETIC  COMMENTARY :  JEREMIAH. 
 
 III.  Solemn  uses  to  which  these 
 truths  may  be  applied. 
 
 You  are  old  enough  now  to  decide 
 your  future.  You  are  now  in  the  most 
 important  season  of  your  life.     Accept 
 
 1.  A  few  cautions. 
 
 (1.)  Guard  against  slighting  parental 
 instruction.  (2.)  Against  slighting  the 
 gospel.  (3.)  Against  slighting  the  Sab- 
 bath. (4.)  Avoid  also  ungodly  com- 
 panions. 
 
 2.  A  few  exhortations — founded  upon 
 the  fact  that  your  future  life  may  be 
 expected  to  corrd^pond  with  the  habits 
 formed  in  youth. 
 
 (1.)  Accustom  yourselves  to  consider 
 your  accountability/  to  God.  "  Remember 
 now  thy  Creator  in  the  days  of  thy 
 youth ; "  and  think  that  for  the  sins 
 and  habits  of  your  youth  He  will  re- 
 quire an  account  in  the  day  of  judg- 
 ment. (2.)  Study  the  Sacred  Book  hy 
 wliicli  your  futxire  should  he  directed. 
 
 (3.)  Decide  early  in  favour  of  religion. 
 This  will  be  the  best  security  from  the 
 evils  to  which  you  will  surely  be  exposed. 
 It  will  equip  you  to  be  useful  in  life. 
 It  will  ensure  your  future  happiness. 
 It  will  prepare  you  for  death.  There 
 is  another  world  beyond  the  present. — 
 Old  MS. 
 
 Vers.  20-23.     Theme:     Hastening 
 
 DESOLATIONS. 
 
 Judah  and  Jerusalem,  spoken  to  as  an 
 individual,  appear  in  a  threefold  char- 
 acter. 
 
 i.  Very  haughty  in  the  day  of  peace 
 and  safety  (ver.  21).  It  is  common  for 
 those  who  live  at  ease  to  live  in  con- 
 tempt of  the  Word  of  God.  This  is  so 
 much  the  worse  because  it  is  habitual — 
 "  thy  manner  from  thy  youth." 
 
 ii.  Very  timorous  at  the  alarms  of 
 trouble  (ver.  20).  When  "  thy  lovei-s," 
 idols  and  foreign  alliances,  fail  thee, 
 thou  wilt  ascend  the  mountains  and  cry 
 for  help  (ver.  20) ;  but  all  in  vain  (ver. 
 '22). 
 
 iii.  Very  tame  under  the  heavy  and 
 lasting  pressures  of  ti-ouble  (ver.  22). 
 "  Ashamed  and  confounded,"  &c.  Many 
 will  never  be  ashamed  of  their  sins  till 
 they  are  brought  by  them  to  their  last 
 extremity.  She  was  j)'>'0'^d  and  self- 
 430 
 
 secure  in  her  prosperity  (ver.  23), 
 "  made  her  nest  in  cedars  :  "  but  in  her 
 humiliation  she  will  promise  God  to  be 
 humble  and  amend  her  ways  ;  "how 
 gracious  wilt  thou  be,"  &c. — Henry. 
 
 Ver.  24.    Theme:  The  punishment 
 
 OF  THE  impenitent. 
 
 Such  punishment  is  both — (a)  inevit- 
 able :  (h)  justifiable. 
 
 I.  Awful  instances  in  which  God 
 has  verified  this  declaration. 
 
 I.  The  apostate  angels.  2.  Our  first 
 parents.  3.  Destruction  of  mankind  by 
 the  Flood.  4.  The  children  of  Israel, 
 5.  Moses,  David,  the  disobedient  pro- 
 phet. 6.  The  death  of  Christ  as  man's 
 substitute. 
 
 II.  Reasons  which  support  this  de- 
 claration. 
 
 1.  Not  a  disposition  to  give  pain : 
 nor  a  desire  for  revenge.  2.  It  is  the 
 nature  and  tendency  of  sin  to  produce 
 misery.  — Pay  son. 
 
 Theme :  Woe  to  Coniah. 
 
 Here,  in  this  malediction,  the  pro- 
 phet describes  Jehoiachin  under  three 
 similes : — 
 
 I.  A  signet  plucked  from  God's 
 hand.  A  signet  was  like  the  "great 
 seal"  of  England,  the  badge  of  office. 
 It  meant  the  loss  of  kingship  and  royal 
 authority. 
 
 1.  Pluclcedoffhy  God  Himself  {ver.  24). 
 So  that  God  by  special  action  renounces 
 this  godless  king. 
 
 2.  Handed  over  to  the  Chaldean  tyrant 
 (ver.  25).  Thus  God  puts  him,  entirely 
 separated  from  Himself,  into  the  power 
 of  Nebuchadnezzar ;  "  without  God  in 
 the  world  " — given  over  to  the  foe  ! 
 
 Zeruhbabel,  God's  servant,  the  nephew 
 of  Jeconiah,  was  made  by  God  "  as  a  sig- 
 net "  (conip.  Hag.  ii.  23 ;  see  also  Gen. 
 xli.  42  ;  1  Kings  xxi.  8 ;  Esther  iii.  10, 
 viii.  2;  Dan.  vi.  17;  2  Tim.  ii.  19; 
 Rev.  vii.  3,  ix.  4). 
 
 Jeconiah  was  a  signet,  but  plucked 
 and  cast  away.  After  only  three  months' 
 reign,  he  was  carried  captive  to  Ba- 
 bylon. 
 
 Thus  God  can  "  put  down  the  mighty 
 from  their  seats,  and  exalt  them  of  low 
 degree"  (Luke  i.  51-53). 
 
nOMILETIC  COMMENTARY:  JEREMIAff. 
 
 CHAP.  XXIT. 
 
 II.  A  cherished  idol  despised  (ver. 
 28).  Coniab  Wcas  once  idolised  hy  the 
 Jews;  and  great  things  had  been  ex- 
 pected of  him.  Indeed  it  was  hoped 
 he  would  frustrate  the  Chaldean  power, 
 avert  or  bring  back  Judah  from  the  Chal- 
 dean captivity,  and  thus  falsify  Jere- 
 miah's sad  prediction. 
 
 He  had  also  been  exalted  hy  Jelwvah 
 as  king  of  God's  favoured  and  covenant 
 people. 
 
 Henry  states  these  facts  thus  : 
 
 1.  Time  was  when  he  was  dignified, 
 almost  deified.  But  now  that  he  is 
 deposed,  he  is  despised.  "  What  is 
 unjustly  honoured  will  be  justly  con- 
 temned ;  and  rivals  with  God  will  be 
 the  scorn  of  men." 
 
 2.  Time  was  when  he  toas  delighted  in. 
 But  now  he  is  "  a  vessel  in  which  is  no 
 pleasure,"  because  either  out  of  fashion 
 or  unserviceable.  Those  whom  God  has 
 no  pleasure  in  will  some  time  or  other  be 
 so  mortified thatmen  willhaveno  pleasure 
 in  them  (see  Psa.  xxi.  13 ;  Hos.  viii.  8). 
 
 III.  A  king  deprived  of  posterity 
 (ver.  30).  Jeconiah  was  not  literally 
 childless  (comp.  ver.  28  :  "  his  seed,"  1 
 Chron.  iii.  17,  18 ;  Matt,  i.  12)  ;  but  was 
 to  be  "  written  "  /i»effl%  childless.  Mes- 
 siah was  only  lineally  descended  from 
 Jeconiah  through  Joseph,  who  though 
 His  legal  was  not  His  real  father.  The 
 succession  to  the  throne  failed  in  his 
 line  :  nevertheless,  the  promise  to  David 
 (Psa.  Ixxxix.  30-37)  was  revived  in 
 Zerubbabel,  and  consummated  in  Christ. 
 
 The  king  who  succeeded  Jeconiah 
 was  his  uncle  Zedekiah,  and  with  him 
 the  Ilehrexv  monarchy  as  a  visible  insti- 
 tution was  destroyed. 
 
 See  Addenda  :  Written  Childless. 
 
 Eusehiiis,  the  historian  {Eccles.  Hist. 
 iii.  20),  says,  "  Jeconiah  was  the  last 
 king  of  David's  line.  His  uncle  indeed 
 actually  reigned  after  him,  but  perished 
 with  'ah  sons  long  before  Jeremiah's 
 death  (chap.  Iii.  10).  In  the  legal 
 genealogies  Salathiel  (Heb.  Shealtiel), 
 who  was  descended  from  David  through 
 his  son  Nathan,  is  counted  as  his  son, 
 but  neither  he  nor  Zerubbabel  pros- 
 pered so  as  to  sit  on  David's  throne. 
 And   gradually    their    descendants   be- 
 
 came so  insignificant  as  to  be  but  *  a 
 cut-down  tree'  (Isa.  xi.  1),  and  'a 
 dry  ground '(Isa.  liii.  2).  When /rom 
 tliis  uncrowned  lineage  Christ  had  come, 
 and  the  growing  strength  of  Cliristianity 
 had  aroused  the  jealous  fears  of  Domi- 
 tian,  he  caused  a  search  to  he  made  for 
 the  descendants  of  David;  but  when 
 they  were  brought  before  him,  they 
 proved  to  be  such  simple  country  people 
 that  he  despised  them  and  let  them  go." 
 
 1.  From  so  proud  an  ancestor  no 
 descendant  of  note  ever  rose  upon  the 
 notice  of  history. 
 
 2.  Yet  from  a  family  so  utterly  fallen, 
 came  the  King  of  kings  and  Lord  of 
 lords. 
 
 Ver.  29.  Theme:  Missionary  ser- 
 mon.    God's  call  to  the  world. 
 
 Judah  would  not  heed  or  helieve  God's 
 message  (ver.  19)  ;  so  God  appeals  to 
 the  world  to  record  His  denunciations 
 and  watch  their  fulfilment.  The  treble 
 repetition  of  "earth"  emphasises  the 
 appeal  :  it  is  therefore  xirgent  that  earth 
 should  hear  God's  Word.  The  repetition 
 is  also  an  intensitive  form,  and  expresses 
 God's  earnestness  in  making  this  call  to 
 "  earth." 
 
 I.  The  whole  wide  earth  engages 
 God's  solicitude. 
 
 1.  As  His  creative  product.  He 
 formed  the  world  ;  and  peopled  it. 
 
 2.  .4  s  His  undivided  possession.  Satan 
 may  deem  himself  "  god  of  this  world," 
 but  it  is  only  a  temporary  and  delusive 
 occupancy.  "  The  earth  is  the  Lord's 
 and  the  fulness  thereof ;  the  world,  and 
 they  that  dwell  therein."  "  All  souls  are 
 Mine." 
 
 3.  As  the  sphere  of  His  henignant  rule. 
 He  works  not  locally,  in  limited  terri- 
 tories, bounded  by  narrow  geographical 
 lines :  but  over  the  wide  world  His 
 Providence  works.  As  wide  as  the 
 light  of  His  sun  floods,  &c.,  so  is  His 
 rule.  "  He  doeth  according  to  His  will 
 among  the  inhabitants  of  the  world." 
 "  The  nations  are  but  as  a  drop  in  the 
 bucket,"  (fee.  None  overlooked.  There 
 is  not  an  isolated  spot  on  earth  where 
 God  has  not  worked,  adorning  it  with 
 life  and  beauty. 
 
 4.  The  whole  round  ivorld  is  mans 
 
 431 
 
03AP.  xrri. 
 
 HOMILETIC  COMMENTARY:  JEREMIAH. 
 
 sphere  of  being.  And  "  His  delights  are 
 with  the  sons  of  men."  This  is  regard- 
 less of  national  divisions.  "  God  hath 
 made  of  one  blood  all  the  nations  for  to 
 dwell  upon  the  earth," 
 
 5.  God  is  intent  on  maTcing  the  entire 
 globe  the  theatre  of  His  most  glorious 
 reign.  "  The  uttermost  parts  of  the 
 earth"  are  to  share  in  His  glory.  "All 
 men  shall  be  blessed  in  Him,  and  all 
 nations  call  Him  blessed." 
 
 II.  To  the  whole  wide  earth  God 
 addresses  His  messages. 
 
 1.  Under  Old  Testament  dispensations 
 there  were  world-wide  comviunications 
 wbich  overleaped  the  restrictions  of 
 Judaism.  The  Jews  would  have  kept 
 Jehovah  to  themselves,  and  all  His  re- 
 velations. But  many  grand  truths  were 
 gathered  into  the  Mosaic  code,  the 
 Jewish  Scriptures,  which  were  for  all 
 people.  The  Sabbath  was  not  for  the 
 Jews  alone,  but  a  law  for  all  nations 
 and  all  time.  God's  character  declared 
 on  Sinai  was  a  revelation  for  every  one. 
 His  words  of  mercy  to  sinners,  "Come, 
 let  us  reason  together,"  "  Let  the 
 wicked  forsake  his  way,"  &c.,  were 
 without  any  Jewish  limitation.  "  In 
 every  nation  he  that  feareth  God  and 
 worketh  righteousness  is  accepted  of 
 Him  "  (Acts  X.  34,  35). 
 
 2.  Prior  to  the  Gospel,  God  gathered 
 the  whole  world  into  His  love.  The 
 Gospel  but  expressed  that  love.     "  He 
 
 so  loved  that  He  gave  His  Son."  Glad 
 fact  that  the  love  of  God  is  older  than 
 the  Incarnation.  It  is  everlasting  love 
 — universal  love. 
 
 3.  Jesus  Christ  proclaimed  the  uni- 
 versal religion.  God's  message  to  sin- 
 ners. "Go  ye  into  all  the  world  and 
 preach  the  Gospel  to  every  creature." 
 
 4.  In  God's  revelations  there  is  adapta- 
 tion to  and  pirovision  for  the  lohole  earth. 
 Warnings:  counsels:  invitations  :  plead- 
 ings :  promises. 
 
 "Enough' for  each,  enough  for  all." 
 
 III.  Over  the  whole  wide  earth  His 
 Word  is  to  he  proclaimed. 
 
 1.  By  human  lips.  Jeremiah  is  the 
 speaker.  Men  who  know  the  "  Word 
 of  the  Lord  "  must  tell  it. 
 
 2.  With  impassioned  earnestness. 
 Pleading  and  appealing.  "  0  earth,  earth, 
 earth  !  "     Enthusiasm  should  impel  us, 
 
 3.  With  restless  urgency.  "  Not  hold- 
 ing our  peace  day  or  night,  we  that  make 
 mention  of  the  Lord," 
 
 4.  With  dauntless  persistency.  Men 
 will  not  heed  the  first  cry — then  cry 
 again  ;  "  0  earth,  earth,  eaeth  !  " 
 
 5.  With  U7iiversal  fidness.  Tell  a 
 Gospel  which  is  "  unto  all  people,"  to 
 "all  people;"  till  "every  soul  shall 
 know  the  joyful  sound:"  till  "Christ 
 is  Lord  indeed." 
 
 See  also  Noticeable  Topics :  "  God's 
 
 VOICE  TO  MAN." 
 
 NOTICEABLE  TOPICS  IN  CHAPTER  XXII. 
 
 Topic:  War  Theme 
 
 Grief  for  those  who  have  gone  away  to  Wae. 
 
 (Ver.  10.) 
 
 For  those  who,  as  soldiers  or  seamen,  have  left  their  native  country,  there  is 
 more  occasion  to  mourn  than  for  "  the  quiet  dead." 
 
 Notice  some  of  the  Temptations,  Trials,  and  Dangers  to  which  they 
 are  exposed. 
 
 I.  Temptations  to  vice,  which  meet  those  who  leave  virtuous  homes  and 
 enter  the  camp  or  the  ship  of  war.  They  may  have  been  the  children  of  many 
 prayers,  &c.  But  away  from  home  restraints — the  scoffer's  jest,  licentious  induce- 
 ments, the  gambling  table,  allure  them  from  Bible-reading,  Sabbath  reverence, 
 &c.,  and  they  go  down  to  graves  of  infamy  and  woe.  Of  how  many  such  is  it  true, 
 that 
 
 "  Doubly  dying,  they  go  down 
 
 To  the  vile  dust  from  whence  they  sprang, 
 Unwept,  unhonoured,  and  unsung," 
 
 n.  Exposure  to  sickness  and  death,  when  far  removed  from  home  and  those 
 432 
 
HO  MI  LET IC  COMMENT  A  R  T :  JEREMIA  H.  chap.  xxn. 
 
 wlio  love  them.  It  may  be  "  easy  to  die  in  battle "  where  the  spirit  is  stirred 
 to  a  courageous  madness,  and 
 
 "  Fame  is  there  to  tell  who  bleeds, 
 And  Honour's  eye's  on  daring  deeds. " 
 
 But  to  waste  away  by  sickness  through  exposure  to  drenching  rains  and  deadly 
 climate,  to  be  crushed  or  mangled  by  a  blow,  and  left  to  rude  attentions  until 
 death  ends  all ! 
 
 III.  Ponder  the  horrors  of  captivity  to  which  battles  expose  soldiers  and 
 sailors.  The  crowded  prison-cell,  scanty  food  and  drink,  fiend-like  foes,  and  suf- 
 ferings and  cruelties  inflicted  on  the  conquered  :  from  such  horrors  we  turn 
 away  in  bitter  indignation  and  anguish  ;  feeling  and  saying — 
 
 "  0  judgment !  thou  hast  fled  to  brutish  beasts, 
 And  men  have  lost  their  reason  ! " 
 
 IV.  The  horrors  of  the  battle-field.  Truly,  "  every  battle  of  the  warrior  is 
 with  confused  noise,  and  garments  rolled  in  blood."  The  maimed  and  mangled 
 left  to  bleed  and  die  !  Or  turn  to  naval  battles,  where  are  bursting  shells,  shat- 
 tered masts,  gory  decks,  shrieks  of  anguish,  and  heaps  of  slain  ! 
 
 V.  Brutalising  effect  of  war  on  soldiers.  Wbat  secret  theft,  open  and 
 violent  robbery,  the  outrages  on  virtue  and  humanity,  now  abandoned  to  the 
 heat  of  passion,  to  unbridled  lust,  &c. 
 
 Such  is  war :  cruel  and  relentless,  with  hands  of  violence  and  eyes  of 
 flaming  rage,  with  gory  locks  and  crimson  banners,  &c.  The  rejoicing  of  nations 
 for  victories  won  is  mingled  with  the  wail  of  the  widow,  the  cry  of  the  orphan, 
 the  anguish  of  parents  bereaved. 
 
 All  this  should  constrain  us  to 
 
 1.  Do  all  tve  can  for  the  spiritual  good  of  our  army  and  navy.  Succour 
 them  with  all  bodily  comforts  amid  the  miseries  of  battle,  but  write  them  per- 
 sonal letters  when  we  can,  and  also  send  them  messengers  and  ministers  of 
 sacred  truth. 
 
 2.  Pray  for  them  that  God  may  restrain  them  from  temptations  and  lead  them 
 as  good  soldiers  of  the  Cross  to  triumph  over  their  sjnritual  foes.  Thus,  should 
 they  die,  we  may  hope  they  would  gain  the  victor's  crown  of  life  on  high. 
 
 The  more  we  do  for  the  spiritual  good  of  our  national  defenders  the  sooner 
 may  we  hope  for  enduring  national  peace,  and  for  the  coming  years  of  universal 
 peace :  when 
 
 "  No  more  shall  nation  against  nation  rise, 
 Nor  ardent  warriors  meet  with  hateful  eyes, 
 Nor  fields  with  gleaming  steel  be  covered  o'er, 
 The  brazen  trumpets  kindle  rage  no  more ; 
 But  useless  lances  into  scythes  shall  bend. 
 And  the  broad  falchion  in  the  ploughshare  end." 
 
 — Rev.  Charles  Rockwell,  New  York,  1864. 
 
 Toinc :  God's  Voice  to  Man.     "  0  earth,  hear  the  word  of  the  Lord  "  (ver.  29). 
 
 The  Bible  is  the  Word  of  God,  and  every  man  is  interested  in  its  contents.  It 
 is  God's  own  message  to  His  own  world — a  message  transparent  with  light  and 
 warm  with  love.  It  brings,  as  we  believe,  its  own  evidence  of  its  truth,  the 
 credentials  of  its  Divine  original  in  every  page — for  the  best  argument  in  favour 
 of  the  Bible  is  the  Book  itself — in  the  grandeur  of  its  doctrines,  in  the  purity  of 
 its  precepts,  in  the  richness  of  its  promises ;  in  the  faithfulness  of  its  warnings, 
 and  above  all  in  its  complete  adaptation  to  the  state  and  condition  of  guilty  man  ; 
 revealing  as  it  does  an  atoning  sacrifice  and  a  sanctifying  Spirit,  a  sacrifice  worthy 
 of  God  to  accept,  and  equal  to  the  salvation  of  a  fallen  world.  The  evidences  of 
 this  religion,  sustained  as  they  have  been  by  miracle  and  by  prophecy,  have  been 
 2  E  433 
 
CHAP.  XXII.  EOMILETIC  COMMENTARY :  JEREMIAH. 
 
 sufficient  to  satisfy  the  keenest  inquiry  of  the  wisest  and  best  of  men,  and  to  guide 
 countless  myriads  in  their  path  to  heaven,  who,  living,  have  owned  its  power,  and 
 dying,  have  rejoiced  in  its  grace.  We  may  go  round  to  all  the  varieties  of  this 
 world's  population  and  say,  0  earth,  earth,  earth,  hear  the  Word  of  the  Lord, 
 assured  of  finding  a  ready  echo  and  response  in  every  honest  and  penitent  mind. 
 The  great  doctrine  this  text  contains  is  the  importance  of  listening  to  the  Bible  as 
 the  voice  of  God.  Hear  the  Word. 
 I.  Specify  some  respects  in  which  we  should  liear  God's  voice. 
 
 1.  /?i  the  still  small  voice  of  heavenly  mercy. 
 
 This  threefold  adjuration  supposes  great  indifi'erence,  great  reluctance  on  man's 
 part  to  listen  to  God's  voice  of  mercy.  We  might  well  ask.  Are  the  inhabitants  of 
 the  world  dead  or  deaf  that  God  calls  the  cold  and  barren  earth  to  listen  to  His 
 Word  when  man  would  not  1 
 
 The  Gospel  itself,  though  it  proclaims  peace  on  earth  and  goodwill  to  man,  is 
 coldly  regarded.  How  striking  that  announcement  of  the  angels,  "  unto  you  is 
 horn  a  Saviour ; "  to  you  men,  not  to  us  angels.  There  was  no  olive  branch  in 
 their  deluge  :  no  brazen  serpent  in  their  rebellious  camp  :  no  city  of  refuge  in  all 
 their  courts  :  no  star  of  Bethlehem  in  their  sky  :  no  "  mighty  to  save  "  travailed  in 
 the  greatness  of  His  strength  on  their  behalf.  When  angels  sinned,  justice  took  its 
 own  unfettered  course ;  but  when  Adam  fell,  a  Saviour  was  provided. 
 
 "  From  heaven  the  sinning  angels  fell, 
 And  wrath  and  vengeance  chained  them  down; 
 But  man,  vile  man,  forsook  his  bliss, 
 And  mercy  lifts  him  to  a  crown." 
 
 It  is  under  this  last  best  dispensation  of  heavenly  truth  and  grace  that  we  are 
 living.     0  listen  to  the  still  small  voice  of  eternal  mercy. 
 
 2.  /«  the  loud  thunder  of  God's  providential  dispensation. 
 
 God  calls  attention  to  the  overthrow  of  Judea  and  its  monarchy.  It  is,  there- 
 fore, to  the  crash  of  falling  thrones  and  of  extinguished  dynasties  that  God  appeals, 
 to  teach  His  people  that  sin  is  a  great  destroyer ;  for  wherever  guilt  reigns,  the 
 pale  angel  of  retribution  is  sure  to  follow.  The  Bible  is  the  interpreter  of  Provi- 
 dence, and  Providence  is  the  best  interpreter  of  the  Bible.  The  Jews  have  a 
 saying,  "  That  God  spalce  as  tridy  to  Israel  hy  His  ten  plagues  in  Egypt,  as  He  did 
 hy  His  ten  words  on  Sinai."  We  are  exhorted  to  hear  the  Rod  and  Him  that 
 apipointed  it ;  and  we  are  sure  that,  sooner  or  later,  they  who  will  not  hear  His 
 voice  in  His  Word,  must  be  made  to  feel  the  weight  of  His  Bod. 
 
 3.  In  your  personal  and  relative  afflictions,  God  speaks  and  demands  a  hearing. 
 The  various  methods  in  which  God  meets  with  man  and  causes  solemn  warnings 
 
 to  aflfect  the  heart,  form  a  striking  part  of  His  procedure  ;  and  every  such  appeal 
 rejected  will  constitute  a  fearful  item  in  our  last  account.  God  has  been  no  niggard 
 in  His  communications,  and  has  studied  economy  in  nothing  so  little  as  in  the 
 impressions  and  convictions  He  conveys  to  the  guilty  conscience.  Men  are  met, 
 day  by  day,  in  their  business,  in  their  families,  in  their  public  walks,  in  their 
 private  retirements,  in  the  exchange  of  merchandise,  in  the  temple  of  religion,  with 
 warning  voices  and  monitions,  of  which  God  is  the  immediate  author.  In  every 
 family  affliction,  in  every  sudden  death,  in  every  instance  of  wounded  affection, 
 or  disappointed  ambition,  or  ruined  hope,  and  in  the  overwhelming  dismay  created 
 by  the  prospect  of  poverty  on  the  one  hand,  or  by  the  removal  from  our  side  of 
 those  upon  whose  right  arm  we  leaned,  God  comes  very  near  to  us,  and  seems  to 
 say  in  accents  we  cannot  misunderstand,  "  J^otv  I  will  be  seen  ;  now  I  will  make 
 Myself  heard."  God  speaks  to  us  from  the  grave  of  a  friend ;  from  the  cradle 
 of  a  child  ;  from  the  death  of  an  enemy ;  and  from  the  great  changes  and  losses 
 always  going  on  in  the  troubled  theatre  of  human  affairs,  "  The  Lord's  voice  crieth 
 nnio  the  city,"  in  every  variety  of  accent,  "  0  earth,  earth,  earth,  hear  the  Word  of 
 tJie  Lord." 
 434 
 
HOMILETIG  COMMENTARY :  JEREMIAH.  chap.  xxn. 
 
 It  has  often  been  remarked  that  in  the  time  of  the  great  plague  in  Florence, 
 in  Venice,  and  in  London,  those  who  escaped  became  more  dissipated  and  aban- 
 doned to  evil  than  ever,  acting  upon  the  libertine  sentiment,  "  Let  us  eat  and  drink, 
 for  to-morrow  ive  die."     Affliction  where  it  does  not  soften,  only  hardens  the  more. 
 
 4.  In  the  ample  promises  and  encouragements  addressed  to  rettirning  penitents. 
 
 To  humble  the  sinner  and  to  exalt  the  Saviour  is  the  leading  design  of  the 
 whole  Record,  but  it  is  the  death  of  the  sin  and  not  the  death  of  the  soul  that  God 
 contemplates.  Truly  the  case  of  the  long-hardened  sinner  is  mournful  and 
 hazardous,  but  it  is  not  either  remediless  or  desperate,  seeing  that  there  is  a  great 
 sacrifice  provided  for  sin,  and  an  all-sufficient  Saviour  revealed  in  the  Gospel. 
 
 Yet  think  not  that  repentance  and  faith,  important  as  they  are  in  the  order  of 
 means,  can  be  in  any  sense  the  meritorious  conditions  of  salvation.  This  were  to 
 put  those  things  in  Christ's  stead,  which  are  only  the  stepping-stones  in  our  way 
 to  Him.  It  is  not  the  virtue  of  our  believing,  but  the  merit  of  Him  in  whom  we 
 believe  that  avails  for  acceptance  and  pardon. 
 
 Nor  is  it  to  the  strength  of  our  faith  merely  that  the  promise  is  made,  but  to 
 the  reality  of  it.  The  weak  hand  of  a  child  may  hold  that  precious  pearl  which 
 worlds  want  wealth  to  buy ;  and  faith  which  is  as  a  grain  of  mustard-seed  has 
 power  to  remove  mountains. 
 
 Come,  upon  the  strength  of  His  own  invitation :  or  let  urgent  and  desperate 
 necessity  be  your  warrant,  for  you  must  perish  if  you  stay  away.  Let  the  accept- 
 ance which  others  have  found  induce  you  to  come ;  for  their  experience  is  your 
 encouragement.  Let  the  wonders  of  His  redemptive  work  urge  your  footsteps 
 towards  His  throne.  Retiirn  to  Me,  for  I  have  redeemed  thee.  Every  leaf  of  His 
 Book  has  a  voice  to  say  return.  All  the  threatenings  and  all  the  promises  say 
 RETURN ;  all  His  judgments  and  all  His  mercies  say  return.  The  whole  intelli- 
 gent universe  would  seem  to  have  but  one  voice.  Voices  from  heaven  and  voices 
 from  hell  say  return.  If  the  redemption  of  the  soul  be  precious,  return.  If  the 
 terrors  of  hell  be  awful,  if  the  joys  of  heaven  be  attractive,  return.  "  0  earth, 
 earth,  earth,  hear  the  Word  of  the  Lord." 
 
 II.  Enumerate  some  reasons  why  the  whole  earth  is  interested  in  these 
 communications. 
 
 i.  Because  the  Gospel  shows  the  only  plan  of  salvation. 
 
 ii.  Because  the  progressive  improvement  and  advancement  of  the  race  is  connected 
 with  this  message. 
 
 Christian  nations  have  been  distinguished  by  intelligence.  The  spirit  of  science 
 rests  solely  with  them  :  in  dark  ages  it  burnt  in  secret.  Since  the  Reformation  the  pro- 
 gression of  knowledge  has  been  constant.  In  the  East  the  mind  has  lost  somewhat 
 of  its  capacity  and  power.  In  the  West,  under  the  auspices  of  Christianity,  men 
 appear  to  have  attained  a  vigour  in  intellectual  exertions.  An  impregnable  barrier 
 is  fixed  against  the  return  of  general  ignorance  and  barbarism. 
 
 iii.  Because  the  success  of  missionari/  work  shows  the  practicability  of  diffusing  if. 
 
 iv.  Because  the  sig?is  of  the  times  are  in  direct  accord  with  the  promises  of  God. 
 
 — Samuel  Thodey. 
 
 ADDENDA  TO  CHAPTER  XXII.    ILLUSTRATIONS  AND  SUGGESTIVE  EXTRACTS. 
 
 Ver.  10.  Weep  not  for  the  Dead.  weep  for  Jehoiakim,  for  he  died  at  once, 
 
 "  Weep   not  for  the  dead,"  i.e.,  of  Je-  a  death  common  to  mortals,  but  should 
 
 hoiakim,  who  died  on  the   road  when  weep  for  Jehoiachin,  because  he  lingered 
 
 taken  captive.  in  wretchedness  and  dishonour,  and  never 
 
 "  Weep  for  him  that  goeth  away,"  i.e.,  returned  to  his  beloved  country. 
 Jehoiachin,  who  was  a  prisoner  thirty-  So  enlarging  on  the  evils  of  the  Cap- 
 seven    years,    and   ultimately   died   in  tivity,  he  would  not  have  them  weep  for 
 captivity.  the  warriors  of  the  Louse  of  David  who 
 
 The   prophet  says   they  should    not  had  died  in  honourable  conflicts,  and  who 
 
 435 
 
CHAP.  xxn. 
 
 HOMILETIO  COMMENTARY:  JEREMIAH. 
 
 had  slept  in  sepulchres  of  their  ances- 
 tors, but  for  those  who  had  been  taken 
 captive,  and  died  away  from  home. 
 
 The  ancients  in  the  Gemara  say, 
 "Weep  not  for  the  dead" — that  is 
 immoderately:  three  days  are  allowed 
 for  weeping ;  on  the  seventh  the  obse- 
 quies are  performed ;  after  which  they 
 dress  not  showily,  but  shave  and  anoint. 
 "  But  weep  for  him  that  goeth  " — that 
 is,  childless.  Our  sages  apply  this 
 moral,  that  in  our  feelings  we  should 
 combine  nature  with  Scripture;  mean- 
 ing, feel  as  mortals,  but  with  modera- 
 tion as  Israelites,  to  whom  it  was  for- 
 bidden to  indulge  in  the  excesses  of  the 
 heathen,  and  who  might  hope  to  meet  at 
 the  resurrection  of  the  dead. 
 
 The  ancients  apply  it  to  Abram  and 
 Esau  (Gen.  xxv.  34).  Esau  coming  in, 
 saw  Jacob  cooking  lentiles  —  asking 
 why  ?  "  For  their  grandfather,  Abram," 
 said  Jacob,  "  it  being  food  for  mourn- 
 ers." Esau  said,  "  Is  it  possible  that 
 upright  man  was  included  in  the  pain  of 
 death  ?  Then  there  is  no  reward  nor 
 resurrection,"  and  he  resolved  to  sell  his 
 birthright  as  useless  benefit.  Weep  not 
 for  dead,  i.e.,  Abram;  hut  for  him  that 
 goeth,  i.e.,  Esau,  who  went  and  despised 
 his  primogeniture.  Conciliator :  By  R. 
 M.  Ben  Iskael  {E.  H.  Linto.) 
 
 YidieEitto's  Daily  Readings :  "  Isaiah 
 AOT)  THE  Peophets,"  on  this  verse. 
 
 Ver.  13,  CovETOusNESS.  "Some  men 
 are  so  covetous,  as  if  they  were  to  live 
 for  ever ;  and  others  so  profuse,  as  if 
 they  were  to  die  the  next  moment." — 
 Ai'istotle. 
 
 "The  covetous  man  lives  as  if  the 
 world  were  made  altogether  for  him, 
 and  not  he  for  the  world,  to  take  in 
 everything  and  part  with  nothing." — 
 South. 
 
 "  The  covetous  man  pines  in  plenty, 
 like  Tantalus  up  to  the  chin  in  water 
 and  yet  thirsty." — Adams. 
 
 BUILDETH  BY  unrighteousness.  Such 
 
 injurious  and  therefore  accursed  builders 
 were  the  pyramid-makers  in  Egypt. 
 Tarquinius  Priscus,  Caligula,  Nero,  Pho- 
 cas,  who  is  said  to  have  heard  this  voice 
 of  heaven — "  Though  thou  shouldst 
 erfect  thine  edifice  as  high  as  heaven, 
 436 
 
 yet  sin  that  lieth  at  the  foundation  will 
 soon  overturn  all."  Bernard  inveigheth 
 against  some  in  his  time  who  did  with 
 great  care  and  cost  {erigere  m^iros,  negli- 
 gere  moros)  buUd  high  manors,  but  not 
 amend  their  manners. — Trapp. 
 
 Ver.  19.  "  BuEiAL  of  an  ass."  He 
 who  had  such  a  stately  house  in  Jeru- 
 salem should  not  have  a  grave  to  house 
 his  carcase  in.  Our  Richard  III.,  for 
 his  exactions  to  maintain  a  great  court 
 and  favourites,  lost  his  kingdom,  was 
 starved  to  death  at  Pomfret  Castle,  and 
 scarce  afforded  common  burial.  King 
 Stephen  was  interred  in  Faversham 
 monastery,  but  since,  his  body,  for  the 
 gain  of  the  lead  wherein  it  was  cof- 
 fined, was  cast  into  the  river.  Let 
 great  ones  so  live  as  that  they  meet  not 
 in  the  end  with  the  death  of  a  dog,  the 
 burial  of  an  ass,  and  the  epitaph  of  an 
 ox,  such  as  Aristotle  calleth  that  of 
 Sardanapalus — "  ravr  %yjji  EpayoK  xa/ 
 spujS^/ffffa,"  &c. — Trapp. 
 
 The  Sinner's  Burial. 
 "  Wrapt  in  a  Christless  shroud, 
 He  sleeps  a  Christless  sleep  ; 
 Above  him  the  eternal  cloud, 
 Beneath,  the  fiery  deep. 
 
 Laid  in  a  Christless  tomb, 
 There  bound  with  felon-chain, 
 
 He  waits  the  terrors  of  his  doom, 
 The  judgment  and  the  pain. 
 
 0  Christless  shroud,  how  cold  ! 
 
 How  dark,  0  Christless  tomb  ! 
 O  grief  that  never  can  grow  old  I 
 
 O  endless,  hopeless  doom. 
 
 0  Christless  sleep,  how  sad  ! 
 
 What  waking  shalt  thou  know  ? 
 For  thee  no  star,  no  dawning  glad, 
 
 Only  the  lasting  woe ! 
 
 To  rocks  and  hills  in  vain 
 Shall  be  the  sinner's  call ; 
 
 0  day  of  wrath,  and  death,  and  pain, 
 The  lost  soul's  funeral ! 
 
 0  Christless  soul,  awake, 
 Ere  thy  last  sleep  begin  ! 
 
 0  Christ,  the  sleeper's  slumbers  break ; 
 Burst  Thou  the  bands  of  sin." 
 
 — Bonar, 
 
 Ver.  21,  Peosperity.  "It  is  the 
 bright  day  that  brings  out  the  adder." 
 "  Too  much  sail  is  dangerous," — Com- 
 mo7i  Proverbs. 
 
 "  No  sooner  does  the  warm  aspect  of 
 
EOMILETIC  COMMENTARY:  JEREMIAH. 
 
 CHAP.  xxm. 
 
 good  fortune  shine,  than  all  the  plans  of 
 virtue,  raised  like  a  beautiful  frostwork 
 in  the  winter  of  adversity,  thaw  and 
 disappear." —  Warhurton. 
 
 "Prosperity  is  the  blessing  of  the 
 Old  Testament."  [How  many  eminent 
 saints  from  being  poor  grew  rich,  as 
 Abraham,  Jacob,  Joseph,  David,  Daniel.] 
 "  Adversity  is  the  blessing  of  the  New 
 Testament."  [As  we  see  in  Peter, 
 James,  John,  Paul,"  &c.]. — Lord  Bacon. 
 
 "  What  shall  I  come  to,  father,"  said 
 a  young  man,  "  if  I  go  on  prospering  in 
 this  way  ? "  "To  the  grave"  replied  the 
 father. 
 
 "  Men  are  usually  best  when  worst, 
 and  worst  when  best ;  like  the  snake 
 which  being  frozen  lieth  quiet  and  still, 
 but  waxing  warm,  stirreth  and  stingeth. 
 It  is  as  hard  to  bear  prosperity  as  to  drink 
 much  wine  and  not  be  giddy.  In  rest 
 we  contract  rust." — Trapp. 
 
 "Who  feels  no  ills 
 Should  therefore  fear  them  ;  and,  when  for- 
 tune smiles, 
 Be  doubly  cautious,  lest  destruction  come 
 Remorseless  ou  him,  and  he  fall  uupitied." 
 — Sophocles. 
 
 "  More  ships  in  calms  on  a  deceitful  coast, 
 Or  unseen  rocks,  than  in  high  storms,  are 
 lost."  — Benham. 
 
 "  Behold,  Sir  Balbam,  now  a  man  of  spirit, 
 Ascribes  his  gettings  to  his  parts  and  merit ; 
 What  late  he  called  a  blessing,  now  was  wit. 
 And  God's  good  Providence  a  lucky  hit. 
 Things  change  their  titles  as  their  manners 
 
 turn ; 
 His  counting  house  employed  the  Sabbath 
 
 morn: 
 Seldom  at  church  ('twas  such  a  busy  life), 
 But  duly  sent  his  family  and  wife." — Pope. 
 
 Ver.  30.  Written  childless.  "  As 
 to  succession  in  the  royal  dignity  as  well 
 as  to  success  in  his  reign.  This  God 
 would  have  to  be  written — put  upon 
 public  record  for  the  use  of  posterity. 
 Our  chronicles  tell  us  of  John  Dudley, 
 that  great  Duke  of  Northumberland  in 
 King  Edward  VI. 's  days,  who  endea- 
 voured by  all  means  to  engrand  his 
 posterity,  reaching  at  the  crown  also, 
 which  cost  him  his  head ;  that  though 
 he  had  six  sons,  all  men,  all  married, 
 yet  none  of  them  left  any  issue  behind 
 them.  '  Be  wise  now,  therefore,  O  ye 
 kings;  serve  the  Lord  with  fear.'" — 
 Trapp. 
 
 CHAPTER  XXIII. 
 
 Criticai,  and  Exegetical  Notes. — 1.  Chronology  of  the  Chapter.— The  chapier  is  a., 
 epilogue  to  the  denunciations  of  the  three  kings  in  chap.  xxii.  It  must  have  been  written  and 
 proclaimed  about  the  beginning  of  Zedekiah's  reign,  for  a  warning  to  him,  from  the  examples 
 of  his  predecessors,  of  the  consequences  of  unrighteousness.     Cf.  notes  on  chap.  xxi.  11-14. 
 
 2.  Contemporary  Scriptures.— 2  Kings  xxiv.  17-19  ;  2  Chron.  xxxvi.  10-12.  Comp.  Jer. 
 lii.  1-3. 
 
 For  3.  National  Affairs,  and  4.  Contemporaneous  History.     See  notes  on  chap.  xxi.  11-14. 
 
 5.  Geographical  References. — Ver.  13.  "  Samaria  : "  here  alluded  to  as  the  territory  of  the 
 ten  tribes  of  Israel,  in  contrast  with  "Jerusalem  "  (ver.  14),  the  territory  of  Ephraim  and  Judah. 
 Ver.  14.  "Sodom  and  Gomorrah:"  two  cities  "of  the  plain,"  standing  close  together,  in  or 
 near  the  vale  of  Siddim  (Gen.  x.  19,  xiii.  10);  overthrown  B.C.  2064,  for  their  atrocious 
 wickedness  (Gen.  xviii.  20  ;  Rom.  ix.  29).  Their  doom  is  held  up  as  a  warning  to  the  children  of 
 Israel  (Deut.  xxix.  23),  and  forms  a  standing  illustration  of  abandoned  iniquity  (Deut.  xxxii.  32  ; 
 Isa.  i.  9,  10  j)  and  in  this  verse.  Josephus  states  that  the  Dead  Sea  now  fills  the  valley  in  which 
 these  "cities  of  the  plain"  stood  (Ant.  i.  9),  but  elsewhere  affirms  (War,  iv.  8,  4)  that  the  site 
 of  Sodom  was  not  submerged,  but  remains  a  burnt  and  charred  scene.  Pilgrims  to  Palestine 
 formerly  saw,  or  thought  they  saw,  ruins  of  towns  at  the  bottom  of  the  Dead  Sea,  not  far  from 
 the  shore. 
 
 6.  Personal  Allusions. — Ver.  5.  "David."  Comp.  Homily  on  ver.  24  of  chap.  xxii.  for  the 
 lineal  royal  connection  with  David. 
 
 7.  Natural  History. — Ver.  5.  "Branch."  This  word  TsemacA.  occurs  also  in  chap,  xxxiii.  15  ; 
 Zech.  iii,  8,  vi.  12,  and  denotes  a  springing  or  budding  plant — "a  sprout."  Dr.  Payne  Smith 
 remarks:  "A  tree  has  many  branches,  and  these  can  be  pruned  away  without  killing  the  tree, 
 but  the  sprout  is  that  in  which  the  root  springs  up  and  grows,  and  which,  if  it  be  destroyed, 
 makes  the  root  perish  also.  For  its  use,  see  Gen.  xix.  25  ;  Isa.  Ixi.  11,  in  both  which  places  it 
 springs  directly  out  of  the  ground ;  also  Ezek.  xvi.  7,  xvii.  9 ;  Hos.  viii.  7,  where  it  is  translated 
 eitlier  bud  or  spring." 
 
 437 
 
CHAP.  XXIII,  HOMILETIO  COMMENTARY :  JEREMIAH. 
 
 Ver.  15.  "  Wormwood  and  gall :"  cf.  notes  on  chaps,  ix.  15,  and  viii.  14. 
 Ver.  28.   "  Chaff  and  wheat :"  cf.  Homily  on  verse  iJi/ra, 
 
 8.  Manners  and  Customs. — Ver.  25.  "  /  have  dreamed,  I  have  dreamed  : "  Professional 
 "dreamers  "  early  appeared  (see  Deut.  xiil,  1),  for  superstitious  people  in  all  ages  have  given 
 ready  credulity  to  these  false  visionists. 
 
 9.  Literary  Criticisms. — Ver.  5.  'M  King  shall  reign  and  'prosper."  Kather,  "He  shall 
 reisn  as  king  and  prosper ;  "  as  contrasted  with  chap,  xxiii.  30. 
 
 Ver.  6.  "  Ilis  name  whereby  He  shall  be  called,  The  Lord  our  Righteousness,"  "  He  shall 
 be  called"  is  more  properly  "Ae  shall  call  him:  "  i.e.,  either  " 6^01^ shall, "  &c.,  or  "he  shall" — 
 each  shall.  Several  MSS.,  however,  read,  '\i<'\p\  plural,  "they  shall  call  him,"  instead  of 
 IN"})"?^  singular.  "The  Lord  our  Righteousness:"  Jehovah  Tsidhenu.  Criticism  has 
 attempted  to  make  "Jehovah"  the  nominative  of  "shall  call," — "Jehovah  shall  call  him, 
 "  our  Righteousness :"  ihvi&  destroying  the  compound  name,  and  depriving  the  Messiah  of  the 
 title  of  Deity :  but  Henderson  affirms,  and  in  this  is  sustained  by  the  consensus  and  weight  of 
 modern  scholarship,  that  "  to  make  nini  the  nominative  of  the  verb  [shall  call)  is  to  contradict 
 all  Hebrew  usage,  according  to  which  the  name  given,  and  not  the  person  who  gives  the  name, 
 immediately  follows  the  verb. 
 
 Ver.  15.  "  Profaneness  gone  forth" — profanation,  desecration. 
 
 Ver.  17.   "Imagination" — stubbornness. 
 
 Ver.  19.   "  Behold,  a  whirlwind,"  &c.     The  verse  should  read,  Behold,  a  tempest  (storm  wind) 
 
 of  Jehovah  I  Fury  is  gone  forth  (or,  even  hot  anger  is  gone  forth) ;  and  a  whirlwind  /  PpinnD  lyp^ 
 a  tornado,  whirling  storm)  shall  be  hurled  (or  burst)  upon  the  head  of  the  wicJced. 
 
 Ver.  29.  "  Is  not  My  word  like  as  afire  ?  "  The  presence  of  the  word  riD,  thics,  in  this  sen- 
 tence gives  rise  to  the  suggestion  that  formerly  it  was  n3,  strength  or  power.  The  Targum 
 reads  :  "Are  not  all  IVly  words  strong  like  fire  ? "  Probably  this  suggested  the  word  in  Heb.  iv. 
 12,  "  quick  and  powerful." 
 
 Ver,  31,  "  That  use  their  tongues  and  say,  He  saith.^'  Not  nilT'  DX3,  saith  Jehovah,  but  only 
 D^;/'saith." 
 
 Ver.  33.  "  What  burden  ?  "  The  LXX.  divide  the  words  XbO-HOTl^,  What  burden  ?  into 
 only  two  sections,  thus,  iilj'JSn  DJlX,  Te  are  the  burden;  and  with  this  reading,  which  is  more 
 rational,  the  following  words  accord  :  "  Ye  are  the  burden,  and  I  will  cast  you  away,  saith  the 
 Lord."     "  Forsaken  you,"  should  be,  refused  you,  thrown  you  off. 
 
 HOMILIES  ON  SECTIONS  OF  CHAPTER  XXIII. 
 
 Sections  1-8.  Judah's  restoration  under  Jehovah  Tsidkenu. 
 „     9-40,  False  prophets  and  national  levity  denounced. 
 
 Section,  verses  1-8,     Judah's  Restoration  under  Jehovah  Tsidkenu. 
 
 Through  the  dark  clouds  gathering  over  Jerusalem  there  broke  occasionally  gleams 
 of  sunshine.  The  judgments  which  the  prophet  foretold  were  so  terrible,  and  the 
 ruin  awaiting  Judah  so  overwhelming,  that  Jeremiah  and  the  small  remnant  of  the 
 true  Israel  remaining  might  have  abandoned  all  hope. 
 
 But  God  relieved  their  despondency  by  the  promise  that,  notwithstanding  the 
 judgments  and  calamities,  He  would  again  visit  and  redeem  His  people, 
 
 I.  The  prediction  assumes  that  all  the  calamities  which  the  prophet  foretold 
 would  overtake  Judah.  These  calamities  threatened  the  kingdom,  and  also  the 
 very  house  of  David:  for  the  expression,  "I  will  raise  unto  David  a  righteous 
 Branch,"  conveys  the  idea  of  a  tender  sprout  springing  from  the  root  of  a  tree  cut 
 down  or  seemingly  dead. 
 
 II.  Yet  the  prediction  assured  them  that  the  promise  would  certainly  be  ful- 
 filled. The  positive  fulfilment  of  the  threatening  would  encourage  the  hope  in  the 
 sure  realisation  of  the  promise,  and  give  them  encouragement  amid  the  calamities. 
 
 III.  There  is  here  an  obvious  contrast  between  this  promised  King  and  all 
 who  ever  held  David's  throne.  He  was  to  be  righteous,  to  reign,  to  act  ivisely. 
 How  different  from  all  kings  before  Him !  Their  impiety  and  folly  had  entailed 
 ruin  upon  the  people, 
 
 IV.  The  description  of  their  future  King  could  not  fail  to  astonish  them.  It 
 began  by  comparing  Him  to  a  bud,  or  tender  shoot,  from  a  tree  cut  down,  and 
 
 438 
 
HOMILETIC  COMMENTARY:   JEREMIAH.  chap,  xxrrr. 
 
 ended  by  ascribing  to  Him  the  great  and  fearful  name  of  Jehovah  !     It  must  have 
 awakened  their  admiration,  reverence,  confidence :  for — 
 
 1.  His  being  the  offspring  of  David  assured  them  of  His  tenderest  sympathy  in 
 the  well-being  of  Israel  and  Judah ;  and — 
 
 2.  His  being  Jehovah  gave  still  stronger  assurance  that  nothing  ivas  too  difficult 
 to  accomplish,  and  nothing  would  be  left  undone.     And — 
 
 3.  They  were  assured  that  His  righteousness,  power,  and  wisdom  would  be  made 
 available  for  securing  the  peace  and  j^rosperity  of  His  people,  as  He  was  to  be  their 
 Eighteousness. 
 
 V.  This  promise  has  been  fulfilled,  and  its  hidden  meaning  unfolded.  To 
 God's  ancient  people  obscurity  must  have  hidden  the  true  character  of  their  king. 
 The  prophets  themselves  diligently  sought  a  "  private  interpretation  "  of  their  own 
 predictions.  The  Church  at  large  was  ia  mystery.  But  to  us  the  mystery  is 
 all  revealed. 
 
 VI.  The  great  principle  on  which  the  whole  scheme  of  redemption  rests  is 
 here  stated.     "  Righteousness." 
 
 1.  It  is  only  on  the  ground  of  perfect  righteousness  that  God  can  accept  and 
 approve  an  intelligent  creature. 
 
 2.  Yet  a  sinner's  restoration  to  righteousness  was  impracticable  by  and  of  him- 
 self.    He  fell  under  the  power  as  well  as  condemnation  of  sin. 
 
 3.  The  two  conditions  of  man's  deliverance  were,  punishment  due  to  sin  already 
 committed  must  be  borne,  and  perfect  compliance  with  the  demand  of  the  law  must 
 be  rendered.     Man  was  wholly  incompetent. 
 
 4.  The  manifold  wisdom  of  God  is  seen  in  His  provision  of  what  seemed  impos- 
 sible— perfect  righteousness.  "  He  shall  be  called  Jehovah  oiLr  righteousness." 
 — Robert  Gordon,  D.D.,  F.R.S.G.  —  ^^  Christ  as  made  known  to  the  Ancient 
 Church:' 
 
 Here  is — 
 
 I.  A  word  of  terror  to  the  negligent  shepherds  (vers.  1,  2).  The  day  is  at 
 hand  when  God  would  reckon  with  them  concerning  the  trust  committed  to  them. 
 
 1.  They  were  not  owners  of  the  sheep.  God  calls  them  "  the  sheep  of  My 
 pasture." 
 
 2.  They  had  neglected  the  sheep.     "  Scattered  the  flock,"  &c. 
 
 3.  They  would  he  visited  with  vengeance.  They  would  not  "  visit "  the  sheep ; 
 God  wo2dd  "  visit "  upon  them  the  evil  of  their  doings.  See  Addenda :  Negligent 
 Pastors. 
 
 II.  A  word  of  comfort  to  the  neglected  sheep. 
 
 1.  The  dispersed  j^eople  should  be  gathered  happily  into  their  own  land,  and  under 
 good  government  (vers.  3,  4). 
 
 2.  Messiah,  the  good  /Shepherd  of  the  sheep,  would  be  raised  up  to  bless  and  be  the 
 glory  of  His  people  Israel  (vers.  5,  6). 
 
 3.  This  great  salvation  should  far  outshine  Israel's  deliverarice  from  Egypt 
 (vers.  7,  8). 
 
 III.  An  illustrious  description  of  the  promised  Messiah. 
 
 1.  Christ  is  here  spoken  of  as  the  Branch  from  David.  ]\Iean  in  appearance ; 
 His  beginnings  small;  His  rise  seemingly  out  of  the  earth,  but  growing  to  be 
 green,  to  be  great,  and  to  be  loaded  with  fruits. 
 
 2.  He  is  here  spoken  of  as  the  Churclis  King.  He  shall  reign  on  the  throne  of 
 His  father  David,  and  he  shall  prosper,  and  not,  as  the  degenerate  kings  had  done, 
 go  back  in  their  affairs.  He  shall  set  up  a  kingdom  in  the  world,  which  shall  be 
 victorious  over  all  opposition.  And  in  those  days  of  Christ's  government,  "Judah 
 shall  be  saved,"  &c.  When  He  reigns  uppermost  in  the  soul,  the  soul  dwells  nt 
 ease. 
 
 3.  He  is  here  spoken  of  as  The  Lord  our  Righteousness.     (1.)    Who  and  what  He, 
 
 439 
 
CHAP.xilit.  HOMILETIC  COMMENTARY:  JEREMIAH. 
 
 is.  As  G^oc?,  "Jeliovahj"  denotiug  His  eternity  and  self-existence.  A.%  Mediator, 
 "our  Righteousness."  All  our  righteousness  has  its  being  from  Him;  and  we  are 
 made  the  righteousness  of  God  in  Him.  (2.)  The  profession  and  declaration  of  this. 
 "  This  is  the  name  by  which,"  &c.  Not  only  shall  He  be  so,  but  He  shall  be  known 
 to  be  so,  God  shall  call  Him  by  this  name  :  and  Israel  shall  so  call  Him : 
 and  every  true  believer  shall  know  and  call  upon  Him  by  that  name. — Matthew 
 Henry. 
 
 Section,  verses  9-40, — False  Prophets,  and  the  National  Levity 
 
 DENOUNCED, 
 
 Jeremiah's  deep  distress  under  the  necessity  of  declaring  the  dreadful  woes 
 which  God  bade  him  utter  (ver,  9). 
 I.  Delusive  prophesyings. 
 
 1.  Criminal  teachers  (vers.  13,  14).  Their  wicked  teachings  had  led  to  apostasy 
 in  Samaria,  and  effrontery  in  Jerusalem. 
 
 2.  Deluded  hearers  (vers.  16,  17).  They  " /tearZ;e?iec? "  readily ;  were  rendered 
 ^^vain;"  grew  to  ^^ despise ^^  God;  and  still  expected  ^' peace." 
 
 3.  A  demoralised  nation  (vers.  10,  11).  Abandoned  to  vileness  of  conduct;  to 
 profanity  of  speech  ;  perversity  of  lifei^''  course  evil ")  ;  and  resolute  defiance  ("  their 
 force  is  not  right "). 
 
 4.  Godh  revulsion  at  such  scenes  (vers.  13,  14).  The  conduct  of  the  Baal-priests 
 in  Samaria  stirred  God's  contempt ;  but  the  vile  corruptions  of  the  Jerusalem  priests 
 aroused  His  loathing  and  wrath. 
 
 5.  God^s  remonstrance  with  the  nation  (ver.  16),  Though  men  mislead,  God 
 interposes  with  earnest  appeals  and  honest  counsels, 
 
 6.  God's  charge  against  the  prophets  (vers,  18,  21,  22).  They  had  neglected  ^Hhe 
 counsel  of  the  Lord";  had  spohen  ivithout  a  commission;  and  therefore  misled  God's 
 people. 
 
 7.  Sill's  cruel  seductions  (ver.  12),  God  gives  them  over  to  strong  delusions ;  to 
 inherit  the  miseries  of  their  perversity, 
 
 8.  Fierce  anger  against  transgressors  (vers,  19,  20),  Mighty  forces  of  destruction; 
 working  furious  disaster  upon  the  wrong-doers  ;  allowing  of  no  escape. 
 
 9.  Bitter  woes  against  the  prophets  (ver.  15).  Inward  bitterness:  enforced 
 bitterness :  God  would  fill  them  with  the  pangs  of  woe. 
 
 Note: 
 
 i.  False  teachers  will  taste  thefitll  "  bitterness"  of  their  wicked  dehisions. 
 ii.    Wilful  sinners  shall  he  "  driven  on  "  in  the  slippery  ways  they  prefer. 
 iii.  A^o  teachings  which  lead  men  to  sin  can  have  the  sanction  of  God, 
 II.  Frivolous  dreamers. 
 
 1,  False  pretenders  to  Divine  communications  (vers,  25-27),  These  dreamy 
 surmisings  are  (1,)  Traced  to  their  origin  ("the  deceit  of  their  own  heart") ;  and 
 (2.)  Their  baneful  purpose  is  exposed  ("  they  think  to  cause  My  people  to  forget 
 My  name,"  &c,), 
 
 2.  A  bold  distinction  between  God's  messages  and  such  deceits  (vers,  28,  29).  The 
 "  dream  "  beguiles  to  delusions  ;  the  "  word  "  burns  all  conceits  and  breaks  all  false 
 confidences, 
 
 3.  An  all-observing  Eye  (vers.  23,  24).  Deceivers  are  watched.  Men  cannot 
 see  through  their  fallacies,  but  God  can.     None  deceive  Him. 
 
 4,  Stern  denunciations  of  lying  prophets,  (1.)  Their  sinful  practices ;  they  "  steal 
 God's  words "  from  true  prophets  and  pervert  or  misapply  them ;  they  simulate 
 a  Divine  authority  for  their  false  words,  saying  "  He  saith ;  "  and  they  lead  God's 
 people  "to  err  by  their  lightness."  (2.)  God's  severe  remonstrance;  "I  am  against 
 the  prophets,"  and  the  "  dreamers ; "  He  would  requite  them  for  their  deceptions 
 and  for  the  consequent  errors  of  the  people. 
 
 440 
 
HOMILETIC  COMMENTARY:  JEREMIAE. 
 
 CHAP.  XXIII. 
 
 Note : 
 
 i.  Promises  of  peace  from  men  who  lead  us  astray  from  God  are  mere  ^^  chaff" 
 which  the  luind  shall  drive  away. 
 
 ii.  The  ^'faithfulness^'  of  God's  Word  distinguishes  it  from  the  dehcsions  of  Imman 
 teachings. 
 
 III.  Profane  jesting.  This  charge  is  thrown  upon  the  whole  nation  (vers.  33, 
 34).     They  so  treated  the  messages  of  God's  true  prophet. 
 
 1.  Retorting  ivith  banter  and  levity.  Taking  up  Jeremiah's  solemn  words  with 
 derision,  and  tossing  them  about  as  if  it  all  were  a  jest. 
 
 2.  Trifling  with  messages  from  God  (vers.  35,  36).  Chaffing  one  another  with 
 being  bearers  of  God's  "burden;"  and  "perverting"  Jehovah's  "words." 
 
 3.  Rejected  by  Jehovah  with  contempt  (vers.  39,  40).  God  had  forbidden  this 
 levity  (ver.  38);  and  now  would  "cast  off"  the  nation  as  a  grievous  and  loath- 
 some burden  (ver.  39),  and  leave  them  to  the  "lasting  shame"  they  so  richly  de- 
 served (ver.  40). 
 
 Note : 
 
 i.  Jesting  with  God's  Word  indicates  the  most  daring  impiety. 
 ii.  Such  lightness  and  profanity  will  prove  a  woful  burden  to  the  sinner  and 
 his  everlasting  reproach. 
 
 HOMILIES  AND  COMMENTS  ON  VERSES  OF  CHAPTER  XXIII. 
 
 Vers.  1-4.  Theme:  Faithless  pas- 
 toes  :    FAITHFUL  SHEPHEKDS. 
 
 I.  Woful  neglect  of  the  flock  of 
 God. 
 
 1.  On  whom  God  charges  this  faith- 
 lessness. These  "  pastors "  were  the 
 secular  rulers,  the  unrighteous  kings, 
 mentioned  in  chap,  xxii.,  Jehoahaz, 
 Jehoiakim,  and  Jeconiah.  Note,  the 
 responsibility  of  civil  rulers  to  God ;  for 
 "By  Me  kings  reign,"  &c.  Hence  argue : 
 the  obligations  of  all  in  power,  whether 
 that  power  be  royal,  civil,  ecclesiastical, 
 or  pastoral,  to  rule  and  work  for  the 
 highest  good  and  the  spiritual  advantage 
 of  the  people. 
 
 2.  For  what  God  threatens  these 
 shepherds.  The  flock  was  ' '  destroyed ; " 
 i.e.,  it  was  no  longer  "  the  flock  of  God," 
 for  the  nation  was  a  wilful  and  wicked 
 herd  of  goats;  its  pastoral  simplicity 
 had  been  ruined.  And  the  flock  was 
 '^  scattered  ;"  driven  away  from  fidelity 
 to  God;  equally  from  His  imtriiiotis 
 pasturage;  and  literally  from  the  fold 
 they  shoidd  have  occupied,  the  land  they 
 should  have  continued  to  inhabit  (ver. 
 3).  Negligent  Shepherds  harm  the 
 people  temporally  and  spiritiMlly ;  de- 
 spoil them  of  the  choicest  blessings  of 
 this  life — their  spiritual  comforts  and 
 heavenly  hopes. 
 
 3.  With  what  judgments  God  would 
 visit  such  faithlessness.     "Woe  be  to 
 
 the  pastors."  "  I  will  visit  upon  you 
 the  evil  of  your  doings."  With  what 
 measure  ye  mete  it  shall  be  measured 
 to  you  again.  The  ruin  of  the  flock 
 would  be  requited  by  the  ruin  of  the 
 shepherds.     (See  Ezekiel  xxxiii.) 
 
 II.  Benignant  promise  of  faithful 
 pastors. 
 
 Note  that  the  words  "pastors"  and 
 "shepherds"  are  different  translations 
 of  the  same  Hebrew  word  (roim). 
 
 1.  To  that  nation  this  was  fulfilled  in 
 the  raising  up  of  religious  and  righteous 
 rulers,  Zerubbabel,  Ezra,  Nehemiah,  and 
 the  Maccabees,  who  were  not  heredi- 
 tary kings  of  the  seed  of  David,  but 
 men  raised  up  by  God  to  govern  His 
 flock. 
 
 2.  To  the  spiritual  Israel  this  was 
 fulfilled  in  the  orders  and  ordinances  of 
 the  Christian  Church.  No  more  have 
 we  the  tyranny  of  secular  kings  within 
 the  Church ;  but  Christ  Himself  is 
 King.  No  longer  have  we  the  impiety 
 of  priests  and  Pharisees  within  the 
 Church  (as  in  the  Jewish  Synagogue) ; 
 for  the  apostles  of  Christ  began  a  line 
 of  earnest  teachers  and  preachers  who 
 minister  within  the  sanctuary  :  faithful 
 pastors  who  love  and  tend  "  the  flock 
 of  God  over  which  the  Holy  Ghost  has 
 made  them  overseers." 
 
 3.  To  every  soid  within  the  Saviour's 
 fold    these    assurances    are    now   veri- 
 
 441 
 
CHAP.  XXIII. 
 
 EOMILETIC  COMMENTARY:  JEREMIAH. 
 
 fied  :  "  tliey  shall  fear  no  more,  nor  be 
 dismayed,  neither  shall  they  be  lacking, 
 saith  the  Lord "  (ver,  4)  :  for  believers 
 in  Christ  have  Him  for  Shepherd  (Ps. 
 xxiv) ;  and  He  both  guards  His  fold 
 from  harm,  and  nourishes  the  souls  of 
 His  flock. 
 
 "  Fear  no  more : "  it  pledges  a  sense 
 of  security.  Such  is  the  luxury  of 
 Christian  restfulness  within  the  fold  of 
 and  under  the  rule  of  Jesus  our  Lord. 
 Safe  in  Christ. 
 
 '^ Nor  he  dismayed:^'  it  guarantees 
 protection  from  such  neglect  and  ex- 
 posure as  a  flock,  faithlessly  shepherded, 
 would  suffer.     Saved  by  Christ. 
 
 "  Neither  shall  they  he  lacking  :  "  this 
 means,  not  one  sheep  shall  be  missing. 
 This  is  therefore  a  prophecy  of  Judah's 
 restoration  from  Babylon;  yet  its  ful- 
 ness of  significance  can  only  be  realised 
 in  the  final  restoration  of  both  "  Judah  " 
 and  ''Israel"  (comp.  ver.  6)  out  of  all 
 countries — a  prophecy  never  yet  accom- 
 plished. While  spirilxLolly  it  fore- 
 shadows the  gathering  together  of  all 
 Christ's  redeemed,  under  the  One  Shep- 
 herd of  the  sheep. 
 
 See  Addenda :  Negligent  pastors. 
 
 Ver.  5.  Theme :  The  kingdom  of  the 
 Messiah. 
 
 The  prophetic  writings  are  replete 
 with  appropriate  and  sublime  descrip- 
 tions of  the  personal  appearing,  redeem- 
 ing works,  and  mediatorial  ofiices  of  the 
 promised  Messiah.  The  text  describes 
 the  Redeemer's  character,  as  assuming 
 human  nature  and  establishing  His 
 kingdom  of  grace ;  and  directs  our 
 attention  to  the  following  important 
 truths : 
 
 I.  The  person  of  the  Messiah. 
 "  Behold  the  days  come,"  &c.  In  these 
 words  we  may  observe  three  things  rela- 
 tive to  the  coming  Messiah  : — 
 
 L  His  human  incarnation.  *'  A 
 Branch."  This  term  is  often  used  by 
 the  prophets  to  represent  Christ's 
 assumption  of  our  nature  as  "  the  seed 
 of  the  woman,"  according  to  the  Divine 
 promise  (Gen.  iii.  15).  To  accomplish 
 this  and  similar  promises,  the  Lord 
 declares  in  the  text,  "  Behold  the  days 
 come  that  I  will  raise  unto  David  a 
 442 
 
 righteous  branch."  The  Father  loved 
 the  world,  promised,  and  actually  "  sent 
 His  Son  in  the  likeness  of  sinful  flesh, 
 that  we  might  live  through  Him."  Thus, 
 the  Lord  "  raised  "  in  the  royal  house 
 and  lineage  of  David  "  a  Branch  ; "  as 
 it  is  written,  "  There  shall  come  forth  a 
 rod  out  of  the  stem  of  Jesse,  and  a 
 branch  shall  grow  out  of  His  roots." 
 The  scheme  of  redemption  rendered  it 
 necessary  for  Christ  to  "  take  on  Him 
 the  seed  of  Abraham,"  that  He  might 
 suffer  and  die  for  our  sins  (Heb.  ii.  10, 
 
 2.  His  personal  perfection.  "  A 
 righteous  branch."  In  His  essential 
 nature  as  God,  Jesus  Christ  was  in- 
 finitely pure,  holy,  just,  and  good.  And 
 in  His  human  nature  as  man  He  was 
 perfectly  righteous  and  sinless.  Had 
 not  Christ  been  sinless.  He  could  not 
 have  atoned  for  our  sins. 
 
 3.  His  sovereign  character.  "  A  King 
 shall  reign."  The  Jews  were  taught  to 
 expect  their  Messiah  as  an  illustrious 
 Prince  and  prosperous  monarch.  But, 
 in  general,  they  mistook  the  precise 
 meaning  of  the  prophets,  and  expected 
 Him  as  a  temporal,  and  not  as  a 
 spiritual,  sovereign.  He  possessed 
 every  qualification  requisite  for  the 
 dignity  of  His  character.  He  is  in- 
 finite in  wisdom,  righteousness,  power, 
 and  goodness.  He  is  not  only  a 
 Prophet  to  instruct,  a  Priest  to  atone, 
 but  also  a  King  to  rule  and  save  His 
 people. 
 
 II.  The  nature  of  His  kingdom. 
 "  A  King  shall  reign  and  prosper," 
 &c.  The  empire  of  Christ  is  of  a  com- 
 plex character,  and  comprehends  His 
 vast  dominion  over  all  things,  as  the 
 Creator  and  Preserver  of  mankind,  and 
 as  the  Redeemer  and  Saviour  of  them 
 that  believe.  In  this  extended  view 
 the  Messiah  possesses  : — 
 
 1.  A  Miniver  sal  Tcingdom.  His  pre- 
 sence fills  all  space,  and  His  power  la 
 unlimited.  He  reigns  in  His  pro- 
 vidence over  all  His  creatures,  and  is 
 "  the  King  of  kings,  and  Lord  of  lords." 
 He  is  the  sovereign  proprietor  of  all 
 things,  and  sways  His  sceptre  both  in 
 heaven  and  in  earth.  All  things  are 
 dependent  on  His  power,  and  subject 
 
HOMILETIC  COMMENTARY :  JEREMIAH. 
 
 CHAP.  XXIII. 
 
 to  His  control,  "  who  is  over  all,  God 
 blessed  for  ever." 
 
 2.  A  mediatorial  kingdom.  This 
 refers  to  Christ's  official  character,  as 
 the  "mediator  between  God  and  man." 
 When  Christ  engaged  in  the  cause  of 
 our  redemption,  He  founded  a  kingdom 
 of  mediation  for  the  redemption  of 
 mankind.  The  Saviour  reigns  as  the 
 conqueror  of  all  our  enemies  as  "the 
 Prince  of  Peace  and  the  King  of  Zion," 
 in  His  redeeming  and  mediatorial 
 character  (Phil.  ii.  5-11). 
 
 3.  A  spiritual  hhigdom.  The  king- 
 dom which  Christ  established  in  the 
 work  of  redemption  is  designed  in  its 
 personal  influence  to  destroy  sin,  that 
 "  grace  might  reign  through  righteous- 
 ness unto  eternal  life."  Our  Lord 
 declares  the  kingdom  of  God  is  within 
 yoxi.  It  is  an  eternal  empire  of  grace, 
 producing  righteousness,  peace,  and 
 "joy  in  the  Holy  Ghost." 
 
 4.  A  celestial  kingdom.  Heaven  is 
 often  denominated  a  kingdom,  and  is 
 the  promised  inheritance  of  the  Lord's 
 faithful  people  (Luke  xii.  32).  The 
 kingdom  of  grace  here  prepares  and 
 leads  to  the  kingdom  of  glory  hereafter. 
 Christ  waits  to  receive  and  welcome 
 His  followers  into  His  everlasting  king- 
 dom, that  they  may  participate  His 
 glory,  dwell  in  His  presence,  and  reign 
 with  Him  for  ever. 
 
 III.  The  character  of  His  reign. 
 "  A  king  shall  reign  and  prosper,"  &c. 
 
 1 .  Christ^ s  reign  is  legitimate.  He  is 
 no  impostor.  He  reigns  by  rational  and 
 eternal  right  as  Sovereign  of  the  uni- 
 verse; and  as  mediator  He  reigns  in 
 the  kingdom  of  grace  by  Divine 
 appointment,  authority,  and  sanction. 
 The  kingdom  of  Christ  is  founded  on 
 principles  of  sound  treason,  and  there- 
 fore all  rational  beings  ought  to  submit 
 to  His  government. 
 
 2.  Christ's  reign  is  righteous.  He  is 
 a  merciful  and  gracious  Sovereign,  and 
 though  He  "  executes  judgment  and 
 justice  in  the  earth,"  it  is  in  mercy 
 and  love  to  mankind. 
 
 3.  Christ's  reign  is  prosper'oiis.  What- 
 ever opposition  His  kingdom  meets  with, 
 "  He  shallprosper."  All  the  schemes  He 
 adopts,  and  the  means  He  employs,  are 
 
 devised  by  infinite  wisdom  and  accom- 
 panied by  omnipotent  energy  ;  and  there 
 fore  His  reign  must  succeed.  His  per- 
 fections, declarations,  promises,  gospel, 
 and  Spirit,  secure  the  prosperity  of  His 
 cause  (Heb.  i.  8  ;  Dan.  ii.  44 ;  John 
 xvi.  8). 
 
 4.  Christ's  reign  is  everlasting.  All 
 other  kings  are  mortal,  and  there- 
 fore die  and  leave  their  dignities  to 
 their  successors.  All  temporal  king- 
 doms rise  and  fall,  and  will  ultimately 
 perish  in  the  wreck  of  worlds ;  but 
 Christ  is  the  "King  eternal  and  im- 
 mortal, and  His  kingdom  is  an  everlast- 
 ing kingdom,  and  His  dominion  is  from 
 generation  to  generation." 
 
 To  improve  the  subject,  consider : 
 The  dignity  of  Christ's  person  and 
 character,  the  folly  and  misery  of  His 
 enemies,  and  the  duty  and  happiness  of 
 His  subjects. — Sketches  of  Sermons. 
 
 Theme:  The  nature  and  pkos- 
 PEEiTY  OF  Messiah's  eeign. 
 
 Christ  is  described  in  His  distinct 
 and  dissimilar  parts  of  His  character  by 
 Jeremiah  :  "  A  branch,"  to  denote  His 
 human  nature  and  origin  :  "  ^Ae  right- 
 eous branch,"  to  denote  His  essential 
 righteousness  in  Himself,  and  the  source 
 of  righteousness  to  believers  :  and  their 
 ^' King,"  to  direct  attention  to  His 
 spiritual  dominion. 
 
 1.  The  character  of  Christ.  There 
 are  three  things  we  look  for  in  a  king  : 
 
 1.  Supreme  power  (Ephes.  i.  21  ; 
 Kom.  ix.  5). 
 
 2.  Legislative  authority.  Christ's 
 right  to  legislate,  as  being  proprietor  of 
 all  (John  i.  10  ;  Col.  i.  16)  •axAredeemer 
 of  all ;  for  He  "  bought  us  with  a  price." 
 
 3.  Righteous  administration.  There 
 must  be  wisdom,  or  the  monarch's  reign 
 would  be  one  of  folly  ;  justice,  or  tolerate 
 licentiousness ;  mercy,  or  be  despotic 
 (Matt.  xii.  20). 
 
 II.  The  nature  of  Christ's  reign. 
 
 1.  Spiritual.  Seat  of  His  govern- 
 ment is  in  the  human  spirit  (Luke 
 xvii.  20;  Rom.  xiv.  17). 
 
 2.  Eqidtable.  Prohibits  all  evil,  en- 
 joins all  good  (Heb.  i.  8). 
 
 3.  Benevolent.  Alexanders  and  Caesars 
 were  "warriors  with  confused  noise  and 
 
 443 
 
OHAP.  xxin. 
 
 HOMILETIC  COMMENTARY:  JEREMIAH. 
 
 garments  rolled  in  blood  j "  but  Ckrist 
 (Isa.  xlii.  2). 
 
 4.  Perpetual.  Earthly  kingdoms 
 may  rise  and  fall  (Isa.  ix,  7  ;  Heb.  i.  8). 
 
 III.  The  prosperity  with  which  His 
 reign  shall  be  attended.  To  prosper 
 as  king,  implies  : 
 
 1.  To  have  an  increase  of  ■willing 
 subjects. 
 
 2.  To  Lave  adequate  provision  for 
 supply  of  all  their  wants. 
 
 3.  To  secure  their  real  happiness 
 (Psa.  Ixxii.  7-8). 
 
 4.  To  subjugate  or  destroy  His 
 enemies  (Isa.  Ix,  12). 
 
 Observe  : 
 
 1.  If  Christ  shall  reign  and  prosper, 
 how  great  is  the  folly  of  being  His 
 adversaries  ! 
 
 2.  This  subject  should  inspire  the 
 Christian  with  joy  and  gratitude  (Acts 
 XV.  3  ;  Rev.  xix.  6,  7). 
 
 3.  We  should  do  our  utmost  to  ex- 
 tend the  Redeemer's  triumphs. — From 
 
 Sketches  of  Four  Himdred  Sermons. 
 
 Ver.  6.  Theme :  A  bright  era  for 
 MANKIND.  "  In  His  days  Judah  shall 
 be  saved  and  Israel  shall  dwell  safely." 
 
 Eagerly  we  scan  those  prophecies 
 which  open  a  gracious  future  for 
 humanity.  Especially  when  our  Lord 
 Jesus  is  predicted  as  being  the  author 
 of  that  blissful  change.  For  it  is  so 
 desirable  both  for  human  good  and  the 
 Saviour's  glory. 
 
 (a.)  The  present  prevailing  irreligion, 
 with  all  the  force  of  a  dark  contrast, 
 makes  the  outlook  alluring  to  contem- 
 plate. 
 
 (&.)  The  slow  progress  of  evangelisa- 
 tion gives  zest  to  the  anticipation  of 
 the  grand  success  which  shall  come  "  in 
 those  days"  through  the  direct  inter- 
 position of  Heaven. 
 
 Has  this  prophecy  been  fulfilled? 
 Does  it  allude  to  the  spiritual  salvation  of 
 the  spiritual  Judah  as  the  result  of  gospel 
 preachhig  in  this  Christian  era?  Or, 
 to  the  final  gathering  together  of  Jews 
 into  their  own  land?  Or,  to  the 
 millennial  day  when  the  spiritual  Israel 
 will  he  made  triumphant  over  all  the 
 forces  of  evil,  and  reign  in  peace  and 
 safety  on  the  earth  ? 
 444 
 
 I.  An  age  anticipated  which  shall 
 belong  to  Christ.     Called  "  His  days." 
 
 1.  Have  those  days  been  realised  in 
 the  Christian  era  ?  Certainly  Christianity 
 in  some  sense  has  fulfilled  this  prediction. 
 It  is  an  era  when,  not  Moses,  but  Christ 
 gives  the  impress  to,  and  dwells  supreme 
 in,  the  dispensation.  Jesus  is  now  "  the 
 Lord  our  Righteousness."  And  if  we 
 may  interpret  "  Judah  and  Israel " 
 spiritually,  then  He  has  "  saved  us." 
 
 But  the  ancient  people  of  God  are 
 here  literally  meant.  And  they  have 
 not  as  yet  come  to  call  Jesus  "  the 
 Lord  our  Righteousness  ;  "  they  do  not 
 "  dwell  safely,"  for  they  are  wanderers 
 upon  the  earth.  The  proviise  in  ver.  8 
 has  not  yet  been  fulfilled  even  in  a 
 spiritual  sense  :  Israel  has  not  been  all 
 won  to  Christ. 
 
 2.  Those  days  have  yet  to  dawn.  For 
 when  they  come  Israel  shall  acknow- 
 ledge Christ. 
 
 {a.)  There  may  be  an  actual  fulfil- 
 ment of  this  promise  for  the  tribes  of 
 Judah  and  Israel.  And  who  would  not 
 welcome  it  ?  for  they  have  been  a  sad 
 people  long  afilicted.  Yet  even  more 
 because  of  the  promises  which  attend 
 the  time  of  their  restoration  (Rom.  xi. 
 11,  12,  15,  25,  26). 
 
 (b.)  But  the  allusion  may  be  to  the 
 millennial  age  :  when  (ver.  5)  the  "  King 
 shall  reign."  We  cannot  say  these  are 
 the  days  of  Christ ;  for  the  devil  rules 
 a  wider  dominion  !  But  "  the  kingdom 
 of  this  world  shall  become  the  kingdom 
 of  our  God  and  of  His  Christ."  For 
 this  grand  future  ^:>?'a?/,  ivorlc,  and  hope. 
 
 II.  The  days  of  Christ's  ascendancy 
 shall  be  distinguished  by  the  enjoy- 
 ments of  salvation. 
 
 (a.)  Oppression  and  destruction  marked 
 the  days  of  despotic  monarchies — the 
 Pharaohs,  Nebuchadnezzar,  Frederick 
 the  Great,  Bonaparte, 
 
 {b.)  Safety  has  not  hitherto  been  the 
 experience  of  the  Jewish  nation.  Every 
 age  finds  them  a  wronged  and  outraged 
 people.  But  when  Messiah  comes  they 
 will  be  molested  no  more. 
 
 (c.)  Neither  has  Israel,  spiritually 
 considered,  dwelt  safely.  The  souls  of 
 Christ's  people  are  always  imperilled 
 and  assailed  by  the  forces  of  evil 
 
HOMILETIO  COMMENTARY:  JEREMIAH. 
 
 CHAP.  xxrn. 
 
 1.  WTml  do  "safety  and  salvation" 
 here  mean  ? — If  the  Hebrew  interpreta- 
 tion be  correct,  it  means  deliverance  from 
 the  nations,  and  j^ossession  of  their  own 
 country,  where  they  would  dwell  in 
 peace.  If  the  spiritual  interpretation 
 be  correct,  it  means,  Christ's  followers 
 ransomed  from  the  enemy,  piety  victorious 
 over  sin,  earth  won  for  Christ.  Then 
 the  foe  disturbs  our  peace  no  more, 
 threatens  our  safety  no  more,  either  by 
 insinuating  doubt,  planning  temptation, 
 or  chilling  love.  What  days  those ! 
 when  all  will  be  blessed  in  Jesus ; 
 when  all  shall  know  the  Lord,  &a, 
 and  the  Church  shall  be  happy  in 
 Jesus'  favour,  free  from  the  dread  of  ills  ! 
 
 2.  In  the  individual  believer  these 
 promises  are  already  fidfilled.  He  is 
 "  saved,"  and  "  dwells  safely "  in 
 Christ.  But  that  personal  bliss  is  the 
 possession  of  few  now.  "  Christ's 
 days"  shall  spread  it  far  and  wide — 
 to  Jew  and  Gentile. 
 
 III.  For  the  coming  of  Christ's  days 
 we  may  well  with  eagerness  yearn. 
 
 1.  They  are  desirable.  What  a  joyous 
 outlook  !  Ended  our  "  sowing  precious 
 seed  with  tears,"  our  grief  over  the 
 desolations  of  sin,  our  shame  for  the 
 scorn  and  rejection  of  Christ,  our  strug- 
 gles with  evil  around. 
 
 2.  We  live  amid  danger  now. 
 Therefore  anxiety  and  watchfulness : 
 therefore  peace  is  disturbed  and  joy 
 marred.  Then  shall  we  realise  rest 
 and  delight.  "How  long,  0  Lord, 
 how  long  1 "  Not  long,  if  we  speed  the 
 time  by  diligent  ivorh — for  the  conver- 
 sion of  the  heathen  and  the  salvation 
 of  those  who  are  near.  Not  long,  if  we 
 speed  the  time  by  earnest  prayer.  "  Thy 
 kingdom  come."  Let  us  "  give  Him 
 no  rest  till  He  arise  and  make  Jerusa- 
 lem a  praise  in  the  earth." 
 
 Ver.  6.  Theme :  "  The  Lord  our 
 RIGHTEOUSNESS."  We  may  view this as — 
 
 1.  An  announcement  of  an  impor- 
 tant truth. 
 
 L  The  Lord  is  our  righteousness 
 inasmuch  as  the  purpose  and  plan  of 
 justifying  sinners  originated  with  Him. 
 
 2.  Inasmuch  as  He  Himself  has 
 alone  procured  righteousness  for  us. 
 
 3.  Inasmuch  as  it  is  through  His 
 grace  and  by  His  free  donation  that  we 
 receive  righteousness. 
 
 II.  An  utterance  of  personal  belief 
 and  confidence. 
 
 The  language  of  faith,  hope,  joy, 
 gratitude. 
 
 Ill  A  directory  to  the  spiritual 
 incLuirer. 
 
 Anxious  sinners  wish  to  know  the 
 way  of  acceptance  with  God.  The  text 
 is  a  brief  but  satisfactory  answer. — 
 Dr.  W.  Lindsay-Alexander  (of  Edin- 
 burgh), ''  The  Hive." 
 
 Theme :  Christ's  supreme  name. 
 
 Eedemption  by  a  crucified  Redeemer 
 is  the  capital  theme  of  Divine  revela- 
 tion. It  is  completely  interwoven  with 
 the  golden  network  of  the  prophetic 
 page — for  to  Him  give  all  the  prophets 
 witness — whilst  the  evangelists  echo 
 and  re-echo  the  exhaustless  theme. 
 
 The  Gospel  is  not  known  as  a  system 
 of  promises  simply,  though  these  are 
 exceedingly  great  and  precious  ;  not  as 
 a  system  of  morals,  though  its  morality 
 is  of  the  highest  kind ;  nor  as  a  system 
 of  legislation  simply,  though  it  contains 
 the  code  of  God's  moral  government ; 
 but  it  is  pre-eminently  known  as  a 
 system  of  reconciliation. 
 
 This  doctrine  forms  the  key  to  the 
 Christian  system.  To  this  one  work 
 all  dispensations  point.  This  all  sacri- 
 fices illustrate.  "This  all  promises  em- 
 body. This  all  Providence  is  bowed  to 
 subserve.  This  all  heaven  stoops  to  wit- 
 ness. This  all  hell  resists  and  opposes. 
 This  all  bad  men  revile  or  neglect.  This 
 all  good  men  venerate  and  love.  Surely 
 shall  one  say.  In  the  Lord  Jehovah  have 
 I  righteousness  and  strength.  "  This  is 
 the  name  by  which  He  shall  be  called,"  etc. 
 
 It  is  common  with  the  prophets  to 
 console  the  Jews  under  their  calamities 
 with  the  prospect  of  Messiah's  approach, 
 as  a  proof  that  if  the  Church  was  to  be 
 preserved  till  His  coming,  it  should  not 
 be  destroyed  in  its  present  exigency. 
 Here  the  transit  is  easy  from  the  corrupt 
 pastors  that  destroyed  Israel  to  the  true 
 Shepherd  who  should  redeem  it.  He 
 was  to  be  the  descendant  of  their 
 shepherd-king. 
 
 445 
 
CHAP.  xxm. 
 
 nOMILETIC  COMMENTARY :  JEREMIAH. 
 
 1.  Exhibit  the  delightful  character 
 under  which  Christ  is  portrayed. 
 
 2,  Specify  some  of  the  circumstances 
 that  put  an  emphasis  and  value  upon 
 the  redemption  He  has  achieved. 
 
 I.  Exhibit  the  delightful  character 
 under  which  Christ  is  here  pre- 
 sented. The  Lord  is  our  righteous- 
 ness. 
 
 Every  title  which  Christ  bears  opens 
 a  source  of  consolation  to  His  people. 
 They  are  so  many  beautiful  notices  of 
 Himself,  and  shadow  forth  blessings. 
 
 i.  In  His  essential  dignity.  *'  The 
 Lord."   Jehovah.    Incommunicableness. 
 
 We  are  thus  led  up  before  the  springs 
 of  Time.  "  His  goings  forth  have  been 
 of  old  from  everlasting."  Before  the 
 dayspring  knew  its  place.  All  things 
 were  derived  from  Him ;  He  was  before 
 all  things  were;  He  shall  be  when  they 
 cease  to  exist.  The  message  to  the 
 seven  churches  begins  with,  "  Grace, 
 mercy,  i:)eace,  from  Him  that  is,  and 
 WAS,  and  is  to  come,  the  A  Imighty : " 
 and  He  who  there  speaks  says,  ''  /  am 
 Alpha  and  Omega."  The  Jehovah  of 
 the  Old  Testament  is  the  Lord  of  the 
 New  :  the  seed  of  David  :  over  all  God. 
 
 All  the  evidence  concurs  in  this,  that 
 the  Kedeemer  of  the  world  was  to  be 
 Divine  as  well  as  human.  This  was 
 necessary  that  He  might  transact  our 
 salvation  on  equal  terms,  and  that  the 
 virtue  of  His  offering  might  be  avail- 
 able and  efficacious  on  our  behalf.  Take 
 away  His  humanity,  and  He  would 
 have  no  sacrifice  to  offer  :  take  away 
 His  divinity,  and  His  sacrifice  would 
 have  no  inherent  merit.  The  doctrines 
 of  Christ's  merit  and  of  Christ's  Divinity 
 are  inseparable,  for  if  the  one  be  re- 
 moved, the  other  must  fall,  of  course ; 
 and  with  them  the  whole  fabric  of  our 
 redemption. 
 
 ii.  His  mediatorial  office.  "Our  right- 
 eousness." So  important  is  this  that 
 our  Lord  takes  His  name  from  it.  It 
 is  the  title  by  which  He  loves  to  be 
 distinguished,  and  all  who  would  speak 
 to  His  honour  must  make  mention 
 of  His  righteousness.  It  was  no  un- 
 usual thing  for  the  warriors,  princes, 
 and  great  men  of  antiquity  to  take 
 their  names  from  the  countries  con- 
 446 
 
 quered,  or  the  exploits  they  had 
 achieved.  As  Scipio  from  his  con- 
 quest of  Africa,  and  Coriolamis  from 
 his  over  the  Corioli.  So  Christ  from 
 redemption.  In  the  name  of  Jesus  the 
 whole  Gospel  lies  hid. 
 
 The  necessity  for  this  scheme  of 
 substitution  arose  out  of  human  de- 
 pravity, and  the  inflexible  rectitude  of 
 the  Divine  government.  It  was  neces- 
 sary that  as  we  had  lost  our  righteous- 
 ness it  should  be  restored  in  Christ. 
 "  Die  He,  or  justice  must."  To  fulfil 
 the  high  condition  Jesus  interposed. 
 Here  was  glory  for  our  meanness, 
 suffering  for  our  ransom.  It  ivas 
 exacted. 
 
 Here  we  see  the  grand  reality  to 
 which  all  the  shadows  of  the  Jewish 
 law  pointed.     "  It  became  Him,"  etc. 
 
 iii.  In  the  spiritual  relation  in  which 
 He  stands  to  His  inople — intended  in 
 the  term  ^^  our  righteousness." 
 
 A  spiritual  union  is  presupposed 
 between  us  and  Him,  of  which  faith  is 
 the  connecting  link — in  consequence 
 of  which  the  penalty  we  incurred  is 
 borne  by  Him,  and  the  righteousness 
 He  wrought  out  on  Calvary  is  applied 
 to  us.  The  inheritance  was  to  be 
 redeemed  by  the  Goel  or  near  kinsman. 
 "  Both  He  that  sanctifieth,"  etc. 
 
 Rest  not  till  you  can  rest  in  Christ, 
 as  made  of  God  to  you  wisdom,  right- 
 eousness, sanctification,  and  redemp- 
 tion. It  is  the  personal  experience 
 and  the  personal  application  of  Christ's 
 benefits  which  we  need.  "  /  hiow 
 whom  I  have  believed."  "I  hioiv  my 
 Redeemer." 
 
 II.  Specify  some  considerations 
 which  put  an  emphasis  and  value 
 upon  redemption,  and  heighten  our 
 sense  of  its  importance. 
 
 i.  The  ivork  of  redemption  has  en- 
 nobled our  nattire  and  shed  a  lustre 
 over  the  annals  of  our  world.  He  took 
 not  on  Him  the  nature  of  angels — laid 
 not  hold  on  them.  Those  first-born 
 sons  of  immortality  were  left  in  their 
 sins.  No  "  mighty  to  save  "  appeared 
 for  them.  No  ark  in  their  deluge  :  no 
 refuge  city  in  their  land :  no  brazen 
 serpent  in  their  camp  ;  no  star  of 
 Bethlehem  in  their  sky  ! 
 
BOMILETIC  COMMENTARY:  JEREMIAH. 
 
 CHAP,  xzm: 
 
 Christ  ennobles  all  with  which  He 
 comes  in  contact.  The  very  place  is 
 memorable.  "Thou BetlilehemEphrata" 
 The  times  are  memorable.  Jesus  fills  an 
 era  of  His  own.  "  In  His  days  Judah 
 saved."  We  date  from  His  death — we 
 memorialise  His  death — "  sTioiv  forth 
 the  Lord's  death." 
 
 ii.  It  eclipses  and  throws  into  the  shade 
 the  greatest  of  the  Divine  works.  "  No 
 more  say  the  Lord  liveth,  who  brought 
 Israel  from  Egypt."  Babylon  was  to 
 eclipse  the  deliverance  from  Egypt — 
 and  Calvary  that  of  Babylon. 
 
 iii.  It  enhances  the  value  of  temporal 
 blessings  folloiving  in  its  train.  "  Judah 
 shall  be  saved  " — when  God  is  known  as 
 her  righteousness. 
 
 iv.  It  forms  a  permanent  bond  of 
 union  among  subjects  of  grace.  "Judah 
 and  Israel." 
 
 Finally,  judge  of  the  grandeur  of  the 
 work  by  the  doom  denounced  against 
 those  who  despise  and  reject  it.  "  Be- 
 hold, ye  despisers,  and  wonder  and 
 perish."  "  Of  how  much  sorer  punish- 
 ment," &c.— ^.  Thodey,  a.d.  1838. 
 
 Vers.  5-6.  Theme:  The  Christian 
 
 CREED    SUMMARISED. 
 
 The  ancient  fathers  agreed  that  this 
 prophecy  was  not  fulfilled  on  the  re- 
 turn of  the  Jews  under  Zerubbabel,  but 
 is  accomplished  by  the  restoration  of 
 all  true  Israelites  in  Christ. 
 
 I.  The  manhood  of  the  Messiah  is 
 here  declared.  "  I  will  raise  unto 
 David  a  righteous  branch  "  (comp.  Isa. 
 xi.  1). 
 
 II.  Christ's  royal  majesty  and  judi- 
 cial authority  are  prophetically  an- 
 nounced. "And  a  King  shall  reign  and 
 prosper,  and  shall  execute  judgment 
 and  justice  in  the  earth." 
 
 III.  His  saving  power  and  love  as 
 our  Redeemer  are  also  afiirmed.  "  In 
 His  days  Judah  shall  be  saved  and 
 Israel  shall  dwell  safely." 
 
 IV.  Here  is  a  clear  assertion  that  He 
 who  has  been  pre-announced  as  Very 
 Man  of  the  seed  of  David,  and  as  an 
 Eternal  King  and  Righteous  Judge, 
 and  as  a  mighty  Saviour  and  Deliverer, 
 is  also  the  Lord,  Jehovah,  Very  God, 
 and,  being  Very  God  as  well  as  Very 
 
 Man,  is  Our  Righteousness. — Bishop 
 Wordsivorth. 
 
 Theme:  Christ's  right  to  this  name 
 vindicated. 
 
 To  speak  of  a  person  as  "  The 
 Lord  Our  Rightneousness,"  and  to 
 say  that  His  name  was  to  be  called 
 Jehovah,  would  be  very  dangerous 
 unless  His  name  really  was  Je- 
 hovah. 
 
 I.  According  to  the  whole  teach- 
 ing of  the  Christian  Scripture,  it  can- 
 not he  predicated  of  Jehovah, 
 regarded  as  a  name  of  God  the 
 Father,  that  He  is  "our  righteous- 
 ness." On  the  contrary,  the  Father 
 is  our  righteous  Lawgiver  and  Judge, 
 and  we  are  liable  to  Him  for  the 
 punishment  of  our  sins. 
 
 II.  We  may  safely  predicate 
 "our  righteousness"  of  Christ,  who 
 is  here  called  "  the  Lord  our  righteous- 
 ness." 
 
 For  the  Apostle  has  expressly  taught 
 us  that  "  Christ  is  made  unto  us  right- 
 eousness "  (1  Cor.  i  30).  As  Man  He 
 was  able  to  suffer  for  us  :  as  God  He 
 is  able  to  reconcile  the  Father  to  us. 
 
 Not  only,  therefore,  may  Christ  "  our 
 righteousness  "  be  called  Jehovah,  but 
 by  being  also  caUed  "  our  righteous- 
 ness "  he  is  thereby  distinguished  from 
 God  the  Father,  and  becomes  our 
 Jehovah  and  oiir  righteousness  :  the 
 God-Man  consecrated  to  man's  redemp- 
 tion.— Comp.  Bishop  Pearson  on  this 
 text,  Art.  ii.  p.  148. 
 
 Theme:  "  Jehova  Justitia  Nostra." 
 
 This  name  is  compounded  of  these 
 three  words — all  of  them  essential  : 
 and  it  makes  a  "  threefold  cord  which 
 cannot  be  broken  ; "  which,  except  it 
 be  entire,  and  have  all  three,  it  loseth 
 the  virtue,  it  worketh  nothing. 
 
 i.  "Jehova."  Why  that  must  be 
 a  part  of  this  name.  David  shows  (Ps. 
 Ixxi.  16),  because  only  His  righteous- 
 ness is  worth  remembering ;  and  no 
 other  is  fit  to  be  mentioned.  For  our 
 otvn  "  righteousness "  is  odious  (Isa. 
 Ixiv.  6,  and  Phil.  iv.  8). 
 
 ii.  Justitia.  Why  "righteousness" 
 rather  than  "  salvation  "  or  "  peace  "  i 
 
 U7 
 
CHAP.  XXIII. 
 
 HOMILETIC  COMMENTARY:  JEREMIAH. 
 
 Because  salvation  and  peace  are  the 
 fraits  which  grow  on  "  Righteousness  " 
 as  the  "  Branch  "  (Isa.  xxxiii.  7), 
 
 iii.  Jehova  Justitia.  Why  is 
 "  Jehovah "  here  associated  with 
 "  righteousness  "  rather  than  with  some 
 other  attribute,  as  of  "  power "  or 
 "  mercy  "  %  Because  it  is  "  God  with 
 us  "  (Isa.  vii.  10),  chiefly  in  this  pro- 
 perty of  righteousness  as  above  all 
 other  Divine  properties. 
 
 David  calls  Him  Jehova  misericordia 
 (Ps.  lix.  17),  and  true  it  is  that  mercy  is 
 ours.  But  justice  is  against  us ;  and 
 except  "justice  "  also  be  made  "ours," 
 all  is  not  as  it  should  be.  But  if  jus- 
 tice— that  in  God  which  only  is  against 
 us — might  be  made  for  us,  then  are  we 
 safe.  Therefore,  all  our  thought  is 
 how  we  may  get  ^^  mercy  to  triicmph 
 over  justice"  (Jas.  ii.  13),  or  how  we 
 may  get  them  to  meet  and  he  friends 
 (Ps.  Ixxxv.  10).  Hence,  therefore, 
 neither  Jehova  potentia  nor  Jehova 
 misericordia  are  enough,  but  it  must 
 be  Jehova  justitia. 
 
 iv.  Nostra.  Without  this  "Jeho- 
 vah "  alone  doth  not  concern  us,  while 
 "  Jehovah  justitia "  is  wholly  against 
 uf<.  But  if  He  be  not  alone  "  righteous- 
 ness," but  ours  too,  we  have  our  desires. 
 Verily  this  possessive  word  of  applica- 
 tion is  all  in  all. — Bishop  Andreives 
 (Works,  vol.  V.  Sermon  5).  See  further 
 Noticeable  Topics. 
 
 Vers.  7,  8.  Repeated  from  chap.  xvi. 
 14,  15.  See  Homily  in  loc.  But  see 
 Noticeable  Topics  below :  "  The  Lost 
 Ten  Tribes." 
 
 Ver.  9.  Theme :  Horror  over  faith- 
 less PROPHETS.  The  Prophet  seems 
 "  beside  himself  for  God"  as  Paul  was  ; 
 a  mad  enthusiast ;  "  like  a  man  whom 
 wine  hath  overcome."  He  had  suffi- 
 cient cause. 
 
 I.  Intense  grief  over  false  teachers. 
 "  Mine  heart  within  me  is  broken  be- 
 cause of  the  prophets."  1.  Their 
 wicJcedness  in  teaching  delusions.  This 
 incensed  his  pioiis  soul.  2.  Their 
 ruinous  misleading  of  the  nation.  This 
 disturbed  bis  patriotic  spirit. 
 
 II.  Profound  terror  over  approach- 
 
 448 
 
 ing  disasters.  "  All  my  bones  shake, 
 I  am  like  a  drunken  man."  For,  1. 
 He  himself  clearly  knew  the  disasters 
 which  false  prophets  sought  to  obscure 
 and  hide.  2.  He  vividly  apprehended 
 the  agonies  into  which  his  nation  would 
 speedily  be  plunged.  See  Addenda: 
 Negligent  pastors. 
 
 III.  Deepest  awe  over  God's  ter- 
 ribleness.  "  Because  of  the  Lord  and 
 the  words  of  His  holiness."  1.  He 
 knew  ivith  whom  these  prophets  were 
 trifling.  "  And  knowing  the  terrors  of 
 the  Lord,  we  persuade  men."  2.  He 
 realised  the  compulsion  of  God's  holy 
 ivords.  God  never  threatened  willingly ; 
 but  when  necessity  led  Him  to  pro- 
 nounce doom,  it  was  appalling  to  think 
 of  what  it  meant. 
 
 Vers.  10-12.  Theme:  God's  wrath 
 over  national  vices.  Here  is  a  cata- 
 logue of  criminalities,  together  with 
 their  penalties. 
 
 I.  Outrages  by  man  against  God. 
 Sin  has  manifold  names  and  shapes,  all 
 offensive.  Here  is  a  specification  of 
 some  especially  odious. 
 
 1.  Immorality.  "  Land  full  of  adul- 
 terers." Literal :  for  fornication  was 
 the  common  attendant  of  idolatry. 
 And  this  by  "prophets,"  and  by  the 
 people  throughout  the  land,  who  were 
 encouraged  thereto  by  the  example  of 
 their  leaders,  Spiritiial  adultery  also  ; 
 Israel  had  forsaken  her  Husband  for 
 idols  (Jer.  iii.  8-10,  20). 
 
 2.  i^o«^s;;eecA,  "swearing,"  Margin, 
 cursing.  [This  interpretation  can  only 
 be  given  by  licence,  for  the  text  most 
 probably  means,  because  of  the  curse  {of 
 God)  the  land  mourneth].  Yet  Hosea 
 (iv.  2,  3)  warrants  the  use  of  the  text  as 
 it  stands  in  the  E.V.  God  hears  and 
 hates  blasphemous  language. 
 
 3.  Persistent  wrongdoing.  "  Their 
 course  is  evil,  and  their  force  is  not 
 right."  1.  The  current  of  their  life  is 
 bad.  Low  public  tastes  and  manners. 
 2.  The  intention  of  their  life  is  dis- 
 honourable ;  they  use  their  personal 
 powers  {'■'force  )  and  civil  powers  and 
 ecclesiastical  powers,  not  for  rectitude, 
 but  deceit  and  oppression  and  impiety. 
 
 4.  Sacrilege.      1.  Religious    officers 
 
HOMILETIQ  COMMENTARY:  JEREMIAH. 
 
 CHAP.  XXIII. 
 
 ivere  themselves  ^^ profane"  (ver'll). 
 2.  Soli/ scenes Mveve  degvadedhy^tvicked- 
 ness.'" 
 
 II.  Disasters  from  God  upon  man. 
 Sin  has  manifold  penalties  and  punish- 
 ments ;  here  is  an  enumeration  of  some 
 especially  disastrous. 
 
 1.  Pleasures  all  desolated.  "Pleasant 
 places  of  the  wilderness  are  dried  up  " 
 (ver.  10).  For  it  should  be  recognised 
 that  men  occupy  a  "  ivilderness."  Earth 
 is  not  naturally  fruitful  of  luxury  and 
 pleasure.  All  its  "  pleasant  places  "  are 
 God's  gifts,  specially  provided  for  us. 
 Therefore  He  can  easily  turn  its  plea- 
 sures into  drought,  and  He  will  do  so  if 
 we  abuse  His  grace.  Then  life  becomes 
 a  blank  waste,  and  the  heart  is  left 
 without  comfort. 
 
 2.  False  ways  made  fatal.  God 
 will  allow  them  to  pursue  "  their  way" 
 (ver.  12)  ;  give  them  up  to  their  heart's 
 desire ;  not  arresting  them,  simply 
 let  them  alone  to  become  befooled, 
 besotted,  benighted.  *'  In  the  darkness  " 
 they  should  not  he  shown  their  peril  so 
 as  to  become  alarmed,  and  certainly 
 shoidd  not  find  escape,  but  slide  down 
 into  the  blackness  of  darkness  for  ever. 
 
 3.  Forces  of  evil  shoidd  seize  them.  Sin 
 when  indulged  in  the  heart  and  habits 
 assumes  a  tyrannical  despotism,  and 
 ^^ drives  on"  the  sinner  (ver.  12).  Once 
 sin  merely  pleaded  and  decoyed,  now  it 
 forces  and  masters  the  soul ;  and  the  sin- 
 ner shall  "fall"— where  "i  "Therein," 
 i.e.,  into  the  depths  of  woe,  which  end 
 the  "  slippery  ways  of  darkness." 
 
 4.  God  Himself  ivill  visit  sinners  ivith 
 evil  (ver.  12).  Though  God  delays  the 
 judgment,  yet,  (1.)  There  comei  a  time  of 
 judgment,  "  even  the  year  of  their  visi- 
 tation, saith  the  Lord."  (2.)  Then  God 
 will  Himself  bring  evil  upon  them.  "  It 
 is  a  fearful  thing  to  fall  into  the  hands 
 of  the  living  God."  "Turn  ye  from 
 your  evil  ways,  for  why  will  ye  die  ? " 
 — Camp.  Homily  on  chap.  xi.  25. 
 
 Vers.  13,  14.  Theme:  Comparative 
 SINFULNESS.  "  Folhj  in  the  prophets 
 of  Samaria,  ...  in  the  prophets  of 
 Jerusalem  an  horrible  thing." 
 
 I.  Sins  are  not  regarded  Tjy  God  as 
 of  equal  magnitude. 
 2f 
 
 1.  Some  evils  are  mistakes.  "  Folly," 
 and  "they  cause  to  err." 
 
 2.  Others  are  malignant.  "  Horrible 
 thing,"  "wickedness." 
 
 II.  Sins  take  their  colour  and 
 degree  from  circumstances. 
 
 1.  The  location  of  our  life  aifects  the 
 moral  qualities  of  conduct.  The  same 
 acts  done  '•'  in  Samaria  "  had  less  wrong 
 in  them  than  when  done  "in  Jeru- 
 salem," because  thevewas  more  religious 
 light  in  Jerusalem. 
 
 2.  Guilt  is  guiltiest  ivhen  done  in  the 
 face  of  God.  It  was  stupidity  when 
 done  "in  Baal,"  in  connection  with 
 Baal.  It  was  absolutely  "  horrible " 
 when  done  in  the  Temple  in  Jerusalem, 
 the  seat  of  God's  Holy  Throne  and 
 Shekinah  glory.  Thus  "exalted  unto 
 heaven,"  they  should  be  "thrust  down 
 to  hell." 
 
 III.  Sins  involve  all  wrong-doers  in 
 pitiable  distress. 
 
 1.  Though  proportioned  to  the  degree 
 of  guiltiness,  yet  the  lightest  jninishment 
 of  sin  micst  be  appalling.  The  "  few 
 stripes  "  involve  banishment  from  God 
 and  heaven,  for  "  the  unclean  shall  not 
 dwell  therein." 
 
 2.  The  heaviest  woes  of  sin  are  terri- 
 fying to  contemplate.  "  They  are  all  of 
 them  unto  me  as  Sodom,  and  the  in- 
 habitants thereof  as  Gomorrah."  Over- 
 zvhelmed  with  ruin,  and  destroyed  with 
 "  fire  and  brimstone." 
 
 Ver.    14.    Theme:    Strengthening 
 
 THE  HANDS  OF   THE   WICKED.       "  /  have 
 
 seen  also  in  the  prophets  of  Jerusalem  an 
 horrible  thing.  They  strengthen  the  hands 
 of  evil-doers,  that  none  doth  return  from 
 his  ivickedness." 
 
 I.  All  sin  is  horrible  in  its  nature. 
 It  is  contrary  to  the  character  and  will 
 of  an  Infinite  Being  —  a  Being  of 
 glorious  purity,  supreme  authority,  and 
 almighty  power ;  a  Being  who  cannot 
 be  tempted  with  evil,  nor  even  look  on 
 iniquity,  &c. 
 
 II.  To  strengthen  the  hands  and 
 hinder  the  repentance  of  sinners  is 
 to  oppose  the  great  plan  of  the  Divine 
 government. 
 
 III.  It  tends  to  the  misery  of  man- 
 kind, and  is  the  reverse  of  that  bene- 
 
 449 
 
CHAP.  XXIII. 
 
 HOMILETIC  COMMENTARY :  JEREMIAH. 
 
 Tolence  which  ought  to  govern  us  in 
 all  our  conduct. 
 
 IV.  It  is  to  operate  with  that  evil 
 spirit  who  works  in  the  children  of 
 disobedience. 
 
 V.  It  is  a  horrible  thing,  because 
 we  thus  become  partakers  of  their 
 sins. 
 
 VI.  It  is  directly  contrary  to  God's 
 commands,  and  marked  with  His 
 peculiar  abhorrence. 
 
 Application : — 
 
 To  teachers  of  religion;  to  Chris- 
 tians in  general ;  to  heads  of  families ; 
 to  the  young.  It  is  also  horrible  to 
 be  strengthened  in  evil-doing.  —  Dr. 
 Lathrop. 
 
 Ver,  16.  I%€7ne  .•  Preachers  TESTED 
 
 BY  THEIR  HEARERS. 
 
 I.  False  preaching  may  be  dis- 
 covered. 
 
 1.  It  is  here  described.  "A  vision 
 of  their  own  heart,"  &c.  ;  entertain  with 
 fanciful  theories. 
 
 2.  It  may  be  detected.  "  They  make 
 you  vain  ; "  deceive  with  false  hopes.  In 
 ver.  17  their  preaching  is  further  de- 
 scribed. 
 
 (a.)  To  despisers  of  God  peace  is 
 promised. 
 
 (6.)  To  wilful  sinners  immunity  is 
 assured. 
 
 II.  Hearers  must  refuse  wrong 
 teaching.  The  Church,  and  not  her 
 ministers,  is  the  pillar  and  ground  of 
 the  truth. 
 
 1.  The  exercise  of  the  right  of  "try- 
 ing the  spirits  whether  they  be  of  God  " 
 has  its  perils  and  difficulties.  Ignorant, 
 misguided,  and  narrow-minded  men 
 may  make  a  preacher  "  an  offender  for 
 a  word."  Timid  souls  may  take  quick 
 alarm.  Impatient  listeners  may  judge 
 in  haste  and  without  ample  reasons. 
 
 2.  Tet  the  non-exercise  of  this  right  is 
 a  grave  misdemeanour  on  the  part  of  the 
 Ghxirch.  God  commands  hearers  to 
 "take  heed  how  they  hear,"  and  to 
 "try  the  spirits,"  &c.  Not  to  do  so 
 indicates  spiritual  inertia,  intellectual 
 indifference,  and  neglect  of  highest 
 trusts.  It  exposes  the  Church  to  the 
 grossest  misleading,  and  leaves  the 
 pulpit  to  reckless  adventurers, 
 
 450 
 
 III.  God's  truth  is  perceivable  by 
 the  common  people.  Rome  and  arro- 
 gant priests  would  have  us  believe  that 
 hearers  are  to  receive  what  is  taught 
 them,  being  incapable  of  judging  their 
 teachers. 
 
 1.  The  doctrine  of  the  Law  ivas  suffi- 
 cient to  guide  Judah  concerning  the 
 teachings  of  prophets.  "  He  who  ran 
 might  read,"  if  he  sought  to  know. 
 
 2.  Certainly,  therefore,  the  doctrines 
 of  the  Gospel  are  p>lain  to  men's  under- 
 standing. "  God  hath  revealed  them 
 unto  us  by  His  Spirit." 
 
 Lessons — 
 
 1.  Seek  to  know  God's  truth  by  per- 
 sonal study. 
 
 2.  Suffer  no  authority  to  usurp  your 
 own  judgment. 
 
 3.  Challenge  any  teacher  who  speaks 
 not  according  to  God's  Word. 
 
 4.  Take  alarm  at  the  preacher's  mes- 
 sages which  continually  quiet  the  con- 
 science and  lull  the  heart. 
 
 5.  Encourage  and  strengthen  the 
 earnest  and  outspoken  preacher  who 
 may  seem  to  "  become  men's  enemy 
 because  he  tells  them  the  truth." 
 
 6.  Make  no  truce  with  the  sins  which 
 an  honest  preacher  must  denounce. 
 
 Ver.  20.  Theme .-  God's  anger  under- 
 stood AT  LAST. 
 
 I.  Because  sinners  will  not  duly 
 consider  their  wickedness,  therefore 
 they  misunderstand  God's  displeasure. 
 
 1.  God  sees  our  sin  in  its  most  awful 
 aspects.  "  This  abominable  thing  that 
 I  hate." 
 
 2.  Sin  blinds  the  judgment  of  sinners 
 to  its  heinousness. 
 
 3.  Divine  anger  is  rightly  fierce  to- 
 wards conduct  which  would  ruin  thc' 
 order  and  happiness  of  the  whole  intel- 
 ligent and  moral  world. 
 
 4.  Men  not  understanding  what  sin 
 is,  and  what  it  would  despoil,  think  God 
 harsh  in  His  denunciations,  and  its  penal- 
 ties unduly  severe. 
 
 II.  Because  sinners  defy  the  fore- 
 warning of  God's  anger,  therefore  it 
 will  overwhelm  them  at  the  last. 
 
 1.  God  may  defer  the  infliction,  yet 
 it  cannot  be  delayed  for  ever. 
 
 2.  Men   may  defy  the   threateniogs, 
 
HOMILETIG  COMMENTARY:  JEREMIAH. 
 
 CHAP.  xxin. 
 
 yet  cannot  thwart  the  thoughts  of  the 
 Lord. 
 
 3.  The  full  purposes  of  God  upon 
 wrong-doers  will  be  ultimately  "  per- 
 formed." 
 
 4.  "When  God  begins  with  punish- 
 ment, His  anger  will  not  stay  till  it 
 execute  fullest  vengeance. 
 
 III.  When  sinners  feel  the  final  woes 
 their  sins  deserve,  they  will  then  awake 
 to  their  just  deserts. 
 
 1.  Wiilh  this  nation  it  was  so ;  Jeru- 
 salem was  destroyed,  and  the  exiles, 
 taught  by  the  sore  adversity  of  capti- 
 vity, saw  then  how  their  sin  brought 
 woes  on  themselves  and  ruin  on  their 
 country. 
 
 2.  Even  in  this  world  God  makes 
 sinners  realise  that  their  guilt  is  the 
 cause  of  their  misery  of  heart  and  life. 
 As  in  perilous  illness,  or  sudden  cala- 
 mity. 
 
 3.  But  it  is  in  the  future  that  the 
 ungodly  will  learn  their  full  iniquity, 
 and  justify  the  ways  of  God  with  them. 
 
 Ver.  22.  Theme :  The  secret  of  a 
 SUCCESSFUL  MINISTRY.  The  true  pro- 
 phet will  be  characterised  by  no  inde- 
 cent haste  (ver.  21)  in  assuming  his 
 office ;  but  when  commissioned,  will 
 faithfidly  perform  its  duties. 
 
 I.  God's  messenger  —  whence  he 
 gains  his  message.  "  Stood  in  My 
 counsel."  The  Hebrew  word  *'  coun- 
 sel "  (sod)  means  a  confidential  meeting 
 of  private  friends.  In  Psa.  xxv.  14  it 
 is  rendered  the  sec7xt,  i.e.,  confidential 
 fellowship. 
 
 1.  The  preacher  in  private  converse 
 with  God. 
 
 2.  Coming  from  that  hidden  fellow- 
 ship with  a  message  to  men. 
 
 3.  Solemnity  and  grandeur  of  the 
 oflSce. 
 
 4.  The  majestic  force  of  conviction 
 thus  sustaining  the  preacher  while  de- 
 livering his  message. 
 
 II.  God's  messenger  —  what  he 
 preaches  to  men.  "  Caused  My  people 
 to  hear  My  words." 
 
 1.  Divine  truths  gained  from  God's 
 mouth  (ver.  16). 
 
 2.  Messages  which  foster  no  delu- 
 sions (ver.  17). 
 
 3.  Human  theories  (  "  visions,"  ver, 
 16)  kept  in  abeyance  that  only  God's 
 "  words"  may  gain  heed. 
 
 4.  God's  utterances  preached  with  the 
 fervour  which  "  causes  "  the  "  people 
 to  hear." 
 
 III.  God's  messenger — what  effects 
 crown  a  true  ministry. 
 
 1.  What  is  the  Divine  preacher's 
 supreme  aim  ?  "  To  turn  men  from 
 their  evil  way,"  &c. 
 
 2.  What  are  the  Divine  teacher's 
 best  credentials?  That  his  preaching 
 does  accomplish  this  result.  "  Then 
 they  shotdd  have  turned  them,"  &c. 
 
 3.  What  are  the  Divine  preacher's 
 richest  rewards  1  Not  worldly  favour 
 or  power,  but  sinners  turned  from  the 
 error  of  their  ways ;  souls  won  for  Christ, 
 his  "  crown  of  rejoicing." 
 
 Ver.   23.   Theme:    God's    nearness 
 
 EVERYWHERE. 
 
 Sinners,  amid  iniquitous  doings,  often 
 resort  to  atheistical  subterfuges.  "  God 
 seeth  us  not."  Needful,  therefore,  that 
 they  be  confronted  with  the  very  first 
 principles  of  religion — God's  omnipre- 
 sence and  omniscience.  National  reli- 
 gion affirms  these  attributes  of  Deity. 
 Revelation  confirms  and  enlarges  the 
 doctrine.  God  everywhere  :  seeing  all, 
 near  all. 
 
 I.  All  space  is  pervaded  by  God 
 Himself.  "  He  is  at  hand  :  "  but 
 equally  He  is  "  afar  off."  Near  us  on 
 earth,  as  He  is  near  those  in  heaven. 
 
 1.  Near  us  in  j^ei^sonal  presence. 
 God  "stands  before  the  door."  *'  Com- 
 passes our  path,"  &c. 
 
 2.  Near  us  in  minute  perception. 
 "  His  eyes  behold,"  &c.  "  Run  to  and 
 fro." 
 
 3.  Near  us  in  mighty  power.  "  Doing 
 according  to  His  will  among  the  inha- 
 bitants of  the  earth,"  as  well  as  amid 
 the  "  armies  of  heaven."  "  No  place 
 can  either  include  Him  or  exclude  Him." 
 {Henry.) 
 
 II.  All  actions  are  performed  in 
 God's  full  gaze. 
 
 1.  The  thought  of  secrecy  is  a  delusion. 
 We  live,  move,  think,  act  in  the  full 
 blaze  of  the  searching  light  of  omni- 
 science, 
 
 451 
 
CHAP.  xxni. 
 
 EOMILETIO  COMMENTARY :  JEREMIAH. 
 
 2.  The  deeds  of  human  life  are 
 Divinely  scanned.  He  reads  them 
 through  and  through  —  motive  and 
 method,  all  keenly  and  completely 
 discerned. 
 
 3.  The  judgments  of  God  are  based 
 upon  perfect  hioiuledge  of  facts.  This 
 is  consolatory  to  the  righteous — who 
 are  often  misrepresented  and  maligned. 
 This  is  admonitory  to  the  irreligious — 
 who  will  be  destitute  of  all  hope  of 
 excuse  or  covert  in  the  day  of  decision. 
 
 4.  Such  universal  Tcnowledge,  from 
 personal  supervision  of  the  universe^ 
 throughout  all  time,  is  both  necessary 
 to  a  proper  idea  of  a  God — the  world's 
 Ruler,  Sustainer,  and  Judge  ;  and  it  is 
 a  guarantee  of  rectitude  in  the  adminis- 
 tration of  Divine  providence  now  and  of 
 Divine  rewards  and  punishment  here- 
 after. He  will  depend  on  no  secondary 
 source  of  knowledge  of  us — not  even 
 on  the  reports  of  angel  ministers  :  "  all 
 things  are  naked  and  open  unto  the 
 eyes  of  Him  with  whom  we  have  to  do." 
 
 III.  All  scenes  are  equally  favour- 
 aWe  to  revelations  of  God. 
 
 1.  In  heaven,  where  He  seems  locally 
 "  near,"  pure  and  redeemed  souls  may 
 look  upon  Him,  and  glory  in  His  cloud- 
 less presence. 
 
 2.  On  earth,  though  clouds  and 
 darkness  hide  Him,  and  we  think  of 
 God  as  "  afar  off,"  He  can  yet  make 
 Himself  known  to  our  souls. 
 
 3.  Even  in  hell,  the  scene  of  banish- 
 ment from  Him,  God  may — certainly 
 He  can — show  Himself  to  outcast  souls 
 whose  desire  it  will  be  to  "  hide  them- 
 selves from  the  face  of  Him  that  sitteth 
 upon  the  throne,  and  from  the  wrath 
 of  the  Lamb." — See  Addenda  :  God's 
 Omnipresence. 
 
 Vers.  23-24.  Theme:  The  all- 
 present  God. 
 
 Always  present  and  everywhere  pre- 
 sent. Three  interrogations  are  here 
 submitted  :  but  not  to  imply  a  ques- 
 tion or  doubt  as  to  the  facts  interro- 
 gated, but  to  emphasise  the  truths 
 brought  thereby  iipon  attention. 
 
 i.  The  sublime  fact  of  God^s  omni- 
 presence is  affirmed  (ver.   23) ;  God  is 
 near  at  hand,  and  is  present  afar  off. 
 453 
 
 ii.  The  co-ordinate  truth  of  God's 
 omniscience  (ver.  24).  There  are  no 
 secret  places  to  God. 
 
 iii.  The   spirituality   of   God  —  Hi? 
 immaterial  essence  is  likewise  affirmed: 
 — for  He  fills  the  universe,  "  heaven  and 
 earth  ;  "  the  Great  Spirit  present  every- 
 where. 
 
 I.  Verily  this  omnipresent  Spiri- 
 tual Being  is  worthy  of  human  wor- 
 ship. If  we  had  to  search  out  whom  to 
 adore  and  obey,  who  can  compare  with 
 God. 
 
 1.  Such  attributes  constrain  our 
 homage. 
 
 2.  Such  greatness  impresses  on  us 
 the  thought  that  it  is  ivell  that  we  be 
 reconciled  to  One  so  majestic  and 
 mighty. 
 
 3.  Such  a  God,  everywhere  near,  it 
 is  easy  to  worship  and  wise  to  trust. 
 He  can  know  all  things  on  our  behalf 
 and  do  all  we  need. 
 
 II.  Equally  clear  it  is  that  any 
 lower  object  of  worship  is  an  error. 
 
 1.  Idolatry  is  reprehensible.  It  ele- 
 vates inferiors  (even  if  idols  had  any 
 real  existence)  into  ascendancy.  It 
 ivrongs  God  ;  it  gives  His  glory  to 
 another  ;  and  it  angers  Him. 
 
 2.  Divided  affections  are  inconsistent 
 with  true  homage.  We  can  have  but 
 one  God.  He  will  not  be  placed  on  a 
 level  with  another  object  of  regard. 
 "  Beside  Me  is  none  else." 
 
 III.  The  loftiest  reverence  and 
 truest  loyalty  become  us  in  relation 
 to  a  God  so  glorious. 
 
 1.  What  thoughts  and  feelings  can  be 
 too  elevated  as  we  think  of  Him. 
 
 2.  What  devotion  can  exceed  His 
 claims. 
 
 3.  What  a  privilege  to  be  permitted 
 to  hide  our  life  in  such  a  God  !  "  Hid 
 with  Christ  in  God." 
 
 IV.  Security  and  peace  are  assured 
 to  the  godly  soul  in  the  fact  of  the 
 Divine  omnipresence. 
 
 1.  God  ivill  guard  him  from  the 
 lurking  forces  and  subtleties  of  sin. 
 "  Can  any  hide,"  &c.  God  sees  His 
 saints  in  all  scenes  and  circumstances, 
 and  will  keep  them  safely. 
 
 2.  God  will  be  ever  near  him;  his 
 solace  and  sufficiency.     He  is  at  iiand 
 
EOMILETIC  COMMENTART:  JEREMIAH. 
 
 CHAP.  XXIIt 
 
 to  cherisli,  to  guide — in  life  and  deatli ; 
 till  the  redeemed  soul  reaches  Him  in 
 heaven. 
 
 Vers,  28,  29.  Theme:  Fidelity  re- 
 quired IN  MINISTERS. 
 
 "  He  that  hath  My  loord,  let  Mm  speale 
 My  word  faithfully.  What  is  the  chaff 
 to  the  wheat?  saith  the  Lord." 
 
 No  order  is  more  influential  on  society 
 than  ministers.  The  old  proj^hets,  if 
 faithful  to  their  God,  diffused  incalcul- 
 able blessings  throiigh  the  land ;  if 
 false,  hardened  the  people  in  their 
 wickedness.  Ministers  to-day  produce 
 like  effects. 
 
 I.  A  solemn  injunction  to  all  who 
 bear  the  office  of  the  ministry. 
 
 The  Word  of  God  is  put  into  our 
 hands,  and  a  dispensation  is  committed 
 to  us  to  preach  it.  This  office  we  must 
 execute  "faithfully;"  we  must  speak 
 the  "Word — 
 
 1.  Unreservedly,  luithoiit  concealment 
 (Acts  XX.  20,  27).  Our  ohject  must  be 
 (Prov.  xi.  30)  our  manner  (2  Cor.  iv. 
 2);  and  our  motto  (2  Cor.  ii.  17). 
 
 2.  Im2mrtially,  without  respect  of 
 persons.  All  idea  of  pleasing  men 
 must  be  abandoned  (Gal.  i.  10).  We 
 must  follow  the  fidelity  of  Paul  (1  Thess. 
 ii.  3-6),  using  "great  plainness  of 
 speech"  (2  Cor.  iii.  12,  13). 
 
 3.  Boldly,  withoiit  fear.  The  pro- 
 phets were  so  enjoined  to  speak  (Jer. 
 i.  8,  17;  Ezek.  ii.  6,  7).  We  must 
 expect  hatred  (John  iii.  19,  20) :  but 
 our  answer  to  opponents  must  be  (Acts 
 iv.  19,  20)  :  and  we  must  account 
 suffering  in  this  work  our  glory  (Acts 
 V.  41 ;  Philip,  ii.  17,  18). 
 
 This  injunction  is  further  enforced 
 by- 
 
 II.  A  solemn  appeal  to  the  whole 
 world. 
 
 1.  To  our  judgment.  "What  is  the 
 chaff  % "  &c.  Of  what  use  were  the 
 assertions  of  false  prophets  %  They 
 only  deceived  the  people  to  their  ruin. 
 Contrast  with  this  the  labours  of  Moses, 
 David,  Elijah,  Paul.  So  the  true 
 minister  (1  Tim.  iv.  16  ;  James  v.  20). 
 God  declares  the  good  effect  of  faithful 
 teaching  (see  ver.  23). 
 
 2.  To  our  experience.     God's  Word, 
 
 if  faithfully  declared,  is  "quick  and 
 powerful"  (Heb.  iv.  12).  Let  any  who 
 has  observed  its  effects  say  whether  it 
 is  not  "like  fire,"  which  dissolves  the 
 hardest  metal,  and  "like  a  hammer," 
 &c.  Illustrate  by  Nineveh  (Jonah  iii. 
 4-10),  and  the  scene  at  Pentecost 
 (Acts  ii.  37,  &c.)  Verily,  "it  is  mighty 
 through  God"  (2  Cor.  x.  4,  5). 
 
 There  are  cogent  reasons  for  minis- 
 terial fidelity.  False  doctrines  save  no 
 man ;  but  a  simple  preaching  of  "Christ 
 crucified  is  the  power  of  God  unto 
 salvation "  (1  Cor.  1,  23,  24 ;  Eom.  i. 
 16).  Many  are  thereby  "turned  to 
 God  from  idols,"  &c.  (1  Thess.  i.  5,  9, 
 10). 
 
 i.  Let  me  now  discharge  my  duty  to 
 you.  To  me  is  committed  the  Word  of 
 God  for  you,  and  woe  is  unto  me  if  I 
 preach  it  not  with  all  fidelity  (1  Cor. 
 ix.  16,  17;  Ezek.  xxxiii.  6-8). 
 
 ii.  Let  me  call  on  you  to  maJce  a  due 
 improvement  of  my  testimony.  Pray ; 
 seek  God's  blessing  on  the  word 
 preached,  that  it  may  prove  to  you 
 "  a  savour  of  life  unto  life,"  and  not  of 
 "  death  unto  death."  It  is  He  who 
 can  make  the  "  fire "  burn,  and  the 
 "hammer"  so  mighty  that  no  rock 
 can  withstand  its  force.  — C.  Simeon. 
 
 Ver.  28.    Theme:   The  chaff  and 
 
 THE  WHEAT. 
 
 "  What  is  the  chaff  to  the  wheat  1 
 saith  the  Lord." 
 
 We  may  regard  this  question  as 
 suggestive  of  the  superiority  of  the  real 
 to  the  superficial,  and  of  the  substance 
 to  the  shadow,  &c. 
 
 I.  There  are  those  who  make  more 
 of  the  ritual  and  ceremonial  in  religion 
 than  they  do  of  the  spirit  and  power. 
 But,  "What  is  the  chaff  to  the  wheat? 
 saith  the  Lord." 
 
 II.  There  are  those  who  make  more 
 of  the  speculative,  theoretical,  mys- 
 terious, and  mystical  in  religion,  than 
 of  the  plain,  practical,  experimental, 
 and  useful.  But,  "  What  is  the  chaff  ]  " 
 &c. 
 
 III.  There  are  those  who  make  more 
 of  the  name,  profession,  and  show  of 
 godliness  than  they  do  of  godliness 
 itself.     But,  "  What  is  the  chaff  ?  "  &c. 
 
 453 
 
CHAP.  XXIII. 
 
 HOMILETIC  COMMENTARY :  JEREMIAH. 
 
 IV.  There  are  those  who  attach  more 
 Importance  to  words,  style,  manner, 
 appearance,  and  persons  in  preaching, 
 
 than  they  do  to  the  truth  of  Scripture. 
 But,  ''  What  is  the  chaff  to  the  wheat  ? 
 saith  the  Lord." — Lay  Preacher. 
 
 Ver.  28.  Theme :  Lying  communica- 
 tions AND  God's  truth. 
 
 ^^What  is  the  chaff  to  the  wheat  1 " 
 
 Jehovah  had  contrasted  the  godless 
 inventions  of  false  teachers  with  the 
 truth  of  His  own  assertions,  and  hav- 
 ing desired  that  each  message  might  be 
 stated  as  each  deserved  (ver.  28),  pro- 
 ceeds to  compare  the  lying  communi- 
 cations of  men  with  the  true  sayings  of 
 God. 
 
 In  the  corrupt  heart  within  us  there 
 exists  and  labours  so  perverse  and  de- 
 structive a  tendency  to  prefer  the  chaff 
 to  the  wheat,  as  to  incur  the  peril  of 
 choosing  the  false  rather  than  the  true. 
 Therefore  the  attempt  is  here  made  to 
 expose  some  of  these  misapprehensions. 
 
 I.  What  are  worldly  maxims  com- 
 pared with  the  Word  of  God,  but  as 
 the  chaff  to  the  wheat  1  The  whole 
 world  lieth  under  the  power  of  the 
 "  father  of  lies." 
 
 1.  Regard  the  conduct  of  men  of  the 
 world,  and  by  what  maxim  are  they 
 governed  ?  to  what  authority  do  they 
 bow"?  Of  Him  who  created,  sustains, 
 redeemed  them,  or  of  him  who  deceived 
 our  first  parents,  and  has  ever  since  been 
 spreading  snares  for  their  posterity? 
 
 2.  Wliat  lessons  does  the  ivorld  teach 
 its  disciples  ?  To  be  lovers  of  pleasure 
 more  than  the  lovers  of  God ;  to  wor- 
 ship the  creature  more  than  the  Creator ; 
 to  spend  the  precious  season  of  mercy 
 in  laying  up  deceitful  treasure  for  self  ; 
 to  say  to  the  ensnared  soul,  "  Soul,  take 
 thine  ease,"  &c. ;  or,  "  Let  us  eat  and 
 drink,  for  to-morrow  we  die."  Does  not 
 the  world  stigmatise  all  true  religion, 
 the  privileges  of  Christian  life,  &c.,  as 
 dreams  of  enthusiasm  and  inventions  of 
 hypocrisy  ;  and  a  zealous  pursuit  of  "  the 
 one  thing  needful"  as  the  miserable 
 error  of  "  being  righteous  overmuch?" 
 
 "  But  what  is  the  chaff  to  the  ivheat  ?  " 
 — the  authority  of  the  world  compared 
 with   that  of   the    Supreme   Lord  and 
 454 
 
 King ;  the  ridicide  of  the  world  with 
 the  indignation  of  God ;  the  present 
 judgment  of  men  with  the  decisions  of 
 the  Book  which  shall  be  opened  at  the 
 last  day ;  the  world's  standard  of  mor- 
 ality with  Christ's  requirement  of  a  new 
 birth? 
 
 There  are  vain  dreamers  (ver.  26). 
 Suffer  them  not  to  mislead  you  from  an 
 atoning  Saviour,  &c.  "  Love  not  the 
 world,"  &c.  :  but  heed  the  faithful  teach- 
 ings of  the  Word  of  God  which  liveth 
 and  abideth  for  ever. 
 
 II.  What  is  the  value  of  that  legal 
 righteousness  in  which  carnal  man  de- 
 lights, compared  with  the  righteousness 
 of  Christ  Jesus,  as  a  ground  of  justifica- 
 tion with  God  ?  "  The  carnal  man  is 
 at  enmity  with  God."  He  may  deem 
 himself,  "  as  touching  the  righteousness 
 of  the  law,  blameless,"  and  ask,  "  What 
 lack  I  yet  ? "  But  this  dehision  results 
 from  igiiorance  of  the  spirituality  of  the 
 Divine  law.  Let  the  Spirit's  illumina- 
 tion come  to  him,  and  he  will  see  him- 
 self no  longer  '•  rich,  increased  with 
 goods,  and  in  need  of  nothing;  but 
 wretched,  miserable,"  &c. 
 
 The  terrors  of  the  law  will  sweep  away 
 all  refuges  of  lies  in  which  the  sinner  has 
 sheltered  himself,  and  drive  him  to  the 
 righteousness  of  Jesus  Christ.  Repen- 
 tance for  sin  will  not  form  that  wedding 
 garment  which  fits  for  a  seat  at  the  mar- 
 riage supper  of  the  Lamb.  Nor  is  it 
 by  "  works  of  righteousness  which  we 
 have  done "  that  we  are  accepted  with 
 God.  Christ  alone  is  "made  unto  us 
 wisdom,  righteousness,"  &c.  "  Li  Him 
 must  all  the  seed  of  Israel  be  justified." 
 
 "  What  is  the  chaff  to  the  ivheat  ? " 
 Who  that  knows  himself  to  be  a  sinner, 
 who  knows  anything  of  the  self-sufficient 
 salvation  of  Jesus,  would  hesitate  a  mo- 
 ment between  leaning  on  the  broken  reed 
 of  his  own  goodness,  and  coming  in  faith 
 to  Christ  Jesus  ? 
 
 III.  What  is  the  happiness  of  the 
 worldling  compared  with  that  of  a 
 child  of  God,  but  as  chaff  to  the  wheat  ? 
 "  There  be  many  which  say,  Who  will 
 show  us  any  good,"  &c. 
 
 1.  An  eager  desire  after  hajipiness  is 
 implanted  in  us  all. 
 
 2.  Men  pursue  phantoms  of  enjoyment 
 
HOMILETIC  COMMENTARY :  JEREMIAH. 
 
 CHAP,  xxiri. 
 
 as  cliildren  might  attempt  to  grasp  a 
 rainbow  which,  has  allured  them. 
 
 3.  But  while  all  creature-joys  elude, 
 "  godliness  is  2^Tqfitable^'  &c.  The  be- 
 liever has  a  "joy  which  no  man  taketh 
 from  him."  *'  Say  ye  to  the  righteous 
 that  it  shall  be  well  with  him." 
 
 IV.  What  are  the  present  pleasures 
 of  sin  compared  with  the  glories  of 
 heaven  ? 
 
 1.  This  glad  prospect  sinners  have 
 forfeited  for  the  mocking  indulgences  of 
 life.    "  Thou  hast  had  thy  good  things." 
 
 2.  Ch-ist  Himself  ivill  effectually 
 forhid  heaven^s  joys  to  Christless  soids. 
 
 "  His  fan  is  iu  His  hand,  and  He  will 
 thoroughly  purge,"  &c. 
 
 Has  a  deceived  heart  turned  you 
 aside  1  Oh,  seek  the  Spirit's  illumina- 
 tion that  ye  may  escape  the  delusion  of 
 earthly  .vanities  and  find  rest  in  the 
 Divine  love  now,  and  a  part  in  the  in- 
 heritance with  the  saints  in  light, — 
 Partly  taken  from,  a?i  old  and  nameless 
 MS. 
 
 Vers.  28-29.  Theme:  Symbols  of 
 God's  Word. 
 
 "  Wheat — Fire — HammerP 
 
 I.  In  its  own  essential  properties 
 God's  Word  is  thus  manifold. 
 
 1.  A  vital  and  vitalising  substance : 
 "Wheat."  (a.)  Life  inheres  in  it.  (6.) 
 It  nourishes  life  in  the  eater. 
 
 2.  A  refining  and  devouring  element : 
 "  Fire."  (a.)  It  imparts  warmth.  (6.) 
 It  purges  from  impurities,  from  dross, 
 (c.)  It  consumes  rubbish. 
 
 3.  A  subduing  and  destroying  force  : 
 "  Hammer."  (a.)  Beating  doivn  all  re- 
 sistance in  the  regenerate  heart,  (b.) 
 Crushing  and  destroying  the  hard  and 
 defiant  life. 
 
 II.  In  its  changeful  aspects  and 
 revelations  God's  Word  assumes  these 
 diversities.  It  comes  in  various  forms 
 to  mankind. 
 
 1.  Corn  covered  with  husk.  The 
 Divine  truth  covered  with  the  human 
 exterior.  "  We  have  this  treasure  in 
 earthen  vessels."  Also  the  God-given 
 message  and  doctrine  mingled  with  the 
 
 • "  chaff "  of  human  theories  and  inter- 
 pretations. 
 
 2.  Fij-e   in  its   various  forms    and 
 
 degrees.  Attractive,  as  the  domestic 
 fire  which  draws  us  around  its  genial 
 glow.  Beneficial,  as  the  warmth  to  a 
 chilled  traveller,  &c.  Terrible,  as  the 
 fiery  furnace  to  those  it  would  consume. 
 
 3,  A  Hammer  applied  to  different  uses 
 and  tvith  different  force.  Fastening  "  a 
 nail  in  a  sure  place,"  i.e.,  enforcing  Divine 
 truth  upon  the  conscience.  "  Breaking 
 iu  pieces  the  rocky  vessel,"  i.e.,  crushing 
 the  alien  and  antagonistic  heart. 
 
 II.  In  the  ministries  it  effects, 
 God's  Word  needs  to  be  thus  diverse. 
 
 1.  Men,  to  whom  God's  Word  is 
 addressed,  are  in  such  utterly  dissimilar 
 conditions,  (a.)  Some  need  "  wheat  " 
 — nourishment ;  food  to  sustain  the 
 Divine  life  within  them.  Men  are  as  soils 
 of  various  conditions,  into  which  the 
 wheat-grain  is  cast  by  the  sower.  (6.) 
 Others  are  as  metal — "  gold  and  silver," 
 which  need  refining  ;  or  as  "  wood, 
 hay,  stuble,"  only  fit  to  be  burned,  (c.) 
 Others  are  as  the  rock — either  requiring 
 the  stroke  of  affliction  to  disclose  their 
 hidden  treasures  and  graces  ;  or  as 
 destined  to  the  stroke  of  destruction, 
 being  valueless  for  any  good  end. 
 
 2.  Men,  to  whom  God's  Word  is 
 addressed,  must  respond  to  its  manifold 
 piwyoses.  For  God's  Word  is  to  be 
 utilised  in  all  its  various  forms  — 
 "  wheat,  fire,  hammer."  (a.)  Cleanse 
 the  corn  of  the  chaff,  and  eat  the  p>re- 
 cious  ivheat.  (b.)  Welcome  its  2}urifying 
 mission,  and  live  in  its  warm  glow,  (c.) 
 Submit  to  its  strokes,  and  become  com- 
 pliant to  its  powerful  appeals. 
 
 Observe  : 
 
 i,  God's  Word  can  be  refused  as 
 "  wheat,"  but  cannot  be  evaded  as  "  fire," 
 nor  resisted  as  "  a  hammer." 
 
 ii.  If  we  receive  not  the  life  it  can 
 bring  as  food,  we  must  feel  its  con- 
 suming and  destroying  force. 
 
 Theme :    God's  Wokd   and    man's 
 
 "WOED. 
 
 i.  Tlie  former  is  life  and  jwiver 
 (wheat,  fire,  hammer)  ;  the  latter  pre- 
 tence and  weakness  (dream,  straw). 
 
 ii.  The  two  are  not  to  be  mixed  tvith 
 each  other.  Why  (add)  the  chaff  to  the 
 wheat  1  This  rendering  is  admissible. 
 — Lange. 
 
 455 
 
CHAP.  xxin. 
 
 HOMILETIC  COMMENTARY:  JEREMIAH. 
 
 This  shows, 
 
 i.  The  vanity  of  all  human  imagina- 
 tions in  religion,  (a.)  What  do  they 
 afford  to  man?  (6.)  How  much  do 
 they  hinder ! 
 
 ii.  The  energy  of  spiritual  truth. 
 Let  us  entreat  God  that  our  estimate 
 may  be  practical. — Cecil. 
 
 Vers.  30-32.  Theme :  God  the  anta- 
 gonist    OP     FALSE      TEACHERS.      "  jBe- 
 
 hold"  stands  in  front  of  each  of  the 
 three  declarations  :  it  commands  notice ; 
 the  subject  is  serious. 
 
 "  /  am  against  ;  "  God  in  opposition 
 to  their  wicked  worJc,  to  their  baneful 
 influence,  and  to  their  ve7'y  persons. 
 
 I.  God  repudiates  stolen  teachings. 
 They  were  plagiarists  (ver.  30).  (1.) 
 They  stole  the  words  they  uttered  from 
 God's  true  prophets :  (2.)  They  stole 
 away  the  Divine  meaning  from  those 
 words  by  their  perverse  rendering  :  and 
 (3.)  They  stole  one  another's  fictitious 
 messages,  thus  reiterating  and  propagat- 
 ing lies. 
 
 II.  God  denounces  spurious  mes- 
 sages. Having  no  message  from  God, 
 the  second  class  used  the  solemn  for- 
 mula by  which  Jehovah  confirmed  the 
 validity  of  His  messages  through  His 
 own  prophets ;  but  in  using  it  they 
 misiised  it :  only  employing  the  form 
 "  Saith,"  instead  of  "  Jehovah  saith." 
 (1.)  Yet  this  gave  emjjhasis  to  their 
 delusive  inventions  :  and  hypocrites 
 glibly  revel  in  such  free  use  of  solemn 
 asseverations.  (2.)  They  thereby  de- 
 ceived their  hearers  into  the  belief  that 
 God  said  what  they  uttered.  So  with 
 all  who  preach  human  fancies  and  theo- 
 ries instead  of  the  Divine  Word. 
 
 III.  God  contemns  lying  frivolities. 
 (1.)  They  acted  a  solemn  part  with 
 shameful  levity.  (2.)  They  caused  the 
 people  to  err  by  their  spurious  teach- 
 ings. 
 
 Notice  here : 
 
 i.  What  is  a  teacher's  qualification 
 for  his  work.  That  God  should  "  send  " 
 and  "  command  "  him. 
 
 ii.  What  is  the  test  by  which  to  try  all 
 45G 
 
 preaching.     If  it  "  profit  not,"  it  has  no 
 Divine  origin  or  authority. 
 
 Vers.  33-40.  Theme :  The  burden 
 OP  THE  Lord  on  triplers. 
 
 "Burden"  (Massa)  means  hear 
 oracle,  prophetic  discourse,  and  there 
 is  a  play  on  this  double  sense  of  the 
 Hebrew. 
 
 I.  Men's  scoffing  inquiry,  "  What  is 
 the  burden  of  the  Lord  1 "  (ver.  33). 
 
 1.  Row  they  estimated  God's  message. 
 Another  "burden" — oppressive  oracle. 
 So  are  all  God's  messages  and  demands 
 to  those  "  who  stumble  at  the  Word, 
 being  disobedient."  And  so  will  always 
 be  God's  2^'>'ohibitions  and  threatenings  to 
 those  who  love  their  sins  and  rebel 
 against  reproof. 
 
 2.  IIoio  they  reviled  God's  messenger. 
 A  mere  burden-bearer.  Not  a  messenger 
 of  good  tidings — not  even  an  ambassador 
 from  God — not  greeted  with  respect  as 
 one  who  authoritatively  taught  them 
 their  duty.  No  !  he  only  brought  them 
 troublesome  words,  tidings  of  disaster : 
 and  they  taunted  him  therewith  (comp. 
 chap.  XX.  8-10  ;  see  also  Mai.  i.  1). 
 
 II.  God's  derisive  answers.  You 
 ask,  "  What  burden  1 "  "  Ye  are  the 
 burden"  (see  Lit.  Grit,  supra  on  ver. 
 33).  And  for  you  the  burden  shall 
 be  this  : 
 
 1.  God  will  cast  you  off  as  being  a 
 "  burden  "  to  Him.  Or,  since  My  word 
 is  burdensome  in  your  eyes,  you  shall 
 have  no  more  of  it,  and  that  will  be  a 
 far  worse  "burden"  to  you — deserted 
 by  God  and  denied  His  prophetic 
 word  ! 
 
 3.  God  will  deal  seriously  with  those 
 trifiers  (ver.  34).  They  used  God's 
 word  in  derision,  but  it  would  prove 
 dreadfully  literal  in  its  fulfilment. 
 Whosoever  shall  in  mockery  call  the 
 Lord's  word  a  "  burden,"  shall  be  visited 
 in  wrath. 
 
 3.  God  tvill  turn  His  messages  which 
 were  intended  to  prove  blessings  into 
 burdens,  which  shall  press  heavily  on 
 every  man. 
 
 On  ver.  40  com  p.  chap.  xx.  11. 
 
HOMILETIO  COMMENTARY :  JEREMIAH.  chap,  xxiii. 
 
 NOTICEABLE   TOPICS   IN  CHAPTER  XXIII. 
 Topic:  Jesus,  our  Lord  and  Righteousness.     (Ver.  6.) 
 
 Christians  believe  these  words  fulfilled  in  Jesus ;  Jews  look  for  One  to  come. 
 All  acknowledge  they  refer  to  the  Messiah:  and  we  may  form  a  judgment  from 
 this  description  as  to  what  religious  system  they  are  suited  best,  that  of  the  Jew, 
 the  Unitarian,  or  the  Christian. 
 
 i.  The  Christ,  or  Messiah,  of  the  Jew.  They  believe  a  man  of  admirable  wisdom 
 will  be  born,  descended  from  Royal  family  of  David,  shall  go  round  the  world  to 
 where  Israelites  are  now  in  banishment,  and  persuade  or  compel  Gentile  rulers  to 
 let  His  people  return  to  their  native  land.  There,  having  rebuilt  Temple,  and 
 re-established  ancient  worship,  they  will  be  exposed  to  envy  of  nations,  who  will 
 invade  and  make  war  upon  their  country ;  but,  at  last,  delivered  from  all  their 
 troubles  under  the  anointed  Prince,  all  the  world  shall  become  Jews  like  themselves, 
 and  send  every  year  gifts  and  sacrifices  to  Temple  of  Jerusalem. 
 
 ii.  The  Messiah  of  the  Unitarians.  Already  come ;  Jesus  of  Nazareth  the 
 Saviour,  foretold  by  ancient  prophecy.  But,  when  Christ  came,  He  was  nothing 
 more  than  a  man ;  born  (so  many  argue),  not  of  a  virgin,  but  of  Joseph  and  Mary 
 his  wife ;  sent  by  God  to  preach  to  mankind  a  holy  life,  and  that  all  men  hereafter 
 should  be  raised  from  the  dead,  and  be  rewarded  according  to  their  works. 
 
 iii.  The  Messiah  of  Christians.  Jesus  ;  formed  as  man,  but  God  Himself, 
 eternally  one  with  Father  ;  came  from  heaven,  preached  righteousness  and  resurrec- 
 tion, but  these  only  subordinate  ends  ;  by  His  obedience,  merits,  and  atonement  by 
 blood  to  take  off  from  the  world  that  curse  under  which,  since  Adam,  it  had  been. 
 
 Examine  meaning  of  language  in  text. 
 
 I.  This  prophecy  is  fulfilled  to  the  Jews,  xvho  expect  in  their  Christ  an  earthly 
 monarch,  and  to  Christians,  who  believe  that  Christ  is  a  Divine  and  heavenly 
 monarch.  Jews  suppose  Christ  will  be  man  like  ourselves,  prophet  like  Moses, 
 but  also  a  mighty  conqueror  and  king.  Christians  believe  that  Christ  from  all 
 eternity  has  been,  together  with  the  Father  and  Holy  Ghost,  the  Creator  and 
 Governor  of  the  world ;  that  He  now  sitteth  in  human  form  at  right  hand  of 
 Father's  glory ;  will  be  Judge  of  world  at  last.  But  to  Unitarians,  with  whom 
 Christ  was  a  mere  prophet,  having  no  power  to  rule  world,  no  privilege  of  doing  good 
 to  His  Church,  how  can  this  prophecy  be  fulfilled  in  Christ  ?  On  earth,  and  in 
 human  nature.  He  was  very  unlike  a  "king;"  and  if  He  were  nothing  beyond  man, 
 these  words  are  inapplicable  to  Him. 
 
 II.  This  prophecy  points  out  the  salvation  Christ  would  effect.  "  In  His 
 days,  saith  the  Lord,  Judah  shall  be  saved,"  Jews  and  Christians  have  reasons, 
 though  different,  for  applying  prophecy  to  Messiah.  They  suppose  He  will  save 
 them  from  worldly  troubles ;  we  believe  that  He  saves  all  who  trust  in  Him  from 
 burthen  of  sins  and  wrath  of  God.  But  with  what  salvation  do  Unitarians 
 accredit  Christ  ?  They  answer  :  By  bringing  a  more  perfect  moral  law.  He  taught 
 us  to  avoid  sin,  and  thus  saved  us  from  sin ;  that  by  teaching  resurrection  and 
 rising  Himself,  He  saved  us  from  fear  of  death  ;  that  by  abolishing  law  of  Moses, 
 He  saved  us  from  hurdensome  ceremonies.  In  answer  :  Morality  was  equally 
 enforced  under  Old  Testament;  resurrection  believed  in;  and  Christ  did  not 
 destroy  and  abolish  the  law. 
 
 III.  This  prophecy  gives  a  Divine  title  to  the  Messiah :  "  The  Lord  our 
 Righteousness."  Both  Jews  and  Unitarians  must  be  perplexed,  since  neither 
 allow  the  Saviour  foretold  was  to  be  other  than  mortal  man.  But  the  word 
 "  Lord  "  is  in  Hebrew  Jehovah.  Accordingly,  we  accept  this  as  proof  that  the 
 Messiah  must  not  only  be  man  but  God.  This  is  not  refuted  by  the  attempt  to 
 show  from  chapter  xxiii.  16,  that  it  is  not  the  Saviour  who  should  bear  this  awful 
 name,  but  Judah :  for  that  text  should  read,  "  He,  who  calleth  Jerusalem,  is  the 
 
 457 
 
CHAP,  xxili.  HOMILETIC  COMMENTARY:  JEREMIAH. 
 
 Lord  our  righteousness  ; "  and  also,  in  this  present  verse,  hotk  Judali  and  Israel  are 
 united  in  blessing  by  Messiah  ;  so  that,  if  Judah  be  meant  by  this  title,  Israel  must 
 also;  and  the  word  should  be,  not  "  5e  shall  be  called,"  but  "they&hall  be." 
 Turn  it  as  we  may,  this  passage  remains  unconquerable  by  those  who  deny  Jesus 
 to  be  God  and  Lord  ;  for  it  is  allowed  He  is  Messiah,  and  Messiah  is  no  other 
 than  Jehovah. 
 
 IV.  This  prophecy  further  gives  to  Christ  the  title  of  "  Our  righteousness." 
 Jews  and  heretics  cannot  explain  this  away  ;  they  deny  that  the  blood  of  Christ  is 
 a  sacrifice,  or  satisfaction,  for  the  sins  of  the  world ;  that  we  are  justified  by  His 
 death.  Yet  here,  the  Man,  Messiah,  is  not  only  Jehovah,  but  in  His  own  Person 
 He  is  "  our  righteousness."  But  how  can  man  or  God  become  the  righteousness  of 
 sinful  creatures,  unless  He  suffer  in  their  stead  the  punishment  of  their  sin,  and  in 
 their  stead  obey  and  fulfil  the  law  1  How  can  He  make  another  being  righteous, 
 except  by  proving  him  innocent  of  faults,  or  obeying  the  laws  on  behalf  of  the 
 offender,  hearing  the  faults  on  Himself,  and  suffering  his  punishment  ?  Hence  it  is 
 by  the  imputed  merits,  obedience,  and  death  of  Christ  that  we  are  cleansed  from 
 sin  and  made  righteous  in  the  sight  of  God. 
 
 We  are  herein  called  to  acknowledge  in  Christ  a  mighty  God  and  most  merciful 
 Saviour  :  Advocate,  pleading  on  our  behalf  His  own  merits ;  High  Priest,  who  offered 
 up  His  own  life  for  us ;  Lamb,  whose  blood  washed  us  clean.  Let  us  by  every 
 action  and  affection  show  our  faith,  love,  and  thankfulness.  Kemember  that  Christ 
 is  our  righteousness  alone  ;  no  merit  in  us ;  and  in  Him  is  the  sinner's  hope. — Con- 
 densed and  arranged  from  Bishop  Keginald  Heber,  a.d.  1838. 
 
 Topic:  The  Recovery  of  the  Ten  Lost  Tribes  from  the  North  Country. 
 
 (Ver.  8.) 
 
 Israel,  or  the  Ten  Lost  Tribes,  were  carried  captive  into  Assyria  in  725  B.C. 
 Their  captivity  was  complete  in  number  and  time — to  this  day  they  have  not 
 returned.  The  captivity  of  Judah  in  688  was  partial  in  number  and  time  ;  they 
 returned  and  remained  until  finally  scattered  about  the  year  70  a.d.  Now  they 
 are  all  in  exile,  but  they  are  to  return  again  to  their  own  land.  And  as  surely  as 
 the  Jews  now  say,  "The  Lord  liveth  which  brought  up  His  people  out  of  Egypt," 
 so  will  they  by  and  by  say,  "  The  Lord  liveth  which  brought  up)  His  people  out  of  the 
 North  country,  and.  from  all  the  countries  whither  He  had  driven  them." 
 
 I.  This  is,  and  has  been,  the  expectation  of  the  Church,  for  ages.  From 
 earliest  centuries  this  has  been  a  prevailing  idea.  Six  years  after  the  destruction 
 of  Jerusalem,  as  foretold  by  the  prophets  and  the  Saviour,  a  child  was  born  who  in 
 his  life  was  to  confront  this  idea  in  prophecy.  Hadrian,  the  Roman  Emperor, 
 born  in  76  a.d.,  died  in  138.  He  hated,  with  a  deadly  hatred,  the  Jews  and  the 
 Christians.  What  of  the  city  of  Jerusalem  was  standing  in  his  day  he  destroyed, 
 and  built  a  new  city  on  the  old  site  and  called  it  after  himself,  Elia  Capitolina.  Then 
 he  forbade  Jew  or  Christian,  under  penalty  of  death,  to  enter  the  same,  declaring 
 that  he  would  show  them  the  weakness  of  their  hope  and  falsity  of  their  proj^hets. 
 Again,  there  was  born  in  Constantinople  another  child,  Nov.  17,  a.d.  331, 
 who  died  June  26,  a.d.  363,  named  Flavins  Claudius  Julinus,  surnamed  Julian  the 
 Apostate.  He  said  that  he  would  make  God  a  liar  and  prophecy  false,  for  he 
 would  gather  the  Jews  and  build  the  Temple.  Some  of  the  Jews  he  did  gather, 
 and  he  began  to  build  the  Temple,  but  God  was  against  him  by  earthquake  and 
 by  balls  of  fire  out  of  the  ground,  so  he  ceased  to  fight  against  God.  Even 
 England  has  sought  to  bring  back  Israel  before  the  time.  Three  successive  times 
 she  has  conquered  Palestine,  and  given  it  over  to  the  Turks  for  keeping.  Nay,  for 
 a  time  the  whole  Christian  world  sought  to  force  Providence  in  this  matter.  You 
 have  read  of  the  wonderful  crusades ;  no  less  than  eight  of  them,  from  1095  to 
 1272  ;  the  time  was  not  yet,  but  it  will  come. 
 458 
 
EOMILETIC  COMMENTARY :  JEREMIAH.  chap.  xxm. 
 
 II.  Let  us  remember  there  is  a  God — a  God  who  has  a  purpose  and  design 
 both  for  His  people  and  this  land  of  Palestine,  Hear  Him  speak  :  "  The  laud 
 shall  not  be  sold  for  ever,  for  the  land  is  Mine,  for  ye  are  strangers  and  sojourners 
 with  Me  "  (Lev.  xxv.  23). 
 
 1.  Men  write,  talk,  and  speculate,  but  they  leave  out  the  Divine  qximitity  in  their 
 calcidations.  It  is  this  that  has  confused  the  nations  and  the  press.  The  science 
 of  algebra  has  been  passed  by,  or  this  quantity  could  have  been  found.  There  is 
 in  nature  a  force,  or  something,  which  science  names  Catalysis.  It  is  the  name  for 
 the  presence  of  some  force  or  power  that  acts  on  other  things,  rendering  precision 
 in  the  chemical  laboratory  many  times  impossible.  How  much  this  catalytic 
 power  is  in  any  compound  or  combination  it  is  difficult  to  tell.  It  is  a  Divine 
 quantity.  It  is  present  in  the  analysis,  but  not  in  the  synthesis.  The  physiolo- 
 gist meets  it  everywhere,  but  the  anatomist  nowhere.  Science  can  pull  to  pieces, 
 but  cannot  put  things  together  the  same,  for  this  catalytic  power  escapes. 
 
 2.  Nations,  kings,  rulers,  and  governments  forget  that  the  earth  is  the  Lord's. 
 They  think  they  can  part  it  as  they  like,  but  they  cannot.  This  Divine  force  or 
 quantity  enters  and  vitiates  their  conclusion.  Listen  to  Jehovah:  "Remember 
 the  days  of  old,  consider  the  years  of  many  generations ;  ask  thy  father  and  he 
 will  show  thee ;  thy  elders  and  they  will  tell  thee.  When  the  Most  High  divided 
 to  the  nations  their  inheritance,  when  He  separated  the  sons  of  Adam,  He  set  the 
 bounds  of  the  people  according  to  the  number  of  the  children  of  Israel "  (Deut. 
 xxii.  7,  8 ;  comp.  also  Isa.  xliv.  7,  and  Acts  xvii.  26). 
 
 III.  But  when  will  Israel  and  Judah  return,  and  how  ?  That  they  have  to 
 return  some  time,  surely  all  will  agree.     The  time  of  the  end  we  believe  to  be  near — 
 
 1st.  By  the  general  expectation. 
 
 2d,  By  the  grand  revelations  and  teaching  of  the  Great  Pyramid,  this  pillar  and 
 witness  spoken  of  by  Isaiah  xix,  19,  In  this  remarkable  structure  the  year  1882 
 is  very  significantly  denoted.  Many  great  facts  in  Israel's  history  have  been 
 incorporated  in  this  building  and  have  come  to  pass  ;  so  for  Israel  something  is  in 
 reserve  for  1882 — perhaps  it  is  the  great  deliverance  spoken  of  in  the  text.  This 
 year  is  also  the  wonderful  prophetic  year.  The  "  time  and  times  and  dividing  of 
 time"  makes  1260  years,  which,  added  to  the  first  year  of  Mahomet,  is  equal  to 
 our  622,  which  added  makes  1882. 
 
 3d.  By  the  Church  witness.  For  the  Gospel  was  to  be  preached  as  a  witness 
 unto  all  nations  before  Israel  are  gathered.  This  sign  is  now  complete.  But  how  will 
 this  great  deliverance  be  brought  about — in  God's  own  way,  as  from  the  Egyptians  ? 
 The  overthrow  and  destruction  of  Turkey  may  be  the  preparatory  cause.  The  Jews 
 now  feel  specially  moved,  for  at  their  late  council  in  New  York  they  had  letters 
 missive  from  Berlin,  Paris,  London,  on  how  best  to  promote  the  return  of  those  Jews 
 who  desire  to  return  to  Palestine. — Joseph  Wild,  D.D.,  Brooklyn,  a.d.  1878. 
 
 ADDENDA  TO  CHAPTER  XXII  I.  ,-  ILLUSTRATIONS  AND  SUGGESTIVE  EXTRACTS. 
 
 Ver.  1.  Negligent  pastors.  By  action  and  by  wordj    and  round   him 
 
 "  Probably  many  who  are  called  Gos-  ^^^^  ^'^^^      ^^^^  ^.^  li^^  ^^^^^^.^^  ^^^^. 
 
 pel  ministers  are  more  chargeable  witn  leJo-e. 
 
 concealing  truths  than  affirming  direct  
 
 error  ;    with  not  properly  building  the  They  stood,  for  he  had  sworn,  in  face  of  God 
 
 1  \-i  -If   11  ii;  ,„  i^  j^„T..  »  And  man,  to  deal  sincerely  with  their  souls  : 
 
 house  than  wiltully  pulling  it  down,  —      ^,^  ^^^^^j^'  ^^^  ^^^^^^^  ^^^.  (^^  ^^^^^^^  ^^^^^ 
 
 Dr.  Witherspoon. 
 
 To  preach  the  Gospel  for  the  Gospel's  sake. 
 
 "  Unfaithfulness  is  to  undo  our  own      Most  guilty,  villainous,  dishonest  man  ! 
 souls  as  well  as  our  people's," — Bridges.      Wolf  in  the  clothing  of  the  gentle  lamb  ! 
 
 Dark  traitor  in  Messiah's  holy  camp  ! 
 "  But  the  unfaithful  priest,  what  tongue         Leper  in  saintly  garb  !  assassin  masked 
 Enough  shall  execrate  !         ....         In  virtue's  robe  !     Vile  hypocrite,  accursed  1 
 By  solemn,  awful  ceremony,  he  I  strive  in  vain  to  set  his  evil  forth." 
 
 Was  set  apart  to  speak  the  truth  entire,  —Pollock. 
 
 459 
 
CHAP.  XXIV.  EOMILETIC  COMMENTARY :  JEREMIAH. 
 
 Ver.  23.  God's  omnipresence,  old  man  replied,  "  Soldier,  where  is  He 
 
 During  the  American  war  a  British  not?" 
 
 officer,   walking  out  at   sunrising,   ob-  The  question  was   once   asked  of  a 
 
 served  an  old  man  with  his  arm  upraised  little  boy,  *'  How  many  gods  are  there  1 " 
 
 as  if  in  adoration.      The  officer   inter-  "  One,"    he    replied.     "  How   do    you 
 
 fared  with  rude  disregard,  and  demanded  know  there  is  only  one  1 "    He  answered, 
 
 what  he   was   about.     The  old  native  "  Because   there   is   no   room   for    any 
 
 replied,  "  I  am  worshipping  the  Great  more ;  for  the  One  God  fills  heaven  and 
 
 Spirit."     The   officer   asked  derisively,  earth." 
 "  Where  is  He  1 "     To  which  taunt  the 
 
 CHAPTER  XXIV. 
 
 Critical  and  Exegeticai,  Notes.     Vide  previous  chapter.     Cf.  2  Kings  xxir.  10-12. 
 
 Natural  History.  "Baskets  of  Figs:  "  Vide  Natural  History  notes  on  chaps,  v.  17,  viii.  13. 
 The  "first  rijje"  figs  (ver.  2),  called  here  bikkurah  (cf.  Isa.  xxviii.  4  ;  Mic.  vii.  1 ;  Hos.  ix.  10), 
 denotes  the  early  or  spring  fig  ;  and  is  still  called  boccore  in  Maui'itania,  and  in  Spanish  alba- 
 cora.  The  usual  time  for  gathering  figs  is  August;  the  early  fig  gathered  in  June  is  a  rarity 
 and  delicacy.  It  is  easily  shaken  off  the  tree  (Nahum  iii.  12).  The  "very  bad  figs"  (ver.  2) 
 were  probably  sycamore  figs ;  which,  unless  punctured  as  they  ripen,  turn  acrid,  and  "cannot  be 
 eaten  "  (ver.  3) ;  or,  they  may  have  been  decayed  figs.  "  Baskets  of  figs  "  used  to  be  offered  as 
 firstfruits  in  the  Temple. 
 
 HOMILETIO  SUMMARY  OF  CHAPTER  XXIY. 
 
 The  Baskets  of  Figs  :  a  Parable  and  a  Prophecy. 
 
 Notes ; — i.  Those  ivho  are  amid  calamity  do  7iot  necessarily  deserve  worse  than  those 
 who  temporarily  escape. 
 
 ii.  Those  who  temporarily  escape  calamity  may  be  destined  to  far  heavier 
 chastisements. 
 
 iil  Among  those  whom  disaster  overtakes  there  may  be  eminently  good  men. 
 Daniel  and  Ezekiel  were  among  the  first  captives  ! 
 
 iv.  Self -elation  over  immunity  from  adversity  will  only  invoke  more  hum- 
 bling providences.  Probably  those  who  remained  behind  thought 
 themselves  better  than  those  who  had  gone  into  captivity ;  but 
 heavier  judgments  came  in  due  time  upon  these  boasters. 
 V.  Adversities  may  have  a  beneficent  design  and  beneficent  influence  (vers. 
 5-8). 
 
 L  A  nation  rent  asunder — yet  arrayed  beneath  G-od's  eye. 
 
 1.  Separated  by  ordinance  of  God's  providence.  God  had  permitted  the  captivity ; 
 and  He  had  reserved  the  part  which  remained  behind. 
 
 (a. )  In  respect  of  location  they  were  widely  separated.  Babylon  lay  far  off  from 
 Jerusalem. 
 
 (h.)  In  respect  of  outtvard  advantages  they  were  widely  dissimilar.  ExUes  and 
 residents.     Yet  both  were  equally 
 
 2.  Present  imder  the  eye  of  God's  omniscience.  One  part  was  captive  in  Babylon 
 (ver.  1) ;  the  other  part  remained  in  Canaan  (ver.  8) ;  but  both  baskets  of  figs  were 
 "  set  before  the  Temple  of  the  Lord."  [The  word  "ly^  implies  that  they  were 
 appointed  to  this  place  before  God's  Temple.]  Thus  the  exiles  in  Babylon  were 
 equally  present  to  God's  eye  as  those  at  Jerusalem.  Equally  under  His  eye  :  those 
 afar  as  those  near  ;  those  amid  adversity  as  those  amid  advantages. 
 
 {a.)  Wherever  we  are  we  dwell  under  the  Divine  notice.  We  cannot  go  beyond 
 His  ken.  None  are  forgotten  by  God.  Those  "afar  off"  were  still  "  set  before  " 
 Him. 
 
 (6.)  Amid  our  adversities  we  do  not  lose  the  Divine  Fatherhood.  Even  though 
 "  sent  out  of  this  place  into  the  land  of  the  Chaldeans  "  (ver,  4),  yet  God  declares, 
 4G0 
 
HO  MI  LET IC  COMMENTARY:    JEREMIAH.  chap.  xxiv. 
 
 "  I  will  acknowledge  them ; "  and  "  I  will  set  Mine  eyes  upon  tliem  for  good " 
 (ver.  5). 
 
 II.  A  suggestive  comparison — indicating  vast  moral  dissimilarities.    Two 
 
 baskets  of  figs  :  in  the  one  were  "very  good  figs;"  in  the  other  "very  naughty 
 figs  " — "  the  good  figs,  very  good;  and  the  evil,  very  evil.'' 
 
 1.  Their  experiences  seemed  to  reverse  this  estimate.  It  surprises  us  to  find  that 
 those  carried  away  captive  were  accounted  "  good,"  while  those  escaping  the 
 miseries  of  exile  are  pronounced  "very  bad."  Here  is  teaching  that  we  judge  not 
 character  hy  circumstances ;  that  we  do  not  deem  those  who  most  suffer  to  be  the 
 greatest  sinners.  "Judge  not  according  to  the  outward  appearance;"  "judge 
 nothing  before  the  time ; "  "I  have  seen  the  ivicked in  great  power,"  &c.  The  facts 
 were  that  the  exiles  were  the  noblest  and  best  of  the  nation  ;  those  left  at  home  were 
 the  refuse. 
 
 2.  Their  separation  was  for  a  providential  purpose.  Those  of  the  nation  who 
 were  of  any  worth  at  all  were  called  out  and  sent  away  into  safe  keeping,  even 
 though  into  exile.  And  there  they  were  in  good  keeping.  Although  it  seemed 
 worse  to  be  in  captivity  than  to  dwell  at  home,  they  were  really  better  off  in 
 Chaldea.  Their  removal  to  Babylon  saved  them  from  the  calamities  which  befel 
 the  rest  of  the  nation,     "  Whom  God  loveth  He  chasteneth." 
 
 3.  Their  distinctive  qualities  was  emphaticcdly  marked.  "  Very  good — very  bad." 
 Doubtless  those  who  remained  at  home  flattered  themselves  with  being  better  than 
 those  who  were  exiled,  and  more  pleasing  to  God  than  those  who  suffered  captivity. 
 They  showed  themselves  "  very  bad  "  by  their  j^ride  of  heart,  by  not  profiting  from 
 the  salutary  warning  of  the  calamity  which  had  come  upon  their  fellow-countrymen, 
 by  not  repenting  of  their  own  evils  and  amending  their  ungodly  lives.  The  exiles 
 showed  themselves  "good"  by  signs  of  regeneration  under  the  discipline  of  cap- 
 tivity. God  Himself  esteemed  them  more  favourably  (ver.  5),  and  saw  in  them 
 higher  excellences  and  more  hopefid  qualities  than  the  rest  possessed.  "  God  looketh 
 not  on  the  outward  appearance,  but  at  the  heart." 
 
 III.  A  contrasted  destiny — according  with  their  merit  and  conduct.  The  good 
 figs  were  a  delicacy  (see  Natural  History  note  supra) ;  the  bad  were  obnoxious — 
 "  could  not  be  eaten."  There  was  a  reverse  destiny  for  them.  God  gave  this  vision 
 and  prophecy  to  Jeremiah  :  (a)  To  cheer  the  disconsolate  captives  with  a  hope  of 
 future  good  ;  (b)  To  check  the  vaunting  of  the  heartless  residents  by  menaces  of  their 
 impending  doom. 
 
 1.  The  gracioiis  destiny  of  the  exiles.  (1.)  They  should  be  carefully  preserved 
 (ver.  5).  (2.)  They  were  favourably  regarded,  and  would  be  "acknowledged"  by 
 God  (ver.  4).  (3.)  Their  banishment  was  for  their  good  (ver.  5).  (4.)  Their 
 miraculous  rescue  was  pledged  them  (ver.  6).  (5.)  Spiritual  regeneration  should  crown 
 all  other  and  temporal  benefits  (ver.  7).  Thus  "  God  will  devise  means  whereby  His 
 banished  ones  shall  retiirn  unto  Him." 
 
 2.  The  hopeless  desolation  of  the  disobedient.  They  had  refused  to  act  on  God's 
 counsel  (chap.  xvi.  8,  9) ;  and  now  boasted  of  their  prudence  in  remaining  in  the 
 city ;  probably,  too,  they  talked  scornfully  of  the  captives.  But  these  people 
 should  (1.)  Be  driven  asunder  over  the  earth  (ver.  9) ;  whereas  the  Babylonish 
 captives  were  altogether  in  one  scene;  companions  and  confederated,  (2.)  Their 
 calamities  would  work  ill  to  them — not  regenerating  them,  as  the  others,  but 
 hardening  and  alienating  them  the  more  (ver.  9).  (3.)  They  would  be  subjected  to 
 contempt  and  ridicule  (ver.  9).  (4.)  No  hope  or  possibility  of  restoration  would 
 be  granted  them  (ver,  10).  Whereas  their  exiled  fellow-countrymen  were  being 
 preserved  for  better  times,  they  were  but  reserved  for  greater  woes.  Neither  those 
 who  were  carried  into  Egypt  with  Jehoahaz  (ver.  8),  nor  those  who  should  flee 
 thither,  would  share  in  the  blessings  promised  to  the  Chaldean  exiles.  "  According 
 to  their  deeds,  accordingly  He  will  repay"  (Isa.  lix.  19).     God's  administrations 
 
 461 
 
CHAP.  XXIV. 
 
 nOMILETIC  COMMENTARY:  JEREMIAm 
 
 of  chastisement  or  punishment  are  regulated  by  what  He  discerns  are  our  disposi- 
 tions and  possibilities. 
 
 See  Addenda :  Chastened,  yet  not  Abandoned. 
 
 Lange  supplies  the  following  homiletic  summary  of  the  chapter  :— 
 
 Good  and  Bad  Figs — Emblems  op  Humanity. 
 
 Humanity  in  its  twofold  aspect :  well-pleasing  or  displeasing  to  God. 
 
 I.  The  prisoners  and  broken-hearted  are,  like  the  good  figs,  well-pleasing  to 
 God.  For  (1)  They  know  the  Lord,  and  turn  to  Him;  (2)  He  is  their  God,  and 
 they  are  His  people. 
 
 II.  Those  who  dwell  proudly  and  securely  are,  like  the  bad  figs,  displeasing  to 
 God.  For  (1)  They  live  on  in  foolish  blindness  ;  (2)  They  challenge  the  judgment 
 of  God. 
 
 HOMILIES  AND  COMMENTS  ON  VERSES  OF  CHAPTER  XXIV. 
 
 Ver.  2.  Theme:  Delicious  and  ke- 
 pui,sive  frijit.  "  One  basket  had  very 
 good  figs,  even  like  the  figs  that  are  first 
 ripe ;  and  the  other  basket  had  very 
 naughty  figs,  which  coidd  not  be  eaten, 
 they  were  so  bad." 
 
 See  Natural  History  note  above,  on 
 the  varieties  of  figs  and  their  ripening 
 periods. 
 
 Analogy:  Men  show  varieties  in 
 temperament  and  character,  more  re- 
 markable than  the  varieties  among  figs, 
 and  more  numerous.  And  among  men 
 the  ripening  matures  at  different  periods : 
 some  being  early  ripe — children  and 
 youth ;  others  reaching  maturity  only 
 in  the  aiitumn  years  of  life ;  others 
 only  in  the  winter  of  age.  But  the 
 differences  among  men  may  be  summed 
 up  thus :  good  and  bad.  Two  classes 
 only.  Gradations  there  are  in  each  class, 
 but  the  absolute  qualities  are  only  two. 
 
 I.  Growth  under  common  condi- 
 tions. These  figs  were  all  Palestine 
 figs. 
 
 1.  Their  original  stock  was  the  same. 
 All  were  ^^figs ;"  and  grew  on  trees 
 which  were  identical  in  genus.  So  all 
 men,  whatever  their  nationality  or  in- 
 dividuality or  parentage,  spring  from 
 the  one  stock — humanity;  and  huma- 
 nity invested  with  its  qualities  and 
 possibilities  by  God. 
 
 2.  Their  advantages  were  the  same. 
 The  same  soil — Canaan ;  under  same 
 fructifying  influences  —  religious  in- 
 fluences, Divine  teachings,  prophetic 
 counsels   and  warnings,    &c. ;  guarded 
 
 4G2 
 
 by  the  same   care — God  watched   over 
 both  :  He  the  Gardener. 
 
 II.  Maturing  under  gracious  in- 
 fluences. Both  the  "  good  "  and  "  bad  " 
 reached  maturity  and  ripeness.  They 
 could  not  resist  these  influences  working 
 that  result. 
 
 1.  Maturing  influences  which  com- 
 pelled development.  Probably  people 
 dislike  their  true  character  being  forced 
 to  decision  and  fruition ;  they  would 
 rather  remain  neutral.  But  the  '■'■figs  " 
 could  not  escape  nor  resist  the  action  of 
 earth,  air,  and  sun.  This  Jetvish  nation 
 could  not  escape  nor  resist  the  influences 
 of  prophetic  teaching  and  providential 
 discipline.  On  the  two  sections  of  the 
 people  there  had  acted  developing  in- 
 fluences :  exile  had  benefited  the  cap- 
 tives ;  whereas  exemption  from  captivity 
 had  hardened  those  who  remained  in 
 Judab.  So  on  all  men  providence,  reli- 
 gion, grace,  and  God's  Spirit  are  acting ; 
 compelling  the  development  and  mani- 
 festiition  of  their  temper  and  character. 
 
 2.  Maturing  influences  which  tested 
 their  true  nature.  The  figs  ripened  into 
 "  good  figs  "  and  "  naughty  figs."  The 
 maturing  processes  do  not  change  the 
 nature  of  the  thing  fructified,  but  only 
 bring  it  to  complete  development.  So 
 Jeremiah's  prophecies  and  God's  pro- 
 vidential dealings  did  not  make  them 
 "good"  or  '^naughty,"  but  tested  their 
 tendency.  Thus  life's  incidents  and 
 Gospel  preaching  test  tis :  prove  our 
 spirit ;  try  the  state  and  inclinations  of 
 our  hearts. 
 
HOMILETIC  COMMENTARY:  JEREMTAH. 
 
 CHAP.  XXIV. 
 
 III.  Resulting  in  the  completest 
 contrast.  "  Very  good  figs,  even  the 
 figs  first  ripe  " — a  delicious  fruit ;  "  very 
 naughty  figs,  which  could  not  be  eaten, 
 so  bad  " — rotten  or  repidsive  fruit. 
 
 1.  Wholly  dissimilar  in  qiiality  and 
 character.  The  exiles  became  humble, 
 repentant,  reformed.  The  resident  Jeivs 
 became  insolent,  self-secure,  defiant.  The 
 former  became  a  delicacy  "as  the  first 
 ripe  figs;"  the  latter  obnoxious,  "could 
 not  be  eaten."  ''Good"  and  ''had." 
 What  is  our  moral  quality  or  spiritual 
 character  %  Godly  or  ungodly  ;  sacred 
 or  sinful ;  with  Christ  or  against  Him ; 
 redeemed  or  reprobate  1 
 
 2.  God  dealt  tvith  them  according  to 
 their  state.  Not  according  to  their  name; 
 both  fruits  were  "figs;"  and  both  sections 
 of  the  nation  were  "  Jews."  But  accord- 
 ing to  their  nature  and  quality  :  "  good  " 
 or  "naughty."  The  "  good  "—God  "  will 
 acknowledge "  (ver.  5),  and  make  better 
 (ver.  7).  The  "  bad  "—He  would  reject 
 (ver.  9)  and  destroy  (ver.  10).  The  exiles 
 became  ripe  for  God's  mercy ;  the  resi- 
 dents became  rotten  and  repulsive — fit 
 for  nothing  but  rejection. 
 
 Ver.  7.  Theme :  Knowing  God  with 
 THE  HEAKT.  "And  I  will  give  them  an 
 heart  to  know  Me." 
 
 God  has  often  kind  and  gracious  pur- 
 poses towards  men  when  they  least  ima- 
 gine it.  "Truly  God  is  good  to  Israel." 
 We  are  very  imperfect  judges  of  the  cha- 
 racter and  design  of  Divine  dispensations. 
 "  No  man  knoweth  good  or  evil  from  all 
 that  is  before  him."  The  good  figs,  mean- 
 ing the  best  and  most  spiritual  part  of 
 the  nation,  were  sent  to  Babylon  for  their 
 good  ;  and  the  bad  figs,  the  most  corrupt 
 among  the  Jews,  were  kept  in  Jerusalem 
 that  they  might  ripen  to  ruin.  Those  who 
 remained  in  Jerusalem  no  doubt  thought 
 that  they  were  special  objects  of  Divine 
 favour,  and  that  they  who  were  sent 
 first  to  Babylon  were  the  objects  of  God's 
 displeasure  :  but  the  reverse  was  the  fact. 
 This  may  teach  us  not  to  be  rash  and 
 hasty  in  our  conclusions  ;  not  to  judge 
 before  the  time  ;  and  not  to  convert  cala- 
 mities into  judgments  (Luke  xiii.  1-5). 
 
 I.  The  eminent  blessing  promised — 
 a  heart  to  know  and  love  God. 
 
 i.  It  is  inestimably  precious — "to 
 know  Him  " — know  Him  as  their  God. 
 All  knowledge  is  valuable  ;  but  Divine 
 knowledge  supremely  so.  By  this  is 
 meant  not  a  speculative  knowledge, 
 which  the  devils  have  in  greater  perfec- 
 tion than  ourselves,  and  remain  devils 
 still ;  but  a  spiritual,  experimental,  and 
 soul-satisfying  knowledge  of  God.  It 
 includes  a  knowledge  of  Him  in  His 
 revealed  character,  in  His  condescending 
 grace,  in  His  covenant  relations,  in  His 
 providential  government,  and  in  the  spe- 
 cial communion  with  the  souls  of  His 
 redeemed  children.  "  The  Lord,  the  Lord 
 God,  merciful  and  gracious" — gracious 
 in  making  His  promises  ;  faithful  in  ful- 
 filling them.  God  known  in  the  heart 
 is,  in  eS"ect,  to  have  the  Bible  opened,  the 
 Law  opened,  the  Gospel  opened,  Christ 
 opened,  heaven  opened,  the  covenant  of 
 grace  opened,  and  the  blessings  and  im- 
 munities of  the  spiritual  life  laid  opened 
 and  revealed.  But  without  this — with- 
 out Christ  and  the  knowledge  and  love 
 of  God  shed  abroad  in  the  heart,  our 
 religion  is  a  mere  name — like  a  Misk 
 without  the  kernel,  like  a  casket  without 
 the  jewel,  like  a  body  without  the  inform- 
 ing spirit. 
 
 ii.  It  is  God's  speeded  gift.  "  I  will 
 give. "  He  claims  it ;  He  only  is  com- 
 petent; He  delights  to  give  it.  Tliis  is 
 not  a  natural  attainment,  but  a  Divine 
 communication  and  bestowment.  All 
 knowledge  is  essentially  from  God,  for 
 He  teacheth  the  husbandman  discretion, 
 and  taught  Aholiab  and  Bezaleel  how 
 to  accomplish  the  carved  work  for  the 
 tabernacle — but  this  spiritual  knowledge 
 is  pre-eminently  from  Him. 
 
 iii.  This  is  often  agradtial  attainment: 
 begun  in  conversion,  carried  on  in  the  suc- 
 cessive developments  of  the  Christian  life. 
 He  who  impresses  Divine  truths  upon 
 the  mind,  at  first,  in  conversion,  opens 
 them  more  fully  afterwards — shows  their 
 importance,  harmony,  consistency,  and 
 power ;  removes  doubts  and  jealousies 
 and  suspicions  concerning  them,  and 
 renders  them  vitally  influential  upon  the 
 soul.  "  Then  shall  we  know,  if  we  folloio 
 on  to  knoiv.  His  going  forth  is  prepared 
 CCS  the  morning. " 
 
 One  beam  of  light  breaking  in  from 
 4G3 
 
CHAP.  xxrv. 
 
 HOMJLETIC  COMMENTABY :  JEREMIAH. 
 
 the  Spirit  of  God  does  more  towards 
 confirming  and  establishing  the  naind  in 
 the  truths  of  religion,  than  a  thousand 
 arguments  of  the  most  subtle  disputers, 
 or  a  thousand  sermons  of  the  most  elo- 
 quent preachers.  Hence  we  read  of  "  the 
 demonstration  of  the  Spirit." 
 
 iv.  It  is  greatly  facilitated  hy  sanctified 
 afflictions.  The  good  figs  must  be  re- 
 moved to  Babylon,  to  attain  a  higher 
 knowledge  of  God,  and  a  greater  ripeness 
 of  grace.  The  school  of  the  Cross  is  the 
 school  of  light.  In  captivity  it  is  given 
 them.     Afflictions  were  the  means  of  it. 
 
 II.  The  means  of  its  attainment. 
 
 i.  Plead  the  promise  in  prayer.  Oh, 
 how  much  need  have  we  to  wait  and 
 pray  for  its  accomplishment  in  our  own 
 experience  !  Some  are  weak  in  know- 
 ledge ;  slow  in  capacity,  like  the  dis- 
 ciples, who,  though  they  had  so  good  a 
 Master,  were  but  dull  scholars.  "  Some 
 have  not  the  knowledge  of  God :  I  speak 
 this  to  your  shame."  Like  the  Hebrews, 
 chap.  V.  12.  "  We  must  open  our  mouth 
 to  God  in  prayer,  that  He  may  open  our 
 eyes.  "  Open  Thoi(,  mine  eyes."  "  Lord, 
 that  I  may  receive  my  sight."  "  Show 
 us  the  Father,  and  it  suficeth  us." 
 
 ii.  Honour  the  methods  of  Divine 
 instruction :  ordinances,  providences. 
 
 iii.  Walk  hy  the  light  of  the  truth  you 
 know.  If  you  have  any  saving  and 
 spiritual  knowledge,  be  thankful,  be 
 humble.  Do  not  abuse  the  light,  but 
 improve  it.  Live  under  the  power  of 
 the  truth  as  it  is  in  Jesus.  Eesign  your- 
 self to  its  transforming  power.  Give 
 this  knowledge  room  to  work,  that  it 
 may  have  free  course  and  be  glorified  in 
 
 you. 
 
 iv.  Guard  against  all  the  ohstructioyis 
 to  this  knowledge:  against  sloth,  against 
 worldliness,  against  easily-besetting  sins. 
 "Ye  did  run  well,  who  hath  hindered 
 you  ? "  Some  men  know  much,  but  to 
 littla  purpose.  Their  hearts  are  too 
 strong  for  their  light.  This  makes  them 
 more  skilful  hypocrites.  These  make 
 rents  and  divisions  in  the  Church.  They 
 employ  the  light  they  have  to  do  the 
 devil's  work. 
 
 III.  The  uses  to  which  this  know- 
 ledge is  subservient. 
 
 i.  To  our  happiness :  free  from  doubt. 
 
 ii.  To  our  holiness :  alienate  us  from 
 the  world  and  evil, 
 
 iii.  To  our  usefulness :  makes  us  bold 
 for  God,  a  centre  of  light ;  emboldens 
 us  to  act  and  suffer. — Samuel  Thodey, 
 A.D.  1856. 
 
 See  Addenda:  Chastened,  yet  not 
 Abandoned. 
 
 Theme:  An  enlightened  heart  is 
 God's  gift. 
 
 "  Since  He  affirms  that  He  would  give 
 them  a  heart  to  understand,  we  hence 
 learn — 
 
 i.  That  men  are  hy  nature  hlind;  and 
 also  that,  when  they  are  blinded  by  the 
 devil,  they  cannot  return  to  the  right 
 way. 
 
 ii.  That  men  cannot  be  otherwise 
 capable  of  light  tban  hy  having  God  to 
 illuminate  them  by  His  Spirit. 
 
 This  passage  also  shows — 
 
 iii.  That  until  the  sinner  hows  hefore 
 God's  trihunal  and  owns  Him  to  be  the 
 Judge,  he  will  never  be  touched  with 
 the  feeling  of  true  repentance." — Calvin, 
 
 Comments — 
 
 "  He  who  willingly  and  readily  resigns 
 himself  to  the  will  of  God  [as  the 
 exiles  did]  even  to  the  cross,  may  escape 
 misfortunes.  But  he  who  opposes 
 himself  to  the  hand  of  God  [as  the 
 residents  in  Jerusalem],  cannot  escape." 
 — Cramer. 
 
 "The  captives  are  dearest  to  God. 
 By  the  first  greater  affliction  He  prepares 
 their  souls  for  repentance  and  radical 
 conversion,  so  that  He  has  in  them  again 
 His  people  and  inheritance.  Oh  the 
 gracious  God,  that  He  allows  those  who 
 on  account  of  sin  must  be  so  deeply 
 degraded  and  rendered  slaves,  even  in 
 such  humiliatio7i,  to  he  His  people  /  The 
 captives  are  forgiven  their  opposition  to 
 God.  .  .  .  God  will  show  them  what 
 His  love  can  do  ;  they  shall  return,  and 
 in  true  nearness  to  God  be  His  true 
 Israel. " — Diedrich. 
 
 4e4 
 
HOMILETIC  COMMENTARY:  JEREMIAH.  chap.  xxiv. 
 
 NOTICEABLE  TOPICS  IN  CHAPTER  XXIV. 
 
 Topic:  Jeremiah's  Vision  of  Figs.     Reflections  on  some  of  the  characteristics  of 
 the  age  we  live  in.     (Vers.  1-3.) 
 
 It  is  not  difficult  to  see  the  force  and  application  of  this  homely  but  sententious 
 little  allegory.  Jeremiah  lived  in  those  days  of  declension  and  disaster  in  which 
 the  threatened  invasion  of  Judea  by  the  king  of  Babylon  actually  took  place. 
 Those  who  were  "  carried  away  "  comprised  the  best  of  the  population  with  regard 
 to  intelligence,  religious  feeling,  and  patriotism.  Their  sorrows  and  afflictions 
 humbled  them,  so  that  they  repented  of  their  idolatries  and  obtained  mercy  of  the 
 Lord.  They  also  found  favour  with  their  conquerors,  and  not  a  few  of  them  rose 
 to  high  and  influential  positions  in  the  court  and  kingdom  of  Babylon.  The  Jews 
 who  remained  at  home  with  Zedekiah  "and  his  princes"  revolted  against  God 
 more  and  more.  Their  heart  was  proud  and  unhumbled.  Year  after  year  they 
 sunk  deeper  into  misery,  profanity,  and  vice.  They  not  only  provoked  the  Divine 
 anger  increasingly,  but  awakened  the  fierce  disdain  and  hatred  of  their  Chaldean 
 masters,  so  that  at  length  they  were  so  wasted  and  ravaged  by  pestilence,  battle, 
 poverty,  and  exile  as  to  be  utterly  consumed  from  off  the  land  which  God  had  given 
 to  them  and  to  their  fathers  (see  vers.  8-13).  These  were  the  evil  figs,  so  evil  that 
 tliey  could  not  be  eaten.  The  figs  ought  to  have  been  good,  but  were  not.  All  the 
 figs  were  figs  of  the  same  season — say  an  unusually  hot  and  dry  one — suiting  the 
 trees  in  certain  localities  pre-eminently  well,  whereas  in  other  localities  the  trees 
 were  blighted  and  withered,  and  the  figs  which  grew  upon  them,  dry,  dusty,  taste- 
 less, and  worm-eaten. 
 
 We  are  thus  led  to  think  of  A  season  for  fruit,  peculiarly  intense  and 
 ARDENT,  causing  it  to  come  to  pass  that  good  fruit  turns  out  remarhably  good,  and 
 had  fruit  remarkably  bad.  The  point  suggested  by  Jeremiah's  vision  is.  That  there 
 occur  2}C7Hods  or  special  circumstaiices  in  the  religioics  life  of  nations,  tvhich  tend  to 
 develop  and  force  the  maturation  of  character  with  unusual  enerr/y  and  astonishing 
 rajndity.  In  such  times  you  do  not  find  people  merely  good  or  bad ;  but  the  good 
 are  very  good,  and  the  evil  very  evil.  Such  a  crisis  it  was  with  the  Jews  at  the 
 time  when  Jeremiah  prophesied. 
 
 We  live,  at  present,  in  a  kind  of  hothouse  atmosphere,  which  has  the  effect 
 of  rapidly  developing,  as  well  as  mightily  intensifying,  aU  the  moral  and  religious 
 elements  which  go  to  constitute  personal  character.  Must  not  the  good  be  very 
 good,  and  the  evil  very  evil  ? 
 
 Suggest  some  of  the  circumstances  and  influences  which  invest  the  times  we  live 
 in  with  this  interesting  peculiarity,  and  point  out  a  few  of  the  instances  and  illus- 
 trations of  the  effect  thereby  produced. 
 
 I.  Certain  peculiarities  of  our  times  and  position  may  be  noted. 
 
 1.  This  is  an  age  of  extraordinary  intellecttial  and  social  activity.  It  is  an  age 
 of  many  books  and  much  reading ;  of  fearless  inquiry  and  frequent  discovery,  &c. 
 It  requires  a  great  effort  to  keep  the  mind  calm,  to  allay  the  frenzy  of  excited  feel- 
 ing, to  check  the  extravagances  of  new-found  liberty,  and  hold  fast  to  the  sober 
 requirements  of  sound  principle  and  acknowledged  truth. 
 
 2.  Another  thing  to  be  noticed  is  the  very  full  and  clear  religious  light  ivhich  xve 
 enjoy.  Compare  it  with  any  period  since  the  Apostolic  age ;  the  Bible  was  never 
 more  closely  and  deeply  studied  than  now  \  never  were  its  great  cardinal  doctrines 
 so  fully  established  or  so  generally  acknowledged  among  all  sections  of  the  Church ; 
 the  Gospel  was  never  preached  to  so  many  nations  as  now,  and  at  no  period  were 
 there  in  Great  Britain  so  many  preachers  of  evangelical  truth  as  now.  It  would 
 seem  well-nigh  impossible  for  any  man  to  remain  in  ignorance  of  the  things  of  God, 
 the  claims  of  Jesus,  and  the  way  of  salvation. 
 
 '  3.  There  is  also  a  corresponding  increase  of  activity  in  the  Chxirch.    Certainly  no 
 
 2g  465 
 
CHAP.  XXIV.  HOMILETIC  COMMENTARY :  JEREMIAH. 
 
 af^e  has  ever  surpassed  our  own  in  visible  earnestness,  in  pecuniary  liberality,  or 
 in  the  excitement  and  emulation  of  real  Christian  work. 
 
 What  do  all  these  things  necessitate  on  our  part  individually?  Truly  potent 
 and  stimulating  agencies  are  in  operation,  calculated  to  arouse  us  to  repentance  and 
 godly  solicitude,  and  then  to  prompt  and  goad  us  on  to  vigorous  Christian  life 
 and  action.  What  bold,  what  lirm,  what  fruitful  Christians  we  must  become  if  we 
 enter  fully  into  "the  spirit  of  the  times,"  considered  as  engaged  on  the  side  of 
 Christ  and  His  Gospel !  But  if  we  refuse  to  do  so,  if  we  set  ourselves  to  resist 
 these  powerful  influences,  how  strenuous  must  that  resistance  be  !  how  determined 
 and  resolute  and  how  self-conscious  that  action  of  the  will  which  still  fights  against 
 God  and  clings  to  worldliness  and  sin !  It  seems  impossible  for  us  to  be  half- 
 hearted, undecided,  only  negatively  good  or  bad.  Truly  we  must  take  sides  openly, 
 one  way  or  the  other.  We  cannot  stand  neutral :  we  must  declare  ourselves  boldly 
 and  actively  either  for  Christ  or  against  Him.  Behold  the  two  baskets  of  figs ;  the 
 good  figs  must  be  very  good,  and  the  evil  figs  very  evil. 
 
 II.  Facts  are  in  harmony  with  these  reasonings.  Illustrations  abound  on 
 every  side.     In  this  earnest  age  you  find  earnest  men  both  for  good  and  evil. 
 
 1.  Was  ever  war  conducted  on  so  fearful  a  scale  as  we  have  lately  witnessed  it? 
 
 2.  In  our  day,  we  have  also  seen  such  specimens  of  commercial  rogiiery  and 
 rohhery,  conceived  on  so  magnificent  a  scale,  and  executed  under  so  clever  and 
 admirable  a  cloak  of  hypocrisy,  as  no  previous  age  has  ever  presented  to  the  world. 
 Never,  assuredly,  in  any  land — Sodom  and  Gomorrah  unexcepted — have  baser 
 things  been  done  than  have  been  discovered  in  our  land,  and  in  our  own  time. 
 
 3.  On  the  other  hand,  look  at  the  men  who  stand  foremost  in  the  van  of  religion 
 and  pliilanthropy.  These  are  God's  heroes ;  worthy  of  comparison  with  the  spiritual 
 heroes  of  ancient  times,  in  regard  to  all  that  is  noble  in  faith,  self-denying  in  zeal, 
 munificent  in  giving,  or  abundant  in  labours.  These  are  among  the  good  figs, 
 which  by  God's  grace  are  very  good :  and  to  the  production  of  such  instances  of 
 exalted  and  matured  piety  the  present  times  are  not  in  the  least  unfavourable. 
 
 4.  One  might  speak  of  hoohs  as  well  as  men.  We  defy  any  age  to  show  such 
 noble  and  masterly  treatises  as  are  now  written  by  men  of  sanctified  learning  and 
 genius,  either  in  exposition  of  the  Scriptures,  or  in  vindication  of  their  contents. 
 Here  again  the  good  figs  are  very  good,  even  as  the  evil  figs  are  very  evil. 
 
 5.  Then  there  are  j^Mic  institutions  and  societies  to  he  looked  at.  There  are  all 
 manner  of  good  institutions  set  on  foot,  it  is  true,  but  so  are  there,  also,  all  manner 
 of  evil  institutions  established  and  seen  to  be  flourishing.  The  kingdom  of  Satan 
 is  as  active  and  roused  up  to  new  exertions  as  is  the  kingdom  of  Christ.  Enormous 
 sums  of  money  are  spent  in  the  cause  of  religion ;  but  far,  far  greater  sums  are 
 forthcoming  to  support  folly  and  wickedness,  to  build  temples  of  mammon-worship 
 and  of  pleasure,  and  to  uphold  the  reign  of  sensuality  and  impiety. 
 
 III.  One  or  two  practical  lessons  ask  our  attention.  We  live  in  stirring  times, 
 in  which  the  forces,  both  of  good  and  evil,  like  the  arts  of  material  warfare,  are 
 developing  unprecedented  resources,  and  putting  forth  unheard-of  and  most  gigantic 
 energies ;  times  in  which  prodigies  abound,  both  of  wickedness  and  of  goodness ; 
 times  in  which  the  "  good  "  figs  are  very  good,  and  the  "  naughty  "  figs  very  bad. 
 It  is  no  small  matter  to  live  in  England  in  this  nineteenth  century.  A  hotter, 
 more  crowded,  or  more  excited  moral  battle-field  was  never  known  in  the  history  of 
 the  world.     Therefore — 
 
 1.  Let  no  mans  tr^imjM  give  an  uncertain  sound ;  nor  let  any  one  think  that 
 he  can  remain  a  neutral  or  uninterested  spectator  of  the  conflict.  What  a  heavy 
 responsibility  rests  upon  those  who  live  in  such  a  century  as  this !  The  religious 
 and  moral  influences  which  bear  upon  iis  are  mighty  beyond  aU  that  has  gone 
 before  us. 
 
 2.  This  is  no  time  for  trifling.  Let  us  seek  to  be  good,  and  do  good  :  and  then, 
 behold  what  glorious  possibilities  belong  to  us  of  being  pre-eminently  holy,  blest, 
 
 46G 
 
HOMILETIO  COMMENTARY :  JEREMIAH. 
 
 CHAP.   XXIV. 
 
 and  useful !  Ought  we  not  to  seek  this  higher  growth  in  grace  ?  Should  we  not 
 desire  to  be,  among  the  lowly,  the  most  humble ;  among  the  spotless,  the  most 
 pure ;  among  the  active,  the  most  toilsome ;  among  the  meek,  the  most  patient ; 
 and  among  the  kind,  the  most  charitable  %  Let  us  be  "  instant "  in  prayer ;  and, 
 like  Abraham,  "  strong  in  faith,  giving  glory  to  God,"  Surely  this  is  a  worthy  and 
 noble  ambition ;  not  merely  to  be  a  Christian,  but  a  Ch7'istian  of  the  highest  order, 
 3,  Each  may  do  great  things  for  God.  His  talent  may  be  small ;  but  how  much 
 may  he  make  of  it !  What  means  of  knowledge,  what  incentives  to  zeal,  what  faci- 
 lities for  usefulness  are  within  every  one's  reach  !  None  need  be  idle  or  half 
 employed.  Now,  if  ever,  may  the  "good  figs"  be  "very  good,"  even  as  the 
 "  naughty  figs  "  are  very  "  bad."  Now,  if  ever,  does  the  saying  of  Zechariah  apply 
 to  God's  Church  :  "  And  he  that  is  feeble  among  them  at  that  day  shall  be  as  David; 
 and  the  house  of  David  shall  be  as  God,  as  the  angel  of  the  Lord  before  them." 
 Let  us  never  forget  that  he  who  would  have  God  on  his  side,  must  take  care  himself 
 to  be  always  on  the  side  of  God. — Rev.  T.  G.  Horton  (Wolverhampton),  in  "  Chris- 
 tian World  Pulpit "  (summarised). 
 
 ADDENDA  TO  CHAPTER  XXIV.:  ILLUSTRATIONS  AND  SUGGESTIVE 
 
 EXTRACTS. 
 
 Ver.  1,  Chastened,  but  not  aban- 
 doned. 
 
 Three  facts  should  be  here  noted : — 
 The  exiles  were  remembered  by  God, 
 as  this  vision  shows.  Also,  they  were 
 graciously  esteemed  by  Him — better  figs 
 than  those  who  remained  at  home. 
 Further,  God  intended  good  to  them. 
 So  that  when  we  seem  outcast  from 
 happiness  and  hope,  God  may  be  only 
 chastening  us  for  our  profit,  or  keeping 
 us  away  from  besotting  "  prosperity " 
 (chap.  xxii.  21),  in  order  that  we  may 
 be  prepared  for  spiritual  elevation  (chap, 
 xxiv.  7). 
 
 "After  the. storm,  a  calm  ; 
 After  the  bruise,  a  balm  ; 
 For  the  ill  brings  good  iu  the  Lord's  own  time, 
 And  the  sigh  becomes  a  psalm. 
 
 "  After  the  drought,  the  dew  ; 
 After  the  cloud,  the  blue  ; 
 For  the  sky  will  smile  in  the  sun's  good  time, 
 And  the  earth  grow  glad  and  new." 
 — Mrs.  Crawford. 
 
 Trapp  remarks  that  "  Jeconiah  was 
 a  wicked  prince,  and  therefore  written 
 childless.  Howbeit,  because  by  the  ad- 
 vice of  the  prophet  Jeremiah  he  sub- 
 mitted to  Nebuchadnezzar,  he  and  his 
 company  are  here  comforted,  and  pro- 
 noicnced  more  happy,  however  it  might 
 seem  otherwise,  than  those  that  con- 
 tinued still  in  the  land  ;  and  this,  say  the 
 Hebrews  (Rabar,  Hugo,  Lyra),  was  not 
 obscurely  set  forth  also  by  those  two 
 
 baskets  of  figs,  whereof  that  which  was 
 worst  showed  best,  and  the  other  showed 
 worst  till  they  came  to  be  tasted." 
 
 "  Winter  brings  blessings,  so  the  chill 
 Of  dark  adversity  ; — from  its  cold  grasp 
 The  soul  i-evives  reanimate, — more  strong, 
 And  better  armed." — F.  A.  Mackay. 
 
 Winter  will  kill  vermin  which  the 
 summer  of  success  and  comfort  is  apt  to 
 produce  and  nourish. 
 
 *'  Adversity  has  the  effect  of  eliciting 
 talents  which,  iu  prosperous  circum- 
 stances, would  have  lain  dormant." — 
 Horace. 
 
 "  All-pitying  Heaven, 
 Severe  in  mercy,  chastening  in  its  love, 
 Oft-times  in  dark  and  awful  visitation 
 Doth  interpose,  and  leads  the  wanderer  back 
 To  the  straight  path,  to  be  for  ever  after 
 A  firm,  undaunted,  onward-beariiig  traveller. 
 Strong  in  humility,  who  swerves  no  more." 
 — Joanna  Baillie. 
 
 (Comp.  Addenda  to  chap,  xxii.,  Pros- 
 perity.) 
 
 "  I  have  read  of  a  fountain  that  a*" 
 noonday  is  cold,  and  at  midnight  \r, 
 grows  warm.  So  many  a  precious  soul 
 is  cold  Godward  and  Heavenward  in 
 prosperity,  and  grows  warm  in  the  mid- 
 night of  adversity." — Brooks. 
 
 Ver.  7.  "They  shall  be  My  people." 
 
 "  This  falling  out  of  lovers  shall  but 
 be  a  renewing  of  love  betwixt  us.  God 
 must  sometimes  whip  His  people  to 
 duty,  and  gather  them  from  evil,  as  well 
 as  entice  them." — Trapp. 
 
 4G7 
 
HOMILETIC  COMMENTARY :  JEREMIAH. 
 
 CHAPTER  XXV. 
 
 Cbitioal  and  Exegetical  Notes. — 1.  Chronology  of  the  Chapter:  *' Fourth  year  of 
 Jehoiahim"  (ver.  1).  It  is  stated  the  third  year  in  Dan.  i.  1;  but  Hales  ("Sacred  Chron.") 
 shows  that  Jehoiakim  was  made  king  by  Pharaoh  Necho  of  Egypt  in  July  B.C.  607  ;  whereas 
 Nebuchadnezzar  mounted  the  throne  January  21,  B.C.  604:  and  thus  Nebuchadnezzar's  j^rsi 
 year  included  parts  of  both  the  third  and  fourth  of  Jehoiakim.  In  the  Chaldean  cylinders 
 [placing  all  chronology  back  by  twenty-two  years]  these  dates  are  B.C.  590  for  Jehoiakim's 
 accession,  and  B.C.  586  for  Nebuchadnezzar's.  Cf.  notes  in  loc.  to  chapters  vii.  and  x.  This 
 chapter  formed  part  of  Jehoiakim's  roll  {cf.  chap,  xxxvi.  29). 
 
 2.  Contemporary  Scriptures. — Dan.  i. ;  Jer.  xxxvi.;  2  Kings  xxiv.  1,  2;  2  Chron.  xxxvi. 
 5-7. 
 
 3.  National  Affairs. — Cf.  notes  in  loc.  to  chapters  vii.  and  x.  This  date  formed  a  momentous 
 crisis  in  the  history  of  the  kingdom  of  Judah.  Nebuchadnezzar,  having  defeated  Pharaoh 
 Necho  at  Charchemish,  came,  in  pursuit  of  the  Egyptian  fugitives,  to  Judah  ;  took  Jerusalem, 
 made  Jehoiakim  vassal-king,  and  carried  the  best  life  of  the  nation  away  into  Babylon — thus 
 beginning  the  seventy  years'  Babylonian  captivity,  which  Jeremiah  in  verse  11  foretells.  For 
 twenty-three  years  Jeremiah  had  now  been  God's  prophet  in  Judah,  calling  his  nation  to 
 repentance  and  reformation.  Jeremiah  was,  during  this  "fourth  year  of  Jehoiakim,"  amid 
 his  most  energetic  labours,  persuading  Jehoiakim  from  reliance  upon  Egypt,  and  counselling, 
 both  as  a  matter  of  policy  and  of  religious  duty,  allegiance  with  Babylon.  This  incensed  the 
 king  against  Jeremiah,  and  led  him  angrily  to  burn  the  roll. 
 
 4.  Contemporaneous  History. — Nabopolassar,  king  of  Babylon,  being  old  and  decrepit, 
 entrusted  to  his  son,  Nebuchadnezzar,  the  war  against  Pharaoh  Necho,  who  had  penetrated  to 
 the  very  Euphrates  in  lust  of  empire.  He  won  supremacy  over  his  Egyptian  rival  by  a  vic- 
 torious and  decisive  war  at  Charchemish.  Of.  notes  in  loc,  chapters  vii.  and  x.  "  The  mingled 
 people:  "  Ionian  and  Carian  settlers  in  Egypt,  to  whom  Psammetichus  had  given  territory. 
 
 5.  Geographical  References. — Ver.  20.  "  Uz:"  lying  between  Egypt  and  the  states  of  the 
 Mediterranean,  north  of  Arabia-Petrea,  between  the  sea  and  Idumea.  (Not  the  Uz  of  Job  i.  1.) 
 In  this  geographical  survey,  after  reference  to  Pharaoh  of  Egypt,  first  we  have  mentioned  "  the 
 races  of  Arabia  and  Philistia  that  bordered  on  Egypt  to  the  east  and  west  (ver.  20)  ;  then  the 
 Edomites,  Moabites,  and  Ammonites  to  the  east  (ver.  21)  ;  the  Phoenicians,  with  their  colonies, 
 to  the  west  (ver.  22) ;  next  the  Arabian  tribes  of  the  desert,  extending  eastward  from  Palestine 
 to  the  Euphrates  (vers.  23,  24) ;  then  the  Elamites  and  Medes  in  the  distant  east  (ver.  25) ; 
 the  near  and  distant  kings  of  the  North ;  and  last  of  all  the  king  of  Babylon  (ver.  26)." — Kiel. 
 Ver.  20.  ^^Azzah:"  i.e.,  Gaza.  ^' The  remnant  of  Ashdod:"  this  is  one  of  those  pregnant 
 sentences  which  none  but  a  contemporary  writer  could  have  used.  Psammetichus,  after  a  siege 
 of  twenty-nine  years,  had  captured  and  destroyed  Ashdod,  excepting  only  a  feeble  remnant 
 (Herod,  ii.  157). — Payne  Smith.  [Gath  is  not  mentioned,  for  it  was  destroyed  in  the  same  war.] 
 Ver.  22.  "  2'he  isles:  "  properly  the  coastland  (sing.),  or  the  maritime  regions  of  the  Mediter- 
 ranean, where  the  Phoenicians, had  planted  colonies.  Ver.  23.  "  Dedan :"  North  Arabia  (Gen. 
 XXV.  3,  4).  " Tema  and  Buz:"  tribes  north  of  Arabia  (Job  xxxii.  2).  "All  that  are  in  the 
 utmost  corners:"  see  note  on  chapter  ix.  26.  The  tribe  of  Kedar.  Ver.  24.  "Mingled  people 
 that  dwell  in  the  desert : "  tribes  of  Cushite  origin,  such  as  Kenites.  By  intermarriage  these 
 tribes  had  become  of  mixed  blood.  Ver.  25.  "  Zimri: "  unmentioned  elsewhere.  Zimran  was 
 the  eldest  son  of  Abraham  by  Keturah  (Gen.  xxv.  2).  This  was  probably  a  district  east  of 
 the  Arabian  desert  towards  Persia.  Ptolemy  mentions  a  Zahra  between  Mecca  and  Medina. 
 "Elam:"  west  of  Persia,  but  used  in  Scripture  for  Persia  generally.  Ver.  26.  " Sheshach" 
 {cf.  chap.  li.  41),  Babylon.     See  Lit.  Crit.  on  word  below. 
 
 6.  Personal  Allusions. — Ver.  1.  "  Jehoiahim  aiid  Josiah : "  see  notes  on  chapter  i.  "Nebu- 
 chadrezzar:" notes  on  chapter  xxi.  2.  Ver.  3.  "Anion  king  of  Judah:"  son  of  Manasseh, 
 fifteenth  king  of  Judah,  and  father  of  Josiah.     For  his  character  see  Zeph.  i.  4  ;  iii.  3,  4,  11. 
 
 7.  Natural  History. — Ver.  34.  "Principal  of  the  fock"  (also  in  ver.  35)  :  means  the  best 
 and  fattest  of  the  sheep.  Ver.  38.  " Forsaken  his  covert  as  the  lion:"  i.e.,  ventures  forth  in 
 quest  of  prey. 
 
 8.  Manners  and  Customs. — Ver.  10.  "  Voice  of  mirth,  and  of  the  bride : "  cf,  notes  in  loc.  on 
 chapter  vii.  34,  xvi.  9.  "Sound  of  the  millstones,  and  the  light  of  the  candle:  "  i.e.,  the  day's  indus- 
 tries, and  the  evening  social  fellowships  after  the  day's  toils  are  over.  See  Addenda  on  ver.  10. 
 Ver.  15.  "  Take  the  wine-cup :"  the  metaphor  of  an  intoxicating  cup  is  commonly  used  in 
 Scripture  to  denote  affliction  or  misery.  Cf.  Isa.  li.  17-22  ;  Jer.  xlix.  12;  li.  7  ;  Lum.  iv.  21, 
 &c.  Ver.  30.  "  Give  a  shout,  as  they  that  tread  the  grapes : "  as  the  vintagers  trampled  the  grapes 
 they  raised  a  loud  song  or  cry. 
 
 9.  Literary  Criticisms. — General  remark  :  the  text  of  this  chapter  is  disfigured  by  numerous 
 interpolations,  some  of  which  are  absent  from  the  Septuagint.  Thus,  from  ver.  9  disappear 
 the  words,  "  saith  the  Lord^  and  Nebuchadrezzar  the  king  of  Babylon,  My  servant."  In  ver.  11, 
 instead  of  "  shall  serve  the  king  of  Babylon,"  the  Septuagint  reads,  "  serve  among  the  nations." 
 
 468  J 
 
HOMILETIC  COMMENTARY:  JEREMIAH.  chap.  xxv. 
 
 From  ver.  12  are  omitted  the  words,  "  the  king  of  Babylon  "  and  "  a7id  the  land  of  the  Chal- 
 deans." From  ver.  13  are  omitted  tlie  gloss  ^'  ivhich  Jeremiah  hath  prophesied  against  all  the 
 nations."  In  ver.  26,  "and  the  king  of  Sheshach  shall  drink  after  them''''  dire  left  out  in  the 
 Septuagint.  All  these  interpolations  were  doubtless  inserted  by  a  copyist  from  the  later 
 prophecies  of  Jeremiah,  chapters  1.  and  li. 
 
 Ver.  26.  "Sheshach:  "  this  is  a  cypher  form  of  the  word  Babylon,  and  is  done  thus  : — The 
 alphabet  letters  are  reversed  in  order,  and  instead  of  the  proper  letter  of  the  word  being  used, 
 its  number  from  the  beginning  of  the  alphabet  is  counted,  and  then  the  same  number-letter 
 reckoned  from  the  end  of  the  alphabet  is  inserted  in  its  place.  Thus,  3  is  the  second  letter 
 from  the  beginning ;  so  K'  is  the  second  letter  from  the  end  of  the  alphabet ;  and  ^  is  the 
 twelfth  from  the  beginning,  while  3  is  the  twelfth  from  the  end.  Babylon  is  in  Hebrew,  BaBeL  ; 
 but,  instead,  the  letters  are  altered  into  SHeSHaCH.  This  is  the  Cabalistic  system.  Michaelis, 
 however,  explains  the  term  as  meaning  "brazen-gated"  (cf.  Isa.  xlv.  2) ;  others  suggest  "house 
 of  a  prince  ;  "  Glassius  argues  that  it  comes  from  the  Babylonian  goddess  Sach,  by  reduplication 
 of  the  first  letter.  From  this  goddess  Misael's  name  was  altered  to  "Ke-ehach.  Further,  the  term 
 Shace  was  applied  to  a  Babylonish  festival  alluded  to  in  chap.  li.  39,  57  ;  Isa.  xxi.  5.  It  was 
 during  this  feast  that  Cyrus  took  Babylon  (Herod,  i.).  Thus  Jeremiah  mystically  denoted  the 
 time  of  its  capture  by  this  term. 
 
 Ver,  30.  "Mightily  roar  upon  his  habitation."  ni3  means  both  habitation  and  pasture; 
 and  the  text  better  reads,  "roar  mightily  over  his  pasturage." 
 
 Ver.  37.  "  Feaceablehabitations."    Here,  as  in  ver,  30,  habitation  should  he  pastures. 
 
 HOMILETIC  SURVEY  OP  CHAPTER  XXV. 
 The  Manifold  Judgments  op  God. 
 
 The  chapter  distributes  itself  into  sections  thus  : — Judah's  captivity  (vers. 
 3-11);  Babylon's  fall  [yqvs.  12-14);  The  wine-cup  of  fury  for  the  Jialions  {vers. 
 15-29) ;  Tribulations  throughout  the  ivo7'ld  (vers.  30-38), 
 
 Glancing  over  the  whole  chapter,  we  are  impressed  with  the  theme  of  the  Divine 
 dispensations  of  judgment  in  relation  to  individuals,  nations,  and  the  whole  world. 
 Lange  suggests  the  following :  We  can  speak  of — 
 
 I.  The  judicial  acts  of  God  according  to  the  conditions  of  their  manifesta- 
 tions.    They  are — 
 
 1.  Required  by  the  sins  of  men  (vers.  b-^\ 
 
 2.  Deferred  by  the  love  of  God  (vers.  5-6). 
 
 3.  Driven  to  accomplishment  by  the  impenitence  of  manlcind  (ver.  7,  seq.). 
 
 II.  The  judicial  acts  of  God  according  to  the  stages  of  their  manifestation. 
 
 1.  This,  &^]A\es,  to  ciirrent  preliminary  judgments.  (1.)  In  t\\e  Hie  oi  individuals. 
 (2.)  In  the  life  of  nations.  God  judges  continually  here  below,  both  single  individuals 
 and  entire  nations  (vers,  9-29). 
 
 2.  It  applies  to  the  final  judgment.  (1.)  In  so  far  as  it  has  already  begun  (vers. 
 9-11,  29;  1  Pet,  iv.  17;  Matt,  xxiv.).  The  theocracy  in  its  outer  relations  is 
 already  judged ;  in  this  sense  the  universal  "judgment  has  begun  at  the  house  of 
 God,"  (2.)  In  so  far  as  it  is  still  future.  Single  empires  have  already  been 
 destroyed,  as  well  as  single  men  ;  but  the  judgment  of  the  world  as  a  whole  is  still 
 impending  (vers.  30,  seq.). 
 
 III.  The  judicial  acts  of  God  differently  represented  in  the  Old  and  New 
 Testaments. 
 
 1.  In  the  Old  Testament  they  are — (1.)  Kepresented  in  figures  (vers.  30,  31,  seq. 
 38).     (2.)  Limited  to  the  earth  (vers.  30,  33). 
 
 In  the  New  Testament  they  are  represented — (1.)  In  their  full  super-terrestrial 
 reality.  (2.)  As  extended  over  heaven  and  earth.  (Comp.,  in  contrast  to  this 
 passage,  Matt.  xxv. ;  1  Cor.  xv, ;  1  Thess,  iv. ;  2  Pet.  iii.). 
 
 IV.  The  judicial  acts  of  God  differently  felt  according  to  the  inward  conditions 
 of  men. 
 
 1.  As  destruction  on  the  part  of  the  godless  (ver.  7,  seq.). 
 
 2.  As  deliverance  on  the  part  of  the  pious  (vers.  11,  12), 
 
 469 
 
CUAF.  XXV.  EOMILETIC  COMMENTARY:  JEREMIAH. 
 
 TOPICAL  SURVEY  OP  CHAPTER  XXV.  HOMILETICALLY  ARRANGED. 
 
 Toinc:  Prophets  and  theie  Mission,     (Vers.  1-7,  13,  15,  30.) 
 
 "  The  ivord  of  the  Lord  hath  come  tmto  me,  and  I  have  spoTcen  unto  you,  rising  early 
 and  spealcing ;  hut  ye  have  not  hearhened.  And  the  Lord  hath  sent  unto  you 
 all  His  servants  the  prophets,  rising  early  and  sending  them "  (vers.  3,  4). 
 
 This  is  the  first  place  in  the  book  where  Jeremiah  speaks  of  himself  as  ''  the 
 prophet "  (ver.  2).  He  here  records  the  term  of  his  labours  (ver.  3),  and  alludes 
 to  the  changes  which  had  come  upon  his  nation  during  his  mission  among  them. 
 
 I.  A  survey  of  prophetic  work 
 
 I.  His  vast  and  manifold  audience  (ver.  2).  2.  The  lengthened  period  of  his 
 ministry  (ver.  3).  Nineteen  years  under  Josiah,  three  months  under  Jehoahaz,  four 
 years  under  Jehoiakim. 
 
 II.  A  testimony  to  prophetic  fervour. 
 
 1.  His  own  persevering  activity  (ver.  2  :  "For  three  and  twenty  years,  rising 
 early  and  speaking  ").  2.  A  succession  of  Divine  messengers  (ver.  3),  so  that  the 
 messages  and  expostulations  of  prophets  were  never  silenced. 
 
 III.  A  statement  of  prophetic  authority. 
 
 1.  He  prophesied  only  because  commissioned  by  God.  "  The  word  of  the  Lord 
 came,"  &c.  (ver.  3).  Comp.  also  verses  15  and  30.  2.  The  prophets  were  divinely 
 constrained  to  their  work  and  witness  (ver.  4). 
 
 IV.  A  summary  of  prophetic  teaching. 
 
 1.  A  call  to  reformation  (ver.  5).  2.  A  promise  of  a  goodly  heritage  (ver. 
 5).  3.  A  warning  against  impiety  (ver.  6).  4,  An  exhibition  of  the  consequences 
 of  sin:  "do  you  hurt"  (ver.  6);  "provoke  Me  to  anger"  (ver.  7).  5.  Predictions 
 of  judgment  (vers.  15,  30). 
 
 V.  An  indication  of  the  variety  characterising  prophetic  labours. 
 
 1.  Preaching  (vers.  1-7).  2.  Writing  (ver.  13).  3.  Visiting  (ver.  15).  4.  De- 
 nouncing (ver.  30). 
 
 VI.  A  protest  against  prophetic  rejection. 
 
 1.  The  people  had  persistently  refused  to  hear  prophetic  messages  (vers.  3,  4,  8). 
 2.  They  had  shown  no  inclination  towards  the  messages  God  sent  (ver.  4).  Comp. 
 Addenda  on  ver.  4  :  ^^  Jehovah  hath  sent  to  you  all  the  prophets." 
 
 His  had  not  been  an  easy  ministry;  comp.  xv.  15-21  ;  xx.  14-18.  But  he  was 
 now  firmly  established  as  a  prophet,  and  had  become  "  unto  the  people  a  fenced 
 brazen  wall"  (comp.  i.  18;  vi.  27  ;  xv.  20).  But,  alas  !  how  little  had  his  nation 
 benefited  !  Repudiating  such  a  messenger  of  God,  and  for  so  long,  their  sin  was 
 the  greater,  and  their  doom  righteously  severe. 
 
 Topic:  Nebuchadeezzae,  God's  Servant.     (Ver.  9.) 
 
 The  bestowment  of  this  title  by  Jehovah  is  both  rare  and  significant.  It  is  given 
 in  the  Old  Testament  Scriptures  emphatically  to  tliree  persons:  first  to  Moses 
 (Deut.  xxxiv.  5  ;  Josh,  i,  2),  as  the  Leader  and  Lawgiver  of  his  people  ;  to  Nebuchad- 
 rezzar (Jer.  XXV.  9 ;  xxvii.  6  ;  xliii.  10),  as  the  Punisher,  yet  Preserver,  of  Judali ; 
 and  to  Messiah  (Isa.  lii.  13  ;  liii.  11),  as  the  Redeemer  and  King  of  Israel.  Note : 
 Cyrils  is  called  by  a  similar  name  (Isa.  xliv.  28  and  xlv.  1),  as  the  Liberator  and 
 Restorer  of  the  exiled  people.     See  Addenda,  ver.  9:  "  Nebihchadrezzar,  My  servant." 
 
 I.  A  discredited  and  astonishing  appointment.  Facts  seemed  to  refute  the 
 idea  that  Nebuchadnezzar  was  to  be  commissioned  and  empowered  to  conquer  the 
 nations  and  possess  the  heritage  of  Israel.  Egypt  had  been  the  Great  Power, 
 Pharaoh  Necho  it  was  who  had  slain  Josiah,  and  had  established  his  authority 
 between  E<iypt  and  the  Euj)hrates  (2  Kings  xxiv.  7).  And  now  Nineveh  was 
 470^ 
 
SOMILBTIC  COMMENTARY:  JEREMIAH.  ckaf.  xxv. 
 
 captured  by  him,  the  Assyrian  empire  had  fallen,  and  Nabopolassar,  king  of  Babylon, 
 was  infirm  and  old.  Jehoiakim,  their  own  king,  was  a  vassal  of  Pharaoh.  All 
 these  facts  seemed  to  declare  that  Egypt  under  Pharaoh,  and  not  Babylon  under 
 Nebuchadnezzar,  was  destined  to  be  the  supreme  arbiter  and  ruler  of  nations. 
 
 But — 1.  God  pti7-posed  otherwise;  and  "none  can  stay  His  hand,  or  say  unto 
 Him,  What  doest  thou  ? " 
 
 2.  God  was  preparing  another,  who  was  merely  a  young  military  leader,  and  was 
 hitherto  unknown — Nebuchadnezzar.  "  Things  despised  God  hath  chosen ;  and 
 things  which  are  not,  to  bring  to  nought  things  which  are,  that  no  flesh  should  glory 
 in  His  presence."  That  very  year  in  which  Nabopolassar  died,  Nebuchadnezzar,  his 
 son,  succeeded  to  the  throne,  and  began  a  series  of  brilliant  victories  which  raised 
 him  to  the  highest  position  among  the  potentates  of  the  earth. 
 
 II.  An  unchallengeable  temporary  supremacy.  To  this  person,  whom  God 
 would  "  send  for  and  take,"  should  be  given  victory  over  Egyptian  arms  (at  Char- 
 chemish),  dominion  over  the  mighty  realm  of  Egypt,  over  the  destinies  of  God's  own 
 people,  and  over  all  neighbouring  nations.  Verse  9  declares  that  (1)  God  will 
 gather  together  all  the  northern  nations ;  (2)  place  them  under  Nebuchadnezzar  as 
 sovereign  and  general ;  (3)  bring  them  against  Judah. 
 
 The  period  of  this  ascendancy  is  definitely  limited;  but  it  is  equally  definitely 
 determined ;  nothing  can  prolong,  nor  can  shorten  it. 
 
 1.  God's  omnipotence  decides  national  and  individual  ascendancy,  "  He  raiseth 
 up  one,  and  putteth  down  another,"  Powerful  nations  are  weak  indeed  in  His  all- 
 powerful  hands ;  while  weakest  forces  can  be  made  "  mighty  through  God." 
 
 2.  God's  omnipotence  is  thus  to  be  honoured  in  human  of  airs.  Because  Nebuchad- 
 nezzar failed  to  revere  God's  power  as  higher  than  his  own,  and  indeed  the  source 
 of  his  own,  therefore  he  was  degraded.  (See  Dan.  iv,  22,  25,  29-37  ;  also  Dan,  v. 
 18-23.) 
 
 III.  A  minister  of  God's  righteous  judgments  (vers,  9,  11), 
 
 1.  Specially  employed  by  Jeliovah  for  punishing  wrong.  Guilt  in  Judah  and  the 
 nations  had  to  be  scourged,  and  God  used  him  for  this, 
 
 2.  Unconsciously  employed  by  Jehovah  for  ends  he  did  not  appj'eciate.  Himself 
 no  worshipper  of  Jehovah,  no  willing  "  servant "  of  the  Divine  Master,  he  yet  did 
 God's  behest  effectually.  "  He  maketh  the  wrath  of  man  to  praise  Him  ; "  "  Men 
 are  Thy  hand." 
 
 IV.  A  guardian  of  the  covenant  nation. 
 
 1.  Judah  was  to  be  chastised  for  its  idolatry,  yet  preserved  from  destruction. 
 Captivity  effected  both  ends. 
 
 2.  Judah  was  to  fulfil  Divine  prophecies  and  vindicate  God's  faithfulness  to  His 
 covenants  before  the  world.  Prophecy  had  for  ages  threatened  captivity  as  the 
 penalty  of  idolatry ;  therefore  it  came.  Yet  prophecy  had  as  emphatically  guar- 
 anteed that  God's  people  should  be  restored  to  and  repossess  their  land  ;  therefore 
 their  exile  was  made  safe  to  them,  and  really  preserved  them  intact  as  a  nation, 
 while  it  also  disciplined  their  heart  and  prepared  them  for  return  to  Canaan. 
 
 God  has  His  own  methods  of  effecting  His  plans  ;  yet  His  plans  cannot  fail.  By 
 ways  and  agencies  we  should  not  select  He  works  our  "  good  "  (chap,  xxiv,  6).  Over 
 all  the  powers  and  projects  of  man  He  sways,  and  does  according  to  His  will 
 among  the  inhabitants  of  the  earth. 
 
 (a.)  It  is  well  to  be  reconciled  to  so  great  a  God.  (b.)  We  are  safe  in  the  covenant 
 care  of  so  faithful  a  God.  (c.)  It  is  hopeless  to  resist  the  purposes  of  so  omnipotent  a 
 God. 
 
 Topic:  Seventy  Years' Captivity.     (Vers,  11,  12,) 
 
 nationalistic  criticism  is,  of  course,  offended  by  this  specification  beforehand  of 
 the  term  of  Babylon's  ascendancy  and  of  the  Jewish  captivity.  The  period  "  seventy 
 years  "  must  have  been  interpolated  after  the  captivity  was  over  and  the  time 
 
 471 
 
(3HAP.  XXV.  EOMILETIC  COMMENTARY:  JEREMIAH. 
 
 known  !  says  Hitzig.  "  Such  coincidence  of  history  with  prophecy  would  bs  a 
 surprising  accident"  says  Hitzig  again.  Graf  thinks  that  the  prediction  of 
 Babylon's  destruction,  at  the  very  time  when  it  is  described  as  a  power  divmely 
 commissioned  to  execute  judgment,  is  somewhat  unsuitable  and  imjyrobable. 
 
 To  this  the  reply  may  be  :  1.  As  the  Babylonish  ascendancy  began  with  the 
 year  of  this  prophecy,  the  fourth  of  Jehoiakim's  reign,  this  was  a  suitable  time  for 
 predicting  the  term  of  its  contimiance.  2.  As  God's  judgments  on  the  nations  were 
 now  being  passed  before  the  prophet's  vision,  beginning  with  Jerusalem  and  com- 
 prehending all  the  earth,  Babylon  coidd  not  reasonably  be  omitted.  3.  Since  the 
 future  of  Judah  in  captivity  was  so  bound  up  with  the  future  of  Babylon,  the  pre- 
 diction of  the  term  of  exile  was  naturally  accompanied  with  this  prediction  of  Baby- 
 lon's fall.  4.  Inasmuch  also  as  the  Jewish  captivity  now  began,  it  was  needful — in 
 order  to  save  the  exiles  from  despair,  to  encourage  their  submission  to  expatriation, 
 to  sustain  their  faith  in  God,  and  thus  to  keep  alive  a  religious  life  in  their  souls — 
 to  shotv  beforehand  the  limit  of  the  term  of  discipline. 
 
 I.  The  historic  reckoning  of  this  period.  These  "  seventy  years  "  began  with 
 "the  fourth  year  of  Jehoiakim  and  the  first  of  Nebuchadrezzar"  (ver.  1),  when  he 
 first  captured  Jerusalem,  i.e.,  B.C.  606.  They  e7id  with  the  capture  of  Babylon 
 in  the  first  year  of  Cyrus,  and  the  restoration  of  the  Jews,  B.C.  536  (Ezra  i.  1). 
 About  the  filling  up  of  those  years  in  Babylonish  history  there  seems  some  slight 
 difficulty.  Nebuchadnezzar  reigned  forty-four  years  ;  his  son  Evil-Merodach,  two 
 years  ;  Neriglissar,  who  murdered  Evil-Merodach  (the  Nergal-Sharezer  mentioned  in 
 chapter  xxxix.  3-1 3),  Nebuchadnezzar's  son-in-law,  four  years ;  his  infant  son, 
 Laborosoarchad,  nine  months,  he  being  then  murdered ;  Nabonedus,  seventeen 
 years.  To  these  sixty-seven  years  and  nine  months  may,  however,  be  added  the 
 necessary  interval  until  the  Jews  were  really  in  repossession  of  their  country, 
 which  may  fully  account  for  the  literal  "seventy  years." 
 
 II.  The  theocratic  purpose  of  this  captivity. 
 
 1.  2'he  assigmnent  of  His  j^eople  to  captivity  was  intended  by  God — (a)  to  punish 
 their  apostasy  f?'om  Him  ;  (b)  to  restore  their  fidelity  to  Him  ;  (c)  to  enlighten  them 
 concerning  the  t7'ue  and  only  God,  in  distinction  from  the  revolting  forms  of  idolatry 
 and  the  consequent  degradations  they  would  witness  in  Babylon  (chap.  xxiv.  5-7). 
 
 2.  The  limitation  of  the  term  of  His  people's  captivity  Avas  intended  by  God — (a) 
 to  declare  that  the  committal  of  Judah  to  N ebxichadnezzar  was  not  an  abdication  of 
 His  claim  to  them  and  control  over  their  destiny  ;  (6)  to  vindicate  His  poiver  over 
 the  mighty  mona7xhy  of  Nebuchadnezzar,  His  "  servant,"  whom  He  had  exalted  to 
 carry  out  the  Divine  plans ;  (c)  to  foster  the  hope  of  restoration  in  the  hearts  of 
 His  people,  and  thus  dispose  them  to  accept  the  chastisement  and  reneiu  their  faith 
 in  Jehovah.  They  would  only  "  hang  their  harps  on  the  willows,"  not  cast  them 
 away  in  despair. 
 
 III.  The  supernatural  termination  of  Babylon's  power. 
 
 1.  The  empire  rose  and  ended  within  the  predetermined  period  of  "  seventy 
 years."  A  short-lived  wonder ;  and  apparently  called  into  existence  only  for  the 
 temporary  expatriation,  and  therefore  preservation,  of  Judah.  Within  the  term  of 
 Judah's  exile,  Babylon  rose  and  fell.  Babylonia  and  the  captivity  were  synchro- 
 nous :  commenced  simultaneously,  closed  simultaneously.  This  suggests  the  vast 
 impo7-tance  Jicdah  assm7ied  wi  God's  esteem.  For  her  He  created  Babylon  !  Nebuchad- 
 nezzar Avas  "  His  servant  "  to  punish  and  preserve  her, 
 
 2.  The  precision  with  which  God  limited  Babylon's  ascendancy  sublimely  vindi- 
 cates God's  supre7nacy  as  the  Governor  of  nations.  "  The  mighty  monarchy  of  Chaldea 
 was  under  the  control  of  the  God  of  Israel,  and  He  who  made  it  flow  like  a  stormy 
 ocean,  and  overwhelm  the  nations  with  its  flood,  could  say  to  its  proud  waves, 
 Hitherto  shalt  thou  go,  and  no  farther." — Wordswo7'th. 
 
 3.  The  jvedicted  overthrow  of  Bahjlo7i  was  a  judgment  by  God  upon  the  lust 
 of  empire.     Although  the  Chaldeans  were  a  Divine  instrument  for  2:)unishing  the 
 
 ■172 
 
HOMILETia  COMMENTARY:  JEREMIAH.  chap.  xxv. 
 
 Jews,  they  knew  it  not,  but  merely  gratified  their  cruel  passions  and  impious  greed 
 of  power,  thereby  contracting  guilt  which  in  its  turn  called  for  punishment  (ver. 
 12).  Under  Cyrus'  command  the  allied  Medes  and  Persians,  after  a  long  and  diffi- 
 cult siege,  captured  Babylon,  B.C.  538  ;  and  Darius  the  Mede  assumed  the  throne. 
 "The  empire  of  Babylon,"  says  Dr.  Payne  Smith,  "  was  practically  the  work  of  one 
 man.  After  Nebuchadnezzar's  death  it  continued  for  a  few  years,  during  which  its 
 history  is  a  series  of  murders  and  usurpations,  and  then  it  fell  for  ever,  and  its 
 ruins  form  its  only  lasting  memorial.  Contrast  with  this  the  promise  to  Judah  in 
 chap.  iv.  27." 
 
 Topic :  Pegphecy  Vindicated  in  Babylon's  Fall.     "  And  I  will  bring  upon  that 
 land  all  My  tvords  which  I  have  pronounced  against  it  "  (ver.  13). 
 
 The  fall  of  Babylon  proves  the  truth  of  prophecy,  and  prophecy  proved  attests  the 
 Divine  inspiration  of  prophets.  Isaiah  and  Jeremiah  predicted  events  which  be- 
 fell mighty  empires  ;  they  must,  therefore,  have  been  moved  by  the  Omniscient 
 Spirit,  Man  himself  "  knoweth  not  what  a  day  may  bring  forth  ; "  how  shall  he 
 foresee  the  fate  of  cities  and  destiny  of  nations,  and  at  a  time  when  nothing  could 
 indicate  such  events  ?     Consider — 
 
 I.  God  minutely  declared  His  prophetic  purpose  against  Babylon.  "My 
 words  which  I  have  pronounced  against  it." 
 
 1.  He  pronounced  the  destruction  of  Babylon  by  the  Medes  and  Persians 
 (Isa.  xxi,  2;  Jer,  li,  11).  History  fulfilled  this;  for  under  the  command  of 
 Cyrus,  who  was  announced  a  hundred  years  before  he  was  born,  Babylon  was 
 besieged  by  the  united  forces  of  the  Medes  and  Persians. 
 
 2.  God  declared  that  the  river  of  Babylon  should  be  dried  up  (Isa.  xliv.  27  ; 
 Jer.  i.  38).  This  river  was  two  furlongs  broad,  and  more  than  twelve  feet  deep ; 
 and  was  thought  to  be  a  surer  fortification  than  the  city's  massive  walls.  Prophecy 
 was  strikingly  fulfilled  ;  for  Cyrus  turned  the  course  of  the  Euphrates  and  drained 
 the  channel,  so  that  his  soldiers  crossed  and  entered  the  city. 
 
 3.  Further,  Jehovah  proclaimed  that  Babylon  should  become  a  desolation.  So 
 complete  should  this  desolation  be  that  the  Arabian  would  not  be  able  even  to 
 pitch  his  tent  on  the  site  (Isa.  xiii.  20).  All  this  came  to  pass.  One  part  of  the 
 country  was  overflowed  by  the  river  which  Cyrus  diverted,  making  the  land  a 
 boggy  marsh,  which  became  so  overrun  with  serpents  and  venomous  creatures  that 
 not  even  the  wild  Arab  could  dwell  near  it. 
 
 Comparing  history  with  prophecy,  in  every  minute  particular  God's  "  words 
 which  He  pronounced  against "  Babylon  are  seen  to  be  startlingly  verified. 
 
 II.  When  God  denounces  a  city  or  nation,  His  decision  is  not  arbitrary,  but 
 is  justified  by  some  foreseen  fact.  He  foresees  Babylon's  idolatry,  iniquity,  and 
 impious  pride,  and  therefore  determined  its  destruction.  Hence  this  overthrow 
 was  not  the  result  of  caprice  or  arbitrariness  on  God's  part ;  but  sin  ivas  the 
 cause  of  Babylon's  fall.     Sin  saps  the  foundation  of  cities  and  empires. 
 
 III.  When,  because  of  iniquity,  God  determines  the  destruction  of  a  city  or 
 empire,  nothing  can  save  it.  If  ever  a  city  appeared  impregnable,  it  was  Babylon. 
 Its  walls,  says  one  writer,  "were  above  300  feet  high,  87  feet  broad,  and  48  miles 
 in  compass."  In  addition,  the  river  Euphrates  appeared  an  insuperable  barrier  to 
 an  enemy  entering  the  city.  Yet,  notwithstanding  its  mighty  wall  with  its  hundred 
 gates  of  solid  brass,  notwithstanding  its  wide  and  deep  river,  Babylon  was  taken, 
 according  to  the  word  of  the  Lord. 
 
 Men  talk  of  impregnability — the  impregnability  of  walls,  forts,  and  bulwarks. 
 But  only  what  God  defends  is  impregnable,  and  nothing  can  stand  when  God 
 determines  its  fall.  Babylon,  Nineveh,  Tyre  and  Sidon,  all  illustrate  this — the 
 power  of  God  to  fulfil  His  counsel.  "Hath  He  said,  and  shall  He  not  do 
 it]" 
 
 473 
 
EOMILETIC  COMMENTARY :  JFREMIAH. 
 
 IV.  The  fidelity  of  God,  in  the  execution  of  His  threatened  judgments,  is 
 presumptive  proof  that  He  will  fulfil  all  His  gracious  promises.  Hath 
 He  more  delight  in  punishing  the  wicked  than  in  blessing  the  righteous  1  Nay  ; 
 He  is  "  slow  to  anger,"  but  He  is  also  "  not  slack  concerning  His  promises." 
 Sure  in  the  fulfilment  of  His  threatenings,  certainly  "  all  His  promises  are  Yea 
 and  Amen." 
 
 V.  Divine  threatenings  have  in  some  cases  been  recalled,  but  there  are  no 
 instances  where  Divine  promises  have  not  been  fulfilled.  The  sins  which 
 incurred  the  threatenings  have  been  repented  of,  as  with  Nineveh,  and  so  the 
 stroke  has  been  turned  aside.  But  all  God's  promises  spring  from  His  grace 
 and  love.  And,  while  man's  sin  may  cease,  and  so  the  judgment  be  escaped, 
 God's  "  love  never  faileth,"  therefore  the  promises  can  never  be  recalled.  Promises 
 may  be  delayed,  but  Divine  love  and  faithfulness  are  guarantees  that  what  He  has 
 promised  He  will  assuredly  perform. — Arranged  from.  Rev.  D.  Pledge's  "  Walks  with 
 Jeremiah." 
 
 Topic:  The  Wine-cup  OF  Wrath.     (Vers.  15-29.) 
 
 A  bold  image,  and  not  infrequently  used  by  the  sacred  writers  (comp.  Ps.  Ixxv.  8, 
 Isa.  li.  22,  Lam.  iv.  21,  Rev.  xvi,  19,  &c.).  Dr.  AdamClarhe  points  out  l\xsA  Plato 
 has  a  similar  idea  :  "  Suppose,"  says  Plato,  "  God  had  given  to  men  a  medicating 
 potion  inducing  fear,  so  that  the  more  any  one  should  drink  of  it,  so  much  the 
 more  miserable  he  should  find  himself  at  every  draught,  and  become  fearful  of 
 everything  both  present  and  future ;  and,  at  last,  though  the  most  courageous  of 
 men,  should  become  totally  possessed  by  fear  "  (Z)e  Leg.  L,  near  the  end).  Homer 
 also  {Iliad  xxiv.  527-533)  places  two  vessels  at  the  disposal  of  Jupiter,  one  of 
 good,  the  other  of  evil,  in  which  potions  are  ready  for  men  to  drink  : — 
 
 "Two  urns  by  Jove's  high  throne  have  ever  stood : 
 The  source  of  evil  one,  and  one  of  good  ; 
 From  thence  the  cup  of  mortal  man  he  fills. 
 Blessings  to  these,  to  those  distributes  ills  ; 
 To  most  he  mingles  hoth  :  the  wretch  decreed 
 To  taste  the  bad  unmixed,  is  cursed  indeed  ; 
 Pursued  by  wrongs,  by  meagre  famine  driven, 
 He  wanders  outcast  both  of  earth  and  heaven." — Pope. 
 
 Henry,  in  general,  suggests  the  following  : — "  The  cup  in  the  vision  is  to  be  a 
 sword  in  the  accomplishment  of  it  (ver.  16).  (1.)  The  just  anger  of  God  sends  His 
 judgment  (ver.  15  ;  comp.  Job  xxi.  20,  Rev.  xiv.  10).  The  wrath  of  God  in  this 
 world  is  but  a  "cup,"  contrasted  with  the  full  streams  of  it  hereafter.  (2.)  By 
 human  hands  the  judgment  was  to  be  executed.  Jeremiah  enforces  the  cup  (ver. 
 17)  ;  Nebuchadnezzar  wields  the  sword.  (3.)  On  whom  the  judgment  should  fall : 
 all  the  nations  within  the  verge  of  Israel's  acquaintance.  (4.)  The  certainty  and 
 irresistibleness  of  the  coming  judgment  (vers.  28,  29).  They  will  not  only  be  loath 
 to  take  the  cup,  but  will  refuse  to  believe  the  judgment  will  ever  come ;  but  God 
 will  see  to  it  that  they  drink  it."     Suggestions  : — 
 
 (i.)  Thej'e  is  a  God  who  judges  in  the  earth,  to  whom  all  nations  are  accountable, 
 and  by  whose  judgments  they  must  abide. 
 
 (ii.)  God  can  easily  bring  to  ruin  the  greatest  nations — the  most  numerous, 
 powerful,  and  secure. 
 
 (iii.)  Those  luho  have  maltreated  God's  people  will  be  certainly  reckoned  with 
 for  their  deeds.  The  year  of  recompense  will  come  on  all  who  have  vexed  and 
 afilicted  Israel. 
 
 (iv.)  The  predictions  of  God's  prophets  will  in  due  time  assuredly  be  accomplished, 
 Isaiah  had  long  before  this  prophesied  of  these  nations  (chap,  xiii.,  &c,),  and  now 
 at  length  these  predictions  will  have  complete  fulfilling. 
 474 
 
HOMILETIC  COMMENTART:  JEREMIAH.  chap.  xxv. 
 
 (v.)  Those  who  are  ambitious  of  power  and  dominion  commonly  become  the  plagues 
 of  their  generation.  Nebuchadnezzar  was  so  proud  of  his  might  that  he  became 
 lost  to  the  sense  of  right. 
 
 {\\.)  The  greatest  i>oni2y  and  power  of  this  ivorld  are  of  very  uncertain  continuance. 
 Before  Nebuchadnezzar's  greater  force  kings  themselves  must  yield  and  become 
 captives.      (See  Addenda  on  verse  15  :   The  Wine-cup  of  Fury.) 
 
 Topic:  "Sheshach:"  Babylon  Re veesed ;  Babylon's  Fate.     (Ver.  26.) 
 
 I.  The  term  "  Sheshach  "  was  a  disguised  name  for  magnificent  Babylon. 
 
 1.  There  was  a  prtidential  reason  at  this  crisis  for  concealment  of  the  reference  of 
 this  prediction.  This  prophecy  of  Babylon's  overthrow  was  one  sure  to  become 
 known  to  the  Chaldeans,  and  then  might  have  incensed  them  against  the  captives. 
 The  mention  of  "the  king  of  Babylon"  and  "the  land  of  the  Chaldeans"  inverse 
 12,  was  doubtless  a  later  insertion  into  the  text,  and  has  no  place  in  the  Septuagint 
 (See  Lit.  Crit.,  supra.)  But  this  hidden  reference  would  not  be  understood  by  the 
 captors,  though  well  known  in  its  reference  by  the  captives.  Consequently  there 
 was  no  severity  shown  in  Chaldea,  either  to  Jeremiah  (chap,  xxxix.  11),  nor  those 
 of  his  nation  who  favoured  surrender  to  Chaldea  rather  than  to  Egypt. 
 
 2,  There  tvas  much  ingenuity  shown  in  the  literary  method  of  concecdment.  (See 
 Lit.  Crit,  supra,  on  the  inverted  letters  which  are  here  used  for  Babel.)  Also  (and 
 we  may  accept  the  further  idea),  since  Shace  was  the  name  of  the  festival  which 
 would  be  held  at  the  very  hour  of  Babylon's  overthrow,  the  name  would  indicate 
 to  the  exiles  not  only  the  city's  fall,  but  the  actual  season  of  the  year  when  the 
 event  should  transpire.  Yet  the  Chaldeans  themselves  would  decipher  no  meaning 
 in  this  mysterious  term.  Nevertheless  this  dexterous  use  of  the  peculiarly  Chaldean 
 syllable  "  Shach"  (as  in  'Me-shach),  would  suffice  to  connect  the  name  with  the  city 
 in  the  hour  of  its  fall,  when  the  prediction  was  pointed  out  by  the  Hebrews  to  their 
 Babylonish  captors. 
 
 II.  The  term  "Sheshach"  became  a  significant  watchword  among  the  Jewish 
 exiles. 
 
 1.  Its  meaning  tvas  to  them  a  gracious  prophecy.  Among  the  exiles  it  became  a 
 pledge  of  deliverance.  It  counselled  patience,  animated  hope,  and  sustained  faith. 
 It  led  them  to  refuse  to  "sing  the  Lord's  songs  in  a  strange  land,"  yet  to  preserve 
 their  silenced  and  suspended  harps  for  future  use.  It  disarmed  all  inducements 
 to  fall  into  Chaldean  idolatry,  for  it  reminded  them  that  as  their  Jerusalem  had 
 fallen  because  of  her  apostasy  to  idols,  so  would  Babylon :  for  Jehovah  was  a 
 jealous  God,  and  His  glory  He  would  not  give  to  others. 
 
 2.  Its  suggestiveness  informed  them  of  the  issues  of  the  final  siege.  When  the 
 Medes  and  Persians  arrived  at  the  walls  of  Babylon  and  laid  siege,  the  Chaldeans 
 were  proudly  scornful  of  their  demands  to  surrender,  and  trusted  to  the  strength 
 of  their  walls,  the  splendour  of  their  fortifications,  the  resources  of  their  city,  and 
 contemned  the  daring  foe  !  But  Judah  "knew  the  time  of  her  visitation,"  and 
 '^/Sheshach"  became  the  watchword  which  sufficed  to  interpret  the  meaning  of  the 
 siege  and  forecast  the  issues  thereof.  When  Cyrus  was  at  the  gates  of  Babylon, 
 the  festival  Shace  was  being  held,  and  both  king  and  people  had  abandoned  them- 
 selves to  idolatrous  carousals.  While  they  besotted  themselves,  the  exiles,  on  the 
 other  hand,  would  eagerly  scan  "  the  signs  of  the  times,"  praying  to  the  God  of 
 Israel  for  the  fulfilment  of  their  ardent  hopes,  that  the  "  set  time  to  favour  Zion 
 might  come,"  and  "  Sheshach  "  would  be  whispered  among  them  as  indicating  their 
 confidence  as  to  the  nearness  of  the  end.  (See  Addenda  on  verse  26  :  The  King 
 OF  Sheshach  shall  drink.) 
 
 III.  The  term  "  Sheshach,"  then,  held  a  definite  prediction  of  the  city's  fall. 
 1.  In  the  inversion  of  the  letters  ("  Sheshach"  for  "  Babel")  there  was  signified 
 
 the  inverted  fortunes  of  the  city.     It  would  come  to  pass  that  the  pride  of  Babel 
 
 475 
 
CHAP.  XXV.  HOMILETIC  COMMENTARY:  JEREMIAE. 
 
 •would  be  reversed ;  all  its  glory  should  be  changed,  and  its  lofty  name  be  covered 
 with  discredit, 
 
 2.  This  final  overthrow  of  the  conqueror  and  captor  was  reqtdred  in  order  to 
 vindicate  God's  righteousness.  "  If  Judah  was  to  be  punished,  and  Chaldea  be 
 invested  with  universal  empire,  was  it,"  asks  Dr.  Payne  Smith,  "  because  the 
 Chaldeans  were  more  approved  hy  God  in  religion  and  morals  than  the  Jews  1  No. 
 They  were  simply  God's  scourge,  made  fit  to  be  so  by  the  vigour  of  one  man ; 
 and  at  his  death  punishment  will  befall  them  also /or  their  own  sins  ;  and  in  little 
 more  than  twenty  years  after  Nebuchadnezzar's  death,  their  empire  will  cease  for 
 ever.  They  existed  only  to  do  the  base  office  of  an  execiUioner,  and,  that  done,  they 
 will  be  laid  aside." 
 
 Topic:  God's  Contkoveesy  with  Humanity.  "^4  noise  shall  come  even  to  the 
 ends  of  the  earth ;  for  the  Lord  hath  a  controversy  tvith  the  nations,  He  %vill 
 plead  with  all  flesh  ;  He  will  give  them  that  are  wicked  to  the  sword,  saith  the 
 Lord"  (ver.  31). 
 
 Universal  disturbance  is  predicted.  It  would  come  in  this  instance  through  the 
 military  aggressions  and  devastations  of  Nebuchadnezzar,  who  would  march  over 
 the  nations  in  irresistible  conquests.  But  behind  Nebuchadnezzar's  armies  Jehovah 
 would  stand,  vindicating  the  laws  which  those  nations  had  violated,  and  punishing 
 the  wicked  with  the  sword.     (See  Addenda  on  verses  28  and  29.) 
 
 (i.)  In  tvorld-ivide  commotions  tve  must  recognise  the  direct  action  of  the  Lord  God. 
 "When  judgments  are  abroad"  there  is  evidence  that  God  has  arisen  to  "shake 
 terribly  the  earth  "  (Isa.  ii.  19). 
 
 {a.)  These  universal  commotions  occur  not  hy  haphazard,  (b.)  Natural  agencies 
 [as  now  Nebuchadnezzar's  armies]  are  supernatural  instrumentalities,  (c.)  There  is 
 a  pu7'pose  and  a  2^T0vidence  in  such  vast  and  solemn  commotions,  (d.)  Reverently 
 yield  to  these  ^'pleadings  "  of  God  whenever  they  occur. 
 
 (ii.)  Great  crises  occur  lohen  God  places  humanity  in  arraignment.  He  may  send 
 out  war  over  the  earth,  or  pestilence,  or  fruitless  seasons,  or  paralysis  of  industries; 
 but  in  human  history  there  do  periodically  occur  such  grave  epochs  when  God  mani- 
 festly enters  into  controversy  with  His  creatures. 
 
 (a.)  Wrong,  which  is  in  the  world,  seems  at  definite  periods  to  culminate.  Ini- 
 quity gets  into  the  ascendant  everywhere,  and  requires  a  mighty  shaking  and  shat- 
 tering to  be  cast  down  again  into  shame  and  defeat.  (6.)  God  calls  humanity  to 
 answer  for  its  wrongdoing.  He  has  His  own  manifold  ways  of  doing  this — war, 
 disaster,  &c.  (c.)  Judgments  sweep  over  the  Q^x\h.\\x  stern  protestations.  Calami- 
 ties are  God's  proclamations  of  displeasure. 
 
 A  controversy  implies  that  wrong  exists  u'hich  God  ivill  have  set  right. 
 
 I.  There  is  just  cause  why  God  should  come  into  controversy  with  humanity. 
 
 1.  He  has  given  us  natural  revelation,  yet  we  have  misused  it  (Kom.  i.  17-20). 
 
 2.  He  has  made  Himself  and  His  will  known  in  human  history,  yet  we  have 
 ignored  Him  (Prov.  i.  24,  25). 
 
 3.  He  has  sent  His  messengers  to  the  world,  yet  we  have  repudiated  them  (comp. 
 ver.  4  with  Matt.  xxi.  35,  &c,;  xxiii.  34,  to  the  end). 
 
 4.  He  sought  to  reconcile  humanity  to  Himself,  yet  we  have  refused  His  grace 
 (conip.  2  Cor.  v.  19  with  Heb.  ii.  3,  x.  28). 
 
 II.  Human  history  has  been  interrupted  by  epochs  in  which  God  has  pleaded 
 with  all  flesL 
 
 1.  Kecall  to  thought  the  black  dates  which  have  become  marked  on  all  national 
 records.    Not  a  nation  has  been  without  them  ;  times  of  awful  solemnity  and  sorrow. 
 
 2.  Grave  crises  have  also  come  upon  many  nations  simultaneously.  International 
 calamities  and  wars  and  plagues,  by  which  countries  and  peoples  have  been  plunged 
 into  common  distress  and  amaze. 
 
 476 
 
EOMILETIC  COMMENTARY:  JEREMIAH. 
 
 3.  Over  the  whole  hahitahle  world  great  controversies  have  gone  forth  from  God. 
 What  was  the  ancient  Flood,  what  the  first  preaching  of  the  Cross,  what  the  Re- 
 formation, what  those  modern  evangelistic  and  revival  movements,  but  occasions 
 when  God  "  pleaded  with  all  flesh  "  1 
 
 III,  A  delinquent  world  will  assuredly  be  brought  to  judgment  by  Jehovah. 
 
 1.  It  is  an  eternal  law  and  necessity  that  wickedness  shall  be  rebuked  and 
 punished  (comp.  2  Pet.  ii.  4-6), 
 
 2.  It  is  predetermined  that  the  lives  of  men  shall  be  brought  before  the  throne  of 
 God  for  judgment  (Acts  xvii.  31), 
 
 Applicatio7i. — (a.)  God  Jioio  "  pleads  "  with  us  for  our  reconciliation  and  salva- 
 tion, (h.)  His  "  controversy  "  will  be  the  more  dreadful  with  us  if,  hy  rejecting  His 
 grace,  we  compel  Him  to  "  plead  "  with  us  in  judgment.    (See  Addenda  on  verse  30.) 
 
 ADDENDA  TO  CHAPTER  XKV.:  NOTES  AND  ILLUSTRATIONS. 
 
 Ver.  1,  "The  fourth  year  of 
 Jehoiakim."  This  date  was  the  turn- 
 ing-point in  Oriental  history.  The 
 armies  of  Egypt  and  Babylon  met  in 
 deadly  and  decisive  battle  at  Charche- 
 mish,  and  God  gave  the  ascendancy  to 
 Nebuchadnezzar.  Immediately  after 
 this  battle,  and  probably  before  Nebu- 
 chadnezzar and  his  victorious  army  ap- 
 peared in  Palestine,  Jeremiah  delivered 
 this  prophecy,  which  foretells  the  great- 
 ness of  the  Babylonish  empire,  mentions 
 the  countries  over  which  it  is  to  extend, 
 and  the  exact  term  of  its  duration. 
 During  this  year  Jeremiah  had,  in  vain, 
 been  seeking,  with  the  wisdom  of  a  states- 
 man and  the  fervour  of  a  patriot,  to 
 detach  Jehoiakim  from  Egypt  and  induce 
 him  to  accept  Nebuchadnezzar's  supre- 
 macy. This  led  Jehoiakim — a  year  later 
 — both  to  burn  the  prophet's  roll  (comp. 
 chap,  xxxvi.  32),  to  endeavour  to  slay 
 the  prophet  {ibid.  26),  and  thereby  to 
 silence  all  further  Divine  messages  to 
 him,  till,  at  the  close  of  his  reign,  the 
 Chaldeans  were  marching  upon  Jerusa- 
 lem.— Comp.  Speahers  Commentary. 
 
 Ver.  4.  "  Jehovah  hath  sent  to 
 YOTJ  ALL  His  prophets."  God  is  a 
 long-suffering  God,  who  desireth  not  the 
 death  of  a  sinner ;  therefore  He  gives 
 the  first  world  one  hundred  and  twenty 
 years'  time  for  repentance  (Gen.  vi.  3). 
 Lot  preaches  to  Sodom  and  Gomorrah 
 more  than  twenty-five  years  (Gen.  xiii. 
 13,  xxix.  14).  Christ  preaches  repent- 
 ance three  and  a  half  years,  and  the 
 Apostles  forty  years,  before  the  destruc- 
 tion of  Jerusalem,     But  dost  thou  not 
 
 know  that  the  goodness  of  God  leadeth 
 thee  to  repentance? — Cramer. 
 
 Ver.  5.  "  Turn  ye  every  one  from 
 HIS  EVIL  WAY."  Each  must  separately 
 repent  and  turn  from  his  own  sin.  None 
 is  excepted,  lest  they  should  think  their 
 own  guilt  extenuated  because  the  evil  is 
 general.  — Jamieson. 
 
 Ver.  9.  "  Nebuchadnezzar,  My  ser- 
 vant." This  title,  so  remarkable  in  the 
 Old  Testament  as  the  especial  epithet, 
 first  of  Moses,  and  then  of  the  Messiah, 
 is  thrice  given  to  Nebuchadnezzar,  and 
 marks  the  greatness  of  the  commission 
 intrusted  to  him. — Payne  Smith. 
 
 The  Jews  boasted  that  they  were  the 
 servants  of  Jehovah.  Yet  a  heathen 
 king  is  here  called  God's  servant,  as 
 being  more  His  servant  than  they  were, 
 and  as  serving  God  in  destroying  them  ! 
 
 Ver.  10.  "  Sound  of  the  mill- 
 stones." As  a  household  morning 
 employment,  all  the  mills  of  a  town 
 would  be  heard  together,  since  the  cus- 
 tom was  for  only  enough  corn  for  the 
 day's  need  to  be  ground  at  a  time.  The 
 labour  was  severe. 
 
 "  Light  of  the  candle,"  i.e.,  night- 
 light.  These  are  so  common  in  use  in 
 the  East  that  the  poorest  burn  candles 
 all  through  the  night. 
 
 Payne  Smith  suggest  beautifully  that 
 the  "  sound  of  the  millstones  "  was  the 
 sign  of  the  pre^paration  of  the  daily  meal, 
 and  that  the  ''  light  of  the  candle  "  was 
 the  sign  of  the  assembling  of  the  family 
 after  the  labours  of  the  day  were  over. 
 
 477 
 
CHAP.  XXV. 
 
 HOMILETIC  COMMENTARY:  JEREMIAH. 
 
 Ver.  15.  The  wiN£-cup  OF  FURY.  A 
 "  cup "  is  often  in  Scripture  put  for 
 affliction,  and  "  wine  "  for  extreme  con- 
 fusion and  wrath.  Here  the  figure 
 indicates  stupifi/ing  judgments  (comp. 
 chaps,  xlix.  12,  li.  7.)  We  need  not  sup- 
 pose, with  Michaelis,  that  Jeremiah 
 actually  offered  a  wine  -  cup  to  the 
 ambassadors  of  the  nations  assembled 
 at  Jerusalem.  ''Make  them  drinJc,"  i.e., 
 by  denunciations  of  their  sins  and  pre- 
 diction of  their  doom. 
 
 Ver.  26,  "  The  king  of  Sheshach 
 SHALL  DRINK."  "  Belshazzar,  the  bez- 
 zling  king  of  Babylon,  whilst  he  is 
 quaffing  in  the  vessels  of  God's  house 
 to  the  honour  of  Shat  {Shesac,  id  est 
 poculum  Icetitice  aut  vanitatis,  vel  seri- 
 cum  tuum),  the  Babylonian  goddess, 
 whence  those  feast  days  were  called 
 eax'sai  rjfjjs^at,  being  like  the  Roman 
 Saturnalia.  Antichrist  also,  who  hath 
 troubled  all  the  kingdoms  of  the  earth, 
 shall  himself  perish,  together  with  his 
 Babylon  the  great,  which  hath  made  the 
 nations  drunk  with  the  wine  of  her 
 fornications. " — Trap]). 
 
 Ver.  28.  *'Ye  shall  certainly 
 DRINK."  No  effort  of  theirs  to  escape 
 the  destruction  will  avail. 
 
 "If  they  either  do  not  believe  thy 
 threatenings,  or  else  disregard  them,  as 
 thinking  themselves  sufficiently  pro- 
 vided against  hostile  invasion,  you  shall 
 let  them  know  that  the  judgments  de- 
 nounced against  them  are  God's  irre- 
 versible decree." — Lotvth. 
 
 "The  destruction  of  the  heathen 
 nations  was  fixed  and  certain.  Of  this 
 they  might  be  assured  by  the  fact  that 
 the  Jews,  who  were  Jehovah's  peculiar 
 people,  were  not  spared." — Henderson. 
 
 Ver.  29.   "I  begin  to   bring  evil 
 
 ON    the    CITY  which    IS  CALLED   BY  My 
 
 name."  "If  God  spares  not  the  city 
 in  which  He  has  chosen  a  temple  for 
 Himself,  and  designed  His  name  to  be 
 invoked,  how  can  He  spare  aliens  to 
 whom  He  has  never  made  any  promise, 
 as  He  regarded  them  as  strangers  1  If, 
 then,  the  green  tree  is  consumed,  how  can 
 the  dry  remain  safe  ?  This  is  the  im- 
 478 
 
 port  of  the  passage.  The  Apostle  uses 
 the  same  argument  in  other  words ;  for 
 after  having  said  that  judgment  woidd 
 begin  at  God's  hoiise,  he  immediately 
 shows  how  dreadful  the  vengeance  of 
 God  would  be  upon  His  open  enemies  (1 
 Pet.  iv.  17).  .  .  .  It  is  better  for  us 
 that  God  should  begin  with  us,  as  at 
 length  the  wicked  shall  in  their  turn 
 be  destroyed  ;  and  that  we  should  endure 
 temporal  evils,  that  God  may  at  length 
 raise  us  up  to  the  enjoyment  of  His 
 paternal  favour.  And  for  this  reason 
 Paul  also  says  that  it  is  a  demonstration 
 of  the  just  judgment  of  God  when  the 
 faithful  are  exposed  to  many  evils  (2 
 Thess.  i.  4,  b)."— Calvin. 
 
 Ver.  30,  "  The  Lord  shall  roar," 
 In  highly  poetic  language  the  judgment 
 of  the  Gentiles  is  described.  Jehovah 
 has  risen  like  a  lion  from  his  covert, 
 and  at  His  roaring  the  whole  world  is 
 filled  with  terror  and  confusion.  Sheep 
 and  shepherds  roll  on  the  ground  in  con- 
 sternation, but  cannot  escape ;  for,  like 
 a  storm-wind,  judgment' stalks  abroad, 
 and  the  slain  of  the  land  cover  the 
 ground  from  one  end  of  the  earth  unto 
 the  other,  and  lie  unwept  and  without 
 burial. — Payne  Smith. 
 
 The  roar  was  first  to  go  forth  over 
 Judea,  wherein  were  "  the  sheep  of  His 
 pasture "  (Ps.  c.  3),  and  thence  into 
 heathen  lands, 
 
 "He  will  mightily  roar,"  Pliny 
 reporteth  of  the  lioness,  that  she  bringeth 
 forth  her  whelps  dead,  and  so  they  re- 
 main for  the  space  of  three  days,  until 
 the  lion,  coming  near  to  the  den  where 
 they  lay,  lifteth  up  his  voice  and 
 roareth  so  fiercely  that  they  presently 
 revive  and  rise.  The  "  Lion  of  the  tribe 
 of  Judah  "  will  roar  to  like  purpose  at 
 the  last  day  ;  and  doth  afore,  when  He 
 pleaseth,  roar  terribly  upon  His  enemies, 
 to  their  utter  amazement  (Joel  iii.  16; 
 Amos  i.  2,  iii.  8). — Trapp. 
 
 "  The  strict  judgment  of  God  sounds 
 much  stronger  and  clearer  than  we  can 
 bear.  Hence  the  six  hundred  thousand 
 men  were  so  terrified  when  they  heard 
 the  voice  of  God,  that  they  said,  '  Let 
 not  God  speak  with  us  lest  we  die ' 
 (Exod,  XX.  19).   It  is  well  that  we  do  not 
 
HOMILETIC  COMMENTARY:  JEREMIAH.  chap.  xxvr. 
 
 refuse  to  hear,  or  stop  our  ears  against  be  it  (a)  a  home;  (h)  the  heart;  (c)  a 
 
 the  sweet  sound  of  God's  voice  in  the  church. 
 
 sacred  office  of  the  preacher,  because  we  II.  Divine  displeasure,  if  provoked, 
 
 can  have  it  (Ps.  xcv.  8) ;  or  the  time  will  drive  us  into  homeless  desolation, 
 
 will  come  when  we  shall  be  obliged  to  (a.)  All  refuges  toill  fail  to  shelter  us. 
 
 hear  its  awful  roaring,  which  God  for-  {h.)  Pleasant  scenes  are  ivrecJcedif  God  be 
 
 bid.     For  when  the  lion  roars,  who  shall  angry,    (c.)  "  Peaceable  habitations  "  re- 
 
 iiot  be  afraid  ?  (Amos  iii.  8.)" — Cramer.  quire,  for  their  very  existence,  that  we  be 
 
 "at peace  with  God." 
 
 Ver.  37.  Theme :  Peaceable  habita-  III.  Peace  and  safety  are  possible 
 
 TioNS  OVERTHROWN.     "  The   peaceable  to  those  who  live  in  God's  love.     All 
 
 habitations  are    cut   down,   because  of  others  will  be  homeless  in  the  evil  day. 
 
 the  fierce  anger  of  the  Lord."  But  sudden  destruction  shall  not  come 
 
 I.  Wrath  destroys  the  peacefulness  upon  them.     Their  souls  shall  dwell  in 
 
 of  any  habitation  into  which  it  enters,  peace,  always  secure  and  at  rest. 
 
 CHAPTER  XXVI. 
 
 Critical  and  Exegetical  Notes. — 1.  Chronology  of  the  Chapter.  About  three  years  earlier 
 than  the  prophecy  of  preceding  chapter.  Cf.  chapter  vii.  with  this,  and  it  is  evident  that  they 
 are  synchronous.  Evidently  this  narrative  records  the  dangers  to  which  Jeremiah  exposed 
 himself  by  the  delivery  of  that  faithful  protest  against  his  nation's  iniquity.  Jehoiakim  had 
 just  ascended  the  throne,  and  forthwith  inaugurated  a  course  of  public  apostasy  which  called 
 forth  from  Jeremiah  this  pungent  and  fearless  remonstrance.  Naturally  enough  it  greatly 
 incensed  the  "priests  and  the  prophets"  (ver.  8) ;  though  the  "princes"  spoke  out  boldly  for 
 his  defence  (ver.  16) ;  and  through  the  interposition  of  Ahikam,  Jeremiah  escaped  violence 
 (ver.  24).     Cf.  critical  notes  to  chapter  vii. 
 
 For — 2.  Contemporary  Scriptures ;  3.  National  Affairs ;  and  4.  Contemporaneous  History, 
 cf.  chap,  vii.,  in  loc. 
 
 5.  Geographical Eeferences. — Ver.  6.  "<S%?7oA;"c/;note,  chap.  vii.  12,  m  foe.  Ver.  10.  "The 
 entry  of  the  new  gate: "  i.e.,  the  gate  originally  erected  by  Jotham  (2  Kings  xv.  35),  "  the  higher 
 gate,"  and  now  recently  restored.  The  Tar^rj^ft  reads,  the  «cw  gate.  Ver.  20.  "Kirjath-jearim:" 
 cir.  nine  miles  north  west  of  Jerusalem,  where  the  ark  rested  after  the  destruction  of  Shiloh, 
 on  its  return  from  Philistia. 
 
 6.  Personal  Allusions. — Ver.  18.  "  Micah  the  Morasthite:"  cf.  Micah  i.  1,  and  iii.  12. 
 The  text  here  is  iT'SD  Michayah;  the  full  form  of  his  name  meaning.  Who  is  like  Jah?  But 
 many  MSS.  omit  the  Yod,  and  read  simply,  1130,  Micah.  His  native  village,  Moresheth  [Heb, 
 Morashii],  near  Elutheropolis,  in  Philistia  (Jerome).  He  was  contemporary  with  Isaiah  in 
 Judah,  and  with  Amos  and  Hosea  in  Israel. 
 
 Ver.  20.  "  Urijah  the  son  of  Shemaiah:"  nothing  more  is  known  of  Urijah  than  is  here 
 recorded. 
 
 Ver.  22.  "Elnathanthe  son  of  Achhor:"  Achhor  vrni  one  of  the  princes  sent  to  Huldah  by 
 Josiah  (2  Kings  xxii.  12).  Elnathan  was  father  of  Nehushta,  the  mother  of  King  Jehoiachin, 
 therefore  Jehoiakim's  father-in-law. 
 
 Ver.  24.  "  AMl-am  the  son  of  Shaphan:"  one  of  Josiah's  messengers  to  Huldah  after  the 
 discovery  of  the  copy  of  the  law  in  the  Temple  by  Hilkiah  the  priest  (2  Kings  xxii.  12-14). 
 Hilkiah  made  known  the  discovery  to  Shaphan  the  scribe,  most  probably  this  Shaphan.  Ahikam 
 was  father  to  Gemariah,  who  lent  Jeremiah  his  room  for  the  public  reading  of  the  prophet's 
 roll ;  and  of  Gedaliah,  whom  Nebuchadnezzar  afterwards  made  governor  of  the  land  (chap, 
 xxxix.  14),  indicating  that  the  attachment  of  the  father,  Ahikam,  to  Jeremiah  was  inherited  by 
 his  sons. 
 
 7.  Manners  and  Customs. — Ver.  2.  " Stand  in  the  gate  of  the  Lord's  house:"  &ee  ffomiletic 
 Outlines,  preliminary  note,  p.  149.  "  Unto  all  thecities  of  Judah  which  come  to  worship:"  at  one 
 of  the  three  great  yearly  festivals,  perhaps  that  of  Tabernacles,  which  was  the  greatest. 
 
 Ver.  9.  ^'  All  the  people  were  gathered  together  against  Jeremiah:"  properly,  "unto  Jeremiah," 
 forming  themselves  into  a  court  or  congregation  to  take  part  in  his  trial.  Ver.  23.  "  Craves  of 
 the  sons  of  the  people:"  see  chap.  xvii.  19:  "co7nmon  people."  Some  have  thought  the  Jews 
 had  a  cemetery  for  the  prophets  separate  from  that  of  the  people.  The  place  of  burial  for  the 
 common  people  was  in  the  Kidron  valley. 
 
 8.  Literary  Criticisms. — Ver.  19.  "  Besought  the  Lord,'"  lit.,  Soothed  by  prayer  the  face  of 
 the  Lord.    ''3Q■n^^  T^^n    Strolce  the  face  [Keil].     Cf.  Exod.  sxxii.  11. 
 
 ■■■     '■  479 
 
CHAP.  XXVI.  UOMILETIG  COMMENTARY:  JEREMIAH. 
 
 General  topic  of  the  chapter:  "  So  Persecuted  they  the  Prophets." 
 
 This  present  life  is  often  one  of  severity  and  suffering  to  God's  servants.  Yet  it 
 is  astonishing  to  find  earnest  and  holy  men  persecuted  and  slain  for  no  offence 
 other  than  that  of  calling  the  wicked  to  desert  their  sins  and  care  for  their  spiritual 
 good  !  "We  may  well  ask,  "  Why,  what  evil  hath  he  done  ?  "  For  "  a  good  work  " 
 surely  men  should  not  rise  in  hostility  to  a  man  of  God.  Wrong  may  deserve 
 punishment ;  but  too  often  right  is  persecuted  and  wrong  is  condoned.  So  perverse 
 is  the  human  heart. 
 
 I.  Prevalent  sin  called  for  faithful  rehuke.  There  was  enough  wrongdoing 
 and  corruption  in  Zion  to  constrain  a  godly  soul  to  vehement  protestation.  God 
 sent  the  prophet  to  remonstrate. 
 
 1.  The  rebuke  of  a  prophet,  therefore,  should  be  accepted  as  an  appeal  from  God 
 (vers.  2-5). 
 
 2.  Such  faithful  rebukes  are  designed  to  avert  heavy  and  threatening  judgments 
 (vers.  6,  12,  13). 
 
 II.  Faithful  rebuke  aroused  violent  resentment.  In  Jeremiah's  protest  there 
 was  no  element  of  provocation.  His  message  was  delivered  in  no  rancorous  and 
 vexing  words,  yet  it  awoke  resentment. 
 
 1.  Sinners  love  their  sins  too  ivell  to  desire  disturhance,  even  though  such  disturb- 
 ance is  essential  to  their  salvation  (vers.  7-9). 
 
 2.  Warnings  of  impending  doom  created  violent  hostility  to  God's  messenger  (vers. 
 10,  11).  Angry  men  must  have  a  victim  on  whom  to  expend  their  hatred.  In- 
 censed at  God's  message,  they  would  avenge  themselves  on  His  innocent  messenger  ! 
 This  explains  persecution.  Men  cling  to  their  sins,  and  hate  the  prophet,  as  Ahab 
 did  Elijah,  whose  faithful  words — "  trouble  Israel  " — disturb  them  in  their  evil  ways. 
 
 III.  Violent  resentment  faced  with  courageous  fidelity.  The  prophet  did  not 
 quail  before  their  violence.  "  The  righteous  is  bold  as  a  lion."  Yet  withal  there 
 was  no  corresponding  violence ;  rather  "  in  meekness  he  instructed  those  that 
 opposed  "  (2  Tim.  ii.  25). 
 
 1.  He  used  the  hour  of  his  arraignment  for  one  more  appeal  to  his  erring 
 persecutors  (vers.  12,  13). 
 
 2.  He  resigned  himself  to  the  consequences  of  his  fidelity,  knowing  that  God 
 would  requite  their  deeds  (vers.  14,  15). 
 
 Even  so,  when  our  Lord  *'  suffered,  He  threatened  not ;  but  committed  Himself 
 to  Him  who  judgeth  righteously."     "Vengeance  is  Mine." 
 
 IV.  Godly  fidelity  incurring  persecution  and  death.  Jeremiah's  renewed 
 appeal  proved  effective  with  the  "princes"  (ver.  16)  and  "elders"  (ver.  17),  and 
 won  him  their  protection.     Yet — 
 
 1.  Fidelity  imjyerilled  Jeremiah's  life  (ver.  24) ;  and  he  would  have  lost  it  but 
 for  Ahikam's  befriending.  Faithful  work  is  always  done  amid  peril.  Men  become 
 our  enemies  when  we  tell  them  the  truth.  So  Jeremiah  found  it.  Micah  was  a 
 rare  exception  (vers.  18,  19). 
 
 2.  Fidelity  cost  JJrijah  his  life  (vers.  20-23).  Such  unrighteous  and  iniquitous 
 deeds  against  God's  servants  assuredly  will  be  punished.  "  The  dead  shall  he 
 raised;"  and  then,  confronted  by  those  they  have  killed,  the  wicked  shall  be 
 judged.  There  is  a  judgment  to  come.  Men  may  silence  God's  messengers  in 
 death  now,  but  God  will  be  heard  in  the  day  of  judgment. 
 
 HOMILIES  AND  COMMENTS  ON  VERSES  OP  CHAPTER  XXV I. 
 
 Vers.  1  and  2.    See  Homily  on  chap.  Neither  preacher  nor  prophet  is  the 
 
 vii.  1,  2.  author  of  what  he  teaches.    If  his  "  com- 
 
 mands "  are  his  own,  they  should  never 
 Ver.  2.   Theme :  Preach  the  whole      be  uttered ;  for  he  has  no  right  to  speak 
 TRUTH.      "  Diminish  not  a  word."  auqht  which  God  has  not  commanded, 
 
 480 
 
HO  MILETIC  COMMENT  A  R  7 :  JERBMIA  TI. 
 
 CHA.P.  xxvr. 
 
 and  no  permission  to  silence  aught  whicli 
 God  has  commanded.  "  Speak  all  the 
 words  that  I  command  thee  to  speak 
 unto  them  ;  diminish  not  a  word." 
 
 I.  Inspired  commands  are  the  out- 
 come of  Divine  Wisdom  and  human 
 necessity.  Much  in  Scripture  we  do 
 not  care  to  hear,  or  do  not  think  wise 
 to  teach.  Doctrines  over  which  critics 
 stumble.  Some  severe  doctrines  do  not 
 seem  concordant  with  the  gospel  of 
 love,  &c.     But — 
 
 1.  GodJs  tvisdom  frames  the  messages. 
 That  ought  to  check  our  solicitude  for 
 the  integrity  of  Revelation.  Critics 
 should  learn  that  "  the  foolishness  of 
 God  is  wiser  than  men." 
 
 2.  Man's  necessity  calls  forth  the 
 message.  God  sees  our  case,  our  need, 
 our  sins,  our  perils,  and  sends  the  com- 
 mands which  are  suitable. 
 
 Hence  every  word  of  God  is  important 
 and  imperative. 
 
 II.  Preachers  have  no  liberty  of 
 silence  or  selection.  If  any  haste  to 
 preach  without  a  Divine  commission, 
 God  will  put  them  to  silence.  But  if 
 God  has  sent  a  prophet  or  preacher,  He 
 must  ^^  speak  all"  &c.,  and  ^'7iot  diminish 
 a  word." 
 
 1.  God's  messenger  may  not  silence 
 Divine  commands. 
 
 2.  God's  messenger  may  not  select 
 Divine  commands.  He  has  no  liberty 
 allowed  to  forbear  speaking ;  neither 
 has  he  liberty  allowed  to  choose  and 
 discriminate  between  the  commands, 
 taking  out  one  from  among  the  rest, 
 and  speaking  only  such  as  he  deems  fit 
 and  right.  He  has  to  *'  declare  all  the 
 counsel  of  God." 
 
 III.  God's  messages  may  not  be 
 minimised  either  in  quantity  or  em- 
 phasis.    "  Diminish  not  a  word." 
 
 A  preacher  may  indeed  go  through 
 all  the  commands,  and  yet  by  frequent 
 reiteration  of  a  few  may  give  them  a 
 prominence  which  overshadows  the  rest, 
 and  thus  "  diminishing  "  those  he  over- 
 shadows. 
 
 Or,  he  may  preach  some  with  more 
 emphasis  and  eloquence  than  others, 
 thereby  "  diminishing  "  the  others. 
 
 1.  "This  may  be  through  prejudice  or 
 preference.      Then   he  makes   his  own 
 
 limited  mental  bias  the  test  of  the  com- 
 parative value  and  importance  of  re- 
 vealed truths ! 
 
 2.  He  may  do  this  through  mistaken 
 solicitude  or  sentimental  charity.  There 
 are  preachers  who  cannot  allow  them- 
 selves to  speak  the  stern  teachings  of 
 Scripture  ;  because  (in  their  poor  fancy) 
 they  disagree  with  the  tender  love  of 
 God,  and  the  sweet  grace  of  the  Gospel 
 of  Christ;  because,  also,  they  wound  the 
 gentle. hearts  of  their  hearers,  and  make 
 appeal  to  fears  in  men  rather  than  filial 
 trust  and  love. 
 
 3.  He  may  do  this  for  fear  or  favour 
 of  men.  Then  he  prostrates  God's  truth 
 before  the  time-serving  spirit  which  seeks 
 to  "please  men."  This  is  sacrilegious  ! 
 But  we  may  not  siippress  nor  soften  any 
 teaching  or  command  for  fear  of  giving 
 offence  ;  neither  may  we  set  forth  coldly 
 and  indirectly  what  can  only  by  forcible 
 statement  do  good. 
 
 God  says  :  ^' Speak  all"  .  .  .  "dimi- 
 nish not  a  loord."  Compare  Deut.  iv.  2, 
 xii.  32  ;  Pro  v.  xxx.  6  ;  Acts  xx.  27  ;  2 
 Cor.  ii.  17,  iv,  2;  Rev.  xxii.  19. 
 
 See  Addenda:  Pbeach  the  whole 
 Tkuth. 
 
 Vers.  3-6.  Compare  Homily  on  chap, 
 xviii,  7-10.  Theme :  Conditional 
 Covenants. 
 
 Ver,  6.  "  This  house  like  Shiloh," 
 Comp.  Homily  on  chap.  vii.  12-14. 
 "  Violated  sanctuaries  doomed." 
 
 Ver.  8.  "  Thou  shalt  surely  die." 
 The  charge  against  Jeremiah  was  that  of 
 uttering  falsehood  in  Jehovah's  name, 
 an  act  punishable  with  death  (Deut. 
 xviii.  20).  The  tumult  against  him 
 was  raised  by  the  priests  and  false  pro- 
 phets. 
 
 Ver.  11.  "Spake  the  priests  and 
 THE  PROPHETS  UNTO  THE  PRINCES."  Jere- 
 miah was  both  a  priest  and  a  prophet,  and 
 should  therefore  have  received  generous 
 treatment  at  the  hands  of  "  priests  and 
 prophets  ; "  but  "  a  man's  foes  are  they 
 of  his  own  household,"  while  '^jealousy 
 is  as  cruel  as  the  grave." 
 
 The  ^'■princes "  were  members  of  the 
 H  481 
 
CHAP.  XXVI. 
 
 IIOMILETIC  COMMENTARY :  JEREMIAH. 
 
 king's  household,  and  formed  part  of  the 
 Council  of  State.  Jeremiah  is  careful 
 to  discriminate  here,  and  to  record  that 
 he  received  acts  of  kindness  from  the 
 "  princes  "  and  also  from  the  "  elders  " 
 (ver.  17),  who  were  rulers  of  the  whole 
 land.  In  like  manner  Luke  discrimi- 
 nates between  the  generous  conduct  of 
 Gamaliel  and  the  injustice  of  other 
 members  of  the  Sanhedrim  (Acts  v.  34). 
 
 Vers.  12-15.  Theme:  How  to  Answer 
 Cavillers  and  Accusers.  The  prophet 
 was  arraigned  before  the  highest  tri- 
 bunal, charged  with  a  political  offence — 
 he  had  "  prophesied  against  this  city." 
 Here  it  will  be  noticeable  that  our  Lord 
 was  similarly  indicted  before  Pilate. 
 See  how  Jeremiah  bore  himself  in  this 
 scene  of  great  excitement  and  irritation. 
 
 I.  His  unfaltering  assurance  of  a 
 Divine  commission.  Cavil  though  they 
 might  against  his  message,  and  threaten 
 him  with  death  for  delivering  it,  yet — 
 
 1.  He  hneio  that  God  had  sent  him  to 
 them  toith  this  message.  "  The  Lord  sent," 
 &c.  (ver.  12) ;  "  Of  a  truth  the  Lord  hath 
 sent  me,"  &c.  (ver.  15). 
 
 2.  He  Tcneiv  that  his  propliecy  had  been 
 faithfully  delivered.  He  had  uttered 
 nought  in  malice,  nor  suppressed  aught 
 through  timidity ;  but  "  all  the  words 
 ye  have  heard"  (ver.  12)  were  literally 
 God's  words  through  him  to  them. 
 Thus  he  was  sustained  by — 
 
 {a.)  Assured  authority  from  Jehovah. 
 
 (6.)  Conscious  integrity  in  his  work. 
 
 II.  His  importunate  earnestness  in 
 pleading  with  his  accusers.  Having  thus 
 far  vindicated  himself,  Jeremiah  now — 
 
 1.  Seizes  the  opportunity  to  plead  with 
 his  hearers  (ver.  13).  It  might  be  his 
 final  chance  of  a  direct  appeal  to  his 
 sinning  nation.  What  ardour  of  reli- 
 gious feeling  !  what  godly  patriotism  is 
 thus  manifested  ! 
 
 2.  Fearlessly  exhorts  his  audience  to  re- 
 pentance and  reformation.  He  was  ar- 
 raigned because  he  had  charged  their 
 sins  upon  them.  Yet  now  even,  before 
 this  angry  assembly,  he  appeals  again  to 
 them  to  desert  their  sins,  and  thus  avert 
 God's  displeasure.  "Reform  your  life, 
 and  hearken  to  the  voice  of  the  Lord, 
 and  it  will  be  better  for  .you."    "  You  do 
 
 482 
 
 not  wish  me  to  thunder  away  at  you ; 
 reform,  then,  and  I  can  let  it  alone." — 
 {Zinzendorf.) 
 
 III.  His  grand  resignation  to  the 
 consectuences  of  fidelity.  His  faithful 
 pleading  might  incense  them  the  more  ; 
 yet — 
 
 1.  He  is  ready  to  die  rather  than  keep 
 silence  (ver.  14). 
 
 2.  He  dare  not  let  any  concern  for  self 
 hinder  him  in  his  witness.  "  As  for  me  " 
 — as  if  what  became  of  him  were  wholly 
 unimportant  in  the  presence  of  his 
 nation's  perils.  It  equals  Paul's  martyr- 
 like spirit :  "  I  am  ready  to  die  also 
 at  Jerusalem;"  "I  could  wish  myself 
 accursed  for  my  brethren."     Note — 
 
 (a.)  His  splendid  indifference  to  life 
 and  policy.  It  argues  possession  of 
 highest  religious  assurance,  conscious 
 safety  in  God,  and  blessed  hopes  of  a 
 future  world. 
 
 (b.)  His  all-absorhing  eagerness  for 
 his  people.  Self  cannot  have  a  thought 
 when  his  people  are  nearing  destruction. 
 Such  all-consuming  zeal  naturally  im 
 presses  and  conquers  hearts.  It  did  so 
 here  (ver.  16). 
 
 IV.  His  solemn  warnings  against 
 criminal  conduct  (ver.  15). 
 
 1.  Knowing  God  was  with  him  in  his 
 work,  he  realised  then  that  Jehovah  would 
 avenge  any  violence  done  to  him. 
 
 2.  Knowing  that  he  was  innocent  of 
 any  crime,  having  only  faithfully  dis- 
 charged a  Divine  commission,  he  re- 
 minded them  that  on  them  ivould  fall  the 
 curse  of  his  blood. 
 
 Note  :  Men  do  not  escape  the  punish- 
 ment of  sin  by  silencing  God's  preacher, 
 or  by  getting  rid  of  the  obnoxious  wit- 
 ness against  their  sins.  They  double  the 
 crime  by  such  conduct. 
 
 There  was  a  yearning  pathos  in  Jere- 
 miah's warning :  no  anger,  no  menacing ; 
 but  "knowing  the  terror  of  the  Lord, 
 he  persuaded  men."  Thus  may  cavillers 
 be  silenced  and  adversaries  won. 
 
 See  Addenda :  Fearlessness. 
 
 On  "  Amend  your  ways,"  see  Homily 
 on  chap.  vii.  3. 
 
 Ver.  16.  "This  man  is  not  worthy 
 TO  die."     Jeremiah's  address  secured — 
 
UOMILETW  COMMENTARY :  JEREMIAH. 
 
 CHAP.  XXVI. 
 
 (i.)  Their  conviction  :  for  they  re- 
 cognised that  he  hud  "  spoken  to  them 
 in  the  name  of  the  Lord.''  Instead  of 
 convicting  Jeremiah,  "  the  princes  and 
 people"  unanimously  convicted  the 
 "  priests  and  prophets  "  of  falsely  charg- 
 ing him. 
 
 (ii.)  His  own  acquittal.  ''  This  man 
 is  not  worthy  of  death."  Instead  of 
 condemning  Jeremiah,  they  sent  him 
 forth  from  the  tribunal  freed  from  all 
 charges. 
 
 Matthew  Henry  here  reflects  thus — 
 
 "  And  are  they  willing  to  own  that 
 he  did  indeed  speak  to  them  '  in  the 
 name  of  the  Lord,'  and  that  that  Lord 
 was  their  God  1  Why  then  did  they 
 not  amend  their  ways  and  doings,  and 
 take  the  method  he  prescribed  to  pre- 
 vent the  ruin  of  their  country  ?  (Matt. 
 xxi.  25.)  Note  :  It  is  a  pity  that  those 
 who  are  so  far  convinced  of  the  Divine 
 original  of  gospel  preaching  as  to  pro- 
 tect it  from  the  malice  of  others,  do  not 
 submit  to  the  power  and  influence  of  it 
 themselves." 
 
 Vers,  17-19.  Theme:  A  precedent 
 
 JUSTIFYING  THE   PROPHET's   ACQUITTAL. 
 
 Certain  elders  arose  and  put  the 
 audience  in  mind  of  a  former  case,  as 
 is  usual  with  us  in  going  to  judgment ; 
 for  the  wisdom  of  our  predecessors  is  a 
 direction  to  us. 
 
 (i.)  Was  it  thought  strange  that  Jere- 
 miah 'pro'phesied  against  this  city  and 
 the  temple  ?  Micah  did  so  before  him, 
 even  in  the  reign  of  Hezekiah,  that 
 reign  of  reformation.  (See  Micah  iii, 
 12.) 
 
 By  this  it  appears  that  a  man  may  be, 
 as  Micah  was,  a  true  prophet  of  the 
 Lord,  and  yet  may  prophesy  the  de- 
 struction of  Zion.  When  we  threaten 
 secure  sinners  with  the  taking  the  Spirit 
 of  God  and  the  kingdom  of  heaven  away 
 from  them,  and  declining  Churches  with 
 the  removal  of  the  candlestick,  we  say 
 no  more  than  what  has  many  a  time  been 
 said  before,  and  what  we  have  the 
 warrant  of  God's  Word  to  say. 
 
 (ii.)  Was  it  thought  fit  by  the  jmnces  to 
 justify  Jeremiah  in  what  he  had  done  ? 
 It  was  what  Hezekiah  had  done  in  like 
 case. 
 
 {a.)  Was  Micah  impeached  for  his  pro- 
 phecy 1  No  ;  the  king  and  nation  took 
 the  warning  he  gave  them. 
 
 (b.)  Hezekiah  got  good  by  the  preach- 
 ing, and  therefore  certainly  could  do  no 
 harm  to  the  preacher. 
 
 (c.)  It  is  good  to  deter  ourselves  from 
 sin,  by  the  consideration  of  the  mischief 
 we  shall  incur  thereby.  "  Thus  might  we 
 procure  great  evil  against  our  souls." 
 Comp.  Matthew  Henry. 
 
 Vers.  20-23.  Theme:  Urijah's  Per- 
 secution AND  Death.  Doubtless  this 
 Urijah  came  some  time  after  Jeremiah ; 
 this  incident  is  added  to  the  foregoing 
 to  show  the  ferocity  of  Jehoiakim 
 against  faithful  prophets. 
 
 Note :  Urijah  re-uttered  Jeremiah's 
 words  (ver.  20)  ;  he  '^prophesied"  &c., 
 "according  to  the  ivords  of  Jeremiah;" 
 and  this  repetition  determined  the  king 
 to  silence  the  prophets  at  any  cost. 
 
 I.  Guilty  men  hate  to  hear  Divine 
 denunciations.  Jehoiakim  grew  un- 
 controllably violent  when  Jeremiah's 
 words  were  repeated  (ver.  20). 
 
 II.  Earnest  preachers  of  God  fulfil 
 their  work  amid  dangers  (ver.  21). 
 They  expose  their  lives  to  the  violence 
 of  those  they  denounce.  He  who  pro- 
 claims against  men's  sins  provokes  their 
 antagonism.  "  Genuine  ministers  of 
 God  have  no  favour  to  expect  from 
 those  who  are  His  enemies." — (Clark.) 
 
 III.  The  courage  which  defies  perils 
 is  not  always  possessed  by  even  faith- 
 ful witnesses  of  God.  Urijah  fled  to 
 Egypt  (ver.  21).  Jeremiah  did  not  flee, 
 and  was  spared ;  Urijah  hastened  to 
 protect  himself,  and  was  slain.  Our 
 running  and  anxiety  are  of  no  use.  It 
 is  better  to  act  faithfully  and  fearlessly, 
 risking  the  result. 
 
 IV.  Angry  men,  incensed  against 
 God's  witness,  will  take  great  trouble 
 to  avenge  themselves  (ver.  22).  Comp. 
 Ahab's  efl"orts  to  find  Elijah. 
 
 V.  Death  and  degradation  may 
 prove  the  earthly  penalty  of  godly 
 work  (ver.  23).  It  was  so  with  the 
 Christian  martyrs ;  and  is  now  sometimes 
 the  penalty  of  missionary  devotion. 
 But  such  sufferers  for  truth  and  right- 
 eousness are  canonised  in  God's  martyr- 
 
 483 
 
CHAP.  XXVT. 
 
 nOMlLEriC  COMMENTARY :  JEREMlAlT. 
 
 ology,  and  "great  is  their  reward   in 
 heaven." 
 
 See  Addenda :  Peksecution. 
 
 Ver.  24.  Theme :  Heeoic  Feiendship. 
 On  ^' Ahikam"  see  Personal  References 
 at  head  of  chapter. 
 
 Note  1.  Since  Ahikam's  son,  Geda- 
 liah,  showed  attention  to  the  prophet, 
 and  another  son  of  the  same  name  was 
 afterwards  made  governor  of  the  land  by 
 the  Chaldeans  (chap,  xxxix.  14),  we 
 may  suppose  this  family  agreed  with 
 Jeremiah's  political  policy  and  counsels. 
 
 Note  2.  The  son's  friendship  for  the 
 prophet  was  the  result  of  the  father's 
 (Ahikam's)  attachment.  Good  parents 
 hand  down  a  patrimony  of  generous 
 sympathy  to  their  children,  which 
 provokes  them  to  "  love  and  good 
 works."  Thus  the  good  deeds  of  the 
 father  reappeared  in  his  sons. 
 
 I.  Valorous  allegiance  with  a  per- 
 secuted prophet.  "  The  hand  of  Ahikam 
 was  with  Jeremiah."  This  friendship 
 was — 
 
 1.  Open  and  avowed:  it  was  well 
 known  in  the  land  that  Ahikam  be- 
 friended Jeremiah.  Obadiah  (1  Kings 
 xviii.)  secreted  his  friendship. 
 
 2,  Influential.  For  Ahikam  had 
 sufficient  influence  at  court  and  in  the 
 country  to  counter-check  Jehoiakim's 
 malicious  designs  against  the  prophet. 
 God's  servants  have  not  been  without 
 powerful  friends. 
 
 3.  Resolute.  He  resisted  the  clamour 
 of  "  the  people."  Thus  he  faced  king 
 and  country  fearlessly  as  Jeremiah's 
 friend.  All  this  showed — (a)  great 
 heroism ;  (b)  noble  piety ;  (c)  fearless 
 fidelity.  Such  friendship  is  not  fre- 
 quent, but  it  is  worthy  highest  praise. 
 
 II.  Valuable  attachment  to  God's 
 servant.  Ahikam's  friendship  proved 
 specially  helpful  to  Jeremiah. 
 
 1.  It  asserted  itself  in  a  perilous  hour. 
 He  who  flees  in  adversity  is  not  a  true 
 friend. 
 
 2.  It  prevailed  against  popular  cla- 
 mour. It  is  not  easy  to  become  un- 
 popular for  our  friends.  But  Christ's 
 servants  have  to  face  popular  contumely 
 for  His  sake  ;  and  many  disciples  have 
 had  to  brave  public  scorn  and  hate  for 
 their  attachment  to  Christ's  followers. 
 
 3.  It  preserved  to  the  nation  its  truest 
 benefactor.  Had  the  people  put  Jere- 
 miah to  death,  they  would  have  slain 
 the  man  who  gave  wisest  counsels,  and 
 proved  at  last  its  noblest  leader.  We 
 impoverish  and  harm  ourselves  by  anta- 
 gonism to  God's  messengers.  So,  in 
 withstanding  the  people's  clamour, 
 Ahikam  acted  as  the  nation's  friend, 
 as  well  as  Jeremiah's  champion. 
 
 Applicatio7i. — Matthew  Henry  sug- 
 gests that  God  can  raise  up  great  men 
 to  protect  good  men ;  and  this  should 
 encourage  us  amid  the  dangers  incident 
 to  duty. 
 
 ADDENDA  TO  CHAPTER  XXVI.:  ILLUSTRATIONS  AND  SUGGESTIVE  EXTRACTS. 
 
 Ver.  2.  Peeach  the  whole  teuth. 
 "  Luther,  of  whom  Eichter  has  said  that 
 *  his  words  were  half  battles,'  when  he 
 Qrst  began  to  preach,  suffered  unheard 
 agony.  '  0  Dr.  Staupitz,  Dr.  Stau- 
 pitz !'  said  he  to  the  Vicar  General  of  his 
 order,  '  I  cannot  do  it,  I  shall  die  in 
 three  months ;  indeed  I  cannot  do  it.' 
 Dr.  Staupitz  replied,  '  Well,  Sir  Martin, 
 if  you  must  die,  you  must ;  preach,  man, 
 preach;  and  then  live  or  die  as  it 
 happens.'  So  Luther  preached,  and 
 lived ;  and  he  became  one  great  whirl- 
 wind of  energy  to  work  without  resting 
 in  this  world." — Spurgeon. 
 
 "  An  iron  key  is  better  than  one 
 made  of  gold  */  it  will  better  open  the 
 484 
 
 door,  for  that  is  all  the  use  of  a  key." — 
 Augustine. 
 
 "The  words  of  a  preacher  ought 
 purgere  non  palpare,  to  prick  the  heart, 
 not  smooth  and  coax." — Jerome. 
 
 Somerfield,  just  before  his  death, 
 speaking  of  his  recovery,  said,  "  Oh,  if 
 I  might  be  raised  again  !  Hoto  I  could 
 preach  /  I  could  preach  as  I  never 
 preached  before.  I  have  taken  a  look 
 into  eternity  !" 
 
 Vers.  12-15.  Feaelessness.  "What 
 can  I  fear?"  asked  Chrysostom  before 
 the  Pro-consul.  "  Will  it  be  death  ?  but 
 you  know  that  '  Christ  is  my  life,'  and 
 that  I  shall  gain  by  death.     Will  it  be 
 
ROMILETIC  COMMENTARY:  JEREMIAH. 
 
 CHAP.  XXVit, 
 
 exile  ?  but  '  the  earth  with  all  its  fuhiess 
 is  the  Lord's.'  Will  it  be  the  loss  of 
 wealth  ?  but  '  we  brought  nothing  into 
 this  world,  and  we  can  carry  nothing 
 out.'  Thus,  all  the  terrors  of  the  world 
 are  contemptible  in  my  eyes,  and  I 
 smile  at  all  its  good  things.  Poverty  I 
 do  not  fear ;  riches  I  do  not  sigh  for ; 
 from  death  I  do  not  shrink  ;  and  life  I 
 do  not  desire  except  for  the  progress  of 
 your  souls." 
 
 Persecution.     Seeing 
 go    cheerfully   to 
 
 Vers.  20-23 
 a  Christian  woman 
 prison,  an  observer  said  to  her,  "Oh, 
 you  have  not  yet  tasted  of  the  bitter- 
 ness of  death."  She  as  cheerfully  re- 
 plied, "No,  nor  ever  shall;  for  Christ 
 hath  promised  that  those  who  keep  His 
 sayinsrs  shall  not  see  death." 
 
 Ver.  24.  Noble  Pkiendship. 
 
 *'  Great  souls  by  instinct  to  each  other  tnrn, 
 Demand  allegiance,  and  in  friendship  burn." 
 — Addison. 
 
 "  Friendship  bath  a  power 
 To  soothe  affliction  in  her  darkest  hour." 
 — H.  KiRKE  White. 
 
 "  Deliberate  in  all  things  with  thy  friend. 
 But,  since  friends  grow  not  thick  on  every 
 
 bough, 
 Nor  every  friend  unrotten  at  the  core, 
 First  on  thy  friend  deliberate  with  thyself  ; 
 Pause,  ponder,  sift ;  not  eager  in  the  choice, 
 Nor  jealous  of  the  chosen  ;  fixing,  fix  ; 
 Judge  before  friendship,  then  confide  till 
 
 death. 
 Well  for  thy  friend,  but  nobler  far  for  thee: 
 How   gallant   danger   for   earth's   highest 
 
 prize  ! 
 A  friend  is  worth  all  hazards  we  can  run." 
 — Young. 
 
 CHAPTER  XXVII. 
 
 Critical  and  Exegetical  Notes.— 1.  Chronology  of  the  Chapter.— "Beginning  of  the 
 reign  of  Jehoiakim."  There  is  authority  for  reading  "Zedelciah"  instead  of  "Jehoiakim." 
 Henderson  substitutes  "Zedekiah,"  and  appeals  to  chap,  xxviii.  1,  to  the  statements  in  vers. 
 3  and  12  of  this  chap,  xxvii.,  to  the  reading  of  one  of  Kennicott's  MSS.,  and  to  the  authority 
 of  the  Syriac  and  Arabic  versions.  Further,  Lowth,  Blayney,  Michaelis,  Rosenmiiller,  Dahler, 
 Maurer,  Umbriet,  Ewald,  Payne  Smith,  &c.,  sustain  this  change  of  names.  The  allusion  in 
 ver.  12  indicates  that  Zedekiah  is  the  king  meant,  for  both  sections  of  the  chapter  are 
 synchronous  in  time  and  identical  in  meaning.  Probably  the  reading  in  the  E.  V.  may  have 
 originated  from  chap.  xxvi.  1.  Calvin^  however,  takes  the  text  as  it  stands,  and  suggests  that 
 Jeremiah  kept  this  prophecy  long  secreted  in  his  bosom  ere  he  uttered  it.  If  the  true  reading 
 is  "  Zedekiah,"  then  '^the  fourth  year"  of  chap,  xxviii.  1,  agrees  with  ^'inthe  heginning  of  the 
 reign"  of  chap,  xxvii.  1,  on  the  theory  that,  as  Zedekiah's  reign  lasted  eleven  years,  it  was eariy 
 in  his  reign  when  the  prophecy  was  proclaimed  :  vide  chronological  notes  to  chap.  xxi. 
 
 For — 2.  Contemporary  Scriptures ;  3.  National  Affairs ;  and  4,  Contemporary  History, 
 vide  chap.  xxi.  in  loc. 
 
 5.  Personal  Allusions. — Ver.  3.  "  ZedeJciah  "  :  vide  notes  to  chap.  1  in  loc.  Ver.  20, 
 "  Jeconiah :  "  vide  chap.  xxii.  24.  Ver.  7.  "  Mis  son,  and  his  son's  son."  Nebuchadnezzar  had 
 four  successors,  Evil-Merodach  his  son;  Neriglissar  the  husband  of  Nebuchadnezzar's 
 daughter  ;  Laborosoarchad  the  son  of  Neriglissar  ;  and  Naboned  the  so7i  of  Evil-Merodach.  The 
 intermediate  two  successors  are  passed  over  in  this  prophecy,  and  only  the  direct  descendants, 
 "  his  son  and  son's  son,"  are  recognised. 
 
 6.  Manners  and  Customs. — Ver.  9.  " Prophets,  diviners,  dreamers,  enchanters,  sorcerers:" 
 vide  on  chap,  xxiii.  25.  These  were  all  sources  of  prognostication  current  among  the  heathen 
 who  implicitly  rested  in  such  superstitions. 
 
 7.  Literary  Criticisms. — Ver.  1.  The  entire  verse  is  absent  from  the  LXX.  Ver.  2.  "Bonds 
 and  yokes."  n'lDb  are  the  two  wooden  prongs  or  poles  of  the  "yoke,"  which  were  fastened 
 together  by  "bonds,"  DllpiD. 
 
 Ver.  9.  The  word  "enchanters"  is  by  some  interpreters  derived  from  py  rfowd! ;  cloud- 
 makers  or  storm-raisers  ;  and  by  others  from  \\y^  eye,  gazers  at  the  stars  and  other  means  of 
 taking  omens  of  futurity. 
 
 Ver.  11.  "  Serve  him.  .  .  till  it."  The  same  Hebrew  root  signifies  both  "  serve  "  and  "till," 
 or  cultivate.    Serve  ye  the  king  of  Babylon,  and  the  land  will  serve  you  (Calvin). 
 
 485 
 
c&At.  ixVii.  EOMlLETIC  COMMENTARY :  JEREMIAE. 
 
 TOPICAL  SURVEY  OP  THE  CU AFTER. 
 
 Doubtless  the  five  kings  (ver.  3)  had  seut  ambassadors  to  Jerusalem  to  consult 
 with  Zedekiah  about  entering  into  a  defensive  covenant  against  the  threatening  and 
 alarming  Babylonish  power,  Jeremiah  has  to  meet  these  messengers  with  plain 
 and  emphatic  statements  as  to  the  sure  course  of  events. 
 
 I.  A  summons  to  submit  to  the  inevitable  ascendancy  of  Babylon. 
 
 Those  "  bonds  and  yokes "  would  have  to  be  worn  (ver.  2).  And  what  God 
 said  to  these  five  kings  He  said  afterwards  specifically  also  to  Zedekiah  (ver.  12). 
 
 i.  The  inevitable  fact.  Nebuchadnezzar  must  be  supreme,  however  these  kings 
 might  think  to  resist  the  decree. 
 
 1.  Because  God  was  the  King  of  Icings.  The  Almighty,  who  made  "  the  earth 
 and  man  and  beast,"  had  decisively  "given"  dominion  over  them  all  to  the  one 
 monarch  they  dreaded  (ver.  5).  And  "none  shall  stay  His  hand,  or  say  unto  Him, 
 What  doest  Thou  V 
 
 2.  Because  Nebuchadnezzar  tvas  serving  the  will  of  the  Supreme  King.  Un- 
 consciously doing  this,  yet  none  the  less  doing  it.  He  was  God's  "servant" 
 (ver.  6).  There  was  a  purpose  in  God's  mind,  and  He  had  chosen  the  Babylonish 
 king  to  ftdfil  it. 
 
 3.  Because  a  defined  period  had  been  set  for  this  ascendancy.  The  '■'■very  time  of 
 his  land  "  was  clearly  fixed  in  the  Divine  mind ;  its  beginning  and  its  end  (ver.  7). 
 Compare  Topic:  "Seventy  Years'  Captivity"  chap.  xxv.  11,  12,  infra,  p.  471. 
 
 ii.  The  results  of  resistance.     See  ver.  8. 
 
 1.  Eesistance  of  God's  purpose  would  be  marked  by  God.  He  would  carefully 
 note  "  the  nation  and  the  kingdom  which  will  not  serve  the  same  Nebuchad- 
 nezzar." God  was  watching.  He  keeps  His  eye  on  the  conduct  of  kings.  The 
 Supreme  Ruler  "  looks  down  from  heaven  upon  the  earth  to  see  if  any  will  under- 
 stand." Having  made  known  His  will  to  these  kings,  He  will  observe  their  action; 
 for  resistance  of  God's  purpose  is  disobedience  against  Him. 
 
 2.  Severe  punishment  from  God  Himself  ivould  follow  their  disobedience.  He 
 had  other  agencies  at  His  command  besides  the  armies  of  Babylon,  and  would  let 
 loose  on  those  who  conspired  against  Nebuchadnezzar  "  the  sword,  the  famine,  and 
 the  pestilence ; "  and  the  destruction  these  should  effect  should  be  more  complete, 
 "  until  I  have  consumed  them." 
 
 "  Be  wise  now,  therefore,  0  ye  kings ;  be  instructed,  ye  judges  of  the  earth : 
 serve  the  Lord  with  fear,  and  rejoice  with  trembling  "  (Ps.  ii.  10,  11). 
 
 II.  Warnings  against  the  delusive  flatteries  of  false  counsellors. 
 
 Evil  teachers  would  not  be  idle  at  this  crisis :  they  moved  among  the  people 
 boastful  of  a  higher  wisdom  and  a  finer  patriotism.  Their  object  was  to  throw 
 discredit  on  Jeremiah  and  lead  the  nation  into  a  policy  of  resistance  of  Babylon. 
 
 1.  Flattery  assumes  many  forms:  prophecy,  divination,  dreams,  enchantments, 
 sorcery  (ver.  9).  It  adopts  any  aspect  which  may  beguile  the  heart.  "  Evil 
 seducers  "  are  fertile  in  resources. 
 
 2.  Flatterers  appeal  to  himian  vanity.  Nothing  could  more  foster  the  natural 
 arrogance  than  this  statement :  "Ye  shall  not  serve  the  king  of  Babylon."  Those 
 who  would  lead  us  to  disobey  God's  word  always  come  with  announcement  that 
 no  penalties  shall  folloio.     "  The  serpent  said,  Ye  shall  not  surely  die  "  (Gen.  iii.  4). 
 
 But  God  here  points  out — 
 
 a.  The  direful  residts  to  the  people  of  their  accepting  these  flattering  counsels 
 (vers.  10,  15). 
 
 b.  The  merciful  ameliorations  which  should  attend  their  regarding  God's  coun- 
 sels (vers.  11,  17). 
 
 III.  Promises  of  preservation  and  restoration  conditional  on  a  wise  sub- 
 mission. 
 
 Although  Jeremiah  held  out  no  delusive  hope  of  speedy  restoration,  but  con- 
 486 
 
HOMILETIC  COMMENTARY :  JEREMIAS. 
 
 CHAP.  XXVII. 
 
 fronted  the  false  prophets'  lying  Avords  with  condemnation  (vers.  16,  17), 
 nevertheless  he  gives  cheering  assurances  to  the  people  if  they  would  hear  God's 
 word. 
 
 1,  The  inevitahle  conaue&t  tvould  not  he  disastrous.  The  "  city  "  would  not  "  be 
 laid  waste  "  (ver.  1 7),  and  captives  with  sacred  treasures  would  be  safe  in  Babylon 
 (ver.  22). 
 
 2,  Tlie  cloerished  symhols  of  their  religion  would  he  preserved.  For  God  would 
 keep  them  from  destruction  even  in  Babylon  (vers.  19-22).  "  Both  priests  and 
 people  set  store  by  these  relics  of  a  bygone  magnificence  "  {Payne  Smith). 
 
 3,  The  cajytivity  sltould  terminate  in  their  Divinely  effected  restoration.  "  Until 
 the  day  that  /  visit  them,  saith  the  Lord ;  then  will  I  bring  them  up  and  restore 
 them  to  this  place"  (ver.  22). 
 
 COMMENTS  AND  OUTLINES  ON  CHAPTER  XXVII. 
 
 Vers.  2,  3.  Yokes  for  the  confede- 
 rate KINGS. 
 
 Notes:  The  symbol  was  appropriate, 
 inasmuch  as  their  intention  was  to  form 
 a  league  to  cast  off  from  themselves  the 
 "  yoke  "  of  Babylon. 
 
 Jeremiah  must  actually  have  worn  his 
 yoke  in  public  as  a  symbol  of  subjection 
 to  the  king  of  Babylon,  for  Hananiah 
 took  the  yoke  from  the  prophet's  neck 
 and  broke  it  (chap,  xxviii.  10, 11).  Con- 
 sequently we  must  infer  that  the  bonds 
 and  yokes  were  literally  given  to  these 
 "  messengers  "  for  their  royal  masters. 
 
 These  "yokes"  were,  in  this  instance 
 (says  Henderson),  the  collars  placed  on 
 the  necks  of  slaves  to  which  chains  were 
 attached. 
 
 Jeremiah's  task  demanded  much  moral 
 courage  and  steadfast  faith  in  God ;  for 
 his  act  would  seem  an  insult  to  these 
 foreign  ambassadors,  and  a  provocation 
 to  his  own  countrymen,  who  were  so 
 hopeful  of  resisting  Nebuchadnezzar's 
 aggression  by  this  conspiracy. 
 Note— 
 i.    Unpopidar  tasks  may  have  to  he 
 
 performed  hy  God's  servants. 
 ii.   A  blow  strtick  at  pride  may  save 
 
 men  from,  great  disasters. 
 iii.  Faithful  servants  of  God  may  have 
 to  imperil  themselves  in  averting 
 perils  from  others.  Jeremiah  had 
 to  bear  the  anger  his  mission  in- 
 curred in  endeavouring  to  rescue 
 these  confederating  kings  from 
 their  ruinous  policy. 
 
 Ver.  5.  Theme  : 
 Lord  of  Kinos. 
 
 God  the  Supreme 
 
 I.  God's  all-commanding  power  is  set 
 
 in  contrast  with  the  confederated  2^ower 
 of  these  puny  kings.  Their  combination 
 would  be  futile  to  alter  events  which  He 
 had  ordained. 
 
 II.  God's  supreme  lordship  is  af- 
 firmed as  explaining  the  temporary  as- 
 cendancy determined  for  the  Babylonish 
 monarch.  It  was  not  for  his  merits,  but 
 for  Jehovah's  purposes. 
 
 III.  God's  government  of  men  is 
 regulated  hy  moral  aims  and  is  designed 
 for  the  vindication  of  righteous  latvs.  He 
 was  now  employing  Nebuchadnezzar  to 
 chastise  pride  and  apostasy. 
 
 M.  Henry  remarks  here:  "  The  things 
 of  the  world  are  not  the  best  things,  for 
 God  often  gives  the  largest  share  of  them 
 to  bad  men,  that  are  rivals  with  Him 
 and  rebels  against  Him.  Dominion  is 
 not  founded  in  grace.  Those  Avho  have 
 not  any  colourable  title  to  eternal  happi- 
 ness may  yet  have  a  justifiable  title  to 
 their  temporal  good  things." 
 
 Ver.  5.  Theme:  Meetness  before 
 God. 
 
 "And  have  given  it  unto  whom  it 
 seemed  meet  unto  Me."  A  principle 
 rules  the  universe — the  absolute  sove- 
 reignty of  God.  Evils  come  of  acknow- 
 ledging this  in  theory  but  not  in  prac- 
 tice ;  much  loss  of  stability — repining — 
 waywardness — disobedience,  &c. 
 
 I.  God  is  the  proprietor  of  all.  He 
 tells  all  the  kings  that  He  made  all  the 
 lands  and  gave  them  all  to  one,  because 
 "  it  seemeth  meet  to  Him." 
 
 1.  Man's  forgetfulness  of  this  in  daily 
 life.    We  live  among  things,  all  of  which. 
 
 487 
 
CHAP.  XXVII. 
 
 EOMILETIC  COMMENTARY :  jEREMtAB. 
 
 have  an  Owner  higher  than  ourselves ! 
 We  do  not  trace  the  Father  in  the  gifts 
 He  surrounds  us  with. 
 
 2.  The  harmony  of  man's  being  re- 
 quires a  sense  of  dependence.  He  is  not 
 happy  till  he  realise  dependence  on  God. 
 Use  possessions  as  God's :  this  gives 
 pleasure  in  their  use. 
 
 3.  Depression  res2dts  from  stopping 
 short  of  God.  We  are  satisfied  vpith 
 nothing  till  we  see  God  in  it. 
 
 II.  Wisdom  and  sovereignty  go  to- 
 gether. "  Unto  whom  it  seemed  meet 
 unto  Me." 
 
 1.  No  comfort  to  know  we  live  under 
 an  absolute  Sovereign.  Sovereignty 
 might  be  deleterious  to  us.  But  every 
 course  of  action  He  determines  on  is  so 
 determined  becatise  of  its  true  goodness  : 
 it  is  not  arbitrary,  but  the  purpose  of 
 deliberate  wisdom. 
 
 2.  God  gives  according  to  seeming  fit- 
 ness. Our  acting  on  this  principle  often 
 proves  a  mistake.  We  err.  But  God 
 sees  deeper  than  what  seems. 
 
 III.  The  unerring  mind  of  God  :  i.e., 
 concerning  "  the  meetness  of  things." 
 The  thought  of  it  should  lead  us  to — 
 
 1.  Cultivate  an  adoring  spirit.  Avoid 
 what  the  natural  spirit  in  us  would 
 prompt  to,  viz.,  criticism  and  probable 
 discontent.  Cherish  the  song  of  Moses 
 and  the  Lamb — "  Just  and  true  are  Thy 
 ways,  Thou  King  of  saints." 
 
 2.  Best  on  Him  in  simple  belief.  With 
 an  unveiled  intelligence  sometimes,  and 
 sometimes  in  darkest  nights.  We  are 
 hidden  in  clefts  of  a  rock  when  He 
 passes  by.  If  we  want  to  see  the  rea- 
 sons, or  to  reconcile  God's  ways  with 
 our  notions,  we  shall  remain  troubled  to 
 the  end. 
 
 3.  There  is  immense  comfort  for  us  in 
 reposing  in  God's  law  of  "  meetness."  It 
 takes  you  behind  all  fogs  and  mistakes. 
 Jesus  Himself  went  there :  "  Even  so, 
 Father,  for  so  it  seemeth  good  in  Thy 
 sight."  It  assures  us  that  right  prin- 
 ciples are  at  work.  It  affirms  that  He 
 can  do  for  us,  and  give  to  us,  and  keep 
 from  us,  as  He  knows  best  for  us. 
 
 4.  The  effect  of  contemplating  this 
 "  meetness"  will  be  submission,  grounded 
 on  the  consciousness  that  there  is  no 
 injustice  being  done  us  by  God.     And 
 
 488 
 
 we  shall  submit  {a)  from  a  wise  conscious- 
 ness of  the  uselessness  of  contending  with 
 the  mind  of  God  ;  for  what  seems  right 
 to  Him  cannot  be  changed.  We  shall 
 come  to  submit,  too,  (6)  from  the  con- 
 sciousness that  all  things  are  being 
 arranged  on  deeper  principles  than  we 
 can  investigate.  We  shall  quiet  repin- 
 iugs  by  the  thought  that  my  Father  sees 
 meet,  and  therefore  I  leave  the  why  of 
 it :  there  will  be  resignation. 
 
 5.  So  with  permitted  evil. 
 
 6.  Equally  so  with  the  existence  of 
 some  mysteries — possibly  everlasting. 
 
 7.  The  satisfaction  of  the  heart  which 
 recognises  "  meetness."  For  so  "  the 
 peace  of  God  which  passeth  all  under- 
 standing shall  keep  our  hearts  and 
 minds."  "  Not  as  I  will,  but  as  Thou 
 wilt." — Constructed  and  condensed  from 
 "  Breviates"  by  Bev.  P.  B.  Bower,  M.A. 
 
 Ver.  5.  Theme:  The  Sovereignty 
 OF  God. 
 
 "/  have  made  the  earth,  the  man  and 
 the  beast  that  are  tipon  the  ground,  by 
 My  great  power  and  by  My  otitstretched 
 arm,  and  have  given  it  unto  whom  it 
 seemed  meet  unto  Me." 
 
 Divine  declaration  of  a  well-attested 
 fact,  i.e.,  the  supreme  power  of  God 
 and  the  impotency  of  man :  e.g.,  Sen- 
 nacherib (2  Kings  xix.  35-37),  "who 
 had  the  night  before  been  gathering  up 
 his  strength  like  a  proud  tower  to  dash 
 himself  against  the  towers  of  Zion. 
 When  the  morning  dawns  his  180,000 
 men  are  still  there,  with  sword  and  spear 
 and  helmet  and  streaming  banner ;  but 
 these  banners  wave  over  a  silent  camp, 
 the  trumpet  lies  beside  silent  lips — it  is 
 a  camp  of  death.  Sword  and  spear  are 
 still  intact,  but  the  arms  that  wielded 
 them  are  impotent.  The  destroying 
 angel  has  descended  at  midnight  and 
 converted  the  Assyrian  camp  into  a 
 sepulchre  ! "  Also,  e.g.,  destruction  of 
 Spanish  Armada  as  if  by  miracle. 
 
 I.  God  as  Creator.  ''  I  have  made 
 the  earth,"  &c.,  His  prerogative  to  rule, 
 to  govern,  and  to  direct. 
 
 Directing  all  the  operations  of  nature 
 to  their  proper  end.  All  things  hang 
 on  His  will  and  are  dependent  upon 
 Him.     The  starry  hosts  of  heaven  de- 
 
ffOMlLETIC  COMMENTARY:  JEREMIAH. 
 
 cftAP.  xxvir. 
 
 pending  upon  Him  for  their  course,  as 
 well  as  the  meanest  moss  or  lichen  on 
 the  ■wall  for  its  growth.  Not  only  every 
 flower,  but  every  portion  of  it — its 
 petals,  its  colour,  its  form,  its  odour — 
 are  distinct  witnesses  to  an  all-wise, 
 beneficent  Creator. 
 
 II.  As  Creator  of  all.  He  is  the 
 Father  of  all. 
 
 Hence  as  Father,  He  ruleth  with 
 authority.  And  this  authority  is  ab- 
 solute. All  men  do  not  accept  this. 
 Sin,  bold  and  impudent,  with  clenched 
 fist,  defies  the  Almighty,  and  with  blas- 
 phemy from  depraved  souls  defy  Him. 
 The  FOLLY  of  it.  God  "breaketh  down," 
 &c.  (Job  xii.  14),  as  an  absolute  Sove- 
 reign; man's  part  is  to  bow  to  His  un- 
 changeable decrees.  Pompey  boasted 
 that  with  one  stamp  of  his  foot  he  could 
 rouse  all  Italy  to  arms ;  but  God  by 
 one  word  of  His  mouth  can  summon 
 the  inhabitants  of  heaven,  earth,  and  the 
 undiscovered  worlds  to  His  aid,  or  bring 
 new  creatures  into  being  to  do  His  will. 
 
 III.  God,  as  a  Father,  ruleth  also  in 
 love.  *'  Like  as  a  father  pitieth  his  chil- 
 dren, even  so  doth  the  Lord  pity  them 
 that  fear  Him."  God's  love  to  His  people 
 is  from  everlasting  to  everlasting. 
 
 Manifestations  of  His  love  abound 
 in  the  experiences  of  all.  It  is  peren- 
 nial, permanent,  and  complete,  provid- 
 ing not  only  for  bodily  and  physical 
 requirements,  but  giving  to  the  soul  that 
 which  satisfies  its  intensest  yearnings 
 and  highest  aspirations.  He  held  back 
 not  His  Son.  "Herein  is  love,  not  that 
 we  loved  God,  but  that  He  loved  us,  and 
 sent  His  Son  to  be  the  propitiation  for 
 our  sins."  The  cross  of  Christ — the 
 noonday  of  everlasting  love,  the  meri- 
 dian splendour  of  eternal  mercy. — A. 
 Taylor. 
 
 Ver.  9.  Heathen  auguries. 
 
 "  The  enumeration  of  the  multifarious 
 means  and  methods  for  forecasting  the 
 future  is  designed  to  show  the  multitude 
 of  delusive  schemes  for  supplying  the 
 lack  of  true  and  real  divine  inspiration." 
 —Keil 
 
 Ver.  12.  Submission  to  the  des- 
 tined CONQUEROR. 
 
 Dean  Stanley  suggests  that  Jeremiah's 
 counsel  of  Zedekiah  and  Jerusalem  to 
 submit  to  Nebuchadnezzar  was,  on  his 
 part,  an  act  of  political  iwudence  to  be 
 imitated  by  Statesmen  and  Ecclesiastics, 
 who  may  be  wise  in  making  large  con- 
 cessions of  national  rights  in  times  of 
 public  emergency. 
 
 But  Bishop  Wordsworth  urges  that 
 Jeremiah's  conduct  in  giving  these  direc- 
 tions was  a  religious  duty  on  his  part, 
 since  God  had  revealed  to  him  that  the 
 nation  was  given  into  the  hands  of  Nebu- 
 chadnezzar, "  His  servant,"  on  account 
 of  their  sins,  and  they  must  submit  to 
 him  as  the  minister  and  viceregent  of 
 God. 
 
 M.  Henry  remarks :  "  Many  might 
 have  prevented  destroying  providences 
 by  humbling  themselves  under  humbling 
 providences.  It  is  better  to  take  up  a 
 light  cross  in  our  way  than  pull  a  heavier 
 one  on  our  heads." 
 
 Ver.  14.  The  prophecy  of  lies. 
 Comp.  Notes,  &c.,  on  chap.  xiv.  14. 
 
 Comments — 
 
 "The  devil  often  makes  Godh  Name 
 (ver.  15)  the  plea  for  lies  (Matt.  iv.  6 ; 
 vii.  22,  23),  the  test  by  which  to  know 
 false  prophets." — Jamieson. 
 
 "  As  many  wilfully  put  on  nooses  and 
 wish  to  be  deceived,  we  ought  to  notice 
 what  the  prophet  says  here,  that  it  is 
 our  duty  to  distinguish  the  true  from 
 the  false.  .  .  .  We  see  how  sedulously 
 and  prudently  we  ought  to  take  heed 
 lest  the  devil  shoiald  fascinate  us  by  his 
 charms,  especially  when  the  name  of  God 
 is  pretended.  .  .  .  Yet  it  is  a  grievous 
 trial,  and  much  to  be  feared,  when  im- 
 postors creep  in  and  boast  that  they  are 
 true  legitimate  prophets." — Calvin. 
 
 "  It  is  one  sign  of  our  depraved 
 natures  that  we  are  more  ready  to  be- 
 lieve lies  than  the  truth.  For  when 
 Jeremiah  and  his  colleagues  preached, 
 no  one  believed.  But  no  sooner  did 
 the  false  prophets  come  and  open  their 
 mouths,  than  all  their  discourses  must  be 
 spoken  directly  from  heaven  (Ps.  Ixxii. 
 9).  E.g.,  our  mother  Eve  :  what  God 
 said  was  of  no  account,  but  what  the 
 serpent  said  was  something  purely  ex- 
 cellent."— Cramer. 
 
 4sa 
 
CHAP.  XXVIlt. 
 
 EOMtLBTIC  COMMENTARY:  JMEMIAti. 
 
 Ver.  18.  Theme:  Prophecy  tested 
 BY  PKAYER.  "  If  they  he  prophets,  and 
 if  the  ivord  of  the  Lord  be  ivith  them,  let 
 them  noiv  make  intercession  to  the  Lord 
 of  Hosts,'"  &c. 
 
 A  scathing  test !  ''If,"  ''if"  Yes, 
 there  were  two  uncertainties ;  but  both 
 would  be  settled  effectually  by  their 
 attempting  the  task  of  intercession  with 
 God.  If  they  made  the  effort  to  open 
 their  lips  to  God,  it  would  certainly 
 seal  up  their  lips  to  men;  for  liars 
 dare  not  pray  for  the  success  of  their 
 lies. 
 
 I  Preaching  is  easier  than  praying. 
 In  some  sense  this  is  so  even  in  truthful 
 prophesying.     For — 
 
 1.  The  hearer  is  less  searching.  Man 
 is  our  listener  in  prophesying  and  preach- 
 ing, but  in  prayer  we  speak  to  God/ 
 When,  therefore,  we  address  the  ear  of 
 God,  our  words  falter  if  we  be  insin- 
 cere ;  and  we  feel  ourselves  to  be  under 
 an  Eye  which  reads  us  through  and 
 through.  This  is  not  so  when  we  only 
 address  men,  who  may  be  deceived, 
 
 2.  The  act  is  less  daring.  There  is 
 awfulness  in  an  address  by  a  sinner  to 
 God;  whereas,  oh  the  blasphemy  of 
 consciously  speaking  a  lie  direct  to 
 Him!  Who  would  not  shrink  with 
 terror?     But  a  man,  though  sinful — 
 
 ah !    though   a   deceiver — will    not    so 
 hesitate  to  speak  to  men. 
 
 II.  True  preaching  will  be  accom- 
 panied by  intercession.  No  prophet 
 of  God  will  fail  in  pleading  with  God. 
 
 1.  Solicittide  for  those  to  whom  he 
 prophesies  will  impel  him  also  to  prayer 
 on  their  behalf. 
 
 2.  /Success  as  a  preacher  depends  on 
 earnestness  in  prayer. 
 
 God's  messengers  will  be  much  with 
 Him  as  intercessors. 
 
 III.  The  twofold  direction  of  a 
 preacher's  words. 
 
 1.  Words  from  God  to  men.  For 
 *'if  they  be  prophets,"  and  it  is  equally 
 so  with  preachers,  "  the  word  of  the  Lord 
 will  be  with  them."  They  have  some- 
 thing to  say  from  God  to  their  fellows. 
 
 2.  Words  to  God  for  men,  "Let 
 them  make  intercession  to  the  Lord." 
 
 J^ote— 
 
 1.  Being  put  in  trust  with  a  word  from 
 God  makes  us  humble,  dependent,  and 
 therefore  prayerful. 
 
 2.  Confidence  in  our  message  being 
 true  renders  us  fervent  in  pleading  for 
 its  fulfilment. 
 
 3.  Insincerity  would  not  dare  adven- 
 ture before  God  with  intercessions  for 
 His  seal  to  our  words,  or  the  success  of 
 our  prophesying. 
 
 CHAPTER  XXVIIL 
 
 Critical  and  Exegetical  Notes. — For  Chronology  of  the  Chapter,  &c.,  vide  preceding 
 chapter.  The  words  (ver.  1).  "  Jn  the  heginning  of  the  reign,"  and  immediately  described  as 
 "in  the  fourth  year,"  accords  with  the  common  mode  of  reckoning  by  dividing  a  term  into 
 two  halves.  And  as  Zedekiah  reigned  eleven  years,  this  date  was  in  the  first  half — at  "the 
 heghming  "  therefore. 
 
 Personal  Allusions. — Ver.  1.  "ffananiahthesonof  Azur."  Nothing  known  of  him  ;  but  being 
 "of  Gibeon,"  one  of  the  cities  of  the  priests,  he  was  most  probably  of  the  order. 
 
 Geographical  Reference. — Ver.  1.  "  Gibeon."  A  priestly  city  (Josh.  xxi.  17  ;  1  Kings  iii.  4), 
 now  called  El-Jib,  and  situate  about  40  stadia  north-west  of  Jerusalem. 
 
 Manners  and  Customs. — Ver.  10.  "  Hananiah  took  the  yoke  from  off  the  prophet  JeremiaKe 
 neck  :"  vide  notes  on  chap.  ii.  20  ;  v.  5. 
 
 Literary  Criticisms. — Ver.  5.  "Jeremiah."  Notice  that  the  name  appears  throughout  this 
 chapter  in  its  abbreviated  form,  nvp"}';^  instead  of  •IH^P'^*.  Marked  specially  as  "  Jeremiah  the 
 prophet,"  in  order  more  strongly  to  mark  the  distinction  between  him  as  the  true  prophet  of 
 God  in  contrast  with  "  Hananiah  the  prophet." 
 
 Ver.  8.  "Evil."     Some  MSS.  give  the  reading  ^V^,  famine,  instead  of  i^^^,  calamity,  evil. 
 
 HOMILETIC  SURVEY  OF  THE  CHAPTER. 
 
 Lying  Prophecy  Distinguished  from  True. 
 
 Both  Hananiah  and  Jeremiah  are  styled  prophets.     Men  are  not  distinguished 
 from  eacli  other,  as  false  or  true,  by  a  difference  of  titles,  but  by  a  difference  of 
 
BOMILBTIC  COMMENTARY:  JEkEMtAH.  chap,  sxviir. 
 
 deeds ;  and  it  is  the  responsibility  of  hearers  to  "  try  the  spirits  "  and  choose 
 between  the  counterfeit  and  the  true. 
 
 The  effrontery  and  offensive^iess  of  Hananiah  in  selecting  such  a  scene,  and  when 
 surrounded  by  such  hearers  (ver.  1),  for  a  display  of  hisj9sez<(io-prophetic  mission  in 
 opposition  to  Jeremiah  (for  he  "  spake  unto  me;  "  it  was  a  kind  of  jjerso^ial  attack 
 on  Jeremiah),  is  in  remarkable  contrast  with  Jeremiah's  meekness  (vers.  6-9). 
 
 I.  General  characteristics  of  false  messages.  Hananiah  illustrates  the 
 ministry  of  lies  by  which  arrogant  teachers  delude  the  people. 
 
 1.  Divine  authority  is  hlaspliemously  assumed.  Hananiah  prefixes  to  his  words 
 the  most  solemn  formula  by  which  inspiration  is  claimed.  Rome  equally  dares  to 
 speak  in  the  Name  of  God.  Lying  teachers  always  fortify  their  theories  by  an 
 imposing  seriousness  and  confidence  which  tends  to  deceive  the  simple. 
 
 2.  False  messages  are  usually  pleasant  to  their  hearers  (vers.  2-4).  Possibly 
 Hananiah  may  have  fostered  this  pleasant  prospect  within  himself  until  he  imagined 
 its  truth.  "  Deceiving  and  being  deceived."  Bad  men,  and  they  who  neglect 
 salvation,  who  wish  good  as  the  issue  of  a  life  of  evil,  find  it  possible  to  persuade 
 themselves  that  good  cometh.  And  false  prophets  are  always  at  hand  to  quiet 
 fear  and  lull  apprehension. 
 
 3.  Ext7'eme  emphasis  is  needed  to  make  doubtful  messages  seem  really  true  (vers. 
 10,  11).  A  lie  needs  strong  language  to  make  it  sound  like  truth.  Hananiah  had  to 
 act  with  startling  boldness  in  order  to  keep  up  his  delusion.  Deceivers  are  driven  to 
 great  daring,  in  word  and  deed,  in  order  to  encourage  the  credulity  they  entice. 
 
 4.  Defeat  ultimately  covers  the  false  prophet  with  shame.  The  lying  words  fail 
 in  fulfilment  (vers.  8,  9) ;  and  the  righteous  judgment  of  God  asserts  itself  in 
 their  personal  destruction  (vers.  15-17). 
 
 II.  Distinguishing  features  of  true  prophecy.  Jeremiah  represents  here  the 
 faithful  teacher  of  Divine  oracles  and  salutary  truths. 
 
 1.  The  2yeople's  present  good  is  tenderly  desired.  Even  though  the  pleasant  mes- 
 sages are  false,  he  would  gladly  say,  "  Amen,  the  Lord  do  so,"  to  all  words  of 
 hope.  The  prophet  of  God  may  not  be  able  to  predict  good,  yet  he  would  fain 
 do  so  if  he  dared  \  for  he  wishes  only  the  well-being  even  of  those  against  whom  he 
 witnesses  in  God's  name.     (Comp.  chap.  viii.  21.) 
 
 2.  Yet,  no  delusion  can  he  permitted.  He  may  not  say,  "  Peace,  peace,  when 
 there  is  no  peace."  And  he  is  too  fully  convinced  of  the  falsity  of  alluring  hopes 
 to  sanction  them  (vers.  7-9).  If  houses  are  being  reared  on  sands,  he  must  foretell 
 the  destroying  storm. 
 
 3.  God\  oivn  message,  however  unwelcome,  mtist  he  proclaimed  (vers.  12-14)  ;  even 
 though  it  tell  of  "  yokes  of  iron  "  and  tyrannical  despotism.  To  soften  down  God's 
 terrible  messages  into  "  smooth  things  "  is  a  crime  against  fidelity  to  God  and  duty 
 to  man. 
 
 4.  Liars  must  he  refuted  by  the  messenger  of  trtdh  (ver.  15).  This  is  no  task  to 
 be  coveted,  and  it  requires  courage  ;  but  false  leaders  have  to  be  "  withstood  to  the 
 face,"  and  told  frankly  that  they  lie  !  Paul  thus  withstood  Peter,  and  Luther  thus 
 withstood  the  Pope  and  his  emissaries,  and  honest  believers  have  ever  since  had 
 like  services  to  perform.  Deceivers  must  be  met  in  personal  confutation  and  their 
 heresies  demolished. 
 
 5.  Vindication  is  on  the  side  of  truth  (ver.  1 7).  Jeremiah  thus  received  another 
 Divine  assurance  of  his  mission,  and  an  additional  encouragement  to  prosecute  his 
 work  with  confidence  and  boldness  as  the  prophet  of  JehovaL 
 
 COMMENTS  AND  HOMILETIC  OUTLINES  ON  CHAPTER  XXVIII. 
 
 3.    Within  tivo  full  years.     Pro- 
 his  period  was  fixed  by  Hananiah 
 in  the  belief  that  the  international  con- 
 
 Ver.  3.    Within  tivo  full  years.     Pro-      federacy  being  formed  would  within  that 
 bably  this  period  was  fixed  by  Hananiah      time  defeat  Nebuchadnezzar. 
 
 491 
 
CHAP.  xxvm. 
 
 SOMILETIC  COMMENTARY:  JEREMIAH. 
 
 Ver.  11.  Theme:  Self  in  Service. 
 "And  the  prophet  Jeremiah  ivent  his 
 tvay." 
 
 This,  compared  with  xxvi.  14,  leads 
 ii>  the  same  truth ;  laying  aside  of  "  self  " 
 in  God's  service  when  called  upon  to 
 give  testimony  for  Him.  Hatianiah 
 takes  the  yoke,  breaks  it,  thus  discredits 
 Jeremiah's  prophecy  in  the  presence  of 
 the  people,  yet  all  we  read  is — "  Jeremiah 
 went  his  way."  Left  it  to  God  to  vindi- 
 cate His  own  honour;  which  He  soon 
 did  very  terribly. 
 
 So  before  the  princes  (in  xxvi.)  he 
 tells  out  uncompromisingly  all  the  truth, 
 though  he  knew  he  did  it  at  the  peril 
 of  his  life.  He  was  not  insensible  to 
 suffering,  still  himself — he  was  nothing. 
 He  tells  them  that  if  they  slay  him  they 
 will  bring  innocent  blood  upon  them,  and 
 there  leaves  the  matter.  This  suggests — 
 
 I.  The  complete  abnegation  of  self 
 in  service. 
 
 1.  There  is  a  period  in  the  Christian 
 life  when  the  existence  of  "self"  is 
 unsuspected.  Then  we  mistake  its  ener- 
 gies for  those  of  the  spiritual  life.  We 
 may  carry  on  the  Lord's  work  without 
 suspicion  as  to  the  principle  on  which 
 we  carry  it  on. 
 
 2.  Further  on,  there  occurs  a  partial 
 detection  of  "  self."  The  Spirit  of  God 
 has  led  us  onward  in  our  education, 
 partly  purified  our  mental  vision,  raised 
 our  standard,  made  us  watchful,  dis- 
 trustful of  "  self." 
 
 3.  It  is  a  more  advanced  stage  when 
 we  see  "  self"  enough  to  dread  it  greatly  ; 
 see  it  to  be  ever  intrusive,  substituting 
 mean  and  low  motives. 
 
 4.  Yet  higher,  when  we  have  attained 
 to  such  knowledge  of  "self"  that  we 
 xvar  with  it  and  repress  it,  yet  know 
 that  we  shall  never  be  wholly  done  with 
 it  till  heavenly  life  be  gained. 
 
 II.  See  the  workings  of  "self"  in 
 service.  The  wrong  workings  of  "  self." 
 Much  we  do  may  be  from  mere  natural 
 f  eeUng  ;  nothing  of  God  in  it ;  and  work 
 that  seems  earnest  and  true  may  be  the 
 gratification  of  natural  energy.  Allowing 
 "  self  "  thus  to  influence  us,  we  shall  be 
 subject  to  its  disturbing  influences — 
 
 1.  Self-love  will  he  easily  wounded  by 
 the  opposition  which  metts  us. 
 ■102 
 
 2.  Our  judgment  will  he  ivarped  hy 
 personal  feeling  and  our  self-interests 
 being  imported, 
 
 3.  ^^Self"  ivill  drive  us  too  far;  we 
 shall  not  know  when  "  to  go  our  way  ;" 
 we  shall  be  for  seeing  more  than  the 
 case  requires ;  for  passing  beyond  testi- 
 mony for  God  to  testimony  for  our- 
 selves ;  wanting  to  secure  our  own 
 honour  and  importance. 
 
 We  cannot  separate  ourselves  from  our 
 service ;  what  we  are  will  tell  on  it. 
 Failure  in  service  is  generally  the  conse- 
 quence of  failure  in  "  self."  And  "  self  " 
 can  gratify  itself  upon  what  was  ori- 
 ginally God's:  because  His  message  1 
 rejected  we  look  upon  the  case  as  if  xvt 
 were  rejected,  and  then  lose  sight  of  the 
 grievous  injury  done  to  God  in  the 
 apparent  one  done  to  us  ! 
 
 All  denominational  rancour  comes  of 
 the  wrong  operation  of  "  self"  in  service. 
 It  leads  to  the  confounding  persons  with 
 principles.  And  our  imperfections  bring 
 the  cause  of  God  into  disrepute. 
 
 Ill  The  expulsion  of  "self"  from 
 service. 
 
 1.  How  TO  BE  DONE  ?  This  is  a  work 
 of  degrees. 
 
 (1.)  By  enlightenment  of  the  Holy 
 Ghost;  showing  a  man  himself,  and 
 where  "  self  "  works  ill  results. 
 
 (2.)  By  sympathy  with  Christ.  This 
 will  make  "  self  "  fall  out  of  prominence. 
 
 (3.)  By  learning  our  own  insignificance. 
 We  have  inflated  thoughts  of  our  own 
 self-importance. 
 
 (4.)  We  need  realisation  that  we  are 
 simply  instruments  ;  persons  to  be  used. 
 We  sometimes  act  as  if  all  were  by  us 
 and  for  us ;  the  cause  and  object  of  all. 
 
 2.  Happy  residts  ioillflow. 
 
 (1.)  We  shall  leave  things  toithout 
 middle  pushing.  Do  what  is  needful,  and 
 then  have  faith  in  truth  that  it  will  act 
 by  its  own  weight.  Truth  put  in  front, 
 we  shall  retire  avoiding  undue  promi- 
 nence of  ourselves,  which  often  offends 
 men  and  mars  our  work. 
 
 2.  We  shall  leave  our  sayings  and 
 doings /or  God  to  fructify.  Much  has 
 to  be  left  before  they  will  fructify ;  left 
 to  themselves  and  to  God.  As  with  the 
 sower,  seeds  spring  up  "  he  kuoweth  not 
 how." 
 
nOMTLETIO  COMMENTARY:  JEREMIAH. 
 
 CTAP.  XXVTTT. 
 
 (3. )  Restlessness  of  self  is  thus  quieted  ; 
 we  wait  the  order  of  events,  not  grasping 
 an  unripened  harvest. 
 
 (4.)  We  must  7iot  think  God's  affairs 
 suffer  because  we  have  to  "go  our  way." 
 When  we  have  gone,  He  remains.  Often 
 the  consciousness  of  having  borne  testi- 
 mony is  all  we  can  attain  to  ;  all  we  can 
 do ;  all  we  are  required  to  do  :  we  may 
 "go  our  way." 
 
 IV.  "Self"  has  a  right  place  in 
 service. 
 
 1.  Our  energies  and  faculties  were 
 given  to  us  for  use.  Jesus  could  assert 
 Himself  :  as  in  the  Temple  when  He 
 drove  out  the  money-changers.  Jeremiah 
 returned,  when  his  "  yoke  of  wood  "  was 
 broken,  with  a  "  yoke  of  iron." 
 
 2.  Yet,  in  all  the  energy  which  circum- 
 stances may  require,  the  action  of  mere 
 human  feeling  need  not  be  seen.  That 
 which  is  truly  for  God  will  commend 
 itself  as  such.  Consecrated  "self,"  taught 
 by  the  Holy  Ghost,  will  show  that  there 
 is  a  time  for  every  purpose  under  heaven  ; 
 a  time  to  keep  silence  as  well  as  to 
 Bpeak,  a  time  to  act  and  testify,  and 
 also  a  time  "  <o  go  our  loai/.^' — Con- 
 structed and  condensed  from  "  Breviates,'' 
 ly  Rev.  P.  B.  Power,  M.A. 
 
 Ver.  13.  Theme:  The  Two  Yokes. 
 "  Thus  saith  the  Lord,  Thou  hast  broken 
 the  yokes  of  wood,  btit  thou  shalt  make 
 for  them  yokes  of  iron." 
 
 Jeremiah  taught  by  symbols  :  hid  his 
 mantle  in  the  earth,  broke  earthen  pot, 
 &c.  The  preacher  to-day  would  evoke 
 harsh  criticism  if  he  ventured  on  any 
 such  symbolic  action. 
 
 Opposition  of  false  prophets  assailed 
 him.  Always  so.  If  there  be  a  Christ, 
 there  will  arise  an  Antichrist;  if  a  Simon 
 Peter,  there  will  arise  a  Simon  Magus ; 
 if  a  Luther,  an  Eckius.  Yet  the  gates 
 of  hell  shall  not  prevail  against  the 
 Gospel,  mighty  though  the  sophistries  of 
 opponents  be. 
 
 i.  Men  must  wear  some  yoke.  In 
 every  stage  of  life — childhood,  youth, 
 manhood ;  and  in  every  station  of  life — 
 servants,  masters,  &c. 
 
 1.  God  has  made  and  sustains  us, 
 and  asks  that  we  submit  to  His  tvill. 
 
 2.  With   our  passions   and   propen- 
 
 sities, if  we  break  the  yoke  it  is  meet 
 we  should  wear,  and  do  not  serve 
 God,  we  at  once  bend  our  necks  to 
 another  yoke  and  serve  slavishly  our 
 own  selves. 
 
 II.  Christ's  yoke  is  an  easy  one  to 
 wear.    Only  as  a  "  yoke  of  wood." 
 
 1.  The  yoke  of  Christ  is  a  right  one. 
 Serve  Jesus  Christ,  and  it  is  found  that 
 the  Christian  law  is  perfection  itself. 
 
 2.  The  yoke  of  Christ  is  framed  in 
 our  interest.  To  believe  in  Christ  is 
 the  highest  wisdom  ;  to  repent  of  sin  is 
 the  most  delightful  necessity ;  to  follow 
 after  holiness  is  the  most  blissful  pur- 
 suit ;  to  become  a  servant  of  Christ  is 
 to  be  made  a  king  and  priest  unto  God. 
 His  is  a  blessed  life. 
 
 3.  Christ's  yoke  is  not  exacting.  He, 
 in  His  grace,  always  gives  us  of  His 
 bounty  when  He  asks  of  us  our  duty. 
 A  sinner  must  believe  ;  it  is  his  own  act ; 
 the  Holy  Spirit  never  believes  for  any- 
 body, yet  the  Holy  Spirit  gives  the 
 faith  which  the  man  exercises  towards 
 God.  He  must  repent;  yet  Christ  is 
 exalted  to  "  give  repentance." 
 
 4.  It  is  an  easy  yoke.  Never  did  a 
 man  wear  it  but  he  always  loved  to 
 wear  it.  The  life  of  a  Christian  is  not 
 chafed  and  galled  by  vexatious  prohibi- 
 tions. Though  the  duties  of  holiness 
 are  irksome  to  men  who  are  not  holy, 
 grace  makes  the  heart  rejoice  in  it.  See 
 Addenda:  "Christ's  Yoke  Easy." 
 
 5.  The  bright  example  of  Christ  makes 
 the  yoke  pleasant  to  bear.  He  Himself 
 has  carried  the  very  yoke  we  bear,  and 
 we  have  blessed  fellowship  with  Him 
 in  this.  See  Addenda :  "  Christ's  Ex- 
 ample." 
 
 6.  All  who  have  borne  Christ's  yoke 
 have  had  grace  given  equal  to  the  weight 
 of  the  burden.  Never  heard  a  com- 
 plaint of  aged  Christian  against  Christ 
 or  against  His  yoke.  Wolsey  regretted 
 that  he  had  not  "  served  God  with  half 
 the  zeal  he  had  served  his  king,"  but 
 none  has  ever  bewailed  the  zeal  with 
 which  he  followed  Christ ! 
 
 7.  Christians  who  have  borne  this 
 yoke  always  desire  to  get  their  children 
 into  it.  They  long  that  their  sons  also 
 may  serve  the  Lord.  Often  men  say, 
 "  I  do  not  want  my  sons  to  follow  my 
 
 493 
 
CHA-P.  XXVITI. 
 
 HOMJLETIC  COMMENTARY :  JEREMIAH. 
 
 trade,  it  is  wearying,  its  pay  is  small," 
 &c. 
 
 III.  Those  who  refuse  Christ's  easy 
 yoke  will  have  to  wear  a  worse  one. 
 "Yokes  of  iron." 
 
 Adam  wore  an  easy  yoke  in  Paradise : 
 he  broke  it,  and  himself  and  his  posterity 
 had  to  wear  "  iron  yohes  "  ever  since. 
 
 1.  Turning  from  the  right  road,  from 
 the  cry  of  rectitude,  because  it  threatens 
 shame  or  loss,  will  entail  vaster  after- 
 losses. 
 
 2.  Backsliders,  by  putting  ofif  the  yoke 
 of  Christianity,  have  not  improved  their 
 condition. 
 
 3.  They  who  refuse  the  Bible  and 
 folloiv  tradition.  Do  these  perverts  of 
 the  true  Christian  religion  get  an  easier 
 yoke  ?  No ;  there  are  penances  and 
 mortifications,  &c. 
 
 4.  Tlhe  self-righteous  who  attempt  to 
 work  their  own  way  to  heaven.  Self- 
 righteousness  is  an  iron  yoke  indeed. 
 
 5.  Unbelievers,  who  will  not  believe 
 the  simple  revelation  of  God,  presently 
 find  themselves  committed  to  systematic 
 misbeliefs,  which  distract  reason,  op- 
 press the  heart,  and  trammel  the  con- 
 science. 
 
 6.  Lovers  of  pleasure.  Pleasure  often 
 means  lust,  and  gaiety  means  crime  ; 
 and  self-indulgence  brings  beggary  and 
 degradation. 
 
 In  the  last  tremendous  day  of  Christ's 
 coming  to  judgment,  the  Christian's  yoke 
 will  be  as  a  chain  of  gold  about  his  neck; 
 but  sin,  pleasure,  will  be  as  an  iron  yoke, 
 a  burden  of  enslaving  woe, — C.  H. 
 Spurgeon. 
 
 Ver.  15.  Theme:  Trust  Placed  in 
 Lies.  "  The  Lord  hath  not  sent  thee ; 
 but  thou  makest  this  people  to  trust 
 in  a  lie." 
 
 I.  Vastness  of  individual  influence. 
 •'  Thou  makest  this  peojole,"  &c.  For 
 good  or  ill. 
 
 II.  Dastardly  cruelty  of  deception. 
 Like  the  leading  of  unsuspecting  children 
 along  a  flowery  path  to  a  precipice. 
 "Makest  them  trust  in  a  lief" 
 
 III.  Perilous  readiness  to  rely  on 
 fair  words.  Not  merely  to  listen,  or  to 
 find  pleasure  in  hearing,  but  to  "  trust." 
 Man  is  stupidly  incautious.     The  syren's 
 
 404 
 
 song  charms  him,  so  he  trusts  her  lead- 
 ing, goes  after  her  even  to  death  ! 
 
 IV.  Appalling  arrogance  of  falsity. 
 "  The  Lord  hath  not  sent  thee,  yet,"  &c. 
 Without  any  Divine  commission,  never- 
 theless Hananiah  assumed  the  airs  and 
 wielded  the  influence  of  a  messenger  of 
 God. 
 
 V.  Conflict  of  falsehood  with  truth. 
 "  Thou  makest  them  trust  in  a  lie, 
 though  the  Lord  hath  not  sent  thee." 
 
 1.  It  was  war  against  the  true  word 
 of  God. 
 
 2.  It  was  siiccessful  conflict  with  truth- 
 ful teaching. 
 
 3.  It  illustrates  the  lying  ministry 
 ivhich  has  been  in  all  ages  active. 
 
 4.  It  shows  the  hindrances  amid 
 ivhich  God's  messengers  work. 
 
 Ver,  16.  Theme:  The  Solemn  Warn- 
 ing.    "  TJiis  year  thou  shall  die." 
 
 That  we  must  die  is  certain,  but  the 
 hour  is  hid.  Yet,  if  some  prophet  could 
 open  to  us  the  Divine  decrees,  it  is  quite 
 possible  one  or  other  of  us  would  see 
 this  sentence. 
 
 I.  Possibility  of  this  event.  This 
 year  we  may  die. 
 
 1.  For  our  life  is  the  greatest  uncer- 
 tainty in  the  world  (James  iv.  13,  14). 
 
 2.  Because  thousands  have  died  the 
 last  year  (Eccles.  iii.  2,  "  a  time  to  die  "). 
 
 3.  Thousands  will  certainly  die  this 
 year,  and  we  may  be  of  the  number. 
 
 4.  Though  we  be  young ;  for  the 
 regions  of  the  dead  are  crowded  with 
 those  who  have  died  in  youth. 
 
 5.  Though  we  have  not  finished  our 
 education. 
 
 6.  Though  we  be  in  health  and 
 vigour. 
 
 7.  Though  we  be  full  of  business. 
 
 8.  Though  we  be  not  prepared  for  it. 
 
 9.  Though  we  deliberately  delay  pre- 
 paration. 
 
 10.  Though  we  be  unwilling  to  admit 
 the  thought. 
 
 11.  Though  we  may  strongly  hope 
 the  contrary. 
 
 12.  Though  we  promise  ourselves 
 many  years  of  pleasure  (Luke  xii.  19,  20). 
 
 II.  Important  consequences  should 
 we  die  this  year. 
 
 1.  If  we  die  unpardoned,  unrenewed, 
 
UOMILETIC  COMMENTARY:  JEREMIAR. 
 
 CHAP.  XXVIII. 
 
 we  should  be  for  ever  cut  off  from  the 
 pleasures  of  this  present  life. 
 
 2.  We  shall  have  no  pleasures  to 
 substitute  for  those  -we  lose, 
 
 3.  All  our  hopes,  as  to  the  present 
 life,  -will  for  ever  perish. 
 
 4.  We  shall  be  deprived  for  ever  of 
 all  the  means  of  salvation  (Eccles.  ix.  10). 
 
 5.  All  our  hopes  of  heaven  will 
 eternally  vanish  (Prov.  xi.  7). 
 
 To  conclude — 
 
 i.  How  awful  the  thought  of  dying  if 
 we  are  yet  in  our  sins  !  Let  us  use  the 
 interval  for  salvation. 
 
 ii.  How  pleasing  the  thought,  and 
 how  happy  the  consequences,  if  we  are 
 believers  in  Christ,  that  eternal  redemp- 
 tion is  so  near  ! — Hannam. 
 
 Theme :  On  the  New  Year.  "  This 
 year  thou  shalt  die." 
 
 The  unexpected  death  of  this  false 
 prophet  is  an  instance  of  the  extra- 
 ordinary interposition  of  the  Almighty. 
 But  the  event  holds  lessons  of  universal 
 extent  and  application — 
 
 1.  That  it  is  "  in  God  we  live  and 
 move  and  have  our  being." 
 
 ii.  That  the  period  of  death  of  each 
 individual  is  known  to  and  appointed 
 by  Him. 
 
 Observe — 
 
 I.  This  sentence  is  doubtless  expres- 
 sive of  the  decision  of  God  concerning 
 many  this  year. 
 
 1.  The  page  of  history  affords  no 
 record  of  a  single  year  in  which  death 
 desisted  from  his  work  of  destruction,  or 
 the  insatiable  grave  said,  "  It  is  enough." 
 More  than  twenty  millions  die  every  year. 
 
 2.  The  last  year  of  many  is  now  com- 
 menced. The  aged;  bowed  down  with 
 the  weight  of  years,  &c.  In  the  meri- 
 dian of  life,  though  bound  to  earth  by 
 tenderest  associations.  Thousands  in 
 the  very  morning  of  life,  though  hearts 
 beat  high  with  hope,  &c. 
 
 3.  Various  are  the  means  hy  which 
 God's  desigii  tvill  be  executed :  through 
 the  failure  of  nature  ;  sickness ;  acci- 
 dents ;  after  protracted  illness ;  sud- 
 denly and  without  warning ;  retire  at 
 night  to  rest  but  called  into  eternity 
 before  morning  ;  or  leave  their  homes  in 
 the  morning  never  more  to  return  alive. 
 
 II.  No  individual  can  be  certain 
 that  this  does  not  express  God's  decision 
 concerning  himself. 
 
 1.  Utterly  impossible  for  us  to  know 
 who  are,  or  who  are  not,  included  in 
 God's  appointments. 
 
 2.  The  circumstances  of  some  render 
 it  most  probable  that  this  year  will  be 
 their  last — the  old,  the  infirm,  &c. 
 
 3.  Doubtless,  those  who  think  least 
 of  death,  and  confidently  reckon  on 
 future  years,  will  find  this  sentence 
 fulfilled. 
 
 III.  It  is  the  duty  and  interest  of 
 all  to  use  wisely  the  gracious  hours 
 they  enjoy. 
 
 1.  A  solemn  question  arises  :  What 
 is  it  to  die  ?  Not  merely  to  cease  from 
 cheering  scenes  of  earth,  &c.,  but  to 
 pass  from  this  state  of  being  into  the 
 immediate  presence  of  our  Maker  and 
 Judge  to  "give  account"  (2  Cor.  v.  10). 
 It  is  to  be  rewarded,  (Eev.  vii.  14)  or 
 doomed  (Mark  ix.  49). 
 
 2.  Surely  it  is  the  duty  of  each  to 
 ask.  Am  I  prepared  to  die  ?  The  word 
 of  God  declares  that  "except  ye  repent," 
 &c,  (Luke  xiii.  3) ;  "that  he  who  helieveth 
 not,"  &c.  (Mark  xvi.  16) ;  that  "  without 
 holiness,^'  &c.  (Heb.  xxii.  14);  that 
 "  except  horn  of  the  Spirit,"  &c.  (John 
 iii.  5).  Let  each  ask.  Am  I  thus  pre- 
 pared ? 
 
 3.  Let  this  year  be  commenced  with 
 earnest  prejxtration.  Never  can  a  more 
 favourable  opportunity  present  itself. — 
 J.  Bunter,  A.D.  1828. 
 
 See  Addenda:  The  Average  of 
 Life. 
 
 ADDENDA  TO  CHAP.  XXVIII. :  ILLUSTRATIONS  AND  SUGGESTIVE  EXTRACTS. 
 
 Ver.  13.  Christ's  YOKE  easy.  Queen 
 Elizabeth  carried  the  crown  in  the  pro- 
 cession of  her  sister  Mary  at  the  coro- 
 nation, and  she  remarked  that  it  tvas 
 very  heavy  ;  but  some  one  standing  by 
 
 told  her  it  would  not  be  heavy  when 
 she  had  to  tvear  it  herself  So  the 
 precepts  which  some  men  do  but  carry 
 in  their  hands  seem  very  heavy ;  but 
 when  a  man  comes  to  know  Christ  and 
 
 495 
 
CHAP.  ■^•HTS. 
 
 TJOMTTT^TJC  COMMrNTAllY:  JBREMTAR. 
 
 to  love  Him,  those  very  precepts  become 
 light  and  easy. — Spurgeon. 
 
 A  man  shall  carry  a  bucket  of  water 
 on  his  head  and  be  very  tired  of  the 
 burden  ;  but  the  same  man  when  he 
 dives  into  the  sea  shall  have  thousands 
 of  buckets  on  his  head  without  per- 
 ceiving their  weight,  because  he  is  in 
 the  element  and  it  entirely  surrounds 
 him.  The  duties  of  holiness  are  very 
 irksome  to  men  who  are  not  in  the 
 element  of  holiness;  but  when  once 
 those  men  are  cast  into  the  element  of 
 grace,  then  they  bear  ten  times  more  and 
 feel  no  weight,  but  are  refreshed  thereby 
 with  joy  unspeakable. — Spurgeon. 
 
 Christ's  example.  Have  you  never 
 read  in  Grecian  story  how  the  Grecian 
 soldiers  on  their  long  marches  grew 
 exceedingly  weary,  and  wished  that 
 the  war  were  closed,  they  felt  so 
 dispirited  1  But  there  was  a  man  whom 
 they  almost  adored  as  a  god — Alexander 
 himself,  and  they  saw  him  always  shar- 
 ing their  toil.  If  the  road  was  rough, 
 the  monarch  walked  with  them  ;  if  they 
 were  short  of  water,  Alexander  would 
 share  their  thirst.  At  the  sight  of  him 
 every  man  grew  strong.  Oh !  it  is 
 grand  to  the  believer  to  feel  that,  if 
 there  be  a  trial  or  a  difficulty  in  the 
 Christian  life,  Christ  has  borne  it,  and 
 Christ  is  with  us  bearing  it  still. 
 
 Ver.  16.  The  average  of  life.  "  The 
 average  of  life  has  altered.  If  a  man 
 now  lives  a  hundred  years,  we  go  miles 
 to  see  him.  There  is  but  one  apple 
 where  there  were  five  blossoms.  The 
 sexton  rings  the  bell  merrily  at  first ;  at 
 last  he  tolls  it. 
 
 "  Men  in  these  days  undergo  suffer- 
 ing, and  great  wear  and  tear  of  brain 
 and  physical  powers.  Not  one  of  the 
 hundreds  of  the  brainworkers  use  any 
 moderation.  Of  printers,  few  ever  live 
 to  fifty.  The  watchmaher  shortens  his 
 own  life  as  he  measures  the  hours  and 
 minutes  for  others.  The  chemist  breathes 
 in  death.  The  shoemaker  wears  out  his 
 life  at  the  last.  HhQ  foundry  man  breathes 
 in  filings.  The  miller  breathes  in  dust 
 as  he  toils  at  the  grist.  The  mason  digs 
 his  own  grave  with  his  trowel.  What 
 you  do,  do  quickly;  "for  this  year  thou 
 shall  die^—T.  De  Witt  Talmage,  D.D., 
 A.D.  1872. 
 
 The  j>ast  is  a  dream, 
 IhQ  future  a  breath, 
 The  present  a  gleam 
 From  birth  unto  death. 
 
 -Oriental. 
 
 "  Men  should  strive  to  live  well,  not  to  live 
 long." — Earl  of  Stirling. 
 
 "  Then  let  us  fill 
 This  little  interval,  this  pause  of  life, 
 With  all  the  virtues  we  can  crowd  into  it." 
 — Addison. 
 
 CHAPTER  XXIX. 
 
 Critical  and  Exegetical  Notes. — 1.  Chronology  of  the  Chapter. — This  letter  and  its 
 transmission  are  usually  dated  the  fourth  year  of  Zedekiah's  reign  (because  of  chap,  xxviii.  1), 
 but  ver.  2  of  this  chapter  rather  points  to  a  somewhat  earlier  date,  possibly  the  first  or  second 
 year  of  Zedekiah  ;  for  Zedekiah  himself  had  to  go  in  his  fourth  year  (chap.  li.  59),  and  it  is 
 probable  therefore  that  this  embassy  was  a  year  or  two  earlier. 
 
 2.  Contemporary  Scriptures. — 2  Chron.  xxxvi.  14-21  ;  Ezek.  xvii.  11-21. 
 
 3.  National  Affairs. — -An  embassy  sent  from  Zedekiah  to  the  king  of  Babylon.  Its  object 
 unknown  ;  but  not  unlikely  to  carry  the  tribute  he  was  under  bond  to  pay  Nebuchadnezzar 
 (2  Chron.  xxxvi.  13),  and  possibly  to  delude  him  by  renewed  pledges  of  obedience  when  he  was 
 conspiring,  with  the  kings  of  other  nations,  to  rebel  against  him  (chap,  xxvii.  3). 
 
 4.  Contemporaneous  History. — See  notes  on  chap.  xxi. 
 
 5.  Personal  Allusions. — Ver.  3.  "  Elasah."  Most  probably  brother  of  Ahikam  (see  note 
 chap.  xsvi.  24),  and  would  consequently  be  favourably  received  at  the  Chaldean  court.  Ver.  4. 
 "  Gemariah  the  son  of  Bilkiah."  Hilkiah  was  the  priest  who  found  the  law  in  the  house  of  the 
 Lord  and  showed  it  to  Shaphan  the  scribe,  who  showed  it  to  Josiah  the  king  (2  Kings  xxii.  8). 
 Different  person  from  the  Gemariah  of  Jer.  xxxvi.  25.  Ver.  21.  "  Ahab,  son  of  Kolaiah,  and 
 Zedekiah,  son  of  Maaseiah."  Two  false  prophets  who  traded  upon  the  wishes  and  credulity  of  the 
 Babylonian  captives,  provoking  them  to  revolt  against  Nebuchadnezzar,  and  were  therefore 
 cast  into  the  "  burning  fiery  furnace  "  (comp.  Dan.  iii.  6).  Ver.  24.  "  Shemaiah  the  Nehelamite." 
 This  Shemaiah  would  seem  to  have  been  the  leader  of  these  false  prophets  at  Babylon,  for  ho 
 wrote  the  letter  in  their  name  against  Jeremiah.  Ver.  25.  "  Zephaniah  the  son  of  Maaseiah  " 
 (see  on  xxi.  1).     He  was  the  "second  priest,"  the  mierf,  deputy  "in  the  stead  of  Jehoiadathe 
 
 496 
 
HOMILETIQ  COMMENTARY:  JEREMIAH.  chap.  xxix. 
 
 priest"  (ver.  26),  and  in  this  office  he  controlled  the  civil  force  which  guarded  the  Temple. 
 Ver.  26,  "  Jehoiada  the  priest."  Supposed  by  some  to  be  the  same  conspicuous  and  influential 
 Jehoiada  of  king  Joash's  reign  (2  Kings  xi.  15  ;  2  Chron.  xxiii.  16) ;  but  as  both  Jehoiada  and 
 Zephaniah  are  in  this  verse  called  "  oflicers  in  the  house  of  the  Lord,"  i.e.,  paUds,  deputy  high- 
 priests,  the  supposition  falls. 
 
 6.  Geographical  References.— Ver.  24.  "The  Nehdamite,"  i.e.,  belonging  to  the  village  of 
 Nehlam.  A  place  of  similar  name  existed  somewhere  between  the  Jordan  and  the  Euphrates 
 (comp.  2  Sam.  x.  16,  17)  ;  called  there  the  "  Helam  "  or  Chelam,  and  here  Ne-chelam. 
 
 7.  Literary  Criticisms.— Ver.  2.  "  'The  queen."  Nehushta,  the  queen-mother  (comp.  xii.  18). 
 Ver,  11.  "An  expected  end."  nnn>?,  lit.,  last,  i.e.,  issue  or  future— "  a  future  and  a  hope," 
 Ver.  12.  "  Ye  shall  go  and  pray  unto  Mc."  Probably  a  Hebrew  idiom  for  repeated  and  frequent 
 prayer  (Michaelis) ;  but  better,  going  to  the  place  of  prayer.  Ver.  17.  "  Like  vile  Jigs."  The 
 adjective  comes  from  11?^^^  to  shudder.  Ver.  18.  "Deliver  them  to  be  removed:"  vide  note  on 
 chap.  XV.  4,  p.  314.  Though  a  different  word  from  "  vile,"  shuddering,  there  is  a  play  on  the 
 sense  of  that  word  in  the  word  rendered  "removed"  (ver.  18),  "make  them  a,  shuddering." 
 Ver,  22,  A  curse,  T\bbp_,  Another  ringing  on  the  form  of  words.  This  "curse,"  kelalah, 
 should  be  associated  with  the  conduct  of  "  the  son  of  Kolaiah  "  (ver,  21),  ilvlp  whom  Nebu- 
 chadnezzar "  roasted  "  u?\^j  kalam,  in  the  fire.  Ver.  24.  "  Nehelatnite: "  in  margin,  dreamer;  but 
 this  is  an  error,  for  the  word  {vide  Geographical  Reference  above)  is  a  name  of  a  place, 
 though  it  closely  resembles  the  word  Clialam,  "  dreamer,"  which  Jeremiah  so  often  uses 
 (see  ver,  8). 
 
 HOMILIES  AND  OUTLINES  ON  CHAPTER  XXIX. 
 
 A  Eevolutionaky  Epoch. 
 
 Zedekiah's  was  certainly  an  uneasy  throne.  At  home  the  people  were  restless, 
 the  priests  and  princes  eager  to  revolt.  And  in  Babylon  (to  whose  monarch  he 
 was  tributary,  and  whither  the  flower  of  the  Jewish  nation  had  already  been 
 carried)  the  Chaldees  were  probably  irritated,  as  the  Romans  were  in  later  times, 
 at  the  determination  of  the  Jews  never  to  submit  quietly  to  a  foreign  rule  ;  while, 
 also,  there  was  the  same  ferment  among  the  Jews  in  Babylon  as  there  was  among 
 those  in  Jerusalem,  To  quell  this  ferment  among  the  exiles,  he  sent  letters  assuring 
 them  that  the  captivity  would  continue  for  seventy  years,  and  urging  them  to 
 settle  down  calmly  and  wisely,  to  make  themselves  homes,  and  give  themselves  to 
 ittdustry  and  commerce.  His  words  found  acceptance  there,  but  the  false  prophets 
 in  Jerusalem  did  their  utmost  to  thwart  Jeremiah's  aim,  and  to  stir  among  the 
 exiles  resistance  to  his  influence. 
 
 Ver.  1.  Theme :  Messages  to  Exiles,  is  to  them  a  source  of  permanent  en- 
 
 "  Now  these  are  the  words  of  the  letter  couragement, 
 
 Jeremiah  sent  from  Jerusalem  to  the  God  looks  after  His  afflicted  and  scat- 
 residue  of  the  elders  which  were  carried  tered  servants.  He  moved  the  Apostles 
 away  captives."  James  and  Peter  to  write  Epistles  to 
 
 This  was  a  letter  from  Jeremiah  to  the  twelve  tribes  scattered  abroad.  John, 
 the  captives  and  exiles,  far  from  Jeru-  when  banished  from  Ephesus  to  Patmos, 
 salem  their  happy  home.  They  were  was  favoured  with  high  revelations  from 
 then  what  we  are  now,  strangers  and  God,  During  the  seventy  years'  cap- 
 pilgrims — exiles;  and  the  directions  tivity,  Daniel  was  raised  up  to  be  a 
 given  to  them  may  be  fitly  applied  by  living  consolation  to  the  exiles ;  and 
 us.  The  captives  would  find  very  real  here  Jeremiah  is  directed  to  write  a 
 consolations  in  this  letter  from  the  pro-  letter  to  them  by  express  command  of 
 phet  whom  God  inspired  to  write  it,  God,      This  proves  to  us  that  in  the 
 
 I.  The  very  fact  that  a  message  was  severest  ways  of  justice  God  does  not 
 
 sent  to  them  under  an  express  Divine  forget  His  own  children,   but   has  in 
 
 appointment   was   consolatory.     And  reserve   ample   consolations   for   them, 
 
 this  may  teach  us  that,  wherevey.  God's  when  they  lie  under  the  common  judg- 
 
 children  are  scattered,  the  written  word  ment. 
 
 2 1  497 
 
CHAP.  XXTX. 
 
 nOMILETIC  COMMENTARY :  JEREMIAH. 
 
 A  man  would  have  thought  that  these 
 were  driven  away  from  God's  care 
 when  they  were  driven  out  from  the 
 sanctuary,  but  Ezekiel  tells  a  different 
 tale  (Ezek,  xi.  16)  :  ^' I  ivill  be  a  little 
 sanctuary  in  all  countries  ivhither  they 
 come."  They  at  Jerusalem,  it  seems,  had 
 the  Temple,  but  without  God  •  they  at 
 Babylon  shall  have  God,  but  without 
 the  Temple.  He  applies  seasonable 
 comforts  under  discouraging  provi- 
 dences, and  is  bent  upon  making  up 
 His  jewels  though  they  seem  scattered 
 and  lost.  God  gives  a  command  to 
 Mbab  :  "  Let  Mine  outcasts  diuell  luith 
 thee,  Moab." 
 
 II.  The  particular  Providence  of 
 God,  appearing  on  their  behalf  under 
 all  their  calamities,  was  a  source  of 
 consolation. 
 
 He  is  the  Loi'd  of  Hosts,  of  all  the 
 armies  above  and  below,  and  yet  is  the 
 God  of  Israel ;  and  though  He  permits 
 their  captivity,  He  does  not  break  His 
 relation  to  them — their  covenant-God 
 still,  though  under  a  cloud. 
 
 He  assumes  the  active  agency  in  their 
 dispersion.  "  /  have  caused  them  to  be 
 carried  away."  Their  sins  were  the  pr'o- 
 curing  cause  of  their  dispersion  ;  Nebu- 
 chadnezzar was  the  instrumented  cause, 
 but  God  Himself  Avas  the  efficient  and 
 disposing  cause.  "  Is  there  evil  in  the 
 city  and  I  have  not  done  it  ? "  He 
 asserts  the  strictness  of  His  justice, 
 visiting  the  sins  of  His  own  people  upon 
 them.  Certainly  it  must  be  a  great  sin 
 which  induces  a  loving  father  to  cast 
 his  child  out  of  doors.  But  sin  is  a 
 great  scatterer,  and  is  always  followed 
 by  a  driving  away  and  a  casting  out. 
 It  drove  the  angels  from  heaven,  Adam 
 from  Paradise,  Cain  from  the  boundaries 
 of  the  visible  Church,  and  the  children 
 of  Israel  from  their  much-loved  dwellings 
 in  Zion.  Your  houses  will  be  weary  of 
 you  when  you  dishonour  God  in  them, 
 and  you  may  live  to  be  driven  from 
 those  comforts  which  you  abuse  to 
 excess. 
 
 Yet  the  fact  of  God's  being  the  agent 
 in  their  dispersion  is  referred  to  as  a 
 ground  of  consolation ;  since  it  reconciles 
 us  to  our  troubles  to  see  the  hand  of 
 God  in  them,  and  to  trace  an  all-gracious 
 498 
 
 and  merciful  design  in  them.  "  I  was 
 dumb  because  Thott  didst  it."  "  He  that 
 scattered  Israel  shall  gather  him." 
 
 III.  The  promise  of  the  stability 
 and  security  of  their  social  and  do- 
 mestic interests  was  given.  They 
 were  promised  "peace  in  the  peace  of 
 Babylon,"  and  were  forbidden  to  plot  and 
 intrigue  against  its  political  interests. 
 They  were  not  to  be  known  as  agitators, 
 or  ringleaders  of  revolt,  but  as  peaceful 
 citizens.  And  it  is  a  fact  that  they  were 
 treated  more  like  colonists  than  captives : 
 "  He  made  them  pitied  of  those  who  car- 
 ried them  captive."  If  they  were  to  "pray 
 for  the  peace"  of  Babylon,  much  more 
 should  we  for  the  welfare  of  our  own 
 country. 
 
 The  permanence  and  maintenance  of 
 their  domestic  interests  were  provided 
 for.  "  Build  ye  houses  and  plant  gar- 
 dens ;  tahe  ivives  for  your  sons,  that  ye 
 may  be  increased  and  not  diminished^' 
 This  is  just  contrary  to  God's  command 
 to  Jeremiah  (xvi.  3)  in  Jerusalem,  be- 
 cause then  the  country  was  on  the  eve 
 of  convulsion,  but  now  they  were  in- 
 formed of  a  long  captivity.  Had  God 
 given  the  hope  of  speedy  return,  their 
 minds  would  have  been  unsettled  and 
 uneasy ;  they  would  have  applied  to  no 
 business,  taken  no  comfort ;  but  they 
 were  given  to  calculate  on  long  absence 
 from  home. 
 
 Scripture  deals  honestly  by  us.  It 
 tells  us  that  through  much  tribulation 
 we  enter  the  kingdom.  "  In  every  place 
 the  Spirit  testifies  that  bonds  and  im- 
 prisonments await  us."  It  tells  us  where 
 comfort  cannot  be  found,  and  where  our 
 peace  is  securely  laid  up :  "  In  Me  ye 
 shall  have  peace." 
 
 IV.  The  prospect  of  a  certain  and 
 favourable  issue  to  their  trials. 
 
 "  Thoughts  of  peace  and  not  of  evil  " 
 (ver.  11).— S.  Thodey,  a.d.  1834. 
 
 Ver.  2.  Jeconiah's  Captivity.  Ne- 
 buchadnezzar, in  the  first  half  of  his 
 reign  (b.c.  606-562),  repeatedly  invaded 
 Judea,  besieged  Jerusalem,  carried  away 
 the  inhabitants  to  Babylon,  and  de- 
 stroyed the  city  and  Temple.  Two 
 distinct  deportations  are  mentioned  in 
 2    Kings  xxiv.    14    (including    10,000 
 
HOMILETIC  COMMENTARY :  JEREMIAH. 
 
 CHAP.  XXIX. 
 
 persons),  xxxv.  11;  one  in  2  Chron. 
 xxxvi.  20 ;  three  in  Jer.  lii.  28-30  (in- 
 cluding 4600  persons) ;  and  one  in 
 Dan.  i.  3.  The  tivo  principal  deporta- 
 tions were — 
 
 i.  That  which  took  place  B.C.  598, 
 when  Jehoiachim,  with  all  the  nobles, 
 soldiers,  and  artificers  were  carried  away; 
 and 
 
 ii.  That  which  followed  the  destruc- 
 tion of  the  Temple  and  the  capture  of 
 Zedekiah,  B.c.  588. — ^^  Captivities  of  the 
 Jews  "  {Dr.  Smith). 
 
 Ver.  7.  Theme:  Christian  Patriot- 
 ism. "And  seek  the  peace  of  the  city 
 whither  I  have  catised  i/oit  to  be  carried 
 away  captives,  and  pray  unto  the  Lord 
 for  it ;  for  in  the  peace  thereof  shall  ye 
 have  peace." 
 
 The  case  of  these  people  does  not 
 exactly  correspond  with  ours,  but  the 
 difference  should  heighten  our  obliga- 
 tions. Ought  we  not  to  seek  the  good 
 of  our  native  land — the  land  of  our 
 fathers'  sepulchres — the  land  where  we 
 are  protected  by  mild  and  wholesome 
 laws,  where  civil  and  religious  freedom 
 are  enjoyed  in  a  higher  degree  than  in 
 any  other  country  in  Europe ;  a  land 
 where  God  has  been  known  for  many 
 centuries  as  a  refuge ;  a  land  where 
 there  are  greater  opportunities  for  pro- 
 pagating the  Gospel,  at  home  and  abroad, 
 than  in  any  other  land  under  heaven  ? 
 
 I.  Inquire  into  the  duty  of  religious 
 people  towards  their  country.  "  Seek 
 the  peace  of  the  city.'"  The  word  "  peace  " 
 here  means  prosperity  in  general. 
 
 We  should  therefore  seek  our  nation's 
 welfare.     Then — 
 
 1.  We  shall  do  nothing,  and  join  in 
 nothing,  that  tends  to  distu7'h  its  peace  or 
 hinder  its  welfare ;  e.g.,  conspiracies,  in- 
 flammatory speeches,  sow  discontent  and 
 disaffection,  depreciate  those  who  govern 
 in  a  way  so  as  to  bring  government  into 
 contempt. 
 
 2.  Bo  everything  in  our  power  to  pro- 
 mote its  welfare;  e.g.,  a  cheerful  obedience 
 to  the  laws,  respect  for  those  who  frame 
 and  execute  them,  ready  co-operation  in 
 beneficent  measures. 
 
 3.  That  we  pray  the  Lord  on  its  behalf. 
 Though   banished   from  their   Temple, 
 
 these  exiles  had  access  to  their  God. 
 All  our  depe7idence,  as  a  nation,  is  upon 
 God ;  and  therefore  we  should  importune 
 Him.  Further,  there  is  a  load  of  guilt 
 U2)on  our  country,  and  we  should  there- 
 fore supplicate  mercy  on  its  behalf. 
 
 II.  The  motives  by  which  these 
 duties  are  enforced. 
 
 1.  The  interests  of  individuals  and 
 families  are  closely  connected  with  those 
 of  a  country. 
 
 2.  Our  interests  as  Christians  are 
 interwoven  with  the  well-being  of  our 
 country.  What  our  advantages  are  we 
 should  know  to  our  grief  were  we  once 
 to  lose  them. 
 
 3.  Should  the  young  be  called  upon 
 to  take  tip  arms  for  our  country's  de- 
 fence, every  one  of  us,  parent,  wife,  or 
 friend,  will  (if  we  can  pray  for  anything) 
 importune  the  Lord  of  hosts  to  cover 
 their  heads  in  the  day  of  battle. — Rev. 
 Andreiv  Fuller  (delivered  at  Kettering, 
 in  1803,  at  a  time  of  threatened  inva- 
 sion). 
 
 Theme:  The  best  Christians  the 
 BEST  Citizens. 
 
 I.  They  know  that  the  prosperity  of 
 the  whole  is  their  own  prosperity.  They 
 do  not,  therefore,  selfishly  seek  their 
 own  advantage. 
 
 II.  They  actually  labour  with  all 
 diligence  for  the  furtherance  of  the 
 common  good. 
 
 III.  They  employ  for  this  end  the 
 power  of  Christian  prayer. — Naegelshach. 
 
 Theme :  The  Duties  of  Christians 
 TO  their  Country. 
 
 I.  What  are  the  things  absolutely 
 necessary  to  the  security  and  pros- 
 perity, the  true  glory  and  happiness,  of 
 our  country  ? 
 
 1.  The  true  honour  of  a  nation,  like 
 that  of  the  individual,  lies  in  character. 
 President  Quincy  affirms :  "  Human 
 happiness  has  no  perfect  security  but 
 freedom ;  freedom,  none  but  virtue ; 
 virtue,  none  but  knowledge ;  neither 
 freedom  nor  virtue  has  any  vigour  or 
 immortal  hope  except  in  the  principles 
 of  the  Christian  faith  and  in  the  sanc- 
 tions of  the  Christian  religion." 
 
 2.  The  security  and  prosperity  of  our 
 
 499 
 
CHAP.  XXIX. 
 
 HOMILETIC  COMMENTARY :  JEREMIAH. 
 
 nation  are  inseparably  associated  with 
 the  advancement  of  religion  among  the 
 people. 
 
 II.  What  are  the  best  means  for 
 securing  those  things  which  are  essential 
 to  our  country's  highest  welfare  % 
 
 1.  General  diffusion  of  ediLcaiion. 
 "  Education  is  a  better  safeguard  of 
 liberty  than  a  standing  army." 
 
 2.  Equally  essential  that  the  people 
 be  virtuous.  Knowledge  is  power,  but 
 unsanctified  power  is  power  for  evil. 
 
 3.  The  general  distribution  of  the 
 Bible.  The  Bible  is  the  great  instru- 
 ment for  enlightening  the  conscience  and 
 purifying  the  heart. 
 
 4.  Preaching  the  Gospel.  Our  nature 
 is  a  wreck,  a  chaos,  which  the  cross  of 
 Christ  alone  can  adjust. 
 
 5.  Prayer.  See  2  Chron.  vii.  13, 
 14;  Ps.  cvi.  23;  Exod.  xxxii.  10,  &c. 
 John  Knox,  the  great  Scottish  reformer, 
 prayed — "  Give  me  Scotland,  or  else  I 
 die."  Queen  Mary  said  she  feared  his 
 prayers  more  than  an  army  of  10,000 
 men !  (See  Addenda:  Pkayer  for  one's 
 OWN  Country.) 
 
 III.  What  arguments  may  enforce 
 the  duties  of  personal  and  combined 
 activity  in  seeking  the  highest  good  of 
 our  land  ? 
 
 1.  Because  our  own  individual  good  is 
 intimately  connected  with  its  general 
 happiness  and  prosperity.  "  For  in  the 
 peace  thereof  ye  shall  have  peace." 
 
 2.  We  shall  thereby  recommend  the 
 religion  we  profess. 
 
 3.  The  work  of  supplying  our  land 
 with  the  preached  Gospel  and  with 
 religious  institutions  is  the  most  im- 
 portant work  to  which  Christians  can 
 devote  their  energies.  —  Rev.  Samuel 
 Baker,  D.D.,  Philadelphia,  1864. 
 
 Vers.  8,  9.  Deceiving  Prophets.  See 
 on  chap.  xiv.  14;  xxiii.  21 ;  xxvii.  14, 
 15. 
 
 Vers.  10-14.  Theme:  Gracious 
 Purposes  op  Grievous  Punishments. 
 In  the  text  four  things : — The  certain 
 punishment  of  sin.  The  certain  fulfil- 
 ment of  God's  gracious  purposes.  The 
 certain  issue  of  sanctified  afflictions. 
 500 
 
 The  certain  acceptance  of  fervent  devo- 
 tions. 
 
 I.  The  certain  punishment  of  sin. 
 
 "After  seventy  years  be  accomplished 
 in  Babylon  I  will  visit  you."  But 
 seventy  years  must  be  accomplished.  And 
 mark,  this  threatening  was  fulfilled  to- 
 wards the  most  pious  of  God's  people 
 among  the  Jews,  as  well  as  the  most 
 impious.  "  One  event  happeneth  to  all." 
 "  The  soul  that  sinneth,"  &c. 
 
 The  blood  of  Christ,  applied  by  faith, 
 delivers  from  the  curse  of  sin  hereafter, 
 but  the  consequences  of  sin  are  often 
 bitterly  felt  by  God's  people  here.  It  is 
 the  law  of  Divine  dispensations  that  sin 
 should  bring  sorrow ;  and  it  is  the 
 tendency  of  Divine  grace  to  make  sin 
 appear  exceeding  sinful.  Job  and  David 
 and  Hezekiah  and  Peter,  even  though 
 through  rich  grace  their  sins  were  for- 
 given and  their  hopes  were  restored, 
 found  that  it  was  "an  evil  thing  and 
 bitter  to  sin  against  God ;  "  and  in  the 
 text  the  pious  Jews  equally  with  their 
 irreligious  countrymen  endured  captivity 
 in  Babylon  seventy  years. 
 
 As  the  shadow  follows  the  body,  so 
 does  anguish  attend  upon  sin.  We  may 
 advance  towards  sin  with  pleasure  in  our 
 eye,  but  when  we  return  it  is  with  sorrow 
 and  repentance  in  our  heart. 
 
 II.  The  certain  fulfilment  of  God's 
 gracious  purposes.  "I  will  visit  and 
 perform  My  good  word.  For  I  know 
 the  thoughts,"  &c.  The  '■^ good  word" 
 was  the  word  of  promise  of  deliverance 
 from  captivity,  and  the  coming  and  reign 
 of  Christ. 
 
 It  is  the  mercy  of  the  penitent  sinner, 
 it  is  the  comfort  of  the  humblest  believer, 
 that  God  is  as  true  to  His  promises  as 
 to  His  threatenings — as  faithful  to  the 
 declarations  of  the  covenant  of  His  grace 
 as  He  is  to  the  sentence  of  His  holy 
 law — as  ready  to  listen  to  the  voice  of 
 the  blood  of  sprinkling  as  He  was  to 
 listen  to  the  voice  of  the  blood  of  Abel. 
 God  will  perform  His  good  word  to  the 
 humblest  spirit  that  has  sought  and 
 found  rest  at  the  foot  of  the  cross.  No 
 sin  will  be  our  ruin  which  leads  us  to 
 Christ  for  salvation.  It  is  His  own 
 language.  "/,  even  I,  am  He,"  and 
 "  Come  now,  and  let  us  reason." 
 
HOMILETIC  COMMENTARY:  JEREMIAH. 
 
 CHAP,  XXIX. 
 
 *'/  hiow  the  thouglits  —  thoughts  of 
 peace."  God  often  thinks  thoughts  of 
 peace,  when  we  suppose  He  thinks 
 thoughts  of  evil.  He  occupies  Himself 
 in  merciful  thoughts  concerning  their 
 spiritual  peace  of  mind  now  and  their 
 eternal  peace  hereafter. 
 
 The  issue  is  to  give  you  "  an  expected 
 end"  —  a  very  desirable  one.  ^^  The 
 Lord  ivill  perfect  that  which  concerneth;" 
 *'  But  the  God  of  all  grace"  &c. 
 
 Apply  it  to  Christ,  the  expected 
 Messiah,  in  whom  all  God's  thoughts  of 
 peace  concerning  His  people  issue.  He 
 is  the  Alpha  and  Omega,  the  beginning 
 and  the  end  of  all  things.  Of  all  things 
 in  creation;  "for  all  things  were  made 
 by  and  for  Him."  All  things  in  Scrip- 
 ure:  prophecies,  promises,  types,  cere- 
 monies, sacrifices,  "  the  end  of  the  law." 
 Salvation  hy  Christ  now  and  happiness 
 with  Christ  hereafter  is  the  end  of  all 
 God's  gracious  purposes  and  designs — 
 the  end  of  the  covenant  of  grace — the 
 end  of  God's  providential  dispensations 
 — and  the  end  of  the  toils  and  conflicts 
 of  the  Christian  life.  It  is  an  end,  an 
 issue,  contemplated  by  faith,  and  ivaited 
 for  by  believers;  "a?i  expected  end" 
 ^^ receiving  the  end  of  yoxt^r  faith"  &c. 
 And  it  is  freely  bestowed — thankfully 
 received — as  a  grace-gift.  •'  By  grace 
 ye;"  "/  ivill  perform  My  good  ivord;" 
 ^^ Heaven  and  earth  may  pass  away,"  &c. 
 
 III.  The  certain  issue  of  sanctified 
 afflictions  (ver.  12).  "Then  shall  ye 
 call  and  go  and  pray,  and  I  will  hearken." 
 We  cannot  have  a  better  proof  of  sanc- 
 tified afflictions  than  when  a  spirit  of 
 prayer  is  poured  out — when  we  are 
 brought  to  our  knees  —  taught  the 
 futility  of  broken  dependencies — taught 
 to  find  our  happiness  and  all  in  God. 
 Distrust  of  ourselves — dependence  on 
 Christ — confidence  in  God — humility  in 
 His  presence — submission  to  His  will — 
 and  a  delight  in  communion  with  Him 
 — these  mark  growth  in  grace. 
 
 IV.  The  certain  acceptance  of  fer- 
 vent prayer.  "  Seek  and  find  Me  .  .  . 
 whole  heart"  (ver.  13).  True  of  for- 
 giveness of  sin — support  in  trouble — 
 deliverance.  We  must  be  earnest  and 
 fervent,  or  shall  have  but  a  cold  answer. 
 He  that  asks  with  a  doubting  mind  and 
 
 wavering  lazy  desire,  begs  for  nothing 
 but  to  be  denied.  God  gives  His  people 
 what  they  ask,  or  better.  We  beg  for 
 removal  of  present  sadness  —  but  He 
 gives  that  which  makes  us  able  to  bear 
 twenty  sadnesses,  a  cheerful  spirit,  peace- 
 ful conscience,  joy  in  God,  the  antepast 
 of  eternal  rejoicings  in  His  kingdom. 
 Remember  how  great  a  God  you  go 
 to,  how  great  a  need  you  have,  how 
 great  a  thing  you  pray  for. — S.  Thodey, 
 A.D.  1827. 
 
 Ver.  11.  Theme:  God's  Gracious 
 Thoughts. 
 
 Near  disasters  clearly  realised  (ver, 
 10) ;  yet  future  good  confidently  antici- 
 pated. As  God  would  be  in  their  cala- 
 mities, for  He  will  punish  sin,  so  He 
 designed  their  deliverance,  for  "  He  will 
 not  always  chide,  neither  keep  His  anger 
 for  ever." 
 
 I.  The  Lord  has  "thoughts"  con- 
 cerning His  people.  Yes  !  "  Thoughts 
 of  peace  and  not  of  evil."  *'  How 
 preciotis  also  are  Thy  thoughts  !  "  True : 
 for  "as  the  heavens  are  high  above  the 
 earth,  so  are  Thy  thoughts  above  our 
 thoughts,"  &c.     So  then — 
 
 i.  The  Most  High  hows  to  the  things 
 done  upon  the  earth.  Yes,  and  further: 
 He  forms  intentions  respecting  them. 
 And  specially :  He  attentively  regards 
 manhind  to  divide  between  His  p)eople 
 and  their  adversaries ;  discerns  between 
 our  struggles,  alarms,  prayers,  tears,  &c., 
 and  the  scorn  and  oppression  of  those 
 hostile  to  i;s, 
 
 ii.  He  thinlcs  about  us  !  Is  not  in- 
 difi'erent,  but  intently  concerned ;  our 
 case  occupies  His  thoughts.  Benevolent 
 people  will  give  to  the  poor,  but  oiot 
 thinh  about  the  pleader.  But  God  takes 
 us  up  into  His  "  thoughts,"  "  I  am 
 poor  and  needy,  yet  the  Lord  thinketh 
 upon  me ! " 
 
 1.  God  has  "  thoughts  "  of  our  present 
 condition.  "  Remembers  us  in  our  low 
 estate." 
 
 2.  "Thoughts,"  too,  of  our  coming 
 calamities  (ver,  10),  "In  the  world  ye 
 shall  have  tribulation,"  &c. 
 
 3.  But  "thoughts"  also  of  owx  future 
 deliverance  and  happiness. 
 
 II.  The    Lords    thoughts  will  be 
 501 
 
CHAP.  XXIX. 
 
 EOMILETIC  COMMENTARY :  JEREMIAH. 
 
 wrought    out    into    accomplishment. 
 
 These  thoughts  of  God  were — 
 
 a.   Unrecognised  by  His  people^ s  foes. 
 
 They  act  as  if  we  were  friendless.     God 
 
 is  not  in  their  thoughts. 
 
 h.    Unhindered  by  the  world's  designs. 
 
 What  foes  intend  against  us,  and  may 
 
 do,  does  not  alter   nor   impede  God's 
 
 designs. 
 
 1.  God's  "  thoughts  "  were  not  hioivn 
 to  lis  till  we  were  enlightened.  His  mes- 
 sengers taught,  but  "we  would  not  hear." 
 
 2.  How  then  should  aliens  know  the 
 thoughts  of  God*?  Even  "the  servant 
 knoweth  not  what  his  lord  doeth  ;  "  how 
 should  foes  1  "  The  natural  man  under- 
 standeth  not  the  things  of  the  Spirit  of 
 God,"  &c. 
 
 III.  Adversaries  know  not  against 
 what  Divine  "thoughts"  and  in- 
 tentions they  strive.  When  they 
 would  injure  us  ;  "He  that  toucheth 
 you  toucheth  the  apple  of  His  eye." 
 Often  they  conspire  against  us;  but  "if 
 this  thing  be  not  of  God  it  cannot 
 stand."  Gladly  would  hostile  powers 
 condemn  us ;  but  "  who  is  he  that 
 condemneth  ?  Christ  hath  died,  yea, 
 rather  is  risen  again ;  who  is  even  at 
 the  right  hand  of  God." 
 
 Eemember  how  "Satan  stood  at  God's 
 right  hand  to  resist "  Joshiia ;  and  the 
 Lord  answered,  "  The  Lord  rebuke  thee, 
 Satan,"  &c. 
 
 Think  of  Balaam,  whom  Balak  would 
 have  to  curse  Israel :  "  How  can  I  curse 
 whom  God  hath  blessed  % " 
 
 1.  It  cannot  be  done.  Adversaries 
 intend  ruin  ;  but  God  has  preceded  their 
 malice  by  His  gracious  designs  !  Human 
 passion  cannot  reverse  the  Divine  pur- 
 pose. 
 
 2.  Gods  "  thoughts  "  shall  stand.  He 
 thinks  of  us  ivith  love ;  and  "  I  am 
 persuaded  nothing  shall  separate  us  from 
 the  love  of  God,"  &c.  He  intends  our 
 redemption :  and  "  whom  He  called, 
 them  justified,  glorified."  He  means, 
 we  shall  have  a  glad  futxire :  and 
 "Because  I  live  ye  shall  live  also." 
 
 Hints :   Thoughts   of  Peace.     We 
 must  wait  for  their  realisation  ;  for  the 
 Lord   delays  this,  but  does  not   forget 
 it.  — Naer/elshach. 
 502 
 
 "  Whereupon  is  our  hope  of  peace 
 based  ? 
 
 1.  Objectively  upon  this,  that  the 
 Lord  Himself  has  thoughts  of  peace  con- 
 cerning us. 
 
 2.  Subjectively  on  this,  that  we  {a) 
 call  upon  and  seek  the  Lord  with  all  our 
 hearts,  (b)  patiently  wait  for  a  time  of 
 hearing." — Naegelsbach. 
 
 "  The  moral  malady  of  man  is  two- 
 fold :  at  one  time  vain  confidence,  then, 
 when  that  is  disappointed,  despair.  So 
 the  Jews  first  laughed  at  God's  threats, 
 confident  that  they  should  speedily 
 return  ;  then,  when  cast  down  from  that 
 confidence,  they  sank  into  inconsolable 
 despondency." — Jamiesoii. 
 
 Ver.  1 2.  "  Ye  shall  go  and  pray  unto 
 Me,  and  I  will  hearken  imto  you." 
 Fulfilled  Dan.  ix.  3,  &c.  When  God 
 designs  mercy.  He  puts  it  into  the 
 hearts  of  His  people  to  pray  for  the 
 mercy  designed.  When  such  a  spirit 
 of  prayer  is  poured  out  it  is  a  sure  sign 
 of  coming  blessings. 
 
 Ver.  13.  Theme:  Good  news  for  True 
 Seekers.  Some  lament  they  have 
 been  seeking  God  for  months,  but  are 
 still  unable  to  praise  Him.  But  always 
 conclude  that  if  a  particular  promise  of 
 God  does  not  turn  out  true  to  you,  there 
 is  something  in  you  to  hinder  it. 
 
 I.  The  quality  required  in  every 
 true  seeker.  It  is  wholeheartedness : 
 "  Search  for  Me  with  all  your  heart."  In 
 order  to  this  there  must  be 
 
 1.  An  undivided  object  in  the  seeker's 
 mind.  "  Ye  shall  seek  Me  and  find  Me 
 when  ye  shall  search  for  J/e,"  &c.  Yes ; 
 "  Oh  that  I  knew  where  I  might  find 
 Him  !  "  Shake  off  all  attention  to  self 
 No  reservation  must  be  made  for  the 
 gratification  of  pride. 
 
 2.  "  With  all  thy  heart "  means  with 
 the  eiitire  faculties  of  our  being.  Rouse 
 thy  understanding.  Use  memory  and  con- 
 science.    Bring  thy  ivill  into  the  effort. 
 
 3.  It  mainly  signifies  aroused  energy. 
 Getting  out  of  that  dull,  sluggish,  in- 
 different spirit  which  is  so  common ; 
 being  resolute,  importunate. 
 
 II.  The  reasons  for  this  whole- 
 heartedness being  required — 
 
aOMlLETIC  COMMENTARY :  JEREMIAH. 
 
 CHAP.  xxi:^. 
 
 1.  111  every  other  j^iu'sidt,  where  the 
 object  is  at  all  worthy  of  a  man's  efforts, 
 wholeheartedness  is  required. 
 
 2.  The  danger  from  which  %ve  need 
 to  esca2)e  is  so  great  that  the  utmost 
 earnestness  is  none  too  much. 
 
 3.  Look,  moreover,  at  the  greatness 
 of  the  mercy  thou  art  seeking. 
 
 4.  Everybody  else  is  in  earnest :  Satan, 
 to  ruin  thee  ;  Christ,  to  save  thee,  &c. 
 
 5.  You  have  been  wholehearted  enough 
 in  the  ways  of  sin. 
 
 6.  How  can  there  be  anything  true 
 ahout  your  seeking  if  it  be  not  whole- 
 hearted 1 
 
 7.  That  ivhich  you  seek,  if  you  obtain 
 it,  is  a  tvholehearted  thing. 
 
 8.  The  believer's  obedience  is  whole- 
 hearted (Ps.  cxix.  69). 
 
 III.  Hindrances  to  a  wholehearted 
 search. 
 
 1.  Presumption.  "  Because  God  wants 
 us  saved,  we  need  not  make  much  effort." 
 Or,  "  Salvation  is  so  simple,  any  day 
 will  do  to  attend  to  it,  "  &c. 
 
 2.  Remaining  self-  confident.  They 
 think  there  is  at  least  a  little  good  about 
 themselves. 
 
 3.  Despair.  Some  do  not  believe 
 you  can  be  forgiven,  &c. 
 
 4.  The  conduct  of  Christian  jyrofessors. 
 
 — G.  H.  Spitrgeo7i,  a.d.  1876. 
 
 Compare  Homilies  on  chap.  xxiv.  7. 
 
 Ver.  14,  Gathering  the  exiles 
 HOME.  See  on  chap.  iv.  1 ;  xxiii.  3  ; 
 xxiv.  5. 
 
 Vers.  15-19.  Comp,  xxiv.  8-10; 
 xvii.  13,  &c. 
 
 Ver.  22.  "  Whom  Nebuchadnezzar 
 roasted  in  thefii'e." 
 
 Daniel's  record  of  the  punishment 
 threatened  against  all  who  refused  to 
 "  worship  the  image  Nebuchadnezzar  the 
 king  set  up,"  is  that  "  whoso  falleth  not 
 down  and  worshippeth  shall  the  same 
 hour  be  cast  into  the  midst  of  the  burn- 
 ing fiery  furnace  "  (Dan.  iii.  6). 
 
 "  Here  was  the  warrant  for  that  iniqui- 
 tous barbarity — the  burning  of  heretics. 
 It  originated  in  Babylon.  '  The  Lord 
 make  thee  like  Zedekiah  and  like  Ahab, 
 whom  the  king  of  Babylon  roasted  in 
 the  fire.'  It  is,  at  least,  impressive  to 
 recall  how  Rome  used  this  same  hate- 
 ful and  hellish  weapon  of  vengeance, 
 and  that  too  for  the  same  godless  pur- 
 pose, namely,  to  subject  the  souls  of  men 
 to  her  idolatry,  burning  as  heretics 
 those  who  refused  to  worship  her  image  ; 
 thus  emphatically  identifying  herself 
 with  the  '  Babylon '  whose  cruelty  and 
 sins  the  Apocalypse  portrays,  and 
 against  whom  the  most  solemn  curses 
 of  Heaven  are  pronounced." — Crowds 
 of  the  Bible  (pp.  55,  56),  by  Rev.  W.  H. 
 Jellie. 
 
 Ver.  24,  seq.  Jeremiah's  second 
 letter  to  THE  EXILES.  The  messen- 
 gers (ver.  3)  of  the  first  letter  brought 
 back  a  strong  protest  from  the  false 
 prophet  Shemaiah  directed  to  Zepha- 
 niah,  condemnatory  of  Jeremiah  for 
 pronouncing  the  captivity  "long"  (ver. 
 28),  and  reproving  the  authorities  for 
 their  supineness  in  not  apprehending 
 him,  urging  Zephaniah  to  put  him  "  in 
 prison  and  in  the  stocks  "  (ver.  27). 
 
 Zephaniah,  instead  of  lending  him- 
 self to  be  the  instrument  of  their  rage, 
 showed  the  letter  to  Jeremiah  (ver.  29). 
 
 Whereupon  Jeremiah  again  wrote  the 
 exiles,  "  the  word  of  the  Lord,"  in  which 
 Shemaiah  was  denounced  as — 
 
 1.  Falsely  assuming  to  be  Jehovah's 
 prophet  (ver.  31). 
 
 2.  Misleading  the  credidoiis  hopes  of 
 the  exiles,  "causing  them  to  trust  in  a 
 lie."  For  which  crime  there  is  pro- 
 phesied— 
 
 1 .  Punishment  from  God  upon  himself 
 and  his  seed. 
 
 2.  Comjylete  extinction  of  his  family 
 line,  "  because  he  hath  taught  rebellion 
 against  the  Lord."  See  on  chap  xxviii. 
 16. 
 
 ADDENDA  TO  CHAP.  XXTX.  :  ILLUSTRATIONS  AND  SUGGESTIVE  EXTRACTS. 
 
 Ver.  7.  Prayer  for  one's  own 
 COUNTRY.  John  Knox  used  to  be  in 
 such  agony  for  the  deliverance  of  his 
 country  that  he  could  not  sleep.     He 
 
 had  a  place  in  his  garden  where  he  used 
 to  go  to  pray.  One  night  he  and 
 several  friends  were  praying  together, 
 and,  as  they  prayed,  Knox  spoke,  deolar-^ 
 
 503 
 
fcHAP.  XXX. 
 
 EOMILETIC  COMMENTARY:  JEREMIAB. 
 
 ing  tliat  deliverance  had  come.  He 
 explained  that  he  could  not  tell  what 
 had  happened,  but  he  felt  sure  that  in 
 some  way  their  prayers  had  been 
 answered.  And  the  next  news  informed 
 them  that  their  enemy,  Mary  Queen  of 
 Scotland,  was  dead. 
 
 At  one  time  during  the  Lutheran  re- 
 formation, soon  after  the  conference  of 
 Augsburg  in  1530,  when  the  Reformer's 
 cause  looked  mournful,  Melancthon,  with 
 Luther  and  other  divines,  met  to  con- 
 sult about  the  situation ;  and,  after 
 spending  some  time  in  prayer  to  God, 
 Melancthon  was  suddenly  called  out  of 
 the  room,  from  which  he  retired  heavily 
 depressed.  While  absent  he  saw  several 
 elders  of  the  reformed  churches  with 
 their  parishioners  and  families ;  and 
 many,  young  and  old,  were  in  prayer 
 for  the  triumph  of  their  cause.  He 
 re-entered  the  room  with  a  joyous  coun- 
 tenance, which  astonished  Luther,  who 
 
 inquired,  "  What  now  has  happened  to 
 you,  Philip,  that  you  are  become  so 
 cheerful  ?  "  "  Oh,  sirs,"  replied  Melan- 
 cthon, "let  us  not  be  discouraged,  for  I 
 have  seen  our  noble  protectors,  and  such 
 as,  I  will  venture  to  say,  will  prove 
 invincible  against  every  foe."  "  And 
 pray,"  returned  Luther,  thrilling  with 
 surprise  and  pleasure,  "  who  and  where 
 are  these  powerful  heroes  ?  "  "  Oh," 
 said  Melancthon,  "they  are  the  wives  of 
 our  parishioners  and  their  little  children, 
 whose  prayers  I  have  just  witnessed — 
 prayers  which  I  am  satisfied  our  God 
 will  hear ;  for  as  our  Heavenly  Father 
 and  the  Father  of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ 
 has  never  despised  our  supplications,  we 
 have  reason  to  trust  that  He  will  not  in 
 the  present  alarming  crisis."  The  event 
 proved  that  Melancthon  was  not  mis- 
 taken. God  heard  their  prayers. — Cox^s 
 "  Life  of  Ifelancthon." 
 
 CHAPTER  XXX. 
 
 Critical  and  Exegetical  Notes. — Chronology  of  the  Chapter. — Though  without  a  date, 
 
 yet  the  probability  is  that  it  was  "loritten  in  a  book  "  (see  ver.  2)  in  the  tenth  year  of  Zedekiah ; 
 and  that  this  date  [given  at  the  head  of  chap,  xxxii.]  applies  to  the  four  chapters,  xxx.  to  xxxiii. 
 inclusive.  But  it  is  open  to  dispute  whether  the  prophecies  contained  in  chapters  xxx.  and 
 xxxi.  were  not  delivered  at  a  considerably  earlier  date.  Naegelsbach  dates  these  two  chapters 
 as  "the  oldest  part  of  the  whole  book"  of  Jeremiah;  and,  carefully  comparing  their  subject- 
 matter  with  the  prophecies  of  chapters  iii.-vi.,  declares  that  their  correspondence,  "both  in 
 general  and  in  particular,"  fixes  them  as  belonging  to  "the  same  period  ;"  specially  pointing 
 out  that  the  absence  of  all  mention  of  the  Chaldeans,  and  the  use  of  the  early  indefinite  phrase, 
 "the  north  country"  (xxxi.  8),  "is  a  sure  sign  of  its  composition  before  the  fourth  year  of 
 Jehoiakim."  Vide  Chronological  Notes  on  chaps,  iii.  and  vii.  Also  same  references  for 
 Contemporary  Scriptures,  National  Affairs,  and  Contemporary  History. 
 
 Literary  Criticisms. — Ver.  5.  "For  thus  saith  the  Lord  ;  "  rather,  "Surd)/  thus,"  &c.  "Of 
 fear  and  not  of  peace;"  of  "  fear  and  no  peace." 
 
 Vers.  10,  11.  "  Therefore  fear  thou  not,"  to  end  of  ver.  11,  are  omitted  by  the  LXX.,  Hitzig, 
 Movers,  and  Kuenen,  and  regarded  as  an  interpolation  from  chap,  xlvi.  27,  28. 
 
 Ver.  11.  "  Correct  thee  in  measure : "  "  in  justice,"  vide  x.  24. 
 
 Ver.  13.  "  Bound  up :  healing  medicines."  The  verse,  more  correctly  punctuated  and  ren- 
 dered, may  read  thus :  "  None  undertakes  thy  case  to  heal  thee  ;  for  binding  thy  wounds,  healing- 
 plaister  thou  hast  none." 
 
 Ver.  15.  "Thine  affliction:"  thy  breach.  "For  the  multitude,"  &c.  ;  rather,  "Because  oj 
 the  greatness  of  thine  iniquity,  because  thy  sins  are  innumerable,"  &c. 
 
 Ver.  18.  "  Her  own  heap  : "  7Pl,  elevation,  mound,  specially  of  ruins  ;  it  may  refer  to  the  city, 
 heap  of  ruins.  "And  the  palace  sJiall  remain:"  rather,  "be  inhabited."  "After  the  manner 
 thereof;"  i.e.,  with  suitable  splendour. 
 
 Ver,  21.  "  And  their  nobles  shall  be  of  themselves."  An  important  alteration  necessary.  Both 
 "1''''JN  and  T'K'O  refer  to  one  person,  and  is  here  described  as  "their  Glorious  One"  and  "their 
 Ruler."  Further,  He  is  "  to  draw  near  and  approach  unto  Me  ; "  a  phrase  distinctively  used  of 
 one  in  the  priestly  office  (Exod.  xix.  22;  Lev.  xxi.  21).  Yet  more,  it  is  asked  as  in  wonder, 
 "  Who  is  this  that  engaged  his  heart  to  approach  unto  Me? "  and  should  read,  "  Who  is  He  that 
 hzih  pledged  His  heart,"  &c.  ;  i.e.,  that  hath  risked  His  life  in  the  daring  approach  ;  for  death 
 sealed  that  action  (Numb.  viii.  19).  The  combination  of  these  qualities — "  Glorious  One  and 
 Ruler,"  priestly  approach  to  God  ;  and  exposure  of  His  very  life  in  His  zeal  for  His  people  ; — all 
 this  points  to  none  other  than  the  Person  and  ministry  of  the  Messiah. 
 504 
 
tiOMILETIC  COMMENTARY :  JEREMIAH. 
 
 CHAP.  XXX. 
 
 SURVEY  OF  CHAPTERS  XXX.  AND  XXXI. 
 
 The  Glorious  Future  of  the  People  op  Israel  at  the  End  of  Days. 
 I.  General  Theme,  xxxi.  3, 
 II.  The  Deliverance  of  Entire  Israel,  xxx.  4-22. 
 
 1.  The  great  day  of  judgment  for  the  world  and  deliverance  of  Israel, 
 
 xxx,  4-11. 
 
 2.  The  turn  of  affairs  :  Jevovah  for  the  chastised  against  the  chastisers, 
 
 xxx.  12-17. 
 
 3.  The  consummation  of  salvation,  xxx.  18-22, 
 
 III.  The  Special  Distribution  op  Salvation  to  the  two  Divisions  of  the 
 
 Nation,  xxxi,  1-22, 
 
 A.  Ephrainis  share — 
 
 1,  The  decree  of  restoration,  xxxi,  1-6. 
 
 2,  The  execution,  xxxi,  7-14, 
 
 3,  The  threefold  turn,  xxxi,  15-22. 
 
 B.  Judah's  share — 
 
 The  blessing  of  the  sanctuary,  xxxi,  23-26. 
 
 IV.  The  Entire  Kenewal,  xxxi.  27-40. 
 
 1,  The  new  life,  xxxi,  27-30, 
 
 2.  The  new  covenant,  xxxi,  31-40,  — Naegelshacli  in  Lange. 
 
 HOMILIES  AND  OUTLINES  ON  CHAPTER  XXX. 
 
 Ver.  2,  Theme:  God's  Message  in 
 Writing,  "  Write  thee  all  the  words 
 which  I  have  spoken  to  thee  in  a  hooh.^' 
 This  was  in  distinction  from  messages 
 in  speech — oral  prophecy, 
 
 I.  Written  words  travel  farther 
 than  spoken.  Absent  ones — Israel  scat- 
 tered abroad — ivere  to  receive  it ;  as  well 
 as  Judah,  who  was  within  the  hearing 
 of  Jeremiah's  voice.  The  prophecy  could 
 not  reach  them  unless  copies  were  distri- 
 buted in  the  different  countries  wherein 
 they  were  dispersed, 
 
 II.  Written  words  are  preserved 
 better  than  spoken. 
 
 1.  In  their  exactness.  Not  a  jot  or 
 tittle  falls.  But  memory  might  let 
 some  items  fail  if  left  unwritten. 
 
 2.  In  their  entirety.  Hearers  only 
 gather  half,  or  fractions,  of  a  message. 
 
 3.  In  their  significance.  Words  of 
 vast  meaning  require  to  be  studied  to 
 see  all  their  suggestiveness ;  and  for  this 
 the  "  book  "  is  best. 
 
 III.  Written  words  fulfil  a  more 
 enduring  ministry  than  spoken.  These 
 "  words  "  were — 
 
 1.  For  every  nation  and  age  :  having 
 a  spiritual  purport  and  universal  value. 
 
 2.  And  they  would,  if  written,  prove 
 a  monument  to  prop^'^e  veracity.     This 
 
 would  strengthen  the  faith  and  assure 
 the  hearts  of  God's  people  in  every 
 emergency. 
 
 IV.  Written  words  fill  a  sphere 
 which  spoken  cannot  reach, 
 
 1.  They  go  into  privacy,  for  medita- 
 tion, 
 
 2.  Into  scenes  of  banishment  and 
 affliction  and  sorroiv,  for  comfort. 
 
 3.  Into  desjnsed  and  neglected  scenes, 
 where  none  would  expect  to  find  inte- 
 rested hearers,  carrying  light  and  hope 
 to  the  abandoned  and  despairing. 
 
 As  the  people  went  into  exile,  they 
 could  carry  these  words  of  Jeremiah 
 with  them  to  be  their  consolation  and 
 strength  amid  coming  distress  and  trial. 
 
 Ver.  3,  Theme:  Exiles  Eestored. 
 Comp.  on  chap,  xvi,  15,  &c.,  and  xxiv.  6. 
 Specially  see  SectionalTreatmentof  chap, 
 iii.  pp.  58  to  60  siipra.  Also  see  on  iv.  31. 
 
 Vers.  5,  6,  Theme:  Consternation 
 OP  the  Guilty.  Comp.  Sectional  Homily 
 on  vi.  18-26,  pp.  120,  121,  and  on  vi. 
 22-26,  p,  133,  Also  Homily  on  chap, 
 xxii,  20-23,  Hastening  Desolations. 
 
 Ver,  7.  Theme:  The  Great  Day. 
 "Alas  1  for  that  day  is  great,  so  that  none 
 
CHAP.  XXX. 
 
 EOMILETIC  COMMENTARY:  JEREMIAH. 
 
 is  like  it."    The  day  of  judgment  for  the 
 world  :  "  none  like  it."    For  it  will  be — 
 
 I.  A  day  of  anxiety  and  terror  for  all 
 the  world. 
 
 II.  A  day  of  deliverance  from  distress 
 for  the  childi'en  of  God. 
 
 III.  A  day  of  realisation  of  all  the 
 happiness  set  in  2^1'ospect  before  us. — 
 Naegelshach. 
 
 Ver.  7.  Theme :  Deliverance  from 
 Trouble.  "  It  is  even  the  time  of 
 Jacob's  trouble;  but  he  shall  be  saved 
 out  of  it." 
 
 Bacon  has  magnificently  remarked  of 
 some  of  the  prophecies  of  Scripture 
 that  they  have  "  springing  and  germi- 
 nant  accomplishment,  throughout  many 
 ages,  though  the  height  or  fulness  of 
 them  may  refer  to  some  one  age."  This 
 is  true  of  many  of  the  prophecies  con- 
 cerning the  Jews ;  for  though  many 
 of  them  were  fulfilled  in  their  ancient 
 captivities,  they  still  continue  to  be 
 fulfilled  in  their  present  dispersion. 
 
 But  what  is  true  of  the  prophecies  is 
 eminently  true  of  the  promises  of  Scrip- 
 ture— they  have  a  springing  and  germi- 
 nant  accomplishment.  They  are  framed 
 with  such  an  exquisite  knowledge  of 
 human  nature,  and  so  accurately  accord 
 with  the  principles  of  the  Divine  govern- 
 ment, which  are  the  same  in  every  age, 
 that  they  are  adapted  to  all  the  circum- 
 stances in  which  Christians  can  be 
 placed,  and  receive  a  distinct  fulfilment 
 in  the  history  of  each  individual  believer. 
 Thus,  "  instead  of  the  fathers  are  the 
 childreti."  As  the  troubles  of  God's 
 people  are  similar,  so  the  supports  they 
 enjoy  are  similar — they  are  identical — 
 and  the  deliverances  of  one  age  form  the 
 hope  and  consolation  of  all.  "  It  is 
 even  the  time,"  &c. 
 
 I.  It  is  a  part  of  God's  merciful  dis- 
 pensations that  they  endure  trouble. 
 
 II.  It  is  equally  so  that  they  should 
 be  supported  in  and  delivered  from  it. 
 
 I.  It  is  a  part  of  God's  merciful  dis- 
 pensations that  they  should  be  called 
 to  endure  trial.  Like  their  Lord,  they 
 must  expect  to  be  made  acquainted 
 with  grief ;  and  like  Jacob,  in  the  text, 
 they  must  expect  to  have  their  time  of 
 trouble. 
 
 506 
 
 It  is  a  part  of  God's  dispensation  ; 
 for  "  trouble  does  not  spring  from  the 
 dust."  Is  there  evil  in  the  city  and  the 
 Lord  hath  not  done  it  ?  And  it  is  a 
 part  of  God's  merciful  dispensation, 
 however  oppositely  it  may  appear  to  us; 
 ^^  for  He  doth  not  afflict  ivillingly." 
 
 Every  season  of  life,  and  every  period 
 of  the  Christian's  life,  has  its  trouble. 
 
 1.  The  time  of  conversion  is  a  time  of 
 Jacob's  trouble.  He  goes  forth  weeping. 
 Sorrow  for  sin  is  real  sorrow ;  doubts 
 of  his  acceptance  and  fears  of  his  rejec- 
 tion often  fill  him  with  dejection  and 
 alarm,  and  he  says, "  Oh,  thatlhiew,^'  &c. 
 Bat  there  is  a  balm  for  his  sorrow,  there 
 is  a  remedy  for  his  grief  :  "  He  shall 
 be  saved  out  of  it,"  by  looking  to  the 
 cross.  "  Yea,  he  wept ;  he  found  Him 
 in  Bethel." 
 
 2.  The  time  of  spiritual  dejection,  and 
 darkness,  and  disconsolation,  is  a  time 
 of  Jacob's  trouble.  This  is  sometimes 
 produced  by  consciousness  of  sin,  with- 
 out sufficient  apprehension  of  the  power 
 and  willingness  of  Christ  to  save,  some- 
 times by  distrust,  sometimes  by  neglect 
 of  duties,  sometimes  by  a  constitutional 
 tendency  to  gloom  and  despondency ; 
 but,  from  whatever  cause  arising,  it  is 
 often  difiicult  to  bear.  David  found  it 
 so  when  he  said,  "  Ilatli  God  forgotten  ?  " 
 &c.  ;  and  Hezekiah  when  he  said,  "  I 
 shall  go  softly  all  my  years;"  and  Daniel 
 when  he  ate  no  j'jZeasrt?!^  bread;  and 
 Jonah  when  he  said,  "  /  am  cast  out." 
 yet,  "  he  shall  be  saved  out  of  it ; "  "  / 
 have  seen  his  ways  and  will  heal  ;  "  *'  He 
 that  ivalketh  in  darkness,"  &c. 
 
 3.  The  time  of  ivorldly  perplexities 
 and  disappointments — cares,  anxieties, 
 vexations,  reproaches,  are  the  Christian's 
 lot  here  ;  losses  in  business,  domestic 
 grievances,  straitened  circumstances, 
 actual  poverty,  are  the  means  which 
 God  employs  to  teach  the  Christian  this 
 is  not  his  rest,  to  draw  off  his  mind 
 from  the  vanity  of  life,  and  to  teach  him 
 that  his  final  hope  must  be  in  God. 
 What  was  true  of  Israel  is  true  of  us  : 
 "  God  led  them  by  the  right  way."  We 
 know  it  was  not  the  shortest  way,  nor 
 the  smoothest,  but  it  was  the  right  ivay. 
 And  God  leads  His  people  still  in  those 
 paths  best  adapted  to  try  character,  to 
 
nOMltETW  COl^MENTARY:  JEREMIAH. 
 
 CHAP.  XXX. 
 
 develop  principle,  to  promote  sanctity 
 of  spirit  and  spirituality  of  mind.  *'  By 
 these  things,"  says  Hezekiah,  "men  live, 
 and  in  all  these  things  are  the  life." 
 Every  one  lias  his  trial  fitted  to  his  state 
 of  mind. 
 
 (a.)  Some  have  a  resolute,  independ- 
 ent, self-willed  spirit.  God  suffers  them 
 to  be  wounded  with  reproach,  to  suffer 
 with  the  scourge  of  tongues,  and  chastens 
 them  with  the  rod  of  men ;  or  they 
 are  wasted  with  disease  and  visited 
 with  strong  pain. 
 
 {b.)  Some  are  ambitious,  and  aspiring, 
 and  sanguine,  and  given  to  enterprise  ; 
 but  as  they  climb,  so  they  fall.  God 
 unravels  their  schemes,  breaks  up  their 
 plots  and  purposes,  advances  them  to 
 poverty,  and  feeds  them  with  the  bread 
 of  tears.  Why  all  this  1  Was  it  to  ruin 
 them  ?    No ;  but  to  save  them  from  ruin. 
 
 (c.)  Others  fix  their  affections  too 
 deeply  upon  the  creature,  upon  the 
 smile  of  friends,  the  love  of  parents, 
 the  endearments  of  family  connections. 
 God  removes  these  to  bring  them  nearer 
 to  Himself.  They  are  afflicted  in  the 
 creature,  and  the  time  of  their  trouble 
 is  the  time  in  which  they  witness  the 
 sorrows  of  those  they  love. 
 
 4.  The  time  of  death  is  the  time  of 
 Jacob's  trouble. 
 
 II.  Whatever  their  calamity,  they 
 shall  be  supported  in  it,  carried 
 through  it,  delivered  from  it.  They 
 have  always  a  Resource  ;  the  Arm  that 
 upholds  the  universe  upholds  them ;  the 
 Wisdom  that  ordains  the  trial  guides 
 and  guards  them  through  it.  The  irre- 
 ligious has  no  refuge,  no  tower,  but 
 "the  name  of  the  Lord  is,"  &c.  Every 
 creature  hath  a  retiring-place :  the 
 conies  the  rocks,  the  lion  his  den  ;  the 
 foxes  have  holes  and  the  birds  nests, 
 but  the  wicked  no  hiding-place. 
 
 God  is  your  friend.  His  character  is 
 your  hope  ;  His  promises  your  security  ; 
 His  heaviest  chastisements  are  your  en- 
 couragements. 
 
 1.  What  He  has  said  to  others  He  says 
 to  you  :  "Fear  not,  Ahram;"  "/  am 
 God  all-sufficient ;  "  "  /  loill  not  leave." 
 
 2.  What  He  has  done  for  others  He 
 will  do  for  you. 
 
 3.  What  He  has  already  done  for  you 
 
 and  yours  should  warrant  hope  :  "de- 
 livered in  six  troubles." — Rev.  S. 
 Thodey,  a.d.  1824. 
 
 On  verse  7.  For  similar  themes,  see 
 on  chap.  xvii.  17,  "  The  Soul's  Rope  in 
 the  Time  of  Terror  ;  "  and  chap,  xxiii.  6, 
 "  A  Bright  Era  for  Manlcind." 
 
 Comments — 
 
 The  partial  deliverance  at  the  downfall 
 of  Babylon  prefigures  the  final  and 
 complete  deliverance  of  Israel,  literal  and 
 spiritual,  at  the  downfall  of  mystical 
 Babylon  (Rev.  xviii.  19). — Jamieson. 
 
 The  day  of  restoration  is  contrasted 
 with  the  day  of  destruction.  "  In  that 
 day  "  the  yoke  of  Babylon,  which  Jere- 
 miah had  symbolised  by  his  own  act,  at 
 God's  command  (xxviii.  2-12),  will  be 
 broken  from  the  neck  of  Judah  ;  and  this 
 phrase,  "  that  day,"  doubtless,  is  to  be 
 extended,  in  a  larger  sense,  to  the  day  of 
 Christ's  coming,  when  all  Israel  would 
 be  delivered  from  a  worse  yoke  than 
 that  of  Babylon.  Comp.  Isa,  x.  27 ; 
 Ezek.  xxxiv.  27. — JFordsworth. 
 
 Vers.  8, 9.  Theme:  Slavery  Exchanged 
 FOE  Sbrvice.  "  Strangers  shall  no  more 
 hold  him  in  servitude  (Henderson's 
 rendering),  but  they  shall  serve  the  Lord 
 their  God  and  David  their  king,  whom  I 
 will  raise  up  unto  them." 
 
 I.  Tyranny  rules  over  men  with 
 grievous  severity.  "Yoke "and "bonds  " 
 are  symbols  of  despotic  oppression. 
 
 1.  National  and  political  despotism  ;  its 
 iron-handed  and  iron-hearted  government. 
 
 2.  Ecclesiastical  and  spiritual  despo- 
 tism; its  usurpation  of  all  natural  relation- 
 ships, social  ties,  and  religious  liberties. 
 
 Note. — The  shameful  selfishness  which 
 prompts  despotism,  "  serve  themselves  of 
 him  ; "  for  greed  of  power,  delight  in 
 securing  abject  submission,  spoliation 
 of  possessions,  &c.,  are  the  lust  of  all 
 tyrants  over  the  lives  or  souls  of  men, 
 
 II.  Liberty  unbridled  will  prove  no 
 special  advantage  even  to  its  possessor. 
 *'  If  all  "  yokes  "  are  gone  and  "  bonds  " 
 broken  from  men,  without  any  healthful 
 control  being  substituted,  men  would 
 become  furious,  victims  of  their  own 
 passions  and  self-will 
 
 \.  Liberty fromtyrannyh^n  arlvantage 
 507 
 
CHAP.  XXX. 
 
 HOMILETIC  COMMENTARY :  JEREMIAH. 
 
 only  ivhen  the  control  of  God  is  substituted 
 and  accepted,  in  its  stead,  e.g.,  "  They 
 shall  serve  the  Lord  their  God,"  &c. 
 
 2,  This  subjection  to  God  is  better  and 
 safer  than  all  human  government  and 
 rule.  It  is  a  guarantee  of  good  when 
 God  becomes  our  Governor,  to  rule  us 
 and  care  for  our  safety, 
 
 III.  Divine  rule  is  exercised  through 
 the  kingship  of  Christ,  "  Serve  the 
 Lord  their  God  and  David  their  king." 
 
 1,  God  will  not  govern  otherwise  than  hy 
 His  Son.  Rejecting  Him  as  "  king," — 
 Him  whom  God  has  set  over  us,  and 
 by  whom  God  would  have  us  governed — 
 we  shall  be  rejected  by  God,  It  is  not 
 God's  intention  to  rule  us  directly, 
 without  the  mediation  of  His  Son.  We 
 must  therefore  obey  Christ,  and  thus 
 serve  God. 
 
 2,  It  is  in  the  sway  of  Jesus  that  this 
 promise  is  fulfilled.  David  was  dead 
 when  Jeremiah  wrote,  he  never  lived 
 again  to  rule,  yet  God  promised  to  per- 
 petuate David's  throne  ;  but  no  king 
 ever  rose  subsequent  to  this  prophecy  to 
 rule  the  nation,  Zerubbabel  only  held 
 a  fleeting  and  precarious  dignity ;  and 
 only  Christ  has  realised  and  fulfilled 
 this  promise.  But  Jesus  does  rule — "  the 
 King  of  saints " — and  blessed  are  they 
 that  serve  Him. 
 
 IV.  All  our  gracious  liberty  in 
 Christ  must  be  traced  to  God,  "Whom 
 I  will  raise  up  unto  them." 
 
 1.  We  must  rejoice  in  Christ's  king- 
 ship as  God^s  gift  of  gy^ace  to  us. 
 
 2.  Christ,  and  all  blessings  which  flow 
 to  us  in  Him,  must  be  viewed  as  the 
 outflow  of  God's  great  goodness  to  us. 
 "  God  so  loved  the  world  that  He  gave 
 His  only-begotten  Son." 
 
 Ver.  10.  Theme:  Recovery  of  Lost 
 Israel.  See  Homilies  indicated  under 
 ver.  3  of  this  chapter ;  also  see  Topic, 
 Recovery  of  the  Lost  Ten  Tribes,  chap, 
 xxxiii.  8,  on  pp.  458,  459. 
 
 On  "  He  shall  return,  and  be  in  rest, 
 and  he  quiet,"  see  Homily  on  chap,  xxiii. 
 1-4. 
 
 Ver.  11.    Theme:   Nations    Oblite- 
 rated ;  Israel  Presrved.  "A  full  end  of 
 all  nations,  yet  not  a  full  end  of  thee." 
 608 
 
 We  have  here  ocular  proof  of  pro-  ' 
 phecy  accomplished  in  an  instance  with- 
 out parallel.  It  was  repeatedly  foretold, 
 both  in  the  Old  and  New  Testaments, 
 that,  for  the  rejection  and  murder  of 
 their  Messiah,  the  Jews  should  be  dis- 
 persed into  all  the  countries ;  yet  that  J 
 they  should  not  be  lost  and  swallowed  i 
 up  among  their  conquerors,  but  should 
 still  subsist,  to  latest  times,  a  distinct 
 people.  By  Jeremiah  God  declared  "  He  | 
 would  make  an  end  of  all  nations,"  their  \ 
 oppressors,  "  but  He  would  not  make 
 an  end  of  them."  It  cannot  be  said 
 this  prediction  was  written  since  the  I 
 event ;  and  certainly  an  occurrence  more  « 
 singular,  or  improbable,  could  not  have 
 been  predicted.  In  the  course  of  human 
 affairs,  who  hath  heard  such  a  thing  1 
 Yet  so  it  is.  The  mighty  monarchies  of 
 Assyria,  Persia,  Greece,  and  Rome  are 
 vanished  like  the  shadows  of  the  evening, 
 or  the  phantoms  of  the  night.  Their 
 places  know  them  no  more.  Nothing 
 remains  of  them  but  their  names.  Whilst 
 this  little  despisedpeople,  strangely  secnve, 
 without  a  friend  or  protector,  amidst  the 
 wreck  of  empires,  oppressed,  persecuted, 
 harassed  always,  by  edict  and  execu- 
 tioners, by  murders  and  massacres,  have 
 outlived  the  very  ruins  of  them  all.  "Ex- 
 cept ye  see  signs  and  wonders  ye  will 
 not  believe."  Behold,  then,  a  sign  and 
 wonder  :  the  accomplishment  of  prophecy 
 is  a  standing  miracle.  Contemplate  the 
 sight  as  it  deserves,  and  be  not  faithless 
 but  believing. — Bishop  Home. 
 
 "Not  make  a  full  end  of  thee." 
 See  on  chap.  iv.  27  ;  v.  18. 
 
 Also  for  Tlieme :  Lenient  Correc- 
 tion :  "  I  will  correct  thee  in  measure," 
 &c.     See  chap.  x.  24. 
 
 Vers.  12-15.  Theme :  Faithless 
 Healers  and  Vain  Remedies.     On — 
 
 ^^ Brtdse  incurable,^'  see  viii.  22  ;  also 
 xvii.  9. 
 
 "  Wound  is  grievous,  see  x.  19  ;  xiv. 
 17  ;  XV.  18. 
 
 "  ]!^o  healing,'^  see  vi,  14;  viii,  11; 
 XV,  18. 
 
 "All  thy  lovers  have  forgotten  thee,"  J 
 see  iii,  1  ;  iv.  30 ;  xxii.  20,  22  ;  xxvii  ' 
 3. 
 
 "  Thy  sitis  are  ina'eased^"  see  v.  6. 
 
HOMILETia  COMMENTARY:  JEREMIAH. 
 
 CHAP.  XXX. 
 
 I.  Helpless  :  "  Incurable ; "  "  wounds 
 grievous,"  ver.  12. 
 
 II.  Hopeless  :  "None  to  plead;"  "no 
 healing  medicines,"  ver,  1 3. 
 
 III.  Deserted  by  man  :  "  Lovers  have 
 forgotten  thee  ;  seek  thee  not,"  ver.  14. 
 
 IV.  Smitten  by  God  :  "  Wounded 
 thee;"  "chastised  thee,"  ver.  14. 
 
 V.  Justly  suffering :  "  For  the  mul- 
 titude of  thine  iniquity  ;  because  thy 
 sins  are  increased,"  ver.  14. 
 
 VI.  Rejected  outcries  :  "  Why  criest 
 thou,"  &c.,  ver.  15. 
 
 VII.  Sins'  woes  :  "  Because  sins — / 
 have  done  these  things  unto  thee." 
 
 VIII.  Remedy  implied  :  Cease  sins 
 and  escape  their  doom. 
 
 Ver.  13.  Theme :  Healing  Medi- 
 cines, "  Thou  hast  no  healing  medi- 
 cines." Doctors  abound  who  undertake 
 the  cure  of  souls  ;  but  they  heal  not 
 their  maladies.  "  Ye  are  physicians  of 
 no  value," 
 
 I.  There  are  healing  medicines 
 adapted  to  heal  all  the  maladies  of  the 
 sin-stricken  soul.  Though  "  thou  hast 
 them  ?io^,"  yet  such  there  are ! 
 
 1.  Tltey  are  found  in  Christ.  "Wis- 
 dom, righteousness,  sanctification,  and 
 redemption." 
 
 2.  There  are  none  besides.  Though 
 professed  spiritual  healers  offer  other 
 remedies,  they  have  "  no  healing  medi- 
 cines," if  they  offer  aught  else  but  what 
 the  Gospel  offers. 
 
 II.  There  are  cruel  delusions  prac- 
 tised. By  priests  and  ministers  of  the 
 sanctuary,  who  flatter  themselves  that 
 they  have  effected  a  cure,  and  deceive 
 their  patients.  "  They  have  healed  the 
 hurt  of  the  daughter  of  My  people 
 slightly,  saying.  Peace,  peace,  when  there 
 is  no  peace."    Who  are  these  1 — 
 
 1.  Teachers  of  the  confessional  abo- 
 minations. 
 
 2.  Teachers  of  the  baptismal  regenera- 
 tion fallacies. 
 
 3.  Those  who  administer  the  Lord's 
 Supper  to  the  dying  as  a  means  of  peace 
 with  God. 
 
 4.  Preachers  of  self-reliance  and  self- 
 righteousness  for  salvation. 
 
 It  is  one  thing  to  deaden  a  pain, 
 another  to  heal  a  wound  ! 
 
 III.  For  mourners  over  sin  there  is 
 efi&cient  healing.  On  no  other  truth 
 can  there  be  explained — 
 
 1.  The  angels^  joy  over  penitent 
 sinners. 
 
 2.  The  Saviour's  gladness  in  reclaim- 
 ing the  guilty. 
 
 3.  The  remonstrances  of  Scripture  over 
 the  unhealed  (chap.  viii.  22). 
 
 4.  The  assurance  of  the  blessedness 
 following  true  sorrow.  "  Blessed  are 
 they  that  weep,  for  they  shall'  be  com- 
 forted." 
 
 Ver.  16.  Theme:  If  God's  People 
 Suffer,  shall  His  Foes  Escape  1 
 "  Therefore  all  that  devour  thee  shall 
 be  devoured  ;  and  all  thine  adversaries, 
 every  one  of  them,  shall  go  into  cap 
 tivity,"  &c. 
 
 I.  Though  evil  men  seem  now  to  pre- 
 vail against  Israel,  their  day  of  woe  is 
 coming. 
 
 II.  Though  God  may  use  our  adver- 
 saries for  our  chastisement  because  we  sin, 
 they  shall  bear  the  iniquity  and  punish- 
 ment of  their  deeds. 
 
 III.  Though  for  a  while  the  judgment 
 of  God  sjyares  the  iviched  while  ajjiicting 
 the  righteous,  yet  the  very  afflictions  of 
 His  people  are  a  prophecy  and  gua- 
 rantee that  the  heavier  woes  pro- 
 nounced against  the  guilty  will  in  due 
 time  fall  on  them. 
 
 IV.  Though  mercy  rules  the  afflictions 
 of  God's  people,  softening  their  sorrows, 
 and  loorldng  all  for  their  good,  judgment 
 without  mercy  shall  sweep  down  on 
 "  every  one  "  of  God's  and  His  people's 
 adversaries. 
 
 V.  Though  from  the  "  devourer,"  the 
 ^^  captivity,"  and  the  "  s2Joil,"  there  xvill 
 be  siire  escapie  for  banished  Israel,  yet 
 from  the  doom  coming  upon  the  foes 
 of  God  and  Israel  there  shall  be  no 
 alleviation  or  escape. 
 
 Ver.  19.  Theme:  How  God  Eegards 
 the  Treatment  Shown  to  the  Jews. 
 "  This  is  Zion,  whom  no  man  seeketh 
 after." 
 
 Was  man  justified  in  despising  them, 
 because  they  were  under  chastisements 
 from  an  offended  God  1  Though  the  Jews 
 were  the  authors  of  their  own  misery, 
 
 509 
 
CHAP.  XXX. 
 
 nOMILETIC  COMMENTAnY:  JEREMIAH. 
 
 the  contempt  poured  upon  them  by  their 
 adversaries  He  will  punish. 
 
 I.  What  is  the  treatment  almost 
 universally  shown  to  the  Jewish 
 people  ?  The  historic  view  of  the  con- 
 duct of  different  nations  specially  since 
 their  dispersion  by  the  Romans. 
 
 Cruelties  inflicted  upon  them  by 
 different  potentates  of  Europe,  not  ex- 
 cepting those  of  our  own  country.  Cite, 
 in  example,  the  clamour  raised  through- 
 out our  land  against  the  Act  for  removing 
 Jewish  disabilities.  Nor  is  this  civic 
 intolerance  all :  their  religious  interests 
 are  disregarded  and  neglected. 
 
 The  serious  fact  is,  not  that  we  per- 
 secute them,  or  even  neglect  them,  but 
 this — the  self-vindication  which  we  cherish 
 in  the  midst  of  this  neglect,  and  the 
 eagerness  with  which  we  catch  at  any- 
 thing by  which  we  may  justify  that 
 neglect. 
 
 II.  The  light  in  which  such  conduct 
 is  viewed  by  God.  This  contempt  of 
 others  leads  Him  here  to  declare,  hy  way 
 of  recompense,  that  He  would  restore  to 
 His  favour  the  people  so  contemned. 
 
 1.  Mark  the  inhumanity  of  it.  Jews, 
 no  less  than  ourselves,  have  immortal 
 souls  ;  yet  we  make  no  effort  for  their 
 salvation  !  Note  Deut.  xxiii.  3,  4. 
 Yet  we  hold  from  them  the  Bread  of 
 Life,  (fee. 
 
 2.  The  injustice  of  it.  Gospel  to  be 
 preached  to  "  every  creature,"  beginning 
 at  Jerusalem  (see  Rom.  xi.  30,  31).  We 
 are  debtors  to  them  (Rom.  xv.  26,  27). 
 
 3,  The  ingratitude  of  it.  Jews — the 
 Apostles — laboured  for  Gentiles ;  should 
 not  we,  in  return,  for  them  1  (Phil.  ii. 
 17,  18.) 
 
 4,  The  impiety  of  it.  Christ  became 
 **  a  curse  "  for  us  ;  surely  it  is  our  reason- 
 able service  to  do  all  we  can  for  His 
 glory.     Alas  !     Ezek.  xxxiv.  6. 
 
 III.  The  explanation  of  this  sinful 
 negligence  towards  the  Jews. 
 
 1.  Ignorance  of  the  prophetic  writings 
 which  so  generally  prevails. 
 
 2.  Indifference  to  all  spiritual  interests 
 which  prevails — even  about  your  own 
 souls.  Too  many  of  us  have  never 
 sought  salvation  for  ourselves;  how,  then, 
 be  concerned  for  others  ?  —  Rev.  G. 
 Simeon,  If. A. 
 
 510 
 
 See  Comments,  &c.,  on  chap.  xv.  4,  5. 
 
 Theme :  Healing  Promised. 
 
 i.  /Statement  of  our  case  :  "  The  whole 
 head  is  sick,  and  the  whole  heart  faint ; 
 there  is  no  soundness  in  us,"  &c.  (Isa. 
 i.  5). 
 
 ii.  Prayer  of  the  consciously  sick : 
 "Lord,  be  merciful  unto  me,  heal  my 
 soul,  for  I  have  sinned  against  Thee" 
 (Ps.  xli.  4). 
 
 iii.  Pi'omise  from  God  :  "  I  will  restore 
 health  unto  thee,  and  I  will  heal  thee  of 
 thy  wounds"  (Jer.  xxx.  17). 
 
 Believe  in  your  sickness.  Believe  in 
 the  Divine  Physician.  Believe  in  His  pro- 
 mise, and  pray. 
 
 Vers.  18-20.  Zion  Repeopled. 
 on  chap.  xvii.  25,  26. 
 
 See 
 
 Ver.  21.  Theme:  Israel's  own  Glo- 
 rious King.     See  Lit.  Crit.  on  verse. 
 
 The  words  should  read :  "  And  his 
 Glorious  One  shall  spring  from  himself 
 [Israel];  and  his  Ruler  shall  go  forth  from 
 his  midst ;  and  I  will  cause  Him  to  draw 
 near,  and  He  shall  approach  unto  Me  ; 
 for  Who  is  this  that  hath  pledged  His 
 heart  to  draw  near  unto  Me  ?  " 
 
 1.  This  verse  emphatically  r^epudiates 
 a  foreign  and  alien  kingship  ;  for,  after 
 the  return  from  exile,  Israel's  Glorious 
 Ruler  is  to  be  a  native  Prince  springing 
 ^'from  the  midst "  of  the  people  them- 
 selves. 
 
 2.  Next,  Jehovah  will  cause  Him  to 
 draiv  near,  i.e.,  to  Himself;  in  like 
 sacred  access  to  that  exclusively  per- 
 mitted to  consecrated  priests  in  the  ful- 
 filment of  their  solemn  office.  So  that 
 He  is  to  fulfil  a  Sacred  Office  as  well  as 
 to  possess  personal  Royalty. 
 
 3.  Then,  He  pledges  His  very  life  in 
 approaching  God,  i.e..  He  will  carry 
 His  life,  His  "heart,"  into  the  effort  of 
 mediation  with  God.  And  Messiah  alone 
 has  made  His  life  responsible  as  a 
 Surety  (Heb.  vii.  22,  ix.  11-15),  in  order 
 to  gain  access,  not  only  for  Himself,  but 
 for  us  to  God.  "  Heart  "  is  here  put 
 for  "  life,"  in  order  to  express  the 
 courage,  the  intense  purpose  required,  to 
 undertake  so  tremendous  a  suretyship. 
 This  question  therefore  implies  admira- 
 
UOMILETIG  COMMENTARY:  JEREMIAB. 
 
 CHAP.  XXX. 
 
 tion,  astonishment  at  One  being  found 
 ready  and  competent  for  the  task. 
 
 I.  In  origin:  Messiah's  humanity, 
 and  His  affiliation  with  us. 
 
 He  springs  from  "  our  midst ;"  is  a 
 native,  born  of  us  and  amongst  us, 
 
 II.  In  Person:  Messiah's  dignity, 
 and  His  superiority  over  us. 
 
 He  is  indeed  of  Israel,  but  far  tran- 
 scends man  in  His  own  natural  majesty. 
 He  is  Israel's  "  Glorious  One."  Standing 
 alone  in  His  dignity ;  the  Crown  of  hu- 
 manity ;  the  "  One  "  who  is  "  Glorious." 
 
 III.  In  office :  Messiah's  royalty, 
 and  His  priesthood  for  us. 
 
 He  is  our  "  Ruler ;  "  and  He  "  draws 
 near  "  God  as  a  priest. 
 
 IV.  In  suretyship :  Messiah's  self-de- 
 votion ;  His  approach  to  God  for  us. 
 
 And  who  but  He ;  who,  in  nature 
 Divine,  "  thought  it  not  robbery  to  be 
 equal  with  God,"  yet  made  Himself  of 
 no  reputation,  could  possess  '■'■  the  heart" 
 — of  courage,  consecration,  and  love — 
 to  approach  God  as  man's  Representative 
 and  Redeemer  ? 
 
 Comments — 
 
 Lowth  says :  "  The  Hebrew  word 
 is  in  the  singular  number,  and  liter- 
 ally signifies  their  "  Mighty  One,"  a 
 title  given  to  God  Himself  (Ps.  xciii. 
 4),  and  to  a  mighty  Angel  (Isa.  x,  34), 
 probably  the  Word,  or  Son  of  God. 
 He  shall  have  near  attendance  upon  Me 
 (*  I  will  cause  Him  to  draw  near  ') ;  for  I 
 will  make  Him  a  Priest  to  Me  as  well 
 as  a  King,  according  to  the  prophecy 
 concerning  the  Messiah  (Ps.  ex.  4).  '  For 
 who  is  this,'  &c., — who  is  there  but  the 
 Messiah  that  is  so  entirely  devoted  to 
 My  service  1  See  Ps.  xl.  8  ;  John  iv. 
 34,  xiv.  31." 
 
 Henderson  remarks  :  "  Who  this  illus- 
 trious Governor  is,  has  been  disputed. 
 Michaelis  and  Scholz  think  it  may  have 
 been  John  Hyrcanus ;  Grotius  and 
 others,  Zerubbabel.  But  with  neither 
 of  these  will  the  predicates  properly 
 agree.  That  the  person  spoken  of  was 
 to  be  a  pr'iest  is  generally  allowed ;  but 
 though  Hyrcanus  was  hereditarily  high- 
 priest  and  ruler,  yet  there  was  nothing 
 so  peculiar  about  him  or  his  office  to 
 call  for  the  declaration  that  he  should 
 
 *  approach  unto '  Jehovah ;  for  this  all 
 his  predecessors  had  done  in  the  way 
 which  he  did  ;  or  to  warrant  the  pointed 
 and  emphatic  interrogatory,  '  But  ivho  is 
 he  ?  '  &c.  The  question  is  put  as  some- 
 thing altogether  unique.  Such  an  ap- 
 proach had  never  been  made  before." 
 
 Diedrich  (in  Lange)  :  "  This  Church 
 of  God  will  own  a  Prince  'from  its 
 midst' — Jesus,  of  our  flesh  and  blood 
 through  the  Virgin  Mary.  And  He 
 ' a2J2)roaches  God'  as  no  other  can;  for 
 He  is  God's  image,  God's  Son ;  and  at 
 the  same  time  the  perfect,  holy  in  all 
 His  sufferings,  the  only  obedient  Son  of 
 man.  This  King  is  Mediator  and  Re- 
 conciler with  God ;  He  is  also  High- 
 Priest,  and  fulfilled  all  righteousness, 
 as  was  necessary  for  our  propitiation. 
 What  glory  to  have  such  a  King,  who 
 brings  us  nigh  to  God!  And  this  is 
 our  glory." 
 
 Ver.  21.  Theme :  Engaging  the 
 Heart  in  Religious  Service.  "  For 
 who  is  this  that  engaged  his  heart  to 
 approach  unto  Me,  saith  the  Lord  1 " 
 
 The  promises  of  God  in  times  past 
 become  the  encouragement  of  the  Church 
 in  times  to  come. 
 
 Because  these  promises  are  ratified  in 
 Christ.     "  Yea,  and  Amen." 
 
 Because  the  dispensations  of  God 
 proceed  upon  fixed  and  settled  prin- 
 ciples. 
 
 The  promises  here  respect  recovery 
 from  Babylon. 
 
 The  immediate  reference  of  the  text 
 may  be  to  Nehemiah. 
 
 I.  The  nature  of  religion  described. 
 
 II.  The  motives  that  it  suggested. 
 
 I.  The  nature  and  requisites  of  re- 
 ligion described. 
 
 "  Engaging  the  heart  towards  God." 
 Without  this  all  profession  is  false  and 
 all  worship  vain. 
 
 It  supposes  the  free  choice  of  God's 
 service,  and  a  full  and  heartfelt  con- 
 secration to  it.     God's  service  chosen — 
 
 i.  Deliberately,  ivithout  rashness.  "  If 
 the  Lord  be  God,  serve  Him ; "  "As  for 
 me  and  my  house,  we  will  serve  the 
 Lord ;  "  "  Choose  ye  this  day." 
 
 God  will  not  accept  a  blind  faith. 
 511 
 
CHAP.  XXX. 
 
 ffOMTLETIC  COMMENTARY:  JEREMIAH. 
 
 Aaron  was  to  light  the  lamps  before  he 
 offered  incense.  Solomon  first  pre- 
 scribes, "  K710W  thou  the  God  of  thy 
 fathers,"  and  then  adds,  ^^  Serve  Him." 
 God  made  the  heart  that  He  might 
 dwell  in  it. 
 
 ii.  Sincerely,  without  hypocrisy.  Serve 
 Him  with  a  perfect  heart ;  because  you 
 choose  such  a  Master  as  is  at  once  the 
 Heart-Maker  and  the  Heart-Searcher. 
 Now  therefore,  as  Joshua  tells  Israel, 
 "  Fear  the  Lord,  and  serve  Him  in  sin- 
 cerity and  truth."  As  if  he  had  said, 
 If  you  intend  to  serve  Him,  you  must 
 serve  Him  in  uprightness,  or  you  do  not 
 serve  Him  at  all.  God  requires  good 
 aims  as  well  as  good  actions :  and  He 
 abhors  that  service,  though  ever  so 
 costly,  if  the  aim  of  him  who  serves 
 Him  be  not  good.  This  is  the  differ- 
 ence between  the  service  of  God  and  of 
 man.  Man  can  but  see  the  outside,  and 
 can  only  punish  outward  disobedience 
 and  defects ;  but  God  unveils  motive. 
 "  God  is  a  sjnrit." 
 
 iii.  Cheerfully,  without  constraint. 
 Serve  the  Lord  with  "  gladness."  A 
 bad  omen  when  the  victim  struggled 
 at  the  altar.  God  loves  a  cheerful  giver 
 and  a  cheerful  worshipper  (2  Chron. 
 XV.  14). 
 
 iv.  Constantly,  luithout  eiid.  In  all 
 things,  in  all  places;  in  private  as  in 
 public ;  in  all  times,  prosperity  and  ad- 
 versity, life  and  death ;  and  with  all 
 faculties.  As  the  Dutch  minister  said 
 to  CEcolampadius,  Let  God  speak,  and 
 though  we  had  six  hundred  necks,  yet  we 
 will  make  them  all  stoop  in  obedience  to 
 Him. 
 
 II.  Motives  to  induce  this  choice 
 of  God's  service. 
 
 i.  From  God's  rightfid  claim  to  it. 
 God  made  man  to  serve  Him  and  to 
 seek  his  own  happiness  in  God's  ser- 
 vice ;  his  own  honour  in  God's  glory. 
 We  are  His  workmanship,  and  it  be- 
 comes us  to  improve  our  gifts  and  capa- 
 cities to  Him  from  whom  we  receive 
 them,  as  all  rivers  return  to  the  ocean 
 whence  they  come.  As  Aulius  Fulvius 
 said  to  his  son,  when  he  found  him  in 
 conspiracy  with  Catiline,  You  were  not 
 horn  for  Catiline,  hut  for  your  country 
 "{Non  ego  te  Catilince genui,sed patrice"). 
 512 
 
 So  God  says,  /  did  not  give  thee  soul  and 
 body  to  serve  the  world  and  sin,  but  to 
 serve  Me  withal. 
 
 Consider  the  infinite  excellences  which 
 reside  in  God,  as  a  motive  to  His  service. 
 The  lustre  of  His  perfections  fills  heaven 
 and  earth. 
 
 Consider  the  rich  mercies  you  re- 
 ceive. So  many  mercies,  so  many  mo- 
 tives. In  creation,  in  providence,  in 
 redemption.  We  are  therefore  "  de- 
 livered out  of  the  hand  of  our  enemies, 
 that  we  shoidd  serve  Him  without  fear." 
 God  makes  the  deliverance  from  Egypt 
 a  motive  for  keeping  the  ten  command- 
 ments :  *'/  am  the  Lord  thy  God,  who 
 brought  thee  out  of  the  land  of  Egypt, 
 therefore  thou  shalt  keep  holy  the  Sab- 
 bath." Much  more  may  we  argue  from 
 redemption  :  "  Je  are  not  your  oion." 
 
 "  Render  to  Ccesar  the  things  that  are 
 C Cesar's,  and  to  God  the  things  that  are 
 God's."  If  service  be  not  due,  do  not 
 give  it  Him ;  but  if  it  be,  it  is  sacrilege 
 to  withhold  it. 
 
 ii.  From  His  gracious  acceptance  of 
 it.  "  Who  is  willing  ?  "  He  speaks 
 with  wonder  and  delight,  shewing 
 that  God  notices  all  hearts.  There 
 is  no  service  any  man  does  or  desires 
 to  do,  but  God  marks  and  registers 
 it.  God  noticed  Abraham's  willing- 
 ness to  offer  Isaac.  Christ  noticed 
 every  circumstance  connected  with 
 Mary's  anointing  His  head  and  washing 
 His  feet.  God  holds  up  the  obedience  of 
 Job  to  Satan  :  "  Hast  thou  considered  ?  " 
 
 iii.  From  happiness  consequent  upon 
 it.  "  His  service  perfect  freedom,"  "A 
 day  in  Thy  courts."  "  Ethiopian  went 
 his  way,"  &c.  God's  service  is  a  type  of 
 heaven.  We  have  communion  with  the 
 "  God  of  all  consolation" — with  the 
 Sj)irit,  the  Comforter. 
 
 God  alone  can  fill  the  heart.  In  His 
 service  you  have  encouraging  promises, 
 examples,  providences,  experiences,  pros- 
 pects. 
 
 iv.  From  consequences  of  not  serving 
 Him  (vers.  23,  24). 
 
 III.  Hints  of  direction. 
 
 i.  To  those  who  have  engaged  their 
 hearts  to  God.      Walk  worthy. 
 
 Study  to  attain  a  temper  of  mind 
 more  and  more  spiritual. 
 
HOMILETIC  COMMENTARY:  JEREMIAH. 
 
 Strictly  guard  the  avenues  of  the 
 inward  man. 
 
 Bear  yourself  as  the  inhabitant  of  a 
 better  country. 
 
 Comprebeud  the  entire  frame  of  that 
 holy  rectitude  in  which  the  image  of 
 God  consists. 
 
 Converse  with  the  Word  of  God. 
 Occupy  your  thoughts  with  God. 
 
 "  Delight  thyself  in  Him." 
 
 ii.  To  those  wlio  have  not.  Take  care 
 you  do  not  carry  the  controversy  into 
 another  world. 
 
 By  how  much  nature  revolts,  by  so 
 much  seek  grace. 
 
 Ver.  22.  "  Ye  shall  he  My  'people,  and 
 livill  he  your  God."  Comp.  chap.  xxiv.  7. 
 
 Vers.  23,  24.  "  The  ivhirhvmd  of  the 
 Lord."  Comp.  chap,  xxiii.  19,  29,  and 
 XXV.  32. 
 
 Ver.  24.  Theme :  Considekation. 
 *'  In  the  latter  days  ye  shall  consider  it." 
 
 After  denouncing  the  Lord's  judgments 
 upon  a  people  laden  with  iniquity,  and 
 looking  beyond  to  a  time  of  restoration 
 and  peace,  Jeremiah  rebxikes  their  present 
 carelessness  and  indifference  by  assuring 
 them  that,  in  that  better  time  to  come, 
 they  ivill  look  hack  ivith  very  diff'erent 
 feelings  upon  their  present  conduct  as  a 
 nation. 
 
 I.  There  comes  a  closing  period  of  a 
 course  of  action  or  conduct,  when  it  can 
 all  be  looked  back  upon,  and  the  effects 
 are  seen  and  the  7'estdts  exjyei^ienced. 
 
 The  great  practical  point  is  to  urge 
 upon  us — 
 
 1.  The  necessity  of  closely  examining 
 onr  oivn  heart  and  life,  with  especial 
 reference  to  the  light  in  which  they  will 
 appear  even  to  ourselves  hereafter.     For 
 
 2.  The  crisis  will  arrive  ivhen  ive 
 shall  reap  that  which  ive  have  sown  ;  or, 
 above  all,  when  we  shall  come  to  cast  one 
 long  look  behind,  as  our  feet  totter  on 
 the  borders  of  the  grave. 
 
 II.  It  may  seem  difficult  thus,  by  d^le 
 consideration,  to  realise  at  one  time  of 
 life,  or  at  one  station  in  the  course  of 
 action,  the  point  of  view  which  seems  to 
 belong  to  another.  But  the  attainment 
 is  not  difhcult. 
 
 1.  It  is,  in  fact,  easy  to  those  ivho  ivish 
 
 for  it  and  strive  for  it.     It  is  simply  the 
 true  point  of  view. 
 
 2.  Our  case  would  be  hard  if  tlie 
 Lord  had  not  provided  for  our  guidance 
 into  all  truth,  not  only  of  doctrine,  but  of 
 life  and  conduct,  at  every  period  of  our 
 course. 
 
 3.  We  have  in  the  Scriptures  a  sure 
 and  certain  light  unto  our  path  ;  and  he 
 who  has  been  careful  to  store  his  mind 
 with  its  holy  teachings,  will  never  be  at 
 a  loss  to  decide  upon  his  conduct,  or 
 upon  any  course  of  conduct  he  contem 
 plates. 
 
 4.  If  a  man  hears  these  words,  whether, 
 at  the  time,  he  heeds  them  or  not,  re- 
 ceives them  or  not,  they /cuY  not  to  judge 
 him  in  his  oivn  consciousness  (John  xii. 
 48),  not  only  at  the  last  day,  but  in 
 his  "latter  days" — those  great  days  of 
 decision. 
 
 III.  Such  a  standard  of  invincible 
 truth  should  be  erected  in  the  mind, 
 constraining  man  to  become  his  own 
 judge,  and  enabling  him  to  decide 
 between  the  accusings  and  excusings  of 
 his  conscience. 
 
 1.  Therefore,  minds  should  he  filed 
 with  a  knowledge  of  Scripture,  even 
 though,  at  the  time,  those  minds  enter- 
 tain no  adequate  impression  of  its  saving 
 power. 
 
 2.  The  mind,  earnestly  desirous  of 
 realising  this  most  true  latter-end  view 
 of  tilings,  may  obtain  them  through  the 
 gentle  teachings  of  the  Divine  Spirit,  who 
 has  never  yet  denied  them  to  any  who 
 sought  them  in  singleness  of  heart. 
 
 IV.  With  these  essential  and  sure 
 guides  to  wise  consideration,  we  are 
 without  excuse  if  we  neglect  the  duty, 
 "md  brutal  if  ive  despise  the  2^rivilege. 
 
 1.  Who  is  there,  looking  back,  but  can 
 discern  grievous  stains,  fearful  short- 
 comings, distressing  faithlessness — dis- 
 honouring to  Christ,  defiling  to  his  own 
 soul,  and  burdensome  to  his  conscience — 
 and  compelled  to  exclaim,  "  Oli,  that  I 
 had  considered,  that  I  had  given  one 
 thought  to  God  and  the  latter  end,  be- 
 fore I  took  this  burden  on  my  soul !" 
 
 2.  The  longer  this  habit  of  "con- 
 sideration" is  2^ostponed,  the  onore  bur- 
 densome it  becomes.  There  is  much  in 
 a   heart-searching   retrospect,  over    the 
 
 K  513 
 
CHAP.  xxxr. 
 
 no  MI  LET  IC  COMMENTARY :  JEREMTAE. 
 
 earliest  and  most  innocent  period  of  life, 
 to  awaken  compunction  and  regret ;  but 
 if  the  wholesome  check,  which  the  habit 
 of  considering  the  latter  end  imposes, 
 be  not  found  in  good  time,  the  blacken- 
 ing horror  of  the  later  and  more  ad- 
 vanced period  makes  that  early  time 
 seem  bright  in  the  comparison,  and  gives 
 birth  to  feelings  which  have  found  ex- 
 pression in  such  words  as  these — 
 
 '•  Lost  days  of  youth  !     Oh,  holj'  days,  1 
 
 When  joy  was  blest  with  prayer  and  praise — 
 When  this  sad  heart,  now  deeply  dyed 
 With  many  a  thought  unsanctitied, 
 Trembled  at  every  venial  stain, 
 And  shrunk  from  sin  as  now  from  pain  • 
 
 Oh,  not  that  even  in  that  hour 
 
 Of  early  reason's  dawning  power, 
 
 My  soul  was  pure  from  thoughts  of  sin  ; 
 
 But  now  so  dark  the  past  has  been, 
 
 That  those  first  stains  from  young  offence 
 
 Bear  the  bright  hue  of  innocence." 
 
 —Kitto. 
 
 CHAPTER  XXXI. 
 
 Critical  and  ExegeticalN'otes. — Vide  on  chap.  xsx.  These  two  chapters  form  an  unbroken 
 prophecy,  "a  triumphal  hymn  of  Israel's  salvation."  The  former  chapter  pledges  the  recovery 
 from  captivity  of  both  "  Israel  and  Judah  ;"  this  addresses  ^'all  the  families  of  Israel,"  then  dis- 
 tinctively the  ten  tribes ;  and  finally  returns  with  separate  assurances  to  Judah,  then  to  Israel  and 
 Judah  together. 
 
 Geographical  References. — Ver.  15.  "  Voice  heard  in  Bamah,"  a  city  of  Benjamin,  near 
 where  liachel,  the  mother  of  Joseph  and  Benjamin,  was  buried.  Ver.  38.  "  Bill  Garch,  to 
 Goath."  "Gareb  "  means  the  hill  of  lepers,  and  must  have  been  outside  the  old  walls  of  Zion, 
 Jowards  the  south-west.  "  The  tower  of  Ilanamecl"  was  at  the  north-east  corner  of -Jerusalem. 
 t)f  "  Goath  "  nothing  is  known  ;  the  Targum  translates  it  cow-j^ool.  Yer.  40.  "  Valley  of  the 
 dead  bodies,"  &c. :  i.e.,  the  valley  of  Ben-hinnom. 
 
 Personal  Allusion. — Ver.  15.  "  Rahel  ^ceeping  for  her  children."  As  the  mother  of  Benjamin, 
 Ephraim,  and  Manasseh,  Rachel  is  here  regarded  figuratively  as  weeping  for  the  scattered  ten 
 tribes  of  Israel. 
 
 Natural  History. — Ver.  5.  "  Vines  upon  the  mountains  of  Samaria. "  The  mountains  of  Samaria 
 produced  specially  good  vines;  see  Judges  ix.  27.  Ver.  12.  " For  ivheat,  and  wine,  and  oil," 
 &c. :  suggestive  of  the  fertility  and  richness  of  the  land  of  Canaan.  Ver.  29.  "  Eaten  a  sour 
 grape."     A  proverb;  see  Ezek.  xviii.  2. 
 
 Manners  and  Customs. — Ver.  4.  "  Adorned  with  tabrets."  Usual  for  the  women  to  go  forth 
 with  timhriis  and  dancing  in  times  of  public  joy  and  festivity  (Exod.  xv.  20  ;  Judges  xi.  34, 
 &c.).  Ver.  19.  "  Smote  tipon  my  thigh :  "  an  action  indicating  extreme  astonishment  and  sorrow 
 (Ezek.  xxi.  12).  It  is  represented  as  having  this  significance  by  several  classic  authors. 
 Ver.  24.  "  Ilasbandmen  and  they  that  go  forth  with  flocls."  Referring  to  the  pastoral  life  of 
 their  ancestors,  when  every  one  was  literally  a  "  husbandman  "  and  "shepherd  "  in  consequence 
 of  the  allotment  of  land  which  he  was  forbidden  to  alienate.  They  should  return  to  a  similar 
 pastoral  life  of  simplicity  and  security. 
 
 Literary  Criticisms.— Ver.  2.  "  The  people  left  of  the  sioord."  This  description  points,  not 
 back  to  Israel  in  the  wilderness  of  Sinai,  for  it  would  not  describe  their  condition  then,  for  they 
 were  nut  then  "a  people  left  of  the  sword  ;  "  but  to  Israel  in  captivity,  after  "  the  sword  "  of  those 
 who  now  carried  tliem  captive  had  ceased  its  destructive  work.  How  then  interpret  "found  grace 
 in  the  wilderness  "  ?  what  "  wilderness  "  ?  Their  Babylonish  captivity  may  well  be  described  as  a 
 wilderness  condition.  Or  the  allusion  may  be  to  the  desert  lying  between  Assyria  and  Palestine. 
 And  NVO  may  be  taken  as  a  prophetic  future.  And  the  words,  "  When  I  went  to  cause  him 
 to  rest,"  do  not  really  point  to  past  time;  for  the  verb,  ^i^n,  is  the  infinitive  absolute,  lit., 
 a-gonuj.  It  has,  however,  the  force  of  an  imperative  :  Let  me  go  ;  or,  "  /  luill  go  to  cause  Israel 
 to  rest." 
 
 Ver.  3.  "  Of  old."  Henderson  urges  that  pimO  expresses  here  distance  of  time  not  of 
 place;  but  most  commentators  prefer  the  latter :  "from  afar."  See  xxx.  10.  To  a  Jew's 
 thoughts,  God's  dwelling  was  in  Zion  ;  and  hence,  when  His  mercy  reached  them  in  Assyrian 
 exile,  it  came  from  afar  (2  Chron.  vi.  20,  38). 
 
 "  With  loving-kindness  have  I  drawn  thee."  'qti'D  is  rendered  as  prolonged,  continued  (Psa. 
 xxxvi.  11,  cix.  12);  •' I  have  prolonged  loving  Idndness  to  thee."  But  Hitzig,  Fuerst,  and 
 JNa^elsbach^prefer  rendering  it  respited  :  "in  loving -kindness  have  I  respited  thee?' 
 
 Ver.  5.  "  Eat  them  as  common  things  :  "  rather,  "  shall  freely  enjoy  the  fruit ;  "  no  injunction 
 being  placed ^upon  the  enjoyment.     See  Lev.  xix.  25  ;  Deut.  xx.  6. 
 
 _     Ver.  7.   "Shout  among  the  chief,"  d-c.  :  rather,  "  shout  hecaim  of  the  chief  of  the  nations," 
 I.e.,  Israel.  ' 
 
 514 
 
IIOMILETIC  COMMENTARY :  JEREMIAH. 
 
 CHAP.  XXXI, 
 
 Ver.  8,   "  A  great  company  shall  return  thither :  "  no,  hither.    Not  to  exile,  but  to  Palestine. 
 
 Ver.  18.   "  A  buUocJc  unaccustomed  :  "  lit.,  an  untrained  calf. 
 
 Ver.  22.  "A  woman  shall  compass  a  man."  Variously  rendered.  Dr.  Payne,  Dr.  Wette, 
 TJmbreit,  &c.,  The  female  Jiall  protect  the  strong  man.  Ewald,  "  The  woman  shall  be  cham/ed 
 into  a  man."  Naegelsbach,  "The  ivoman  shall  turn  the  man,"  becoming  tlie  stronger  of  the 
 two.  Wordsworth,  with  the  Fathers,  see  in  these  words  a  liint  of  tlie  miraculous  conception  of 
 Christ.  But  Henderson  gives  the  sense  that  Jehovah  would  make  tlie  feeblest  of  them  [the  woman] 
 more  than  a  match  for  the  most  p)oiocrful  of  their  foes. 
 
 HOMILIES  AND  OUTLINES  ON  CHAPTER  XXXI. 
 
 Ver.  1.  Theme:  The  God  op  Families. 
 
 ^^  At  the  same  time  ivill  I  be  the  God  of  all 
 tlie  families  of  Israel.^' 
 
 I'here  is  one  solid  Eock  on  wliich  the 
 hope  and  happiness  of  the  moral  uni- 
 verse may  rest  amidst  all  the  vicissitudes 
 of  time  ;  and  that  whatever  dark  appear- 
 ances may  surround  the  interests  of  the 
 Church,  like  clouds  which  obscure  the 
 face  of  the  heavens,  the  sun  shall  yet  shine 
 forth  again  with  unquenched  lustre  and 
 unabated  strength.  "  The  mountains  may 
 dejmrt,  the  hills  must  he  removed,  hut 
 God's  loving-Tcindness  never  shall  depart, 
 the  covenant  of  His  peace  can  never  he 
 broken." 
 
 To  this  topic  Jeremiah  had  recourse 
 in  the  troublous  times  in  which  he  lived, 
 ■when  he  was  called  to  deplore  the  fallen 
 greatnessof  the  Church,  and  to  witness  the 
 dissolution  and  the  breaking  up  of  the 
 Jewish  state  and  monarchy.  He  looks 
 back  upon  what  God  did  for  His  Church 
 in  the  captivity  of  Egypt,  as  the  pledge 
 and  pattern  of  what  He  will  do  for  it 
 in  the  captivity  of  Babylon  (vers.  2,  3). 
 So  David  teaches  us  to  argue  from  the 
 same  principles  when  he  says,  "  Oh,  hoio 
 great  is  Thy  goodness  ivhich  Thoii  hast  laid 
 up  for  them  that  fear  Thee,  ivhich  Thoit 
 hast  wrought  for  them  tliat  fear  Thee." 
 What  is  laid  up  in  God's  promises,  and 
 what  is  laid  oiit  for  them  in  God's  pro- 
 vidences, form  an  equal  ground  of 
 encouragement  and  hope.  Paul  in  like 
 manner  ascends  up  before  the  springs  of 
 time  :  "  Blessed  be  the  God  and  Father, 
 who  hath  blessed  tis  with  all  spiritual 
 blessings,  according  as  lie  has  chosen  us 
 in  Him  before  the  foundation  of  the  ivorld 
 that  we  should  he  holy." 
 
 I.  Some  of  the  truths  which  this 
 promise  implies. 
 
 II.  Some  of  the  encouragements  it 
 presents. 
 
 III.  Some  of  the  duties  it  involves. 
 
 I.  Some  of  the  truths  which  this 
 promise  implies.  "  I  will  be  the  God 
 of  all  the  families  of  Israel."  Not  of 
 the  two  tribes  only,  Judah  and  Benja- 
 min, the  royal  tribes,  but  the  ten  tribes. 
 Not  of  the  house  of  Aaron  only,  and  the 
 families  of  Levi,  but  of  all  their  families ; 
 not  only  of  their  state  in  general,  but 
 their  particular  families. 
 
 1.  A  deep  interest  in  their  welfare. 
 That  God  takes  a  deep  'interest  in 
 family  religion,  and  delights  to  see  the 
 succession  of  piety  kejit  up  in  the 
 dwelling-places  of  the  righteous,  is  evi- 
 dent both  by  the  tenor  of  His  promises 
 and  by  the  train  of  His  dispensations. 
 No  sight  is  more  pleasing  to  man  than 
 that  of  a  well-ordered  famil3\  The 
 safety  and  well-being  of  a  country  must 
 necessarily  depend  upon  the  moral  train- 
 ing of  the  families  of  which  it  is  com- 
 posed. No  less  important  is  it  to  the 
 well-being  of  the  Church.  Families  are 
 the  nurseries  of  the  Church.  God  there- 
 fore, in  determining  upon  the  stability 
 of  the  Church,  looks  with  watchful  and 
 tender  eye  upon  the  prosperity  of 
 families. 
 
 God  delights  to  speak  of  Himself  as 
 standing  in  a  domestic  relation  :  "Like 
 as  a  father."  The  image  most  frequently 
 used  :  "  If  ye  being  evil  .  .  .  your  hea- 
 venly Father,"  &c. 
 
 2.  He  calls  your  children  His  children. 
 He  makes  distinguishing  promises  to 
 them.  The  very  first  promise  was  made 
 to  Eve's  offspring.  The  covenant  with 
 Abraham  incorporated  his  children's 
 name  as  well  as  his  own  :  "  I  ivill  he  a 
 God  to  thee  and  thy  seed  after  thee."  He 
 promises  to  David,  "  Instead  of  the 
 fathers,  the  children;"  to  Isaiah,  "  This 
 is  the  covenant  I  make  with  thee :  I  will 
 poiir  otit  My  Spirit  on  thy  seed." 
 
 3.  Remember  that  Jesus  Himself  be- 
 came a  little  child.     He  rose,  not  like 
 
 515 
 
CHAP.  xxxr. 
 
 HOMILETIC  COMMENTARY :  JEREMIAH. 
 
 Adam,  in  the  fulness  and  meridian  of  His 
 strength,  but  passed  through  the  inter- 
 mediate states  of  infancy  and  childhood. 
 When  the  wise  men  came  from  afar 
 ^'•tliey  saiv  the  i/oung  Child  and  Mary 
 Ills  mother."  He  did  this  that  He  might 
 consecrate  the  state  of  infancy  as  well 
 as  the  state  of  manhood ;  and  assure 
 parents  that  He  can  sympathise  with  the 
 weakness  and  infirmities  of  childhood 
 and  youth,  as  well  as  those  of  riper  years. 
 He  was  a  lover  of  children  (Mark  x. 
 13-16;  Matt,  xviii.  3-14). 
 
 4.  Do  not  omit  to  remark  what  a 
 gracious  aspect  all  this  has  upon  the 
 salvation  of  infants;  and  what  com- 
 fort it  affords  those  who  have  lost 
 their  offspring,  that  they  are  gathered  to 
 the  fold  of  the  Good  Shepherd.  In  God's 
 world  there  is  no  waste  of  existence. 
 ^'■Millions  of  infant  souls  comjwse  the 
 family  above."  David  said,  in  refei'ence 
 to  the  loss  of  his  child,  "  I  shall  go  to 
 him,  but  he  shall  not  return  to  me." 
 And  if  he  reasoned  thus  under  the  dark- 
 ness of  that  dispensation,  surely  our 
 faith  need  not  be  less  strong  under  the 
 brightness  of  this.  "  If  that  ivhich  ivas 
 done  away  was  glorious,  much  more  that 
 which  remaineth  is  rather  glorious." 
 
 II.  This  promise  encourages  Chris- 
 tian parents  in  their  endeavours  to  train 
 their  offspring  in  the  nurture  and  admo- 
 nition of  the  Lord. 
 
 Great  duties  devolve  upon  you ;  great 
 anxieties  perpetually  occur  in  connection 
 with  your  own  responsibility  ;  and  great 
 consolations  are  furnished  in  the  Word  of 
 God. 
 
 1.  No  greater  inducement  can  be  fur- 
 nished to  avail  yourselves  of  all  means 
 for  their  religious  improvement  than  the 
 thought  that  God  sym2Mthises  luith  you 
 both  in  the  affections  you  cherish 
 and  in  the  difficulties  with  which  you 
 are  surrounded.  If  it  be  true  that  God 
 takes  so  deep  an  interest  in  the  progress 
 of  religion  in  families — is  concerned 
 for  the  salvation  of  the  young — if  it  be 
 true  that  He  builds  up  His  Church  chiefly 
 from  the  families  of  His  people,  then  it 
 follows  that  great  duties  devolve  on 
 parents  and  heads  of  families,  and  it  be- 
 comes them  to  seek  the  grace  and  bless- 
 ing of  God. 
 51G 
 
 2.  These  promises  should  be  earnestly 
 pleaded  in  prayer,  should  encourage 
 watchful  effort.  They  are  not  given  as 
 a  premium  to  indolence,  but  as  an  in- 
 ducement to  the  faithful  discharge  of 
 known  duty. 
 
 3.  God  has  made  the  love  of  parents 
 to  their  children  proverbially  strong  ;  for 
 moral  objects,  that  their  interests  for  both 
 ivoiids  may  be  secured.  There  never  was 
 a  Christian  parent,  touched  with  the 
 love  of  God,  who  was  not  anxious  for  his 
 children,  anxious  to  lead  them  to  the 
 Saviour  he  loved  and  the  heaven  he 
 sought ;  anxious  that  they  who  are 
 partakers  of  all  their  hopes  on  earth 
 should  be  partakers  of  all  their  joys 
 in  heaven. 
 
 4.  Education  is  the  great  care  with 
 which  you  are  entrusted.  If  negligent, 
 on  you  as  well  as  them  the  reproach  and 
 misery  will  fall.  You  may  be  regardless  i 
 of  your  son's  morals,  but  you  may  live  1 
 and  die  miserable  from  his  want  of 
 them. 
 
 Think   of  the  happiness  of  meeting 
 them  in  a  future   world.      Guide  them        « 
 to  Christ.     Endear  the  Bible,  and  the       I 
 Sabbath,  and  the  Saviour  to  them. 
 
 Remember  the  temptations  they  are 
 exposed  to,  and  how  many  fall  into  the 
 snares  of  the  wicked. 
 
 III.  Some  of  the  duties  this  promise 
 involves — 
 
 1.  Prayer  for  early  conversion  of  chil- 
 dren. 
 
 2.  Training  of  families  in  godliness       i 
 and  faith.  • 
 
 3.  Public  dedication  of  our  children 
 by  baptism,  to  God. 
 
 4.  Recognition  of  God's  laivs,  and 
 2irovidence,  and  honour  in  all  family 
 plans. 
 
 5.  Consecration  by  young  persons  of 
 themselves  to  God. 
 
 6.  Maintain  domestic  luorship  around 
 the  family  altar. 
 
 7.  Let  families,  in  their  entirety, 
 come  together  to  God's  sanctuary,  and  be 
 united  in  tlie  fellowship  of  the  Christian 
 Church. 
 
 See  Homilies  on  chap.  iii.  18. 
 
 Ver.  2.   Theme:  "Spared  Through 
 
no  MI  LET  IC  COMMENTARY:  J  ERE  Ml  All. 
 
 CflAP.  XX Sf. 
 
 Grace.  "  The  people  left  of  the  sword 
 found  grace  in  the  wilderness." 
 
 I.  Spared,  though  others  perished. 
 Many  were  cut  oti"  for  their  iniquities; 
 
 some  by  the  Amalekites  (Exod.  xvii.  8), 
 some  by  the  hands  of  their  brethren 
 (Exod.  xxxii.  28). 
 
 The  destroyed  around  us  witness  to 
 our  like  deserts. 
 
 II.  Spared  through  sovereign  grace. 
 
 1.  To  God's  praise.  "  Tlie  living, 
 the  living,  they  shall  praise  Thee,  as  we 
 do  this  day." 
 
 2.  Witnessinrf  to  His  compassion  and 
 patience. 
 
 III.  Spared  to  inherit  favours. 
 
 1.  Conducted  by  Him  into  the  pro- 
 raised  land  of  rest. 
 
 2.  Spared  to  enjoy  all  the  fulness  of 
 covenanted  privilege. 
 
 3.  Blessed  with  prolonged  realisation 
 of  Divine  goodness  and  bounty. 
 
 See  Homilies  on  chap.  ii.  2. 
 
 Ver.  3.  Theme:  Proghess  of  Man's 
 Salvation. 
 
 A  condensed  view  of  the  origin,  pro- 
 gress, and  consummation  of  man's  salva- 
 tion. 
 
 I.  The  feeling  with  which  God  regards 
 each  of  His  people :  "  I  have  loved 
 thee." 
 
 II.  The  kind  of  love  with  which  God 
 has  regarded  His  people  :  "  Everlasting 
 love." 
 
 in.  The  visible  operation  and  effect 
 of  this  love  :  "  I  have  drawn  thee." 
 
 (a.)  A  change  of  position  or  state. 
 
 (6.)  A  change  accomplished  by  God  : 
 "/  have  drawn  thee." 
 
 (c.)  A  change  not  accomplished  with- 
 out resistance:  ^' Draxun." 
 
 IV.  The  means  which  God  employs 
 in  drawing  His  people  :  "  Loving-kind- 
 ness."— Bev.  James  Steivart,  Aherdeeyi, 
 1862. 
 
 See  Addenda :  Everlasting  Love. 
 
 Theme:  Drawn  with  Everlasting 
 
 Love. 
 
 God  has  often  "appeared"  to  man. 
 In  His  visible  a-eation  He  reveals  Him- 
 self, lavishing  the  wealth,  garniture,  and 
 
 beauty  of  nature  upon  a  sinful  race.  In 
 His  daily  providences  He  appears  tu 
 man  ;  fresh  fountains  of  mercy  spring 
 up  at  my  feet.  But  especially  God 
 appears  in  the  mystery  of  grace  am.' I 
 redemption,  showing  the  fulness  of  Hi? 
 mercy  in  Christ  Jesus. 
 
 Thus,  in  Creation  we  discern  the  print 
 of  His  footsteps ;  in  Providence  we 
 behold  the  operations  of  His  gracious 
 hand ;  but  in  Redemption  we  are  allowed 
 to  see  the  very  movements  and  purposes 
 of  His  all-gracious  heart. 
 
 I.  Vieio  this  love  of  God  in  its  far- 
 reaching  compass  and  largeness.  "  Of 
 old,"  as  to  time ;  but  more  correctly 
 ^'■from  afar,''  as  to  place.  God's  love 
 reaches  out  to  the  exiles  far  removed 
 from  Zion. 
 
 1.  To  the  banished  ones — captive  and 
 exiled — removed  "afar." 
 
 2.  To  those  estranged — spiritually  at 
 a  distance,  "alienated  from  the  life  of 
 God,"  wilfully  "afar." 
 
 3.  To  men  everywhere.  Gathers  in 
 all  with  a  world-wide  embrace. 
 
 II.  Yiev)  tills  love  of  God  in  its 
 absolute  directness  and  inalienable 
 purpose.     "  Yea,  I  have  loved  thee." 
 
 1.  Its  positlveness.  "  Yea,  I  have" 
 Not  equivocal,  and  conjectural,  or  conui- 
 tional. 
 
 2.  Its  intensity.  "  I  have  loved." 
 Great-hearted  affection. 
 
 3.  Its  personality.  "  /  have  loved 
 thee."  "The  Lord  knoiveth  them  that 
 are  His." 
 
 4.  Its  conscious  reality.  God  Himself 
 felt  and  realised  that  He  had  loved  Israel. 
 It  was  a  conscious  passion  to  God  Him- 
 self. He  yearns  with  strong  ardour  over 
 the  objects  of  His  great  affection. 
 
 III.  Vieiv  this  love  of  God  in  its  cease- 
 less constancy.  "  With  everlasting 
 love." 
 
 1.  In  retrospect  it  is  "  everlasting." 
 Not  recent,  but  vastly  remote  in  its 
 origin. 
 
 2.  In  covenant  fidelity  it  is  "  ever- 
 lasting." Not  vacillating,  not  insecure 
 as  was  theirs .' 
 
 3.  Amid  their  changeful  history  it  is 
 "  everlasting."  Whether  they  were  in 
 Zion,  or  "afar"  in  exile;  whether  they 
 as  a  nation  maintained  His  worship,  or 
 
 517 
 
CHAP.  XXXI, 
 
 HO  MI  LET IC  COMMENTARY  :  JERBMlAB. 
 
 became  "  lost  "  to  their  own  identity  and 
 to  their  holy  religion,  He  loved  and 
 would  cherish  them  still. 
 
 4.  Tlirowjhotit  all  future  ages  it  is 
 "  everlasting."  God's  nature  is  not  "vari- 
 able ;  "  "  the  thoughts  of  His  heart  are 
 to  all  generations." 
 
 IV.  Vieio  this  love  of  God  in  its 
 gracious  action  and  powerful  attrac- 
 tiveness. "  Therefore  with  loving-kind- 
 ness have  I  drawn  thee." 
 
 1.  Hence,  ivith  God  begins  the  ivorJc  of 
 alluring  soids  into  reconciliation.  It  is 
 not  the  sinner  who  commences ;  God's 
 grace  "  draws "  him,  and  thus  he  is 
 "  made  willing,"  "made  nigh." 
 
 2.  The/o?re  ivhich  draivs  the  soul  is 
 "  love."  As  all  the  coin  of  the  kingdom 
 bears  the  image  of  the  sovereign,  so  all 
 the  blessings  of  salvation  bear  the  stamp 
 of  love.  "  With  loving-kindness  have  I 
 drawn  thee." 
 
 3.  When  the  heart  rests  in  God's 
 love,  it  finds  its  own  love  for  Him  to  be 
 tlie  result  of  and  resj^onse  to  His  love  for 
 us.  "  We  love  Him  because  He  first 
 loved  us." 
 
 4.  All  draivings  of  God  should  be 
 yielded  to  with  gratitude,  wonder,  alac- 
 rity, and  joy. 
 
 Note— 
 
 (a.)  This  is  a  most  touching  and 
 SUBLIME  ASSURANCE.  When  we  look 
 at  ourselves  we  wonder  that  God  can 
 love  us  at  all.  And  if  His  love  had  to 
 be  caused  by  anything  in  us,  He  could 
 never  find  occasion  for  His  love.  But 
 the  love  which  God  has  for  us  comes  not 
 from  us  to  Him,  but  fro77i  Him  to  us. 
 He  loves  us,  not  because  tve  are  lovable, 
 but  because  He  is  loving. 
 
 (b.)  This  "everlasting  love"  is  A  most 
 STUPKNDOus  THOUGHT  TO  GRASP.  Before 
 we  had  any  objective  existence ;  before 
 we  stood  out  as  individuals  of  the 
 human  race,  He  loved  us.  The  moment 
 we  were  born  into  the  world,  that 
 moment  tve  began  to  live  in  the  love  of 
 God. 
 
 The  ray  of  light  from  a  star  has  been 
 runnhig  down  the  measureless  path  of 
 space  long,  long  centtiries  before  earth 
 tvas  peojTled  by  man;  but  before  the 
 wave  (which  made  the  starlight  shine  in 
 518 
 
 the  heavens)  was  started  in  the  ether 
 by  the  pulsations  from  that  distant  star, 
 God  was  loving  me.  Oh,  that  vast  eternity 
 of  love  ! 
 
 If  that  love  was  from  everlasting, 
 shall  it  not  be  to  everlasting  ?     Yes. 
 
 (c.)  There  is  a  pkophetic  sweep  op 
 HOPE  IN  this  pact.  Can  that  end  which 
 had  no  beginning  ?  Shall  we  fear  that 
 a  fountain  which  flows  perennially  and 
 freely  can  at  some  far-off  age  run  dry  1 
 Ages  have  not  exhausted  it.  It  is  "  ever- 
 lasting love."  Surely  this  both  loins 
 and  slcall  hold  our  love  to  God. 
 
 "  Infinite  Goodness  !  Thou  art  dear 
 To  Thy  poor  creature's  heart ; 
 It  blesses  Thee  that  Thou  art  God, 
 That  Thou  art  what  Thou  art." 
 
 Theme :  Everlasting  Love. 
 
 I.  Sovereign  in  its  character. 
 
 II.  Costly  in  its  manifestation. 
 
 III.  Glorious  in  its  residts. 
 
 Ver.  6.  Theme :  The  Watchmen's 
 Call.  "  There  shall  be  a  day  that  the 
 watchmen  upon  Mount  Ephraim  shall 
 cry,  "Arise  ye,  and  let  us  go  up  to  Zion 
 unto  the  Lord  our  God," 
 
 I.  Grod's  heralds.  "  Watchmen,"  sto- 
 tioned  on  eminences  (not  on  one  mountain 
 only,  but  the  whole  mountainous  region 
 of  the  ten  tribes),  see  the  auspicious  hour, 
 call  to  the  alien  and  exile  tribes.  Type 
 of  the  preacher  of  the  Gospel : — (1.) 
 Elevated  above  the  people;  (2.)  Dis- 
 cerns their  gracious  opportunity ;  (3.) 
 Summons  the  wanderers  and  outcasts 
 home. 
 
 II.  Reunion  in  Zion.  The  ten  tribes 
 are  here  called  to  go  up  to  the  annual 
 feasts  at  Jerusalem,  and  there  join  with 
 the  tribes  of  Judah  in  keeping  the  ap- 
 pointed festivals  of  Zion.  The  schism 
 between  the  twelve  tribes  was  healed. 
 
 1.  Those  who  were  estranged  one  from 
 the  other  become  united  in  fraternity 
 and  felloivship  in  Zion.  See  Isa,  xi, 
 13. 
 
 2,  The  sacred  festivities  and  pi'ivi- 
 leges  of  the  Church  of  Christ  cast  all 
 human  divisions  and  differences  into 
 oblivion.  Many  members,  but  one  body. 
 Many  nations,  but  one  Idngdoni.  The 
 ivorld  gets  back  to  unity  again,  away 
 
HOMILETIC  COMMENTARY :  J  ERE  Ml  AIL 
 
 CSAP.  xxxt. 
 
 from  its  feuds  and  strifes,  when  it  gets 
 into  and  becomes  the  Church. 
 
 III.  God  sought.  "  Unto  the  Lord 
 our  God." 
 
 1.  From  "whom  lue  formerly  revolted. 
 Now  again  "  our  God ; "  accepted,  de- 
 sired, and  sought. 
 
 2.  In  whom  ive  again  unite.  "  The 
 Lord  ; "  none  but  He.  No  rival  deity ; 
 "  God  all  in  all."  "  All  one  in  Christ 
 Jesus." 
 
 Note — 
 
 Coivles  remarks :  "  God^s  grace  loves 
 to  triumpli  over  the  most  inveterate  yre- 
 judices.  No  words  could  represent  a 
 greater  or  more  benign  change  in  national 
 feeling  than  these  :  Samaria  saying, 
 through  her  spiritual  watchmen,  Let  us 
 go  up  to  Zion  to  worship,  for  our  God 
 is  there." 
 
 Vers.  7-9.  Theme:  Kestoration  op 
 THE  Jews.  God's  command  that  the 
 males  of  all  the  twelve  tribes  should  go 
 up  thrice  a  year  to  worship  the  Lord  at 
 Jerusalem. 
 
 We  may  conjecture  what  such  a  con- 
 course will  take  place,  in  due  season, 
 from  every  quarter  of  the  world. 
 
 In  reference  to  the  restoration  of  the 
 Jews,  we  have  here — 
 
 I.  A  command  to  us.  God  enjoins 
 us — 
 
 1.  To  take  an  interest  in  the  ivelfare 
 of  His  inople.  "  Sing  with  gladness  for 
 Jacob,"  &c.  We  ought  to  keep  in  view 
 God's  gracious  designs  respecting  them, 
 so  as  to  have  our  hearts  filled  with  joy 
 in  the  contemplation  of  the  blessings 
 awaiting  them. 
 
 2.  To  express  that  interest  in  every 
 stiitahle  ivay.  "  Publish  it  "  to  Jew  and 
 Gentile  alike  :  ^^ praise  ye  "  God  for  it, 
 and  in  fervent  prayer  seek  God  on 
 their  behalf.  Say,  "  0  Lord,  save  Thy 
 people,"  &c. 
 
 IL  A  promise  to  them.  This  pro- 
 mise includes — 
 
 1.  Their  restoration  to  God  (ver.  8), 
 however  distant  they  are  from  Him, 
 or  however  discouraging  their  circum- 
 stances. "A  great  company  shall  re- 
 turn thither." 
 
 2.  TJie  manner  in  ivJtich  it  shall  be 
 effected  (ver.  9).     "  With  iveepiug"  &.C., 
 
 as  in  Zech.  xii.  10.  Under  gracious 
 Divine  leading  :  "  I  will  cause  them  to 
 walk  by  rivers,"  &c.  He  will  guide 
 them  by  His  counsel,  strengthen  them 
 by  His  grace,  and  comfort  them  by  His 
 Spirit,  till  He  bring  them  in  safety  to 
 His  glory. 
 
 3.  The  pledge  that  it  shall  be  surely 
 accomplished.  "  For  I  am  a  Father  to 
 Israel,"  &c.  When  Moses  urged  Pharaoh 
 to  liberate  Israel,  he  enforced  his  request 
 by  the  plea  that  they  were  "  God's  first- 
 burn."  In  this  light  He  still  regards 
 them,  and  will  prove  Himself  their 
 "  Father  "  (ver.  37,  with  Isa.  liv.  9,  10). 
 
 Ai^plication — 
 
 1.  Look  well  to  it  that  you  are  your- 
 selves restored  to  God. 
 
 2.  Endeavour  to  help  forward  the 
 restoration  of  others. — C.  Simeon,  M.A. 
 
 Ver.  9.  Theme:  Pilgrims  to  Zion. 
 "  They  shall  come  with  weeping,"  &c. 
 
 The  text  unites  the  dispensation  of 
 God  to  His  people  with  the  affections 
 which  they  cherish  towards  God.  It 
 refers  to  the  deliverance  of  the  Church 
 from  the  captivity  of  Babylon,  and  to 
 the  feelings  which  they  cherished  on 
 their  return  ;  and  the  same  principles  are 
 developed  in  the  experience  of  all  who 
 are  born  of  God  and  bound  for  glory. 
 Zion's  pilgrims  are  distinguished — 
 
 I.  By  the  various  emotions  which 
 they  cherish.     "  Come  with  weeping." 
 
 II.  By  the  safe-conduct  under  which 
 they  journey  :  "  I  will  lead  them." 
 
 III.  By  the  high  alliance  they  are 
 permitted  to  claim.     "  I  am  a  father." 
 
 IV.  By  the  prosperous  issue  of  their 
 eventful  pilgrimage.     "  Sing  in  Zion." 
 
 I.  The  various  emotions  which  they 
 cannot  but  cherish.  "  Weeping  and  sup- 
 plication" not  unmixed  with  joy.  The 
 return  from  Babylon  was  a  season  of  joy 
 and  congratulation,  yet  productive  of 
 mixed  feeling — they  came  with  weeping 
 and  supplication.  Great  events  in  life 
 often  produce  opposite  emotions.  The 
 moment  of  transition  is  a  critical  one 
 — calls  up  many  recollections  of  the 
 past,  many  anticipations  of  the  future. 
 The  prisoner  has  been  known  to  sigh  at 
 leaving  his  dungeon  ;  the  bride  trembles 
 
 519 
 
CHAP.  XXNI. 
 
 HOMILETIC  COMMENTARY :  J  ERE  MI  ATT. 
 
 at  the  altar ;  the  prince  receives  the 
 crown  not  without  emotion  ;  the  Chris- 
 tian takes  upon  him  the  vows  of  God 
 under  mingled  impressions.  Tears  and 
 prayers  do  tvell  together.  There  is  no 
 entrance  into  the  path  of  life  but 
 through  the  valley  of  weeping ;  and 
 repentance  characterises  the  Christian 
 all  his  journey  through.  Tertullian  said 
 of  himself  that  he  was  horn  to  nothing 
 hut  repentance.  It  was  the  saying  of  a 
 godly  minister  that,  if  he  tvere  to  die  in 
 the  pulpit,  he  should  like  to  die  iweaching 
 repentance  ;  and  if  out  of  the  pidpit,  he 
 woidd  ivish  to  die  practising  repentance. 
 This  is  always  needful,  and  especially 
 when  we  go  to  seal  a  covenant  with 
 God,  or  to  seek  the  witness  of  the 
 Spirit  with  ours.  When  did  Jacob  find 
 God  in  Bethel  but  when  he  wept  and 
 made  supplication  1  When  did  Mary 
 meet  with  Christ  but  when  she  sought 
 Him  sorrowing  1  When  did  angels 
 minister  to  Christ  but  after  strong  cry- 
 ing and  tears  in  the  garden  1  Behold 
 the  print  of  the  footsteps  of  all  the 
 cloud  of  witnesses  in  this  road.  "  They 
 come." 
 
 They  weep  and  pray  under  the — 1.  Con- 
 sciousness of  their  sins.     Unprofitable. 
 
 2.  The  rememhrance  of  their  captivity, 
 liemembering  aflliction  and  misery. 
 
 3.  The  diffictdties  of  their  coui'se.  A 
 rough  journey,  many  impediments. 
 
 3.  IVie  sorroivs  of  those  vjith  whom  they 
 are  associated.     Sympathy. 
 
 5.  The  mourning  over  those  they  have 
 left  behind  in  Bahylon.  It  was  only  a 
 remnant,  two  tribes  at  most  came  from 
 Babylon.  They  were  attached  to  Baby- 
 lon, had  many  connections,  and  filled 
 important  posts  there,  and  Zion  in  her 
 ruins  was  forgotten.  The  Christian  is 
 not  careless  of  the  state  of  his  relations 
 and  friends  j'et  strangers  to  God.  Bun- 
 yan  makes  it  a  heavy  part  of  Christian's 
 sorrow  that  he  could  not  persuade  his 
 wife  and  children  to  travel  with  him. 
 
 It  is  to  mourners  that  promises  are 
 made  :  "  Come  unto  Me.'''  The  influences 
 of  the  Spirit  are  quite  as  likely  to  pro- 
 duce contrition  as  joy. 
 
 II.  The  safe-conduct  under  which 
 they  journey.  "  I,"  says  God,  "  will 
 lead  them  ;  "  or  they  would  never  attain 
 620 
 
 their  journey's  end.  '■'■I will  gather  them;" 
 or  they  would  never  be  collected.  "  / 
 will  cause  litem  to  tvalk  ;  "  or  they  would 
 never  have  the  inclination.  God  brings 
 us  into  the  way  of  truth,  God  protects 
 us  in  it,  God  furnishes  us  with  adequate 
 support,  and  God  brings  us  to  the  termi- 
 nation of  our  career  in  peace.  We  may 
 doubt  as  to  the  reality  of  our  religion, 
 but  if  we  are  conscious  of  possessing  it 
 we  cannot  doubt  to  whom  we  owe  it. 
 "  Who  hath  saved  tis." 
 
 The  guidance  of  mortal  spirits  into 
 the  paths  of  holiness  and  to  the  perfec- 
 tion of  heavenly  rest  has  been  a  favourite 
 object  with  God  from  the  beginning. 
 He  teaches  "to  walk  in  a  strait  w^y" 
 — preserves  from  falling — going  back — 
 '' heps  feet:' 
 
 ^^ By  the  rivers  of  ivater" — not  with- 
 out refreshment — not  without  happiness 
 — not  without  a  constant  sense  of  obli- 
 gation. It  denotes  both  refreshment 
 and  supply,  and  these  are  granted  where 
 least  expected,  and  to  those  who  could 
 not  perform  the  journey  without  guid- 
 ance and  assistance  not  their  own — "  the 
 hlind  and  lame."  Grace  triumphs  over 
 all  obstacles. 
 
 III.  The  high  alliance  they  are  per- 
 mitted to  claim.  "I  am  a  father." 
 This  wandering  band,  outcasts  to  the 
 world,  may  call  the  Sovereign  of  the 
 universe  a  Friend  and  Father.  This  title 
 indicates  the  richness  of  God's  conde- 
 scension and  the  Principle  whence  salva- 
 vation  flows. 
 
 IV.  The  happy  issue  of  their  eventful 
 pilgrimage.  "Height  of  Zion  "  (ver.  12). 
 
 "  Come  to  Zion."   1.  Blissful.    2.  Rest- 
 ful.    3.   Fruitful. 
 Application — 
 
 1.  Strangers  to  prayer  and  penitence 
 are  not  on  the  path  to  heaven. 
 
 2.  Those  who  trust  tlieir  own  re- 
 sources may  expect  to  wander,  to  faint, 
 or  to  fall.— /S  Thodey,  1825. 
 
 See  Addenda :  Tears  of  Penitence  ; 
 and  also  Homilies  on  chap.  iii.  21,  22. 
 
 Vers.  10-14.  Theme:  God's  Procla- 
 mation OF  Grand  Purposes  for  His 
 People.  Jehovah  would  have  the  nations 
 know — 
 
HOMILETIO  COMMENTARY:  JEREMIAH. 
 
 CHAP.  xxxl. 
 
 I.  How  He  guards  His  people  with 
 fostering  care.  Though  He  chastises 
 them  —  "  scattered  them  "  —  yet  He 
 cherishes  and  fosters  them  -with  watch- 
 ful care  and  purposes  of  restoration  ; 
 and  will  suffer  no  harm  or  loss  to 
 them,  for  He  "shepherds"  them  con- 
 stantly. 
 
 II.  How  mightily  He  has  wrought 
 for  His  people's  redemption. 
 
 Ver.  11,  "  With  outstretched  arm," 
 "  travailing  in  the  greatness  of  His 
 strength,  mighty  to  save." 
 
 1.  Past  rescues.  These  have  proved 
 God's  almightiness  and  all-sufficiency. 
 
 2.  Pledge  of  future  redemption.  No 
 foe  can  "stay  His  hand." 
 
 III.  How  luxuriant  are  the  blessings 
 with  which  He  will  crown  and  enrich 
 their  future  (ver.  12). 
 
 1.  Peliffious  and  ecclesiastical  privi- 
 leges.   "  To  the  heights  of  Zion." 
 
 2.  Divine  beneficence.  "  To  the  good- 
 ness of  the  Lord." 
 
 3.  Abounding  fulness  of  enjoyment, 
 "  Sing  ; "  "  for  wheat,"  &c. 
 
 4.  Sadness  lost  in  blessedness.  "  Their 
 soul  as  a  watered  garden  ;  "  and  sorrow 
 no  more  at  all. 
 
 IV.  How  all-inclusive  shall  be  these 
 sacred  delights  of  the  Church. 
 
 1.  Every  sex  and  age  shall  have  full 
 share  of  holy  bliss  (ver.  13). 
 
 2.  Priests  and  people  ^Y\kQ  "satisfied" 
 with  the  "  goodness  "  of  the  Lord  (ver. 
 14).  "  Both  he  that  soweth  and  they  that 
 reap  shall  rejoice  together." 
 
 Ver.  1 2.  Theme :  The  Future  of 
 Believers.  "And  their  soul  shall  be 
 as  a  watered  garden  ;  and  they  shall  not 
 sorrow  any  more."  What  is  to  be  the 
 future  of  the  true  Israel  of  God? 
 
 I.  One  of  spiritual  faultlessness  and 
 perfection.  Beautiful  as  a  "  garden  ;" 
 fertile,  well  graced,  rich  in  fragrance 
 and  fruit. 
 
 II.  One  of  boundless  resources.  Of 
 Joy,  for  they  shall  sorrow  no  more.  Of 
 satisfaction,  for  no  inward  lack  shall 
 give  them  distress.  Of  rest,  amid  the 
 blessedness  of  happy  employ. 
 
 III.  One  of  vast  possessions.  So 
 that  their  "soul"  is  filled  with  the 
 treasures  of  spiritual  good;  filled  as  a 
 
 "  garden  "  stored  with  choicest  blossoms, 
 fragrant  with  richest  perfume. 
 
 Soul  Fertility. 
 be    as    a    ivattred 
 
 Ver.  12.  Theme 
 "  Their  soul  shall 
 garden." 
 
 This  was  really  fulfilled  in  the  Jews, 
 who  returned  to  Jerusalem  after  the 
 miseries  they  had  suff'ered  in  Babylon  ; 
 many  of  whom  (see  Ezra  and  Nehemiah's 
 records)  were  men  of  eminent  piety  and 
 zeal  for  God.  Having  rebuilt  the  Temple, 
 and  thus  opened  "the  wells  of  salva- 
 tion," they  drew  thence  the  waters  of 
 consolation  and  spiritual  life. 
 
 But  in  the  Gospel  times  we  see  these 
 words  fulfilled  in  every  pious  soul  when 
 in  a  flourishing  and  prosperous  state. 
 
 I.  Thoughts  suggested  by  a  comparison 
 of  a  pious  soul  with  a  garden. 
 
 1.  A  garden  is  a  spot  of  ground  upon 
 lohich  extraordinary  cultivation  is  em- 
 ployed. Thus  the  souls  of  believers  are 
 "the  garden  of  the  Lord" — the  objects 
 of  His  peculiar  care  and  cultivation  (Isa. 
 V.  1,  2). 
 
 2.  A  garden  is  generally  stored  with 
 productions  of  either  a  useful  or  orna- 
 mental order.  So  from  the  soul  springs 
 up  every  Christian  virtue  and  heavenly 
 grace  which  is  either  pleasing  to  God 
 or  useful  to  man  (Isa.  xli.  19,  20;  Iv. 
 13). 
 
 3.  A  garden  does  not  arrive  at  its  full 
 p)erfection  and  glory  at  once.  The  Chris- 
 tian's course  is  progressive. 
 
 II.  Consider  those  Divine  influences 
 by  which  this  spiritual  garden  is 
 watered. 
 
 1.  The  infliiences  of  the  Spirit  of  God 
 are  imparted  to  every  real  Christian, 
 and  produce  effects  that  resemble  those 
 which  warm  and  refreshing  showers  pro- 
 duce upon  a  garden  (Isa.  Ixiv.  3).  If 
 these  are  withheld,  how  does  the  garden 
 droop  !  It  is  the  office  of  the  Holy  Spirit 
 to  "  shed  the  love  of  God  abroad  in  our 
 hearts,"  &c. 
 
 2.  These  influences  are  enjoyf.d  and 
 conveyed  to  the  soul  by  the  means  of  God's 
 Word  and  ordinances  (Isa.  Iv.  10,  11). 
 It  is  in  the  exercise  of  reading  and 
 hearing  God's  Word,  and  in  prayer,  that 
 the  communications  of  God's  Spirit  are 
 enjoyed. 
 
 621 
 
CHAP.  XXXI. 
 
 HOMILETIC  COMMENTARY:  JEREMIAH. 
 
 III.  Mark  how  this  happy  state  and 
 those  enriching  influences  are  to  be 
 desired  by  every  soul. 
 
 1.  Till  we  attain  these,  we  are  in  a 
 desolate,  ivild  condition  (Heb.  vi.  8). 
 
 2.  It  is  only  by  attaining  this  state 
 that  xoe  can  arrive  at  true  happiness 
 either  here  or  hereafter  (Heb.  vi.  7). 
 
 3.  Unless  we  are  in  this  state  we 
 cannot  glorify  God,  nor  he  useful  to  our 
 fellow-creatures,  as  we  ought.  When 
 we  are  "  fruitful  in  every  good  word 
 and  work,"  God  is  pleased  with  us, 
 &c. 
 
 Learn  :  The  need  ive  have  daily  to  ask 
 for  Divine  influences. — Rev.  J.  Seivell, 
 Thaxted,  a.d.  1842. 
 
 Ver.  13.  Theme:  God  our  Com- 
 FOETEii.  "And  I  will  turn  their  mourn- 
 ing into  joy,  and  will  comfort  them  and 
 make  them  rejoice  from  their  sorrow." 
 
 In  Greenland,  when  a  stranger  knocks 
 at  the  door,  he  asks,  Is  God  in  this 
 house  ?  And  if  they  answer  "Yes,"  he 
 enters. 
 
 Let  me  knock  at  the  door  of  your 
 hearts  and  inquire,  Is  God  in  this  house  ? 
 Are  you  frequent  at  His  throne  1  Do 
 you  love  and  belong  to  Christ  ?  Ai'e  you 
 living  in  the  daily  exercise  of  faith  and 
 repentance  ?  Do  you  sorrow  for  sin  1 
 Are  you  aspiring  to  heaven  1  If  so,  you 
 are  the  persons  to  whom  this  promise  is 
 made. 
 
 I.  The  particular  character  which 
 God  here  assumes.  The  Comforter.  I 
 "  will  comfort  them." 
 
 Not  only  after  it  but  "from "  it.  Their 
 joy  takes  a  lustre  from  previous  sorrow, 
 as  the  brightness  of  morning  from  the 
 darkness  of  night. 
 
 1.  This  is  a  mucli-needed  office,  for 
 there  are  many  mourners.  The  voice  of 
 weeping  is  often  heard  in  our  land. 
 Our  earth  teems  with  mourners  who 
 are  seeking  a  sad  asylum  from  the 
 sorrows  of  life  in  the  darkness  and 
 silence  of  the  grave. 
 
 Many  mourners  here.  Some  under 
 the  afflictions  of  life ;  some  under  the 
 disappointment  of  their  hopes  of  happi- 
 ness from  the  world  ;  some  under  the 
 baseness  of  deceitful  friendship  ;  some 
 under  the  loss  of  near  and  dear  connec- 
 522 
 
 tions ;  some  under  the  straits  and  diffi- 
 culties of  a  trying  path  ;  and  some  under 
 the  burden  of  sin. 
 
 Spiritual  sorrows  are  specially  referred 
 to  in  the  text.  "  They  shall  come  luith 
 weepiyig."  The  Christian  life  begins 
 with  sorrow,  ends  with  joy.  Some 
 "  sorrow  after  a  godly  sort : "  over  evil 
 habits ;  weakness  of  faith  ;  decline  of 
 hope. 
 
 2.  This  is  an  office  to  xohich  God  only 
 is  equcd.  As  when  the  sun  is  set  none 
 but  God  can  cause  it  to  rise,  again  ;  so 
 when  hope  is  lost  and  comfort  gone, 
 none  but  God  can  restore  it.  Hence 
 David  prays,  ^^  Restore  to  me  the  joy" 
 &c.  Jeremiah  could  not  do  it.  He 
 could  only  speak  the  comfort  to  others 
 which  God  spake  to  him ;  but  God  can 
 convey  the  consolation  direct  to  the 
 heart. 
 
 God  speaks  of  Himself  as  "  the  Hope 
 of  Israel  and  the  Consolation  thereof." 
 Jesus  is  described  as  '■Hhe  Consolation 
 of  Israel."  The  Holy  Spirit  is  "  another 
 Goviforter."  Thus  all  the  Persons  in  the 
 Godhead  conspire  in  this  most  needed 
 and  most  delightful  work. 
 
 God  only  can  do  it,  because  He  only 
 knows  what  the  trial  is — how  heavily  it 
 presses — and  how  to  apjDly  to  the  bur- 
 dened spirit  the  needed  relief. 
 
 All  creatures  might  shrink  from  the 
 task  and  say,  "  Am  I  in  God's  stead  7  " 
 
 3.  This  is  an  office  which  God  delights 
 to  exercise.  "  He  delighteth  in  mercy." 
 It  is  His  nature  and  property  always  to 
 have  mercy.  It  is  not  more  natural  for 
 the  sun  to  shine,  or  for  the  fountain  to 
 pour  forth  its  streams,  than  for  God  to 
 show  compassion.  He  is  '■Hhe  Father 
 of  mercies,"  "  the  God  of  all  consolation." 
 ^'As  one  whom  his  mother  comforteth"  &c. 
 
 4.  It  is  an  office  in  which  the  Father 
 of  mercies  has  had  large  experience.  All 
 the  tears  wiped  from  human  faces  have 
 been  removed  by  His  hand.  All  the 
 hopes  awakened  in  penitent  bosoms  have 
 been  inspired  by  His  mercy. 
 
 II.  Some  of  the  methods  He  employs 
 for  this  purpose.  The  instrumentality 
 is  various,  the  Agency  is  One.  Sometimes 
 by  friends,  sometimes  ministers,  some- 
 times ordinances,  sometimes  by  strangers, 
 sometimes  by  enemies.     But  God  is  the 
 
HOMILETIC  COMMENTAHY :  JEREMIAH. 
 
 CHAP.  XXXI. 
 
 Source  of  all  tliese  streams.  He  "  makes 
 us  rejoice  from  sorrow." 
 
 1.  By  the  application  to  the  mind  of  the 
 sense  of  jyardou  and  acceptance  by  Christ. 
 Thus,  by  Nathan,  He  restored  to  David 
 the  joy  of  His  salvation  :  "  The  Lord 
 hath  put  away  thy  sin."  Thus,  by  Isaiah, 
 He  comforted  Hezekiah.  Thus,  by 
 Ananias,  He  comforted  Paul. 
 
 In  various  ways  He  enlarges  our  per- 
 ception of  the  fulness  and  freeness  of 
 redeeming  love,  shows  us  His  covenant, 
 teaches  us  out  of  His  law,  enables  us  to 
 apply  the  promises.  "J/y  thoughts  are 
 not  your  thoughts." 
 
 2.  By  the  teaching  and  influence  of 
 His  Spirit.  We  read  of  the  "  comfort  of 
 the  Holy  Ghost ; "  and  we  cannot  doubt 
 that  that  blessed  Agent  has  direct  access 
 to  the  human  mind,  in  stirring  us  up 
 to  prayer,  in  strengthening  holy  pur- 
 poses and  resolutions,  in  giving  efficacy 
 to  religious  ordinances  and  especially  to 
 the  Word  received  and  preached. 
 
 3.  By  the  agency  of  His  providence, 
 in  removing  afflictions  when  their  end 
 is  answered — as  in  bringing  Israel  out  of 
 Egypt  and  back  from  Babylon.  So  He 
 can  turn  again  our  captivity,  raise  up 
 friends,  make  our  path  straight,  disperse 
 the  clouds. 
 
 4.  By  translating  the  soul  from  earth 
 to  heaven. 
 
 III.  The  course  of  conduct  we  should 
 pursue. 
 
 1.  Seeh  consolation  by  prayer. 
 
 2.  Avoid  whatever  tends  to  brhig  the 
 spirit  to  bondage. 
 
 3.  Be  comforting. 
 
 4.  Cherish  hope — happy  thoughts. 
 Seek  to   be  acquainted   with   higher 
 
 rules  of  self-denial,  and  charity,  and  mor- 
 tification of  sin,  than  you  have  yet 
 known.  Beg  of  God  to  teach  you  what 
 you  know  not  of  the  spirituality  of  the 
 law  and  exactness  of  the  rule. 
 
 Ver.  14.  Theme:  The  Satisfying 
 Nature  of  God's  Goodness.  '^ And 
 My  people  shall  be  satisfied  with  My  good- 
 ness, saitlh  the  Lord." 
 
 Our  subject  contains  a  striking  predic- 
 tion of  the  ingathering  of  the  Jews,  and 
 the  joyous  events  which  should  distin- 
 guish the  occasion.  Among  the  rest  this  is 
 
 one,  that  "  they  should  be  satisfied,"  &c. 
 The  text  is  capable  of  a  general  applica- 
 tion, and  belongs  equally  to  all  the 
 household  of  faith  and  family  of  God. 
 Let  us,  then,  consider — 
 
 1.  The  character.  "My  people." 
 God's  people  were  not  always  such. 
 "  I  have  made  you  a  people,"  &c.  Once 
 afar  off,  aliens,  &c.  They  became  God's 
 people  by  the  attractive  power  of  the 
 Gospel,  by  the  influence  of  the  grace  and 
 Spirit  of  God,  by  faith  in  the  Lord  Jesus 
 Christ.  They  repented  of  sin,  and  fled 
 by  faith  to  the  hope  set  before  men  ia 
 the  Gospel.  Many  are  the  distinguish- 
 ing features  of  God's  people. 
 
 L  They  are  separated  from  the  world. 
 Not  "  of  the  world,"  "  Come  out,"  &c. 
 Thus,  too,  they  are  united  to  His  Church. 
 "We  will  go  with  you,"  &c.  "This 
 people,"  Arc.  They  profess,  and  confess 
 Christ  before  men. 
 
 2.  They  reflect  the  image  of  the 
 Saviour  ;  are  "  partakers  of  His  nature 
 and  spirit ;  and  hence  are  likeminded 
 with  Christ,  renewed  into  His  holy  and 
 blessed  likeness. 
 
 3.  They  are  obedient  to  Christ's 
 authority.  "As  His  sheep,"  &c.  As 
 His  pupils,  &c.  They  follow  Christ, 
 and  hear  His  commandments  to  do 
 them.  They  call  Him  Lord,  and  do 
 the  things,  &c.  "Whoso  doeth  the 
 will  of  My  Father." 
 
 IL  The  declaration.  "Shall  be 
 satisfied,"  ifec.  Sin  began  by  dissatis- 
 faction. This  is  one  of  the  constant 
 exhibitions  of  evil  in  the  world.  The 
 general  inquiry  is,  "Who  will  show," 
 &c.  The  soul  in  the  midst  of  the 
 riches,  honours,  pleasures,  &c.,  is  still 
 unsatisfied ;  formed  for  an  infinite  good, 
 God  alone  can  meet  its  desires ;  but 
 God  is  holy  and  just,  and  the  soul 
 trembles  and  flees.  God's  goodness, 
 then,  comes  down  to  the  capacities,  &c., 
 of  the  soul.    The  soul  is  satisfied  with — 
 
 1.  God's  goodness  in  tlie  dispensations 
 of  His  grace.  God's  love  in  Jesus  Christ, 
 infinite  and  overflowing.  The  soul  is 
 melted  by  it,  constrained,  subdued, 
 saved ;  exclaims  with  rapture,  "  Who 
 loved  me,"  &c. 
 
 2.  God's  goodness  in  the  arrangements 
 of  His  Providence.     This  is  ever  cou- 
 
 523 
 
CHAP.    XXXI. 
 
 no  M I  LET  I C  COMMENTARY :  JEREMIAH. 
 
 nected  with  the  other.  We  are  first 
 reconciled,  and  then  admire  His  doings, 
 works,  and  ways.  It  is  the  same  good- 
 ness in  both  providence  and  grace.  It 
 never  fails  nor  changes.  It  is  always 
 *'  goodness,"  in  adversity  as  well  as 
 prosperity,  in  sickness  and  healtli,  in 
 sorrow  and  joy.  It  is  always  rich,  free, 
 and  adapted. 
 
 3.  God's  goodness  in  the  consummation 
 of  glory.  "I  shall  be  satisfied  when  I 
 awake  with  Thy  likeness." 
 
 Application. — 1.  Are  we  the  char- 
 acters 1  2.  Have  we  the  satisfaction  1 
 3.  It  is  our  privilege. — /.  Burns,  D.D. 
 
 Ver.  15.  Theme:  Kachbl's  Lamen- 
 tation. "A  voice  was  heard  in  Ea- 
 mah,  lamentation  and  bitter  weeping  : 
 Rahel  weeping  for  ber  children,  and 
 refused  to  be  comforted  for  her  children, 
 because  they  were  not." 
 
 I.  A  poetic  figure  representative  of  the 
 woes  of  the  exiled  tribes  of  Israel. 
 Jeremiah,  foreseeing  the  coming  cap- 
 tivity of  his  people  and  destruction  of 
 their  national  life,  vividly  and  dramati- 
 cally represents  Rachel  (as  if  stirred  from 
 her  grave  by  the  tearing  of  her  children 
 from  their  natal  soil)  weeping  for  her 
 offspring  about  to  be  slain  by  the  Chal- 
 dean sword.  As  the  mother  of  Benja- 
 min, Ephraim,  and  Manasseh,  she  is 
 alluded  to  as  if  to  her  belonged  all  the 
 ten  tribes. 
 
 1.  A  mother's  grief  over  her  slaugh- 
 tered sons. 
 
 2.  Exile  from  Zion  and  God  is  an 
 evil  as  dreadful  as  if  they  were  slain. 
 "  They  ivere  not !  "  (chap.  ix.  1). 
 
 3.  A  mother's  heart  has  no  room  for 
 "  comfort  "  when  her  children  are  perish- 
 ing from  life — and  from  the  living  God. 
 
 II.  A  prophetic  vision  of  the  massacre 
 of  the  Bethlehem  children  at  the 
 iSaviou7-'s  birth.  Its  primary  fulfilment 
 was  the  murder  of  Rachel's  children  by 
 the  Chaldeans.  Its  typical  significance 
 received  realisation  in  Herod's  slaughter 
 of  the  Innocents  (Matt.  ii.  17,  18). 
 
 1.  Tlie  inhumanity  of  man  brings 
 destruction  on  innocent  victims  and 
 anguish  upon  tender  hearts. 
 
 2.  In  God's  foreseeing  gaze,  all  deeds 
 of  outrage  on  those  He  loves  (/srae^  and 
 
 524 
 
 children)  are  Icej^t  in  faithful  record. 
 "  Whoso  toucheth  them  toucheth  the 
 apple  of  His  eye." 
 
 3.  Out  of  events,  woe  fid  and  cruel, 
 purposes  of  good  are  divinely  evolved. 
 Rachel's  children  were  carried  into 
 exile,  yet  God  wrought  redemption  for 
 His  captive  people.  Bethlehem  children 
 were  slaughtered  by  Herod,  yet  the 
 Divine  Babe  was  at  hand,  to  become 
 the  Redeemer  of  humanity,  and  to  fold 
 all  childhood  life  within  His  arms  and 
 raise  children  into  eminencein  His  earthly 
 and  heavenly  kingdom. 
 
 Vers.  16,  17.  Theme:  Consolations 
 AND  Hopes.  "  Refrain  thy  voice  from 
 weeping :  there  is  hope  in  thine  end." 
 
 Two  points  in  this  connection  :  Rachel 
 weeping  for  her  sons,  and  Ephraim  weep- 
 ing for  his  sins  ;  and  to  both  classes  the 
 voice  of  sympathy  and  commiseration  is 
 addressed. 
 
 The  history  refers  to  the  captivity. 
 Rachel  was  the  common  mother  of 
 Benjamin  and  Ephraim  —  Benjamin 
 representing  here  the  two  tribes  of 
 Judah  and  Benjamin,  which  were 
 united  into  one  under  the  house  of 
 David ;  and  Ephraim  the  ten  tribes, 
 commonly  called  Israel.  Rachel's  tomb 
 was  in  Ramah,  confines  of  both,  on  the 
 border  of  Judah  or  Benjamin — on  the 
 border  of  Ephraim  or  Israel. 
 
 By  a  beautiful  figure,  the  sorrows  of 
 the  captivity  are  described  as  raising 
 Rachel  out  of  her  grave  to  weep  for  the 
 desolations  of  her  sons.  At  Ramah 
 Nebuzaradan  called  a  council  of  war, 
 and  brought  before  him  the  captives.  It 
 seems  to  have  been  the  first  halting-place 
 in  the  journey  to  Babylon.  Jeremiah  was 
 present  and  witnessed  the  grief  of  the 
 mothers  of  Israel ;  and,  with  the  eye 
 and  imagination  of  a  poet,  calls  Rachel 
 from  her  grave  to  join  the  general  grief, 
 and  ministers  to  them  support  and 
 consolation  by  the  promise  of  their 
 return.  And  as  their  grief  (parent-like) 
 was  more  for  their  children  than  them- 
 selves, so  the  promise  particularly 
 respects  their  restoration  and  return. 
 "  Thy  children  shall  come  again,"  if  you 
 do  not ;  just  as  though  the  fathers  fell 
 in  the  wilderness,  the  children  entered 
 
EOMILETIO  COMMENTARY:  JEREMIAH. 
 
 CHAP.  xxxr. 
 
 Canaan.       "  There    is    hope    in    thy 
 posterity." 
 
 I.  Tiie  consolations  wliicli  the  Gospel 
 affords  in  this  world. 
 
 II.  The  hopes  which  it  furnishes  for 
 a  better. 
 
 I.  The  consolations  which  the 
 Gospel  affords  in  this  world. 
 
 1.  It  is  a  world  of  weeinng,  of  dis- 
 appointment, vicissitude,  and  trial ; 
 and  afflictions  are  sent  by  God,  not 
 from  severity  and  harshness,  but  to 
 produce  results  nothing  else  could.  It 
 is  the  death  of  the  sin,  and  not  the 
 death  of  the  sold,  God  contemplates. 
 
 2.  The  Gospel  only  furnishes  con- 
 solation. The  world  cannot.  All  the 
 sounds  of  sympathy  and  tenderness 
 come  from  another  world.  The  only 
 available  consolation  must  bear  this 
 inscription,  "  Th%is  saith  the  Lord." 
 I  said,  Rachel  was  described  as  weejjing 
 for  her  sons,  and  Ei^hraim  for  his  sins: 
 these  two  constitute  the  great  divisions 
 of  the  sorrows  of  life :  worldly,  spiritual. 
 
 i.  Under  worldly  calamity,  the  Gospel 
 provides  consolation.     Losses,  crosses. 
 
 1.  The  God  that  sends  the  trial  sends 
 the  support  with  it,  and  often  propor- 
 tions the  consolation  to  the  distress. 
 When  He  sends  Rachel  into  captivity 
 He  gives  her  a  promise  to  carry  in  her 
 bosom. 
 
 2.  The  doctrine  of  God's  providence 
 is  a  greater  support,  and  especially 
 when  we  view  the  system  of  Providence 
 as  part  of  the  plan  of  grace. 
 
 3.  The  promises  of  grace  afford  con- 
 solation, and  show  how  minutely  ob- 
 servant of  the  interests  of  His  children 
 God  is. 
 
 4r.  The  Christian  is  assured  that  there 
 shall  be  no  more  suffering  of  any  kind 
 under  the  Divine  government  than  is 
 absolutely  necessary  to  the  well-being 
 of  His  people.  ^^  He  doth  not  afflict," 
 etc.  While  to  the  eye  of  bystanders  the 
 sufferer  seems  to  have  reached  the 
 extremity,  an  unseen  Hand  assuages  the 
 grief  with  unsuspected  mitigations. 
 
 ii.  Under  sjm'itual  distress.  The 
 sorrow  for  sin.  "I  have  heard  Eph- 
 raim,"  &c.  No  one  else  heard  him  or 
 would  have  noticed  him.  But  God  did. 
 Ephraim  felt   himself   unobserved  and 
 
 alone.  The  sin  that  was  heaviest  upon 
 his  heart  was  the  non-improvement  of 
 God's  afflictive  dispensations.  We  are 
 first  turned,  and  then  repent. 
 
 Under  these  apprehensions  the  Gospel 
 brings  relief,  by  leading  us  to  Christ, 
 the  sin-atoning  Lamb.  '^Behold  the 
 Lamb  ; "  "  Who  is  a  God  like,"  Ac.  The 
 Gospel  proclaims  pardon,  reveals  a  full 
 and  ample  relief. 
 
 II.  The  hopes  the  Gospel  furnishes 
 of  a  better  life.  "There  is  hope  in 
 thine  end."  As  Israel  was  delivered 
 from  their  captivity,  so  we  shall  be  from 
 ours.  "  The  ransomed  shcdl  return." 
 The  Gospel  ministers  largely  to  hope.  It 
 tells  us  the  hour  of  conflict  is  succeeded 
 by  eternity  of  triumph.  Here  we  are 
 in  a  state  of  exile  and  bondage.  .  .  . 
 Heaven  is  complete  deliverance — 
 
 i.  From,  the  captivity  of  sin.  Here 
 we  are  often  in  bondage  to  the  power 
 of  evil ;  there,  sin  shall  have  no  more 
 dominion.  A  state  of  perfect  holiness 
 and  perfect  love. 
 
 ii.  From  the  captivity  of  Sata7i. 
 Wicked  are  led  captive.  Christians 
 are  exposed  to  his  temptations ;  feel 
 the  mark  of  chain  and  fetter.  Christ 
 conquered  Satan  for  us  on  the  cross, 
 shall  dispossess  him  finally  at  death. 
 
 iii.  From  the  captivity  of  sorrow.  All 
 tears  wiped  away. 
 
 iv.  From  the  captivity  of  death. — Anon. 
 
 Ver.  18.  Theme:  Discipline.  "I 
 surely  heard  Ephraim  bemoaning  him- 
 self thus  :  Thou  hast  chastised  me, 
 and  I  was  chastised,  as  a  bullock  un- 
 accustomed to  the  yoke ;  turn  Thou 
 me,  and  I  shall  be  turned:  for  Thou 
 art  the  Lord  my  God." 
 
 There  are  chastisements  in  life  which 
 cannot  be  classed  amongst  great  afflic- 
 tions. There  are  little  checks,  daily  dis- 
 appointments, irritations,  defeats,  and 
 annoyances — shadows  which  chequer 
 what  else  would  be  a  sunny  way — things 
 which  themselves  cannot  be  treated  with 
 dignity,  yet  they  tease  and  wear  the 
 heart, 
 
 I.  Human  life  is  established  upon 
 a  disciplinary  basis.  There  is  a  "yuke" 
 everywhere — in  sin,  in  repentance,  in 
 grace.      No  one   can   have    everything 
 
 525 
 
CHAP.  XXXI, 
 
 HOMILETIC  COMMENTARY :  JEREMIAH. 
 
 just  as  he  wants  it.  Man  is  made  to 
 feel  that  there  is  somebody  in  the  world 
 besides  himself.  He  conceives  a  plan, 
 and  is  laughed  at  for  his  pains  ;  he  tells 
 his  dream,  and  men  suspect  his  vanity  ; 
 he  points  out  his  high  tower,  and  whilst 
 his  finger  is  lifted  the  mocking  wind 
 liurls  the  boasted  masonry  to  the  ground. 
 So  we  are  jostled,  pulled  back,  and  mor- 
 tified. We  are  made  to  feel  that  our 
 very  life  is  a  vapour,  and  that  every 
 respiration  is  but  a  compromise  with 
 death.  We  should  ask  ourselves  the 
 meaning  of  these  things.  Discipline 
 touches  the  whole  scheme :  boy  at 
 school,  going  from  home,  bodily  afiiic- 
 tion,  oversights  and  miscalculations, 
 losses,  &c. 
 
 II.  The  value  of  discipline  depends 
 upon  its  right  acceptance.  We  may 
 become  desperate  under  it :  "  as  a  bul- 
 lock unaccustomed  to  the  yoke,"  Men 
 may  mourn,  complain,  rebel ;  they  start 
 arguments  against  God  j  they  justify 
 themselves ;  they  become  lost  in  second- 
 ary agencies  and  incomplete  details. 
 
 Then  there  is  a  better  way.  "  Ephraim 
 bemoaned  himself,"  repented  before  God, 
 and  said,  "Turn  Thou  me,  and  I  shall 
 be  turned."  In  this  state  of  mind  see — 
 (1.)  Self -7' enunciation.  (2.)  Devout  and 
 joyful  confidence  in  God's  sovereignty 
 and  graciousness. 
 
 Application — 
 
 1.  There  is  a  yoke  in  sin.  "  The  way 
 of  transgressors  is  hard." 
 
 2.  There  is  a  yoke  in  goodness.  It 
 is  often  difficult  to  be  upright,  noble, 
 holy. 
 
 3.  God  helps  the  true  yoke-bearer : 
 "  My  yoke  is  easy."  We  must  bear  a 
 yoke ;  say,  shall  it  be  the  bad  yoke,  or 
 the  yoke  of  Jesus  Christ  1 — Dr.  Joseph 
 Parlcer  ("  Pidpit  Notes"). 
 
 Ver.  18.  Theme:  On  Chastisement 
 
 RESULTING  IN  PENITENCE. 
 
 I.  These  words  contain  an  acknow- 
 ledgment. "  Thou  hast  chastised  me," 
 &c. 
 
 1.  This  expression  we  conceive  to 
 denote  the  inefficacy  of  former  correc- 
 tions. 
 
 2.  Though  corrections  are  calculated 
 to  produce  amendment,  though  such  is 
 
 526 
 
 their  tendency  and  design,  it  is  evident, 
 from  observation  and  experience,  they 
 often  fail  in  accomplishing  the  effect. 
 
 3.  Ephraim  is  here  represented  as 
 reflecting  upon  it.  (Proximate  causes  of 
 the  inefficacy  of  correction  by  itself). 
 
 4.  Inattention  to  the  hand  of  God, 
 and,  as  a  natural  consequence,  their 
 neglecting  to  pass  from  the  contemplation 
 of  their  sufferings  to  their  sins.  Religion 
 begins  with  consideration. 
 
 5.  In  the  serious  ])urpose  of  a  religious 
 life,  formed  under  afflictive  dispensations, 
 too  many  depend  entirely  uj^on  resohi- 
 tions  formed  in  their  oxvn  strength. 
 
 To  such  purposes  may  be  applied  the 
 beautiful  image  of  Nahum  :  "And  as 
 the  great  grasshoppers,  which  camp  in 
 the  hedges  in  the  cold  day,  but  when 
 the  sun  ariseth  they  flee  away,  and  their 
 place  is  not  known." 
 
 II.  The  prayer.  "Turn  thou  me." 
 This  may  be  enforced  by  such  arguments 
 as  these — 
 
 1.  The  plea  of  necessity.  There  is  no 
 other  resource. 
 
 2.  To  entreat  God  to  turn  is  not  to 
 ask  an  hnpossibility.  The  residue  of  the 
 Spirit  is  with  Him. 
 
 3.  It  is  worthy  of  His  interp>osition. 
 The  turning  of  the  heart  is  a  fit  occasion 
 on  which  Omnipotence  may  act. 
 
 4.  The  plea  may  be  enforced  by 
 precedents.  It  implies  no  departure 
 from  His  known  methods. 
 
 5.  We  may  force  it  by  a  reference  to 
 the  Divine  mercy. — Robert  Hall. 
 
 Ver.  18.  Theme:  Ephraim  Bemoan- 
 ing Himself.  Heathen  described 
 their  fabled  deity,  Jove,  as  sitting 
 far  aloft,  regardless  of  the  common 
 aff"airs  of  this  lower  world.  Not  such 
 is  Jehovah :  "I  have  surely  heard 
 Ephraim !  " 
 
 Conceive  the  nearness  of  God  to  every 
 mourning  soul.  He  is  the  greatest  of 
 Comforters,  and  also  the  most  approach- 
 able. "  He  will  regard  the  prayer  of 
 the  destitute,  and  not  despise  their 
 prayer."     See  here — 
 
 i.  A  sinner  bemoaning  himself. 
 
 1.  He  was  bowed  down  with  a  pecu- 
 liar grief.  Not  as  Rachel  "  for  her 
 children  ; "  for  nothing  outside  of  him- 
 
HOMILETIC  COMMENTARY:  JEREMIAH. 
 
 CHAP.  xxxr. 
 
 self,  but  "bemoaning  himself.^'     Inward 
 sorrow,  true  repentance. 
 
 2.  Such  godly  sorrow  is  xvell-foiinded 
 sorrow.  Over  guilt,  outrage  on  God's 
 goodness  and  grace,  &c, 
 
 3.  This  sorrow  is  httvihle  sorroiv. 
 Not  excusing  himself,  or  flattering  him- 
 self, or  making  new  resolutions  ',  but 
 "  bemoaning  himself."  Self-abhorrence. 
 "  I  have  sinned  !  " 
 
 4.  A  thouglitful  sorrow.  For  Ephraim 
 reviews  his  past  life  :  "  Thou  hast  chas- 
 tised me."  What  came  of  if?  "I  was 
 chastised,"  and  that  was  all  !  See, 
 hence,  that  affliction,  providences,  &c., 
 will  not  save  your  soul ;  you  need  effec- 
 tual grace. 
 
 5.  A  ]i02:)eless,  yet  a  hopeful,  sorrow. 
 Ephraim  says,  Lord,  it  is  useless  to 
 chastise  me,  I  only  get  worse  ;  but  do 
 Thou  turn  me,  and  I  shall  be  turned." 
 
 Then  think  of— 
 
 II.  The  Lord  observing  him.  Some 
 hide  yourselves  when  pricked  in 
 your  consciences.  But  the  Lord  finds 
 you  out.  Mothers  !  how  quickly  you 
 find  out,  even  in  the  night,  if  your  child 
 is  ill. 
 
 L  God  heard  all  Uphraim  had  to 
 say.  It  may  be  but  a  stammering 
 cry ;  but  broken  prayers  are  the  best 
 prayers. 
 
 2.  God  delights  in  the  hrohen  heart 
 and  contrite  spirit.  "  I  have  siirely 
 heard  Ephraim  bemoaning  himself."  If 
 He  should  not  hear  the  music  of  heaven, 
 He  certainly  would  hear  the  prayers  of 
 penitents. 
 
 3.  Our  God  is  full  of  co7npassion. 
 He  gave  Ephraim  what  he  asked.  "  Ye 
 shall  not  seek  His  face  in  vain." 
 
 III.  The  Lord  working  in  His  effec- 
 tual grace. 
 
 1.  The  only  turning  in  the  world  that 
 is  saving  and  divine,  is  the  turning  of  the 
 heart. 
 
 2.  The  Lord's  way  of  turning  men 
 varies  in  each  case — 
 
 (1.)  A  distinct  sight  of  wrath  to  come 
 stops  a  sinner. 
 
 (2.)  Or  the  awakened  conscience  is 
 led  to  see  the  real  nature  of  sin. 
 
 (3.)  The  grand  turning-point  is  a 
 sight  of  Christ  on  the  cross. 
 
 (4.)  One  of  the  most  blessed  ways  by 
 
 which  God  makes  a  sinner  turn  is, 
 Jle  manifests  His  everlasting  love  to 
 him. 
 
 (a.)  Are  you  hemoa^iing  yourself? 
 
 (6.)  Breathe  the  prayer,  "Turn  me,  0 
 Lord."— C.  //.  Spitrgeon,  1867. 
 
 Ver.  18.  Theme:  True  Repentance. 
 "  I  surely  heard  Ephraim,"  &c. 
 
 I.  What  feeling  it  expresses  on  the 
 part  of  the  returning  penitent. 
 
 1.  Mark  the  depth  and  intensity  of 
 his  penitential  emotions. 
 
 2.  His  total  absence  of  all  attempts  at 
 self -justification. 
 
 3.  The  2^'>'omp)titucle  and  decision  with 
 which  he  acts  up  to  his  own  convictions 
 (ver.  19). 
 
 4.  His  concern  to  surrender  himself  to 
 those  Divine  influences  to  which  he 
 already  owed  so  much  :  "  Turn  Thou 
 me." 
 
 II.  What  illustrations  it  exhibits 
 of  Grod's  revealed  character.  It  accords 
 with  other  Scriptures  :  "  I,  even  I,  am 
 He  that  blotteth  out,"  &c.  ;  "  As  I  live, 
 I  have  no  pleasure,"  tfcc. 
 
 1.  Tlie  essential  and  inherent  com- 
 2oassion  of  the  Divine  nature. 
 
 2.  His  knowledge  of  the  constitution 
 of  the  human  mind :  attracted  by  kind- 
 ness ;  repelled  by  severity. 
 
 3.  His  minute  and  condescending  re- 
 gard to  the  growth  and  progress  of  re- 
 ligious emotion.     "  I  have  heard." 
 
 4.  His  infinite  readiness  to  receive 
 and  pardon  the  returning  sinner. 
 
 5.  He  reinstates  the  penitent  in 
 those  privileges  which  sin  had  for- 
 feited. 
 
 Vers.  18-20.  Theme:  A  Penitent's 
 Reflections  and  God's  Reflectioiss 
 OVER  Him. 
 
 A  wide  difference  between  ostentation 
 and  true  piety.  The  sincere  penitent  de- 
 sires privacy.  God  here  declares  how 
 acceptable  is  such  repentance. 
 
 I.  The  reflections  of  a  true  penitent 
 over  himself. 
 
 1.  The  beginning  of  his  repentance. 
 He— 
 
 (1.)  Reflects  on  his  incorrigihleness 
 in  the  ways  of  sin. 
 
 527 
 
CHAP.   XXXT. 
 
 EOMTLETIC  COMMENTARY :  JEREMTATT. 
 
 (2.)  Pleads  with  God  to  turn  and 
 tonvert  his  soul. 
 
 3.  The  progress  of  his  repentance. 
 
 (1.)  He  reflects  upon  the  advancing 
 distress  of  his  soul.  Amazed — "  smote 
 on  thigh  ;  "  then  "  ashamed  ;  "  then 
 "  even  confounded." 
 
 (2.)  But  he  gives  the  glory  of  his  ad- 
 vancement to  God  alone.  It  all  resulted 
 from  the  fact  that  "  I  %uas  turned." 
 
 II.  The  reflections  of  God  over  a 
 true  penitent.  The  penitent  finds  no 
 words  too  severe  against  himself  ;  but — 
 
 1.  God  accou7its  no  honour  too  great 
 for  stich  a  person.  He  owns  him  to  be 
 "  a  dear  and  pleasant  child." 
 
 2.  He  expresses  His  compassionate  re- 
 gard for  him.  "My  bowels  are  troubled 
 for  him." 
 
 3.  He  grants  him  cdl  he  himself  coidd 
 desire.  "I  will  surely  have  mercy  upon 
 him,  saith  the  Lord." 
 
 Can  God  testify  of  %is  as  of  Ephraim? 
 If  not,  we  must  expect  shame  and  con- 
 fusion (Matt.  xiii.  49,  50).  If  He  can, 
 happiness  will  be  ours  here  and  here- 
 after (Ps.  cxxvi.  5,  6).  —  Claude's 
 Simeon. 
 
 Vers.  18-20.  Theme:  The  Stubborn 
 SiNNEK  Submitting  Himself  to  God. 
 
 I.  A  description  of  the  feelings  and 
 conduct  of  an  obstinate,  impenitent 
 sinner  while  smarting  under  the  rod 
 of  afiliction.  He  is  rebellious  —  till 
 subdued. 
 
 II.  The  new  views  and  feelings  pro- 
 duced by  affliction  through  Divine 
 grace. 
 
 (a.)  Convinced  of  guilt  and  sinful- 
 ness ;  (6)  praying ;  (c)  reflecting  on  the 
 effects  of  JJivine  grace  in  his  conver- 
 sion. 
 
 III.  A  correcting  and  compassionate 
 God  watching  the  results,  &c. 
 
 (a.)  As  a  tender  Father,  mindful  of 
 His  penitent  child  ;  (6.)  Listening  to 
 his  complaints  and  petitions  ;  (c.)  de- 
 claring His  determination  to  pardon. — 
 Payson. 
 
 See  Addenda :  Confession. 
 
 With  vers.   18,  19,  comp.  Homilies 
 on  chap.  iii.  21-25. 
 528 
 
 Notes  on  vers.  18-20. 
 
 L  "  Thou  hast  chastised  me,  and  I 
 WAS  CHASTISED."  In  the  first  clause 
 the  chastisement  itself  is  meant ;  in  the 
 second,  the  beneficial  effects  of  it — in 
 teaching  the  penitent  true  wisdom. 
 
 ii.    "  As  A  BULLOCK  UNACCUSTOMED  " 
 
 {cf.  *' stiffnecked "  Acts  vii.  51;  Exod. 
 xxxii.  9),  an  image  from  refractory  oxen. 
 Before  my  chastisement  /  needed  the 
 severe  correction  I  received,  as  much  as 
 an  untamed  bullock  needs  the  goad 
 {cf.  Acts  ix.  5,  where  the  same  figure 
 is  used  of  Saul  before  he  toas  con- 
 verted). 
 
 iii.  "  Turn  thou  me,  and  I  shall 
 BE  TURNED  ; "  by  Thy  converting  Spirit 
 (Lam.  V.  21). 
 
 But  why  does  Ei)hraim  pray  for  con- 
 version, seeing  that  he  is  already  con- 
 verted? Because  we  are  converted  by 
 progressive  steps,  and  need  the  same 
 power  of  God  to  car7-y  forivard,  as  to 
 originate,  our  conversion  (John  vi.  44, 
 G5  ;  cf  Isa.  xxvii.  3 ;  1  Pet.  i.  5  ;  Phil, 
 i.  G). 
 
 iv.  "After  that  I  was  turned  I 
 REPENTED."  Ptepcutance  in  the  full 
 sense  folloivs,  not  precedes,  our  being 
 turned  to  God  hy  God  (Zech.  xii.  10). 
 Repentance  is  the  tear  that  flows  from 
 the  eye  of  faith  turned  to  Jesus.  Him- 
 self gives  it ;  we  give  it  not  of  ourselves, 
 but  must  come  to  Him  for  it  (Acts  v. 
 31). 
 
 V.  "After  I  was  instructed,  I 
 SMOTE  UPON  MY  THIGH."  Made  to  learu 
 by  chastisement.  God's  Spirit  often 
 works  through  the  corrections  of  His 
 providence.  "  Smote,"  kc.  (Ezek.  xxi. 
 12)  :  a  token  of  remorse,  shame,  and 
 grief  because  of  past  sin. 
 
 vi.     "I   DID    BEAR    THE    REPROACH    OP 
 
 MY  YOUTH."  The  punishments  I  bore 
 were  the  just  punishments  of  my 
 scandalous  wantonness  against  God  in 
 my  youth  ;  alluding  to  the  idols  set  up 
 at  Dan  and  Bethel  immediately  after 
 the  ten  tribes  revolted  from  Judah.  His 
 sense  of  shame  shows  he  ?io  longer  de- 
 lights in  his  sin, — Jamieson. 
 
 Ver.  20.  Theme:  God's  Tender 
 Memory  op  the  Sinner.  "  Is  Eph- 
 raim    My  dear    son  ■?    is   he  a  pleasant 
 
nOMILETIO  COMMENT  A  R  Y :  JEREMIAH. 
 
 CHAP.    XXXT. 
 
 child  1  For  since  I  spake  against  him, 
 I  do  earnestly  remember  him  still. 
 Therefore  my  bowels  are  troubled  for 
 him :  I  will  surely  have  mercy  upon 
 him,  saith  the  Lord." 
 
 See  Homily  on  chap.  ii.  2  :  "  An 
 Unforgotten  Past,"  pp.  41,  42,  and 
 Noticeable  Topic,  Early  Piety  the 
 Beauty  of  Youth,  p.  50. 
 
 Tbese  questions — "Is  Ephraim,"  &c. 
 — imply  that  a  negative  reply  might 
 naturally  follow.  Oh  !  who  could  have 
 imagined  that,  after  all  this  undutiful- 
 ness,  the  Father  could  still  regard  him 
 as  a  ''^pleasant  child"? 
 
 I.  Our  sin  is  enough  to  estrange  the 
 heart  of  God  from  us. 
 
 II.  Yet  the  Divine  heart  is  tena- 
 cious of  its  cherished  child.  "How 
 can  I  give  thee  up?"  "I  do  earnestly 
 remember  him  still." 
 
 III.  Human  alienation  from  God  is 
 not  oblivion  with  God.  Ephraim  might 
 be  indifferent  to  the  God  he  had  revolted 
 from  and  wronged  :  "  God  not  in  all  his 
 thoughts  ;  "  but  God  could  not  forget — 
 "  I  do  earnestly  remember."  God  cannot 
 bury  in  forgetfulness  the  child  He  loves. 
 He  "  so  loved  the  world,"  &c. 
 
 IV.  Infinite  grace  is  intent  upon 
 the  recovery  of  the  alien  child. 
 
 1.  "My  bowels  are  troubled."  God's 
 restless  yearning  for  his  return. 
 
 2.  "I  do  earnestly  remember." 
 "  While  he  was  yet  a  great  way  off 
 the  father  saw  him." 
 
 3.  "  I  will  surely  have  mercy."  Qiiick 
 to  relent  the  moment  he  repents.  God 
 is  in  no  doubt  as  to  how  He  will  receive 
 the  sinner.  "The  father  raw,  and  had 
 compassion  upon  him,  and  kissed  him." 
 
 Ver.  21.  Theme :  Shewing  Exiles 
 the  Way  Home.     "  Set  up  way-marks." 
 
 Keep  the  lights  burning.  Lift  up  the 
 cross  !  Preach  the  Gospel  still.  Declare 
 the  precious  promises. 
 
 I.  "  Way-marks  "  would  he  needed. 
 For  they  should  return  from  exile. 
 
 It  is  a  prophecy.  Souls  who  go  astray 
 may  return  ;  many  shall. 
 
 II.  "  Way-marks  "  would  be  helpful. 
 For  their  long  banishment  might  obli- 
 terate the  'path  and  obliterate  their  re- 
 membrance.   For  long  absence  from  God 
 
 does  make  the  way  of  right  difficult  to 
 find. 
 
 III.  "  Way-marks  "  would  be  remem- 
 brancers, testimonies  that  God  promised 
 their  return ;  for,  seeing  these  "  way- 
 marks,"  they  would  recall  His  promises 
 and  rejoice  in  His  faithfulness  and  grace. 
 
 Ver.  21.  ^'/iewie.- A  Rightly  Directed 
 Purpose.  "  Set  thine  heart  toward  the 
 highway." 
 
 I.  There  is  but  one  way  back  to 
 God.  "I  am  the  Way,  the  truth,  and 
 the  life ;  no  man  cometh  to  the  Father 
 but  by  Me." 
 
 II.  Misleading  paths  decoy  the  steps 
 astray.  "  There  is  a  way  that  seemeth 
 right  unto  a  man,"  &c. ;  ways  of  self- 
 reform,  sacramental  efficacy,  &c. 
 
 III.  A  heart  intent  upon  the  way 
 marked  out  for  our  return  to  God. 
 
 Determined  to  tread  it.  Resolute  to 
 walk  in  none  other.  Earnest  to  be  found 
 therein  quiclcly. 
 
 Ver,  22.  Theme:  A  New  -  created 
 Wonder  :  The  Miraculous  Concep- 
 tion OP  Christ.  "The  Lord  hath 
 created  a  new  thing  in  the  earth :  a 
 woman  shall  compass  a  man." 
 
 For  other  interpretations  of  the  words, 
 see  Lit.  Crit.  supra. 
 
 The  words  naturally  and  easily  read 
 thus  : — Why  longer  "  go  about "  looking 
 everyivhere,  anywhere  for  helpers,  as  if 
 crying,  "  Who  will  show  us  any  good  ? " 
 leaning  on  any  helpful  contingencies 
 which  may  perchance  offer  tliemselves  1 
 Stay  your  hopes  on  Jehovah;  for  He 
 has  not  exhausted  His  ivonderfid  re- 
 sources for  Israel  and  humanity.  A 
 neio  era  approaches — of  grace  in  Christ 
 Jesus.  A  new  creation  shall  mark  that 
 era — the  Incarnation  of  Christ;  when 
 the  Virgin  Woman  shall  compass  a 
 Man,  and  give  birth  to  "  the  Man  Christ 
 Jesus." 
 
 The  ancient  Jews  acknowledged  this 
 interpretation,  and  ajtpUed  the  words 
 determinately  to  the  Messiah. 
 
 Augustine  and  most  of  the  Christian 
 fathers  regarded  the  verse  as  predicting 
 the  event  of  the  Virgin  Mary  compassing 
 Christ  in  her  womb. 
 
 i.  The  event  was  to  be  wholly  unpre- 
 2l  529 
 
CHAP.  XXXI. 
 
 HO  MI  LET  I C  COMMENTARY :  JEREMIAH. 
 
 CEDENTED.  "  A  new  thing  in  the  earth," 
 and  a  special  Divine  "  creation."  Thus 
 Mary  "  was  found  with  child  of  the  Holy 
 Ghost"  (Matt.  i.  18-20).  It  was  an 
 event  out  of  the  ordinary  course  of 
 nature. 
 
 ii.  Pkophecy  harmonised  with  the 
 fact  described.  The  first  evangelical 
 promise  described  Christ  as  "  the  Seed 
 of  the  woman"  not  of  man.  So  Isa.  vii. 
 14,  "A  Virgin  shall  conceive." 
 
 iii.  There  is  a  specific  personality 
 in  the  words,  "A  woman — a  man." 
 Both  distinct ;  not  a?^y  "  woman,"  not 
 an  ordinary  "man;"  but  definite,  so- 
 litary. The  Hebrew  rendered  here 
 "  woman  "  means  an  individual,  and  is 
 not  the  word  for  "  woman  "  collectively 
 and  in  plurality.  So  the  Hebreiv  ren- 
 dered "man"  is  properly  "mighty  man," 
 the  Geber  ;  and  Christ  is  called  in  Isa.  ix. 
 6,  M  Gibbor.  (See  also  the  word  in 
 Deut.  X.  17;  Zech.  xiii.  7;  and  cf.  Ps. 
 xlv.  3.) 
 
 iv.  The  localisation  op  the  event 
 helps  this  interpretation.  "  A  new  thing 
 in  the  earth;"  literally,  in  "the  land," 
 viz.,  of  Judah,  where  Christ's  conception 
 occurred  {cf.  Luke  i.  39,  41). 
 
 v.  An  occult  allusion  to  the  Slaugh- 
 ter OF  the  Innocents  in  Bethlehem 
 associates  this  prediction  with  the  In- 
 carnation.    See  on  ver.  14. 
 
 vi.  Such  a  Messianic  promise  more 
 fully   explains    the    longing   of    the 
 
 EXILES    TO     RETURN      TO     THEIR    LAND, 
 
 because  Emmanuel  should  be  born 
 there. 
 
 vii.  The  prophet^s  vision  is  through 
 all  these  verses  directed  on  to  the 
 Gospel  age,  when  "  the  new  covenant " 
 (ver.  29  seq.)  shall  dawn  upon  the  world, 
 of  which  the  Incarnate  Christ  should  be 
 the  "  Alpha  and  the  Omega." 
 
 Vers.    23,    24. 
 chap.  iii.  17,  18. 
 
 Comp.   Homily  on 
 
 Ver.  25.  "  Satiated  the  weary  soul." 
 Comp.  ver.  14. 
 
 Ver.  26.  Theme:  Sweet  Visions  of 
 
 Human  Good.      "My  sleep  was  sweet 
 
 unto  me."     "  My  sleep  " — my  prophetic 
 
 dream.     It  was  a  rare  experience  with 
 
 530 
 
 Jeremiah  to  have  visions  so  "  sweet ;  " 
 for  usually  his  messages  concerning  "  the 
 Divine  intent "  were  pensive  and  sad. 
 
 i.  Happy  outlooks  for  a  looestrichen 
 world  are  sweetest  to  the  Divine  seer. 
 
 ii.  There  are  gleams  of  day  glory  break- 
 ing the  grim  night  of  the  world's  distress. 
 
 iii.  It  is  in  God's  purposes  of  grace, 
 as  distinct  from  man's  conduct  of  sinful- 
 ness, that  these  glad  visions  of  good  are 
 possible. 
 
 Vers.  29,  30.  Theme:  Eating  Sour 
 Grapes:  Personal  Responsibility. 
 
 Popidar  sentiments,  though  crystallised 
 into  proverbs,  may  be  misleading.  There- 
 fore "prove  all  things,"  &c.  Both  Eze- 
 kiel  and  Jeremiah  mention  this  as  a 
 proverb  in  currency.  See,  with  ver.  29, 
 Ezet.  xviiii.  2-4. 
 
 A  laiv  on  Sinai  that  God  would  "  visit 
 the  sins  of  the  fathers  upon  their  chil- 
 dren." 
 
 In  distinction  from  the  old  covenant, 
 a  new  dispensation  was  coming  in  which 
 individual  responsibility  should  pre- 
 vail as  the  law. 
 
 I.  Facts  in  the  Divine  economy  and 
 procedure  warranting  this  prevailing 
 sentiment.  "The  fathers  have  eaten 
 a  sour  grape,  and  the  children's  teeth  are 
 set  on  edge." 
 
 1.  Man's  inherited  misery  throu,gh 
 Adam's  fall  (Rom.  v.  12-14,  18,  19). 
 
 2.  Great  calamities  tvere  allowed  to 
 engidf  the  children  in  the  ruin  merited 
 only  by  the  fathers. 
 
 The  Deluge ;  overthrow  of  Sodom  and 
 Gomorrah;  destruction  of  "families" 
 of  Corah,  Dathan,  and  Abiram,  together 
 with  themselves.  So,  for  David's  sin  in 
 numbering  the  people,  70,000  of  his 
 subjects  were  slain,  himself  spared.  Ma- 
 nasseh  (2  Kings  xxiii.  26,  27;  xxiv.  3,  4). 
 On  the  Jewish  nation  too  (Matt,  xxiii. 
 
 3.  In  civil  and  social  relations  the 
 conduct  of  governors  and  parents  casts 
 its  results  on  the  children. 
 
 II.  A  spirit  of  sinful  repining  which 
 cast  blame  upon  God.  The  Jews  in- 
 tended to — 
 
 1.  Exonerate  themselves  for  their  mis- 
 fortunes. They  implied  that  for  no  sin 
 of  their  oivn  were  they  suffering. 
 
HOMILETIC  COMMENTARY :  JEREMIAH. 
 
 CHAP.  XXXI, 
 
 2.  Reflect  on  the  tvisdom  and  Justice  of 
 God.  But  surely  God  punishes  us  less 
 than  our  iniquities  deserve  (Ezra  ix.  13), 
 Even  the  lost  souls  must  own  God  just 
 (Rev,  xvi.  7),  And  the  day  of  retribu- 
 tion will  prove  itself  to  be  *'  a  revelation 
 of  the  ric/hteo2is  judgment  of  God " 
 (Rom,  ii,  5). 
 
 III.  A  new  era  announced  of  indi- 
 vidual responsibility  and  judgment. 
 
 1,  God  declares  what  shall  be  His 
 settled  rule  of  procedure  (ver,  30), 
 (1,)  National  and  all-emby^acing  judg- 
 ments shall  cease.  (2.)  Each  soid  shall 
 stand  on  its  own  merits  and  bear  its  own 
 responsibility, 
 
 2.  This  law  of  individuality  is  to  be 
 verified — (1.)  In  this  life  (Gal,  vi,  5)  ; 
 (2.)  In  the>^Mre  world  (Gal.  vi.  7,  8). 
 
 IV.  The  awful  burden  of  inevitable 
 personal  guilt, 
 
 1,  Every  man  mtist  give  account  of 
 himself,  and  meet  his  just  condemnation. 
 For— 
 
 2,  There  is  none  who  can  stand  before 
 God  without  sin.      And 
 
 3,  Every  sinner  shall  die  his  due 
 death  (ver.  30). 
 
 4,  Can  there  be  found  no  Sin-Bearer  ? 
 Yes  verily ;  Christ  died  "  the  Just  for 
 the  unjust "  (1  Peter  iii.  18) ;  was  "  made 
 sin  for  us  "  (2  Cor,  v,  21).  And  so  we 
 lose  our  individual  curse  in  the  atone- 
 ment and  substitution  of  Calvary. 
 
 Vers,  31-34.  Theme:  Salvation 
 Taken  into  God's  own  Hands,  "  Be- 
 hold, the  days  come,  saith  the  Lord,  that 
 I  will  make  a  new  covenant  with  the 
 house  of  Israel,  and  with  the  house  of 
 Judah ;  not  according  to  the  covenant 
 that  I  made  with  their  fathers,  in  the 
 day  that  I  took  them  by  the  hand,  to 
 bring  them  out  of  the  land  of  Egypt, 
 which  my  covenant  they  brake;  though  I 
 was  a  husband  unto  them,  saith  the 
 Lord ;  but  this  shall  be  the  covenant 
 that  I  will  make  with  the  house  of  Israel : 
 After  those  days,  saith  the  Lord,  I  will 
 put  My  law  in  their  inward  parts,  and 
 write  it  in  their  hearts  ;  and  tvill  be  their 
 God,  and  they  shcdl  be  My  people.  And 
 they  shall  teach  no  more  every  man  his 
 neighbour,  and  every  man  his  brother, 
 saying,  Know  the  Lord  :  for  they  shall  all 
 
 know  Me,  from  the  least  of  them  unto 
 the  greatest  of  them,  saith  the  Lord  ;  for 
 I  will  forgive  their  iniquity,  and  I  will 
 remember  their  sin  no  more." 
 
 It  is  useful  to  contemplate  the  duties 
 devolving  on  us  as  agents,  and  the  hopes 
 arising  from  the  agency  of  God.  Our 
 text  refers  to  the  latter.  The  old  cove- 
 nant was  made  with  the  Hebrews  at 
 Sinai,  the  covenant  of  grace  under 
 types  ;  not  an  absolute  but  a  conditional 
 covenant,  and  in  this  it  resembled  the 
 law.  As  a  consequence,  it  is  added, 
 "  which  covenant  they  brake."  But  it 
 pleased  God  to  promise  a  new  covenant. 
 In  this  He  shows  His  own  agency  on 
 the  heart,  and  takes  salvation  into  His 
 own  hands  to  accomplish  it  Himself : 
 "  They  shcdl  be  My  people  and  I  luill  be 
 their  God."  Had  a  covenant  of  works 
 been  held  out  offering  salvation  upon 
 perfect  obedience,  or  a  covenant  offering 
 pardon  to  man  unassisted,  none  would 
 have  been  saved.  Both  were  tried,  in 
 Eden  and  at  Sinai.  The  covenant  made 
 with  Abraham  still  exists.  Let  us  show — 
 
 L  According  to  the  plan  of  grace  re- 
 vealed in  the  Gospel,  God  has  Taken  the 
 Work  of  Salvation  into  His  own 
 Hands. 
 
 II,  This  Lays  the  only  Founda- 
 tion FOR  Hope, 
 
 I,  According  to  plan  of  grace  in 
 Gospel,  God  has  taken  the  work  of 
 salvation  into  His  own  hands.  The 
 great  design  originated  in  the  mind  of 
 God,  it  was  His  own  choice  and  purpose, 
 induced  by  a  regard  for  His  own  glory 
 and  compassion  for  a  sinful  world.  He 
 organised  the  plan  alone.  Eternal  ages 
 before  man  was,  the  covenant  of  redemp- 
 tion between  the  Sacred  Persons  was 
 formed,  and  all  circumstances  relating  to 
 the  salvation  of  the  world  were  settled. 
 Man  was  then  made,  and  fell ;  when  an 
 intimation  of  the  purpose  was  made 
 to  him.  Jesus  Christ  came  in  due  time 
 to  put  away  sin  by  the  sacrifice  of  Him- 
 self. He  rose  from  the  dead  for  our 
 justification.  All  this  was  done  by  God 
 independently  of  His  creatures.  The 
 Holy  Spirit  was  sent  out  to  subdue  as 
 many  as  the  Father  had  given  Christ, 
 Through  human  instrumentality  the 
 world  was  enlightened  by  the  preaching 
 
 531 
 
CHAP.  XXXI. 
 
 nOMILETIO  COMMENTARY:  JEREMIAH. 
 
 of  the  Word.  The  creation,  care,  support, 
 and  enlargement  of  the  Christian  Church 
 was  undertaken  by  the  Trinity.  In  like 
 manner  God  takes  the  salvation  of  every 
 believer  individually  into  His  oivn  hands. 
 II,  That  God  has  taken  the  work  of 
 delivering  His  oion  people  into  His  oivn 
 hands,  is  the  only  foundation  of  human 
 hope.  This  doctrine  is  sweet  to  the 
 Christian,  but  opposed  by  the  proud ; 
 for  had  not  God  contrived  and  executed 
 this  plan,  no  provision  could  have 
 been  made  for  the  salvation  of  man  ;  and, 
 beset  as  he  is  from  without  and  within, 
 he  can  only  find  help  from  the  God  of 
 his  salvation. 
 
 1.  The  Christian  who  feels  his  own 
 iveakness,  and  discerns  the  power  of  his 
 enemies,  resorts  to  this  truth  as  the  only 
 ground  for  hope.  "  The  salvation  of  the 
 righteous  is  of  the  Lord,"  and  they  feel 
 that  God  can  shield  them  from  every 
 enemy. 
 
 2.  Those  tvho  would  rather  trust  them- 
 selves than  God,  reject  this  truth;  while 
 the  only  encouragement  for  Christians  to 
 "  work  out  their  own  salvation  "  is  that 
 "  God  worketh  in  them." 
 
 3.  This  doct7'ine  also  affords  oicourage- 
 ment  to  the  Church  generally.  While 
 looking  upon  the  many  who  know  not 
 God,  we  can  be  sustained  by  nothing 
 but  the  trust  that  the  work  of  saving 
 men  is  God's  work  alone.  In  commend- 
 ing our  loved  ones  to  God,  we  feel  peace  in 
 the  knowledge  that  "  God  has  taken  their 
 salvation  into  His  own  hands."  Ministers 
 of  God's  people,  be  content  to  leave 
 their  salvation  there  ;  it  is  His  work  and 
 His  cause.  Pious  and  trembling  ones, 
 dwell  upon  this  truth  to  your  comfort ; 
 and  to  the  unrenewed  I  would  say, 
 remember  you  are  in  God's  bands.  Return 
 unto  the  Lord,  for  He  will  have  mercy 
 upon  you,  and  to  our  God,  for  He  will 
 abundantly  pardon. — Ancient  MS. 
 
 Ver.  32.  •'  Which  covenant  they  brake, 
 although  I  was  a  husband  unto  them." 
 Comp.  Homily  on  chap.  iii.  14. 
 
 Ver.  33.  The  nevj  covenant.  Comp. 
 Homily  on  chap.  iii.  16. 
 
 Ver.  32.  Theme:  Is  the  Old  Cove- 
 nant  Abandoned?      "  Not  according 
 532  ^ 
 
 to  the  covenant  that  I  made  with  their 
 fathers." 
 
 I.  The  covenant  God  made  at  the 
 first  with  His  people  is  not  contra- 
 dicted and  destroyed  by  the  new. 
 
 1.  God  had  not  changed  His  purpose, 
 as  if  he  had  forgotten  His  faithfulness. 
 The  first  covenant  with  Abraham  was 
 inviolable. 
 
 2.  The  laio  ivas  a  confirmation  of,  and 
 based  upon,  that  covenant.  Consequently, 
 God  can  make  no  new  law  inconsistent 
 with  the  old. 
 
 3.  Christians,  under  the  new  covenant, 
 are  partakers  of  that  old  and  original 
 Abrahamic  covenant,  are  called  *'  chil- 
 dren of  Abraham;"  will  be  "gathered 
 into  Abraham's  bosom ; "  and  shall 
 "come  from  the  east  and  west,"  &c., 
 "and  sit  doiun  luith  Abraham,"  &c. 
 
 These  considerations  show  that  God 
 never  abrogated  the  covenant  made  with 
 Abraham  and  confirmed  by  and  to  Moses. 
 
 II.  In  what  sense  God  has  made  a 
 "  new  covenant "  with  His  i:)eople. 
 Here  premising  that — 
 
 1.  The  substance,  or  doctrine,  remains 
 the  same  ;  for  God  in  the  Gospel  brings 
 forward  nothing  but  what  the  law  con- 
 tains.    But — 
 
 2.  In  the  form,  or  expression  of  the 
 doctrine,  all  is  new.  Thus  Christ,  as 
 substitute;  Holy  Spirit's  renewing  grace  ; 
 and  the  whole  method  of  teaching  men 
 God's  will :  these  are  new. 
 
 (a.)  Thus,  God  made  a  new  covenant 
 when  He  accomplished  through  His  Son 
 what  had  been  foreshadowed  forth  under 
 the  law. 
 
 {b.)  Further,  it  was  a  new  thing  that 
 God,  by  the  regeneration  of  the  Holy 
 Spirit,  made  the  covenant,  not  only 
 strike  the  ear,  but  penetrate  the  heart. 
 
 (c.)  The  outward  mode  of  teaching  is 
 also  new ;  for,  comparing  the  law  with 
 the  Gospel,  we  find  that  God  speaks  to 
 us  openly  now,  as  it  were  face  to  face 
 (2  Cor.  iii.  13)  ;  for  the  veil  is  removed, 
 and  God  in  the  face  of  Christ  presents 
 Himself  to  be  seen  by  us. — Arranged 
 from  Calvin. 
 
 Ver.  33.  Theme:  "  My  Law  in  Their 
 Hearts." 
 
 No  longer  a  Sinaitic  code  of  morals, 
 
HOMILETIC  COMMENTARY:  JEREMIAH. 
 
 CHAP.  xxxr. 
 
 external  to  man  and  enforced  upon  him ; 
 but  an  inner  force,  an  inspiration  of 
 love,  constraining  the  soul  into  sweet 
 consent.  The  sermon  on  the  mount  is 
 the  old  Mosaic  law — but  transfigured 
 hy  love ;  speaking  to  the  very  heart  of 
 man  in  tones  of  mighty  tenderness. 
 
 I.  If  God's  commandments  are  to 
 sway  the  whole  being  of  a  man,  they 
 must  move  the  inmost  affections. 
 
 1.  "  Laws,"  which  only  speak  to  the 
 ear,  and  demand  an  unwilling  attention, 
 can  affect  men  but  feebly.  But  the 
 voice  of  God  is  powerful  in  a  soul  when 
 it  finds  its  way  inward  to  the  affections, 
 and  speaks  in  tones  which  stir  the 
 keenest  and  strongest  emotions. 
 
 2.  The  "  neiv  covenant "  laws  are 
 voices  of  love  from  God,  full  of  infinite 
 tenderness  and  grace,  and  go  deeper 
 into  the  soul  than  commandments;  they 
 are  more  penetrating  than  a  mother's 
 words.  God  speaks  to  the  heart  in  the 
 Gospel. 
 
 3.  These  hnvs  of  love — "  Thou  shalt 
 love  the  Lord,"  &c.  ;  for  "  God  is  love  " 
 — which  constitute  the  Gospel  covenant, 
 do  ride  the  soul  from  loithin  by  the 
 impulses  and  affections  which  they 
 awaken.  "  We  love  Him,  because  He 
 first  loved  us."  His  laws  are  impressed 
 %ipon  our  very  hearts. 
 
 II.  If  man's  obedience  to  God  is  to 
 be  complete — the  obedience  of  a  willing 
 soul,  glad  to  obey — the  inmost  affec- 
 tions must  move  him  thereto. 
 
 1.  "  Dtity  "  is  cold  and  hard  as  an 
 inspiration  to  conduct.  It  awakens  no 
 enthusiasm,  no  delight,  no  eager  volition 
 in  the  soul.  It  enforces  itself  upon  us, 
 not  awakens  response  within  us. 
 
 2.  But  "  laws  "  (interpreted  and  em- 
 phasised as  they  are  in  the  life  of  Jes7ts 
 — calling  us  to  obedience  for  love  of  Him, 
 and  inspired  with  grandeur  as  they  are 
 in  the  cross  of  Christ — declaring  the 
 infinite  importance  to  the  sinner  that 
 he  should  not  sin,  but  should  obey  and 
 live) — laws  of  God  thus  enforced  cast 
 their  2^«,thos  iipon  the  heart  of  even  the 
 disobedient  and  stir  to  response. 
 
 3.  The  affections  won  by  Christ's 
 personally  obedient  example  and  substi- 
 tutionary death  for  man's  disobedience, 
 prompt  the  soul  to  willing  anxious  con- 
 
 cern to  do  the  will  of  God  with  fervour 
 and  delight.  His  laws  are  obeyed /ro??i 
 the  hea7't. 
 
 III.  Hence,  love  awakened  within 
 a  soul  is  a  grander  force  and  a  surer 
 guarantee  of  full  obedience  to  law  than 
 the  sense  of  duty  however  majestically 
 enforced. 
 
 1.  The  cross  raised  on  Calvary  is 
 therefore  a  grander  motive  than  the 
 tables  of  stone  given  on  Sinai, 
 
 2.  Humanity  can  be  draivn  into  alle- 
 giance to  God  more  effectually  and  surely 
 by  the  allurements  of  love  than  by  the 
 demands  and  threatenings  of  law, 
 
 3.  The  new  covenant,  therefore,  su2'>er- 
 sedes  the  reign  of  penalty,  with,  its  appeals 
 to  duty  and  fear,  by  the  reign  of  grace, 
 in  which  the  heart  is  won  to  glad  obedi- 
 ence, inspired  by  gratitude  and  love. 
 
 Ver.  34.  Theme:  Universal  Know- 
 ledge OF  THE  Lord.  "  And  they  shall 
 teach  no  more  every  man  his  neighbour, 
 and  every  man  his  brother,  saying.  Know 
 the  Lord ;  for  they  shall  all  know  Me, 
 from  the  least  of  them  unto  the  greatest 
 of  them,  saith  the  Lord." 
 
 1.  Its  primary  application  is  to  the  en- 
 lightenment of  Israel.  They  shall  know 
 Christ  as  the  Lord  (Isa.  liv,  13). 
 
 2.  Its  secondary  reference  is  to  all 
 believers,  who  come  to  see  Christ  for 
 themselves  as  their  Saviour,  Lord,  and 
 God  (John  vi,  45  ;  1  Cor.  ii.  10  ;  1  John 
 ii.  2,  20). 
 
 3.  Its  widest  meaning  is  the  ingather- 
 ing  of  all  people  to  the  "  one  faith  "  (Ps. 
 ii,'8), 
 
 I.  By  a  Divine  plan  of  instruction 
 men  shall  be  taught, 
 
 1,  It  is  slow  and  feeble  work  this 
 luinning  men  by  man's  teacldng. 
 
 2,  Not  that  the  nffi-ce  of  teaching  will 
 cease  under  the  Gospel  dispensation. 
 
 3.  But  the  Divine  Spirit  ivill  become 
 the  toorld's  Teacher,  showing  Christ  to 
 men. 
 
 4.  And  a  purer  light  will  by  that 
 Spirit  shine  in  upon  the  human  con- 
 science, revealing  to  the  sinner  more 
 clearly  his  state,  his  need,  and  the 
 remedy  of  the  cross. 
 
 II.  With  an  all-embracing  inclusive- 
 ness  men  shall  be  taught. 
 
 533 
 
CHAP.  SXXI. 
 
 HOMILETIC  COMMENTARY :  JEREMIAH. 
 
 1.  National  barriers  and  distinctions 
 shall  no  longer  limit  the  spread  of  true 
 religion.  The  Gospel  shall  be  "  unto 
 all  people." 
 
 2.  Social  and  educational  divisions 
 shall  he  utterly  disregarded  in  the  Divine 
 diffusion  of  light.  "  Things  despised  " 
 will  be  equally  blessed  with  Divine  light 
 — "  the  least  of  them "  as  "  things 
 mighty  " — "  the  greatest  of  them."  For 
 "  God  is  no  respecter  of  persons." 
 
 3.  Childhood  shall  gather  under  the 
 lustre  of  Christian  knowledge  as  much 
 as  maturity ;  for  Christ  shall  enfold 
 the  lambs,  and  the  "  little  ones  "  shall 
 be  in  "  the  kingdom  of  heaven  " — "  the 
 least  of  them." 
 
 III.  Into  a  clearer  knowledge  of 
 God  men  shall  be  led.  "All  shall 
 hnow  Me." 
 
 1.  Sinai^s  revelations  and  Prophecy's 
 dim  teachings /a^7cc?  to  reveal  God  fully 
 to  the  soul.  They  were  but  faint  gleam- 
 ings  (Exod.  xxxiii.  23). 
 
 2.  The  Person  of  Christ — His  life, 
 teachings,  character,  and  death — unveils 
 God  clearly  to  man  (John  i.  1 8). 
 
 3.  By  the  Spirit's  illumination  a 
 familiar,  happy,  and  satisfactory  realisa- 
 tion of  God  is  brought  to  each  believing 
 soul  (1  John  ii.  27). 
 
 Vers.  35-37.  Theme:  God's  Guar- 
 antee TO  His  Chukch.  In  prophecy 
 we  see  the  purposes  of  God  unfolded, 
 and,  comparing  past  and  passing  events, 
 see  God  so  ordering  every  incident 
 for  the  fulfilment  of  His  purposes. 
 Note— 
 
 i.  With  what  majesty  and  glory  the 
 Almighty  describes  Himself  / 
 
 ii.  With  what  solemnity  He  enforces 
 His  declarations,  equivalent  even  to 
 oaths ! 
 
 iii.  And  all  this  in  order  to  assure 
 His  people  oi  His  exhaustless  and  ina- 
 lienable mercy  ! 
 
 I.  Contem])late  the  grandeur  of  these 
 assurances  of  Jehovah  to  His  people. 
 
 1.  In  their  historic  reference  to  Israel 
 literally. 
 
 (1.)  Their  imperishable  security  ;  they 
 
 shall   alivays  be   under   His  care.     So 
 
 that,  while  other  nations  have  become 
 
 obliterated,  they  shall  never  be.     Though 
 
 53i 
 
 their  sins  provoked  Him  to  utterly  cast 
 them  off,  they  shoxdd  he  restored  to  His 
 favour  as  of  old. 
 
 (2.)  God's  infinite  resources  on  their 
 behalf.  "  The  Lord,  which  giveth  the 
 sun,"  &c.  ;  the  almightiness  of  Jehovah ; 
 *'  the  Lord  of  Hosts  is  His  name." 
 
 (3. )  I'he  inviolability  of  God's  covenant 
 with  them.  If  impossibilities  can  be, 
 "  the  heavens  be  measured,"  &c.,  then 
 this  impossibility  may  happen,  that  God 
 would  sever  His  people  from  Himself, 
 the  people  He  betrothed  in  an  everlast- 
 ing covenant ! 
 
 Note  : — History  confirms  these  ancient 
 assurances  of  God  to  Israel.  During 
 their  captivity  in  Babylon  the  nation 
 kept  its  nationality  intact,  and  were 
 restored  to  Canaan.  And  even  now, 
 though  for  1800  years  Israel  and  Judah 
 are  scattered,  God  preserves  them  "  a 
 peculiar  people ; "  and  signs  are  not 
 wanting  that  the  "  lost "  ten  tribes  are 
 still  in  distinct  existence. 
 
 They  are  still  "  beloved  for  the  fathers' 
 sake  ;  "  and  God's  "  gifts  and  calling 
 are  without  repentance  "  (Isa.  liv.  7-10). 
 
 2.  In  their  larger  application  to  the 
 Chiirch  of  God  spiritually. 
 
 (1.)  Guarded  by  the  unfailing  care  of 
 the  Lord.  "  The  gates  of  hell  shall  not 
 prevail;"  "Not  one  of  them  shall  be 
 lost." 
 
 (2.)  All  the  guarantees  of  Deity  are 
 pledged  to  its  security.  "  My  Father 
 who  gave  them  to  Me  is  greater  than 
 all,  and  none  shall  pluck  them  out  of 
 My  Father's  hand  :  I  and  My  Father 
 are  one !  " 
 
 (3.)  With  inviolable  fidelity  Christ's 
 people  are  bound  to  Him.  Not  a  jot  or 
 tittle  of  His  word  shall  fail :  "  Heaven 
 and  earth  shall  pass  away,  but  My  word 
 shall  not  pass  away."  "  Lo,  I  am  with 
 you  alway,  even  to  the  end  of  the 
 world." 
 
 II.  Ponder  the  value  of  these  assur- 
 ances of  Jehovah  to  His  people.  To 
 Israel  indeed  literally  belongs  these 
 "  covenants  and  promises  ;  "  yet  Chris- 
 tians have  a  joint  heritage  in  them ;  for 
 Paul  assures  us  that  "  God,  willing  more 
 abundantly  to  show  unto  the  heirs  of 
 promise  the  immutability  of  His  counsel, 
 confirmed  it  by  ar  oath ;  '"hat  by  two 
 
EOMILETIC  COMMENTARY :  JEREMIAH. 
 
 CHAP.  xxxr. 
 
 immutable  things,  in  wliicli  it  was  im- 
 possible for  God  to  lie,  we  might  have  a 
 strong  consolation,  who  have  fled  for 
 refuge  to  lay  hold  on  the  hope  set  before 
 us"  (Heb.  vi.  17,  18). 
 
 1.  By  whom,  then,  may  these  assur- 
 ances be  appropriated  1  "  All  the  pro- 
 mises of  God  are  m  Christ,  Yea ;  and 
 in  Him,  Amen,  unto  the  glory  of  God  by 
 us."  Only  those  who  are  "  in  Christ  " 
 themselves  can  "  inherit  the  promises  " 
 which  are  assured  z?i  Him. 
 
 2.  For  what  purposes  should  these 
 assurances  be  appropriated  1  For  our 
 enduring  consolation  amid  all  distresses, 
 persecutions,  &c.  (Rom.  viii.  35-39) ; 
 yet  not  for  delusive  self-security  and  pre- 
 sump)tion.  Unless  we  keep  ourselves  dis- 
 tinct from  the  world,  as  do  the  Jews  as 
 a  nation,  but  distinct  for  o%cr  piety  (2 
 Cor.  vi.  17;  James  i.  27),  we  forfeit  all 
 part  in  the  assurance  that  God  will  keep 
 us  perpetually  before  Him  as  His  people. 
 
 3.  In  what  spirit,  then,  should  these 
 assurances  be  appropriated  1  With  faith 
 in  God's  word  (John  xiv.  1)  ;  with  joyous 
 hope  (Rom.  v.  2) ;  with  lowly  watchful- 
 ness (Rom.  xi.  20). 
 
 Compare  with  the  above  Simeoris  Out- 
 line, on  which  this  is  based. 
 
 Vers,  38,  39.  Theme :  The  Rebuild- 
 ing OF  Jerusalem,  both  Literally  and 
 Spiritually. 
 
 Wordsworth  here  points  out — 
 
 I.  The  city  is  het'e  said  to  be  huilt  to 
 the  Lord  (ver.  38).  It  is  dedicated  to 
 Him.  The  Church  (xup/ax^)  is  the 
 house  of  the  Lord.  It  is  called  by 
 His  name,  consecrated  to  His  glory 
 and  service.  Its  name  is  Jehovah 
 Shammah,  "  The  Lord  is  there  "  (Ezek. 
 xlviii.  35). 
 
 II.  Taken  in  its  literal  sense,  this 
 prophecy  foretels  that  Jerusalem  shall 
 be  rebuilt  in  all  its  extent,  from  the 
 tower  of  Hanameel,  on  the  north-east 
 (see  Neh.  iii.  1  ;  xii.  39)  to  the  gate  of 
 the  corner,  on  the  north-west  (2  Kings 
 xiv.  13;  2  Chron.  xxvi.  9).  Comp. 
 Zech.  xiv.  10.  This  was  effected  by 
 Nehemiah. 
 
 III.  But  this  was  figurative  of  the 
 greater  rebuilding,  when  Jesus  Christ 
 built  up  the  ruins  of  our  fallen  nature, 
 
 and  raised  up  the  walls  of  the  spiritual 
 Jerusalem,  His  universal  Church. 
 
 1.  The  names  Hanameel  and  Gate  of 
 the  Corner  have  a  symbolical  sense,  suited 
 to  this  fulfilment.  "  Hanameel  "  =  gror 
 cioiisly  given  by  God.  The  building  of 
 the  spiritual  Jerusalem  (so  Jerome  sug- 
 gests) begins  with  the  free  grace  of  God 
 (Titus  ii.  11-14;  iii.  4-8),  and  extends 
 to  the  gate  of  the  Comer,  Christ  being 
 the  elect  "  Corner-stone ;  "  for  He  is  the 
 "  Corner "  in  which  the  walls  of  both 
 peoples — Jew  and  Gentile — meet  in  one, 
 cemented  together  in  Him  (Ps.  cxviii. 
 22;  Isa.  xxviii.  16;  Matt.  xxi.  42; 
 1  Peter  iii.  6). 
 
 2.  Similarly  the  names  "  hill  Gareh 
 and  Goath"  have  a  symbolical  signi- 
 ficance. These  names  are  nowhere  found 
 in  Scripture,  and  have  no  actual  localisa- 
 tion ;  the  reason,  therefore,  for  the  choice 
 of  such  names  is  that  we  should  not  look 
 to  the  letter  but  to  the  spirit  [!]  Mystical 
 names  were  thus  sometimes  used  by  pro- 
 phets (Cant.  ii.  17,  vi.  12;  Jer.  xxv.  26  ; 
 Ezek.  xxxix.  11,  &c.) 
 
 But  "  Gareb"  means  a  leper,  and 
 leprosy  was  a  type  of  sin  ;  while  "  Goath  " 
 is  supposed  by  some  to  be  the  same  as 
 Golgotha  or  Calvary.  Leprosy  is  the  ban 
 of  death  ;  but  Christ  by  death  "  abolished 
 death,"  whereas  on  Calvary  was  opened 
 "the  fountain /or  sm,"  and  so  sin  and 
 death  found  a  remedy  in  Christ. 
 
 Thus  the  Christian  Church,  which  has 
 its  origin  and  centre  in  Zion,  extends  its 
 walls  with  a  living  and  gracious  energy 
 to  enfold  the  hiU  Gareb,  and  even  Goath 
 itself. 
 
 IV.  Further,  in  ver.  40,  it  is  afiirnied 
 that  "  the  whole  valley  of  the  dead  bodies  " 
 — the  loathsome  and  idolatrous  valley 
 of  Hinnom,  and  even  "  all  the  -^.elds  unto 
 the  brook  Kidron" — to  which  all  the 
 abominations  of  idolatry  were  brought 
 and  burned  (2  Kings  xxxii.  4-6),  i.e.,  all 
 things  most  unclean  by  nature  and  by 
 human  corruption,  will  be  purged  from 
 all  impurity,  and  cleansed  by  the  blood 
 of  Christ  and  the  outpouring  of  the 
 Spirit  of  holiness  in  the  Christian 
 Church,  and  so  be  made  "  holy  unto  the 
 Lord"  (Zech.  xiv.  20,  21 ;  Joel  iii.  17; 
 Isa.  Hi.  1,  &c.) 
 
 This  has  been  fulfilled,  and  is  in 
 535 
 
CHAP.  XXSl, 
 
 HOMILETIC  COMMENTARY:  jEREMIAff. 
 
 course  of  fulfilment  in  the  transforma- 
 tion of  heathen  basilicas  and  temples  (as 
 the  Pantheon  of  Rome  and  the  Parthenon 
 of  Theseus  at  Athens)  into  Christian 
 Churches,  and  the  conversion  of  heathen 
 cities  and  nations  unto  Christ.  The 
 cross  of  Christ  stands  in  the  Colosseum, 
 where  Christian  martyrs  were  formerly- 
 cast  to  the  lions ;  and  it  surmounts  the 
 obelisks  of  Egypt  \  and  human  nature, 
 once  the  stronghold  of  Satan,  has  now 
 become  the  shrine  of  Deity  by  the  incar- 
 nation of  the  Son  of  God. —  WordsivortNs 
 Commentary. 
 
 Note. — Br.  Payne  Smith  remarks  : 
 "  The  main  point  in  Jeremiah's  descrip- 
 tion of  the  New  Jerusalem  is  not  its 
 great  extent,  though  it  would  have 
 covered  somewhat  more  space  than  the 
 old  city,  and  much  more  than  Nehe- 
 miah  included  within  his  walls,  but 
 that  it  tooh  in  and  consecrated  spots 
 which  previously  had  been  imclean.  If 
 we  compare  this  with  Zech.  ii.  4,  the 
 conclusion  seems  evident  that  Jeremiali's 
 words  are  to  be  spiritually  understood. 
 His  city  is  one  that  renders  what  was 
 
 before  unclean  *  holy  unto  Jehovah.' 
 (Comp.  with  this  John's  New  Jerusalem, 
 especially  Rev.  xxi.  27.)" 
 
 Ver.  40,  The  PERPETniTy  of  the 
 Spiritual  Jerusalem.  "It  shall  not 
 be  jDlucked  uj)  nor  thrown  down  any 
 more  for  ever." 
 
 Calvin  comments  :  "  The  promise  of 
 perpetual  favour  is  added  ;  for  it  would 
 not  be  sufficient  to  have  God's  mercy 
 promised  us  for  a  short  time.  The  city 
 indeed  was  again  destroyed  by  Titus, 
 and  at  length  wholly  demolished  by 
 Adrian;  but  God  gave  some  taste  of 
 His  favour,  in  the  external  aspect  of  the 
 city,  till  Christ  came ;  but  after  Christ 
 was  manifested,  the  heavenly  Jerusalem 
 became  the  object  to  be  sought,  and 
 then  all  types  and  shadows  ceased. 
 
 "  This  promise  pledges  tlie  per^Jetuity 
 of  the  Church  ;  for  though  God  may  per- 
 mit it  to  be  terribly  shaken,  and  Satan 
 and  all  the  world  may  daily  threaten  its 
 ruin,  yet  the  Lord  will  preserve  it  to 
 the  end,  so  that  it  shall  never  perish." 
 
 ADDENDA    TO  CHAP.   XXXI.:  ILLUSTRATIONS  AND  SUGGESTIVE  EXTRACTS. 
 
 Ver.    3.    Everlasting    Love.       A 
 father,  whose  affluence  was  considerable, 
 mourned   over   a   reckless    son,    whose 
 misconduct  brought  shame  upon  himself 
 and  family.     From  home  the  prodigal 
 went  into  another  country,  and  for  years 
 he  was  lost  to  his  relatives.     A  chance 
 occurring,    he    sent    by   a    friend   this 
 message,    should     he     meet     his    boy, 
 "  Your   father    loves   you,   still."      The 
 bearer  sought  him  long  and  in  vain.    At 
 last  he  saw  him  enter  a  house  of  vice, 
 and  called  him ;   and  there,   at  a  late 
 hour    of    evening,    he    delivered    this 
 message.     The  dissolute  gambler's  heart 
 was   touched.       The   thought  that  his 
 father  still  loved  him,  and  wished  to 
 forgive  him,  broke  the  spell  of  Satan. 
 He  abandoned   his   profligacy  and  re- 
 turned to  his  father.     Oh!  the  power  of 
 such  a  message  of  inalienable  love  from 
 God! 
 
 *'  Could  we  with  ink  the  ocean  fill, 
 
 Were  the  whole  world  of  parch  uicnt  made, 
 536 
 
 Were  every  single  grass  a  quill, 
 And  every  man  a  scribe  by  trade : 
 
 To  write  the  love 
 
 Of  God  above 
 Would  drain  the  ocean  dry. 
 
 Nor  could  the  scroll 
 
 Contain  the  whole, 
 Though  stretched  from  earth  to  sky." 
 
 "Not  as  the  world  loves  doth  God 
 love.  They  love  to-day  and  hate  to- 
 morrow, wearing  their  friends  like 
 flowers,  which  we  may  behold  in  their 
 bosoms  whilst  they  are  fresh  and  sweet, 
 but  soon  they  wither  and  then  are  laid 
 aside.  Whereas  the  love  of  God  to  His 
 people  is  everlasting,  and  He  wears  them 
 as  a  signet  upon  His  right  hand,  which 
 He  will  never  part  with." — White. 
 
 Ver.  9.  Tears  of  Penitence,  A 
 saint's  tears  are  better  than  a  sinner's 
 triumphs.  Bernard  saith,  Lachrymce 
 2)oenitentium  sunt  vimcm  angelorum  : 
 "  The  tears  of  penitents  are  the  wine  of 
 angels. " — Seeker. 
 
sou  I  LET  IC  COMMENTARY :  JEREMIAS.  chap,  xxxrt. 
 
 Ver,   18.    Confession:   ^^  Bemoaning  you  can" — the  very  confession  disarms 
 
 hdmself."      If  I  am   working  beside   a  us,  and  we  think  better  of  him  than  we 
 
 man,  and  I  see  that  he  tries  to  shirk  did  before.     Therefore  it  is  that  God  so 
 
 his  work   upon  me,   I  am   angry  with  exhorts  us  to  confess  our  sins  to  Him. 
 
 him.     But  if  he  says  to  me,  "  I  am  ill  — H.  Ward  Beecher. 
 
 and   cannot    work,"   then   the  thousrht  «  ah           <•  i  •   *i,         •*    *•  i    •  i 
 
 .                ,      '           ,,  „         ,    „   °  All-powerful  is  the  penitential  sio:h 
 
 comes  to  me  at  once,  "lou  shall  not  Of  true  contrition;  like  the  pladd  wreaths 
 
 work;  I  will  help  you."     And  so,  if  a  Of  incense,  wafted  from  the  righteous  shrine 
 
 man  says  to  us,  "I  know  I  did  wrono-  Where  Abel  ministered,  to  the  blest  seat 
 
 but  I  am  weak  :  blame  me  as  little  as  11^  ^^.7:'''''.'  ^'^  ^''^^V^^^  sacrifice, 
 
 ,     ^    1    ■■                                       ,  iiumiliatiou  s  conscious  pluuit  ascends. 
 
 you  can,  but  help  me  out  as  much  as  —Hayes. 
 
 CHAPTER  XXXII. 
 
 Critical  and  Exegetical  Notes.— 1.  Chronology  of  the  Chapter.— "  Tenth  year  of  Zede- 
 kiah  king  of  Judah,  and  eighteenth  of  Nebuchadnezzar  "  (ver.  1).  Cf.  note  on  chronology  of 
 chap.  XXV.  :  "  this  eigliteenth  year  of  Nebuchadnezzar  "  was  about  B.C.  585;  or,  according  to 
 the  Chaldean  cylinders,  B.C.  564. 
 
 2.  Contemporary  Scriptures.— Chaps,  xxxix.,  xl,,  lii,  4,  5,  &c.  ;  1  Kings  xxv. ;  2  Chron. 
 sxxvi.  17,  scq.  ;  Ezek.  xxiv. 
 
 3.  National  Affairs. — The  siege  of  Jerusalem  began  in  the  tenth  month  of  the  ninth  year  of 
 Zedekiah's  reign,  and  was  now  going  on  ;  but,  on  the  approach  of  Pliaraoh's  army  from  Egypt, 
 the  siege  was  temporarily  raised  (chap,  xxxvii.  5).  Jeremiah  made  an  attempt  to  leave  the  city 
 during  this  crisis  (xxxvii,  13),  and  was  arrested,  being  afterwards  kept  prisoner  till  the  siege 
 was  over.  Many  in  Jerusalem  hoped  that  Egypt  would  prevail  over  the  Chaldean  power ;  but 
 Jeremiah  declared  that  the  Chaldeans  must  be  supreme  ;  and,  as  being  distrusted  for  his  anti- 
 p]gyptian  prophecies,  was  kept  in  the  prison  of  the  king's  house. 
 
 4.  Contemporaneous  History. — The  Chaldeans  besieged  Jerusalem  the  year  preceding  the 
 date  of  this  cliapter.  For  a  brief  while  this  siege  was  interrupted  by  the  arrival  at  Jerusalem  of 
 the  succour  of  the  Egyptian  forces,  then  resumed  with  increased  vigour.  This  Egyptian  army 
 was  led  by  Pharaoh-Hophra  (see  chap.  xliv.  30),  the  Apries  of  Herodotus  (ii.  116,  iv.  159).  He 
 was  an  ally  of  Zedekiah  against  "Nebuchadnezzar  the  king  of  Babylon "  (vers.  2,  3)  ;  we  learn 
 this  from  Ezekiel  xvii.  15,  but  the  alliance  was  fruitless,  and  this  attack  upon  Nebuchadnezzar's 
 besieging  army  ended  in  either  the  withdrawal  of  the  Egyptian  forces  or  their  defeat  by  the 
 Chaldeans, 
 
 5.  Geographical  References. — Ver.  7.  "  Anathoth;"  and  Ver,  8.  "Anathoth in  tJie country  of 
 Benjamin  :  "  cf.  Geographical  References  on  chap.  i.  It  was  a  sacerdotal  city,  and  so  had  1000 
 cubits  of  suburban  fields  outside  the  wails  attached  to  it  (Num.  xxxv.  4,  5).  These  fields  might 
 not  be  sold  out  of  the  Levitical  tribe  (xxv,  34).  Ver.  35.  "  Higli  places  of  Baal  in  the  valley  of 
 Hinnom  ;"  cf.  notes  on  chaps,  vii.  31,  xxix.  5. 
 
 6.  Personal  Allusions. — Ver.  7.  "  i/anameeZ  the  son  of  Shallum  thine  uncle."  Jeremiah's 
 first  cousin  ;  nothing  more  known  of  him.  Ver.  12.  "  Ba7'uch  the  son  of  Ncriah."  Jeremiah's 
 amanuensis  and  agent  (xxxvi.  4,  &c.). 
 
 7.  Manners  and  Customs, —  Ver,  7.  "The  right  of  redemption  is  thine''  On  the  failure  of 
 the  owner  it  fell  to  the  next  of  kin  to  redeem  it  (Lev.  xxv.  25  ;  Ruth  iv.  3-6).  Ver.  9, 
 "  Weighed  him  the  money,"  &c.  Coined  money  was  not  then  in  use,  therefore  "  weighed  "  as  in 
 the  days  of  Abraham  (Gen.  xxiii.  16).  The  '^ seven  shekels  and  ten  of  silver"  (as  it  literally 
 reads)  =  £2,  2s.  6d.  of  our  money  ;  but  its  purchasing  value  maybe  estimated  by  remembering 
 that  David  bought  Araunah's  threshing  floor,  oxen,  and  implements,  for  "  fifty  sliekels  ;  "  while 
 "thirty  shekels  of  silver"  purchased  the  potter's  field  (Matt,  xxvii.  7).  Ver.  11.  "The 
 evidence  of  the  purchase,  both  that  which  was  sealed  according  to  the  laxo  and  custom,  and  that  which 
 was  open."  So  that  there  was  one  2'>urchase-deed  duly  sealed  and  closed  up — the  legal  document, 
 and  a  copy  for  "  open  "  reference.  Ver.  24.  "  The  mounts  are  come  unto  the  city ;  "  mounds  of 
 earth,  batteries,  or  breastworks  for  the  besieging  army,  behind  which  they  employed  their 
 engines.  Ver.  29.  "  Upon  the  roof  they  have  offered  incense  to  Baal :  "  cf.  chap.  xix.  13.  Ver.  83. 
 •'  Turned  the  bach  and  not  the  face:  "  c/".  on  cliap.  ii.  27. 
 
 8.  Literary  Criticisms. — Ver.  10.  "  I  subscribed  the  evidence :"  Heh.  /  wro^c  (the  facts  of  the 
 purchase)  in  the  deed.  Ver.  25.  "  For  the  city  is,"  &c.  ;  rather,  "  Whereas  the  city,"  &c.  Ver.  40. 
 "  A  covenant  with  them  to  do  them  good."  Omit  comma  after  "  not  turn  away  from  them,"  and 
 read  on,  "  nut  turn  away  from  them  to  do  tlicm  good  ;"  i.e.  never  cease. 
 
 567 
 
CHAP.  XXXII. 
 
 HOMILETIC  COMMENTARY:  JEREMIAH. 
 
 SUBJECT  OF  CHAPTER  XXXII. 
 
 A  Parabolic  Purchase,  signifying  and  predicting  Israel's  sure  repossession  of  the 
 land  from  which  they  were  to  be  for  a  time  exiled, 
 
 i.  The  account  of  the  transaction  ;  executed  with  picbliciti/,  and  the  trust-deed  care- 
 fully preserved  (vers.  1-15). 
 
 ii.  Jeremiah's  confession  of  misgivings,  notwithstanding  his  assuring  purchase  (vers. 
 16-25). 
 
 iii.  God's  explanation  of  the  course  of  events,  and  promises  of  the  certain  restoration 
 of  Israel  (vers.  26-44). 
 
 HOMILIES  AND  OUTLINES  ON  CHAPTER  XXXII. 
 
 Ver.  2.  Jeremiah  Imprisoned. 
 
 He  ?ras  there  "in  the  tenth  year  of 
 Zedekiah"  (ver.  1);  but  was  p«i  there 
 in  the  ninth  year  of  Zedekiah.  The 
 facts  occurred  thus :  As  a  punishment 
 for  foretelling  the  capture  of  the  city 
 by  Nebuchadnezzar,  Jeremiah  was  put 
 into  the  king's  prison  (xxxiv.  1-7). 
 At  the  interruption  of  the  siege  by 
 Pharaoh-Hophra,  Jeremiah  was  about  to 
 depart  the  city  for  Benjamin,  when  he 
 was  cast  into  the  "dungeon;"  but  he 
 obtained  leave  to  be  removed  again  into 
 the  court  of  the  prison  (xxxvii.  12-21). 
 On  the  second  advance  of  the  Chal- 
 deans to  the  siege,  Jeremiah,  from  the 
 king's  prison,  urged  the  Jews  to  save 
 themselves  by  submission  to  Nebuchad- 
 nezzar (xxxviii.  2,  3)  ;  and,  in  conse- 
 quence of  this,  the  princes  instigated 
 the  king  to  have  him  cast  into  a  miry 
 dungeon  (xxxviii.  4-6).  Again  he  was 
 removed  to  the  court  prison  at  the  inter- 
 cession of  Ebed-melech  the  Ethiopian 
 (xxxviii.  7-13),  where  he  remained  till 
 the  capture  of  the  city  (xxxviii.  28),  when 
 he  was  liberated  (xxxix.  11 ;  xl,  1),  &c. 
 
 Ver.  3.  Theme :  Opposition  to  God's 
 Messenger.  See  similar  topic  in  chap, 
 xxvi.  9  ;  with  Homilies. 
 
 Vers.  4,  5.  Zedekiah's  Punish- 
 ment. "  His  eyes  shall  behold  his  (Ne- 
 buchadnezzar's) eyes." 
 
 Adroitly  Jeremiah  keeps  back  the 
 calamity  which  is  here  half  suggested. 
 Ezekiel  declares  (prophesying  at  the  same 
 time,  but  in  Babylon  among  the  captives 
 of  the  same  event)  that  Zedekiah  should 
 be  brought  to  Babylon,  but  shotdd  "not 
 see  it "  (Ezek.  xii.  1 3).  The  explanation 
 is  given  by  Jeremiah  (xxxix.  6,  7). 
 538 
 
 Ver.  5.  God's  Ameliorating  Mercy 
 TO  Zedekiah.  "  Until  I  visit  him, 
 saith  the  Lord." 
 
 Jerome  points  out  that  these  words  are 
 enigmatical,  for  "  visitation  means  both 
 consolation  and  punishment." 
 
 Already  the  prophet  had  hidden  the 
 harder  fate  which  should  so  soon  befall 
 the  king ;  for  "it  is  not  the  business  of 
 prophecy  necessarily  to  aggravate  human 
 suffering  "  (Dr.  Payne  Smith). 
 
 And  in  chap,  xxxiv,  4,  5,  we  find 
 some  warrant  for  the  hope  that  the  blind 
 king,  in  his  exile,  was  not  treated 
 with  severity  by  his  captors ;  whereas  he 
 was  held  in  honour  by  the  Jewish  exiles, 
 who  paid  tenderest  homage  to  him  at 
 his  death  and  burial. 
 
 Ver.  5.  Theme:  A  Predicted  De- 
 peat.  "  Though  ye  fight  with  the  Chal- 
 deans, ye  shall  not  prosper." 
 
 i.  The  will  of  the  Lord  decides  all 
 battles.  It  matters  not  however  great 
 the  army,  disciplined  the  troops,  valiant 
 the  men,  heroic  the  officers,  skilful  the 
 commander  ;  nor  though  the  navy  be 
 powerful,  her  ships  ironclad,  her  guns 
 of  greatest  calibre,  &c.  If  God  says, 
 "  Ye  shall  not  prosper,"  neither  power 
 of  the  army  nor  prowess  of  the  navy  will 
 command  success  and  secure  victory. 
 "The  great,  the  mighty  God,  the  Lord 
 of  Hosts  "  (ver.  18),  can  so  derange  the 
 best-arranged  plans  that  the  battle  shall 
 not  be  to  the  strong.  He  giveth  the 
 victory  to  whomsoever  He  please. 
 
 ii.  As  with  nations  so  with  men. 
 Though  they  "  rise  up  early  and  sit  up 
 late,"  if  God  says,  "  Ye  shall  not  pros- 
 per," failure  shall  follow  every  effort 
 and  scheme.  Nothing  can  set  aside  the 
 decisions  of  His  will. 
 
HO  MI  LET  IC  COMMENTARY:  JEREMIAH. 
 
 CHAP.  XXXII. 
 
 I.  What  are,  then,  the  conditions  of 
 success  in  life's  undertakings  1  Philo- 
 sopliers  would  reply,  that  the  means  be 
 adapted  to  the  end,  that  there  be  wisdom 
 and  skill  in  using  those  means,  and  that 
 provision  be  made  for  all  contingencies. 
 
 This  would  probably  ensure  success 
 were  there  no  presiding  Power,  whose 
 interposition  may  frustrate  all  human 
 purposes. 
 
 This  Power  existing,  it  is  evident  that 
 success  depends,  not  simply  on  well- 
 adapted  plans,  but  on  the  will  of  God. 
 
 Everything  then,  from  a  military  cam- 
 paign to  a  prosperous  journey,  depends 
 on  God's  will.  "  Though  ye  fight  ye 
 shall  not  prosper."  "Making  request, 
 if  I  may  have  a  prosperous  journey  hy 
 the  ivill  of  God." 
 
 II.  God's  will  should  be  consulted, 
 and  His  blessing  sought,  in  all  our 
 undertakings.  "  In  everything,  by  prayer 
 and  supplication,"  &c. 
 
 1.  There  is  no  request  which  man  can 
 make  to  God  but  He  can  ansive?'  it. 
 "Nothing  is  too  hard  for  the  Lord" 
 (ver.  27).  Indeed  nothing  is  hard,  nothing 
 is  difficult.  With  Him  it  is  as  easy  to 
 crush  an  empire  as  a  moth,  &c.  His 
 power  knows  no  limit. 
 
 2.  While  the  power  of  God  is  un- 
 limited, His  powei-  is  regulated  by  His 
 will.  "  Whatever  He  pleaseth  that  doeth 
 He."  His  will  is  the  dictate  of  His 
 infallible  wisdom.  No  caprice  ;  no  arbi- 
 trary determinations. 
 
 III.  Amid  faihire  of  human  plans, 
 God  is  working  all  things  with  wisdom 
 and  for  a  beneficent  purpose.  If  "in 
 wisdom  He  made "  all  things,  in  equal 
 wisdom  He  governs  all. 
 
 1.  Though  in  ways  mysterious  to  us, 
 yet  He  works  wisely.  Men  who  love 
 God  may  "fight  with  the  Chaldeans" 
 and  lose  the  battle;  may  be  "diligent  in 
 business,"  yet  unsuccessful;  yet,  though 
 all  things  seem  against  them,  God  is  mak- 
 ing all  things  promote  their  real  welfare, 
 "  All  things  work  together  for  good,"  &c. 
 
 2.  Nor  forget  that  oict  of  darhiess 
 God  can  bring  forth  light ;  out  of  chaos, 
 order ;  out  of  evil,  good.  In  the  midst 
 of  our  darkness  and  confusion  we  may 
 "  hang  our  harps  upon  the  willows ; "  but 
 when  we  see  all — in  eternity,  we  put  on 
 
 immortality,  we  shall  shout,  "Victory 
 through  the  blood  of  the  Lamb  ! " — 
 Arranged  from  "  Walks  tvith  the  Prophet 
 Jeremiah"  by  Rev.  D.  Pledge. 
 
 See  Addenda :  Help  fkom  God. 
 
 Ver.  8.  Theym:  Prescience  Sealed 
 BY  Experience.  "Then  I  knew  that 
 this  was  the  word  of  the  Lord." 
 
 Did  Jeremiah  distrust  the  Divine  voice 
 within  him  beforehand  ? 
 
 I.  The  prophetic  inspiration  did  not 
 always  co-exist  with  personal  conviction 
 in  the  prophet  himself.  The  two  were 
 essentially  distinct. 
 
 Prophets  did  not  always  understand 
 their  own  prophecies.  "No  prophecy 
 was  oi  private  interpretation." 
 
 Messengers  from  God  carried  tidings 
 which  seemed  often  to  them  incredible. 
 The  prophecy  of  repossession  of  their 
 land  seemed  incredible  to  Jeremiah  (see 
 vers.  24,  25). 
 
 II.  Divine  assurances  may  be  accepted 
 by  us  without  strong  and  vivid  realisa- 
 tion of  their  certainty.  We  take  them 
 as  ^^  the  word  of  the  Lord,"  and  in  some 
 vague  sense  hold  them  to  be  true,  and 
 that  they  will  prove  themselves  true. 
 
 But  we  do  not  "hioiv"  them  to  be 
 "  the  word  of  the  Lord  : "  there  lacks  in 
 us  firm  apprehension  of  them,  as  the  very 
 utterance  of  God  who  is  true  and  faithful. 
 
 So  that  God's  words  may  be  accepted 
 tvithout  our  perfect  and  rejoicing  confi- 
 dence in  their  being  fulfilled. 
 
 III.  Oiir  human  tveahiess  and  suscepti- 
 bilities confuse,  at  times,  the  clear  re- 
 cognition of  a  Divine  message  to  us. 
 Jeremiah's  ivishes  or  reluctance  in  this 
 matter  of  purchasing  the  field  tended  to 
 confuse  the  sense  of  God's  tvord  in  him. 
 Our  feelings  and  desires,  our  reluctance  or 
 eagerness,  does  much  to  make  us  unduly 
 eager  to  interpret  our  ivishes  as  a,  sense 
 of  God's  ivord  in  tis,  or  to  interpret  02ir 
 disinclinations  as  being  God's  word  in  us. 
 
 The  apprehension  of  the  inutility  of 
 any  course  of  conduct  leads  us  to  mistrust 
 the  word  of  God  in  us.  It  seemed 
 eminently  useless  to  Jeremiah  to  pur 
 chase  that  field.  He  was  nearly  sixty 
 years  of  age,  and  the  captivity  was  to  be 
 for    seventy  years,   how    could  he  ever 
 
 539 
 
CHAP.  XXXII. 
 
 HOMILETIC  COMMENTARY:  JEREMlAH. 
 
 reoccwpy  tlie  field  lie  purchased  ?  Much 
 that  we  feel  God  wishes  us  to  do  seems 
 to  us  useless.  Owx  judgment,  as  well  as 
 our  disinclination,  may  cloud  the  Divine 
 word  in  us. 
 
 IV.  When  the  confirmation  of  God's 
 Word  comes  to  us  in  its  actual  fulfil- 
 ment, conviction  is  complete.  And 
 "  the  word  of  the  Lord  "  does  literally 
 vindicate  itself.  "  Behold  Hanameel 
 shall  come  unto  thee  "  (ver.  7) ;  "  aS'o 
 Hanameel  came  to  me  "  (ver.  8). 
 
 Such  fulfilments  are  the  common  ex- 
 perience of  all  God's  servants.  Not  pro- 
 phets alone.  "  Not  one  good  thing  of  all 
 which  the  Lord  hath  spoken  hath  failed." 
 
 Yet  faith  should  not  wait  for  such 
 verification.  "  Because  thou  hast  seen 
 Me,  thou  hast  believed  ;  blessed  are  they 
 which  have  not  seen  and  yet  have  be- 
 lieved."    See  Isa.  1.  10. 
 
 Ver.  9.  And  I  bought  the  field."  Florus, 
 the  Roman  historian,  records  that  during 
 the  days  when  Rome  was  being  besieged 
 by  Hannibal,  the  very  ground  on 
 which  he  was  encamped  was  put  up  for 
 sale  at  Rome,  and  found  a  purchaser ; 
 thereby  indicating  the  strong  confidence 
 of  the  ultimate  issue  of  the  siege  which 
 animated  the  Roman  people. 
 
 Ver,  16.  Theme:  Prayer  the  Solace 
 OF  A  Perplexed  Soul.  Jeremiah  obeys 
 God's  command  :  purchases  the  land 
 which  seems  so  useless,  parting  with 
 money  which — in  the  emergencies  of  a 
 siege — seemed  so  invaluable.  In  a  mis- 
 giving mood,  he  carries  his  perplexity 
 to  God's  throne,  and  in  prayer  seeks 
 rest  of  mind  and  soul.  Conviction  in 
 him  was  at  strife  with  God's  command. 
 
 I.  The  sold  in 'prayer  rises  to  majes- 
 tic thoughts  of  God  {vers.  17-19). 
 
 His  almightiness  (17)  ;  graciousness 
 (18);  rigJUeousness  (10).  Such  thoughts 
 prt)ve  like  clear  shining s  from  heaven  on 
 our  dimness  and  doubt. 
 
 II.  The  soul  in  2^rayer  gathers  up 
 memories  of  God's  wondrous  deeds. 
 Oh,  how  the  recollection  of  His  mercies 
 and  deliverances  flood  the  soul  while  we 
 kneel!  (vers.  20-22). 
 
 III.  The  sold  in  prayer  realises  the 
 appalling  unworthiness  of  man  conse- 
 5i0 
 
 quent  upon  his  sin  (ver.  23).  It  is 
 when  near  the  tlirone,  and  looking  up 
 into  the  Divine  face,  seeing  visions  of 
 God's  great  love  and  redeeming  mercy, 
 that  we  feel  man's  criminality,  and  cry 
 for  ourselves,  "  I  am  a  man  of  unclean 
 lips,  for  I  have  seen  the  King  the  Lord 
 of  Hosts." 
 
 IV.  The  soul  in  prayer  ventures  to 
 lay  all  its  misgivings  upon  God. 
 "  Behold  the  mount  !  "  (ver.  24).  The 
 difficulties  of  interpreting  God's  dealings, 
 and  of  faith  in  God's  words.  The 
 soul  grows  strong  and  confident  when 
 near  Him,  feels  it  may  and  must  lay  all 
 its  fears,  and  wonderments,  and  troubles 
 upon  a  God  so  tender  and  wise. 
 
 Jeremiah  could  not  reconcile  God^i 
 proi^hecies,  through  himself,  that  He 
 would  destroy  the  land,  with  this  com- 
 mand to  him  to  purchase  soil  as  if  it 
 were  a  sure  and  inalienable  possession. 
 
 V.  The  sold  in  'prayer  finds  relief  in 
 the  freest  and  fullest  unburdening  of 
 itself  before  the  Lord.  There  is  no 
 reserve.  Tells  God  it  cannot  see  the 
 consistency  of  His  own  action  !  "  Behold 
 Thou  seest  it "  (ver.  24) ;  the  ruin  Thou 
 declarest  should  come  is  at  hand  ;  yet 
 "  Thou  hast  said,  Buy  thee  the  field  !  " 
 
 And  that  is  the  occasion  of  human 
 anxiety,  when  God  does  not  seem  to  us 
 consistent  tvith  Himself.  Thus  Abraham, 
 when  called  to  offer  Isaac,  in  whom  the 
 promises  centred.  And  even  our  Lord, 
 though  the  beloved  Son,  cried,  "  My 
 God,  My  God,  why  hast  Thou  forsaken 
 Me  1  " 
 
 Then,  in  the  viystery  the  soul  learns 
 resignation  ;  and  in  resignation  it  enters 
 into  rest. 
 
 See  Addenda  :  Solace  of  Prayer. 
 
 "  For  one  thing:  only,  Lord,  dearLord,  I  plead— > 
 Lead  me  aright. 
 Though  strength  should  falter,  and  though 
 heart  should  bleed, 
 
 Through  Peace  to  Light. 
 
 I  do  not  ask,  0  Lord,  that  Thou  shouldst 
 shed 
 
 Full  radiance  here  : 
 Give  but  a  ray  of  peace,  that  I  may  tread 
 
 Without  a  fear. 
 
 I  do  not  ask  my  cross  to  understand, 
 
 My  way  to  see  ; 
 Better  in  darkness  just  to  feel  Thy  hand, 
 
 And  follow  Thee. 
 
HOMILETIQ  COMMENTARY :  JEREMIAH. 
 
 CHAP,  xxxir. 
 
 Joy  is  like  restless  day  ;  but  Peace  Divine 
 
 Like  quiet  uight ! 
 Lead  me,  0  Lord,  till  perfect  day  shall  shine, 
 
 Through  Peace  to  Light." 
 
 N.B. — With  this  outline  should  be 
 connected  the  outline  on  ver.  27  :  God's 
 Eeply,  &c. 
 
 Note. — M.  Henry  observes  :  Prayer  is 
 the  salve  of  every  sore,  and  points  out  that 
 "  before  Jeremiah  went  to  prayer  he  de- 
 livered the  deeds  that  concerned  his  new 
 purchase  to  Baruch,  which  may  intimate 
 to  us  that  when  we  are  going  to  worship 
 God  xoe  should  get  our  minds  as  clear  as 
 may  be  from  the  cares  and  encumbrances 
 of  the  world." 
 
 On  ver.  17,  see  Noticeable  Topics  at 
 end  of  chapter :  Ckeation — an  Argu- 
 ment roPv  Faith. 
 
 Ver,  17.  A  Bewildered  Soul.  See 
 Sectional  Homilies  on  chap.  xii.  1-6, 
 p.  246,  and  on  ver.  1,  p.  2-48. 
 
 Vers.  17-25.  Theme:  Divine  Pro- 
 mises OUR  Best  Consolation  in  every 
 Affliction. 
 
 i.  There  are  promises  of  Divine  help 
 for  every  kind  of  distress  in  human  life. 
 
 ii.  These  promises  often  sound  very 
 wonderful  (24,  25). 
 
 iii.  Their  fulfilment  on  the  part  of 
 God  is  guaranteed  by  the  perfection  of 
 the  Divine  nature  (17-19). 
 
 iv.  Their  fulfilment  is,  on  our  part, 
 conditioned  by  faith. — Naegelshach. 
 
 Ver.  19.  Theme:  The  Greatness  of 
 God's  Wisdom  and  the  Abundance  op 
 His  Power.  Proved  from  His  nature  : 
 '^Great  in  counsel  and  mighty  in  icorlc"  &lc. 
 
 I.  God  has  the  power  of  making  the 
 deepest  affliction  of  His  children  pro- 
 duce their  highest  happiness. 
 
 II.  The  contrivances  of  tyrants  to  op- 
 press the  Church  procure  its  establish- 
 ment. 
 
 III.  The  triumphs  of  Satan  turn  to 
 the  destruction  of  his  empire. — Scmrin, 
 in  Lange, 
 
 Ver.  19.  Theme:  God's  Eyes  upon 
 the  Paths  of  Men.  "  For  Thine  eyes 
 are  open  upon  all  the  ways  of  the  sons 
 
 of  men."     This  serious  and  important 
 fact  should — 
 
 I.  Shake  us  and  awake  us  from  our 
 security.  What  if  some  of  our  "  ways" 
 are  sinful,  and  such  as  the  Lord  must 
 disapprove  ] 
 
 II.  Humble  us  if  we  are  under  the 
 discipline  of  Grod's  Spirit.  For  though 
 avowedly  being  "  led  by  the  Spirit  of 
 God,"  we  may  yet  be  turning  to  our 
 own  self-made  courses,  and  may  not 
 have  allowed  a  fixed  and  store  heart  to 
 be  imparted  to  us. 
 
 III.  Comfort  and  encourage  us  when 
 we  are  led  in  dark  and  difficult  paths. 
 For  we  often  are :  and  are  led  by  Him 
 whose  eyes  are  "  o^^en,"  though  our  eyes 
 are  dim. — /.  M.  Mueller,  in  Lange. 
 
 See  Homily  on  chap.  xvii.  10 :  God's 
 EuLE  of  Judgment. 
 
 Vers.  20,  21.  God's  Wonders  in 
 the  Past.  See  Homilies  on  chap.  xi. 
 7,  XXX.  18. 
 
 Ver.  22.  Covenanted  Blessings. 
 See  Homily  on  chap,  xi.,  sec.  1-8,  p. 
 232,  and  on  ver.  1,  p.  234. 
 
 Ver.  27.  Theme:  God's  Reply  to  a 
 Perplexed  Soul. 
 
 I.  He  confirms  the  pleader's  faith 
 in  Himself.  "/  am,"  tfcc.  (ver.  27). 
 Therefore  thy  foes  (vers.  28,  29)  ivork 
 My  will,  and  nothing  exceeds  My  power 
 to  fulfil  my  promises  of  Israel's  repos- 
 session of  the  land  (ver.  37). 
 
 II.  He  explains  the  occasion  of  His 
 just  displeasure.  "  This  city  hath  been 
 to  Me  as  a  provocation  of  Mine  anger," 
 &c.  (ver.  31).  Observe  that  God  re- 
 iterates the  words,  "  provoke  Me  to 
 anger,"^ye  times  (vers.  29,  30,  31,  32, 
 37). 
 
 III.  He  protests  against  the  abuse 
 of  His  graciousness  (ver.  33). 
 
 IV.  He  affirms  the  grand  purposes 
 of  mercy  He  cherishes  (vers.  37-41). 
 Here,  therefore,  note — 
 
 i.  It  is  in  strengthening  the  soul's 
 triist  in  God's  all-sufficiency  for  all  occa- 
 sions that  He  allays  fear  (ver.  27). 
 
 ii.  It  is  in  vindicating  the  righteous- 
 ness of  His  disjileasure  that  He  silences 
 our  murmurings  (ver.  31). 
 
 541 
 
CHAP,  xxxir. 
 
 EOMILETIC  COMMENTARY:  JEREMIAH. 
 
 iii.  It  is  in  reminding  us  of  grace  ex- 
 tended to  us  in  vain  that  He  teaches  us 
 how  patietit  and  longsiiffering  His  nature 
 is  (ver.  33). 
 
 iv.  It  is  in  inspiring  clear  hopes  of  a 
 merciful  issue  out  of  distress  that  He 
 ends  oicr  questionings  and  leads  us  into 
 loving  tr2ist  (vers.  37-41), 
 
 Ver.  27.  Theme  :  God's  Account  op 
 Himself.  This  is  God's  account  of 
 Himself — 
 
 I.  "lam;"  Individuality. 
 
 II.  "I  am  the  Lord:"  Dominion, 
 majesty,  &c. 
 
 III.  "The  God  of  all  flesh:"  Uni- 
 versality; condescension; — not  only 
 the  God  of  mighty  spirits,  but  the  God 
 of  infirm  and  dying  flesh. 
 
 IV.  "  Is  anything  too  hard  for  Me  1 " 
 Distrust  rebuked,  prayer  encouraged, 
 completeness  guaranteed — completeness 
 of  council,  and  completeness  of  execution. 
 
 Application:  Every  word  of  this  is  a 
 terror  to  evil-doers.  Every  word  of  it 
 is  inspiration  to  the  true  and  noble. — 
 City  Temple. 
 
 On  ver.  29.  Jeeusalem's  Euins,  see 
 chap.  xxi.  10. 
 
 On  ver.  30.  Evil  Done  prom  Youth, 
 see  Homilies  on  chap.  ii.  7  ;  iii.  25  ;  vii. 
 22-26  ;   xxii.  21. 
 
 On  ver.  33.  Turning  the  Back  on 
 God,  see  Homilies  on  chap.  ii.  27  ;  vi. 
 24 ;  and  on  God's  Earnestness  in  Deal- 
 ing with  Sinners,  "  Eising  up  early," 
 &c.,  see  Homily  on  chap.  vii.  13. 
 
 On  ver.  34.  "  Abominations  in  Mine 
 House,"  see  Homily,  "  Violated  Sanctu- 
 aries Doomed"  chap.  vii.  12-14. 
 
 On  ver.  37.  Israel  Gathered  Again, 
 see  Homilies  on  chap,  xxiii.  3-6,  &c. 
 
 Vers.  37-40.  Theme:  The  Future 
 Conversion  op  the  Jews. 
 
 I.  What  blessings  G-od  has  in  re- 
 serve for  His  chosen  people. 
 
 1.  A  restoration  to  their  own  land 
 (ver.  37). 
 
 2.  A  renewed  acknowledgment  of 
 their  relation  to  Him  (ver.  38). 
 
 3.  A  spirit  of  piety  poured  out  upon 
 them  (ver.  39). 
 
 II.  What  security  they  have  for  the 
 final  possession  of  these  blessings. 
 
 1.  The  veracity  of  God  (ver.  40). 
 
 2.  The  power  of  God.  "  I  will  not 
 turn  away  from  them  to  do  them  good  " 
 (ver.  40). 
 
 Learn  to  realise  these  glorious  expec- 
 tations, to  labour  for  the  desolate  and 
 outcast  children  of  Israel. — Charles 
 Simeon. 
 
 On  ver.  38.  "My  People,"  see  on 
 chap.  xxiv.  7 ;  xxx.  22. 
 
 On  ver,  39.  A  Heart  Given  by  God, 
 see  Homily  on  chap.  xxiv.  7. 
 
 On  ver.  40.  A  Changeless  Cove- 
 nant, see  on  chap.  xxxi.  31,  33. 
 
 On.  ver.  41.  Compare  xxxi.  28. 
 
 Theme :  Israel's  Restoration 
 wholly  engaging  God.  "  Assuredly 
 with  My  whole  heart  and  with  My  whole 
 soul." 
 
 I.  God's  purposes  of  grace  move  His 
 own  nature  to  deepest  sympathy.  He 
 is  not  coldly  occupied  in  calculating  up- 
 on them,  but  fervently  moved  hy  them. 
 His  "  whole  heart  and  soul "  is  stirred. 
 "  God  so  loved." 
 
 II.  God's  oversight  of  His  people 
 engages  His  most  earnest  and  tender 
 solicitude.  He  is  no  indifferent  spec- 
 tator of  their  career.  His  "  whole  heart 
 and  soul "  are  in  their  welfare. 
 
 III.  God's  glorious  designs  animate 
 Him  with  unceasing  delight.  He 
 "  rejoices  over  them  to  do  them  good — 
 with  His  whole  heart,"  &c.     Hence 
 
 1.  The  ChihTch^s  joy,  in  times  of  great 
 and  God-given  blessedness,  is  faint  as 
 compared  with  God's  delight. 
 
 2.  The  souVs  gratitude  for  restoration 
 to  the  favours  sin  forfeited  is  only  a 
 reflection  of  the  joy  God  feels  in  his 
 redemption. 
 
 3.  The  hliss  of  the  ransomed  in  heaven 
 is  a  prospect  which  fills  the  "  whole  heart 
 and  the  whole  soul"  of  God  Himself 
 with  sympathetic  delight. 
 
 542 
 
EOMILETIO  COMMENTARY :  JEREMIAff.  chap,  xxxir. 
 
 NOTICEABLE  TOPIC  IN  CHAPTER  XXXII. 
 
 Topic:  Creation — ak  Argument  for  Faith.  Text:  ''Ah,  Lord  God!  heliold, 
 Thou  hast  made  the  heaven  and  the  earth  hy  Thy  great  poioer  and  stretched- 
 out  arm,  and  there  is  nothing  too  hard  for  Tliee^'  (ver,  17). 
 
 When  Jeremiah  came  into  his  chamber  alone,  it  is  possible  that  he  began  to 
 question  himself  as  to  what  he  had  been  doing,  and  troubled  thoughts  rolled  over 
 his  mind  : — "  I  have  been  purchasing  a  useless  possession,"  said  he.  See  how  he 
 refuses  to  indulge  the  thought.  He  gets  as  far  as  saying,  "Ah,  Lord  God  !  "  as  if 
 he  were  about  to  utter  some  unbelieving  or  rebellious  sentence,  but  he  stops  himself, 
 "  Thou  canst  make  this  plot  of  ground  of  use  to  me ;  Thou  canst  rid  this  land  of 
 these  oppressors  ;  Thou  canst  make  me  yet  sit  under  my  vine  and  my  fig-tree  in  the 
 heritage  which  I  have  bought ;  for  Thou  didst  make  the  heavens  and  the  earth,  and 
 there  is  nothing  too  hard  for  Thee."  This  gave  a  majesty  to  the  early  saints,  that 
 they  dared  to  do  at  God's  command  things  which  were  unaccountable  to  sense, 
 and  which  reason  would  condemn.  They  consulted  not  with  flesh  and  blood ;  but 
 whether  it  is  a  Noah  who  is  to  build  a  ship  on  dry  land,  an  Abraham  who  is  to 
 offer  up  his  only  son,  or  a  Moses  who  is  to  despise  the  treasures  of  Egypt,  or  a 
 Joshua  who  is  to  besiege  Jericho  seven  days,  using  no  weapons  but  the  blasts 
 of  rams'  horns, — they  all  act  upon  God's  command ;  they  act  contrary  to  all  the 
 dictates  of  carnal  reason ;  and  God,  even  the  Lord  God,  gives  them  a  rich  reward 
 as  the  result  of  their  obedient  faith.  I  would  to  God  we  had  in  the  religion  of 
 these  modern  times  a  more  potent  infusion  of  this  heroic  faith  in  God.  When 
 Edward  Irving  preached  that  memorable  sermon  concerning  the  missionary,  who 
 he  thought  was  bound  to  go  forth  without  purse  or  scrip,  and  trusting  in  his  God 
 alone,  to  preach  the  Word,  a  howl  went  up  to  heaven  against  the  man  as  a  fanatic. 
 They  said  he  was  visionary,  unpractical,  mad,  and  all  because  he  dared  to  preach  a 
 sermon  full  of  faith  in  God.  If  once  again  we  could,  like  the  world,  be  hanged 
 upon  nothing  but  the  simple  power  and  providence  of  God,  I  am  sure  we  should 
 find  it  a  blessed  and  a  safe  way  of  living,  glorious  to  God,  and  honourable  to  our- 
 selves. 
 
 It  is  my  business  to  conduct  you  to  Jeremiah's  place  of  confidence.  Seeing  that 
 his  case  is  hopeless,  knowing  that  man  can  do  nothing  at  all  for  him,  the  prophet 
 resorts  at  once  to  the  God  that  created  the  heaven  and  the  earth,  and  he  exclaims, 
 "Nothing  is  too  hard  for  Thee."  Use  the  text  to  stimidate  the  evangelist;  to 
 encourage  the  inquirer  ;  and  to  comfort  the  believer. 
 
 I.  To  stimulate  the  evangelist.  And  who  is  the  evangelist  1  Every  man 
 and  woman  who  has  tasted  that  the  Lord  is  gracious.  There  should  be  no  dumb 
 tongue  in  all  our  host ;  we  should  have  no  idle  hand  in  the  harvest  field  here, 
 here  is  your  encouragement :  the  work  is  God's,  and  your  success  is  in  the  hand 
 of  Him  who  made  the  heaven  and  the  earth.  Let  me  refresh  your  memory  with 
 the  old  story  of  creation  : — 
 
 1.  Eemember  that  the  tvorld  ivas  created  from  nothing.  You  have  often  said, 
 "  Mine  is  a  very  hard  task,  for  I  address  myself  to  men  in  whom  I  see  nothing 
 hopeful.  I  batter  against  a  granite  conscience,  but  it  is  not  moved ;  I  thunder 
 forth  the  law,  but  the  dead  and  callous  heart  has  not  been  stirred ;  I  talk  of  the 
 love  of  Christ,  but  the  eye  is  not  suffused  with  tears ;  I  point  to  hell,  but  no  terror 
 follows  ;  and  to  heaven,  but  no  holy  desire  is  kindled  !  there  is  nothing  in  man  that 
 encourages  me  in  my  work,  and  I  am  ready  to  give  it  over."  Come  back  with  me 
 to  the  world's  creation.  Of  what  did  God  make  the  world  1  Was  there  any  sub- 
 stance ready  to  His  hand  out  of  which  to  mould  this  round  globe  1  Naught  was 
 there  anywhere,  and  yet  He  spake  and  it  was  done ;  He  commanded,  and  it  stood 
 fast.     The  case  of  the  sinner  is  a  parallel  one.     You  say  there  is  nothing  in  the 
 
 543 
 
CHAP.  xxxTi.  nOMILETia  COMMENTARY :  JEREMIAH. 
 
 sinner.  Ay,  then,  there  is  room  here  for  a  re-creating  work ;  for  the  Eternal  God 
 to  come,  and  with  His  outstretched  arm  to  create  a  new  heart  and  a  right  spirit, 
 and  put  His  grace  where  there  was  none  before.  If  yon,  had  to  convert  the  sinner, 
 then,  indeed,  your  task  were  as  hopeless  as  to  create  new  orbs  out  of  nothing ;  but 
 He  who  hath  created  all  this  marvellous  earth,  and  had  nothing  to  begin  with,  can 
 give  life,  and  fear,  and  hope,  and  faith,  and  love,  where  there  were  no  heavenly 
 ingredients  upon  which  He  might  work. 
 
 2.  But  you  have  none  to  help  you  or  go  forth  in  your  work  with  you.  When 
 God  made  the  world — and  the  same  God  is  with  thee — He  luorked  alone.  "  With 
 whom  took  He  counsel,  and  who  instructed  Him  ? "  No  archangel  bowed  his  head 
 and  offered  advice  to  the  Most  High,  for  the  archangel  himself  is  but  a  creature. 
 Cherubim  and  seraphim  might  sing  when  the  work  was  over,  but  help  in  the  work 
 they  could  not.  Look  ye  to  the  heavens  above  or  to  the  deeps  beneath,  where  see 
 ye  the  impress  of  any  hand  but  God's,  and  that  hand  a  solitary  one  ?  Roll  thee, 
 then,  thy  burden  on  thy  God  if  thou  be  alone,  for  alone  with  Him  thou  hast  the 
 best  of  company.     With  Him  thou  shalt  prevail  though  all  men  forsake  thee. 
 
 "  When  He  makes  bare  His  arm, 
 What  shall  His  work  withstand  ? 
 When  He  His  people's  cause  defends, 
 Who,  who  shall  stay  His  hand  ?  " 
 
 Let  not  this,  then,  trouble  thee ;  that  thou  art  alone.  "  Ah,  Lord  God  !  behold, 
 Thou  hast  made  the  heaven  and  the  earth  by  Thy  great  power  and  stretched-out 
 arm,  and  there  is  nothing  too  hard  for  Thee." 
 
 3.  But  you  reply,  "  My  sorrow  lieth  not  so  much  in  that  I  am  alone,  as  in  the 
 melancholy  fact  that  I  am  very  conscious  of  my  own  weahiess,  and  of  my  want  of 
 adaptation  for  my  peculiar  work.  I  am  not  sufficient  for  these  things  ;  but  rather 
 I  feel  like  Jonah,  that  I  would  flee  into  Tarshish,  that  I  might  escape  from  the 
 burden  of  the  Lord  against  this  Nineveh."  Ay,  but  cast  thy  thoughts  back  again 
 upon  creation.  The  Eternal  needed  no  instruments  in  creation.  What  tools  did 
 God  use  when  He  made  the  heavens  and  the  earth?  Had  He  ought  beside  His 
 own  hand  ?  Are  not  the  heavens  the  works  of  His  fingers,  and  the  sun  and  the 
 moon  His  handiwork  ?  See,  then,  if  God  can  work  without  instruments  in  the 
 creation  of  a  world,  He  can  surely  work  with  a  poor  and  a  mean  instrument  in  the 
 conversion  of  a  sinner.  If  the  Lord  take  in  His  hand  but  a  smooth  stone  out  of 
 the  current,  yet  when  He  hurleth  it  from  His  sling,  it  shall  pierce  even  a  giant's 
 brow.  He  saveth  not  by  man's  strength,  nor  by  human  learning,  and  eloquence, 
 and  talent.  It  is  His  strength,  and  not  the  strength  or  weakness  of  the  instruments 
 to  which  we  must  look.  Therefore  say,  with  Paul,  "  I  glory  in  infirmities,  that 
 the  power  of  God  may  rest  on  me ; "  and  let  this  be  thy  song — "  We  have  this 
 treasure  in  earthen  vessels,  that  the  excellency  of  the  power  may  be  of  God,  and 
 not  of  us."  "  Ah,  Lord  God  !  behold,  Thou  hast  made  the  heaven  and  the  earth  by 
 Thy  great  power  and  stretched-out  arm  ;  and  there  is  nothing  too  hard  for  Thee ; '' 
 Thou  canst  do  wonders  even  by  the  meanest  instrument. 
 
 4.  Dost  thou  still  complain,  and  say — "  Alas  !  it  is  little  I  can  say  !  When  I 
 speak,  I  can  but  utter  a  few  jdain  words — true  and  earnest,  but  not  mighty.  I  have 
 no  power  to  plead  with  souls  with  the  tears  and  the  seraphic  zeal  of  a  Whitfield. 
 I  can  only  tell  the  tale  of  mercy  simply,  and  leave  it  there."  Well,  and  did  not 
 God  create  all  things  by  His  naked  word?  Was  there  any  eloquence  when  God 
 spake,  and  it  was  done  ?  "  Let  there  be  light,"  and  there  was  light.  At  this  day, 
 is  not  the  Gospel  in  itself  the  rod  of  Jehovah's  strength  1  Is  it  not  the  power  of 
 God  unto  salvation  to  every  one  that  believeth  1  And  doth  not  Paul  constantly 
 insist  upon  it,  that  it  is  not  with  wisdom  of  words,  nor  with  fineness  of  speech,  lest 
 the  excellency  of  the  power  should  not  be  of  God,  but  of  man ;  and  lest  man's  faith 
 should  stand  in  the  wisdom  of  man,  and  not  in  the  power  of  the  Most  High  ? 
 
EOMILETIG  COMMENTARY:  JEREMIAH.  chap,  xxxii. 
 
 5.  Another  pleads,  "  You  are  not  aware  of  the  darhiess  of  the  district  in  which 
 I  labour.  I  toil  among  a  benighted,  unintelligent,  ignorant  people.  I  cannot 
 expect  to  see  fruit  there,  toil  as  I  may."  Ah  !  brother,  and  while  you  talk  so  you 
 never  will  see  any  fruit,  for  God  giveth  not  great  things  to  unbelieving  men.  But 
 for  the  encouragement  of  thy  faith,  let  me  remind  thee  that  it  is  the  God  that  made 
 the  heavens  and  the  earth  on  whom  thou  hast  to  lean,  and  what  is  that  which  was 
 written  of  old  1  "  The  earth  was  without  form  and  void,  and  darhiess  was  wpon  the 
 face  ofthedeep.^'  How  dense  that  darkness  was  ;  that  primeval  darkness  which  had 
 never  been  stirred  by  a  single  ray  of  light ;  that  dense,  thick,  sevenfold  Egyptian 
 darkness  that  had  never  known  a  sun  or  moon,  and  had  never  been  pierced  by 
 light  of  star !  And  dost  thou  think  the  darkness  of  thy  hearers  is  thicker  than 
 this  ancient  darkness  of  the  everlasting  night? 
 
 6.  Further,  and  still  to  press  the  same  argument,  "  Ay,"  saith  one,  "  but  the 
 men  among  whom  I  labour  are  so  confused  in  their  notions,  they  put  darkness  for 
 light  and  light  for  darkness  ;  their  moral  sense  is  blunted ;  if  I  try  to  teach  them, 
 their  ears  are  dull  of  hearing  and  their  hearts  are  given  to  slumber.  Besides,  they 
 are  full  of  vain  janglings  and  oppose  themselves  to  the  truth ;  I  endure  much  con- 
 tradiction of  sinners,  and  they  will  not  receive  the  truth  in  the  love  of  it."  Ay, 
 then,  I  bid  thee  go  back  to  the  old  creation  that  thou  mayest  be  comforted  concern- 
 ing, the  new.  Did  not  the  Holy  Spirit  brood  vnth  shadowing  ivings  over  the  earth 
 when  it  was  chaos  ?  Did  He  not  bring  out  order  from  confusion  1  Then  the  earth 
 stood  out  all  fair  and  glittering,  for  God  had  done  it ;  disorder  yielded  to  law ; 
 darkness  gave  place  to  light ;  chaos  turned  to  glorious  order  in  His  sight.  The 
 same  marvels  can  be  wrought  in  your  case, 
 
 7.  "  Ah,"  say  you,  "they  are  all  so  dead,  so  dead  !  "  Ay,  and  remember  how 
 the  tvaters  brought  forth  life  abundantly ;  and  how  the  earth  brought  forth  the 
 creeping  thing,  and  the  cattle  after  its  kind ;  and  how,  at  last,  man  was  made  out 
 of  the  very  dust  of  the  earth.  Oh,  God  can  readily  give  life  to  the  dead  nature  of 
 evil  men ;  thou  hast  but  to  rely  on  Him,  the  quickening  influence  shall  descend, 
 and  thou  shalt  live, 
 
 8.  See  how  fair  and  glorious  this  earth  is  now  !  Well  might  the  morning  stars 
 sing  together,  and  the  sons  of  God  shout  for  joy  !  And  dost  thou  think  that 
 God  cannot  make  as  fair  a  heart  in  man,  and  make  it  bud  and  blossom,  and  teem 
 with  hallowed  life  %  Thinkest  thou  that  Christ  cannot  make  the  angels  sing  even 
 a  nobler  song  of  joy  over  a  soul  that  is  washed  in  blood  and  a  spirit  robed  in 
 white  that  shall  praise  God  and  the  Lamb  for  ever  % 
 
 II.  To  encourage  the  inq.uirer.  Many  really  desirous  to  be  saved  are  full  of 
 doubts,  and  difficulties,  and  questionings. 
 
 Remember  that  the  question  about  your  salvation  is  not  whether  you  can  save 
 yourself,  for  that  is  answered  in  a  thundering  negative  from  God's  throne —  You 
 cannot !  "  By  the  works  of  the  law  shall  no  flesh  living  be  justified."  The 
 question  is — Can  God  save  you  ?  Can  God  save  you  ?  That  is  the  question.  Your 
 unbelief  will  suggest  the  difficulty  that — 
 
 1,  Your  mind  is  so  dark  "  I  cannot  see  Christ,"  says  one  ;  "  I  feel  benighted ; 
 it  is  all  darkness,  thick  as  night  with  me."  Yes,  but  then  there  is  the  question, 
 Can  God  roll  this  night  away  1  And  the  answer  comes.  He  who  said,  "  Let  there 
 be  light,"  and  there  was  light,  can  certainly  repeat  the  miracle. 
 
 2.  Another  of  your  doubts  will  arise  from  the  fact  that  you  feel  so  weak.  You 
 cannot  do  what  you  would.  You  would  leave  sin,  but  still  fall  into  it ;  would  lay 
 hold  on  Christ,  but  cannot.  Then  comes  the  question,  Can  God  do  it  ?  And  we 
 answer.  He  who  made  the  heavens  and  the  earth  without  a  helper,  can  certainly 
 save  thee  when  thou  canst  not  help  thyself. 
 
 No  part  of  the  world  hel2ml  its  own  creation.  No  mountain  uplifted  its  own 
 head;  no  star  appointed  its  own  path  of  brightness.  No  flower  can  say,  "I 
 created  my  own  loveliness ;"  no  eagle  that  cuts  the  air  can  say,  "  I  gave  myself  my 
 
 2  m  545 
 
CHAP.  xxxn.  BOMILETIC  COMMENTARY :  JEREMIAH. 
 
 soaring  wing  and  my  piercing  eye."  God  hath  made  them  all ;  and  so,  sinner, 
 troubled  because  of  thine  impotency,  He  wanteth  no  power  in  thee.  "  He  giveth 
 power  to  the  faint,  and  to  them  that  have  no  might  He  increaseth  strength." 
 Rest  thou  upon  God  in  Christ,  and  cast  thyself  on  Him,  and  He  will  do  it  all. 
 (See  Addenda  :  Human  Inability.) 
 
 3.  "Ay,"  sayest  thou  again,  "  but  I  am  in  such  an  awful  state  of  mind  ;  there 
 is  such  a  confiision  ivithin  me ;  I  cannot  tell  what  is  the  matter  with  me  ;  I  know 
 not  what  I  am  ;  I  cannot  understand  myself."  Was  not  the  world  just  so  of  old, 
 and  did  not  all  the  beauty  of  all  lands  rise  out  of  this  dire  confusion  %  Cannot 
 God,  then,  do  this  for  thee,  and  give  thee  a  peace  that  passeth  all  understanding  % 
 Trust  thou  in  Christ,  despite  it  all,  for  He  can  hush  the  hurricane  to  slumber  and 
 lay  the  storm  to  sleep. 
 
 4.  There  is  more  hope  in  thy  case  than  there  was  in  the  creation  of  the  world, 
 for  in  the  creation  there  was  nothing  done  beforehand.  The  plan  was  drawn,  no 
 doubt,  but  no  material  was  provided  ;  no  stores  laid  in  to  effect  the  purpose.  But 
 in  thy  case  the  work  is  done  already,  beforehand.  On  the  bloody  tree  Christ  has 
 carried  sin  ;  in  the  grave  He  has  vanquished  death  ;  in  resurrection  He  has  rent  for 
 ever  the  bonds  of  the  grave ;  in  ascension  He  has  opened  heaven  to  all  believers  ; 
 and  in  His  intercession  He  is  pleading  still  for  them  that  trust  Him.  "  It  is 
 finished,"  remember,  so  that  it  is  easier  to  save  thee  than  to  make  a  world,  for  the 
 world  had  naught  prepared  for  it. 
 
 5.  Yet  again,  God  has  done  something  more  in  thee  than  there  was  done  before  He 
 made  the  world.  Emptiness  did  not  cry  "  0  God  !  create  me."  Darkness  could 
 not  pray,  "  0  Lord  !  give  me  light."  Confusion  could  not  cry,  "  O  God  !  ordain 
 me  into  order."  But  see  what  He  has  done  for  you  !  He  has  taught  you  to  cry, 
 "  Create  in  me  a  clean  heart,  0  God,  and  renew  a  right  spirit  within  me."  He  has 
 made  you  plead,  "  Lighten  my  darkness,  0  Lord,  lest  I  sleep  the  sleep  of  death." 
 He  has  taught  you  to  say,  "  I  have  gone  astray,  like  a  lost  sheep  ;  seek  Thy  servant." 
 See,  friend,  the  grass  cannot  pray  for  dew,  and  yet  it  falls ;  and  shall  you  cry  for  it 
 and  God  withhold  it  ?  The  thirsty  earth  hath  no  voice  to  ask  for  showers,  and  yet 
 they  descend  ;  and  will  God  let  you  cry  and  not  answer  you  1 — you  !  made  in  His 
 own  image,  will  He  let  you  cry  and  not  hear  you,  when  He  has  Himself  said,  "  As 
 I  live,  saith  the  Lord  God,  I  have  no  pleasure  in  the  death  of  him  that  dieth,  but 
 would  rather  that  he  should  turn  unto  Me  and  live  "  1 
 
 6.  It  was  in  God's  power  to  make  the  ivorld  or  not,  just  as  He  pleased.  No 
 promise  bound  Him ;  no  covenant  made  it  imperative  upon  Him  that  His  arm 
 should  be  outstretched.  Sinner,  the  Lord  is  not  bound  to  save  thee  except  from 
 His  own  promise,  and  that  promise  is,  *'  He  that  calleth  upon  the  name  of  the  Lord 
 shall  be  saved."     He  cannot  withhold  saving  thee  if  thou  callest  upon  Him. 
 
 7.  It  is  certain  that  there  is  more  room  in  your  case  for  God  to  glorify  Himself 
 than  there  was  in  the  making  of  the  world.  In  making  the  world  He  glorified  His 
 wisdom  and  He  magnified  His  power,  but  He  could  not  show  His  mercy.  He  could 
 have  no  mercy  upon  floods  and  mountains,  upon  cattle  and  flying  fowl.  There  was 
 kindness,  but  no  mercy,  for  they  had  not  sinned.  Now,  here  in  your  case,  there  is 
 room  for  every  attribute  of  God,  for  His  loving-kindness,  His  faithfulness,  His  truth, 
 His  power.  His  grace. 
 
 III.  To  comfort  believers.  You  are  greatly  troubled  are  you  ?  It  is  a  common 
 lot  with  us  all.  And  you  have  nothing  on  earth  to  trust  to  now,  and  are  going  to 
 be  cast  on  your  God  alone  ?  Happy  trouble  that  drives  thee  to  thy  Father  ! 
 Blessed  storm  that  wrecks  thee  on  the  Rock  of  ages  !  Glorious  billow  that  washes 
 thee  upon  this  heavenly  shore  !  And  now  thou  hast  nothing  but  thy  God  to  trust 
 to,  what  art  thou  going  to  do  ?  To  fret  1  Oh,  do  not  thus  dishonour  thy  Lord  ! 
 Show  the  world  that  thy  God  is  worth  ten  thousand  worlds  to  thee.  Show  rich 
 men  how  rich  thou  art  in  thy  poverty  when  the  Lord  God  is  thy  helper.  Show 
 the  strong  man  how  strong  thou  art  in  thy  weakness  when  underneath  thee  are  the 
 &46 
 
EOMILETIO  COMMENT AR  Y :  JEREMIA  R.  chap,  xxxiti. 
 
 everlasting  arms.  Now,  noio  is  thy  time  to  glorify  God.  There  was  no  room  for 
 courage  before,  but  now  there  is  space  for  feats  of  faith  and  valiant  exploits  Be 
 strong  and  very  courageous,  and  the  Lord  thy  God  shall  certainly,  as  surely  as  He 
 built  the  heavens  and  the  earth,  glorify  Himself  in  thy  weakness,  and  magnify  His 
 might  in  the  midst  of  thy  distress.  The  Lord  help  us  to  lean  wholly  on  Him,  and 
 never  on  ^ourselves,  and  let  His  name  be  had  in  remembrance  while  the  earth 
 endureth.     A.mQ\i.—Gonde7ised  from  Ser^non  by  C.  II.  Spurgeon,  a.d.  1862. 
 
 ADDENDA  TO  CHAP.  XXXII.  :  ILLUSTRATIONS  AND  SUGGESTIVE  EXTRACTS. 
 
 „, .,.  Help  FHOM  God.  "His  heart  began  to  boil  with  un 
 r/izhp  Eenrrj  thus  wrote  upon  a  belief  and  carnal  reasonings;  he  there- 
 studying  day  :  "  I  forgot  when  I  began  fore  setteth  himself  to  pray  down  those 
 explicitly  and  expressly  to  crave  help  distempers.  As  a  man  may  sleep  out 
 from  God,  and  the  chariot-wheels  drove  his  drunkenness,  so  he  may  pray  away 
 accordingly."  his  perturbation."— Tra/^i?. 
 
 "  Angels  know  the  happiness  of  power ; 
 
 we,  the  happiness  of  weakness." — Lady  Human  Inability. 
 
 Poiverscourt.  "  I  would,  but  can't  repent, 
 
 Though  I  endeavour  oft ; 
 
 Ver.  16.  Solace  op  Peayer.  '^^^IfT^  ^^^''\  ^^^"''ff  '■«^^"*' 
 
 Till  Jesus  makes  it  soft. 
 
 "  Thy  love,  0  Lord,  restores  me 
 
 From  sighs  and  tears  to  praise ;  I  would,  but  cannot  love, 
 
 And  deep  my  soul  adores  Thee,  Though  woo'd  by  love  Divine  • 
 
 Nor  thinks  of  time  or  place  :  ^o  arguments  have  power  to  move 
 
 I  ask  no  more,  in  good  or  ill,  ^  soul  so  base  as  mine. 
 
 But  union  with  Thy  holy  will.  I  would,  but  cannot  rest 
 
 'Tis  that  which  makes  my  treasure,  T  J""  ^""^if  fw  ^  ^^^Ij'.^;".;  ^    , 
 
 JT1-    41   i    I,-  u  1,  •  o.'juic,  I  know  what  He  appomts  IS  best, 
 
 Tis  that  which  brings  my  gain ;  Yet  murmur  at  it  still.  ^ 
 
 Converting  woe  to  pleasure, 
 
 And  reaping  joy  from  pain.  Oh,  could  I  but  believe/ 
 
 Oh,  'tis  enough,  whate'er  befall,  Then  all  would  easy  be ; 
 
 To  know  that  God  is  All  in  all."  I  would,  but  cannot — Lord,  relieve  ; 
 — Madame  Guyon.  My  help  must  come  from  Thee  1 " 
 
 CHAPTER  XXXIIL 
 
 Critical  and  Exegetical  Notes. — This  chapter  is  in  date  and  subject  essentially  linked  to 
 chapter  xxxii.     For  Notes,  therefore,  see  previous  chapter. 
 
 Literary  Criticisms. — Ver.  3.  "Mighty  things:"  altering  2  into  IJ ,  making  the  word 
 nnV3,  the  better  statement,  ^^ hidden  things  which  thou  Icnoicest  not,"  is  gained,  and  this 
 is  probably  the  correct  reading.  Or  retaining  the  word  ni"iy3  unaltered,  which  means 
 fm'tified,  it  may  be  understood  as  impenetrable  things,  inaccessible  things,  and  hence  ^'secret 
 things  which  thou  hnowest  notr 
 
 Ver.  4.  "Houses  which  are  thrown  down  by  the  mounts  :  "  or  against  the  mounts ;  for 
 in  sieges  the  enemy,  as  he  encroached  upon  the  city,  pulled  down  houses  as  materials  for  his 
 inner  fortifications.     "And  by  the  sword  ; "  rather  axes,  so  rendered  in  Isa.  xxii.  10. 
 
 Ver.  5.  "They  come  to  fight."  The  only  nominative  seems  'Hhe  houses"  of  ver.  4.  But 
 this  is  meaningless;  so  that  for  "they"  we  must  read  "  the  Jews."  Probably  the  ending  of 
 ver.  4  might  be  joined  to  the  beginning  of  ver.  5,  and  read  thus:  "And  by  the  sword  they 
 [the  Jews  understood,  or  "  the  kings  of  Judah  "  mentioned  in  ver.  4]  come  to  fight  with  the 
 Chaldeans." 
 
 Ver.  6.  '^  I  will  bring  it  health  and  cure,"  i.e.  the  city  ;  "and  will  cure  them,"  i.e.  the  people. 
 Lit.  "  I  will  place  upon  it  a  bandage  (chap.  viii.  22,  xxx.  17)  and  healing :"  a  healing  bandage. 
 
 Ver.  16.  ''She  shall  be  called  the  Lord  our  Righteousness."  For  explanation  of  this 
 feminine  reference  of  Messiah's  name,  see  Critical  Note,  following  Homilies  on  the  verse. 
 
 Vers.  14-26.  This  section  is  entirely  omitted  in  the  LXX.,  hence  some  of  the  German  critics, 
 such  as  Michaelis,  Hitzig,  and  Movers  (opposed,  however,  by  Graf  and  Ewald),  have  treated  this 
 section  as  an  addition  by  a  later  writer,  the  constantly  imagined  second  Isaiah. 
 
 5-t7 
 
CHAP.  XXXITI. 
 
 nOMILETlC  COMMENTARY :  JEREMIAH. 
 
 SURVEY  OF  CHAPTER  XXXIII. 
 
 I.  Wliile  Jerusalem's  ruin  is  actually  occurring,  its  "  houses  "  being  demolished  by  the  Ciialdeau 
 
 engines  of  war  (ver.  4), 
 II.  God  promises  its  rebuilding  (ver.    6),  so  as  to  become   "  a  name  of  joy "   (ver.  9)  ;  and 
 
 assures  to  its  inhabitants  future  prosperity  and  peace  (vers.  9-1 4). 
 III.  In  Mesoiah's  advent  (ver.  15)  shall  Israel's  future  blessedness  (ver.  16)  be  culminated  ;  and 
 iv!  In  the  perpetuity  of  Christ's  spiritual  reign  (vers.  17-26)  the  sacred  privileges  "  covenanted  " 
 to  Israel  shall  be  ceaselessly  and  universally  enjoyed. 
 
 HOMILIES  AND  OUTLINES  ON  CHAPTER  XXXIII. 
 
 Vers.  1-9.  Theme :  A  Divine  Mes- 
 sage SENT  INTO  A  Peison.  There  are 
 four  or  five  most  fertile  suggestions 
 which  arise  from  these  verses — 
 
 I.  A  true  child  of  God  and  an 
 honoured  prophet  in  disgrace  and 
 affliction  (ver.  1). 
 
 JeremiaKs  a^liction  came  upon  him 
 because  of  his  fidelity  to  God. 
 
 Let  not  the  child  of  God  think  that 
 his  sorrows  are  always  because  of  his 
 sins.  "  In  the  world  ye  shall  have 
 tribulation,"  &c. 
 
 II.  Though  despised  of  man,  the  pro- 
 phet was  honoured  of  God  (vers.  1,  2). 
 
 1.  To  receive  comimmications  from 
 the  Divine  mind  is  the  highest  honour. 
 
 2.  He  whom  God  honotirs  and  oivns  as 
 His  child  need  not  fear  what  man  can  do. 
 
 III.  Divine  consolation  to  an 
 afflicted  servant  (ver.  3). 
 
 1.  The  most  precioiis  of  all  privileges, 
 that  of  prayer  :  "  Call  unto  Me." 
 
 2.  The  most  marvelloics  of  all  assur- 
 ances :  "  And  I  will  answer  thee." 
 
 3.  The  most  e7icouraging  of  all  pro- 
 mises .•  "  I  will  ....  show  thee  great 
 and  mighty  things." 
 
 IV.  The  adversity  and  prosperity 
 of  nations  are  under  the  control  of 
 God  (vers.  4-7). 
 
 1.  It  is  impossible  properly  to  constriie 
 the  history  of  a  nation  without  reference 
 to  the  moral  government  of  God. 
 
 2.  National  prosperity  or  adversity 
 has  alivays  been  in  the  line  of  national 
 virttie  or  vice. 
 
 V.  The  essential  conditions  of  na- 
 tional as  well  as  individual  healing 
 (vers.  8,  9). 
 
 1.  It  is  essential  that  God  come  to  do 
 the  tvorh.     "  I  will  cleanse,"  &c. 
 
 2.  It  is  essential  that  God  work  upon 
 oiir  moral  natuYes.  "  I  will  cleanse  them 
 from  all  their  iiiiqtdty." 
 
 3.  It  is  essential  that  God  worh  uponour 
 moral  natures  by  the  assurance  of  the  for- 
 giveness of  sin.     "  I  will  pardon  all,"  &c. 
 
 4.  This  moral  and  sp)iritual  cleansing 
 and  pardon  are  essential  for  the  app7'ecia- 
 tion  of  the  Divine  goodness  :  "  And  they 
 shall  fear,"  &c. 
 
 5.  This  spiritual  healing  shall  manifest 
 forth  the  glory  of  God:  "  It  shall  be  to 
 Me  a  name,"  &c. — Eev.  D.  G.  Hughes. 
 
 Ver.  3.  Theme:  Prayer  by  God's 
 Afflicted  Servant  Encouraged  by 
 Gracious  Assurances.  "  Call  unto 
 Me  and  I  will  answer  thee,  and  show 
 thee  great  and  mighty  things  which  thou 
 knowest  not." 
 
 The  most  eminent  men  have  been 
 found  in  the  school  of  affliction  :  David, 
 Jeremiah,  &c. 
 
 I.  The  privilege  encouraged,  "  Call 
 unto  Me." 
 
 II.  The  season  specified,  "  While  in 
 the  court  of  the  prison." 
 
 III.  The  assurance  given,  "  I  will 
 answer  thee." 
 
 I.  The  privilege  encouraged, "  Call  un- 
 to Me."  The  importance  of  this  appears — 
 
 1.  From  the  gracious  condescension  that 
 enjoins  it.  God  says,  "  Call  unto  Me," 
 not  for  His  own  sake,  but  for  ours. 
 Not  so  much  the  injunction  of  duty,  as 
 the  revelation  of  privilege. 
 
 God  would  have  the  intercourse  be- 
 tween earth  and  heaven  continually  kept 
 up  and  renewed,  because  of  the  benefit 
 that  accrues  to  the  Church  from  this 
 exercise.  If  we  had  no  sins  to  be  par- 
 doned, no  wants  to  be  supplied,  enemies 
 to  be  subdued ;  if  we  were  as  sinless  as 
 the  first  Adam  and  as  all-sufiicient  as 
 the  Second,  it  would  still  be  our  highest 
 duty  and  privilege  to  "  call  upon  God," 
 and  to  keep  up  an  unbroken  intercourse 
 between  earth  and  heaven. 
 
HOMILETIO  COMMENTARY :  JEREMIAH. 
 
 CHAP.  XXXUI. 
 
 2.  From  the  examples  that  encourage 
 it.  The  conduct  of  our  Lord,  who, 
 though  He  received  not  the  Spirit  by- 
 measure,  but  held  the  worlds  of  nature 
 and  of  grace  at  His  own  command,  yet 
 continued  all  night  in  prayer  to  God. 
 He  knew  prayer  'prospers  all,  and  He 
 would  undertake  nothing  without  prayer. 
 When  about  to  enter  upon  His  public 
 ministry  by  baptism,  we  are  told.  As 
 Jesus  "  was  p>raying  the  heavens  ojjened, 
 and  the  Holy  Ghost  descended  on  Him, 
 with  this  voice.  Thou  art  My  beloved 
 Son.'"  When  He  would  commission  and 
 send  forth  His  disciples  to  preach  His 
 Gospel,  He  first  sets  His  disciples  pray- 
 ing, '■'■Pray  ye  the  Lord  of  the  harvest ;  " 
 and  He  Himself  went  out  into  a 
 mountain  to  pray  (Matt.  ix.  38  ;  Luke 
 vi.  12).  And  when  He  was  to  engage 
 in  His  last  encounter  with  the  prince 
 of  this  world,  "jETe  prayed  the  more 
 earnestly,  with  strong  cryings  and  tears, 
 to  Him  that  tvas  able  to  save  Him  from 
 death,  and  was  heard  in  that  He  feared," 
 so  that  He  won  the  field,  though,  like 
 Sampson,  he  lost  His  life — the  spoils  of 
 which  glorious  victory  the  Church  shall 
 divide  and  enjoy  to  all  eternity. 
 
 3.  From  the  endless  misery  that  must 
 ensue  toithotU  it.  If  Paul  says,  "  Pray 
 without  ceasing,"  what  must  be  the 
 danger  of  those  who  never  pray  ?  A 
 prayerless  heart  may  be  considered  as  a 
 defenceless  citadel  lying  open  and  ex- 
 posed to  every  foe.  Whereas  the  heart 
 of  one  truly  devout  is  like  a  castle  in 
 which  the  Lord  dwells,  and  which  is 
 garrisoned  with  the  Divine  presence. 
 
 II.  The  suitableness  of  prayer  in 
 times  of  trial ;  for  it  was  "  while  he  was 
 yet  shut  up  in  the  court  of  the  prison." 
 
 He  who  bore  the  burden  of  our  sins 
 is  ready  to  bear  the  burden  of  our 
 sorrows.  Care  is  a  burden ;  but  that 
 may  be  cast  on  God. 
 
 Though  shut  out  from  communion 
 with  men,  he  was  not  shut  out  from 
 communion  with  God. 
 
 Prayer  is  the  privilege  of  all  times. 
 We  need  it  in  prosperity  to  prevent  our 
 table  from  becoming  our  trap  and  our 
 snare;  but  it  is  our  special  relief  in 
 adversity.  James  says,  "  7s  any  afflicted? 
 let  him  pray."     Men  have  great  need 
 
 for  prayer,  then,  when  trial  abounds, 
 when  temptations  multiply,  and  when 
 the  energies  of  the  mind  are  unequal 
 to  the  vicissitudes  of  life.  We  should 
 pray  for  suppo7-t  under  them,  for  im- 
 provemerit  by  them,  and  for  deliverance 
 from  them. 
 
 1.  For  support  under  them. 
 
 Paul,  when  he  was  buffeted  by  Satan, 
 besought  the  Lord  thrice,  and  obtained 
 the  relief  he  most  needed,  "  My  grace 
 shall  be  sufficient  for  thee." 
 
 Moses  promised  the  Israelites,  "  The 
 eternal  God  is  thy  Befuge,"  &c. 
 .  2.  For  improvernent  by  them,  that 
 they  may  now,  or  afterwards,  "  yield  the 
 peaceable  fruit  of  righteousness  to  them 
 that  are  exercised  thereby." 
 
 Affliction  is  often  an  instrument  of 
 improvement,  but  it  requires  grace  to 
 make  it  so  ;  and  prayer  is  the  appointed 
 means  of  drawing  down  the  blessing. 
 
 Some  are  hardened  by  affliction  and 
 separated  farther  from  God ;  some  are 
 softened  by  affliction  and  thus  made 
 more  like  Him.  These,  "  by  the  sadness 
 of  the  countenance,  find  the  heart  made 
 better."  This,  however,  does  not  arise 
 from  the  necessary  and  independent 
 nature  of  adversity,  but  from  the  kindly 
 and  sanctifying  influence  of  the  Holy 
 Spirit  of  God.  Pharaoh  hardened  him- 
 self more  and  more  under  the  plagues  of 
 Egypt  till  He  was  finally  given  over  to 
 a  reprobate  mind.  Job  was  made  more 
 humble  and  holy  by  his  calamities  be- 
 cause God  was  with  him  through  them. 
 
 Pray  for  gracious  influences  under 
 humbling  trials. 
 
 3.  For  deliverance  from  them. 
 
 Jeremiah  did  not  die  in  the  prison, 
 but  was  brought  out  of  it.  He  always 
 remembered  the  Divine  communion  he 
 enjoyed  there. 
 
 III.  The  promise  annexed — 
 
 1.  Of  a  gracious  audience.  "1  will 
 answer  thee." 
 
 God  always  hears,  though  He  does 
 not  instantly  answer.  He  heard  and 
 answered  Jeremiah,  though  He  did  not 
 immediately  release  him  from  the  dun- 
 geon. 
 
 We  often  think  that  our  prayers  are 
 not  heard  because  they  are  not  answered 
 in  the  time  and  the  way  that  we  should 
 
 549 
 
CHAP,  xxxni. 
 
 HOMILETIO  COMMENTARY:  JEREMIAH. 
 
 prefer  and  expect.  Yet  the  prayer  is 
 really  answered  if  there  be  a  gradual 
 preparation  of  events  for  our  benefit,  and 
 a  gradual  jyreparation  of  our  hearts  and 
 minds  to  bear  and  do  God's  holy  will. 
 If  we  pray  against  unbelief,  the  prayer 
 is  answered  if  our  faith  is  silently 
 strengthened.  If  we  pray  for  patience, 
 the  prayer  is  answered  if  we  are  kept 
 from  sinking  into  despair  under  the 
 trouble.  If  we  pray  for  holiness,  the 
 prayer  is  answered  when  we  are  enabled 
 to  "  resist  even  to  blood,  striving  against 
 sin."  If  we  pray  for  deliverance  from 
 trotible,  the  prayer  is  answered  by  God's 
 raising  up  friends  who  may  support  and 
 comfort  us,  and  finally  be  the  means  of 
 our  security  and  our  rescue. 
 
 2.  Of  special  Divine  illumination.  "I 
 will  show  thee  great  and  mighty  things, 
 which  thou  knowest  not."  Hidden  things. 
 
 The  school  of  the  cross  is  the  school  of 
 light.  God  shows  His  people  great 
 and  mighty  things  concerning  Himself, 
 "  the  secret  of  the  Lord ; "  concerning 
 the  interests  of  the  Church  ;  concerning 
 the  kingdom  of  Christ  (vers.  14-16). — 
 S.  Tliodey,  1849. 
 
 Ver.3.  Theme:  Prayer  Encouraged. 
 Such  words  must  have  been  as  a  gleam 
 of  light  shining  through  the  bars  of  the 
 prophet's  dungeon. 
 
 L  The  invitation  to  prayer.  "  Call 
 upon  Me." 
 
 1.  Tr/tmce  came  the  invitation?  "The 
 word  of  the  Lord  came"  (ver.  1).  His 
 voice  it  is  we  hear  inviting  us,  "  The 
 Lord"  (ver.  2).  How  should  every  ear 
 be  attentive  when  Jehovah  speaks  and 
 bids  His  creatures  "call,"  &c. ! 
 
 2.  To  whom  does  He  address  these 
 words  %  A  lonely  prophet,  in  his  soli- 
 tary dungeon.  And  it  is  to  all  who  are 
 "  prisoners  of  hope  "  this  invitation  is 
 given. 
 
 3.  Observe  the  single  Object  of  our 
 luorship.  *' Call  upon  J/e."  Vain  is  all 
 other  refuge,  insuflacient  all  other  sources 
 of  consolation. 
 
 4.  But  when  may  we  call  on  God  ? 
 There  is  no  limit  as  to  time,  or  circum- 
 stance, or  state  of  mind  we  are  in. 
 
 5.  The  manner  in  which  we  should 
 pray.       "  Call   upon  "  denotes   earnest- 
 
 550 
 
 ness,  fervency,  perseverance.  If  our 
 petitions  breathe  the  spirit  of  earnest 
 supplication,  if  they  are  the  language  of 
 want,  sorrow,  sin,  or  of  devout  adora- 
 tion and  thanksgiving,  they  are  equally 
 acceptable. 
 
 6.  He  who  asks  us  to  pray  has  pro- 
 mised His  grace  to  teach  us  how  to  pray 
 (Rom.  viii.  26). 
 
 II.  Exceeding  precious  encourage- 
 ments annexed  to  the  invitation. 
 
 1.  The  promise  is  as  general  and  un- 
 limited as  the  invitation.  "  I  will  answer 
 thee."  Nothing  said  as  to  the  mode, 
 time,  ox  jilace. 
 
 (a.)  Sometimes  *'  before  they  call,''^ 
 &c.  (Isa.  xlv.  24),  as  in  Acts  xii.  5. 
 
 (6.)  Sometimes  He  "  makes  as  though 
 He  heard  not,''  though  they  knock. 
 Temporary  denial  adds  zeal  to  the  sup- 
 pliant, and  sweetens  the  blessing  when 
 it  is  vouchsafed. 
 
 (c.)  Sometimes  in  a  manner  wholly 
 different  from  our  expectations.  Thus 
 Paul  "  besought  the  Lord  thrice "  for 
 the  thorn  to  be  removed,  but  God  an- 
 swered by  making  "grace  sufficient." 
 We  ask  deliver^ance  from  trials,  &c.,  but 
 God  opens  only  "a  way  of  escape  that 
 we  may  be  able  to  bear  it.''  We  pray 
 for  spirituality,  to  be  weaned  from  the 
 world,  and  "  He  takes  away  the  desire 
 of  our  eyes  with  a  stroke." 
 
 2.  But  the  assurances  here  go  beyond 
 simple  answer  to  pirayer.  "  I  will  show 
 thee  great  and  mighty  things,"  &c.  Some 
 of  these  are  enumerated  in  the  follow- 
 ing verses,  and  clearly  point  to  spiritual 
 blessings  and  to  Christ  Himself 
 
 1.  Healing  from  the  wounds  of  the 
 enemy  (ver.  6).  He  is  the  great  Phy- 
 sician. 
 
 2.  Liberty  from  the  bondage  of  sin 
 (ver.  7). 
 
 3.  Entire  purification  and  justification 
 (ver.  8). 
 
 4.  The  ivonders  of  redeeming  grace 
 and  love  (ver.  14),  &c. 
 
 Notably    is     promised    here     still 
 
 FURTHER  AND  FULLER  REVELATION, 
 AND     DEEPER    EXPERIENCE     OF    DiVINB 
 
 THINGS.      "  I  will  shoio  thee,"  &c. 
 
 (a.)  So  that,  whatever  has  been  al- 
 ready enjoyed,  there  are  more  glorious 
 and    delightful   things    to    be    .attained 
 
BOMILETIC  COMMENTARY :  JEREMIAH. 
 
 CHAP.  XXXIIl. 
 
 (John  i.  50).  New  wonders  shall  meet 
 the  eye  of  faith ;  more  "  abundant 
 peace  "  (ver.  6)  shall  fill  the  heart,  &c. 
 
 (6.)  If  it  is  not  so — and  alas !  many- 
 believers  decline,  in  their  experience  and 
 privilege,  instead  of  advancing,  crying, 
 "  Oh  that  it  were  with  me  as  in  times 
 past !" — it  is  because  they  do  not  maintain 
 earnest  prayer.  "  Call  upon  Me,  and  7 
 will  shoiv"  &c. 
 
 (c.)  How  many  great  and  gracious 
 things  the  Lord  is  ivaiting  to  reveal  to 
 lis  !  Blessed  they  who  "go  from  strength 
 to  strength,"  who  "  follow  on  to  know 
 the  Lord." 
 
 Let  us  all  examine  ourselves — 
 
 i.  Not  to  "  call  upon  God  "  is  to  for- 
 feit the  name  of  Christian.  The  Apostle 
 uses  the  descriptive  phrase  of  believers, 
 as  "  those  who  in  every  place  call  upon 
 the  name  of  the  Lord."  To  live  with- 
 out prayer  is  to  live  without  Christ  and 
 without  hope. 
 
 ii.  Let  those  who  profess  to  cultivate 
 the  duty  of  prayer  consider  ivell  the 
 character  of  their  devotions.  The  prayers 
 of  many  are  lamentably  cold,  formal, 
 and  unbelieving.  Hence  these  blessings 
 here  assured  are  so  rarely  enjoyed. — 
 Anonymous  MS,,  dated  a.d.  1836. 
 
 Ver.  3.  Theme :  The  Golden  Key  of 
 Peayee.  God's  people  have  always  in 
 their  worst  conditions  found  out  the 
 best  of  their  God. 
 
 Rutherford  has  a  quaint  saying,  that 
 "when  he  was  cast  into  the  cellars  of 
 affliction,  he  always  remembered  that  the 
 great  King  kept  His  wine  there,  and  he 
 at  once  searched  for  the  wine-bottles  and 
 drank  '  wines  on  the  lees  well  refined.' " 
 
 Those  who  dive  into  the  sea  of  afflic- 
 tion bring  up  rare  pearls. 
 
 1.  Prayer  commanded. 
 
 L  This. is  great  condescension.  So 
 great  is  the  infatxiation  of  man  on  the 
 one  hand,  which  makes  him  need  a  com- 
 mand to  be  merciful  to  his  own  soul, 
 and  so  ?narvellous  the  condescension  of 
 God  on  the  other  that  He  issues  a  com- 
 mand of  love. 
 
 2.  Our  hearts  so  despond  over  our 
 unfitness  and  guilt,  that  but  for  the 
 command  we  might  fear  to  approach. 
 
 3.  It  is  remarkable  hoiv  much  more 
 
 frequently  God  calls  us  to  Him  in  Scrip- 
 ture than  we  find  there  our  sinfulness 
 denounced ! 
 
 4.  Nor  by  the  commands  of  the  Bible 
 alone  are  we  summoned  to  prayer,  but 
 by  the  motions  of  His  Holy  Spirit. 
 
 II.  An  answer  promised. 
 
 1.  God's  very  nature,  as  revealed  in 
 Jesus  Christ,  assures  us  that  He  will 
 accept  us  in  prayer. 
 
 2.  0^tr  own  experience  leads  us  to 
 believe  that  God  will  answer  prayer ;  e.g., 
 the  conversion  of  many  a  child  has  been 
 an   answer   to  parents'   pleadings  with 
 
 3.  Yet  God  does  not  always  give  the 
 thing  lue  ask. 
 
 Lord  Bolingbroke  said  to  the  Countess 
 of  Huntingdon,  "I  cannot  understand, 
 your  ladyship,  how  you  can  make  out 
 earnest  prayer  to  be  consistent  with 
 submission  to  the  Divine  will." 
 
 "  My  lord,"  she  said,  "  that  is  a  matter 
 of  no  difficulty.  If  I  were  a  courtier  of 
 some  generous  king,  and  he  gave  me  per- 
 mission to  ask  any  favour  I  pleased  of 
 him,  I  should  be  sure  to  put  it  thus  : 
 '  Will  your  majesty  be  graciously  pleased 
 to  grant  me  such  and  such  a  favour; 
 but  at  the  same  time,  though  I  much 
 desire  it,  if  it  would  in  any  way  detract 
 from  your  majesty's  honour,  or  if  in 
 your  majesty's  judgment  it  should  seem 
 better  that  I  did  not  have  this  favour,  I 
 shall  be  quite  as  content  to  go  without 
 it  as  to  receive  it.'  So  you  see  I  might 
 earnestly  offer  a  petition,  and  yet  might 
 submissively  leave  it  with  the  king." 
 
 III.  Encouragement  to  faith.  "I 
 will  show,"  &c. 
 
 1.  Promised  to  God's  prophet,  this 
 specially  applies  to  every  teacher.  The 
 best  way  for  a  teacher  or  learner  in 
 Divine  truth  to  reach  the  "  deeper  things 
 of  God"  is  to  be  much  in  prayer.  How  did 
 Daniel  find  out  Nebuchadnezzar's  dream  ? 
 Set  himself  to  prayer.  When  John  saw 
 the  booh  rvas  sealed,  *'  he  wept  much," 
 and  those  tears  were  his  liquid  prayers  ; 
 then  "the  Lion  of  the  tribe  of  Judah 
 opened  the  book." 
 
 Luther  says,  "■Bene  orare  est  bene 
 studuisse " — To  have  prayed  well  is  to 
 have  studied  well. 
 
 2.  The  saint  may  expect  to  discover 
 
 551 
 
CHAP.  XXXIII. 
 
 HO  MI  LET IC  COMMENTARY :  JEREMIAH. 
 
 deeper  experience  and  to  know  more  of 
 the  higher  spiritual  life,  by  being  imich 
 in  prayer  ;  e.g.,  Jacob  wrestling  for  the 
 blessing  and  name, 
 
 3.  It  is  certainly  true  of  the  siifferer 
 under  trial;  if  he  waits  on  God  he 
 shall  have  greater  deliverance  than  he 
 ever  dreamed  of  (Lament,  iii.  57). 
 
 4.  Here  is  encouragement  for  the 
 worker.  We  know  not  how  much  capa- 
 city for  usefulness  there  is  in  us.  More 
 prayer  will  show  us  more  power. 
 
 5.  This  should  cheer  us  in  intercession 
 for  others.  "  The  Lord  turned  the  cap- 
 tivity of  Job  when  he  prayed  for  his 
 friends." 
 
 6.  Some  are  seekers  for  your  o%on 
 conversion.  Pray,  and  see  if  God  will 
 not  "  show  you  great  and  mighty 
 things." — G.  H.  Spurgeon,  a.d.  1865. 
 
 Ver.  3.  Theme :  Truths  Great  and 
 Mighty.  We  know  but  in  part.  With- 
 out Divine  teaching  we  should  have 
 known  nothing  essentially  "great."  Sup- 
 pose God  had  taught  us  nothing  by 
 revelation  or  inspiration,  we  should  have 
 known  nothing  which  relates  to  our 
 highest  interests. 
 
 I.  By  His  Word  God  has  already 
 shown  us  great  and  mighty  things  which 
 we  knew  not  and  could  not  have  known : 
 incarnation,  redemption,  regeneration, 
 resurrection,  and  man's  final  destiny. 
 
 II.  Yet  though  these  great  and  mighty 
 things  are  known,  they  have  not  been 
 "  shown "  to  men  in  their  reality  and 
 supreme  importance. 
 
 But  when  God,  who  brought  light  out 
 of  darkness,  shines  into  the  dark  mind, 
 that  mind  sees  "  the  great  and  mighty  " 
 truths.  The  Spirit's  teaching  differs 
 from  the  teaching  of  revelation  in  this 
 — giving  to  the  mind  a  due  appreciation 
 of  the  truths  revealed. 
 
 III.  Scientific  truths  are  what  they 
 are  whether  man  understands  them  or 
 not ;  but,  till  instructed,  men  understand 
 not  their  value.  So  the  truths  of  re- 
 velation are  what  they  are  ;  but,  till 
 men  are  enlightened  by  the  Divine 
 Spirit,  they  are  not  understood  in  their 
 essential  greatness  and  importance. 
 
 The  Spirit  "  takes  the  things  of  Christ 
 and  reveals  them  "  unto  us — such  things 
 552 
 
 as    "  eye  hath  not  seen,  nor  ear  heard," 
 &c. 
 
 IV.  In  value,  importance,  and  results 
 they  infinitely  transcend  all  other 
 things. 
 
 What  have  the  "  great  and  mighty  " 
 truths  of  science  and  philosophy  done 
 for  the  world  or  for  man,  compared  with 
 the  greater  and  mightier  truths  of  the 
 Gospel  1  Have  they  answered  the  ques- 
 tion, "  What'  must  I  do  to  be  saved  1 " 
 healed  a  broken  heart ;  led  men  to  con- 
 tentment with  their  lot ;  taught  them 
 how  to  live  or  die  1 
 
 V.  Yet,  there  are  greater  and 
 mightier  truths  to  be  known,  even  by 
 us  who  have  sat  at  Jesus'  feet  and  learned 
 of  Him.  There  are  yet  "deep  things 
 of  God  "  which  are  to  us  unknown.  If 
 there  are  mysteries  which  "  angels  desire 
 to  look  into ; "  so  there  are  things  our 
 feeble  minds  cannot  comprehend  and 
 our  partially  sanctified  hearts  cannot 
 understand. 
 
 VI.  The  deeper  our  consciousness  of 
 this  fact,  the  greater  will  be  our  desire 
 for  more  light.  To  obtain  which  there 
 must  be  fervent,  earnest  prayer.  "Call 
 upon  Me,"  &c. 
 
 And  also  a  holy  walking  with  God. 
 "  He  gives  to  the  man  that  is  good  in 
 His  sight,  wisdom,  and  knowledge,  and 
 
 joy." 
 
 Thus,  to  the  prayerful  and  holy, 
 God  makes  revelations  of  "  great  and 
 mighty  things,"  of  which  men  of  greater 
 talent  and  higher  culture  are  left  in 
 ignorance.  "Father,  I  thank  Thee  that 
 Thou  hast  hid  these  things  from  the  wise 
 and  prudent,  and  hast  revealed  them  unto 
 babes." 
 
 VII.  That  is  a  poor  2'>hilosophy  which 
 leaves  men  unacauainted  with  those 
 "great  and  mighty  things"  essential 
 to  their  eternal  welfare ;  which  leaves 
 them  to  grope  on  in  darkness  through 
 life's  pathway,  and  then  to  die  and 
 perish  in  their  sins. 
 
 That  is  the  ^r«e  philosophy  which 
 "  brings  life  and  immortality  to  light," 
 and  then  leads  the  soul  on  to  the  full 
 realisation  of  bliss  when  the  shadows 
 of  time  have  passed  away. 
 
 Does  any  man  lack  this  wisdom  ? 
 "Let  him  ask  of  God,"  &c. 
 
EOMILETIO  COMMENTARY :  JEREMIAH. 
 
 CHAP.  XXXIII. 
 
 Many  mistake  mere  hioivledge  for  this 
 "  tvisdo7)i  ivhich  is  from  above."  Learn- 
 ing may  prevail,  knowledge  may  abound, 
 ■wit  may  be  common,  but 
 
 "  Wisdom  is  rare,  Lorenzo." 
 
 But  it  belongs  to  them  who  are  "  taught 
 of  God," and  "learn  of  Jesus." — liev.  D. 
 Fledge,  "  Walks  tvitli  Jeremiah." 
 
 Ver,  6.  Theme :  The  Gospel  a  Sure 
 Remedy.  A  promise  to  the  unhappy 
 nation  of  the  Jews  of  blessings  yet  in 
 store  for  them.  Let  us  apply  the  pas- 
 sage for  our  own  edification — as  con- 
 taining a  beautiful  representation  of  the 
 Lord's  dealings  with  tbe  souls  whom  He 
 redeems.  Three  stages  of  His  gracious 
 operations  as  the  Great  Physician — 
 
 I.  He  visits  His  poor  patients 
 with  an  all-sufficient  remedy  in  His 
 hand. 
 
 II.  Applies  that  remedy.  Not  only 
 "  brought  near,"  but  applied. 
 
 III.  Confers  great  blessings  in  con- 
 secLuence  on  the  healed  ones.  "  Abund- 
 ance of  peace  and  truth." 
 
 (1.)  Privileges  of  the  redeemed  sinner; 
 "peace"  with  God;  "truth"  of  His 
 grace,  His  covenant.  His  promises. 
 
 (2.)  Character  acquired  by  the  re- 
 deemed sinner  in  consequence  of  his 
 faith  :  a  peaceful  spirit ;  walking  in  the 
 truth.  "  An  Israelite  in  whom  is  no 
 guile." 
 
 Have  you  sought  healing  ?  — Rev. 
 Arthur  lioberts,  ALA.,  "  Village  Ser- 
 vians," vol.  ii. 
 
 Vers.    6-9.    Theme:    Israel    Inga- 
 
 THERED — A  MATTER  OF  IMPORTANCE  TO 
 
 God  and  Man.  "  I  will  cause  the  cap- 
 tivity of  Israel  and  Judah  to  return," 
 &c. 
 
 This  passage  has  never  yet  been  ful- 
 filled ;  not  only  because  the  ten  tribes  of 
 Israel  have  not  been  combined  with  Judah, 
 but  because  the  effects  here  announced  of 
 that  event  were  never  produced  by  their 
 return  from  Babylon ;  for  the  natiom,  of 
 the  earth  have  never  been  made  to  "  fear 
 and  tremble  "  by  reason  of  the  goodness 
 and  prosperity  of  the  Jewish  nation. 
 
 I.  The  event  predicted.  God  pro- 
 mises them  here — 
 
 1.  A  discovery  of  His  will.  In  their 
 whole  civil  and  ecclesiastical  condition 
 they  are  "  sick,"  &c.  (Isa.  i.  5,  6).  But 
 God  will  "  restore  health,"  <Src.  They  are 
 in  "blindness"  and  "ignorance,"  but 
 God  will  "  reveal  unto  them  abundance 
 of  peace  and  truth!' 
 
 2.  A  manifestation  of  His  favour. 
 "  Will  build  them  as  at  the  first  "  (ver.  7, 
 also  in  ver.  11).  All  shall  be  renewed 
 to  them  with  tenfold  advantage  (chap. 
 XXX.  18,  20). 
 
 3.  A  communication  of  His  grace. 
 Sins  cleansed  (ver.  8)  ;  iniquities  cast  to 
 oblivion  (Micah  vii.  19  ;  Jer.  1.  20)  ;  re- 
 newed natures  (Ezek.  xxxvi.  24-27). 
 
 II.  The  vast  importance  of  this 
 event.  If  we  contemplate  only  the  ha^rpi- 
 ness  of  that  people,  the  temporal,  spiritual, 
 and  eternal  happiness  of  those  living  and 
 those  yet  to  live,  how  important  the 
 event  here  predicted !  But,  limiting 
 attention  to  the  text,  mark — 
 
 1.  The  interest  God  Himself  has  in  it. 
 "It  shall  be  to  Me  a  name  of  joy,"  &c. 
 (ver.  9).  Comp.  also  Isa.  Ixv.  18,  19; 
 Zeph.  iii.  17 ;  and  Isa.  Ixii.  4,  5, 
 
 It  will  also  greatly  honotir  God.  He 
 is  glorified  in  His  works  of  creation  ;  but 
 how  much  more  when  "  all  the  nations  of 
 the  earth  shall  hear "  (ver.  9)  of  God's 
 recovery  of  His  people — it  shall  be  "  a 
 praise  and  an  honour.'^  Comp.  Isa.  Ix. 
 20,  21;  Ixi.  1-3;  Ixii.  3. 
 
 2.  The  interest  of  the  tvhole  u^orld 
 involved  in  it.  At  this  wonderful  sight 
 will  "all  the  nations  of  the  earth  fear 
 and  tremble."  At  their  rescue  from  Egypt, 
 a  somewhat  similar  effect  was  produced 
 (Exod.  XV.  15,  10) ;  and  the  like  terror 
 shall  be  created  then  (Micah  vii.  15- 
 17). 
 
 But  others  will  regard  the  event  with 
 a  gratefid  aive,  "  will  fear  and  tremble 
 for  cdl  the  goodness  and  qwosperity  that 
 God  hath  procured  unto  His  people." 
 
 Indeed  this  shall  incite  beholders  to 
 conviction  and  faith  (Zech.  viii.  23). 
 To  this  Paul  alludes  :  "  If  the  fall," 
 tfec,  "  what  shall  the  receiving  of  them 
 be  bid  life  from  the  dead  ?  "  (Ptom.  xi. 
 \2,lo.)—Ghas.  Simeon,  M.A.,  a.d.  1828. 
 
 On  vers.  10,  11.  Desolation  of 
 Joy  ;  Joy  Restored  ;  see  Homilies,  &c. 
 
 553 
 
CHAP.  XXXIII. 
 
 ROM  I  LET  10  COMMENTARY :  JEREMIAB. 
 
 on  cbap.  vii.  34;  xvi.  9;  xxv.  10,  11  3 
 and  also  xvii.  26. 
 
 ^'Praise  the  Lord  of  Hosts;  for  the 
 Lord  is  good ;  for  His  mercy  end%ireth 
 for  ever." 
 
 It  was  the  customary  form  of  litur- 
 gical thanksgiving  (Ps.  cvi.  1 ;  2  Chron. 
 V.  1 3 ;  vii.  3,  6). 
 
 They  were  actually  used  by  the  Jews 
 at  their  restoration  (Ezra  iii.  11). 
 
 On  vers.  12,  13.  Imagery  of  Shep- 
 herds and  their  Flocks,  see  on  chap, 
 xxxi.  24. 
 
 On  the  words  in  ver.  13,  "  The 
 flocks  jMss  again  under  the  hands  op 
 Him  that  telleth  them,"  see  Milton's 
 line  in  H Allegro — 
 
 "While  the  ploughman,  near  at  hand, 
 Whistles  o'er  the  furrowed  land  ; 
 And  the  milkmaid  singeth  blithe ; 
 And  the  mower  whets  his  scj'the  ; 
 And  every  shepherd  tells  his  tale 
 Under  the  hawthorn  in  the  dale — " 
 
 i.e.,  counts  the  number  of  the  sheep 
 he  has  in  charge,  so  the  Good  She})- 
 herd  "  calleth  all  His  sheep  byname" 
 (John  X.  3).  And  in  3  John  14,  the 
 Apostle  says,  "  Greet  the  friends  by 
 name." 
 
 On  ver.  14.  "  The  good  thing  I 
 have  promised  ;  "  see  chap,  xxiii.  5  3 
 xxix.  10. 
 
 Ver.  15.     Theme:   The  Branch  of 
 
 Righteousness.  This  verse  is  the 
 exact  repetition  of  chap,  xxiii.  5.  See 
 Homilies  on  that  verse,  pp.  442,  443, 
 444:  "  The  Kingdom  of  the  Messiah;" 
 "The  Nature  and  Prosperity  of  Messiahs 
 Reign.^' 
 
 Ver.  16.  Theme:  A  Bright  Era 
 FOR  Mankind.  "In  His  days  Judah 
 shall  be  saved,  and  Israel  shall  dwell 
 safely." 
 
 Same  words  in  chap,  xxiii.  6.  See 
 Homily  there. 
 
 Theme :  The  Lord  our  Righteous- 
 ness. See  Homily  on  chap,  xxiii.  6 ; 
 also,  "Christ's  Supreme  Name;"  "The 
 Cliristian    Creed    Summarised ;  "    and 
 
 "  Jehovah  Jtistitia  Nostra,"  pp.  444- 
 448. 
 
 See  specially  sermon  on  Sections  1-8 
 of  chap,  xxiii. 
 
 Judah's  Restoration  under  Je- 
 hovah TsiDKENU,  pp.  438,  439,  by 
 Robert  Gordon,  D.D.,  and  Noticeable 
 Topic:  Jesus  our  Lord  and  Right- 
 eousness, by  BisJwp  Reginald  Heher, 
 pp.  458,  459. 
 
 Vers.  14-16.  Theme:  Jesus  Christ 
 as  King. 
 
 I.  From  what  a  noble  royal  stock 
 did  He  proceed  !  Raised  by  God  ;  de- 
 scended from  David ;  both  by  His  Deity 
 and  His  humanity  heir  to  the  throne. 
 
 II.  How  well  has  he  exercised  His 
 rule  !  "  With  judgment  and  righteous- 
 ness." He  Himself  is  "  The  Lord  our 
 Righfeo2is7iess." 
 
 III.  How  widely  does  His  dominion 
 extend  !  From  Jerusalem  to  the  ends 
 of  the  earth. 
 
 IV.  How  safely  does  His  people 
 dwell !  Kept  by  Him  in  security  and 
 peace. — Naumann,  in  Lange. 
 
 Ver.  1 6.  Theme :  The  Lord  our 
 Righteousness.  Beep-wounding — from 
 views  of  Christ  pierced  by  our  sins, 
 precedes  deep  peace — from  views  of  His 
 righteousness.  Originally  spoken  to 
 Judah  and  Israel. 
 
 I.  It  is  the  sight  of  a  Divine  righteous- 
 ness. Jehovah  has  made  the  atone- 
 ment. 
 
 II.  It  is  a  living  righteousness. 
 Jehovah  is  the  righteousness.  A  living 
 One  gives  it.  He  is  exalted  to  give  it. 
 He  comes  to  you  with  the  oj^er  of  it. 
 
 III.  It  is  an  appropriated  righteous- 
 ness. "Our."  It  would  not  give  me 
 2)eace  to  see  the  whole  world  clothed  in 
 Christ,  if  /  ivere  not!  No  delight  to 
 me  except  I  am  sitting  under  His  shade 
 myself — under  the  rock. 
 
 The  joy  of  Paul  was,  "  Christ  is 
 made  unto  us  wisdom,  righteousness," 
 &c.  ;  of  Thomas,  "  My  Lord  and  my 
 God ! " 
 
 Application — 
 
 1.  The  orst  of  a  believer  consists  in 
 Tcnowing  that  Jehovah  is  his  righteous- 
 
nOMILETIC  COMMENTARY:  JEREMIAH. 
 
 CHAP,  xxxni. 
 
 2.  The  folly  of  those  who  rest  in 
 seeking  is  evident — "  ever  learning,  yet 
 never  coming,"  &c. 
 
 3.  We  see  the  misery  of  unbelievers. 
 There  is  a  glorious  Divine  righteousness 
 that  \7&uld  make  the  hlachest  fair. 
 
 It  will  be  your  eternal  torment,  that 
 so  glorious  a  righteousness  ivas  offered 
 you,  and  you  died  without  it. — R, 
 Murray  irCheyne,  1844. 
 
 Critical  Note  (ver.  1 6).  "  She  shall 
 be  called  The  Lord  our  Righteousness" 
 In  xxiii.  6,  the  name,  "  The  Lord  our 
 Righteousness,"  is  given  to  Christ; 
 it  is  "the  name  whereby  He  shall  be 
 called."  In  this  verse  the  name  is  given 
 to  her,  i^?,  i.e.,  to  Jerusalem. 
 
 Henderson  alters  i^^  to  H?.  a  not  un- 
 common masculine  form  in  the  Hebrew; 
 and  reads  the  verse  "whereby  He  shall 
 be  called  "  (as  in  chap,  xsiii.  6).  And 
 the  Syriac  and  Targum  point  H?  as 
 a  masculine ;  the  Vulgate  also  has 
 "eifm." 
 
 But  Wordsworth,  retaining  the  femi- 
 nine, comments  thus :  "  This  is  to  be 
 explained  by  the  union  of  the  Church 
 with  Christ  (see  Rom.  xii.  4,  5 ;  1  Cor. 
 X.  17,  xii.  13;  Ephes.  i.  22,  iv.  12, 
 15,  16,  25,  vi.  23,  30;  Coh  i.  18,  24); 
 so  that  what  belongs  to  Him  is  com- 
 municated to  her.  (So  Calvin  and  others.) 
 Thus,  by  virtue  of  her  mystical  union 
 with  Christ,  and  by  the  importation  of 
 His  merits  and  the  infusion  of  His 
 Spirit,  the  name  of  the  Church  may  be 
 said  to  be  '  The  Lord  our  Righteous- 
 ness ; '  she  hides  herself  in  Him,  and  is 
 seen  by  God  as  in  Him ;  she  is  clothed 
 with  Christ  the  Sun  of  Righteousness  (see 
 Rev.  xii.  1),  and  is  accepted  in  the 
 Beloved  (Ephes.  i.  6)." 
 
 Dr.  Payne  Smith  says:  The  name  "is 
 here  given  to  Jerusalem,  i.e.,  to  the 
 Church,  because  it  is  her  business 
 mediately  to  work  on  earth  that  righteous- 
 ness which  Christ  works  absolutely. 
 The  Church  justifies  men  ordy  because 
 its  ordinances  bring  men  to  Chi^ist." 
 Comp.  Ephes.  i.  23. 
 
 Jamieson  remarks  :  "  Jerusalem  is 
 called  by  the  same  name  as  Messiah, 
 by    virtue     of     the     mystical    oneness 
 
 between  her  (as  the  literal  representative 
 of  the  spiritual  Church),  and  her  Lord 
 and  Husband.  Thus,  whatever  belongs 
 to  the  Head  belongs  also  to  the  members 
 (Ephes.  V.  30,  32).  Hence  the  Church 
 is  called  '  Christ '  (Rom.  xvi,  7 ;  1  Cor. 
 xii.  12).  The  Church  hereby  professes 
 to  draw  all  her  righteousness  from 
 Christ  (Isa.  xlv.  24,  25).  It  is  for  the 
 sake  of  Jerusalem,  literal  and  spiritiial, 
 that  God  the  Father  gave  this  name 
 (Jehovah  Tsidkenu)  to  Christ." 
 
 Vers.  17, 18.  Theme:  Perpetuity  op 
 David's  Reign  and  of  the  Levitical 
 Priesthood.  The  literal  sense  of  these 
 words  is,  that  there  shall  be  an  abso- 
 lute perpetuity  of  the  Davidic  and 
 Levitical  succession.  These  words  ac- 
 cord with  2  Sam.  vii.  16  ;  1  Kings 
 ii.  4;  Ps.  Ixxxis.  4,  29,  36;  Num. 
 sxv.  12.     But— 
 
 I.  Historic  events  refuted  the  literal 
 interpretation. 
 
 1.  As  to  David.  No  lineal  descendant 
 of  David  occupied  the  Jewish  throne 
 after  Zedekiah,  "  the  Asmona3an  princes 
 being  of  the  tribe  of  Levi,  while  Herod 
 was  not  a  Jew  at  all  but  an  Idumeean." 
 — Henderson. 
 
 2.  As  to  the  Levitical  priesthood. 
 Although  after  the  captivity  the  Levitical 
 priesthood  attained  great  power  for  a 
 time,  indeed  until  the  destruction  of 
 Jerusalem  by  Titus,  yet  since  then  it 
 has  absolutely  ceased. 
 
 II.  Prophecy  itself  foretold  their 
 literal  cessation.  Indeed  Jeremiah 
 himself  thus  announced  their  failure — 
 
 1.  As  to  the  Davidic  kingdom  (Jer. 
 xxii.  30,  XXX.  21). 
 
 2.  As  to  the  Levitical  priesthood  (Jer. 
 iii.  16,  xxxi.  33). 
 
 III.  Their  literal  fulfilment  cannot  be 
 associated  ivith  the  future  restoration 
 of  the  Jews  to  Palestine.  The  Davidic 
 reign  and  Levitical  priesthood  cannot 
 then  be  restored.     For — 
 
 1.  Their  genealogical  tables  have  been 
 irrecoverably  lost. 
 
 2.  Nothing  short  of  a  miracle  would 
 be  required  to  distinguish  then  between 
 who  are  descendants  of  David  and  who 
 those  of  Levi. — Henderson. 
 
 IV.  New  Testament  teaching  declares 
 
 bd5 
 
CHAP,  xxxin. 
 
 nOMILETIC  COMMENTARY :  JEREMIAH. 
 
 the  absolute  supercession  and  substitu- 
 tion of  the  spiritual  for  the  literal 
 royalty  and  2^'>'i^sthoocL  Its  teacbings 
 are  that — 
 
 1.  JS^o  king  of  the  family  of  David 
 shall  reign  hut  the  Messiah;  and  the 
 seat  of  Ills  government  is  not  an  earthly, 
 but  a  heavenly  throne  (Luke  i.  32,  33). 
 
 2.  The  Levitical  services  have  been 
 for  ever  abrogated  by  the  unchanging  and 
 unceasing  priesthood  of  Christ  (Heb.  vii. 
 12-28). 
 
 V.  What  explanations  remove  the 
 seeming  error  of  these  predictions  ? 
 
 1.  The  Davidic  kingship  and  Levitical 
 priesthood  are  symbols,  which  represe^ited 
 to  the  Jew  all  that  was  most  dear  to  his 
 heart  in  the  state  of  things  under  which 
 he  lived — his  national  existence  and  free- 
 dom from  foreign  oppression  (which  was 
 bound  up  in  the  thought  of  David's 
 perpetual  kingdom),  and  his  religious 
 privileges  and  hojoes  (associated  insepar- 
 ably with  the  perpetuity  of  the  Levitical 
 ministries).  Their  restoration  was  there- 
 fore synonymous  with  the  restoration  of 
 his  national  and  S2jiritual  life.  But 
 neither  was  so  restored  as  to  exist  per- 
 manently. But  that  was  given  instead 
 of  which  both  tvere  tyj^es  :  the  Church, 
 whose  Head  is  the  true  Prophet,  Priest, 
 and  King. — Dr:  Payne  Smith. 
 
 2.  The  spiritual  interj^retation  :  its 
 application  to  the  Messiah  in  His  regal 
 and  sacerdotal  offices.  The  throne  of 
 David  is  the  spiritual  throne,  which,  as 
 his  descendant,  Messiah  is  to  fill  for 
 ever  (Isa.  ix.  6 ;  Luke  i.  32,  33).  And 
 as  David's  reign  is  thus  carried  forward 
 spiritually,  so  the  Levites  may  be  said 
 never  to  "  want  a  man "  to  present 
 sacrifices,  inasmuch  as  "the  man  Christ 
 Jesus"  "ever  liveth "  to  present  the 
 merits  of  His  own  sacrifice. — Henderson. 
 
 3.  These  pledges  of  perpetuity  find 
 their  fulfilment  in  the  royalty  and  priest- 
 hood of  all  Christian  soids ;  called  a 
 "royal  priesthood"  (1  Pet.  ii.  5-9); 
 ^^ kings  and  2^riests  unto  God"  (Rev,  i, 
 G  ;  v.  10)  ;  "  priests  of  God  and  of  Christ, 
 who  shall  reign  "  (Rev.  xx.  6). — Ileng- 
 stcnhurg. 
 
 4.  Interpreting  the  promised  per- 
 petuity of  the  Levitical  priesthood,  Bishop) 
 Wordsworth,  following  Lowth,  urges  that 
 
 55G 
 
 the  ministry  of  the  Christian  Church  is 
 the  complete  realisation  of  all  that  was 
 done  in  the  offices  of  the  high  priests, 
 the  priests,  and  the  Levites  in  the  Taber- 
 nacle and  the  Temple.  So  that  the 
 promise  here  that  the  Levites  will  never 
 want  a  man  to  stand  before  God  to 
 execute  priestly  functions,  is  a  declara- 
 tion that  "there  shall  never  fail  a  succes- 
 sion of  men  set  apart  to  God's  service  to 
 perform  the  public  offices  of  religion." 
 Accordingly,  Paul  proves  the  rights  and 
 privileges  belonging  to  the  ministers  of 
 the  Gospel  from  the  prerogatives  given  to 
 the  Jewish  priesthood  (1  Cor.  ix.  13, 
 14).  And  Trapp  interprets  it  as  mean- 
 ing "^/te  continuance  of  an  evangelical 
 ministry  in  the  Church  to  the  world's  end  " 
 (Matt,  xxviii.  20;  Eph.  iv.  11-13). 
 
 5.  In  proof  that  these  predictions 
 were  to  have  no  mere  Jeivish  fidfilment, 
 but  point  to  a  dispensation  in  which 
 natio7ial  distinctions  disappear  amid 
 spiritual  qualifications  and  experiences, 
 we  have  the  definite  promise  that  Gentiles 
 are  to  become  priests  and  Levites,  For 
 in  the  call  of  the  Gentiles  there  shall 
 be  some  among  them  ordained  to  he 
 ministers  in  Christ's  Church :  "I  will 
 also  take  of  them  for  priests  and  for 
 Levites"  (Isa.  Ixvi.  21  ;  see  also  Ivi.  7, 
 Ixi.  6;  Mai.  i.  11,  iii.  3). 
 
 Vers.  20-22,  Theme:  Great  Pro- 
 mises  Grandly  Guaranteed.     "  The 
 
 unchangeahleness  of  God's  laivs  in  nature 
 is  the  pledge  that  His  promises  in  grace 
 are  equally  immutable." — Dr.  Payne 
 Smith. 
 
 "The  richest  jiromises  are  confirmed 
 by  the  strongest  assurances." — Cowles. 
 
 "  God  has  hitherto  kept  promise  with 
 nights  and  days  tbat  one  shall  succeed 
 the  other  ;  and  will  He  not  keep  touch 
 with  His  people  ?  " — Trapp. 
 
 Vers.  24-26.  Theme:  Speaking 
 Contemptuously  of  God's  People. 
 
 These  "  two  families  "  are  either  Israel 
 and  Judah  ;  or  else  "  the  seed  of  Jacob  " 
 (ver.  26)  to  whom  the  birthright  was 
 given,  and  the  seed  of  ^' David"  (ver.  26) 
 to  whom  the  promise  was  subsequently 
 confirmed,  that  of  him  the  Messiah 
 should  spring. 
 
HO  Ml  LET IC  COMMENTARY:  JEREMIAH. 
 
 CHAP,  xxxrr. 
 
 Who  were  they  wlio  spake  thus  of 
 God's  people?  Either  the  Chaldeans 
 without  the  walls,  or  the  unbelieving 
 Jews  within. 
 
 I.  The  utterance  0/ defiance  and  scorn 
 if  from  the  Chaldeans.  They  spoke  con- 
 temptuously of  the  Hebrews  as  being 
 abandoned  by  their  God.  Implying  on 
 the  part  of  Israel's  foes — 
 
 1.  Exultation  over  the  rejection  of 
 God's  people  from  His  care  and  favour. 
 "  Aha,  so  would  we  have  it !  " 
 
 2.  Execration,  expressing  their  pur- 
 pose to  destroy  them.  "  If  it  had  not 
 been  that  the  Lord  was  on  our  side, 
 when  men  rose  up  against  us,  then  had 
 they  swallowed  us  up  quick." 
 
 3.  Contempt.  They  despised  them 
 as  a  forlorn,  friendless,  feeble  folk.  So 
 Sennacherib  :  "  What  do  these  feeble 
 Jeivs  ?  " 
 
 II.  The  utterance  of  desolate  de- 
 spair by  the  Jews  themselves.  They 
 spoke  depreciatingly  of  themselves  and 
 their  prospects.  Implying  on  Israel's 
 part  that  they  were — 
 
 1.  Paralysed  by  nearing  disaster. 
 The  Chaldeans  were  encroaching  on  the 
 city  ;  capture  was  inevitable. 
 
 2.  Abandonment  of  cdl  hope  in  God. 
 He  had,  as  they  supposed,  now  rejected 
 Judah,  as  already  He  had  Israel. 
 
 3.  Depreciation  of  themselves  in  their 
 relation  to  God  as  His  covenant  people, 
 
 judging  that  their  national  existence 
 was  now  well-nigh  closed. 
 
 Notes — 
 
 DiEDRiCH  comments :  "  In  the  first 
 instance  they  would  not  be  warned; 
 now  they  will  not  be  comforted.  The 
 true  prophet,  however,  announces  death 
 to  sinners  according  to  the  law,  but 
 afterwards  grace  for  renovation  and  for 
 life. 
 
 Despair  is  blasphemy.  God's  king- 
 dom stands  and  will  be  perfected,  but 
 the  faint-hearted  will  not  enter  it. 
 
 God  answers.  So  long  as  heaven  and 
 earth  are  preserved  by  Me,  it  is  for  the 
 sake  oiMy  kingdom,  and  as  a  pledge  that 
 it  will  not  fail.  Israel,  or,  what  is  the 
 same  thing,  David's  seed,  shall  be  a 
 royal  seed,  and  the  captivity  which  the 
 people  must  now  endure  is  transient. 
 It  is  impossible,  however,  for  the  worldly 
 to  understand  this,  who  perish  in  carnal 
 repose  as  though  no  God  could  punish 
 them  ;  and,  again,  in  affliction  are  so 
 despondeyit  as  though  there  were  no  God 
 to  help  them  any  more." 
 
 Henry  remarks :  "  Deep  security 
 commonly  ends  in  deep  despair ;  whereas 
 those  that  keep  up  a  holy  fear  at  all  times 
 have  a  good  hope  to  support  them  in 
 the  worst  of  times." 
 
 "  This  is  (ver.  26)  a  complex  pro- 
 mise," says  Trapp,  "  and  better  than 
 money  which  answereth  all  things." 
 
 CHAPTER  XXXIV. 
 
 Cbitical  and  Exegetical  Notes  :— 1.  Chronology  of  the  Chapter.  Section  L,  vers.  1-7, 
 is  in  subject  connected  with  chap,  xxxii.  1-5.  These  verses,  however,  seem  slightly  to  antedate 
 that  chapter,  for  observe  the  words  (ver.  2),  "  Go  and  speak  to  Zedekiah,"  implying  that  Jere- 
 miah had  not  yet  been  imxmsoned  ;  whereas  in  xxxii.  2,  Jeremiah  is  "shut  up  in  the  court  of  the 
 prison."  This  section  must  date  at  the  very  beginning  oi  the  Chaldean  invasion,  and  follows 
 closely  upon  the  records  in  chap.  xxl.  (see  notes  in  loc).  Further  observe,  in  ver.  7,  that  Lacliish 
 and  Azelcah — strong  cities  of  defence — were  as  yet  not  captured  by  the  Chaldeans  ;  and  these 
 (urges  Dr.  Payne  Smith),  lying  in  the  plain  towards  Egypt,  must  be  taken  before  the  Chaldees 
 could  march  upon  Jerusalem,  as  otherwise  an  Egyptian  army  might  collect  under  their  cover 
 and  fall  upon  the  Chaldeans.  Zedekiah  was,  therefore,  at  this  time  in  a  position  for  making 
 good  terms  with  Nebuchadnezzar.  Thus  the  date  is  early  in  the  9tk  year  of  Zedehialis  reign — 
 the  date  when  the  Chaldean  army_approached  Jerusalem.  Section  II.,  vers.  8-end,  shows  thai  the 
 bondservants  were  released  as  the  siege  drew  imminent ;  but  when— m  the  summer  of  the  same 
 year — the  Chaldeans  were  drawn  aside  temporally  from  the  siege  by  the  arrival  of  the  Egyptian 
 army  to  the  rescue  of  the  Jews  (ver.  21),  their  masters  at  once  forced  the  liberated  slaves  back 
 again  into  their  service. 
 
 2.  National  Affairs. — See  above  on  Chronology  of  chapter.  Jeremiah  had  informed 
 Zedekiah,  through  his  messenger,  of  the  approaching  Chaldean  siege  (see  on  chap,  xxi.)  ;  the 
 siege  is  now  begun,  and  Jeremiah  goes  to  him  in  person  and  appeals  to  him  to  submit  (vers.  2, 
 3).    Before,  however,  the  Chaldeans  had  taken  the  fortified  cities  of  the  plain  (for  they  were 
 
 557 
 
CHAP.  XXXIV.  HOMILETIC  COMMENT  A  R  Y :  JEREMIAH. 
 
 still  warring  against  them,  ver.  7),  and  hence  at  the  very  commencement  of  the  siege  of 
 Jerusalem,  the  king  "made  a  covenant  with  all  the  people  "  to  liberate  their  servants,  hoping 
 to  inspire  these  servants  with  patriotic  attachment  to  defend  the  city  against  the  Chaldean  army. 
 But,  immediately  the  Egyptian  army  appeared,  these  servants  were  forced  back  again  into 
 bondage. 
 
 3.  Contemporary  History. — See  on  chap.  xxi.  and  xxxii.  ;  also  compare  chap,  xxxvii. 
 5-10. 
 
 4.  Geographical  References. — Ver.  7.  " Lachish  and  Azekah."  See  2  Chron,  xi.  5-9. 
 Both  in  the  lowlands  of  Judah,  to  the  south-west  of  Jerusalem.  "  Lachish  "  was  a  strong  defensive 
 town  (Josh.  X.  31-33),  afterwards  fortified  and  garrisoned  by  Rehoboam  ;  it  lay  between 
 Phoenecia  and  Egypt ;  reoccupied  by  the  Jews  after  their  captivity  (Neh.  xl.  30) ;  its  exact 
 site  not  known.  "  Azehah"  (see  1  Sam.  xvii.  1  ;  and  Josh.  x.  10, 11).  Also  situate  in  the  plain 
 towards  Egypt  from  Jerusalem,  but  its  present  site  is  not  known. 
 
 5.  Manners  and  Customs. — Vers.  8,  9.  '^  Proclaim  liberty  unto  man-servant  and  maid-servant" 
 According  to  Jewish  laws  a  Hebrew  bondservant,  having  served  for  six  years,  had  to  be  set  free 
 on  the  seventh  (Exod.  xxi.  2  ;  Deut.  xv.  12).  The  last  year  of  Zedekiah's  reign  was  the  Sab- 
 batical year  [Vide  supra,  National  Affairs).  Ver.  5.  ^^  Burn  odours  for  thee  :"  spices  burned 
 upon  pil-es  of  faggots  customary  at  royal  funerals  (2  Chron.  xvi.  14  ;  xxi.  19). 
 
 Ver.  18.  "  Cut  the  calf  in  twain  ami  iMssed  between  the  parts. "  It  was  customary,  on  entering 
 into  a  covenant,  for  the  contracting  parties  to  slay  and  divide  an  animal,  and  pass  between  the 
 parts,  indicating  their  deserving  and  readiness  to  be  so  treated  if  they  violated  the  contract 
 (Gen.  XV.  10-17). 
 
 6.  Literary  Criticisms, — Ver.  1.  "  Kingdoms  of  the  earth  of  His  dominion."  No  art.  before 
 yiVs  and  lit.  "  all  the  kingdoms  of  land  the  dominion  of  his  hand,"  i.e.  land  subject  to  his 
 hand. 
 
 Ver.  5,  "  With  the  burnings  of  thy  fathers."  Many  MSS.  have  niQ'lb'D^-l,  according  to  the 
 burnings,  not  3-"l,  with. 
 
 Ver.  17.  "  Will  make  you  to  be  removed,"  &c.  ;  "for  a  removing"  (Margin),  "for  a  hoiror" 
 (Naegelsbach),  "give  you  up  to  agitation  "  (Henderson).     Vide  note  on  chap.  xxix.  18. 
 
 TOPICAL  SURVEY  OF  CHAPTER  XXXIV. 
 
 Section  1-7.     ZcdeJciah's  opportunity  and  its  alternative  issue. 
 „      8-22.  The  people^ s  perfidy  and  punishment. 
 
 Topics:  Vers.  8-11.     Hypocritical  repentance  distinguished  from  true  conversion. 
 Vers.  15, 16.    Violation  of  the  law  of  liberty. 
 
 Vers.  1-7.  Oppoktunity  and  its  Issues. 
 The  statements  in  these  verses,  that  Zedekiah  should  "die  in  peace"  and  be 
 honoured  with  royal  obsequies,  seem  at  variance  with  history.     Explanation — 
 
 I.  Inevitable  events.  Verses  2  and  3  are  declared  as  irrevocable  facts. 
 Zedekiah  was  Nebuchadnezzar's  vassal,  sworn  to  obedience  and  allegiance  to  the 
 king  of  Babylon.  Instead  of  fidelity  to  Babylon  he  had  courted  Egyptian  succour, 
 and  conspired  with  petty  neighbouring  kings  (xxvii.  2,  3)  against  Nebuchadnezzar. 
 Incensed  at  this  conspiracy,  the  king  of  Babylon  was  now  besieging  Jerusalem. 
 Zedekiah  must  now  face  his  royal  master.  From  this  there  was  no  escape.  And 
 verse  3  specifies  the  inevitable  incidents:  1.  Capture;  2.  Brought  face  to  face  ivith 
 the  conqueror;  3.  Carried  into  Babylon. 
 
 II.  Mitigating  assurances.  Verses  4  and  5  offer  an  alleviating  picture  :  1. 
 Life  spared  of  a  violent  end ;  2.  Royal  honours  at  death  ;  3.  Reverent  lamentations 
 of  his  nation  in  exile. 
 
 III.  Opportunity  and  its  alternative  issues.  For  so  must  we  regard  these 
 verses.     The  "  mitigating  assurances  "  are  not  pledged  absolutely  but  conditionally. 
 
 1.  The  final  opportunity  ofered.  "Go  speak  to  Zedekiah"  (vers.  2,  3).  This 
 message  left  him  in  no  doubt  as  to  the  result  of  the  Chaldean  siege,  although  the 
 Egyptians  came  to  the  succour  of  Jerusalem.  This  absolute  message  of  what  should 
 befal  the  city  and  the  king  ought  to  have  shown  Zedekiah  the  wisdom  of  p)ropitiat- 
 ing  Nehuchadnezzar  by  his  voluntary  submission  and  surrender  of  the  city. 
 
 2.  Conditional  ameliorations  promised.  For  in  this  sense  we  must  read  verses 
 4  and  5.     The  condition  on  which  these  ameliorations  are  pledged  is  this :  "  Yet 
 
 558 
 
HOMILETIC  COMMENTARY:  JEREMIAH.  chap,  xxxjv. 
 
 hear  the  word  of  the  Lord,  0  Zedekiah;"  it  is  an  appeal  to  ''heed"  the  message; 
 and  means,  hoiv  to  God's  purposes,  submit  to  the  Babylonian  yoke,  for  God  so 
 designs  it  shall  be. 
 
 The  ameliorations  promised  are  these  :  Obey  and  submit,  and  thy  life  shall  be 
 spared,  thou  shalt  die  in  peace  at  Jerusalem,  and  be  buried  with  royal  honours  in 
 the  sepulchre  of  thy  fathers;  for,  doubtless,  Nebuchadnezzar  would  have  preserved 
 Zedekiah  as  his  reigning  vassal  had  he  been  still  submissive  to  Babylon. 
 
 IV.  The  historic  sectuel.  Zedekiah  refused  his  opportunity,  was  taken  face  to 
 face  with  Nebuchadnezzar ;  "his  eyes  beheld  the  eyes  of  the  king  of  Babylon  ;  " 
 and  then  his  sons  and  nobles  were  slain  before  him;  following  this  harrowing 
 spectacle,  he  himself  was  deprived  of  sight ;  he  was  dragged  to  Babylon  in  chains, 
 and  there  cast  into  prison  where  he  languished  till  his  death  (chap.  lii.  10,  11). 
 Comp.  Homily  on  chap,  xxxii.  1-5. 
 
 Vers.  8-22.     Perfidy  and  Punishment. 
 
 Zedekiah  summoned  his  people  to  a  general  release  of  the  bondservants  of 
 Jerusalem.     This  act  was  according  to — 
 
 I,  Covenant  obligations  (vers.  13-15).  A  Levitical  law  enacted  that  owners 
 of  slaves  of  Hebrew  blood  should  set  them  free  after  six  years'  service  (Exod. 
 xxi.  2).  Later,  this  law  was  extended  to  females  (Deut.  xv.  12).  Parents  could 
 sell  their  children  into  this  limited  slavery,  which  was  no  more  than  a  modern 
 apprenticeship  (Exod.  xxi.  7  ;  Neh.  v.  5),  and  the  poor  could  so  sell  themselves. 
 It  was  a  contract  of  service,  absolutely  restricted  in  duration. 
 
 On  no  plea  could  owners  of  slaves  refuse  the  liberty  which  was  their  divine 
 right  at  the  end  of  their  period  of  service.  And  God  had  enacted  that,  at  the  close 
 of  the  contracted  term,  masters  should  send  their  slaves  away  generously  provided 
 with  necessaries  and  comforts  (Deut.  xv.  14).     This  contract  arrangement  made — 
 
 I.  Servants  faithful.  2.  Masfe7's  considerate.  3.  Class  relationshipis  mutually 
 helpftd  and  safe. 
 
 II.  Prudential  observance.  The  Icing,  disobedient  to  God's  messages  through 
 Jeremiah,  would  not  be  likely  now  to  act  from  any  religious  or  conscientious  motive 
 in  his  covenant  with  the  people  to  proclaim  liberty  (vers.  8,  9).  His  policy  was  to 
 bind  the  freedmen  to  the  defence  of  the  besieged  city. 
 
 Albeit,  '' the  people  ivlio  entered  into  the  covenant''  (ver.  10)  may  have  responded 
 under  a  sense  of  danger,  for  the  enemy  was  near  their  gates ;  and  may  even  have 
 risen  to  something  of  patriotic  enthusiasm ;  but  the  motive  was  not  religious. 
 There  was  no  reverence  for  God  in  their  act,  neither  magnanimity  to  their  slaves. 
 
 1.  Good  acts  may  have  bad  motives.  2.  A  godless  heart  is  not  likely  to  prompt 
 noble  purposes. 
 
 III.  Execrable  perfidy.  Scarcely  had  the  slaves  been  set  free  than  the  Egyptian 
 forces  appeared  against  the  Chaldean  besiegers  and  drew  Nebuchadnezzar  for 
 awhile  off  from  the  siege  (ver.  21).  Elate  with  mad  joy,  the  masters  at  once 
 forced  back  their  servants  into  renewed  bondage,  thus  violating  all  faith  and  out- 
 raging every  instinct  of  generosity  (vers.  10,  11,  and  16). 
 
 1.  To  break  faith  ivith  man  is  villanous  in  itself.  2.  It  engenders  luorst 
 feelings  in  those  ivho  are  wronged.  3.  It  invokes  the  dire  displeasui'C  of  God ;  for 
 "  with  what  measure  ye  mete  it  shall  be  measured  to  you  again." 
 
 IV.  Parallel  punishment  (vers.  17-25).  Ye  were  "  brought  out  of  the  house 
 of  bondmen  "  in  Egypt ;  why  destroy  the  bridge  for  others  over  which  you  passed 
 yourselves  ? 
 
 1.  God's  awfid  liberation  of  wrong-doers.  "  Behold,  I  proclaim  a  liberty  for  you  " 
 (ver.  1 7)  :  abandon  yott  as  your  Guardian  and  Lord. 
 
 2,  Sinners'  appalling  doom.  "  I  will  make  you  to  be  removed"  (ver.  17) ;  i.e., 
 "  to  be  a  horror  "  (see  Lit.  Grit.) 
 
 559 
 
CHAP,  XXXIV.  EOMILBTIC  COMMENT  A  R  Y :  JEREMIA  R. 
 
 Then  follow  definite  declarations  of  misery  :  national  disaster  (vers.  19,  20) ; 
 royal  degradation  and  woe  (ver.  21);  ruin  on  the  land  (ver.  22).  Having  deceived 
 their  slaves  with  a  vain  hope  of  liberty,  so  they  now  deceived  themselves,  in  thinking 
 themselves  saved  from  the  Chaldeans  because  they  had  temporarily  withdrawn, 
 God  will  "  liberate  "  them  from  all  further  connection  with  Him,  to  pass  under  the 
 terrible  bondage  of  other  taskmasters.  The  breakers  of  covenants  with  God  will  be 
 cut  in  pieces,  as  the  calf  between  whose  parts  they  passed.  Doom  swiftly  came. 
 *'  I  will  repay,  saith  the  Lord  !" 
 
 Vers.  8-11.  Hypocritical  Repentance  Distinguished  from  True 
 
 Conversion. 
 
 i.  The  occasion  may  be  the  same  in  both  ;  i.e.,  external  distress  (comp.  e.g.  Isa. 
 xxviii.  19;  1  Cor.  xi.  32;  Titus  ii.  12). 
 
 ii.  The  inward  disposition  entirely  differs.  In  false  penitence  the  mind  and 
 heart  remain  unchanged ;  in  true  conversion  man  turns  inwardly  with  pain  and 
 sorrow  from  evil  and  to  God. 
 
 iii.  The  duration  is  the  test  of  its  character.  False  penitence  lasts  as  long  as 
 the  outward  need ;  true  repentance  is  a  permanent  condition  of  the  heart ;  and, 
 notwithstanding  single  backslidings,  advances  to  a  more  complete  subjugation  of 
 the  old  self. — Naegelsbach. 
 
 Hypocrites,  when  they  show  repentance,  do  it — 
 
 i.  Not  from  faith,  but  from/ear  of  distress  and  danger,  in  which  they  are  at  the 
 time. 
 
 ii.  They  do  not  cease  all  disobedience  to  God,  but  only  make  some  ethical  reforms, 
 as  here  in  observing  the  jubilee  year,  as  if  there  were  no  other  reforms  to  be  made. 
 
 iii.  They  specially  select  stich  lines  of  conduct  as  are  ostentatious  ;  as  will  attract 
 public  attention  and  win  regard ;  as  in  this  act  of  manumission  of  the  slaves, 
 which  would  loose  the  rabble,  make  a  great  noise  and  show. 
 
 iv.  Meanwhile  there  are  none,  or  feiv  thoughts  of  faith,  love,  fear  of  God,  hope, 
 and  thanksgiving. 
 
 V.  Such  penitence  does  not  last  long,  but  as  soon  as  the  distress  finds  a  hole  the 
 devotion  goes  with  it. — Cramer. 
 
 "  As  Zedekiah  and  the  inhabitants  of  Jerusalem,  on  finding  themselves  besieged, 
 set  at  liberty  their  Hebrew  servants,  and  pretended  they  would  observe  the  law  of 
 God ;  but  afterwards,  imagining  they  had  nothing  to  fear,  changed  their  minds, 
 and  made  slaves  of  their  brethren ;  thus  sinners  pretend  to  humble  themselves, 
 and  seem  disposed  to  repentance,  while  they  are  threatened  and  the  danger  is  near ; 
 but  as  soon  as  their  fears  are  over,  they  break  their  promises  and  return  to  their 
 sins.  Jeremiah's  reproaches  and  threatenings  of  the  Jews  for  their  impious  and 
 unjust  proceedings  show  that  a  repentance  and  a  reformation  which  is  but  of  ^short 
 duration,  instead  of  pacifying  God,  only  provolces  Him  the  more  ;  and  that  those 
 who  violate  His  covenant  and  their  oivn  promises  shall  not  escape  the  punishment 
 which  their  infidelity  and  hypocrisy  deserve." — Ostervald. 
 
 "  Like  the  detested  tribe  "  Hypocrisy,  detest  lier  as  we  may 
 
 Of  ancient  Pharisees,  beneath  the  mask  (And  no  man's  hatred  ever  wronged  her  yet), 
 
 Of  clamorous  piety,  what  numbers  veil  May  claim  this  merit  still  :  that  she  admits 
 
 Contaminated,  vicious  hearts!     How  many  Tlie  ivorth  of  that  she  mimics  with  such  care, 
 
 In  the  devoted  temple  of  their  God,  And  thus  gives  virture  indirect  applause." 
 
 With  hypocritic  eye,  from  which  the  tear  — Coivper. 
 Of  penitential  anguish  seems  to  flow, 
 
 Pour  forth  their  vows,  and  by  affected  zeal  "  No  man's  condition  is  so  base  as  his, 
 
 Pre-eminent  devotion  boast ;  while  vice  None  more  accursed  than  he;  for  man  esteems 
 
 Within  the  guilty  breast  rankles  unseen  !  "  Him  hateful  'cause  he  seems  not  what  he  is  ; 
 
 God  hates  him  'cause  he  is   not  what  he 
 
 5G0 
 
 -Quarks. 
 
HO  Ml  LET  10  COMMENTARY:  JEREMIAH.  chap,  xxxiv. 
 
 Violation  of  the  Law  of  Liberty. 
 
 "  Ye  had  done  right  in  My  sight,  in  proclaiming  liberty  every  man  to  his  neighbours- 
 hut  ye  turned  and  polluted  My  name  "  (vers.  15,  16). 
 
 Cicero,  when  commending  humanity  and  kindness  towards  servants,  urged,  Let 
 them  not  be  treated  as  slaves,  but  as  those  who  are  hired  (Of.  i.) 
 
 These  Jews,  in  neglecting  the  legal  manumission  of  their  servants,  and  holding 
 them  in  unjust  bondage,  in  vain  complained  of  oppression  by  the  Chaldeans  or 
 Assyrians ;  for  they  themselves  were  acting  the  tyrant's  part.  But  we  recoil  from 
 enduring  the  sufferings  we  inflict.     Here  observe  that  God — 
 
 L  Recalls  their  history  and  experience  (ver.  13).     Hence  for — 
 
 1.  Their  own  freedom  from  tyranny  they  were  indebted  to  God's  gratuitous 
 mercy  and  mighty  power. 
 
 2.  lUieir  experience  of  such  Divinely  secured  liberty  should  have  led  them  to 
 cherish  the  freedom  of  their  dependants.  It  was  God's  will  that  they  whom  He 
 had  redeemed  should  retain  the  blessings  of  freedom ;  and,  that  a  memorial  might 
 exist  amongst  them,  of  both  their  own  bondage  and  emancipation,  He  covenanted 
 with  them  that  servitude  should  be  temporary. 
 
 II.  Reproves  the  national  neglect  of  His  law. 
 
 1.  They  hieiv  this  Divine  laiu,  yet  held  back  liberty  from  their  bondservants 
 (vers.  14,  18).     Note  how  our  Lord  condemns  such  disobedience  (Luke  xii.  4). 
 
 2.  Though  they  had  at  length  set  their  bondmen  free,  it  was  not  in  voluntary 
 recognition  of  God's  established  laiv,  but  in  obedience  to  an  edict  of  Zedelaah. 
 Observe  the  word  in  ver.  10,  "  they  oSe^/ecZ " — reluctantly,  but  perforce.  Where 
 God's  word  is  clearly  made  known,  there  is  no  excuse  for  neglecting  it  (Isa.  xlv. 
 19).  But  its  neglect  is  consequent  upon  our  ^^  hearkening  not,  nox  inclining  omv 
 ear"  (ver.  14). 
 
 III.  Commends  their  present  observance  of  the  covenant.  "  Ye  were  now  (lit., 
 to-day)  turned,  and  had  done  right"  (ver.  15). 
 
 1.  Though  reformation  came  tardily,  yet  God  approved  it  when  effected.  "  To- 
 day," after  so  long  a  time;  yet  ye  "turned." 
 
 2.  liight  deeds  are  pleasing  to  God,  per  se,  apart  from  the  motives  of  their  doers. 
 He  approves  fidelity  and  righteotisness  wherever  He  sees  them,  even  thou<Th  He 
 who  searcheth  the  heart  sees  there  is  no  love  of  righteousness  there.  Jewels  are 
 precious  things  even  though  worn  by  the  vulgar.  But  God  commended  their 
 temporary  repentance  and  reformation  only  to  show  how  detestable  was  their 
 falsity  in  doing  insincerely  what  they  did,  and  returning  so  quickly  to  iniquitous 
 oppression. 
 
 IV.  Denounces  their  base  hypocrisy  of  heart.  "Ye  made  a  covenant  before 
 Me  in  the  house"  &c.  (ver.  15), 
 
 1.  Their  after  conduct  only  exhibited  their  falsity  in  making  the  "covenant." 
 Their  intentions  went  not  with  their  vows  made  before  God.  All  they  did  there- 
 fore, in  His  house,  was  a  pretence ;  they  acted  a  lie  before  God.  They  trifled 
 with  God ! 
 
 2.  To  ^ise  the  solemnities  of  religion  insincerely  is  guiltiest  profanation.  "Ye 
 polluted  My  name"  (ver.  16).  It  was  evident  that  they  were  lost  to  all  sanctity 
 of  feeling  and  shame  for  their  baseness  and  wrong,  that  they  could  thus  abuse  an 
 oath  made  before  God,  taking  "  God's  name "  in  vain,  and  defile  God's  temple,  by 
 acting  a  lie  within  its  solemn  precincts. 
 
 Notes — 
 
 1.  Their  promptitude  in  manumitting  their  slaves  was  generously  commended  hy 
 God;  but  by  doing  this  in  bad  faith  they  treated  God  with  mockery. 
 
 2,  It  is  an  intolerable  profanation  of  God's  name  when  thus  falsely  appealed  to; 
 it  is  perjury  allied  to  sacrilege. 
 
 2n  561 
 
CH  AP.  X  X  X V.  nOMILETIC  CO  MMENTAR  Y :  JEREMIA  H. 
 
 3.  Rebellion  against  God  becomes  even  more  base  when  a  pretence  is  made  of 
 ohedience  and  reform,  as  these  men  perfidiously  acted  in  giving  liberty  to  their 
 slaves,  and  then  forcing  them  into  subjection  so  soon  afterwards. 
 
 4.  lo  this  joe?:;*«ry  and  profanity  was  added  inhumanity ;  for  they  "brought 
 them  into  subjection"  (ver.  16),  the  word  meaning  to  employ /brce.  It  was  an 
 act  of  unbridled  tyranny.  And  "  he  shall  have  justice  without  mercy  that  showeth 
 no  mercy." 
 
 CHAPTER  XXXV. 
 
 Ceitical  and  Exegetical  Notes. — 1.  Chronology  of  the  Chapter.  Seventeen  years  earlier 
 than  the  preceding  narrative  of  the  manumission  of  the  slaves  ;  about  the  fourth  year  of 
 Jehoiakim's  reign.  From  ver.  11  we  find  that  these  Rechabites  were  driven  from  the  desert- 
 scenes  they  inhabited  into  Jerusalem  for  shelter,  consequent  upon  the  conquests  of  Nebuchad- 
 nezzar. These  conquests  began  with  the  victory  at  Charchemish  ;  and  at  the  end  of  the  same  year 
 as  that  decisive  battle  against  Egypt,  he  invaded  Judea,  in  order  to  quell  Jehoiakim's  revolt 
 (comp.  2  Kings  xxiv.  1,  2).     Cf.  Notes  on  chaps,  vii.  and  xx. 
 
 2.  National  Affairs.  The  defeat  of  the  Egyptians  at  Charchemish  had  produced  on  all 
 surrounding  nations  a  sense  of  insecurity.  These  Rechabites,  apprehensive  of  peril,  took 
 refuge  within  Jerusalem,  pitching  their  black  tents  on  the  open  spaces  inside  the  city's  walls, — 
 a  remarkable  and  admonitory  sight  ! 
 
 3.  Personal  Allusions.  Yer.  2.  See  infra  on  "Rechabites."  Ver,  3.  "  Jaazaniah :"  un- 
 known except  from  this  reference.  "  Son  of  Jeremiah  :  "  not  the  prophet  Jeremiah  ;  it  was  a 
 frequent  name.  "  Habaziniah  :  "  apparently,  from  the  form  of  this  allusion  to  him,  the  chief 
 of  the  Rechabites  at  this  time.  Ver.  4.  " Hanan:  "  being  called  here  "a  man  of  God,"  leads 
 some  to  connect  him  with  Hanani  (2  Chron.  xvi.  7,  xix.  2).  "  Igdaliah:"  the  Hebrew  form, 
 Yigdalyahu,  is  more  commonly  contracted  into  Geclaliah.  Ver,  6,  "  Jonadab,  son  of  Rechab," 
 belonged  to  the  Kenites  (1  Chron,  ii.  55),  the  Arabian  tribe  which  entered  Canaan  with  the 
 Israelites.  He  was  an  Arab  chief,  and  created  a  semi-Jewish  religious  sect,  which  we  here  find 
 in  existence  nearly  three  hundred  years  after. 
 
 4.  Manners  and  Customs.     Vers.  6,  7.     "  Drink  no  wine,"  &c.     See  infra  on  "  Rechabites." 
 
 5.  Literary  Criticism.  Ver.  2.  "  The  house  of  the  Rechabites  :"  not  the  dwelling-house,  ior 
 they  had  none,  they  lived  in  tents  ;  but  "  house  "  in  the  sense  of  family. 
 
 TOPICAL  SURVEY   OF  CHAPTER   XXXV. 
 The  Rechabites'  Vow  op  Abstinence. 
 
 "  Give  them  wine  to  drink  "  (ver.  2) ;  "  We  ivill  drink  no  wine  "  (ver.  6). 
 
 For  nearly  three  centuries  these  descendants  of  Jehonadab  had  abstained  from 
 intoxicants.  God  sent  Jeremiah  with  a  test  of  fidelity  to  their  vow  ;  not  a  command 
 to  violate  it.  They  avowed  their  unfaltering  purpose  to  stand  faithful  to  their 
 habit  and  pledge  of  abstinence. 
 
 Habitual  abstinence  from  intoxicants  may  be  urged  therefore  as — 
 
 I.  Founded  on  precedent.  Reverence  for  their  ancestor  kept  them  loyal  for 
 so  long  a  period.  Such  an  exa7nj)le  has  its  influence;  awakening  respect  for  him 
 who  sets  it ;  urging  the  dxity  of  imitation  upon  others. 
 
 II.  Approved  by  utility.  Had  drinking  wine  been  permitted,  it  would  have 
 entailed  the  culture  of  the  vine,  and  that  would  require  settled  residence.  But 
 Jonadab  wished  to  maintain  among  his  followers  the  j^'^irer  morality  and  manlier 
 habits  of  the  desert,  as  contrasted  with  the  laxity  and  effeminacy  of  city  life. 
 Abstinence  would  keep  them  independent  of  decoys  to  luxury,  and  out  of  the  reach 
 of  city  allurements  and  influences. 
 
 III.  Desirable  for  safety.  Character  is  safer  if  abstinence  is  practised. 
 Simplicity  of  life  is  less  open  to  contamination  if  the  company  of  wine-drinkers  is 
 shunned.  Mental  perceptions  and  moral  obligations  are  less  likely  to  be  obscured 
 and  obliterated  in  abstainers,  as  this  chapter  emphatically  proves. 
 
 See  Addenda :  Abstinence. 
 .163 
 
HOMILETIO  COMMENTARY:  JEREMTAE.  chap.  xxxt. 
 
 The  Kechabites'  Constancy. 
 
 "  Jonadab  the  son  of  Rechab,  our  father,  commanded  us  "  (ver.  6).   "  We  have  obeyed 
 and  done  according  to  all  that  Jonadab  our  father  commanded  us"  (ver.  10). 
 
 I.  Obedience  to  man  and  disobedience  to  God  contrasted  (vers.  12-15). 
 
 1.  For  three  himdred  ijears  (cf.  2  Kings  x.  15)  the  sons  of  Hechab  imidicitly 
 obeyed  the  injunction  of  their  father  Jonadab. 
 
 (1.)  Obedience  to  this  injunction  required  great  self-denial,  singularity  of  con- 
 duct,  and  many  privations. 
 
 (2.)  Notwithstanding  these  requirements,  the  sons  of  Kechab  are  the  most 
 illustrious  examples  of  filial  obedience  the  world  has  ever  known. 
 
 2.  The  Jeivish  nation,  called'  the  children  of  God,  have  never  continued  for  one 
 hundred  consecutive  years  obedient  to  their  Father  in  heaven. 
 
 (1.)  Not  because  God  had  not  given  them  plain  and  earnest  injunctions 
 (ver.  15). 
 
 (2.)  Not  because  they  could  not  obey  (ver.  16,  loc.  cit.) 
 
 3.  This  contrast  is  a  sad  one,  and  is  true  in  our  day. 
 
 II.  God  sets  His  seal  of  approval  on  filial  obedience  (vers.  16-19). 
 
 1.  The  surest  and  mightiest  agency  we  have  for  the  establishment  of  righteousness 
 on  the  earth  is  filial  obedience  to  that  which  is  good. 
 
 2.  The  reflexive  power  of  filial  obedience  is  a  mighty  force  in  the  establishment 
 of  true  character. 
 
 III.  The  peculiar  injunction  of  Jonadab  in  respect  to  total  abstinence  from 
 intoxicants  is  worthy  the  careful  study  of  parents  and  statesmen,  as  well  as 
 that  of  the  Church  of  Christ  (Jer.  xxxv.  6). 
 
 1.  Can  anything  short  of  total  abstinence  enstcre  our  youth  and  nation  from 
 drunhenness  and  all  its  fearful  consequences  ? 
 
 2.  Can  there  be  any  valid  argument  offered  against  this  form  of  self-denial  ? 
 
 3.  Woidd  not  the  domestic,  social,  and  national  benefits  accruing  from  total  absti- 
 nence amjAy  repay  every  Christian  parent  and  patriot  for  its  practice  "i 
 
 — Kev.  D.  C.  Hughes. 
 See  Addenda :  Permanence  of  the  Eechabites. 
 
 Vers.  18,  19.  Obedience  to  Teaditions  of  Ancestors. 
 
 Rechabites  originally  Kenites  (Judges  i.  16;  1  Chron.  ii.  55).  Attached  to 
 Moses  by  a  near  and  dear  connection  (Exod.  ii.  21) ;  and,  agreeing  with  Israelites 
 in  worship  of  Jehovah,  the  Kenites  followed  them  to  Canaan,  where  they  dwelt 
 peacefully.  God  cared  for  their  safety  (1  Sam.  xv.  6) ;  and  hundreds  of  years 
 after  we  find  them  still  a  distinct  people,  held  up  by  God  as  example  to  Jews  for 
 their  attachment  to  customs  of  ancestors,  and  honoured  by  Him  with  gracious  and 
 remarkable  promise  of  perpetual  endurance  of  their  family. 
 
 Told  little  of  Jonadab,  though  in  honour  of  him  the  Kenites  changed  their 
 name  to  Rechabites  (comp.  this  chapter  with  2  Kings  x.)  Evidently  a  man  of 
 high  character  and  popularity,  for  Jehu  paid  him  extraordinary  respect  and  atten- 
 tion ;  and  we  may  guess,  from  the  manner  in  which  Jehu  commends  his  own  zeal, 
 that  he  had  been  remarkable,  in  those  evil  and  irreligious  times,  for  fidelity  to 
 God,  notwithstanding  the  threats  and  enticements  of  Ahab  and  Jezebel,  and  the 
 bad  example  of  Israelitish  nation.  Great  influence  over  his  clan  ;  for  two  hundred 
 years  after  his  death  we  find  them  here  observing  his  injunctions.  God  contrasts 
 this  with  Jews'  indifference  to  ordinances  of  Divine  authority.  We  cannot  fix  on 
 any  clan  of  the  Kenites  in  whom  this  promise  has  been  fulfilled ;  yet  doubtless, 
 though  having  forgotten  their  own  ancestry,  they  are  divinely  preserved  among 
 
 563 
 
CHAP.  XXXV.  EOMILETIG  COMMENTARY:  JEREMIAR. 
 
 the  wandering  tribes  of  those  wildernesses  wliere  Recliabites  dwelt.  From  this 
 example  may  be  inferred — 
 
 I.  How  well-pleasing  in  Grod's  sight  is  ohedience  to  parental  authority, 
 respectful  attention  to  the  discipline  and  traditions  of  former  times,  when  these 
 are  recommended  to  us  by  the  example  and  authority  of  good  and  honourable 
 ancestors.  (1.)  Where  the  institutions  of  society  are  preserved,  the  permanence 
 of  the  society  is  greatly  secured.  (2.)  God  here  gives  promise  of  perpetuity. 
 (3.)  The  specific  reason  given  (ver.  18),  because  they  adhered  to  the  rules  of  their 
 ancestors.  Yet  these  rules  were  not  divinely  iinperative ;  they  related  to  things 
 strictly  indifferent,  abstain  from  wine  and  live  in  tents.  Hence,  God  regards  with 
 no  common  approljation  adherence  to  customs  and  traditions  of  forefathers  (Prov. 
 xxi.  24). 
 
 There  are,  however,  limitations  to  this  rule — 
 
 1.  The  precept  or  custom,  if  it  be  not  good  in  itself,  must  at  least  be  a  matter 
 of  indifference.  What  at  first  was  evil  cannot  become  good  by  lapse  of  time.  No 
 precedent  can  make  lawful  what  God  has  forbidden. 
 
 2.  If  this  ordinance,  though  in  itself  harmless,  should  produce  any  breach  of 
 God's  laws ;  if  it  should,  in  time,  become  so  applied  as  to  become  mischievous,  the 
 commandment  of  God  must  not  be  made  of  none  eff'ect  hy  our  tradition.  Where  two 
 authors  are  at  variance,  God  must  be  heard,  not  man  (Matt.  xv.  5,  6 ;  Mark  vii. 
 11-13).     The  custom,  in  order  to  be  binding,  must  be  lawful. 
 
 3.  It  must  proceed  from  compete7it  and  authoritative  persons.  Jonadab  was 
 probably  a  chieftain,  but  his  regulations  had  continued  for  two  hundred  years ;  this 
 origin  and  antiquity  gave  force  to  his  rules.  But  the  rules  of  humau  wisdom,  and 
 those  absolutely  and  universally  binding,  given  by  God  Himself,  must  be  distin- 
 guished. Must  not  "teach  as  cZoc^rmes  the  commandments  of  men."  Thus  the 
 Recbabites  did  not  violate  God's  moral  code,  as  though  inferior  in  importance  to 
 the  laws  of  their  society ;  and,  though  a  breach  of  those  laws  in  their  community 
 could  be  punished  with  expulsion,  they  did  not  count  others  accursed  who  enjoyed 
 moderately  indulgences  they  forbade.  Jeremiah  drank  wine  before  them,  yet  they 
 treated  him  with  respect  and  deference. 
 
 4.  There  may  be  cases  of  necessity  for  the  repeal  or  suspension  of  such  human 
 and  ceremonial  customs  or  laws.  Thus  here  they  fled  to  hoiises  for  protection  from 
 Assyrian  invaders  (ver.  11).  So  our  Saviour  "profaned"  the  ceremonial  rules 
 about  the  Sabbath  (Matt.  xii.  7).  But  for  no  ends  must  God's  laws  be  violated, 
 however  good  we  deem  them.  The  Ruler  of  heaven  and  earth  has  no  need  of  our 
 insolent  and  impious  interference. 
 
 II.  With  these  restrictions,  obedience  to  existing  laws  and  institutions  is  pleasing 
 to  God,  and  here  received  a  very  marked  approbation.     Hence — 
 
 1.  The  falsehood  of  their  opinion  who  think  that  laivs  merely  human  have  no 
 sanction  except  in  the  punishments  they  inflict. 
 
 2.  A  caution  in  times  of  change,  when  novelties  are  sought  with  frantic  eager- 
 ness.    Taught  reverence  for  ancient  precedent. 
 
 Fondness  for  change  is  displeasing  to  God;  for — (1.)  It  is  a  symptom  and  stimulus 
 to  a  lightness  of  mind  unfriendly  both  to  happiness  and  piety.  (2.)  New  customs, 
 or  systematic  departure  from  ancient  habits,  arise  almost  always  from  vanity,  or 
 something  worse.  (3.)  Where  a  rule  is  harmless,  it  is  almost  always  advantageous ; 
 increases  our  habits  of  obedience,  and  therefore  not  without  inherent  grace. 
 
 Hence  it  is  necessary  to  obey,  not  only  for  wrath  but  also  for  conscience'  sake ; 
 the  wisest  of  men  exhorts  us  not  to  meddle  with  those  who  are  given  to  change. 
 Jeremiah  commands  us  not  to  exchange  old  ways  for  new  ones  ;  and  a  Divine  blessing 
 rests  on  those  who  reverence  ancestral  institutions. 
 
 III.  If  human  regulations  are  observed,  though  burdensome,  can  we  reflect  with- 
 out shame  on  our  continued  disobedience  to  Divine  commands?  (vers.  13,  14.) 
 Deep  contrition  and  alarm  shall  awake  within  us.     We  need  God's  forgiveness  for 
 
HOMILETIC  COMMENTARY :  JEREMIAH.  chap.  xxsv. 
 
 former  provocations ;  and  that  He  may  not  call  on  us  in  vain  hereafter,  we  need 
 hearts  subdued  by  the  searching  graces  of  His  Holy  Spirit,  through  the  merits  and 
 mediation  of  our  Saviour. — Condensed  and  arranged  from  Bishop  Eeqinald  Heher, 
 A.D.  1838. 
 
 See  Addenda :  Obedience  to  Ancestors. 
 
 The  Rewards  of  Obedience. 
 
 "  The  words  of  Jonadah,  the  son  of  Rechab,  that  he  commanded  his  so7is  not  to  drinh 
 tvine,  are  jyerformed  ;  for  unto  this  day  they  drink  none,  hut  obey  their  father' s 
 commandment :  notwithstanding  I  have  spoken  unto  you,  rising  early  and 
 speaking  ;  but  ye  hearkened  not  tmto  me  "  (ver.  14). 
 
 The  historical  circiimstances  first  demand  attention. 
 
 The  family  of  the  Rechabites  were  descendants  of  Jethro,  father-in-law  of  Moses ; 
 came  into  Canaan  with  the  Israelites,  and  settled  in  southern  part  of  Judea ;  were 
 worshippers  of  the  true  God,  but  did  not  conform  to  Jewish  rites.  It  has  ever 
 been  deemed  a  great  difficulty  in  political  economy  to  maintain  "  an  empire  within 
 an  empire  ;  "  but  this  little  tribe  solved  the  problem  ;  for  it  preserved  an  indepen- 
 dent existence  among  the  Israelites  for  nearly  one  thousand  years,  and,  though 
 neither  acknowledging  their  worship  nor  their  laws,  was  suffered  to  remain  undis- 
 turbed by  ambition  or  religious  persecution. 
 
 They  accomplished  this  result  thus  : — About  five  hundred  years  after  their  settle- 
 ment in  Canaan,  lived  that  Jonadab,  a  very  distinguished  man  among  his  people ; 
 is  said  to  have  assisted  Jehu  in  rooting  out  idolatry  from  Israel.  He  saw  that  his 
 people  were  but  a  handful  among  a  more  powerful  people,  and  likely  soon  to  be 
 swallowed  up  by  their  neighbours,  and  he  hit  upon  a  happy  method  of  preserving 
 their  independent  existence.  1.  He  enjoined  them  "  not  to  drink  wine ; "  this 
 was  to  save  them  from  luxury  and  intemperance,  which  would  prey  upon  them  from 
 within,  and  make  them  ripe  for  destruction.  2.  Also  commanded  them  "  not  to 
 till  the  ground,  nor  to  have  any  houses,  nor  to  dwell  in  cities ; "  this  was  in  order 
 that  they  might  have  no  riches  to  tempt  others  to  make  ivar  upon  them  ;  and  thus, 
 to  use  his  own  words,  "  they  might  live  many  days  in  the  land  wherein  they  were 
 strangers."  Luxury  and  wealth  are  the  bane  of  nations,  and  by  keeping  his  tribe 
 a  simple,  pastoral  people,  pure  in  their  habits,  and  destitute  of  property,  he 
 accomjjlished  his  wishes  for  them. 
 
 I.  Notice  the  obedience  of  the  Eechabites,  contrasted  tvith  the  disobedi 
 ence  of  Israel  to  God.  An  ancestor  of  that  family,  dead  nearly  three  hundred 
 years,  had  issued  his  commands,  and  they  were  still  obeyed;  but  the  living 
 God  had  spoken  repeatedly  to  Israel,  by  His  prophets,  yet  they  would 
 not  hear.  The  commands  of  Jonadab,  too,  were  very  arbitrary.  There 
 could  be  no  sin  in  cultivating  the  fields,  or  in  living  in  houses,  whatever 
 moral  worth  there  may  have  been  in  the  precept  to  drink  no  wine ;  but 
 still,  because  Jonadab  commanded  it,  they  obeyed.  Compelled  by  necessity  to 
 disobey  him  on  this  occasion ;  for  when  the  Chaldeans  invaded  the  land,  they 
 were  obliged  to  go  and  dwell  in  Jerusalem  for  protection.  And  here  occurred 
 the  trial  of  their  obedience  by  Jeremiah.  He  called  the  family  together, 
 and  set  wine  before  them,  inviting  them  to  drink,  not  tempting  them  to  break 
 their  pledge,  but  knowing  that  they  would  keep  it,  and  meaning  thereby  to  reprove 
 the  Israelites.  They  refused  the  wine,  and  pleaded  the  command  of  Jonadab  as 
 their  excuse.  How  pointed  was  then  the  rebuke  of  the  prophet !  Jonadab  was 
 obeyed.  But  the  Israelites — who  had  reasonable,  not  arbitrary,  laws  from  God, 
 not  from  a  frail  mortal ;  from  the  living  God,  who  had  loaded  them  with  benefits, 
 and  could  still  reward  them  ;  not  from  a  dead  ancestor  who  had  done  little  for  them, 
 and  could  do  nothing  more — had  rebelled   against  their  Maker,  and  would  not 
 
 hearken  unto  Him. 
 
 565 
 
CHAP.  XSXV. 
 
 HOMILETIC  COMMENTARY :  JEREMIAH. 
 
 The  complaint  of  God  has  still  an  application. 
 
 It  is  a  fact,  tliat  among  sinners,  any  and  every  law,  precept,  or  tradition,  of  mere 
 human  authority,  is  better  obeyed  than  the  laws  of  God  Himself.  No  matter  who 
 speaks,  if  he  has  gained  credit  among  his  fellowmen ;  no  matter  how  absurd  the 
 law  or  usage,  if  it  has  been  sanctioned  by  custom  or  a  good  name,  there  is  obedi- 
 ence such  as  God  catmot  win.  "  I  am  come  in  My  Father's  .name,"  said  our  Lord, 
 "  and  ye  receive  Me  not ;  if  another  shall  come  in  his  own  name,  him  ye  will 
 receive." 
 
 See,  in  a  few  instances,  how  this  has  been  verified.  Mahomet  arose,  a  sensualist, 
 an  adulterer,  a  breaker  of  treaties,  and  a  robber,  and  issued  his  commands,  which 
 for  centuries  have  been  religiously  obeyed.  At  the  cry  of  the  muezzin,  and  the 
 hour  of  prayer,  every  follower  of  his,  whether  in  the  desert,  on  board  the  ship,  in 
 the  city,  or  the  field,  suspends  his  labour,  his  jjleasures,  and  even  his  griefs,  and 
 casts  himself  upon  his  knees  in  prayer.  No  scoffing  looks  of  those  of  another  creed 
 can  make  him  forego  this,  no  distance  from  home  leads  him  to  forget  it ;  but 
 whether  he  be  in  gay  Paris  or  his  own  Stamboul,  he  omits  not  his  ablutions  or 
 devotions.  But  the  blessed  Jesics,  pure,  peaceful,  and  glorious,  speaks,  and  even 
 those  who  acknowledge  Him  as  Lord  over  all,  and  own  the  goodness  of  His  com- 
 mands, can  listen  to  such  words  as,  "  This  do  in  remembrance  of  Me,"  and  obey 
 them  not. 
 
 The  founder  of  some  monkish  order,  again,  has  enjoined  upon  all  his  fraternity 
 certain  rules  and  austerities,  and  he  is  obeyed.  Day  after  day,  and  year  after  year, 
 the  same  tedious  round  of  ceremonies  is  gone  through  with,  as  though  salvation 
 depended  upon  it,  and  the  deluded  ones  will  rise  at  the  midnight  hour  to  inflict 
 stripes  upon  themselves  or  to  offer  prayer.  But  Christ  may  enjoin  the  reasonable 
 duty  of  praying  to  our  Father  in  spirit  and  in  truth,  and  multitudes  can  suffer  days 
 and  years  to  pass,  and  pray  not. 
 
 The  commander  of  the  order  of  Jesuits  can  place  his  inferior  priests  in  any 
 country  of  the  world,  and  whether  the  mandate  be  to  act  as  father-confessor  in 
 some  palace,  or  to  penetrate  to  China  or  Paraguay,  there  is  no  more  resistance  nor 
 apparent  regard  for  the  sacrifices  to  be  made  than  in  the  machinery  which  is  moved 
 by  mechanic  power.  Christ  commands  His  disciples  to  "  go  preach  the  Gospel  to 
 every  creature,"  but  only  here  and  there  one  goes  forth.  The  Rechabites  of 
 modern  times,  and  Sons  of  Temperance,  may  institute  a  vow  of  temperance,  and  it 
 is  kept ;  or  command  one  of  their  number  to  minister  to  the  sick,  and  it  is  done  ;  or 
 provide  well  for  their  poor  ;  but  Christ  says  that  "  no  drunkard  slaall  enter  heaven," 
 and  enjoins  charity  to  the  sick  and  the  destitute,  while  many  heed  Him  not. 
 
 Caution: — L  Because  religion  is  less  powerful  than  something  else  to  enforce 
 obedience,  we  are  not  to  think  less  of  its  truth.  Said  an  infidel,  "  Temperance 
 societies  are  better  than  Christianity,  because  they  can  produce  reforms  v/hich 
 your  boasted  religion  has  failed  to  achieve."  But  temperance  societies  were  origi- 
 nated by  Christians,  and  have  achieved  the  good  they  have  done  through  Christian 
 influence. 
 
 2.  The  lack  of  -poioer  to  compel  obedience  does  not  prove  the  lack  of  right  to 
 claim  it.  Heathenism  is  not  better  than  Christianity,  because  it  can  speak  and  be 
 so  literally  obeyed ;  nor  Popery  than  Protestantism,  because  the  commands  of 
 pope  or  priest  are  received  with  a  more  implicit  deference  ;  nor  Mahometanism 
 better  than  our  faith,  because  its  followers  so  strictly  heed  the  false  prophet's  pre- 
 cepts. When  God  speaks  there  is  always  a  reason  Avhy  His  commands  are  dis- 
 obeyed— Men  speak  and  are  obeyed,  because  they  do  not  command  an  iitter  re- 
 nunciation of  sin,  they  only  enjoin  some  external  duty  or  moral  obedience  which 
 may  leave  the  heart  to  sin  in  other  matters  as  it  pleases ;  while  God  demands 
 holiness  in  everything,  and,  therefore,  fails  of  receiving  obedience.  What  a  proof 
 have  we  hence  of  the  necessity  of  a  new  heart  !  What  a  motive  to  pray  for  such 
 a  change  ! 
 5GG 
 
EOMILETIC  COMMENTARY :  JEREMIAH.  chap.  xsxv. 
 
 II.  The  rewards  of  obedience.  That  family  of  Rechabites  remained  an  inde- 
 pendent  community  for  about  one  thousand  years,  that  is,  during  all  the  time  that 
 the  Israelites  continued  in  their  land.  God  promised,  as  reward  for  their  filial  piety, 
 temperance,  and  contempt  of  luxury,  "  that  Jonadab,  the  son  of  Rechab,  should 
 not  want  a  man  to  stand  before  him  for  ever." 
 
 Modern  travellers,  moreover,  state  that  the  Rechabites  are  still  in  existence. 
 Mr.  Wolf,  the  famous  Jewish  missionary,  asserts  this  as  his  belief.  "And  another 
 traveller  who  visited  a  tract  to  the  south  of  Judea,  which  has  been  unexplored  for 
 centuries,  met  there  a  native  who  claimed  to  be  a  Rechabite,  and  when  an  Arabic 
 Bible  was  shown  to  him,  turned  to  this  chapter  and  read  from  it  the  description  of 
 his  people,  and  said  that  it  was  still  true  of  them,  and  that  they  still  kept  the 
 precepts  of  Jonadab  their  father.  Over  three  thousand  years  have  passed  away 
 since  that  family  of  the  Kenites  came  with  Israel  into  Canaan,  and  for  two  thousand 
 years  no  traces  of  them  were  preserved  ;  but  now,  after  so  long  a  lapse  of  time, 
 recent  discoveries  have  brought  them  to  light,  retaining  their  name,  and  gloryino- 
 in  their  independence.  Though  surrounded  by  Mahometan  Arabs,  they  conform 
 to  the  law  of  Moses,  yet  maintaining  that  they  are  not  Israelites ;  and  are  much 
 hated  by  the  Mussulman."  This  account  was  given  by  a  traveller  so  late  as  1832, 
 and  is  confirmed  by  English  residents  at  Mocha,  and  from  other  sources. 
 
 Note. — We  have  here  one  of  the  most  extraordinary  accomplishments  of  prophecy 
 on  record.  A  little  handful  of  people,  not  larger  than  one  of  our  Indian  tribes, 
 has  kept  upon  the  same  spot  for  about  one  hundred  generations,  while  all  the  neigh- 
 bouring nations  have  undergone  change  and  dissolution. 
 
 No  doubt  every  promise  of  God's  Word  is  as  abundantly  fulfilled.  We  may  not 
 always  be  able  to  trace  out  their  literal  accomplishment  as  strikingly  as  in  this 
 case,  but  we  never  could  prove  one  promise  in  all  the  Bible  false  ;  and  the  more 
 light  we  have  the  more  abundantly  do  we  see  that  all  have  been  "  yea  and  amen." 
 Let  us  rest  upon  God's  Word.  Exceeding  great  and  precious  promises  are  given 
 to  las  in  the  sacred  book.  They  are  like  good  notes  from  a  prompt  paymaster, 
 falling  due  at  different  times. 
 
 And  all  the  precious  promises  of  eternity  shall  yet  be  realised  by  God's  people  : 
 about  "  the  golden  city,"  and  "  the  harpers  with  their  harps,"  and  "  the  innumerable 
 company  of  saints  and  angels,"  and  "  the  glory  of  God  filling  the  temple."  The 
 unchangeable  faithfulness  of  God  to  His  declarations  is  a  most  delightful  theme  to 
 a  Christian.     It  is  the  rock  on  which  he  rests,     God  has  promised  ;  he  believes. 
 
 Happy  the  man  who  has  these  2irecious  pi^omises  for  his  own,  and  can  use  them 
 and  rely  upon  them  ! — Hev.  W.  H.  Leivis,  D.D.,  BrooUyn,  1871. 
 
 OUTLINES  ON  VERSES  OF  CHAPTER  XXXV. 
 
 Ver.  4.  Theme:  "A  Man  of  God."  2.  Every  holy  duty  he  loves  :  prayer. 
 Between  a  man  of   God  in  the  Old  p^''^'^^^^^  ^^• 
 Testament  and  a  Christian  in  the  New,          3.  His   love  of   holy  men  is  notice- 
 no  difference  ;  convertible  terms  :  alike  able  :  the  "  holy  brethren  "  of  whatever 
 in  all  that  relates  to  moral  character  Church. 
 
 and  religious  faith.     Called  "  a  man  of         II.  He  is  the  wisest  of  men. 
 God"  because   he    is    Godi's   workman-  1.  His  wisdom  is  seen  in  the  provi- 
 ship  :  He  made  him  what  he  is.      "By  sion  he  mahes  for  his  everlasting  ixxixxxe. 
 the  grace  of  God  I  am  what  I  am."                  2.  He  is   prepared  for  all  the  con- 
 He  is  the  noUest  of  God's  works  ;  the  tingencies  of  time :  for  storms,   he  has 
 hu/hest  type  of  man.  anchorage ;  for  temptations,  "  the  whole 
 I.  He  is  the  holiest  of  men.  armour  of  God,"  &c. 
 1.  Every   holy   thing   under    heaven          III.   He  is  the  hest  of  men. 
 he   admires  :  holy  Bible,  holy  Sabbath,  1.   He   has   been  "  created   after  the 
 Sanctuary,  Supper,  &c.  image    of    Him    who    created     him." 
 
 567 
 
CHAP.  XXXV. 
 
 IIOMILETIC  COMMENTARY :  JEREMIAH. 
 
 I 
 
 And  he  is  the  best  who  is  most  God- 
 like. 
 
 2.  He  is  best  adapted  to  promote  the 
 glory  of  God. 
 
 IV.  He  is  the  richest  of  men. 
 
 1.  His  wealth  is  of  the  highest  hind: 
 spiritual  riches. 
 
 2.  His  wealth  he  can  never  lose  : 
 durable  riches. 
 
 V.  He  is  the  most  honoured  of  men. 
 
 1.  To  him  belongs  the  honour  of 
 sonship. 
 
 2.  Oi  priesthood. 
 
 3.  Of  daily  converse  ivith  God. 
 
 4.  Of  being  clothed  with  the  garments 
 of  salvation. 
 
 VI.  He  has  the  fairest  prospects  of 
 all  men. 
 
 1.  Of  an  ^'abundant  entrance  into  the 
 everlasting  Mnqdom  of  our  Lord  Jesus 
 Christ." 
 
 2.  Of  a  deathless,  felicitous  existence. 
 
 3.  Of  association  with  the  purest, 
 noblest,  highest  of  beings. 
 
 4.  Of  "  an  inheritance  incorruptible, 
 undefiled^''  &c. 
 
 Who  would  not  wish  to  be  "a  man 
 of  God  "  %  —  Rev.  B.  Pledge,  "  Walks 
 with  the  Prophet  Jeremiah." 
 
 Note.  —  Trapp  observes  that  this 
 "  man  of  God '"'  was  a  priest  and  prophet, 
 or  teacher  of  the  people.  So  in  the 
 New  Testament  others  are  called  God's 
 children.  His  servants,  and  His  people  ; 
 but  ministers  only  are  called  "  God's 
 men"  (1  Tim.  vi.  11 ;  2  Tim.  iii.  17). 
 
 Yer.  15.  Theme:  God's  Earnestness 
 IN  Dealing  with  Sinners.  "  Rising 
 up  early,"  &c. 
 
 See  Homily  on  chap.  vii.  13. 
 
 Ver.  15.  Theme:  Sinners  Admo- 
 nished TO  Return  to  God.  "  Return 
 ye  now  every  manfrovi  his  evil  way,  and 
 amend  your  doings;  and  go  not  after 
 other  gods  to  serve  them,  and  ye  shall 
 dwell  in  the  land  u'hich  I  have  given 
 to  you  and  to  your  fathers." 
 
 The  Israelites  were  a  rebellious  people  ; 
 but  He  "  sent  His  servants  the  prophets, 
 rising  up  early,"  &c.  God  desires  not 
 the  death  of  a  sinner.  To  save  men 
 from  present  and  eternal  ruin,  He 
 appointed  Christ  as  the  Mediator.  He 
 5G8 
 
 has  sent  His  servants  to  proclaim  this 
 mercy,  and  to  invite  siimers  to  return 
 to  the  enjoyment  of  His  favour.  And 
 what  is  the  design  of  the  Gospel  ministry 
 now  ?  It  is  "  to  turn  men  from  dark- 
 ness to  light,  and  from  the  power  of 
 Satan  to  God,"  &c.  (Acts  xxvi.  18). 
 
 I.  What  the  exhortation  presup- 
 poses. 
 
 1.  That  there  has  been  a  departure 
 from  God.     "  Return  ye." 
 
 2.  This  departure  is  universal.  "Every 
 man."  "  For  all  have  sinned,"  &c.  (Rom. 
 iii.  10,  19-23). 
 
 3.  This  departure  is  flagrantly  tvicked. 
 "Evil  way."  (a)  Evil  in  its  nature; 
 (b)  evil  in  its  influence;  (c)  evil  in  its 
 consequences. 
 
 II.  To  what  reforms  the  exhorta- 
 tion points.     "  Return  ye,"  &c. 
 
 1.  Deep  conviction  of  the  evil  and 
 dangerous  nature  of  a  wicked  career. 
 
 2.  Contrition  of  heart,  and  confession 
 of  sin  to  God. 
 
 3.  The  renunciation  of  every  evil  ivay. 
 
 4.  Supreme  love  and  loyalty  to  God. 
 
 III.  Compliance  with  this  request 
 is  urgent.  "  Return  ye  noiv,"  because — 
 
 1 .  Life  is  short  and  uncertain. 
 
 2.  Sin  is  hardening  and  deceitful. 
 
 3.  You  tvill  escape  the  greatest  evils 
 and  realise  the  most  exalted  pleasures. 
 
 4.  The  longer  you  delay  the  less  pro- 
 bability there  is  that  you  will  ever  return. 
 
 5.  The  p>resent  is  the  only  time  in 
 which  we  are  authorised  to  tell  you  you 
 can  be  saved. 
 
 IV.  The  happy  result  of  returning 
 to  God.     "  Ye  shall  dwell  in  the  land." 
 
 1.  The  land.  The  Israelites  entered 
 Canaan.  But  Canaan  a  faint  type  of 
 heaven  to  which  believers  are  called. 
 
 2.  It  will  be  the  residence  of  God's 
 people.  "  Ye  shall  dwell  "  there  in  ful- 
 ness of  joy,  and  at  God's  right  hand. 
 Your  *'  sun  shall  no  more  go  down." 
 
 — Helps  for  the  Pxdpit. 
 
 Ver.  15.  Theme:  Sinners  Summoned 
 TO  Self-Improvement.  '■'■Amend  your 
 doings." 
 
 See  Homily  on  chap.  vii.  3. 
 
 Ver.  16.  Theme:  True  Obedience 
 Shown  in  the  Contrasted  Conduct 
 
HOMILETIC  COMMENTARY:  JEREMIAH. 
 
 CHAP.  XXXV. 
 
 of  Israel  and  the  Rechahites.  "  But  this 
 2)eople  hath  not  hearkened  unto  Me." 
 
 The  Recbabites'  obedience  to  their 
 ancestor's  command  is  in  itself  praise- 
 worthy and  exemplary.  It  is  perfectly 
 accordant  with  the  Foiirth  Command- 
 ment. 
 
 Were  the  Eechabites  equally  con- 
 Bcientious  in  their  observance  of  the 
 Divine  commands  ?  Would  not  a  custom 
 contrary  to  the  Divine  command  have 
 been  retained  with  equal  tenacity  on  the 
 authority  of  their  chief  ? 
 
 Still— 
 
 I.  The  Eechabites  put  Israel  to  shame, 
 in  so  far  as  they  obey  the  command  of 
 their  earthly  ancestor,  while  the  latter 
 does  not  obey  the  Lord's  command. 
 
 II.  The  obedience  of  the  Rechabites 
 to  the  command  of  their  earthly  ancestor 
 is,  however,  no  pledge  of  their  obedience 
 to  the  commands  of  God. 
 
 III.  Obedience  to  God's  commands  is 
 guaranteed  only  among  the  spiritual 
 Israel,  i.e.,  among  those  who  by  the 
 Holy  Spirit  have  become  members  of  a 
 higher  order  of  nature,  in  which  the 
 will  of  God  is  written  in  the  hearts  of 
 all,  and  has  consequently  become  the 
 innermost  principle  of  life. 
 
 Or  thus — 
 
 L  In   respect  to  legal  obedience,  the 
 
 Jews  are  surpassed  by  the  Rechabites. 
 Note  the  difference  between  Israel  and 
 the  Rechabites  in  this  respect. 
 
 II.  The  obedience  of  the  Rechabites 
 to  their  ancestor  does  not  guarantee 
 obedience  to  God.  Note  the  equality  of 
 Israel  and  the  Rechabites  in  this  respect. 
 
 III.  Only  sinritual  Israel  bears  in 
 itself  the  guarantee  of  obedience  to  God. 
 Note  the  higher  status  of  the  spiritual 
 Israel  over  the  Rechabites.  —  Comj). 
 Naegelshach  in  lange. 
 
 Ver.  19.  Theme:  Permanence  op 
 THE  Rechabites.  ''Of  so  great  a  price 
 in  the  sight  of  God  is  the  virtue  oi  filial 
 duty  and  obedience,  that  it  seldom  fails 
 of  its  reward  even  in  this  world.  The 
 law  which  enjoined  it  had  a  promise  of 
 long  life  attached  to  it  (Exod.  xx.  12) ; 
 and  it  is  distinguished  by  the  Apostle 
 as  '  the  first  commandment  with  pro- 
 mise '  (Ephes.  vi.  2). 
 
 "  And  by  this  history  of  the  Recha- 
 bites we  may  learn  that  the  surest  ivay 
 to  entail  a  blessing  on  our  children,  and 
 to  2yerpetuate  our  names  and  families  in 
 a  numerous  and  virtuous  issue,  is  to 
 reverence  and  obey  our  own  parents." — 
 Wogan. 
 
 See  Addenda :  Permanence  of  the 
 Rechabites. 
 
 ADDENDA  TO  CHAP.  XXXV.  :  ILLUSTRATIONS  AND  SUGGESTIVE  EXTRACTS. 
 
 Obedience  to  Ancestors.  Mn  y.aXov 
 xg/vs/f  svavria  ToTg  SioTg^irccT^i  xa/  didccGxdXtfi. 
 — A7'is.  Ehe.  "  It  is  not  good  for  a  man 
 to  dissent  from  the  gods,  from  his  father, 
 and  from  his  teacher." 
 
 We  read  of  a  king  of  Poland  who 
 carried  the  picture  of  his  father  in  a 
 plate  of  gold  about  his  neck;  and  when  he 
 was  entering  upon  any  great  business  he 
 would  kiss  the  picture  and  say,  "God  grant 
 I  may  observe  my  father's  charge,  and 
 do  nothing  unworthy  of  him." — Trapp. 
 
 Absalom's  pillar  (2  Sam.  xviii.  18)  is 
 still  standing,  according  to  Sandys  ;  and 
 the  Turks,  whenever  they  pass,  throw  a 
 stone  at  it,  in  token  of  their  horror  at 
 his  unnatural  conduct  against  his  father. 
 
 Abstinence. 
 "  Against  diseases  here  the  strongest  fence 
 
 Is  the  defensive  virtue  Abstinence." 
 
 — R.  Herrick. 
 
 "  Though  I  look  old,  yet  I  am  young  and  lusty; 
 For  in  my  youth  I  never  did  apply 
 Hot  and  rebellious  liquors  in  my  blood." 
 — Shakespeare. 
 
 "  Thou  sparkling  bowl !  thou  sparkling  bowl! 
 Though  lips  of  bards  thy  brim  may  press, 
 And  eyes  of  beauty  o'er  thee  roll, 
 
 And  songs  and  dance  thy  power  confess — 
 I  will  not  touch  thee  ;  for  there  clings 
 A  scorpion  to  thy  side  that  stings." 
 
 — /.  Pier  point. 
 
 Diodorus  tells  us  that  theNabatliseans, 
 for  the  preservation  of  their  wandering 
 habits  and  therefore  of  their  liberty, 
 forbade  any  one  "  either  to  sow  corn,  or 
 plant  fruit-trees,  or  drink  wine,  or  build 
 a  house." 
 
 Permanence  of  the  Rechabites. 
 Information  on  this  remarkable  fact  maj' 
 be  obtained  from  Dr.  Wolff's  "  Journal 
 of  his  Travels  in  Yemen  and  Mesopo- 
 tamia," pp.   388,  389  ;  and  "  Travels," 
 
 5G9 
 
CHAP.  xs?:vi.  nOMILETIC  COMMENTAJiT:  JEREMIAH. 
 
 ii.  pp.  298-300 ;  and  Pusey  on  "Daniel,"  loud  voice,  '  Come,  I  show  to  you ; '  and 
 
 p.  268.     In  Kitto's  Daily  Bible  Illus-  then  he  began  to  read  Jeremiah  xxxv. 
 
 tralions,   Evening  Series,  "Isaiah  and  5-11. 
 
 the    Prophets,"    will    be    found     most  "  Wolff.   '  Where  do  you  reside  ? ' 
 
 helpful   information   on   the    "  Modern  "  Mousa  (recurring  to   Gen.   x.   27). 
 
 Jiechabites."  '  At  Hadoram,  now  called  Samar  by  the 
 
 j0r.     Wolff's    account    is    this  : — At  Arab  ;  at  Usal,   now  called   Sanaa  by 
 
 Jalovha,  in   Mesopotamia,  a  Eechabite  the  Arabs  ;  and  (Gen.  x.  30)  at  Mesha, 
 
 Avas  pointed  out  to  him.     "  I  saw  one  now  called  Mecca,  in  the  deserts  around 
 
 standing  before  me  dressed  and  wild  like  those  places.     We  drink  no  wine,  and 
 
 an  Arab,  the  bridle  of  his  horse  holding  plant  no  vineyard,  and  sow  no  seed,  and 
 
 in  his  hand.     I  showed  him  the  Bible  live  in    tents,   as    Jonadab    our   father 
 
 in   Hebrew  and  Arabic  :  he  read  both  commanded  us.     Hobab  was  our  father 
 
 languages,  and  was  rejoiced  to  see  the  too.     Come  to  us  :  you  will  find  still 
 
 Bible ;  he  was  not  acquainted  with  the  60,000  in  number ;  and  you  see  thus 
 
 New    Testament.      After    having    pro-  prophecy  has  been  fulfilled.     '  Therefore, 
 
 claimed  to  him  the  tidings  of  salvation,  thus  saith  the  Lord,  Jonadab,  the  son  of 
 
 and  made  him  a  present  of  the  Hebrew  Eechab,  shall  not  want  a  man  to  stand 
 
 and  Arabic  Bibles  and  Testaments,   I  before  Me  for  ever.'" 
 
 asked  him —  "And  saying  this,  Mousa  mounted  his 
 
 "  '  Whose  descendant  are  you  ? '  horse,  and  fled  away,  and  left   behind 
 
 "  Mousa  (that  was  his  name),  with  a  him  a  host  of  evidence  of  Sacred  Writ." 
 
 CHAPTER  XXXVI. 
 
 Critical  and  Exegetical  Notes. — 1.  Chronology  of  the  Chapter. — "Fourth  of  JeJwiahim." 
 See  Note  on  chap.  xxv. 
 
 2.  National  Affairs. — Jehoiakim  was  at  that  time  vassal  of  Pharoah-Necho  ;  but  Nebuchad- 
 nezzar invaded  Jerusalem,  carried  off  a  few  prisoners  and  some  of  the  Temple  treasures  (Dan. 
 i.  1,  2),  and  compelled  Jehoiakim  to  become  his  vassal,  thus  subjugating  the  nation  to  Babylon 
 instead  of  Egypt.  This  was  a  sore  pang  and  degradation  to  Jehoiakim  ;  and  when  Jeremiah 
 prophesied  (ver.  29)  that  "the  Icing  of  Babylon  ivould  again  come  to  destroy  the  land  and  male  man 
 and  beast  cease  from  it,"  the  king's  wrath  became  ungovernable. 
 
 In  this  critical  condition  of  the  nation,  invasion  begun,  conquest  sure,  and  ca^Mmty  imminent, 
 it  became  urgent  that  Jeremiah  should  collect  all  Ids  prophecies — covering  a  period  of  twenty- 
 three  years — into  "a  book"  (ver.  2),  for  their  preservation  as  a  witness  of  God's  pleadings 
 and  warnings  with  the  nation.  This  writing  was  completed  in  "the  ninth  month:"  our 
 December. 
 
 For  Contemporaneous  Scriptures  and  Contemporaneous  History,  vide  Notes  in  he.  on 
 chap.  xxv. 
 
 3.  Manners  and  Customs. — Ver.  2.  "Take  thee  a  roll  of  a  hook  and  write."  It  was  a  roll 
 of  parcliment  skins.  Ver.  9.  "Proclaimed  a  fast."  Tlie  ordinary  fast  was  in  the  seventh 
 month  (Lev.  xvi.  29)  ;  but  this  was  "the  ninth  month"  (ver.  9),  and  was  therefore  an  extra  and 
 special  fast.  Keil  thinks  this  fast  was  to  commemorate  by^  a  national  humiliation  the  capture 
 of  Jerusalem  by  the  Chaldeans  the  previous  year.  Ver.  22.  "  The  king  sat  in  the  imnter -house." 
 A  separate  portion  of  the  palace  specially  used  in  the  colder  season  (Amos  iii.  15).  "Afire  on 
 the  hearth,"  lit.  "  the  fire-pan  burning  before  him  ;  "  in  the  middle  of  the  floor  was  a  brazier 
 in  wliich  the  fire — charcoal — burned. 
 
 4.  Personal  Allusions.— Ver.  4.  "iJaracA"  (see  on  chap,  xxxii.  12);  Ver.  10.  "Gemariah:" 
 not  the  Gemariah  of  chap.  xxix.  3,  but  brother  of  Ahikam  (xxvi.  24).  Ver.  11.  "  Michaiah :" 
 grandson  of  "  Shaphan,"  of  whom  see  2  Kings  xxii.  3.  Ver.  12.  "  Elishama  :"  a  court  prince, 
 perhaps  the  same  as  mentioned  xli.  1,  2  Kings  xxv.  25.  "Elnathan:"  already  had  acted  as 
 an  evil  agent  of  tlie  king's  (xxvi.  22,  23).  ''  Hananiah,"  the  false  prophet  (xxviii.  10-17). 
 Ver.  14.  "  Jehudi : "  doubtless  of  a  good  family  from  his  ancestry  being  so  carefully  recited  ;  but 
 liis  office  is  unknown.  Ver.  26.  "  Jerahmecl  the  son  of  Hammelech ;"  query,  the  son  of  the 
 king  ?  But  Jehoiakim  had  then  no  grown-up  son.  Yet  he  might  have  been  one  of  royal  blood. 
 " Scraiah,"  &c.,  courtiers  or  princes. 
 
 6.  Literary  Criticisms. — Ver.   7.  "It  may  he  they  will  present  their  supplication  before  the 
 Lord."    The  words    HSriPl  nps:  mean  to  allow  a  petition  to  be  laid  at  the  feet  of  a  superior  : 
 lit.  "it  m;iy  be  their  supplication  will  fall  before  Jehovah."     Ver.  18.  '^Me  pronounced  all  these 
 570 
 
HOMILETIC  COMMENTARY:  JEREMIAH. 
 
 CHAP.  XXXVI. 
 
 &c.      VSp  N'l|5j  definitely — he  recited  from  his  mouth ;  not,  read  from  a  book :  oral 
 
 dictation.      ''Ink:"  the  only  occurrence  of  the  word,      in,  inlc,  may  come  from  n^,  to  he 
 
 Hack.     Ver.  23.     "  Cut  it  with  the  penknife;  "  i.e.  the  scribe's  kuife  with  which  he  trim^ned  his 
 reed  for  writing. 
 
 JVofe. — Chapters  xxxvi.-xliv.  form  a  Historic  Eecoed  op  Events  (gathered  up 
 into  a  volume  by  express  Divine  command),  ranging  from  the  fourth  year  of 
 Jehoialcini  to  the  close  of  Jeremiah's  ministry.  These  records  divide  themselves 
 thus — 
 
 A.  Chaps.  xxxvL-xxxviii.     Events  preceding  the  Chaldean  capture  of  Jerusalem. 
 
 B.  Chapters  xxxix.-xliv.     Events  succeeding  that  capture. 
 
 Subject  of  Chapter  xxxvi. — Jeremiah's  prophecies — 
 
 1.  Committed  to  tvriting  by  Baruch  (vers.  1—8). 
 
 2.  Rehearsed  to  all  the  people  (vers.  9,  10). 
 
 3.  Read  to  the  jyrinces  (vers.  11-19). 
 
 4.  Read  in  part  to  Jehoiahim,  then  burnt  by  the  king  (vers.  20-26). 
 6.  Jehoiakim's  heavy  denunciation  (vers.  27-31). 
 
 6.  The  second  roll — prophecies  rewritten  (ver.  32) 
 
 HOMILIES  AND  OUTLINES  ON  CHAPTER  XXXVI. 
 
 Vers.  2,  3.  Theme  :  Revelation  in 
 Writing.  "  Take  thee  a  roll  of  a  book, 
 and  write  therein  all  the  words  that  I 
 have  spoken  unto  thee  against  Israel, 
 and  against  Judah,  and  against  all  the 
 nations,  from  the  day  I  spake  unto  thee, 
 from  the  days  of  Josiah,  even  unto  this 
 day.  It  may  be  that  the  house  of 
 Judah  will  hear  all  the  evil  that  I  pur- 
 pose to  do  unto  them ;  that  they  may 
 return  every  man  from  his  evil  way,  that 
 I  may  forgive  their  iniquity  and  their 
 sin." 
 
 Ours  is  a  documentary  religion ;  and 
 it  is  a  great  advantage  to  have  the 
 principles  of  our  faith  in  a  defined  and 
 a  written  form.  The  propheis  pen  suc- 
 ceeded his  breath. 
 
 An  abstract  of  Jeremiah's  preaching 
 for  twenty-three  years  was  thus  recorded. 
 Baruch  was  to  read  it.  It  excited  a  great 
 sensation.  The  princes  conveyed  it  to 
 the  king  :  it  was  read  in  his  presence  : 
 he  took  his  penknife,  cut  it  in  pieces, 
 cast  it  in  the  fire.  But  another  was 
 written  with  this  awful  addition  :  Say 
 to  Jehoiahim  (vers.  30,  31). 
 
 Upon  this  account  remark — 
 
 I.  The  Divine  authority  of  the  book. 
 "  This  word  came  to  Jeremiah." 
 
 1.  It  bears  evident  marks  and  indi- 
 
 cations of  having  come  from  God.  Ours 
 is  a  documentary  religion — more  sure 
 than  miracle — "a  more  sure  word  of 
 prophecy."  ff  ye  believe  not  Moses," 
 &c. 
 
 2.  The  time  and  the  7nanner  in  which 
 this  word  comes  to  a  people.  It  is  dis- 
 tinctly marked  by  God  Himself  as  a 
 great  crisis  in  their  religious  history. 
 God  dates  from  this  event.  Good  men 
 date  from  it  too. 
 
 3.  The  Book  can  never  leave  us  as  it 
 finds  us. 
 
 II.  The  gracious  design  of  the  Scrip- 
 tures. To  bring  us  to  faith,  to  re- 
 pentance and  reconciliation  to  God  (vers. 
 3-7) ;  not  to  condemn,  but  to  save.  It 
 is  to  show  us  our  danger  and  our  refuge. 
 Full  of  Christ. 
 
 III.  The  settled  hostility  it  excites 
 (vers.  22,23).  Men  of  corrupt  minds  love 
 not  the  truth.  Popery  hates  it.  Many 
 false  Protestants  dislike  it  too.  They 
 who  do  not  take  the  penknife  to  destroy 
 it,  employ  their  pens  to  pervert  and 
 extinguish  it. 
 
 IV.  The  righteous  retribution  its 
 rejection  incurs  (vers.  29-31).  The 
 Gospel  has  a  condemnation  of  its  own 
 as  well  as  the:law. 
 
 Comp.  also  Homily  on  chap.  xxx.  2. 
 571 
 
CHAP.  XXXVI. 
 
 BOMILETIC  COMMENTARY:  JEREMIAH. 
 
 Ver.  2.  Theme  :  "  Litera  Sckipta 
 Manet."  The  object  of  the  writing  was 
 not  alone  that  the  word  written  might 
 remain,  but  also  to  collect  all  the  single 
 lightning  strokes  into  one  grand  prophe- 
 tic tempest. 
 
 The  written  word  was  of  special  use — 
 
 i.  To  contemiwraries.  For  it  rendered 
 possible — (1.)  Continued  study  ;  (2.) 
 quiet  contemplation  ;  (3.)  careful  com- 
 parison. 
 
 ii.  To  posterity.  (1.)  The  mouth 
 speaks  only  to  those  present ;  the  pen  to 
 the  absent.  (2.)  The  mouth  speaks  only 
 to  p>resent  hours  and  times ;  the  pen  to 
 centuries  future. 
 
 Comp.  Exod.  xxxiv.  27  ;  Deut.x.  4,  5, 
 xvii.  18;  Isa.  xxx.  8  ;  Hab.  ii.  2. 
 
 — Naegelsbach  and  Cramer. 
 
 Also :  The  blessings  of  the  toritte?i 
 word. 
 
 i.  That  which  it  has  in  common  with 
 the  spoken  word.  Preparation  of  the 
 heart  for  the  reception  of  salvation 
 (ver.    ). 
 
 ii.  That  which  it  has  in  distinciioniroxQ. 
 the  spoken  word,  (a)  It  is  present  for 
 every  one ;  (6)  it  is  present  at  every 
 time  and  every  place  ;  (c)  it  is  present 
 in  all  its  parts  (for  comparison). 
 
 — Naegelsbach. 
 
 See  Addenda :  Eevelation  in  Writ- 
 ing. 
 
 Ver.  3.  Theme :  "  It  May  Be."  "  It 
 may  be  that  the  house  of  Jiidah  xoill  hear 
 all  the  evil  which  I  jiurpose  to  do  unto 
 them ;  that  they  may  return  every  man 
 from  his  evil  way ;  that  I  may  forgive 
 their  iniquity  and  their  sin." 
 
 Jeremiah's  ministry  may  be  regarded 
 as  typical  of  God's  dealings  with  man 
 in  all  ages.     "  It  may  be." 
 
 I.  This  word  shows  us  the  heart  of 
 God.  Words  are  the  servants  of  things. 
 Language  is  imperfect,  but  it  is  the  chief 
 interpreter  of  thought.  What  has  been 
 said  of  man,  may  be  said,  with  reverence, 
 of  God  :  "  Out  of  the  abundance  of  the 
 heart  the  mouth  speaketh."  When  God 
 says,  "  It  may  be,"  we  must  not  imagine 
 that  there  is  anything  like  doubt  or 
 ignorance  with  Him.  It  is  said  that  He 
 572 
 
 speaks  as  a  man  to  men.  How  wonder- 
 ful that  He  should  thus  condescend  to 
 our  weakness  and  necessities  !  He  not 
 only  employs  human  agents,  but  human 
 speech,  to  reveal  His  will  to  us.  DiflS- 
 culties  may  be  easily  raised  as  to  the 
 form  of  speech  here,  but  there  can  be 
 no  question  as  to  its  spirit.  The  words 
 breathe  love,  and  not  hate.  God  is 
 indeed  displeased  because  of  sin,  but 
 He  longs  to  show  mercy  to  the  sinner. 
 His  heart  yearns  over  His  rebellious 
 children,  as  the  father  over  his  prodigal 
 son.  Judgment  is  His  strange  work. 
 Mercy  is  His  delight.  He  welcomes 
 the  penitent.  He  blesses  the  obedient. 
 All  His  counsels  and  warnings,  His 
 jiromises  and  threatenings,  are  for  good. 
 Mark  the  words  of  Moses  (Deut.  v.  29- 
 33,  xxxii.  44-47)  ;  of  the  prophets  (Isa. 
 i.  18-20  ;  Jer.  viii.  7-11  ;  Ezek.  xii.  3, 
 xviii.  31 ;  Hosea  xi.  1-8) ;  of  Jesus 
 Christ  (John  iii.  16,  17  ;  Luke  xix.  10, 
 41,  42).  And  so  it  is  still.  What  John 
 said  of  his  Gospel  may  be  said  of  the 
 whole  Bible,  and  indeed  of  all  God's 
 dealings  with  us  in  grace — "  These  are 
 written,  that  ye  might  believe  that  Jesus 
 is  the  Christ,  the  Son  of  God,  and  that 
 believing  ye  might  have  life  through  His 
 name." 
 
 II.  This  word  reveals  the  grand 
 possibilities  of  human  life.  Looking 
 on  waste  moorland,  we  may  say,  this  will 
 soon  be  reclaimed.  That  soldier  stand- 
 ing in  the  ranks,  beside  thousands  mote, 
 may  yet  rise  to  high  command.  That 
 speaker,  who  has  failed  in  his  first  effort, 
 may  yet  lead  the  House  of  Commons. 
 That  child,  over  whose  cradle  his  mother 
 bends  in  fond  anxiety,  may  yet  hold  a 
 foremost  place  among  men.  He  who 
 was  the  joy  of  his  mother's  youth  may 
 be  the  pride  and  the  stay  of  her  old 
 age.  These  and  such  like  possibilities 
 lie  hid  in  the  future.  As  yet,  all  is 
 uncertain  ;  we  can  only  say,  "  It  may 
 be."  But  can  there  be  such  uncertainty 
 with  God  1  No.  To  His  infinite  mind, 
 all  the  possibilities  of  time,  and  space, 
 and  circumstance,  are  not  matters  of 
 doubt,  but  of  certainty  (Isa.  xlvi.  9-11). 
 Yet  here,  as  often,  He  speaks  as  if  it 
 were  otherwise.  For  our  sakes  He  puts 
 aside  the  must  be  of  the  Divine  and  the 
 
EOMILETW  COMMENTARY:  JEREMIAH. 
 
 CHAP,  xxxvr. 
 
 absolute,  for  the  may  he  of  the  human 
 and  the  contingent.  His  dealings  with 
 Israel  are  spoken  of  as  an  experiment. 
 The  gracious  purpose  is  plain,  but  the 
 result  is  hidden.  It  depends  upon  causes 
 not  yet  in  full  operation.  It  will  be 
 manifested  in  due  time,  in  the  free  act- 
 ings and  choices  of  men.  So  it  is  with 
 the  ministry  of  grace  in  every  age.  Men 
 are  put  upon  trial  (Dent.  viii.  2 ; 
 Luke  ii.  34).  Mark  the  grand  possi- 
 bilities. 
 
 1.  Earne&t  attention  (ver.  3).  This 
 is  absolutely  necessary.  God's  Word  is 
 truth.  If  He  threatens,  it  is  because 
 there  is  just  cause.  His  laws  must  be 
 upheld.  Wrath  must  come  to  the  utter- 
 most on  the  impenitent.  If  men  con- 
 sidered this,  surely  it  would  awaken  a 
 holy  fear  of  God's  judgments.  The  tale 
 of  what  God  purposes  to  do  to  the  sinner 
 may  well  make  the  ears  of  every  one 
 that  heareth  it  to  tingle  (1  Sam.  iii.  11). 
 "  It  is  a  fearful  thing  to  fall  into  the 
 hands  of  the  living  God." 
 
 2.  Penitential  prayer  (ver.  7).  "  It 
 may  be  they  will  present  their  supplica- 
 tion before  the  Lord,  and  will  return 
 every  one  from  his  evil  way."  God  can- 
 not change.  It  is  the  sinner  who  must 
 retrace  his  steps.  He  has  forsaken  God, 
 and  turned  to  his  own  evil  way,  and  he 
 is  bound  and  besought  to  return.  Prayer 
 is  the  first  step  to  a  true  amendment  of 
 life.  It  is  when  we  look  upon  God  as 
 He  has  revealed  Himself  in  Christ  that 
 we  are  melted  to  penitence,  and  that  the 
 cry  of  hope  rises  from  our  hearts  (Isa. 
 xxvii.  4,  5,  Iv.  6,  7). 
 
 3.  Moral  reconciliation.  The  hind- 
 rances to  peace  are  not  with  God,  but 
 with  us.  Mark  the  touching  words, 
 "that  I  may  forgive."  God  pities  the 
 sinner,  but  He  cannot  deal  with  him,  in 
 the  way  of  absolution,  till  he  has  come 
 to  himself  and  is  in  earnest  about  salva- 
 tion. God  is  willing  to  give,  but  the 
 sinner  may  not  have  the  heart  to  receive. 
 On  the  other  hand,  when  there  is  a  real 
 turning  from  sin  unto  God,  how  quick 
 is  the  response!  how  complete  and  joyous 
 the  reconciliation  !  (Luke  xv.  20-24  ; 
 John  i.  5-9.) 
 
 III.  This  word  holds  out  encourage- 
 ment to  all  true  workers  for  Christ. 
 
 Hope  is  the  spring  of  all  activity.  What 
 we  deem  impossible  we  do  not  attempt. 
 Reason  forbids.  But  what  we  know  to 
 be  both  possible  and  good,  we  can  strive 
 for  with  all  our  strength.  Duty  is  ours, 
 results  belong  to  God.  For  three-and- 
 twenty  years  Jeremiah  had  laboured  in 
 Judah.  His  work  seemed  in  vain.  But 
 he  must  not  cease.  The  mercy  of  God 
 is  great.  Another  effort  must  be  made. 
 New  methods  must  be  tried.  The  Word 
 must  be  written,  and  brought  to  bear  in 
 all  its  force  upon  the  people,  the  princes, 
 and  the  king.  "It  may  be  they  will 
 hear."  The  command  given  to  Jere- 
 miah and  Baruch,  is  just  the  same  iu 
 substance  as  that  which  was  afterwards 
 given  to  the  apostles  and  ministers  of 
 Jesus  Christ  (Matt,  xxviii.  19,  20  ;  Acts 
 V.  20,  xviii.  9,  10).  '^t  maybe,"  im- 
 plies faith,  and  love,  and  hope.  It  holds 
 out  encouragement  to  prayer  (David,  2 
 Sam.  xii.  22) ;  to  holy  endeavour  (Paul, 
 Phil.  iii.  8-14,  iv.  13) ;  to  benevolent  and 
 missionary  enterprise  (Eccles.  ix.  1-6  ; 
 Rom.  i.  16).  In  all  that  is  for  good, 
 friend  helping  friend,  parents  training 
 their  children,  Christian  men  and  women 
 labouring  for  the  advancement  of  the 
 Gospel,  we  may  say  as  Jonathan  did  to 
 his  armour-bearer,  when  summoning  him 
 to  a  deed  of  high  courage  and  daring, 
 "  Come  :  it  may  be  the  Lord  will  work 
 for  us  "  (1  Sam.  xiv.  6).  Nay,  we  may 
 do  more.  We  may  say  to  ourselves,  as 
 Haggai  to  Zerubbabel,  and  to  Joshua, 
 and  to  all  the  people  of  the  land,  "  Be 
 strong  and  work,  for  I  am  with  you, 
 saith  the  Lord  of  Hosts"  (Haggai  ii. 
 4,  5).  Our  labour  shall  not  be  in  vain 
 in  the  Lord.  For  the  humblest  worker, 
 as  well  as  for  the  great  Master  Himself, 
 the  word  is  true,  "  He  shall  see  of  the 
 travail  of  his  soul  and  shall  be  satisfied." 
 — Rev.  W.  Forsyth,  from  "  Homiletic 
 Quarterly." 
 
 Ver.  7.  Theme :  An  Open  Door  op 
 Hope,  "It  may  be  they  will  present 
 their  supplication  before  the  Lord,  and 
 will  return  every  one  from  his  evil  way  ; 
 for  great  is  the  anger  and  the  fury  that 
 the  Lord  hath  pronounced  against  this 
 people." 
 
 I.  Menacing  doom. 
 
 573 
 
CHAP.  XXXVI. 
 
 HOMILETIC  COMMENTARY:  JEREMIAH. 
 
 I.  Definite  in  its  direction.  "Against 
 this  people," 
 
 3.  Terrible  in  its  character.  *'  Great 
 is  the  anger  and  the /wry." 
 
 3.  Ominous  as  to  its  origin.  "  That 
 the  Lord  hath  pronounced." 
 
 4.  Positive  as  to  its  announcement. 
 "  Hath  pronounced." 
 
 II.  Possible  escape.     "  It  may  be." 
 
 1.  Doom  tarries  till  all  conditional 
 exigences  are  expended.  God  holds 
 back  the  stroke  till  every  possibility  of 
 averting  it  is  exhausted.  He  is  "  slow 
 to  anger." 
 
 2.  Sinners  have  the  power  of  arresting 
 their  own  doom.  Though  it'  has  been 
 "  p7-onounced  "  against  them.  As  Nine- 
 veh. 
 
 3.  Threatenings  of  God  are  designed 
 to  act  as  appeals  to  men  to  avert  them. 
 They  are  stern  voices  of  love.  His  men- 
 aces are  severe,  and  will  eventually  be 
 fulfilled  if  not  averted ;  but  He  makes 
 them  severe  in  order  to  arouse  us  to 
 seek  reconciliation  and  escape. 
 
 III.  Conditions  of  deliverance. 
 
 1.  jV^ut  hard  to  comply  ivith. 
 
 2.  Not  beyond  the  absolute  necessities 
 of  the  case.     They  are — 
 
 (a)  Penitential  prayer.  "Present 
 their  supplication." 
 
 (b)  Individual  reformation.  "  Return 
 every  one  from  his  evil  way." 
 
 Note. — This  was  urged  "  upon  the  fast- 
 ing day  ^'  (ver.  6).  So  that /asii?i^  was 
 not  enough  of  itself  (see  Isa.  Iviii.  3,  5 ; 
 Zech.  v.  5,  7).  And  this  appeal  followed 
 the  reading  of  the  roll  (ver.  6).  Thus  rmc?- 
 ing  Scrip)ture  and  self -mortification  should 
 be  added  to  penitence  and  reformation. 
 All  which,  in  thisGospel  age,  become  sum- 
 med up  in — (a)  ^^  Search  the  Scriptures, 
 for  they  testify  of  Me ;  "  (6)  Tahe  up  thy 
 cross  daily  and  follow  Me ; "  (c)  "  Re- 
 pentance towards  God;"  and  (d)  "Lay- 
 ing aside  every  weight  and  the  sin 
 that  doth  so  easily  beset  us,  let  us  run, 
 looking  iinto  Jesus  !  " 
 
 Vers.  11  and  13.  Theme:  The  Hearer 
 BECOMES  A  Preacher.  "  When  Micha- 
 iah  had  heard  out  of  the  book  all  the 
 words  of  the  Lord,  he  went  down  to  the 
 king's  house  .  ,  and  declared  unto  [the 
 princes]  all  the  ivords  he  had  heard,"  &c. 
 574 
 
 I.  A    hearer's    responsibility.     To 
 
 carry  tidings  to  absent  ones.  "  Let  him 
 that  heareth  say,  Come."  If  the  Lord's 
 words  are  good  for  him,  they  are  also 
 good  for  others. 
 
 II.  A  hearer's  opportunity.  He 
 can  reach  an  audience  from  which  the 
 preacher  is  excluded.  Family  circles, 
 official  circles  [as  in  this  case]  may  be 
 brought  to  hear  God's  truth  by  one  per- 
 son reciting  what  he  has  heard. 
 
 III.  A  hearer's  prompt  anxiety. 
 What  he  heard  was  urgent,  was  onmious. 
 Others  were  entailed  in  the  messages  of 
 God's  Word.  It  was  not  right  for  him 
 to  be  silent.  The  doom  or  salvation  of 
 others  depended  on  his  telling  what  he 
 had  heard.  Forthivith  he  went,  and 
 faithfully  he  recited  the  facts  of  warn- 
 ing and  counsel  from  God. 
 
 (1.)  He  became  thus  a  herald  from 
 God  to  his  friends. 
 
 (2.)  He  opened  the  way  for  Jeremiah's 
 roll  to  be  read  in  their  hearing  (ver.  15). 
 
 (3.)  He  brought  them  under  very 
 solemn  convictions  (ver.  16). 
 
 (4.)  He  won  for  God's  servants  i??flu- 
 ential  friends,  who  protected  them  from 
 the  anger  of  the  king  (vers.  19,  25). 
 
 "  Can  we  whose  souls  are  lighted 
 With  wisdom  from  on  high, 
 Can  we,  to  men  benighted, 
 The  light  of  life  deny  ? " 
 
 Ver.  20.  Theme:  Reading  God's 
 Word  to  a  King.  These  princes 
 showed  a  gracious  mind  toward  Baruch 
 and  Jeremiah ;  for  they  did  not 
 force  Baruch  into  the  angry  king's 
 presence. 
 
 Yet  they  showed  also  a  timid  and 
 half-hearted  sympathy;  for  if  they  thought 
 the  "  words  of  the  Lord "  urgent  and 
 important,  why  did  they  not  boldly  go 
 in  to  the  king  and  plead  with  him  to 
 heed  the  message  ? 
 
 Had  they  been  true  patriots,  and  loyal 
 to  God's  tridh,  they  would  have  acted  a 
 more  emphatic  part  than  they  did. 
 
 But  they  secured  this  :  the  king  heard 
 God's  word. 
 
 L  An  involuntary  hearer.  They  seem 
 all  together  to  have  gone  in  and  recited 
 what  they  had  heard  (ver.  20) .  Jehoiakim 
 was  thus  talcen  by  surjjrise — stormed  in 
 
HOMILETIC  COMMENTARY:  JEREMTAE. 
 
 CHAP.   XXXVI. 
 
 his  unsuspecting  ease.     Often  God  sends 
 messages  to  and  against  us — 
 
 1.  Without  our  wishing  to  have  them. 
 
 2.  Without  our  power  to  prevent  them. 
 
 3.  In  a  manner  wliolhj  unexpected. 
 
 II.  An  incLuisitive  hearer.  The  frag- 
 mentary recital  of  "the  words  of  the 
 Lord"  by  the  princes  excited  him  to 
 desire  to  hear  from  the  roll  itself.  So 
 (ver.  21)— 
 
 1.  There  may  be  an  inquisitiveness 
 horn  of  doubt.  Jehoiakim  may  have 
 questioned  whether  they  repeated  the 
 words  correctly. 
 
 2.  Or  an  inquisitiveness  prompted  hy 
 anxiety.  He  may  have  felt  disturbed 
 by  what  he  heard,  and  wished  to  know 
 the  matter  more  fully. 
 
 3.  Or  an  inquisitiveness  quickened  by 
 hope.  Possibly  these  princes  stated  only 
 the  dark  side  of  things  :  if  he  heard  more 
 it  might  be  less  menacing. 
 
 4.  Or  an  inquisitiveness  actuated  by 
 scorn.  So  far  from  his  being  alarmed 
 by  the  eager  words  of  the  princes,  he 
 was  quite  ready  to  hear  more — let  him 
 hear  it  all :  it  mattered  not  to  him  ! 
 
 III.  An  infuriated  hearer.  Tliere 
 "  burned  before  him  a  fire "  (ver.  22)  ; 
 and  it  but  represented  the  fury  which 
 burned  within  him. 
 
 1.  He  burned  with  mad  impatience. 
 Stopped  the  reading :  could  not  sit  out 
 the  reading :  heard  only  "  three  or  four 
 leaves  "  (ver.  23). 
 
 2.  He  burned  with  impotent  rage. 
 Became  violent :  paid  no  heed  to  the 
 "intercessions"  (ver.  25)  of  the  three 
 princes  :  wanted  Jeremiah  apprehended 
 (ver.  26)  :  issued  a  mandate  then  and 
 there  to  Baruch  that  the  prophet  should 
 be  "  taken." 
 
 3.  He  burned  with  silhj  revenge.  He 
 would  destroy  "  the  roll ;  "  so  "  cut  it 
 with  a  penknife  " — venting  his  malice  on 
 the  innocent  parchment !  and  then  cast 
 the  roll  into  the  fire,  gratifying  his 
 ridiculous  animosity  by  watching  its 
 consumption  !  (ver.  23.) 
 
 See  Addenda  :  Infuriated  Hearers. 
 Note — 
 
 1.  Fires  can  consume  books,  but  they 
 cannot  consume  triiths! 
 
 2.  God's  enemies  who  make  fires  may 
 one  day  feed  them  !    "  The  fire  shall  try 
 
 every  man's  work."     "  He  will  bicrn  rip 
 the  chaff  ruith  unquenchable  fire." 
 See  Addenda :  Burning  Bibles. 
 
 Ver.  23.  Theme :  The  Eeckless 
 Penknife,  "  When  Jehudi  had  read 
 three  or  four  leaves,  he  cut  it  with  a  'pen- 
 knife." 
 
 We  look  in  upon  a  room  in  Jeru- 
 salem. Two  men  there  :  Jeremiah, 
 walking  the  floor,  agitated,  in  the  spirit 
 of  prophecy.  Baruch,  writing  out  the 
 scathing  words  of  the  Almighty  against 
 the  city. 
 
 It  is  winter.  Jehoiakim  sits  in  "  winter 
 house."  Silence  among  his  lords,  princes, 
 while  the  parchment  is  read.  Every  eye 
 is  fixed  ;  king  frowns,  cheeks  burn ; 
 foot  comes  down  with  thundering  indig- 
 nation ;  seizes  penknife,  and  lashes  it 
 into  the  parchments. 
 
 Was  the  book  destroyed?  Did  the 
 king  escape  ?  In  a  little  while  Jehoia- 
 kim's  dead  body  is  hurled  forth  to 
 blacken  in  the  sun,  "buried  with  the 
 burial  of  an  ass,"  while  Baruch  again 
 writes  the  terrible  prophecy  which  Jere- 
 miah anew  dictates. 
 
 It  would  take  more  penknives  than 
 cutler  ever  sharpened  to  hew  into  per- 
 manent destruction  the  Word  of  God. 
 Yet  that  Oriental  scene  has  been  often 
 repeated  :  there  are  thousands  of  Jehoia- 
 kims  who  cut  the  Word  of  God  ivith  their 
 penknives. 
 
 I.  The  first  to  be  mentioned  is  the 
 man  who  receives  a  part  of  the  Bible, 
 but  cuts  out  portions  and  rejects 
 them. 
 
 But  the  gemdneness  of  the  entire  Bible 
 is  established,  and  there  may  be  no 
 cutting  out  of  books  against  which 
 cavillers  rail.  If  any  part  of  the  Old 
 Testament  had  been  uninspired,  Christ 
 would  have  said,  "  Search  the  Scrip- 
 tures, except  the  book  of — Jonah  or 
 Esther."  And  with  all  the  Christian 
 world  watching,  and  our  enemies  also, 
 you  might  as  well  attempt  to  insert  an 
 entire  canto  in  Milton's  Paradise  Lost 
 as  a  fresh  i:)age  into  the  New  Testament. 
 
 A  man  dies ;  people  assemble  to  hear 
 the  Will  read.  One  interrupts :  "  I 
 reject  that  passage."  But  they  must 
 take  the  will  as  a  whole,  or  not  at  all. 
 
 575 
 
CHAP.  XXXVI. 
 
 HOMILETIC  COMMENTARY:  JEREMIAH. 
 
 Kemove  one  orb  from  this  constellation 
 of  Bible  books  that  revolve  in  splendour 
 about  Jesus,  the  central  Sun,  and  heaven 
 itself  would  weep  at  the  catastrophe. 
 
 II.  He  who  runs  his  knife  through 
 the  Bible  from  Genesis  to  Revelation 
 and  rejects  everything. 
 
 The  hostility  in  the  "  winter  house  " 
 exists  yet.  Enemies  of  this  Book  have 
 tried  to  marshal  on  their  side  chemist's 
 laboratory,  astronomer's  telescope,  geo- 
 logist's pry,  mineralogist's  hammer,  &c. 
 With  the  black  hulk  of  their  priestcraft 
 they  have  tried  to  run  down  this  Gospel 
 ship  speeding  on  errands  of  salvation. 
 
 Men  strike  their  knife  through  this 
 Book  because  they  say  that — 
 
 1.  The  light  of  nature  is  sufficient. 
 Have  the  fire-worshippers  of  India,  the 
 Borneoian  cannibal,  &c.,  found  it  so  ? 
 The  pagodas  of  superstition,  the  infanti- 
 cides of  the  Ganges,  the  gory  wheels  of 
 Juggernaut,  declare  it  is  not  sufiicient. 
 A  star  is  beautiful,  but  it  pours  no  light 
 on  the  midnight  of  a  sinful  soul. 
 "  What  must  I  do  to  be  saved  1 " 
 Sweltering  nations  have  knelt  at  the 
 foot  of  the  Himalayan  mountains  for 
 ages  asking  the  question  ;  but  the  moun- 
 tain made  no  response.  The  cry  has 
 gone  round  the  world,  but  the  stars 
 were  dumb,  and  the  Alps  were  silent, 
 &c. 
 
 2.  That  the  Book  is  cruel  and  in- 
 decent. But  show  one  man  made  cruel 
 or  obscene  by  the  Bible.  Thousands 
 have  been  lifted  by  it  out  of  their  sin. 
 
 3.  That  it  is  so  full  of  thuexplained 
 mysteries.  What !  will  you  believe  only 
 in  what  can  be  explained  1  Gravitation  ? 
 Your  finger  nails ;  how  do  they  grow? 
 I  would  know  that  the  heights  and 
 depths  of  God's  truth  were  not  very 
 great  if  I  could,  with  my  finite  mind, 
 read  everything. 
 
 4.  An  infidel  strikes  his  penknife 
 through  the  Bible  because,  he  says,  if  it 
 were  God's  Booh,  the  whole  world  luould 
 have  it.  He  pleads  that  if  God  had 
 anything  to  say  to  the  world,  He  could 
 not  say  it  to  only  a  small  part  of  the 
 race.  But  how  is  it  God  gives  oranges 
 and  bananas  to  only  a  small  part  of  our 
 race  ?  There  are  millions  who  have 
 never  seen  an  orange  or  a  banana  !     If 
 
 576 
 
 all  the  human  race  had  the  same  climate, 
 harvests,  health,  advantages,  then,  by 
 analogy,  you  might  argue  God  should 
 give  the  Bible,  if  at  all,  to  the  whole 
 world. 
 
 5.  Objectors  cut  the  Bible  because 
 they  urge  that  other  books  have  in  them 
 great  value  and  heauty.  True  :  Confucius 
 taught  kindness  to  enemies ;  the  Shaster 
 has  great  affluence  of  beauty ;  the  Veda 
 of  the  Brahmins  has  ennobling  senti- 
 ments ;  but  what  is  proved  thereby  % — 
 that  after  searching  all  lands,  and  ages, 
 and  literature,  there  has  been  found  but 
 a  portion  of  the  wisdom  and  beauty 
 which  God's  Book  contains  !  Let  Vol- 
 taire come  on  with  his  acute  philosophy, 
 and  Hume  with  his  scholarship,  and 
 Gibbon  with  his  one-sided  statements, 
 and  Hobbes  with  his  subtlety ;  and  the 
 band  of  mountain  shepherds  and  Galilee 
 fishermen  will  beat  all  back  with  the 
 cry  of  "Victory,  through  our  Lord  Jesua 
 Christ ! " 
 
 III.  IsTo  hetter  proof  of  the  Divinity 
 of  this  Book  can  be  desired  than  that  it 
 has  withstood  this  mighty  and  con- 
 tinuous attack,  and  come  down  to  us 
 without  a  chapter  effaced,  a  miracle 
 injured,  or  a  promise  scarred. 
 
 No  other  book  has  passed  through 
 such  hostility.  Yet  this  Book  to-day 
 is  foremost.  In  Fhilosophy,  it  is 
 honoured  above  the  works  of  Descartes, 
 Bacon,  Aristotle,  and  Socrates.  In  His- 
 tory, it  wins  more  respect  than  Hero- 
 dotus, Thucydides,  and  Xenophon.  In 
 Poetry,  it  outshines  the  Iliad  and 
 Odessey,  the  Inferno  and  Paradise  Lost. 
 It  has  been  published  in  more  than  two 
 hundred  languages ;  the  earth  quakes 
 with  the  quick  revolutions  of  its  printing- 
 press. 
 
 One  verse  of  this  Book  above  the 
 throne  of  tyranny,  and  it  shall  fall; 
 above  the  temples  of  superstition,  and 
 they  shall  crumble  ;  above  the  wilder- 
 ness, and  it  shall  bloom  as  the  Garden 
 of  the  Lord.  Thou  Prince  of  Books,  we 
 hail  thee  to  thy  coronation  !  the  wheeling 
 earth  thy  chariot  !  the  bending  sky  thy 
 triumphal  arch  !  the  great  heavens  thy 
 star-studded  banner  ! 
 
 1.  We  have,  then,  many  reasons  for 
 believing  the  Bible. 
 
BOMILETIC  COMMENTARY :  JEREMIAH. 
 
 CHAP.  XXXVI. 
 
 2.  Raise  the  Book  h'ujker  in  your 
 estimation. 
 
 3.  Take  it  to  i/our  heart,  your  house. 
 Though  you  seem  to  get  along  very  well 
 witliout  the  Bible  in  your  prosperity, 
 there  will  come  a  time  when  your  only 
 consolation  will  be  this  blessed  Gospel. 
 
 A  blind  girl  had  been  in  the  habit  of 
 reading  the  Bible  with  raised  letters ; 
 by  an  accident  her  fingers  lost  their 
 sensitiveness.  In  her  sorrow,  she  raised 
 the  Book  to  her  lips,  to  kiss  it  a  fare- 
 well. As  she  did  so  she  felt  the  letters 
 with  her  lips — "  Tlie  Gospel  according 
 to  Mark."  "Thank  God!"  she  ex- 
 claimed, '•  I  can  read  my  Bible  with  my 
 lips ! " 
 
 Oh,  in  our  last  hour,  when  the  world 
 goes  from  our  grasp,  press  this  precious 
 Gospel  to  our  lips,  that,  in  the  dying 
 kiss,  we  may  taste  its  sweet  promises. 
 — Be  Witt  Talmage,  1870. 
 
 Ver.  23.  Theme  :  Laborious  Service 
 Wasted.  ^^  All  the  roll  ivas  consumed 
 in  the  fire." 
 
 I.  A  vast  and  toilsome  task. 
 
 i.  It  occupied  a  considerable  time 
 in  preparation:  doubtless  "the  nine 
 months,"  at  least,  of  the  fifth  year  of 
 Jehoiakim  (ver.  9). 
 
 ii.  And  it  was  undertaken  at  God's 
 command  (ver.  2). 
 
 iii.  It  had  an  urgent  and  solemn  aim 
 in  view  (ver.  3). 
 
 iv.  It  was  performed  ivilh  anxious 
 fidelity  (ver.  4). 
 
 v.  It  occupied  the  energies  of  two 
 devoted  and  gifted  servants  of  Jehovah 
 (vers.  4,  17,  18). 
 
 II.  Destroyed  in  a  moment's  caprice, 
 i.    Within  afeiv  hours  of  its  completion. 
 
 Its  reading  before  the  people,  princes, 
 and  king  was  all  on  the  same  day  ;  and 
 then  it  was  destroyed. 
 
 ii.  Utterly  destroying  the  entire  pro- 
 duct of  devoted  toil.  Not  a  vestige, 
 not  a  leaf  remaining. 
 
 iii.  Apparently  rendering  all  the 
 labour  fruitless.  There  ou  the  fire 
 smouldered  the  ashes  of  destroyed  toil. 
 "  Strength  spent  for  nought." 
 
 III.  Yet  effecting  its  full  Divine 
 purpose. 
 
 i.   Mighty   conseqiiences    result  from 
 
 mometits.  A  lightning  flash  lasts  but  a 
 second,  yet  it  fells  a  forest,  shivers  a 
 rock,  blasts  an  edifice,  scorches  a  life  into 
 instant  death. 
 
 This  roll  tvas  read,  and  though,  but 
 once  heard,  it  yet  conveyed  its  message, 
 and  wrought  its  different  results :  ou  the 
 people  (ver.  7),  on  the  princes  (ver.  16), 
 ou  the  king  (ver.  23). 
 
 ii.  Man's  wanton  act  of  destruction 
 is  included  in  God's  arrangements.  He 
 intended  it  as  a  test  for  the  king,  and  it 
 revealed  to  both  people  and  princes  (who 
 had  been  solemnised  by  the  reading) 
 that  the  king  was  hopelessly  defiant  and 
 merited  the  destruction  so  soon  to  follow. 
 
 iii.  Hence  godly  luork  shoidd  be  done 
 and  left  ivith  God.  We  may  well  be 
 mtified  with  the  consciousness  that  we 
 have  carried  out  His  bidding.  If  foes 
 seem  to  render  our  obedience  useless,  that 
 is  God's  matter,  not  ours.  Sometimes 
 best  residts  folloiu  the  apparent  ruin  of 
 our  labours.  It  makes  the  way  clear 
 for  God  to  follow  on  with  His  judgments 
 (ver.  31). 
 
 IV.  Ruined  work  should  inspire  to 
 renewed  service.  "Then  took  Jere- 
 miah another  roll  "  (ver.  32). 
 
 i.  Go  over  again  the  path  of  obedience, 
 even  though  with  bleeding  feet. 
 
 ii.  Lose  not  faith  in  God  though  the 
 toil  seem  monotonous. 
 
 iii.  The  recompleted  service  shall  have 
 sometldng  added.  "Many  like  words." 
 For  all  work  done  over  again  becomes 
 both  enlarged  and  impiroved ;  and  its 
 discipliiiary  effect  tipon  tlie  worker  may 
 prove  not  the  least  of  the  advantageous 
 results  of  the  reattempted  service.  For 
 the  heart  will  learn  to  be  patient  in 
 Divine  employ,  and  submissive  to  the 
 Frovidential  conditions  (of  failure  or 
 success)  amid  which  work  for  Him  is 
 fulfilled. 
 
 Paul  said,  "  I  have  learned  both  how 
 to  be  abased  and  how  to  abound." 
 
 Ver.  24.  Theme:  Hardened  Hearers. 
 "  Yet  they  were  not  afraid,  nor  rent  their 
 garments;"  that  is,  the  king  and  his 
 attendant  princes,  Jeremiah  records 
 this  with  amazement,  sorroio,  and  cdarm. 
 I.  Contrast  the  solemn  fear  of 
 Josiah,  this  king's  father  (2  Kings  xxii. 
 o  577 
 
CHAP.  XXXVI. 
 
 JIOMILETIC  COMMENTABY:  JEREMIAH. 
 
 11,  19).  The  difference  in  their  acts 
 and  their  end.  Jehoiakim's  guilt  was 
 aggravated,  by  reason  of  hSs,  good  father' s 
 example. 
 
 II.  Ponder  the  stolidity  which 
 habitual  disobedience  produces.  This 
 defiant  effrontery  in  the  king  was  the 
 climax  of  long  rejection  of  God's  mes- 
 sages. This  immovable  indifference  in 
 his  princes  was  the  result  uf  the  king's 
 example  and  influence. 
 
 III.  Beware  of  hearing  God's  mes- 
 sages with  heedlessness. 
 
 1.  Begins  with  inattention. 
 
 2.  Progresses  into  vnlful  disobedience. 
 
 3.  Culminates  in  hardened  indiffer- 
 ence. 
 
 IV.  Eeceive  God's  word  with  a 
 chastened  seriousness  of  spirit. 
 
 1 .  Warnings  from  God  should  prodnce 
 alarm.     "  Afraid." 
 
 2.  Convictions  of  sin  shoidd  lead  to  re- 
 pentance.    "  Rend  garments." 
 
 3.  Divine  threatening s  should  urge  to 
 seelc  hiding  in  Christ. 
 
 j^ote. — The  gxdlt  of  indifference.  It 
 shows — (a.)  contempt  of  God ;  (6.) 
 recklessness  of  soul ;  (c.)  hardness  of 
 heart. 
 
 Ver.  31,  Theme:  Threatened  Pun- 
 ishment. "And  I  will  punish  him, 
 and  his  seed,  and  his  servants,  for  their 
 iniquity."  A  current  sentiment  that  God 
 is  too  merciful  to  punish.    This  shows — 
 
 i.  A  misconception  of  the  character  of 
 God. 
 
 ii.  A  xvilful  ignorance  of  the  facts  of 
 history. 
 
 iii.  Forgetfulness  of  the  suffering  condi- 
 tion of  this  present  evil  world.  For,  was 
 not  Adani  driven  from  Eden  1  Did  not 
 the  deluge  sweep  the  ungodly  from  the 
 earth  1  Were  not  Sodom  and  Gomorrah 
 overthrown  1  Has  God  never  sent 
 famine,  pestilence,  &c.,  to  punish  the 
 sins  of  the  people  1  Has  He  not  so 
 constituted  the  human  mind  as  that 
 transgression  entails  misery  1  No  error 
 could  be  more  irrational  and  unscriptural. 
 Yet  it  is — 
 
 I.  Pleaded  that  punishment  is  in- 
 consistent with  mercy.    Because  "God 
 is  love"   and  merciful,  He  cannot  and 
 will  not  punish. 
 578 
 
 But — 1.  Ptinishment,  instead  of  being 
 destructive  of  mercy,  is  itself  merciful. 
 To  let  transgressors  go  would  foster 
 evil  and  spread  ruin. 
 
 2.  Hence  God  could  not  be  mercifal 
 did  //('  not  punish. 
 
 II.  Yet  no  sin  in  human  history  has 
 been  committed, with  impunity. 
 
 1.  Every  transgression  and  disobe- 
 dience has  received  or  ivill  receive  a  just 
 recompense  of  reward. 
 
 2.  How  then,  if  sinners  must  be 
 punislied,  can  they  be  pardoned  and 
 saved  ?  Christ  "  was  wounded  for  o^or 
 transgressions." 
 
 3.  Had  the  saved  been  saved  without 
 their  sins  being  borne  by  their  Surety, 
 laio  in  that  case  had  been  ignored,  and 
 Justice  slain  on  the  altar  of  Mercy. 
 
 III.  Since  justice  and  mercy  are 
 alike  attributes  of  God,  He  can  never 
 be  other  than  both  just  and  merci- 
 ful. 
 
 1.  In  the  economy  (f  redemption  they 
 exist  in  friendly  alliance. 
 
 2.  They  are  never  separated  either  in 
 the  Divine  nature  or  the  Divine  govern- 
 ment. 
 
 IV.  In  all  God's  judgments  on 
 rebellious  Israel  there  were  both  justice 
 and  mercy.  Justice  towards  them  that 
 fell,  mercy  towards  those  spared.  "  Be- 
 hold the  goodness  and  severity  of  God," 
 &c. 
 
 V.  However  obscured,  still  mercy 
 always  tempers  justice  in  God's  ad- 
 ministrations. Difficult  to  discern  mercy 
 in  the  deluge;  yet  it  arrested  aboundings 
 of  iniquity  and  acted  beneficially  on  the 
 new  world. 
 
 In  some  cases  mercy  is  more  con- 
 spicuous than  justice.  Yet  Heaven  is  not 
 all  mercy  unmixed  with  justice  :  in  the 
 redeemed  we  see  the  mercy  of  God ;  but 
 in  the  Redeemer,  with  His  scars,  we  see 
 the  justice.  And  Hell  is  not  all  justice 
 unmixed  with  mercy :  in  the  suffering 
 there  we  see  the  justice  of  God,  but 
 in  the  efi"ect  of  their  doom  on  others 
 (and  other  worlds)  we  may  see  the 
 mercy. 
 
 VI.  The  conduct  of  some  transgressors 
 leads  to  justice  being  allowed  to  take 
 its  course  untempered  by  mercy.  E.g., 
 the  fallen  angels.     So  with  impenitent 
 
HOMILETIC  COMMENTARY:  JEREMIAU. 
 
 CHAP,  xxxvr. 
 
 and  unbelieving  men.  Yet  wliile  ]\Iercy 
 does  not  intervene  with  sucb,  it  is 
 merciful  to  others  that  such  should  be 
 punished ;  as  it  is  merciful  now  to 
 society  to  banish  great  criminals  from 
 their  midst. 
 
 In  God's  dealings  with  our  fallen 
 world,  ^^  grace  reigns,  ilirougli  rigldeous- 
 ness,^^  in  relation  to  all  tvho  bdieve  ; 
 whereas  justice  reigns  in  harmony  with 
 mercy,  in  reference  to  those  who  "neo-lect 
 
 the  great  salvation." — Rev.  D.  Pledge, 
 "  Walks  luith  Jeremiah." 
 
 Ver.  32.  Theme:  "Another  Eoll," 
 WITH  "Added  WoKDs." 
 
 I.   God's  judgments  against  sin. 
 II.   Man's  attempt  to  evade  them. 
 
 III.  How  Divine  condemnations  re- 
 appear. 
 
 IV.  How  they  reappear   with   addi- 
 tions.— Rev.  John  Farren. 
 
 ADDENDA  TO  CHAP.  XXXVI.  :  ILLUSTRATIONS  AND  SUGGESTIVE  EXTBACTS. 
 
 ItEVELATION     IN      WRITING.        '•'  This 
 
 is  the  first  recorded  instance  of  the 
 formation  of  a  Canonical  Book,  and  of 
 the  special  purpose  of  its  formation. 
 *  The  Book '  now,  as  often  afterwards, 
 was  to  be  the  death-hloiv  of  the  old  regal, 
 aristocratic,  sacerdotal  exclusiveness,  as 
 represented  in  Jehoiakim.  The  '  Scribe,' 
 now  first  rising  into  importance  in  the 
 form  of  Baruch,  to  supply  the  defects  of 
 the  living  Prophet,  was  as  the  printing- 
 press,  in  far  later  ages,  supplying  the 
 defects  of  both  Prophet  and  Scribe,  and 
 handing  on  the  word  of  truth,  which 
 else  might  irretrievably  have  perished." 
 — Stanley,  "  Jewish  Chtirch,"  ii.  456. 
 
 The  British  and  Foreign  Bible  Society 
 have  during  the  last  fifty  years  spread, 
 mainly  among  English  readers,  about 
 fifty  million  copies  of  God's  Word; 
 and  from  their  press  six  copiies  are  now 
 issued  every  minute  of  the  day  (of  ten 
 hours),  or  3600  daily ;  and  this  at  a 
 price  enabling  the  poorest  to  possess  a 
 Bible. 
 
 And  the  Scriptures  have  been  circu- 
 lated now  in  almost  every  tongue  and 
 dialect  under  heaven,  and  are  being  cir- 
 culated in  every  country. 
 
 "  Within  this  ample  volume  lies 
 The  mysterj'  of  mysteries  : 
 Happiest  they  of  human  race 
 
 To  whom  their  God  has  given  grace 
 To  read,  to  fear,  to  liope,  to  pray, 
 
 To  lift  the  latcii  and  force  the  way  ; 
 And  better  had  they  ne'er  been  born, 
 That  read  to  doubt,  or  read  to  scorn." 
 — Scoit. 
 
 Infuriated  Hearers.  Vespasian  is 
 said  to  have  been  ^;a^ie?j^issM?i?(S  veri 
 (Quintilian),  "  very  patient  of  truth  ;  " 
 so  was  the  good  Josiah.    But  Jehoiakim 
 
 "  was  more  like  Tiberius,  that  tiger  who 
 tore  with  his  teeth  what  displeased  him ; 
 or  like  Vitellius  the  tyrant,  of  whom 
 Tacitus  saith  "  that  his  ears  were  of 
 that  temper  that  he  could  hear  no 
 counsel,  though  never  so  profitable, 
 uidess  it  were  pleasant,  and  did  suit  with 
 his  humours  (Lib.  iii.  Hist.) — Trapp. 
 
 Burning  Bibles,  See  article  in 
 "  Secxdar  Annotations  on  Scripture 
 Texts,^'  Second  Series,  by  Francis 
 Jacox,  pp.  180-189,  on  "  Baruch's 
 Burnt  Book." 
 
 Jehoiakim  is  the  first  we  read  of  that 
 ever  offered  to  burn  the  Bible.  An- 
 tiophus,  indeed,  did  the  like  afterwards, 
 and  Diocletian  the  tyrant,  and  later  the 
 Pope.     A  bad  confederacy  ! 
 
 Dean  Stanley,  in  his  "Jewish  Church," 
 vol.  ii.  pp.  455,  456,  says,  "  Three  orfour 
 columns  exhausted  the  royal  patience. 
 He  seized  a  knife,  such  as  Eastern  scribes 
 wear  for  the  sake  of  erasures,  cut  the 
 parchment  into  strips,  and  threw  it  into 
 the  brazier  till  it  was  burnt  to  ashes. 
 Those  who  had  heard  from  their  fathers 
 of  the  effect  produced  on  Josiah  by  the 
 recital  of  the  warnings  of  Deuteronomy 
 might  well  be  startled  at  the  contrast. 
 None  of  those  well-known  signs  of 
 astonishment  and  grief  were  seen ; 
 neither  king  nor  attendants  rent  their 
 clothes.  It  was  an  outrage  long  remem- 
 bered. Baruch,  in  his  hiding-places, 
 was  overwhelmed  (ver.  15)  with  despair 
 at  this  failure  of  his  mission.  But 
 Jeremiah  had  now  ceased  to  waver. 
 He  bade  his  timid  disciple  take  up  the 
 pen,  and  record  once  more  the  terrible 
 message.  .  .  .  But  the  Divine  Oracle 
 coxdd,  not  he  destroyed  in  the  destruction 
 of  its  outvjard  framework.     It  was  the 
 
 579 
 
CHAP.  XXXVII.  HOMILETIC  COMMENTARY :  JEREMIAH. 
 
 new  form  of  the  vision  of  the  '  bush  the  fourth  or  of  the  sixteenth  century,  yet 
 
 burning,  but  not  consumed:'  a  sacred  multiplied  by  that  very  cause;  springing 
 
 book,  the  form  in  which  Divine  truths  from  the  flames  to  do  their  work,  living 
 
 were  now  first  beginning  to  be  known,  in  the  voice  and  life  of  men,  even  when 
 
 burnt  as  sacred  books  have  been  burnt  their  outward  letter  seemed  to  be  lost." 
 again  and  again,  in  the  persecutions  of 
 
 CHAPTER  XXXVII. 
 
 Ceitical  and  Exegetical  Notes. — 1.  Chronology  of  the  Chapter.  In  the  tenth  and  eleventh 
 year  of  Zedekiah.  Later  than  chap,  xxi.,  for  that  embassy  was  sent  when  Nebuchadnezzar 
 was  inarching  against  Jerusalem  ;  this,  during  the  crisis  when  the  Egyptian  army  came  and 
 temporarily  drew  off  Nebuchadnezzar's  from  the  siege  (ver.  5).  In  notes  on  chap,  xxxiv.  will 
 be  seen  the  mood  of  the  nation  at  this  moment.  But  as  the  interval  passed,  while  the  armies 
 of  Egypt  and  Chaldea  struggled  together  outside  of  the  city,  Zedekiah  was  moved  to  solicit  the 
 prophet's  intercession  with  God  for  his  people. 
 
 For  other  notes  cf.  on  chaps,  xxi.  and  xxxiv. 
 
 2.  Literary  Criticisms.  Ver.  10.  "  Wounded  men  :  "  men  thrust  through.  Ver,  12.  "  2'o 
 separate  himself  thence  in  the  midst  of  his  people.'^  The  Syriac,  "  To  divide  thence  a  share  Avith 
 the  people  ;"  Vulgate,  "  To  divide  thence  a  possession  in  the  sight  of  the  citizens  ;"  Targum, 
 "  To  divide  an  inheritance  he  had  there  with  the  people  ; "  Septuagint,  "  To  purchase  thence." 
 Kimchi,  Rosenmiiller,  Dahler,  and  others  construe  the  meaning  thus:  Jeremiah  slipped  away, 
 &c.  (as  in  A.V.  margin).  But  pbr\  to  be  smooth,  in  its  form  here,  means  to  make  smooth  or 
 divide:  hence  Henderson,  "that  he  might  take  his  portion  thence  among  the  people;"  and 
 Naegelsbach,  "  that  he  might  divide  his  inheritance." 
 
 Ver.  15.  "Into  the  dun fj eons  and  into  the  cabins."  Some  interpret  nVpH,  cunxd posts  or 
 stocks;  but  the  word  rather  describes  arched  vaults.  '"Dungeon"  is  lit.  house  of  a  cistern. 
 Great  excavations  existed  under  the  palace  and  temple  at  Jerusalem,  as  reservoirs  for  water. 
 
 SECTIONAL  DIVISION  OF  CHAPTER  XXXVII. 
 Vers.  1-10.  Prayers  Asked,  but  in  Vain. 
 
 i.  A  disobedient  hearer'  (ver.  1),  though  warned  hy  sad  example  (ver.  2),  asking 
 the  prophet's  prayers  (ver.  3)  in  an  hour  of  distress  (ver.  5). 
 
 ii.  A  self-willed  suppliant  (ver.  7)  answered  ivith  a  message  of  judgment  (vers. 
 7,  8)  and  words  of  solemn  admonition  (vers.  9,  10). 
 
 Vers.  11-15.  A  Prudent  Use  of  Opportunity  Maliciously  Thwarted. 
 
 i.  A  Judicious  effort.  The  prophet's  intention  was  wise  (ver.  12);  the  brief 
 interval  ivas  auspicious  (ver.  11).     See  Lit.  Crit,  supra. 
 
 ii.  A  false  charge.  Maliciously  made  {v&v.  13);  emphatically  rep^idiated  {vQv. 
 14)  ;  eagerly  believed  (ver.  14). 
 
 iii.  A  foul  injustice.  Angry  antagonists  (ver.  14);  abusive  treatment;  un- 
 warrantable impi'isonment. 
 
 Vers.  16-21.  Wrongful  Sufferings  Alleviated. 
 
 i.  EoTjcd  leniency.  Waited  for  jmtiently  (ver.  16);  exercised  more  from  ^er- 
 sonal  anxiety  than  righteous  regret  (ver.  17). 
 
 ii.  Troubled  inquiry,  bought  secretly,  eagerly,  tremblingly  {yer.  17) ;  answered 
 empihatically  (ver.  17). 
 
 iii.  Righteous  expostulatioti.  Against  personal  wrong  (ver.  IS);  against  heed- 
 ing delusive  teachers  (ver.  19). 
 
 iv.  Sufferings  ameliorated.     The  pathetic  pleadings  of  distress  (ver.  20) ;  the 
 royal  exercise  of  compassion  (ver.  21). 
 580 
 
EOMILETIC  COMMENTARY:  JEREMIAH. 
 
 CHAP,  xxxvir. 
 
 EOMILETIC  OUTLINES  ON  CHAPTER  XXXV 11, 
 
 Ver.  3.  Theme :  A  Bad  Man  asking 
 A  Good  Man's  Prayers. 
 
 I.  What  led  to  this  bad  man  needing 
 this  good  man's  prayers  ? 
 
 1.  Neglect  of  the  warning  of  exainple 
 (ver.  2).  All  the  woes  which  came  upon 
 Jechoniah  and  his  people  afi'orded  Zede- 
 kiah  no  effectual  admonition  of  the 
 miseries  which  follow  disobedience. 
 
 2.  Imminent  perils  were  gathering 
 (ver,  5.)  He  sought  Jeremiah's  co^inr.el 
 once  before  (chap,  xxi,),  when  the  king 
 of  Babylon's  army  first  approached  ;  and 
 now  asked  his  -prayers  when  his  hopes 
 and  fears  struggled  within  him  as  the 
 Egyptians  and  Chaldeans  warred  out- 
 side the  city's  walls.  He  was  in  anxiety  ; 
 and  it  is  then  that  bad  people  come 
 for  the  sympathy  and  help  of  the 
 godly. 
 
 II.  What  mood  was  this  had  man  in 
 while  asking  the  good  mans  prayers ? 
 
 1.  He  cared  not  to  hear  the  Lord's 
 messages  and  commands  (comp.  Pharaoh, 
 Exod.  viii.  28,  29). 
 
 2.  He  dared  not  to  intercede  the  Lord 
 himself  (comp.  Exod.  x.  16,  17). 
 
 3.  And  he  craved  not  the  Lord  Him- 
 self but  only  His  help. 
 
 III.  What  facts  are  suggested  by  bad 
 men  ashing  a  good  man's  2)rayers  ? 
 
 1.  It  is  urgent  for  every  vian  to  have 
 a  way  open  by  which  to  reach  God  in 
 2)rayer.  Even  bad  men,  prayerless  men, 
 will  come  to  need  this  ;  and  the  moment 
 will  be  urgent  in  their  history :  in 
 trouble,  in  death. 
 
 2.  Intercessory  prayers  for  others  have 
 power  with  God.  Scripture  instances — 
 Moses,  Elijah,  &c.  Even  evil  persons 
 seem  to  know  this,  and  cherish  the 
 thought,  and  use  the  prayers  of  others 
 in  their  own  extremity.  Wicked  people, 
 in  alarm,  will  ask  such  prayers. 
 
 3.  Prayers  in  which  God  Himself  is 
 rejected  from  the  soul,  and  merely  His 
 help  selfishly  and  sordidly  ashed,  are  an 
 affront  to  Jehovah.  Jeremiah  would  not 
 carry  such  prayers  before  the  Throne. 
 
 4.  Sinners  defeat  the  prayers  of  good 
 men  by  their  own  wicked  lives.  They 
 war  against  the  pleadings  of  the  godly. 
 
 5.  Bad  men  dare  not  venture  before 
 
 God  themselves,  and  therefore  seek  the 
 intercession  of  the  good.  Penitents, 
 though  sinners,  have  sought  God,  for  in 
 their  penitence  they  cease  to  be  included 
 among  bad  persons  :  their  hearts  are  in 
 grief  for  their  sin.  There  is  a  Way  to 
 God  for  even  the  guilty ^  and  the  Way  is 
 open  always :  it  is  through  Jesus ;  for 
 "if  any  man  sin  we  have  an  Advocate 
 with  the  Father,"  and  none  shall  seek 
 His  intercession  in  vain. 
 
 See  Addenda  :  Useless  Prayers. 
 
 Ver.  9.  Theme:  Deceptive  Hope. 
 "  Tims  saith  the  Lord,  Deceive  not  your- 
 selves," &c. 
 
 I.  Delusive  helps  rise  in  our  despair. 
 They  are  the  will-o'-ivisps  on  the  swamp 
 decoying  the  lost  traveller  into  deeper 
 misery. 
 
 1.  Misery  makes  us  ready  to  be  de- 
 ceived. We  hunger  then  for  any  faint 
 hope  of  help.  The  desert  travellers, 
 expiring  with  thirst,  see  the  mirage  :  it 
 is  an  illusion  of  their  fevered  vision. 
 A  shipwrecked  crew  sight  a  vessel,  but 
 it  is  the  creation  of  their  mad  imagina- 
 tion. In  the  hour  of  worldly  misfortune 
 we  seize  the  frailest  promise  of  relief. 
 Sinners  dying  in  their  sins  call  for  the 
 minister,  the  sacrament — grasp  at  any 
 help ;  will  take  man's  lying  words, 
 "Peace,  peace!"  while  they  are  still 
 vuforgiven  by  God,  unreconciled  through 
 ( 'hrist. 
 
 2.  Delusions  come  upon  all  who  turn 
 from  God.  These  Jews  trusted  and 
 sought  help  from  the  Egyptians,  and 
 would  not  heed  God's  messages  through 
 Jeremiah  that  the  Chaldean  power 
 should  scatter  the  forces  of  Pharaoh. 
 No  !  they  turned  from  God,  and  trusted 
 in  Egypt. 
 
 At  a  crisis  when  the  Chaldean  army 
 was  besieging  the  city,  the  army  of 
 Pharaoh  came  to  tlieir  succour. 
 
 Yes  ;  and  lying  comforters  ivill  appear 
 to  soids  rrho  reject  God.  The  atheist, 
 assuring  them  there  is  no  future,  no 
 judgment  to  come,  no  penalty  for  sin. 
 The  sacramentarian  or  sacerdotalist,  with 
 their  false  theories  of  the  efficacy  of  the 
 
 581 
 
CHAP,  xsxvir. 
 
 UOMILETIC  CO.VMENTARY:  JEREMIAH. 
 
 Church's  sacraments,  and  the  priestly 
 functions  of  confessors  and  clergymen. 
 The  moralist,  who  will  urge  that,  though 
 religion  has  been  neglected,  the  Spirit 
 "grieved,"  Christ  "passed  by,"  yet  "Ae 
 can't  he  wrong  whose  life  is  in  the 
 right:'' 
 
 God  sometimes  gives  disobedient  souls 
 over  to  their  delusions,  so  that  they 
 "  believe  a  lie."  They  resolutely  reject 
 Him,  and  He  says  to  all  awakening 
 agencies  of  grace,  "He  has  turned  to 
 idols,  let  iJiemi  alone  !  " 
 
 II.  Deceptive  hopes  leave  us  in 
 deeper  distress.  The  darkness  is  more 
 blinding  for  the  momentary  flash  of 
 light.  The  silence  is  more  ghostly  for 
 the  swiftly-gone  voice  of  pity. 
 
 By  Pharaoh-Hophra's  approach,  Nebu- 
 chadnezzar's army  was  temporarily  drawn 
 off  from  the  siege  of  Jerusalem,  but  ver.  9 ; 
 see  vers.  7,  8. 
 
 1.  Thei/  bring  a  temiiorary  delight. 
 The  city  went  into  jubilation  at  the 
 sight  of  the  Egyptian  banners.  A  man 
 in  mental  luretcliedness  rushes  into  ex- 
 hilarating company  and  indulgences ; 
 and  lo  !  he  laughs  the  laughter  of  fools. 
 Conscience  smitten  luith.  the  pangs  of 
 conviction  seeks  the  opiate  of  a  thrilling 
 book,  and  soul-misery  is  forgotten  in  the 
 enchantment  of  exciting  fiction. 
 
 Souls  consciously  needing  a  Saviour 
 attend  the  routine  of  Ritualism,  and  get 
 lulled  into  something  of  quietude  ;  or 
 betake  themselves  to  self-righteous 
 efforts,  and  gather  a  new  pleasure  from 
 these  adopted  reformatory  habits. 
 
 2.  They  fail  to  fulfil  their  2))'onilses. 
 The  tower  of  Babel  did  not  lift  its 
 builders  up  to  heaven  !  The  inflated 
 boastings  of  Goliath  did  not  fulfil  the 
 proud  hopes  of  the  Philistines.  The 
 army  of  Egypt  did  7iof  effect  the  de- 
 liverance of  the  city  from  Nebuchad- 
 nezzar's siege. 
 
 Then  follows  a  melancholy  dis- 
 illusionising. No  misery  can  exceed  that 
 of  being,  for  a  brief  respite,  raised  up 
 from  the  black  depths  of  despair  only 
 to  be  cast  down  again  into  profounder 
 deeps. 
 
 And  "  the  hope  of  the  hypocrite  shall 
 perish."  Indeed,  every  hope  which  re- 
 jects God  shall  mock  the  soul  with  its 
 582 
 
 falsity.  In  death  or  in  eternity.  The 
 storm  shall  beat  upon  the  house  reared 
 on  sand,  and  great  shall  be  its  fall.  Oh, 
 "  deceive  not  yourselves  ;  "  literally,  your 
 soids.  There  is  "  a  Hope  sure  and 
 steadfast :  "  Christ  is  our  Hope. 
 
 3.  They  defeat  not  the  inirposes  of 
 God.  Deceptive  hopes  are  powerless  to 
 avert  facts.  It  is  as  if  attempting  to 
 arrest  Omnipotence  with  a  spider's  web. 
 God  intended  Nebuchadnezzar's  victory, 
 yet  the  Jews  cherished  the  hope  of 
 Pharaoh's  triumph.  But  God  is  ruling 
 human  events.  He  has  a  ivill  mightier 
 than  our  desires.  "  The  Chaldeans  shall 
 not  depart." 
 
 a.  Nor  will  the  horrors  of  death 
 "depart"  from  the  dying  sinner. 
 
 h.  Nor  will  the  terrors  of  judgment  be 
 evaded  by  those  who  despise  God  and 
 reject  His  grace  in  Jesus. 
 
 c.  Nor  will  the  2^u7'poses  of  God  yield 
 to  our  schemings,  for  "  He  doeth  ac- 
 cording to  His  will  among  the  armies  of 
 heaven  and  the  inhabitants  of  the  earth," 
 and  "none  shall  stay  His  hand." 
 
 d.  Nor  will  the  Divine  terms  of  salva- 
 tion be  altered  for  man's  caprice,  or  any 
 other  means  of  securing  God's  mercy  be 
 accepted.  For  "  there  is  none  other 
 name  under  heaven  given  among  men 
 whereby  we  must  be  saved." 
 
 Therefore,  "  deceive  not  yourselves." 
 
 Ver.  12.  Theme:  Seeking  Retire- 
 ment. "  Then  Jeremiah  went  forth  out 
 of  Jerusalem,  to  go  into  the  laud  of 
 Benjamin,  to  separate  himself  thence  in 
 the  midst  of  the  people."  Various  in- 
 terpretations of  his  reason  and  purpose — 
 
 I.  His  wearied  heart  craved 
 quietude  amid  family  scenes.  Ben- 
 jamin was  his  birthplace.  He  was 
 tired  xvlth  the  tumult  and  antagonism 
 of  the  city,  for  he  saw  that  he  spent 
 himself  in  fruitless  labours.  So,  worn 
 out  with  weariness,  burdened  at  heart 
 over  the  refractoriness  and  hardness  of 
 those  among  whom  he  had  laboured  so 
 long  and  in  vain,  he  sought  retirement 
 and  rest. 
 
 Perhaps,  too,  he  might  there  find  his 
 people  more  ready  to  heed  his  messages, 
 and,  by  repentance,  to  avert  the  Divine 
 judgments. 
 
IIOMILETIC  COMMENTARY:  JEREMIAU. 
 
 CHAP.  XSXVII. 
 
 1.  Labours  abundant  justify  God's 
 servants  in  seeking  temporary  repose. 
 "  Come  ye  aj^art  and  rest  awhile." 
 
 2.  From  scenes  of  official  life  the 
 human  yearnings  turn  to  the  tenderer 
 associations  of  home. 
 
 II.  In  despair  of  further  usefulness 
 in  the  city,  he  sought  more  congenial 
 surroundings.  We  know  how  he  shrank 
 from  the  prophet's  ministry  in  Jerusalem 
 (see  on  chap.  xii.  5).  His  experience 
 there  had  been  very  adverse  and  dis- 
 ajypointing.  The  luxurious  dream  of  a 
 rural  ministry  allured  him.  And  now, 
 that  evidently  his  work  at  Jerusalem 
 had  failed,  he  seized  the  opportunity 
 for  retiring  to  Anathoth. 
 
 1 .  Service  in  forefront  scenes  becomes 
 very  harassing  and  exhausting. 
 
 2.  Failure  in  tvork  naturally  impels 
 the  worker  to  ask  an  altered  sphere  of 
 ministry. 
 
 III.  Disasters  gathering  on  the 
 nation  impelled  him  to  concern  for 
 personal  safety.  The  siege  would  bring 
 ruin  and  famine.  Now  was  the  favour- 
 able moment  to  quit  Jerusalem  and 
 hide  from  the  miseries  which  were  immi- 
 nent. 
 
 1.  Family  interests  claimed  his  at- 
 tention. He  was  needed  in  Benjamin 
 for  some  division  of  the  family  in- 
 heritance, which  the  siege  rendered 
 desirable  (see  Lit.  Crit.) 
 
 2.  In  times  of  common  trouhle  we 
 strongly  covet  the  surroundings  of 
 family  affection. 
 
 Ver.  14.  Theme:  False  Charges. 
 "Then  said  Jeremiali,  It  is  false;  I  fall 
 not  away  to  the  Chaldeans." 
 
 False  charges,  false  witnesses,  false 
 words,  false  pretences,  have  been  so 
 common  in  this  deceitful  world,  that  no 
 marvel  David  said  in  his  haste,  "All 
 men  are  liars." 
 
 But  there  are  lovers  of  truth  in  the 
 world,  who  scorn  a  lie ;  disciples  of 
 Him  who  said,  "I  am  the  Truth." 
 
 I.  When  wrongly  charged  it  is 
 right  to  falsify  the  accusation.  To  be 
 silent  under  a  false  charge  is  tacitly  to 
 admit  its  truth.  All  such  untruths 
 should  be  indignantly  refuted.  In  this 
 we  have  warrant  not  only  from  Jere- 
 
 miali's  example,  but  also  in  our  Lord 
 and  His  apostles. 
 
 But  while  it  is  sad  to  see  good  men 
 falsely  accused — 
 
 II.  It  is  sadder  to  see  men.  so  depraved 
 as  to  be  guilty  of  knowingly  bringing 
 false  accusation.  Better  be  the  accused 
 than  the  false  accuser ;  the  slave  than 
 the  slave-owner. 
 
 "Dear  as  freedom  is,  and  in  my  heart's 
 Just  estimation,  prized  above  all  price, 
 I  had  much  rather  be  myself  the  slave 
 And  wear  the  bonds  than  fasten  them  on 
 him." 
 
 — COWPEK. 
 
 III.  Christianity  distinguishes  its 
 disciples  with  genuineness  and  truth. 
 
 Yet  none  have  had  grosser  cJcarges 
 laid  against  them.  The  apostles  were 
 charged  with  encouraging  sin  that  grace 
 might  abound.  The  early  Christians 
 were  charged  with  fostering  sedition  and 
 "  turning  the  world  upside  down."  The 
 Protestant  martyrs  were  charged  with 
 '■'heresy." 
 
 IV.  Current  errors  need  to  be  con- 
 fronted with  the  cry,  "It  is  false!''' 
 
 1.  Ecclesiastical  theories  of  apostolic 
 succession,  of  baptismal  regeneration, 
 of  transubstantiation,  of  the  sinner's 
 annihilation,  of  universal  restoration,  of 
 the  Universal  Fatherhood  of  God — Soci- 
 nian  in  its  origin  and  tendency.  "  To 
 the  law  and  the  testimony,"  and  so  test 
 Church  politics,  creeds,  rites,  and 
 customs. 
 
 2.  Errors  are  being  disseminated  by 
 the  p)'>'^^^  which  should  impel  us  to 
 "search  the  Scriptures  daily,  to  see  if 
 these  things  are  so."  And  wherever  we 
 meet  an  nnscriptural  theory,  let  us 
 boldly  cry,  '^It  is  false  !  " 
 
 Time  will  ensure  the  triumph  of 
 truth.  "  The  greatest  friend  of  truth 
 is  Time." — Condensed  and  arranged 
 from  "  Walks  with  Jeremiah"  by  liev. 
 D.  Pledge. 
 
 Ver.  15.  Theme:  Injustice  to  the 
 JUST.  Though  prepared  to  defend  and 
 exculpate  himself,  he  was  not  allowed  to 
 explain  or  i)lead. 
 
 I.  Disqualified  judges  "  were  ivroth." 
 1.  Anger  renders   men  incapable   of 
 judgment. 
 
 583 
 
CHAP.  XXXVII, 
 
 no  MI  LET IC  COliTMENTARY:  JEREMIAH. 
 
 2.  Prejudice  proves  fatal  to  adminis- 
 tration of  Justice. 
 
 ;>.  Hatred  gives  no  place  to  rectitude 
 or  Immanity. 
 
 II.  Unproved  accusations. 
 
 1.  Malice  cares  not  to  wait  for  justifi- 
 cation. 
 
 2.  Wiclced  men  allow  passion  to  hurry 
 them  on  to  indulge  tJicir  wrath. 
 
 3.  Innocence  has  no  hope  of  fair  treat- 
 ment from  guilty  men. 
 
 III.  Lawless  cruelty.    "Smote  him." 
 
 1.  Pity  for  God's  servants  is  absent 
 from  the  hearts  of  those  who  hate 
 God. 
 
 2.  Violence,  regardless  of  righteous- 
 ness, has  often  been  the  cruel  lot  of  the 
 godly. 
 
 3.  Indignation  against  a  faithful  wit- 
 ness for  God  carries  men  to  shameful 
 extremes  and  criminal  brutalitj'.  "For 
 the  wicked  hateth  the  righteous  and 
 gnasheth  upon  him  with  his  teeth." 
 
 IV.  Foul  imprisonment. 
 
 1.  It  gratified  them  to  hinder  his 
 further  ivitnessing  against  their  iniquity. 
 
 2.  In  their  revenge  they  added  bar- 
 barity to  indignity.      ^^  The  dungeon." 
 
 3.  Weary  days  spent  in  vileness  and 
 darkness:  "remained  there  many  days." 
 
 This  was — 
 
 1.  A  heavy  cross  for  a  consciously 
 innocent  man  to  bear. 
 
 2.  Only  the  comforts  of  God's  Spir'it 
 could  have  s}(stained  him  amid  this  cruel 
 usage. 
 
 3.  How  light  are  our  sufferings  for 
 Christ  compared  with  these  ! 
 
 See  Addenda :  Injustice. 
 
 Ver.  17.  Theme:  A  Secret  Inquirer. 
 "  The  king  sent  .  .  .  and  asked  him 
 secretly  in  his  house,  Is  there  any  word 
 froni  the  Lord  ? " 
 
 I.  An  inquirer,  anxious  about  a 
 Divine  message. 
 
 1.  Fearing  lest  it  should  be  one  of 
 doom. 
 
 2.  Curious  to  learn,  though  unwilling 
 to  obey,  the  word  of  the  Lord. 
 
 3.  Wishful  that  there  might  come  a 
 *'  word  "  which  would  give  sanction  to 
 his  own  predetermined  course. 
 
 n.  An  inquirer,  solicitous  for  his 
 own  dignity. 
 584 
 
 1.  Ashamed  to  openly  show  himself  dio. 
 inquirer. 
 
 2.  Contriving  a  secret  interview,  in 
 order  to  avoid  inconvenience. 
 
 3.  Devoid  alike  of  courage  and  of 
 self-abasement. 
 
 III.  An  Inquirer,  touched  by  a 
 sentiment  of  tenderness  and  mercy. 
 The  king — 
 
 1.  Relieved  the  prophet  from  his  unjust 
 imprisonment. 
 
 2.  Showed  him  consideration  in  bring- 
 ing him  into  his  house. 
 
 3.  Doubtless  felt  some  compunction 
 for  the  wrong  done  to  him,  and  some 
 conviction  of  his  own  wrong  course  of 
 action — this  prompting  his  kindlier  con- 
 duct. 
 
 IV.  An  inquirer  answered  by  an 
 uncongenial  word  from  God. 
 
 1.  Denouncing  his  false  hopes  in 
 Egypt. 
 
 2.  Foretelling  his  personal  overthrow. 
 Why  such  a  message  sent  from  God  to 
 
 an  inquirer  ? 
 
 i.  Because,  though  an  inquirer,  he 
 was  determined  up)on  a  disobedient  course 
 of  action. 
 
 ii.  Because,  though  an  inquirer,  he 
 was  in  no  humble  and  contrite  spii'it. 
 
 iii.  Because,  though  an  inquirer,  he 
 was  time-serving  and  cowardly. 
 
 iv.  Because,  though  an  inquirer,  he 
 ought  not  to  have  been  an  inquirer  at 
 all;  for  he  had  already  heard  enough 
 from  God  through  Jeremiah,  and  ought 
 long  ago  to  have  ceased  asking  for  "any 
 word  "  additional,  and  obeyed  what  God 
 had  alrcadij  said  to  him. 
 
 Ver.  19.  Theme:  Delusions  Refuted. 
 "  Where  are  now  your  prophets  which 
 prophesied  unto  you,  saying.  The  king 
 of  Babylon  shall  not  come,"  &c.  ? 
 
 Not  only  had  false  prophets  risen,  but 
 both  kings  and  people  had  shown  eager- 
 ness to  heed  their  misleading  prophecies. 
 (See  on  xxviii.  14,  p.  489  ;  and  xxviii. 
 15,  p.  494.) 
 
 I.  Men  covet  congenial  teachers. 
 "  Your  prophets." 
 
 1.  A  delusive  wish  to  hear  only  plea- 
 sant prophesyings. 
 
 2.  A  rash  readiness  to  hear  only  plea- 
 sant prophesyings. 
 
HOMILETIC  COMMENTARY:  JEREMIAE. 
 
 CHAP,  xxxvir. 
 
 3.  A  fatal  proneness  to  believe  the 
 propbesyings  we  covet. 
 
 II.  Time  is  fatal  to  falsity.  "Where 
 iioto  ?  " 
 
 1.  False  words  fascinate  and  gratify 
 for  the  vioment. 
 
 2.  Gilded  hopes  charm  so  long  as  they 
 endure. 
 
 3.  Cherished  dehisions  have  an  omi- 
 nously hrief  existeiice. 
 
 III.  Experience  supplies  the  test  of 
 truth. 
 
 1.  Man  wants  safe,  rather  than  mere 
 pleasant,  teaching. 
 
 3.  Deceitful  words  ivill,  in  due  time, 
 meet  their  certain  refutation. 
 
 3.  The  day  of  adversity  will  shatter 
 all  refuges  of  lies. 
 
 IV.  God's  refutation  of  false  hopes. 
 "  The  king  of  Babylon,"  Ac.      But— 
 
 1.  The  derided  event  is  actually  re- 
 alised. So  Satan's  lie,  "  In  the  day. 
 .  .  ye  shall  not  surely  die." 
 
 2.  God  will  see  that  truth  is  vindi- 
 cated against  falsity. 
 
 3.  Sinners  will  find  that  God's  mes- 
 sages, though  reviled,  turn  out  true. 
 
 V.  Beguiled  souls  deserted  by  their 
 leaders.  "  Where  now  are  your  pro- 
 2'hcts?" 
 
 1.  They  who  ruin  others  will  ivish  to 
 shun  their  dupes  in  the  day  of  calamity. 
 
 2.  Baffled  prophets/«Ve /row  their  own 
 shame  in  the  hour  of  defeat. 
 
 Z.  Deceivers,  and  those  they  deceived, 
 ■.nust  hear  the  doom  of  their  delusions. 
 "  All  liars  shall  have  their  part  in  the 
 lake,"  &c.,  as  these  wicked  prophets  had 
 to  share  the  misery  of  Jerusalem's  ruin. 
 
 See  Addenda  :  Falsity. 
 
 ADDENDA  TO  CHAP.  XXXVIII.  :  ILLUSTRATIONS  AND  SUGGESTIVE  EXTRACTS. 
 
 Valueless  Peayers.  Scarcely  any 
 ministers,  and  many  a  Christian,  but 
 can  recall  instances  of  their  prayers 
 being  asked  by  persons  who  have  been 
 prayerless  themselves.     One  will  suffice. 
 
 I  went  to  see  a  woman  in  G .     She 
 
 was    dying,    but    without  a    gleam    of 
 hope. 
 
 "  Oh,  pray  for  me ;  I  cannot,  cannot 
 pray  for  myself,  sir." 
 
 "  Indeed  ;  but  why  not  for  yourself  1  " 
 
 "  My  state  is  too  hard  ;  I  have  known 
 all  about  religion  since  childhood,  but 
 have  insulted  my  conscience,  rejected 
 God,  resisted  the  Spirit,  neglected  Christ. 
 And  oh,  I  dare  not,  I  cannot  speak  to 
 Heaven  now  ! " 
 
 All  my  pleading  failed  to  awaken  hope 
 in  her,  or  to  induce  her  to  an  effort  to 
 pray.  It  seemed  awfuh  No  !  She 
 should  be  thankful  if  I  would  pray  for 
 her  ;  but  she  could  not  even  frame  in  her 
 thoughts  a  petition  ;  jjrayer  in  her  was 
 dead. 
 
 Although  I  did  kneel  and  earnestly 
 plead  for  her,  yet  when  I  asked  her  if 
 she  had  joined  in  any  one  of  my  direct 
 and  urgent  cries,  she  answered — 
 
 "  No,  I  have  no  power  to  bring  my 
 mind  into  any  definite  desire  ;  /  have 
 killed  prayer  in  my  soid  ;  I  can't  now 
 speak  a  thought  to  God." 
 
 "  His  comrade  too  arose, 
 And  with  the  outward  forms 
 Of  righteousness  and  prayer  insulted  God." 
 
 — Southey. 
 
 "  We  are  told 
 How  much  the  praj'ers  of  righteous  men  avail, 
 And  yet  'tis  striinge  how  very  few  believe 
 Those  blessed  words,  or  act  as  were  they  true. 
 One  reason  of  this  incredulity 
 May  be,  that  conscience  whispers  to  their  souls, 
 '  Notrighteousmen  are  ye.'  And  thus  they  think 
 'I'hat  useless  it  would  be  to  strive  in  prayer 
 For  other's  good,  when  scarcely  for  themselves 
 'i'iiey  hope  for  mercy.     Lukewarm  liearts  and 
 
 faint. 
 Lift  up  your  feeble  hands  and  bend  the  knee; 
 A  Mightier  than  ye  your  guilt  hath  borne, 
 And  for  His  sake,  not  yours,  all  prayer  is  heard." 
 — Lady  Chattcrton. 
 
 Injustice.  When  Athens  was  ruled 
 by  the  thirty  tyrants,  Socrates  the  philo- 
 sopher was  summoned  to  the  Senate 
 House  and  ordered,  together  with  others, 
 to  seize  one  Sevon,  a  man  of  rank  and 
 fortune,  whom  they  determined  to  de- 
 stroy that  they  might  possess  his  estate. 
 This  commission  Socrates  flatly  refused  ; 
 and  boldly  replied,  "I  will  never  willingly 
 assist  in  an  unjust  act." 
 
 Cherides  sharply  replied,  "  Dost  thou 
 think,  Socrates,  to  talk  always  in  this 
 style,  and  not  to  suffer  1 " 
 
 "  Far  from  it,"  he  answered,  "I  expect 
 585 
 
CHAP.  XXXVIII.  EOMILETW  COMMENTARY :  JEREMIAH. 
 
 to  suffer  a  tliousand  ills,   but  none  ko  ing  the  painting  at  a  distance,  you  would 
 
 great  as  to  do  unjustly."  think  the  friar  to  be  in  a  praying  atti- 
 
 ,,  1  ,  tude,  for  his  hands  are  clasped  together, 
 
 "  A  wise  man  never  goes  the  people  s  way ;  j    i    iii      ■        <.  ii     i     i  •    i  ^      i- 
 
 But  as  the  planets  still  move  contrary  and  held  horizontally  to  his  breast ;  his 
 
 To  the  world's  motion,  so  doth  he  to  opinion :  eyes  seem  meekly  closed  like  those  of 
 
 He  will  examine  if  those  accidents  the  publican  in  the  Gospel;  before  him 
 
 ^^'ti'hinr'^*'"  ^''"'^  "^^^^  "'■'""''''  ''''^'^'"  ^'^^  '''^"-'^  ^°°^^  ^^'^^   ""  ^°''^'  "^^"^  "^^'"^^ 
 
 Deservedly  or  no  ?    Come  they  deservedly  ?  prayerfully  he  bends  as  in  devout  medi- 
 
 They  are  no  wrongs  then,  but  punishments.  tation.      But  take  a  nearer  survey,   and 
 
 If  undeservedly,  and  he  not  guilty  ?  the  deception   vanishes.       The  book  is 
 
 The  doer  of  thciu  first  should  Mush,  not  he."  discovered  to  be  a  punch-bowl  ;  in  the 
 
 hands  pressed  together  is  a  lemon  whose 
 
 Falsity.    "  The  essence  of  a  lie  is  the  juice  he  is  squeezing  into  the  bowl ;  and 
 
 intention  to  deceive."  the   half-closed  eyes   are   for  protection 
 
 A  very  capital  painter  in  London  ex-  from  the  spurting  juice,  and  not  forprayer. 
 
 hibited  a  work  of   art    representing    a  Get  nearer  liars  and  their  falsity  is 
 
 friar  habited  in  his  canonicals.     View-  manifest. 
 
 CHAPTER  XXXVIII. 
 
 Ceitical  and  Exegetical  Notes. — Chronological  Notes  as  on  preceding  chapter. 
 
 Personal  Allusions.  Ver.  1.  '■'■  Shcphatiah,"  never  elsewhere  mentioned.  "  Gcdaliah," 
 possibly  son  of  "Pashur"  the  violent  (chap.  xx.  1-3).  "  Jucal,"  axlled  Jehucal  (xxxvii.  3). 
 "  Pashur"  son  of  Malchiah,  same  as  mentioned  xxi.  1. 
 
 Ver.  6.   "  Malchiah  son  of  Hamnelech  "  (see  on  xxxvi.  26). 
 
 Ver.  7.  '''  Ebcd-melech  the  Ethiopian."  Mutilation  to  a  Hebrew  was  forbidden  by  the  Mosaic 
 law  (Deut.  xxiii.  1)  ;  and  Ethiopians  were  not  infrequently  selected  for  service  in  the  royal 
 harem  (Dan.  xi.  43). 
 
 Literary  Criticisms.  Ver.  1.  ^' Words  Jeremiah  had  spoJcen:"  was  speaJcing.  Ver.  4. 
 "For  thus  he  weakeneth :"  i.e.  since  or  because.  Ver.  6.  "Into  the  dungeon:"  lit.  pit  or 
 cistern  (see  note  on  xxxvii.  16).  "  Sank  in  the  mire  :  "  so  that  it  was  a  muddy  pit.  Subterraueaa 
 cisterns  under  the  houses  became  miry  pits  when  the  water  was  exhausted  from  them.  Ver.  10. 
 "  Tliirty  men."  Ewald,  Hitzig,  Graf,  &c.,  thinking  W'^7^  "thirty,"  too  many,  would  read 
 iW?^^  three :  but  this  overlooks  the  resistance  which  the  king's  counsellors  might  perchance 
 offer.  Ver.  11.  "Old  cast  clouts  and  old  rotten  rags:"  from  QPID,  to  drag,  rend ;  therefore 
 here,  shreds,  tatters;  and  next  DTlS^rij  from  Pl^D  to  rub  aivay ;  hence  soft  or  smooth  rags. 
 Ver.  15.   "  Wilt  thou  not  hearhenV     The  interrogation  point  is  an  error  :  "  Thou  ivilt  not,"  &c. 
 
 Ver.  22.  "  Those  ivomen  shall  say,  Thy  friends,"  <<cc.  This  "  saying  "  of  the  king's  women 
 is  in  the  poetic  form,  making  a  distich— a  jeering  refrain— 
 
 "  Thy  friends  have  urged  thee  on,  and  have  prevailed  with  thee  : 
 Thy  feet  are  sunk  in  the  mire ;  they  are  turned  away  back  !  " 
 
 The  words,  "they  are  turned  aivay  back,"  refer  not  to  the  king's  feet,  but  to  the  friends  who, 
 having  lured  him  on,  desert  him  in  his  difficulties. 
 
 Ver.  28.  "  He  was  there  luhen  Jerusalem  ivas  taken : "  a  confused  sentence.  Omit  the  italic 
 word  "there"  from  the  verse  ;  and  read,  "  And  it  was  when  Jerusalem  was  taken ;"  i.e.  "It 
 came  to  2mss  xehen  Jerusalem  was  taken  " — then  continue  next  chapter  ;  for  these  words  should 
 stand  at  the  head  of  chap,  xxxix. 
 
 TOPICS  OF  CHAPTER  XXXVIII. 
 
 Jeremiah's  slanderous  enemies  (vers.  1-4). 
 God's  prophet,  a  prisoner  (ver.  6). 
 A  gracious  and  courageous  Ethiopian  (vers.  7-13). 
 Jeremiah's  experiences  typical  of  Christ's  (vers.  1-13). 
 Obedience  (ver.  20). 
 
 Sinners  the  cause  of  their  own  sufferings  (vers.  17,  18). 
 Timidity  (ver.  19). 
 Equivocation  (ver.  27). 
 586 
 
HOMILETIG  COMMENTARY:  JEREMIAH.  chai-.  xxsvui. 
 
 Topic:  Jeremiah's  Slanderous  Enemies.    (Vers.  1-4.) 
 
 Jeremiah  was  no  arch-traitor,  as  these  "princes"  would  imply,  but  the  truest 
 patriot  in  all  the  land.  This  he  proved  by  his  courage  and  faithfulness,  in  rejwating 
 counsel  which  cost  him  so  much  malignity  and  persecution. 
 
 Certainly  his  opponents  regarded  him  as  the  most  dangerous  man  among  the 
 people,  because  lie  thivarted  their  counsels  and  designs  ;  just  as  Ahab  accused  Elijah 
 of  troubling  Israel  (1  Kings  xviii.  18) ;  Azariab,  Amos  (Amos  vii.  10) ;  and  the  Jews, 
 Paul  (Acts  xvi.  20). 
 
 I.  Calumny  and  slander  assail  even  the  best  of  men.  "  The  worthiest 
 people  are  frequently  attacked  by  slander,  as  we  usually  find  it  to  be  the  best  fruit 
 which  birds  peck  at." — Bacon. 
 
 "  The  world  with  calumny  abounds, 
 The  whitest  virtue  slander  wounds  ; 
 There  are  whose  joy  is,  night  and  day, 
 To  take  a  character  away. 
 Eager  from  rout  to  rout  they  haste 
 To  blast  the  generous  and  the  chaste  ; 
 And,  hunting  reputation  down, 
 Proclaim  their  triumjih  through  the  town." — Pope. 
 
 "  Soft  buzzing  slander  :  silky  moths,  that  eat 
 An  honest  name." — Thomson. 
 
 "  The  tongue  of  the  slanderer  is  a  devouring  fire,  which  tarnishes  whatever  it 
 touches ;  which  exercises  its  fury  on  the  good  grain,  equally  as  on  the  chaff;  on  the 
 sacred  as  on  the  profane ;  which,  wherever  it  pleases,  leaves  only  desolation  and 
 ruin ;  turns  into  vile  ashes  what  only  a  moment  before  had  appeared  to  us  so 
 precious  and  brilliant ;  acts  with  more  violence  than  ever  in  the  time  when  it  was 
 apparently  almost  smothered  up  and  extinct ;  which  blackens  when  it  cannot  con- 
 sume, and  sometimes  sparkles  and  delights  before  it  destroys." — Masslllon. 
 
 "  Virtue  itself  'scapes  not  calumnious  strokes." — Shakespeare. 
 
 II.  Calumny  and  slander  base  their  attacks  upon  misrendered  truths. 
 Jeremiah's  words  were  quoted  as  if  proving  him  unpatriotic ;  whereas  his  full  words 
 are  earnest  with  love  and  solicitude  for  his  people  (comp.  xxi.  8,  9). 
 
 "  You  cannot  always  take  up  a  slander  and  detect  the  falsehood  there ;  you 
 cannot  evaporate  the  truth  in  the  slow  process  of  the  crucible,  and  then  show  the 
 residuum  of  falsehood  glittering  and  visible  ;  you  cannot  fasten  upon  any  word  or 
 sentence  and  say  that  it  is  calumny ;  for  in  order  to  constitute  slander  it  is  not 
 necessary  that  the  word  spoken  should  be  false — half  truths  are  often  more  calum- 
 nious than  whole  falsehoods." — F.  W.  Rohertson. 
 
 An  old  writer  has  said  that  we  have  two  eyes  and  two  ears,  but  only  one 
 tongue,  that  we  may  see  and  hear  twice  as  much  as  we  say ;  but  unhappily  men 
 generally  act  the  reverse  ;  for,  alas !  they  say  far  more  than  they  see  or  hear. 
 
 "  Mingling  truth  with  falsehood,  sneers  with  smiles, 
 A  thread  of  candour  with  a  web  of  wiles."— i)yro«. 
 
 III.  Calumny  and  slander  inflict  the  most  piteous  wrongs  (see  ver.  6). 
 Against  slander  there  is  no  defence.  It  stabs  with  a  smile.  It  is  tlie  poisoned 
 arrow  whose  wound  is  incurable. 
 
 "  Good  name,  in  man  and  woman, 
 Is  the  immediate  jewel  of  their  souls. 
 
 Wlio  steals  my  purse,  steals  trash  ;  'tis  something,  nothing ; 
 'Twas  mine,  'tis  his,  and  has  been  slave  to  thousands  ; 
 But  he  that  filches  from  me  my  good  name, 
 Kobs  me  of  that,  which  not  enriches  him, 
 And  makes  me  poor  indeed." — Shakespeare. 
 
 587 
 
CH^.  xxxviil.  HOMILETIC  COMMENT AR  Y :  J  ERE  MI  A  H. 
 
 Note— 
 
 "  Slander  meets  no  regard  from  noble  minds  ; 
 Only  the  base  believe  what  the  base  only  utter." — Bellew. 
 
 Topic :  God's  Prophet  a  Prisoner.  "  Then  took  they  Jeremiah,  and  cast  him 
 into  the  dungeon  of  Malchiah  the  son  of  Hammelech,  that  was  in  the  court  of 
 the  prison  :  and  they  let  down  Jeremiah  with  cord.s.  And  in  the  dungeon 
 there  was  no  water,  but  mire  :  so  Jeremiah  sunk  in  the  mire  "  (Jer,  xxxviii.  6). 
 
 A  prophet  in  prison  !  An  ambassador  of  the  Most  High  God  in  bonds  !  Let 
 us  trace  the  history  of  this  great  crime  against  the  Majesty  of  Heaven. 
 
 Jeremiah's  prison  experiences  began  twenty  years  before  the  taking  of  Jerusalem 
 by  the  king  of  Babylon.  "Pashur,  who  was  governor  of  the  house  of  the  Lord, 
 heard  that  Jeremiah  prophesied  these  things.  Then  Pashur  smote  Jeremiah  the 
 prophet,  and  put  him  in  the  stocks,"  &c.  (xx.  I).  And  what  things  had  Jeremiah 
 prophesied  1  Only  those  which  the  Lord  commanded  him,  saying,  "Diminish  not 
 a  word."  He  had  denounced  the  innumerable  abominations  which  prevailed  in 
 the  land,  the  oppressions  which  one  class  practised  upon  another,  and  the  gross 
 idolatries,  with  all  their  attendant  cruelties  and  sensualities ;  had  foretold  the 
 Divine  judgments  that  were  hastening  to  overwhelm  the  nation,  and  from  which 
 there  was  now  no  escape. 
 
 When  Nineveh  w\as  threatened  with  destruction  by  the  stranger  prophet,  it 
 repented  and  humbled  itself  in  sackcloth  and  ashes.  But  Jerusalem  hardened 
 itself  against  the  Divine  voice,  and  the  chief  governor  of  its  Temple  seized  the 
 prophet  who  had  dared  to  foretell  its  doom,  and  ^^  smote  him." 
 
 I.  It  was  the  governor  of  the  Lord's  house  that  did  this  great  wrong. 
 L  It  was  the  chief  priests  of  the  Lord's  house  that  led  the  conspiracy  against 
 the  Master  of 2}7-ophets  and  apostles  six  htindred  years  later,  and  one  of  their  officers 
 rudely  struck  the  Divine  captive  with  the  palm  of  his  hand,  Jesus  repelled  the 
 wrong  with  calm  dignity,  saying,  "  If  I  have  spoken  evil,  bear  witness  of  the  evil ; 
 but  if  well,  why  siuitest  thou  Me  1 "  But  Jeremiah  did  not  bear  his  trial  with  the 
 caluniess  and  meekness  which  adorned  the  Master ;  for  he  addressed  severe  words 
 to  his  persecutor  :  "  Thou  Pashur  .  .  .  shall  go  into  captivity,"  &c.  (xx.  6).  But 
 having  delivered  his  message,  he  breaks  out  into  complaints  which  have  no  parallel 
 in  the  history  of  the  good  men  of  the  Bible,  except  of  Job  in  the  hour  of  bitter 
 despair.  "  Cursed  be  the  day  in  which  I  was  born,"  &c.  (xx.  14-18).  All  this 
 after  his  deliverance,  and  after  saying,  "Sing  unto  the  Lord,  praise  ye  the  Lord; 
 for  He  hath  delivered  the  soul  of  the  poor  from  the  hand  of  evil-doers." 
 
 Many  a  servant  of  God  has  put  the  ancient  prophet  to  shame.  "I  found  the 
 comforts  of  my  God  in  the  Fleet  prison  exceedingly,  it  being  the  first  time  of  my 
 being  a  prisoner,"  wrote  a  persecuted  Englishman  two  centuries  ago.  Nor  did  the 
 strength  of  this  good  man  depart  from  him  when  he  stood  in  the  pillory  and  had 
 his  ears  cut  off  by  the  hangman.  "  All  the  while  I  stood  in  the  pillory  I  thought 
 myself  to  be  in  heaven,  and  in  a  state  of  glory  and  triumph,  if  any  such  state  can 
 be  on  earth.  I  found  these  words  of  Peter  verified  on  me  in  the  pillory  :  'If  ye 
 be  reproached  for  the  name  of  Christ,  happy  are  ye ;  for  the  spirit  of  glory  and  of 
 God  resteth  upon  you,  which  on  their  part  is  blasphemed,  but  on  yours  glorified.' " 
 Ilenrij  Burton  is  more  of  a  prophet  in  the  pillory  than  Jeremiah,  and  one  wonders 
 at  the  Hebrew  saint  that  he  should  sink  into  such  a  slough  of  despond. 
 
 We  must  find  the  secret  of  it  very  much  in  his  natural  temperament.  His  was 
 a  task  which  required  the  firmness  of  a  rock  and  the  boldness  of  a  lion — characters 
 which  were  certainly  not  constitutional  with  Jeremiah.  But  the  Lord  knew  his 
 frame,  and  did  not  err  in  choosing  him  for  His  instrument  :  "I  am  with  thee  to 
 deliver  thee,"  was  His  promise.  And  the  vicissitudes  of  the  prophet's  spirit  are 
 to  us  a  jirecious  legacy  of  instruction  and  comfort. 
 588 
 
HOMILETIC  COMMENTARY :  JBREMIAU.  chap,  xxxviii. 
 
 On  his  release  his  warfare  against  the  sins  of  the  nation  was  continued  as  here- 
 tofore (xx.  11,  12).  In  prolonged  strains  of  Divine  severity,  mingled  with  pro- 
 mises of  a  return  from  Babylon,  whither  they  were  doomed  to  be  carried  into  exile, 
 and  with  promises^  of  still  greater  blessing  at  a  more  distant  period,  under  the 
 reign  of  the  Messiah,  Jeremiah  continued  his  expostulations  with  a  degenerate 
 people,  but  amid  intense  suffering  to  his  own  tender  spirit — "  Mine  heart  within 
 me  is  broken  ;  all  my  bones  shake,"  &c.  (xxxiii.  9). 
 
 2.  Later  on  we  find  the  spiritual  and  the  seailav  poiuers  j^layingthe  paris  which 
 they  have  often  played  in  other  ages  and  countries,  the  one  persecuting  the  prophet, 
 the  other  protecting  him  ;  the  spiritual  demanding  his  death,  the  secular,  with  more 
 regard  to  justice,  covering  him  with  the  shield  of  his  protection.  The  priests  and 
 prophets,  and  all  the  people,  took  him  and  said,  "Thou  shalt  surely  die."  .  ,  . 
 Then  said  the  princes  and  all  the  people  unto  the  priests  and  prophets,  "  This  man 
 is  not  worthy  to  die  ;  for  he  hath  spoken  to  us  in  the  name  of  the  Lord  "  (xxvi. 
 7-16). 
 
 The  secular  ruler  Pilate  was  more  righteous  than  the  spiritual  rulers  Annas  and 
 Caiaphas.  "  Behold  I  bring  Him  forth  unto  you,  that  ye  may  know  that  I  find 
 no  fault  in  Him."  But  in  this  case  the  people  took  part  with  unrighteous  priests, 
 and  demanded  that  the  innocent  One  should  be  crucified.  In  the  case  of  Jeremiah, 
 the  people  at  first  joined  his  persecutors  in  demanding  that  he  should  die.  But 
 the  appeal  to  their  reason  and  conscience  won  them  to  the  side  of  justice,  and  they 
 joined  the  princes  in  saving  the  Lord's  servant  out  of  the  hands  of  his  enemies. 
 
 The  king  of  Babylon's  army  besieged  Jerusalem  about  fifteen  years  after  the 
 first  imprisonment  of  Jeremiah,  and  the  prophet  was  instructed  to  say,  "  Though 
 ye  fight  with  the  Chaldeans  ye  shall  not  prosper  "  (xxxii.  5).  The  king  was  now 
 the  persecutor  :  '•  Wherefore  dost  thou  prophesy,"  said  Zedekiah,  "  and  say,  Thus 
 saith  the  Lord,  Behold  I  will  give  this  city  into  the  hand  of  the  king  of  Babylon  ?" 
 (xxxii.  2).  It  was  the  old  story.  "  Art  thou  he  that  troubleth  Israel  1 "  said  the 
 wicked  Ahab  to  the  prophet  Elijah.  "  I  trouble  not  Israel,"  was  the  memorable 
 reply  ;  "  but  thou,  and  thy  father's  house,  in  that  ye  have  forsaken  the  Lord, 
 and  thou  hast  followed  Baalim."  Not  the  prophet,  but  the  king,  and  siich  as  the 
 king,  was  the  cause  of  the  dark  cloud  which  now  hung  over  the  favoured  city. 
 
 II.  The  priso7i  walls  withi?i  ivhich  Jeremiah  ivas  shut  up  could  not  exclude 
 the  presence  and  the  voice  of  the  Lord. 
 
 In  his  solitude  he  received  assurances  not  only  of  the  inevitable  catastrophe 
 which  should  overwhelm  the  land,  but  of  a  certain  recovery  and  restoration  (xxxii. 
 26,  42),  a  message  which  Jeremiah  found  means  of  addressing  to  the  king  and  to 
 the  people.  How  and  when  he  was  released  does  not  appear,  but  we  find  him  soon 
 again  sent  back  to  his  place  of  confinement.  The  Chaldeans  retire  from  the  siege 
 of  the  city  for  a  time  for  fear  of  the  Egyptian  army,  and  Jeremiah  tries  to  slip 
 away  into  the  land  of  Benjamin.  He  is  caught  in  the  gate  in  the  act  of  departure, 
 and  charged  with  falling  away  to  the  Chaldeans.  In  vain  lie  denies  the  charge  ;  he 
 must  return  to  prison,  and  there  he  remains  many  days  (xxxvii.  16). 
 
 The  king,  whose  secret  conscience  assures  him  not  only  of  Jeremiah's  innocence, 
 but  of  the  gravity  of  the  message  with  which  he  is  charged  of  God,  sends  for  him 
 and  asks  in  private,  "  Is  there  any  word  from  the  Lord  1 "  The  prophet  answers 
 promptly,  "  There  is ;  for  thou  shalt  be  delivered  into  the  hands  of  the  king  of 
 Babylon." 
 
 Royal  menace  and  royal  clemency  are  alike  impotent  to  sway  the  prophet  from 
 the  faithful  discharge  of  his  duty.  But  fain  would  he  be  saved  from  returning 
 to  his  prison-house.  And  one's  heart  is  moved  by  the  earnestness  with  which  he 
 remonstrated  with  the  king  (xxxvii.  20).  The  king  was  so  far  moved  that  he 
 ordered  that  Jeremiah  should  be  committed  not  to  the  dungeon  in  Jonathan's 
 house,  but  to  the  court  of  the  prison,  and  that  a  piece  of  bread  should  be  supplied 
 to  him  daily.     Thus  Jeremiah  remained  in  the  court  of  the  prison  (xxxvii.  21). 
 
 589 
 
CHAP.  XXXVIII.  IIOMTLETIC  COMMENTARY :  JEREMIAH. 
 
 But  the  hostility  of  his  enemies  was  not  satisfied.  The  princes  appealed  to 
 the  kinf'  (xxxviii.  4).  The  sovereign  of  Judah  was  weak  as  well  as  wicked,  and 
 rehearsed  the  part  of  Herod,  in  relation  to  John  the  Baptist,  centuries  before 
 Herod's  time.  "  Behold  he  is  in  your  hand  ;  for  the  king  is  not  he  that  can  do 
 anything  against  you."  Then  they  took  him,  and  not  having  courage  to  murder 
 him  outright,  they  put  him  into  a  dungeon  where  it  was  not  possible  that  he  should 
 live  long  (xxxviii.  6).  But  his  faith  did  not  fail  him.  Eeciting  his  experiences 
 afterwards,  he  said,  '•  I  called  upon  the  Lord  out  of  the  low  dungeon.  Thou 
 drewest  near  in  the  day  that  I  called  upon  Thee  :  Thou  saidst,  Fear  not  "  (Lam.  iii. 
 55-57.)  This  blessed  "  Fear  not  " — how  often  has  the  Voice  from  the  excellent 
 glory  said  to  the  hearts  of  sufferers  and  mourners,  "  Fear  not "  !  "  Fear  not,  for  I 
 am  with  thee ;  be  not  dismayed,  for  I  am  thy  God ;  I  will  help  thee." 
 
 The  heart  of  an  Ethiopian  is  moved  by  the  pitiful  condition  in  which  wicked 
 men  have  left  the  prophet,  and  he  goes  into  the  king's  presence  and  represents  the 
 wrong  that  has  been  done  and  the  danger  in  which  the  prophet  is.  The  king  grants 
 the  Ethiopian's  request,  and  says,  "  Take  from  hence  thirty  men  with  thee,  and 
 take  up  Jeremiah  the  prophet  out  of  the  dungeon  before  he  die"  (xxxviii.  10). 
 What  a  place  that  dungeon  must  have  been  !  A  deep  pit,  used  as  a  cistern,  per- 
 liaps,  during  part  of  the  year,  but  now  dry,  and  with  a  quantity  of  mud  at  the 
 bottom,  into  which  the  prophet  was  so  sunk  that  it  required  not  only  the  strength 
 but  the  skill  of  the  thirty  men  to  drag  him  up  ! 
 
 Jeremiah,  thus  rescued  from  a  cruel  death,  was  not  set  at  liberty,  but  remained 
 in  the  court  of  the  prison  until  the  city  was  taken  by  the  army  of  Babylon. 
 
 Ill  The  Lord's  blessing  was  on  the  head  of  his  deliverer,  Ebed-melecb, 
 the  Ethiopian. 
 
 1.  While  Jeremiah  was  yet  in  prison  there  came  a  message  from  heaven  to  him, 
 sayinor,  "  Go  and  speak  to  Ebed-melech  the  Ethiopian,  and  say  unto  him  "  (xxxix. 
 15-18). 
 
 The  Ethiopian's  skin  was  not  changed  in  the  land  of  his  bondage,  but  his  heart 
 was.  He  found  light  shining  in  this  deep  night  of  Judaism,  and  was  guided  by 
 it  to  the  everlasting  and  ever-loving  God.  And  while  the  children  of  the  kingdom 
 cast  themselves  out,  this  child  of  darkness  and  of  the  desert  was  brought  in  to 
 share  the  inheritance  of  the  faithful,     lie  "  trusted"  in  the  Lord. 
 
 2.  The  message  of  God  to  the  Ethiopian  rebukes  the  vain  philoso'phy  of  man, 
 and  is  fraught  with  comfort  to  the  obscure  and  despised  of  mankind.  God  is  too 
 great  to  concern  Himself  with  the  affairs  of  individuals !  He  may  hold  in  His 
 right  hand  the  mighty  suns  of  the  great  universe  He  has  made,  but  what  to  Him 
 are  the  twinkling  lights  of  cottage  homes  %  He  may  rule  kings  and  princes,  but 
 what  to  Him  are  slaves  and  beggars  1  The  philosophy  which  is  capable  of  being 
 popularised  into  such  questions  as  these  must  be  vain.  Mungo  Park,  faint  and 
 perishing,  observes  a  single  tuft  of  grass  in  the  waste  African  desert,  when  he 
 thought  there  was  nothing  left  for  him  but  to  die,  and  his  heart  argued  with  the 
 rapidity  of  lightning,  that  the  Creator  of  that  tuft  of  grass  could  not  be  unobser- 
 vant of  him,  His  child ;  and  strengthened  by  the  thought  he  persevered  and  was 
 saved.  And  now  Jehovah  singled  out  an  Ethiopian  in  the  court  of  Zedekiah,  and 
 sent  to  him  a  message  of  His  divine  and  fatherly  love.  To  God  the  small  and  the 
 great  are  alike  (Isa.  xl.  26,  29).  If  He  telleth  the  number  of  the  stars,  and  calleth 
 them  by  their  names.  He  likewise  gathereth  together  the  outcasts  of  Israel ;  He 
 healeth  the  broken  in  heart  and  bindeth  up  their  wounds  (Ps.  cxlvii.  3,  4). 
 
 IV.  Jeremiah's  after  ministry. 
 
 Jeremiah  was  still  in  prison  when  the  armies  of  Babylon  took  Jerusalem.  He 
 was  found  in  chains  and  carried  with  other  captives  on  the  way  to  Babylon,  but 
 was  released  at  Ramah,  six  miles  from  Jerusalem.  Thus  ended  the  prison  life  of 
 Jeremiah,  but  not  his  ministry. 
 
 1.  How  long  the  iwophet  ivas  in  priso7i  it  is  difficult  to  determine — probably 
 590 
 
MOMILETIC  COMMENTARY:  JEREMIAH.  chap,  xxxviii. 
 
 for  years.  His  first  imprisonment  so  stunned  him  as  for  tbe  moment  to  overthrow 
 faith  and  patience.  But  his  Later  experience  was  more  wortlij-  of  the  man  of  God  ; 
 and  his  grief  was  far  less  for  himself  than  for  the  people  whose  day  of  grace  was 
 coming  to  an  end.  The  words  (viii.  21  to  ix.  1)  may  have  been  written  in  prison ; 
 if  not,  they  were  recalled  there  and  oft  recited  by  tbe  bleeding  heart  of  the  sorrow- 
 ing prophet.  The  matter  of  the  Lamentations  which  he  wrote  after  the  destruc- 
 tion of  Jerusalem  must  have  been  his  frequent  meditation  in  the  house  of  his 
 prison. 
 
 2.  He  tvas  permitted  even  in  his  jiTison  to  exercise  Ins  ministry.  The  word  of 
 the  Lord  was  not  bound.  It  came  to  him  and  went  from  liiin.  Prison  bars  and 
 fetters  could  not  separate  him  from  his  God,  and  happily  it  did  not  separate  him 
 even  from  his  people.  Their  conscience  and  their  fears  together  made  them  listen 
 to  the  words  which  were  given  to  him  from  God  to  speak  to  them. 
 
 It  may  be  likewise  that  his  imprisonment  was  cheered,  for  some  time  at  least, 
 by  the  companionship  of  his  faithful  friend  and  amanuensis,  Barucb.  Tradition 
 says  that  Baruch  was  his  fellow-prisoner  when  the  prison  door  was  opened  by  tbe 
 victorious  arms  of  Babylon.  The  apostle  Paul  was  comforted  in  his  prison  by  the 
 coming  of  Titus.  Baruch  must  have  been  as  an  angel  of  God  to  Jeremiah  in  his 
 solitude.  Often  would  they  commune  together  of  the  hour  drawing  nearer  every 
 day,  when  sword  and  famine  and  pestilence  should  fill  tbe  streets  and  homes  of 
 Jerusalem  with  horrors  unutterable,  and  the  thouglit  of  it  was  more  than  these 
 prisoners  could  bear.  But  their  darkness  was  not  unmingled.  There  was  light 
 beyond. 
 
 "Behold  the  days  come,  saith  the  Lord,"  &c.  (sxiii.  5-8,  and  xxxiii.  14,  15). 
 
 The  prophet  and  his  fellow-prisoner  could  not  understand  tbese  promises  so 
 clearly  and  fully  as  we  do  now.  But  they  saw  enough  in  them  to  lighten  their 
 burden  and  cheer  their  spirits.  Through  present  gloom  tbe  eye  of  faith  penetrated 
 into  a  glorious  future. 
 
 3.  Jeremiah  must  likewise  have  written  some  portion  of  his  ])7'ophecies  within 
 jn'ison  ivalls.  The  thirty-second,  tbirty-tbird,  and  thirty-fourth  chapters  were 
 doubtless  written  there,  perhaps  much  besides — perhaps  by  the  hand  of  the  skilful 
 and  faithful  penman,  Baruch. 
 
 Again  are  we  reminded  of  the  great  apostle  of  the  Gentiles.  Four,  at  least,  of 
 the  epistles  which  bear  his  name  were  written  in  his  Roman  prison.  And  many 
 books,  which  the  world  would  not  willingly  let  die,  have  been  written  in  like 
 circumstances. 
 
 Who  that  has  read  the  "  Pilgrim's  Progress  "  can  forget  its  opening  sentence  ? — 
 "  As  I  walked  through  the  wilderness  of  this  world,  I  lighted  on  a  certain  place 
 where  was  a  den,  and  laid  me  down  in  that  place  to  sleep  ;  and  as  I  slept  I  dreamed 
 ji  dream."  The  den  wherein  John  Bunyan  dreamed  his  immortal  dream  was  Bedford 
 Jail,  which  was  the  good  man's  home  for  twelve  years.  With  his  Bible  and  Foxe's 
 "  Book  of  Martyrs"  as  his  constant  companions,  he  wrote  his  allegory,  not  witting 
 nor  dreaming  of  its  wonderful  history  in  ages  after  his  death.  As  the  composition 
 advanced  he  read  it,  part  by  part,  to  his  fellow-prisoners,  to  their  no  small  amuse- 
 ment as  well  as  instruction.  But  so  doubtful  was  he  of  the  value  of  his  prison- 
 work,  and  so  various  were  the  counsels  which  he  received  on  the  subject  of  its 
 publication,  that  he  did  not  put  it  into  the  printer's  hands  for  some  years  after  his 
 liberation.  To-day  it  is  read  in  more  languages  of  the  earth,  probably,  than  any 
 other  book,  except  the  Word  of  God. 
 
 Jeremiah  is  the  first  j^rison  mUkor  that  we  know  of.  The  last  has  not  yet 
 written.  For  the  conflict  foretold  when  sin  entered  the  world  is  not  yet  ended : 
 "  I  will  put  enmity  between  thee  (the  serpent)  and  the  woman,  and  between  thy 
 seed  and  her  seed."  And  so  long  as  this  enmity  lasts,  and  the  conflict  between 
 good  and  evil  is  waged  on  earth,  we  shall  find  battles  fought  and  prisons  built  and 
 stakes  erected. 
 
 591 
 
CHAP,  xxxviil.  EOMILETIC  COMMENT  A  R  Y :  JEREMIAH. 
 
 Be  it  so.  The  words  of  Christ  cannot  be  broken,  "  Blessed  are  they  which  are 
 persecuted  for  righteousness'  sake,  for  theirs  is  the  kingdom  of  heaven."  Let  them 
 call  upon  their  God  out  of  their  low  dungeon,  as  did  the  Jewish  prophet,  and  the 
 Divhie  voice  which  cheered  his  prison  will  cheer  theirs.  "Fear  not."  It  is 
 enouf^h.  It  is  enough.  God  says  it.  Martyrs,  rejoice  ! — your  God  is  with  you. 
 If  your  night  be  long,  He  will  not  forsake  you.  If  it  end  in  the  flames  of 
 a  cruel  death,  these  flames  will  be  as  Elijah's  chariot  to  carry  you  from  earth  to 
 heaven. — Rev.  John  Kennedy,  D.D.,  London:  From  '■'Christian  World  Pulpit,'^ 
 1872. 
 
 Topic:  A  Gkacious  and  Courageous  Ethiopian.     (Vers.  7-13.) 
 
 All  the  king's  counsellors  were  hostile  to  God's  prophet ;  "  his  foes  were  they 
 of  hi.s  own  household."  Ebed-melech  the  Ethiopian  was  a  stranger,  an  alien  ;  yet 
 he  befriended  this  servant  of  Jehovah.  So  with  the  misused  Jewish  traveller : 
 the  Levite  and  priest  passed  him  by  in  his  wounded  and  perishing  state,  but  the 
 Samaritan  pitied  and  helped  him.     Consider — 
 
 I.  The  graciousness  of  Ms  spirit.     He  was — 
 
 1.  Deeply  affected  by  the  miseries  of  God's  servant  (ver.  7).  To  hear  of  what 
 was  done  troubled  him.  He  had  "  a  heart  at  leisure  for  itself  to  soothe  and 
 sympathise." 
 
 2.  Impelled  by  pity  to  attempt  his  help  (ver.  8).  Not  passive  sympathy  only ; 
 he  set  himself  to  aid  his  deliverance.     "A  little  help  is  worth  a  deal  of  pity." 
 
 3.  Saiv  the  wickedness  of  the  crtielty  shoivn  to  Jeremiah  (ver.  9).  The  inhumanity 
 was  shocking  to  his  kind  nature ;  but  the  sin  of  it  was  equally  evident,  for  abuse 
 of  God's  messenger  was  defiance  of  God  ! 
 
 4.  Decdt  very  tenderly  with  him  in  rescuing  him  (ver.  12).  His  gentleness  is 
 touching.  He  realised  how  sick  and  weak  the  prophet  must  be  through  the  horrors 
 of  his  imprisonment,  and  from  being  deprived  of  food.  A  tender  heart  makes  the 
 hand  gentle. 
 
 II.  The  courage  of  his  conduct. 
 
 1.  He  was  alone  in  this  act  of  2^it!/-  Others  may  have  felt  pity,  but  feared 
 to  show  it ;  he  had  the  courage  to  avow  his  commiseration  and  sympathy  with 
 Jeremiah. 
 
 2.  By  his  practical  sympathy  he  openly  condemned  the  cruelty  and  Quiliiness  of 
 the  king's  courtiers.     Thus  braving  their  malevolence. 
 
 3.  Fearless  of  all  consequences,  he  even  presses  his  appecd  upon  the  Icing.  Even 
 as  Esther  :   "  So  will  I  go  in  unto  the  king  ;  and  if  I  perish,  I  perish." 
 
 4.  He  bravely  denounces  the  king's  own  counsellors.  Thus  carrying  judgment 
 against  "those  men"  (mark  its  vehement  scorn)  into  the  king's  prese?«ce ;  and 
 thereby  implying  that  the  king  was  himself  wrong  in  having  such  men  about  him, 
 and  in  conniving  at  their  conduct. 
 
 5.  He  honoured  Jeremiah  as  being  the  prophet  of  Jehovah.  Others  ridiculed 
 Jeremiah,  refused  to  own  him  God's  messenger;  but  Ebed-melech  calls  him  "the 
 prophet"  (ver.  9),  and  then  insinuates  the  impiety  of  all,  king  and  people,  for 
 disregarding  his  messages. 
 
 III.  The  success  of  his  intervention  (ver.  10).  This  is  remarkable;  for  the 
 king  had  only  just  before  owned  himself  afraid  to  act  against  his  "princes,"  and 
 helpless  to  check  them  (ver.  5).      How  explain  the  king's  compliance  ? 
 
 1.  The  right  conduct  of  07ie  man  ivill  start  right  convictions  in  another.  Zedekiali 
 could  not  look  at  this  brave  Ethiopian,  so  courar-^ously  and  fearlessly  and  touchingly 
 pleading  for  the  prophet,  without  feeling  condemned  for  his  own  supineness  and 
 cowardice ;  and  impelled  to  better  purposes.  Even  a  lowly  man,  acting  in  fear  of 
 God,  may  awaken  the  conscience  and  move  the  heart  of  a  king  !  This  encourages 
 the  humblest  to  a  fearless  piety  :  it  must  work  good  results. 
 592  ^ 
 
EOMILETIC  COMMENTARY :  JEREMfSH.  chap,  xxxvrir. 
 
 2.  Courageous  conduct  should  he  regulated  hy  prudence.  Armed  with  "  thirty 
 men,"  he  arranged  for  Jeremiah's  rescue.  The  king  saw  he  would  need  such  a  band 
 of  helpers.  But  he  knew  himself  that  if  Jeremiah  was  to  be  drawn  up  alive,  the  work 
 must  be  done  tenderly  ;  so  he  provided  himself  with  "  old  cast  clouts,"  which  would 
 be  needed  to  prevent  injury  to  the  prophet,  for  the  force  needed  to  draw  him  up 
 out  of  the  mire  would  be  great. 
 
 3.  Befriending  care  followed  his  act  of  rescue  (ver.  13).  For  only  there  would 
 the  prophet  be  safe  from  the  fury  of  the  princes ;  and,  providentially,  he  was  there 
 tvithin  reach  of  the  Mug,  to  give  him  counsel  (ver.  14). 
 
 Here,  then,  is — 
 
 i.  Encouragement  to  good  men  to  appear  in  a  good  catise  and  act  vigorously  for 
 God,  notwithstanding  they  are  alone  and  menaced  by  dangers  and  difhculties. 
 
 ii.  Nohle  deeds  done  by  despised  Ethiopians  find  record  in  God's  book,  to  assure 
 us  that  He  honours  whosoever  fears  Him.  So  it  is  recorded  of  Joseph  of  Arimathea, 
 that  he  went  in  boldly  to  Pilate  to  beg  the  body  of  Jesus. 
 
 iii.  Though  the  Ethiopian  cannot  "  change  his  skin,"  his  heart  can  he  changed. 
 This  man  showed  himself  to  be  a  true  child  of  God.  Such  an  instance  as  that  of 
 the  Candacian  eunuch  predicts  the  future  when  "  Ethiopia  shall  lift  up  her  hands 
 unto  God." 
 
 See  homily  on  chap,  xxxix.  15-18  :  "A  Lonely  Hero  of  Faith." 
 
 Topic:    Jeremiah's  Experiences  Typical  of  Christ's. 
 
 i.  Charged  with  pjolitical  treachery.  Jeremiah  (vers.  1-4);  Jesus  (Luke 
 xxiii.  1-5). 
 
 ii.  Abandoned  hy  the  chief  magistrate  of  the  nation  to  his  malignant  foes. 
 Jeremiah  by  the  king  (ver.  5) ;  Jesus  by  Pilate  (Luke  xxiii.  24). 
 
 iii.  T}ie  awful  profounds  of  his  sufferings  suggestive  of  Christ's.  Jeremiah 
 (ver.  6,  "pit,"  &c.) ;  Christ's  (Ps.  Ixix.  2,  15).  Jeremiah  "sank  in  the  mire,"  up 
 to  the  neck,  says  Josephus,  and  so,  "I  sink  in  the  mire"  (Ps.  Ixix.  2). 
 
 iv.  Though  rejected  and  maltreated  by  his  own  nation,  yet  cherished  by  a 
 Gentile  alien.  So  Christ  was  believed  in  by  Gentiles  while  Israel  despised  Him, 
 and  Ethiopians  were  among  the  earliest  converts  (Acts  ii.  10,  41  ;  viii.  27-39). 
 
 V.  In  Jeremialt  s  being  raised  up  alive  from  the  pit,  we  have  Christ's  resurrection 
 from  the  dead  prefigured  and  portrayed. 
 
 vi.  The  Ethiopian's  plea  to  rescue  Jeremiah  reminds  us  of  a  like  act  hy  Joseph  of 
 Arimathea  (see  vers,  8,  9,  and  comp.  Luke  xxiii.  52). 
 
 Note. — It  is  remarked  by  Ambrose,  "  Jeremiah  was  cast  into  the  pit ;  and  no  one 
 was  found  among  the  Jews  to  draw  him  out  of  the  deep  dungeon.  But  Ebed- 
 melech,  the  Ethiopian  convert,  he  did  it.  Here  is  a  beautiful  figure.  The  Pro- 
 phetic Word  was  cast  by  the  Jews  into  the  mire  ;  but  we  of  the  Gentiles,  who  were 
 formerly  darkened,  like  Ethiopians,  with  stains  of  sin  (comp.  Jer.  xiii.  23),  and 
 were  unfruitful,  have  raised  up  that  Word  out  of  the  mire.  As  it  is  said  by  the 
 psalmist,  '  Ethiopia  shall  stretch  out  her  hands  unto  God'  (Ps.  Ixviii.  31)." 
 
 Topic  :  Obedience.     "  Obey,  I  beseech  thee,  the  voice  of  the  Jjord,  tvhen  I  speak  unto 
 thee :  so  it  shall  be  well  ivith  thee,  and  thy  soul  shall  live  "  (ver.  20). 
 
 I.  Safety  lies  in  obedience  to  the  Divine  Will.  There  is  scarcely  a  loss 
 sustained  by  an  intelligent  creature,  but  may  be  traced  to  disobedience  to  the 
 Divine  Will.  Angels'  loss  of  heaven.  Adam's  loss  of  Eden.  Israelites  who  lost 
 their  lives  in  the  wilderness  from  Egypt  to  Canaan.  Jews'  loss  of  their  country  in 
 captivity.  Ananias  and  Sapphira  who  lost  life.  The  captain  who  lost  his  ship  through 
 not  heeding  Paul.  Equally  it  is  through  disobeying  the  Divine  Will  that  health  is 
 lost,  reputation  is  lost,  the  soul  is  lost. 
 
 2p  593 
 
CHAP.  XXXVIII.  HOMILETIC  COMMENTARY :  JEREMIAH. 
 
 II.  Causes  actuating  to  disoTjedience  of  the  Divine  Will. 
 
 1.  The  first  cause  of  the  first  act  of  disobedience  is  an  insoluble  mystery.  God 
 alone  luiderstands  the  origin  of  sin.  It  is  a  mystery  unfathomable  that  holy  and 
 intelligent  creatures,  as  "  the  angels  that  sinned/'  should,  xviihout  being  tempted, 
 fall  into  temptation. 
 
 2.  The  second  act  of  disobedience,  that  of  our  first  parents,  is  less  mysterious  : 
 the  tempter,  by  lies  and  insinuations,  allured  them  to  disobedience.  Fallen  angels 
 had  no  tempter ;  fallen  men  had. 
 
 3.  Since  the  fall  of  angels  and  of  our  first  parents  two  causes  have  operated 
 hading  to  universal  disobedience — Satanic  agency  and  maiCs  depravity.  Hence  the 
 mystery  of  sin  lessens  as  we  discover  the  causes  leading  thereto.  Yet  these  causes 
 do  not  justify  acts  of  disobedience. 
 
 III.  Love  is  the  one  moving,  prompting  cause  of  all  obedience. 
 
 Love  prompts  the  angels  to  fulfil  the  Divine  behests  :  "  They  do  His  command- 
 ments, hearkening  unto  the  voice  of  His  word." 
 
 Love  prompts  "the  spij'its  of  the  just  made  perfect ;"  they  are  "  ministers  of 
 His,  to  do  His  pleasure." 
 
 Love  prompted  the  Apostles  to  obey  the  Divine  commission,  "  Go  ye  into  all 
 the  world  ;  "  "  The  love  of  Christ  constraineth  us." 
 
 Love  prompted  the  martyrs  to  be  "  faithful  unto  death." 
 
 Of  all  forces  there  is  none  so  great  as  the  poiver  of  love.  Laiv,  with  all  its 
 penalties ;  judgments,  with  all  their  terror  ;  morality,  with  all  its  advantages  ;  are 
 feeble  impulses  to  obedience  compared  with  love.    "  Love  is  strong  as  death." 
 
 IV.  Consider  the  pleasures  of  obedience  to  the  Divine  Will. 
 
 1.  There  is  a  present  pleasure  arising  from  the  testimony  and  approbation  of 
 conscience. 
 
 2.  A  reflective  pleasure  arising  from  the  consciousness  of  having  obeyed  the 
 Divine  Voice.  Paul  felt  this,  on  review  of  life,  when  he  said,  "  I  have  fought  a  good 
 tight,"  &c.    This  was  Christ's  pleasure  :  '•'  I  have  glorified  Thee  on  the  earth,"  &c. 
 
 3.  An  anticip)atory  pleasure ;  looking  for  the  Divine  approval — "  Well  done, 
 good  and  faithful  servant,"  &c. 
 
 And  as  there  is  a  threefold  pleasure  in  obedience,  so  there  is  a  threefold  j^ain- 
 in  disobedience — 
 
 1.  Present :  the  pain  of  an  accusing  conscience.  2.  Reflective  :  the  memory 
 of  wasted  life.  3.  Anlicip>atory :  dreading  hearing  the  words,  "I  never  knew 
 you  ;  depart  from  Me,"  &c. 
 
 V.  The  importance  of  obedience  of  the  Divine  Will.  "  It  shall  be  well 
 xmto  thee." 
 
 Let  the  sinner  obey  the  voice  of  Jesus,  and  "  it  shall  be  well  unto  him  ;  "  not 
 die,  but  live. 
 
 Let  the  believer  obey  the  voice  of  his  Lord  and  Master,  and  he  shall  enjoy 
 Divine  favour  and  live  and  reign  with  Him  for  ever. 
 
 ''  Not  every  one  that  saith  unto  Me,  Lord,  Lord,  shall  enter  into  the  kingdom 
 of  heaven ;  but  he  that  doeth  the  will  of  My  Father  which  is  in  heaven." 
 
 Yet  obedience  tvill  not  save  the  soul.  Obedience  is  no  ground  of  merit  nor 
 basis  of  hope.  It  avails  nothing  for  a  sinner's  justification ;  and  yet,  without 
 obedience,  the  soul  will  be  cast  away.  Obedience  is  the  sign  of  faith  and  mani- 
 festation of  love. 
 
 Topic :  Sinners  the  Cause  of  their  own  Suffering.  "  If  thou  wilt  not  go 
 forth  .  .  .  thou  shalt  not  escape  out  of  their  hands"  (vers.  17,  18;  comp. 
 sxxix.  7  :  ''Moreover  he  put  out  Zedekiah's  eyes"). 
 
 Zedekiah  illustrates  the  non-acceptance  of  chastisements.  We  may  attribute 
 his  sufferings  (chap,  xxxix.  7)  to  Nebuchadnezzar's  cruelty.     But  they  came  from 
 
HOMILETIC  COMMENTARY :  JEREMIAH.  chap,  xxxviii. 
 
 something  underlying  that.  Nebuchadnezzar  was  not  cruel  to  Zedekiah  till  Zede- 
 kiah  had  been  cruel  to  himself.  He  brought  it  upon  himself,  compelled  God  to  be 
 thus  severe  to  him.  He  would  not  accept  the  less  severe  chastisement  God  had 
 prepared  (ver.  17).     God  proves  too  strong  for  rebellious  man. 
 
 The  sure  consequence  of  non-acceptance  of  chastisements  is  increased  sorrow. 
 
 I.  Chastisements  announced  (vers.  17,  18).     Here  consider — 
 
 1.  The  proper  course  of  action  vfhen  chastisement  or  discipline  is  announced. 
 God  is  speaking  from  the  midst  of  clouds  and  darkness ;  go  into  the  secret  place 
 and  see  God  Himself.  It  is  His  will  that  we  should  see  Him ;  see  that  there  is 
 One  who  works  behind  the  chances  and  changes  of  life.  The  first  thing  is  to 
 believe  God  is  in  it ;  not  to  lose  time  in  groping  about  for  Him  in  the  darkness. 
 
 2.  A  common  mistake  as  to  the  designs  of  so7tow  and  joy :  that  yo?^  is  intended 
 to  draw  us  to  God  ;  sorro^v  the  reverse.     This  is  our  error. 
 
 3.  The  co-existence  of  trouble  and  alleviation.  Along  with  chastisement  God 
 promises  circumstances  of  gracious  dealing  (ver.  17).  We  think  of  the  trouble  only, 
 and  ask  its  removal,  ignoring  the  alleviation  which  God  places  side  by  side 
 with  it. 
 
 What  are  the  speakings  to  us  of  the  word  "  Moreover  "  (xxxix.  7)  ? 
 
 (1.)  Bounded  chastisements  are  not  to  be  rejected. 
 
 (2.)  God's  omnipotence  is  to  be  realised. 
 
 (3.)  The  sad  effects  of  the  rejection  of  God's  chastisements  on  memory — nothing 
 left  to  Zedekiah  but  bitter  reflections. 
 
 (4.)  Chastisements  are  always  the  lightest  possible  under  the  circumstances. 
 
 (5.)  God's  terrible  reverses  of  chastisements  (chap.  xlii.  G). 
 
 (6.)  God's  care  of  His  people  under  chastisements — He  remembers  mercy. 
 
 (7.)  The  "moreover"  of  what  might  have  been;  and  some  of  the  mercies 
 which  are  bestowed. 
 
 (8.)  The  need  of  keeping  ourselves  within  the  line  of  God's  action  (2  Sam. 
 xxiv.  14).  We  may  pass  from  the  bounded  line  of  God's  action  to  the  unbounded 
 line  of  man's  !     This  is  to  go  we  know  not  whither. 
 
 (9.)  We  may  always  go  into  troubles  with  the  certainty  of  alleviation.  Try  and 
 find  how  many  lighteners  to  our  trials  are  vouchsafed.  God  will  never  crush  a  man 
 except  so  far  as  he  makes  it  downright  necessary  that  he  should  be  crushed. 
 
 II.  Chastisements  rejected.  Not  because  he  wished  daringly  to  defy  God  ;  but 
 because  of  personal  humiliation  and  suffering  (ver.  19).  How  powerful  this  motive 
 was  is  evident  from  his  overcoming  .such  tremendous  considerations  as  those  of  ver.  18  ! 
 
 1.  When  God  is  ajipointing  chastisement  and  ive  accept  it,  we  may  be  sure  it  is 
 hounded.     As  with  Job — "  Only  not  upon  himself ; "  "  only  save  his  life." 
 
 2.  Enter  trouble  with  the  consciousness  of  limitation.  He  who  refuses  God's 
 cross  makes  a  heavier  one  for  himself  (vers.  21,  22). 
 
 3.  God^s  grace  in  meeting  our  fears  ivith  assurances.  "They  shall  not  deliver 
 thee  "  (ver,  20).  "  Obey  the  voice  of  the  Lord,  and  it  shall  be  well  with  thee,"  &c. 
 (ver.  20). 
 
 III.  Chastisements  inflicted  with  increase  (xxxix.  7).  A  terrible  "more- 
 over "  is  this  !  Sightless  henceforth ;  yet  what  a  scene  the  last  he  witnessed  ! 
 Zedekiah  refused  to  put  himself  into  the  hands  of  God;  and  now  he  "fell  into  the 
 hands  of  man."     It  counsels — 
 
 1.  Immediately  chastisements  come,  go  to  God.  Thus,  all  the  affliction  needed 
 to  reduce  to  obedience  and  to  attention  to  God's  voice  will  not  be  inflicted. 
 
 2.  Be  not  too  curious  in  examining  a  discipline.  The  good  effects  will  be 
 revealed  after  endurance. 
 
 3.  By  a  too  close  inspection  of  our  troubles  and  brooding  over  them,  God  will 
 recede  from  our  view  ;  the  affliction  will  also  assume  an  exaggerated  importance. 
 
 4.  Beware  lest  a  dark  dispensation  so  overwhelm  you  as  to  2irevent  your  appre- 
 ciating the  alleviations. 
 
 ^  695 
 
CHAP,  xxxviii.  IIOMILETIC  COMMENTARY:  JEREMIAU. 
 
 5.  In  all  our  trial  let  us  consider  not  only  what  has  been,  but  tvhat  is  left.  God 
 would  have  left  Zedekiah  a  great  deal  if  he  had  yielded.  God  is  great  in  healing 
 as  well  as  in  inflicting  wounds. 
 
 Meaveu-made  crosses  are  lighter  than  earth-made  ones.  The  troubles  which  He 
 sends  will  always  be  less  than  what  you  bring. — Constructed  and  condensed  from 
 "  Brevlules"  by  Rev.  P.  B.  Power,  M.A. 
 
 To]nc :  Renewal  of  Oppoktunitv  with  its  Alternative  Issues. 
 See  on  Section  1-7,  chap,  xxxiv.  p.  558. 
 
 Topic:  Timidity.     ^^ I  am  afraid"  {yer.  19). 
 
 A  craven  king !  Pitiable.  His  case  explained  thus :  he  knew  his  duty,  but 
 disliked  it;  so  was  continually  "halting  between  two  opinions;"  wishing  to 
 know  God's  messages,  yet  reluctant  to  obey  them.  His  mind  was  harassed 
 with  divided  attentiun ;  he  was  afraid  of  men,  yet  also  troubled  with  a  dread 
 of  God.  It  is  thus  that  "conscience  doth  make  cowards"  of  compromising  and 
 craven  souls. 
 
 L  Fear  of  men  creates  instability  of  character  and  conduct.  Zedekiah  knew 
 he  did  well  to  ask  counsel  of  Jeremiah  (ver.  14),  yet  feared  to  follow  it  (ver.  19). 
 Such  timidity — 
 
 I.  Paralyses  the  will;  2.  Fosters  duplicity;  3.  Confuses  the  clear  voice  of 
 conscience  :  •!.  Enfeebles  the  power  with  which  God's  word  should  sway  the  life. 
 
 "  Fear  is  the  tax  that  conscience  pays  to  guilt." — Sewell. 
 
 II.  Fear  of  men  degrades  the  noblest  nature  into  servility.  Here  was  a 
 monarch  reduced  to  a  miserable  schemer,  afraid  to  have  his  subjects  know  what 
 he  did  !     Its  natural  fruits  are — 
 
 1.  Secret  transactions  (ver.  14):  2.  Cringing  cowardice  (ver.  24);  3.  Lying 
 subterfuges  (vers.  25,  26). 
 
 "Cowards  die  many  times  before  tlieir  deaths, 
 The  valiant  never  taste  of  death  but  once." — Shakespeare. 
 
 in.  Fear  of  men  entails  inevitable  derision  and  disaster.  All  Zedekiah's 
 scheming  to  keep  out  of  difficulties — the  difficulties  of  honesty  and  piety — would  only 
 lead  to  ills  far  more  serious. 
 
 1.  The  scorn  of  observers.  "The  Jews  will  moc7c  me"  (ver.  19),  and  "the 
 women"  will  make  me  their  jeering  song  (ver.  22).  2.  Desertion  by  false  friends 
 (ver.  22,  "They  are  turned  away  back").     3.   Dire  judgments  from  God  (ver.  23). 
 
 IV.  Fear  of  men  alienates  God's  protection  and  favour.  His  selfish  plottings 
 left  him  miserable  alternatives.  His  life  would  be  spared  if  he  took  one  course 
 (ver.  17),  although  it  would  be  spared  only  for  suffering  and  degradation  at  the 
 hands  of  his  conqueror ;  whereas  the  other  course  would  entail  utter  ruin  (ver.  18). 
 To  this  dilemma  had  all  his  contrivances  reduced  him.  And  all  our  schemings  in 
 which  we  entrench  ourselves  will  end  fatally.  Honest  obedience  of  God,  regardless 
 of  consequences  and  of  human  threatenings,  will  ensure  us  the  Divine  overshadowing; 
 but  this  impiety  and  timidity  will — 
 
 1.  Leave  us  friendless  in  our  extremity ;  and  2.  Deprive  us  of  all  Divine  hiding 
 and  succour  when  enemies  prevail. 
 
 "Fear  or  guilt  attends  the  deeds  of  darkness: 
 The  virtuous  breast  ne'er  knows  it." — Havard. 
 
 Hence — {a.)  Obey  God's  voice;  for  in  His  favour  is  life.  "  It  shall  be  well  unto 
 thee,  and  thy  soul  sliall  live"  (ver.  20). 
 
 (6.)  Tr^ist  not  in  friends  whose  attachment  can  be  preserved  only  by  disobeying 
 Divine  counsels  (ver.  19). 
 596 
 
EOMILETIC  COMMENTARY  :  JEREMIAH.  chap,  xxxviii. 
 
 (c.)  Shun  duplicity ;  it  degrades  to  contemptible  insincerity  (ver.  25).  "The 
 fear  of  man  worketh  a  snare." 
 
 {d.)  Righteousness  maJces  courageous.  For  in  God's  friendship  the  soul  becomes 
 confident.     "The  righteous  is  bold  as  a  lion." 
 
 Topic  :  Equivocation.     "  So  they  left  off  speaking  with  him  ;  for  the 
 matter  was  not  perceived  "  (ver.  27). 
 
 The  plain  meaning  of  such  words  is  that  Jeremiah  hoodwinked  them.  He. did 
 not  lie  to  them  certainly ;  but  he  did  not  tell  the  full  truth,  and  left  them  with  a 
 false  impression.  It  comes  very  near  to  deception ;  it  tvas  evasion,  and  certainly 
 was  not  an  honest  act.     It  seems  an  oblique  lie. 
 
 I.  By  what  prudential  considerations  has  this  act  of  equivocation  been 
 extenuated  ?     Let  us  hear  the  pleas  of  his  4efenders. 
 
 1.  "It  does  not  appear  that  he  said  what  was  untrue." — Bishop  Wordsworth. 
 
 2.  "  No  one  is  bound  to  reveal  all  he  kiioivs — to  enemies  who  seek  his  life." — 
 Bishop  Wordsworth. 
 
 3.  Tliis  reservation  of  part  of  the  truth  "  was  necessary  to  prevent  an  open 
 rupture  between  the  hing  and  his  generals." — Dr.  Payne  Smith. 
 
 4.  He  did  not  tell  them  "what  they  wanted  to  know"  because  "he  ivas 
 ordered  to  be  silent  by  one  to  whom  obedience  was  due." — Dr.  Payne  Smith. 
 
 5.  "  The  princes  were  not  questioning  him  in  due  course  of  laiv,  but  by  a  power 
 which  they  had  usurped." — Dr.  Payne  Smith. 
 
 6.  "  Had  the  issue  only  concerned  the  prophet  himself,  it  might  have  been  his 
 duty  to  have  spoken  the  whole  truth  ;  but  the  princes  had  no  rigid  to  question  him 
 as  to  the  king^s  conduct." — Dr.  Payne  Smith. 
 
 Put  these  six  pleas  into  common  English,  and  they  mean — 
 
 (a.)  Supjvession  of  part  of  the  truth  is  not  a  fcdsehuod.  But,  on  the  contrary, 
 it  most  frequently  is ;  for  a  half-truth  is  often  the  worst  of  lies. 
 
 (b.)  Discretion  shoidd  teach  us  to  save  our  own  skin  i-ather  than  he  frank  and 
 fearless  !  But  this  is  contemptible  cowardice,  and  is  opposed  to  our  Lord's  words  : 
 "  He  that  will  save  his  life  sliall  lose  it." 
 
 (c.)  Preserve  good  feeling  between  meii,  even  though  prevarication  be  the  only  way 
 to  effect  it  !  But  what  had  Jeremiah  to  do  with  "preventing  a  rupture,"  &c.  f 
 If  peace  is  thus  to  be  purchased  at  any  price,  then  farewell  to  honesty  and  honour. 
 
 {d.)  Obey  a  king's  command  even  when  his  order  is  contrary  to  strict  truthful- 
 ness !  But  who  is  a  king,  forsooth,  that  he  should  regulate  conduct  in  matters  of 
 conscience  1     We  should  "  obey  God  rather  than  man." 
 
 (e.)  Throw  dust  in  the  eyes  of  enemies.  Well,  if  "  all  is  fair  in  love  and  war," 
 this  may  pass  ;  but  craftiness  is  not  placed  among  the  Christian  virtues. 
 
 (/.)  It  is  right  to  do  for  another  what  ivoidd  be  lurong  if  done  for  yourself.  But 
 no  !  wrong  can  never  be  made  right.  If  Jeremiah  suppressed  the  truth  for  the 
 king's  sake,  it  was  as  much  a  piece  of  deception  as  if  he  had  done  it  for  himself. 
 
 II.  On  what  sacred  principles  should  this  act  of  equivocation  he 
 condemned?  .  .  . 
 
 1.  Fear  of  consequences  should  not  sway  conscience  from  its  fidelity.  "  Be  just, 
 and  fear  not."     But  fear  now  drove  Jeremiah  to  equivocate  (comp.  Gen.  xx,  2). 
 
 2.  Giiileless  speech  shoidd  distinguish  the  godly  character  (Ps.  xxxiv.  13).  Chris- 
 tians'should  be  "  children  of  light,"  "  sincere  and  without  offence." 
 
 3.  Honesty  in  God's  messengers  is  imperative.  A  witness  for  Jehovah  should 
 certainly  not  accommodate  himself  to  the  convenience  of  a  godless  potentate. 
 
 4.  Truth  suffers  in  the  hands  of  comj-tromising  men.  It  brings  discredit  upon 
 truth"  in  general,  if  professedly  holy  men  are  discovered  to  tamper  with  it  by 
 equivocation.     Souls  in  whom  God's  Light  shines  should  never  emit  dim  rays. 
 
 5.  Our  Saviour's  example  was  ever  on  the  side  of  outspoken  honesty  even  before 
 
 597 
 
CHAP.  XXXIX.  nOMILETIC  COMMENT AR  Y  :  JEREMIA  77. 
 
 adversaries.     "  If  I  have  spoken  evil,  bear  witness,"   &c.  ;    "  Who    did    no  sin, 
 i^either  was  guile  found  in  His  mouth." 
 
 G.   Life  is  safe  in  God's  Tceeping,  therefore  we  should  never  dissimulate  for 
 the  sake  of  our  oivn  safety  (1  Peter  ii.  21-23). 
 
 "  The  man  of  pure  and  simple  heart 
 Through  life  disdains  a  double  part ; 
 He  never  needs  the  screen  of  lies 
 His  inward  bosom  to  disguise." — Gay. 
 
 "His  words  are  bonds,  his  oaths  are  oracles  ; 
 His  love  sincere,  liis  thoughts  immaculate ; 
 His  tears,  pure  messengers  sent  frcm  his  heart ; 
 His  heart  as  far  from  fraud  as  heaven  from  earth." — Slialcespeare. 
 
 "  Honesty,  even  by  itself,  though  making  many  adversaries 
 Whom  prudence  might  have  set  aside,  or  charity  have  softened. 
 Evermore  will  prosper  at  the  last,  and  gain  a  man  great  honour. 
 Yet  there  are  others  that  will  truckle  to  a  lie,  selling  honesty  for  interest. 
 And  do  they  gain  !     They  gain  but  loss  ;  a  little  cash,  with  scorn. 
 Behold !  sorrowful  change  wrought  upon  a  fallen  nature  : 
 He  hath  lost  his  own  esteem  and  other  men's  respect. 
 
 For  the  buoyancy  of  upright  faith,  he  is  clothed  in  the  heaviness  of  cringing  ; 
 For  plain  truth,  where  none  could  err,  he  hath  chosen  tortuous  paths  ; 
 In  lieu  of  his  majesty  of  countenance,  the  timorous  glances  of  servility  ; 
 Instead  of  Freedom's  honest  pride,  the  spirit  of  a  slave." — Tap];jcr. 
 
 CHAPTER  XXXIX. 
 
 Critical  and  Exegetical  Notes. — 1.  Chronology  of  the  Chapter. — Cf.  notes  in  he. 
 chap,  xxxiv.  The  siege  lasted  just  one  year  and  six  months,  not  reckoning  the  interval 
 during  which  the  Chaldeans  broke  up  to  give  battle  to  the  army  of  Pharaoh. 
 
 2.  Contemporary  Scriptures. — Ezek.  xii.  8-20,  xvii.  11-21  ;  2  Kings  xxv.  1-12  ;  2  Chron. 
 xxxvi.  11-21  ;  .Jeremiah  lii.  4-11. 
 
 3.  National  Affairs. —  Vide  below  on  "  The  thread  of  Events." 
 
 4.  Personal  Allusions, — Vers.  3  and  13.  A  critical  examination  of  Hitzig  and  others, 
 into  these  compound  names,  tends  to  reduce  them  to  three  (instead  of,  as  in  ver.  3,  six),  thus  : 
 (1).  Nergal-^harezcr,  the  Samgar,  or  cup-bearer  ;  (2).  Nebo-Sarsechim,  the  Rah-saris,  or  chief 
 of  the  eunuchs,  or  chamberlain  ;  (3).  A  second  Nergal-Sharczer,  the  Rab-mag,  or  chief  of  the 
 magi.  The  LXX,  read  'Na^ova-axap,  as  a  name  linking  togetlier  the  terminal  "Nebo"  and 
 "Sarsechim;"  while  other  Greek  manuscripts  read  'Sa^ovaapaexiiJ-  This  iVeSo-.S'arsec/i/m  is  called 
 in  ver.  13  "  Nebushasban  the  Rah-saris.'"  Tlie  second  "  Nergal  Sharezer,"  the  Rab-mag,  or 
 chief  of  the  magicians,  is  known  in  history  as  Neriglissar,  son-in-law  of  Nebuchadnezzar  (sup- 
 posed by  Dr.  Payne  Smith  to  have  been  his  vicegerent  during  Nebuchadnezzar's  seven  years' 
 madness  :  see  Daniel).  This  Neriglissar  seized  the  crown  two  years  after  Nebuchadnezzar's 
 death,  murdering  Evil-merodach,  the  late  king's  son.  This  man's  identiiication  with  the 
 "  i2rt6-?rta^  "  named  here  arises  from  Neriglissar  being  called  "  Rahu-emga"  in  the  Assyrian 
 cuneiform  inscriptions. 
 
 Ver.  9.  "  Ncbuzar-adan  the  captaiji  of  the  guard,  i.e.  the  Rab-tabbdchim,  or  chief  of  the 
 executioners,  called  in  the  Assyrian  inscriptions,  "  Nabu-zir-iddina,"  i.e.  "Nebo  has  given 
 offspring." 
 
 Ver.  14.  "  Gedaliah  the  son  of  Ahikam."  Jeremiah's  steadfast  and  courageous  friend,  as  his 
 father  "Ahikam"  had  been  before  him  (chap.  xxvi.  24,  vide  note  in  loc).  He  was  "a  man 
 of  a  generous,  genial  nature,  such  as  miglit  have  rallied  the  better  spirits  of  his  countrymen 
 round  liim,  and  taken  the  place  of  the  fallen  dynasty  "  (Stanley). 
 
 5.  Geographical  Allusions.— Ver.  4.  "Bg  the  way  of  the  king" s  garden.,  by  the  gate  betwixt 
 the  two  ivatls."  Jerusalem  then  consisted  of  an  upper  and  lower  city;  the  upper  including 
 Mount  Zion,  with  a  strong  fortress ;  the  latter,  to  the  north,  was  considerably  lower,  and  more 
 easily  accessible  to  the  Chaldeans.  The  "  gate  "  from  the  upper  city  to  the  "  king's  garden  " 
 was  appropriated  exclusively  to  royalty,  and  "stairs"  led  down  from  Mount  Zion  and  the 
 palace  to  the  king's  garden  below  (Nehem.  iii.  15).  There  was  a  double  wall  south  of  Zion, 
 towards  the  plain  of  Jericho  (ver.  5).  He  broke  an  opening  through  the  wall  in  order  to  escape 
 (see  Ezek.  xii.  12). 
 
 598 
 
HOMILETIC  COMMENTARY:  JEREMIAH.  cuap.  sxxix. 
 
 Ver.  5.  "  Eiblah."  An  ancient  city  on  the  northern  boundary  of  Palestine,  in  the  land  of 
 Hamath,  about  six  miles  distant  from  Jerusalem,  forty  miles  south  of  Hamath,  on  the  great  road 
 between  Palestine  and  Babylon. 
 
 Literary  Criticism.— Ver.  7.   " He ^mt  out Zedekiah's  eyes,  "  liy.      Excavated,  dugout. 
 "Ver.  14.   "  Tliat  he  sJioidd  carry  him  home,"  where,  is  uncertain,  for  n^Sil  is  indefinite.     The 
 words  are  lit.  "  to  ^aX-e  him  out  into  the  house."     Not  Gedaliah's,  or  it  would  have  read  "his 
 house."    Either  the  Temple,  therefore,  or  the  king's  house;  and  most  naturally  the  latter— the 
 royal  palace. 
 
 GENERAL  SURVEY  OF  CHAPTER  XXXIX. 
 
 The  Siege  of  Jerusalem  by  Nebuchadnezzar. 
 
 I.  The  thread  of  events  as  indicated  in  this  chapter.  For  2^reUminari/  events 
 see  notes  on  chap,  xxxiv. 
 
 1.  Nebuchadnezzar's  army  effected  an  entrance  into  the  city  of  Jerusalem.  It 
 was  at  midnight  (ver.  4).  The  date  is  carefully  given  in  ver.  2.  The  date  aiiswers 
 to  our  July.  This  was  after  an  eighteen  months'  siege,  l.c.  587.  At  this  time  the 
 city  was  reduced  to  misery  and  starvation  (Ezek.  v.  12). 
 
 2.  Nebuchadnezzar,  who  himself  opened  the  siege  in  person  (ver.  1),  had  retired 
 to  Riblah,  and  was  there  at  its  close  (vers.  3,  6  ;  cf.  sxxviii.  17). 
 
 3.  It  was  into  the  lower  city,  on  the  north  side,  that  the  Chaldeans  forced  an 
 entity  (ver.  3),  "the  middle  gate"  being  situate  between  the  lower  and  the  upper 
 city. 
 
 4.  Zedekiah,  with  his  wives  and  children  and  royal  guards,  having  their  heads 
 muffled  (Ezek.  xii.  6,  12),  fled  on  the  entrance  of  the  Chaldeans,  by  the  gate  south 
 of  Jerusalem  (ver.  4),  breaking  an  opening  in  the  wall  to  get  out  (Ezek.  xii.  12). 
 
 5.  Pursued  by  the  Chaldeans  and  captured  in  the  plains  of  Jericho,  his  troops 
 were  "  scattered  from  him "  (chap.  lii.  8) ;  and  Zedekiah  and  his  family  were 
 manacled,  and  thus  marched  to  Eiblah  to  confront  the  wrathful  king  of  Babylon 
 (ver.  5). 
 
 6.  Doomed  for  the  violation  of  his  oath  of  allegiance  to  Babylon  (Ezek.  xviL 
 13-19;  2.  Chron.  xxxvi.  13),  Zedekiah  was  first  made  to  behold  the  slaughter  of 
 his  courtiers  and  family,  and  then  his  own  eyes  were  put  out,  and  he  carried  away 
 in  chains  to  Babylon  (vers.  6,  7).  Thus  were  reconciled  the  two  passages,  Jer. 
 xxxii.  4,  and  Ezek.  xii.  13. 
 
 7.  A  month  elapsed,  during  which  the  Chaldean  princes  had  probably  gone  to 
 Riblah  to  consult  Nebuchadnezzar  as  to  the  fate  of  the  city  and  inhabitants  (chap, 
 lii.  10 ;  2  Kings  xxv.  8),  and  then  Nebuzar-adan  came  with  royal  orders  to  utterly 
 destroy  the  city  (ver.  8).  Fire  consumes  the  city  (chap.  lii.  13)  ;  foul  ravages  were 
 committed  upon  the  inhabitants  (Lam.  v.  11,  12);  desecration  was  heaped  upon 
 the  dead  (chap.  vii.  32 ;  viii.  3). 
 
 8.  Among  the  hosts  of  captives  carried  of  to  Ramah  (ver.  9)  was  Jeremiah  (chap, 
 xl.  1).     See  below  :  IV.   Kindness  to  the  Lord's  Prophet. 
 
 II.  Incidents  of  the  siege.  It  began  in  January,  b.c.  587,  and  continued  till 
 July,  B.C.  586. 
 
 1.  The  store  of  bread  became  gradually  exhausted  (chap.  lii.  G),  and  the  horrors 
 of  starvation  set  in  (Ezek.  v.  10,  16 ;  Lam.  ii.  20 ;  iv.  4,  5  ;  v.  9,  10). 
 
 2.  In  their  iirofanity  and  despair,  the  priests  increased  their  flagrant  idolatries 
 within  the  very  Temple  of  Jehovah  (2  Chron.  xxxvi.  14;  see  Ezek.  viii.  7-ix.) 
 
 3.  The  midnight  surprise  (ver.  4),  was  a  moment  for  fearful  slaughter.  The 
 sleeping  city  awoke  in  terror,  and  soon  the  streets  flowed  with  the  blood  of  the 
 slain  (2°Chron.  xxxvi.  17;  Lam.  i.  15).  Princes  were  hung  up  by  their  hands  on  the 
 Temple  walls  (Lam.  v.  12). 
 
 4.  The  treasures  of  the  Temple  were  carried  away  as  sx>oil  (2  Kings  xxv.  13-17; 
 
 Jer.  lii.  17-22). 
 
 639. 
 
CHAP.  XXXIX.  nOMlLETIC  COMMENT  A  R  Y :  JEREMIA  B. 
 
 5.  Pilgrims  from  surrounding  nations  came  to  ivonder  and  bewail  over  the  ruins 
 of  the  city  (chap.  xli.  5,  6),  wliile  savage  heathen  tribes  exalted  over  Jerusalem's 
 overthrow  (Ps.  Ixxix.  1;  Ezek.  xxv.  6,  8,  15;  xxvi.  2). 
 
 III.  Vengeance  for  a  violated  oath  (vers.  5-7). 
 
 1.   Faithless  Idmself,  he  was  abandoned  by  faithless  friends — 
 
 (1.)  Deserters  from  the  city  carried  tidings  to  the  Chaldean  army  of  Zedekiah's 
 escape  (Josephus,  Antiq.  x.  8,  §  2). 
 
 (2.)  His  "  friends  and  captains "  who  fled  with  him  abandoned  him  at  the 
 appearance  of  the  Chaldean  soldiers  (Ibid). 
 
 4.  The  ivrath  of  the  conquering  king  ivas  justly  severe.  Brought  before  Nebuchad- 
 nezzar, he  was  first  charged  by  him  as  a  "  covenant-breaker,"  and  "  reproached  for 
 his  ingratitude,"  that  he  had  "  used  the  power  he  gave  him  against  him  who  gave 
 it;"  but,  said  Nebuchadnezzar,  "God  is  great,  who  hateth  this  conduct  of  thine, 
 and  hath  brought  thee  under  us  "  (Ibid). 
 
 Then  followed  the  horrors  recorded  in  vers.  6,  7.  And  in  Babylon  Zedekiah 
 ■was  imprisoned  till  he  died. 
 
 3.  The  execration  of  God,  through  His  prophets, /e^^  upon  him  for  his  violated 
 oath;  from  Jeremiah  in  Jerusalem  (chap,  xxxvii.  9,  10),  and  from  the  prophet 
 Ezekiel  among  those  already  carried  captive  to  Babylon  (Ezek.  xvii.  16-20). 
 
 See  homily  on  chap,  xxxviii.  17,  18:  "Sinners  the  Cause  of  their  own 
 Sufferings." 
 
 IV.  Kindness  shown  to  the  Lord's  prophet  (vers.  11-14). 
 
 1.  His  faithfid  witness  against  Zedekiah's  fcdsity  and  his  nation's  2yerfidy  had 
 become  known  to  Nebuchadnezzar,  probably  through  the  Jews  carried  captive  to 
 Babylon  with  Jeconiab,  and  now  again  through  deserters  (chap,  xxxviii.  19,  and 
 ver.  9).     Hence  the  king's  clemency. 
 
 2.  Nebuchadnezzar's  chieftain,  therefore,  was  charged  specially  to  care  for  the 
 prophet  amid  the  judgments  to  be  dealt  on  the  nation. 
 
 3.  A  month  after  Zedekiah's  flight  (see  "  Thread  of  Events,"  7,  above), 
 Nebuchadnezzar  found  him  in  the  prison  where  "he  abode"  (chap,  xxxviii.  28)  ; 
 who  released  him,  and  with  the  first  mass  of  captives  he  was  hurried  on  to 
 Eamah  (chap.  xl.  1). 
 
 4.  At  this  point  he  was  released  (chap.  xl.  4),  and  allowed  to  choose  either  a  place 
 of  high  favour  in  the  royal  court  at  Babylon,  or  any  spot  in  Palestine  which  he 
 might  elect  to  dwell. 
 
 5.  Nebuchadnezzar,  in  accordance  with  Jeremiah's  desire,  placed  the  prophet  in 
 Gedaliah's  charge  (chap,  xxxix.  14,  xl.  5) ;  gave  him  "  a  reward ;  "  and  the  prophet 
 made  his  home  in  Mizpah  (chap.  xl.  6). 
 
 Patriotic  to  the  last,  this  grand  servant  of  God  "had  no  mind  to  follow" 
 Nebuzar-adan  to  Babylon,  "  nor  to  dwell  anywhere  else,  but  would  gladly  live 
 in  the  ruins  of  his  own  country,"  pleading  that  Nebuzar-adan  would  "set  at 
 liberty  his  disciple  Baruch,  one  of  a  very  eminent  family,  and  exceedingly  skilful  in 
 the  language  of  his  country"  {Josephiis,  Antiq.  x.  9,  §  1). 
 
 On  the  release  of  Jeremiah,  Wordsworth  comments:  "  The  siege  and  capture  of 
 Jerusalem  by  the  Chaldeans  were  the  cause  of  the  liberation  of  Jeremiah.  So  it  is 
 often  in  the  history  of  the  Church.  The  shocks  of  dynasties  and  overthrow  of 
 thrones  have  often  been  overruled  by  God  into  occasions  for  the  liberation  and 
 free  circulation  of  His  Word.  How  much  has  the  difi"usion  of  the  Holy  Scriptures 
 been  facilitated  by  God  amid  storms  and  revolution,  as  in  Italy  and  Spain !  How 
 much  may  the  Church  of  God  be  extended  and  purified  by  His  power  and  love 
 amid  the  coming  conflicts  and  sufi"erings  of  the  latter  days ! " 
 
 Note. — For  descriptions  of  the  events  of  the  siege  and  capture  of  Jerusalem,  see 
 Stanley's  "  Jewish  Church,"  ii.  sect.  xl.  ;  and  Josephus,  "  Antiquities  of  the  Jews," 
 book  X.  chap.  viii. 
 GOO 
 
HOMILETIO  COMMENTARY :  JEREMIAIL  chap,  xxxix. 
 
 Topic  :  A  Lonely  Hero  of  Faith.  "  Go  and  speak  to  Ebed-melech  the  Ethiopian 
 ...  I  will  deliver  thee  .  .  .  because  thou  hast  put  thy  trust  in  Me,  saith 
 the  Lord  "  (vers.  15-18). 
 
 Comp.  homily  on  chap,  xxxviii ;  7-13,  also  outline  following  this,  '•  The  Believhuj 
 Ethiopian.^'' 
 
 The  hour  had  come  for  the  noble  act  of  this  Ethiopian  to  receive  its  due 
 reward  :   God  would  befriend  liim  amid  prevailing  calamity  and  destruction. 
 
 L  Alone  in  his  heroism,  he  is  singled  out  by  God  for  special  recompense 
 (vers.  17,  18). 
 
 1.  Generous  deeds  arrest  God's  attention.  His  hazardous  interest  in  the  perse- 
 cuted prophet  was  chronicled  before  Heaven.  Nothing  noble  is  overlooked  bv 
 God  (Acts  X.  4). 
 
 2.  Kindnesses  shoivn  to  God's  servants  are  especially  valued  by  God.  Those  who 
 •*  receive  a  prophet  in  the  name  of  a  prophet  shall  receive  a  prophet's  reward  " 
 (Matt.  X.  41) ;  for  they  thus  further  the  prophet's  work,  as  "fellow-helpers  to  the 
 truth  "  (3  John  6-8). 
 
 3.  His  single-handed  defence  of  the  prophet  made  his  valour  the  more  worthy  of 
 reward.  It  enhanced  his  service  that  it  was  done  without  the  sympathy  antl 
 support  of  others,  and  in  the  teeth  of  their  malice.  See  Paul's  words  respecting 
 Onesiphorus  (2  Tim.  i.  16-18). 
 
 II.  Human  conduct  is  most  approved  by  God  when  inspired  by  faith. 
 "  Thou  hast  j3Mi  thy  trust  in  Me." 
 
 This  religious  element  in  his  conduct  does  not  make  itself  seen  in  his  meri- 
 torious service  to  Jeremiah.  All  that  we  should  gather  as  we  watch  his  actions  is, 
 that  his  humane  heart  moved  him  to  seek  the  prophet's  release ;  although  it  is 
 clear  that  he  regarded  the  cruelty  of  the  princes  as  '•  evil  "  in  itself,  and  especially 
 "evil"  when  done  against  "  the  jwophet"  (chap,  xxxviii.  9). 
 
 1.  Amid  prevailing  unbelief,  this  Ethiopian  revered  the  Lord.  What  a  rebuke 
 on  these  Jews — God's  favoured  people  !  Remember  the  words  of  Jesus,  "  I  have 
 not  found  so  great  faith,  no,  not  in  Israel  !  " 
 
 2.  His  humanity  to  the  prophet  was  prompted  by  devout  feeling.  He  had  the 
 Lord  before  him  in  rendering  this  noble  service  to  His  prophet.  And  this  explains 
 his  dauntless  courage  and  earnest  solicitude.  "  Ye  did  it  unto  Me  "  (Matt.  xxv. 
 36  and  40). 
 
 3.  Trust  in  God  sustained  him  amid  the  perils  he  had  to  confront.  Well  he 
 knew  that  he  could  not  act  as  the  prophet's  friend  without  incurring  hatred  and 
 danger  ;  but  "  he  trusted  in  the  Lord  that  He  would  deliver  him  "  (Ps.  xxii.  8). 
 Trust  in  God  was  at  the  root  of  his  defiance  of  the  mighty  men  who  were  foes  of 
 God  and  His  servant. 
 
 Note,  therefore,  Ebed-melech  believed  in  and  trusted  the  Lord. 
 
 (a.)  He  held  the  word  of  the  Lord  which  Jeremiah  proclaimed  against  the  city 
 to  be  true  (ver.  16). 
 
 (b.)  He  placed  no  hope  on  the  means  of  succour  or  escape  in  which  the  king 
 and  his  courtiers  trusted. 
 
 (c.)  He  luithstood  the  cruelty  of  Jeremiah's  enemies  as  resistance  of  the  Lord's 
 purposes. 
 
 ((/.)  He  placed  his  only  hope  on  the  power  and  graciousness  of  God  Himself. 
 
 III.  In  the  hour  of  His  servant's  alarm,  God  manifests  His  timely  favour 
 (ver.  17).     For  here  observe — 
 
 1,  How  this  noble  and  daring  man  was  now  disturbed  by  alarm.  "  Men  of 
 whom  thou  art  afraid .' "  Courageous  though  he  had  been  when  Jeremiah  was 
 perishing,  he  yet  realise.d  impending  danger,  and  trembled  in  fear.  Wliether  these 
 "  men^'  of  whom  he  was  afraid  were  the  princes  of  Zedekiah's  court,  or  the  Chal- 
 deans who  were  besieging  the  city,  is  uncertain  ;  most  naturally  the  latter,  for  the 
 mention  of  "  the  sword  "  connects  his  dread  with  the  army. 
 
 GOl 
 
CHAP,  XXXIX. 
 
 nOMILETIC  COMMENTARY :  JEREMIAH. 
 
 2.  How  temlerh/ God  comforts  the  souls  of  His  faithfid  children  (vers.  17,  18). 
 Quiets  his  fear  with  express  and  appropriate  assurances. 
 
 3.  Hoiu  envious  is  their  lot  whom  the  Lord  lovingly  befriends !  In  that 
 hour  of  Zion's  overthrow  what  avails  it  to  Zedekiah  that  he  was  a  Icing,  or  to  the 
 princes  that  they  were  the  mighty  ones  of  that  doomed  kingdom?  And  what 
 harms  it  now  that  Ebed-melech  was  only  a  servant  in  the  king's  household,  and 
 hated  by  those  in  power  1  The  Lo7'd  was  on  his  side  ;  and  while  king  and  nobles 
 suffered  miserably  for  their  ungodliness  (vers.  6,  7),  this  Ethiopian  was  divinely 
 shielded  from  mischief  (see  Heb.  xiii.  6  ;  Ps.  cxlvi.  5). 
 
 Observe — (i.)  Faith  may  often  be  found  in  those  ive  should  least  expect  to  he 
 believer's.     "  There  are  last  that  be  first,"  tfec. 
 
 (ii.)  Faith  never  is  alloiued  to  ptass  itnrewarded  by  God,  who  prizes  a  soul's  trust 
 beyond  all  else.      "  Because  he  trusted  in  Me." 
 
 The  Believikg  Ethiopian. 
 
 Connect  chap,  xxxviii.  7-13  with  chap, 
 sxxix.  15-18. 
 
 Help  for  God's  servants  arises  from 
 directions  little  expected.  Though  not 
 one  of  Jeremiah's  fellow-countrymen 
 befriended  him,  a  Cushite  eunuch  be- 
 came his  friend. 
 
 I.  Godliness  in  an  unlikely  person. 
 *'  Ethiopian." 
 
 1.  A  prophet's  ministry  may  loin 
 success  u'here  not  expected. 
 
 2.  Though  hearers  we  naturally  sup- 
 posed would  regard  our  messages  turn 
 aside,  there  are  hearts  opened  to  oxir 
 ivord. 
 
 3.  Buried  seed  will,  in  its  right  time, 
 spring  up  and  reward  the  faithful 
 luorlcer  for  God. 
 
 II.  Faith  stirring  the  soul  to 
 heroism. 
 
 1.  Convinced  that  God's  servant  suf- 
 fered wrongfully,  he  could  not  longer  con- 
 cecd  his  attachment. 
 
 2.  Recldess  of  perils,  he  attempted  the 
 prophet's  deliverance. 
 
 3.  A  loivly  servant  acting  in  defiance 
 of  mighty  courtiers,  and  even  rebuking 
 the  cowardly  king ! 
 
 III.  Religious  life  flowing  out  in 
 kindness. 
 
 1.  How  natural  for  a  convert  to  love 
 his  teacher. 
 
 2.  Piety  beautifully  expressed  —  in 
 services  of  kindness. 
 
 3.  Affection  makes  the  soul  solici- 
 tous and  coxirageous :  he  could  not  rest : 
 pleaded  with  the  king ;  hastened  to 
 rescue.  "What  a  motive  in  life  is  godly 
 affection  ! 
 
 602 
 
 IV.  Noble  service  signally  re- 
 warded. 
 
 1.  A  message  of  comfort  sent  to  calm 
 his  fears. 
 
 2.  In  the  general  ruin  this  godly  man 
 zvas  saved.  None  escapes  God's  care 
 who  trust  in  Him. 
 
 3.  No  service  for  God  is  allowed  to 
 2MSS  unrequited.  "  A  cup  of  cold 
 water  given  .  .  .  shall  in  no  wise  lose  its 
 reward." 
 
 V.  God's  pleasure  in  His  servants' 
 welfare. 
 
 1.  Ebed-melech's  generous  help  to 
 Jeremiah,  by  which  GocVs  prophet  was 
 saved  from  death,  won  for  the  Ethio- 
 pian special  Divine  favour.  For  God 
 was  concerned  that  His  prophet  should 
 not  suffer ;  and  He  providentially  pro- 
 vided deliverance  through  this  alien 
 eunuch.  For  He  "  careth  for "  His 
 own. 
 
 2.  Hence,  also,  God  was  concerned  for 
 the  Flhiopiaii's  comfort  and  safety.  He 
 was  a  child  of  God  ;  and  amid  menacing 
 j)erils  which  filled  him  with  fears,  God 
 sent  assurance  of  his  preservation. 
 
 3.  God  loves  His  saints,  and  will  as- 
 suredly tvorJc  otit  their  full  redemption. 
 
 Note. — Gramer  remarks  :  "  This  pious 
 courtier  had  interceded  for  the  prophet 
 with  the  king  ;  but  the  prophet  had  in 
 turn  interceded  for  him  with  God  the 
 Lord.  Ebed-melech  had  drawn  him 
 out  of  the  pit,  but  Jeremiah  draws  him 
 by  his  prayer  from  the  jaws  of  all 
 Chaldean  war-vortices.  Preachers  do 
 their  patrons  more  good  than  they  get 
 from  them." 
 
nOMILETIC  COMMENTARY :  JEREMIAH. 
 
 Ver.  18.   Theme:  Trust. 
 
 I.  This  triist  in  a  Power  Divine,  and 
 in  a  Hand  unseen,  is  regarded  as  fanati- 
 cism hy  scoffers  and  sceptics. 
 
 But  against  this  David  says,  "  It  is 
 better  to  trust  in  the  Lord  than  to  put 
 confidence  in  man."  It  is  trust  in  the 
 Ivfinite,  the  Imnmtahle,  the  Immortal. 
 
 II.  Trust  in  the  Lord  calms  aud 
 assures  the  soul  in  times  of  cdarm  and 
 distress.  So  that  the  believer  says,  "  I 
 will  trust  and  not  be  afraid." 
 
 III.  Tr^ist  in  God.  both  pleases  Him 
 and  wins  special  manifestations  of  His 
 favour.      "  The  Lord  shall  deliver  him 
 
 hecatise  he  trusteth  in  Me."  God  is 
 honoured  by  our  trust,  and  He  honours 
 them  that  honour  Him. 
 
 IV.  Tricst  in  God  for  our  welfare  and. 
 success  does  not  supersede  the  neces- 
 sity of  effort,  nor  the  wisdom  of  prayer. 
 "  Trust  in  the  Lord  at  all  times ;  pour 
 out  your  hearts  before  Him."  God 
 expects  men  to  ash  for  grace. 
 
 Men  of  faith  and  prayer  have  Om- 
 nipotence on  their  side,  and  can  confi- 
 dently say,  "  No  weapon  formed  against 
 us  shall  prosper." — "  Walks  with  Jere- 
 miah," Rev.  D.  Pledge. 
 
 CHAPTER  XL. 
 
 Critical  and  Exegetical  Notes. — A  purely  historical  cbapter,  of  events  following  the  city's 
 ruin.  It  records  the  out-gleaminsjof  a  ray  of  hope  upon  the  appalling  gloom  which  had  befallen 
 the  land,  in  the  appointment  of  Gedaliali  as  its  governor  ;  and  also  its  quick  extinction  in  the 
 conspiracy  of  Ishmael,  a  prince  of  the  royal  family  (chap.  xl.  1). 
 
 Personal  Allusions. — Ver.  5.  "  Gedaliah"  {vide  note  on  chap,  xxxix.  14). 
 
 Yer.  8.  "  hhnad,  the  son  of  Nethaniah."  The  most  conspicuous  of  a  band  of  well-known 
 chiefs,  who  during  the  siege  had  fled  across  the  Jordan.  Here  he  had  become  closely  leagued 
 with  Baalis,  king  of  Ammon  (Josephus,  Atitiq.  x.  9,  2).  Prompted  by  Baalis  (ver.  14),  and 
 coveting  Gedaliah's  place  and  power,  he  plotted  Gedaliah's  assassination. 
 
 ^^Johanan  and  Jonathan:"  Jewish  chiefs  and  brothers.  Johanan  warned  Gedaliah  of 
 Ishmael's  treacliery,  and  subsequently  pursued  the  assassin  (chap.  xli.  13,  &c.) 
 
 Geographical  References. — Ver.  6.  "  Mirqiah."  Asa  had  fortified  it  as  an  outpost  of  his 
 capital  against  the  northern  kingdom  (chap.  xli.  9  ;  2  Ohron.  xvi.  6).  A  ridge  north-east  of 
 Jerusalem,  and  immediately  overlooking  the  city. 
 
 Ver.  8.  ''The  Netophathite."      Netophah,  a  village  near  Bethlehem  (1  Chron.  ii.  54). 
 
 Literary  Criticisms. — Ver.  5.  "  JVow  while  Zte  was  not  yet  gone  back  " — Ewald's  correction 
 of  the  Hebrew  text,  substituting  2''C^'1  for  n-IK'l  ;  "And  as  he  yet  answered  nothing:"  or, 
 "  Before  he  made  any  reply  "  (Henderson).  . 
 
 Ver.  10.  "To  serve  the  Chaldeans"  D'l'jlbsn  ^JD^  '^W2,  "  to  stand  before  the  Chaldeans;'  i.e. 
 to  act  as  their  representative,  to  negotiate  with  them. 
 
 Ver.  14.  "Slay  thee:"  lit.  "strike  thee  in  the  soid,"  i.e.  a  deadly  stroke. 
 
 SECTIONS  OF  CHAPTER  XL. 
 
 Section  1-G.  Jeremiads  release  and  patriotism. 
 7-16.  Gedaliah'' s  elevation  and  peril. 
 
 Vers.  1-6.  Jeeemiah's  Release  and  Patriotism. 
 
 (See  on  previous  chapter,  "  Kindness  shown  to  the  Lord's  Prophet^') 
 
 Ver.  1.  Tlieme :  The  Christian  in 
 THE  Tumult  op  the  World. 
 
 (i.)  He  is  regarded  externally  like 
 others.  Treated  as  a  captive.  Carried 
 Hway  with  the  exiles  to  llamah. 
 
 (ii.)  TVatched  over  by  God  with  esjoecial 
 care;  so  that  he  is  unharmed;  kindly 
 
 dealt  with ;    his  worth  recognised  and 
 rewarded. 
 
 (iii.)  Directs  all  his  efforts  to  the  wel 
 fareof  God's  hingdom.  Hisconcern  being 
 to  preserve  God's  honour,  to  vindicate 
 His  righteousness,  and  to  be  useful  to 
 to  his  own  people. 
 
 G03 
 
OBAF.  XL. 
 
 HOMILETIC  COMMENTARY:  JEREMIAH. 
 
 From  this  patriotic  purpose,  neither 
 the  violence  nor  the  friendliness  of  the 
 world  can  turn  him  aside.  (Comp. 
 Kaegelsbach  in  Lange.) 
 
 Vers.  2,  3.  Theme :  God  Recognised 
 IN  His  Judgments.  And  this  by  a 
 heathen!  Thus  God  makes  the  very 
 heathen  testify  for  Him  against  His 
 rebellious  people.  Out  of  even  great 
 and  terrible  calamities,  such  as  Jeru- 
 salem's overthrow,  good  is  brought ;  this 
 heathen  captain's  eyes  are  opened  to 
 Divine  truths. 
 
 His  hopeful  progress  towards  conver- 
 sion— 
 
 (i.)  He  acknoivledges  Jehovah  as  God 
 (ver.  2). 
 
 (ii.)  That  the  Lord  foresees  future 
 events  (ver.  2). 
 
 (iii.)  That  it  is  in  His  name  that  God's 
 servants  speak  (ver.  2),  and  pronounce 
 upon  future  events. 
 
 (iv. )  He  recognises  the  Divine  Hand  in 
 judgments  (ver.  3).  No  claiming  that 
 the  Chaldeans  had  wrought  the  over- 
 throw ;  no  !     "  The  Lord,"  &c. 
 
 (v.)  Traces  calamities  to  their  cause:  the 
 moral  degeneracy  and  spiritual  apostasy 
 of  the  people  (ver.  3). 
 
 (vi.)  Declares  that  disobedience  to  God 
 brings  doom  (ver.  3). 
 
 Ver.  4.  Tlteme:  God's  Hidden  Hand 
 IN  Human  Kindness. 
 
 I.  Benefactors  are  God's  benefac- 
 tions. They  come  from  Him,  at  the  right 
 moment,  to  sicpply  our  pressing  ivants. 
 
 II.  Unconscious  agencies  of  Divine 
 kindness.  This  captain  knew  not  that 
 he  wo7-Jced  out  God's  designs  and  admin- 
 istered God's  mercies. 
 
 III.  God's  disguised  Hand.  He  con- 
 ceals Himself  in  His  works  ;  there  is  "  a 
 hiding  of  His  power  " — 
 
 In  Nat^ire.  Stored  out  of  sight  in 
 flowers,  fruits,  delights  of  creation. 
 
 In  Providence.  "Men  are  Thy  hand." 
 He  works  through  them.  For  He  uses 
 His  creatures  as  channels  of  His  help. 
 
 In  Grace.  Light  and  peace  come 
 into  human  souls  through  human  words; 
 from  "sermons  in  stones,  books  in  the 
 running  brooks,"  &c.  Yet  all  grace  is 
 God's  gift. 
 
 "  Every  good  gift  and  every  perfect  gift 
 Cometh  down  from  the  Father  of  lights." 
 
 Vers.    5,    6.    Theme:    A    Patkiotic 
 Choice. 
 I.  Contrasted  offers. 
 
 1.  Of  location.  In  £ahylo7iia,  honour 
 and  comfort ;  in  Judea,  sadness  and 
 privation. 
 
 2.  Of  service.  In  Babylonia,  among 
 the  noblest  of  his  countrymen,  and  in 
 the  favour  of  royalty ;  in  Judea,  amid 
 the  poor  and  rabble. 
 
 II.  A  difficult  choice.  Hence  his 
 faltering  a  moment  (ver.  5). 
 
 1.  A  heart  draivn  in  oj^posite  direc- 
 tions :  in  pity  towards  his  exiled  people; 
 in  love  for  his  dear  but  dishonoured 
 land. 
 
 2.  In  perplexity  concerning  God's  ivill. 
 Not  easy  to  see  where  he  could  best  serve 
 God  ;  not  clear  as  to  God's  purpose. 
 
 III.  A  patriotic  decision. 
 
 1.  Thus  he  disproved  his  sympathy 
 with  the  Chaldeans,  notwithstanding 
 his  advice  to  his  countrymen  to  surrender 
 to  them.  For  his  counsel  had  proceeded 
 from  purest  love  to  his  fatherland. 
 
 2.  Thus  he  proved  his  devotion  to  his 
 suj'ering  people,  imitating  Moses  (Heb. 
 xi.  25). 
 
 3.  Thus  he  kept  alive  God's  word  amid 
 a  despondent  remnant.  In  Babylon  the 
 exiles  had  Ezekiel  and  Daniel ;  but  had 
 he  gone,  these  scattered  remnants  would 
 have  been  "as  sheep  having  no  shep- 
 herd." In  all  this  "/ie  looked  not  on 
 his  own  things,  but  also  on  the  things  of 
 others." 
 
 Vers.  7-16.     Gedaliah's  Exaltation  and  Peril. 
 
 I.  Integrity  rewarded  (ver.  5).  His 
 faithfulness  to  Chaldea  had  arisen  from 
 the  consciousness  that  God  willed  it  so. 
 His  obedience  to  duty  won  him  human 
 confidence  and  high  exaltation. 
 604 
 
 II.  A  renewal  of  hope  (ver.  13). 
 Under  Gedaliah's  wise  administration 
 the  desolation  might  have  been  in  part  re- 
 paired. God  gives  to  the  downcast  agleam 
 of  hope  (vers.  9-11).     It  is  well  to  make 
 
UO  Ml  LET  10  COMMENTARY :  JEREMIAH. 
 
 the  best  of  our  misfortunes,  and  wisely  Therefore  is  he  the  happy  man  who  can 
 
 accept  the  facts  of  Providence  (ver.  10).  preserve  the  golden  mean." — Cramer. 
 III.  Treachery  in  ambush.  "  Gedaliah  seems  to  have  been  of  our 
 
 1.  Envy  covets  what  it  has  no  right  Queen  Elizabeth's  temper,  who  was  heard 
 to  claim.  to  declare  that  she  could  believe  nothing 
 
 2.  A  generous  nature  finds  it  difficult  of  her  people  which  mothers  could  not 
 to  be  suspicious  (ver.  14).  believe  of  their  children." — Trapp. 
 
 3.  It  is  a  mystery  in  God's  Providence  "  Gedaliah  thought  that  Ishmael  durst 
 that  He  suffers  the  righteous  to  act  un-  not  attempt  anything  against  him  because 
 wisely,  and  thus  fall  into  the  hands  of  of  the  Babylonians ;  besides  he  knew 
 malignant  and  envious  men  ("ver.  16).  But  his  oivn  innocency  ;  and  he  believed  in 
 an  explanation  is  indicated  in  Isa.  Ivii.  1.  Ishmael's    pretended    familiarity    with 
 
 him,    which,    he    might    think,    other 
 
 Comments —  captains  envied.      Sure  it  is  that  good 
 
 "  Those  who  are  of  a  pious  disposition  Gedaliah  was  too  secure.       '  Nam  qui 
 
 cannot  believe  so  much  evil  as  is  told  of  omnia  credit,  et  qui  nihil  credit,  ex  aequo 
 
 people.      But   we  must    not    trust  too  /)ecTa^ '  (Seneca).     It  is  no  less  a  fault  to 
 
 much,  for  the  world  is  full  of  falseness  believe   nothing  than  to   believe  every- 
 
 (Wisdom  xxxvii.  13).     He  who  believes  thing.     Reports  are  to  be  neither  over- 
 
 too  easily  will  be  often  deceived  ;  and  heeded  nor  overslighted,  especially  when 
 
 he  who  believes  no  one  is  also  deceived,  life  is  concerned." — Trapp. 
 
 General  Reflections  :  Israel's  Misfortunes  Typical  of  Human  Life. 
 
 This  overthrow  of  the  people  has  its  analogies  : — 
 
 I.  The  deportation  of  the  whole  people  in  chains  and  fetters  is  a  type  of  our 
 %tniversal  human  misery,  from  which  no  one  (not  even  Jeremiah)  is  free. 
 
 II.  The  fate  of  Gedaliah  and  the  joxirney  to  Egypt  is  a  type  of  the  ins7ifficiency 
 of  all  human  help. 
 
 III.  As  the  Jeivs  after  Gedaliah's  murder,  so  men  at  all  times  fi7id  protection 
 and  deliverance  in  the  Lord  alone. — Naegelsbach. 
 
 "  Misfortune  is  like  the  waves  of  the  sea  :  when  one  is  broken  another  follows, 
 and  the  end  of  one  trouble  is  the  besinninsc  of  another." — Cramer. 
 
 CHAPTER  XLL 
 
 Critical  and  Exegetical  Notes.— Chronology  of  the  Chapter. — Only  three  months  after 
 Jerusalem  was  captured  by  the  Chaldeans:  "in  the  seventh  month"  (ver.  1,  comp.  chap, 
 xxxix.  2).     See  notes  on  two  preceding  chapters. 
 
 Personal  Allusion.     Ver.  1.   "  Elishama."     Vide  note,  chap,  xxxvi.  12,  in  he. 
 
 Geographical  References.  Vers.  7  and  9.  "  The  pit : "  properly  cistern.  "  On  the  summit, 
 of  the  hill  was  Asa's  fortress,  with  a  deep  well  within  a  high  enclosed  courtyard,  dug  by  him 
 for  the  security  of  the  garrison  "  (Stanley).  Asa's  reason  for  digging  this  cistern  was,  that  when 
 the  city  should  be  besieged  by  the  king  of  Israel  there  might  be  sufficient  water  for  the 
 inhabitants.     (See  1  Kings  xv.  22.) 
 
 Ver.  12.  "  The  great  waters  that  arc  in  Gibeon."  Gibeon  is  about  two  miles  north  of  Mizpah. 
 The  0^3"]  D.^^  "great  waters,"  mean  the  vast  pool  and  fountains  which  Robinson  {Researches, 
 ii.  136)  describes,  about  120  feet  by  100.     (See  2  Sam.  ii.  13.) 
 
 Ver.  17.  "The  habitation  of  Chimham :"  lit.  Oeruth-Chimham,  i.e.  the  caravanserai 
 belonging  to  Chimham  (2  Sam.  xix.  37,  38).  Johanan  makes  this  his  headquarters  until  he 
 could  arrange  his  flight  to  Egypt. 
 
 SUBJECT  OF  CHAPTER  XLL 
 
 Ishmael's  Sanguinary  Conspiracy. 
 
 Ver.    1.    Theme:  Unsuspiciousness.  L    Unsuspicioicsness  is  indicative  of  Si. 
 
 "  They  did  eat  bread  together  in  Mizpah."      frank  and  generous  soul. 
 
 605 
 
CHA1\  XLI. 
 
 HOMILETIC  COMMENTARY :  JEREMIAH. 
 
 I.  Honest  vien  are  naturally  trxtstfid. 
 Themselves  faithful,  they  do  not  sus- 
 pect, in  seeming  friends,  perfidious  con- 
 spirators ! 
 
 3.  Kindly  hearts  entertain  no  dark 
 susjyicions.  "  Charity  tldnlceth  no  evil " 
 (1  Cor.  xiii.  5).  It  is  painful  to  look 
 for  a  villain  in  him  who  dips  his  sop 
 with  us  in  the  same  dish. 
 
 So  far  Gedaliah's  was  a  liraisewortlnj 
 simplicity, 
 
 II.  Unsuspiciotisness  runs  the  risks  of 
 incaution. 
 
 1.  Guileless  minds  cannot  credit  base 
 reports.  Although  warned  (chap.  xl.  14, 
 16),  he  could  not  believe  it  possible  that 
 Islimael  plotted  foul  designs.  Conscious 
 only  of  innocency  and  good  purposes 
 himself,  he  found  it  impossible  to  believe 
 that  wrong  was  intended  him. 
 
 2.  Indiscreet  trust  pays  a  severe 
 penalty.  In  this  case,  Gedaliah's 
 virtue  of  unsuspiciousness  became  a 
 fault ;  for  in  being  injudiciously  trust- 
 ful he  both  imperilled  his  own  life  and 
 exposed  the  public  interests  to  disaster. 
 
 III.  Unsuspiciousness  is  apt  to  invite 
 calamity. 
 
 1.  Jjy  neglecting  hcrhing  danger.  It 
 was  Gedaliah's  duty  to  have  regarded  the 
 information  given  him  (chap.  xl.  14),  and 
 arrested  a  villain  whose  plots  threatened 
 the  public  weal. 
 
 2.  By  shrinking  from  exercising  a 
 just  severity.  For  the  incapability  of 
 suspicions  is  allied  often  with  a  %veah 
 regard  to  justice;  and  hence  a  disinclina- 
 tion to  punish  tvrojig  (chap.  xl.  16). 
 
 3.  By  tolerating  evident  evils.  And 
 here  is  the  folly  and  blunder  of  habitual 
 unsuspiciousness  :  it  ivill  not  see  evils  ; 
 it  prefers  to  let  them  alone,  hoping  for 
 the  best.  And  thus  iniquities  thrive 
 under  the  benign  tolerance  of  an  in- 
 genuous rule. 
 
 IV.  Unsuspiciousness  plays  into  the 
 hands  of  villany. 
 
 1.  Villany  is  a  fact,  existing  and 
 active  in  all  human  society.  He  who 
 ignores  it  is  wanting  in  prudence. 
 
 2.  Villany  j)lots  deeds  so  foul  that  no 
 vigilance  can  be  too  alert  to  check  its 
 purposes.  By  neglecting  this  wise  suspi- 
 ciousness Gedaliah  wronged  Johanan 
 (chap.  xl.  16),  imperilled  the  peace  of  the 
 
 606 
 
 people,  and  placed  himself  in  the  assas- 
 sin's grasp  (chap.  xli.  1). 
 
 3.  Villany  shrinks  not  from  outrage  on 
 noblest  soids.  Surely  it  is  the  highest 
 crime  (xliv.  2)  thus  to  woo  generous 
 confidence  only  to  act  the  fiend  !  "0?ie 
 onay  smile,  and  smile,  and  be  a  villain  I " 
 The  execrable  character  of  such  villany 
 Shakespeare  describes — 
 
 "  My   conscience  hath    a    thousand    several 
 tongues, 
 And  every  tongue  brings  in  a  several  tale, 
 And  every  tale  condemns  me  for  a  villain." 
 —Richard  III.  v.  3. 
 
 Ver.  2.  Theme :  Hospitality  Out- 
 raged. "  Then  arose  Ishmael,  .  .  . 
 and  slew  him  I " 
 
 Murder  is  frightful  enough  in  itself, 
 but  the  moment  of  the  deed  makes  it 
 heinous  in  the  extreme. 
 
 I,  Hospitality :  the  infamy  of  its 
 abuse.  Ishmael  polluted  his  hands 
 with  innocent  blood  at  the  sacred 
 table  of  hospitality. 
 
 Universally  and  in  all  ages  hospi- 
 tality has  been  cherished  as  sacred. 
 
 The  ancient  heathen  nations  regarded 
 it  so,  and  its  violation  was  counted  by 
 them  the  greatest  atrocity. 
 
 An  oath  given  when  at  table  and 
 afterwards  broken  called  for  summary 
 vengeance. 
 
 Among  the  Greeks  existed  a  custom 
 of  pledging  lasting  friendship  in  return 
 for  hospitality.  It  was  in  this  wise : 
 On  a  four-sided  stone  was  written  the 
 name  of  each  guest ;  the  stone,  called 
 "  Tessara  Rospitalis,"  was  then  broken, 
 and  each  friend  carried  away  the  part 
 of  the  stone  bearing  the  other's  name, 
 and  it  entitled  the  holder  of  the  part 
 to  ask  protection  and  shelter  from  the 
 other  whenever  necessity  arose. 
 
 See  Percy  Anecdotes,  on  "  Hospi- 
 tality," for  illustrations. 
 
 II.  Jealousy  :  outraging  every  in- 
 stinct of  gratitude.  Ishmael  had  been 
 treated  with  magnanimity  by  Gedaliah, 
 and  now  was  being  entertained  with 
 courtesy  and  kindness  ;  yet — 
 
 1.  Ambition  and  envy  prompted  him 
 to  violence.  He  was  "  of  the  royal 
 seed"  (ver.  1),  and  could  not  endure 
 that  Gedaliah  should  be  in  exaltation. 
 
IIOMILETIC  COMMENTARY :  JEREMIAH. 
 
 "  Base  envy  withers  at  another's  joy, 
 And  hates  that  excellence  it  caiiiioc  reach." 
 — Thomson's  Seasons,  283. 
 
 *'  Jealousy  is  cruel  as  the  grave." 
 
 — Cant.  viii.  6. 
 
 '*  Jealousy,  the  injured  lover's  hell." 
 
 — Milton's  Paradise  Lost. 
 
 "  Fling  away  ambition: 
 By  that  sin  fell  the  angels." 
 
 — Shakespeare,  Henry  VIII.,  iii.  2. 
 
 2.  Innocence  was  no  shield  against  the 
 lust  of  jealousy.  Gedaliah  had  done 
 Ishraael  no  wrong.  Ishmael  had  not 
 been  deposed  frona  power.  All  Geda- 
 liah's  acts  had  been  generous  and  trust- 
 ful, yet  Ishmael  could  not  endure  the 
 sight  of  his  supremacy. 
 
 Such  outrage  on  innocence  refutes  all 
 natural  sentiments  in  the  human  heart, 
 and  shows  Ishmael  to  be  an  odious 
 monster.  Horace  speaks  the  natural 
 sentiment  which  we  cherish  towards 
 innocence — 
 
 "  True,  conscious  honour  is  to  feel  no  sin. 
 He's  armed  without  who's  innocent  within  : 
 Be  this  tiiy  screen,  and  this  thy  wall   of 
 brass."  — Pope's  Horace. 
 
 But  it  was  this  conscious  innocence  which 
 made  Gedaliah  fearless  and  trustful, 
 and  should  have  ensured  his  safety, 
 
 "  If  there  be  a  crime 
 Of  deeper  dye  than  all  the  guilty  train 
 Of  human  vices,  'tis  ingratitude." — Brooke. 
 
 *'  Ingratitude  is  treason  to  mankind." 
 — Thomson. 
 
 Theme:  Gedaliah's  Fate  an  Ex- 
 ample. "  Illustrating  what  befalls  even 
 the  most  noble  in  times  of  deep  corrup- 
 tion : — 
 
 (i.)  They  enjoy  general  confidence. 
 
 (ii.)  They  are  incapable  of  attribut- 
 ing extreme  wickedness  to  men. 
 
 (iii.)  They  become  a  sacrifice  to  their 
 confidence. 
 
 (iv.)  They  are  therefore  not  in  a 
 condition  to  stay  the  divine  judgments." 
 — Naegelshach. 
 
 "  Judas's  kiss  and  Jacob's  brethren 
 are  very  common  in  the  world,  and  take 
 after  their  grandfather  Cain,  who  spake 
 kindly  to  Abel  and  yet  had  blood- 
 thirsty thoughts  (Gen.  iv.  8).  Yea, 
 they  take  after  their  father  the  devil, 
 
 who  is  a  murderous  spirit  (John  viii. 
 14),  and  disguises  himself  as  an  angel 
 of  light  (2  Cor.  xi.  14)." — Cramer. 
 
 "Much  treachery  and  cruelty  hath 
 been  exercised  at  feasts.  Absalom  slew 
 Amnon  at  a  feast ;  so  did  Zimri,  King 
 Elah ;  'so  did  Alexander,  Philotas." — 
 Trapp. 
 
 Josephus  suggests  that  Ishmael  seized 
 the  opportunity  of  slaughter  wheii 
 Gedaliah  and  his  guests  were  merry 
 with  wine,  and  his  words  are  :  "  When 
 Gedaliah  had  feasted  Ishmael,  and  those 
 that  were  with  him,  in  a  splendid 
 manner  at  his  table,  and  had  given 
 them  presents,  he  became  disordered  in 
 drink,  Avhile  he  endeavoured  to  be  very 
 merry  with  them  ;  and  when  Ishmael 
 saw  him  in  this  case,  and  that  he  was 
 drowned  in  his  cups  to  the  degree  of 
 insensibility  and  fallen  asleep,  he  rose 
 up  on  a  sudden,  with  his  ten  friends,  and 
 slew  Gedaliah  and  those  that  Avere  with 
 him  at  the  feast." — Aniiq.  x.  9,  4. 
 
 Ver.  3.  "  Ishmael  also  sleiu  the  Chal- 
 deans and  men  of  icar."  This  gives  sup- 
 port to  Kittds  suggestion,  that  "he  re- 
 garded Gedaliah  with  hatred,  as  one 
 who  had  stooped  to  hold  office  under 
 the  destroyer's  of  his  country.^'' — Daily 
 Bib.  Illus. 
 
 Ver.  6.  Theme:  A  Teaitor's  Teaes. 
 "  Ishmael  went  forth  weeping  all  along  as 
 he  tvent." 
 
 I.  Patriotic  pilgrims  (ver.  5).  It  was 
 now  the  season  of  the  Feast  of  Taber- 
 nacles, and  these  pilgrims  journeyed  to 
 Jerusalem — 
 
 1.  Mourning  over  the  Temples  ruin. 
 
 2.  Carrying  their  devout  offerings,  to 
 ])resent  them  amid  the  scene  of  desola- 
 tion. 
 
 A  piteous  spectacle  !  Oh  how  their 
 souls  grieved  for  the  destruction  of 
 "  the  house  of  the  Lord  "!  They  would 
 fain,  amid  the  ruins,  keep  the  observances 
 of  the  law,  and  mourn  before  the  Lord 
 who  had  permitted  this  direful  calamity 
 to  overtake  His  sinning  people.  Their 
 asjjects  show  them  to  be — 
 
 (rt.)  A  pienitential  group  ;  (5.)  bri)iging 
 their  propitiatory  offerings  before  God  ; 
 (c.)  touched  with  patriotic  sorrow. 
 
 G07 
 
CHAP.  XLII. 
 
 IIOMILETW  COMMENTARY :  JEREMIAH. 
 
 II.  A    blasphemous    decoy.     "  Ish- 
 
 mael  went  weeping." 
 
 1.  Fretending  that  he  also  bemoaned 
 the  ruin  of  Zion. 
 
 2.  Capturing  them  by  his  foul  deceit. 
 
 They  were  unsuspicious  of  bis  murder- 
 ous designs;  and  he  intending  to  slay 
 them  lest  they,  discovering  his  deed  to 
 Gedaliah,  should  rouse  the  country  against 
 him  before  he  had  completed  his  usurpa- 
 tion, decoyed  them  to  destruction. 
 
 What  barbarity  is  here,  thus  to  seize 
 defenceless  strangers,  and  slay  them  with- 
 out the  faintest  provocation  ! 
 
 How  does  this  illustrate  the  progress 
 of  guilt ;  having  polluted  his  hands  in 
 blood,  Ishmael  went  on  to  even  baser 
 effrontery  and  deeper  villany. 
 
 Ver.  12.  Theme:  Treachery  Thwart- 
 ed. His  design  seems  to  have  been  to 
 carry  them  as  slaves  into  Ammon. 
 The  captives  hailed  their  deliverer  with 
 joy,  and  deserted  at  once  to  Johanan, 
 so  that  Ishmael  returned,  disgraced  and 
 defeated,  to  the  king  of  Ammon,  whose 
 base  purposes  he  attempted  to  serve. 
 Yet— 
 
 How  great  woe  may  one  foul  hand, 
 work !  How  startling  that  no  sorer 
 punishment  overtook  1dm. ! 
 
 Nevertheless,  though  guilty  men  escape 
 the  immediate  penalty  of  crime,  their 
 prolonged  life  only  prolongs  their  career 
 of  wretchedness  and  terror,  execrated 
 by  righteous  men,  and  haunted  by  their 
 guilty  memories  ;  for  in  this  way  God 
 
 drags  criminals  daily  before  the  tribunal 
 of  their  own  memory,  and  then  lets  them 
 live  under  the  curse  of  their  own  con- 
 
 Vers.  16-18.  I'Aewe.- Mistaken  Pat- 
 riotism. "  Johanan  departed  to  go 
 into  Egypt." 
 
 I.  Courage  ungoverned  by  godliness. 
 
 1.  His  energy  for  his  people  was 
 praiseworthy. 
 
 2.  His  valour  wrought  their  deliver- 
 ance (ver.  16). 
 
 3.  Yet  his  departure  from  God's  pur- 
 pose, in  inclining  towards  Egypt  (ver. 
 17),  showed  both  unbelief  and  wilful- 
 ness. 
 
 II.  Safety  sought  from  a  forbidden 
 alliance. 
 
 1.  Though  strictly  denounced  by 
 God's  messengers,  yet  he  intended  to 
 trust  in  Egypt. 
 
 2.  Fear  {pi  the  Chaldeans)  was  allowed 
 to  rule  them  instead  of  faith  (in  God) 
 (ver.  18). 
 
 3.  Turning  from  the  straight  path  of 
 duty  they  were  led  to  a  tortuous  and 
 destructive  policy. 
 
 III.  Obedience  to  God  proves  the 
 highest  patriotism. 
 
 1.  It  wins  more  than  noblest  valour 
 can  effect. 
 
 2.  Righteousness  is  always  safest ; 
 doing  God's  will  regardless  of  conse- 
 quences, untroubled  by  fears. 
 
 3.  Simple  faith  in  God's  word,  regard- 
 less of  our  own  fears,  always  issues  best. 
 
 CHAPTER  XLII. 
 
 Critical  and  Exegetical  Notes. — Chronology  as  in  previous  chapter.  Observe  :  Jei'emiah 
 'and  Baruch  bad  been  among  the  captives  of  Ishmael,  whom  Johanan  rescued  (chap,  xliii.  6). 
 
 State  of  the  Nation. — The  preceding  chapter  reveals  the  baseness  of  the  "royal  seed"  and 
 the  infatuation  of  the  people's  latest  leader.  This  chapter  discloses  the  obstinacy  of  the  people 
 "from  the  least  to  the  greatest  "in  disobeying  God's  purpose  and  in  dissembling  their  prayers. 
 Tlius,  all  God's  chastisements  leaves  them  still  a  rebellious  nation  and  justifies  the  severity  of 
 His  disciplinary  punishments. 
 
 Personal  Allusion. — Ver.  1.   "Jezaniah:"  called  "  Azariah"  (chap,  xliii.  2). 
 
 Literary  Criticisms. — Vers.  2,   3.    "  The  Lord  thy  God."      Some  few  authorities  have 
 
 •')3\n'7^5,  "our  God."  But  probably  the  form  is  correct,  "The  Lord  thy  God,"  expressing  the 
 people's  sense  of  Jeremiah's  peculiar  relationship  to  Jehovah.  But  when  the  prophet  replies 
 (ver.  4),  "The  Lord  ijour  God,"  as  if  to  remind  them  that  He  had  not  cast  them  ofiF,  they 
 change  the  form  of  expression  into  "The  Lord  our  God"  (ver.  6). 
 
 Ver.  12.  "/  wiH  show  mercies  unto  you,  that  he,"  (be.,  i.e.  I  will  give  you  compassion,  or  will 
 excite  pity  for  you;  i.e.  in  the  king  of  Babvlon. 
 
 608 
 
HO  MI  LET IC  COMMENTARY:  JEREMIAH. 
 
 CHAP.  xlh. 
 
 SUBJECT  OP  CHAPTER'XLII. 
 Wilfulness  in  Prayer:  God's  Guidance  asked  Hypocritically. 
 
 Vers.  2,  3.  Theme :  Perplexed 
 Suppliants.  "  That  God  may  show  us 
 the  ivarj  tvherein  we  may  walk,  and  the 
 thing  that  we  may  do." 
 
 If  only  these  words  had  been  sincere, 
 could  their  request  have  been  better,  or 
 their  language  more  devout  1 
 
 {A.)  Regarding  the  words  as  if 
 sincere,  they  suggest — 
 
 I.  Inquirers  anxiously  seeking  the 
 light. 
 
 II.  Suppliants  humbly  craving  God's 
 favour. 
 
 III.  Baflfled  souls  troubled  to  gain 
 clearer  leading. 
 
 IV.  Obedient  children  eager  more 
 perfectly  to  do  God's  will. 
 
 {B.)  Regarding  the  vfords  as  hypo- 
 critical, they  show — 
 
 I.  Good  words  may  be  spoken  by 
 false  lips. 
 
 II.  Wilful  inquirers  mocking  God 
 with  a  pretence  of  seeking  guidance. 
 
 III.  Contumacious  sinners  assum- 
 ing the  disguise  of  piety. 
 
 IV.  While  in  the  very  path  of 
 transgression  (chap.  xli.  17),  rebels  will 
 dissemble  and  ask  God's  permission. 
 
 Ver.  4.  TJieme :  "  No  Cloak  for 
 their  Sin." 
 
 I.  Disobedience  done  loithoutfull  know- 
 ledge is  a  lesser  crime  than  when 
 clearer  light  is  asked  and  gained. 
 Had  they  gone  to  Egypt  without  seek- 
 ing God's  decision  upon  their  course, 
 their  rebellion  would  have  been  less 
 defiant  and  blasphemous. 
 
 1.  The  awful  guilt  of  sinning  against 
 light  / 
 
 2.  The  baseness  of  asking  light  while 
 intending  to  defy  it. 
 
 II.  Audacity  reaches  its  culmination 
 when  rebellion  ventures  to  trifle  with 
 prayer.  Plainly  they  used  prayer 
 merely  to  get  their  own  way,  but  deter- 
 mined to  act  as  they  wished  should 
 God  oppose  them. 
 
 1.  Hyjiocrisy  flaunts  its  pretences  in 
 the  very  face  of  God. 
 
 2.  Determined  sinners  sometimes  use 
 religion  to  gain  their  own  ends. 
 
 III.  Judgment  will  be  weighted  by 
 the  woe  of  slighted  grace. 
 
 1.  God  may  be  sought  in  prayer ; 
 their  conduct  proves  they  knew  this. 
 
 2.  Divine  guidance  is  granted  to  the 
 perplexed ;  this  also  they  knew,  yet 
 trifled  with  it. 
 
 3.  Abiise  of  God's  goodness  will  pro- 
 voke the  sternest  justice;  and  darken 
 the  soul's  doom. 
 
 Ver.  6.  Theme :  Absolute  Submis- 
 sion TO  God's  Direction.  Consider 
 the  state  of  affairs :  Jerusalem  over- 
 thrown; only  "a  few"  people  left  in  the 
 city;  internal  conspiracies :  Gedaliahand 
 Ishmael ;  a  "  remnant  "  rescued  from 
 Ishmael  by  Johanan ;  a  despondent  and 
 subdued  people. 
 
 Now  arose  the  question  as  to  the  next 
 movement :  Should  they  remain  in  their 
 country  amid  disturbances,  or  go  to 
 Egypt  and  place  themselves  under 
 foreign  protection  1 
 
 Life  is  full  of  this  asking,  "  What 
 next  ?  "     From  that  day  to  this. 
 
 The  words  "  To  whom  we  send  thee  " 
 show  that  the  people  knew  they  had  a 
 prophet  among  them  whom  they  could 
 send  to  the  Lord.  But  we  have  no  one 
 whom  we  can  commission  to  go  to  God 
 for  us ;  we  must  go  each  one  for  our- 
 selves. 
 
 Yet  are  we  not  less  sure  of  a  hearing; 
 for  we  have  a  "  Mediator  between  God 
 and  man,"  and  "Him  the  Father  heareth 
 always." 
 
 I.  God  appealed  to  for  direction  in 
 difficult  circumstances.  This  was  of 
 old  done  by  Israel  as  a  nation  habi- 
 tually ;  they  hearkened  to  God's  direc- 
 tion in  their  oracles.  This  is  the  instinc- 
 tive act  of  a  godly  soul.  Marks  out 
 whether  godly  or  not.  Should  use  God 
 freely. 
 
 1.  Can  ive  as  surely  learn  God's  voice 
 now  as  when  He  spake  by  such  direct 
 communication  1  It  was  so  assuring  to 
 have  a  personal  hearing  and  answer. 
 Yet  if  God  has  given  counsel  for  every 
 case,  and  given  it  once  for  all  in  His 
 written  Word,  we  can  refer  to  that.  To 
 Q  609 
 
CHAP.  XLIT. 
 
 nOMILETIC  COMMENTARY:  JEREMIAH. 
 
 question  that  the  Bible  holds  advice  for 
 our  personal  and  special  wants,  is  to 
 doubt  the  wisdom  of  God  who  inspired 
 the  word  for  all  His  people,  for  every 
 circumstance,  for  all  time. 
 
 Besides  which,  prayer  is  our  privilege 
 freely  to  use,  as  well  as  the  Scriptures. 
 
 Do  ye  not  also  send  us,  God's  messen- 
 gers, to  Him  for  a  word  from  the  Lord 
 for  you  ?     "  Take  heed  how  ye  hear." 
 
 Moreover,  cannot  God  impress  upon 
 our  minds  and  hearts  His  will  1  By  His 
 Holy  Spirit ;  by  "  working  within  us  to 
 will  and  do  of  His  good  pleasure." 
 
 2.  Is  it  right  to  hazard  ourselves  when 
 we  act  from  the  persuasion  that  tve  are 
 doing  God's  will  ?  "  Whether  it  be  evil, 
 we  will  obey." 
 
 But  that  inquiry  means,  Shall  expe- 
 diency alone  rule  us,  so  that  we  only  do 
 what  seems  advantageous  to  us  and  not 
 ''evil"? 
 
 But  if  this  were  our  guiding  law, 
 would  missionary  pioneers  go  with  the 
 Gospel  where  destruction  threatened 
 them?  Would  needy  men,  for  con- 
 science' sake,  stand  aside  from  gain  and 
 reward  1  Would  faithful  disciples  of 
 Jesus  carry  their  cross  and  endure 
 suffering  and  toil  in  following  Him  1 
 Would  the  Christian  worker  penetrate 
 into  vile  courts  where  fever  raged  1 
 AVould  disciples  expose  themselves  to 
 the  ordeal  of  fierce  mocking,  &c.  1 
 Would  the  widow  have  surrendered 
 "  all  her  living  "  ? 
 
 JVot  expediency,  therefore ;  but  im- 
 p)licit  ohedieiice. 
 
 3.  Can  God  really  command  what 
 seems  adverse  to  our  good?  Yes;  "■good 
 or  evil;"  i.e.,  it  may  seem  so  to  us. 
 
 Johanan  thought  that  he  and  the  rem- 
 nant would  be  safest  in  Egypt  (ver.  14). 
 But  God  refused  (ver.  19). 
 
 In  asking  God's  counsel  they  knew 
 heforeliand  He  might  refuse  their  toish. 
 Yet  they  promised  to  abide  by  His 
 counsel,  "whether  it  be  good  or  whether 
 it  be  evil."  For  "  God's  thoughts  are  not 
 our  thoughts,  neither  His  ways  ourways." 
 
 Surely  it  is  only  to  mock  God  to  ask 
 Him  to  guide,  and  then  only  to  obey  when 
 we  approve  !  "  Shall  we  receive  good 
 at  the  hands  of  the  Lord,  and  shall  we 
 not  also  receive  evil  ?  " 
 610 
 
 II.  Man's  resolve  of  unfaltering 
 obedience  to  the  voice  of  the  Lord. 
 
 Nothing  could  be  more  unreserved  than 
 this  avowal :  "  Whether  it  be  good  or 
 evil,  we  will  obey  the  voice  of  the  Lord," 
 &c. 
 
 If  He  is  "  the  Lord  our  God,"  then 
 such  complete  trust  is  natural  and 
 right. 
 
 1.  Their  acknowledgment  of  perplexity 
 (ver.  3).  They  could  !iot  tell  what  was 
 best  or  wisest  to  do ;  so  sought  guidance. 
 Too  often  pride  prevents  our  making 
 such  an  acknowledgment ;  and  not  only 
 when  baffled  by  life's  perplexities,  but 
 equally  in  spiritual  quests.  But  we  are 
 here  reminded  once  again  that  "it  is 
 not  in  man  that  tvalketh  to  direct  his 
 steps."  We  walk  in  darkness,  stumbling; 
 but  knowing  not  at  what  we  stumble. 
 If  we  are  thus  incompetent  to  choose 
 and  act  alone  in  earthly  affairs,  how 
 much  more  in  eternal  matters !  Baffled 
 concerning  these  trifling  things,  how 
 shall  we  direct  our  career  towards 
 heaven  ?  We  cannot.  Acknowledge 
 ignorance,  therefore,  and  incompetency ; 
 and  go  to  God. 
 
 2.  Their  belief  in  the  Divine  wisdom. 
 However  it  may  seem  to  us,  "  good  or 
 evil,"  God  knows  best  what  we  should 
 do  ;  go  to  Him  and  inquire.  Even  "the 
 foolishness  of  God  is  wiser  "  than  man's 
 wisdom.  He  is  perfect  in  knowledge. 
 All  His  people  believe  this.  Therefore 
 "  if  any  man  lack  wisdom,  let  him  ask  of 
 God,"  &c.  Pray  more  when  perplexed 
 — in  providence — in  religion.  God  will 
 then  teach  you,  and  "  show  you  the  way 
 wherein,"  &c.  (ver.  3). 
 
 3.  Their  intention  respecting  the  Lord's 
 ansiver.  And  here  we  are  confronted 
 with  an  astonishing  illustration  of  the  in- 
 fluence of  self-will;  how  blinding!  (chap, 
 xliii.  2).  Did  they  mean  to  abide  by  the 
 reply  Jeremiah  brought  ?  They  took  an 
 oath  that  they  would  (ver.  5) ;  but  "  ye 
 dissembled  in  your  hearts,"  &c.  (ver.  20). 
 This  is  very  awful.  Oh !  let  us  heed  lest  ' 
 we  do  the  same,  set  aside  the  Divine 
 counsels  by  our  wilfulness.  Do  we  not 
 often  pray  for  guidance,  have  we  not 
 also  vowed  obedience,  did  we  not  pro- 
 fess to  lay  ourselves  out  for  service ;  and 
 somehow  there  came  to  us  a  conviction 
 
HOMILETIC  COMMENTARY  .  JEREMIAH. 
 
 cnAt.  XLil. 
 
 of  God's  "will ;  but  it  was  contrary  to 
 our  secret  inclinations,  so  we  begtiiled 
 it  aivay  !  Beware  of  "  dissembling  in 
 your  hearts  "  when  you  deal  with  God  ! 
 
 "  Good  or  evUP  Let  us  be  honest  in 
 our  resolve.  Ask  God,  meaning  to  obey  \ 
 and  obey  as  if  we  believe  God  had 
 taught  us  what  to  do.  This  is  "faith, 
 nothing  doubting." 
 
 III.  Implicit  obedience  to  God  in- 
 volves our  highest  welfare.  "  That  it 
 may  be  well  ivith  iis,  tvhen  we  obe]/,"  &c. 
 True,  "  Godliness  is  great  gain  ;  "  always 
 for  our  good  to  obey. 
 
 1.  God  tvill  hefriend  those  ivho  rely 
 upon  Him  (vers.  10,  11).  It  is  an  old 
 truth,  God  preserveth  His  saints.  We 
 are  His,  if  we  trust  in  Him ;  and  He  is 
 "for  us."  "I  have  been  young,  and 
 now  am  old,  yet  have  I  not  seen  the 
 righteous  forsaken "  (Ps.  xxxvii.  25). 
 "According  to  your  faith  be  it  done 
 unto  you." 
 
 2.  He  will  deal  most  graciously  with 
 those  who  obey  Him  {\er.  12).  "Show 
 mercies ; "  not  only  avert  ill,  but  add 
 blessings.  Yes,  and  more  ;  God  would 
 dispose  the  heart  of  the  king  of  Babylon 
 to  their  favour,  "that  he  may  have  mercy 
 upon  you  and  cause  you  to  return  to 
 your  own  land"  (ver.  12).  For  "when 
 a  man's  ways  please  the  Lord,  He  maketh 
 even  his  enemies  to  be  at  peace  with 
 him." 
 
 3.  He  will  gather  His  faithful  people 
 together,  and  far  exceed  their  prayers 
 and  hopes  in  His  dealings  with  them. 
 For  God  would  effect  their  ultimate 
 restoration  to  their  land,  would  raise 
 again  about  them  all  the  old  joys  of 
 Jerusalem,  and  recover  to  them  their 
 lost — national  and  spiritual — privileges. 
 This  they  destined  ;  but  it  was  more  than 
 they  asked. 
 
 To  an  obedient  child  we  not  only 
 give  what  it  requests,  we  draw  the 
 child  to  our  very  heart.  Thus  doth 
 God.  He  will  gather  us  into  close  and 
 tender  relationship  to  Himself.  Yes, 
 and  in  due  season,  to  His  land,  where 
 foes  shall  no  more  invade,  and  we  shall 
 never  more  be  separated  from  "  the  Lord 
 our  God."  And  in  the  spiritual  blessings 
 with  which  He  will  enrich  us  until  the 
 day  of  our   "  gathering  together  unto 
 
 Him,"  we  shall  find  that  "it  is  tvell 
 with  us  when  we  obey  the  voice  of  the 
 Lord  our  God." 
 
 Ver.  7.  Theme:  A  Delayed  AifSWER 
 TO  Prayer. 
 
 i.  Revelation  ivaited  for ;  the  prophet 
 would  not  speak  till  he  had  heard. 
 
 ii.  Interval  for  deliberation  ;  that  the 
 people  might  judge  of  their  own  willing- 
 ness to  accept  the  message  of  God. 
 
 iii.  Obedience  tested;  for  true  obedience 
 bows  to  God's  time,  as  well  as  to  His 
 way  and  will. 
 
 Ver.  11.  Theme:  God's  Repentance. 
 "I  repent  Me  of  the  evil  that  I  have 
 done  unto  you."  God  is  said  to  repent 
 when  He  alters  His  oidward  methods  of 
 dealing  with  men  (Augicstine), 
 
 "  /  am  satisfied  with  the  punishment 
 I  have  inflicted  on  you,  if  only  you  add 
 not  a  new  offence  "  (Grotius). 
 
 Ver.  14.  Theme:  Delusions  op  Dis- 
 obedience. 
 
 I.  A  forbidden  course.  To  "go 
 into  the  land  of  Egypt." 
 
 The  reason  for  this  prohibition  was 
 that  Egypt  was  infamous  for  idolatry, 
 full  of  the  snares  of  luxury,  doomed  for 
 its  oppression  of  their  ancestors.  It  was 
 a  standing  prohibition  (Deut.  xvii.  16). 
 
 II.  Coveted  advantages.  "Where 
 we  shall  see  no  war,"  &c. 
 
 1.  Si7i  always  entices  with  delusive 
 promises.  But  Egypt's  troubles  were 
 jubt  setting  in,  and  there  would  be  only 
 war  and  woe  till  it  was  destroyed. 
 
 2.  Sinners  shoiv  their  rebellion  in  dis- 
 believing God's  promises  (vers.  10,  11), 
 as  if  He'  were  a  liar  (1  John  ver.  10). 
 
 III.  Vain  hopes. 
 
 1.  Though  they  had  deserved  only  evil, 
 they  still  dreamed  of  peace  and  prosperity. 
 So  do  transgressors  still  "  deceive  their 
 own  souls." 
 
 2.  Though  they  intended  fxirther  trans- 
 gression, they  boasted  in  the  prospect  of 
 comfort.  But  "the  ways  of  transgressors 
 are  hard ; "  and  "  though  hand  join  in 
 hand,  they  shall  not  go  unpunished." 
 
 Ver.  1 6.  Theme:  Calamity  Pursuing 
 Transgressors.    "The  sword  which  ye 
 
 611 
 
CHAP.  XLIL 
 
 HOMILETIC  COMMENTARY :  JEREMIAH. 
 
 feared  shall  overtake  you  there  ;  and  the 
 famine  whereof  ye  were  afraid  shall 
 follow  close  after  you  there  in  Egypt." 
 
 i.  Because  sinners  carry  their  own  woe 
 with  them  wherever  they  go,  even  into 
 hell. 
 
 ii.  Because  God  folloivs  transgressors 
 wherever  they  go,  and  His  being  with 
 them  makes  their  terror. 
 
 I.  The  very  evils  we  think  to  escape 
 by  sin,  we  bring  the  more  surely  upon 
 ourselves. 
 
 1.  For  the  act  of  sinning  renders 
 punishment  certain. 
 
 2.  Wrong  courses  never  can  lead 
 aright. 
 
 3.  Adopting  evil  devices  in  order  to 
 avert  evil  results  is  the  height  of  frenzy 
 and  folly. 
 
 II.  What  our  hearts  most  eagerly 
 determine  often  proves  most  fatal  to  us. 
 
 1.  Because  the  heart  is  deceitful  and 
 wicked,  and  to  follow  its  devices  and 
 desires  lands  us  in  rebellion  against 
 God  and  neglect  of  our  highest  spiritual 
 good.  "  Whoso  trusteth  his  own  heart 
 is  a  fool." 
 
 2.  Because  sin  blinds  our  perception  of 
 good  and  magnifies  the  advantages  of  evil. 
 
 It  reverses  the  telescope  when  looking 
 at  good  and  minimises  it ;  but  it  turns 
 the  instrument  in  full  focus  on  evil,  and 
 vastly  enlarges  it.  "The  god  of  this 
 world  blinds  the  minds  of  them  that 
 believe  not." 
 
 3.  Because  the  highest  blessings  tve 
 receive  come  to  us  thro%igh  self-denial  and 
 .mffering.  Certainly  not  through  indul- 
 gence! "Take  up  thy  cross  and  follow 
 Me."  ^^  Strait  is  the  gate  that  leadeth 
 unto  life." 
 
 III.  No  hiding-place  can  be  found 
 for  escape  from  the  penalties  of  wrong. 
 
 1.  Not  on  earth.  "If  I  take  the 
 wings  of  the  morning  and  fly  to  the 
 uttermost  parts  of  the  earth."  See  ver. 
 17. 
 
 2.  Rot  in  death.  "  If  I  make  my  bed 
 in  Hades." 
 
 3.  Not  in  eternity.  For  judgment 
 and  doom  meet  the  sinner  there  (Rev. 
 vL  15-17.     See  ver.  18.) 
 
 Ver.  18.  Theme:  Appeal  to  Past 
 JuDOMKNTs— A  Warning,     "^s  Mine 
 612 
 
 anger  and  My  fury  hath  been  poured 
 forth  upon  the  inhabitants  of  Jerusalem; 
 50  shall  My  fury  be  poured  forth  upon 
 you." 
 
 I.  Predicted  doom  fulfilled.  For 
 what  had  occurred  had  been  foretold 
 (chap.  vii.  20;  xviii.  16).  God  had 
 acted  true  to  His  word. 
 
 II.  Repeated  guilt  threatened.  The 
 arrows  of  the  Lord  are  in  quiver,  ready! 
 
 III.  Neglected  warnings  punished. 
 In  vain  all  appeals  (ver.  19) ;  certain 
 therefore  the  doom  (vers,  21,  22). 
 
 Ver.  20.  Theme :  Hypocrisy  of 
 Desiring  the  Prayers  of  Others. 
 Frequently  persons  desire  their  ministers' 
 prayers,  yet  are  strangers  to  fear  of  God, 
 and  negligent  of  duty.  Place  a  false 
 and  dangerous  dependence  on  others' 
 prayers.  "Reranant"  of  the  Jews  left 
 from  captivity  entreated  Jeremiah's 
 prayers  (ver.  2),  and  took  oath  to  obey 
 voice  of  Lord  (ver,  5),  But  they  had 
 determined  to  go  to  Egypt,  and  asked 
 his  prayers  hypocritically.     Text, 
 
 I.  Consider  on  what  principle  desir- 
 ing the  prayers  of  others  is  grounded. 
 
 1.  A  persuasion  that  it  is  our  duty  to 
 pray  one  for  another.  (1.)  This  a  dictate 
 of  reason  (Ezra  vi.  10 ;  1  Mace.  xii.  11). 
 (2.)  Expressly  required  in  the  word  of 
 God  (Jer.  xxix.  7 ;  1  Tim.  ii.  1 ;  Jas.  v. 
 16).  Thus  Samuel  saith  (1  Sam.  xii. 
 23).  (3,)  The  pious  custom  of  good  men. 
 Abraham  for  Sodom.  Hezekiah  sent 
 Isaiah  to  pray  for  him  and  his  kingdom. 
 Christ  prayed  for  disciples ;  Paul,  in  all 
 his  epistles,  for  his  friends. 
 
 2.  Desiring  the  prayers  of  others 
 supposeth  that  God  hath  often  answered 
 intercesso7'y  p?'ayers  of  good  men.  God 
 loves  good  men ;  they  have  an  interest 
 in  heaven  ;  others  are  favoured  for  their 
 sake  (Gen.  xx.  7 ;  Job  xlii.  8).  Moses 
 prayed,  and  Amalek  was  vanquished, 
 fire  in  camp  quenched,  plague  stayed, 
 destructive  serpents  removed,  Miriam's 
 leprosy  healed,  plagues  taken  from 
 Pharaoh  ;  God  so  influenced  by  his 
 prayers  that  He  said,  "  Let  Me  alone," 
 &c.  (Exod.xxxii.  10).  Hezekiah's prayer 
 for  offenders  (2  Chron.  xxx,  20),  Same 
 truth  implied  in  inhibition  of  prayers 
 (Jer,  vii,  16;  xi,  14;  xiv.  11:  xxix.  7). 
 
EOMILETIC  COMMENTARY:  JEREMIAH. 
 
 CHAP.   XLII. 
 
 Peter  delivered  from  prison  (Acts  xii.  5); 
 Paul  rescued  (2  Cor,  i.  11),  On  this 
 principle  the  intercession  of  Christ  is 
 founded ;  "  Father  loveth  Him,"  &c,, 
 "  heareth  Him  always." 
 
 3,  It  supposeth  that  it  is  very  desir- 
 able, specially  in  some  cases,  to  have  the 
 prayers  of  others  for  us ;  that  we  reap 
 advantages,  God  heeds  the  pleadings 
 of  those  He  loves.  There  are  special 
 circumstances  when  particularly  desir- 
 able ;  physical  prostration,  when  cannot 
 pray  for  ourselves  ;  ^;erj9/e.ciV_5/  or  distress 
 of  mind,  as  in  Job  xxxvii,  19  ;  in  cases 
 of  great  importance  and  difficidty,  as 
 Jer.  xlii,  3.  Encouraged  by  Christ's 
 promise  (Matt,  xviii.  19). 
 
 II.  When  they  who  desire  the  prayers 
 of  others  may  be  said  to  dissemble  in 
 their  hearts. 
 
 1.  When  they  desii-e  them  toithout 
 sincerity;  through  form  and  custom; 
 when  a  mere  compliment  to  the  piety 
 of  those  they  ask ;  when  done  under 
 pretence  to  humility ;  when  only  desire 
 temporal  blessings,  averse  to  spiritual 
 (1  Kings  xiii.  6 ;  Acts  viii.  24).  So 
 also  when  public  praise  is  returned  for 
 deliverances  (Isa.  xxvi.  IG) ;  yet  no 
 public  glory  fur  mercies  (Luke  xvii.  18). 
 
 2.  When  they  ivill  not  pray  for  them- 
 selves ;  practically  live  without  God, 
 neglect  public  worship  and  secret  devo- 
 tion. Imagine  that  ministers'  prayers 
 more  acceptable  than  their  own.  Not 
 use  proper  means  to  obtain  what  they 
 ask  :  health,  prosperity,  self-conquest. 
 
 3.  When  they  loili  not  do  what  God 
 by  His  word  and  ministers  requireth. 
 Jews  promised  (vers.  5,  G) ;  yet  were 
 resolutely  determined  on  their  course, 
 contrary  to  command  of  God.  Pharaoh 
 (Exod.  iv.  28).  Men  ask  our  prayers, 
 but  will  not  part  with  their  lusts,  nor 
 practise  duties  as  enjoined. 
 
 III.  Show  the  hypocrisy  and  evil  of 
 this  conduct. 
 
 1.  It  is  a  high  affront  to  the  all-seeing 
 and  holy  God.  It  is  mocking  God  (vers. 
 20,  22). 
 
 2.  It  is  deceiving  and  grieving  to  those 
 friends  whose  prayers  they  desire.  They 
 hope  for  the  best ;  yet  if  discern  in- 
 shicerity  they  will  have  no  heart  to  pray 
 
 for  you.  In  affliction,  prayers  sought ; 
 but  neglect  your  intercessors  and  religion 
 in  your  prosperity. 
 
 3.  Prayers  offered  for  such  persons 
 are  not  likely  to  avail.  Margin  reads, 
 "You  have  used  deceit  against  your 
 own  souls." 
 
 Servants  in  praying  families,  heed  this. 
 Weak  persons  who  look  to  godly  persons' 
 prayers  in  their  last  moments  (Prov. 
 xxviii.  9).  Holy  men's  prayers  may 
 secure  a  temporary  good  (Jas.  v.  15), 
 but  ensure  no  lasting  advantage ;  no 
 salvation  of  the  soul. 
 
 Application.  — (1.)  Learn  with  what 
 dispositions  of  mind  toe  shoidd  desire  the 
 prayers  of  others  :  in  sincerity ;  con- 
 curring with  them  ;  ready  to  obey  God 
 (Ps,  Ixv.  2).  (2.)  That  ive  shoidd  be 
 ready  to  pray  one  for  another.  Our 
 intercessions  may  bless ;  and  we  shall 
 be  blessed  in  return  (Ps.  xxxv.  13).  (3.) 
 It  is  particularly  wicked  to  dissemble  in 
 our  hearts  ivhen  ive  profess  dependence 
 on  the  intercession  of  Christ.  His  inter- 
 cession not  intended  to  supersede  our 
 prayers  (Rev.  viii.  3 ;  Heb.  vii.  25).  If 
 you  neglect  prayer,  or  pray  formally,  or 
 live  in  violation  of  His  teachings,  you 
 offer  indignity  to  His  holy  character  and 
 office  of  mediator. — Abstract  of  Sermon 
 by  liev.  Job  Orton,  Kidderminster,  a.d. 
 1775. 
 
 Vers.  21,  22.  Theme:  Admonished 
 AND  Abandoned. 
 
 I.  Wilful  self-deceit.  They  tried  to 
 beguile  themselves  that  they  were  acting 
 religiously,  and  were  ready  to  listen  to 
 God's  word,  and  were  doing  what  was 
 pleasing  to  Him  j  while  all  the  time  they 
 ■were  resolved  to  follow  their  own  course, 
 yet  hoped  that  God  ivould  give  approval 
 to  their  rebellion. 
 
 Like  instances  of  self-deceit,  Numb, 
 xxii.  5,  19;  Matt,  xxiii.  11;  Luke  xviii. 
 11;  and  1  Tim.  iv.  2. 
 
 II.  Given  over  to  delusions.  All 
 further  counsels,  persuasions,  prayers  for 
 you  are  useless.  You  both  "  believe  a 
 lie,"  and  "  will  have  none  of  My  reproof'' 
 For  such  obstinacy  there  is  no  cure  ;  you 
 must  now  be  left  to  be  "  filled  with  the 
 knowledge  of  your  own  devices." 
 
 613 
 
CHAE.  XLiit.  IIOMILETIO  COMMENTARY:  JEREMIAH. 
 
 CHAPTER  XLIIL 
 
 Critical  and  Exegetical  Notes. — 1,  Chronology  of  the  Chapter. — Continuous  with  the 
 preceding. 
 
 2.  National  Affairs, — The  miserable  "remnant"  (vers.  5,  6)  left  by  Nebuchadnezzar,  now 
 coutrolled  by  wilful  men,  were  led  away  to  Egypt,  and  reach  Talipanhes  (ver.  7). 
 
 3.  Contemporaneous  History. — Probably,  in  Egypt,  at  this  very  time  Pharaoh's  palace  was 
 in  course  of  erection  ;  for  the  mention  (ver.  9)  of  the  "  brick-kiln  "  and  "  clay  "  [i.e.  mortar] 
 "  at  the  entry  of  Pharaoh's  house  "  implies  this.  The  deadly  struggle  between  the  Chaldeans, 
 under  Nebuchadnezzar  king  of  Babylon,  and  the  Egyptians,  under  Pharaoh-Hophra,  for 
 ascendency  in  the  East,  was  now  at  its  fiercest  heat.  In  ver.  10  the  issue  of  the  struggle  is 
 predicted  ;  and  Josephus  states  that  on  the  fifth  year  after  the  overthrow  of  J crusalem,  Nebuchad- 
 nezzar, leaving  the  siege  of  Tyre,  undertook  his  expedition  to  Egypt  {Antiq.  X.  ix.  7). 
 
 4.  Geographical  References. — Ver.  7.  ^' Into  the  land  of  Egypt  to  Tahpanhes,"  vide  note. 
 chap.  ii.  1 6,  in  loc.  This  place,  being  on  the  frontier  of  Egypt  towards  Palestine,  they  naturally 
 come  to  first. 
 
 Ver.  13.  "  Eeth-shemesh,"  i.e.  the  house,  or  temple,  of  the  Sun,  known  to  us  by  its  Greek 
 name  "  Hdiopolis,"  and  in  Hebrew  by  "  On"  a  very  ancient  city  of  Egypt.  It  is  situate  on 
 the  east  of  the  Nile,  a  few  miles  south  of  Memphis,  vide  note,  chap.  ii.  16,  in  loc.  Ruins  of 
 its  celebrated  Temple  of  the  Sun,  and  an  obelisk,  nearly  seventy  feet  high,  covered  with  hiero- 
 glyphics, still  remain  to  mark  its  site. 
 
 5.  Manners  and  Customs. — "  He  shall  spread  his  royal  pavilion  over  them,"  i.e.  a  canopy, 
 which,  being  very  ornate  with  gilt  and  gorgeous  work,  is  described  as  a  glittering  canopy. 
 Oriental  monarchs  have  such  an  adorned  parasol  held  over  them  for  protection  from  the 
 sun's  rays. 
 
 Literary  Criticisms. — Ver.  10.  The  word  rendered  "  royal  pavilion,"  IIIQE' is  from  "ISC', 
 to  be  polished,  shining,  beautiful. 
 
 Ver.  12.  "  I  will  kindle,  and  he  shall  burn  them."  The  change  of  persons  seems  abrupt; 
 and  "  he  shall  kindle  "  seems  better.  The  LXX.,  Syriac,  and  Vulgate  so  read;  and  the  difference 
 is  effected  by  a  transposition  [possiblv  a  penman's  slip  in  the  Hebrew]  of  the  final  letters,  n^Sn 
 
 for  *nvn. 
 
 SUBJECT  OF  CHAPTER  XLIIL 
 
 Jeremiah  Caeried  into  Egypt, 
 
 Vers,  1-6,  Theme:  Wilfulness  tak-  III,  Impious  disobedience  follows  in 
 
 ING  ITS  OWN  Course.     See  homilies  on  its  train.     "  So  all  .  ,  ,  obeyed  not  the 
 
 preceding  chapter.     In  a  wilful  career —  voice  of  the  Lord  "  (ver.  4),  &c.     Such 
 
 I,  Arrogance  leads  the  way.  All  defiance  is  the  natural  and  necessary  out- 
 the  "proud  men  "  (ver,  2).     Fride is  the  growth  of  wilfulness. 
 
 pioneer   of   wilfulness ;    and  wilfulness  IV.  Overpowering  force  comj^letes  its 
 
 leads  on  to  rebellion  against  God.  designs  (vers.    5,   6).     No  resisting  its 
 
 II,  Sinister  unbelief  comes  to  its  violence.  The  good  in  a  man  is  com- 
 aid.  Baruch,  being  the  younger  man,  pelled  to  yield  as  well  as  the  evil  in 
 naturally  would  protest  more  vehemently  him;  as  here,  Jeremiah  and  Baruch 
 against  their  departure  for  Egypt.  This  were  carried  off  with  the  people.  For 
 the  "proud  men"  interpret  as  betraying  when  once  Wilfulness  becomes  regnant, 
 a  preference  for  the  Chaldeans.  So  they  it  overpowers  the  less  vehement  forces 
 fortify  their  own    self-will,  and  charge  and  bears  all  before  it. 
 
 lies   on    God's   servants   in    their   own 
 
 justification,  Ver.  2.  Theme :  Proud  Men. 
 
 Notes. — fienry  remarks:  "Those  that  I.  Proud  men  are  distinguished  for 
 
 are  resolved  to  contradict  the  great  ends  their  disbelief  of  the  Divine  testimony, 
 
 of  the  ministry,  are  industrious  to  bring  1.  Some  deny  the  record  God  has  given 
 
 a  bad  name  upon  it."     And   Cramer:  of  crea^«o« ;  array  geology  against  Moses. 
 
 "  Observe  the  old  diabolical  trick ;  when  2.   Others   disbelieve    the    record    of 
 
 preachers  practise  God's  word  and  their  miracles,  on  the    plea  that  God    never 
 
 office  with  zeal,  the  world  understands  can  depart  from  the  great  laws  by  which 
 
 how  to  conflict  it  with  another  name  and  He  governs  the  universe.     Yet  it  is  now 
 
 call  it  personal  interest."  a  law  that  man  comes  into  existence  by 
 
 614  ^ 
 
HOMILETIG  COMMENTARY:  JEREMIAH. 
 
 CHAP,  XLIII. 
 
 propagation,  and  as  a  babe  ;  but  it  is 
 certain  that  the  first  man  did  not  come 
 into  being  by  propagation.  Here,  then, 
 is  action  by  God  apart  from  law ;  and 
 if  one  instance  stands,  so  may  all  super- 
 natural records. 
 
 3.  Others  disbelieve  the  record  of 
 salvation  by  Jesics  Christ;  call  Chris- 
 tianity a  myth ;  they  will  not  bow  to 
 the  Crucified  One ;  will  not  admit  their 
 guilt,  &c. 
 
 II.  Proud  men  not  only  dishonour 
 God  by  disbelieving  His  testimony,  and 
 thus  ^jave  the  way  to  their  oivn  destruc- 
 tion;  they  are  accessories  to  the  ruin 
 of  others. 
 
 1.  Others  endorse  their  scepticism, 
 imbibe  their  views,  follow  their  example, 
 and  thus  perish  throiigh  their  misleading. 
 
 2.  Pride  has  prompted  kings  and 
 potentates  to  all  the  sanguinary  wars 
 that  have  desolated  lands  and  homes. 
 
 III.  Pride  being  so  hateful  to  God, 
 He  specially  honours  and  approves 
 humility. 
 
 1.  Humility  was  the  garment  in 
 tvhich  Christ  luas  arrayed  when  He 
 came  into  the  world.  "  He  took  upon 
 Him  the  form  of  a  servant." 
 
 2.  This  adornment  of  Christ  should 
 be  the  garment  of  Christians.  "  Be 
 clothed  with  humility." 
 
 3.  Thus  attired ,  proud  men  may  de- 
 spise us.  But  though  they  occupy  high 
 stations,  "  the  lofty  looks  of  man  shall 
 be  humbled,  and  the  haughtiness  of  man 
 shall  be  brought  low,"  &c. 
 
 4.  But  while  God  resisteth  the  proud, 
 He  giveth  grace  to  the  humble.  He 
 who  inhabits  eternity  has  promised  to 
 dwell  with  the  lowly.  Thus  attired, 
 good  men  will  esteem  us,  angels  will 
 look  upon  us  with  complacency,  and 
 God  will  crown  us  with  His  richest 
 favour. — "  Walks  with  Jeremiah,"  Rev. 
 D.  Pledge. 
 
 Vers.  5-7.  Theme:  Life's  Aim  De- 
 feated. "  So  the  captains  took  ,  .  . 
 Jeremiah  and  Baruch  .  .  ,  into  the  land 
 of  Egypt." 
 
 I.  The  ill  most  dreaded  was  even- 
 tually realised.  Nothing  could  be  more 
 bitter  to  Jeremiah  than  this  being  carried 
 at  last  to  Egypt. 
 
 1.  Throughout  his  whole  prophetic 
 career  he  had  pleaded  with  his  nation 
 against  looking  towards  Egypt  for  any 
 befriending.  It  is  the  sum  of  his  pro- 
 phetic ministry  :  "  Go  not  into  Egypt " 
 (ver.  2). 
 
 2.  At  the  downfall  of  Jerusalem  he 
 had  chosen  to  stay  with  the  "  remnant " 
 in  his  own  land,  rather  than  go  away 
 into  Chaldea;  prompted  thereto  by  a 
 noble  patriotism  (chap.  xl.  4-6). 
 
 3.  The  penalty  of  his  faithful  service 
 of  his  country  comes  now  in  the  most 
 odious  form  it  could  assume,  forced  to 
 go  to  the  country  from  which  he  most 
 instinctively  recoils  (vers.  6,  7). 
 
 Note. — How  hard  at  times  seems  ^'the 
 irony  of  fate  I "  as  the  worldly  call  it ; 
 but  the  ordering  of  Providence  ! 
 
 "Life's  hopes  o'erturned,  its  projects  crossed!" 
 
 II.  Godly  men  entailed  in  the  cala- 
 mities of  impiety. 
 
 1.  Their  ministry  for  God  and  their 
 people  cruelly  resisted  and  repudiated 
 (ver,  2). 
 
 2.  Their  wise  and  self-sacrificing 
 career  contemned  amid  the  excitement 
 and  passion  of  a  popular  caprice. 
 
 3.  The  very  wrongs  inflicted  upon 
 them  which  they  most  dread. 
 
 Notes. — (1.)  How  painful  in  his  old 
 age  to  be  thus  torn  from  the  land  he 
 had  so  loved  and  heroically  served  ! 
 
 (2.)  After  all  his  righteous  denun- 
 ciation of  Egypt,  and  of  his  nation  for 
 turning  thitherwards,  how  bitter  this 
 experience  of  heing  forced  to  go  thither  f 
 
 (3.)  If  he  m^ist  go  from  his  own  land, 
 he  had  opportunity  of  going  amid  honours, 
 and  where  he  would  have  received  kind- 
 ness (chap.  xl.  4),  and  where  he  could 
 have  served  God  amid  the  worthier  part 
 of  his  nation. 
 
 III.  Life's  painful  frustrations. 
 
 1.  Surely  after  such  a  faithful  career 
 of  service  for  God,  Jeremiah  deserved  a 
 kindlier  end  than  this  ! 
 
 2.  It  strangely  baffles  our  faith  when 
 all  our  hopes  and  aims,  which  we  hioiv 
 to  he  right,  are  thus  defeated. 
 
 3.  Certainly  if  life's  services  were  only 
 rewarded  on  earth,  we  should  see  most 
 grievous  failures  of  justice. 
 
 4.  A  sorrowful  career,  such  as  Jere- 
 
 615 
 
CHAP.  XLTIT. 
 
 HOMILETIC  COMMENTARY:  JEREMIAH. 
 
 miah's,  closing  in  deepest  shadows  of 
 disappointment  anddefeat,  surely  predicts 
 a  brighter  world. 
 
 "  To  steel  his  melting  heart, 
 To  act  the  martyr's  sternest  part ; 
 To  watch  with  firm,  unshrinking  eye 
 His  darling  visions  as  they  die. 
 Too  happy  if,  that  dreadful  day, 
 His  life  be  given  him  for  a  prey." 
 (See  Keble's  "  Christian  Year.") 
 
 Vers.  7-13.  Theme:  Fleeing  from 
 God's  Control.  "  So  they  came  into 
 the  land  of  Egypt." 
 
 I.  Allured  thither  by  delusions  (chap, 
 xlii.  14). 
 
 II.  Defiant  of  Jehovah's  counsels 
 (chap,  xliii.  4). 
 
 III.  Choosing  for  themselves  a  refuge 
 regardless  of  God  (ver.  7). 
 
 IV.  Followed  by  the  denunciations 
 of  offended  justice  (vers.  8-10). 
 
 V.  Overtaken  at  last  by  the  foe 
 from  whom  they  fled  (vers.  10-13). 
 
 ^o^e.— "The  ways  of  the  Lord" 
 (says  Lange)  "  are  wonderful.  Israel 
 flies  from  Nebuchadnezzar  far  away  to 
 Egypt.  But  there  they  are  not  safe. 
 The  Lord  causes  it  to  be  proclaimed  to 
 them  that,  at  the  entrance  of  the  king's 
 palace  at  Tahpanhes,  Nebuchadnezzar's 
 tent  shall  stand.  Now,  indeed,  there  is 
 a  brick-kiln  there,  in  the  clay  of  which 
 Jeremiah  is  to  place  foundation-stones, 
 as  it  were,  for  the  Chaldean  king's 
 palace.  Thus  the  Lord  lays  the  germs 
 of  future  events,  and  whatever  He  pre- 
 pares in  secret  He  reveals  in  His  own 
 time,  to  the  glory  of  His  wisdom,  omni- 
 science, and  omnipotence." 
 
 Ver.  12.  "Kindle  a  Fire  in  the 
 Houses  OF  THE  Gods  OP  Egypt."  Egypt 
 was  full  of  temples  and  idol-gods ;  those 
 of  wood  the  conquering  army  would 
 commit  to  the  flames ;  those  of  gold  they 
 would  carry  away  as  spoil  to  Babylon. 
 
 This  burning  of  temples  and  idols  by 
 Nebuchadnezzar,  and  afterwards  by  the 
 
 Persian  kings,  was  mercifully  ordered  by 
 God  to  wean  the  exiles  there  from  their 
 idolatry  into  which  they  sank,  and  to 
 revive  their  faith  in  the  God  of  Israel. 
 
 "  Array  Himself  with  the  Land 
 OF  Egypt."  A  bold  figure.  The  king  of 
 Babylon,  from  whom  you  expect  to  escape 
 by  fleeing  to  Egypt,  where  you  hope  to 
 dwell  securely  and  peacefully  (chap.  xlii. 
 11,  14),  will  come  ;  and  tvith  the  same 
 ease  as  a  shepherd  wraps  himself  about 
 in  his  mantle,  in  order  to  lay  quietly  down 
 in  it  and  take  his  rest,  so  will  Nebuchad- 
 nezzar possess  himself  of  the  land. 
 
 The  Egyptians,  according  to  the 
 Arabs,  have  a  tradition  that  their  land 
 was  devastated  by  Nebuchadnezzar  in 
 consequence  of  their  king  having  received 
 the  Jews  under  his  protection,  and  that  it 
 lay  desolate  forty  years. 
 
 Prophecy  Fulfilled. 
 
 Note. — I.  This  is  definite  prophecy 
 (vers.  10-13).  The  narne  of  the  invader 
 is  given ;  his  work  of  spoliation  is 
 described.  God's  predictions  are  not 
 generalisations  or  conjectures ;  but  ex- 
 plicit fore-statements  of  events.  This 
 prophecy  by  Jeremiah  in  Egypt  was 
 echoed  {without  collusion)  by  Ezelciel  in 
 Babylon  by  the  river  Chebar  (Ezek. 
 xxix.-xxxvii.) 
 
 II.  Predictions  literally  accom- 
 plished. The  historian  follows  with 
 his  pen  long  after  the  prophet  has  written 
 his  predictions  ;  and  in  Josephus  we  have 
 impartial  testimony.  He  writes:  "Which 
 things  came  to  pass  accordingly ;  for  on 
 the  fifth  year  after  the  destruction  of 
 Jerusalem,  which  was  the  twenty-third 
 of  the  reign  of  Nebuchadnezzar,  he  made 
 an  expedition  into  Coele-Syria  ;  .  .  .  and 
 fell  u-pon  Egypt,  in  order  to  overthrow 
 it;  and  he  slew  the  king  that  then 
 reigned,  and  set  up  another ;  and  he 
 took  those  Jews,  that  were  there  captives, 
 and  led  them  away  to  Babylon  "  {Anliq. 
 X.  ix.  7). 
 
 616 
 
HOMILETIC  COMMENTARY :  JEREMIAU.  chap.  xliv. 
 
 CHAPTER  XLIV. 
 
 Critical  and  Exegetical  Notes. — 1.  Chronology  of  the  Chapter.— A  considerable  interval 
 must  be  placed  between  this  chapter  and  the  two  preceding,  which  record  their  arrival  in 
 Egypt ;  for  we  here  find  the  fugitives  coming  together  to  Pathros  from  their  different  towns, 
 so  that  we  have  to  allow  time  for  their  dispersion  through  Egypt  and  settlement  in  widely 
 separated  cities  there.  Yet  the  address  of  Jeremiah  assumes  that  he  speaks  to  the  people  of 
 the  migration  who  have  come  into  Egypt,  and  not  to  a  later  generation  horn  in  Egypt.  Dr. 
 Payne  Smith  puts  the  incident  only  a  year  after  their  arrival  in  Egypt,  but  this  seems  too 
 early  ;  and  it  may  be  nearer  the  case  to  conjecture  the  date  as  being  from  five  to  ten  years  after 
 the  flight  into  Egypt,  probably  about  580  B.C.,  though  Lange  suggests  510  B.C.  See  Introduc- 
 tion, p.  2,  V.  c. 
 
 2.  Contemporaneous  Scriptures. — EzekieVs  visions  in  Babylon  are  synchronous.  See  also 
 Psalm  cxxxvii.  Daniel  also  in  Babylon  (see  chaps,  iii.,  iv.)  Ohadiah  also  rises  at  this  time  in 
 prophecy,  denouncing  Edom  for  its  exultation  over  Zion's  overthrow. 
 
 3.  Geographical  References.— Ver.  1.  " Migdol,"  meaning  "a  tower,"  a  boundary  city 
 in  the  norlli  ot  Egypt,  now  Magdoluvi,  twelve  miles  from  Pelusium.  "  Tahpanhes,"  note  on 
 chap,  xliii.  8,  and  "  Nopk,"  note  on  chap.  ii.  16.     Pathros,  i.e.  Upper  Egypt  (see  Ezek.  xxix.  14). 
 
 4.  Personal  Allusion. — Ver.  30.  Pharaoh-Hophra,  vide  Contemporaneous  History,  note  to 
 chap,  xxxii.  Hophra,  known  to  the  Greeks  as  Apries,  succeeded  Psammis,  the  successor  to 
 Pharaoh-Necho,  whom  Nebuchadnezzar  defeated  at  Charchemish.  Vide  "  Extermination  of 
 Jewish  Exiles  in  Egypt,"  below,  p.  620. 
 
 Ver.  19.  "  The  Queen  of  Heaven."     Vide  note  in  loc.  vii.  18. 
 
 5.  Literary  Criticisms.  —  Ver.  9.  "  The  v>ickedness  of  your  ivives."  As  the  Hebrew  suflBx  is 
 singular,  VE^3.  the  LXX.  alter  the  word  and  give  "your  princes."  But  Henderson,  Keil, 
 Naegelsbach,  and  others  would  retain  the  word  as  referring  to  the  Jewish  queens,  who  were  abet- 
 tors of  idolatry  (1  Kings  xl.  1-8,  xv.  13),  and  take  the  singular  suffix  in  a  collective  sense. 
 
 Ver.  10.  "Not  humbled,"  lit.  "  broken  "  (as  Isa.  xix.  10)  or  bruised  "  (Isa.  liii.  5). 
 
 Ver.  14.  "  They  have  a  desire  to  return,"  i.e.  ai-e  lifting  up  their  souls  to  return  to  Judah. 
 Vide  Literary  Criticisms,  xxii.  27. 
 
 Ver.  19.  "  To  worship  her,"  i.e.  the  Queen  of  Heaven.  The  Hiph.  of  2)iV-  In  the  Piel 
 form  (Job  x.  8)  the  word  is  rendered  by  the  meaning  to  fashion,  shape.  The  meaning  is  similar 
 here,  to  represent  her  ;  the  cakes  being  made  in  the  form  of  a  crescent  to  represent  the  moon. 
 "  Without  our  men,"  i.e.  our  husbands. 
 
 SUBJECT    OF   CHAPTER    XLIV. 
 
 Jewish  Idolatry  in  Egypt. 
 
 Occasion  of  the  Idolatrous  Assembly.     There  had  gathered  together  at 
 Pathros  "  a  great  viultitude  "  of  the  Jews  resident  in  Egypt. 
 
 I.  It  was  a  public  festival  in  honour  of  Astarte,  the  ''Queen  of  Heaven" 
 (ver.  17);  and  libations  are  being  offered  to  her  in  accordance  with  a  voio  the 
 worshippers  had  made,  ''Do  whatsoever  thing  goeth  forth  out  of  our  mouth."  This 
 is  the  usual  phrase  for  avow  (Numb.  xxx.  2,  12  ;  Judg.  xi.  36).  They  had,  there- 
 fore, bound  themselves  to  this  public  homage  of  the  queen  of  heaven,  and  were 
 now  intent  upon  carrying  out  the  special  object  which  brought  them  together  (see 
 ver.  25  :   "  Our  voivs  that  toe  have  vowed,"  &c.) 
 
 II.  It  ivas  to  an  assembly  of  women  that  the  prophet  spake.  For  this  "great 
 multitude"  is  literally  a  ff7-eat  Jcahal,  or  congregation  gathered  for  a  religious 
 purpose  ;  and  "  except  for  such  a  purpose  Jewish  manners  would  not  allow  the  women 
 to  be  abroad  in  crowds  "  (Dr.  Payne  Smith).  The  women  are  now  the  speakers, 
 replying  to  Jeremiah's  protest  (see  ver.  19,  "  icitJtout  our  men,"  i.e.,  husbands). 
 
 III.  The  men,  however,  though  excluded  from  such  an  assembly,  knew  what 
 their  wives  and  daughters  were  doing  (ver.  15).  Though  they  do  not  engage  in 
 this  service  of  homage  to  the  Queen  of  Heaven,  they  sympathise  with  and  favour  it ; 
 for  they  have  come  with  the  women  to  Pathros,  thus  sanctioning  the  occasion  of 
 their  assembling. 
 
 IV.  The  festival  observances  consisted  of  fragrant  incense  humt  upon  an  altar, 
 and  libations  poured  out  "  unto  her  "  (ver.  17),  possibly  before  some  image  or 
 representation  of  Astarte,  and  cakes  made  (either  to  be  burnt  or  eaten)  which  were 
 
 G17 
 
CHAP.  XLiv.  HOMILETIC  COMMENTARY :  JEREMIAH. 
 
 shaped  like  the  crescent  of  the  moon.  Before  this  altar,  and  perhaps  also  image, 
 of  the  moon-goddess  the  ivovien  advanced  and  2)assed  in  regular  j)rocession,  chanting 
 as  they  came,  and  reciting  the  benefits  they  had  received  from  the  hands  of  the 
 goddess  they  adored  (ver.  17). 
 
 V.  The  infatuation  of  these  idolatrous  worshippers.  This  adoration  of 
 Astarte  was  rife  (ver.  17)  when  Josiah  ascended  the  throne ;  its  suppression  by 
 Josiah  was  regarded  with  much  secret  ill-will.  In  Jehoiakim's  reign  the  people 
 hastened  back  to  their  idolatry  (see  note,  National  History,  to  chap.  vii.  p.  143; 
 and  homily  on  Section  16-20,  p.  147  ;  also  on  vers.  17,  18,  p.  158,  159).  Zedekiah 
 prohibited  this  form  of  worship  during  the  miseries  of  his  reign.  The  people  now, 
 from  amid  Egyptian  scenes,  look  back  over  the  history  of  their  national  misfortunes 
 and  aacribe  them  cdl  to  their  neglect  of  this  goddess  (ver.  18). 
 
 VI.  Specious  excuses  offered  in  extenuation  of  their  apostasy.  Several 
 pleas  are  urged  : — 1.  Their  vows  must  he  fulfilled  (ver.  17)  ;  and  this  pledge  they  dare 
 not  violate,  for  that  would  entail  the  anger  of  Astarte.  2.  Their  idolatry  had  the 
 sanction  of  national  ciistom  in  the  days  gone  by  ;  for  their  ancestors  had  practised  it 
 generally  and  publicly  with  the  sanction  of  their  kings  and  princes  (ver.  17).  3. 
 It  had  entailed  no  calamity  (ver.  18)  ;  for  they  persist  in  ignoring  their  ivickedness 
 (ver.  9)  as  the  cause  of  their  distresses,  and  now  ascribe  calamity  to  their  neglect 
 of  this  goddess.  4.  These  female  worshippers  of  Astarte  had  the  authority  and 
 protection  of  their  husbands  in  their  idolatry  (ver.  19).  Without  the  consent  of 
 their  husbands  the  vows  of  women  are  not  binding  (Numb.  xxx.  7,  8) ;  but  as 
 "our  men"  support  us  in  these  obligations  to  Astarte,  we,  their  wives  and 
 daughters,  are  blameless  and  irreproachable.  Thus  they  desire  to  shield  themselves 
 under  the  complicity  of  others. 
 
 An  Indignant  Peotest  against  Apostasy.     Delivered  amid  the  idol-scenes  of 
 Egypt,  and  to  the  assembly  of  Jewish  apostates. 
 
 L  A  bold  and  vehement  expostulation.  Jeremiah  stops  the  procession  of 
 the  women,  and  the  festival  of  Astarte,  to  pronounce  against  it  in  the  name  of  God. 
 The  prophet  was  undeterred  by  the  violence  he  had  endured  at  the  hands  of  his  nation, 
 who  had  dragged  him  away  into  Egypt,  but  fearlessly  rebuked  their  apostasy  from 
 God  for  the  idolatries  of  Egypt  (ver.  8).  In  this  earnest  remonstrance  he  declares 
 — (a.)  that  the  existing  desolation  and  ruin  of  Judea  were  the  evil  conseqxiences  of  their 
 own  ixist  wickedness  in  apostatising  from  Jehovah  (vers.  2-7);  and  (6.)  that  for  them 
 to  continue  such  idolatries  in  Egypt  woidd  certainly  entail  destruction  and  ruin  upon 
 themselves  (vers.  8-14).  If  God  had  not  spared  "  Jerusalem "  (ver.  2),  the  holy 
 city,  where,  He  had  made  His  name  to  dwell,  and  which  He  loved,  will  He,  think 
 you,  spare  Egypt — a  scene  He  loathes  ?  (ver.  8).  And  he  heaps  maledictions  upon 
 them — (a.)  for  their  needless  and  voluntary  and  wilful  departure  into  Egypt  (ver.  8), 
 "  whither  ye  be  gone  to  dwell  " — not  carried  by  force  as  your  brethren  in  Babylon  ; 
 and  now  (6.)  for  their  flagrant  insult  of  Jehovah's  honour  before  the  very  eyes  of 
 the  heathen,  "  burning  incense  to  other  gods  in  the  land  of  Egypt "  (ver.  8).  For 
 this  their  aggravating  guilt,  he  declares  their  sure  and  terrible  extermination 
 (vers.  11-14). 
 
 II.  Wilful  refusal  of  the  prophetic  admonition.  Here  the  men  join  the 
 women  in  loud  and  obstinate  rejection  of  God's  word  (vers.  15,  16).  {a.)  They 
 implicitly  acknowledge  that  this  solemn  protest  of  the  prophet  is  Jehovah's  word 
 (ver.  16) ;  (6.)  but  insist  that  the  happiest  days  of  their  nation  were  associated  with 
 Astarte' s  worship  (ver.  17) :  (c.)  that  the  favour  of  the  Queen  of  Heaven  guarantees 
 more  advantages  than  the  worship  of  Jehovah  (vers.  18,  19).  It  was  thus  a  declara- 
 tion of — (1.)  Absolute  faith  in  other  gods;  Polytheism,  therefore.  (2.)  Preference 
 for  and  a  higher  esteem  of  Astarte  ;  which  means  abandonment  of  Jehovah  as  their 
 national  God.  (3.)  Indifference  to  all  Jehovah's  displeasure  and  threatenings  ; 
 they  were  better  off,  with  His  anger,  in  Astarte's  favour,  for  the  Queen  of  Heaven 
 618 
 
HOMILETIC  COMMENTARY :  JEREMIAH.  chap,  xliv. 
 
 was  certainly  more  benign,  whereas  Jehovah's  protection  had  been  of  little  good 
 to  them. 
 
 III.  Refutation  of  popular  fallacies  and  announcement  of  certain  doom. 
 
 Taking  up  ihQ  facts  of  their  national  misery  and  final  expatriation,  Jeremiah  shows 
 — (a.)  That,  though  they  played  an  idolatrous  part  in  their  own  land,  their  idols  had 
 ■not  preserved  them  from  national  destriiction ;  for  "your  land  is  a  desolation,"  &c. 
 (ver.  22).  (6.)  That  their  deeds  of  flagrant  apostasy  went  up  before  God  as  a  memo- 
 rial and  ivitness  against  them  for  their  ingratitude  and  faithlessness  (ver.  23) ;  for 
 He  had  established  and  honoured  them  as  a  nation  by  giving  them  "  His  law,  His 
 statutes,  and  His  testimonies  "  (ver.  23).  (c.)  That  because  of  their  "  evil  doings 
 and  abominations"  (ver.  22)  God  could  no  longer  hold  back  the  doom  which  at  last 
 overwhelmed  the  land  and  the  people  (vers.  22,  23). 
 
 Then  GoD  abandons  them  for  evek.  (1.)  They  had  allied  themselves  by  vows 
 to  an  idol  (ver.  25),  and  resolutely  kejit  their  vows  of  allegiance  though  God  pleaded 
 with  them  (ver.  16).  (2.)  The  Most  High  therefore  divorxes  them  from  Himself 
 by  solemn  oath  (ver.  26),  and  breaks  His  covenant  with  them  as  His  people.  (3.) 
 Declares  that  He  will  no  longer  extend  His  protection  over  them,  but  ivill  be  their 
 enemy  (vers.  27,  28)  ;  and  (4.)  Gives  them  an  ominous  sign  (in  predicting  the  fate 
 of  their  Egyptian  king)  of  the  certainty  that  He  will  avenge  on  them  the  insidt  of 
 their  open  rejection  of  Him  (vers.  29,  30),  and  which  will  convince  them  that  it  is 
 the  hand  of  the  God  they  have  insnlted  which  chastises  them  for  their  guilt. 
 
 The  Final  Word  of  Woe:  Jeremiah's  Farewell  Prophecy. 
 
 I.  A  long  and  painful  ministry,  closing  amid  saddest  circumstances.     See 
 
 Introduction,  V.,  Length  of  his  OJicicd  Ministry,  p.  2.  Could  any  facts  be  wanting 
 to  complete  the  melancholy  surroundings  ?  (a.)  His  pleadings  and  tvarnings  against 
 a  fatal  national  policy  in  trusting  to  Egypt,  all  unheeded,  (b.)  His  nation  van- 
 quished and  scattered  ;  some  in  Babylon,  others  in  Egypt,  (c.)  Jerusalem  destroyed, 
 God^s  temple  in  ruins,  the  land  given  tip  to  execration  (ver.  22).  {d.)  Himself,  an 
 old  and  forlorn  prophet,  amid  aliens,  and  even  more  alien  fellow-countrymen,  (e.) 
 His  people  sunk  into  lower  depths  of  iniquity  than  during  his  entire  career ;  and 
 now  at  last  absolutely  repudiating  Jehovah  as  the  object  of  their  worship  and 
 obedience. 
 
 II.  A  brave  and  heroic  career,  shining  out  lustrously  to  the  end.  For  over 
 fifty  years  he  had  been  God's  messenger  to  this  hardened  people.  He  had  suffered 
 much  at  their  hands ;  yet,  undaunted  till  the  last,  and  now  at  so  great  an  age, 
 between  seventy  and  eighty  years  old,  lifting  up  his  voice  in  fearless  protestation 
 and  fervent  pleadings  amid  the  people  whom  he  had  sought  to  keep  faithful  to 
 God.      His  last  outcry  is  full  of  grand  prophetic  power. 
 
 III.  A  lifelong  witness  against  sinners,  ending  amid  signs  of  fruitlessness 
 and  defeat.  Not  one  feature  of  hope  illumines  the  dense  darkness  and  poignant 
 melancholy  of  this  last  sight  of  Jeremiah.  Every  view  looks  mournful  and  piteous, 
 (a.)  Ko  good  seems  to  have  resulted  from  all  his  earnest,  prolonged,  faithful,  and 
 self-sacrificing  ujork.  (b.)  No  prospect  opens  as  a  relief  to  the  desolate  retrospect. 
 The  sun  sinks  before  him  amid  portending  tempests  of  terror  and  woe.  The 
 Cltristian  tradition  respecting  his  death  is  that  he  was  stoned  to  death  at  Tahpanhes 
 by  his  own  countrymen  !  Another  tradition  is  that  he  escaped  to  Babylon.  But 
 no  star  rises  on  the  dark  night.  This  chapter  gives  the  farewell  glance  at  the 
 hoary  prophet ;  and  his  last  utterance  is  one  of  severest  gloom. 
 
 Note. — In  2  Maccabees  i.  and  ii.,  there  is  a  most  interesting  story  of  Jeremiah 
 hiding  the  sacred  fire,  the  tabernacle,  the  Ark  of  the  Covenant,  and  the  Altar  of 
 incense  in  a  cave  in  Mount  Nebo  previous  to  his  leaving  Judea,  where,  says  the 
 record,  they  remain  to  this  day,  nor  will  be  discovered  until  God  collects  Israel 
 together  again. 
 
 619 
 
CHAP.  iiav.  EOMILETIC  COMMENT  A  R  Y :  JEREMIA  H. 
 
 Extermination  of  the  Jewish  Exiles  in  Egypt. 
 
 I.  Of  their  total  extinction  in  Egypt  they  had  been  solemnly  forewarned 
 
 (chap.  xlii.  15-18).      Their  presence  in  Egypt,  therefore,  invited  the  punishment. 
 
 II.  Their  open  abandonment  of  Jehovah  now  as  their  God  added  the  fatal 
 element  to  their  rebellion  (vers.  16,  17). 
 
 III.  God's  awful  farewell  to  these  guilty  people  is  taken  under  the  solemnity 
 of  an  oath,  as  indicating  its  irrevocableness  (ver.  26). 
 
 IV.  Their  absolute  extermination,  Jehovah  will  see  to  it  that  it  is  effected, 
 (ver.  27). 
 
 The  Extermination  Accomplished.     Their  asylum  proved  no  shelter 
 from  the  pursuing  vengeance  of  Nebuchadnezzar. 
 
 L  The  "  sign "  hy  which  they  should  realise  God's  destructive  judgments. 
 Pharaoh-Hophra,  when  defeated  in  battle  by  the  Cyrenians,  became  regarded  with 
 suspicion  as  having  betrayed  his  native  troops  for  selfish  ends,  and  hence  a  revolt 
 arose.  Amasis,  whom  Hophra  sent  to  treat  with  these  mutinous  troops,  himselt 
 went  over  to  the  rebels.  Hophra,  gathering  an  armj'  of  foreign  auxiliaries,  now 
 fought  against  Amasis  and  the  Egyptian  troops,  but  was  defeated  and  taken  captive. 
 After  treating  him  kindly  for  some  years,  Amasis,  because  the  Egyptians  regarded 
 this  indulgence  with  ill-favour,  surrendered  Hophra  to  his  enemies,  by  whom  lie 
 was  strangled.  He  came  to  the  throne  a  year  before  the  Jewish  migration  to 
 Egypt,  and  continued  king  for  eighteen  years  after,  although  his  last  ten  years 
 were  spent  a  prisoner  in  his  palace  at  Sair.  This  civil  war  of  Amasis  with  Hophra 
 opened  the  way  for  Nebuchadnezzar's  invasion  of  Egypt  in  the  twenty-third  year 
 of  his  reign. 
 
 II.  The  total  extermination  of  the  Jewish  refugees  in  Egypt.  A  thousand 
 years  before  God  had  led  forth  His  people  from  Egypt  with  a  mighty  hand,  and 
 planted  them  in  Zion ;  but  Israel  had  failed  of  her  mission ;  and  now  these  most 
 arrant  rebels  shall  utterly  perish  in  this  land  of  Egypt,  where  they  boasted  they 
 could  find  safe  asylum  (chap.  xlii.  14),  abandoned  and  disowned  by  God  (chap.  xliv. 
 26),  exterminated  by  the  rage  of  the  king  of  Babylon,  from  whom  they  sought  refuge 
 in  Egypt,  but  who  avenged  himself  upon  them  there  with  merciless  wrath  (ver.  12). 
 
 HOMILIES  AND  OUTLINES  ON  VERSES  OF  CHAPTER  XLIV. 
 
 Vers.    2-13.   Theme:  God's  Appeal  doom  which  outraged  mercy  demanded 
 
 against    Judah.       In    this    wretched  (vers.  6-13).     Compare  Naegelsbach. 
 
 "remnant"  the  old  root  of  disobedience  Ver.    4.    Theme:    God   hates    Sin. 
 
 and  unbelief  remains  still.  "  Oh,    do    not   the    abominable    thing 
 
 I.  A  mirror  of  the  stubborn  heart  which  I  hate." 
 
 of  man.  God  speaks  these  words  of  iviclcedness. 
 
 1.  Unceasingly   warned.       For    ceu-  All  sin   is  in  principle  idolatry ;    the 
 turies  (ver.  10).  sinner   leaves  the   true  God,  and  pays 
 
 2.  Faithfully     and     impassionedly  homage  to  some  idol. 
 
 warned  (ver.  3).      By  words  of  thunder  He  who  searches  the   heart  may  see 
 
 and  strokes  of  power.     Think   only  of  7iow  that    there  is    some    "abominable 
 
 Elijah,  Elisha,  Hosea,  Isaiah,  &c.  thing"   upon   which  you    are  intent — 
 
 II.  The  judgment  of  just  love  exe-  planned  during  the  week,  resolved  upon. 
 
 cuted.  But   the   Almighty    One  stoops  to  be- 
 
 1.    All     reforming     and     redeeming  seech  you,  "  Oh,  do  not,"  &c.     Do  not 
 
 agencies  failed.       Judah    hardened    his  pass  this  message  of  God  on  to  another 
 
 stubborn  Jieck  (vers.  5,  10).  fellow-hearer  ;  your  sin  is  "  the  abomi- 
 
 2.  Long-suffering  love  became  exhausted,  nable  thing." 
 and    there    remained    nothing  but  the  God  hates  sin  ;  so  hates  it  in  all  its 
 
 6i;o 
 
HOMILETIO  COMMENTARY:  JEREMIAH. 
 
 CHAP.  XlitV. 
 
 forms — as  a  principle,  an  act,  a  course 
 of  life,  that  it  is  an  "  abominable 
 thing." 
 
 Why  does  He  hate  it  ?  He  hates  no- 
 thing He  has  made.  Many  things  you 
 dislike  He  does  not  dislike — the  reptile, 
 &c.  ;  but  the  one  thing  He  hates  is  a 
 thing  He  has  not  made ;  it  is  a  thing 
 the  creature  has  made,  not  the  Creator. 
 
 I.  Let  us  inquire  what  sin  is. 
 Violation  of  God's  law  (1  John  iii.  4). 
 Doing  what  God  forbids  ;  or  not  doing 
 what  He  commands.  To  love,  both  God 
 and  our  neighbour,  is  the  fulfilling  of 
 the  law  (Matt.  xxii.  36-40).  Right  con- 
 duct, without  love,  is  therefore  sin.  He 
 hates  it — 
 
 1.  Because  it  is  contrary  to  His  own 
 nature.     "  Holy  is  the  Lord  God." 
 
 2.  Because  sin  is  unnatural  in  His 
 creatures.  It  is  no  part  of  the  human 
 constitution,  but  a  foreign  element. 
 
 3.  Because  sin  transgresses  holy,  just, 
 and  good  laws.  Not  of  some  arbitrary 
 commandment. 
 
 4.  Because  it  defiles  and  injures  the 
 entire  human  nature.  It  pollutes  what 
 should  be  pure  ;  blasts  and  blights. 
 
 5.  Because  it  makes  men  curses  to 
 each  other.  What  has  changed  children 
 into  profligates,  mothers  into  brutes, 
 fathers  into  beasts  of  prey?  Do  not 
 wonder  God  says,  "  I  hate  it." 
 
 6.  Because  it  ignores,  or  rejects,  the 
 Divine  government.  And  no  government 
 is  so  paternal,  tender,  and  beneficent  as 
 God's. 
 
 7.  Because  wherever  sin  exists,  except 
 it  is  checked  by  God's  mercy,  it  has  the 
 dominion.     A  cruel  tyrant ! 
 
 8.  Because  where  it  is  introduced  it 
 spreads.  In  every  clime ;  through  every 
 race ;  through  every  grade  of  society ;  a 
 deadly  pestilence. 
 
 9.  Because  sin  requires  God  to  inflict 
 upon  men,  of  every  class  and  kind,  that 
 which  He  assures  us  upon  His  oath  He 
 has  no  pleasure  in. 
 
 10.  Because  continuing  in  sin,  while 
 hearing  the  Gospel,  tramples  under  foot 
 the  hlood  of  Jesus. 
 
 11.  Hear,  then,  God's  entreaty :  "  Do 
 it  not  ! " 
 
 1.  What  are  you  going  to  do  %  Per- 
 sist in  it  ?    Think !    Do  you  really  mean 
 
 to  go  on  sinning  in  the  face  of  such 
 a  message?  With  conscience  smarting, 
 memory  weighted,  remorse  springing  up 
 in  your  soul  like  a  tempest,  with  a  fear- 
 ful looking-for  of  judgment,  with  your 
 miserable  convictions  and  bitter  tears, 
 your  gloomy  forebodings  and  knowledge 
 of  penalties,  are  you  determined  to  con- 
 tinue ? 
 
 2.  Then  there  can  he  hut  little  hope, 
 if  this  state  of  heart  continue,  concerning 
 you.  You  may  live,  with  a  seared  con- 
 science, until  you  lay  down  on  the  bed 
 of  death ;  and  there  perhaps  all  your 
 old  fears  will  be  awakened — when  it  is 
 too  late  !  Then,  as  you  sink  down  into 
 perdition,  the  millstone  about  your  neck 
 will  be  "  the  abominable  thing  which  God 
 hates." — Eev.  Samuel  Martin  (West- 
 minster), 1858  A.D. 
 
 Ver.  4.  Theme:  The  Abominable  Na- 
 ture OF  Sin.  "  Howbeit  I  sent  unto 
 you  all  My  servants  the  prophets,  rising 
 early  and  sending  them,  saying,  Ob,  do 
 not  this  abominable  thing  that  I  hate." 
 
 No  man  can  think  his  guilt  too  great. 
 We  may  confine  our  views  to  sin  and 
 exclude  mercy,  but  we  cannot  overrate 
 guilt.  God  long  laboured  in  vain  with 
 the  Jews,  and  at  length  Nebuchadnezzar 
 carried  the  mass  of  them  to  Babylon. 
 -Jeremiah  took  the  remnant  to  Egypt. 
 While  there  he  spoke  to  them  the  words 
 of  the  text.  The  "  abominable  thing  " 
 was  their  idolatry ;  the  same  may  be 
 said  of  all  sin.  Sin  is  the  "  abominable 
 thing  "  God  hates.     This  appears — 
 
 I.  From  the  nature  of  things.  Sin 
 is  opposed  to  the  wishes  and  designs  of 
 God.  "God  is  love,"  and  His  object  is 
 to  raise  all  creatures  to  highest  eternal 
 happiness.  They  must  therefore  have 
 the  same  love  He  possesses,  and  own 
 Him  for  their  Head,  His  law  being  their 
 standard. 
 
 1.  Sin  sets  up  private  interest  against 
 public  good.  The  root  of  sin  is  self-love, 
 and  out  of  it  arise  all  evil  passions  that 
 hurry  men  and  devils  into  evil  against 
 Heaven.  Sin  is  the  transgression  of  the 
 law.  And  this  being  its  nature,  makes  if 
 the  enemy  of  happiness.  The  Friend  and 
 Guardian  of  the  universe  hates  and  must 
 punish  sin.     Love  abominates  it. 
 
 621 
 
CHAP.  XLIV. 
 
 nOMILETIC  COMMENTARY :  JEREMIAH. 
 
 2.  Sin  opposes  God  in  all  good  for  His 
 creatures;  it  resists  all  His  loving  pur- 
 poses.    That  He  does  hate  sin  we  see — 
 
 11,  From  His  expressions  of  abhor- 
 rence. 
 
 1.  In  the  penalty  annexed  to  His  law, 
 the  eternal  exclusion  from  good,  and 
 eternal  endurance  of  evil.  This  endless 
 evil  is  the  measure  of  God's  hatred  of 
 sin. 
 
 2.  In  His  providential  government. 
 When  angels  sinned,  not  all  God's  love 
 nor  their  dignity  could  save  them.  When 
 Adam  and  Eve  sinned  they  were  turned 
 out  of  Eden.  The  Flood  swept  the 
 world  when  it  was  filled  with  violence. 
 For  sin  Egypt  was  lashed  with  ten 
 plagues,  and  her  king  found  a  watery 
 grave.  And  when  Israel  sinned,  God 
 brought  upon  them  fiery  serpents  and 
 fire  from  heaven  •  the  ground  opened 
 and  swallowed  them  up;  and  while  they 
 l)Ossessed  the  promised  land  His  provi- 
 dence was  a  constant  remembrancer  of 
 His  hatred  of  sin.  God's  anger  against 
 sin  destroyed  Nineveh,  Babylon,  Tyre, 
 Edom,  Moab,  and  the  Philistines. 
 
 (a.)  All  Imman  suffering  and  death 
 express  God's  anger  against  sin.  Sinners 
 will  be  punished  according  to  their  guilt. 
 
 (6.)  What  strength  of  that  abhorrence 
 of  sin  is  uttered  in  the  cry,  "Oh,  do  not 
 this  abominable  thing,"  &c.  ! 
 
 (c.)  Yet  one  exhibition  of  God's  anger 
 against  sin  is  more  amazing  than  the  rest. 
 For  us  God  spared  not  His  own  Son, 
 and  will  He  then,  O  sinner,  spare  thee  % 
 
 Who  are  sinners  ?  "  All  have  sinned, 
 and  come  short  of  the  glory  of  God." 
 And,  moreover,  all  are  under  the  entire 
 dominion  of  sin.  "God  saw  that  every 
 imagination  of  the  thoughts  of "  man's 
 "heart  was  only  evil  continually."  As 
 is  the  fountain,  so  are  the  streams. 
 Words  and  actions  of  the  natural  man 
 are  but  sin. 
 
 III.  Considering  God's  abhorrence  of 
 sin,  how  astonishing  His  long  forbear- 
 ance, and  how  wonderful  "  the  love  of 
 God  which  passeth  knowledge  "  ! 
 
 1.  We  have  cause  for  humility.  Self- 
 importance  and  conscious  worth  are  un- 
 becoming. How  fearful  would  have  been 
 our  condition  had  not  the  Son  of  God 
 left  His  glory  to  save  us!  We  needed  a 
 622 
 
 Divine  Saviour.     Let  us  hide  ourselves 
 in  His  righteousness. 
 
 2.  For  sinners  abhorred  of  God  this  is 
 our  only  remedy.  For  many  years  God 
 has  pleaded,  "Oh,  do  not  this  abominable 
 thing  which  I  hate."  Do  not  re-enact 
 the  rebellion  of  the  Jews.  Remember 
 it  is  written,  "  Because  I  called  and  ye 
 refused.  I  also  will  laugh  at  your  cala- 
 mity, I  will  mock  when  your  fear 
 Cometh."  Seize  the  offered  blessing 
 now,  ere  God  says,  "  Ye  shall  not  see 
 My  rest."— ^ez'.  Edward  Griffin,  D.D. 
 
 Theme :  Sinners  :  a  Warning. 
 "  Have  ye  forgotten  the  iviclcedness,"  &c. 
 
 I.  Guilty  careers  offer  a  melanclioly 
 admonition  to  others. 
 
 II.  Examples  of  ruin  should  deter 
 us  from  sin. 
 
 III.  Reckless  indifference  to  the 
 careers  and  penalties  of  sinners  shows 
 the  most  obdurate  and  hopeless  im- 
 piety. 
 
 1.  Beyond  reformation  (Prov.  xxvii. 
 22). 
 
 2.  Dead  to  all  saving  influences  (Prov. 
 XXV.  20). 
 
 Ver.  17.  Theme:  Self- vindicating 
 
 Sinners.     No  one  would  perhaps  justify 
 these  people  ;  yet  thousands  will  justify 
 themselves  ! 
 I.  Criminal  impiety. 
 
 1.  Their  voluntary  engagements.  Jo- 
 hanan  had  inclined  to  hide  in  Egypt 
 from  Nebuchadnezzar,  but  sought  God's 
 direction  ;  pledging  themselves,  from  the 
 least  to  the  greatest,  to  obey  His  voice 
 (chap.  xlii.  1-6).  Instead  of  fulfilling 
 their  engagements — 
 
 2.  Their  deliberate  violation  of  them. 
 God  warned  them  (chap.  xlii.  13-17)  ; 
 but  they  charge  Baruch  with  feigning  this 
 message  (chap,  xliii.  1-4),  and  followed 
 their  own  course. 
 
 3.  Their  self  -  vindicating  efrontery. 
 The  people  betook  themselves  to  idolatry 
 in  Egypt.  Being  reproved,  they  boldly 
 asserted  that  Jehovah's  worship  had 
 been  profitless,  and  that  the  Queen  of 
 Heaven  had  proved  their  benefactress. 
 So  they  would  worship  her,  whatever 
 God  or  His  prophet  might  say  (vers. 
 17-19). 
 
EOMILETIC  COMMENTARY :  JEREMIAH. 
 
 CHAP.  XLIV. 
 
 IL  Modern  repetitions. 
 
 1.  The  profane  sinner.  See  his 
 engagements  in  baptism  and  confirma- 
 tion !  Yet  millions  repudiate  their  en- 
 gagements, and  vindicate  their  evil  ways. 
 
 2.  The  self-righteous  formalist.  Hear 
 him  joining  in  the  liturgy  as  a  "  penitent 
 sinner  ; "  yet  tell  him  in  private  what  a 
 sinner  he  is,  what  duties  should  follow 
 from  penitence,  how  he  should  cleave 
 humbly  to  Jesus  Christ,  and  he  repudi- 
 ates it  all. 
 
 3.  Tlte  hypocritical  professor.  He 
 finds  excuses  for  his  sin,  "  turns  the 
 grace  of  God  into  lasciviousness." 
 
 III.  Certain  issues.  God  told  these 
 Jews,  who  defied  His  judgments,  thatthey 
 should  see  whose  ivords  should  stand,  His 
 or  theirs  (ver.  28). 
 
 1.  How  did  it  fare  with  them  ?  (vers. 
 12-14,  29,  30.) 
 
 2.  How  shall  it  fare  with  you  ?  (Luke 
 xix.  27.)     Address — 
 
 {a.)  Those  who  disregard  o%ir  testi- 
 mony. "  In  the  day  that  God  shall  visit 
 for  sin,  ye  shall  be  cast  down  and  perish  " 
 (vers.  15-17). 
 
 (6.)  Those  who  tremble  at  the  word  of 
 God.  That  is  the  state  of  mind  becom- 
 ing to  every  sinner  (Isa.  Ixvi.  2).  Culti- 
 vate it,  and  then  pay  to  God  your  vows. 
 — Charles  Simeon,  If. A.,  1828. 
 
 Theme:  The  Advantages  of  Iree- 
 LIGION !  "  For  then  had  we  plenty  of 
 bread,  and  were  well,  and  saw  no  evil." 
 
 No  doubt  there  are  times  when  the 
 wicked  prosper.  Because  of  this  it  is 
 too  often  thought  that  "godliness  is 
 {not)  profitable  for  the  life  which  now 
 is,"  &c.  It  was  so  with  these  idolaters 
 (vers,  17,  18).  They  argued  that  be- 
 cause they  had  more  of  this  world's 
 comforts  when  living  in  idolatry,  that 
 therefore  it  was  more  advantageous  than 
 the  worship  of  the  true  God. 
 
 I.  Consider  that  God  does  not  enter 
 into  judgment  with  wrongdoers  imme- 
 diately and  forthwith,  but  reserves  His 
 displeasure.  Punishment  does  not  follow 
 instantly  upon  transgression.  Sinners 
 may  "  see  no  evil"  at  the  time  of  sinning  ; 
 yet  God's  displeasure  is  kindled  by  it, 
 and  will  one  day  burst  upon  them.  Sin 
 never  goes  unpunished. 
 
 II.  God  does  not  connive  at  sin  be- 
 cause He  allows  it  to  be  committed  at  the 
 time  with  impunity.  Though  they  en- 
 joyed abundance,  and  "  saw  no  evil"  at 
 the  time  of  their  idolatry,  yet  now  they 
 were  smarting  under  the  penalties.  "  Ije- 
 cause  ye  burned  incense,  and  because  ye 
 sinned,  therefore  this  evil  happened  unto 
 you  as  at  this  day." 
 
 Even  though  no  manifestation  of 
 Divine  displeasure  comes  during  the 
 commission  of  sin,  God  is  assuredly  dis- 
 pleased. And  though  during  a  course 
 of  iniquity  there  is  no  lack  of  life's  good 
 things,  yet  iniquity  is  not  profitable. 
 The  day  of  recompense  will  come. 
 
 III.  As  with  these  Jews  it  seemed 
 better  for  them,  in  a  worldly  sense,  when 
 they  lived  in  idolatry  than  when  they 
 abandoned  it,  so  it  sometimes  appears 
 to  have  been  better  with  the  sinner,  in 
 a  worldly  sense,  when  he  lived  in  sin 
 than  when  he  laame  converted  by  God's 
 grace  and  professed  Christianity.  In 
 early  Christian  times  the  profession  of 
 Christianity  involved  "  the  loss  of  all 
 things,"  but  higher  blessings  more  than 
 compensated  these  worldly  sacrifices. 
 "  No  man  hath  left  houses  .  ,  .  for  My 
 sake,  but  shall  receive  manifold  more," 
 &c.  But  though  nothing  was  gained  in 
 this  life ;  suppose  that  '■  since  we  left 
 off"  (ver.  18)  our  worldly  and  evil  ways 
 we  only  suffered  misfortunes,  yet  what 
 an  ample  compensation  in  the  life  to 
 come  I 
 
 IV.  But  experience  testifies  that 
 more  is  gained  by  religion  than  lost. 
 
 If  a  Christian  lose  the  favour  of  man, 
 he  wins  the  favour  of  God ;  if  he  lose 
 the  "  pleasures  of  sin,"  he  gains  the  joys 
 of  salvation.  Let  not  good  men,  how- 
 ever great  their  privations,  look  back  on 
 their  days  of  sin  and  lament,  "  Then  had 
 tve  plenty,"  &c.,  as  if  the  former  days 
 were  better  than  these.  Rather  rejoice 
 that,  however  poor  they  be,  they  are 
 "  rich  in  faith,  and  heirs  of  a  kingdom," 
 that  "  all  things  are  theirs,  things  pre- 
 sent and  things  to  come." 
 
 V.  Gaze  not  with  envious  eyes  on 
 the  prosperity  of  the  wicked.     O  men 
 
 of  God,  look  not  back  on  the  flesh- 
 pots  of  Eaypt,  or  the  rewards  of  sin. 
 
 fi23 
 
CHAP.  XLIV. 
 
 HOMILETIC  COMMENTARY:  JEREMIAH. 
 
 By  a  holy  content  and  joy  in  God  let  it 
 be  seen  in  you  that — 
 
 "  The  hill  of  Zion  yields 
 
 A  thousand  sacred  sweets, 
 Before  you  reach  the  heavenly  fields, 
 Or  walk  the  golden  streets." 
 
 — '*  Walks"  (L'c,  Rev.  D.  Pledge. 
 
 Ver.  25,  Theme:  Keeping  Unholy 
 Vows. 
 
 I.  Conscientiousness:  in  wrongdoing. 
 Must  keep  vows  / 
 
 II.  Defiance  of  solemn  prohibition. 
 Idol  worship  ! 
 
 III.  Subtlety  of  self-delusion.  Vows 
 are  too  solemn  to  be  broken  ! 
 
 IV.  Flattery  of  spiritual  infatuation. 
 It  is  good  for  us  to  be  faithful. 
 
 V.  GocVs  law  disobeyed  in  self -justi- 
 fication. Though  God  forbids,  we  are 
 bound  to  ^^  fulfil  with  the  hand "  our 
 vows. 
 
 A  Superstitious  PvEGaed  foe  Vows. 
 That  they  are  inviolable,  and  should  be 
 sacredly  fulfilled.     But — 
 
 i.  To  cling  to  our  voivs  when  they  are 
 evidently  umvise  or  ungodly  is  criminal. 
 
 ii.  To  fzdfil  our  rash  voivs  in  proof 
 that  we  are  not  fickle,  is  to  add  reckless 
 deeds  to  reckless  words. 
 
 iii.  To  persist  in  our  vows  when  shown 
 they  break  God's  laivs  is  defiant  obstinacy ; 
 substituting  constancy  to  our  words  for 
 obedience  to  God's  word. 
 
 iv.  To  retract  ivicked  vows  is  the  high- 
 est proof  of  wisdom  and  piety.  Better 
 break  our  words  than  provoke  God's 
 wratb.  Think  of  Herod's  voiv,  leading 
 to  murder  ! 
 
 Ver.  25.  Theme:  Obstinacy.  "We 
 will  surely  perform  our  vows." 
 
 I.  Resisting  admonition  (ver.  16). 
 
 II.  Blinded  by  false  judgment  (vers. 
 17,18). 
 
 III.  Wilful  persistency  (ver.  25). 
 
 IV.  More  obdurate  as  it  continues. 
 
 Ver.  26.  Theme:  Finally  Aban- 
 doned BY  God.  "Since  ye  will  not 
 hear  Me  speaking  and  warning,  hear  Me 
 swearing— '£y  my  great  name,'"  &c. 
 — Jamieson. 
 
 "God  will   have  the  last  word:  the 
 
 G24: 
 
 prophets  may  be  run  down,  but  God 
 cannot. " — Henry. 
 
 This  is  the  severest  punishment,  when 
 God  takes  away  His  holy  name  and  word. 
 
 I.  In  what  it  consists.  That  the 
 Lord  removes  the  candlestick  of  His 
 word  from  among  His  people ;  i.e.,  by 
 depriving  them  of  the  means  of  grace 
 He  brings  Himself  into  forgetfulness 
 amongst  them. 
 
 II.  On  what  it  is  founded.  That 
 this  people,  on  their  part,  have  striven  to 
 forget  God. 
 
 III.  What  is  its  effect  ?  The  people 
 given  up  to  the  poivers  of  evil,  for  their 
 complete  destruction. — Naegelsbach. 
 
 Note. — "The  Jews,  heretofore,  amidst 
 all  their  idolatry,  had  retained  the  form 
 of  appeal  to  the  name  of  God  and  the 
 law,  the  distinctive  glory  of  their  nation  ; 
 God  will  alloiu  this  no  more  (Exod.  xx. 
 29) :  there  shall  be  left  none  there  to 
 profane  His  name  thus  any  more." — 
 Jamieson. 
 
 Ver.  29.  Theme:  One  Sinner  "a 
 Sign"  to  Many.  In  naming  to  this 
 audience  the  then  powerful  Egyptian 
 king,  "  Hophra,"  Jeremiah  exposed  him- 
 self to  greatest  hazards.  For  the  audi- 
 ence he  addressed  were  all  hostile  to  the 
 prophet  and  his  mission.  Had  any  of 
 Jeremiah's  hearers  reported  this  daring 
 utterance  to  the  king  himself,  it  would 
 have  insured  the  prophet's  swift  doom. 
 Yet  God's  messenger  dares  to  witness 
 even  against  powerful  kings,  unterrified 
 by  danger,  content  to  speak  what  God 
 speaks  in  him.  God  names  "  Hophra  " 
 in  this  prediction;  for  He  deals  with  men 
 individually;  has  the  fate  of  each  in 
 His  hands ;  and  "  none  shall  stay  His 
 hand." 
 
 I.  "A  sign  "  given  as  a  premonition 
 of  coming  judgments. 
 
 1.  Signs  given  before  events  were  in- 
 tended to  prepare  the  mind  for  events 
 hereafter,  and  to  fortify  against  doubt. 
 Thus  with  Gideon's  fleece  (Judg.  vi. 
 36-40). 
 
 2.  Signs  placed  in  the  future,  and  to 
 be  waited  for,  were  intended  to  keep 
 the  mind  expectant  and  trustful.  Thus 
 with  the  sign  to  Moses  (Exod.  iil  12), 
 the  event   convinced   them  that   God's 
 
IIOMJLETIC  COMMENTARY:  JEREMIAH. 
 
 CHAP.  XLV. 
 
 hand  had  wrought  it,  and  called  up  their 
 gratitude  to  Him. 
 
 3.  This  sign  was  thus  prospective ; 
 buried  for  a  time,  but  in  due  course  it 
 would  rise  into  realisation,  and  its  value 
 would  be — 
 
 (rt.)  In  vindicating  Jeremiah  as  hei^ig 
 triibj  God's  spoJcesma7i. 
 
 (6.)  As  2^'>'ovin9  that  God's  Mighty 
 Hand  ivas  ivorking. 
 
 (c.)  As  refutivg  their  boasted  trust  in 
 the  security  of  Egypt. 
 
 (d.)  As  an  announcement  of  the  utter 
 ruin  of  this  rebellious  people  of  ivhich 
 that  sign  ivas  the  forerunner. 
 
 II.  A  sign  fulfilled  guarantees  ac- 
 complishment of  the  truth  it  fore- 
 warned. 
 
 1.  The  event  seemed  unlikely  of  fulfil- 
 ment. For  Apries  (Pharaoh  -  Hophra) 
 now  flourished  in  great  prosperity  and 
 power  (so  Herodotus  records).  Indeed 
 he  vaunted  impiously  that  "  no  God 
 has  power  to  dethrone  me."  But  he 
 was  defeated  by  the  rebel  Amasis,  and 
 strangled  by  his  own  subjects.  This 
 Hophra  became  (what  he  was  after- 
 wards titled  on  Egyptian  monuments) 
 "hated"  by  his  own  nation ;  and  this 
 was  only  (according  to  Herodotus)  sati- 
 ated by  Amasis  giving  him  up  to  the 
 people  for  a  vfolent  and  degrading  death. 
 Hophra's  death  occurred  eighteen  years 
 after  the  burning  of  Jerusalem  by  the 
 Chaldeans.       (See    '■^Extermination    of 
 
 Exiles"  p.  620.)     Many  of  these  Jews 
 would  live  to  see  this  sign  fulfilled. 
 
 2.  The  sign  pledged  the  fate  of  these 
 exiles.  They  vaunted  their  safety,  as 
 Hophra  vaunted  his  power.  They 
 deemed  their  shelter  in  Egypt  impreg- 
 nable, and  the  shield  of  Pharaoh  over 
 them  a  sure  protection ;  but  Hophra 
 should  be  "  given  into  the  hand  of  them 
 that  seek  his  life,"  and  so  should  they 
 also  perish.  His  fall  should  announce 
 theirs. 
 
 Note  : — 
 
 1.  When  God\'i  anger  overtakes  one 
 man,  it  pledges  the  equal  certainty  of 
 judgment  on  all  tvlio  are  alike  guilty. 
 
 2.  Fulfilled  judgments  in  history,  in 
 tlie  destruction  of  cities  (Egypt,  Nineveh, 
 Jerusalem),  and  of  nations  (Israel,  &c.), 
 and  of  individuals  (Nebuchadnezzar's 
 madness,  Zedekiah's  fate),  are  all  wit- 
 nesses to  the  sure  doom  of  sinners. 
 
 3.  Hojieless  deathbed  scenes  are  a 
 warning  against  those  who  neglect  sal- 
 vation. 
 
 4.  Fatal  and  sudden  accidents  ad- 
 monish those  who  reckon  on  years  of 
 opportunity. 
 
 5.  The  visions  of  torment,  in  Christ's 
 parable  of  the  rich  man  and  in  the  Heve- 
 lation,  warn  us  to  ^^  flee  from  the  wrath 
 to  come." 
 
 "  Except  ye  repent,  ye  shall  all  like- 
 wise perish  "  (Luke  xiii.  1-6). 
 
 CHAPTER  XLV. 
 
 Critical  and  Exegetical  Notes. — Chronology  of  the  Chapter. — Immediately  upon  his 
 having  written  the  roll  which  was  afterwards  read  to,  and  destroyed  by,  Jelioiakim  [vide  notes  on 
 chap,  xxxvi.) ;  eigliteen  years  before  Jerusalem  was  taken. 
 
 Literary  Criticism. — Ver.  4.  "  Even  this  iclwle  land.'"  Perhaps  )^"IX  here  may  wisely  be 
 rendered  "  earth,"  rather  than  limited  to  the  "  land  "  of  Israel ;  for  aSTebuchadnezzar's  invasions 
 and  conquests  were  at  that  time  disturbing,  not  Judea  alone,  but  the  known  world  (see  chap. 
 XXV.  26).  Albeit  the  force  of  the  statement  here  is  emphatic  respecting  Judea,  that  as  the 
 whole  country  is  under  doom,  no  single  individual  should  be  selfishly  craving  his  own  aggran- 
 disement, but  accept  a  share  in  the  common  distress. 
 
 SUBJECT  OF  CHAPTER  XLV. 
 Baeuch  Corrected  and  Comforted. 
 
 I.  What  can  be  gleaned  respecting 
 Baruch's  disposition  and  character  % 
 
 (a.)  A  skilful  scholar,  and  therefore 
 selected  by  Jeremiah  as  his  amanuensis 
 (Joseph.,  Anliq.  X.  ix.  1). 
 
 (6.)  Faithful  in  his  attachment  as  a 
 friend  (chap,  xxxii.  12  ;  xxxvi.  4  etseq.) 
 
 (c.)  Possessed  of  an  ambitious  tem- 
 perament (ver.  5) ;  doubtless  his  noble 
 lineage  (li.  59  ;  Joseph.,  Antiq.  X.  vi.  2  ; 
 R  625 
 
CHAP.  XLV. 
 
 HOMILETIC  COMMENTARY :  JEREMIAH. 
 
 ix.  1),  as  the  grandson  of  Maasiah,  in 
 Josiah's  time  (2  Chron.  xxxiv.  8),  ani- 
 mated liim  with  hopes  of  higli  office  in 
 the  state;  or  his  close  association  with 
 the  prophet  fostered  the  expectation  of 
 becoming  Jeremiah's  successor  in  the 
 prophetic  calling. 
 
 {d.)  These  yoxdhful  aspirations  (for 
 he  was  young  at  this  period,  eighteen 
 years  before  Jerusalem  was  captured), 
 when  wisely  corrected  (as  in  ver.  5),  did 
 not  alienate  his  attachment  to  the  pro- 
 phet, nor  render  him  less  zealous  in 
 serving  him. 
 
 (e.)  Nevertheless  he  exhibits  wounded 
 se'if-concern,  which  shows  a  lack  of  de- 
 voted patriotism  and  abandonment  of 
 self  for  the  nation's  spiritual  good.  His 
 words  (ver.  3)  "  Woe  is  me  now  f"  indi- 
 cate this  self-concern  as  undxdy prominent^ 
 especially  at  such  a  crisis. 
 
 Oriental  tradition  exhibits  Baruch  as 
 offended  at  being  denied  the  gift  of  j^ro- 
 phecy ;  of  disappointment  over  the  de- 
 struction of  Jerusalem,  and,  with  it,  ///.-■• 
 hojKS  of  honotcrable  r^osition;  that  there- 
 fore he  apostatised  from  Judaism  and 
 adopted  the  tenets  of  Zoroaster  (Dr. 
 Payne  Smith).     This  is  not  credible. 
 
 II.  What  is  the  burden  here  of  Ba- 
 ruch's  discontent  and  complaint  1 
 
 (a.)  An  unjKiiriotic  self -concern  (comj). 
 (e.)  above).  As  he  writes  out  the  gloomy 
 predictionsof  Jeremiah  he  is  overpowered 
 with  a  feeling  of  deep  distress  •  but  on 
 what  account  1  That  his  city  and  people 
 were  to  experience  such  disaster  %  No  ! 
 but  that  he  Idmself  tuas  to  suffer.  "Woe 
 is  me  now,  for  the  Lord  hath  added 
 grief,"  &c. 
 
 (6. )  An  u7idevout  repining  against  God 
 for  His  dealings  with  him  (ver.  3).  "  The 
 Lord  hath  added  grief,"  &c.  Kescued 
 from  the  perils  of  my  first  writing 
 (chap,  xxxvi.  26),  J.  oxa.  again  involved  in 
 a  similar  peril.  He  lacks  hardihood,  and 
 a  spirit  of  glad  obedience. 
 
 (c.)  An  inconsolable  desjwndency.  "I 
 fainted  in  my  sighing,  and  /  finel  no 
 rest.^'  Listead  of  realising  his  privilege 
 of  being  allied  loith  God's  prophet  in 
 God's  service,  he  murmurs.  Instead  of 
 hiding  in  God's  love  and  care  amid 
 anticipated  distresses,  he  despairs  ! 
 ((/.)  Impatience  or  distress  over  his 
 626 
 
 nation^s  sinftdness,  which  necessitates 
 these  gloomy  prophecies  of  ruin.  But 
 it  is  not  for  him  to  be  angry,  but  j)itiful 
 and  jyrayeoftd. 
 
 Ill  What  correction  does  God  ad- 
 dress to  this  complaining  and  aspiring 
 youth  '1 
 
 (a.)  Specific  information  of  God's  ah- 
 sohde  purpose  of  overthrow  for  Judah 
 (ver.  4).     So  that  for  him  to — 
 
 1.  Fret  over  Judalt's  overthroiv,  is  to 
 repine  against  God's  designs. 
 
 2.  Deplore  his  own  misfortunes,  is  to 
 reflect  on  God's  justice  and  wisdom  in 
 allowing  him  to  be  involved  in  his  na- 
 tion's distresses. 
 
 3.  Abandon  all  comfort,  is  to  forget 
 that  God,  who  punishes  evil,  can  also 
 care  for  those  He  cherishes. 
 
 We  must  recognise  and  accept  God's 
 lato  of  justice.  It  behoves  us  to  check 
 all  repining  at  His  judgments.  "  Shall 
 not  the  Judge  of  all  the  earth  do  right  1" 
 "  It  is  the  Lord,  let  Him  do  what  seem- 
 eth  Him  good."  "  Just  and  true  are 
 Thy  ways,  O  King  of  saints."  Far  more 
 wise  is  this  trust  in  God's  righteousness 
 than  to  repine  against  His  laws  as  if  He 
 were  severe. 
 
 We  must  submit  to  the  Divine  retribu- 
 tions of  ivrong.  God  punishes  sin  ;  shall 
 we  lament  it?  Surely  He  must  not  let 
 "  the  wicked  go  unpunished."  And 
 when  we  see  Him  smite  the  guilty, 
 we,  instead  of  exclaiming  against  it, 
 should  bow  in  awe,  and  say,  "  I  was 
 dumb,  I  opened  not  my  mouth,  because 
 Thou  didst  it." 
 
 (b.)  Positive proldbitionof  all  ambitions 
 self-seeking  at  such  a  crisis  of  the  nation 
 (ver.  5). 
 
 The  "  u'hole  laud  "  is  under  doom  ;  no 
 single  individual  should  think  to  escape 
 Ids  share  of  misforttine  ;  and  certainly  it 
 is  not  seemly  to  be  intent  upon  earthly 
 prosperity  amid  prevailing  calamities. 
 At  such  a  crisis,  when  even  the  elect  can 
 scarcely  be  saved  (Matt.  xxiv.  22),  when 
 the  very  flower  and  dignity  of  the  na- 
 tion's youth  (Daniel,  Ezekiel,  &c.)  will 
 be  carried  into  captivity,  no  man  ought 
 to  foster  plans  of  private  promotion  and 
 prosperity. 
 
 It  is  Mi  cherishing  ideas  undtdy  lofty 
 
HO  MI  LET  I C  COMMENTARY :  JEREMIAH. 
 
 CHAr.  XLV. 
 
 that  men  make  reverses,  ■when  they  come, 
 the  more  painful  for  them  to  bear. 
 
 The  world's  froivns  would  not  so  much 
 disquiet  us  if  we  did  not  so  eagerly  covet 
 its  smiles. 
 
 How  unseemly  for  God's  servants  to 
 he  building  their  hopes  on  mere  earthly 
 .success,  when  all  is  perishing  and  hasten- 
 ing to  destruction  ! 
 
 IV.  What  word  of  consolation  is 
 conveyed  to  this  affrighted  and  discon- 
 solate soul  ? 
 
 {((. )  Exemption  from  the  slaughter Inq 
 sword  is  guaranteed  him.  With  death 
 and  destruction  imminent,  with  evil 
 coming  "upon  all  flesh,"  his  "life" 
 should  be  secured  to  him.  "  Life  "  is  the 
 utmost  which  the  most  fortunate  and 
 favoured  can  hope  to  have  preserved  to 
 him  amid  the  general  conflagration  and 
 ruin. 
 
 (6.)  Yet  this  shall  only  he  secured  by 
 special  clemency  ;  as  "  a  prey  ;  "  a  thing 
 snatched  from  danger,  saved  by  prompt 
 energy  ;  as  "  a  brand  plucked  from  the 
 burning." 
 
 Is  it  not  a  great  distinction  in  a  world 
 where  "  death  hath  passed  xipon  all  men, 
 for  tliat  all  liave  sinned,"  to  be  assured 
 of  salvation  ?  Even  though  "  saved 
 with  fear,  pulling  them  out  of  the  fire." 
 For  this  exemption  from  the  common 
 doom  is  ours  whom  God  loves;  "  there  is, 
 therefore,  now  no  condemnation  to  them* 
 who  are  in  Christ  Jesus." 
 
 How  supremely  satisfied  and  grateftd 
 should  we  be  if,  though  all  earthly  hopes 
 and  honours  perish,  we  are  guaranteed 
 safety  of  soid  !  "  For  I  know  whom  I 
 have  believed,  and  am  persuaded  that 
 He  is  able  to  Jceep  that  ivhich  I  have  com- 
 mitted unto  Him  against  that  day." 
 
 Comments. — "There  is  not  a  word 
 here  of  praise  for  his  steady  attachment 
 to  his  master.  However  great  might  be 
 his  personal  services,  God's  prophet  had 
 310  honeyed  words  of  flattery  for  his 
 faitliful  minister,  but  only  the  bare  and 
 nnseductive  message  of  truth.  It  tells 
 Baruch  to  give  up  his  ambitious  hopes, 
 and  be  content  with  escaping  with  his 
 life  only." — Dr.  Payne  Smith. 
 
 "Baruch  did  not  act  as  secretary  for  hire 
 but  for  love.  He  esteemed  it  an  honour 
 and  a  happiness  that  by  his  skill  he  could 
 
 serve  the  Lord,  to  whom  he  owed  it. 
 Therefore  a  glorious  reward  is  imparted 
 to  him  unsought,  so  that  his  name  and 
 remembrance  are  immortalised  in  the 
 sacred  record  by  an  oracle  addressed 
 specially  to  him.  This  honour  is  to  be 
 esteemed  still  higher  than  the  assurance, 
 that  this  wretclied  mortal  life  should 
 not  be  taken  by  violence  before  its 
 time. " — JYaegelsbach. 
 
 Ver.  3.  Theme  :  Wokldly  Prospects 
 Saceificed  in  God's  Service. 
 
 I.  Bo7'n  to  high  social  status,  he  shrank 
 from  the  disfavour  which  identi'fica 
 tion  with  God's  prophet  brought  upon 
 him.  This  association  with  Jeremiah 
 incurred  the  wrath  of  the  king,  the 
 princes,  and  the  priests  of  Jerusalem  ; 
 and  thus  he  was  shut  out  from  all  court 
 favours  and  honours. 
 
 IL  An  un2Mptdar  career,  of  fidelity  to 
 God  and  His  projiliet,  was  certain  to 
 entail  great  worldly  losses.  All  the 
 avenues  to  the  promotion  and  preferment 
 of  which  he  had  a  reasonable  expecta- 
 tion, and  to  which  he  aspired,  he  saw 
 closed  by  his  call  to  the  service  of 
 God. 
 
 III.  Hisfaithfid  service  of  God  placed 
 his  life  in  jeopardy,  and  entailed  ob- 
 loquy and  persecution  (chap,  xxxvi.  26). 
 Here  was  a  severe  trial  of  faith,  courage, 
 and  self-devotion  to  God. 
 
 IV.  His  clinging  to  mere  worldly 
 honour  was,  however,  a  mistalie,for  God's 
 jmrpose  was  to  destroy  all  national 
 dignity  (ver.  4).  What  would  it  then 
 have  advantaged  him  to  have  kept  a 
 secular  goal  in  sight  1  And  "  what  shall 
 it  profit  a  man  if  he  gain  the  whole 
 world  and  lose  his  own  soul  1 "  "  He 
 that  will  save  his  life  shall  lose  it ;  but 
 he  that  will  lose  his  life  for  My  sake 
 shall  keep  it  to  life  eternal." 
 
 Note. — i.  It  requires  both  courage 
 and  self-devotion  to  witness  for  truth 
 in  evil  days. 
 
 ii.  Love  of  the  world  is  inconsonant 
 with  a  fearless  and  faithful  service  of 
 God. 
 
 iii.  Earthly  hopes  must  be  surrendered 
 by  those  who  join  the  open  witnesses  for 
 Christ. 
 
 iv.  Every  true  follower  of  Jesus  must 
 C27 
 
CUAl'.  XLV. 
 
 EOMILETIC  COMMENTARY :  JEREMIAn. 
 
 "  take  up  bis  cross,"  and  accept  suffer- 
 ing; and  sacrifice  as  the  earthly  price  of 
 the  eternal  gain. 
 
 Vers.  3,  4.  Theme:  Man's  Voice 
 MET  BY  God's  Voice.  "  Thou  didst 
 say 
 
 "The  Lord  saith  thus." 
 
 Here  we  have  two  persons,  Baruch 
 and  God,  presented  in  a  manner  highly 
 characteristic  of  each — Baruch  absorbed 
 only  about  himself ;  God  terrible  and 
 tender. 
 
 The  chapter  shows  that  the  affair's  of 
 individiial  children  of  God  are  of  conse- 
 quence in  His  eyes ;  deems  them  worthy 
 of  a  revelation,  of  a  personal  contact 
 with  the  afflicted  spirit,  and  of  special 
 provision  for  it. 
 
 I  As  to  Baruch:  God  would  show 
 him  the  evil  in  himself,  before  He 
 showed  him  the  goodness  there  was  in 
 God.  "  Thou  didst  say."  It  is  God's 
 voice  to  man  saying,  "  I  know  what  is 
 in  thee,  as  well  as  what  is  in  Myself." 
 God  had  "heard"  what  Baruch  had 
 been  saying,  as  He  "  heard  "  the  groan- 
 ings  of  the  Israelites,  the  affliction  of 
 Hagar,  &c.   (Ps.  cvi.  44). 
 
 I.  God's  hearing  a  reason  for  our 
 humility. 
 
 '1.  There  are  heart-voices  as  well  as 
 lip-voices.  As  in  Deut.  vii.  17  ;  viii.  17. 
 God's  ear  is  listening. 
 
 3.  The  onurmuring  aiid  selfishness 
 of  heart-talk  (ver.  3).  All  comes  out 
 when  a  heart  fearlessly  talks  itself  into 
 words.  And  God  often  hears  such  talk 
 from  us  —  murmuring  and  impatient 
 words. 
 
 4.  The  iirominence  given  to  "  self^'  in 
 this  talk.  Not  a  word  about  the  woes 
 coming  on  his  country,  or  concerning 
 God's  honour;  "I"  is  omnivorous.  Self- 
 love  will  always  discolour  and  distort  our 
 views  of  God  and  everything. 
 
 5.  The  discontented  thoughts  of  self- 
 love.  They  make  us  think  we  have  not 
 been  dealt  with  as  liberally  as  we  ought 
 to  have  been ;  have  been  disciplined  too 
 much.  We  think  only  of  the  afflictions 
 God  has  "  added,"  not  of  His  sustaining 
 and  beneficial  care,  and  of  God's  purpose 
 and  aim. 
 
 II.  As  to  God:  His  heart  does  not 
 contract  because  He  hears  our  hearts 
 
 C28 
 
 repining.      He  is  listening ;  lets  us  talk 
 on  ;  not  check  us  at  once. 
 
 1.  God  taking  notice,  of  a  sorrowful 
 heart. 
 
 2.  His  manifestation  of  the  one-sided- 
 ness  of  oiir  thoughts. 
 
 3.  God  addressing  man  in  his  per- 
 sonality. 
 
 4.  'Tq.q  decisiveness  oi  God's  correcting 
 word. 
 
 5.  Let  us  expect  the  actings  of  sove- 
 reignty in  mercy.  We  must  listen  for 
 His  "  thus ; "  all  must  be  His  way  as 
 regards  the  boon  He  confers. 
 
 6.  His  way  may  be  strange,  but  will 
 siirely  he  the  right  xvay. 
 
 7.  He  Avill  save  us,  but  not  by  a  weak 
 change  in  His  determination.  He  will 
 do  as  He  says ;  perhaps  exercising  us  by 
 vicissitudes,  but  watching  over  us  witli 
 personal  care,  that  we  may  come  forth 
 from  our  troubles  taught  of  God,  taught 
 about  ourselves ;  what  there  is  in  our- 
 selves :  "  Thou  didst  say ; "  and  what 
 there  is  hi  God:  "The  Lord  saith 
 THUS." — Arranged  and  condensed  from 
 '■^  Breviates,"  hy  Rev.  P.  B.  Poiver,  M.A. 
 
 Ver.  6.  Theme:  Worldly  Aspira- 
 tions :  "  Seeking  Great  Things." 
 
 I.  Great  things  have  been  secured 
 without  seeking.    And  that  indicates — 
 
 1.  That  God  can  confer  great  things 
 on  whom  He  ivill.  "It  is  i^i  Thy  hand 
 to  make  great"  (1  Chron.  xxix.  12). 
 Comp.  David's  confession  (2  Sam.  xxii. 
 36). 
 
 2.  That  tJie  pathway  to  greatness  is 
 through  loivliness  to  honour.  Observe 
 Scripture  instances :  Moses  left  the 
 2}cdace,  yet  became  leader  of  Israel  ! 
 Solomon  craved  tvisdom  only,  yet  became 
 rich  and  exalted !  David  kept  his 
 father's  sheep  while  his  brothers  hung 
 about  Saul,  yet  was  called  up  to  be 
 Israel's  poet  and  king !  Mary  crept 
 behind  Christ  and  anointed  His  feet,  yet 
 her  name  and  deed  are  published 
 "  throughout  the  whole  world."  Mar- 
 tyrs, who  became  "  the  offscouring  of  the 
 world"  have  become  the  glory  of  the 
 Church  !  Christians,  despised  by  the 
 mighty,  are  to  be  sharers  of  Christ's  throne! 
 
 Hence,  ivhen  ive,  for  Christ's  sake, 
 surrender    the     "  irreat    thinirs "  which 
 
IWMILETIC  COMMENTARY:  JEREMIAH. 
 
 CHAP.  XLVr. 
 
 others  seek,  we  are  in  the  way  of 
 gaining  '■'greater  things  than  these." 
 "  Before  honour  is  humility." 
 
 II.  "  Great  things  "  may  be  sought 
 worthily  and  even  nobly.  For  it  is  to 
 be  remembered — ■ 
 
 1.  That  Scripture  encotirages  a  sjnrit 
 of  asjnration.  ''  Not  slothful  in  busi- 
 ness." "  Seest  thou  a  man  diligent  in  his 
 business,  he  shall  stand  before  kings." 
 To  aspire  is  not  a  proof  of  impiety,  nor 
 of  worldly-mindedness. 
 
 2.  God  bestows  great  worldly  'power 
 and  prosperity  upon  godly  men.  For 
 "  all  things  are  yours,  whether  the 
 ivorld"  &c.  The  high  places  of  life  are 
 to  be  coveted  for  the  sway  and  power 
 for  good  they  procure. 
 
 3.  It  is  only  when  they  are  sought 
 for  ''self"  and  self-aggrandisement  that 
 they  are  prohibited.  For  then  they  en- 
 snare and  surfeit  and  debase  the  soul. 
 
 III.  "  Great  things,"  though  they 
 allure,  do  not  enrich,  the  soul. 
 
 1.  They  are  not  hap2nest  who  are 
 highest.  "  Uneasy  lies  the  head  that 
 wears  the  crown."  King  compared  with 
 boy  swinging  on  a  gate — "  Happier  than 
 a  king ! " 
 
 2.  Great  things  are  not  essential  to 
 happiness. 
 
 3.  They  are  always  associated  ivith 
 sJibtle  and  ceaseless  temptations. 
 
 4.  Often  close  the  heart  to  higher  in- 
 fluences and  purer  attractions. 
 
 5.  Always  prove  transient  and  unsatis- 
 factory. "  The  fashion  of  this  world 
 passeth  away."     The  heart  is  not  rested. 
 
 comforted,  satisfied  by  them  while  tliey 
 are  possessed ;  and  when  they  "  take 
 wings  and  fly  away,"  they  leave  "  vexa- 
 tion of  spirit." 
 
 IV.  Greatest  things  are  assured  to 
 Christ's  servants. 
 
 1.  Greater  honours  ;  higher  and  more 
 lasting  titles  than  earth  can  yield. 
 "  Heir  of  God,"  &c. ;  "  Kinss  and  priests 
 to  God." 
 
 2.  Greater  treasiires  ;  more  satisfying 
 and  elevating. 
 
 3.  Greater  privileges  and  blessings. 
 
 4.  Greatest  glory  in  the  life  to  come. 
 "  Sit  with  Me  on  My  throne." 
 
 Yet  the  Divine  principle  is  this : 
 Throiigh  shame  to  glory.  As  Jesus, 
 through  the  Cross  to  the  Throne :  "Ought 
 not  Clirist  to  have  suffered  and  entered 
 His  glory  ?  "  As  His  followers  :  "  If  we 
 suffer  with  Him,  we  shall  also  be  glorified 
 together."  Hence,  seek  right  things  for 
 ourselves.  God  shall  give  the  "great 
 things  "  to  us  ! 
 
 See  Addenda  to  chap.  xli. :  Ambition. 
 
 Theme :  Why  Great  Things  Should 
 NOT  BE  Sought  for  Self. 
 
 i.  Because  self  ought  never  to  be  our 
 ultimate  object. 
 
 ii.  Because  great  things  thereby  he- 
 come  objects  of  idolatrous  U'orship. 
 
 in.  Because  to  do  so  is  to  subordinate 
 the  discharge  of  duty  to  their  acquisition 
 and  enjoyment. 
 
 iv.  Because  in  doing  so  you  will  in- 
 volve yourselves  and  otliers  in  much 
 positive  suffering. — Rev.  James  Stewart. 
 
 CHAPTER  XL VI. 
 
 Critical  and  Exegetical  Notes.— 1.  Chronology  of  the  Chapter. — Fh-st  Part:  Vers. 
 1-12,  in  the  fourth  year  of  Jehoiakim  ;  written  at  Jerusalem,  immediately  before  the  battle 
 of  Charcbemish.  This  section  forms  a  natural  addendum  to  chap.  xxv.  Vide  notes  there 
 on  Chronology,  National  Affairs,  and  Contemporaneous  Histwy  ;  also  on  chaps,  vii.  and  x.  Second 
 Part:  Vers.  18-28,  is  a  prophecy  wiiererf  r?i  ^gf?/^i  after  the  migration  of  the  remnant  thither, 
 carrying  Jeremiah  with  them,  and  should  be  connected  with  chap,  xliii.  8-13.  It  must  have 
 preceded  chap,  xliv.,  which  is  the  final  message  of  abandonment ;  for  here  in  vers.  27,  28,  a 
 message  of  comfort  is  sent,  in  which  the  old  (and  as  yet  disannulled)  covenant-relationship  is 
 still  recognised  and  asserted.      Vide  notes  on  cliaps.  xliii.  and  xliv.     See  Historic  Facts  below. 
 
 2.  Geographical  References. — Ver.  2.  "By  the  river  Euphrates  in  Charcliemish."  "Char- 
 cbemish "  is  usually  identified  with  Cercusium,  at  the  juncture  of  the  Chebar  with  the  Euphrates  ; 
 but  Professor  Rawlinson  disputes  this  localisation,  and  would  place  it  considerably  higher  up 
 the  river. 
 
 Ver  8.  "  As  a  flood,  and  his  waters  are  moved  like  the  rivers."  Yeor,  "flood,"  is  the  Nile; 
 and  "  his  waters"  are  the  branches  of  the  Nile  in  Lower  Egvpt. 
 
 629 
 
CHAP.  XLVi.  nOMILETIC  COMMENTARY:  JEREMIAH. 
 
 Ver.  9.  "  Ethiopians,  Libyans,  and  Lydians :  Heb,  Cusli,  Phut,  and  Ludim.  "  Cush,"  tlie 
 Niihiannegro ;  "  Phut,"  the  Libyans  of  Mauritania;  and  "Ludim,"  the  Hamite  Lydians  of 
 North  Africa. 
 
 Ver.  14.    "  3fir/dol,  Noph,  Tahpanhcs.^'      Vide  notes  on  chaps,  ii.  14-16,  and  xliv.  1. 
 
 "Ver.  18.  "  Tabor  "  lifts  itself  from  the  plain  of  Esdraelon  1350  feet ;  its  height  above  the  soa- 
 level  bein^j  1805  feet,     "  Carmel "  forms  a  bold  promontory  jutting  out  into  the  Mediterranean. 
 
 Ver.  25.  '^ 3fidtitude  of  No;"  rather  Amon  of  No;  called  in  Nalium  iii.  8  [margin)  No- 
 Amon.  The  sacred  city  of  Thebes,  capital  of  Upper  Egypt.  Comp.  Ezek.  xxx.  14-16.  Jupiter- 
 Ammon  had  his  famous  temple  there.     Ammon  was  the  supreme  deity  of  the  triad  of  Thebes. 
 
 3.  Personal  Allusion. — Ver.  2.  " Pharaoh- N echo  Icing  of  Egypt"  son  and  successor  of 
 Psammeticus,  and  tlie  sixlli  king  of  the  twentv-sixth  dynasty.  It  was  he  who,  when  going 
 against  Charchemish,  four  years  earlier,  encountered  king  Josiah  at  Megiddo,  and  slew  him,  but, 
 whose  defeat  by  Nebuchadnezzar  is  hei-e  pronounced.  In  this  battle  he  lost  all  the  territory 
 which  had  been  subject  to  the  Pharaohs  west  of  the  Euphrates,  and  between  it  and  the  Nile. 
 lie  is  famed  as  having  equipped  a  fleet  of  discovery  from  the  Red  Sea  along  the  coast  of  Africa, 
 which  doubled  the  Cape  of  Good  Hope  and  returned  to  Egypt  by  the  Mediterranean. 
 
 4.  Natural  History. — Ver.  8.  " Riseth  like  a  flood."  The  Nile's  annual  overflow  at  the 
 approacli  of  the  summer  solstice. 
 
 Ver.  11.  "  Gilead,  and  tale  halm.'"     Vide  chap.  viii.  22. 
 
 Ver.  20.  "A  very  fair  heifer."  Her  god  was  the  bull  Apis,  and  she  is  here  called,  as  his 
 spouse,  the  fair  heifer. 
 
 Ver.  22.  "  Voice  shaU  go  like  a  serpent,"  hissing  as  a  snake  disturbed  in  its  haunts  by  the 
 ■woodcutter. 
 
 Ver.  23.  "Grasshoppers."  Eendered  "locust"  (Exod.  x.  4,  15;  Judges  vi.  5).  The 
 gryllus  grcgarius. 
 
 5.  Manners  and  Customs. — Ver.  3.  ''Order  the  buckler  and  shield."  "Buckler,"  a  small 
 round  target  carried  on  the  left  arm  by  the  light  infantry  ;  "shield,"  carried  by  the  heavy-armed 
 iroops  and  covering  the  whole  body. 
 
 Ver.  4.  "Harness  the  horses,"  the  cavalry  and  charioteers.  " Brigandines,"  cuirasses  or 
 coats  of  mail. 
 
 6.  Literary  Criticisms. — Ver.  5.  "  Fear  ^vas  round  about.'"  The  prophet's  old  cry,  Magor- 
 Missabib  (see  on  chap.  vi.  25). 
 
 Ver.  9.   "  Come  up,  ye  ho7-ses;"  or,  "Mount  ye  the  horses." 
 
 Ver.  11.   "  Many  medicines,"  &c.     Comp.  chap.  xxx.  13,  "  Healing-plaster  hast  thou  none." 
 
 Ver.  15.  "  Why  are  thy  vcdiant  m,en  swept  aivay?"  Lit.  "why  is  (singular)  thy  raliants." 
 Evidently  a  corruption  of  the  text.  The  LXX.  read  Siari  'icpvyev  airo  aov  b  "Attis  ;  6  yuoo-'xos  6 
 eK\eKros  (Tov  ovK  ^/xeivep :  thus  recognising  in  "the  valiant,"  or  strong,  ^4^w  the  iidl.  It  is  a 
 IScripture  fi;,nire,  "strong  bulls"  (Ps.  xxii.  12)  ;  and  this  Apis,  the  bull-shaped  Egyptian  idol,  to 
 whom  might  was  attributed  by  its  worshippers,  would  be  unable  to  stand  before  Jehovah.  This 
 original  reference  to  Apis  as  the  strong  one  became  corrupted  by  transcribers  (who  did  not 
 understand  its  reference)  into  a  plural  noun,  as  if  alluding  to  horses  or  heroes.  Cambyses,  in  his 
 invasion  of  Egypt,  destroyed  the  sacred  bull. 
 
 Ver.  17.  "  Tlicy  did  cry  there,  Pharaoh  king  of  Egypt  is  but  a  noise."  The  LXX,  translate, 
 "  Call  ye  the  name  of  Pharaoh-Necho  king  of  Egypt,  Sam  Esbir."  Tiie  Syriac  renders  the  words, 
 "Disturber  and  passer  of  times;"  and  the  Vulgate,  "Time  hath  brought  tumult."  All  three 
 regard  the  last  two  words  as  a  prophetic  name  for  Necho.  But  pXt^  is  in  the  abstract  destruc- 
 tion; but  in  chap.  xxv.  31,  it  is  rendered  "a  noise;  "  tumult,  therefore,'  confusion,  as  associated 
 with  destruction.     So  Pharaoh  is  to  be  surnamed  "  a  noise  "  or  tumult. 
 
 HISTORIC  FACTS  REFERRED  TO  IN  CHAPTER  XLVI. 
 
 I.  The  Egyptian  power  broken  by  Nebuchadnezzar  (vers.  1-12). 
 
 1.  Preliminary  incidents.  About  four  years  before  this  decisive  campaign, 
 Pharaoli-iVec7io  Lad  marched  towards  Charchemish.  Josiah,  king  of  Judah,  has 
 hastened  to  Megiddo  to  intercept  Pharaoh,  and  was  there  shain  in  battle.  Necho 
 thereupon  made  Judea  tributary,  carried  away  to  Egypt  Josiah's  son  Jehoaliaz 
 {Shcdlum),  and  set  up  his  brother  Jehoiakini.  This  defeat  of  Judah  laid  Phoenicia 
 and  Syria  easily  open  to  subjugation  by  Necho,  who  soon  "  established  his  own 
 dominion  over  the  whole  country  between  Egypt  and  the  Euphrates  "  (Ptawlinson). 
 Jleaimhile,  two  years  after  Josiah's  fall  (see  note,  Contemporaneous  History,  to 
 cha]).  vii.),  and  two  years  before  this  campaign  at  Charchemish,  the  Assyrian  power 
 at  Ninevek  Lad  been  defeated  by  the  Babj'lonians  and  Medes.  Nebuchadnezzar 
 thereupon  became  the  leader  of  this  new  Babylonian  power,  and  came  at  length  to 
 confront  the  proud  Egyptian  forces  at  Charchemish. 
 
 '2.   The  decisive  battle.     Taking  this  in-ophetic  iioera  literally,   we  have  here 
 030 
 
IIOMILETIC  COMMENTARY :  JEREMIAH.  chap.  xlvi. 
 
 described  the  struggle  at  Cbarcbemisli.  First,  the  flower  of  Egypt's  army  advances 
 (ver.  3),  magnificently  equipped  (vers.  3,  4).  They  are  repulsed  by  Nebuchad- 
 nezzar's forces  (ver.  5)  ;  and  with  graphic  and  stirring  language  Jeremiah  depicts  the 
 sudden  terror  and  amazement  of  the  Egyptian  hosts,  long  used  to  victory,  at  finding 
 the  battle  turning  against  them  ;  then  falling  back  and  betaking  themselves  to 
 hasty  flight  (vers.  5,  G).  But  from  this  first  repulse  they  rally;  and  the  whole  land 
 of  Egypt  (ver.  8),  together  with  its  dependent  nations  and  allies  (ver.  9),  seems  to 
 rise  up  like  a  flood  and  rolls  into  the  furious  conflict.  They  march  forth  now  in 
 assurance  and  pride ;  but  this  day  of  their  fury  and  pomp  is  the  appointed  day  of 
 Jehovah's  vengeance  (ver.  10).  Egypt  is  smitten  with  an  incurable  wound  (ver. 
 11),  and  the  cry  of  the  smitten  armies  resounds  through  the  lands  (ver.  11). 
 11.  Egypt  invaded  and  vanquished  by  Babylon  (vers.  13-26). 
 
 1.  Intervening  events.  The  new  Babylonish  empire  (Chaldea)  was  now  supreme. 
 Judali's  tributary  dependence  was  now  transferred  to  Nebuchadnezzar  (see  note. 
 Contemporaneous  History,  to  chap,  i.) ;  this  was  in  the  fourth  year  of  Jehoiakim 
 (see  note.  National  Affairs,  to  chap,  xxv.)  Until  the  eleventh  year  of  Zedekiah 
 this  vassalage  continued  (chap.  xxix.  2),  when,  in  consequence  of  Zedekiah's 
 falsity  and  the  nation's  treachery,  Nebuchadnezzar  destroyed  Jerusalem,  carrying 
 the  people  captive  to  Babylon.  The  remnant  of  the  poor  who  were  left  on  the  land 
 afterwards  migrated  into  Egypt  (chap,  xliii. ),  where  tliey  lapsed  into  grossest  idolatry 
 (chap,  xliv.)  In  vain  had  the  prophet  Jeremiah  there  pleaded  with  his  apostate 
 people  ;  therefore  Jehovah  withdrew  His  name  from  them  (chap.  xliv.  26),  and 
 threatened  their  extermination  when  Egypt  should  be  overthrown  (chap,  xliii.  9-13), 
 of  which  the  death  of  VhM-Aoh.-Hophra  should  be  the  ominous  sign  (chap.  xliv.  29, 30). 
 
 2.  The  fatal  invasion  of  Egypt.  Nebuchadnezzar  had  been  held  back  by  his 
 siege  of  Tyre,  which,  though  all  the  nations  had  been  forced  into  subjection  by  liis 
 irresistible  armies,  long  withstood  his  attack.  At  length  (585  B.C.),  after  thirteen 
 years'  siege,  Tyre  fell ;  Nebuchadnezzar  marched  his  army  against  Egypt.  Tlie 
 Egyptian  power  was  now  in  its  boastful  zenith  ;  its  cities  were  like  a  '■'■  fore&V  (ver. 
 23),  numbering  a  thousand  and  twenty.  Yet  the  Egyptian  army  was  devoid  of 
 patriotism,  for  they  were  subjected  races  (see  ver.  9)  and  mercenaries,  thirty  thou- 
 sand of  whom  Hophra  hired  from  Asia  Minor — Carians  and  lonians  (see  Herodotus). 
 In  this  crisis  these  hirelings,  instead  of  defending  the  country,  resolve  to 
 desert  the  Egyptian  cause  and  return  each  to  his  native  land  (ver.  16).  Egypt 
 thus  sinks  into  impotent  rage,  like  a  serpent  hissing  in  a  thicket  (vers.  19-23)  ; 
 terrified  by  the  force  of  the  Babylonish  assault  into  abject  submission  (vers.  24-26). 
 For  forty  years  Egypt  bore  the  yoke  of  Babylon,  when,  in  the  time  of  Cyrus,  she 
 recovered  her  freedom,  but  not  her  glory  ;  for  she  has  been  in  servile  subjection  to 
 foreign  powers  until  this  day  (see  Ezek.  xxix.  11-15). 
 
 III.  Egypt  preserved  from  total  extinction  by  the  Chaldeans  (ver.  26). 
 Forty  years  after  the  conquest  of  Egypt  by  Nebuchadnezzar,  in  which  she  was 
 despoiled  of  all  her  glory  and  treasures  (Ezek.  xxix.  19),  Cyrus  won  for  Egypt  her 
 emancipation.  And  through  these  long  centuries,  tliowili  Bah-ylon  lias  ceased  to  exist, 
 though  mighty  dynasties  have  become  extinct,  Egypt  has  conthiued  as  a  momiment 
 of  God's  faithful  word.  Instead,  however,  of  regaining  her  old  force  for  aggression 
 and  aggrandisement,  her  power  is  permanently  broken  (Ezek.  xxix.  11-15).  But 
 from  that  time  she  has  been  "inhabited ;"  and  to  this  day,  in  her  humiliation,  she 
 testifies  to  the  might  and  justice  of  God — a  warning  to  those  who  harm  His  people, 
 and  an  encouragement  to  those  He  promises  to  befriend. 
 
 HOMILIES  AND  OUTLINES  ON  CHAPTER  XLVI. 
 
 Ver.   1.    Theme:    God's  Judgments      Judah.      His  omniscience   surveys  the 
 UPON  THE  Nations.  nations.       His   omnipotence   sivays  the 
 
 I.  Jehovah's  sway  is  wide  as  the      nations.     He  marks  their  history ;  He 
 universe.      Not  limited  to   Israel  and      works  their  destinies. 
 
 631 
 
CHAP.  XLVL 
 
 HO  MI  LET IC  COMMENTARY:  JEREMIAH. 
 
 II.  Jehovah's  wrath  is  against  all 
 ungodliness.  Angry  with  His  own 
 apostate  people.  Equally  angry  against 
 iniquitous  Egypt.  The  fate  of  Josiah 
 shall  be  avenged  (see  above,  Historic 
 Facts).  All  nations  who  defy  God's 
 rule  shall  feel  His  rod.  If  He  smite  His 
 own  people,  let  not  His  foes  think  to 
 escape  / 
 
 III.  Jehovah's  justice  pursues  into 
 all  lands.  Let  not  Israel  impiotisly 
 think  to  defy  God  by  fleeing  into  Egypt: 
 nor  to  secure  immunity  by  alliance  with 
 the  mighty. 
 
 Let  not  Israel  despondently  imagine 
 that  the  wicked  will  retain  their  proud 
 ascendancy  over  God's  people  whom  they 
 have  subdued. 
 
 "  Against  the  Gentiles."  See 
 Homilies  on  chap,  xxv.,  "  The  Manifold 
 Judgments  of  God"  (p.  469);  ''The  Wine- 
 cup  of  Wrath  "  (p.  474). 
 
 Vers.  3,  4.  Theme:  Brilliant  Hopes 
 Baffled.  "  Order  ye  the  buckler  and 
 shield,"  &c. 
 
 The  satire  of  prophecy  is  very  severe. 
 Thus  the  prophet  summons  the  proud 
 Egyptians  to  the  war  against  Nebuchad- 
 nezzar's hosts.  This  rallying  call  is  full 
 «)f  bitter  irony.  Gh'and  preparations  only 
 to  issue  in  ignominious  defeat. 
 
 I.  A  mighty  army  well  equipped 
 for  war.  It  would  almost  seem  that 
 victory  was  theirs  before  they  engaged 
 in  war. 
 
 1.  Absorbing  attention  to  our  own 
 resources  of  strength  shuts  out  all  heed 
 of  God  and  His  designs.  We  trust  in 
 armaments  and  forces,  rest  in  outward 
 defences ;  and  thus  ignore  God,  and 
 alienate  Him. 
 
 2.  All  our  resources  of  strength  are 
 but  a  deception  and  a  S7iare  when  God 
 is  against  us.  They  delude  us ;  and 
 allure  on  boastfully  in  the  course  of 
 defeat  and  destruction. 
 
 3.  External  splendour,  being  greatly 
 impressive  and  imposing,  is  often  ima- 
 gined to  ensure  prosi)erity.  Men  believe 
 ij»  di-splay ;  and 
 
 4.  Grow  confident  in  the  parade  of 
 power  and  skill.      But  Goliath  may  fall 
 
 G:52 
 
 before  a  stone  and  sling.     The  loftiness 
 of  men  may  be  brought  low. 
 
 II.  A  baffled  army  utterly  van- 
 quished in  war.  It  was  a  sight  for 
 ivonder.  "  Wherefore  have  I  seen,"  (fee. 
 (ver.  5).  "  Wherefore  "  is  a  particle  ex- 
 pressive of  surprise  :  '■'HowV  ''Why?" 
 
 1.  Wondrous  smprises  do  occur  in 
 human  experience,  which  reverse  all  our 
 boastings.  Often  in  secular  courses  men 
 find  events  occur  which  shake  them  from 
 their  confidences.  Death  -  scenes  have 
 shown  the  "  boastful  lips  pid  to  silence," 
 &c. 
 
 2.  Proud  and  resj^lendent  forces  are 
 startlingly  overthrown  ;  vanquished  con- 
 trary to  all  reckonings ;  as  if  a  super- 
 human Hand  had  to  do  with  the  issues 
 of  our  struggles  and  efforts.  God  reverses 
 the  plans  of  the  proud,  and  defeats  the 
 hopes  of  the  vainglorious. 
 
 3.  Strongest  forces  ivill  find  themselves 
 "  beaten  doiun "  when  they  oppose  the 
 will  of  Omnipotence.  The  Divine  power 
 strikes  down  the  mighty,  and  thereby — 
 
 (a.)  Hxmian  arrogance  is  chastised. 
 (6.)   Divine  righteousness  is  satisfied 
 (ver.  10). 
 
 Ver.   5.    Theme :    The   Dismay   of 
 Defeat. 
 I.     Solid    guarantees    of    success. 
 
 ''Mighty"  (ver.  5);  "Swift"  (ver.  6). 
 
 1.  Hopes  are  built  on  seeming  securities. 
 
 2.  With  boastfid  confidence  men  attempt 
 their  aims. 
 
 3.  None,  however  opposed  to  God's 
 purposes,  alloivs  himself  to  expect  defeat  ; 
 but  makes  his  endeavours  amid  promises 
 of  success. 
 
 II.  Guarantees  of  success  over- 
 thrown. 
 
 1.  Forces,  whose  resistance  are  un- 
 reckoned,  otiay  thwart  our  hopes. 
 
 2.  Human  resources  of  strength  are 
 impotent  ivhen  God  is  opposed  to  our 
 success. 
 
 3.  Pride  and  prowess  ivill  fall  in  the 
 day  of  God's  resistance. 
 
 4.  Souls,  deluded  by  vain  boasting, 
 will  meet  an  appalling  defeat. 
 
 III.  Success  overthrown  followed  by 
 dismay. 
 
 1 .  What  amazement  ivill  overwhebn  the 
 rvicked  in  their  doom  ! 
 
JIOMILETIC  COMMENTARY:  JEREMIAH. 
 
 CITAT.  XLVr. 
 
 2.  How  helpless  will  the  sinner  be  in 
 the  moment  of  his  overthroiv. 
 
 3.  How  certain  is  the  failure  of  all 
 earthly  schemes,  and  especially  of  all 
 2Jlans  of  salvation,  which  God  disap- 
 proves. 
 
 4.  Oh,  the  terror  of  an  eternal  defeat  ! 
 
 Ver.  11.  Theme:  Healing  for 
 Stuicken"  Ones.  For  Egypt  ?  Yes ; 
 equally  as  for  Israel  (chap.  viii.  22). 
 
 It  is  always  right  to  recognise  amoiig.st 
 you,  as  a  congregation,  tlte  sufferiiic/. 
 Not  in  physical  affliction  merely,  but 
 spiritual  sufferers:  sinners,  backsliders, 
 Christians  who  have  lost  health. 
 
 The  need  of  Christ's  ministry  of 
 healing,  and  of  the  Christian  ministry 
 of  consolation,  is  still  evident ;  and  can 
 never  cease  while  men  suffer  from  the 
 wounds  of  sin. 
 
 I.  Healing  urgently  needed.  What 
 has  u'oiuided  Egypt  ?  Sin  and  strife. 
 What  has  rvoimded  souls  ?     The  same, 
 
 1.  Persevering  search  for  remedies. 
 *'Use  many  medicines." 
 
 2.  Ermitless  applicatioii  of  remedies. 
 '^  In  vain  use  many,"  &c.  The  world 
 ofFers  "many  medicines."  If  conscience 
 is  distressed,  try  pleasure,  business, 
 ceremonialism.  If  the  heart  is  wounded, 
 try  exciting  literature,  diverting  travels, 
 cheerful  society,  &c. 
 
 But  like  the  sufferer  (Mark  v.  26) 
 who  spent  her  money  on  many  physicians, 
 yet  could  be  healed  of  none. 
 
 II.  Healing  offered  the  stricken. 
 
 1.  Seek  the  healing  at  the  right  palace. 
 "Go  up  to  Gilead."  Sinners,  go  to 
 Calvary. 
 
 2.  Secure  the  right  remedy.  "Take 
 balm."  The  hlood  of  Christ  for  cleansing 
 the  conscience ;  the  love  of  Christ  for 
 calming  the  heart ;  the  grace  of  Christ 
 for  clothing  the  soiil. 
 
 See  homilies  on  chap.  xxx.  12—15  : 
 "  Faithless  Healers  and  Vain  Remedies;  " 
 and  '■^Healing  Medicines." 
 
 Ver.  15.  Theme:  Valour  Defeated. 
 "  Wlty  are  thy  valiant  men  swept  away? 
 They  stood  not,  because  the  Lord  did  drive 
 them." 
 
 (i.)  There  is  an  unseen  Power 
 greater  than  that  visible. 
 
 (ii.)  When  the  unseen  Power  is  against 
 "  the  valiants,''  valour  IS  OF  NO  avail. 
 
 (iii.)  It  isGODWHODECIDESVICTORIE.S, 
 
 and  iveahest  armies  may,  therefore,  tcdce 
 the  field  against  the  strong. 
 
 I.  Since  '■'' pioxver  belongeth  unto  God," 
 we  should  attempt  no  conflict  without 
 first  gaining  Omnipotence  on  our  side. 
 l']nter,  therefore,  upon  no  enterprise 
 without  God. 
 
 II.  Valour  is  noble,  and  merits  a 
 better  issue  than  to  be  defeated. 
 
 They  who  are  "  valiant  for  the  truth," 
 for  rights  civil  and  religious,  &c.,  deserve 
 success. 
 
 With  "  God  for  them  "  they  .shall  go 
 on  "  conquo'ing  and  to  conquer." 
 
 Yet  reliance  on  our  valour  will  repel 
 God  from  our  side,  and  insure  that  the 
 "vjiliant  men  are  swept  away." 
 
 III.  The  overthrow  of  the  valiant 
 carries  its  own  admonition  against 
 Godless  confidence. 
 
 Mighty  armies  have  fallen,  because 
 they  trusted  in  their  equipments  and 
 strategies.  Mighty  men  have  fallen 
 before  weaker  forces — Samson,  Goliath, 
 &c. 
 
 God  is  jealous,  and  will  allow  no 
 arrogance  and  boasting.  He  has  threa- 
 tened the  proud  and  luiclced  with  over- 
 throw. "Pride  goeth  before  destruc- 
 tion," &c.  Victory  will  therefore  he 
 denied  to  the  valiant  who  ignore  God, 
 trusting  in  their  own  courage  and 
 strength. 
 
 IV.  Humility  blended  with  valour 
 wins  God's  mighty  help. 
 
 1.  Humility  is  better  even  than  valour, 
 for  it  secures  that  which  is  infinitely 
 more  important — "  God  giveth  grace  to 
 the  humble." 
 
 2.  Valour  blended  with  humility  has 
 wrought  marvels,  making  men  "  mighty 
 through  God,"  so  that  "  one  may  chase  a 
 tiiousand,  and  two  may  put  ten  thousand 
 to  flight." 
 
 3.  Valour  is  commanded  in  those  who 
 stand  up  for  Christ  and  His  cause — 
 "  Quit  ye  like  men,  be  strong ;"  but  the 
 uniform  to  be  worn  by  every  soldier  of 
 the  Cross  is  this :  "  Be  clothed  with 
 liumility." 
 
 Ver.  19.  77icm(?  .•  Exulting  OVER  THE 
 
CHAP.  XLVII. 
 
 HOMILETIO  COMMENTARY:  JEREMIAH. 
 
 Ruin  of  Enemies.  Jeremiah  had  reason 
 to  loathe  Egypt,  and  it  had  been  well 
 liad  his  people  hated  the  land  and  its 
 inhabitants.  "Come  out  from  the  midst 
 of  her,  My  people,  and  be  not  partakers 
 of  her  plagues." 
 
 I.  The  overtltroiv  of  sinners  contem- 
 plated with  a  natural  satisfaction. 
 
 1.  The  Egyptians  typify  the  foes  of 
 God's  Churcb. 
 
 2.  All  the  miseries  and  humiliations 
 of  life  are  associated  with  these  spiritual 
 enemies:  like  "the  bard  bondage"  <if 
 Egypt  before  God  redeemed  His  people. 
 
 3.  Molestations  and  oppression  had 
 been  experienced  by  Israel  at  the  hands 
 of  these  enemies. 
 
 4.  The  righteous  see  with  satisfaction 
 that  the  wrongs  they  have  suffered  will 
 be  requited. 
 
 5.  It  is  with  equanimity  and  a  sense 
 of  right  that  the  overthrow  of  our  oppres- 
 sors is  contemplated, 
 
 II.  The  overthrow  of  sinners  rejoiced 
 in  with  righteous  gladness. 
 
 1.  The  law  of  recompense  is  a  gracious 
 law ;  it  vindicates  God's  justice  and 
 power,  and  assures  the  righteous  who 
 suffer  wrongfully  that  God  will  in  due 
 season  reverse  the  tyranny  of  evil-doers. 
 
 2.  The  ho7iour  of  God,  as  much  as  the 
 peace  of  the  righteous,  necessitates  the 
 ultimate  overthrow  of  the  enemies  of  God 
 and  His  kingdom. 
 
 3.  A  godly  soul  therefore  exults  in 
 the  merited  defeat  of  evil;  for — 
 
 (a.)  It  insures  the  peace  of  the  godly. 
 (6.)  It  vindicates  the  faithfulness  of 
 God. 
 
 (c.)  It  frustrates  the  purposes  of  evil, 
 (d.)  It  demonstrates  the  certainty  of 
 
 justice- 
 godly. 
 
 -against  the  guilty,   and  to  the 
 
 Vers.  27,  28.  Theme:  Israel's  Ees- 
 TOEATJON.  (See  notes  and  homilies  on 
 chap.  XXX.  10,  11:  ^^  Recovery  of  Lost 
 Israel,"  and  "  J^ations  Obliterated;  Is- 
 rael Preserved.")  "  Egypt's  fall  and 
 restoration  have  been  foretold  ;  but  the 
 prophet  closes  with  a  word  of  exhorta- 
 tion to  the  many  erring  Jews  who  divelt 
 there.     With  loving  earnestness  he — 
 
 I.  Reminds  them  of  Israel's  hope, 
 and  of  the  promise  of  salvation  to  man- 
 kind bound  up  with  their  national  exis- 
 tence. Further,  he  calls  hack  to  their 
 remembrance  the  prediction  from  which 
 these  two  verses  are  taken  (chap,  xxx.), 
 and  thereby 
 
 II.  Assures  them  of  Israel's  return 
 from  exile,  and  of  the  certain  accomjjlish- 
 ment,  by  their  means,  of  God's  purposes 
 of  mercy  to  the  whole  human  race. 
 Why,  then,  should  they  flee  from  their 
 country  and  trust  in  a  heathen  power, 
 instead  of  endeavouring  to  live  in  a  man- 
 ner worthy  of 
 
 III.  The  noble  destiny  which  was 
 their  true  glory  and  groiind  of  confi- 
 dence ?  " — Dr.  Payne  Smith. 
 
 Note. — "  When  God  turns  things  up- 
 side down,  and  takes  care  that  neither 
 root  nor  branch  remains,  His  little  flock 
 must  he  preserved.  The  punishments 
 which  redound  to  the  destruction  of  the 
 ungodly  redound  to  the  amelioration  of 
 the  godly.  For  from  these  He  takes  the 
 eternal  punishment,  and  turns  even  the 
 temporal  punishment  to  their  advantage ; 
 but  the  ungodly  drink  it  to  the  dregs." 
 — Cramer. 
 
 CHAPTER  XLVII. 
 
 Ckitical  and  Exegetical  Notes.— 1.  Chronology  of  the  Chapter.— "Before  that  Pharaoh 
 Rmote  Gaza  "  (ver.  1)  ;  but  which  Pharaoh  ?  Pliaraoli-iVec/to,  ou  liis  return  from  defeating 
 Josiah  at  Mesriddo  (2  Chron.  xxxv.  20),  or  Pharaoli-i/op/wa,  on  his  return  from  the  fruitless 
 cftbrt  to  save  Jerusalem  from  the  Chaldeans  (chap,  xxxvii.  5,  7)  ;  or  this  same  Pharaoh-Hophra 
 after  his  defeat  at  Carchemish  (vide  previous  chapter,  notes)?  The  probabilities  favour 
 Pharaoh- Necho,  and  date  the  prophecy  before  the  fourth  year  of  Jehoiakim.  Note,  that  just  as 
 an  enemy /ro»i  the  south  (Egypt)  is  about  to  assail  Pliilistia,  tlie  propliet  predicts  the  seemingly 
 unlikely  and  remote  fact  that  an  enemj  from  the  north  (the  Babylonians)  should  invade  and 
 spoil  them  !  Note  further,  that  the  country  of  the  Philistines  was  overrun  by  the  army  of 
 Nebucluidnezzar  during,  or  immediately  after,  the  siege  of  Tyre,  while  prosecuting  his  march 
 towards  Egypt. 
 
 G34: 
 
I 
 
 nOMILETIC  COMMENTARY:  JEREMIAH.  chap,  xlviii. 
 
 2.  Geographical  References  (ver.  1).  '■^  Pldlhtines  .  .  .  6'«:a."  Philistia  Lordered  uiion 
 Egypt,  and  Pharaoli-Neclio  seized  this  on  his  retreat  (defeated  by  the  Chaldeans)  from  Car- 
 chcmish  ;  for  Gaza  was  "the  key  to  Egypt,"  and  his  holding  this  would  check  the  now 
 victorious  Chaldeans  from  invading  Egypt  itself. 
 
 Ver.  4.  "  Tyrus  and  Zidon."  Neighbours  to  Philistia,  so  that  the  Plioenicians  of  Tyre  and 
 Sidon  would  naturally  become  "helpers  "  to  the  Philistines,  making  common  cause  against  the 
 invader,  for  the  overthrow  of  Philistia  carried,  as  a  consequence,  the  overthrow  of  Tyre  and 
 Sidon  also.  ^' The  country  of  Caphtor  :^' iperhaiis  Crete  (so  Geseuius),  or  Cyprus  (so  Kitto). 
 Others  suggest  Cappadocia ;  and  the  city  Caparorsa,  situate  between  Palestine  and  Idumsea,  is 
 pointed  out  as  probable  on  account  of  being  adjacent. 
 
 Ver.  5.  "  Ashkeloii  .  .  .  their  valley."  The  "valley"  is  the  inland  valley  of  Philistia  as 
 distinguished  fi^om  her  maritime  fortresses,  Gaza  and  AsJcelori. 
 
 The  Sword  of  the  Lord  upon  Philistia. 
 
 For  ages  long  had  the  Philistines  em-  when  God's  sword  smites,  no  confederacy 
 
 bittered   the  lot   of  Israel.     From   the  of  defence  can  protect  or  shield, 
 times  of  Shamgar  (Judges  iii.  31),  down  3.  Abject  in  grief  and  dismay  (ver.  5). 
 
 to  those  of  Hezekiah  (2  Kings  xviii.  8),  ^^  Baldness"  a    sign   of    anguish  ;  "  cut 
 
 they  were  both   hostile   and  dangerous  thyself"  the  conduct  of  terrified  despair, 
 
 neighbours.      Now  the  day  of  retribution  When  God  smites,  Ave  feel  His  strohes. 
 had  arrived,   when    Philistia's  hostility  III.  The  appeal  for  mercy  (ver.  G). 
 
 should  be  punished.     For  "  God  is  not  1.    Though  smitten  for  their  sin,  men 
 
 slack  concerning  His  promise  as  some  cry  out  against  its  punishment. 
 men  count  slackness,  but  is  long-sufifer-  2.     Thoiigh  prayerless  while  sinning, 
 
 ing,"  &c.  men  appeal  for  pity  when  its  chastise- 
 
 1.  The  avenging  sword —  ments  are  upon  them, 
 
 \.  Falls  at  length,  tho^igli  long  sheathed  3.   Though    stubborn    against    God's 
 
 (ver.  4).      Compare   Ps.  xxxvii.    12,  13.       rvord,    sinners    cannot    hold    out    long 
 
 2.  Is  wielded  by  other  hands  than  we      under  His  "  sword." 
 
 surmise    (ver.    2).     "  The   no7-th "    (see  IV.   The  full  measure  of  doom  (ver. 
 
 note  above  to  Chronology).      God  selects  7). 
 
 His  own  agencies  for  punishing  men.  1.  A2:>pointed judgments  vilWha  eWectu.- 
 
 II.  The  smitten  sufferers —  ally  carried  out. 
 
 1.  Paralysed  with  terror  (ver.  3).  2.  No  pleadings  for  mercy  will  stay 
 Solicitous  for  themselves  to  the  forget-  those  judgments  when  they  at  last  come 
 ting  of  all  natural  affection.  on  the  guilty. 
 
 2.  Destitute  of  helpers  (ver.  4).     For 
 
 CHAPTER  XLVIII. 
 
 Critical  and  Exegetical  Notes. — 1.  Chronology  of  the  Chapter. — Naegelsbach  suggests, 
 with  ample  justification,  that  "  this  prophecy  certainly  belongs  to  the  time  of  Jehoiakim,  and 
 hefore  the  fourth  year,  the  Chaldeans  and  Nebuchadnezzar  not  being  mentioned  ;  "  and  adds  : 
 "  The  form  of  the  superscription  favours  its  contemporaneousness  with  the  first  prophecy  against 
 Egypt  (xlvi.  1,  2)."     Cf.  notes  on  chap.  xxv. 
 
 2.  Contemporary  Scriptiires.— C/.  on  chap.  xxv.  Here  it  is  appropriate  to  point  out  that 
 this  chapter  is,  to  a  remarkable  degree,  a.  compilation  of  extracts  from  other  prophets,  mainly  from 
 Isaiah.  Gesenius  "depreciates  this  prophecy  as  a  tasteless  piece  of  patchwork"  [Dr.  Payne 
 Smith]  from  Is;uah  ;  and  adverse  critics  have  challenged  the  wisdom  and  good  taste  of  Jere- 
 miah's work  in  thus  putting  together  such  a  fragmentary  collection  of  older  inspired  utterances 
 "against  Moab."  But  Naegelsbach  well  states  the  case:  "Jeremiah's  object  in  this  prophecy 
 was  evidently  to  reanimate,  as  it  were,  the  former  declarations  of  similar  purport,  and  com- 
 prise them  together  for  the  sake  of  a  powerful  total  effect.  From  ver.  29  onwards  there  is  a 
 constant,  more  or  less  free,  use  of  older  utterances."  Quotations  taken  from  Isaiah  xv.  and 
 xvi.  are  numerous.  Thus  comp.  Isaiah  xv.  2-7  with  vers.  37,  38,  34,  5,  36  ;  Isa.  xvi.  6-12, 
 with  vers.  29-33,  36,  35  ;  and  Isa.  xxiv,  with  vers.  43,  44.  So,  also,  words  and  phrases,  in 
 vers.  45,  24,  and  41,  seem  to  be  appropriated  from  Amos  ii.  2  ;  and  in  vers.  26  and  42  from 
 Zephaniah  ii.  8-10  ;  and  vers.  15,  46  from  Numbers  xxi.  28,  29,  xxiv.  17.  It  should  be  noted 
 that  Isaiah  prophesies  the  devastation  of  Moab  by  the  Assyrian  king,  Shalmanescr ;  Jeremiah 
 refers  to  its  overthrow  by  the  Chaldean  king,  Nehuchadnezzar, 
 
 G35 
 
CHAP.  XLVIII. 
 
 IIOMILETIC  COMMENTARY :  JEREMIAH. 
 
 3.  National  Affairs. — The  historic  record  of  2  Kings  xxiv.  2,  shows  that  Moab  had  at  tiuit 
 time  joined  the  Chaldeans  in  hostilit.y  to  Judah. 
 
 4.  Contemporaneous  History. — Moah' s  ovcrthroiv  yfia?,  cSeci&A  by  Kebuchadnezzar  five  years 
 after  his  destruction  of  Jerusalem,  at  the  time  when  he  also  attacked  Egypt  {cf.  notes  on  chap. 
 xliii.  specially  vers.  8-13)  and  Ammon  [cf.  chap.  xlix.  1-6).  In  Josephus,  Antiq.,  x.  9,  §  7,  we 
 have  the  record. 
 
 5.  Geographical  References. — Ver.  1.  "Aklo,"  a  mountain  and  town  of  Moab.  "  Keria- 
 thaim,"  a  place  of  great  antiquity,  originally  possessed  by  the  Enim  (Gen.  xiv.  5),  and  after- 
 wards by  the  Moabites;  placed  by  Eusebius  ten  miles  west  of  Medeba.  "  Misgah,"  i.e.  citadel, 
 not  a  proper  name  at  all. 
 
 Ver.  2.  "  Jlcshion,"  the  chief  city  of  Moab,  situate  midway  between  the  rivers  Arnon  and 
 Jabbok  ;  it  was  an  ancient  and  royal  eitj\    "Madmen,"  a  town  of  which  no  information  exists. 
 
 Ver.  3.  "  Horonaim:  "  the  same  as  the  city  Avaj'a  mentioned  by  Ptolemy.  See  Nehem.  ii. 
 10  ;  Isa.  XV.  5.     It  lay  in  a  plain. 
 
 Ver.  5.   "  Luhith  "  lay  on  a  height ;  locality  unknown. 
 
 A'er.  18.  "  Dtbon,"  situate  on  the  south  bank  of  the  Arnon,  The  remains  of  the  fortifica- 
 tions of  Dibon  are  still  visible  (Burckhardt's  Travels). 
 
 Ver.  19.   "  Aroci:"     On  the  north  bank  of  the  Arnon,  a  city  of  Ammon. 
 
 Ver.  20.  "Arnon.  This  river  was  the  north  boundary  between  Moab  and  Ammon.  See 
 Kumb.  xxi.  13. 
 
 Ver.  21.  "  Holon."  Cf.  Josh.  xv.  51.  "  Jahazah."  Cf.  Numb,  xxi,  23.  "  Mepliaath.'"  Cf. 
 Josh,  xiii.  18  ;  xxi.  37.    Of  these  and  following  cities  enumerated  little  or  nothing  is  known. 
 
 Ver.  32.  "  Sea  of  Jazar."  Jazar  lies  in  an  upland  valley,  about  fifteen  miles  north  of  Hesh- 
 bon.     "  Sea"  is  very  doubtful  here  ;  probably  a  transcriber's  error. 
 
 6.  Personal  Allusion. — Ver.  7.  "  Chemosh,"  the  national  god  of  Moab  (Numb.  xxi.  29). 
 JTis  being  led  into  captivity  represents  the  total  ruin  of  the  nation  he  protected.  The  literal 
 name  here  is  "  CJiemish"  and  this  is  doubtless  correct,  as  in  the  word  "  Carchemish,"  i.e.  the 
 fortress  of  Chemish. 
 
 7.  Natural  History. — Ver.  28.  "  The  dove  that  maketh  her  nest  in  (he  sides  of  the  hole's 
 mouth  ;"  lit.  "  that  resteth  in  the  passages  of  the  sides  of  the  abyss."  Tristram  says,  "  The  wild 
 pigeon  invariably  selects  .  .  ,  deep  ravines  for  its  nesting  and  roosting  places."  Henderson 
 quotes  the  following  classics  : — 
 
 *H  pd  6'  vw  ip7}K0i  KOiKrjv  daiTTTCiTo  irirpijv. — Iliad,  xxi.  493, 
 "  Qualis  spelunca  subito  commota  columba 
 Cui  domus,  et  dulces  latebroso  in  pumice  nidi." — j}^neid,  v.  213. 
 
 8.  Literary  Criticisms. — Ver.  2.    "In  Heshbon  they  have  devised:"  a,  play  upon  words, 
 ■IIl^'H  — ]i2t?'n,      "  Heshbon  "  means  a  place  of  devising  or  counsel.     "  Thou  shalt  be  cut  down 
 
 (margin,  brought  to  silence),  0  Madmen  :"  another  play  on  words  ;  "Madmen"  means  silence. 
 
 Ver.  7.  "  Thy  works,"  i.e.  fortifications.     Moab  was  renowned  for  them. 
 
 Ver.  45.  "Because  of  the  force,"  rather  ivithout  force.  A  better  translation  is:  "The 
 fugitives  stand  powerless  under  the  shadow  of  Heshbon."  "  The  crovm  of  the  head  of  the 
 twmultuous  ones."  "  Crown  of  the  head  "  is  here  poetical  for  the  loftiest  elevation  of  Moab  ; 
 and  the  ISIoabites,  in  reference  to  the  roar  and  fury  with  which  they  give  battle,  are  called 
 "sons  of  tumult." 
 
 SUBJECT  OF  CHAPTER  XL VII i. 
 Moab's  Doom, 
 
 Ver.  1.  Theme:  SinthePrecuesorof 
 Doom.  "  Because  the  destruction  of  the 
 ]\Ioabite.s  is  of  no  service  to  us  except 
 for  penitence,  we  must  note  vpell  what 
 particular  siiis  are  specified,  of  which 
 they  were  guilty,  and  for  which  such 
 heavy  punishments  were  heaped  upon 
 them,  viz.  : — 
 
 I.  Disdain,  in  that  they  gave  no  one 
 a  good  word,  were  unfriendly,  and  only 
 blustered  and  boasted  with  every  one 
 (Ps.  lii.  3). 
 
 II.  Confidence  in  their  fortifications, 
 
 G3G 
 
 power,    money,    and    riches   (2  Chron. 
 xxxii.  8  ;  Isa.  xl.  6). 
 
 III.  Security,  as  if  all  were  pros- 
 2)erous  and  peaceful,  which  was  the  sin 
 of  their  sister  Sodom  (Ezek,  xvi,  49  ; 
 Zeph.  ii.  9). 
 
 IV.  Talking  great  things,  and  in- 
 dulging self-praise.  But  although  Go- 
 liath was  so  mighty  a  fellow,  he  had 
 yet  to  bite  the  grass  (1  Sam.  xvii.  50). 
 
 V.  Pride  and  arrogance.  These 
 never  do  well,  but  act  with  violence 
 and   injustice.      By   violence,   injustice. 
 
EOMILETIC  COMMENTARY :  JEREMIAH. 
 
 CHAP.  XLVIIT, 
 
 and  avarice,  however,  a  kingdom  passes 
 from  one  people  to  another." — Cramer. 
 
 Theme :  iSiNNERS  alike  in  all  Ages. 
 "  How  many  are  still  like  the  Moabites  ; 
 for  how  many  are  there  who — 
 
 I.  Depend  on  their  power  and  vio- 
 lence, their  fortified  cities  and  buildings, 
 their  riches,  money,  and  property,  and 
 set  all  their  hope  and  confidence  thereon  ! 
 How  many  are  there  who,  when  they 
 have  been  some  time  at  peace, 
 
 II.  Become  secure,  and  anticipate 
 no  further  evil,  thinking  there  is  no 
 more  trouble  from  the  rising  to  the 
 setting  of  the  sun !  How  many  are 
 there  who — 
 
 III.  Rely  on  their  own  strength, 
 and  say,  Let  the  enemy  come,  we  are  a 
 match  for  him  !  How  many  there  are 
 who,  when  they  surpass  others  in  bodily 
 strength,  or  in  mental  gifts,  or  in  per- 
 ishable goods, 
 
 IV.  Become  proud  and  abusive ; 
 ridicule,  despise,  and  treat  badly  their 
 inferiors,  as  if  they  had  "  found  such 
 among  thieves,"  as  God  the  Lord  here 
 says  (ver  27)  !  And,  although  all  good 
 and  perfect  gifts  come  from  the  Father 
 of  lights,  yet  many  will  not  acknowledge 
 this,  but 
 
 V.  Ascribe  their  advantages  to  their 
 own  wisdom  and  skill,  do  not  thank 
 God  for  them,  and  thus  make  themselves 
 the  idol  they  serve."- — Bihl.  Summarien, 
 Halle,  18-iS.     From  Lange. 
 
 Ver.  2.  Theme:  Peaise  to  Man 
 Silenced.  "  There  shall  be  no  more 
 2Jraise  of  Moah." 
 
 I.  Human  praise  is  of  short  dura- 
 tion. Be  it  offered  to  nations  or  men, 
 it  is  like  the  trumpet  strain,  which 
 swells  in  loudness  and  then  dies  into 
 silence ;  like  the  fragrance  of  a  flower, 
 which,  however  sweet,  soon  passes 
 away. 
 
 II.  Praise  to  men  can  scarcely  be 
 given  with  justice.  Why  should  praise 
 be  given  to  a  nation  for  its  greatness — 
 of  wealth,  intelligence,  territory — when 
 that  greatness  is  the  result  of  the  de- 
 velopment of  natural  resources,  or  of 
 administrative  power,  given  to  it  of 
 God  1      And    why    should    praise    be 
 
 ascribed  to  a  man  of  genius  or  benevo- 
 lence, when  his  genius  is  a  Divine  en- 
 dowment, and  his  benevolence  a  Divine 
 implantation  1 
 
 III.  Praise  is  due  only  to  God. 
 Shall  we  praise  the  Alps  that  they  reach 
 unto  the  clouds,  or  the  eagle  that  she 
 bears  her  young  upon  her  wings  and 
 covers  them  with  her  feathers  ?  No  ! 
 The  mighty  Alps  are  what  they  are  by 
 the  creative  power  of  God,  and  the  noble 
 eagle  is  what  she  is  by  the  instinct  God 
 has  given  to  her. 
 
 Mighty  nations  are  but  Alps  of  God'.s 
 creation,  and  great  men  are  but  eagles 
 of  God's  endowing ;  for  "  of  Him  and 
 through  Him  are  all  things,  to  whom 
 be  glory  for  ever  and  ever." 
 
 IV.  Heaven-taught  men  never  fail 
 to  trace  the  favours  their  fellow-men 
 confer  up  to  their  Divine  Source.  Does 
 Joseph  obtain  favour  of  Pharaoh  ?  It 
 is  acknowledged  that  "  the  Lord  gave 
 him  favour"  (Gen.  xxxix.  21  ;  xli.  52). 
 Is  Daniel  a  favourite  in  the  court  of 
 Babylon  ?  "  God  had  brought  Daniel 
 into  favour  and  tender  love,"  &c.  (Dan. 
 i.  9).  Is  the  Church  at  Corinth  ear- 
 nestly cared  for  by  Titus  ?  Paul  thanks 
 God  for  putting  that  "  care  into  the 
 heart "  of  Titus. 
 
 Every  river  has  its  source,  the  Avon 
 or  Thames,  the  Niger  or  Nile,  and  so 
 has  every  blessing;  and  that  source  is 
 God! 
 
 V.  Praise  to  man  shall  be  silenced 
 that  God  may  receive  His  due.  Often, 
 instead  of  all  blessings  being  traced  to 
 God,  they  are  in  part  traced  to  men  ; 
 and  sometimes  so  largely  to  man  as  it" 
 he  were  the  greater  benefactor  of  the 
 two. 
 
 But  silence  eventually  shall  come  upon 
 all  human  praise. 
 
 VI.  God's  praise  is  the  Christian's 
 sweetest  employ,  and  it  shall  be  au 
 endless  employ.  "  There  shall  be  no 
 more  praise  of  Moab  ;"  but  neither  in 
 time  or  eternity  will  God's  praise  cease. 
 
 "  Praise  shall  employ  my  noblest  powers 
 While  immortality  endures  ! 
 Thy  days  of  pmise  shall  ne'er  be  past 
 Wliile  life  or  breath  or  being  last." 
 
 Death  may  silence  the  tongue,  but  it 
 637 
 
CH.M'.  xr.viiT. 
 
 nOMILETlC  COMMENTARY:  JEREMTAIT. 
 
 cannot  the  soul ;  and  in  lieaven  it  will 
 perpetuate  God's  praises. 
 
 "When  this  poor  lispinir,  stammering  tongue 
 Lies  silent  in  tiie  grave, 
 Then  in  a  nobler,  sweeter  sonEr, 
 I'll  sing  Thy  power  to  save." 
 
 As  He  loved  us  from  everlasting,  so 
 sLall  our  praise  be  to  everlasting.  His 
 everlasting  love  will  call  forth  our  ever- 
 lasting song. — Arranged  from  Pledgees 
 "■  Walks  tvith  Jeremiah." 
 
 Ver.  4.  Theme :  A  Cry  from  Little 
 Ones.  "  Moab  is  destroyed  ;  her  little 
 ones  have  caused  a  cry  to  he  heard." 
 Calamity  comes  upon  all,  young  and  old. 
 11ov;q\ ex  innocent,  however  "  litde"  none 
 escape. 
 
 I.  CMldren  suffer.  "  Cry,"  as  if  in 
 distress/  Yes,  even  "little ones"  share 
 in  pain,  grief,  and  calamity.  (1.)  Sad 
 to  think  of  suffering  children  ;  in  hos- 
 pitals, at  home.  (2.)  Sad,  also,  to  think 
 of  sorrowing  children :  little  hearts 
 broken  with  grief ;  orphans,  ill-used 
 children,  hungry  children.  (3.)  Most 
 sad  to  think  of  sinning  children.  They 
 suffer  most, — in  their  consciences  now  ; 
 and,  if  they  die  in  their  sins,  they  suffer 
 in  doom  !     For — 
 
 II.  Children  perish.  "  Cry  "  as  they 
 fall  under  the  destroyei-'s  hands.  For 
 '*  Moab  is  destroyed"  and  in  the  de- 
 struction the  children  are  included. 
 
 1.  Gruel  "people  loill  even  injure  and 
 destroy  "  little  ones."  Think  of  Herod's 
 soldiers  slaying  the  infants  of  Bethle- 
 hem. There  are  evil  men  and  women 
 who  would  destroy  the  innocence,  the 
 purity,  the  affection,  the  truthfulness, 
 the  happiness  of  children.  They  do  it 
 with  bccd  booJiS,  by  teaching  them  to  lie 
 and  deceive,  by  tempting  them  to  hj'eak 
 God's  day  and  His  laivs.  And  children 
 are  perishuig  around  us  !  (See  Matt. 
 xviii.  6.) 
 
 2.  Satan  delights  in  destroying  the 
 "  Utile  ones."  A  "  roaring  lion  seeking 
 whom  he  may  devour." 
 
 III.  Children  pray.  "  Cry  "  as  if  in 
 prayer.  Doubtless  these  "  little  ones  " 
 in  Moab  would  cry  out  to  the  destroy- 
 ers, entreating  them  not  to  hurt  or  kill 
 them. 
 
 G38 
 
 1.  Children  can  pray.  "  Cause  a  cry 
 to  be  heard." 
 
 2.  Children  may  iway  in  a  wrong 
 direction:  to  their  cruel  destroyers,  in- 
 stead of  to  God,  their  mighty  Deliverer. 
 
 3.  Children  should  pray ;  for  peril  is 
 near,  and  Jesus  waits  to  save  those  who 
 seek  Him.  "  Call  upon  2Ie  in  the  day 
 of  trouble,  and  I  will  hear  thee." 
 
 Ver.  9.  Theme :  Hastening  to 
 Escape.  "  Give  wings  unto  Moab, 
 that  it  may  flee  and  get  away." 
 
 I.  Wherefore  should  a  soul  "make 
 haste"  in  seeking  salvation?  Because — 
 
 1.  The  "spoiler"  is  alert  (ver.  8). 
 
 2.  None  will  be  exempted  (ver.  8). 
 
 3.  No  hiding-place  will  be  secure 
 (ver.  6). 
 
 4.  Moments  wasted  give  opportunity 
 to  the  foe. 
 
 5.  Lost  opportunities  never  return. 
 
 II.  From  what  should  a  soul  so 
 earnestly  speed  its  flight  1 
 
 1.  From  delights  and  possessions  which 
 it  had  hitherto  cherished:  "Thy  works 
 and  thy  treasures "  (ver.  7).  "  Love 
 not  the  world,  neither  the  things  that 
 are  in  the  world." 
 
 2.  From  every  object  of  trust.  "Thou 
 hast  trusted  in,"  &c.  (ver.  7).  They  are 
 ins^l■f|icient ;  and  to  cling  to  them  will 
 work  delusion  and  destruction. 
 
 3.  From  all  false  religiotis  hopes. 
 "  Chemosh  and  his  priests "  (ver.  7), 
 all  shall  fail  Moab ;  as  all  religious 
 hopes,  but  Christ,  shall  fail  the  soul. 
 
 III.  How  can  a  soul  hasten  its 
 escape  from  pursuing  perils?  ^'-Give 
 ivings  to  Moab,  that  it  may  flee  and  get 
 away."     Corap.  Ps.  Iv.  G. 
 
 1.  Its  oivn  unaided  powers  loill  not 
 suffice  to  save  the  soul. 
 
 2.  The  ^^ wings"  a  soul  needs  are 
 prayer,  piirpose,  faith.  For  by  these 
 it  speeds  its  way  to  Christ. 
 
 3.  Such  sitpernattiral  endoivments  must 
 be  ^^ given;"  the  soul  cannot  assume  them 
 at  will,  nor  create  them  for  the  emer- 
 gency. God  will  give  such  "  wings." 
 He  gives  the  Holy  Spirit;  and  the 
 Spirit  stirs  the  soul  to  prayer,  to  pur- 
 pose, and  to  faith. 
 
 Blessed  is  that  soul  who  ^' gets  away  " 
 from  snares  and  pursuing  foes,  safely  hid 
 
IWMILETIC  COMMENrAllY:  JEREMfAIL. 
 
 CHAP.  XLVirr. 
 
 in  Christ !  "  Flee  "  to  the  cross;  "flee" 
 to  the  throne  of  grace;  "flee"  to  your 
 Bibles;  "flee"  to  the  oj^en  heart  of 
 Jesus. 
 
 Ver.  10.  Theme:  Doing  God's  Work 
 Remissly.  This  utter  devastation  of 
 Moab  was  "  the  work  of  the  Lord ; " 
 and  the  instruments  He  would  use 
 must  do  it  thoroughly.  Comp.  Saul's 
 sin  as  to  Araalek  (1  Sam.  xv.  3,  9), 
 and  Ahab's  as  to  Syria  (1  Kings  xx. 
 42). 
 
 Notes. — "  The  prophet  pronounces  '  a 
 curse'  upon  ministers  of  the  Divine  jus- 
 tice if,  being  sent  to  destroy  Moab,  they 
 are  remiss  in  executing  the  sentence." — 
 Dr.  Payne  Smith. 
 
 "  The  work  of  destroying  Moab  is 
 here  mainly  meant.  But  the  text  taketh 
 in  all  laivful  employmeiits :  these  are 
 God's  works,  and  must  be  done  vigor- 
 ously, with  all  our  might,  in  obedience 
 to  God,  and  for  His  greatest  glory.  Not 
 soldiers  only,  that  have  a  good  cause, 
 and  in  a  good  calling  must  likewise  take 
 a  good  courage,  and  do  execution  lustily  • 
 but  magistrates  also,  who  are  keepers  of 
 both  tables  of  the  law,  must  do  right  to 
 all  without  partiality.  Ministers  must 
 look  to  the  ministry  which  they  have 
 received  from  the  Lord  that  they  fulfil 
 it.  Every  man,  in  his  particular  place 
 and  station,  must  be  '  not  slothful  in 
 business,  but  fervent  in  spirit,  serving 
 the  Lord.'  In  God's  immediate  service 
 especially  men  must  stir  up  themselves 
 to  take  hold  of  Him,  minding  the  work, 
 and  not  doing  it  in  a  customary,  formal 
 way.  A  very  heathen  [Aristides]  could 
 say,  '  Ignavia  in  rebus  divinis  est  nefaris  ' 
 — Dulness  in  Divine  things  is  abomi- 
 nable. And  Numa,  king  of  the  Romans, 
 made  a  law,  that  none  should  be  careless 
 or  cursory  in  the  service  of  God,  and 
 appointed  an  officer  to  cry  oft  to  the 
 people  at  such,  a  time,  ^ Hoc  agite' — 
 Mind  what  you  do,  and  do  it  to  your 
 utmost.  He  that  is  ambitious  of  God's 
 curse,  let  him  do  otherwise." — Ti-apj). 
 
 Theme :  Deceitfulness  in  God's 
 Service.     Jeremy  Taylor  suggests — 
 
 (i.)  He  that  serves  God  with,  the  body, 
 without  the  soul,  serves  God  deceitfully. 
 
 (ii.)  He  that  serves  God  with  the  soul, 
 
 without  the  body,  when  both  can  be  con- 
 joined, doth  the  work  of  God  deceitfully. 
 
 (iii.)  They  are  deceitful  in  the  Lord's 
 workthat  reserve  one  faculty  for  sin,  or  one 
 sin  for  themselves,  or  one  action  to  please 
 their  appetite  and  many  for  religion. 
 
 (iv.)  And  they  who  think  God  suffi- 
 ciently served  with  abstaining  from  evil, 
 and  converse  not  in  the  acquisition  and 
 pursuit  of  holy  charity  and  religion. — 
 Quoted  in  Lange. 
 
 Ver.  10.  War  Theme :  The  Curse 
 OF  Cowardice.  The  God  of  peace 
 would  have  us  "  follow  peace  with  all 
 men  ; "  and  the  Prince  of  peace  has  pro- 
 nounced, "Blessed  are  the  peacemakers." 
 But  when  the  lusts  of  men  are  per- 
 petually embroiling  the  world  with  wars 
 and  fightings  ;  when  avarice  and  ambi- 
 tit)n  would  rob  us  of  our  prosperity  ; 
 when  they  would  enslave  the  free-born 
 mind  by  their  usurpation  and  arbitrar\' 
 power;  when  they  would  tear  from  our 
 eager  grasp  Heaven's  highest  blessing, 
 our  religion — %vhat  then  is  the  loill  of 
 God  ?  Must  peace  be  maintained  with 
 perfidious  and  cruel  invaders,  at  the 
 expense  of  property,  life,  and  religion  ? 
 No ;  in  such  a  time  the  Providence  of 
 God  calls,  "To  arms!"  The  sword  is 
 then  consecrated,  and  the  art  of  war 
 becomes  part  of  our  religion. 
 
 The  Moabites,  against  whom  this  pro- 
 phecy was  denounced,  were  a  trouble- 
 some and  restless  nation  in  the  neigh- 
 bourhood of  the  Jews,  who,  though 
 often  subdued  by  them,  struggled  to 
 recover  their  power,  and  renewed  their 
 hostilities  ;  by  this  and  other  sins  their 
 guilt  rendered  them  ripe  for  execution. 
 The  Babylonians  were  commissioned  to 
 this  work  of  vengeance,  and  they  were 
 bound  to  execute  the  commission  faith- 
 fully, under  penalty  of  a  curse. 
 
 The  text  is  a  declaration  of  the 
 righteous  "  curse "  of  God  against  a 
 dastardly  refusal  to  engage  in  war  when 
 it  is  our  duty,  or  a  deceitful,  negligent 
 discharge  of  that  duty  after  we  have 
 engaged  in  it.  This  denunciation  i? 
 levelled,  like  the  artillery  of  heaven, 
 against  the  coivard,  and  against  the 
 self-seeking,  as  distinguished  from  the 
 patriotic  soldier. 
 
 G39 
 
CHAP.  XLVIIT. 
 
 IIOMILETIC  COMMENTARY:  JEREMIAH. 
 
 I.  Present  a  brief  view  of  the  cir- 
 cumstances  which    call   us    to    war. 
 
 Barbarities  and  depredations  of  Indian 
 savages  and  French  papists.  Homes 
 demolished,  and  families  fleeing  in  con- 
 sternation;  the  dead  lie  mangled  with 
 brutal  wounds  J  others  have  been  dragged 
 away  captives,  made  the  slaves  of  im- 
 perious savages.  Our  frontiers  have 
 been  drenched  with  the  blood  of  our 
 fellow-subjects.  Our  country  bleeds 
 at  a  thousand  veins,  and  without  our 
 timely  remedy  the  wound  will  prove 
 mortal. 
 
 Is  it  not,  therefore,  our  duty  in  the 
 sight  of  God,  a  work  to  which  He  loudly 
 calls  us,  to  take  up  arms  for  the  defence 
 of  our  country  ?  Certainly ;  and  "Cursed 
 is  he  who  [without  justifiable  reasons] 
 keepeth  his  sword  from  blood." 
 
 The  man  that  can  desert  the  cause  of 
 his  country  in  such  an  emergency,  whose 
 blessings  he  has  shared  in  times  of  peace, 
 and  whose  sympathy  and  aid  he  shares 
 in  the  day  of  distress,  that  cowardly, 
 ungrateful  man  deserves  the  curse  of 
 both  God  and  his  country. 
 
 What  greater  evidence  of  ingratitude 
 can  be  given  than  a  supine  neglect  of 
 the  blessings  the  land  enjoys,  and  a 
 stupidly  tame  resignation  of  them  into 
 rapacious  hands?  Love  of  country  and 
 of  religion  calls  us  to  action. 
 
 II.  Show  what  is  that  deceitful  per- 
 formance of  the  Lord's  work,  or  un- 
 reasonable keeping  back  the  sword 
 from  blood,  which  exposes  to  His 
 curse.  If  soldiers  should  unman  them- 
 selves with  debauchery  instead  of  risking 
 life  for  defence  of  country ;  if  they  shun 
 instead  of  seeking  out  the  enemy ;  if 
 they  consult  what  is  safest  and  easiest 
 for  themselves  and  not  for  their  country; 
 when  they  prolong  the  war  that  they 
 may  the  longer  live  and  riot  at  the 
 nation's  expense ;  v/hen  they  do  not 
 conscientiously  exert  all  their  power  to 
 repel  the  enemy  and  protect  the  state  ; 
 then  they  "do  the  work  of  the  Lord 
 deceitfully,"  and  His  curse  lights  on 
 them  as  their  heavy  doom.  Let  sobriety, 
 public  spirit,  courage,  fidelity,  and  good 
 discipline  be  maintained  among  you. 
 
 But,  besides  soldiers,  you  are  sinners, 
 and  candidates  for  etei-nity.     We  may 
 640 
 
 never  meet  more.  You  are  concerned 
 to  save  your  own  souls  as  well  as  your 
 country.  Surely  immorality  and  de- 
 bauchery cannot  better  inspire  soldiers 
 with  fortitude  against  the  fear  of  death 
 than  prayer  and  a  life  of  holiness.  Such 
 courage  must  be  a  brutal  stupidity  or 
 ferocity,  not  the  rational  courage  of  a 
 man  or  a  Christian. 
 
 If  free  from  these  vices,  negative  good- 
 ness  is  not  enough  to  "prepare  you  for 
 death.  You  must  experience  Divine 
 grace ;  become  humble  penitents  and 
 true  believers  in  Jesus  Christ ;  must 
 "  live  soberly,  righteously,  and  godly 
 in  this  present  evil  world."  This  is 
 religion,  which  will  inspire  and  be- 
 friend in  conflict,  and  sustain  you  in 
 death. 
 
 God  grant  you  a  safe  return  from  the 
 struggle,  crowned  with  the  laurels  of 
 victory. 
 
 But  if  the  defence  of  our  country,  in 
 which  ive  can  stay  but  a  few  years  at 
 most,  be  so  important  a  duty,  then  how 
 much  more  are  we  obliged  to  "  seek  a 
 better  countrj^,  even  a  heavenly,"  and 
 to  carry  on  vigorous  luar  against  our 
 spiritual  enemies  who  would  rob  us  of 
 our  heavenly  inheritance  !  Therefore, 
 in  the  Name  of  "  the  Captain  of  our 
 salvation,"  I  invite  you  to  enlist  in  the 
 spiritual  warfare.  "  Take  to  you  the 
 whole  armour  of  God;  quit  you  like 
 men ;  be  strong."  And  for  encourage- 
 ment, remember,  "  He  that  overcometli 
 shall  inherit  all  things,"  and  enter  a 
 kingdom  which  cannot  be  shaken  or 
 assailed. — Preached  to  the  Militia  hg 
 President  Davies,  a.d.  1758. 
 
 Vers.  10,  11.  Theme:  Carnal  Secu- 
 rity. "  Moab  hath  been  at  ease  from 
 his  youth,  and  he  hath  settled  on  his 
 lees,  and  hath  not  been  emptied  from 
 vessel  to  vessel,  neither  hath  he  gone 
 into  captivity :  therefore  his  taste  re- 
 mained in  him,  and  his  scent  is  not 
 changed.  Therefore,  behold,  the  days 
 come,  saith  the  Lord,  that  I  will  send 
 unto  him  wanderers,  that  shall  cause 
 him  to  wander,  and  shall  empty  his 
 vessels,  and  break  their  bottles." 
 
 For  a  considerable  season  Moab  had 
 been  free  from  the  inroads  of  war  and 
 
HOMILETIG  COMMENTARY :  JEREMIAH. 
 
 CHAP.   XLVIII. 
 
 the  terrors  of  pestilence  ;  bad,  therefore, 
 become  so  conceitedly  secure,  that  the 
 Lord  said,  "  We  have  heard  the  pride 
 of  Moab,"  &c.  (ver.  29).  The  people 
 became  vain,  hectoring,  and  boastful, 
 and  mocked  at  their  afflicted  neighbours 
 the  Israelites,  manifesting  ungenerous 
 joy  in  their  sorrows  (ver.  27).  From 
 this  pride  sprang  luxury  and  all  those 
 other  vices  which  find  a  convenient  lair 
 in  the  repose  of  unbroken  prosperity. 
 The  warriors  of  Moab  said,  "  We  are 
 mighty  and  strong  men  for  the  war ; " 
 as  vainglorious  sinners,  they  defied  all 
 law  and  power ;  trusting  in  Chemosh, 
 they  despised  Jehovah,  and  magnified 
 themselves  against  the  Lord.  The  pro- 
 phet compares  that  country  to  wine 
 which  has  been  allowed  to  stand  un- 
 stirred and  unmoved :  it  settles  on  its 
 lees,  grows  strong,  retains  its  aroma, 
 and  gathers  daily  fresh  body  and  spirit, 
 "  But,"  saith  he,  "  the  day  shall  come 
 when  God  shall  shake  this  undisturbed 
 liquor,  when  He  shall  send  wandering 
 bands  of  Chaldeans  that  shall  waste  the 
 country,  so  that  the  bottles  shall  be 
 broken  and  the  vessels  shall  be  emptied, 
 and  the  proud  prosperity  of  Moab  shall 
 ,  end  in  utter  desolation."  The  unusual 
 repose  of  Moab  had  been  the  envy  of 
 the  people  of  Israel,  but  they  might 
 well  cease  to  envy  when  they  under- 
 stood how  suddenly  it  should  be  over- 
 thrown. 
 
 That  continued  prosperity  breeds  car- 
 nal security  is  proved  by  the  instance  of 
 Moab.  In  the  first  place,  this  is  the 
 common  mischief  of  ungodly  men;  in  the 
 second  place,  this  is  the  frequent  danger 
 of  the  most  godly. 
 
 I.  Carnal  security  is  the  common 
 mischief  of  the  unconverted,  the  god- 
 less, the  prayerless,  the  Christless. 
 Many  have  become  like  Moab.  At 
 ease  from  your  youth,  not  "  emptied 
 from  vessel  to  vessel,"  but  settled  upon 
 your  lees,  and  therefore  careless  and 
 heedless. 
 
 1.  This  is  so  common  among  the  un- 
 godly, that  the  whole  world  was  in  this 
 condition  immediately  before  the  great 
 Deluge  which  destroyed  the  ancient  race. 
 We  read  that  "  they  married  and  were 
 given  in  marriage."     They  did  eat  and 
 
 did  drink,  and  were  drunken  even  until 
 the  day  when  Noah  entered  into  the 
 ark,  and  the  floods  came  and  swept  them 
 all  away.  The  preacher  of  righteous- 
 ness for  one  hundred  and  twenty  years 
 warned  them  that  their  sins  were  become 
 intolerable  to  Heaven,  and  that  vengeance 
 would  surely  be  taken  ujjon  their  devices, 
 but  they  laughed  the  prophet  to  scorn. 
 The  world  is  so  little  changed  to-day, 
 that  if  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ  should 
 now  come,  as  come  He  will,  "  in  such 
 an  hour  as  ye  think  not,"  He  would 
 find  the  mass  of  men  still  in  the  same 
 condition.  "  As  it  was  in  the  days  of 
 Noe,  so  shall  it  be  also  in  the  days  of 
 the  Son  of  Man."  This  is  the  abiding 
 state  of  the  world  which  lieth  in  the 
 wicked  one  :  settled  on  its  lees,  it  is  not 
 emptied  from  vessel  to  vessel,  and  there- 
 fore it  dreams  itself  into  presumptuous 
 peace. 
 
 2.  But  from  the  world  at  large  to  come 
 to  particulars. 
 
 (1.)  The  hold  offenders  who  are  at  ease 
 in  open  sin.  They  began  life  with  ini- 
 quity, and  have  made  terrible  progress 
 in  it.  These  men  are  not  disturbed  in 
 their  sins ;  their  conscience  has  been 
 seared  as  with  a  hot  iron  :  things  which 
 others  would  tremble  at  are  to  them  a 
 jest ;  they  make  a  mock  at  sin  ;  they 
 play  with  burning  coals  of  lust  and 
 carry  fire  in  their  bosom,  and  boast  that 
 they  are  not  burned.  These  are  they  of 
 whom  David  said,  "  They  are  not  in 
 trouble  as  other  men,"  &c.  (Ps.  Ixxiii. 
 57).  Bead  yonder  handwriting  on  the 
 wall,  O  despiser;  and  this  is  the  inter- 
 pretation thereof  :  "  Thou  art  weighed 
 in  the  balances  and  found  wanting ;  thy 
 joy  shall  soon  be  taken  from  thee,  and 
 thy  life  also,  and  what  shalt  thou  do  in 
 the  day  when  the  Lord  requireth  thy 
 soul?" 
 
 (2.)  Men  who  give  themselves  wholly 
 up  to  the  ivorlcVs  business.  Such  men, 
 for  instance,  as  one  whom  Christ  called 
 "  Fool."  You  know  the  story :  his 
 fields  brought  forth  plenteously,  &c. 
 He  was  a  raiser  of  grain  and  a  hoarder 
 of  gold,  and  nothing  more.  This  is  the 
 end  and  object  of  the  most  of  mankind. 
 Gain  is  the  world's  summum  honum,  the 
 chief  of  all  mortal  good,  the  main  chance, 
 s  U\ 
 
CHAP.  XLVIir. 
 
 EOMILETIO  COMMENTARY:  JEREMIAH. 
 
 the  prime  object,  the  barometer  of 
 success  in  life,  the  one  thing  needful, 
 the  heart's  delight.  And  yet,  O  world- 
 lings, Jesus  Christ  calls  you  fools. 
 "  Thou  fool,"  said  He ;  and  why?  Be- 
 cause the  man's  soul  would  be  required 
 of  him ;  and  then  whose  would  those 
 things  be  which  he  had  gathered  to- 
 gether ? 
 
 (3.)  The  man  ivho  forgets  God  and 
 lives  in  slothful  ease.  He  is  like  the 
 man  who  deposited  the  napkin  and  the 
 talent  in  the  earth,  and  was  perfectly  at 
 his  ease — a  fair  picture,  indeed,  of  many 
 who  ought  to  be  serving  God ;  but  they 
 think  they  have  little  ability,  and  there- 
 fore do  not  strive  even  to  do  what  they 
 can.  They  are  not  openly  sinful;  they 
 are  quiet,  easy-going,  good-tempered 
 souls,  but  the  talent,  where  is  it  ? 
 Buried  !  Alas  !  it  will  have  a  resurrec- 
 tion, and  when  it  rises,  all  rusty  from 
 that  rotting  napkin,  what  a  witness  will 
 it  bear,  and  how  will  the  Master  say, 
 "  Thou  wicked  and  slothful  servant ! " 
 The  charge  of  sloth  was  quite  enough. 
 His  doom  was  swift  and  terrible.  It  is 
 not  enough  to  abstain  from  outward  sin, 
 and  so  to  be  negatively  moral ;  unless 
 you  bring  forth  fruits  unto  righteousness, 
 you  have  not  the  life  of  God  in  you ; 
 and  however  much  you  may  be  at  ease, 
 there  shall  come  a  rough  awakening  to 
 your  slumbers,  and  the  shrill  sound  of 
 the  archangel's  trumpet  shall  be  to  you 
 no  other  than  the  blast  of  the  trumpet 
 of  condemnation,  because  ye  took  your 
 ease  when  ye  should  have  served  your 
 God. 
 
 (4.)  There  are  many  in  the  prof  essing 
 Christian  Church  who  are  in  the  same 
 state  as  Moab.  At  the  table  of  com- 
 munion they  sit  with  God's  people. 
 Their  profession  is  a  very  comely  one, 
 and  their  outward  conduct  exceedingly 
 honourable,  yet  they  lack  the  inward 
 spiritual  grace.  They  have  the  virgin's 
 lamp,  but  they  have  no  oil  in  the  vessel 
 with  their  lamps  ;  and  yet  so  comfortable 
 are  these  professors,  that  they  slumber 
 and  sleep.  Let  not  presumption  hold 
 you  in  its  deadly  embrace.  Remember, 
 you  may  think  yourself  a  believer,  and 
 everybody  else  may  think  so  too,  and 
 you  may  fail  to  find  out  your  error  until 
 042 
 
 it  is  too  late  to  rectify  it.  Be  ye  not, 
 0  ye  professors,  like  Moab,  that  had 
 settled  upon  his  lees  ! 
 
 (5.)  The  mass  of  moral  men  who  are 
 destitute  of  faith  in  Jesus.  They  hear 
 of  the  convictions  and  troubles  of  an 
 awakened  conscience,  and  they  inwardly 
 sneer  at  such  fanaticism,  and  boast  that 
 they  never  stooped  to  such  feelings. 
 But  those  pangs,  and  throes,  and  toss- 
 ings  of  a  wounded  conscience  are  signs 
 of  the  dawn  of  spiritual  life ;  it  is  by 
 such  things  as  these  that  we  are  led  to 
 put  our  trust  in  Jesus ;  and  those  who 
 have  never  felt  them  may  well  lament 
 before  the  Lord,  and  pray  that  they 
 may  experience  them — that  they  may 
 be  brought  soundly  and  safely  out  of 
 their  self-righteousness,  and  led  to  rest 
 upon  the  finished  work  of  the  dear  Re- 
 deemer. Better  to  suffer  a  present  dis- 
 turbance which  will  end  in  life,  than 
 enjoy  the  ease  which  is  itself  a  protrac- 
 ted death.  God  give  you  to  be  saved 
 through  Jesus  Christ ! 
 
 II.  Carnal  security  is  the  freciuent 
 danger  of  the  most  godly.  A  Christian 
 may  fall  into  a  state  of  carnal  security, 
 in  which  he  grows  self-confident,  insen- 
 sible, careless,  inactive,  and  worldly.  The 
 great  disease  of  England  is  consumption, 
 but  I  suppose  it  would  be  difficult  to 
 describe  the  causes  and  workings  of 
 consumption  and  decline.  The  same 
 kind  of  disease  is  common  among  Chris- 
 tians. It  is  not  that  many  Christians 
 fall  into  outward  sin,  and  so  on,  but 
 throughout  our  Churches  we  have  scores 
 who  are  in  a  spiritual  consumption — 
 their  powers  are  all  feeble  and  decaying. 
 They  have  an  unusually  bright  eye — 
 can  see  other  people's  faults  exceedingly 
 well — and  sometimes  they  have  a  flush 
 on  their  cheeks  which  looks  very  like 
 burning  zeal  and  eminent  spiritual  life, 
 but  it  is  occasional  and  superficial.  Vital 
 energy  is  at  a  low  ebb  :  they  do  not 
 work  for  God  like  genuinely  healthy 
 workmen ;  the  heart  does  not  beat  with 
 a  throb  moving  the  entire  man ;  they 
 go  slumbering  on,  in  the  right  road  it  is 
 true,  but  loitering  in  it. 
 
 1.  The  rapid  residts  of  this  consump- 
 tion are  just  these  :  A  man  in  such  a  state 
 soon  gives    up   communion   with   God. 
 
HOMILETIG  COMMENTARY:  JEREMIAH. 
 
 CHAP.  XLVIII. 
 
 His  walk  with  God  is  broken  and  occa- 
 sional. His  prayers  very  soon  suffer. 
 By  degrees  his  conversation  ceases  to  be 
 earnest  for  Christ.  And  now,  strange 
 to  say,  "  The  minister  does  not  preach 
 as  he  used  to  do ; "  at  least  the  back- 
 slider says  so.  The  reason  is,  that  now 
 there  is  little  savour  about  the  Word  to 
 him.  Hymns  which  used  to  be  delight- 
 ful for  their  melody  now  pall  upon  his 
 ears ;  while  the  prayers  in  which  he  used 
 to  join  with  so  much  fervency  are  very 
 flat  to  him  now.  Very  much  of  this 
 sluggishness  is  brought  on  by  long-con- 
 tinued respite  from  trouble. 
 
 "  More  the  treacherous  calm  I  dread 
 Than  tempests  rolling  overhead." 
 
 2.  The  great  secret  danger  coming  out 
 of  all  this  is,  that  when  a  man  reaches 
 the  state  of  carnal  security  he  is  ready 
 for  any  evil.  If  the  history  of  great 
 offenders  could  be  traced,  it  would  be 
 very  much  like  this :  they  began  well, 
 but  they  slackened  by  degrees,  till  at 
 last  they  were  ripe  for  foul  sin.  Who 
 would  think  that  David,  the  man  after 
 God's  own  heart,  should  come  to  be  the 
 murderer  of  his  friend  Uriah,  to  rob  him 
 of  his  wife  1  O  David  !  art  thou  so  near 
 to  heaven  and  yet  so  near  to  hell  %  There 
 is  a  David  in  every  one  of  our  hearts, 
 and  if  we  begin  to  backslide  from  God,  we 
 do  not  know  to  what  extent  we  may  slip. 
 
 3.  God's  cure  for  this  malady.  His 
 usual  way  is  by  pouring  our  settled  wine 
 from  vessel  to  vessel.  If  we  cannot  bear 
 prosperity,  the  Lord  will  not  continue  it 
 to  us.  Have  you  never  dreamed  that 
 you  were  trying  to  walk  and  could  not  ? 
 You  felt  as  though  you  could  not  move 
 a  foot — some  one  was  about  to  overtake 
 you  who  would  do  you  serious  mischief, 
 and  you  longed  to  run  and  could  not  stir 
 an  inch.  That  is  the  state  of  mind  in 
 which  we  get  when  we  would  but  can- 
 not pray,  when  we  would  but  cannot 
 repent,  when  we  want  to  believe  and 
 cannot,  when  we  would  give  a  world  for 
 one  single  tear,  would  almost  pawn  our 
 souls  to  obtain  a  quiver  of  spiritual  feel- 
 ing, but  were  insensible  still : — 
 
 "  If  aught  is  felt,  'tis  only  pain 
 To  find  '  I  cannot  feel.'  " 
 
 Do  you  ever  sink  into  that  petrified 
 
 condition  1  Can  you  be  its  victim  and 
 yet  be  happy  ?  Betake  yourself  to  ear- 
 nest prayer.  It  will  need  God  within 
 us  to  keep  us  from  such  a  tremendous 
 peril. 
 
 See  Addenda  :  Troubles  Eevive  us. 
 
 4.  What  ought  tve  to  do  if  we  are 
 prospering  ?  If  God  is  prospering  us, 
 the  way  to  prevent  lethargy  is — be  very 
 grateful  for  the  prosperity  which  you 
 are  enjoying ;  do  not  pray  for  trouble 
 — you  will  have  it  quickly  enough  with- 
 out asking  for  it ;  be  grateful  for  your 
 prosperity,  but  make  use  of  it.  Do  all 
 you  possibly  can  for  God  while  He  pros- 
 pers you  in  business;  try  to  live  very 
 closely  to  Him.  Watch  the  very  first 
 symptoms  of  declining,  and  fly  to  Christ, 
 the  Great  Physician.  He  will  give  you 
 the  balm  of  Gilead  which  will  prevent 
 the  mischief,  and  you  may  bear  the  heats 
 of  prosperity  as  safely  as  the  chill  blasts 
 of  adversity. 
 
 But  if  you  have  fallen  into  such  a 
 state,  the  one  cure  is  the  Holy  Spirit, 
 Go  to  the  cross  of  Christ  again.  Chris- 
 tian, if  you  have  fallen  from  your  first 
 estate,  go  as  you  hope  you  went  at  first ; 
 go  with  your  deadness,  and  sloth,  and 
 lethargy,  and  put  your  trust  in  the  pre- 
 cious blood,  and  ask  the  Lord  Jesus  to 
 fill  you  with  the  Spirit  once  again,  that 
 you  may  be  renewed.  Try  to  get  a  due 
 estimate  of  your  indebtedness  to  God's 
 grace  ;  try  to  see  the  danger  of  your 
 lethargy;  think  more  of  eternity  and  less 
 of  time.  Rend  yourself  away  a  little 
 from  your  worldly  engagements,  if  pos- 
 sible ;  put  away  your  fancied  security, 
 and  by  strong  crying  and  tears  turn 
 again  to  your  former  state  of  nearness 
 to  the  living  God. 
 
 Owing  Thee  so  much,  0  Jesus  !  may 
 we  love  Thee  much  in  return,  and  be 
 found  faithful  when  Thou  shalt  come  to 
 reward  Thy  people  and  to  be  glorified 
 in  Thy  saints.  Amen. — C.  H.  Spurgeon, 
 A.D,  1867. 
 
 Ver,  11,  Theme:  Indifference  to 
 Eternal  Realities.  "Moab  hath  been 
 at  ease  from  his  youth." 
 
 L  True  of  men  in  the  prime  of  life  or 
 in  the  decay  of  old  age.  The  high-born, 
 cradled  in  luxury,  &c.     No  concern  as 
 
 6i3 
 
CHAP.  XLVIII. 
 
 HOMILETIG  COMMENTARY :  JEREMIAH. 
 
 to  things  temporal  or  spiritual.     "  Soul, 
 take  thine  ease,"  &c. 
 
 Multitudes  of  men  of  business  and 
 toilers  in  all  grades  of  social  life  have 
 "  been  at  ease  from  their  youth  "  touch- 
 ing their  eternal  interests.  Conscience 
 seared ;  no  heed  of  the  momentous  truths 
 of  revelation. 
 
 II.  Deplorable  to  see  men  "  at  ease  " 
 in  the  condition  in  which  sin  has  placed 
 them  and  the  Gospel  finds  them.  That 
 condition  is  one  of  guilt  and  condem- 
 nation.  In  this  condition  the  Gospel 
 comes  with  declaration  of  free  remission 
 of  all  their  sins  through  faith  in  Jesus 
 Christ ;  yet  states  that,  rejecting  Christ's 
 grace,  the  soul  must  die  1 
 
 Guilt  and  condemnation  are,  therefore, 
 increased  when  the  Gospel  is  rejected ; 
 and  yet  men,  despising  salvation,  are 
 "  at  ease." 
 
 III.  Apathy  so  serious,  so  appalling, 
 calls  for  explanation.  For  men  to  be 
 easy  under  condemnation,  surely  it  be- 
 speaks Satan's  influence  exerted  on  mind 
 and  heart  (2  Cor.  iv.  3,  4). 
 
 The  explanation  therefore  of  this  ease 
 and  indifference  is  supernatural  "  blind- 
 ness." Danger  seen  or  apprehended 
 destroys  thoughtless  ease  and  stoical 
 apathy.  No  sooner  is  a  soul  enlightened 
 to  its  state  and  peril  than  the  distressed 
 cry  rises,  "  What  must  I  do  to  be 
 saved  1 " 
 
 IV.  Peace  can  be  found  only  in  Jesus. 
 It  is  a  peace  solid,  substantial,  and  abid- 
 ing— the  fniit  of  faith.  Far  different 
 from  the  stolidity  of  Moab.  Yet  this 
 divinely-given  peace  is  not  mere  quiet- 
 vde.  For  the  soul  is  aroused,  active, 
 earnest. 
 
 V.  Under  the  very  sound  of  the  Gospel 
 souls  "sit  at  ease."  The  call  is  addressed, 
 "Awake,  thou  that  sleepest,"  &c.,  but 
 they  remain  in  death-like  torpor.  The 
 warning,  "  Flee  from  the  wrath  to  come  I" 
 is  given,  but  they  treat  it  as  a  false 
 alarm.  The  invitation  is  presented, 
 "  Come  unto  Me,"  but  they  turn  aside. 
 
 God  regards  such  ivith  special  anger  : 
 "  Woe  to  them  that  are  at  ease  in  Zion." 
 They  slight  not  the  word  of  man,  but 
 of  God.  "I  have  called,  but  ye  refused," 
 &c.  (Prov.  i.  24,  26). 
 
 Careless  souls,  rouse  from  yoiir  torpor. 
 G44 
 
 Why  cry  "  Peace,  peace  !  when  there  is 
 no  peace  "  ?  —  Pledges  "  Walks  with 
 Jeremiah." 
 
 Comments. — ^Ver.  12.  '*  I  -will  send 
 UNTO  HIM  Wanderers," &c.,  lit.,  "tillers, 
 who  shall  tilt  him  zip  and  empty  his 
 vessels,"  i.e.,  the  Chaldeans,  who  w^ould 
 remove  Moab  from  his  settlements. 
 "His  vessels"  are  the  cities  of  Moab. 
 The  "  broken  bottles  "  or  pitchers  alludes 
 to  smaller  receptacles  as  well  as  the 
 larger  vessels,  and  suggests  the  destruc- 
 tion of  "  everything  that  has  contained 
 the  wine  of  her  political  life,  both  small 
 and  great." — Dr.  Payne  Smith. 
 
 Ver.  13.  "Israel  was  ashamed  op 
 Bethel."  Israel  had  trusted  in  the 
 calf-deity  worshipped  at  Bethel  (1  Kings 
 xii.  27,  29;  Hos.  x.  15;  Amos  iii.  14; 
 V.  5,  6 ;  vii.  1 3),  but  Shalmanezer's 
 conquest  had  put  their  trust  to  "  shame." 
 Even  so  would  Moab  become  "  ashamed  " 
 of  Chemosh,  their  hope  in  his  protection 
 being  refuted. 
 
 Ver.  15.  "  His  Chosen  Young  Men 
 are  gone  down  to  the  Slaughter." 
 A  text  suitable  for  sermon  on  occasion 
 of  Calamity  befalling  Young  Men, 
 or  upon  the  theme  Sin's  Destructive 
 Action  upon  the  Young. 
 
 I.  How  appalling  are  the  ravages  of 
 calamity  or  sin  !  "  Gone  down  to  the 
 slaughter." 
 
 II.  How  unsuspecting  is  youth  of 
 perils  and  destruction  !  "  Young  men 
 are  go7ie  doivn,"  not  dreaming  of  the  dire 
 issue  of  their  course. 
 
 III.  How  pitiless  is  evil  to  the  pre- 
 ciousness  of  youth  !  Slaughters  even 
 "  chosen  young  men  !  "  i.e.,  "the  choice 
 ones  of  his  young  men." 
 
 IV.  How  urgently  should  the  young 
 regard  the  warnings  of  danger !  It 
 was  impossible  for  these  "  young  men  " 
 to  escape  "  slaughter"  in  going  down  to 
 face  the  invincible  Chaldeans.  "  Young 
 men"  may  deem  themselves  strong — 
 may  scorn  the  perils  which  others  see 
 for  them,  and  of  which  they  warn  them 
 — but  the  world  is  full  of  dangers  to 
 youth  ! 
 
 Observe    that    this     admonition    oi;" 
 
EOMILETIC  COMMENTARY :  JEREMIAH. 
 
 CHAP.  XLVIir, 
 
 coming  doom  to  the  reckless  young  men 
 is  spoken  by  "  tlie  King  whose  name 
 is  the  LoED  of  hosts." 
 
 Ver.  16.  "Calamity  is  near  to 
 COME,  AND  Affliction  hasteth  fast." 
 *'  Near  "  to  the  prophet's  eye,  although 
 twenty-three  years  elapsed  between  the 
 fourth  year  of  Jehoiakim  (when  this 
 prophecy  was  uttered)  and  the  fifth 
 year  after  Nebuchadnezzar's  conquest 
 of  Jerusalem  (when  this  prophecy  was 
 fulfilled). 
 
 I.  God's  warnings  give  time  for  pre- 
 paration. 
 
 II.  Justice,  though  slow,  yet  surely 
 moves  onward. 
 
 III.  G-od's  hand  lingers  to  deal  the 
 fatal  blow  so  long  as  there  is  possibility 
 of  amendment. 
 
 Ver.  17.  Theme:  Bemoaning  the 
 Sinner's  Doom.  "  All  human  glory  is 
 turned  to  shame,  whether  one  glorify 
 himself,  as  (according  to  ver.  14)  Moab 
 had  done — to  which  the  destruction  of 
 all  his  warlike  power  stands  in  strong 
 contrast  (ver.  15) — ov  good  friends  and 
 neighbours  praise  us ;  for  these  may 
 early  and  easily  find  occasion  (ver.  16) 
 to  turn  their  song  of  praise  into  a  lamen- 
 tation."— Naeg. 
 
 ^^  Bemoan" — not  that  Moab  deserved 
 pity,  but  this  mode  of  expression  pic- 
 tures more  vividly  the  grievousness  of 
 Moab's  calamities. — Jamieson. 
 
 "  Know  his  name  " — peoples  at  a  dis- 
 tance who  had  heard  his  name. 
 
 "  Strong  staff  "  —  metaphorical  of 
 Moab's  power,  other  nations  having 
 been  oppressed  and  terrified  thereby 
 (Isa.  ix.  4 ;  xiv.  4,  5). 
 
 " Beaiitiful  rod" — the  splendour  of 
 the  Moabite  kingdom  (Ps.  ex.  2 ;  Isa. 
 xiv.  29;  Ezek.  xix.  11,  12,  14). 
 
 I.  Human  greatness  brought  to  ruin. 
 Fame  reversed.  Dignity  humiliated. 
 Wealth  lost.  Influence  forfeited.  Virtue 
 squandered.  Noble  poivers  prostituted. 
 Fair  promises  ofjnety  falsified.  Precious 
 character  degraded.  Immortal  so7il  lost. 
 Oh,  the  wrecks  of  human  greatness ! 
 Oh,  the  irretrievable  loss  of  human 
 purity  !  Oh,  the  eternal  doom  of  im- 
 penitent souls  ! 
 
 II.  A  sinners  ruin  helplessly  be- 
 wailed. 
 
 1.  Friends,  near  and  afar,  those 
 "  about  him,"  and  those  "  who  know 
 his  name,"  intimate  friends  and  more 
 remote  acquaintances,  can  do  nothing  but 
 lament !     Cannot  help,  yet  can  weep. 
 
 2.  The  ruin  of  a  noble  life  is  indeed 
 cause  for  bem^oaning.  Who  can  tell  the 
 woe  of  the  lost,  the  "  weeping  and 
 gnashing  of  teeth  "  ! 
 
 III.  Outward  glory  utterly  deso- 
 lated. 
 
 1.  Strength  ("strong  staff")  and 
 6ea«^y  ("  beautiful  rod  ")  win  men's  re- 
 cognition and  praise. 
 
 2.  Outward  virtues  (physical  and  ex- 
 trinsic) do  not  prove  the  possession  of 
 intrinsic  worth  of  character  and  spirit. 
 
 3.  External  virtues  are  valueless  to 
 God  without  piety. 
 
 4.  Men's  admiration  and  praise  will 
 not  save  a  soul. 
 
 Ver.  19.  Theme:  The  Fate  of  others 
 A  Warning  to  us.  "  Stand  by  the  way 
 and  espy ;  ask  him  that  fleeth  and  her 
 that  escapeth.  What  is  done  ?  " 
 
 The  pillar  of  salt  on  the  plains  of 
 Sodom  was  a  warning  to  individual 
 sinners.  Buried  Nineveh  is  a  monu- 
 mental admonition  to  godless  nations. 
 W7'etched  homes  around  us  show  the  woe 
 consequent  upon  guilty  hidulgences.  Em- 
 bittered lives  testify  of  the  miseries  of 
 iniquity,  the  delusion  of  the  world's 
 seductions,  the  falsity  of  sin's  pleasure, 
 that  "  it  is  an  evil  and  a  bitter  thing  to 
 sin  against  God." 
 
 I.  Admonitions  are  offered  by  the 
 careers  others  pursue. 
 
 II.  An  observant  eye  will  discern 
 the  consequences  of  wrong. 
 
 III.  Miseries  befalling  others  warn 
 us  to  shun  the  cause. 
 
 IV.  God  writes  lessons  upon  the 
 lives  men  live  that  we  may  be  wise. 
 
 V.  Attention  to  human  history 
 proves  the  woe  of  ungodliness. 
 
 VI.  Men  need  salvation  from  them- 
 selves— from  their  sins,  which  work 
 their  ruin ;  from  their  self-glorying, 
 which  shuts  away  the  gracious  help  of 
 God  and  the  saving  power  of  Cbrist. 
 
 Stand  in  the  "  public  way  "  and  see 
 645 
 
CHAP.  XLVIII. 
 
 HOMILETIC  COMMENTARY:  JEREMIAH. 
 
 what  sermons  the  careers  of  men  preach ; 
 "  ask  "  individual  sinners  of  the  conse- 
 quences of  their  indulgences  and  their 
 impiety  ;  then  beware  !     See  Ps.  i. 
 
 Ver.  27.  Theme:  Derision  of  God's 
 People  Avenged.  Moab  had  exulted 
 formerly  over  the  calamity  which  befel 
 the  ten  tribes  (2  Kings  xvii.  6)  under 
 the  Assyrian  Shalmanezer  (Isa.  xv,  6) ; 
 now  Moab  rejoices  over  the  fall  of 
 Judah  under  the  Chaldean  Nebuchad- 
 nezzar. 
 
 I.  God  takes  up  His  people's  cause 
 as  His  own.  See  Obad.  x.  13.  He 
 feels  what  they  endure. 
 
 II.  Wrong  charges  against  the  godly 
 refuted  by  God  Himself.  Jehovah 
 demands  the  justification  of  Moab's  de- 
 rision. What  had  Israel  done  to  deserve 
 it  1  Was  he  detected  in  nefarious  con- 
 duct ?  had  he  consorted  with  evil  con- 
 spirators ?  "  Was  Israel  found  among 
 thieves  ?  "     See  Zech.  iii.  2. 
 
 III.  Retribution  comes  back  to  evil- 
 doers in  kind.  "  Moab  also  shall  be 
 in  derision "  (ver.  26).  He  in  his 
 disaster  shall  be  a  derision  to  Israel. 
 Oh,  when  sinners  are  overthrown  in 
 awful  judgment  at  the  end  of  the  world, 
 how  will  the  saints  of  God  have  cause  to 
 chide  and  scorn  them  for  their  proud 
 contempt  of  those  whom  God  loved  ! 
 See  Moses'  song  over  the  defeated  host 
 of  Pharaoh,  Exod.  xv.  ;  also  Israel's 
 exultation  over  Babel  as  *'  Lucifer," 
 Isa.  xiv.  4-17  ]  also  the  Church's 
 rejoicing  over  Satan's  fall,  Ptev.  xii. 
 9-12  ;  and  the  true  Church  of  Christ 
 over  the  apostate  Church  of  Pome,  llev. 
 xviii.  1-20. 
 
 Even  so  shall  God  have  scorners  in 
 derision  when  calamity  overtakes  them. 
 See  Prov.  i.  26-30.  "  I  will  laugh  at 
 your  calamity,"  &c. 
 
 Ver.  28.  Theme :  A  EocK  for  Safe 
 Hiding.  "  Divell  in  the  rode,  and  he 
 like  the  dove." 
 
 Text  part  of  prophecy  concerning  the 
 overthrow  and  desolation  of  Moab.  Yet 
 she  is  warned  to  escape  the  impending 
 danger,  and  shelter  herself  in  the  moun- 
 tain fastnesses  where  the  sword  could 
 not  reach  them. 
 640 
 
 I.  Admire  the  compassion  God  dis- 
 plays. 
 
 1.  He  ivarns  before  He  smites. 
 
 2.  He  provides  a  shelter  before  the 
 storm  hursts. 
 
 3.  He  shows  solicitude  for  those  who 
 disregard  their  oion  safety. 
 
 II.  Accept  the  security  God  pro- 
 vides. 
 
 1.  Distrust  the  safety  ivhich  the  world 
 offers.     "  Leave  the  cities." 
 
 2.  Dream  of  no  security  away  from 
 Christ.     "  Dwell  in  the  Pock." 
 
 3.  Hide  in  Him  amid  lowering  storms. 
 "  Come,  my  people,  hide  thyself  as  it 
 were  for  a  little  moment,"  &c.,  Isa. 
 xxvi.  20. 
 
 4.  Fear  no  future  crisis  when  safe 
 in  Him.  '  ISTot  death,  nor  the  glorious 
 return  of  Christ,  &c. 
 
 III.  Avoid  the  sins  God  condemns. 
 
 1.  Ajiathy  and  heedlessness.  "  Moab 
 at  ease  from  his  youth  "  (ver.  11).  Light 
 thoughts  of  sin.  Careless  of  God's  warn- 
 ings. 
 
 2.  Self-sufficiency  and  self-righteous- 
 ness. "  Heard  of  the  pride  of  Moab," 
 &c.  (ver.  29). 
 
 3.  Procrastination  and  delay.  "  Cala- 
 mity is  near"  (ver.  16). 
 
 IV.  Announce  the  tidings  God  de- 
 clares. 
 
 1.  To  those  terrified  by  apprehensions. 
 Let  them  know  there  is  a  *'  RocTc "  for 
 safe  hiding. 
 
 2.  To  those  beguiled  by  false  securities. 
 Urge  them  to  "  leave  the  cities  "  which 
 they  imagine  safe. 
 
 3.  To  those  loitering  amid  gathering 
 jyerils.  It  is  wise  to  seek  Christ  at 
 once,  and  hide  in  Him. 
 
 4.  To  those  iinsteady  in  their  religious 
 habits.  "  Divell  in  the  Rock  " — con- 
 stantly, contentedly ;  and  "  be  like  the 
 dove  that  maketh  her  nest " — "  Rest  in 
 the  Lord." 
 
 Ver.  28.  Theme:  Fleeing  for  Re- 
 fuge. "Oh,  ye  that  dwell  in  Moab, 
 leave  the  cities  and  dwell  in  the  Rock, 
 and  be  like  the  dove  that  maketh  her 
 nest  by  the  side  of  the  hole's  mouth." 
 
 The  uniformity  of  the  principles  of 
 Divine  government  in  p7'ovidence  and 
 grace.      It   was    au    important   part   of 
 
HOMILETIG  COMMENTARY :  JEREMIAH. 
 
 CHAP.  XLVIII. 
 
 the  duty  of  the  prophets  to  foretell  the 
 overthrow  of  those  kingdoms  which 
 opposed  the  Church  of  God.  It  was  a 
 source  of  consolation  that  the  empires 
 that  persecuted  the  Church  should  them- 
 selves be  finally  swept  from  earth,  that 
 the  way  might  be  made  smooth  for  the 
 coming  of  Christ — "  the  glory  of  His 
 peojyle  Israel." 
 
 This  prophecy  was  fulfilled  by  Nebu- 
 chadnezzar, and  the  destruction  of  the 
 chief  cities  of  Moab  took  place,  us 
 Josephus  says,  five  years  after  the  over- 
 throw of  Jerusalem  by  the  Chaldeans. 
 That  conqueror  not  only  burnt  the 
 Temple  of  God,  but  poured  the  tide  of 
 his  desolation  and  conquests  over  the 
 neighbour  nations,  and  Moab  among 
 the  number.  But  when  pursuing  his 
 own  gigantic  and  ambitious  designs,  he 
 little  thought  that  he  was  accomplishing 
 prophecies  of  which  he  had  never  heard 
 — just  as  Herod  and  Pilate,  in  the 
 Crucifixion  of  Christ,  only  fulfilled 
 ivhat  "  GooCs  own  hand  and  counsel 
 before  determined  to  he  done." 
 
 L  The  parties  addressed.  Learn 
 the  compassion  of  God  to  the  chief  of 
 sinners.  The  inhabitants  of  Moab, 
 whose  calamity  is  foretold  with  so 
 much  compassion  and  tenderness;  which 
 teaches  us  that  God  exercises  a  gracious 
 solicitude  not  only  for  friends  but  for 
 enemies.  For  Moab  was  not  a  neutral 
 state,  but  a  hostile  one — always  in  en- 
 mity and  arms  against  the  Church  of 
 God.  Their  country  closely  bordered 
 upon  the  Holy  Land. 
 
 But  though  such  near  neighbours  and 
 closely  allied  in  blood,  the  Moabites 
 were  bitter  enemies  to  the  people  of 
 God.  When  Israel  came  from  Egypt, 
 Moab  met  them  with  no  provision,  and 
 refused  them  a  passage  through  their 
 country.  They  hired  Balaam  to  curse ; 
 they  fought  bloody  battles  with  them; 
 they  held  Israel  in  bondage  in  time  of 
 the  Judges  eighteen  years ;  they  rebelled 
 against  Israel  under  Ahab  ;  they  warred 
 against  Judah  under  Jehoshaphat ;  and 
 when  the  ten  tribes  were  led  into  cap- 
 tivity by  Sennacherib,  they  mocked  their 
 miseries  and  danced  for  joy.  ^^  For  ivas 
 not  Israel  a  derision  to  thee  ?  luas  he 
 found   among    thieves  ?  for    since    thou 
 
 spakest  of  him  thou  skippest  for  Joy." 
 Yet  Israel  mourns  their  overthrow,  and 
 God  here  gives  instruction  and  warning 
 for  their  guidance — that  they  should 
 escape  the  cities  and  enter  the  Rock. 
 
 1.  Learn,  then,  that  God  warns  before 
 He  strikes,  and  follows  the  wicked  with 
 warning  upon  warning  and  entreaty 
 upon  entreaty.  Did  He  not  forewarn 
 the  men  of  the  old  world  one  hundred 
 and  twenty  years  before  the  Deluge  came 
 on  1  Did  He  not  wait  till  the  iniquity 
 of  the  Amorites  was  full  before  He 
 swept  them  away  %  Did  He  not  raise 
 a  long  succession  of  prophets  to  foretell 
 the  destruction  of  Jerusalem  1  and  is  not 
 Moab  here  warned  of  the  approaching 
 desolation?  Was  it  not  for  rebellious 
 sinners  that  God  gave  His  own  Son  to 
 die  ?  Did  not  Jesus  weep  over  Jeru- 
 salem 1  Is  it  not  true  that  "  God  willeth 
 not  the  death  of  a  sinner  "  ?  Yet  it  is 
 over  these  warnings  and  hindrances  you 
 pass  on  to  destruction. 
 
 2.  The  loss  of  a  single  soul  is  an 
 object  oj  mourning  to  the  Church  of 
 God,  as  the  conversion  of  one  sinner 
 gives  joy  in  heaven.  What  a  harvest 
 is  burnt  upon  the  ground  !  What  a 
 vintage  is  destroyed  !  "  0  vine  of  Sib- 
 mah,  I  will  tveep  for  thee"  (ver.  32). 
 Where  are  the  tears  fit  to  be  wept  1 
 
 IL  The  direction  given.  Heed  the 
 dangers  of  false  security.  "  Leave  the 
 cities  and  dwell  in  the  Rock." 
 
 In  like  manner  God  provides  the 
 refuge  we  need  in  the  Gospel.  He 
 guards  us  against  the  evils  of  a  fancied 
 security ;  and  would  have  us  forsake  all 
 false  refuges  and  enter  the  true.  "  A 
 man  shall  be  a  hiding-place  from  the 
 ivind."  "By  two  immiUable  things,^' 
 &c.,  "  ive  have  strong  consolation  who 
 fled  for  refuge." 
 
 This  afi'ords  an  argument  for  hope 
 and  security  to  the  righteoiis.  If  He 
 show  so  much  care  and  sympathy  for 
 enemies,  how  much  more  will  He  guard 
 and  bless  His  friends  1  If  He  find  food 
 fur  the  raven,  a  shelter  for  the  wild 
 dove,  and  the  shadow  of  a  great  Rock 
 for  guilty  Moab,  will  He  neglect  His 
 own  children  in  their  calamities,  and 
 leave  them  forsaken  and  shelterless 
 under  the  storms  of  life  ?     Did  He  not 
 
 647 
 
CHAP.  XLVIII. 
 
 HOMILETIC  COMMENTARY :  JEREMIAH. 
 
 provide  succour  for  Naomi  in  Moab 
 itself  1  Did  not  the  angel  supply  Elijah 
 with  food  at  Horeb  ?  Was  not  David 
 preserved  against  the  persecutions  of 
 Saul?  Were  not  Hagar  and  Ishmael 
 preserved  for  Abraham's  sake  1  Better 
 to  be  God's  outcasts  than  the  world's 
 favourites,  A  portion  with  God's  people 
 is  better  than  the  best  portion  of  the 
 world.  "  Their  rock  is  not  as  our  Bock," 
 &c.  (Deut.  xxxii.  31). 
 
 The  cities  were  of  man's  building; 
 the  Eock  was  of  God's  providing ;  and 
 David  wisely  said,  "  Lead  me  to  the 
 Eock  that  is  higher  than  /." 
 
 This  accords  with  all  analogy.  God 
 furnishes  relief,  and  finds  the  means  of 
 protection  and  shelter  to  all  beings.  No 
 creature  but  is  furnished  with  means  of 
 security  and  defence.  He  wings  the 
 angel,  guides  the  sparrow,  directs  the 
 young  lion  to  its  prey,  and  hears  the 
 ravens  when  they  cry. 
 
 The  weakest  creatures  have  often  the 
 strongest  shelters.  The  vine  stays  on 
 the  elm ;  the  ivy  clings  to  the  tower ; 
 the  worm  hides  itself  in  the  sure  and 
 firm-set  earth;  the  dove  flies  to  the 
 rock;  and  man  seeks  and  finds  his 
 refuge  in  God.  In  religion  the  ex- 
 tremes of  being  meet.  Human  weak- 
 ness and  Divine  strength ;  human  folly 
 and  Divine  wisdom ;  human  insuflBciency, 
 Divine  all-sufficiency. 
 
 III.  The  faith  and  trust  to  be  exer- 
 cised. "  Be  like  the  dove."  ■  The  doves 
 and  wild  pigeons  in  the  East  delight  in 
 cool  and  inaccessible  places.  They  build 
 their  nests  in  cliffs  and  caverns  over- 
 hanging fearful  precijiices,  especially  in 
 clefts  of  the  rock  where  the  adventurous 
 foot  of  man  cannot  tread.  This  is  re- 
 ferred to  by  Homer,  who  tells  us  that, 
 when  frighted  by  the  fowler,  or  by  birds 
 and  beasts  of  prey,  they  are  seen  "fly- 
 ing on  the  ivings  of  fear  to  their  hiding- 
 place  in  the  rocks."  Voltaire  says  that 
 Solomon  makes  him  better  acquainted 
 with  the  customs  of  the  East  than 
 Homer  himself  does.  "  Oh,  mi/  dove, 
 that  art  in  the  clefts  of  the  rock,  in  the 
 secret  places  of  the  stairs  ;  let  me  see  thy 
 countenance,  let  me  hear  thy  voice :  for 
 siveet  is  thy  voice." 
 
 We  can  scarcely  have  a  more  beauti- 
 048 
 
 ful  description  of  tJi^  simple  exercise  of 
 faith  and  dependence  than  this  image 
 supplies.  Flying  to  the  rock  and  rest- 
 ing there.  The  poor  dove  has  no 
 weapons  of  defence.  She  does  not 
 stay  to  fight  with  the  vulture  or  con- 
 tend with  the  fowler,  but,  relying  on 
 the  swiftness  of  her  wings,  hastens  to 
 the  rock,  assured  that  once  there  she 
 shall  be  safe. 
 
 Faith  is  the  eye  that  discerns  Christ, 
 the  hand  that  grasps  Christ,  the  wing 
 that  flies  to  Christ. 
 
 The  co7istancy  of  our  trust  and  de- 
 pendence. "Dwell  in  the  Rock."  It 
 is  not  her  place  of  shelter  merely,  but 
 of  permanent  abode.  "He  that  dwelleth 
 i?i  the  secret  j^lcice."  "  That  Christ  may 
 DWELL."  ^^  Arise,  go  to  Bethel,  and 
 DWELL  there." 
 
 IV.  The  infatuation  to  be  deplored. 
 
 1.  Bride  and  self-sufficiency.  "We 
 have  heard  of  the  pride  of  Moab." 
 Everybody  had — mentioned  six  times 
 in  this  chapter.  It  is  the  distinction 
 of  impious  men  to  have  a  hard  heart 
 under  softening  providences,  and  a  proud 
 heart  under  humbling  ones. 
 
 2.  Beivare  of  idolatry  and  creature 
 confidence  (ver.  35). 
 
 3.  Beivare  of  pi'oo'astinaiion  and 
 delay;  of  despairing  of  mercy. — Bev. 
 S.  Thodey  (1856). 
 
 Ver.  29.  Theme:  Vauntings  of 
 Peide.  "  We  have  heard  of  the  pride 
 of  Moab  (he  is  exceeding  proud),"  &c. 
 
 I.  Pride  is  the  trumpeter  of  its 
 own  fame.  "We  have  heard,"  &c. 
 Proud  people  cannot  rest  unnoticed ; 
 they  will  "sound  a  trumpet  before 
 themselves" — as  did  the  Pharisees — 
 and  make  men  know  that  they  really 
 do  exist,  and  are  of  great  consequence 
 in  the  world. 
 
 "  Pride  is  his  own  glass,  his  own  trumpet,  his 
 own  chronicle. " — Slialccspearc. 
 
 "  What  is  pride  ?     A  whizzing  rocket, 
 That  would  emulate  a  star. " —  Wwdsworth. 
 
 II.  Pride  has  its  grades  of  inflated 
 grandeur.  "He  is  exceeding  proud." 
 There  are  higher  heights  of  vanity,  as 
 there  are  Iov^qf  depths  of  infamy. 
 
HOMILETIC  COMMENTARY:  JEREMIAH. 
 
 CHAP.  XLVIII. 
 
 "  Whatever  sort  beside 
 You  take  in  lieu,  shun  spiritual  pride  ! 
 A  pride  there  is  of  rank,  a  pride  of  birth, 
 A  pride  of  learning,  and  a  pride  of  purse ; 
 A  London  pride — in  short,  there  be  on  earth 
 A  host  of  prides,  some  better  and  some  worse ; 
 But  of  all  prides,  since  Lucifer  attaint, 
 The  proudest  swells  a  Belf-elected  saint. " 
 
 — Hood. 
 
 III.  Pride  manifests  itself  in  nume- 
 rous varieties  of  form.  "Loftiness, 
 arrogaiicy,  pride,  liaughtiness."  In  mnn- 
 ner  and  bearing  —  conceited  :  "  lofti- 
 ness." In  imperious  and  unreasonable 
 exactions  of  attention,  aiid  homage — 
 ostentatious  :  "  arrogancy."  In  habitual 
 estimates  of  self  as  compared  with  others 
 — inflated  :  "pride."  In  feelings  of  in- 
 difference to  and  contempt  for  inferiors 
 — cruel:  "haughtiness." 
 
 There  is  a  pride  of  feeling,  of  sjyeech, 
 of  action;  a  pride  of  possessions,  and  a 
 subtler  pride  of  profession  [to  he  or  to 
 have  what  is  false]  ;  a  pride  of  goodness, 
 of  greatness,  and  even  of  godliness. 
 
 IV.  Pride  has  its  seat  in  a  haughty 
 heart.  "The  haughtiness  of  his  heart." 
 For  "out  of  the  heart  proceedeth"  every 
 deformity.  If  a  man's  own  heart  could 
 settle  the  question  of  his  personal  im- 
 portance, each  one  of  us  would  be  too 
 big  for  the  world. 
 
 When  Severus,  emperor  of  Rome, 
 found  his  end  approaching,  he  cried 
 out,  "  I  have  been  everything,  and 
 everything  is  nothing  !  "  Then  ordering 
 the  urn  to  be  brought  to  him  in  which 
 his  ashes  were  to  be  enclosed,  he  said, 
 "Little  urn,  thou  shalt  contain  one /or 
 whom  the  luorld  was  too  little." 
 
 But  the  "  heart  is  deceitful ; "  and 
 *'  whoso  trusteth  to  his  own  heart  is  a 
 fool." 
 
 "  Of  all  the  causes  which  conspire  to  blind 
 Man's  erring  judgment  and  misguide  the 
 
 mind. 
 What  the  weak  head  with  strongest  bias 
 
 rules 
 Is  pride,  the  never-failing  vice  of  fools." 
 
 — Pope. 
 
 V.  Pride  provokes  the  scornful  no- 
 tice of  God. 
 
 "  I  know  his  wrath "  [or  insolence'], 
 "  saith  the  Lord."  And  God  hates  pride 
 and  hot  arrogance.  Because  of  pride 
 Nebuchadnezzar  was  thrust  from  men's 
 
 society.  Said  was  cast  from  his  king- 
 dom, Adam  was  driven  from  Paradise, 
 Haman  was  expelled  from  court,  and 
 Lucifer  hurled  out  of  heaven. 
 
 VI  Pride  meets  at  length  its  de- 
 gradation and  defeat. 
 
 "  But  it  shall  not  be  so  ;  his  lies  shall 
 not  effect  it ; "  i.e.,  all  his  brawlings  are 
 emptiness  and  fallacies.  God  will  bring 
 to  nought  the  plans  of  arrogant  Moab, 
 and  lay  his  pride  low  in  contempt. 
 
 "  A  proud  heart  and  a  lofty  moun- 
 tain are  never  fruitful." — Gurnall. 
 
 "As  the  first  step  heavenward  is  hu- 
 mility, so  the  first  step  hellward  is  pride. 
 Pride  counts  the  Gospel  foolish,  but  the 
 Gospel  always  shows  pride  to  be  so." — 
 Mason. 
 
 "  His  heart  is  black  with  pride. 
 He  for  himself  hell's  gate  has  opened  wide, 
 For,  weighed  in  God  the  All-Sufficient's  scale, 
 Not  claims  nor  righteousness  or  men  avail  : 
 But  these  are  costly  in  His  sight  indeed, — 
 Repentance,  contrite  shame,  and  sense  of 
 need."         — Oriental,  tr.  by  Trench. 
 
 Jeremiah  add§  to  Isaiah's  words  de- 
 scriptive of  Moab's  pride  (comp.  Isa. 
 xvi.  6)  other  terms,  indicating  that  the 
 chastisement  inflicted  on  Moab  for  his 
 former  arrogance  against  Israel  had  not 
 lessened  his  pride ;  he  was  even  more 
 "  lofty  and  arrogant ; "  therefore  now 
 his  sentence  of  doom  is  weighted  with 
 heavier  penalties. 
 
 Comments. 
 
 Vers.  32,  33.  "0  vine  of  Sibmah," 
 &c. 
 
 "  So  great  was  the  general  joy  in- 
 spired by  the  vintage,  that  its  cessation 
 was  one  of  the  punishments  denounced 
 against  Moab," — Topics  for  Teachers. 
 
 "Their  shouting  shall  be  no  shout- 
 ing.-" for  warriors  shall  tread  down 
 ]\Ioab  in  the  battle-field,  and  change  the 
 joyous  shoutings  of  vintners  into  the 
 agonised  cry  of  alarm. 
 
 Ver.  40.  "  He  shall  fly  as  an  eagle,'^ 
 i.e.,  the  Babylonian  conqueror.  Points 
 of  analogy :  — i.  The  rapidity  with  which 
 the  eagle  rushes  on  its  prey.  (See  Hab. 
 i.  8;  2  Sam.  i.  23;  Lam.  iv.  19.)  ii. 
 Its  peculiar  habit  of  expanding  its  vjings 
 (see  chap.  xlix.  22),  suggesting  the 
 spreading  out  of  the  Chaldean  forces. 
 
 649 
 
CHAP.  XLVIII. 
 
 BOMILETIC  COMMENTARY :  JEREMIAH. 
 
 Ver.  42.  "  Destroyed  .  .  .  because  he 
 hath  magnified  himself." 
 
 i.  Self-exaltation  often  impresses 
 beholders  with  its  show  oi 2^o)7ip,  jwiver, 
 and  2ye7'7nanence. 
 
 ii.  Self-exaltation  against  God 
 provokes  His  swift  indignation  and  ul- 
 timate overthrow. 
 
 iii.  Self-exaltation  therefore  is  but 
 
 ANOTHER    form    OF    SELF-DESTRUCTION. 
 
 They  who  "  magnify  themselves  against 
 the  Lord"  do  thereby  seal  their  sure 
 doom,  for  they  alienate  God's  grace  and 
 invoke  God's  justice.  (See  Addenda  : 
 Self-esteem.) 
 
 Ver.  45.  "  A  fire  shall  come  forth  out 
 of  Eeshhon."  Not  only  will  Amnion  (of 
 which  Heshbon  was  the  capital)  refuse 
 aid  to  Moab,  but  her  ruin  would  start 
 from  thence.  Historically  it  occurred 
 that  the  Ammonites  were  conquered 
 hefore  the  Moabites;  and  Nebuchad- 
 nezzar formed  the  plan  of  his  campaign 
 against   Moab    in    Heshbon    (ver.     2). 
 
 Jeremiah  here  fitly  appropriates  and  uses 
 part  of  an  old  Mosaic  triumphal  poem 
 (Numb.  xxi.  27),  made  on  Sihon's  con- 
 quests over  Moab.  For  Nebuchadnezzar 
 would  issue  "  as  a  flame  from  the  midst 
 of  Sihon,"  just  as  formerly  the  Amorites 
 had  done. 
 
 Ver.  47.  "  Yet  will  I  bring  again  the 
 captivity  of  Moab."  Josephus  records 
 how  the  Moabites  were  afterwards  re- 
 stored to  their  country  (Antiq.,  xiii.  13, 
 §5,  14,  §  2,  &c. ),  though  never  to  their 
 former  political  importance. 
 
 Notes. — i.  Moab  is  the  symbolical 
 representative  op  those  enemies  of 
 God's  Church  who  are  characterised  by 
 carnal  strength,  lustful  passion,  unholy 
 haughtiness,  sensual  and  cruel  violence. 
 — Wordsworth. 
 
 ii.  Moab's  restoration  typifies  and 
 predicts  Gospel  blessings,  temporal 
 and  spiritual,  for  the  Gentiles  "in 
 the  latter  days." 
 
 ADDENDA  TO  CHAP.  XLVIII.  :  ILLUSTRATIONS  AND  SUGGESTIVE  EXTRACTS. 
 
 Ver.  11.  Troubles  revive  us.  Staying 
 for  awhile  in  the  valley  of  Aosta,  in 
 Northern  Italy,  we  found  the  air  to  be 
 heavy,  close,  and  humid  with  pestilential 
 exhalations.  We  were  oppressed  and 
 feverish — one's  life  did  not  seem  worth 
 a  pin.  We  could  not  breathe  freely,  our 
 lungs  had  a  sense  of  having  a  hundred 
 atmospheres  piled  upon  them.  Presently, 
 at  midday,  there  came  a  thunder-clap, 
 attended  by  big  drops  of  rain  and  a  stiff 
 gale  of  wind,  which  grew  into  a  perfect 
 tornado,  tearing  down  the  trees;  then 
 followed  what  the  poet  calls  "  sonorous 
 hail,"  and  then  again  the  lightning  flash, 
 and  the  thunder  peal  on  peal  echoing 
 along  the  Alps.  But  how  delightful  was 
 the  effect  !  How  we  all  went  out  upon 
 the  verandah  to  look  at  the  lightning 
 and  enjoy  the  music  of  the  thunder ! 
 How  cool  the  air  and  bracing !  How 
 delightful  to  walk  out  in  the  cool  even- 
 ing after  the  storm!  Then  you  could 
 breathe  and  feel  a  joy  in  life.  Full  often 
 it  is  thus  with  the  Christian  after  trouble. 
 He  has  grown  to  be  careless,  lethargic, 
 feverish,  heavy,  and  reudy  to  die,  and 
 GuO 
 
 just  then  he  has  been  assailed  by  troubles 
 thundering  threatenings  have  rolled  from 
 God's  mouth,  flashes  of  lightning  have 
 darted  from  Providence  :  the  property 
 vanished,  the  wife  died,  the  children 
 were  buried,  trouble  followed  trouble, 
 and  then  the  man  has  turned  to  God, 
 and  though  his  face  was  wet  with  tears 
 of  repentance,  yet  he  has  felt  his  spirit 
 to  be  remarkably  restored.  When  he 
 goes  up  to  the  house  of  God,  it  is  far 
 more  sweet  to  hear  the  Word  than  afore- 
 time. He  could  not  pray  before,  but 
 now  he  leans  his  head  on  Jesus'  bosom 
 and  pours  out  his  soul  in  fellowship. 
 Eternity  now  exerts  its  heavenly  attrac- 
 tions, and  the  man  is  saved  from  him- 
 self.— Spurgeon. 
 
 Ver.  42.  Self-esteem. 
 
 "  Beware  of  too  sublime  a  sense 
 Of  your  own  worth  and  consequence. 
 The  man  who  deems  himself  so  great, 
 And  his  importance  of  such  weight, 
 That  all  around,  in  all  that's  done, 
 Must  work  and  act  for  him  alone, 
 Will  learn  in  school  of  tribulation, 
 The  folly  of  his  expectation." 
 
 — Cowper 
 
I 
 
 EOMILETIG  COMMENTARY :  JEREMIAH.  chap.  xlix. 
 
 CHAPTEE  XLIX. 
 
 Critical  and  Exegetical  Notes. — l.  Chronology  of  the  Chapter. — The  prophecies  against 
 Amvion,  Edom,  Damascus,  and  Kedar.  Vers.  1-33  are  synchronous  with  the  previous  chapter, 
 but  the  section  (vers.  34-39)  against  Elam  has  its  own  date  given,  "In  the  beginning  of  the 
 reign  of  Zedekiah  ; "  therefore  seven  years  later  than  those  preceding  it,  and  coinciding  with 
 chaps,  xxvii.  1,  xxviii.  1,  which  see. 
 
 2.  Geographical  References. — Ver.  1.  "Ammon."  Their  country  lay  north  of  iloab. 
 "Gad:"  the  country  west  of  the  Ammonites,  between  them  and  the  Jordan.  Ver.  2. 
 "Eabbah:"  the  fortified  metropolis  of  Ammon.  Ver.  3.  "Ai:"  an  Ammonite  city  whose 
 location  is  not  known. 
 
 Ver.  7.  "Edom::"  their  country  stretched  south  of  Judah.  "Teman:"  Jerome  places  it 
 south  of  Idumea ;  Keil  and  Furst  suggest  N.E.  of  Edom.  Ver.  8.  Dedan  :  the  name  of  an 
 Arabian  tribe  bordering  on  Idumea.  Ver.  13.  "  Bozrah  :  "  see  Gen.  xxxvi.  33  ;  1  Chron.  i.  44. 
 Ver.  18.   "  The  neigJibour  cities  "  of  Sodom  and  Gomorrah  were  Admah  and  Zeboim. 
 
 Ver.  23.  "  Damascus  :  "  Aram,  called  by  us  Syria,  was  divided  into  the  northern  part,  of 
 which  "  Hamath  "  was  the  capital ;  and  the  territory  south-east  belonging  to  "  Damascus." 
 "  Arpad  : "  a  Syrian  city. 
 
 Ver.  28.  "Kedar:"  a  wide  range  of  country  between  the  Eed  Sea  and  the  Euphrates. 
 Vide  on  chap.  ii.  10.  "Hazor:"  a  country  contiguous  to  that  of  the  Kedarenes — Arabia 
 Deserta. 
 
 Ver.  34.  "  Elam  : "  The  Elymais  of  the  Greeks  and  Romans,  forming  part  of  the  ancient 
 Susiana,  on  the  west  of  Persia,  separated  from  Chaldea  by  the  Tigris. 
 
 3.  Personal  Allusions. — Ver.  1.  Their  king :  properly  Melcom  (see  marg. )  :  the  tutelary 
 idol  (Zeph.  i.  5).  Jehovah  was  their  true  King ;  this  Melchom  or  Moloch  was  a  usurper-Z.-iwg^, 
 Ver.  27.  "  Palaces  of  Benhadad."  "  Benhadad  "  was  a  common  name  of  several  Syrian  kings, 
 and  should  not  be  identified  with  the  Benhadad  of  2  Kings  xiii.  3  ;  Amos  i.  4.  {Cf.\  Kings 
 XV.  18). 
 
 4.  Literary  Criticisms.— Ver.  4.  '*  Thy  flowing  valley  :"  or  "  thy  valley /ozys,"  either  with 
 abundance  or  with  the  blood  of  the  slain.  Ver.  12.  "  They  ivhose  judgment  was  not  to  drink  : " 
 i.e.,  whose  habit  or  experience,  &c.  It  was  not  God's  people's  usual  experience  to  drink  of  the 
 cup  of  His  wrath. 
 
 Ver.  19.  "Against  the  habitation  of  the  strong  :"  rather,  to  the  ever- verdant  pasturage  ;  for 
 jn^K  means  durableness,  fi'om  JH^,  to  be  constant,  ^lerennial. 
 
 Ver.  23.  "  Sorrow  on  the  sea  :  "  Many  MSS.  read  "  sorrow  like  the  sea,"  changing  D  for  3  ; 
 and  the  corresponding  passage  in  Isa.  Ivii.  20  reads  "like  the  sea" — in  which  passage  the  sea 
 is  used  for  the  agitations  of  men's  hearts.  Here  it  might  mean,  sorrow  in  the  agitated  hearts  of 
 the  Syrians,  for  all  the  versions  read  "  in  the  sea  "  in  this  text. 
 
 Ver.  25.  "Row  is  the  city  of  praise  not  left?"  rather,  "  Would  that  the  city  of  praise  were 
 not  abandoned  !  "     So  Graf,     Damascus  was  "  the  city  of  praise  "  for  its  beauty. 
 
 HOMILIES   ON    VERSES   OF    CHAPTER    XLIX. 
 
 Note   on   ver.   1.    "  Hath  Israel  no  III.  Final  triumph  to  the  oppressed 
 
 sons  ? "     When  the   Ammonites  seized  Church. 
 
 Gad,  on  Israel's  being  carried  into  cap-  1.  They  who  despoil  oitj'  peace  shall 
 
 tivity  by  the  Assyrians,  they  acted  as  if  be  overthrown. 
 
 the  country  had  no  rightful  heir,  as  if  2.  They  who  arrogantly  a2:i2yropriate 
 
 the  banished  ones  should  never  return  the  privileges  exclusively  belonging  to  the 
 
 to  claim  their  country.  godly  shall  be  driven  forth  into  desola- 
 
 Ver.  2.    Theme :    The   Vanquished  tion. 
 
 RAISED  INTO  VicTOES.  3.  They  who  malce  gain  of  our  diffi- 
 
 I.  Scorners  revel  in  Israel's  over-  cidties  and  sorrows,  which  God  permits 
 throw.  Seize  on  their  treasures  as  for  our  chastening  and  profit,  shall  feel 
 spoil.  Exult  in  their  hopeless  defeat.  in  due  time  the  punishments  of  Heaven. 
 Profit  by  their  temporary  reverses.  Or  thus  (as  Naegelsbach  suggests)  : — 
 
 II.  The  heritage  of  G-od's  people  is  I.  The  Church's  lament  over  lost 
 inalienable.  Foes  may  appropriate  it  territory.  Melcom's  possession  of  Is- 
 for  a  while,  but  Israel  shall  repossess  rael's  inheritance.  So  now  Mohammed's 
 her  lost  heritage,  and  her  foes  shall  be  possession  of  the  territory  of  the  Chris- 
 abject,  tian  Church  in  Asia  and  Europe.     And, 
 
 651 
 
CHAP.  XLIX. 
 
 HOMILETIO  COMMENTARY :  JEREMIAH. 
 
 in  general,  heathenism  in  possession  of 
 lands  and  hearts  which  should  be  held 
 for  Christ. 
 
 II.  The  Churcli's  hope  of  ultimate 
 repossession. 
 
 1.  As  to  the  overcoming  of  her  oppo- 
 nents. 
 
 2.  As  to  the  reacquisition  of  the  lost. 
 
 Ver.  7.  Theme:  Futility  op  Human 
 Wisdom. 
 
 Note. 
 
 i.  The  people  of  Teman  had  an  ancient 
 and  remote  fame  for  their  wisdom  (Gen. 
 xxxvi.  15;  1  Kings  iv.  30;  Job  ii.  11. 
 Teman  was  the  home  of  Eliphaz).  Cele- 
 brated for  their  skill  in  dark  sayings 
 and  proverbs. 
 
 ii.  Eminent  sagacity  affords  no  secu- 
 rity against  God's  designs.  "  Their 
 wisdom  vanished."  Thus  God  puts  to 
 shame  those  who  trust  to  "  their  own 
 craftiness"  (1  Cor.  i.  19,  20). 
 
 Ver.  11.  Theme:  A  Father's  dying 
 Consolations.  "  Leave  thy  fatherless 
 children  ;  I  will  preserve  them  alive  : 
 and  let  thy  widows  trust  in  me." 
 
 I.  A  most  affecting  situation  is  sup- 
 posed.    "  Fatherless  and  widows." 
 
 1.  Desertion :  their  strong  human 
 helper  gone ! 
 
 2.  Bereavement:  who  supply  the  place? 
 
 3.  Defencelessness :  who  will  be  their 
 safeguard  1 
 
 4.  Anguish  of  spirit:  lonely,  heart- 
 stricken,  home  desolated  ! 
 
 II.  A  most  consoling  promise  an- 
 nexed. 
 
 1.  An  exhortation  precedes  the  promise. 
 *'  Leave,"  &c.  An  exhortation  which 
 breathes  into  the  dying  man  the  spirit 
 of  Resignation. 
 
 2.  It  is  an  exhortation  to  confidence. 
 As  he  is  compelled  to  leave  them  another 
 Power  springs  up  to  protect  those 
 dearer  than  life — confidence  for  himself 
 — confidence  for  his  family. 
 
 3.  The  exhortation  is  full  of  Comfort. 
 The  latter  clause  addressed  not  to  the 
 
 dying  man  but  to  the  widow — "  let  thy 
 widows  trust" — it  binds  up  the  heart  of 
 the  desolate. 
 
 III.  .A.  most  tender  appeal  is  ad- 
 dressed.   "  Let  thy  widows  trust  in  Me." 
 
 052 
 
 1.  Trust  the  Divine  Faithfulness  ;\ 
 2.  the  Divine  Tenderness;  3.  the  Di- 
 vine Vigilance. 
 
 IV.  A  most  gracious  service  is! 
 guaranteed.     "  I  will  preserve,"  &c.      i 
 
 1.  Keep  them  from  evil. 
 
 2.  Supply  their  wants.  \ 
 
 3.  Carry  them  through  life. 
 
 4.  Eeceive  them  to  glory. 
 
 Ver.  11.  Theme:  Comfort  in  Be- 
 reavement. "  Leave  thy  fatherless  chil 
 dren,  and  let  thy  widows  trust  in  me." 
 
 We  must  ahvays  regard  it  as  a  grand 
 peculiarity  of  the  religion  that  comes 
 from  God  that  it  brings  relief  and  com- 
 fort under  trials  for  which  the  world  has 
 no  balm,  and  throws  light  upon  dispen- 
 sations which  would  be  otherwise  clouded 
 with  a  hopeless  and  impenetrable  gloom. 
 The  religion  of  Jesus  comes  as  a  com- 
 forter when  other  oracles  are  silent ; 
 comes  as  a  star  of  promise  and  of  hope 
 when  every  other  lamp  is  extinguished ; 
 comes  to  breathe  upon  our  ear  its  still 
 small  voice  of  mercy,  when  we  hear 
 nothing  besides  but  the  earthquake,  and 
 the  fire,  and  the  great  and  strong  wind ; 
 and  clothes  with  a  mantle  of  celestial 
 light  the  darkest  appearances  of  this 
 lower  world. 
 
 I.  The  mournful  changes  of  human 
 life. 
 
 The  text  refers  to  the  overthrow  of 
 Edom,  to  the  calamities  of  war,  to  the 
 domestic  calamities  produced  by  that 
 event,  and  brings  in  the  father  of  a 
 family,  about  to  leave  his  children  for 
 ever  to  the  hard  mercies  of  the  world. 
 Here  are  collected  around  you  a  sad 
 group  of  sufferers  —  a  dying  father, 
 mourning  children,  a  widowed  mother, 
 addressed  by  a  pitying  and  gracious  God. 
 
 1.  Of  these  changes  God  2^^'oclaims 
 himself  the  Author:  whether  they  come 
 by  war,  by  invasion,  by  pestilence,  by 
 famine,  or  by  the  ordinary  progress  of 
 human  decay,  the  hand  of  God  is  to  be 
 seen  and  acknowledged  in  them.  "  / 
 luill  bring  the  calamity  of  Esau  upon 
 him — the  time  that  I  will  visit  him.  I S 
 have  made  Esau  hare,  he  shall  not  he  able 
 to  hide  himself,  his  seed  is  spoiled,  and 
 his  hrethyen,  and  his  neighbours,  and  he 
 is  not." 
 
EOMILETIQ  COMMENTARY :  JEREMIAH, 
 
 CHAP.  XLIX. 
 
 The  worldling  often  views  his  calami- 
 ties as  coming  unbidden  and  unblest,  as 
 contingent  and  casual,  as  evils  which  he 
 must  either  resolutely  resist  or  sullenly 
 endure ;  and  the  consequence  is  that  he 
 either  "  despises  the  chastening  of  the 
 Lord,  or  faints  when  he  is  rebuked  of 
 Him."  But  the  Christian  views  them  as 
 coming  from  a  Father's  hand,  for  pur- 
 poses which  he  may  not  be  able  to 
 fathom,  indeed,  but  which  he  certainly 
 knows  to  be  sent  in  love.  The  Chris- 
 tian knows  no  such  Deity  as  Chance  or 
 Fate,  and  is  at  no  loss  to  assign  the 
 Author  of  the  trial.  Afflictions  fall 
 upon  mankind  in  a  manner  too  regular 
 for  the  agency  of  chance,  but  in  a  man- 
 ner not  stated  and  regular  enough  to 
 have  a  blind  Fatality  for  their  author. 
 They  are  not  only  consistent  with  God's 
 love,  but  they  actually  flow  from  it. 
 
 This  is  the  universal  creed  of  the 
 Church  of  God.  Amos  says,  "  Can 
 there  he  evil  in  the  city  and  the  Lord 
 hath  not  done  it?"  Naomi:  "/  ivent 
 out  full,  and  the  Lord  hath  hrotight  me 
 home  empty. ^^  True,  the  famine  was 
 the  procuring  cause,  and  the  anxiety  of 
 that  period  may  have  brought  on  diseases 
 which  swept  her  husband  and  her  two 
 sons  into  an  untimely  grave  ;  but  she  sees 
 the  hand  of  God  in  all  :  "  The  Almighty 
 hath  afflicted  me  ;  the  Lord  hath  testified 
 against  meJ'  What  more  uncertain  than 
 a  casual  flight  of  the  arrow  in  the  battle- 
 field ?  But  if  a  certain  man  dreio  a  hoiv 
 at  a  ventitre,  his  hand  was  strengthened 
 by  an  Omnipotent  Arm,  and  the  arrow 
 directed  by  an  unerring  Eye.  What  we 
 term  accident  and  casualty  is  in  reality 
 Providence  accomplishing  deliberate  de- 
 signs, but  concealing  its  own  interposi- 
 tion. What  can  be  more  trivial  than 
 the  fall  of  a  sparrow  ?  But  "  7iot  one  of 
 these  falls  to  the  ground  without  your 
 Father.'"  And  if  a  sparrow  falls  not 
 without  God,  certainly  one  of  His  own 
 children  cannot.  One  is  hurried  away 
 by  a  burning  fever,  one  by  a  lingering 
 consumption,  one  by  some  unforeseen 
 accident,  one  by  pestilence,  one  by  war. 
 But  God  says,  "  /  ivill  bring  the  cala- 
 mity of  Esau  iipon  him  ;  the  time  that  I 
 shall  visit  j'^  &c. 
 
 2.  From  the  prospect  of  these  changes 
 
 feeble  human  nature  shrinks  and  re- 
 coils. 
 
 Where  is  the  father  who  does  not 
 tremble  at  the  idea  of  leaving  his  chil- 
 dren orphans  and  his  home  desolate  ? 
 Where  are  the  children  who  do  not  dread 
 the  thought  of  the  hour  when  father  and 
 mother  shall  be  removed  from  their 
 embrace  ?  Think  of  the  picture  drawn 
 in  the  text — the  anxiety  of  a  dying 
 father — the  breaking-up  of  family  ties 
 — the  darkened  chamber  —  the  silent 
 home — the  waking  in  the  morning  to  a 
 bereaved  and  forsaken  world — and  you 
 bearing  a  weight  of  grief  in  your  bosom, 
 in  comparison  with  which  a  mountain 
 would  be  light. 
 
 Why  do  we  refer  to  these  points,  but 
 to  teach  children  to  vahce  the  privileges 
 they  possess  in  having  parents  to  guide 
 and  protect  them,  and  to  remind  Chris- 
 tian parents  of  their  high  I'esponsibilities 
 before  it  be  too  late.  1  can  conceive 
 that  death  will  make  strange  revelations. 
 The  light  of  eternity  which  glares  upon 
 a  death-bed,  and  shows  the  value  of 
 your  own  soul,  may  show  you  the  value 
 of  the  souls  of  your  children,  and  your 
 own  responsibility  to  the  God  of  the 
 families  of  the  whole  earth. 
 
 II.  The  compassion  of  a  gracious 
 God.      "  Leave  thy  fatherless  children." 
 
 God  sympathises  with  all  the  fears, 
 all  the  sorrows,  and  all  the  painful 
 emotions  of  the  human  bosom.  His 
 POWER  enables,  His  love  inclines.  His 
 FAITHFULNESS  pledges  Him  to  your 
 guidance  and  direction.  God,  who  has 
 made  the  parent's  heart  what  it  is, 
 knows  how  to  meet  its  awakened  sus- 
 ceptibility and  care.  God,  who  sends 
 the  calamity,  knows  how  to  send  the 
 support  with  it. 
 
 The  history  of  the  Church  tells  out 
 wonderful  instances  of  compassion  to 
 parents  and  children.  Look  at  the  first 
 mission  of  an  angel  to  a  world ;  was  it 
 not  to  deserted  and  widowed  Hagar 
 before  the  birth  of  her  first  child  ?  and 
 was  not  the  second  visit  of  an  angel  to 
 Hagar  and  Ishmael  when  the  Lord  heard 
 the  voice  of  the  lad  1  Did  not  the  angel 
 descend  to  wrestle  with  Jacob  when 
 involved  in  trouble  for  his  family,  lest 
 Esau  come  and  smite  the  mother  with 
 
 653 
 
CHAP.  XLIX. 
 
 HOMILETIC  COMMENTARY :  JEREMIAH. 
 
 the  children  ?  Was  it  not  to  the  widow 
 of  Zarephath  Elisha  was  sent  1  Was  not 
 Elijah's  greatest  miracle  employed  on 
 behalf  of  that  pious  mother  mourning 
 for  her  only  son  ?  Was  not  the  Lord 
 with  Joseph  when  separated  from  his 
 father?  with  Moses  when  left  to  the 
 bulrushes  ?  Look  at  our  Lord's  miracles. 
 III.  The  privilege  of  enlightened 
 faith.     Let  your  widows  trust. 
 
 1 .  Trust  in  the  use  of  appointed  means. 
 
 2.  Trust  when  outward  means  appear 
 to  fail. 
 
 3.  When  Providence  appears  to  oppose 
 promises. 
 
 4.  When  death  and  eternity  are  at 
 hand. — Rev.  S.  Thodey,  a.d.  1844. 
 
 Ver.  12.  Theme:  The  Cup  of  Suf- 
 fering FOE  Godly  and  Guilty.  See 
 Lit.  Criticism  on  verse  supra.  If  the 
 godly  are  made  to  drink  it,  shall  the 
 ungodly  escape  ?  Will  not  Jehovah  deal 
 judgment  to  His  people's  foes  1 
 
 L  A  fact  for  Wonder  :  God's  people 
 suffer  punishment.  "  Behold,  they  whose 
 judgment  was  not  to  drink  of  the  cup 
 have  assuredly  drunken." 
 
 1.  It  is  not  the  ordinary  experience  of 
 God's  people  "  to  drink  of  the  cup." 
 
 2.  Yet  it  has  befallen  Israel  that  he 
 has  "  assuredly  drunken."  God's  people 
 are  sometimes  severely  chastened. 
 
 3.  The  good  among  the  people  suffered 
 with  the  disobedient.  For  there  were 
 many  pious  and  righteous  men  in  Israel 
 who  zealously  strove  to  keep  the  nation 
 from  apostasy,  as  with  Daniel,  Ezekiel, 
 Jeremiah ;  yet  they  were  entailed  in  the 
 griefs  of  exile. 
 
 II.  A  fact  full  qj  Admonition :  the 
 ungodly  shall  not  escape  punishment. 
 
 "  Art  thou  he  that  shall  altogether  go 
 unpunished'?  Thou  shalt  not  go  un- 
 punished, but  thou  shalt  surely  drink 
 of  it." 
 
 1.  How  can  the  loicked  expect  to  escape 
 when  the  people  God  loves  are  made  to 
 suffer  for  their  faults  ? 
 
 2.  The  affections  of  the  righteous  are 
 purifying,  but  those  of  the  guilty  are 
 punitive. 
 
 3.  Surely  it  may  be  expected  that 
 God  will  be  lenient  tuith  and  forgive  His 
 sons  sooner  than  aliens. 
 
 654 
 
 4.  K  the  godly  are  banished  from  their 
 land  and  life's  privileges  for  their  wrong, 
 shall  not  the  "  wicked  be  turned  into 
 hell,"  and  be  banished  from  all  the 
 covenant  favours  of  Heaven  ? 
 
 Note — 
 
 (a.)  The  cup  of  affliction  is  placed  in 
 the  hands  of  us  all. 
 
 (6.)  None  can  claim  to  be  exempted 
 because  of  his  covenant  relationship. 
 
 (c.)  The  Christian's  natural  enjoyment 
 of  grace  leads  to  surprise  when  the  cup 
 is  placed  in  his  hands. 
 
 {d.)  Yet  the  justice  which  will  not 
 spare  the  beloved  child  forewarns  the 
 rebel  of  certain  punishment  of  wilful  sin. 
 
 Ver.  16.  Theme:  Fortified  against 
 God's  powee.  "  Thy  terribleness  hath 
 deceived  thee,  and  the  pride  of  thine 
 heart,  0  thou  that  dwellest  in  the  clefts 
 of  the  roch,"  &c. 
 
 I.  Such  startlingboastfulness  against 
 God  can  be  accoicnted  for  only  as  result- 
 ing from  remarkable  delusions. 
 
 A  soul  must  have  become  strangely 
 elevated  in  mood  and  defiance  to  be 
 capable  of  such  arrogance.  Men  often 
 wish  themselves  protected  from  the  reach 
 of  God's  power ;  but  few  indeed  ever 
 become  so  deluded  as  to  believe  and  to 
 boast  that  they  are  so  protected.  What 
 explains  it  ? 
 
 1.  Arrogance  fostered  by  successes. 
 "  Thy  terribleness  hath  deceived  thee  ; 
 i.e.,  at  first  the  fear  inspired  into  others 
 by  her  power  rendered  her  proudly  con- 
 fident, as  if  none  would  dare  to  assail 
 her ;  for  success  and  sway  over  others 
 tend  to  foster  this  inflated  sense  of  im- 
 portance and  power.  Beware  of  the 
 "  deceiving "  influence  of  success  and 
 power ! 
 
 2.  Vanity,  which  fed  itself  upon  the 
 obseqziious  subjection  of  others.  "The 
 pride  of  thy  heart."  And  such  vanity 
 grows  as  it  is  gratified. 
 
 3.  Self  created  resources  of  strength 
 and  security.  "  Clefts  of  the  rock — the 
 height  of  the  hill."  Sinners  build  their 
 houses  against  the  coming  flood,  and 
 think  themselves  safe  in  them. 
 
 II.  It  is  a  frequent  effort  of  irreli- 
 giotis  men  to  fortify  themselves  against 
 the  reach  of  God. 
 
HOMILETIC  COMMENTARY  •  JEREMIAH. 
 
 CHAP.  XtlX. 
 
 1.  Against  the  reverses  of  His  provi- 
 dence. So  they  place  their  fortune  in 
 safest  securities,  in  various  sure  under- 
 takings, in  order  to  have  a  guarantee 
 that,  should  one  fail,  they  will  be  right 
 with  the  rest.  Thus  they  plan  that 
 "riches  shall  not  take  to  themselves 
 wings  and  fly  away." 
 
 2.  Against  the  afflictions  of  His  hand. 
 They  choose  healthy  localities  for  their 
 houses,  with  every  sanitary  appliance 
 for  the  security  of  health.  They  com- 
 mand ablest  physicians  in  illness.  They 
 seek  the  most  salubrious  and  invigorating 
 climates  for  the  difi'erent  seasons  of  the 
 year.  They  command  every  luxury  and 
 comfort  for  the  ease  and  security  of  life. 
 
 3.  kgs.ms,t  the  agencies  of  death.  They 
 "  make  their  nest  as  high  as  the  eagles." 
 They  climb  up  away  from  the  grim 
 shadow — take  great  pains  to  elude  the 
 last  enemy. 
 
 4.  Against  the  penalties  of  sin.  Give 
 money  in  their  wills  to  religious  societies, 
 as  a  bribe  to  their  consciences.  Leave 
 wealth  to  Popish  priests  to  pray  their 
 souls  out  of  purgatory.  Fortify  them- 
 selves in  atheism  or  rationalistic  theories, 
 to  satisfy  themselves  that  there  is  no 
 penalty  for  sin,  or  no  hereafter. 
 
 III.  God's  mighty  hand  will  be  laid 
 upon  even  the  proudest  boaster. 
 
 1.  Misfortunes  pursue  men  in  all  their 
 sure  retreats. 
 
 2.  Death  mounts  over  all  "rocks," 
 climbs  up  into  all  "  nests." 
 
 3.  Terror  will  seize  and  shatter  the 
 confidence  of  every  sinner  in  the  day  of 
 God's  righteous  judgment. 
 
 4.  There  will  be  an  awful  "  bringing 
 doivn"  of  the  lofty  when  the  Almighty 
 puts  forth  His  hand  to  destroy  men's 
 "refuges  of  lies."  See  Isa.  ii.  11-17; 
 Rev.  vi.  15. 
 
 Note — There  is  a  cleft  of  a  Roch  in 
 which  the  soul  may  securely  hide. 
 
 "Rock  of  Ages,  cleft  for  me, 
 Let  me  hide  myself  in  Thee  ! " 
 
 Ver.  19.  ^^  Like  a  lion  from  the  swelling 
 of  Jordan."  See  Homily  on  chap.  xii. 
 5,  and  Notes  on  chap.  iv.  7. 
 
 Ver.  23.  Theme :  The  Sea  :  its  ra- 
 vages AND  TRAGEDIES.      ^^  They  have 
 
 heard  evil  tidings:  they  are  faint-hearted ; 
 there  is  sorrow  on  the  sea ;  it  cannot  he 
 qidet. " 
 
 I.  The  sea  has  its  stories  of  heart- 
 rending disaster. 
 
 II.  The  stories  of  the  sea's  ravages 
 fill  us  with  trembling  and  grief. 
 
 IIL  The  perils  of  the  deep  witness 
 to  the  awful  power  and  presence  of 
 God. 
 
 IV.  How  urgently  should  prayer 
 be  made  for  and  by  those  who  tra- 
 verse the  ocean. 
 
 "When  through  the  torn  sails  the  wild  tem- 
 pest is  streaming, 
 
 When  o'er  the  dark  wave  the  red  lightning  is 
 gleaming, 
 
 Nor  hope  lends  a  ray  the  poor  seaman  to 
 cherish. 
 
 We  fly  to  our  Saviour  : — '  Save,  Loi-d,  or  we 
 perish  !  " 
 
 "  0  Jesus,  once  rocked  on  the  breast  of  the 
 
 billow. 
 Aroused  by  the  shriek  of  despair  from  Thy 
 
 pillow, 
 Now  seated  in  glory,  the  mariner  cherish, 
 Who  cries  in  his  anguish,  'Save,  Lord,  or  we 
 
 perish  ! ' 
 
 "  And  oh,  when  the  whirlwind  of  passion  is 
 
 raging. 
 When  sin  in  our  hearts  its  wild  warfare  is 
 
 waging. 
 Then  send  down  Thy  grace  Thy  redeemed  to 
 
 cherish  ; 
 Eebuke  the  destroyer: — 'Save,  Lord,  or  we 
 
 perish  ! '  " 
 
 — Heher. 
 
 V.  The  sea's  wildest  tumult  is 
 under  the  control  of  God.  "  It  can- 
 not be  quiet,"  says  this  text :  but  once 
 over  the  furious  sea,  where  terror- 
 stricken  men  dreaded  death,  Jesus  sent 
 out  His  word — and  "  there  was  a  great 
 calm."  "Then  are  they  glad  because 
 they  he  quiet;  so  He  bringeth  them 
 to  their  desired  haven  "  (Ps.  cvii. 
 28,  29). 
 
 Comments. 
 
 Ver.  27.  "  Palace  of  Benhadad  : " 
 whence  so  many  cruelties  against  Israel 
 emanated  :  thus  indicating  the  reason 
 for  the  overthrow  of  Damascus.  God 
 traces  guilt  to  its  source  I 
 
 Ver.  29.  "  Cry,  Fear  is  on  every 
 SIDE."  Jeremiah's  watchword  again, 
 "  Magor-Missabib  :  "    cf.   chap.   xx.    3, 
 
 655 
 
EOMILETIC  COMMENTARY :  JEREMIAH. 
 
 10;  Ps.  xxxi.  13.  The  mere  ''cry" 
 of  the  foe — "  Fear,"  &c,,  shall  dis- 
 comfort the  Kedarenes. 
 
 Ver.  31.    "Arise,  get  you  up  unto 
 
 THE  WEALTHY  NATION,"  &C. 
 
 Notes — 
 
 i.  They  who  possess  worldly  plenty 
 do  not  have  all  advantages  on  their  side, 
 for  their  "  wealth "  courts  the  envy  of 
 the  covetous  and  the  assaults  of  the 
 spoiler. 
 
 ii.  An  easy  self-security  lays  men  open 
 to  the  invasions  of  trouble  and  loss. 
 Better  to  be  secure  in  Christ,  "  your 
 life  hid  with  Christ  in  God,"  than  to 
 enjoy  a  fancied  security  in  the  wealth 
 and  possessions  of  earth. 
 
 Ver.  34.  "  The  Word  op  the  Lord 
 AGAINST  Elam."  "  In  the  cuneiform 
 inscriptions  we  find  the  Elamites  in 
 perpetual  war  with  Nineveh,  with 
 whom  they  contested  possession  of  the 
 country  of  Rasi  (probably  the  country 
 mentioned  in  Ezek.  xxxviii.  2,  xxxix. 
 1).  With  Babylon,  on  the  contrary, 
 they  were  on  friendly  terms,  and  they 
 appear  perpetually  as  the  allies  of 
 Merodach-Baladan  and  his  sons  in 
 their  struggles  for  independence.  The 
 suggestion,  therefore,  of  Ewald,  that 
 they  served  as  auxiliaries  in  the  Chal- 
 dean army  in  the  expedition  which 
 ended   in   the   fall   of   Jehoiakim   and 
 
 the  deportation  of  Jeconiah  and  the 
 best  of  the  land  to  Babylon,  is  not 
 improbable,  though  there  is  nothing  to 
 justify  us  in  laying  to  their  charge 
 any  extraordinary  cruelty." — Dr.  Payne 
 Smith. 
 
 "When  the  monarchy  of  Persia  was 
 established  under  Cyrus,  Elam  was 
 blended  into  and  formed  a  part  of  it ; 
 but  before  that  time  they  were  two 
 distinct  kingdoms.  According  to  the 
 present  prophecy,  Elam  is  spoken  of 
 as  having  actually  become  a  province 
 of  the  Babylonish  empire  (Dan.  viii. 
 2)  ;  and  Daniel  appears  to  have  pre- 
 sided over  it,  having  Shushan  for  the 
 seat  of  his  government." — Dr.  Blay- 
 ney. 
 
 Ver.  38.  "  I  will  set  my  throne 
 IN  Elam:"  God  would  show  Himself 
 the  Ruling  and  Omnipotent  King  by 
 His  judgments  there. 
 
 Ver.  39.  "In  the  latter  days,  I 
 will  bring  again  the  captivity  of  Elam." 
 The  full  restoration  belongs  to  Gospel 
 times  :  and  "  Elamites "  were  among 
 the  first  who  heard  and  accepted  the 
 Gospel.  Their  presence  at  the  Pente- 
 cost shows  that  the  Elamites  were  still 
 preserved  by  the  Divine  Providence,  and 
 were  there  among  the  representatives  of 
 the  Gentile  world  to  whom  the  Evangel 
 of  Christ  was  proclaimed. 
 
 CHAPTER  L. 
 
 Critical  and  Exeqetioal  Notes.— 1.  Chronology  of  the  Chapter.— This  and  the  following 
 chapter  constitute  one  prophecy  against  Babylon ;  and  the  date  of  its  authorship  is  given  in 
 chap.  li.  59:  "the  fourth  year  of  Zedekiah."  Jeremiah  delivered  this  -written  prophecy  to 
 Seriah,  the  king's  chamberlain  and  Baruch's  brother  (c/.  chap,  xxxii.  12),  who  accompanied 
 Zedekiah  the  king  to  Babylon,  probably  at  Nebuchadnezzar's  summons,  for  some  imposing 
 state  occasion  :  the  prophet's  design  being  to  send  to  the  exiles  there  His  message  concerning 
 the  overthrow  of  the  Chaldean  power  and  their  return  from  captivity. 
 
 2.  National  Affairs. — Jeremiah  was  at  this  time  dwelling  in  Jerusalem  (ver.  5,  lit. 
 ''hitherwards,'^  not  as  in  E.V.,  "  thitherwards,"  the  writer  being  in  Jerusalem),  yet  he  regards 
 the  city  as  already  captured  and  in  ruins  (vers.  11,  15, 17,  28,  &c.),  while  the  exiles  at  Babylon, 
 taught  by  their  sorrows  and  misfortunes,  are  seeking  their  God  in  penitence  (vers.  4-7).  But 
 the  expressions  are  all  general,  there  are  none  of  those  minute  touches  which  would  certainly 
 have  been  found  liad  the  city  and  temple  ])een  actually  destroyed  (Dr.  Payne  Smith).  The 
 exact  position  of  affairs  will  be  apparent  by  reference  to  Notes  in  toe.  to  chap.  xxix.  Comp.  also 
 Topic,  "Prophecy  vindicated  in  Babylon's  Fall"  (on  chap.  xxv.  13),  p.  473. 
 
 3.  Personal  Allusions.— Ver.  2.  "Bel,"  the  principal  deity  of  Babylon,  and  " Merc- 
 dach"  (which  means  in  Syria,  little  lord),  another  idol-god. 
 
 Literary  Criticisms.— Ver.  5.     '' Their  faces  thitherward:"   but  nSH  uniformly  means 
 hither :  they  look  "  hither  "  from  scenes  of  exile. 
 656 
 
HOMILETIO  COMMENTARY:  JEREMIAH.  chap.  l. 
 
 Ver.  9.  "A  mighty  expert  man."  The  pointing  of  the  word  TSEJ'Oj  maschil,  appears  in 
 most  of  the  authorities ;  therefore  is  rendered  expert ;  but  some  editions  read  ^^SB^D^  mashchil, 
 a  destroyer,  or  prosperous. 
 
 Ver.  12.   "  Your  mother  :  "  D5^'!»  is  the  metropolis  of  the  empire,  Babylon. 
 
 Ver.  17.  "Devoured  him  .  .  .  broken  his  hones."  Eather,  "  The  first,  even  the  king  of 
 Assyria,  ate  him  (imagery  of  a  lion  being  kept  up),  and  this  last,  even  ^Nebuchadnezzar,  hath 
 picked  his  bones."  Por  Israel  was  so  wasted  by  Assyria,  that  Nebuchadnezzar  had  but  the  bones 
 to  pick. 
 
 Ver.  21.  " Maraihaim."  Marg.  "the  rebels;"  but  D^O'ip  is  doubly  rebellious:  it  is  a 
 dual  form,  intended  as  an  intensitive,  and  conveys  the  sense  of  the  very  rebellious  land. 
 "  Pekod  "  signifies  visitation. 
 
 Ver.  31.   "  0  thou  most  proud."    Lit.  0  Pride  ;  God  calls  Babylon  by  that  name,  J11T. 
 
 SUBJECT  OF  CHAPTER  L. 
 Babylon's  Predicted  Overthrow  :  Israel's  Sure  Redemption 
 
 Introductory  considerations — 
 
 i.  Why  was  BabylorCs  fall  announced  ?  That  the  exiles  there  might  cherish 
 liope  in  their  captivity  and  nurture /azV/t  in  Jehovah  as  still  working  out  purposes 
 of  mercy  for  His  covenant  people.  Comp.  "  The  Theocratic  Purpose  of  the  Cap- 
 tivity," p.  472. 
 
 ii.  What  ivas  the  power  which  should  effect  Babylon's  overthroio  ?  "A  nation 
 cometh  up  against  her  from  the  north "  (ver.  3).  The  Median  power,  vphich 
 Cyrus  successfully  led  against  Babylon  (see  Topic,  "  Sheshach,"  ii.  2,  p.  475).  As 
 Judah's  overthrow  by  Babylon  had  always  been  predicted  "  from  the  north  "  (chap. 
 i.  14),  novf,  in  turn,  Babylon's  overthrow  is  to  be  by  a  power  "  from  the  north."  The 
 nortli  is  the  region  where  the  sun  never  shines,  and  emblematical,  therefore,  of 
 severity  and  gloom.  The  Medo-Persian  empire  was  an  aggregation  of  small 
 nationalities  welded  into  unity  by  Cyaxares  (b.c.  633). 
 
 iii.  In  what  light  is  Babylon's  ruin  to  he  regarded  ?  Comp.  "  The  Supernatural 
 Termination  of  Babylon's  Poiver"'^.  472.  Her  work  was  done;  and,  as  being  a 
 graceless  and  arrogant  power,  God  destroyed  it  when  it  had  served  the  end  for 
 which  He  created  and  prolonged  it.  For  though  Babylon  worked  out  God's 
 designs  in  Judah's  punishment,  it  was  not  done  by  her  in  recognition  of  Jehovah 
 and  His  will,  but  in  violent  lust  of  empire,  and  in  disregard  of  the  sanctity  of  Zion's 
 holy  things. 
 
 iv.  How  tootdd  the  exiles  greet  this  prediction  ?  Surely  it  would  call  them  to  the 
 repentance  and  re-allegiance  to  God  which  Jeremiah  describes  (vers.  4,  5),  and 
 foster  in  them  a  patient  waiting  for  the  hour  of  their  promised  redemption,  and 
 restrain  their  souls  from  Babylon's  idolatries  by  fixing  their  expectation  and  trust 
 in  Jehovah. 
 
 Observation. — The  fate  of  Babylon  is  homiletically  treated  in  chap.  xxv.  ;  hence 
 in  these  two  chapters  the  general  theme  will  be  left,  and  only  verses  selected  for 
 homilies. 
 
 HOMILIES  ON  VERSES  IN  CHAPTER  L. 
 
 Ver.  4.  Theme :  Weeping  Pilgrims,  to  come  (chap.  xxxi.  9  ;  see  Homilies  on 
 
 ^^  Going  and  weeping-;  they  shall  go  and  "The  Watchmen's  Call  "  and  "Pilgrims 
 
 seeh  the  Lord  their  God."  to  Zion,"  pp.   518,  519,       Comp.   also 
 
 i.   The  PiETURN.      "Going."    In  part  Hos.  i.  11  ;  Zech.  xii.  10).     Its  constant 
 
 fidfjled  when  some  few  of  the  ten  tribes  fulfilment  is  realised  in  souls  returning 
 
 of  "Israel"  joined  Judah  in  a  "cove-  to  the  Lord  in  prayer,  penitence,  and 
 
 nant"  with  God  at  the  restoration  of  faith. 
 
 Judah  to  their  own  land  (Neh.  ix.  38,  ii.  The  Tearful  Journey.     "Weep- 
 
 X,  29).     Its  full  accomplishment  is  yet  ing."     With  sorroiv  at  the  remembrance 
 
 2t  657 
 
OHAP.   L. 
 
 HO  MI  LET IC  COMMENTARY:  JEREMIAH. 
 
 of  their  sins  and  sufferings  (Ezra  ill.  12, 
 13 ;  Ps.  cxxvi.  5,  6).  With  gladness 
 at  their  restoration,  after  so  long  a 
 delay,  and  iu  a  manner  surpassing  all 
 hope. 
 
 iiL  The  Divine  Goal.  "Seek  the 
 Lord  their  God."  More  a  going  back 
 in  heart  to  Him,  than  a  mere  geogra- 
 phical return  to  their  land.  A  happier 
 goal  that  than  to  a  ruined  country ;  for 
 the  goal  of  piety,  "  The  Lord,"  is  a 
 better  and  more  blessed  one  than  the 
 goal  of  patriotism — a  wasted  country. 
 God  is  more  to  the  ransomed  soul  than 
 Zion! 
 
 Vers.  4,  5.  Theme :  Sinnees  Return- 
 ing TO  God. 
 
 Evident  that  the  verses  allude  to  the 
 return  of  the  Jews  from  the  Babylonish 
 captivity.  But  as  they  interestingly  de- 
 scribe what  is  manifest  in  the  return  of 
 sinners  to  God,  we  will  use  them  to 
 illustrate  such  a  circumstance. 
 
 I.  Penitents  going  in  company.  **  In 
 those  days  the  children  of  Israel  shall 
 come,  they  and  the  children  of  Judah 
 together." 
 
 There  had  been  much  dissension  and 
 great  enmity  between  these  tribes  from 
 the  days  of  Rehoboam  (see  1  Kings  xii.); 
 but  it  had  been  foretold  that  they  should 
 again  unite,  and  here  we  behold  them 
 coming  "  together."  Thus  it  is  with 
 sinners  in  submitting  to  the  teachings 
 of  the  Holy  Ghost  and  yielding  to 
 divine  influence. 
 
 Whatever  was  the  distance,  whatever 
 the  enmity  existing  between  them  be- 
 fore, now,  as  with  one  accord,  they  come 
 together  to  the  house  of  God,  to  the 
 throne  of  grace,  to  the  Saviour  of  man- 
 kind.    See  Eph.  ii.  13,  14. 
 
 II.  Sinners  returning  with  weep- 
 ing.    "  Going  and  weeping." 
 
 What  an  affecting  sight !  Whence 
 have  they  come?  Why  do  they  weep? 
 Whither  are  they  going?  They  have 
 left  the  land  of  their  captivity,  where 
 they  were  aliens  from  God,  servants  to 
 idolaters,  slaves  to  their  enemies ;  they 
 have  left  the  ways  of  sin,  the  company 
 of  the  wicked,  the  service  of  the  devil. 
 Beliold  them  going. 
 
 As  they  go  they  weep  :  not  from  regret 
 t)5a 
 
 that  they  are  leaving  scenes  and  circum- 
 stances to  which  they  have  been  so  long 
 habituated,  but  rather  because  they  re- 
 mained connected  with  them  so  long. 
 They  are  affected  by  a  sense  of  God's 
 goodness  to  them  and  by  a  conscious- 
 ness of  their  ingratitude  towards  God ; 
 they  weep  on  account  of  their  sins,  and 
 the  proof  of  their  sincerity  is  manifest 
 in  their  movement ;  for  as  they  weep 
 they  go  ;  they  leave  their  former  sinful 
 situation,  and  they  are  going. 
 
 III.  Souls  returning  to  the  Lord. 
 "To  seek  the  Lord  their  God." 
 
 The  children  of  Israel  and  of  Judah 
 had  wandered  from  Jehovah,  the  true 
 God,  the  God  of  their  fathers ;  they 
 had  provoked  the  Holy  One  of  Israel  to 
 anger,  especially  by  the  folly  and  the 
 infamy  of  idolatrous  practices,  and  God 
 had  left  them  for  a  while  captives  in 
 the  hands  of  idolaters.  But  mixing 
 mercy  with  judgment.  He  remembered 
 them  in  their  low  estate ;  and  here  we 
 find  them  again  seeking  the  Lord  their 
 God. 
 
 Sinners  may  wander  from  God,  but 
 misery,  infamy,  and  ruin  will  be  the 
 consequence  ;  they  must  return  again  to 
 God  or  perish.  And  they  may  return ; 
 for  oh  !  how  kind  are  the  words  of  the 
 Lord  our  God,  of  Jesus  our  Saviour,  to 
 weeping  returning  sinners  !  "  Ye  shall 
 seek  me  and  find  me  when  ye  shall 
 search  for  me  with  your  whole  heart" 
 (Jer.  xxix.  13). 
 
 IV.  Seekers  asking  direction.  "They 
 ask  the  way  to  Zion  with  their  faces 
 thitherward." 
 
 Zion  was  the  city  of  solemnities  among 
 the  Jews,  and  God  was  peculiarly  pre- 
 sent there.  But  Zion  means  the  Church, 
 and  it  is  in  His  Chiirch  that  God  may 
 always  be  found.  So  Jesus  our  Saviour 
 promises.  Agreeably  to  this,  "  they 
 ask  the  way  to  Zion ; "  and  as  a  proof 
 that  this  is  not  an  idle  inquiry,  they 
 ask  "  with  their  faces  thitherivard." 
 Their  dispositions  are  turned  toward 
 God  and  His  people ;  their  souls  are 
 inclined  to  religion  and  its  ways. 
 
 Thus  disposed,  they  next  resolve, 
 "  Come  and  let  us  join  ourselves  to  the 
 Lord  in  a  perpetual  covenant,  that  shall 
 not  be  forgotten." 
 
HOMILETW  COMMENTARY :  JEREMIAH. 
 
 They  had  been  joined  to  idols,  to  sin,  to 
 wickedness.  But  now  they  say,  "  Come 
 let  us  join  ourselves  to  the  Lord." 
 
 The  way  to  join  ourselves  to  the  Lord 
 is,  spiritualli/,  by  faith  and  by  love  ; 
 outivardly,  by  connecting  ourselves  with 
 the  Lord's  people — with  those  who  wor- 
 ship God  in  spirit  and  rejoice  in  Christ 
 Jesus,  and  have  no  confidence  in  the 
 flesh. — Altered  from  "  Sketches  of  Ser- 
 mons." 
 
 Ver.  5.  Theme:  Directions  to  In- 
 QUIEEES.  "  They  shall  ask  the  way  to 
 Zion,  Come  and  let  us  join  oitrselves  to 
 the  Lord."  The  evidences  of  a  state  of 
 grace  are  the  same  in  all  ages.  The 
 thought  of  the  numbers  in  heaven  and 
 the  numbers  on  the  way  to  it  may  well 
 encourage  us. 
 
 Text  said  of  Israel  in  Babylon,  but 
 said  spiritually  of  seekers  in  every  age. 
 
 Perhaps  never  a  day  since  first  pro- 
 mise in  which  there  has  not  been  some 
 inquirer  to  heaven, 
 
 "  We  are  compassed,"  etc.  It  is  always 
 instructive  to  mark  the  peculiar  and 
 characteristic  distinctions  of  the  people 
 of  God.  Though  there  are  some  things 
 in  which  they  differ,  there  are  many  in 
 which  they  agree.  Unity  without  uni- 
 formity. 
 
 There  may  be  circumstantial  differ- 
 ences between  Moses  and  Joshua,  Paul 
 and  John,  Martha  and  Mary,  Peter  and 
 Nathaniel,  but  they  yet  possess  a  one- 
 ness of  character.  All  love  Christ ; 
 love  prayer ;  love  the  Word  of  God ; 
 love  the  fellowship  of  the  Gospel. 
 "  All  drink  into  the  same  Spirit." 
 
 Our  text  exhibits  some  of  these,  and 
 we  shall  set  before  you — 
 
 I.  Some  of  the  marks  and  charac- 
 teristics of  the  pilgrims  to  Zion. 
 "  Arise,  let  us  go  up  to  Zion."  Earnest- 
 ness, Union,  Effort. 
 
 1.  By  their  earnest  inquiry.  "  They 
 inquire  the  way  to  Zion  with  their  faces 
 thitherward."  Supposes  Desire,  Ignor- 
 ance, Docility,  Resolution. 
 
 As  when  the  bondage  of  Israel  was 
 broken  they  began  to  turn  homewards,  so 
 when  the  soul  is  truly  converted  to  God 
 it  begins  to  turn  heavenwards.  "  Arise 
 ye,"  etc. 
 
 The  soul  truly  awakened  is  no  longer 
 content  to  sleep  in  sin,  to  linger  upon  the 
 brink  of  perdition,  to  remain  under  the 
 sentence  and  condemnation  of  a  broken 
 law,  but  determines  to  seek  salvation  and 
 escape  the  wrath  to  come.   "  I  ivill  arise." 
 
 Paul  inquires,  "  What  woiddst  Thou 
 have  me  to  do  ?  "  Peter  inquires,  "  Lord, 
 to  ivhom  shall  we  go  but  to  Thee  ?  "  The 
 jailor  inquires,  "  What  shall  I  do  to  be 
 saved?"  Balak  inquires,  "  Wherewithal 
 shall  I  come  before  the  Lord  ?  " 
 
 Depend  upon  it,  it  is  a  great  era  in 
 any  man's  history  when  he  feels  himself 
 wrong,  becomes  aivare  of  his  danger, 
 has  strong  convictions  awakened,  sees  his 
 need  of  a  Saviour,  feels  for  the  first 
 time  the  powers  of  the  world  to  come, 
 and  earnestly  resolves  to  make  the  care 
 of  his  soul  the  first  concern. 
 
 But  it  is  of  great  consequence  that  he 
 should  at  once  act  upon  his  convictions. 
 These  inquired  with  "their  faces  di- 
 rected thitherward."  Not  ask  the  way  to 
 heaven  and  set  their  faces  to  the  world  ; 
 not  set  their  faces  to  heaven  and  go  on  at 
 a  venture  ivithout  asking  the  way  ;  but  in 
 all  true  converts  there  is  both  a  sincere 
 desire  to  attain  the  end  and  a  constant  care 
 to  keep  the  way.  Guard  against  trifling 
 with  convictions.  Pray  that  they  may 
 be  deepened  and  confirmed,  that  you 
 may  be  enabled  to  act  upon  them,  that 
 they  may  issue  in  sound  conversion. 
 
 2.  By  their  jienitential  regrets.  "  Going 
 and  weeping." 
 
 They  weep  that  they  have  been  in 
 bondage  so  long,  that  their  best  days 
 have  been  devoted  to  folly  and  sin,  that 
 so  few  are  found  walking  with  them, 
 that  the  way  is  so  rough,  the  difficulties 
 so  great,  and  that  they  find  so  many 
 traces  and  footprints  of  returning  feet — 
 of  those  who  professed  to  set  out  on 
 pilgrimage,  but  whose  hearts  were  not 
 right.  The  open  enemies  of  the  way  do 
 not  discourage  so  much  as  the  false 
 friends  of  the  way  (Ps.  Ixxviii.  8-11). 
 
 Repentance  awakens  a  godly  sorrow 
 for  sin  past,  a  painful  sense  of  sin  2'>re- 
 sent,  our  remaining  corruption,  and  a 
 holy  jealousy  and  distrust  of  otir selves 
 for  the  future,  lest,  like  Lot's  wife,  we 
 look  back,  or,  like  Israel,  in  heart  go 
 back  (Ps.  li.  12). 
 
 659 
 
CHAP.  t. 
 
 HOMILETIO  COMMENTARY:  JEREMIAH. 
 
 3.  By  their  muhial  solicitude  and 
 concern.  "  Come  and  let  us."  Roused 
 themselves,  they  long  to  rouse  others. 
 
 Religion  delights  in  unity  and  associa- 
 tion. It  consecrates  the  social  principle 
 by  bringing  it  in  aid  of  our  own  and 
 others'  piety.  The  charity  of  religion 
 when  it  begins  at  home  does  not  end 
 there.  One  of  the  first  indications  of 
 piety  is  a  concern  for  the  salvation  of 
 others  (John  i.  41).  "  Andreto  first 
 findeth  his  oivn  brother."  Like  lighted 
 torches  spread  the  flame. 
 
 He  who  can  forego  the  comrmtnion  of 
 saints  will  probably  very  soon  be  able 
 to  resign  communion  tuith  God. 
 
 4.  £i/  their  solemn  and  determ,ined 
 consecration  to  God.  "Let  us  join  our- 
 selves to  the  Lord  in  a  perpetual  cove- 
 nant." 
 
 "  My  understanding  shall  be  His  to 
 know  Him ;  my  will  His  to  choose 
 Him ;  my  affections  His  to  love  Him ; 
 and  all  my  active  powers  His  to  serve 
 and  honour  Him." — Bishop  Beveridge. 
 Williams  of  Kidderminster  records : — 
 "  I  solemnly  devoted  and  dedicated  my- 
 self to  Him  who  is  the  King  of  kings, 
 resolving  by  His  grace  to  give  a  full 
 divorce  to  all  manner  of  sins,  and  to 
 the  utmost  of  my  power  to  strive  and 
 wrestle  with  all  temptations  to  sin, 
 whether  from  without  or  within ;  to 
 avoid  the  society  of  vain  and  graceless 
 persons ;  to  commend  myself  to  God  by 
 prayer  at  least  twice  a  day ;  to  be  careful 
 and  constant  in  self-examination  and 
 meditation ;  particularly  to  meditate  on 
 the  love  of  God  in  Christ,  and  of  Christ  in 
 willingly  offering  Himself  a  sacrifice  for 
 poor  sinners,  and  in  sending  the  blessed 
 Spirit,  whose  strivings  and  quickening 
 motions  I  resolved,  by  the  grace  of  God, 
 never  to  quench,  I  resolved  to  watch 
 narrowly  against  the  wanderings  and 
 strayings  of  my  heart  in  any  duty ;  to 
 make  the  glory  of  God  and  the  salvation 
 of  my  soul  my  chief  business  and  de- 
 sign ;  and  to  account  the  affairs  of  this 
 world  but  as  diversions  to  me  in  my 
 way  heavenward.  I  determined  to  call 
 myself  to  account  for  the  actions  of  the 
 day,  and  frequently  to  write  remarks 
 thereon.  This  was  of  excellent  use  to 
 keep  me  close  to  God  and  duty  to 
 660 
 
 prevent  sin  ;  it  helped  me  to  redeem 
 precious  time,  making  conscience  of  ris- 
 ing betimes  for  communion  with  God." 
 II.  Directions  to  those  who  are  de- 
 sirous of  walking  in  this  way. 
 
 1.  Solemnly  consecrate  yourself  to  God. 
 "  Join  yourselves  to  the  Lord  in  a  per- 
 petual covenant,"  &c. 
 
 2.  Carefully  study  the  directions  for 
 the  way.  "  Thy  Word  is  a  lamp  to 
 my  feet."  Here  your  course  is  clearly 
 marked  out  all  the  way  from  the  city 
 of  destruction  to  the  heights  of  Zion. 
 
 The  uses  of  the  Bible  read  and  heard 
 are  to  convince  of  sin,  to  convert  to  Christ, 
 to  confirm  in  grace,  to  conduct  to  glory. 
 
 As  ever  you  would  profit  by  a  sermon 
 or  a  chapter,  follow  it  with  the  tears  of 
 repentance  and  the  prayers  of  faith. 
 Rb'member  that  the  Bible  without  its 
 Inspirer's  illumination  is  like  a  dial  with- 
 out sunshine, 
 
 3.  Keep  close  to  your  Guide.  Jesus 
 says,  "I  am  the  way."  He  is  the  Lion 
 of  the  tribe  of  Judah.  Honour  Christ 
 in  His  prophetical  office  as  He  who 
 loosens  the  seals  and  opens  the  Book, 
 and  throws  light  on  the  dispensations 
 of  God,  and  guides  and  guards  the 
 Church  from  earth  to  heaven. 
 
 Peter  followed,  but  followed  afar  off. 
 
 4.  Do  not  separate  yourselves  from 
 your  godward  companions. 
 
 5.  Keep  the  end  constantly  in  view. — 
 S.  Theodey,  1842. 
 
 Vers.  4,  5.  Theme :  Young  Converts 
 
 STARTING  ZiONWAED. 
 
 I.  God  reconciled  to  them  in  grace 
 is  the  object  of  their  inquiry. 
 
 II.  It  is  usual  with  inquirers  to  asso- 
 ciate with  those  who  are  like-minded 
 with  themselves. 
 
 III.  This  inquiry  after  God  and  happi- 
 ness is  frequently  accompanied  with 
 tears. 
 
 IV.  Mount  Zion  is  the  place  to 
 which  they  will  repair /or  instruction 
 and  comfort. 
 
 V.  Devout  and  sincere  inqiiirers  tvill 
 gladly  avail  themselves  of  the  direc- 
 tion and  counsel  of  Christian  ministers 
 and  of  other  pilgrims  who  have  made 
 some  advance  in  the  way  to  the  celes- 
 tial city. 
 
HOMILETIC  COMMENTARY :  JEREMIAH. 
 
 VI.  Young  converts,  having  found 
 God,  to  their  unspeakable  satisfaction, 
 ivill  do  well  to  "join  themselves  to  the 
 Lord  in  a  perpetual  covenant  that 
 shall  not  be  forgotten." — Rev.  R.  Frost, 
 Dunmow,  1833. 
 
 Note— 
 
 "  The  fall  of  Babylon  is  to  be  imme- 
 diately followed  by  the  return  of  the 
 exiles  homewards  in  tearful  procession 
 because  they  go  as  penitents,  and  yet 
 with  joy  because  their  faces  are  towards 
 Zion.  The  cessation,  moreover,  of  the 
 schisms  between  Israel  and  Judah  is 
 one  of  the  signs  of  the  times  of  the 
 Messiah  (Isa.  xi.  12,  13),  and  symboli- 
 cally represents  the  gathering  together  of 
 all  the  discordant  and  warring  empires 
 of  the  world  under  the  peaceful  sceptre 
 of  the  Church's  King." — Speaker^ s  Com- 
 mentary. 
 
 Ver.  6.  Theme :  The  Soul's  Resting- 
 place,  '■'■They  have  forgotten  their  rest- 
 ing-place," 
 
 The  prophet  speaks  of  the  captivity  of 
 Israel  in  language  of  plaintive  and  poetic 
 beauty  :  "  My  people  have  been  lost 
 sheep ;  their  shepherds  have  caused  them 
 to  go  astray ;  they  have  turned  them 
 away  on  the  mountains  :  they  have  gone 
 from  mountain  to  hill ;  they  have  for- 
 gotten their  resting-place."  Jehovah 
 had  now  come  to  seek  and  save  them, 
 and  the  first  evidence  that  He  is  among 
 them  is  that  they  return  penitent  to 
 Him.  As  the  lost  child  that  has  run 
 hither  and  thither  in  the  crowded  streets, 
 seeking  in  vain  the  parent  from  whom 
 she  has  wandered,  crying  herself  sick  in 
 the  bitterness  of  her  sorrow,  does  at  the 
 sight  of  the  mother  coming  to  her  relief 
 rush  to  her  embrace,  so  the  Jewish 
 nation  rose  repentingly  to  meet  God 
 as  He  drew  near,  saying  with  earnest 
 and  devout  enthusiasm,  "  Come  and 
 let  us  join  ourselves  unto  the  Lord  in 
 a  perpetual  covenant  that  shall  not 
 be  forgotten"  (ver.  5).  To  take  the 
 text  in  a  spiritual  sense  is  not  accom- 
 modation, but  interpretation,  for  all 
 this  was  designed  to  present  a  striking 
 analogy  to  the  case  of  the  sinner  and 
 his  Saviour.  Viewed  in  this  light,  the 
 text  suggests — 
 
 I.  That  the  human  soul  needs  a 
 resting-place. 
 
 This  is  true  of  the  soul — 
 
 1.  In  ijinocence.  As  a  creature  he 
 could  not  but  be  dependent.  Without 
 unquestioning  trust  in  God,  safety  and 
 happiness  were  impossible  to  man  even 
 before  the  Fall. 
 
 2.  How  much  more  true  is  this  since 
 man  has  become  a  sinner!  To  the  sense 
 of  dependence  there  is  now  added  the 
 restlessness  of  a  rebel,  whose  conscience 
 is  carrying  a  load  it  cannot  shake  off, 
 whose  intellect  is  revolving  questions 
 it  cannot  solve,  whose  heart  is  crying 
 out  for  love  that  shall  be  worthy  of  its 
 acceptance,  and  for  an  object  that  shall 
 be  worthy  of  its  love.  His  nature  is 
 utterly  weary.  The  past  is  guilty,  the 
 future  is  hopeless,  and  so  the  present  is 
 restless.  Have  you  never  sought  to 
 hide  yourself  from  God  and  from  your- 
 self in  business,  pleasure,  excitement, 
 because  of  a  consciousness  of  guilt,  even 
 as  Adam  attempted  to  hide  himself 
 amid  the  trees  %  You  become  yourself 
 the  spectre  that  haunts  your  heart,  and 
 you  carry  yourself  for  ever  with  you. 
 Never,  therefore,  until  yourself  is 
 changed  can  you  enter  into  an  unfailing 
 resting-place. 
 
 II.  Jesus  Christ  is  the  resting-place 
 the  soul  needs. 
 
 The  deliverance  from  the  power  of 
 sin  and  the  effects  of  sin  can  alone 
 remove  the  soul's  distress.  In  Christ 
 we  have — 
 
 1.  Full  redemption.  He  took  upon 
 Himself  our  sins  and  redeemed  us  from 
 the  curse  of  the  law,  so  that  "  there  is 
 no  condemnation  to  them  that  are  in 
 Him."  No  anodynes  of  earth  can  give 
 the  soul  the  rest  that  the  blood  of  Christ 
 can.  What  the  words  of  men  could  not 
 do  the  voice  of  Jesus  has  accomplished; 
 for  when  He  has  said,  "  Thy  sins  are 
 forgiven  thee,  go  in  peace,"  the  heavings 
 of  the  troubled  heart  have  been  stilled, 
 as  of  old  the  rolling  waves  of  Galilee 
 subsided  at  His  command. 
 
 2.  In  Him  we  also  have  regeneration, 
 "  If  any  man  be  in  Christ,  he  is  a  new 
 creature."  A  new  centre  has  been  given 
 to  his  heart,  a  new  aim  to  his  life,  a  new 
 joy  to  his    experience.       In    his  heart 
 
 661 
 
CHAP.  Ii. 
 
 HOMILETIC  COMMENTARY:  JEREMIAH. 
 
 Christ    has    opened    a    fountain    that 
 quenches  his  thirst  for  evermore. 
 
 3.  He  gives  repose  to  the  intellect. 
 Christ  is  "  the  truth."  Jesus  Christ 
 alone  brings  to  the  soul  the  element  of 
 certainty,  and,  worn  out  by  vain  flights, 
 it  folds  its  weary  wings  and  rests 
 with  quiet  thankfulness  on  this  tree  of 
 knowledge,  which  is  also  the  tree  of 
 life. 
 
 4.  He  also  gives  repose  to  the  affec- 
 tions of  the  soul.  Earthly  objects  prove 
 disappointing  or  fall  away  from  us,  or 
 are  torn  from  us  and  leave  the  soul  all 
 palpitating  with  agony,  but  no  power 
 can  separate  from  the  love  of  God  in 
 Christ  Jesus.  Earthly  objects  cannot 
 last  through  the  soul's  immortality, 
 but  Christ  is  the  same  yesterday, 
 to-day,  and  for  ever,  and  the  repose 
 that  Christ  brings  is  as  everlasting  as 
 Himself. 
 
 III.  The  text  implies  that  this  resting- 
 place  of  the  soul  is  sometimes  forgotten, 
 even  by  those  who  have  known  and 
 enjoyed  it. 
 
 "  My  people  have  forgotten  their 
 resting-place."  This  place  can  be  at- 
 tained even  on  earth  by  Christians. 
 Paul,  amid  the  damp  and  darkness  of 
 his  prison,  exclaimed,  "I  know  whom 
 I  have  believed,  and  am  persuaded  He 
 is  able  to  keep  what  I  have  committed 
 to  Him  against  that  day."  Eminent 
 Christians  in  all  ages,  &c.  But  a  Chris- 
 tian may  frequently  have  his  peace  in 
 Christ  disturbed.  At  moments  he  may 
 be  walking  through  darkness.  Job  was 
 a  true  man  of  God  even  when  he  was 
 crying  out,  "  Oh,  that  I  knew  where  I 
 might  find  Him  ! "  True,  a  Christian 
 is  not  justified  in  being  in  this  distressed 
 state  of  mind. 
 
 When  does  a  Christian  forget  his 
 resting-place  ? 
 
 1.  When  he  falls  into  perplexity, 
 doubting  whether  he  is  forgiven  or 
 not. 
 
 2.  When  he  depends  upon  merely 
 human  and  earthly  resources. 
 
 3.  When  he  loses  his  confidence  in 
 the  midst  of  affliction. 
 
 Are  there  those  here  who  have  never 
 known  this   resting-place  %      Let  them 
 eeek  it  now.     Come  to  Christ — 
 6G2 
 
 "  Take  Him  for  what  He  is ;  oh,  take  Him  all, 
 And  look  above. 
 Then  shall  thy  tossing  soul  find  anchorage 
 
 And  steadfast  peace; 
 Thy  love  shall  rest  on  His,  thy  weary  doubts 
 
 For  ever  cease ; 
 Thy  heart  shall  find  in  Him  and  in  His  grace 
 Its  rest  and  bliss." 
 —Rev.  W.  M.  Taylor,  D.I).,  Neiv  Torlc. 
 
 Ver.  6.  Theme  :  Roaming  from 
 God. 
 
 i.  However  unlike  in  all  other 
 choices  and  courses  of  action,  men 
 alarmingly  concur  in  this,  to  neglect 
 religion,  forsake  the  fountain  of  happi- 
 ness. "They  have  gone  from  mountain 
 to  hill,  they  have  forgotten  their  resting- 
 2ilace." 
 
 ii.  We  find  no  exception  to  this 
 rule  apart  from  individual  cases  in 
 which  Divine  grace  has  tvorked  a  dis- 
 tinction. As  in  Nature  we  never  find 
 a  stone  ascend  upwards  or  a  river  flow 
 backwards  of  its  own  accord,  so  in  the 
 moral  world  we  never  find  men  prefer- 
 ing  eternity  to  time,  holiness  to  sin,  the 
 Creator  to  the  creatureof  their oiv7iaccord. 
 
 iii.  Wherever  this  wrong  tendency 
 is  found  superseded  hy  a  sujprenie  at- 
 tachment to  heavenly  things,  we  are  sure 
 that  this  new  bias  owns  a  heavenly 
 agency. 
 
 These  Jews  in  Babylon  wandered 
 from  hill  to  hill,  from  religion  to  re- 
 ligion, from  comforter  to  comforter, 
 from  one  broken  dependence  to  an- 
 other, but  never  by  any  chance  wan- 
 dering back  to  God. 
 
 I.  God  is  the  proper  rest  of  the 
 human  spirit. 
 
 1.  Every  created  life  requires  some 
 object  of  hojye  and  trust. 
 
 2.  The  dire  effect  of  human  depra- 
 vity is  to  sepat'cite  us  from  God,  and  to 
 prompt  us  to  seek  some  other  rest. 
 
 3.  Actually  to  hiotv  and  enjoy  God 
 is  the  triumph  of  personal  and  experi- 
 mental religion. 
 
 II.  A  tendency  to  forget  and  for- 
 sake God  lies  at  the  root  of  all  our 
 miseries. 
 
 It  plunged  Israel  into  captivity ;  it 
 exposes  us  to  ruin. 
 
 1.  This  is  literally  true  of  the  ivhole 
 ivorld  of  sinners.  We  have  all  "  for- 
 gotten our  resting-place." 
 
HOMILETIC  COMMENTARY:  JEREMIAH. 
 
 2.  This  is  practically  true  of  the 
 whole  world  of  saints — the  source  of 
 their  miseries.  Not  absolute  forget- 
 fulness,  but  a  practical  one.  What 
 makes  us  faint  in  calamity,  quarrel 
 with  Providence,  murmur  under  dis- 
 appointments, betake  ourselves  to  un- 
 worthy means  to  avoid  calamity  or  ob- 
 tain relief,  &c. 
 
 III.  Satisfaction  is  sought  in  vain 
 while  we  desert  God.  "  Wander  from 
 mountain  to  hill.'' 
 
 1.  Some  concentrate  happiness  in 
 self. 
 
 2.  Others  seek  satisfaction  in  their 
 worldly  possessions  and  ivell-plan7ied  en- 
 terprises. 
 
 3.  Others  in  their  personal  talents. 
 
 4.  Others  in  their  untarnished  re/JM- 
 tatio7i. 
 
 No  matter  what  be  the  object  of 
 idolatry,  if  God  be  "  forgotten "  and 
 the  proper  "  resting-place  "  forsaken,  if 
 the  care  of  their  soul  be  neglected  and 
 the  cross  of  Christ  unsought,  "  destruc- 
 tion and  misery  are  in  their  ways,  and 
 the  way  of  peace  have  they  not  known." 
 
 (a.)  There  is  criminality  in  this  ne- 
 glect of  God. 
 
 (6.)  There  is  degradation  in  it. 
 
 (c.)  There  is  rwm,  disaster,  in  it, 
 sooner  or  later. 
 
 IV.  God's  dispensations  correct  this 
 perverse  tendency  wi  ?wa»  to  roam  from 
 Him. 
 
 1.  The  dispensations  of  His  provi- 
 dence. 
 
 2.  The  influence  of  His  grace  and 
 Spirit. 
 
 Comments — 
 
 Ver.  6.  "  My  people  hath  been  lost 
 sheep  :  their  shepherds  have  cazised  them 
 to  go  astray."  See  on  chap.  ii.  8,  and 
 especially  xxiii.  1  seq. 
 
 Ver.  7.  "  Their  adversaries  said,  We 
 offend  not,  because  they  sinned  against  the 
 Lord."  *'  It  is  the  worst  condition  into 
 which  the  Church  of  God  can  come 
 when  the  enemies  who  desolate  it  main- 
 tain they  are  in  the  right  in  doing  so. 
 It  is,  however,  a  just  Nemesis  when 
 those  who  will  not  hear  the  regular 
 messengers  of  God  must  be  told  by  the 
 
 extraordinary  messengers  of  God  what 
 they  should  have  done." — Naegelsbach. 
 
 Nebuzaradan  urged  the  plea  of  this 
 verse  (chap.  xl.  2,  3 ;  c/".  Zech.  xi.  5). 
 The  Jews'  guilt  was  so  palpable  that 
 they  were  condemned  even  in  the  judg- 
 ment of  heathens.  They  saw  they  had 
 apostatised  from  "the  hope  of  their 
 fathers,"  from  the  God  whose  faithful- 
 ness their  fathers  had  experienced. 
 
 Ver.  14.  ^^  Against  Babylon,  for 
 she  hath  sinned  against  the  Lord."  By 
 oppressing  His  people ;  for  their  cause 
 is  His.  Also  by  profaning  His  sacred 
 vessels  (Dan.  v.  2). 
 
 Ver.  17.  Them^:  The  Scattered 
 Sheep.  "  Israel  is  a  scattered  sheep  ; 
 the  lions  hath  driven  him  away." 
 
 Sin  made  them  victims  of  invading 
 conquerors.  Text  was  fulfilled  in  the 
 captivity  by  Assyria.  Language  appro- 
 priate to  every  lost  sinner. 
 
 I.  A  wandering  sheep  is  a  very  fit 
 emblem  of  a  poor  sinner.  Entangled 
 in  the  briars  of  the  wilderness,  torn  and 
 pierced  by  its  thorns ;  the  lions  have 
 devoured  us,  &c.  In  plain  language : 
 man's  heart,  affections,  powers  of  his 
 mind,  all  are  alienated  from  God.  A 
 wandering  sheep  is  the  emblem  of — 
 
 1.  Indigence,  perplexity,  and  disap- 
 pointment. 
 
 2.  Danger. 
 
 3.  Helplessness. 
 
 4.  An  object  of  pity  and  anxious 
 solicitude.  God  pitied  the  sinner  (John 
 iii.  1 6) ;  His  love  is  illustrated  by  Luke 
 XV.  3,  jfec. 
 
 II.  Jesus  Christ  is  the  great  Shep- 
 herd, who  seeks  and  gathers  into  His 
 fold  His  wandering  sheep.  As  such 
 He  is  frequently  described  (Ps.  xxiii.  1 ; 
 Isa.  xl.  11;  John  x.  11). 
 
 1.  He  hioivs  they  are  in  the  wilderness. 
 He  came  "  to  seek  and  to  save  that 
 which  is  lost."  He  finds  them  in  a 
 ruined  condition. 
 
 2.  He  pities  them,  and  rescues  them 
 from  their  enemies.  He  "  takes  the 
 prey  from  the  mighty,  and  delivers  the 
 lawful  captive." 
 
 3.  He  restoreth  the  soul  (Ps.  xxiii.) 
 He  came  to  give  "life  more  abundantly  " 
 
 663 
 
CB&F.  L. 
 
 HOMILETIC  COMMENTARY :  JEREMIAH. 
 
 (John  X.  10,  11).     For  this  purpose  He 
 died,  paid  the  price,  &c. 
 
 III.  How  blessed  is  the  present 
 state  of  the  restored  sheep  !  Loved, 
 redeemed,  enfolded. 
 
 1.  The  fold  of  Christ  is  a  secure 
 enclosure.  The  "Lord  is  round  about 
 His  people."  His  perfections  are  on 
 every  side  for  their  security. 
 
 2.  They  are  in  suitable  and  congenial 
 society.  Sheep  associate  not  with  other 
 animals.  We  "  have  fellowship  one  tvith 
 another." 
 
 3.  He  will  ever  luatch  over  them, 
 guide  and  defend  them ;  for  they  are 
 precious  to  Him.  He  will  *'  never  leave 
 nor  forsake  them  :  "  be  with  them  in  the 
 valley  of  death,  and  then  enfold  them  in 
 heaven. 
 
 IV.  The  restored  sheep  are  amply 
 tended  and  nourished. 
 
 1.  They  "go  in  and  out  and  find 
 pasture."  But  they  are  not  always  fed 
 on  the  same  ordinance.  The  blessing  is 
 not  confined  to  one  means  of  grace. 
 
 2.  All  the  blessings  of  the  new  covenant 
 are  for  the  nourishment  of  the  soul. 
 
 3.  The  endearing  character  of  Christ 
 should  engage  our  confidence,  as  our 
 Shepherd.  He  is  infinitely  good,  pro- 
 videntially kind,  and  graciously  tender 
 to  His  people.  His  bounty  supplies, 
 His  wisdom  orders,  all  things  for  us ; 
 and  His  Gospel  brings  us  every  spiritual 
 enjoyment. 
 
 V.  The  sheep  shall  be  eventually 
 removed  from  the  fold  below  to  that 
 in  glory. 
 
 1.  Here  they  have  much  enjoyment, 
 but  it  is  often  imperfect  and  interrupted. 
 Sin  disquiets,  the  world  disappoints, 
 ordinances  only  prove  a  blessing  occa- 
 sionally. 
 
 2.  The  time  is  nearing  when  the  flock 
 shall  be  all  in  one  fold,  eternally  toith 
 the  Shepherd,  led  by  Him  into  the  ever- 
 verdant  pastures. 
 
 (a.)  Are  you  one  of  Christ's  sheep  1 
 As  a  wandering  sinner,  have  you  been 
 reclaimed  1 
 
 (6.)  Have  you  sensible  enjoyment  of 
 the  provisions  of  the  Gospel  *?  Are  they 
 to  you  green  pastures,  &c.  1 
 
 (c.)  If  not  identified  with  the  flock  of 
 Christ  now,  at  the  day  of  division  you 
 664 
 
 will  be  severed  from  the  redeemed  of  the 
 Lord  (Matt.  xxv.  31,  &c.) 
 
 — From  ^^  Helps  for  the  Pulpit." 
 
 Ver.  20.  Theme:  God's  Mercy  to 
 His  People.  "  In  those  days  the  ini- 
 quity of  Israel  shall  be  sotight  for,  and 
 there  shall  be  none;  and  the  sins  of 
 Judah,  and  they  shall  not  be  found:  for 
 I  will  pardon  them  whom  I  reserve." 
 
 God's  promises  seem  so  "  exceeding 
 great "  that  we  are  tempted  to  limit 
 them  by  conditions.  Men  may  indeed 
 deceive  themselves  as  to  their  own  per- 
 sonal interest  in  them;  but  God  is 
 sovereign  in  His  affluence. 
 
 This  promise  has  been  only  in  part 
 accomplished ;  for  since  the  Jews'  return 
 from  Babylon  "  their  sins  have  been 
 found,"  and  visited,  too,  in  wrathful 
 indignation  for  many  hundreds  of  years. 
 At  a  period  fast  nearing,  God's  elect 
 among  them  shall  be  restored  to  His 
 favour,  &c. 
 
 I.  The  extent  of  God's  mercy  to  His 
 chosen  people. 
 
 1,  They  are  constantly  represented  as 
 a  remnant.  Yet  they  are  "  a  remnant 
 according  to  the  election  of  grace" 
 (Rom.  xi.  5). 
 
 2.  For  them,  hoivever,  God  desigyis  the 
 richest  mercy.  A  full  and  perfect  remis- 
 sion of  all  sin  (Isa.  xxxviii.  17) ;  and 
 to  remember  their  sins  no  more  for  ever 
 (Jer.  xxxi.  31-34;  Heb.  x.  14-17). 
 God  will  henceforth  view  them  as  they 
 are  in  Christ,  "  without  spot  or  blemish  " 
 (Eph.  V.  27). 
 
 II.  The  interest  which  the  Jewish 
 nation  has  in  this  covenanted  mercy. 
 
 1.  They  are  the  direct  objects  God  has 
 in  view  in  this  promise.  We  do  right 
 to  apply  these  words  to  God's  elect 
 generally,  but  wrong  to  overlook  their 
 primary  purpose.  This  is  emphatically 
 a  pledge  to  tJte  Jews. 
 
 2.  So  applied,  the  promise  shoidd  fill 
 us  tuith  unutterable  joy. 
 
 III.  With  what  thoughts  should  we 
 contemplate  this  promised  mercy  ? 
 
 1.  Amazement  at  the  riches  of  God's 
 grace. 
 
 2.  Humiliation,  loathing  ourselves 
 for  our  iniquities  against  such  a  God. 
 
 3.  Gratitude  (Rom.  xii.  1). 
 
EOMILETIC  COMMENTARY :  JEREMIAH. 
 
 CHAP.  L. 
 
 4.  Affiance.  In  all  He  has  done  He 
 gives  us  the  pledge  that  He  will  never 
 sufiFer  any  one  to  "  separate  us  from  the 
 love  of  God  in  Christ  Jesus  our  Lord." — 
 Rev.  Chas.  Simeon,  M.A.,  1828. 
 
 Ver.  20.  Theme:  Plenteous  for- 
 giveness. "  /  will  pardon  them  whom 
 I  i^eserve." 
 
 I.  In  some  cases  pardon  would  he  both 
 unrighteous  and  dangerous. 
 
 The  law  must  be  honoured  and  the 
 transgressor  cease  from  the  sin  which 
 needs  pardon. 
 
 II.  The  pardon  God  besioivs  is  sove- 
 reign in  its  exercise. 
 
 As  pardon  is  an  act  of  grace,  not 
 merited,  it  must  be  sovereign ;  bestowed 
 according  to  the  good  pleasure  of  His 
 will. 
 
 III.  A  universal  offer  of  pardon  is 
 proclaimed  in  the  Gospel. 
 
 On  the  ground  of  "repentance  towards 
 God  and  faith  towards  our  Lord  Jesus 
 Christ." 
 
 IV.  While,  therefore,  God's  grace  de- 
 signs the  scheme  of  pardon  through 
 Christ,  the  responsibility  of  securing 
 pardon  rests  on  man. 
 
 However  wicked,  no  man  need  despair 
 of  obtaining  it.  "  Let  him  return  unto 
 the  Lord,  and  He  will  abundantly  par- 
 don." 
 
 How  can  we  doubt  this  when  He 
 pardoned  a  Manasseh,  a  Magdalene,  a 
 Saul?  "The  blood  of  Jesus  Christ 
 cleanseth  from  all  sin." — Rev.  D.  Pledge. 
 {See  Addenda  :  Sin  in  oblivion.) 
 
 Comments — 
 
 Ver.  24.  *'  /  have  laid  a  snare  for  thee, 
 O  Babylon."  Cyrus  turned  the  waters 
 of  the  Euphrates  into  a  different  channel, 
 and  so  entered  Babylon  by  the  dried-up 
 channel  at  night.  Thus  was  the  impreg- 
 nable city  taken  by  a  stratagem — "  Thou 
 wast  not  aivare ; "  for  one-half  of  the 
 city  was  in  the  enemy's  hands  before  the 
 other  knew  of  it. 
 
 Ver.  34.  Theme :  The  Strength  of 
 THE  Redeemer.  "  Their  Redeemer  is 
 strong." 
 
 I.  These  ivords  suggest  a  difficulty. 
 
 If  He  be  strong,  why  does  Israel  so 
 often  suffer  beneath  the  hand  of  the 
 ojopressor?  If  my  father  have  bread, 
 why  do  I  hunger  1 
 
 1.  God  does  not  displai/  His  strength 
 at  once,  in  order  the  7)iore  to  glorify  if. 
 Lazarus  dies.  Jesus  hastens  not  to 
 him  until  the  third  day.  Why?  We 
 had  never  known  He  could  raise  the 
 dead  if  He  had  displayed  His  power 
 always  in  healing  the  sick.  StejDhen 
 dies  full  of  faith,  triumphing.  God 
 could  have  saved  him  from  death,  but 
 showed  His  power  by  sustaining  him. 
 
 2.  God  does  not  at  once  display  His 
 strength,  &c.,  in  order  to  make  His 
 people  lag  hold  of  it.  When  did  Jonah, 
 Manasseh,  &c.,  cry  loudest?  Was  it 
 not  when  His  arm  seemed  far  from 
 helping  them  ? 
 
 3.  Another  reason  is  that  He  hereby 
 chastens  His  people.  There  is  no  greater 
 punishment  than  God  leaving  us  to  our- 
 selves. 
 
 4.  Hereby  He  instructs  them.  We 
 are  taught  that  God's  strength  will  never 
 be  exerted  to  make  us  secure  in  sin  and 
 indolence. 
 
 5.  Often  He  does  not  exert  His 
 strength  to  liberate  His  people  so  that 
 He  may  shoio  mercg  to  their  oppressors. 
 He  delayed  to  redeem  Israel  out  of  the 
 hand  of  Pharaoh  that  Moses  might  rea- 
 son with  him. 
 
 II.  These  ivords  convey  a  blessed 
 truth. 
 
 1.  Consider  the  might  of  the  enemy 
 from  whom  He  delivers  us.  From  the 
 power  of  Satan,  the  world,  our  evil 
 hearts. 
 
 2.  Consider  the  completeriess  of  the 
 deliverance.  He  saves  both  body  and 
 soul,  by  His  own  arm,  without  the  help 
 of  another.  "  His  own  arm  hath  gotten 
 Him  the  victory." 
 
 3.  Consider  His  strength  upholds  to 
 the  very  end  all  tvhom  He  hath  redeemed. 
 He  brings  up  from  Egypt  to  the  goodly 
 land.  Was  there  one  of  all  the  host 
 He  brought  out  of  Egypt  that  was 
 forced  back  to  captivity  ? 
 
 III.  These  words  imply  a  terrible 
 warning. 
 
 1.  To  all  who  oppress  God^s  people. 
 He  who  blesses  the  giver  of  the  cup  of 
 
 mo 
 
CHAP.  LI. 
 
 HOMTLETIC  COMMENTARY :  JEREMIAH. 
 
 cold  water  shall  punish  all  those  who 
 touch  one  of  these  little  ones. 
 
 2.  To  all  who  reject  His  help.  As 
 strong  to  slay  as  to  make  alive.  Seek 
 His  blessing.  Flee  to  Israel's  strong 
 Redeemer,  lest  the  plagues  written  in 
 the  Book  be  experienced  by  you. 
 
 Say  not,  "  I  am  wUling  to  enjoy  life 
 now  and  take  the  consequences  of  it 
 hereafter."  Say  not,  "  If  it  be  right,  I 
 am  willing  to  expiate  my  crimes."  That 
 is  but  hanging  garlands  on  the  sword  that 
 must  enter  your  soul. — From  *'  Stems 
 and  Twigs." 
 
 Comments — 
 
 Vers.  39,  40.  Babylon  deserted  of 
 INHABITANTS.  This  Utter  extinction  of 
 Babylon  was  not  effected  by  one  stroke, 
 but  gradually.  Cyriis  took  away  its 
 supremacy.  Darius  Hystaspes  deprived 
 it,  when  it  had  rebelled  against  Persia, 
 of  its  fortifications.  Seleucus  Nicanor 
 removed  its  citizens  and  wealth  to  Se- 
 leucia,  which  he  founded  close  by  Baby- 
 lon. The  Parthians  removed  all  that 
 was  left  to  Ctesiphon.  Nothing  but  its 
 walls  were  left  under  the  Roman  Emperor 
 Adrian. 
 
 ADDENDA  TO  CHAPTER  L.  :  ILLUSTRATIONS  AND  SUGGESTIVE  EXTRACTS. 
 
 Ver.  5.  Faces  Zionward.  Among 
 the  old  Romans  there  prevailed  the 
 touching  custom  of  holding  the  face  of 
 every  new-born  infant  towards  the 
 heavens,  signifying,  by  their  presenting 
 its  forehead  to  the  stars,  that  it  was 
 to  look  above  the  world  into  celestial 
 glories.  It  was  a  vain  superstition; 
 but  Christianity  dispels  the  fable,  and 
 gives  us  a  clear  realisation  of  the  Pagan 
 
 yearning.       Young     lives    should     be 
 turned  with  their  faces  heavenwards. 
 
 Ver.  20.  Sin  cast  into  oblivion. 
 Cicero  said  of  Caesar,  "  He  forgiveth 
 nothing  but  injuries  only." 
 
 "  These  evils  I  deserve, 
 Yet  despair  not  of  His  final  pardon. 
 Whose  ear  is  ever  open,  and  His  eye 
 Gracious  to  readmit  the  suppliant." 
 
 — Milton, 
 
 CHAPTER  LI. 
 
 CEiTiCiL  AND  ExEGETiCAL  NoTES. — For  Chronological  Notes,  see  foregoing  chapter. 
 
 Geographical  References. — Ver.  27.  "  The  kingdoms  of  Ararat,  Minni,  and  Ashchenaz." 
 These  nations  of  Western  Asia  are  summoned  to  join  the  Medes  in  their  attack  on  Babylon. 
 By  "  Ararat "  is  meant  the  region  of  Upper  or  Major  Armenia,  in  the  vicinity  of  the  mountain  ; 
 by  "Minni,"  Lower  or  Minor  Armenia;  and  by  "Ashchenaz,"  probably  Asia  Minor,  in  which 
 "Ascania  "  stands. 
 
 Personal  Allusions.— Ver.  59.  "  Seraiah,"  brother  to  Baruch  (chap,  xxxii.  12)  and  the 
 king's  chamberlain  ;  see  below,  Lit.  Crit.  on  verse. 
 
 Literary  Criticisms. — Ver.  1.  "A  destroying  wind  :  "  possibly  this  should  read  "a  destroy- 
 ing spirit,"  i.e.,  Cyrus. 
 
 Ver.  5.  "Israel  hath  not  been  forsaken  :"  read,  "  Israel  is  not  widowed  nor  Judah  of  his 
 God." 
 
 Ver.  10.  "  The  Lord  hath  brought  forth  our  righteousness  :"  rather,  righteousnesses,  pi.  HIpTV, 
 i.e.,  proofs  that  we  are  righteous. 
 
 Ver.  12.   "  Upon  the  loalls,"  should  be  against  the  walls. 
 
 Ver.  23.  "  I  will  also  break  in  pieces:"  Henderson  notes  that  )>SD,  from  fQ^^  to  scatter, 
 break,  dash  in  pieces,  designates  the  toar-club  anciently  used  by  warriors  for  the  purpose  of 
 clearing  away  all  with  whom  they  came  in  contact. 
 
 Ver.  41.    " Sheshach  :"  vide  Notes  on  chap.  xxv.  26. 
 
 Ver.  50.  "  Remember  the  Lord  afar  off :"  i.e.,  horn  afar;  from  Chaldea,  far  distant  from 
 Zion,  God's  dwelling-place. 
 
 Ver.  59.  "A  quiet  prince,"  nn-"13P"")b',  has  been  variously  rendered.  The  Sept.,  &px(ov 
 Scipw^/j^as  if  Seraiah  were  the  distributor  of  the  royal  presents.  The  Vulg.,  "prince  of  pro- 
 phecy. Other  renderings  are,  "chief  of  the  caravan,"  "lord  chamberlain;"  but  there  is 
 warrant  for  the  rendering  as  the  E.V.  Comp.  nn-IJO'Ei'^X,  a  man  of  quietness,  1  Chron. 
 xxii.  9.  ■'     •         ■ 
 
 GOG 
 
HOMILETIO  COM M ENTA RY :  JEREMIA it. 
 
 SUBJECT  OF  CHAPTER  LI. :  MYSTIC  BABYLON;  ROMANISM  BOOMED. 
 General  Survey:  Babylon's  Doom;  Mystic  Babylon's  Destruction. 
 
 i.  The  Median  power,  -whicli  Babylon  formerly  invited  to  unite  with  her  for 
 Nineveh's  destruction,  was  7nade  the  instrument  for  her  oivn  overthrow.  So  in  the 
 Apocalypse  it  is  revealed  that  some  of  the  kings  who  were  once  vassals  of  the 
 mystical  Babylon  will  be  the  instruments  in  God's  hands  for  chastising  her  (Rev. 
 xvii.  16). 
 
 ii.  Babylon's  colossal  splendour  formed  no  hindrance  to  God's  purposes  of  her 
 fall,  for  He  opens  unlooked-for  avenues  along  which  His  judgments  may  invade  the 
 strongholds  of  evil.  The  Euphrates  of  her  power,  which,  with  mystic  Babylon,  has 
 flowed  on  for  so  many  centuries,  and  in  which  she  has  trusted  as  her  defence,  the 
 non  possimms  of  the  Pontifical  arrogance,  may  prove  the  cause  of  her  destruction. 
 See  Rev.  xvi.  12.  Nor  shall  all  her  vaunted  majesty  and  glory  save  her  in  the 
 hour  of  invasion,  when  God's  emissaries  of  judgment  flow  in  upon  her. 
 
 iii.  The  suddenness  of  Babylon! s  capture  (vers.  8,  41)  may  have  equal 
 analogy.  At  a  time  when  she  is  most  exultant,  revelling  in  some  imposing  fes- 
 tival or  carnival,  as  Babylon  was  feasting  at  the  time  of  its  invasion,  elate  with 
 pride,  fearless  of  harm,  provoking  God  by  her  sacrilege  of  sacred  things,  then  the 
 fingers  of  a  man's  hand  shall  write  her  downfall,  and  she  shall  be  ensnared.  See 
 Rev.  xviii.  10,  17.     "  In  one  hour  is  thy  judgment  come  !  " 
 
 iv.  As  with  Babylon  so  with  Rome,  her  fall  shall  he  total  and  final,  leaving 
 her  an  absolute  and  hopeless  ruin. 
 
 The  walls  of  Babylon,  of  vast  dimensions,  87  feet  broad  and  360  feet  in  height, 
 the  palaces  and  vast  architectures  within  (ver.  53),  all  suggested  imperishable 
 strength ;  as  indeed  the  vast  system  of  Romanism  does  to-day.  But  all  her  excel- 
 lency became  a  ruin  (ver.  58),  and  ancient  Babylon  became  a  dreary  wilderness, 
 unsightly  "  heaps"  (ver.  37).  Alexander  the  Great  made  efi"orts  to  rebuild  Babylon, 
 and  employed  2000  workmen  for  two  months  in  clearing  away  the  foundations  of 
 the  Temple  of  Belus,  preparatory  to  his  project :  but  he  died  in  the  midst  of  his 
 ambitious  scheme,  and  it  was  abandoned.  Nor  shall  Rome  ever  exalt  her  head 
 more  when  once  the  hand  of  doom  lays  her  pride  low,  "  It  shall  be  found  no 
 more  at  all"  (Rev.  xviii.  21). 
 
 V.  Babylon's  ruin  became  the  signal  for  IsraeVs  release  and  redemi^tion.  The 
 faithful  Jews  in  captivity  there  found  liberty  once  more,  and  returned  to  rebuild 
 Jerusalem  and  restore  the  desolations  of  Zion,  Even  so  shall  the  fall  of  Rome  set 
 free  the  souls  of  men  from  the  galling  captivities  of  superstition,  and  the  true  Israel, 
 the  Church  of  Christ,  shall  rise  into  honour,  prosperity,  and  power  (Rev,  xix.  1-9). 
 
 vi.  Israel  was  admonished  and  enjoined  to  flee  from  Babylon  and  "deliver  every 
 man  his  soul "  (vers.  6  and  45) ;  so  from  mystic  Babylon  the  voice  of  inspiration 
 urges  men  to  separate  themselves  from  her  sins  and  escape  her  impending  destruction. 
 "  I  heard  a  voice  from  heaven  saying,  Come  out  of  her,  my  people,  that  ye  be  not 
 partakers  of  her  sins,  and  that  ye  receive  not  of  her  plagues  "  (Rev.  xviii.  4). 
 
 General  To2nc  :  The  Predicted  Overthrow^  of  Babylon, 
 
 Probably  no  people  were  ever  more  luxurious  and  licentious  than  the  Baby- 
 lonians at  the  time  of  their  overthrow.  Disgusting  excesses  marked  the  pleasures  of 
 the  table,  and  debauchery  crowned  the  banquet.  Profligacy  especially  character- 
 ised the  female  sex ;  hence  the  image  in  Revelation  of  mystic  Babylon  as  a  vile 
 woman  (xvii.  1,  2,  18,  xix.  2,  &c.),  hurled  from  the  seat  of  her  effeminacy  into  total 
 misery  and  degradation,  is  used  to  represent  Babylon's  doom, 
 
 I.  Prophecy  literally  vindicated.  Almost  every  step  in  the  fall  of  Babylon, 
 and  its  subsequent  reverses,  is  the  accomplishment  of  a  prophecy. 
 
 667 
 
CHAP.  LI.  BOMILETIC  COMMENTARY  .-  JEREMIAH. 
 
 1.  The  name  of  the  victor,  with  his  appointment  by  Providence  to  the  work  of 
 retribution,  was  given  more  than  a  century  before  his  birth  (Isa,  xlv.  1-3). 
 
 2.  The  varied  character  of  the  besieging  host  which  would  be  engaged  in  the  assault 
 is  minutely  described.  Not  only  the  Medo-Persian  army,  but  auxiliaries  drawn 
 from  the  highlands  of  Armenia,  the  provinces  of  Asia  Minor,  and  the  great  deserts 
 bordering  on  the  Indian  Caucasus  (Jer.  1.  41,  42,  li.  11,  27,  28). 
 
 3.  Some  leading  circumstances  of  the  captiire  are  also  unequivocally  pointed  out. 
 (1.)  The  intempei'ate  festivity  oii\i.Q -^o-^xxloXiow  [3 ev.  li.  57).  (2.)  The  negligence  of 
 the  guards  in  charge  of  the  portals  of  the  river :  "  gates  not  shut "  (Isa.  xlv.  1). 
 (3.)  The  remarkable  02yeratio7i  upon  the  Euphrates  (Isa.  xliv.  27;  Jer.  1.  38,  li.  32, 
 36).     (4.)  The  suddenness  and  surprise  of  the  capture  (Jer.  1.  24). 
 
 Nothing  can  be  more  exact  that  the  correspondence  between  the  futures  of 
 Babylon  and  the  language  of  prophecy.  Its  story,  viewed  in  connection  with  the 
 previous  announcement  dictated  by  the  Spirit  of  inspiration,  is — 
 
 i.  A  bright  evidence  of  the  truth  of  the  Holy  Scripture  and  of  the  divinity 
 which  breathes  in  its  pages. 
 
 ii.  A  confirmation  of  the  religious  system  revealed  in  God's  Word,  from  the 
 first  promise  made  to  the  first  transgressor,  to  its  perfect  realisation  in  the  Gospel 
 of  Christ. 
 
 II.  Sacred  lessons  emphatically  enforced.  The  records  of  Babylon's  over- 
 throw should  be  read — 
 
 1.  By  the  believer . 
 
 (1.)  With  trembling  awe,  as  an  illustration  of  the  divine  anger  against  the  sinful- 
 ness of  man. 
 
 (2.)  With  grateful  feelings  also,  as  strengthening  the  conviction  that  the  founda- 
 tions of  his  faith  and  hope  are  solid. 
 
 (3.)  With  assurance  of  the  verity  of  God's  pro^nises,  that,  as  He  fulfilled  the 
 words  of  awful  retribution,  so  will  He  His  promises  of  gracious  deliverance  :  for 
 "  light  is  sown  for  the  righteous,  and  gladness  for  the  upright  in  heart." 
 
 2.  By  the  enemies  of  God's  people — with  the  ajDpalling  thought  that  as  Babylon, 
 the  great  oppressor  of  God's  ancient  people,  has  been  reduced  to  nothingness,  so 
 certainly  will  all  the  persecuting  enemies  of  the  Church  of  Christ,  of  which  that 
 people  is  the  selected  type,  be  brought  to  confusion. 
 
 3.  By  the  sceptic  and  infidel.  The  whole  case  is  abundantly  admonitory  to 
 such.  Well  would  it  be  for  them  to  compare  the  convincing  evidences  of  the 
 religious  system  they  reject  with  the  difficulties  and  hollowness  of  their  own 
 theories ;  to  remember  that  if  Christianity  be  true,  its  truth  is  awful  to  those  who 
 repudiate  it ;  and  to  turn  from  their  own  delusive  dogmas  to  receive  the  revelation 
 of  the  Bible,  while  yet  an  insulted  but  still  merciful  God  is  waiting  to  be  gracious 
 to  the  chief  of  sinners  through  the  mediation  of  the  Son  of  His  love. — Babylon 
 and  Nineveh. 
 
 HOMILIES  AND  COMMENTS  ON  CHAPTER  LI. 
 
 Ver.  5.    Theme:   Israel  not  aban-  ^' Flee  out  of  the  midst  of  Babylon,  zxidi 
 
 DONED.  deliver  every  man  his  soul :  be  not  cut 
 
 See    Lit.     Crit.     on     verse :     "  Not  off  in  her  iniquity." 
 
 widowed,"   not  deserted  by  the  Lord,  L    A  doomed   system   entails   the 
 
 who  is  her  Husband.  doom  of  its  votaries.       As  they  who 
 
 Comp.  chap.  iii.  v.  14;  Homilies  on  will  not    leave    a   sinking  vessel,   sink 
 
 p.  60,  "  Banished  yet  still  beloved;  "  and  with  her. 
 
 66,  *'  God  a  loving  Husband,"  et  seq.  II.  Identification  with  a  false  reli- 
 gion is  culpable  in  God's  regard.    "  Her 
 
 Ver.     6.     Theme :     Humanism     re-  iniquity "  becomes  the  iniquity  of  each 
 
 WOUNCED.  individual  adherent,  and   each   will  be 
 668 
 
EOMILETIC  COMMENTARY :  JEREMIAH. 
 
 CHAP.  LI. 
 
 "cut  oflf"  as  being  responsible  for  and 
 sharing  her  sins.  Men  cannot  screen 
 themselves  on  the  plea  that  they  have 
 always  been  what  they  are,  and  there- 
 fore they  should  stay  where  they  are. 
 "  Flee  out,"  &c. 
 
 III.  The  soul's  safety  is  jeopardised 
 by  delusive  systems.  "  Deliver  every 
 man  his  soul." 
 
 False  beliefs  are  as  fatal  as  no  beliefs. 
 ^^  Refuges  of  lies"  will  be  destroyed,  and 
 houses  built  on  sand  will  fall. 
 
 IV.  Prompt  and  earnest  separation 
 from  Babylon's  errors  is  enjoined.  ^^Flee 
 out  of  the  midst  of  Babylon." 
 
 1.  We  have  responsibilities  towards 
 truth,  and  should  yZee/rc»7?i  error. 
 
 2.  We  have  duties  to  our  souls,  and 
 should  separate  ou7'selves  from  hiown 
 spiritual  dehisions  and  dangers. 
 
 3.  We  have  clear  forewarnings  of 
 judgment,  and  should  haste  to  escape 
 from  the  coming  tribulation. 
 
 Note— 
 
 "A  time  may  come  when  it  is  well 
 to  separate  one's  self.  There  may  come 
 moments  in  the  life  of  a  Church  when 
 it  will  be  a  duty  to  leave  the  community. 
 Such  a  moment  is  come  when  the  com- 
 munity has  become  a  Babylon.  When 
 the  soul  can  no  longer  find  in  the  Church 
 the  pure  and  divine  bread  of  life,  it  is 
 well  "  to  deliver  the  soul  that  it  perish 
 not  in  the  iniquity  of  the  Church." — 
 Article  on  Sects  in  Herzog,  R.-Enc. 
 
 Ver.  7.  Theme:  Rome's  luxuri- 
 ance. 
 
 **  Babylon  hath  been  a  golden  cup  in 
 the  Lord's  hand,  that  made  all  the  earth 
 drunken." 
 
 For  the  metaphor  see  Topic,  chap. 
 XXV.  15  seq.  ;  "  The  ivine-ciip  of  wrath  " 
 (p.  474). 
 
 Compare  for  identification  of  Babylon 
 with  Rome,  Rev.  xiv.  8 ;  xvii.  4. 
 
 I.  "A  golden  cup"  dazzles  and  fasci- 
 nates the  beholder.  Men's  eyes  are 
 bewitched  and  dazed  by  the  glitter  and 
 splendour  of  gold,  by  the  gilded  errors 
 of  Rome,  so  that  they  do  not  inquire 
 what  the  "  cup  "  contains.  (So  suggests 
 Origen. ) 
 
 II.  From  "  a  golden  cup "  men  may 
 drink  maddening  intoxicants.     "The 
 
 nations  have  drunken  of  her  wine :  there- 
 fore the  nations  are  mad."  This  suggests 
 that  the  errors  and  blandishments  of 
 Rome,  her  opulence  and  splendour,  stu- 
 pefy men's  reason  and  conscience,  as 
 "  wine  "  does  the  inebriate. 
 
 III.  In  Rome's  golden  chalice  are  de- 
 lusive and  destructive  drinks.  "  Mark 
 well,"  says  Origen,  "in  the  golden  cup 
 of  Babylon  is  the  poison  of  idolatry,  the 
 poison  of  false  doctrines,  which  destroy 
 the  souls  of  men.  I  have  often  seen 
 such  a  '  golden  cup '  in  the  fair  speeches 
 of  seductive  eloquence,  and  when  I  have 
 examined  the  various  ingredients  of  the 
 golden  chalice,  I  have  recognised  the  cup 
 of  Babylon." 
 
 IV.  From  this  '^golden  cup"  thehoii 
 administers  judgment  to  Rome's  intoxi- 
 cated dupes.  "  A  golden  cup  in  the  hand 
 of  the  Lord."  Jehovah  used  ancient 
 Babylon  to  punish  the  godless  nations 
 and  apostate  Israel  He  now  uses  Rome 
 as  an  agency  of  judgment  on  faithless 
 souls.  They  who  will  not  use  their  en- 
 dowments and  opportunities  aright,  who 
 prostitute  their  reason,  conscience,  and 
 will  before  the  fascination  of  these 
 "golden"  errors  of  Rome,  who  neglect 
 the  sacred  chalice  of  the  Holy  Bible  and 
 prefer  to  drink  from  Rome's  cup  of 
 errors,  God  uses  Romanism  to  punish 
 such:  "Therefore  God  sends  them  a 
 strong  delusion,  that  they  may  believe 
 a  lie"  (2Thess.  ii.  11). 
 
 Ver.  9.  Theme:  Rome's  rejection 
 OF  healing. 
 
 I.  Health-giving  teaching,  if  received, 
 might  have  healed  the  errors  of  Rome. 
 This  was  offered  Babylon ;  her  remedy 
 lay  in  receiving  God's  Word,  urged  upon 
 her  by  God's  prophets.  So  with  mystical 
 Babylon  :  she  has  been  offered  instruc- 
 tion and  warning  by  Paul  (2  Thess.  ii. 
 2-9),  by  the  Apocalypse  (Rev.  xiii— 
 xviii.)  Protestantism  has  been  attempt- 
 ing to  heal  Rome  by  the  literature  dif 
 fused  and  arguments  addressed  against 
 Rome's  errors,  and  by  appeals  to  Scrip- 
 ture truth. 
 
 II.  Besotted  attachment  to  wrong 
 leads  to  the  refusal  of  God's  truth.  Saving 
 doctrines  are  rejected  when  they  would 
 save  from  cherished  errors  and   beloved 
 
 669 
 
CHAP.  LI. 
 
 EOMILETIC  COMMENTARY :  JEREMIAH. 
 
 sins  and  profitable  lies.  So  still :  light 
 shines  in  Christian  teaching  sufficient 
 to  scatter  the  darkness.  "But  men 
 love  darkness  rather  than  light,  because 
 their  deeds  are  evil."  Rome  refuses 
 healing,  rejects  truth,  because  errors  are 
 her  traffic. 
 
 III.  From  the  outraged  heavens 
 doom  hangs  over  deceitful  and  destruc- 
 tive EiOme.  "  Her  sins  have  reached 
 unto  heaven  "  (Rev.  xviii.  5).  There- 
 fore "  her  jicdgment  reacheth  unto 
 heaven,"  as  if  pressing  upon  God  the 
 urgency  of  executing  her  overthrow. 
 And  certainly  God  hath  sent  the  fore- 
 warnings  of  Rome's  doom  from  the 
 heavens  in  His  Word,  and  ere  long  the 
 thunders  of  His  destructive  wrath  will 
 sweep  down  upon  the  Antichrist. 
 
 Ver.  10.  Theme:  Israel  justified 
 AGAINST  Babylon.  "  The  Lord  hath 
 brought  forth  our  righteousness." 
 
 I.  Punishment  of  sinners  testifies  of 
 the  advantages  of  righteousness. 
 
 II.  Overthrow  of  error  testifies  to  the 
 veracity  of  divine  trtith,  on  which  right- 
 eous souls  lived  by  faith. 
 
 III.  Defeat  of  God's  foes  testifies  to 
 the  blessedness  of  His  people,  whom  He 
 befriends. 
 
 IV.  Deliverance  of  the  righteous  tes- 
 tifies that,  though  their  adversaries  may 
 for  a  while  prevail,  the  injustice  of  evil- 
 doers and  the  goodness  of  God's  children 
 will  ultimately  be  vindicated. 
 
 Therefore — 
 
 1.  Wait  patiently  under  endurance 
 of  wrong.  God  will  work  your  justi- 
 fication  against  evil-doers  (Ps.   xxxvii. 
 
 ^)- 
 
 2.  Believe   in  God's  watchfulness  of 
 
 you  in  the  day  of  your  oppression.  He 
 marks  your  conduct  during  your  "  cap- 
 tivity," remembers  to  your  account  your 
 "righteousness,"  and  will  "bring  it  forth" 
 in  due  season.  "  Then  shall  thy  light 
 break  forth  as  the  morning"  (Isa.  Iviii. 
 8)- 
 
 Ver.  13.  Theme:  Rome's  resources 
 DESOLATED.  "  O  thou  that  dwellest 
 upon  many  waters,  abundant  in  trea- 
 sures, thine  end  is  come,  and  the  measure 
 of  thy  covetousness." 
 G70 
 
 "  Many  waters."  Not  only  was  Ba- 
 bylon protected  and  nourished  by  the 
 mighty  river  Euphrates,  but  by  nume- 
 rous canals  and  streams.  These  were 
 essential  to  her  very  existence — for 
 drink,  food,  health,  transit,  and  safety. 
 Thus  with  Romanism,  "  that  sitteth 
 upon  many  waters  "  (Rev.  xvii.  1) ;  and 
 "  the  waters  are  peoples,  and  multitudes, 
 and  nations,  and  tongues "  (ver.  15). 
 These  form  the  tributary  streams  to 
 nourish  Rome  by  gifts,  money,  popular 
 sympathy. 
 
 "Abundant  treasures."  The  im- 
 mense booty  of  Nineveh,  the  plunder  of 
 Jerusalem,  the  tributes  which  Syrian 
 and  Phoenician  cities  furnished,  the 
 fruitfulness  of  the  Babylonian  territory 
 itself.     Comp.  Rev.  xviii.  12,  19. 
 
 "  Her  end  come."  The  words  are, 
 "Thy  end  is  come,"  i.e.,  the  retribiition 
 for  (or  limitation  of  the  period  of)  thy 
 covetousness.  Babylon's  day  for  spoil- 
 ing others  and  enriching  herself  closed. 
 So  shall  Rome's  (Rev.  xviii.) 
 
 Vers.  15-19.  Theme:  An  appeal  to 
 God's  works. 
 
 See  Homily  on  p.  219,  chap.  x. 
 12-16,  verbatim. 
 
 Ver.  25.  Theme:  Volcanic  Rome. 
 "  0  destroying  mountain." 
 
 The  imagery  here  is  of  a  volcano, 
 whose  burning  lava  "  rolls  down,"  itself 
 "  a  burnt  mountain  ;  "  lit.,  a  mount  of 
 burning. 
 
 Such  was  Babylon  under  Nebuchad- 
 nezzar; its  destructive  energy  was  like 
 the  fierce  outbreak  of  volcanic  fires,  and 
 its  rapid  collapse  was  as  a  volcano  whose 
 fires  had  burned  themselves  extinct. 
 
 Rome,  which  has  raised  itself  up>  to 
 heaven  in  lofty  assumption,  which  has 
 surrounded  itself  ivith  beivitching  charms, 
 like  the  luxuriancies  of  nature  that 
 abound  in  warm  and  fertile  volcanic 
 regions,  which  has  proudly  domineered 
 like  a  lofty  mountain  over  surrounding 
 lands,  will  also,  like  a  volcano,  bring 
 ruin  on  itself  and  on  all  it  overshadows 
 by  the  fires  which  are  ready  to  burst 
 forth  in  God's  time. 
 
 I.  A  volcano  impresses  beholders  with 
 its  majestic  beauty.     So  does  Rome. 
 
HOMILETIC  COMMENTARY:  JEREMIAH. 
 
 CHAP.  LI. 
 
 II.  A  volcanic  mountain  wears  the 
 appearance  of  enduring  strength.  So 
 does  Rome. 
 
 III.  Near  a  volcano  residents  dwell 
 oblivious  of  perils.  So  with  the  adhe- 
 rents of  Rome. 
 
 IV.  The  absence  of  fiery  portents  in 
 a  volcano  is  a  sign  to  the  wise  of  gather- 
 ing fury.  So  when  Rome  shows  no 
 threatening  signs  she  is  most  seductive. 
 
 V.  Within  a  volcano  slumber  ruin- 
 ous fires.  And  Rome  will  be  both  de- 
 stroyed herself  and  all  who  trust  in  her. 
 
 Note  :  The  mystical  Babylon  will  be 
 overthrown  ivith  fire:  Rev.  xvii.  16, 
 xviii.  8,  9,  18 — ''the  smoke  of  her 
 burning." 
 
 Vers.  30-33.  Babylon's  capture  by 
 Cyrus. 
 
 For  historic  records  comp.  on  chap. 
 XXV.  pp.  473,  474. 
 
 Note  :  Prophets  beforehand  and  his- 
 torians afterwards  coincide  in  describing 
 the  events. 
 
 Ver.  33.  Theme:  A  coming  har- 
 vest. "  Yet  a  little  ivhile  and  the  time 
 of  the  harvest  shall  come." 
 
 The  noble  practice  of  Jewish  antiquity 
 was  that  the  harvest  should  never  be 
 gathered  in  till  the  first  ripe  sheaf  was 
 brought  into  the  Temple  of  the  Lord, 
 and  presented  as  an  acknowledgment  to 
 the  Lord  of  the  harvest  (Lev.  ix.  14). 
 This  was  to  connect  the  Giver  with  His 
 gifts,  to  associate  our  temporal  mercies 
 with  the  sanctuary  of  religion,  and  to 
 hold  communion  with  God  in  the  enjoy- 
 ment of  His  favours. 
 
 Ought  we  not  to  be  thankful  to  the 
 God  of  our  mercies  when  we  see  a  smil- 
 ing spring  followed  by  a  joyful  harvest, 
 &c.  ?  Always  the  practice  of  saints 
 (Ps.  Ixv.) 
 
 The  very  constancy  of  Nature  banishes 
 our  Creator  from  our  thoughts.  We 
 need  to  be  told  there  is  going  on 
 everywhere  around  us  a  vast  system 
 utterly  independent  of  human  wisdom  ; 
 need  to  be  reminded  of  invisible  domi- 
 nion and  concealed  omnipotence. 
 
 Text  points  us  to  another  harvest ; 
 and  the  plain  doctrine  is  every  man  has 
 a  harvest  of  his  own  daily  ripening,  and 
 
 may  be  unexpectedly  gathered  in  : — A 
 harvest  of  punishment  for  the  ungodly 
 (from  this  our  only  refuge  is  the  Cross 
 of  Christ)  ;  of  mercy  to  the  penitent 
 (through  Christ) ;  of  consolation  to  the 
 sorrowful ;  of  final  blessedness  to  the 
 righteous. 
 
 I.  There  is  a  harvest  of  punishment 
 for  the  ungodly.  Prophecy  against 
 Babylon,  type  of  all  sinners. 
 
 Life  is  the  seedtime  of  an  immortal 
 harvest.  It  is  the  scene  of  a  mighty 
 preparation  ;  it  is  the  first  step  of  an 
 infinite  series  ;  it  is  the  dawn  of  an 
 everlasting  day.  We  are  beginning  to 
 be  what  we  shall  for  ever  be.  In  your 
 nature  are  united  mortality  and  immor- 
 tality. 
 
 God  has  made  a  seedtime  of  iniquity 
 the  certain  forerunner  of  a  harvest  of 
 shame  and  punishment — partly  present, 
 partly  future.  He  has  laid  it  down  as 
 an  unalterable  maxim  of  His  govern- 
 ment that  what  a  man  soiveth  he  shall 
 reap.  The  law  that  regulates  the  return 
 of  day  and  night  and  the  renewal  of 
 seedtime  and  harvest  is  not  more  sure 
 than  that  sin  brings  sorrow  here  or  here- 
 after. These  are  things  of  every  day's 
 experience.  A  wild  and  wasteful  youth 
 makes  an  unhappy  and  unrespected 
 manhood.  He  who  neglects  the  culti- 
 vation of  his  mind  and  the  formation 
 of  his  character  when  young  can  never 
 repair  the  damage  afterwards  ;  just  as  if 
 the  husbandmen  let  his  seedtime  pass 
 without  sowing,  the  whole  year  is  lost 
 to  him  beyond  recovery.  The  same  law 
 prevails  in  much  higher  matters.  The 
 man  that  lives  without  Christ  usually 
 dies  without  Him ;  and  he  who  dies 
 without  Christ  perishes  to  all  eternity 
 without  Him.  Every  day  the  sinner 
 carries  a  brand  to  his  oivn  bzirning. 
 
 Inquire  what  seed  you  are  sowing? 
 Wbat  a  harvest  you  expect  to  reap  ? 
 "  The  ivages  of  si?i  is  death."  "  The  way 
 of  transgressors  is  hard."  And  if  it 
 be  solemn  now  for  sinners  to  eat  the 
 fruit  of  their  own  ways,  to  be  caught  in 
 their  own  snare,  and  even  on  earth  to 
 be  pierced  through  with  many  sorrows — 
 what  will  it  be  in  eternity,  when  "  right- 
 eousness shall  be  laid  to  the  line  and 
 judgment  to  the  plummet,"  when  they 
 
 671 
 
CHAP.  LI. 
 
 HOMILETIC  COMMENTARY:  JEREMIAH. 
 
 shall  be  resigned  to  the  evil  they  have 
 chosen,  and  when  God  shall  verify  to  the 
 wicked  the  anticipations  of  their  own 
 remorse,  and  give  them  bread  (the  bread 
 of  sorrow)  to  eat  unto  the  full]  We 
 rejoice  in  the  return  of  harvest  ;  but 
 know  you  not  that  there  is  a  harvest  of 
 which  God  is  the  proprietor,  angels  are 
 the  reapers,  and  the  souls  of  men  are  to 
 be  gathered  in  %  Know  you  not  that 
 the  world  is  ripening  for  the  harvest, 
 and  you  are  ripening  with  it  ]  Know 
 you  not  that  that  Saviour  who  was  once 
 crucified  on  Calvary,  and  has  been  often 
 crucified  by  you,  is  about  to  ascend  the 
 throne  of  judgment,  and  to  ^^  send  forth 
 His  angels  and  gather  out  of  His  king- 
 dom all  things  that  offend,  and  cast 
 them  i7ito  the  lake  of  fire  ?  "  Soon  shall 
 the  signal  be  given,  '■'■Thrust  in  thy  sickle." 
 
 "  Yet  a  little  tvhile."  All  your  hope 
 hangs  upon  those  two  short  words — a 
 little  while.  What  a  revolution  may  be 
 accomplished !  You  may  flee  for  refuge ; 
 may  exercise  repentance  and  faith  ',  may 
 obtain  salvation  with  eternal  glory ;  may 
 share  the  sanctifying  influence  of  the 
 Spirit ;  may  have  the  tide  of  damnation 
 rolled  back ;  may  have  incorruptible 
 seed  sown  in  your  souls. 
 
 It  is  hut  "  a  little  while."  Oh,  delay 
 not.  Escape  for  life.  Listen  not  to 
 tempter.  Better  Councillor  asks  your  heed. 
 
 II.  A  harvest  of  mercy  to  the  peni- 
 tent. "They  that  sow  in  tears,"  &c. 
 All  the  provisions  of  the  Gospel  cove- 
 nant go  to  assure  peace  and  pardon  to 
 those  who,  renouncing  self-dependence 
 and  jelying  on  the  mercy  of  God  in 
 Christ,  place  all  their  hope  where  God 
 placed  all  their  help. 
 
 But  we  are  no  strangers  to  the  anxiety 
 of  the  penitent  on  this  head.  Our 
 fears  are  usually  in  proportion  to  our 
 hopes.  You  may  be  assaulted  with 
 many  temptations,  the  subject  of  many 
 apprehensions,  doubtful  whether  your 
 sins  are  not  too  many  and  aggravated, 
 alarmed  lest  you  should  not  have  come 
 ariglit.  "  We  are  not  ignorant  of  SatavUs 
 devices"  nor  of  the  misgivings  of  the 
 burdened  mind.  But  "strong  consola- 
 tion "  is  promised  to  them  that  flee  for 
 refuge.  Prayers  and  tears  and  desires 
 for  pardon  and  purity  offered  by  faith 
 672 
 
 in  Christ  will  produce  a  harvest  nothing 
 else  will.  The  promise  is  sure  :  "  Him 
 that  Cometh."     "  Ask  and  you  shall." 
 
 III.  A  harvest  of  consolation  to  the 
 sorrowful.  "  Comfort  ye."  "  He  that 
 goeth  forth"  <&c.  Many  afflictions  are 
 the  Christian's  portion.  But  God  "gives 
 songs  in  the  night."  And  the  time  is 
 limited — the  night  is  followed  by  morn- 
 ing. "  Our  light  afflictions  hut  for  a 
 moment — far  m,ore."  God  tempers  and 
 mitigates  trial.  God  fortifies  the  mind 
 under  it,  strengthening  to  bear  that  the 
 prospect  of  which  would  have  over- 
 whelmed. Internal  peace  in  outward 
 trial.  Harvest  now — hereafter.  No 
 one  of  that  palm-bearing  company  regrets 
 past  trials  (Rev.  vii.  9-14). 
 
 IV.  A  harvest  of  final  blessedness 
 to  the  righteous.  "  Be  faithful  unto 
 death,"  &c.— >S'.  Thodey,  1825. 
 
 Ver.    41. 
 
 4:75. 
 
 "  Sheshach."     Comp.   p. 
 
 Ver.  45.  Quitting  Babylon.  See  on 
 ver.  6. 
 
 Ver.  46.  Theme:  Foeewarnings  op 
 
 EVIL. 
 
 "  Ye  fear  for  the  rumour  that  shall  be 
 heard." 
 
 The  fall  of  Babylon  was  to  be  pre- 
 ceded by  a  state  of  disquiet,  men's  minds 
 being  unsettled  partly  by  rumours  of 
 the  warlike  preparations  of  the  Medes 
 and  of  actual  invasions,  in  repelling  one 
 of  which  Neriglissar  fell ;  partly  by  in- 
 testine feuds,  in  which  Evil-Merodach 
 and  Latorosoarchod  was  murdered.  So 
 before  the  conquest  of  Jerusalem  by  the 
 Romans  the  Church  had  similar  warn- 
 ings (Matt.  xxiv.  6,  7). 
 
 I.  Opportunity  precedes  impending 
 Judgment. 
 
 II.  God  thus  ameliorates  the  seve- 
 rity of  grave  crises. 
 
 III.  Responsibility  is  thereby  thrown 
 upon  us  to  heed  His  warnings  and  utilise 
 the  interval  of  grace. 
 
 IV.  Neglect  of  such  interludes,  dur- 
 ing which  God  stays  the  judgment,  much 
 increases  the  anguish  wlien  the  storm  at 
 length  bursts. 
 
 V.  Spiritual  wisdom   in  discerning 
 
HOMILETIC  COMMENTARY :  JEREMIAH. 
 
 tlie  propitious  hour  is  given  to  and  dis- 
 tinguishes those  who  are  appointed  to 
 salvation, 
 
 VI.  Senselessness  of  danger  amid 
 these  forewarnings  shows  men  to  be 
 ripe  for  destruction. 
 
 These  Babylonians  laughed  danger  to 
 scorn  on  the  very  night  when  doom 
 fell  upon  them.  "  Except  ye  repent,  ye 
 shall  all  likewise  perish." 
 
 Ver.  48.  Theme:  Joy  in  heaven 
 OVER  Babylon's  fall, 
 
 I.  Songs  of  judgment  iipon  the  enemies 
 of  Israel.  See  Exod.  xv,  5  seq.  ;  Ps. 
 cxviii.  12,  15,  16;  Rev,  xviii.  20. 
 
 II.  Songs  of  deliverance  for  God''s 
 peojjle  redeemed.     Comp.  vers.  49,  50. 
 
 This  is  in  effect  the  joy  described  in 
 Luke  XV.  6,  7. 
 
 III.  Songs  of  celebration  of  God's 
 promises  fulfilled. 
 
 For  the  heavenly  hosts  surely  watch 
 the  accomplishment  of  Jehovah's  pledges 
 to  His  afflicted  people,  and  hail  the  day 
 of  their  completion  (Isa.  xliii.  23). 
 
 Ver.  50,  Theme:  Revived  memories 
 OF  SPIRITUAL  privileges,  "  liememher 
 the  Lord  afar  off,  and  let  Jerusalem  come 
 into  your  mind." 
 
 This  is  an  appeal  to  the  Jews  to  turn 
 all  their  longings  Zionwaid  so  soon  as 
 Cyrus  opens  Babylon  for  them  to  escape, 
 
 I.  Sorrowing  exiles  of  Zion  cherish 
 tender  memories  of  long -lost  privi- 
 leges. 
 
 II.  Freedom  regained  should  be 
 promptly  used  for  our  glad  return  to 
 God. 
 
 III.  Sacred  heritages  in  God  and 
 Zion  await  the  ransomed  of  the  Lord 
 on  their  return. 
 
 Or,  Valedictory  address  to  mission- 
 aries or  emigrants, 
 
 Lange's  Commentary  says — 
 "  This  text  may  be  used  at  the  send- 
 ing out  of  missionaries  or  the  dejMrture 
 of  emig7'ants.     Occasion  may  be  taken 
 to  speak — 
 
 "  1.  Of  THE  gracious  HELP  AND  DE- 
 LIVERANCE which  the  Lord  hath  hitherto 
 shown  to  the  departing,  '  Ye  that  have 
 escaped  of  the  sword.' 
 
 "2.  They  may  be  admonished  to 
 FIDELITY  in  that  distant  land. 
 
 "  (1.)  In  're7nembering  the  Lord^  i.e., 
 ever  remaining  sincerely  devoted  to  Him, 
 and  trusting  Him  as  the  shield  of  our 
 salvation. 
 
 "  (2.)  In  faithfully  serving  Jer^csalem, 
 i.e.,  the  Church  and  cause  of  Christ, 
 with  all  their  powers,  keeping  the  pro- 
 gress of  the  kingdom  of  our  Lord  ever 
 near  their  hearts." 
 
 Ver.  66,  Theme :  Recompenses. 
 "  The  Lord'  God  of  recompenses  shall 
 surely  requite." 
 
 I.  All  history  illustrates  and  estab- 
 lishes this  fact. 
 
 Not  an  evil  has  been  committed,  not 
 a  good  has  been  done,  but  has  been 
 followed  with  recompense.  The  sin  of 
 Adam,  of  Cain,  of  Sodom,  of  the  Antedi- 
 luvians, all  were  recompensed. 
 
 Nor  does  good  fail  of  reward.  "  He 
 is  not  unmindful  to  forget  your  labour 
 of  love."  Even  the  gift  of  a  cup  of 
 cold  water  is  to  be  rewarded.  Comp. 
 Matt,  XXV,  35  seq. 
 
 II.  Tlie  requiting  of  men's  deeds  often 
 finds  illustration  in  the  laws  of  our 
 physical  and  mental  being. 
 
 God  has  so  constituted  us  that  evil  is 
 productive  of  evil  and  good  of  good.  By 
 the  very  laws  of  our  nature  the  drunkard 
 is  recompensed  by  loss  of  reason,  the 
 libertine  by  loss  of  health,  &c.  ;  so  by 
 the  same  laws  of  our  being  the  kind,  the 
 compassionate,  &lc.,  are  requited  with 
 joy,  peace,  &c. ;  a  "  great  recompense  of 
 reward." 
 
 These  are  the  natural  recompenses 
 which  flow  from  the  operation  of  Nature's 
 laws  apart  from  God's  judgments. 
 
 III.  There  still  remains  to  be  super- 
 added the  judicial  recompense,  which 
 the  Righteous  Judge  will  administer. 
 
 "  He  will  render  to  every  man  accord- 
 ing to  his  deeds  : "  deeds  of  wickedness 
 by  the  frown  of  His  anger  and  the  sen- 
 tence, "  Depart,  ye  cursed  ; "  deeds  of 
 righteousness  by  the  smile  of  His  favour 
 and  the  welcome,  "Come,  ye  blessed." 
 
 IV.  Yet  notwithstanding  this  natural 
 and  judicial  recompense,  men  are  not 
 deterred  from  evil  nor  constrained  to 
 do  good. 
 
 2  u  673 
 
CHAP.  LI. 
 
 EOMILETIO  COMMENTARY:  JEREMIAH. 
 
 How  astounding  the  depravity  of  the 
 human  heart  !  "  Desperately  wicked  " 
 indeed,  when  the  fearful  consequences 
 of  evil  and  the  blessed  results  of  good, 
 here  and  hereafter,  fail  to  influence  the 
 heart. 
 
 v.  From  the  ultimate  conseciuences 
 of  our  deeds  there  can  he  no  possible 
 escape.  "  The  Lord  God  of  recompenses 
 shall  surely  requite."  "Vengeance  is 
 mine,  I  will  repay,  saith  the  Lord." 
 "With  the  merciful  Thou  wilt  show 
 Thyself  merciful,  with  the  upright  man 
 Thou  wilt  show  Thyself  upright ;  with 
 the  pure  Thou  wilt  show  Thyself  pure, 
 and  with  the  froward  Thou  wilt  show 
 Thyself  froward." 
 
 Compare  "Walks  with  Jeremiah." — 
 Pledge. 
 
 Ver.  58.  "  The  broad  walls  of 
 Babylon." 
 
 These  walls  were  85  English  feet 
 in  width  (according  to  Herodotus), 
 32  feet  (according  to  Strabo  and 
 Q.  Curtius).  Their  height  was  335 
 feet  (Herodotus),  235.  (Pliny),  150 
 (Curtius),  75  (Strabo).  But  as  there 
 was  an  outer  and  inner  enclosure,  they 
 may  not  all  have  been  referring  to  the 
 same  walls,  or  the  outer  wall  may  have 
 differed  in  height  in  different  parts. 
 The  entire  length  of  the  walls  was 
 (according  to  lowest  estimate)  41  miles, 
 and  by  other  authorities  is  estimated 
 at  48,  and  by  Herodotus  at  60  miles  in 
 extent. 
 
 Berosus  says  that  triple  walls  en- 
 compassed the  outer,  and  the  same 
 number  the  inner  city ;  and  that  Cyrus 
 ordered  the  outer  walls  to  be  demo- 
 lished. A  cylindrical  inscription  records 
 that  Esar-haddon  was  the  real  builder 
 of  the  walls  of  Babylon,  and  that  Ne- 
 buchadnezzar only  completed  them. 
 
 "  Hee,  high  gates."  One  hundred 
 in  number,  twenty-five  on  each  of  the 
 four  sides  of  the  square-built  city.  An 
 ancient  inscription  exists  which  says, 
 "  In  the  thresholds  of  the  great  gates  I 
 inserted  folding-doors  of  brass,  with  very 
 strong  railings  and  gratings  (?)." 
 
 Ver.    59.     Sekaiah   carrying   the 
 
 PREDICTION    OP    DELIVERANCE    TO    THE 
 
 KxiLEs  IN  Babylon. 
 674 
 
 Zedekiah  the  king  may  have  jour- 
 neyed voluntarily  to  Babylon  in  order 
 to  obtain  some  favour  from  Nebuchad- 
 nezzar, or  because  he  was  summoned 
 to  be  present,  as  Nebuchadnezzar's 
 vassal,  on  some  state  occasion ;  or 
 Nebuchadnezzar  might  have  distrusted 
 Zedekiah' s  fidelity,  and  have  demanded 
 an  explanation  of  the  presence  of 
 those  ambassadors  who  met  that  year 
 at  Jerusalem  from  Moab,  &c.  (chap. 
 xxvii.  3). 
 
 Jeremiah  used  the  opportunity  for 
 intrusting  Seraiah,  the  king's  chief 
 attendant,  with  these  predictions  for  the 
 exiles  at  Babylon.  (He  had  already  sent 
 them  a  letter  full  of  affection  and  hope, 
 chap,  xxix.) 
 
 As  Zedekiah's  retinue  paused  each 
 night  on  the  journey  across  the  desert, 
 it  is  quite  conjectural  that  Seraiah,  his 
 chief  courier,  may  have  read  to  the 
 king  the  contents  of  this  prophetic 
 roll.  "What  an  interesting  subject  for 
 conjecture  (says  Wordsworth)  does  this 
 view  open  upon  us  !  How  many 
 thoughts  may  have  passed  through  the 
 mind  of  the  king  and  of  Seraiah  his 
 chamberlain  at  the  time !  How  many 
 conversations  may  they  have  had — or 
 certainly  might  they  have  had — con- 
 cerning the  destiny  of  Jerusalem  and  of 
 Babylon,  and  concerning  things  in  the 
 far-off  future — the  liberation  and  return 
 of  the  captives  of  Israel  from  Babylon 
 by  the  same  road  on  which  they  were 
 travelling ;  and  even  with  regard  to 
 blessings  more  remote,  which  Jeremiah 
 had  pre-announced  —  the  graces  and 
 glories  of  the  Gospel  of  Christ !  " 
 
 Ver.  63.  The  prophetic  roll  sunk 
 IN  THE  Euphrates. 
 
 Not  in  order  to  destroy  it,  but  as 
 symbolic  of  events  to  come.  It  signi- 
 fied that  Babylon  should  be  liknvise 
 overwhelmed  and  sink  from  sight.  It 
 foreshadowed  the  like  fate  of  mystic 
 Babylon — Antichristian  Rome  (see  Rev. 
 xviii.  21,  "  A  mighty  angel  took  up 
 a  stone,"  &c.)  The  reiteration  of  the 
 weird  and  pensive  words — 
 
 "  They  shall  be  weary,"  is  also 
 suggestive.  They  were  the  final  words 
 Jeremiah's     prophecy    contained     (ver. 
 
EOMILETW  COMMENTARY :  JEREMIAH. 
 
 CHAP    LI. 
 
 58),  and  their  reiteration  as  the  roll 
 sank  would  pronounce  (what  the  words 
 imply)  the  decayed  energy  and  life  of 
 
 the  Chaldeans,  a  worn-out  power  —  a 
 fit  requiem  to  accompany  the  symbolic 
 burial  of  Babylon. 
 
 ADDENDA  TO  CHAPTER  LI.  :    HISTORICAL  SUMMARY  OF  EVENTS  IN 
 BABYLON'S  FALL. 
 
 "  In  his  father's  absence  Belshazzar 
 took  the  direction  of  affairs  within  the 
 city,  and  met  and  foiled  for  a  consider- 
 able time  all  the  assaults  of  the  Persians. 
 He  was  young  and  inexperienced,  but 
 he  had  the  counsels  of  the  queen-mother 
 to  guide  and  support  him,  as  well  as 
 those  of  the  various  lords  and  officers 
 of  the  court.  So  well  did  he  manage 
 the  defence,  that  after  awhile  Cyrus 
 despaired ;  and,  as  a  last  resource,  ven- 
 tured on  a  stratagem  in  which  it  was 
 clear  that  either  he  must  succeed  or 
 perish. 
 
 "  Withdrawing  the  greater  part  of 
 the  army  from  the  vicinity  of  the  city, 
 and  leaving  behind  him  only  certain 
 corps  of  observation,  Cyrus  marched 
 away  up  the  course  of  the  Euphrates 
 for  a  certain  distance,  and  there  pro- 
 ceeded to  make  a  vigorous  use  of  the 
 soade.  His  soldiers  dug  a  channel  or 
 channels  from  the  Euphrates,  by  means 
 of  which  a  great  portion  of  its  waters 
 could  be  drawn  off,  and  hoped  in  this 
 way  to  render  the  natural  course  of  the 
 river  to  be  fordable. 
 
 "  When  all  was  prepared,  Cyrus  deter- 
 mined to  wait  for  the  arrival  of  a  certain 
 festival,  during  which  the  whole  popula- 
 tion were  wont  to  engage  in  drinking 
 and  revelling,  and  then  silently,  in  the 
 dead  of  the  night,  to  turn  the  water  of 
 the  river  and  make  his  attack.  All 
 fell  out  as  he  hoped  and  wished.  The 
 festival  was  even  held  with  greater  pomp 
 and  splendour  than  usual,  for  Belshazzar, 
 with  the  natural  insolence  of  youth,  to 
 mark  his  contempt  of  the  besieging 
 army,  abandoned  himself  wholly  to  the 
 delights  of  the  season,  and  himself  en- 
 tertained a  thousand  lords  in  his  palace. 
 Elsewhere  the  rest  of  the  population 
 was  occupied  in  feasting  and  dancing. 
 Drunken  riot  and  mad  excitement  held 
 possession  of  the  town ;  the  siege  was 
 forgotten  ;  ordinary  precautions  were 
 neglected.     The  non-closing  of  the  river 
 
 gates  must  have  been  a  neglect  of  this 
 kind.  Had  the  sentries  even  kept  proper 
 watch,  the  enemy's  approach  must  have 
 been  perceived. 
 
 *'  Following  the  example  of  their 
 king,  the  Babylonians  gave  themselves 
 up  for  the  night  to  orgies,  in  which  reli- 
 gious frenzy  and  drunken  excess  formed 
 a  strange  and  revolting  medley. 
 
 "  Meanwhile,  02itside  the  city,  in 
 silence  and  darkness,  the  Persians  watched 
 at  two  points  where  the  Euphrates  en- 
 tered and  left  the  walls.  Anxiously 
 they  noted  the  gradual  sinking  of  the 
 water  in  the  river-bed ;  still  more  an- 
 xiously they  watched  to  see  if  those 
 within  the  walls  would  observe  the 
 suspicious  circumstance  and  sound  an 
 alarm  through  the  town.  Should  such 
 an  alarm  be  given,  all  their  labours 
 would  be  lost.  If,  when  they  entered 
 the  river-bed,  they  found  the  river  walls 
 manned,  and  the  river  gates  fast  locked, 
 they  would  be  indeed  '  caught  in  a 
 trap'  (Herod,  i.  191).  Enfiladed  on 
 both  sides  by  an  enemy  they  could 
 neither  see  nor  reach,  they  would  be 
 overwhelmed  and  destroyed  by  his  mis- 
 siles before  they  could  succeed  in  making 
 their  escape.  But  as  they  watched,  no 
 sounds  of  alarm  reached  them,  only  a 
 confused  noise  of  revel  and  riot,  which 
 showed  that  the  unhappy  townsmen 
 were  quite  unconscious  of  the  approach 
 of  danger. 
 
 '•At  last  shadowy  forms  began  to 
 emerge  from  the  obscurity  of  the  river- 
 bed, and  on  the  landing-places  opposite 
 the  river  gates  scattered  clusters  of  men 
 grew  into  solid  columns ;  the  undefended 
 gateways  were  seized,  a  war-shout  was 
 raised,  the  alarm  was  taken  and  spread, 
 and  swift  runners  started  off  to  '  show 
 the  king  of  Babylon  that  his  city  was 
 taken  at  one  end'  (Jer.  li.  31).  In  the 
 darkness  and  confusion  of  the  night 
 a  terrible  massacre  eiistied  (Xenophon, 
 Cyrop.  vii.  5).     The  drunken  revellers 
 
 675 
 
CHAP.  LIT. 
 
 EOMILETIC  COMMENTARY :  JEREMIAH. 
 
 could  make  no  resistance.  The  king, 
 paralysed  with  fear  at  the  aivful  hand- 
 loriting  upon  the  wall,  which,  too  late, 
 had  warned  him  of  his  perD,  could  do 
 nothing  even  to  check  the  progress  of 
 the  assailants,  who  carried  all  before 
 them  everywhere.  Bursting  into  the 
 palace,  a  band  of  Persians  made  their 
 way  to  the  presence  of  the  monarch  and 
 slew  him  on  the  scene  of  his  impious 
 revelry.  Other  bands  carried  fire  and 
 sword  through  the  town  (Xenophon, 
 Cyrop.  vii.  5).  When  morning  came, 
 Cyrus  found  himself  undisputed  master 
 of  the  city,  which,  if  it  had  not  despised 
 his  efforts,  might  with  the  greatest  ease 
 have  baffled  them." — Robinson's  Ancient 
 Monarchies,  vol.  iii.  p.  515. 
 
 "  The  Persians  came  upon  them  un- 
 awares, and  on  account  of  the  extent  of 
 the  city,  as  is  said  by  those  who  dwelt 
 there,  when  the  extremities  of  it  were 
 taken,  the  Babylonians  who  dwelt  in 
 the  middle  of  it  were  not  aware  that 
 they  were  captured,  but  were  dancing- 
 at  the  time  (for  it  happened  to  be  a 
 festival),  and  were  rejoicing,  until  they 
 perceived  it  in  very  deed." — Herodotus, 
 i.  191. 
 
 "  Babylon  was  more  like  a  nation  than 
 a  city,  and  it  is  said  that  when  it  was 
 taken,  some  of  its  inhabitants  did  not 
 hear  of  the  cajiture  till  the  third  day." — 
 Aristotle,  Polit,  iii.  c.  1. 
 
 CHAPTER  LII. 
 
 Ckitioal  and  Exegetical  Notes. — This  chapter  forma  a  historical  appendix  to  the  Book 
 of  Jeremiah.  Its  authorship  is  conjectural.  They  who  think  Jureiniah  penned  it  urge  that 
 the  closing  v.'ords  of  chap,  li.,  "Thus  far  the  words  of  Jeremiah,"  really  ended  the  original 
 form  of  the  book.  Yet  this  chapter  may  have  been  a  separate  roll,  penned  earlier  than  chap, 
 li.,  and  now  added  to  the  book  as  supplying  additional  details  to  those  he  gave  in  chap,  xxxix.; 
 or,  indeed,  he  may  have  written  it,  copying  part  of  the  Book  of  Kings  (2  Kings  xxiv.  18, 
 XXV.  21)  as  a  historical  preface  to  his  Book  of  Lamentations.  Others  urge  that  the  men  of  the 
 Great  Synagogue  took  the  chapter  from  Kings  and  added  it  here.  Others  suggest  Ezra.  Probably 
 some  unknown  hand  appended  the  account  from  Kings,  adding  to  that  account  other  items  which 
 valuable  documents  in  his  possession  supplied. 
 
 For  Chronology  of  the  Chapter  and  General  Notes,  vide  chaps,  xxxiv.,  xxxix.  in  loc. 
 
 The  dates  given  in  vers.  28-30  differ  from  those  in  other  Scripture  accounts.  The  first 
 deportation  of  Jews  under  Nebuchadnezzar  is  ascribed  to  ^' the  seventh  year"  of  Nebuchadnezzar's 
 reign  ;  but  the  numeral  here  must  be  the  seventeenth,  the  "  ten  "  having  dropped  out  of  the 
 text ;  for  the  earliest  deportation  was  in  the  eighth  year  of  Nebuchadnezzar  (2  Kings  xxiv.  12), 
 and  the  captives  were  far  more  numerous  than  those  here  reckoned.  Most  probably  the  depor- 
 tations mentioned  here  are  all  connected  with  the  final  war  with  Zedekiah  ;  and  even  then  the 
 dates  are  one  year  too  early  throughout.     See  in  verses  below. 
 
 SUBJECT  OF  THE  CHAPTER:  CAPTURE  OF  JERUSALEM. 
 See  for  homiletic  arrangements  of  events,  ":Z7ie  Siege  of  Jerusalem  hy  Nebuchad- 
 nezzar^' pp.  599,  560,  and  chap,  xxxix. 
 
 HOMILIES  AND  COMMENTS  ON  CHAPTER  LIL 
 
 Vers.  l-ll.  Theme:  The  captivity 
 
 OF  JUDAH. 
 
 L  The  immediate  causes  of  the 
 captivity  (vers.  1-4). 
 
 1.  Moral.  "  He  did  that  which  was 
 evil  in  the  eyes  of  the  Lord." 
 
 (1.)  This  is  the  divine  summing  up 
 of  Lam.  i.  6. 
 
 (2.)  The  history  of  every  nation  and 
 of  every  individual  proves  that  sin 
 against  God  as  surely  brings  ruin  as 
 676 
 
 that   any  physical   cause   produces  its 
 legitimate  effect. 
 
 (3.)  This  law  in  God's  moral  universe 
 is  an  all-sufficient  answer  to  the  mate- 
 rialist of  any  and  every  age.  (a.)  A 
 universe  without  a  moral  cause  could 
 have  no  moral  law.  (&.)  A  class  of 
 beings  without  a  moral  nature  could  not 
 be  legitimate  subjects  of  such  a  law. 
 (c.)  But  the  law  exists,  and  mankind 
 are  subjects  of  it ;  therefore,  «fec.  &c. 
 
EOMILETIC  COMMENTARY :  JEREMIAH. 
 
 2.  The  political  cause  {\  ex.?)).  "Zede- 
 kiah  rebelled  against  the  king  of  Baby- 
 Ion." 
 
 (1.)  The  invasion  of  Nebuchadnezzar 
 was  politically  just,  (a.)  Zedekiah  ac- 
 cepted the  throne  of  Judah  from  the 
 hands  of  Nebuchadnezzar  as  his  vassal. 
 {b.)  Every  principle  of  good  faith  bound 
 Zedekiah  to  be  true  to  his  Babylonian 
 master,  (c.)  To  this  course  he  was 
 advised  by  Jeremiah  the  prophet,  nay, 
 commanded  by  God  (Jer.  xxvii.  12-14). 
 {d.)  Zedekiah's  rebellion  was  no  less 
 perfidious,  in  view  of  his  relation  to 
 Nebuchadnezzar,  than  was  his  disobe- 
 dience to  God. 
 
 II.  The  terrible  sufferings  which 
 immediately  preceded  the  captivity 
 (vers.  5-11). 
 
 1.  The  city  tvas  besieged  for  the  space 
 of  two  years  and  a  half. 
 
 (1.)  This  was  a  time  of  terrible  suf- 
 fering (Lam.  iv.  4-10).  (a.)  The  chil- 
 dren perished  with  hunger  and  thirst. 
 (6.)  The  dunghills  were  searched  for 
 scraps  of  offal,  (c.)  Mothers  cooked  and 
 ate  their  own  children,  {d.)  The  com- 
 plexion of  men  grew  black  with  famine, 
 (e.)  What  a  type  of  the  suflferings  of  all 
 who  reject  God ! 
 
 1.  At  the  end  of  the  siege,  when  the 
 city  was  taken,  the  sufferings  tvere  still 
 more  terrible. 
 
 (1.)  Zedekiah,  who  with  his  wives 
 and  sons,  and  men  of  war,  fled  from  the 
 captured  city,  w-as  overtaken  in  the 
 plain  of  Jericho,  brought  before  Nebu- 
 chadnezzar, who  ordered  the  sons  of 
 Zedekiah  to  be  slain  before  their  father's 
 eyes,  and  then  Zedekiah's  own  eyes  to 
 be  "  dug  out  •/'  and  in  this  pitiable  con- 
 dition he  was  taken  to  Babylon,  cast 
 into  prison,  where  in  blindness  and 
 wretchedness  he  languished  till  the  day 
 of  his  death. 
 
 (2.)  Thousands  of  the  unfortunate 
 people  were  carried  away  captive  to 
 Babylon,  whose  sufferings  have  never 
 been  written. 
 
 (3.)  But  over  all  this  must  be  written 
 for  the  confusion  or  conviction  of  men  : 
 "  Kighteous  art  Thou,  0  Jehovah,  and 
 upright  are  Thy  judgments  !  "  (Ps.  cxix. 
 137). 
 
 Practical  Lessons — 
 
 1.  Nowhere  are  found  mora  striking 
 illustrations  of  the  hardness  and  blind- 
 ness which  impenitence  produces  than  do 
 the  kings  of  Judah  and  Israel  furnish. 
 
 2.  Nowhere  are  found  more  striking 
 illustrations  of  the  mercy  and  forbear- 
 ance of  Almighty  God. 
 
 3.  Nowhere  are  found  more  striking 
 illustrations  of  the  divine  truth,  "  He 
 that,  being  often  reproved,  hardeneth 
 his  neck,  shall  suddenly  be  destroyed, 
 and  that  without  remedy  "  (Prov.  xxix. 
 1). — Eev.  D.  G.  Htighes. 
 
 Ver.  3.  Theme :  Rebellion  and  ven- 
 geance, "  Through  the  anger  of  the 
 Lord  it  came  to  pass  .  .  .  that  Zedekiah 
 rebelled." 
 
 i.  Anger  in  God's  heart  against 
 His  covenant,  yet  now  apostate,  people. 
 
 ii.  God's  anger  in  action  :  "  Till 
 He  had  cast  them  out  of  His  presence." 
 Comp.  2  Kings  xxiii.  26,  27. 
 
 iii.  Human  agencies  of  punish- 
 ment. "  It  came  to  pass  that  Zedekiah 
 rebelled,"  i.e.,  against  Nebuchadnezzar; 
 and  that  was  the  moving  cause  of  Jeru- 
 salem's destruction.  God  exercised  no 
 resti'aint  upon  Zedekiah  to  prevent  his 
 rebelling  and  thus  involving  Judah's 
 overthrow. 
 
 iv.  Vengeance  the  requital  op 
 A  VIOLATED  OATH.  He  "  rebelled,"  not- 
 withstanding his  sacred  oath  of  fealty  to 
 Nebuchadnezzar,  and  notwithstanding 
 all  God's  commands.  Comp.  2  Chron. 
 xxxvi.  13. 
 
 Thus  we  see  why  God  sometimes  places 
 ungodly  rulers  over  a  country — to  ptmish 
 it  for  its  siiis  with  degradation  and  de- 
 struction. 
 
 Ver.  6.   Theme :   Famine.     "  The  fa- 
 mine  ivas  sore  in  the  city"  &c. 
 I.  Bread  is  the  gift  of  God. 
 
 1 .  In  the  first  instance  it  tvas  the  2)ro- 
 duct  of  His  creative  power,  not  as  now, 
 the  result  of  growth.  This  is  obvious. 
 The  first  grain  of  wheat  could  not  have 
 proceeded  from  another  grain  :  it  was  a 
 direct  creation. 
 
 2.  Its  very  growth  is  the  residt  of  His 
 laivs.  Let  them  be  suspended :  no  rain, 
 (Sic,  and  the  sower  might  sow  in  vain. 
 
 677 
 
CHAP,  LIT. 
 
 EOMILETIC  COMMENTARY :  JEREMIAH. 
 
 II.  Bread,  God's  gift,  withheld  as  a 
 punishment  of  sins. 
 
 For  judicial  reasons,  God  sometimes 
 breaks  the  whole  staff  of  bread  and 
 sends  famine  into  a  city  or  throughout  a 
 land.  This  either  by  successive  failures 
 in  the  crops  or  hy  permitting  an  invad- 
 ing army  to  invest  and  besiege  a  city. 
 
 The  famine  in  Egypt  in  Joseph's  time 
 was  occasioned  by  a  seven  yeRrs'  failure 
 in  the  crcqos ;  so  the  famine  in  Canaan 
 in  ALab's  reign  resulted  from  a  three 
 years  and  six  months'  drought. 
 
 The  famine  in  Jerusalem  was  caused 
 by  a  state  of  siege  (vers.  4,  5 ).  So  was 
 the  scarcity  in  Paris  during  the  reign  of 
 Napoleon  III.,  when  William,  king  of 
 Prussia,  besieged  the  city  five  months. 
 
 Thus  He  who  gives  bread  can  take  it 
 away ;  and  He  does  take  it  away  when 
 a  land  like  Egypt  becomes  tyrannical 
 and  oppressive,  and  a  city  like  Jerusalem 
 or  Paris  forgets  God,  lives  in  defiance  of 
 His  authority,  and  tramples  under  foot 
 divine  and  human  laws. 
 
 III.  Grod  visits  guilty  cities  with  sore 
 disti^ess. 
 
 When  cities  fall  into  moral  guilt  and 
 depravity,  their  prosperity  is  desolated, 
 their  doom  is  sealed.  With  expressions 
 of  His  anger  He  visited  Jerusalem,  with 
 famine  first,  and  then  with  ruin  (ver.  7). 
 Equally  with  proofs  of  displeasure  He 
 visited  France  :  famine  in  the  city,  Paris 
 desolated,  the  Emperor  overturned,  the 
 valiants  of  the  army  slain.  Thus  events 
 in  A."D.  1870-71  reaffirm  the  meaning  of 
 events  in  Jerusalem's  overthrow  nearly 
 six  hundred  years  before  Christ. 
 
 Superficial  observers  may  see  in  these 
 events  only  the  hand  of  man  ;  but  what 
 saith  God  %  See  Isa.  Ix.  1 2,  Jer.  v.  9,  whe- 
 ther with  war,  or  pestilence,  or  famine, 
 God  deals  with  nations  and  men  after 
 their  sins. 
 
 IV.  Famished  cities  on  earth  suggest 
 thoughts,  as  a  glad  contrast,  of  the 
 blessed  city  of  God  above,  the  heavenly 
 Jerusalem.  Of  its  inhabitants  it  is  de- 
 clared, "  They  shall  hunger  no  more,"  &c. 
 Many  of  its  residents  did  hunger  when 
 here  on  earth,  e.g.,  Paul  (2  Cor.  xi.  27). 
 
 No  more  assaults  of  foes,  nor  penalties 
 of  sin,  nor  sufi'erings  and  deprivation, 
 will  be  known  in  the  Holy  City,  the  Jeru- 
 678 
 
 salem  above. — Arranged  from  "  Walka 
 with  Jeremiah." 
 
 Comments — 
 
 Vers.  9-11.  Nebuchadnezzar  "gave 
 JUDGMENT "  upon  Zedekiah.  See  on 
 chap,  xxxix.  14;  also  xxxii.  4,  xxxiv.  3. 
 
 Ver.  12.  '■'•In  the  tenth  day  of  the 
 vionth."  Note  in  2  Kings  xxv.  8  it  is 
 given  as  the  seventh  day.  But  the  dif- 
 ferent preposition  explains  the  difference 
 of  dates.  "  He  came  unto  Jerusalem  " 
 on  the  seventh,  and  "  into  Jerusalem  " 
 on  the  tenth  day ;  or  he  moved  towards 
 Jerusalem  on  the  "  seventh,"  and  entered 
 on  the  "  tenth  "  day. 
 
 Vers.  17-23.  Spoils  of  the  Temple 
 carried  away,  thus  fulfilling  the  predic- 
 tion of  chap,  xxvii.  19-22. 
 
 The  7ninute  enumeration  of  these  ar- 
 ticles and  of  their  construction  shows 
 how  precious  was  the  remembrance  of 
 them  to  the  godly  Israelite.  This  height- 
 ened the  bitterness  of  their  loss. 
 
 Ver.  24.  Capture  of  the  priests. 
 
 "  As  teachers  are  often  to  blame  for 
 their  behaviour  that  sin  gets  the  upper 
 hand  in  a  community,  it  is  exceedingly 
 just  when  God  brings  such  for  an  ex- 
 ample into  great  punitive  judgment 
 (1  Sam.  ii.  21 -?>iy— Starke. 
 
 "  The  2^riests  are  caught  and  slain — 
 
 "  1.  Because  they  could  not  believe  the 
 truth  for  themselves. 
 
 "  2.  Becazcse  they  led  others  astray. 
 
 "  3.  Because  they  apjjealed  to  the 
 Temple  of  the  Lord. 
 
 "4.  Because  they  2)ersecuted  the  true 
 ptrophets. 
 
 "  5.  Becaiise  they  troubled  the  whole 
 Church  of  God. 
 
 "  But  he  who  troubleth  shall  bear 
 his  judgment,  whosoever  he  be  (Gal.  v. 
 10)." — Cramer,  quoted  in  Lange. 
 
 Vers.  27-30.  Deportation  of  cap- 
 tives. 
 
 "  The  present  account  of  the  deporta- 
 tion of  captives  by  Nebuchadnezzar  him- 
 self (not  by  Nebuzar-adan)  is  subordi- 
 nate and  supplemental  to  other  narra- 
 tives of  those  taken  from  Jerusalem  at 
 other  times.  Two  of  the  deportations 
 here  mentioned  are  of  the  Jeivs ;  only 
 one  was  from  Jerusalem  itself.  That 
 this  is  their  true  character  is  evident 
 from  the  smallness  of  the  number  here 
 
HOMILETIC  COMMENTARY:  JEREMIAH. 
 
 CHAP.  LIl, 
 
 specified.  The  total  of  these  tliree  de- 
 portations is  only  4600,  whereas  in  2 
 Kings  xxiv.  14-16  they  who  are  carried 
 captive  with  Jehoiachin  by  Nebuchad- 
 nezzar, in  the  eighth  year  of  his  reign, 
 were  18,000  souls.  How  many  were 
 carried  away  with  Zedekiah  by  Nebu- 
 zar-adan  when  Jerusalem  was  burnt  we 
 are  not  told,  but  probably  a  stiU  larger 
 number. " —  Wordsworth. 
 
 "According  to  this  account,  Nebu- 
 chadnezzar, in  his  seventeenth  (usually 
 called  his  eighteenth)  year,  while  the 
 siege  of  Jerusalem  was  going  on,  selected 
 3023  Jews  for  deportation  to  Babylon. 
 In  the  next  year,  his  eighteenth  (i.e., 
 nineteenth),  upon  the  capture  of  Jeru- 
 salem, he  selected  832  more,  the  small- 
 ness  of  the  number  evincing  the  des- 
 perate tenacity  with  which  the  Jews  had 
 defended  themselves  during  the  year 
 and  a  half  of  the  siege,  and  the  havoc 
 made  in  them  by  famine,  pestilence,  and 
 the  sword.  We  must  bear  in  mind, 
 however,  that  Nebuchadnezzar  had  not 
 left  more  than  6000  or  7000  people  in 
 Jerusalem  under  Zedekiah,  and  must 
 not  exaggerate  this  fewness.  Finally, 
 five  years  afterwards,  Nebuchadnezzar 
 selected  745  more,  not  ^^frora,  Jertisalevi" 
 (as  is  said  expressly  of  the  832),  but 
 Jews  simply,  the  occasion  probably  being 
 war  with  the  Moabites,  Ammonites,  and 
 Edomites. 
 
 "Another  point  often  noticed  is  the 
 small  number  generally  of  the  exiles  car- 
 ried away  compared  with  the  42,360 
 men  who  returned  with  Ezra  (Ezra  ii. 
 64,  65),  leaving  a  large  Jewish  popula- 
 tion behind  at  Babylon.  But  if  these 
 were  mere  supplementary  dejMrtations, 
 they  show  that  a  continual  drain  of 
 people  from  Judea  was  going  on,  and 
 thus  help  to  solve  the  difiiculty." — Dr. 
 Payne  Smith. 
 
 Vers.   31-34.   Theme.   Meecy  to  a 
 
 CAPTIVE  KING. 
 
 These  verses  recount  the  deliverance 
 of  Jehoiachin. 
 
 L  It  shows  us  that  the  Lord  can 
 help  us — 
 
 1.  Out  of  great  distress :  grievous 
 imprisonment  of  thirty-seven  years. 
 
 2.  In  a  glorious  manner. 
 
 II.  It  admonishes  us — 
 
 1.  To  steadfast  patience. 
 
 2.  To  believing  hope  (Psalm  xiii.) — 
 Naegelshach. 
 
 Vers.  31-34.  Theme:  Release  to 
 THE  CAPTIVE.  "  The  king  of  Babylon 
 lifted  up  the  head  of  Jehoiachin,  broxight 
 him  forth,  spalce  Idndly,  set  his  throne," 
 ifec. 
 
 The  obscure  portions  of  the  Word 
 of  God  are  worthy  of  notice,  like  the 
 filings  of  gold  which  the  artist  preserves. 
 They  often  illustrate  great  principles. 
 
 I.  The  deliverance  which  the  king 
 of  Babylon  accomplished  for  Jehoia- 
 chin. 
 
 1.  It  is  specially  noticed,  as  an  act,  no 
 doubt,  acceptable  to  God.  God  is  the 
 Father  of  mercies,  and  He  loves  ex- 
 ercises so  like  His  own.  Many  events 
 are  unrecorded,  but  this  has  a  conspi- 
 cuous place.  It  throws  a  lovely  light 
 over  the  dark  events  of  this  chapter. 
 
 2.  It  is  every  xvay  com'plete. 
 
 Nothing  is  left  undone  that  could  re- 
 lieve his  sad  captivity.  Released  from 
 prison ;  spoken  kindly  to ;  a  seat  of 
 honour  given  him  among  other  princes 
 his  prison  garments  changed;  he  con 
 stantly  is  a  guest  at  the  king's  table 
 a  continual  diet  is  given  him  ;  the  kind- 
 ness extends  to  the  very  close  of  life. 
 
 3.  It  is  ivorthy  of  practical  imita- 
 tion. 
 
 ^^  Pure  religion  and  undefiled,"  &c. 
 (Isa.  viii.)  ^^  Inasmtcch  as  ye  did  it 
 unto  me,"  &c.  *'  If  thine  enemy  hunger," 
 *kc.  ^^  Remember  them  in  bonds."  See 
 Isa.  Iviii.  67. 
 
 II.  The  greater  deliverance  which 
 Christ  accomplishes.  To  rebels,  to 
 traitors. 
 
 1.  He  emancipates  us  from  the  -power 
 of  sin. 
 
 Conversion  is  the  opening  of  the 
 prison.  "To  open  their  eyes,"  &c. 
 "He  is  made  of  God  to  us  redemp- 
 tion." 
 
 2.  He  speaks  in  accents  of  kindness 
 and  cornpassion.  Margin  reads,  "  Good 
 things  ivith  Him."  "  The  Spirit  of  the 
 Lord  is  upon  me,  to  preach  good  tidings 
 to  the  weak,"  &c. 
 
 3.  He  clothes  us  ivith  the  robe  of  mercy. 
 
 679 
 
CHAP.  LH. 
 
 EOMILETIC  COMMENTARY :  JEREMIAH. 
 
 \ 
 
 "  I  will  greatly  rejoice  in  the  Lord,"  &c. 
 Changed  his  prison  garments  (Zech.  iii. 
 3,  4). 
 
 4.  He  feeds  ics  with  the  bread  of  life. 
 "Man    did    eat  angels'    food."      He 
 
 thus  nourishes  us  freely,  daily,  con- 
 stantly, to  the  very  end. 
 
 5.  He  exalts  us  to  the  throne  of  immor- 
 tality. 
 
 On  the    career   of  Jechoniah,   see 
 
 Personal   Alhisions,    p.    419,    ver.    24, 
 Coniah,  son  of  Jehoiachin ;  also  Theme, 
 "  Woe  to  Coniah;'  pp.  430,  431. 
 Notes — 
 
 "  No  one  should  despair  in  misfortune, 
 for  the  right  hand  of  the  Highest  can 
 change  all  (Ps.  Ivii.  10),  and  Christ 
 rules  even  in  the  midst  of  His  enemies 
 (Ps.  ex.  2). — Cramer. 
 
 St.  Jerome  reports,  from  an  ancient 
 tradition  of  the  Jews,  that  Evil-Merodach, 
 having  had  the  government  of  the  Baby- 
 lonish empire  during  the  distraction  of 
 his  father,  used  his  power  so  ill,  that  as 
 soon  as  the  old  king  came  to  himself  he 
 put  him  in  prison  for  it,  where  he  con- 
 tracted a  pecidiar  acquaintance  with 
 Jehoiachin,  his  fellow  -  prisoner ;  and 
 that  this  was  the  cause  of  the  great 
 kindness  he  expressed  towards  him. 
 Tiiis  elevation  of  the  captive  king  was 
 evidently  an  act  of  grace  by  Evil-Mero- 
 dach on  the  occasion  of  his  ascending 
 the  throne,  561  B.C. 
 
 Lange  asks  here :  "  May  not  the 
 influence  of  Daniel  and  other  highly 
 esteemed  Jews  at  the  Babylonian  court 
 have  operated  in  favour  of  the  im- 
 prisoned king  1 " 
 
 Wordsworth  reflects  thus  :  "  The 
 change  vouchsafed  at  Babylon  by  God's 
 mercy  even  to  Jehoiachin,  after  the 
 terrible  maledictions  denounced  against 
 him  (xxii.  24-30),  and  after  a  long 
 exile  of  thirty-seven  years,  was  like  a 
 message  of  mercy  and  comfort  from  God 
 Himself,  and  was  a  'prelude  and  a  2:>ledge 
 of  the  liberation  and  exaltation  of  the 
 Jewish  nation  when  it  had  been  humbled 
 and  purified  by  the  discipline  of  suffer- 
 ing, and  of  its  return  to  its  own  land. 
 A.nd  it  was  like  s.  joyful  free  announce- 
 ment of  that  far  more  glorious  fidure 
 restoration,  which  the  prophets  in  the 
 680 
 
 Old  and  the  apostles  in  the  New  Testa- 
 ment foretell  —  of  Israel  to  God  in 
 Christ." 
 
 Ver.  32.  Theme  :  Kind  words.  "  He 
 spahe  kindly  U7ito  him." 
 
 After  thirty-seven  years  of  captivity, 
 during  which  had  passed  away  the  youth 
 and  joyousness  of  King  Jehoiachin,  his 
 prison  doors  were  opened,  his  prison 
 garments  changed,  and  his  throne  exalted 
 among  the  vanquished  kings  in  Babylon; 
 and  yet  we  can  well  imagine  that  better 
 far  than  the  earthly  distinction  thus 
 awarded  him  were  the  sunshine  and  com- 
 fort in  his  stricken  heart  when  Evil- 
 Merodach,  king  of  Babylon,  "spake  kindly 
 unto  him." 
 
 "  A  little  word  in  kindness  spoken, 
 A  motion,  or  a  tear, 
 Hath  often  healed  the  heart  that's  broken, 
 And  made  a  friend  sincere. 
 
 "  A  word — a  look— hath  crushed  to  earth 
 Full  many  a  budding  flower, 
 Which,  had  a  smile  but  owned  its  birth, 
 Would  bless  life's  darkest  hour. 
 
 "  Then  deem  it  not  an  idle  thing 
 A  pleasant  word  to  speak ; 
 The  face  you  wear,  the  thought  you  bring, 
 A  heart  may  heal  or  break." — Whittier. 
 
 I.  Kindness  should  be  a  natural  in- 
 terchange between  man  and  man. 
 
 The  very  word  "  kindness "  comes 
 from  the  cognate  word  kinned,  i.e.,  or  of 
 the  same  Jcin  or  race,  acknowledging 
 or  reminding  us  of  the  fact  that  all  men 
 are  brethren,  all  of  the  same  blood,  and 
 therefore  all  should  act  as  brethren.  All 
 who  are  of  the  same  kindred  should  be 
 kind.  The  same  analogy  is  found  in 
 the  word  humane,  from  human. 
 
 "  'Tis  the  first  sanction  Nature  gave  to  man, 
 Each  other  to  assist  in  what  they  can." 
 
 — Denham. 
 
 II.  Small  ministries  of  kindness 
 may  readily  find  occasion. 
 
 Life  afibrds  but  few  opportunities  of 
 doing  great  services  for  others,  but  there 
 is  scarcely  an  hour  of  the  day  that  does 
 not  afford  occasion  of  performing  some 
 little,  it  may  be  unnoticed,  kindness. 
 
 "  Scorn  not  the  slightest  word  or  deed, 
 Nor  deem  it  void  of  power  ; 
 There's  fruit  in  the  wind-wafted  seed, 
 Waiting  its  natal  hour. 
 
HOMILETIC  COMMENTARY :  JEREMIAH. 
 
 CHAP.  LII. 
 
 "A  whispered  word  may  touch  the  heart, 
 And  bring  it  back  to  life  ; 
 A  look  of  love  bid  sin  depart, 
 Or  still  unholy  strife." 
 
 III.  Kindly  words  effect  more  than 
 pompous  speech. 
 
 Loud  talking,  blustering  pledges,  os- 
 tentatious promises,  are  less  agreeable  to 
 a  man  than  honest  though  gentle  words 
 of  affection,  and  win  his  heart  less. 
 
 "  Good  words  do  more  than  hard 
 speeches,  as  the  sunbeams  without  any 
 noise  will  make  the  traveller  cast  off  his 
 cloak,  which  all  the  blustering  winds 
 could  not  do,  but  only  make  him  bind 
 it  the  closer  to  him." — Leighton. 
 
 "  You  can  give  me  hind  ivords  if  you 
 can  do  nothing  else  for  me,"  said  a  poor 
 woman  to  her  district  visitor,  "  and  they 
 make  my  heart  glad.  You  cannot  think 
 how  I  look  for  the  day  of  your  coming, 
 that  I  may  tell  you  all  my  trials.  Ah  !  " 
 she  added,  "if  only  people  thought  a 
 little  about  the  trials  and  troubles  of 
 the  poor,  and  the  comfort  and  encourage- 
 ment of  a  few  kind  words,  they  would 
 not  let  them  be  so  scarce." 
 
 IV.  How  touching  the  power  of 
 kind  words  on  the  suffering ! 
 
 A  compassionate  visitor  entered  a 
 prison  hospital,  and  conversed  with  one 
 of  the  most  degraded  and  ignorant  of 
 men  anywhere  to  be  found.  As  he 
 spoke  kindly  to  him,  the  man  drew  the 
 
 bed-clothes  over  his  head  and  sobbed 
 convulsively.  As  soon  as  he  could 
 speak  he  said  to  the  visitor,  "  Sir,  you 
 are  the  first  man  that  ever  spoke  a 
 kind  word  to  me  since  I  was  born,  and 
 I  can't  stand  it." 
 
 "  If  a  soul  thou  wouldst  redeem, 
 
 And  lead  a  lost  one  back  to  God, 
 AVouldst  thou  a  guardian  angel  seem 
 
 To  one  who  long  in  guilt  hath  trod  ? 
 Go  kindly  to  him,  take  his  hand, 
 
 With  gentlest  words,  within  thine  own, 
 And  by  his  side  a  brother  stand, 
 Till  all  the  demons  thou  dethrone." 
 
 — Mrs.  Sawyer. 
 
 Thus  closes  this  plaintive  Book  of 
 the  Prophet  Jeremiah,  with  a  gleam  of 
 light  on  the  gloom  of  exile,  with  a  record 
 of  "mercy  rejoicing  against  judgment," 
 of  kindness  shown  to  a  long-suffering 
 captive,  of  God's  pity  for  the  degraded 
 and  dethroned  king.  So  also  may  we 
 in  life's  deepest  and  most  prolonged 
 sufferings  find  gracious  alleviation  ;  in 
 our  dethronisation  —  which  sin  has 
 wrought — recover  exaltation  to  spiritual 
 honour  and  privilege  ;  and  in  our  earthly 
 life  of  exile  from  the  "land  very  far 
 off,"  enjoy  the  favour  of  the  glorious 
 King,  and  be  nourished  with  "a  con- 
 tinued diet  "  of  sacred  grace  "  given  us 
 of  the  King,  every  day  a  portion  until 
 the  day  of  our  death."     Amen. 
 
 681 
 
ALPHABETICAL    INDEX 
 
 A  tbopiiet's  work         . 
 
 Abaudoned  to  judgment 
 
 Abandoued,  God's  covenaut 
 
 Abandoned  by  God 
 
 Abasement,  prostrate  in 
 
 Abuse  of  religion  . 
 
 Accursed  trust 
 
 Admonished  and  abandoned 
 
 Adoration  of  God  in  nature 
 
 Advantages  of  irreligion 
 
 AflFecting  expostulations,  incorrigible : 
 
 penitence  ..... 
 Affliction  and  sori-ow  of  heart 
 Alienation  the  road  to  atheism 
 Aliens  united  in  the  Church . 
 Ancient  paths        .... 
 Anomaly  in  the  law  of  transmission 
 Answer  to  prayer  delayed 
 
 Ark  lost 
 
 Attention  to  God's  word 
 
 257: 
 
 Babylon's  broad  walls  .         .         .     674 
 
 Babylon's  overthrow  .  .  657,  667,  675 
 Babylon's  fall,  joy  over  .         .         .     673 
 
 Backward 160 
 
 Backward  glance  of  sorrow     .         .         .     250 
 
 EalmofGilead 189 
 
 Baruch  corrected  and  comforted     .         .     625 
 
 Basket  of  figs 460 
 
 Beautiful  but  brief  ....  327 
 Believing  Ethiopian  ....  602 
 Bellows  burned  .  .  .  .  -135 
 Benignant  promises  of  future  restoration  352 
 "Be  not  proud"  ,  ,  .  ,  .  2S1 
 Bereaved  of  children  ....  226 
 Bereavement,  comfort  in  .  .  .652 
 Best  Christians,  best  citizens  .  .  499 
 Bitter  issues  of  impious  effrontery  .  120 
 Blast  of  the  Almighty  .  .  .  -83 
 Blessed  and  cursed  .  .  .  -381 
 Branch  of  righteousness  .  .  -554 
 Bright  and  blessed  vision,  a  .  .  67 
 Bright  era  for  mankind  .  .  .  444 
 Brilliant  hopes  baffled  .  .  .  .632 
 Burden  of  the  Lord  on  triflers  .  .  456 
 Buried  gifts 265 
 
 Call,  consecration  and  commission  of 
 
 the  prophet       .....  9 
 
 Captive,  release  of          ...         .  679 
 
 Captive  king,  mercy  to            ...  679 
 
 Captives,  deportation  of         .         .         .  678 
 
 PAGE 
 
 13 
 
 77 
 532 
 624 
 
 70 
 164 
 368 
 613 
 no 
 
 623 
 40 
 
 222 
 107 
 658 
 138 
 322 
 611 
 62 
 272 
 
 Captivity  of  Judah 
 
 Capture  of  Jerusalem    . 
 
 Capture  of  the  priests   . 
 
 Carnal  security 
 
 Cautions  and  consolations 
 
 Chaff  and  wheat    . 
 
 Characteristics  of  an  unbelieving  epoch 
 
 Charge  to  pastors  .... 
 
 Chastened,  but  not  abandoned 
 
 Chastisement  resulting  in  penitence 
 
 Children,  what  they  can  do  for  God 
 
 Children's  sermon,  "  Good  way"  . 
 
 Christ  the  True  Ark  of  the  covenant 
 
 Christ's  supreme  name  . 
 
 Christian  creed  summarised 
 
 Christian  in  the  tumult   of  the  world 
 
 the     . 
 Christian  patriotism 
 Christian  Sabbath 
 Christian's  highest  glory 
 Christian's  triumph 
 Church's  lost  territory 
 Circumcision,  true  and  false 
 Cisterns  and  the  Fountain 
 City  saved  for  one  good  man 
 Clay  in  the  potter's  hands 
 Cleansing  refused  . 
 Comfort  and  warning     . 
 Comfort  in  bereavement 
 Coming  harvest     . 
 Commission  to  destroy 
 Commission  to  preach  , 
 Comparative  criminality 
 Comparative  sinfulness 
 Complaining  prayer  merging  into  godly 
 
 confidence 
 Complaint  that  treachery  prospers 
 Complete  devastation  ot  the  laud 
 Conditional  covenants  , 
 Conditions  of  continuance  in  privilege 
 Confession  of  the  Gentiles     . 
 Converts        .... 
 Corrective  punishment . 
 Consideration 
 
 Consolation  .... 
 Consolations  and  hopes 
 Consolations  of  a  dying  father 
 Constancy  of  Rechabites 
 Conversion  of  the  Jews 
 Courageous  Ethiopian   . 
 Covenanted  alliance 
 Creation  au  argument  for  faith 
 
 663 
 
 PAGE 
 676 
 676 
 67S 
 640 
 180 
 
 453 
 161 
 
 27 
 467 
 526 
 166 
 
 137 
 68 
 
 445 
 
 447 
 
 603 
 499 
 384 
 202 
 
 251 
 651 
 
 204 
 
 293 
 102 
 
 390 
 280 
 
 391 
 652 
 671 
 106 
 140 
 65 
 449 
 
 40.; 
 246 
 
 254 
 39- 
 
 42  V 
 
 360 
 
 660 
 198 
 513 
 255 
 
 524 
 652 
 
 563 
 542 
 592 
 23s 
 
 543 
 
ALPHABETICAL  INDEX. 
 
 Critical  and  exegetical  notes,  5,  32,  55,  73,96, 
 116,  143,  170,  190,  212,  231,  245,  260,  289, 
 313.  350,  362,  386,  399.  401,  4",  418,  437, 
 460,  468,  479,  484,  490,  496,  504,  514,  537, 
 547>  557.  562,  570,  580,  586,  598,  603,  605, 
 608,  614,  617,  625,  629,  634,  635,  651,  656, 
 666,  676 
 
 Cry  for  healing 377 
 
 Cry  from  scenes  of  exile 
 
 Cry  of  the  godless  in  ca' 
 Cup  of  suftering 
 
 amity 
 
 external 
 
 tree 
 
 Dearth,  the 
 
 Death  . 
 
 Death  an  invading  enemy 
 
 Death  preferable  to  life 
 
 Deceptive  hope 
 
 Deep-seated  character  of  sin 
 
 Defeat  predicted   . 
 
 Defiance  reduced  to  despair 
 
 Deliberate  combination  against  God 
 
 Delicacy  and  desirableness  of  Zion 
 
 Deliverance  from  trouble 
 
 Delusions  of  disobedience 
 
 Delusions  refuted 
 
 Demoralising  trust  placed 
 
 piety 
 Deserting  ancient  paths 
 Desire  to  be  remembered 
 Desolations  hastening    , 
 Desperation  dangerous 
 Destruction  of  the  fair  olive- 
 Directions  to  enquirers  . 
 Dirge  over  an  unhappy  life 
 Disasters  consequent  upon  sin 
 Discipline     . 
 Diseased  souls 
 Dismal  outlook 
 Dismay  of  defeat  . 
 Divine  formation  of  a  human  life,  the 
 Divine  message  sent  into  a  prison 
 Divine  promises    .... 
 Divine  wrath  an  object  of  fear        . 
 Doctrine  of  the  Church 
 Drawn  with  everlasting  love 
 Dreading  God's  abhorrence   . 
 Duty  of  Christians  to  their  country 
 Duty  of  trusting  in  God 
 
 Early  piety  the  beauty  of  youth  . 
 Earnest  persuasion  recklessly  defied 
 Election        ..... 
 Engaging  the  heart  in  religious  service 
 Enquirers,  directions  to 
 Ephraim  bemoaning  himself 
 Equivocation         .... 
 Errors  and  doom  of  Judah's  kings 
 Escaping  evil  habits 
 Estrangement  from  God 
 Everlasting  inheritance  ,         , 
 
 Everlasting  love    .... 
 Evil  of  sin  after  conversion    . 
 Evils  of  false  security   . 
 Exhortations  to  hallow  the  Sabbath 
 Exiles  in  B&bylon,  letter  to  . 
 Existence  regretted 
 Extermination  accomplished 
 
 684 
 
 178 
 237 
 654 
 
 306 
 
 327 
 201 
 422 
 581 
 367 
 538 
 177 
 
 237 
 123 
 506 
 611 
 584 
 
 146 
 392 
 331 
 430 
 397 
 238 
 659 
 404 
 249 
 
 525 
 182 
 112 
 
 632 
 
 25 
 548 
 541 
 380 
 164 
 517 
 303 
 499 
 369 
 
 SO 
 236 
 263 
 511 
 659 
 526 
 
 597 
 419 
 277 
 267 
 
 153 
 518 
 42 
 129 
 366 
 674 
 409 
 620 
 
 Facts  for  amazement,  reckless  desertion 
 
 of  the.  Fount  of  life  . 
 Faithful  minister's  appeal 
 Faithless  healers,  and  vain  remedies 
 Faithless  pastors  .... 
 False  charges         .... 
 False  peace,  warning  against  . 
 
 False  prophets       .... 
 False  theories        .... 
 Falsity  and  foulness  of  man's  heart 
 Falsity,  its  cruelty  and  cowardice 
 Famine         ..... 
 Fate  of  others  a  warning  to  us 
 Fearless  performance  of  perilous  service 
 Fears  and  comforts  in  prospect  of  labour 
 
 with  God  .... 
 Fertility  of  the  soul 
 Fidelity  required  in  ministers 
 Fire  kindled  in  the  houses  of  gods    of 
 
 Egypt 
 Fleeing  for  refuge 
 Forgiveness  plenteous  . 
 Forewarnings  of  evil     . 
 Forewarning  despised    . 
 Fortified  against  God's  power 
 Fretting  lamentations  silenced  with  pro 
 
 mises         ..... 
 Fruit,  delicious  and  repulsive 
 Frustrated  ministry  of  grace 
 Fury  for  the  impious  oppressor 
 Futile  self-cleansing      .         .         . 
 Futility  of  human  wisdom     .         . 
 Future  of  believers 
 
 Gedaliah's  exaltation  and  peril    . 
 Gedaliah's  fate  an  example     .  . 
 
 Genuine  philanthropy  . 
 Girdle  of  truth      .... 
 Glorying  prohibited  and  sanctioned 
 God,  all-present    .... 
 
 appearing  as  a  vain  hope 
 
 devising,  yet  deploring  evil    . 
 
 forsaking  and  God-forsaken   . 
 
 gained,  or  heaven  lost 
 
 of  families,  the 
 
 our  comforter 
 
 recognised  in  judgments 
 
 reproached    . 
 
 the  antagonist  of  false  teachers 
 
 ,  the  heart-searcher 
 
 ,  the  only  true        ,         .         .     213,  219 
 
 Godless  mirth  silenced  ....  355 
 Godly  conduct  .....  266 
 God's  account  of  himself 
 
 ambassador  fortified 
 
 anger  understood 
 
 appeal  against  Judah 
 
 call  to  the  world   . 
 
 chastisements 
 
 claim  on  parents    . 
 
 control  shunned     . 
 
 controversy  with  humanity   . 
 
 covenant  an  argument  in  prayer 
 
 covenant  heritage  in  Israel     . 
 
 decisive  refusal   of  the   prophet's 
 
 petition     ......     3^5 
 
 earnestness  in  dealing  with  sinners      157 
 
ALPHABETICAL  INDEX. 
 
 God's  earnestness  witli  sinners 
 
 eyes  on  the  path  of  men 
 
 ■  faithful  people  abandoned 
 
 foreknowledge 
 
 •  girdle    ..... 
 
 glorious  purpose  for  His  people 
 
 gracious  thoughts 
 
 guarantee  to  His  church 
 
 hidden  hand 
 
 -- —  interest  in  man 
 
 judgment  upon  the  faithless  vindi 
 
 cated  ..... 
 
 judgments  upon  the  nations  . 
 
 law  in  the  heart     . 
 
 mercy  to  His  people 
 
 message  in  writing 
 
 message  of  life  and  death 
 
 messenger  baffled  and  repudiated 
 
 messenger  to  rebellious  Judah 
 
 messenger  opposed 
 
 method  of  confuting  unbelief 
 
 name  the  sinner's  plea  . 
 
 nearness  everywhere 
 
 • people  suffer,  shall  His  foes  escape 
 
 proclamation  of  grand  purposes 
 
 prophet  a  prisoner 
 
 • reply  to  a  perplexed  soul 
 
 righteousness,  its  baffling  anomalies 
 
 rule  of  judgment  . 
 
 seeming  disregard  of  man 
 
 tender     expostulation    with     the 
 
 young        
 
 tender  memory  of  the  sinner 
 
 unwilling  separation  from  Judah 
 
 voice  to  men 
 
 withdrawings  from  His  people 
 
 witness  .... 
 
 word  and  man's  word    . 
 
 word  enjoyed 
 
 word  the  joy  of  the  godly 
 
 work  done  remissly 
 
 works  appealed  to 
 
 wrath  over  national  vices 
 
 wrath,  the  fire  of  . 
 
 Golden  key  of  prayer    . 
 
 Good  man's  strength,  fortress,  and  refuge 
 
 Good  news  for  true  seekers    . 
 
 Good  old  way        .... 
 
 Gospel  a  sure  remedy    . 
 
 Gracious  purposes  of  grievous  punish 
 
 ments         ..... 
 Graves  dishonoured 
 Greater  future  of  Israel 
 Grief  over  sinners'  ruin  .  . 
 
 Guilt  under  sanction  of  religion     . 
 
 Harvest  sermon  .... 
 Harvest,  a  coming  .         .         , 
 
 Hastening  to  escape  .  .  . 
 Healing  for  stricken  ones  .  . 
 Healing  medicines  .         .        . 
 
 Healing  wounds  slightly  .  . 
 Hearer  becomes  a  preacher,  the  . 
 Hearers  hardened 
 Heart  inscrutable  .... 
 Heart's  deceitfulness  towards  itself 
 Heath  in  the  desert 
 
 PAGE 
 568 
 
 247 
 161 
 269 
 
 270 
 
 534 
 604 
 
 377 
 
 277 
 631 
 532 
 664 
 
 505 
 
 416 
 
 119 
 
 6 
 
 53S 
 107 
 
 295 
 451 
 509 
 
 520 
 588 
 
 541 
 248 
 
 377 
 298 
 
 63 
 
 528 
 126 
 
 433 
 30S 
 
 14 
 455 
 333 
 336 
 639 
 219 
 448 
 
 80 
 551 
 359 
 502 
 130 
 553 
 
 500 
 171 
 356 
 194 
 154 
 
 "3 
 
 671 
 638 
 633 
 509 
 128 
 
 574 
 577 
 376 
 374 
 370 
 
 PAGE 
 
 Heathen  auguries 489 
 
 Heaven's  appeal  to  the  sinner         .         .  43 
 
 Hero  of  faith          ,          .         .         .         .  6oi 
 
 Heroic  friendship            ....  484 
 
 Hidden  manna       .....  337 
 
 Holy  land  utterly  devastated,  the  .         .  76 
 
 Hope 573 
 
 Hope  of  man  in  misery  ....  306 
 
 Hope  of  the  soul  in  time  of  terror          .  379 
 
 Horror  over  faithless  prophets        .         .  448 
 
 Hospitality  outraged     ....  606 
 
 Human  glorying  corrected     .         .      202,  654 
 
 Human  heart  deceitful           .         .         .  383 
 
 Human  outcry  silenced,  the  ...  26 
 
 Human  vindication  of  divine  vengeance  200 
 Hypocrisy   of    desiring  the   prayers   of 
 
 others       ......  6i2 
 
 Hypocritical  repentance         .         .         .  560 
 
 Idol  manufacture  .        .        .        .217 
 
 Idolatrous  conspiracy  ....  233 
 Ignominious  burial  ....  425 
 Ignorance  may  excuse  irreligion  .  .104 
 Imminent  exile  .....  222 
 Impending  desolations  .  .  .  -351 
 Impious  soul  cloaked  in  pious  speech  .  103 
 Impossibility  of  pardon  .  .         .106 
 
 Imprecatory  prayer  provoked         .  .     389 
 
 Impregnable  security  in  Jehovah's  service   342 
 
 Incapacity  divinely  rectified 
 
 Incredulity  at  God's  message  of  doom 
 
 Indiflference  ..... 
 
 Indifference  to  eternal  realities 
 
 Indignity  to  Jehovah     . 
 
 Inflexible  godliness 
 
 Influence  of  prosperity  . 
 
 Iniquitous  nation  openly  degraded 
 
 Iniquity  unabashed 
 
 Injustice       ..... 
 
 Intellectual  vanity  perverting  revelation 
 
 Intercessory  prayer 
 Intercessory  prayer  forbidden 
 Interrogating  our  conduct 
 Intoxicating  judgments         .  , 
 
 Intrepid  denunciations 
 Ironical  calls  to  salvation 
 Ishmael's  conspiracy 
 Isolation  resulting  from  consecration 
 Israel  ingathered   .... 
 Israel  invited  to  renewed  repentance 
 Israel  justified  against  Babylon 
 Israel  not  abandoned     . 
 
 20 
 320 
 108 
 643 
 147 
 215 
 
 427 
 264 
 172 
 
 583 
 176 
 
 169,  319 
 158 
 184 
 263 
 414 
 122 
 605 
 337 
 553 
 58 
 670 
 668 
 
 Israel's  divorce,  its  lessons  lost  upon  Judah    57 
 Israel's  own  glorious  King     . 
 Israel's  restoration  wholly  engaging  God 
 Israel's  return  shall  allure  the  Gentiles  to 
 
 God 
 
 "It  may  be"        .... 
 
 Jeconiah's  captivity     . 
 Jeconiah's  career  and  release 
 Jehoiakim's  degeneracy 
 Jehova  Justitia  Nostra  . 
 Jehovah  the  true  God   . 
 Jehovah  weary  with  repenting 
 Jehovah's  "  charge"  to  his  servant 
 Jehovah's  claim  on  human  reverence 
 
 685 
 
 510 
 
 542 
 
 80 
 572 
 
 498 
 
 680 
 423 
 447 
 213 
 
 323 
 
 10 
 
 21S 
 
ALPHABETICAL  INDEX. 
 
 Jehovah's  covenant       .... 
 Jehovah's  message  widely  published 
 Jehovah's  refusal  to  allow  intercession 
 
 to  prevail  ...... 
 
 Jeremiah  a  wrestler  with  God  in  prayer 
 Jeremiah  called  to  attest  predictions  by 
 
 action        ..... 
 Jeremiah  carried  into  Egypt 
 Jeremiah  imprisoned     . 
 Jeremiah's  experience  typical  of  Christ 
 
 final  prophecy 
 
 mission  .... 
 
 second  letter  to  the  exiles 
 
 slanderous  enemies 
 
 vision  of  figs 
 
 Jerusalem,  capture  of    . 
 
 Jerusalem  rebuilded 
 
 Jerusalem  ruined  .... 
 
 Jesus  Christ  as  King 
 
 Jesus,  our  Lord  and  Righteousness 
 
 Jewish  idolatry  in  Egypt 
 
 Josiah's  discovery  of  the  law 
 
 Judah  impenitent 
 
 Judah's  divinely-sent  teacher  ignored 
 
 Judah's  guilt  flagrantly  manifest    . 
 
 Judah's  mournful  distress      .  . 
 
 Judah's  restoration 
 
 Justice  of  threatened  ruin  vindicated 
 
 Kind  words 
 
 Kingdom  of  the  Messiah 
 Knowing  God  with  the  heart 
 Knowledge  of  God 
 Knowledge  should  ensure  piety 
 
 Laborious  service  wasted 
 Lament  for  the  nation's  woe 
 Lament  for  the  slain  daughters  of  society 
 Lamentable  changes — violated  faith 
 Lamentations         .... 
 Lesson  for  the  disappointed  .         , 
 Life  prematurely  closed         .         . 
 Life's  aim  defeated         .         ,         , 
 Life's  noontide      .... 
 Life's  solemn  opportunity      ,         , 
 Limitations  of  marriage  .         , 
 
 Litera  Scripta  Manet     . 
 Little  one's  cry,  the       .         .         , 
 Loathsome  soul  outcast  from  God 
 Localisation  marked  bj'  God,  our  . 
 Looming  disasters — external  results   of 
 
 impiety      .... 
 Lord  our  righteousness  . 
 Lost  even  to  pity  . 
 Lost  flock  demanded  of  the   faithless 
 
 shepherd    .... 
 Lost  harvest,  the  .  .         .         .170, 
 
 Lying  prophecy  distinguished  from  true 
 
 Making  God  our  trust 
 
 Maledictions,  God's  messages  of  doom 
 
 Man  of  God  .... 
 
 Man  on  earth 
 
 Man  perishes,  God  must  work 
 
 Manifold  judgments  of  God  . 
 
 Man's  career  under  God's  control 
 
 Man's  changeable  condition    , 
 
 G86 
 
 PAGE 
 
 faoh 
 
 232 
 
 Man's  voice  met  by  God's  voice     . 
 
 628 
 
 236 
 
 Mediation  and  sacrifice  unaccepted 
 
 234 
 
 Meetness  before  God     .... 
 
 487 
 
 291 
 
 Men  of  progress,  men  of  strife 
 
 345 
 
 297 
 
 Men  try  to  right  themselves  . 
 
 17s 
 
 Merciful  chastisement   ,         .         .         , 
 
 224 
 
 353 
 
 Messages  of  prophecy  brought  to  men, 
 
 614 
 
 the 
 
 IS 
 
 538 
 
 Messages  to  exiles          .... 
 
 497 
 
 593 
 
 Ministry  of  discrimination     . 
 
 339 
 
 619 
 
 Ministry  of  the  word     .... 
 
 342 
 
 10 
 
 Misery  unpitied     ..... 
 
 254 
 
 503 
 
 ]\[issionary  sermon         .... 
 
 360 
 
 587 
 
 Mistaken  patriotism       .... 
 
 608 
 
 465 
 
 Moab's  doom          ..... 
 
 636 
 
 676 
 
 Moab's  restoration          .... 
 
 650 
 
 535 
 
 Mocking  at  the  preacher 
 
 406 
 
 199 
 
 Murderers  in  ambush    .... 
 
 235 
 
 554 
 
 Mystic  Babylon     .... 
 
 667 
 
 457 
 
 617 
 
 Nations  obliterated      .... 
 
 SoS 
 
 240 
 
 Nature  and  prosperity  of  Messiah's  reign    443 
 
 76 
 
 Nature  of  sin         ..... 
 
 621 
 
 88 
 
 Nearness  to  God  destroyed  by  sin 
 
 281 
 
 363 
 
 Nebuchadnezzar  God's  servant 
 
 470 
 
 214 
 
 Nets  to  catch  men 
 
 357 
 
 438 
 
 New  created  wonder      .... 
 
 529 
 
 388 
 
 "  No  cloak  for  their  sin  "... 
 
 609 
 
 680 
 
 Obedience,  its  rewards          .        .      563,  qgi; 
 
 442 
 
 Obedience  to  traditions  of  ancestors 
 
 563 
 
 463 
 
 Obstinate  unbelief 
 
 107 
 
 202 
 
 Old  age  without  religion 
 
 136 
 
 105 
 
 Old  paths 
 
 130 
 
 Omniscience  regulates  judgment    . 
 
 35S 
 
 577 
 
 On  the  new  year    ..... 
 
 495 
 
 292 
 
 One  sinner  "a  sign"  to  many 
 
 624 
 
 205 
 
 Opportunities  neglected 
 
 180 
 
 36 
 
 Opportunity  and  its  issues     . 
 
 558 
 
 174 
 
 Opposition     ..... 
 
 28 
 
 207 
 
 Outcast  Israel         .... 
 
 60 
 
 326 
 
 Outcry  of  woe  answered  with  expostula 
 
 615 
 
 tions 
 
 316 
 
 325 
 180 
 
 353 
 
 Outward  religious  service 
 
 148 
 
 Past  judgments  appealed  to, 
 
 612 
 
 572 
 
 Pastoral  service      .... 
 
 267 
 
 638 
 
 Pathos  of  an  earnest  soul 
 
 274 
 
 318 
 
 Patriotic  choice     .... 
 
 604 
 
 198 
 
 Patriotic  prayers  irrepressible 
 
 303 
 
 Penalty  for  oppressors   . 
 
 247 
 
 38 
 
 Penitent  tears        .... 
 
 536 
 
 445 
 
 Penitential  return  to  the  Lord 
 
 59 
 
 323 
 
 Penitent's  prayer    .... 
 
 378 
 
 People  ripe  for  destruction     . 
 
 161 
 
 275 
 
 Perfidy  and  punishment 
 
 559 
 
 -,  189 
 
 Perpetuity  of  David's  reign   , 
 
 555 
 
 490 
 
 Perpetuity  of  the  spiritual  Jerusalem 
 
 536 
 
 Perplexed  suppliants 
 
 609 
 
 371 
 
 Persecution  of  God's  prophet 
 
 238 
 
 173 
 
 Persecution  of  the  faithful  prophet 
 
 403 
 
 567 
 
 Persistent  alienation 
 
 257 
 
 175 
 
 Personal  career  of  Jeremiah  . 
 
 I 
 
 294 
 
 Perverse  son           .... 
 
 424 
 
 469 
 
 Piety  a  reciprocation  of  love . 
 
 34 
 
 223 
 
 Pilgrims  to  Zion    .... 
 
 519 
 
 391 
 
 Pitiable  dilemma  .... 
 
 415 
 
ALPHABETICAL  INDEX, 
 
 PAGE 
 
 Pleading  with  God  over  calamitous  dearth   290 
 
 Potter's  work 
 
 Power  of  evil  habits 
 
 Power  of  rebuke    .         .         , 
 
 Power  of  sin 
 
 Praise  to  man  silenced  .         . 
 
 Prayer   ..... 
 
 Prayer  by  God's  afflicted  servant 
 
 Prayer  encouraged 
 
 Prayer  for  a  people  unavailing 
 
 Prayer  for  all  seasons     . 
 
 Prayer  for  salvation  based  upon  praise 
 
 Prayer  holds  its  own  reward  . 
 
 Prayer  of  mediation  silenced  by  God 
 
 Prayer  the  solace  of  a  perplexed  soul 
 
 Prayers  of  a  good  man  asked  by  a  bad 
 
 man  ..... 
 Preach  the  whole  truth 
 Preacher's  cry  for  help  . 
 Preachers  tested  by  their  hearers  . 
 Preaching  made  inevitable 
 Preaching  rendered  useless    . 
 Premonitory  visions 
 Prescience  sealed  by  experience     . 
 Presumptuous  pride 
 
 Pride 
 
 Profligate  people  ripe  for  vengeance,  a 
 Progress  of  man's  salvation    . 
 Progression  and  direction 
 Prophecy  of  lies    .... 
 Prophecy  tested  by  prayer     . 
 Prophecy  vindicated  in  Babylon's  fall 
 Prophet  a  subverter  of  kingdoms,  the 
 Prophets  and  their  mission    , 
 Prophet's  lamentation    . 
 Prophet's  timely  arrival,  the 
 Prosperity  baneful         .         , 
 Protest  against  apostasy 
 Proud  men     .... 
 Provision  for  the  churches     . 
 Punishment  of  the  impenitent 
 Punishment  threatened 
 Purity  necessary  to  salvation 
 Purpose  rightly  directed        . 
 
 Rachel's  lamentations  . 
 
 Rapacity  denounced 
 
 Reasoris  for  fearing  the  Lord 
 
 Reasons  for  irreligion  of  the  masses 
 
 Rebellion  and  vengeance 
 
 Reckless  desertion  of  the  right  way 
 
 Reckless  inattention  to  warning 
 
 Reckless  penknife 
 
 Recompenses 
 
 Recovery  of  the  ten  tribes 
 
 Redeemer,  strength  of  . 
 
 Redemption,  its  progressive  acts 
 
 Reflex  consequences  of  sin     . 
 
 Reflex  degradations  of  idolatry 
 
 Reflections  of  a  penitent 
 
 Regard  for  God     . 
 
 Release  of  the  captive    . 
 
 Repentance  glorifies  God 
 
 Resolute  spiritual  inaction 
 
 Restoration  of  the  Jews 
 
 Restoration  to  lost  spiritual  privileges 
 
 Retirement  sought 
 
 395 
 278 
 
 346 
 278 
 
 637 
 333 
 548 
 550 
 344 
 299 
 
 378 
 297 
 
 237 
 540 
 
 581 
 4S0,  484 
 378 
 450 
 127 
 126 
 10 
 
 539 
 268 
 272 
 98 
 517 
 227 
 
 489 
 490 
 
 473 
 
 22 
 
 470 
 
 93 
 
 15 
 
 428 
 
 618 
 
 614 
 
 10 
 
 430 
 
 578 
 
 84 
 
 529 
 
 524 
 423 
 100 
 
 183 
 677 
 
 45 
 132 
 
 575 
 673 
 458 
 665 
 256 
 159 
 39 
 527 
 425 
 679 
 
 273 
 131 
 519 
 58 
 582 
 
 Retribution  for  idolatrous  abominations 
 
 Return  to  God  averts  doom 
 
 Revelation  in  writing     . 
 
 Revived  memories  of  spiritual  privileges 
 
 Rewards  of  obedience    . 
 
 Righteous  judgments  of  God 
 
 Righteous    requirements    and   gracious 
 
 promise     .... 
 Righteous  soul  pleading  with  God- 
 Roaming  from  God 
 Robbery  in  the  sanctuary 
 Romanism  doomed 
 Rome's  luxuriousness    . 
 Rome's  rejection  of  healing 
 Rome's  resources  desolated 
 Rome  volcanic 
 Ruin,  a  woful  spectacle  of 
 Ruin  of  enemies  exulted  over 
 Ruined  nationalities 
 
 Sabbath  and  the  Lord's  day  .         .     381 
 
 Sacred  overthrows  ....      167 
 
 Sacrifices      .         .         .         .         .         .169 
 
 Sacrifices  contemned     .         .         .         '159 
 Sacrilege        .  .         .         .  .         .168 
 
 Safety  and  vindication  sought  in  God    .     365 
 Salvation,  The  true  source  of         .         .69 
 Sanctimonious  self-delusions  .         .      151 
 
 Satisfying  nature  of  God's  goodness       .     523 
 Scoffing  answered  by  sarcasm         .  .321 
 
 Sea,  its  ravages  and  tragedies         .         .     655 
 Seasons  of  grace  lost      ....      180 
 
 Secret  inquirer      .....     584 
 
 Seer's  anguish  over  the  sinner's  doom,  a      87 
 Self-improvement.         .         .         .  .150 
 
 Self  in  service        .....     492 
 
 Self-vindicating  sinners  reproved  .         .       48 
 Self-vindicative  sinners  .         .  .     622 
 
 Servants  of  God    .....        14 
 
 Set  apart  for  judgment  .         .         .124 
 
 Seventy  years'  captivity  .         .         .471 
 
 Shamelessness  in  sin      .         .         .         .     129 
 
 Sheep  scattered     .....     663 
 
 "Sheshach,"  Babylon  reversed       .     475,672 
 Showing  exiles  the  way  home         .         .     529 
 Siege  of  Jerusalem         ....     599 
 
 Sin  an  outrage  on  self   .         .         .         .198 
 
 Sin  banished  or  the  soul  banished  .       78 
 
 Sin  dangerous        .....     284 
 
 Sin  excludes  from  sympathy  .         .         .     354 
 Sinners  alike  in  all  ages  .         .  .     637 
 
 Sinners  cause  their  own  suflering  .  .     594 
 
 Sinner's  desperate  depravity,  the  .  .       64 
 
 Sinner's  doom        ....     393,  645 
 
 Sinners  in  altercation  with  God     .  .     355 
 
 Sinners  returning  to  God       .  .         .     658 
 
 Sinners  requited  for  their  work  of  spolia- 
 tion .....  .     358 
 
 Sinners  summoned  to  self-improvement      568 
 Sin's  hold  on  the  inmost  man        .         .     367 
 Sins  of  omission    .....     242 
 
 Sin's  ravages  .  .         .         .         .185 
 
 Slandering 197 
 
 Slavery  exchanged  for  service         .  .     507 
 
 Solemn  warning  .....  494 
 Soul  agriculture  .....  80 
 Soul  under  discouragement  .         .         .     407 
 
 687 
 
 PAGE 
 148 
 
 75 
 571 
 673 
 56S 
 132 
 
 H5 
 249 
 662 
 
 155 
 667 
 669 
 669 
 670 
 670 
 134 
 634 
 157 
 
ALPHABETICAL  INDEX. 
 
 Soul's  Resting  Place 
 Sovereignty  of  God 
 Spared  through  grace 
 Spiritual  corruption 
 Spiritual  criminality 
 Spoiled  linen  girdle,  the 
 Spontaneity  and  spoliations  of  guilt 
 Strength  of  the  Redeemer     . 
 Strengthening  the  hands  of  the  wicked 
 Structure  and  scope  of  the  prophecies   . 
 Substitutes  for  piety  repudiated    . 
 Superficial  piety  a  delusion    . 
 Superstitious  terror  at  the  marvels   of 
 
 nature       ...... 
 
 Stubborn  sinner  submitting  himself  to 
 
 God 
 
 Submission  to  God's  direction 
 
 Sudden  spoliations         .         .         .  . 
 
 Sufi'ering  for  godly  and  guilty 
 
 Swearing 
 
 Sword  of  the  Lord  upon  Philistia  . 
 Symbol  of  God's  sovereignty 
 Symbolic  prophecy  of  doom  . 
 Symbols  of  God's  word .         ,        .        . 
 
 Taking  side  with  God  .... 
 
 Temple  of  the  Lord       .... 
 
 Thoroughness         .         .         .         .152 
 
 Timidity        ...... 
 
 Traitor's  tears,  a  . 
 
 Treachery  crouching  behind  fair  words  . 
 
 Treachery  thwarted       .... 
 
 Treasures  consigned  to  foes    . 
 Treatment  shown  to  the  Jews 
 Triumphant  prayer        .... 
 
 Troublous  preacher  troubled  .         , 
 
 True  repentance    ..... 
 
 Trust  placed  in  lies        .... 
 
 Truths  great  and  mighty        .         . 
 Two  astounding  evils     .... 
 
 Two  yokes    ...... 
 
 Ultimate  argument  with  God  for  mercy 
 Unabashed  apostasy       .... 
 Unconscious  divine  agents     . 
 Unforgotten  past,  an      ...         . 
 Unfit  soil  prepared  for  the  blessing 
 
 PAGE 
 66 1 
 488 
 
 365 
 
 lOI 
 
 261 
 125 
 665 
 
 449 
 
 3 
 
 132 
 
 205 
 
 216 
 
 528 
 609 
 324 
 654 
 89 
 635 
 387 
 399 
 455 
 
 65 
 167 
 168 
 596 
 607 
 252 
 608 
 252 
 509 
 309 
 329 
 527 
 494 
 552 
 
 44 
 493 
 
 30s 
 
 158 
 
 24 
 
 41 
 91 
 
 Unholy  vows  kept 
 
 Universal  knowledge  of  the  Lord 
 
 Unreasonableness  of  despair  . 
 
 Unwelcome  sacrifice 
 
 Urijah's  persecution  and  death 
 
 Vain  thoughts 
 
 Vanity  of  thoughts 
 
 Vanquished  raised  into  victors 
 
 Vauntings  of  pride 
 
 Verdict  of  law  and  the  appeal  of  love,  the 
 
 Verdure  in  the  midst  of  desolation 
 
 Verification  of  the  prophecies 
 
 Violated  sanctuaries  doomed 
 
 Violation  of  the  law  of  liberty 
 
 Vision  of  retributive  war 
 
 Volcanic  Rome 
 
 page 
 624 
 
 533 
 392 
 238 
 
 483 
 
 91 
 
 651 
 648 
 
 57 
 372 
 4 
 156 
 561 
 118 
 670 
 
 WANiNGlightforeshadowingutmostgloom  273 
 War  the  stroke  of  God  .  .  .  .23 
 War  theme   ......     432 
 
 Watchmen's  call 518 
 
 Wealthy  nation  .....  656 
 Weeping  pilgrims  ....     657 
 
 Weeping  over  hardened  transgressors  .  274 
 "  What  hast  thou  done  ?"  ...  47 
 '*  What   wilt  thou  say   when  he   shall 
 
 punish  thee  ? "  .  .  ,  .  .276 
 Why  great  things  for  self  should  not  be 
 
 sought       ......     629 
 
 Wicked  a  terror,  the     ....     406 
 
 Wicked  terrified  and  terrifying      .         .     405 
 Wilful  inquirers  seeking  counsel    .         .413 
 Will-worship,  its  sinfulness    .         .  .      163 
 
 Wine-cup  of  wrath         ....     474 
 
 Wine  of  the  wrath  of  God      .         .         .271 
 "  Woe  to  Coniah  "         ....     430 
 
 Woes  of  war  .....     302 
 
 Word  of  Jeremiah,  the  ...         .14 
 
 Worldly  aspirations       ....     628 
 
 Worldly   prospects  sacrificed    in   God's 
 
 service       .         .         .         .         .         .627 
 
 Wrathful  agents  of  destruction      .         .     107 
 
 Yokes  for  the  confederate  kings  .  .  487 
 Young  converts  starting  Zionward  .     660 
 
 Youth's  gracious  hour  ....       63 
 
 688 
 
ANALYTICAL   INDEX 
 
 Abandoned  of  God,  77,  121,  124,  247,  252, 
 253,  299,  308,  318,  325,  393,  394,  613,  619, 
 668. 
 
 Abasement,  70. 
 
 Abstinence  (See  Kechabites). 
 
 Adoration,  no. 
 
 Afflictions  (See  Chastisements). 
 
 Age  (See  Old  Age), 
 
 Agents,  divine,  23,  24,  77- 
 
 Agriculture,  spiritual,  80,  91. 
 
 Alarm  sounded  to  sinners,  81,  112,  122,  128, 
 132,  200. 
 
 Ambition,  627,  628. 
 
 Ancestors  (See  Rechabites). 
 
 Anger  (See  also  Wrath),  483,  677. 
 
 Apathy,  644. 
 
 Apostasy,  36,  43,  51,  158,  352,  365,  618. 
 
 Ark,  62,  68. 
 
 Arrogance  (See  Boasting  and  Pride). 
 
 Attention  (See  also  Indifference),  272. 
 
 Babtlon,  473,  475,  486,  630,  657,  667,  669, 
 
 674,  675. 
 Backsliders,  66,  160,  175. 
 Baffling  mysteries  (See  Mysteries  in  Life). 
 Bereavement,  226,  652,  653- 
 Bible  (See  Hearers,   Word,  and  Written 
 
 Word). 
 Boasting,  202,  421,  637,  648,  654. 
 
 Calamity,  324,  422,  615. 
 
 Carnal  security  (See  Security). 
 
 Captivity,  62,  178,  352,  471,  497,  620,  676, 
 678. 
 
 Chastisements,  103,  135,  198,  225,  358,  500, 
 526,  595,  654. 
 
 Children,  137,  166,  226,  24I,  281,  322,  368, 
 423,  424,  428,  638. 
 
 Choice,  the  soul's,  414,  415,  511,  604. 
 
 Christ  (See  Healing,  Sin,  Cleansing,  Sal- 
 vation, Eighteousness,  Messiah). 
 
 Christian  (See  Godly,  Death,  Fruitfulness). 
 
 Church,  III,  123,  257,  330,  357,  377,  534,  536, 
 555.651. 
 
 City — citizenship,  102,  499. 
 
 Cleansing,  46,  84,  279,  280,  368. 
 
 Comparative  sinfulness,  65,  449 
 
 Comfort,  179,  522,  524,  626,  652. 
 
 Compassion,  God's,  653. 
 
 Complaining,  403,  408,  409. 
 
 Compromises,  215. 
 
 Confession,  65,  295,  303. 
 
 Consecration  (See  also  Skrvice),  337,  511. 
 2x 
 
 Consideration,  513. 
 
 Conversion,  103,  272,  303,  542,  560,  659. 
 
 Courage,  20,  24,  342,  345,  414,  592,  596,  601, 
 
 608,  633,  639. 
 Covenant,  221,  232,  235,  311,  391,  532,  661. 
 Creation,  543. 
 Creed,  447. 
 
 Darkness,  273. 
 
 Day  of  judgment,  276,  379,  505. 
 
 Dearth,  290,  292,  306.  [494- 
 
 Death,  174,  201,  226,  250,  326,  327,  422,  423, 
 
 Deception  (Comp.  also  Falsity),  368,  406,  494, 
 
 581. 
 Defeat,  538,  615,  632,  633,  670. 
 Defiance  of  God,  120,  129,  147,  177,  299,  57S. 
 Deliverance,  679. 
 Delusions,  83,    146,   151,  274,   301,  413,  486, 
 
 584,  6x1,  613,  654,  669. 
 Derision  (See  Scoffing). 
 Desertion  of  God  (See  Rejection),  662. 
 Despair,  178,  392,  397,  557. 
 Disappointment,  207,  407,  409,  628. 
 Discipline  (See  also  Chastisements),  525. 
 Discouragement  (see  Disappointment). 
 Distress  of  the  sinner,  134,  338. 
 Domestic  (See  Family). 
 Doom,  113,  124,  320,  3S8,  393,  394,  399,  573, 
 
 636,  665. 
 Dove,  647. 
 Dread  of  death,  250. 
 
 Earnestness,  157,  236,  274,  482,  568. 
 
 Ease  (See  Apathy). 
 
 Egypt,  614,  615,  616,  617,  620,  623,  630. 
 
 Enquirers,  257,  413,  502,  5S4,  659.' 
 
 Escape,  Effort  to,  131,  638. 
 
 Estrangement  from  God,  267. 
 
 Ethiopian,  590,  592. 
 
 Everlasting  facts,  153,  517. 
 
 Example,  161,  612,  624,  645. 
 
 Exile  (See  Captivity),  222. 
 
 Expostulations,  God's,  with  men,  66. 
 
 Faith  (See  Creed). 
 
 False  trusts  (See  Deception). 
 
 Falsity,  Human,  112,  252,  373,  374,  375,  383, 
 
 453.  490.  559,  584,  596,  604,  606,  607,  608, 
 
 639- 
 Family,  351,  515. 
 Famine,  677. 
 Fasting,  300. 
 Fatherless,  652,  653. 
 
 689 
 
ANALYTICAL  INDEX. 
 
 Fear,  19,  26,  100,  109,  379,  596,  639,  655. 
 Fearing  God,  100,  109. 
 Fidelity,  215,  249,  480. 
 Fleeing  from  God,  616. 
 Flocks,  275,  283,  441,  554,  663. 
 Foreknowledge,  God's,  17,  161. 
 
 prophetic,  538.  [672. 
 
 Forewarnings,  99, 1 12,  167,  388,  392,486,612, 
 Forgiveness,  665. 
 Fountain  (See  Water). 
 Freedom,  man's,  44. 
 Friendship,  484. 
 Frivolity  (See  Trifling). 
 Fruitfulness,  Christian,  372,  377,  462,  521. 
 Frustrations  of  life's  aims,  615. 
 Future  glories  of  the  righteous,  356,  521,  534, 
 542- 
 
 Gentiles,  So,  360,  533. 
 Glorying,  202,  203,  645. 
 God,  the  hope  of  man  (See  HoPE). 
 
 the  true,  214,  219. 
 
 Godly,  221,  262,  266,  270,  327,  365,  381,  453, 
 
 520,  567,  615,  654. 
 God's  abhorrence  of  sin,  621,  622. 
 
 account  of  Himself,  542. 
 
 anxiety  over  man,  1 76,  298,  620. 
 
 compassion,  653. 
 
 glory,  219. 
 
 goodness,  523. 
 
 love  (See  Love). 
 
 mercy  to  His  people,  664,  665. 
 
 reply  to  a  perplexed  soul,  541. 
 
 work  on  men,  25,  387,  390,  395,  527. 
 
 works  in  creation,  219,  670. 
 
 Gospel,  525,  553. 
 Gospel  age,  444. 
 Government,  divine,  24,  224. 
 Grace,  exhausted,  323. 
 
 spared  through,  517. 
 
 Graves,  171. 
 
 Guidance,  divine,  224,  226,  227. 
 
 Habits,  277,  278,  2S4. 
 
 Harvest,   no,    113,    179,    189,   671,   677   (See 
 
 also  Dearth). 
 Healing,  128,   182,    185,   377,   378,   508,    509, 
 
 633.  669. 
 Hearers  of  God's  Word,  272,  333,  335,    415, 
 
 45o>  573,  574,  577- 
 Heart,  367,  373,  374,  375,  376,  463,  464,  511, 
 
 532,  649. 
 Heaven,  78,  153. 
 Heroism,  24,  592,  601,  619. 
 Hiding-places,  89,  612,  646,  66 1. 
 Holiness  (See  Cleansing). 
 Homage  to  God,  218. 
 Honesty  (See  Untruthfulness). 
 Hope,  God  our,  296,  298,  338,  379,  548,  653. 
 Hopes,  151,  173,  379,  524,  573,  581,  6u,  632. 
 Hospitality,  606. 
 Human  greatness  ruined,  645. 
 Humility,  633. 
 Hypocrisy,  103,   III,  133,  164,   196,  238,453, 
 
 560,  606,  609,  612. 
 
 Idolatry,  39,  147,  174,  217,  221,  617,  623. 
 Ignorance,  104. 
 G20 
 
 Impenitence,  40,  430,  623. 
 
 Incredulity  (See  Unbelief). 
 
 Indifference,  108,  131,  132,  172,  299,  412,  643, 
 
 672. 
 Injustice,  583. 
 
 Insincerity  (See  Hypockisy). 
 Insolence  (See  Defiance). 
 Inspiration,  8. 
 Integrity  (See  Fidelity). 
 Intercession,  158,  237,  291,  297,  303,  310,  315, 
 
 319,  344,  389,  581. 
 Israel  lost,  60,  458. 
 Israel's  return,  So,  356,  444,  458,  518,  542, 
 
 553,  657,  664. 
 
 Jealousy,  606. 
 
 Jeremiah's  sufferings,  2,  538,  548,  593,  603, 
 
 614,  619.     (See  Patriotism.) 
 Jerusalem,  163,  199,  535,  555,  599. 
 Jews,  conversion  of,  509,  519,  542. 
 Jordan,  250,  251. 
 Joy,  408,  553,  673, 
 Judah's  guilt  and  banishment,   65,  76,   264, 
 
 363,  419,  471,  620. 
 Judah's  restoration,  80,  438,  444,  518,  519,  676. 
 Justice  and  judgments  of  God,  200,  277,  358, 
 
 376,  379,  388,  469,  578,  604,  677. 
 
 Kindness,  680. 
 
 Kingdom,  Christ's,  67,  442,  443,  444,  510,  554. 
 
 Knowing  God,  202,  463,  533. 
 
 Lament,  sinner's,  179,  274,  313,  645. 
 
 Law,  57,  532. 
 
 Liberty,  507,  561. 
 
 Life's  changes,  652. 
 
 Life's  work,  16,  20,  25.  [555. 
 
 Lord  our   righteousness,  438,  445,  447,  457, 
 
 Love  divine,  34,  57,  517. 
 
 Man  (See  Renewed). 
 
 Manna,  337 
 
 Marriage  (See  Family),  353. 
 
 Memory,  41,  331,  528,  673  (Comp.  Past  Life). 
 
 Mercy,  305. 
 
 Messiah  (See  also  Loud  our  Righteousness), 
 
 442,  443,  457,  510. 
 Ministers,  charges  to,  call  of,    1 3,  16,  27,  343, 
 
 414,  439,  448,  450,  451,  453,  481. 
 difiBculties   of  their  work,   15,   19,   328, 
 
 339,  345,  346. 
 
 distress  over  sinners,  87,  93,  328,  619. 
 
 rejected,    88,  119,   121,   126,  345,  395, 
 
 404,  406,  480,483,  578,  618. 
 responsibility  of,    275,    340,   357,    440, 
 
 441,  456. 
 Miraculous  conception  of  Christ,  529. 
 Mirth  (See  Tblfling). 
 Misery,  man's,  306,  316. 
 Missionary  themes,  360,  431,  433,  533,  673. 
 Moral  wi-ecks,  206,  448. 
 Mysteries  in  life,  248. 
 
 National  topics,  23,  157,  292,  448,  460,  465, 
 473,  474,  476,  508,  631. 
 
 Nature,  no,  216,  219,  290,  306,  372,  543. 
 
 Nearness  to  God,  281,  45 1  (See  also  Omnipre- 
 sence). 
 
ANALYTICAL  INDEX. 
 
 Nebuchadnezzar,  470,  503,  599,  630,  649. 
 Neglect,  172,  181,  242,  265,  325,  412,  672, 
 Nets,  357. 
 
 Oaths,  79,  89,  600. 
 
 Obedience,  26,  563,  565,  567,  568,  593. 
 
 Obstinacy,  127,  131,  624. 
 
 Old  age,  136. 
 
 Omission  (See  Neglect). 
 
 Omnipresence,  451,  452  (See  Nearness). 
 
 Omniscience,  198,  358. 
 
 Opportunity,  104,  181,  273,  412,  415,  558, 
 572,  580,  644,  672. 
 
 Opposition,  28. 
 
 Outward  glory  desolated,  645. 
 
 Outward  religion  (See  Superficial  and  Pro- 
 fanity). 
 
 Overthrow  of  enemies  (See  Triumph). 
 
 Parentage,  7,  241,  283,  322,  356,  423,  515. 
 Paths,  the  old,  130,  138,  416,  424. 
 Patriotism  and  philanthropy,    134,   195,  254, 
 
 303,  499,  600,  603,  604,  60S. 
 Past  life,  47. 
 Peace,  301,  664. 
 
 Penitence,  59,  303,  360,  378,  526,  527,  529. 
 Perplexity,  541  ;  in  prayer,  609. 
 Persecution,  235,  238,  389,  403,  480,  483,  584, 
 
 588,  641. 
 Physician  (See  Healing). 
 Piety,  31,  145,  146. 
 Pilgrims  to  Zion,  519,  529,  657,  659. 
 Pity,  323. 
 
 Plea,  the  sinner's,  295,  305. 
 Pleaders  with  God,  297,  540,  541,  548. 
 Poor,  the,  104,  105. 
 Popular  neglect  of  religion,  183. 
 Power,  spiritual  and  divine,  329. 
 Prayer,  158,  237,  294,  297,  299,  303,  304,309, 
 
 332,  333.  344,  378.  389,  490,  541,  548.  550, 
 551,  581,  609,  612. 
 Preaching,   126,   127,  149,  328,  406,  481,  490, 
 
 573- 
 Presumption,  268,  650. 
 Predestination,  17,  25. 
 
 Pride,  268,  272,  281,  282,  614,  648,  649,  654. 
 Priesthood,  555.  [59i' 
 
 Prison  (See  also  Persecution),  548,  584,  588, 
 Privilege,  conditional,  420,  421,  430. 
 Profanity,  155,  321. 
 Protection,  God's,  24,  343,  359,  365,  497)  5^6, 
 
 598,  601. 
 Prosperity,  425,  427,  428. 
 Punishment  (See  Retribution), 
 Purity  (See  Cleansing). 
 
 Qualification,  20,  21. 
 
 Rachel's  lamentation,  524. 
 Rebellion,  677. 
 Rebuke,  346. 
 
 Rechabites,  562,  563,  565,  568,  569. 
 Recklessness,  299. 
 Recompenses,  673. 
 Reconciliation,  256,  319. 
 Refuge  (See  Hiding- Places), 
 Rejecting  God,  51,   162,    172,   237,  257,   299, 
 325,  662. 
 
 Religion  (See  Piety). 
 
 Remedy  (See  Healing). 
 
 Remembrance  (See  Memory). 
 
 Renewed,  391. 
 
 Repentance  (See  Penitence). 
 
 Rest  to  your  soul,  131,  661. 
 
 Retirement,  582,  646. 
 
 Retribution,    108,   253,    276,    302,    358,    381, 
 
 559,  578,  646,  654,  673. 
 Return  to  God,  75,  78,  568,  658. 
 Revelation,  552,  571. 
 
 Righteousness  (See  LoRDOUR  Righteousness) 
 Rock,  646,  654. 
 Rome,  667,  669,  670. 
 Ruin,  sinner's,  645. 
 
 Sabbath,  366,  380,  381,  384. 
 
 Sacrifice,  160,  627. 
 
 Salvation,  69,  343,  378,  457,  519,  531,  635. 
 
 Sanctuaries,  156,  167. 
 
 Scoffing,  321,  406,  482,  646,  651. 
 
 Scriptures  (See  Word). 
 
 Sea,  655. 
 
 Security,  129,  151,  640,  647,  654,  656. 
 
 Self-exaltation,  652. 
 
 Self-excusings,  48,  154,  276,  622. 
 
 Self -improvement,  150,568. 
 
 Self -righteousness,  46,  48,  175. 
 
 Service,   13,  19,  492,  507,  511,  577,  602,  627, 
 
 639- 
 Shame,  129. 
 
 Shepherds  (See  Flocks). 
 Sin  (See  Wickedness). 
 Sinners,  43,  45,  65,  79,    lOl,   295,  355,  381, 
 
 393,  568,  594,  622,  658. 
 Sin's  miseries  and  spoliations,  249,  267,  269, 
 
 284,  354,  364,  370,  425,  645. 
 Slander,  197,  556,  583,  587. 
 Sorrow  (See  Trouble). 
 Sovereignty,  God's,  387,  488. 
 Speech,  103. 
 Stranger,  God  a,  308. 
 Strife,  345. 
 
 Strength,  spiritual  (See  Power). 
 Sudden  death  (See  Death). 
 Suffering,  for  godly  and  guilty,  654. 
 Superficial  religion  (See  also  Hypocrisy),  148, 
 
 152,  154,  164,  205,  238,  300,  453. 
 Superstitions,  164,  213,  216. 
 Surrender  and  submission  to  God,  266,  528, 
 
 609. 
 Swearing,  448. 
 Symbols,  11,  80,  387,  399,  421,  455,  460. 
 
 Talents,  265. 
 
 Terror  of  the  soul,  379,  380,  405. 
 
 Thirst  (See  Water). 
 
 Thoroughness,  154,  502. 
 
 Thoughts,  85,  91,  501. 
 
 Touch,  the  Lord's,  21. 
 
 Treachery  (See  Falsity). 
 
 Trifling,  323,  355,  456.  _ 
 
 Triumph,  the  Christian's,  25  I,  329,  342,  634, 
 
 651. 
 
 Trouble,  222,  296,  506,  643,  654. 
 
 Trust  in  God,  51,  295,369,  370,  371,  551,  602, 
 
 603. 
 Truths,  great  and  mighty,  552. 
 
 691 
 
ANALYTICAL  INDEX. 
 
 Unbeltef,  107,  320. 
 Unsuspiciousness,  605. 
 Untruthfulness,  597. 
 
 Valedictory  Address,  673. 
 Victors  (See  Triumph). 
 Vindication  of  Israel,  670. 
 Visions,  II,  67,  76,  1 18,  530. 
 Volition,  124. 
 Vow,  42,  562,  624. 
 
 Wanderers  (See  Rejecting  God). 
 
 War,  23,  83,  118,  123,  302,  432,  639. 
 
 Warfare,  Christian,  123. 
 
 Warnings  (See  Alarm,  Examples,  and  Foee- 
 
 WARNINGS). 
 
 Water,  293,  294.  [660. 
 
 Way  of  salvation,  45,  130,  137,  417,  424,  520. 
 Wealth,  377,  425,  656. 
 Weariness  (See  Retirement). 
 Weeping  pilgrims  (See  Pilgrims). 
 
 692 
 
 Wickedness,  112,  278,  2S4,  354,  358,  364,  367, 
 
 449,  620,  621,  636. 
 Wilfulness,  108,  413,  609,  613,  614. 
 Winecup  of  wrath,  270,  474. 
 Wisdom,  176,  652,  672. 
 Word,  God's,  266,  272,  333,  335,  342,  433,  454, 
 
 455,  574- 
 Words,  151,  252,  680. 
 Work  for  Christ  (See  Service). 
 Wounds,  128. 
 
 Wrath,  God's,  81,  107,  270,  3S0,  413,  450,  474. 
 Written  word  of  God,  505,  571,  572,  575. 
 
 Year,  old  and  new  year  themes,  494,  495. 
 Yoke,  46,  493. 
 
 Youth,  50,  63,  240,  325,  326,  356,   368,  423, 
 424,  429,  644,  661. 
 
 Zedekiah,  538,  594,  599. 
 Zion   (See   also   Jerusalem,    Pilgrims,   and 
 Church),  123,  529. 
 
ILLUSTRATIOIiS,    EXTRACTS,    POETRY. 
 
 PAGE 
 
 page 
 
 Abstinence 
 
 569 
 
 Evil  sent        .... 
 
 .    478 
 
 Acknowledge  thine  iniquity  . 
 
 72 
 
 Evil  shall  not  prevail      . 
 
 •     349 
 
 Affliction 
 
 230 
 
 Almond-tree  ..... 
 
 31 
 
 Faces  Zionward    . 
 
 .     666 
 
 Anathoth        ...... 
 
 29 
 
 Fallow  ground 
 
 •      94 
 
 Ancient  hymn  by  John  Mardley,  on  Jer 
 
 False  gods     . 
 
 •      54 
 
 iii.  12 
 
 72 
 
 False  peace  . 
 
 .     142 
 
 Appropriating  God's  word 
 
 350 
 
 Falsity , 
 
 .     586 
 
 Average  of  life        .... 
 
 496 
 
 Fasting  offensive 
 Fearlessness  . 
 
 .     312 
 
 .     484 
 
 Backsliding 
 
 188 
 
 Flattery 
 
 .        .      96 
 
 Balm  of  Gilead       ...... 
 
 189 
 
 Fore-ordination 
 
 30 
 
 Banished  ones  recalled    . 
 
 94 
 
 Frivolous  sinning 
 
 .     361 
 
 Be  not  discouraged         .         .        .         . 
 
 349 
 
 Fulness 
 
 .     115 
 
 Bereaved  of  children       .         .         .         . 
 
 230 
 
 Fury  for  the  oppressor  . 
 
 •     231 
 
 Bibles  burnt  ...... 
 
 579 
 
 Bitter  at  heart        .... 
 
 95 
 
 "Gates"     .... 
 
 .     311 
 
 Bitter  lamentation .         .         . 
 
 189 
 
 God  giveth  rain     . 
 
 .     116 
 
 Blast  of  the  Almighty    .         .         .         . 
 
 95 
 
 God  recognised  in  the  harvest 
 
 .     115 
 
 Boldness  in  prayer .... 
 
 313 
 
 God's  control  of  man's  career 
 
 •     230 
 
 Broken  down  at  the  presence  of  God 
 
 95 
 
 God's  omnipresence 
 
 .     460 
 
 "Burial  of  an  ass"         .         .         .         . 
 
 436 
 
 God's  sovereign  power  . 
 
 .        .     398 
 
 Buried  girdle 
 
 2S6 
 
 God's  withdrawal  from  man  . 
 
 .      141,  312 
 
 God's  word  enjoyed 
 
 •     349 
 
 Calumny       
 
 587 
 
 Graves  disturbed  . 
 
 .     181 
 
 Chastened       ..... 
 
 467 
 
 Christ's  example 
 
 495 
 
 Habits         .... 
 
 .     288 
 
 Christ's  yoke  easy  .... 
 
 495 
 
 Harvest  past 
 
 .     189 
 
 Confession      ...... 
 
 537 
 
 Help  from  God 
 
 •     547 
 
 Conspiracy  against  God .         .         .         . 
 
 244 
 
 Heretics  burned ... 
 
 •     503 
 
 Contrition  necessary       „         .        ,        . 
 
 313 
 
 Hope    ..... 
 
 .        .     385 
 
 Conversion      ...... 
 
 313 
 
 Hospitality    .... 
 
 .     606 
 
 Correction 
 
 55 
 
 Human  inability   . 
 
 •     547 
 
 Courage  before  kings      .         .        .         . 
 
 31 
 
 Hunting        .... 
 
 .        .     361 
 
 Covenant,  the         .         ,         ,         . 
 
 244 
 
 Hypocrisy    .... 
 
 .     560 
 
 Covetousness 
 
 436 
 
 "Crane"        .         ,          .         .         ,         . 
 
 188 
 
 Idolatry     .... 
 
 •       54 
 
 Cyrus'  capture  of  Babylon     .         . 
 
 675 
 
 Idol  manufacture 
 
 .     228 
 
 Ignorance  and  irreligiuu 
 
 .     IIS 
 
 Dan 
 
 95 
 
 Incredulity  .... 
 
 .        .     348 
 
 Dark  mountains     .... 
 
 288 
 
 Indelible  records  of  sin 
 
 •     385 
 
 Death 
 
 210 
 
 Infuriated  hearers 
 
 •     579 
 
 Death  desired          .... 
 
 188 
 
 Ingratitude  .... 
 
 54 
 
 Dearth,  the 
 
 3" 
 
 Iniquity  marked   . 
 
 •       55»  229 
 
 Defiance 
 
 1 89 
 
 Injustice       .... 
 
 .        .     585 
 
 Denominationalism         .         ,         . 
 
 73 
 
 Innocence     .          •         .          . 
 
 .    607 
 
 Deriding  the  preacher    .        .        . 
 
 411 
 
 Intercessory  prayer       ,         , 
 
 .     347 
 
 Despair 
 
 398 
 
 Discerning  eyes      .... 
 
 30 
 
 Kind  words  .... 
 
 .    680 
 
 Kindness        .... 
 
 .    680 
 
 Early  death 
 
 .    348 
 
 Kings  and  priests  . 
 
 .      55 
 
 End,  the 
 
 .     1x6 
 
 Everlasting  love     .... 
 
 •     536 
 
 Jealousy     .... 
 
 .    607 
 
 Evil  of  sin 
 
 •     362 
 
 Jehoiakim's  fourt! 
 
 1  year 
 
 •  „    •     477 
 
 693 
 
ILLUSTRATIONS,  EXTRACTS,  POETRY. 
 
 Jehovah's  message  widely  published 
 Jeremiah's  disco  uragemeut 
 Jerusalem,  God's  throne 
 Jerusalem  in  ruins 
 
 Lenient  correction 
 
 Limits  in  prayer  . 
 
 Lion,  the 
 
 Lord  shall  roar,  the 
 
 Lost  book  of  the  covenant 
 
 Lost  ten  tribes 
 
 Lost  to  pity 
 
 Love     .... 
 
 Lowliness  of  mind 
 
 Lying  down  in  shame    . 
 
 Manhood 
 
 Man's  lone  hope    . 
 
 Marriage 
 
 Millstones 
 
 Murderers  in  ambush    . 
 
 Mutations  of  life  . 
 
 Neb  D  CHADNEZZAK 
 
 Negligent  pastors 
 Noble  friendship  . 
 No  latter  rain 
 None  like  God 
 
 Obedience    . 
 Obedience  to  ancestors  . 
 Oblivion,  sin  cast  into  . 
 Old  paths     . 
 Opportunities  lost 
 
 Parentage   . 
 
 Peaceable  habitations    . 
 
 Peace  assured 
 
 Permanence  of  the  Rechabites 
 
 Persecution  . 
 
 Piety  the  beauty  of  youth 
 
 Pilgrimage    . 
 
 Prayer 
 
 Prayer  for  one's  own  country 
 
 Predestination 
 
 Pride  abashed 
 
 Pride  lamented 
 
 Pride,  spiritual 
 
 Prophet's  distress 
 
 Prophets  sent  by  Jehovah 
 
 Prosperity     . 
 
 Queen,  the  . 
 
 Refiner 
 Remembered 
 
 Repentance  glorifying  God 
 Reprobate  silver    . 
 Rest     .... 
 "  Retribution  in  kind  " 
 Revelation  in  writing    . 
 Revolting  heart     . 
 Riches  .... 
 Ritual .... 
 Royalty  rebuked  .         . 
 
 PAGE 
 
 244 
 
 411 
 
 72 
 
 210 
 
 231 
 
 347 
 95 
 
 47S 
 
 243 
 71 
 
 348 
 53 
 30 
 73 
 
 114 
 
 313 
 361 
 
 477 
 
 244 
 
 29 
 
 477 
 459 
 
 485 
 
 71 
 229 
 
 1,286 
 
 569 
 666 
 142 
 140 
 
 29,  348 
 479 
 
 648,  649 
 
 569 
 485 
 
 54 
 
 54 
 547 
 503 
 
 30 
 287 
 288 
 650 
 
 95 
 477 
 436 
 
 288 
 
 142 
 
 349 
 
 287 
 
 143 
 142 
 116 
 579 
 "5 
 
 211 
 
 71 
 288 
 
 Sabbath  rest 
 
 Sacred  wisdom 
 
 Sea 
 
 Searching  the  heart 
 
 Self-esteem   . 
 
 Self-interrogation 
 
 Shame  . 
 
 Sign  of  fire  . 
 
 Signs  of  heaven     . 
 
 Siu  acknowledged 
 
 Sin  banished,  or  no  heaver. 
 
 Sin  debases  the  soul 
 
 Sin,  its  continuity 
 
 Sin  its  own  punishment 
 
 Sinner's  burial 
 
 Slander 
 
 Society 
 
 Solitude 
 
 Spurious  glorying 
 
 "Stork"       . 
 
 "  Stranger  in  the  land ' 
 
 Streets  of  Jerusalem 
 
 "Swallow" 
 
 "  Swift  dromedary  " 
 
 Symbols  of  the  spiritual 
 
 Tears  . 
 
 Tears  of  penitence 
 
 Thou  shalt  swear  . 
 
 ' '  Time  of  their  trouble 
 
 Trap 
 
 Trees    . 
 
 Troubled  ministry 
 
 Troubles  revive  us 
 
 True  God      . 
 
 True  manhood 
 
 "  Turn  from  evil  ways 
 
 Turtle  . 
 
 Unquenchable  fire 
 Unwashed  girdle  . 
 Unwelcome  sacrifice 
 
 Vain  thoughts 
 Valueless  prayers  . 
 Vine     . 
 Visions 
 
 Wandering  . 
 War      . 
 
 Weep  not  for  the  dead 
 Whole  truth 
 Wicked  a  terror     . 
 Wine-cup  of  fury  . 
 Woe-stricken 
 Word,  the 
 Women,  mourning 
 Works  of  God 
 Wrestling  prayers 
 Written  childless  . 
 
 Yoke    . 
 Youth  . 
 
 ZiON  a  refuge 
 
 ()V 
 
 694 
 
 PRINTED  BY  BALLANTTNE,  HANSON,  AND  CO.,  EDINBURGH  AND  LONDON. 
 
DATE  DUE 
 
 'RINTCO  IN  O-S. 
 
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